Yes, you're not reading a misprint, in this blog post we are publishing the notes that go with Sunday's message that Lawrence shared in his series from Proverbs on Adultery, Immorality, Lust. Listen to the recording of the message on our podcast here.

This is a powerful message that addresses one of the pressing issues of our time but it does so in an accessible, gracious way that brings across the heart of God for us to experience healthy relationships that fulfill our need for connection.

We want encourage you that no matter what your life experience is in regards to sexuality and relationships, God is for you and wants you to know His grace, love, healing, forgiveness, strength, and hope for the future.  

May God bless you as you listen to this message.

Lawrence wants to acknowledge the teaching of Shane Willard in helping to form the content of this message. You can find out more about Shane through his website here.

Lawrence continued his series, Proverbs:Reign in Life, this Sunday with a message based on Proverbs 10:9 (from The Passion Translation).

"The one who walks in integrity
will experience a fearless confidence in life,
but the one who is devious
will eventually be exposed."

He covers a lot of great material in this message, which you can hear on our Podcast here, so we have uploaded a copy of his Presentation notes for you to download and use in further application.

An interesting title, Lawrence’s Thoughts. If you knew the content of half of the thoughts that went through my head, you might reconsider reading this column! If you thought that this was all I thought about then you’d probably think I was crazy or at the very least lying. Let me reassure you, that this column only contains some of my thoughts and those thoughts are very filtered to ensure that you receive the best that my mind can offer.
 
I was inspired to see on the front page of last week’s Kapiti News, a photo of Dave Orchard with some of our young people (amongst others) representing the new Kapiti Youth Centre which is being developed. God is amazing how he orchestrates things. He calls people, speaks vision into hearts, draws people and gives us opportunity to influence. As we say yes to him, are patient and faithful to his call; he brings things together for his glory and purpose. Please continue to pray for Dave and Emma as they walk in what God has called them to with Zeal.
 
Regarding Activate Youth, our youth ministry, Leanne & Geoff have been absolute champions in stepping into an interim Youth Leader’s role for the last two terms of 2015. They really love our youth and want to see them encounter God for themselves, growing into the men & women he has created them to be. I want to honour them for the sacrifice and service they have given to our church in this ministry. As we look to 2016, we are looking for new Youth Leaders to carry on the great work that is happening. Please join us in praying for the right people to be identified for this key role.
 
The Marriage Course has been fantastic! Philippa and I have had the privilege of being spoilt over the last 6 weeks to great input into our marriage coupled with some amazing hosting and hospitality from Duncan & Becs’ Lifegroup. I believe that there is a plan to run the course again and I recommend you and your partner consider attending. Why not invite friends to join you in attending? The course is not ‘in your face’ Christian and it provides tools helpful for all the various relationships between a man and a woman nowadays.
 
As we head into Christmas, there are a few events which you’ll need to know about so you can join in on them:
Carols by the Sea 12 December
End 2015 Celebration Service 20 December
Christmas Eve Service 24 December
 
Also, in January, KIC’s tradition has been to have bring’n’share BBQ’s at different homes on the Sunday evenings. If you would like to host one of those, please contact Nyria at the Hub.
 
I want to leave with this passage from Romans 8:9-14 The Message:
 
But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms. It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s! So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!
 
As we move unerringly towards Christmas and 2016, I want to encourage you that the way of Jesus is not a way of silliness, stress and strain; it’s one of purpose, reflection and celebration! Please guard yourself so you don’t get caught up in the world’s way of this season. Instead, take time to pause, reflect, then act with love, purpose and consideration so we can truly celebrate the Advent (the coming) of Jesus amongst our Kapiti Coast community.
 
Blessings
Lawrence

Matthew 6:1-8
1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.


Key Points:
1) If you do things in public for the reason of being noticed, then that's all you get!
2) If you do things in secret, God will notice and it will be rewarded.
3) Jesus expects his followers to build in secret.
4) What you build in secret will be manifest in public or what you treasure in your heart, what you prioritise in your internal world, will be what people see, hear and experience.

Prov 23:7 As a man thinks in his heart, so he is.
Matt 12:35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.


The challenge for followers of Jesus today is to make time where we are building in secret. It needs to be a priority because our world needs to see and experience the supernatural touch of God and we are called to manifest Him to them. We need to be building in secret our relationship with God so we know him, are aware of his presence and we can manifest Him.

Psalm 23:1-3
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.

Key Points:
1) God has everything we need to live our lives as He designed us - we lack nothing.
2) He wants refresh, renew, restore, revive, lead and feed us.

How aware are we of God's absolute provision for our every need?
What would it feel like to be led in peace and provision?

If we build in secret this kind of awareness of God, then we will live out of that and bring the supernatural touch to the world that results in true, God-honouring impact and influence.

THE PURSUIT

1 Timothy 6:2-12
2These are the things you are to teach and insist on. 3If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 

Pursue Defn: to seek after eagerly, earnestly endeavor to acquire

Flee Defn: to shun or avoid by flight

Flee and Pursue....

Righteousness: 1343 dikaiosýnē (from 1349 /díkē, "a judicial verdict") – properly,judicial approval (the verdict of approval); in the NT, the approval of God ("divine approval"). cf John 16 - HS righteousness - right-standing; 1 Jn 1:9,2:1

Godliness: 2150 eusébeia (from 2095 /eú "well" and 4576 /sébomai, "venerate, pay homage") – properly, someone's inner response to the things of God which shows itself in godly piety (reverence). 2150 /eusébeia("godly heart-response") naturally expresses itself in reverence for God, i.e. what He calls sacred (worthy of veneration).

What are you fleeing that you could be pursuing?
What are you pursuing that you could be fleeing?