Coast Evangelical Church

Jesus The Baptist (Luke 3:1-20)

chris — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:03:09 +0000

John the Baptist’s mission was to get people ready for Jesus the Baptist.
John said: “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire”. (Luke 3:16)
Are you ready to meet Jesus? There’s only one way to get ready – chuck a u-ee.

check out the sermon here

Luke 3:1-20
1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar – when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene – 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’”[Isa 40:3-5]
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
11 John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” 13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. 14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely – be content with your pay.”
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.
19 But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

Membership Info Night (Mon 13th Feb)

chris — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:07:36 +0000

Membership Info Night
Monday 13th Feb, 7.30pm
@ Chris’ place (28 Belton Way, Forster).

Are you a member of CoastEC?
If you are a Christian, the bible says you are already a member of God’s family and Christ’s body. “…now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ….For through Jesus we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household” (Ephesians 2:13,18-19). “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others…” (Romans 12:4-5).

Here are 5 reasons why CoastEC has formal membership and wants everyone who calls CoastEC their church to sign up.

If Jesus is your Lord and CoastEC is your church, come the info night and hear what biblical membership involves and what we’re about as a church. Ask as many questions as you like and work out for yourself if you want to apply for formal membership. It’s really your way of saying to the leadership and the other members, “I want to FUNCTION as a member of THIS spiritual family and THIS spiritual body.”

To hear a sermon about biblical membership, head here.

For more info about CoastEC membership and application, here’s the official blurb

Vision 2012 (AGM) Sunday 26th Feb

chris — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:57:04 +0000

CoastEC is meeting to reflect on what God has been doing amongst us and to present a our vision for the future. We’ll be hearing from leaders of various ministries, presenting budgets and annual reports and thinking about the next big steps to growing God’s kingdom.

Come and be part of the discussion and get on board with the mission. All members are expected to attend this vital gathering.

Sunday 26th Feb, 3pm @ Forster Public School Hall.

Don’t waste your youth (Luke 2:39-52)

chris — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 04:53:41 +0000

We live in a culture that expects very little from youth except that they act like good consumers and spend their (parents) money. Are we doing the same in church by expecting too little from our youth?
When Jesus was 12, he was clear about his identity, his priorities and his life’s mission. He was also able to engage in meaningful theological discussion with elders.
What would it look like if we followed his example and pursued spiritual growth with a passion?

check out the sermon here

Luke 2:39-52
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
41 Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43 After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Baptism – is it for you?

chris — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:23:31 +0000

Have you been baptised? Jesus said: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28).
If you’re a follower of Jesus, and you haven’t been baptised yet – why not?
Come and hear what baptism is all about and see if it’s for you.
The baptism class is on Saturday 18th Feb, 3pm @ Chris’ place.
And then if you’re keen to actually do it, we’ll be baptising our members on Sunday 19th Feb, 6pm @ The Tanks (after the service).
Sign up at info table on Sunday.
Any questions? Call Chris 0434 199 553

Check out the vid from our last baptism with Matty, Mik and Jeff.

How to die happy (Luke 2:21-38)

chris — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:55:44 +0000

Do you have any life goals? things you want to achieve or see happen before you die? If you don’t – you don’t know what you’re living for. And if you do – and you actually achieve them all, will they have been the best things to pursue, and more importantly, will they have been good preparation for the life beyond the grave? Find out how to live well, and die well.

check out the sermon here

Luke 2:21-38
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. 22 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Sovereign and Humble God (Luke 2:1-20)

chris — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 10:44:36 +0000

There is so much more to the Christmas story than you think. God is totally in control of every aspect of your life, including every inconvenience and unwanted detour. And He’s humbly entered your world to rescue you from much worse things, and to give you great joy and real peace. Have you experienced that yet?
check out the sermon here

Luke 2:1-20
1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register. 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14″Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.”
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

chris — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 22:39:48 +0000

Need a fresh start? God can give you one. Get to know the real Jesus.

Jesus – Rescuer, Ruler, Revealer (Luke 1:26-56)

chris — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:28:22 +0000

Christmas is a good time to take a fresh look at Jesus. God sent Him to be our Rescuer and Ruler. And since he’s God in human form, he reveals God to us in a way we can understand and relate to. Do you know Him? Has He rescued you? And is He ruling your life?

check out the sermon here

Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[c] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Prayer Update (Dec11-Jan12)

chris — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 22:23:35 +0000

Hi friends!
We have had a truly amazing year – so much to be thankful for! We have seen lots of growth and God is still drawing many people to Himself. Please keep praying for us and for the spread of the gospel in the region. On the family front, Sharon is pregnant and we are expecting #3 to arrive in May! So we’re looking forward to meeting the little one next year. We really appreciate your prayers, encouragement and financial support. Here are some things to inform your prayers.
Stand firm in Jesus,
Chris (on behalf of CoastEC).

PRAYER POINTS…
print version

God is gathering and growing His people…
CoastEC is made up of people from all walks of life and stages of faith. And there is a great sense of family and community amongst us despite our crazy diversity! We’ve had the joy of baptising several people who’ve started following Jesus, and seen lots of other people take big steps forward in their faith. We’ve also seen growth in numbers attending this year. Currently there are 73 adults and 43 kids who regularly attend the service, and 69 people in our home groups (bible study groups).

Training new bible study leaders…
Praise God for raising up more people keen to lead our home groups next year. Pray for Min, Pete, Lynne, Andries, Jess and Thelma. Ask that God would equip them to shepherd a small group, and for many to grow in their love for the Lord as we seek to expand our home group ministry.

Another Service…
We are hoping to start a second service so we can connect with even more people. We currently meet at 5pm but we’re planning do both a 4pm and 6pm service starting about Easter. Pray for wisdom about this. Pray for God to raise up solid core groups for both services.

Growing staff team…
Thank God for sending Ruth who has been doing a great job overseeing our Ministries and music. We are also planning to employ a second pastor in 2013 to help us keep growing this work. Pray for God to provide the resources, and for the wisdom we’ll need as we seek to identify the right man for job.

Christmas Eve Service (5pm)…
Pray for a great gathering as we proclaim Jesus and celebrate the incarnation. Pray for many locals to attend. There will also be lots of visitors in town at this time of year – pray we can connect with many of them and encourage them in their faith.

Solid Rock Youth Cafe Outreach (5th – 14th Jan)...
A team of about 65 young adults is coming to town to share the gospel with Forster youth. Pray for many locals to be contacted and for them to be open to the gospel. Pray for us as we follow up kids after the mission is over, and ask God to help many make the transition to youth group, bible study and church.

Youth…
Thank God for our youth weekend away. Almost 20 kids attended and they had a great time learning about persevering as believers. Pray that they will persevere to the end. We are starting a senior high youth group at the end of January. Please pray for us to keep building a solid core group of senior high kids, and for many from the solid rock mission to join the group. Pray for Andries, Jess and Ruth as they head this up.

Scripture…
Please pray that we can keep teaching yr 7 scripture next year and that we’d also be able to teach yr 8. Pray for wisdom for Chris as he works with other churches and liaises with the school, that God would open the door and that many students would come to faith in Jesus.

Finances…
Thanks to those of you who currently support us financially! Praise God for meeting all our needs so far! We are currently about 50% self funded. Pray for wisdom as our Admin Committee finalise our budget and for the next year and beyond (meeting 23rd Jan). As we grow, so will our expenses (like employing another pastor). So if you are currently supporting us financially, can you please keep it up? And if you’re not, could you please consider starting next year? Thanks. Please head to www.coastec.net.au/give/ for info on how you can give.

Dave McDonald
Please also pray for Dave and his family. They were about to head to Darwin to plant a new church, but he has just been diagnosed with cancer. More info here.

“I thank my God every time I remember you…because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now”

CHRISTMAS SERVICE – 5pm Christmas Eve

chris — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:24:44 +0000

Come and celebrate Christmas with us! It’s gonna be sweet…so bring the kids, and anyone else you can think of who needs to hear some really good, life-changing news. 5pm Christmas Eve, @ Forster Public School Hall. Kids church program and creche available.

