Momentum Mini Mag Winter 2012/2013

The Momentum Mini Mag Winter 2012/2013

Featuring Abraham & obedience Finding God in a hopeless place Elijah & waiting for God’s promises Leadership & ice cream

Plus News on the Momentum retreat at Center Parcs!

Articles from the Soul Survivor Bible

A selection of Recommended reads

Contents

Some of our favourites 07

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We found God in a hopeless place

Leadership and ice cream

Waiting for the promised rain

Dr Krish Kandiah gives us some thoughts on developing a wide and deep faith that is built to last

Pete Wynter takes a look at what leadership means for each of us today.

Liza Hoeksma ponders what Elijah can teach us about waiting on God to see his promises fulfilled.

Also inside this issue 02 03

A hello from Mike!

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We thought you might like to see examples of some of the articles we tucked into the Soul Survivor Bible:

Momentum 2012 What a summer! We hope you loved it as much as we did – here are some of your stories that give us a glimpse of what God was getting up to among us.

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17 Psalms; the prayer book of Jesus

by Bishop Graham Cray 18 Moses and Jethro; humility in friendship by Ali Martin

The God who is bigger Mike P gives us some thoughts on Abraham’s deal with God and how it teaches us some lessons of obedience.

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Your Momentum weekend ‘need to knows’!

19 Relying on God by Mike Pilavachi 20 Pushing through obstacles

by Christy Wimber

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Find out what’s going on at our weekend retreat plus get some handy hints of what to bring.

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Recommended reads Looking for a good new read? Check out the team’s recommendations for your 2013 reading list.

Soul Survivor Bible extracts

What’s on?

Find out all the dates you need to plan a brilliant year of Momentum and Soul Survivor events!

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Le Momentum Supermarche Looking for some resources? Look no further – it’s the Momentum shop!

Hi Guys I hope you had a brilliant Christmas and that the New Year has started well for you. After a time of celebrating, over-eating and relaxing, the team and I are all getting geared up for what we hope will be another great year.

We really enjoyed hanging out with so many of you during Momentum last summer. One of my highlights (apart from the hog roast) was seeing so many of you meet with God. Throughout our worship, teaching and prayer times we saw so many of you moved by him and that’s what Momentum is all about. We’ve included some testimonies from the summer on page 03 for you to have a read about different people’s encounters with God at Momentum. We find it so encouraging to hear your stories of how God is working in your lives – let’s pray for even more throughout 2013!

We also love to hear from you so if you have any comments about this mini mag or any other ways we communicate with you, drop us an email: editor@soulsurvivor.com .

Don’t be shy!

P.s.

For all of you that enjoyed the hog roast last year, we’re putting together some ideas for another get together for this year – although we might keep the details under wraps until we all get there!

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Mike is one of the directors of Soul Survivor.

He is an avid squash player and won his first match recently (at the 47th attempt).

Company no. 03991111

Love Mike

This mini mag is written and edited by the Soul Survivor Comms team. We’re here to chat to you fine folk and let you know about all the Soul Survivor and Momentum news.

Charity no. 1080720

It’s not long now until our Momentum weekend away in March and we’re really looking forward to hanging out with lots of you there. I’m so pleased Christy Wimber will be with us – she’s a great and inspiring teacher. Find out more about the weekend on Page 09. We’re busy working on our plans for next summer too and we hope to drop through your door with another mini-mag in a few months to give you more details. In the meantime, hope you find this mag encouraging.

We’re praying for you and looking forward to seeing you soon.

The Momentum Mini Mag Winter 2012/2013

We Loved Momentum 2012!

What a brilliant time we had hanging out with you all, worshipping God together and hearing from his word. We were so encouraged from our time together and one of the highlights for us was sitting in the sun sharing a hog roast together. We’re working on all our plans for Momentum 2013 and we’ll share more details on seminar topics and speakers over the next few months so keep an eye on our website*, Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date. One thing we know for sure is that we’ll be worshipping and hanging out with Jesus – we can’t wait!

“I came to Momentum desperately in need of a break. I felt like I had been in survival mode for so long I’d lost the ability to give or receive love. Over the first two days the worship, talks and ministry time softened my heart and slowly I started to feel again. I received prayer for various issues and had the joy of praying for a few people to receive the Holy Spirit. My outlook for the future has more hope and I generally feel lighter. We’re bringing a group with us next year.”

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“Before Momentum I had been living a double life - acting holy at church and with my family, and acting totally different at university. I had done things I wasn’t proud of, and felt like I’d messed up so badly God had given up on me. Momentum helped me to realise he still loves me and can help me sort out my mess, and I’ve grown much closer to him. He’s begun to brush out the tangles in my life and hopefully I will begin to use my life for his glory rather than living selfishly and sinfully.”

“I came to Momentum last year having battled with low self esteem for about 16 years, and I have an 8 year history of untreated eating disorders. I was totally blown away by God in one of the meetings and healed from any remaining symptoms. For the first time I let God in and surrendered all I had been holding onto. He took my pain and has restored me. I have been experiencing God’s love and grace ever since, and for the first time, I love the uniqueness God has created me with. I am now hoping to help others that are experiencing something similar to what i have been through.”

d e v Lo It!

“I came to Momentum feeling very physically and mentally low. I was seriously questioning my faith and considering turning away from God and the Church for good. I came away excited to explore my questions and skepticism about God and challenge myself to grow in faith, seeing this more as a journey with God.” “I experienced God in the most tangible way of my whole life.”

Your Stories We love reading your stories! If you have one you’d like to share, drop us an email: testimonies@soulsurvivor.com

Book Now We can’t wait to see what God has in store for Momentum 2013 – don’t forget you can save some money by booking early!

*Website Problems We’re really sorry about the problems with our website in 2012 – we’re working on a brand new shiny website for you that we will endeavour to fill with lots of helpful & easy to find info!

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Bigger

The God who is by

by Mike Mike Pilavachi Pilavachi

When God first spoke to Abraham he made a deal with him. Abraham was to leave his country, his people and his Father’s household and go to a new land of God’s choosing. This was Abraham’s side of the agreement. In return God pledged to:

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Still, if God was faithful and kept to his side of the agreement, Abraham knew he would hit the jackpot. Fast forward from Genesis 12 to Genesis 22 and we see God spoke to Abraham again. There was a second proposition where God said (and I paraphrase here):

Make Abraham into a great nation.

02 Bless him 03 Enhance his reputation (make his name great)

“You know your Son Isaac whom you love very much”.

“Yes Lord?”

04 Bless those who blessed him 05 Deal with anyone who cursed him 06 Cause all people on earth to be

“The Son through whom all my promises to make you into a great nation are to be fulfilled?”

blessed through him.

To me this sounds like a pretty good deal but clearly it was not without its risks for Abraham.

He had to choose to trust this God whom he had only just met; Abraham didn’t even have time to take up references.

“Yes Lord?”

“Kill him for me will you?”

“Oh. And may I ask, what is your side of the bargain?”

...Silence. Lots and lots of silence.

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God was asking Abraham to kill his dream and offering nothing in return. In one sense this obedience was easier than the first in that Abraham had started to get to know God and had seen something of God’s provision, faithfulness and forgiveness. In all other senses, this obedience was much, much harder. God was asking Abraham to kill not only his beloved child but also his hope.

With no given reason and nothing promised in return. If Abraham was anything like us he would have had three, justifiable, objections.

1stst objection God you are crazy! This whole thing you are asking me to do is crazy!

Sometimes God asks us to do something that doesn’t seem to make sense. He asks us to trust him with the things that matter most to us. Sometimes it can seem to us that what he is asking of us is even detrimental to his Kingdom. This is the time to trust in his character. This is the time to trust in his wisdom above ours. This is the time to humble ourselves and to repent of arrogantly attempting to advise him. Noah could have called God crazy when he told him to build a ship in a desert. Joshua could have called God crazy when he told him to have a jam to end all jams around the city of Jericho.

Moses could have called God crazy when he said to hold a stick over the red sea as the Egyptian armies were advancing. Gideon could have called God crazy when he told him to reduce his army from over 30000 to 300 before heading into a challenging battle. Hosea could have called God crazy when he told him to marry an unfaithful prostitute. Ezekiel could have called God crazy on all sorts of occasions! Except they didn’t. They trusted.

nd objection 2nd

3rdrd objection

But this will hurt someone...

What’s in it for me?

Abraham must have struggled with this one.

Isaac was the son of his old age, his gift from God. Abraham could have said: “Lord, I am not putting my family through it. You cannot ask me to do this to Sarah and Isaac.” While this could sound very noble, it is actually very sinful because all disobedience is sin. To put anything or anyone ahead of God is idolatry. A few years ago I met a family who had moved into the toughest part of inner city Melbourne from the leafy suburbs so they could serve the community of drug addicts and sex workers there. After a little hesitation I asked the parents whether they thought this was a healthy and safe environment to bring up their kids. I will never forget their reply: “What better place to bring up children than in the centre of God’s will.”

This article was published in the lovely Youthwork magazine which Mike writes a

I wonder if Abraham actually thought this or whether I am projecting back onto him my own 21st century consumerist, individualist, ‘me first’ mentality. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) If that wasn’t enough to answer the question, God could easily have pointed out he wasn’t asking Abraham to do anything he wasn’t prepared to do himself.