God’s plan and my life (Luke 1:5-25)

chris — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:50:02 +0000

When it comes to your relationship with God, who is at the centre? You or God? God has a big picture plan that he is working out, and your life is part of that. Are you on board? Or do your disappointments and disbelief make you hold out on God?

check out the sermon here

Luke 1:5-25
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.
8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.[b] 16 Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
19 The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Dealing with Doubt (Luke 1:1-4)

chris — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:33:38 +0000

Can you really trust the bible as a reliable source of info about God? How do you know it wasn’t all just made up? or exaggerated? or changed over time? If you’ve got your doubts about some of the stuff you’ve heard about Jesus, Luke’s gospel was written for you, so you could know for sure. And if you read it, you might just get to meet the real Jesus, and not some fairy tale version of him.

check out the sermon here

Luke 1:1-4
1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled[a] among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Pray for Dave and Darwin

chris — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 21:00:33 +0000

I just heard some sad news. Please pray. Dave McDonald was just about to plant a new church at Darwin as part of the same network CoastEC is involved with (the FIEC). He was previously senior minister of Crossroads church in Canberra and was all packed and ready to move, when he was suddenly diagnosed with serious lung cancer. He will not be going to Darwin, but will remain in Canberra for treatment. Please pray for God to heal him and comfort his family. Please also pray for the spread of the gospel in Darwin – that God would either heal Dave and send him, or raise up other church planters for that region. For more info, see this God-glorifying letter from Dave and his wife Fiona. And here for another update

Dying Well (Genesis 23-25)

chris — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:43:51 +0000

We’re all gonna die. So let’s die well…like Abraham did. He kept trusting God’s promises right to the end. But his faith in a sovereign God didn’t mean he kicked back in retirement. He kept working to see God’s promises fulfilled and fleshed out in his own family. How are you going with that? Guest preacher Dave Miers (youth pastor, St Faiths Narrabeen) unpacks this section of Genesis for us.

check out the sermon here

Zac died well…

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

Genesis 25:5-11
5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. 6 But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east. 7 Altogether, Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, 10 the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.

SOLID ROCK CAFE – 3 WAYS TO HELP

chris — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:02:40 +0000

Solid Rock Cafe will be on again from 5th-13th January. A team of 70 young adults will be coming to Forster to share the gospel with the young people of our team. Here are 3 ways you can help.
1. Prayer – join the prayer team, pick an hour that suits you and commit to pray) – sign up on Sunday
2. Food – feed the team and the youth, pick a day and bless em with delicious treats
3. Money – stick money in an envelope labelled ‘solid Rock support’ and stick it in the collection on Sunday (our aim for Coast Ec is to raise around $700 to go towards to cost of mission).
Any more questions, contact Ruthie

Sacrifice your son? (Genesis 22)

chris — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 04:25:38 +0000

After 25 years of waiting for God to fulfil His promise, Abraham finally gets his son Isaac. And now God commands him to slit his throat and set him on fire. What kind of God asks for that? And what kind of dad is prepared to do that? And why does the bible think this was a great moment in history? The New Testament says Abraham was a man of faith and we’re to imitate him. But is he really a man of faith? Or is he or bit unhinged, willing to kill his kid? Seriously, what on earth has this horrific story got to say to us?

check out the sermon here

Genesis 22:1-2
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

Baptism – Mateo, Mikaela and Jeff (13th Nov 2011)

chris — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:54:23 +0000

After church on the 13th Nov, we had 3 spontaneous baptisms! So stoked for Matty, Mikaela and Jeff. Check out the vid here.

And if you want to hear the talk they heard at church that made them keen to get baptised, check it out here

God’s merciful warning (Genesis 18-19)

chris — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:50:04 +0000

Our culture doesn’t want to hear about God’s judgement or His perspective on sexuality. And neither did the people of Sodom. But God is our Maker and our Judge. He has the right to determine our morality, and our sexuality. And He will hold us accountable. What God did to Sodom and Gomorrah stands as a loving warning for us today. And what God did for Lot reminds us of God’s mercy to us in Christ. Are you ready to meet your Maker at the Judgement?

check out the sermon here

Genesis 18-19

Blood Covenants – be cut, or be cut off (Genesis 15-17)

chris — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:22:57 +0000

God makes an everlasting covenant with Abraham to bless him and his descendants. God vows to keep His promises…even it it kills Him. And God expects Abraham to chop off part of his penis as a display of obedience.
What the???? Are you serious????
God also says “My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
So does this mean we need to get the snip? Be cut, or we’ll be cut off from God’s blessings??
Brace yourself, you might not like what you hear.

check out the sermon here

Genesis 15-17

Honouring God’s Priest-King (Genesis 13:5-14:24)

chris — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:12:59 +0000

Wealth and success can be blessings from God AND huge tests of our faith. How we respond to them says a lot about us and our relationship with a promise-making and promise-keeping God. In Genesis 13 and 14 Abraham’s faith is tested in a number of ways, and he handles them well, providing us a good model of faith and trust. And he meets a guy called Melchizedek…who really should rock your world!

check out the sermon here

Genesis 14:18-20
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem[Jerusalem] brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.  20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Building the core

chris — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:16:58 +0000

Chris was interviewed by Mark from the Geneva Push at the 2011 FIEC conference about what issues CoastEC is facing since being planted 2 and half years ago. Check the vid here:

Continuous core team building from The Geneva Push on Vimeo.

If we’re going to keep growing, we need to keep building from the centre by raising up more leaders! Please pray for God to help us identify potential leaders to train, or to send more committed Christians to partner with us in our mission to reach the 25,000 people living in the region.

Test of Faith (Genesis 12:10-13:4)

chris — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:15:22 +0000

What do you do when you’re faced with some massive challenge that looks like it won’t turn out so good for you if you play fair? Sometimes our fears can kick in and make us start thinking God doesn’t love us, won’t provide for us, isn’t trustworthy or that He’s not in control. And instead of trusting Him and doing things His way, we can get tempted to try and ‘fix’ things on our own by coming up with our own ‘dodgy plan b’. Ever done that? Doing it now? In Genesis 12, Abram’s faith gets tested, and we learn how to deal with tests of faith…and failures.

check out the sermon here

Genesis 12:10-13:4
10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. 17 But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.
(Ch 13) 1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. 3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.

Independent church planting?

chris — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 23:19:59 +0000

Pastors from FIEC churches give potential church planters their take on planting an ‘independent’ church. Check the vid here:

Trusting God’s Promises (Genesis 12:1-9)

chris — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:48:52 +0000

How should you relate to a God who makes and keeps promises? Get to know what His promises are, and cling to them! As we check out Genesis 12, we see that God is a promise-making God. His promises to Abraham set the scene for how God will act throughout history. He partially fulfils his promises in the Old Testament, and finally fulfils them in Jesus Christ. And every human being will either be blessed or cursed by God in relation to how they treat Abraham….and his great descendent Jesus Christ. That’s a promise.

check out the sermon here

Genesis 12:1-9
1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring [or seed] I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. 9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

Being Content and Generous (Philippians 4:10-23)

chris — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:37:37 +0000

We wrap up our series on Philippians by looking at contentment and generosity. Is it really possible to be content when your circumstances aren’t what you want them to be? Can sacrificial generosity really be good for me? You bet.

check out the sermon here

Philippians 4:10-23
10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. 17 Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 21 Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. 22 All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Mackay Evangelical Church update (October 2011)

chris — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:52:19 +0000

Mackay Evangelical Church launched a few months ago. CoastEC is partnering with them in seeing the gospel go out across that region. Check out the vid to see what’s been happening…

Rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:2-9)

chris — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 03:49:48 +0000

Is your happiness bound up with what’s happening in your life? What if life stinks? The good news is that you can have real joy even in the midst of painful struggles. Guest speaker Mike Heptonstall (pastor, St Matts Manly) shows us how to avoid some common joy-killers, so we can experience the fullness of life God intended for us.
check out the sermon here

Philippians 4:2-9
2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow,[a] help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Baptism vid

chris — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 22:22:11 +0000

Jesus said: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28).
On Saturday 3rd September, we baptised Terry, Sharon, Kayla & Jas down at the bull ring. Good times!!

Our Stories

chris — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 23:10:23 +0000

Listen to the difference Jesus has made to our lives….watch the vids here

Kayla’s story

Ruth’s story

How to Stand Firm in your faith (Philippians 3:10-4:1)

chris — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 11:48:57 +0000

How can I keep going as a Christian when things are tough? Here are some tried and tested ways to stand firm in the Lord, and to make it to the finish line.

check out the sermon here

Philippians 3:10-4:1
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. 17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. 1 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!

From youtube – Derek Redmond (1992 Barcelona Olympics)

It’s all about knowing Jesus (Philippians 3:1-11)

chris — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 11:47:35 +0000

Are you right with God? How do you know? What’s our answer based on? Your moral performance or your religious credentials? Being a ‘good person’? Being a ‘good Christian’? Our goodness and achievements and ministries and religious credentials can be the very thing that keeps us from really knowing God and having true joy….because it’s all about knowing Jesus personally and growing in our relationship with Him.
Do you really know Jesus?

Ruth’s Story

check out the sermon here

Philippians 3:1-11
1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh – 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

NOTE: CHANGE OF VENUE – SUNDAY 2ND OCTOBER

chris — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 00:55:07 +0000

Hi people, please note that on Sunday 2nd October, CoastEC will be meeting at Tuncurry Memorial Hall at 5pm and NOT at our usual venue at the school. It’s just over the bridge in Tuncurry on the left (Point Rd). Bring ya mates. Map below.