Why is all of this so important? For the simple reason that we need to be a people who will trust God when he speaks. A generation that will take risks of faith and do what God asks no matter how crazy it sounds and how much it costs them. Because we don’t have the power to change the world – far from it - but we serve a God who does. So when he calls on us and asks us to go, to sacrifice, to love and to serve – will we get stuck in our own confusion and questions, or will we be like Abraham and obey whatever the cost?

column for every other month. www.youthwork-magazine.co.uk

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We found God in a hopeless

by Dr Krish Kandiah

place

Forgive the shameless Rhianna reference - I wanted to grab your attention. According to church stats, 70% of young adults walk away from faith and church in their 20s and 30s.

That is a worse survival rate than passengers on the Titanic. You are part of an endangered species in the UK church. This won’t be news to many of you who have seen friends walk away from Christianity. Some get bored, busy or distracted.

For many, life got tough and they failed to find God in a hopeless place.

How can we hold onto God wherever we find ourselves, and help others find God instead of losing hope? I think the answer lies in making sure we are building deep and wide.

Build Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount ends with a killer punch, asking those that had just listened to consider two paths their lives could take.

Imagine two neighbours sat next to each other at a worship gathering. Both hear the same teaching, sing the same songs and leave with a handshake. To the outside world both of these worshippers look the same.

They are like two neighbouring houses with identical interiors.

However, one house has a foundation hewn out of solid rock. The builder has sweated to make sure that the house is built to last. The other builder in a rush to put something up,

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Deep has skimped on the foundation.

The killer punch comes when the storm hits – it is not where the storm comes from that is important, but what happens next: one house protects, the other house perishes.

Our faith needs resilience. We need a faith that is going to keep on trusting God even in seemingly hopeless places. In Matthew 6 the only difference between the two neighbouring lives or houses is the little phrase “everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice.” Digging deep

means listening to God’s word coupled with obeying God’s word. Orthodoxy – knowing the truth, and orthopraxy – doing it. Committing to the study of scripture, listening to preaching, investing in mature Christian reading, listening to podcasts, and joining small groups where you can discuss what scripture means are all vitally helpful disciplines in building a resilient faith. But Jesus tells us as graphically and emphatically as he can that on their own they are insufficient. Looking for ways to obey God’s word, allowing scripture to shape our ambitions, decisions, and affections is the indispensable element in building resilience.

Build The teenagers in our house ensure that as a family we are up to date with all things reality TV. The conversations that go on in the Celebrity Jungle or in the Big Brother House rarely focus on the outside world but on the micro details of the household.

Many of us seem to follow suit: all we think and talk about is what is immediately affecting our microcosm in the moment.

But if we remain isolated from what God has been doing in history and throughout his world we will lack the resources and the resolve to stay faithful to him here and now and forever.

It is hard being a Christian in the UK today with challenges at school, university and work, knowing how and what we can say about our faith to whom.

Yet from its very inception the church was born into conflict: most of the first apostles ended up persecuted, beaten and killed for their faith. Paul promised Timothy “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12.) Persecution is seen as the norm, and the Holy Spirit’s

Wide help through the suffering is guaranteed. (Luke 12:11-12, Acts 4:8, 7:55, 13:9, 20:22). God’s church was equipped for the suffering that came from being caught up in God’s mission to God’s world by God’s Spirit. In this light, perhaps it is relatively easy being a Christian in the UK today.

Millions of Christians around the world today are facing excommunication from their families, exile from their homes and execution for their faith. I read recently of Christians in Iran who have to meet in secret at 2am because it is the only safe time to do so. I heard about a 17 year old girl in Somalia who became a Christian and was then beaten by her family, force fed medicine that would change her mind and chained to a tree for days on end. She remains in great danger, fearful for her life and yet holding on to her faith. I was recently at a meeting with 800 sixth formers who were wrestling with some of the issues posed in this article when we were joined via Skype by a young

Egyptian believer who told of his experiences watching a peaceful Christian march and then being fired upon by the police and watching people he knew die for their faith. He then prayed for those thinking of giving up on their faith in the UK to hold true to their Saviour. I was profoundly moved by the fervent prayers of a young man facing more reasons than any of us have to give up on his faith. Connecting widely with Christians around the world will help us stay faithful.

Faith in the UK sometimes feels very narrow and very thin. If we are going to build resilient faith that will help us to not just survive into adult life but to thrive and to help others hold on to their faith in hard times, we need to make sure our faith is both deep and wide.

Deep enough to build on the solid rock of informed biblical obedience and wide enough to cope with the realities of life here and around our world. In this way we will be helped to be faithful in praying for others and also faithful to the same heavenly father we are all clinging to.

Dr Krish Kandiah is Executive Director or the Evangelical Alliance. Check out his blog at www.krishk.com and see www.threadsuk.com for inspiring stories and videos of people who have found God in a hopeless place.

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Your Momentum

Weekend

‘Need to knows!’

15 – 17 March th

th

Januarys are sometimes a little bit rubbish. The nights are cold, the Christmas decorations have been packed away and chances are we’ve already broken our New Year’s resolutions. But, like a courageous knight riding on a shining steed of good news and happiness, here we are with the lowdown on something worth looking forward to – the Momentum weekend! It’s just over a month away so here is the latest info, our top tips and must remembers for your weekend in the wilds of Nottinghamshire.

Food, grub, rations...

Unless you possess the foraging skills of Bear Grylls or the khaki-clad expertise of Ray Mears you will be unable to last long in the wild without some food. At Center Parcs there is a small supermarket and a plethora of eateries, but to get the best value we advise bringing some food and cleaning bits and pieces with you. All the crockery, cutlery and utensils you could want are provided and ready for you to cook up a storm.

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Get away from it!

For our teaching, retreat hosts Mike and Andy will be joined by Christy Wimber, the daughter in law of John Wimber and pastor of the Yorba Linda Vineyard church in California. Together we will be looking at what it means to wholeheartedly follow Jesus in every aspect of our lives. We will have five sessions throughout the weekend, starting on Friday evening and finishing on Sunday afternoon.

As well as our teaching we’ll make plenty of space for you to immerse yourself in God’s presence, to worship him and to wait on the Holy Spirit. Taking time out of life’s busyness to be refreshed and equipped ready for all God has in store for us. Beth Croft and Sam Bailey will be joining us to lead our times of worship.

Sense of adventure!

Occupying more than 400 acres, Center Parcs has more space for activities than you could shake a stick at. You can swim, bike, run, bowl, sit in a spa, cheerlead (no jokes) and hydrospin (whatever that means) and much more. Some activities will need prior booking so check them out on the Center Parcs website before you arrive. Alternatively, you could sit in your pants and watch DVDs all weekend . The choice is entirely yours!

Let’s be friends Something we love is getting to know you all a bit better, forming new friendships and building community. So the bar will be open in the venue on both evenings so we can sit back, grab a drink and have a natter. For your entertainment we’ll also have some musical accompaniment from our very own Sam Bailey and Zara Elliot (our teams co-ordinator with an incredible voice!)

We’re really excited about this Momentum weekend. We’re looking forward to hanging out with you all, seeing some old faces and making some new friends. There is still plenty of time to book, so why not invite a friend or get a group together? To book, head to momentum.soulsurvivor.com. Paying us the sum of £135 will get you access to all the sessions and a bed in a lovely, comfy chalet.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

For info: villas sleep up to six people – two twin rooms and one double. If you book in with friends you will allocated to the same villa or you can email us at bookings@soulsurvivor.com to let us know who you want to share with. If you’re coming on your own we’ll allocate you a room mate (of the same sex, obviously) or if you’d prefer your own space please specify and note there will be a surcharge of £35.

Our Top Tips!

We asked around the office for people to suggest some top tips for a Center Parcs weekend away.

Here’s what they came up with!

Towel Bath towels are provided but you will need your own for swimming.

Ground Coffee Center Parcs supply the plunger so all you need is your finest ground Arabica.

Washing up liquid Although Center Parcs provide a dishwasher in your chalet, this always comes in handy – even if just for blowing bubbles.

Matches What better way to warm up on a cold Saturday afternoon than with a nice warm fire? (Available in all villas.)

A couple of bottles of wine This doesn’t really need any explanation.

Mike may have mentioned over the summer he recommends a nice Chateauneuf du Pape.

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Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster This is my favourite Christian book of all time (second only to Bible of course). Throughout the book Foster outlines what it means to live a life of obedience through discipline. He divides the book into three categories of disciplines: Inward, Outward and Corporate. Within each of these categories there are four chapters, touching on everything from meditation to prayer, solitude to service and confession to worship. This is a book to revisit again and again and again.

Recommended by Mike P

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Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala ‘Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire’ is a book that shows how vital prayer and communication with God is to the church today. Cymbala urges us not to get caught up the ‘how to’ techniques of growing the church and reaching the lost, but rather calling upon the name of the Lord in prayer and seeing his power work among us.

Recommended by Emma Mallord – Conference Co-ordinator

Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus ‘Chasing Daylight’ outlines the simple truth that God is calling us to be in relationship with him. He isn’t looking for us to be successful, just faithful.