View Larger Map

Prayer Update (Oct-Nov 2011)

chris — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 00:54:31 +0000

Hi friends!
I have just come back from 2 weeks holiday and feel really blessed. I have a great family and it was awesome to spend some quality time together. A big thanks to Sam Hilton (Hunter Bible Church) and Connan O’Shea (Northern Lakes Evangelical) for preaching at CoastEC the last few weeks. Sharon and I were also blessed by the huge generosity of whoever paid for our time at Geneva Refresh (a 2 day conference in North Sydney, for couples who’ve planted churches). Now we’re back on the ground and excited to be serving Jesus in Forster where we are seeing God gather His people together and build His church. Please keep praying for us and for the spread of the gospel in the region.
Your brother, Chris (on behalf of CoastEC)

PRAYER POINTS…
print version

Baptisms…
We recently baptized 4 of our members down at Main Beach. It was an amazing day of testifying to God’s grace and celebrating the work He has done in their lives. I will never forget the hug that one of the blonde teenage girls (Sharon) gave the elderly Aboriginal man (Terry) when they were both coming out of the water having just been baptized into the same faith. God not only reconciles us to Himself, but unites us to each other. How beautiful is the gospel! (Watch a vid of Kayla’s testimony here)

Scripture…
We have just finished teaching the yr 7 students at the Tuncurry Campus. Praise God for the way the school worked with us, and for the positive response of the students (like Jordan, who shared with his teacher that he’d become a Christian). Pray now for the word that was sown to take root in their hearts and for many more to come to faith and get established in a church or youth group where they can keep growing,

A steady trickle…
Praise God for gathering more people to Himself! We have a steady stream of visitors checking us out, and a constant trickle of people joining the church. It’s brilliant to see new people welcomed so warmly, and now there are nearly 70 adults and 40 kids who call CoastEC home.

Need more leaders…
We are feeling stretched in regard to our ability to disciple the growing number of people. We basically need more people involved in leadership and discipleship ministries – for home groups (bible studies), youth ministry (especially guys) and children’s ministry. Please pray God would raise up more leaders for this work. Pray for us to identify local people to train or for other mature believers to move to town and partner with us. (Maybe you?)

Youth…
Praise God that ‘Dudes’ (youth guys bible study group) has kicked off. Pray for Evan as he leads, and for the guys to grow. Also praise God for the growth of Grommets (yr5-6). The girls have grown spiritually and in number. Pray for the boys community to grow too. Pray for good rest for leaders during school holidays.

Another Service…?
We’re currently meeting at 5pm (which is hard for those with young kids), so we’re praying about starting another service next year at Easter – which would take us to a 4pm and a 6pm timeslot. Ask for God’s wisdom and timing, and for Him to establish committed core groups for both services if it’s His will, so we can get the ball rolling. Pray also for wisdom as we work out the best venue (and for it to be made available to us).

Ministries…
Pray for Ruth as she oversees our ministries. Pray for new members of church to discover & use their gifts to faithfully serve God and build others up by finding an appropriate ministry team to serve on. Please also ask God to raise up someone to oversee our sound ministry.

Finances…
Praise God for meeting all our needs so far! Thank Him for the generosity of His people – both individual donors and partner churches (like The Point Community Church, Maitland Evangelical Church, EV church, Lakes Evangelical, Northern Lakes Evangelical and St Matts). What we are doing would not be possible without this support. Our goal is to become self funded, and we are about half way there regarding current costs. But as we grow, so will our expenses (like hopefully employing another pastor in 2013). Please pray for our Admin Committee as they work out our budget for next year and beyond, and that God would keep providing the funds we need. (If you’re interested in partnering with us financially, head here )

“I thank my God every time I remember you…because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now”

Kayla’s Story

chris — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 02:16:56 +0000

Meet Kayla. She’s got a story to tell. Check out the vid.

Eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3)

jeff — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 12:41:06 +0000

“We are so little reconciled with time”, said C.S. Lewis, that we are even astonished by it. “How he’s grown!” we exclaim, “How time flies!” as though the universal form of our experience were again and again a novelty. It is as strange as if a fish were repeatedly surprised at the wetness of water. And that would be strange indeed; unless of course the fish were destined to become, one day, a land animal”.

This week Sam Hilton looks at Ecclesiastes 3, whose famous poetry, besides inspiring a great 60’s song, drives home the truth that we are not in control, and can only passively react to the seasons of life that come to us, which are often as not bad (death, war, hate, mourning) as good. It seems we are tossed helplessly about by waves of wind and chance, before death ultimately sinks us.

This is a great truth to face (though humanity does its best to ignore it), because it kills our pride and illusions of self-control. Not being able to see the big picture, all we can do is turn to and trust in our eternal God, who causes “all things to work together for the good of those who love him”.

check out the sermon here

Ecclesiastes 3
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
[...see full text]

Acts 17:22-34
…
26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.
…
[...see full text]

Pointless pleasure, worthless wealth (Ecclesiastes 1-2)

jeff — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:55:35 +0000

In 100 years time, will anyone care that you existed? Will anything you did or built be remembered? Probably not. You can work your hardest building a career, accumulating possessions and knowledge, and one day all your accomplishments will be forgotten or undone.

This week Connan O’Shea (kindly subbing in for Chris, who is on holidays) looks at these hard truths in the book of Ecclesiastes, concluding with the New Testament truth that because of Christ’s resurrection death is not the end, and by living for Christ our lives can have eternal meaning and significance.

check out the sermon here

Ecclesiastes 1 & 2

1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”

3 What do people gain from all their labors
at which they toil under the sun?
4 Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun rises and the sun sets,
and hurries back to where it rises.
6 The wind blows to the south
and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.
7 All streams flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
there they return again.
8 All things are wearisome,
more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
nor the ear its fill of hearing.
9 What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which one can say,
“Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.
11 No one remembers the former generations,
and even those yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow them.
[...see full text]

Gospel-driven role models (Philippians 2:19-30)

chris — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 23:00:03 +0000

One of the ways we grow to maturity as followers of Jesus is to follow good role models and to imitate godly examples.
Who are you following? And what kind of example are you setting?

(The recording didn’t work this week — sorry!)

Philippians 2:19-30
19I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
25But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, 30because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.

Baptism & BBQ – Sat 3rd Sept, 3pm

chris — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:30:38 +0000

Jesus said: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28).
Come and celebrate the baptism of Terry, Sharon, Kayla & Jas!
Saturday 3rd September, 3pm @ the bull ring (ocean pool on main beach)
We’ll be firing up the bbq so bring some stuff to share.
See you there!
Chris.

Stop ya whingin! (Philippians 2:12-18)

chris — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:20:53 +0000

Complaining is a spiritual disease that comes from the heart.
It’s time to deal with it…

The First World Problems Rap

check out the sermon here

Philippians 2:12-18
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence -continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. 14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16as you hold out[c or hold on to] the word of life – in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Gospel-centred community (Philippians 2:1-11)

chris — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 22:32:05 +0000

What kind of church does God want us to be?
How does he want us to relate to one another?
Nothing like a flock of seagulls…

check out the sermon here

Philippians 2:1-11
1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,  7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!  9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Living worthy of the gospel (Philippians 1:12-30)

chris — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 12:22:25 +0000

Christians are called to live worthy of the gospel.
What does that look like?
Are you living that way?

check out the sermon here

Philippians 1:12-30
12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard[b] and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Bonfire and BBQ (Sat 13th Aug)

chris — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 04:05:46 +0000

Hey CoastEC,
Get ready for a cruisy night out! Alysse is kindly hosting a church social bbq and bon fire and you’re all invited. Feel free to also bring a mate so they can meet others from our church family.
Saturday 13th August, 4pm start so young families can come for an early dinner and then we’ll light up the fire and kick on into the night.
BYO meat (or fake meat) for the bbq, drinks, and something else to share with others (salad, bread, snacks, marshmallows etc).
Address: 627 Half Chain Rd, Koorainghat.
See ya there
Chris

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The gospel-shaped life (Philippians 1:1-11)

chris — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 11:59:05 +0000

The gospel changes everything. Not only does it bring us into a right relationship with God and secure our eternal destiny – it shapes our identity, our relationships, and our prayers. Is the gospel shaping your life as God intended?

check out the sermon here

Philippians 1:1-11
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Prayer Update (Aug-Sept 2011)

chris — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 03:52:55 +0000

Hi People!
We’ve just finished a month of mission and it was great to see some new people at various events and church services. A team from St Matts West Penno (where I grew up and started going to church) came and partnered with us for Holiday Hang Out (where about 30 kids attended the program); the Solid Rock winter mission was great (and we connected with heaps of local youth through that); we ran a men’s bbq and a women’s coffee & dessert night which went really well and the gospel was shared appropriately; and the last couple of Sunday services were geared to visitors and well attended (and we tackled topics like ‘How can I believe in powerful and loving God with all the suffering in the world’ and ‘How can I actually connect with God?’). One of the things that encouraged me personally was seeing our people pray for and invite their mates so they could hear about Jesus. I am stoked to see God shaping us as a congregation that has a heart for helping others know their Creator and Redeemer. Anyway, there’s heaps going on, but unless God does the heart-work, we’re just spinning our wheels. So thanks for partnering with us in prayer!
Chris (on behalf of CoastEC)

PRAYER POINTS…
print version

Mission…
Thank God for the visitors who came to various events and heard clear messages about Jesus. Pray that the gospel would take root in their hearts and that they keep taking steps toward Christ. Please pray for us as we keep building genuine relationships with them, and that we help them get to know Jesus better and better.

Scripture…
Lessons for year 7 have started at the Tuncurry Campus. Please pray for the teachers to share Christ faithfully and for students to understand and respond with faith. Ask that some would get linked in to youth group where they can keep growing,

FIEC conference…
CoastEC is part of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches. Thank God for great partners in the gospel, good fellowship & encouragement, and generous resource sharing. Chris and Ruth will be attending the annual conference in Collaroy from 15-17 August. Pray for safe travel, and good fellowship.

Ministries…
Pray for Ruth Shooter as she oversees our ministries. Please pray our ministry drivers (team leaders) – Karen, Sharon, Jeff, Brent, Leesh, Emma, Tom, Ali, and Steph – as they keep building their teams and refining their ministries. Pray for every member of CoastEC to discover & use their gifts to faithfully serve God and build others up. Ask that they’d find an appropriate ministry team to serve on, and ask that God would raise up more people to lead our growing kids church (coasties) and to serve on the sound ministry.

Slowly but steadily…
Praise God for the constant trickle growth we have with new people joining the church. We have just hit the 100 mark at the Sunday service (65 adults, 35 kids); God is gathering His people, and we’re just keeping up with our ability to disciple them. Pray for God to raise up more leaders for this work (either locally, or for other mature believers to move to town and partner with us).

Youth…
Andries & Jess are starting a new group for senior high youth we connected with at the Solid Rock café who are keen to grow in their faith (pray for the group to kick off well!). . Thank God for providing another youth leader (Alysse) and keep asking for another bloke to lead. Also thank God for the junior youth guys bible study group starting up (Dudes) and ask that Ev would lead well and that the boys grow solid. Pray for a Christ-centred culture to keep developing at both Grommets (yr5-6) and Wired (yr7-10).

Baptisms…
We are baptising some of our people on Saturday 3rd September. Pray for a great day of testifying to God’s goodness and celebrating the work He has done in our lives.

Another Service…?
Pray that God would give us wisdom as we consider starting another congregation next year at Easter.We are thinking about an earlier Sunday afternoon service that’s geared to our growing number of young families and children. Ask for God to establish a committed core group for us to get the ball rolling, and for wisdom as we work out the best venue.

Holidays…
Pray for Chris & Sharon to have a safe & refreshing break (5th–18th Sept). Thank God for the chance to attend Geneva Refresh for a few days (13-14 Sept) to connect with other church planters and be encouraged.

“I thank my God every time I remember you…because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now”

Mackay Evangelical Church has launched!

chris — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 06:31:21 +0000

Chris caught up with Jai Wright, pastor of the recently launched Mackay Evangelical Church (in north Qld).
MAKE held their first public service on 24 July, 2011. Here’s how it went, and where to from here….

How Can I Connect With God? (John 14:1-11)

chris — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 03:28:21 +0000

With all the different religions in the world, it’s confusing to know where to start. Are they all right? Are they all wrong? Why not just make up your your own personal version that works for you? What if there was a way you could actually connect with God in a real way? There is. Can you afford to miss it?

check out the sermon here

John 14:1-11
1″Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
4You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.

How can I connect with God? (31st July 2011)

chris — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:04:41 +0000

With all the different religions in the world, it’s confusing to know where to start. Are they all right? Are they all wrong? Why not just make up your your own personal version that works for you? What if there was a way you could actually connect with God in a real way? There is. Want to find out how? You’re invited to CoastEC this Sunday to explore this amazing phenomenon. Sunday, 5pm. Can you afford to miss it?

Listen to the talk here

Philippians Series (+ daily readings) – 7th Aug

chris — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 03:25:30 +0000

Hey CoastEC,
The next book of the bible we’ll be tackling together is Philippians, and I can’t wait because it’s jam packed with lots of awesome goodness! We’ll be learning about prayer, gospel partnerships, knowing Jesus better, growing in godliness, and standing firm during hardships. The first sermon in the series will be preached on 7th August.

Here is a link to some daily bible readings with some questions to get you thinking. This will help you graze like a fat & happy cow all throughout the week. It will also be good prep for your home group.

I hope some of these great verses tempt you to go and read the whole thing for yourself!
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (4:6-7)
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (3:13-14)
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (1:21)
“Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (2:12)
“Whatever happens, conduct yoursleves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:27)

I love you guys, and I’m stoked God has put us together in the same church. Let’s give ourselves to knowing our great God more and more, and serving Him faithfully where He’s got us.
Blessings,
Chris

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:3-6)

How can I believe in God with all the suffering?

chris — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 05:13:50 +0000

There is a crazy amount of suffering going on in the world right now.

There are millions of people facing massive struggles. And you’re either one of them or you love someone who is. And it makes believing in God hard.

Some people put it this way:
“If God is meant to be loving and all-powerful, why doesn’t he do something about all the suffering in the world? If He is loving – then why doesn’t he stop it? Is it because He’s not powerful enough? Or if He is powerful enough – is it because He’s not loving that He let’s it go on? He can’t possibly be both loving AND powerful and do nothing about it. So He either doesn’t exist, or He’s too weak to be of any use to me, or He’s too unkind for me to respect and worship.” How would you respond to that?

What does the bible teach about suffering? And how does that match up with a loving and powerful God?

check out the sermon here

Suffering is not just ‘out there’. Many people at CoastEC have hardships and here’s what some of them had to say about hardships and how they impact on their faith.

How can I believe in God with all the suffering?

chris — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 07:35:51 +0000

There is a crazy amount of suffering going on in the world right now.

There are millions of people facing massive struggles. And you’re either one of them or you love someone who is. And it makes believing in God hard.

Some people put it this way:
“If God is meant to be loving and all-powerful, why doesn’t he do something about all the suffering in the world? If He is loving – then why doesn’t he stop it? Is it because He’s not powerful enough? Or if He is powerful enough – is it because He’s not loving that He let’s it go on? He can’t possibly be both loving AND powerful and do nothing about it. So He either doesn’t exist, or He’s too weak to be of any use to me, or He’s too unkind for me to respect and worship. ”

How would you respond to that?

We will be tackling that question at Coast Evangelical Church this week.
All Welcome. Bring a friend.
We kick off at 5pm on Sunday @ Forster Public School Hall.

Here the talk here

Gospel work nitty gritty (1 Corinthians 16)

chris — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 04:27:01 +0000

The gospel changes everything. But what does it look like to live with the gospel at the centre of your life? We take a look at some practical, nitty gritty implications.

check out the sermon here

1 Corinthians 16
1 Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 3 Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.
5 After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you—for I will be going through Macedonia. 6 Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7 I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.
10 If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. 11 No one, then, should refuse to accept him. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.
12 Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.
13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 14 Do everything in love.
15 You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers, 16 to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it. 17 I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. 18 For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.
19 The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. 20 All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. 21 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord—a curse be on him. Come, O Lord! 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Gospel According to Beer (Fri 22nd July)

chris — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 02:30:33 +0000

“Through the power of dance Kevin did become a brewery worker”

Aussie beer commercials are pretty funny. They capture something of the Aussie larrikan spirit, and they remind us to not take ourselves too seriously. But they also touch on deeper issues. They wet our appetite for something real and satisfying; and promise to quench a deeper thirst in us.

So what is the Gospel According to Beer?
Come & join us for bbq, a few drinks, a bit of telly and a short spiel about the spirituality of beer.

Friday 22nd July, 6:30pm
Free bbq & nibbles.
BYO fancy beers
Location: Tim Chilton’s (3/142-148 Little St, Forster)
Questions: call Chris on 0434 199 553

Mackay Evangelical Church update (July 2011)

chris — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 02:29:51 +0000

CoastEC is stoked to be partnering with Jai Wright (founding pastor) of Mackay Evangelical Church (MAKE) in north Queensland. We’ve been supporting Jai since he moved north earlier this year, and now the time has come for the public launch….