McManus calls on us to fight against fear or unbelief and really chase the plans that God has for us all. This is a really inspiring read about walking in step with Jesus and seizing the relationship that he longs to have with us.

Recommended by Sam Bailey – Worship Team

Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning When things go wrong trusting God is sometimes very difficult. We ask questions, we worry and we doubt. In this book, Brennan Manning urges us to gain an accurate image of God so that when things turn for the worse we know that we can trust him ruthlessly in all situations.

Recommended by Grace Shaw – Mike’s PA

Reaching for the Invisible God by Philip Yancey Sometimes we talk as if having a relationship with Jesus is the same as a relationship with any other person we can see, touch and hear. But how can we have a relationship with someone who seems so distant and removed? How can we know that God is there? And how can we rely on him if we can’t see him? These are just some of the questions posed by Yancey throughout this book leading him to ultimately turn the issue on its head and focus on God who has all of the answers.

Recommended by Andy Croft

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Leadership & Ice Cream It may well have been the biggest Hog Roast ever hosted in Shepton Mallet, one which those of you who made it to Momentum last summer will never forget.

And if you wanted to satisfy your sweet tooth, you will have indulged in a ‘Chasing Zero’ Strawberry Cheesecake flavoured ice cream.

This was a fundraising initiative for Chasing Zero - a charity pursuing a dream of being able to celebrate zero HIV AIDS related deaths worldwide. Delicious as the ice cream was, it’s the story of the young man behind the ice cream that I was really interested in.

At 23 Joel is the CEO and founder of ‘Chasing Zero’. He’s a young and exceptional leader who began intentionally developing his ability to lead as a teenager. But, like you and I, his few successes have the same backdrop of worry, fear and failure that we all seem to face. He isn’t perfect, he isn’t anywhere close to being ‘the finished article’ that we quietly presume leaders and CEO’s must be. But he is leading and inspiring people every day. He is changing the small corner of history that he has the privilege of inhabiting.

Joel is living an adventure of leadership that is not just for him. It is for all of us. We have a choice when we read a paragraph like the one above. We can stand in awe at how others seem to make a difference, influence the world and usher in something of the Kingdom of God as they do it, or we can respond to their example and join them in a daily decision to lead our own lives well. Leadership is not for the clever elite who we assume are born to influence.

Influence belongs to every individual, and

by Pete Wynter

Make simple ch every day oices an exampto set le...

Pete Wynter is Executive Director of Onelife, an organisation committed to connecting and equipping youth and students to become exceptional leaders in every sphere of society. Check out www.onelifeonline.org.uk, or follow @onelifeleaders to find out more. Don’t miss their spring 2013 series of conferences, one of which is being held at Soul Survivor Watford 18-20th Feb.

each of us must decide what the outcome of that influence will be. Those who choose to influence for good will find themselves transforming the future, inspiring life and calling out the very best in themselves and others around them.

On the day that Jesus wandered along the shoreline of Lake Galilee calling fishermen to leave their ordinary lives and follow him, he had a leadership mission in mind. His invitation to those everyday normal men was a call to influence, a daring challenge to learn from the master about becoming ‘fishers of men’. If you too have responded to that call, you might now consider yourself a disciple. And if you are a disciple, you are a leader. Own it and walk in that reality and you’ll be more intentional about impacting the world around you. Discipleship and leadership go hand in hand, because anyone who follows Jesus is going to be provoked to influence and bring about the kind of Kingdom change that Jesus is implementing in and through us every day.

Every leader is different, because our stories and journeys are never the same. Some will be particularly gifted in the roles we traditionally see as leadership i.e taking public roles in front of many. But for most, leadership will be about influencing the individuals we meet each and every day. Don’t disqualify yourself as a leader if that’s the reality for you. Those who become aware of the huge impact that transforming just one or two lives can have will make the most of their everyday relationships. When we lead well in those, the people around us thrive.

I have a dream (to quote a great leader), and it includes you. Imagine a day when each of us actively seeks to lead well in whatever sphere of society we feel called to work in. Rather than being swept along by the momentum of the world around us, we all begin to influence and transform it, inspired by God, calling the best out of ourselves and the best out of everyone we meet. Can you imagine business and politics, media and the arts, education and the church all overflowing with godly leaders who inspire those around them? If that happens then the Kingdom of God will be evident in all aspects of our society and culture, not just in our churches,

and perhaps we’ll start whispering about revival again because the world is witnessing Christian leaders ushering in the Kingdom.