Solid Rock Youth Cafe

chris — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 02:00:45 +0000

Attention Forster Youth – come and check out the Solid Rock Cafe this Fri and Sat night. More details on the facebook page

If Jesus is still dead, so are you (1 Corinthians 15:1-19)

chris — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:59:17 +0000

Christians believe in life after death. But how can they be so sure about it? If you’re confused about religion and the afterlife, or if you’ve got some doubts about your faith, know this: Christianity is based on the historical event of the bodily resurrection of Jesus. If he didn’t actually come alive again, Christianity is a hoax. But if he did…it changes everything. But how can you really know?

check out the sermon here

(sorry about poor audio quality)

1 Corinthians 15:1-20
1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Holiday Hang Out 2011

leesh — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 12:40:48 +0000

That’s right Holiday Hang Out is back these July School Holidays!

For kids in year’s 3 – 6
11 – 13 July
9am – 12:30pm
@ Forster Squash Centre (16 Cross St, Forster)

Each day there will be…

Creative stories about God
Fun games
Activities and Craft
Plus FREE morning tea and BBQ lunch!!!

Feel free to register when you arrive (remember this program is FREE!) or if you’d like more info contact Alicia Barnes on 0422 880 711.

We’d love to see you there!!

Check out the video below and see what we got up to at Holiday Hang Out 2010!

Holiday Hang Out 2010 – Highlights from St Matts Youth on Vimeo.

NOTE: CHANGE OF VENUE THIS SUNDAY!! (10TH JULY)

chris — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 22:28:14 +0000

Hi people, please note that on Sunday 10th July CoastEC will be meeting at Tuncurry Memorial Hall at 5pm and NOT at our usual venue at the school. It’s just over the bridge in Tuncurry on the left (Point Rd). Bring ya mates. Map below.

View Larger Map

Prayer Update (July-August 2011)

chris — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 06:10:11 +0000

Hi friends!
I hope you’re all well. I am stoked about what God is doing amongst us here and I wanted to thank you all for your partnership with us. Your prayers, encouragement, friendship, emails, visits and generous giving have been a real blessing. We are fully aware of our weaknesses and know that unless God builds the house, we labour in vain. It’s an amazing privilege to be able to approach God’s throne of grace in prayer. (Thanks Jesus for opening the way!). So please ask the Lord to empower His People for godliness, ministry & mission, and to soften many hearts and gather in His elect as we proclaim the great news about Jesus to the 25,000 people living in our region.
Chris (on behalf of CoastEC)

PRAYER POINTS…
print version

Mission…
We are gearing up for a big month of outreach.
• For Primary School kids – Holiday Hang Out - 11th-13th July (with a team from St Matts West Penno)
• For Youth & Young Adults – Solid Rock winter mission - 15th-16th July (with the Solid Rock team)
• For Men – The Gospel According To Beer - 22nd July (Fri night, BBQ)
• For Women – His All-Satisfying Love - 26th July (Women’s Coffee & Dessert Night)
• For Everyone – Church Services – 24th & 31st July (topics: suffering, and connecting with God)
• Short Course – Christianity Explored (DVD and discussion) – 4th, 11th & 18th Aug
Please pray for our people to be prayerful and bold about who they invite to various events.
Pray for many to attend, for the gospel to be shared clearly, and for many to put their trust in Jesus.
Ask that we’d follow up people well, and that they’d find their place in the Christian community.

Scripture…
Lessons for year 7 will (finally) start at the Tuncurry Campus on 27th July (and then fortnightly for 5 lessons). Thanks for your prayers to get this door to open! It has been a hard slog, and I really appreciate the support!
Please pray for the teachers to share Christ faithfully and for students to understand and respond with faith.

FIEC conference…
CoastEC is part of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC).
Thank God for the partnership in the gospel, the fellowship, the encouragement and the resource sharing.
Chris and Ruth will be attending the annual conference in Collaroy from 15-17 August.
Pray for safety as they travel, and for a good time of refreshing and connecting with other pastors.

Ministries…
Thank God for Ruth as she oversees our ministries. Please pray our ministry drivers (team leaders) – Karen, Sharon, Jeff, Brent, Leesh, Emma, Tom, Ali, and Steph – as they keep building their teams and refining their ministries.

Youth…
Praise God for the growth at Grommets (yr 5-6 youth group). They’ve gone from 1 to 10 girls this year!
Beck’s enjoying leading the girls – pray she’ll grow strong friendships with them & know how to disciple them.
Thank God for how he’s been working through Chicks (our high school girls homegroup).
One girl gave her life to Christ this term, and the other 4 regulars are growing in their maturity in Christ!
Pray for wisdom for Evan and Alicia, as they work out how to recruit more leaders (Ruth has just joined the team)
Pray for the kids to transition up from Grommets to Wired (the high school youth group) at the end of the year.

Another Service…??
Pray that God would give us wisdom as we consider starting another congregation next year.
We are thinking about a 3:30pm service on a Sunday arvo that’s geared to young families.
Ask for God to establish a committed core group for us to get the ball rolling.

“I thank my God every time I remember you…because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now”

Who you gonna invite?

chris — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 05:13:18 +0000

Hi CoastEC,
Did you know that there are about 25,000 people living within 25 minutes of Forster – and most of them are facing a Christ-less eternity? That keeps me awake at night. As a church, we have to work out how to connect with as many as possible so they can hear the gospel, put their trust in Jesus, have their sins forgiven, be saved from the coming wrath, and enter new life with Jesus.
We believe that mission is a lifestyle for all believers as we seek the promote the gospel with our lips and lives. And to assist you in sharing the gospel with those you know, we will be running some things you can prayerfully invite them to.
So…who will you invite to what?

For Primary School kids – Holiday Hang Out
11th-13th July (Mon-Wed morn) – 9am-12:30pm
@ Forster Squash Centre (Cross St)

For Youth & Young Adults – Solid Rock winter mission
15th-16th July (Fri & Sat nights) – 6-11pm
@ Tuncurry Memorial Hall (Point Rd)

For Men – The Gospel According To Beer
22nd July (Fri night, BBQ) – 7pm
@ Tim Chilton’s (3/142-148 Little St, Forster)

For Women – His All-Satisfying Love
26th July (Women’s Coffee & Dessert Night) – 7:30pm
@ Sharon Ekins’ (28 Belton Way, Forster)

Church Services – 5pm Sunday Arvo
24th July – How Can I Believe in God with all the Suffering in the World?
31st July – How Can I Get Connected to God?
@ Forster Public School Hall (Head St)

Short Course – Christianity Explored
(3 x 1 hr sessions. DVD and discussion)
4th, 11th & 18th Aug (Thurs nights) – 7:30pm
@ Chris Ekins’ 28 Belton Way, Forster

Women Should Be Silent (1 Corinthians 14:26-40)

chris — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 22:30:36 +0000

“Women should remain silent in the churches…they are not allowed to speak…for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.” You can’t be serious…can you? That’s what the bible says. So how come we have women speaking in church? Is the bible wrong? Is it outdated? Or are we not following what it says?
We take a look at God’s design for gender roles in the church. Yep, it’s controversial.

check out the sermon here

1 Corinthians 14:29-40
29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
As in all the congregations of the saints, 34 women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
36 Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? 37 If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. 38 If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored.[i]
39 Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

Women’s Coffee and Dessert Night (26th July)

chris — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 00:00:04 +0000

Looking for an All-Satisfying Love? You can’t miss this coffee and dessert night.
Come and join with other women for a great night, and hear Sharon Ekins share about the love she has found which is available to all.

Tongues and Prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:1-33)

chris — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 04:36:46 +0000

What’s the deal with tongues and prophecy? What does the bible say about them? Are they marks of spiritual maturity or being Spirit-filled or being baptised in the Spirit? Are they gifts for today? And if they are, should we seek them? And if we get them, what should we do with them?

check out the sermon here

1 Corinthians 14:1-5
1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.[b] 3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,[c] but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues,[d] unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.

School Scripture – Tax Deductible Giving

chris — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:08:24 +0000

Hi brothers and sisters,
Did you know that about 80% of Christians in Australia started following Jesus before they turned 18? That means that in our country, at this moment in time, the most fertile soil for sharing the gospel is with young people!

CoastEC is committed to making the most of that opportunity, and God has graciously opened the door for us to share Christ with youth in the local schools by teaching scripture. Please be praying for many students to open their hearts to Christ, and for our teachers (Jasmine, Jess, Christine, Ruth and myself) to be faithful and godly.

This ministry costs CoastEC thousands of dollars each year (including staff time and purchase of materials). With the end of the financial year approaching I wanted to make you aware of a tax effective giving opportunity. We have set up a fund that allows you to give towards schools ministry in a tax deductible way. (For example if you give $100, that means you won’t pay tax on $100 of your total income when it comes to tax time).
We are hoping to receive $4000 before June 30th.

Are you interested in investing a special one-off gift toward this ministry? If you’re keen to give something – you can do it online here and now – http://www.coastec.net.au/give/ Or if you’d prefer to give by cash or cheque, please put it in an envelope marked ’scripture fund’ (with your name and address inside for issuing receipts) and stick it in the collection bag over the next few Sundays.

Thanks people,
Stand firm in the glorious gospel
Chris

Without love, ya nuthin! (1 Corinthians 13)

chris — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 03:36:04 +0000

The true mark of spirituality is not giftedness, or how much ministry you do, but love. This is the essential quality for all who call Jesus Lord. How’s your love?

check out the sermon here

1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Spiritual Gifts and how to use them (1 Corinthians 12)

chris — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 23:04:09 +0000

Are you ignorant about spiritual gifts? What are they really about? Maybe you think you’ve got it sussed…but do you? And more importantly, are you using your gifts and abilities in God honouring ways?

check out the sermon here

1 Corinthians 12

Youth Ministry Update – June 2011

leesh — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 01:30:00 +0000

Just over 2 years ago the COAST EC Youth Ministry started with 1 definite kid attending…and by God’s grace the Youth Ministry has grown to over 30 kids who are keen to learn about our awesome God!

We’re stoked at the way God is working in the youth of Forster-Tuncurry, and we’d love to give you an update on where things are at in this developing ministry…

On Friday arvo’s at the Guides Hall in Forster, COAST EC has the privilege of running 2 youth groups – Grommets (for yr 5-6) and Wired (for yr 7-10), PLUS on Tuesday arvo’s there is a high school girls homegroup called ‘chicks’. For more details on these groups please visit – www.coastec.net.au/youth

By the amazing power of God’s Word, each of these groups are cranking along! Last week one of the youth kids parents told me that “They can no longer go away for a weekend and leave on a Friday arvo’s because their child doesn’t want to miss youth group”, we had a giggle and she was very happy her children are keen to be part of the youth ministry and learn about God.

Over the past 2 yrs we’ve had the amazing privilege of seeing about 12 kids come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour – How good is that?! And we are pleased to tell you that the that core Christian groups are developing in each youth group, as the kids continue to grow in their friendship with Jesus!

Knowing that all this has only happened by God’s hand, we’d LOVE your prayers for the following:

Praise God that the youth leadership team has doubled this year! We’re stoked that Beck and Ruth have joined the team, and are keen to get some more male leaders equipped and involved soon

Praise God for the youth community that’s developing (’Back Row Bandits’ are taking over the back rows of the Sunday church service!)

Please Pray for the youth kids, that they’ll grow a deeper understanding and love of Jesus

Please also pray for us, that as we oversee it this great ministry, we’ll have energy and wisdom

Thanks for taking the time to get updated on the COAST EC Youth Ministry – we’ve got a short video of the youth below – check it out!

Blessings
Evan and Alicia Barnes
Youth Ministers

Lord’s Supper, Communion (1 Corinthians 11:17-34)

chris — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 23:27:30 +0000

What does the bible actually say about the Lord’s Supper? What’s it really about? Why do it we do it? And how should we participate?
Are you ready to have a fresh look, even if it means changing your long-held beliefs or traditions?

check out the sermon here

1 Corinthians 11:17-34
17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. 33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34 If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.

CoastEC Supporter Update (June 2011)

chris — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 23:05:01 +0000

Hi friends, I hope you’re all well.
Sorry for the lack of updates recently! Here’s a short vid to give you a taste of what’s been going on.
Why do I look so tired? I’ve been sick, and my 2 little kids (Caleb and Hannah) are full of life! Love ‘em heaps!
Pray for us! Your brother, Chris.

Biblical manhood and womanhood (1 Corinthians 11:2-16)

chris — Mon, 30 May 2011 05:03:23 +0000

God determined our gender. He made us distinctly male and female. And He wants us to embrace and express our masculinity and femininity in godly ways, according to the good order He has established, even if it means going against our culture and upbringing. Are you functioning like the man or women God intends you to be? Find out why feminism and chauvinism are both wrong, and start living God’s intended way. Brace yourself as we dive headlong into a very controversial passage!

check out the sermon here

1 Corinthians 11:2-16
2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you. 3 Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved. 6 If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. 7 A man ought not to cover his head,[b] since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.
11 In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.

BBQ Hang Out – Sunday 5th June, 12noon

chris — Sat, 28 May 2011 23:52:48 +0000

Hey people, come and join us for a social BYO BBQ down at Memorial Park, Tuncurry (just over the bridge on the left).
All welcome. Bring ya mates. See ya there.
Kick off at noon.

View Larger Map

Do everything for the God’s glory and others good (1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1)

chris — Thu, 26 May 2011 03:05:13 +0000

Does your lifestyle help or hinder other believers? And does it make the gospel more or less appealing to unbelievers? You exist for God’s glory and He’s calling you to order your life and make your decisions so that other believers will be built up, and so that unbelievers will not be turned off.

check out the sermon here

1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1
23 “Everything is permissible” – but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible” – but not everything is constructive. 24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” 27 If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake – 29 the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Mackay Evangelical Update (May 2011)

chris — Mon, 23 May 2011 23:00:30 +0000

CoastEC is proud to be partnering with Jai Wright as he plants Mackay Evangelical Church in North Qld. We are committed to praying for the gospel to bear much fruit in that region (where about 120,000 people live), and we also committed to giving 5% our income directly to support that work.

I caught up with Jai on Skype to see how things are going and to ask what we can pray for. Here’s the convo…

Prayer Update (May-June 2011)

chris — Fri, 20 May 2011 00:24:42 +0000

Hi friends! Thanks for your partnership in the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ! We really value prayer support and fully acknowledge that ‘unless the Lord builds the house, the labourers work in vain’. Many in our region are lost and need Christ. We are weak, but He is strong. So please ask big! In Christ, and for His glory, Chris (on behalf of CoastEC)

PRAYER POINTS…
print version

Ekins family…
Praise God for the recent break we had up the coast with friends. It was a great week off, and we’re feeling refreshed. Caleb and Hannah are growing up fast! Caleb is a real action man and Hannah is starting to stand up (she even said her first ‘dad dad,’ the other day!) Unfortunately, we’ve also had lots of sickness and broken sleep, which is starting to take it’s toll. Please pray for health and some good rest.

Trickle Growth…
By God’s grace, people keep trickling into our fellowship. Pray we’d be a welcoming church, good at befriending & incorporating newcomers. Pray for wisdom as we seek disciple people in our home groups (bible studies) and help them find suitable ministries to serve in. We’re hoping to start 2 new home groups in the 2nd half of this year. Ask for God to raise up godly leaders, & for Chris to identify and train them well. Also pray for Ruth Shooter as she trains our people to share their testimony on 26th June.

Scripture…
Pray for wisdom and boldness as I work with other local ministers to get Scripture started at Tuncurry High. There are some who think the lessons we taught at the Forster campus are too Christ-focussed, are too evangelistic in asking kids to make their own decision to follow Jesus, and they also want the substitutionary atonement to be removed from the lesson about what Christ’s death achieved. These are serious matters and the lessons are under review. As a result, the lessons at the school have been postponed until 27th July. I am finding this very frustrating. Pray for me to be godly, patient, gracious, wise and courageous.

Youth…
Praise God for the solid youth core group that is being built up. The youth groups have also made a good transition to their new venue (the Guides Hall). Ask for God to sustain Evan, Alicia & Bec and also to raise up more leaders for this growing ministry (especially another bloke!).

Holiday Hangout…
Our kids winter mission is being run by St Matts Youth (West Pennant Hills) on 11-13 July. We are hoping to connect with and share the gospel with many primary school kids! Pray for good follow up and that many will receive Christ and link in to Grommets youth group for kids in yrs 5-6.

Finances…
Praise God for the continued generosity of His people. We are slowly growing to be more self-funded (currently about 35% of our expenses are being covered by locals; the rest is being graciously supplied by other individual supporters and partner churches). Our goal is to be at least 50% self funded by the end of the year. Please pray for us to get there, and that in the mean time the external support would continue.

Alternate venue…
The school hall we rent for our public gathering is unavailable on Sunday12 June and 10 July. Pray for us as we meet in Tuncurry Memorial Hall instead. Ask that it will work well for us, and will help us raise our profile in the town as we advertise our services in a fresh location for these days.

Another Service?…
Pray that God would give us wisdom as we consider starting another service to help us connect with even more people (we’re not sure when, but we’re thinking about a 3:30pm service on a Sunday arvo that’s geared to young families).

“I thank my God every time I remember you…because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now”

TESTIFY! (Training on 26th June)

chris — Sun, 15 May 2011 22:00:22 +0000

By God’s grace each one of us has a story – a personal testimony of how Jesus Christ came to be our Lord and Saviour and the difference He has made to our lives. We want to give you all the opportunity to learn how to share your personal testimony so that you will ‘always be prepared to give an answer for the reason for the hope that you have’. We’d also love to hear some of your stories at our Sunday gatherings as an encouragement to believers and a challenge to people who are still sussing Jesus out. If you’re interested in learning how to TESTIFY, Ruth is running a 1 hour session on 26th June (10am @ her place).