That dream is already rolling into reality, but it is far from complete. It’s going to take every Christian entering the workplace to catch it and live it. You don’t need to wait for an official leadership position to exercise exceptional character and gifting. That can start today.

Which means your potential leadership impact can kick into action right now.

Do whatever you can to develop your ability to lead. Learn from those around you, corner the people who inspire you most and ask them for their wisdom and insight. Look for opportunities to lead, however small, they will all help you gain experience. And above all, be ruthless about shaping your character to become more like Christ in your every day decisions, thoughts and actions. It’s unlikely that your leadership will include copious amounts of ice cream as it has done for Joel. But it will be just as much an adventure, full of challenge, creativity and working out your vision and faith in practical ways.

The next time you find yourself enjoying an ice cream, ask yourself a simple question ‘am I leading well?’ Make simple choices every day to set an example, to step outside your world and serve others or to challenge yourself to find the difference that you can make. Then you’ll be encouraged at the ways in which God will use you to bring his life and transformation to others. Let the leaders arise.

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g f n o i t r th i a e W

by Liza Hoeksma

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pr n i om i s d r a e

Has God ever asked you to wait? To wait for him to act, to wait for him to speak, to wait for him to deliver on promises he has made? Yep? Me too. Recently I felt God was speaking about a number of areas in my life. A momentum built in his challenges and words and I was excited and expectant. Then nothing. Isn’t that sometimes the way? Promises are often followed by silence. Seeming inaction.

What’s going on?

In 1 Kings 18 we read how God promised Elijah

us. We ask him to strengthen us so that we can

he would send rain after a three-year drought

persevere and see the promised rains. As John

(v1). Three years is a long time without rain

Ortberg says: “Waiting on the Lord is a confident,

and the land was suffering a severe famine; the

disciplined, expectant, active and sometimes

promise would have been a welcome one. After

painful clinging to God… the continual daily

defeating the prophets of Baal in a brilliant

decision to say “I will trust you and I will obey

showdown, Elijah sent his servant to look for

you; I am betting everything on you.””

the promised rain. The servant came back and said the equivalent of ‘nothing doing. No signs of rain.’ This might have been the point that I would think, ‘Did I make it up? I thought God had spoken but perhaps I heard him wrong.

Maybe there’s no rain coming after all.’ Elijah on the other hand just sent the servant back to look again. But again he saw nothing except a clear sky that held no promise. Did Elijah give up? No, he sent the servant back again. Seven times. The seventh time the servant ran to the sea, he reported back he could see the smallest of clouds on the horizon and Elijah knew: this was it. God’s promise was about to be fulfilled.

What faith! Both to keep looking and to know

I want to wait like that. Not passively, longing for each day to pass, but actively waiting on God, trusting him to come even when there’s not a cloud in the sky. Sometimes we just have to keep going, keep plodding, and keep trusting in God’s promises even when there are no signs. We have to overcome the hurdles of rejection and disappointment and keep looking forwards. We have to have faith that makes us keep running to the horizon knowing that one day soon things will look different. Most of all we need to remember quite who it is we’re trusting in, drawing strength from the words of Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

through just the smallest of signs that the promise was about to be fulfilled. When God asks us to wait how do we respond? Do we live in hope, knowing God doesn’t make promises he can’t keep? Or do we doubt ourselves? Doubt God? Assume we mucked up and think God is punishing us? In a period of waiting it can be

Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.

easy to get fed up and go our own way because waiting can feel like such a passive way of living. Biblical waiting however isn’t a ‘sit back and do nothing’ type affair, it’s an active thing.

We seek God, expectant for him to meet with

Liza is part of the Soul Survivor comms team and has written a number of books including ‘Heart to Heart’ with Ali Martin.

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Soul Survivor

Bible Extracts

Psalms - Prayer book of Jesus

by Bishop Graham Cray The Psalms are unique in the Bible. They form the only book entirely made up of words inspired by the Holy Spirit which people say to God, rather than words from God to us. They are also a wonderful evidence of God’s grace.

It is marvellous how many different feelings and experiences can be expressed to God with his blessing. The Psalms free us to be real in the presence of God. Most are songs as well as prayers. They were the hymn book of the temple in Jesus’ day. Many were used in the great worship festivals. But they were also personal prayers which Jesus, and many devout Jews, used for themselves. He knew many of these by heart and they will have formed a central part of his prayer life. Try reading them as the prayers of Jesus, who knew that he himself was the fulfilment of the longings which they expressed and the climax of the history they celebrate. You will not so much be identifying Jesus in the Old Testament as praying the Old Testament from Jesus’ perspective.

This is what makes Psalm 22 so remarkable.