Flee from Idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:1-22)

chris — Sun, 15 May 2011 21:56:56 +0000

God created us to Enjoy His Creation and to Worship Our Creator. But instead we often worship created things and ignore our Creator. We need to identify our idols (good things that often become God-things and which compete for our allegiance) and learn to serve and worship God with the good gifts He has given us.

check out the sermon here

Free to NOT insist on your rights (1 Corinthians 9)

chris — Fri, 13 May 2011 01:38:27 +0000

Guest Speaker Jim Ramsay unpacks 1 Corinthians 9 for us.

check out the sermon here

1 Corinthians Bible Studies

chris — Thu, 12 May 2011 00:21:39 +0000

Hi people! We will be working our way through 1 Corinthians 10-16 over the next few months at church and in our home groups. You can get the studies here:

“Feed my sheep” (John 21)

chris — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 14:02:41 +0000

Jesus forgives our failures and commissions us for work. We are to fish for people who don’t know Jesus, and shepherd those who do. Are you fishing? Are you shepherding? Or are you still denying Jesus?

check out the sermon here

Easter – Death Defeated (John 20)

chris — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 20:02:51 +0000

You’re going to die. Harsh but true. And sad. And maybe painful. Or sudden and unexpected. But at least death doesn’t have to have the last laugh…because Jesus took it on, and beat it up! And now He stands alive today and offers peace, and new life, and victory over death. Have you got this peace, and life and confidence as you face your own death? You can…and you don’t even have to see to believe!

check out the sermon here

“It is finished!” (John 19)

chris — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:15:39 +0000

Jesus’ last words before he gave up his spirit on the cross were “It is Finished!”. It wasn’t a wimper of defeat, but a cry of victory! Mission accomplished! Find out why these 3 words sum up the bible’s teaching about how to be right with God. And soak up the amazing impact they can have on your life.

check out the sermon here

EASTER SERVICES 2011

chris — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 06:18:53 +0000

Come and celebrate Easter with Coast Evangelical Church, Forster. GOOD FRIDAY (22nd April) @ 10am (followed by a bbq) and EASTER SUNDAY (24th) @ 5pm. Kids church will also be running during both services, so bring the whole family! We meet at Forster Primary School Hall, Head St.

KYCK 2011 – that’s a wrap!

leesh — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 06:11:13 +0000

KYCK 2011 has come and gone, but the encouragements from God’s Word and the many great memories will definitely last!

Leading up to KYCK (which was on from 8-10 April), 7 COAST EC high schoolers ‘cooked up a storm’ and raised just over $1000 which sent them off to KYCK (a high schoolers Christian camp in Katoomba).
A BIG thank you to everyone who generously sponsored the youth kids and allowed them to experience a weekend of growing in their friendship with Jesus – It was money very well spent!

Overall we had an amazing time at KYCK (probably the best youth camp we’ve been part of), the talks from Hebrews were extremely encouraging (and challenging) AND God graciously protected us in our travels. How good is that?!

You can check out more of what we got up to in this vid.
Looking forward to KYCK 2012!

Ev n Leesh Barnes

One true religion – opinion or fact? (John 18)

chris — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 13:53:20 +0000

Is religion and spirituality a matter of opinion and personal preference? Or is a matter of fact – one truth that is true for all people?
Jesus says religion is a matter of truth – and that He’s the King of Truth.
Who are you listening to? And are they qualified?

check out the sermon here

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should (1 Corinthians 8)

chris — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:49:46 +0000

Meat sacrificed to idols. Demon meat. Is it OK to eat? It’s probably not an issue you’re wrestling with. But the Corinthians were struggling to work out how their freedom in Christ intersected with ‘questionable’ practices. Today, Christians divide into camps about whether it’s ok to drink alcohol, smoke, get a tattoo, or attend secular music festivals. How do you work if something like that is OK? And what should your attitude be to others who you disagree with?

check out the sermon here

Sex, Marriage, Singleness, Divorce (1 Corinthians 7)

chris — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 03:33:15 +0000

What’s the connection between sexuality and spirituality? How do we honour God in our decision-making about sex, getting married, getting divorced or staying single?

check out the sermon here

Dealing with disputes and sex (1 Corinthians 6)

chris — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:28:49 +0000

How does following Jesus impact the way we handle disputes and conflict?
How does following Jesus impact the way we use our body and express ourselves sexually?

check out the sermon here

Prayer Update (March-April 2011)

chris — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 03:07:07 +0000

Hi friends!
We believe in a Sovereign God who is powerful and willing to answer the prayers of His People for His Glory. Please approach the throne of grace boldly on our behalf! Thankyou again for your willingness to stand by us as we seek to bring Christ to the 25,000 people living in our region. In Christ, and for His glory,
Chris (on behalf of CoastEC)

Prayer Points…

Print Version

Scripture… We need urgent prayer right now re: high school scripture. We have been working hard over the last 2 years to get Scripture started in the local high schools. We are praising God for opening the door to both Forster and Tuncurry campuses (we get to teach 5 lessons to year 7 students). We are almost finished our 5 lessons at Forster, and the first lesson at Tuncurry is scheduled for the 4th May. Sadly, there is serious opposition amongst the local ministers association to the syllabus that I wrote. One of their specific objections is to the lesson about ‘Why Jesus Died’. The have said they do not believe in the substitutionary atonement (that when Jesus died he was standing in my place, taking God’s wrath and judgment for my sin so I can be forgiven). They say this teaching is a denominational distinctive and we need to find a new syllabus that we can all agree on. A special meeting of the ministers association has been called to deal with this (13th April, 1pm). Thank God for the bold support of the Presbyterian and C3 church pastors who are willing to stand firm with me on this. Please pray for wisdom and courage for other ministers who should be taking a stand; and that as a result, the wolves would be silenced and the pure gospel is able to be presented in the local schools. This is a heavy burden, and much is at stake. Please pray.

Slowly Growing… God continues to gather His People. About 60 Adults and 30 kids now regularly attend the CoastEC church service, and 46 Adults are attending our Home Groups (bible studies). Praise God for drawing people together. Ask that as we grow in number we’d also grow in depth and maturity. Also ask that God would raise up more leaders to train for home groups so we can continue to cater for the growing number of people who are keen to join a group.

Another Service?… Pray that God would give us wisdom as we consider starting another service some time down the track to help us connect with even more people (we’re not sure, but we’re thinking about a 10am service and a Sunday arvo service on top of that…once we have the right core group and enough resources).

Staff… Praise God for the great start Ruth Shooter has made! Ruth is our Ministries Coordinator and also heads up Music. She has been establishing ministry teams with team leaders; helping us all be more focussed on certain areas of ministry, and helping new people to church get involved in serving. Pray for God to give her wisdom. Thank God for her energy, enthusiasm and the encouragement she’s already been to many.

Youth…
Evan, Leesh and Bec have been doing a great job! There are now 22 regular kids at our youth groups (15 at Grommets yr5-6; and 7 at Wired yr7-10). Unfortunately we had to find another venue, so please pray that the transition from the Scout Hall to the Girl Guides hall would be smooth. Also ask God to raise up more leaders for this ministry (especially another bloke), and that a new core group of year 5 kids would emerge.

Finances… Praise God for the continued generosity of His people. We are slowly growing to be more self-funded (currently about 35% of our expenses are being covered by locals; the rest is being graciously supplied by other individual supporters and partner churches). Our goal is to be at least 50% self funded by the end of the year. Please pray for us to get there, and that in the mean time the external support would continue.

KYCK KooK Off ROUND#2 – this Sunday (27 March)

leesh — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 04:01:48 +0000

The youth were blown away with the generosity of COAST Evangelical Church on Sunday 20th March. Through God’s generosity we were able to raise $540.10!! (Our overall aim is $850, and we’re almost there!)

Now, if you’re extremely sad that you missed out on the world renown cakes and slices, don’t worry because…..the KYCK KooK OFF is on again this week!!!

We’re hoping to raise the additional $350 (we already have 10 pre-ordered cakes!) and help send the 7 youth kids to KYCK, so they can grow in their relationship with Jesus.

So empty out those piggy banks and get ready for another great opportunity to support the COAST EC youth. Remember it’s at COAST EC this Sunday (27th), 5pm at Forster Public School Hall.

Prices will start at $2, and 100% of proceeds will go towards helping the youth get to KYCK (www.kyck.kcc.org.au).

I hope you’re ready to purchase some of the best and most luscious sweets in the Great Lakes…I know I am!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Advice to a new church (1 Tim 2:1-8)

jeff — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:05:58 +0000

2000 years ago a new church was planted by the coast, in Ephesus. This week guest speaker Jim Ramsay unpacks 1 Timothy 2:1-8, where Paul’s advice is relevant to CoastEC today. This includes an admonishment to pray for that most despised set of Australians, our political leaders.

check out the sermon here

KYCK KooK Off! 20 & 27th March

leesh — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 02:55:00 +0000

The youth are counting down the days, but what for?? KYCK 2011 of course!!!!

On the 8 – 10 April 7 youth kids, plus Ev and Leesh Barnes will be heading down to Katoomba for a High Schoolers Youth Conference. KYCK will have over 1500 teenagers who will be getting equipped by God’s Word in how to live boldly for Christ in this world.
For more details about KYCK check out www.kyck.kcc.org.au

Of course KYCK costs money, so to help the youth out on the 20 & 27th March at Coast Evangelical Church, we’ll be selling some world class cakes and nibblies! You can pre-order whole cakes for $25, or purchase lots of yummy bite sized sweets from $2. The youth will be slaving over a hot stove, to ensure they bring their ‘A-game’….mmm I can’t wait!

So start saving and get excited about support these youth to go to KYCK. We’ll see you at 5pm @ Forster Public School Hall!!! The cakes will be on sale after the church service.

See you there!!!

Church discipline (1 Corinthians 5)

chris — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 13:13:46 +0000

Sometimes being tolerant is sinful and the only right thing to do is to judge someone and kick them out of church.

check out the sermon here

The Stakeout

Christian leaders are servant scum (1 Corinthians 4)

chris — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 21:48:03 +0000

What is Christian leadership about? How should we assess a leader’s success? And what does it look like to follow them? Are you a rock star? a groupie? a critic? or the scum of the earth?

check out the sermon here

God’s co-workers (1 Corinthians 3)

chris — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 23:21:31 +0000

Are you doing anything with your life that will have any real, eternal significance? If you want to, God’s invitation to partner with him still stands…will you get on board?

check out the sermon here

Sarah’s Baptism Vid

chris — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 21:39:29 +0000

Sarah got baptised on 20th Feb, 2011. Check out the vid here…

Vision 2011 (also our AGM) – 27th Feb

chris — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 23:03:47 +0000

SUNDAY 27TH FEB
3.00- 4.30PM @ FORSTER POUBLIC SCHOOL HALL
Vision 2011 will a great time for members of CoastEC to gather, pray, give thanks to God, review our last year and plan for the years ahead.
You will hear ministry reports, finance and budget updates, and vision planning.
There will also be opportunity for questions and comments, and voting on members of our Admin Committee.
If you’ve got any nominations for Secretary or for someone to be on the Admin Committee, please get their permission to be nominated and tell Chris by 20th Feb.

Secret Wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:6-16)

chris — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:20:04 +0000

How can you really know what God is like? How can you relate to Him in a way that pleases Him?
And how can you help others get to know Him? God has revealed the secret…Do you know it?

check out the sermon here

Foolish Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5)

chris — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:07:48 +0000

God’s strategy for making Himself known in the world involves arming unimpressive people with a foolish message.

How is this the wisdom and power of God? And how does that affect the way you relate to God, religious teachers, and people who are not believers?

check out the sermon here

1 Corinthians Studies

chris — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:25 +0000

Hi CoastEC,

Over the next 6 months we’ll be tackling the book of 1 Corinthians.

DOWNLOAD THE STUDIES HERE

I’ve had lots of Christians tell me they wish the modern church was more like the early church. They obviously haven’t ever read 1 Corinthians! This church was going off the rails big time. There was conflict and division; jealousy and pride over spiritual gifts; gross sexual immorality; Christians were taking each other to court and using their freedom in selfish and harmful ways, and lots of other crazy stuff.

Paul had planted the church at Corinth when he went there on mission and preached the gospel (Acts 18:1-18). Now he’s heard some disturbing reports and received a letter from them asking lots of questions. So he writes to them to address the various issues (which are very much alive and kicking in the church today) and to untangle the mess.

As we study 1 Corinthians together for the first half of this year, it will probably raise some personal and theological issues that you feel strongly about. Let’s have an honest look at ourselves and our beliefs in light of the Word of God – and let God have the final say. My prayer is that we’ll all be humble enough to let God shape us as His Spirit opens our eyes to the truth, and that we’d be empowered to live more fully under the Lordship of Christ, to the glory of God.

Chris.

Mackay Evangelical Church update – Jan 2011

chris — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:01:29 +0000

Hey people,
CoastEC is a proud to support the new independent evangelical church plant in Mackay, nth Qld. I caught up with pastor Jai Wright for a quick chat to see how things are shaping up. Please pray for them as they seek to gather a solid core group and launch publicly at Easter. Ask that God would draw many to Himself as the gospel goes out.
In Him,
Chris

For more info about this new church plant – check it here

Coast Evangelical Church

Jesus The Baptist (Luke 3:1-20)

Membership Info Night (Mon 13th Feb)

Vision 2012 (AGM) Sunday 26th Feb

Don’t waste your youth (Luke 2:39-52)

Baptism – is it for you?

How to die happy (Luke 2:21-38)

Sovereign and Humble God (Luke 2:1-20)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Jesus – Rescuer, Ruler, Revealer (Luke 1:26-56)

Prayer Update (Dec11-Jan12)

CHRISTMAS SERVICE – 5pm Christmas Eve

God’s plan and my life (Luke 1:5-25)

Dealing with Doubt (Luke 1:1-4)

Pray for Dave and Darwin

Dying Well (Genesis 23-25)

SOLID ROCK CAFE – 3 WAYS TO HELP

Sacrifice your son? (Genesis 22)

Baptism – Mateo, Mikaela and Jeff (13th Nov 2011)

God’s merciful warning (Genesis 18-19)

Blood Covenants – be cut, or be cut off (Genesis 15-17)

Honouring God’s Priest-King (Genesis 13:5-14:24)

Building the core

Test of Faith (Genesis 12:10-13:4)

Independent church planting?

Trusting God’s Promises (Genesis 12:1-9)

Being Content and Generous (Philippians 4:10-23)

Mackay Evangelical Church update (October 2011)

Rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:2-9)

Baptism vid

Our Stories

How to Stand Firm in your faith (Philippians 3:10-4:1)

It’s all about knowing Jesus (Philippians 3:1-11)

NOTE: CHANGE OF VENUE – SUNDAY 2ND OCTOBER

Prayer Update (Oct-Nov 2011)

Kayla’s Story

Eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3)

Pointless pleasure, worthless wealth (Ecclesiastes 1-2)

Gospel-driven role models (Philippians 2:19-30)

Baptism & BBQ – Sat 3rd Sept, 3pm

Stop ya whingin! (Philippians 2:12-18)

Gospel-centred community (Philippians 2:1-11)

Living worthy of the gospel (Philippians 1:12-30)

Bonfire and BBQ (Sat 13th Aug)

The gospel-shaped life (Philippians 1:1-11)

Prayer Update (Aug-Sept 2011)

Mackay Evangelical Church has launched!

How Can I Connect With God? (John 14:1-11)

How can I connect with God? (31st July 2011)

Philippians Series (+ daily readings) – 7th Aug

How can I believe in God with all the suffering?

How can I believe in God with all the suffering?

Gospel work nitty gritty (1 Corinthians 16)

The Gospel According to Beer (Fri 22nd July)

Mackay Evangelical Church update (July 2011)

Solid Rock Youth Cafe

If Jesus is still dead, so are you (1 Corinthians 15:1-19)

Holiday Hang Out 2011

For kids in year’s 3 – 6 11 – 13 July 9am – 12:30pm @ Forster Squash Centre (16 Cross St, Forster)

NOTE: CHANGE OF VENUE THIS SUNDAY!! (10TH JULY)

Prayer Update (July-August 2011)

Who you gonna invite?

Women Should Be Silent (1 Corinthians 14:26-40)

Women’s Coffee and Dessert Night (26th July)

Tongues and Prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:1-33)

School Scripture – Tax Deductible Giving

Without love, ya nuthin! (1 Corinthians 13)

Spiritual Gifts and how to use them (1 Corinthians 12)

Youth Ministry Update – June 2011

Lord’s Supper, Communion (1 Corinthians 11:17-34)

CoastEC Supporter Update (June 2011)

Biblical manhood and womanhood (1 Corinthians 11:2-16)

BBQ Hang Out – Sunday 5th June, 12noon

Do everything for the God’s glory and others good (1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1)

Mackay Evangelical Update (May 2011)

Prayer Update (May-June 2011)

TESTIFY! (Training on 26th June)

Flee from Idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:1-22)

Free to NOT insist on your rights (1 Corinthians 9)

1 Corinthians Bible Studies

For kids in year’s 3 – 6
11 – 13 July
9am – 12:30pm
@ Forster Squash Centre (16 Cross St, Forster)