Jesus prayed the opening words from the cross (Matthew 27:46). Often when the New Testament quotes an Old Testament passage, it quotes the

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opening words to direct us to the whole text. It may be that Jesus sustained himself during his time of agony on the cross by praying this psalm.

It is a psalm which graphically describes features of crucifixion, long before crucifixion was known in that part of the world. But the psalm is only indirectly a prophecy. It is a prayer. It expresses the horror of the loss of the Father’s presence (vv.

1–2). It cries to God about the scorn, humiliation and insults. He prays that his bones are being pulled out of joint and that he is desperately thirsty (vv. 14–15). As he hangs naked, he sees the soldiers casting lots for his clothes (v. 18).

And from the cross, knowing that the cross is necessary, he trusts God for vindication. The psalm changes from verse 22. God has listened (v. 24). Beyond the cross is resurrection and the proclamation of the gospel. ‘All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord’ (v. 27) and bow down before him (see Philippians 2:9–11).

And this will reach to us, for ‘future generations will be told about the Lord’ (v. 30) and we will pass the message on: ‘They will proclaim his righteousness … to a people yet unborn’ (v. 31).

Here is Christ in the Scriptures, fulfilling the Scriptures and praying the Scriptures, for us. Read the Psalms as the prayer book of Jesus.

Humility in friendship

by Ali Martin Have you ever noticed that it’s often so much

never be able to deal with all the people’s

easier to see the solution for a friend’s problem

complaints. Jethro advised Moses to appoint

than for our own?

wise, trusted leaders over the people so that the

God created us that way so that we would rely on each other and not make the mistake of thinking we can do this life alone! Right from the beginning of creation God said to Adam that it wasn’t good for him to be alone (Genesis 2:18) and so he gave him Eve. But it’s not just about being married; it’s about living in relationship and community with others. No matter how amazingly talented and gifted one person is, no matter how wise or intelligent, they can’t have all the answers.

work might be split among them, and Moses gladly followed his advice! Moses had been responding to the need in front of him, but he needed the wisdom of Jethro to help him.

Although Moses was the boss, he still listened to his father-in-law, showing his great humility.

He didn’t insist that the idea was rubbish just because he hadn’t thought of it first, and he didn’t take offence at Jethro saying he couldn’t do it alone. He listened and he acted on Jethro’s wisdom. It’s a great example to us to be humble, able to listen to others and open to their

In Exodus 18 we read about Moses, the great

suggestions. If we’re full of our own pride and

leader, leaning on the advice of Jethro (his

act as if we don’t need anyone else, we’ll miss

father-in-law). Moses was sitting as judge over

out on so much. We all need each other; it’s the

the people and they would come to him with

way God created us.

their disputes and to seek God’s will. That would be all well and good, except for the fact that there were so many people and so many disputes and only one Moses, so it was

Want more articles like this?

taking a long time. A really long time. Jethro

These articles are taken from

pointed out that Moses would wear himself out

the Soul Survivor Youth Bible.

trying to handle everything alone; he would

Find out more on page 22.

18

Soul Survivor

Bible Extracts Relying on God

by Mike Pilavachi The Bible is amazingly honest. We don’t just get to hear the good stuff about all the people who were saved and healed, we get to hear the difficult things God’s people went through too.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:8–11 that his suffering was so great he wasn’t sure he was going to live through it. That’s real suffering. Some of us have known similar pain and grief that feels like it might overwhelm us. Time and time again the Bible reminds us that we’re not on our own.

Paul felt pushed beyond his limits, but he found something good in the midst of such painful circumstances: he says that his suffering pushed him towards God. Sometimes we pray, telling God we want to get closer to him, overlooking the fact that it’s often in the hardest times of our life that we get the closest to God. One of the biggest problems in all human history is that we think we can do things on our own. We get tempted to live life in our own strength, but it’s when suffering comes to us that we realise our weakness. It’s when everything around us is crumbling that we give up and say, ‘God, I need you. Please help me.’

We lean on him and discover his strength in a

whole new way. As Paul reminds us, God is able to raise the dead (v. 9), so when we rely on his power we’re in safe hands!

Each of us has a choice when we face painful situations: will we turn to God, or will we walk away? Paul chose to turn to God and found that he brought Paul and his companions through their trials. When we turn to God in our difficulties, we will find the same. Paul also tells us another good thing that comes out of our pain: we receive comfort from God, which allows us to comfort other people (2 Corinthians 1:4). When we have been through pain ourselves and have grown closer to God as a result, we are better equipped to help others with the difficult things they face. So whatever difficulties you face today, thank God that they are an opportunity to rely more on him.

Ask him to comfort you and use you to comfort others who are in need.

Want more articles like this?

These articles are taken from the Soul Survivor Youth Bible.

Find out more on page 22.

19

Pushing through obstacles

by Christy Wimber Can you imagine having a condition or disease that kept you away from society and from your family? Can you imagine the rejection?

Mark 5:25–34 is about a lady in that exact situation. Pause for a moment and put yourself in her place. This woman was full of faith. She had heard about Jesus and she had believed he could heal her. She made difficult choices to overcome her circumstances just so she could get to Jesus. Bleeding for that long was likely to result in anaemia, and it would be exhausting just to get out of bed. Everyone at that time lived under strict Jewish law, so all of her community would know about her problem and want to avoid touching her so they didn’t become ceremonially unclean (see Leviticus 15:19–28). In such a bustling environment, though, avoiding contact with anyone would have been virtually impossible.

But she was desperate to get to Jesus. She squeezed through the crowd regardless of what they thought. It’s pretty amazing that she had the faith to know, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed’ (v. 28). And indeed, in the act

of touching Jesus, she was healed. This lady put her faith into action; she overcame her seemingly hopeless situation, her tiredness, her illness and the social stigma, and took a massive risk. As she touched Jesus he took away her uncleanness – an amazing reward for a huge step of faith.

John Wimber used to say, ‘Faith is spelt R.I.S.K.’.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to live a life of risk-taking, even when it comes to seeking healing for ourselves and others.

Jesus told the woman it was her faith that made her well. Her faith got her to the place where healing could happen – it took her close to Jesus. Whatever you may be walking through, hold onto the fact that when we act in faith we get the attention of Jesus. He may not heal you right away but never allow your faith to be taken from you. Choose to come close to Jesus: allow him to meet you or the person you are praying for. Know that he has the power to heal, and have the faith that he will.

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What’s on?

2013

Weekend Away Starts

15th March

Book Book Online Online at at soulsurvivor.com/uk/ soulsurvivor.com/uk/ Attend

Ends

17th March

Where At the Sherwood Forest Center Parcs.

Bring your cheerleading pom poms, your hydrospinning kit and your sense of adventure! For more info see Page 10 or head to momentum.soulsurvivor.com

Summer Conference Starts

23rd August

Attend Ends

27th August

Our Momentum summer conference will be from 23rd-27th August this year (over the Bank Holiday) at the Bath and West Showground in Somerset. Remember, the booking deadline for cheaper fees is 31st January, so put off the gym membership for another month and sign up to come and hang out with us this summer.

Cost

£89 - £112 depending on time and mode of booking

Naturally Supernatural From 13th – 16th February we will be holding our Naturally Supernatural conference at our warehouse in Watford. We’ll be spending four days looking at the Bible’s teaching on the work of the Holy Spirit and how to live lives in his power.

Cost: £55 Full Conference, £17 Day ticket

Equal Conference On Saturday 15th June Mike P and Ali Martin will be joined by Jane Williams for our Equal conference where we will be looking at what the Bible says about women in leadership and seeking to equip female leaders. Cost: £5

Soul Net SoulNet is for all of you involved in youthwork! For more information on our February SoulNet retreat and our equipping days in Watford and Manchester head to soulsurvivor.com/uk/ soulnet

New

Ne

w

Our 2012 Live Album is out and we really like it! It brings back so many memories of the summer and we’re really pleased there’s a special Momentum CD with five tracks that capture some of our times of worship. The album features worship leaders Beth Croft, Tom Field, Sam Bailey, and Rend Collective Experiment.

Get your copy from shop.soulsurvivor.com for £11.99 (incl UK p&p) or download from iTunes. You can also get Rend Collective’s album ‘Homemade Worship by Handmade People’ for £9.99 from our shop.

£11.99 Ne

w

Summer talks We had some cracking seminars this summer. They covered topics like suffering, hope, relationships, sex, prayer, spiritual discipline and so much more. If you missed any or want to share one with a friend, they are all available to download or buy on CD. MP3 download £1 / CD £2.50 (incl UK p&p)

From £

1

Loud and Clear

by Ali Martin

For anyone who wants to know how to prepare and deliver great talks

£6.99

Kingdom Come – 2012 Live Album

You can also get all the talks from Momentum on MP3 or all the main meeting talks from each week on DVD for £30.

Heart to Heart

by Ali Martin & Liza Hoeksma

A great book for the ladies about the ways we connect to God.

£6.99

Soul Soul Survivor Survivor

Youth Bible Crammed full of hundreds of articles to help you uncover the amazing truths of God’s word

£6.99

Turn back to page 17 and you’ll find some extracts from our Bible with articles about friendship, reliance on God, the Psalms and pushing through obstacles. Enjoy!

22

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