theadvocate.tv DECEMBER 2016 “When we run to God with our complaints, He always listens, but He doesn’t always “Satan is always trying to mess with respond at the same deafening volume as the one we’re using.” my identity in Christ by telling me lies.” SIMON ELLIOTT PAGE 12 >> DAVE KRAFT PAGE 13>> 4 Leaders get better Bill Hybels challenged 2016 Global Leadership Summit delegates. >> 8 Living on soup A new group in the community is facing homelessness. >> Photo: Celine Grobler Allan Meyer challenges leaders at Lesmurdie Baptist Church regarding moral and spiritual integrity. 11 Protection from porn The devastating impact on From good to valiant how young people view sexual relationships. >> helping the wider community Simon Warwick and Gary men of Lesmurdie Baptist Church find Christ is most likely to Fitzgerald were participants with a visit from Allan Meyer The male congregation happen when the church meets in the first season and from turned into something with a far of Lesmurdie Baptist people in their situation and helps there became champions of the broader reach. Generous Church are on a path them through their brokenness. program and instrumental in “At the end of the message It was the desire to address inviting Allan to Perth. Allan preached on the Sunday, I hearts towards becoming the brokenness around issues During his time in Perth invited people to respond. Some committed to valiant men in their of sexual intimacy that led Allan spoke at a variety of acknowledged their own need relationships. Lesmurdie to the Careforce events, including one on the for recovery from brokenness building the Lifekeys Valiant Man program. topic of sexual intimacy at a and others committed to taking At the end of the first season young adult evening and at a their place of service so that our Kingdom of The Church recently hosted of the program, the men who forum for women on the fine church can show the love of God God. a series of events with had participated stood before art of understanding men. in the broken places experienced Dr Allan Meyer from Careforce the gathered church to invite Other events included a men’s by our wider community.” Lifekeys. Allan and his wife other men to join them in the breakfast, a steak night for men “In my time at Lesmurdie I BAPTIST CHURCHES Helen established the Careforce commitment to be valiant men. who had completed the Valiant have rarely seen so many people WESTERN AUSTRALIA programs to equip the local “It’s difficult to find the words Man program and an evening come forward. As a church, we church to become a restoring to describe the impact of that with leaders from the church. have said we want to be valiant, community while they were moment for our church,” Lesmurdie Baptist Church we want to show great courage pastors in rural Victoria. The Pastor Karen Siggins said. also partnered with 98five and determination in all aspects premise behind the programs “Suffice to say that when Sonshine FM to host a breakfast of our lives for the sake of the is to recognise that people who part of the church family stands meeting with Allan for pastors world Jesus loves so dearly,” come to Jesus Christ need up like that the whole church and leaders from across Perth. Karen said. healing from the wounds they becomes a better, safer and more What began as an bring with them. Secondly, loving community.” opportunity to encourage the 2 my view DECEMBER 2016 The gift of discernment The radio is on in the background and they’re talking about a leadership election in Deuteronomy ‘a nation getting ugly and you half listen because it’s not an unimportant event. without sense, where there is no discernment.’ And if there’s a quality that consumers, deliverers But there’s another leadership The speed, the momentousness, But I’m not sure withdrawal and makers of news need – it’s contest being announced, plus a the clamour of it, and the is the answer. It’s often when the gift of discernment. The big article about racial problems short amount of time we have events are at their most sound judgement that makes it in America to read, and you ought to process – it all increases a confusing and troubling that possible to tell good from bad, to watch the interview with the sense of feeling overwhelmed. we need to engage in order to recognise truth and integrity. person who might be the next It’s even been suggested the understand them better. The It can help us in the way we Prime Minister. So, you do that news is bad for us – that rather challenge for us seems to be: how respond to news – the time while sifting through all the tweets than informing us, it inhibits do we stay informed about the we take to consider it, what to and posts about Brexit, and after thinking, makes us passive issues of the day without being say about it, and see what is Rhidian Brook a while you feel you’ve absorbed and indifferent to the suffering overwhelmed or paralysed by important. I believe we should Author of The Aftermath, a lot of information but learned of others, whilst reaffirming them? How do we see clearly stay engaged in order to be what Rhidian Brook is an nothing, and you feel angry or us in our existing prejudices. what’s really going on without Scripture encourages us to be: a award winning novelist, anxious or confused. Add to that the problem of the first being blinded and then people ‘who understand the times screenwriter and broadcaster. There have been times when news itself being distorted or jaded? they’re living in’ so that they can it’s been hard to keep up with the misreported and it’s tempting to We don’t want to become ‘know best what to do and discern news – even in barest outline. ignore it all – for good. the kind of nation described what the end will be.’ Actually, I went out of my way … Ever spared a thought for the owner of the crowded inn Mary and Joseph tried to and because I did, the Saviour check into when they arrived in Bethlehem? of the world had a roof over His head at birth. A hundred other innkeepers would have said If you’ve heard the Christmas viewing him as the villain who they weren’t used to sleeping ‘No room. Get lost!’ I didn’t. I story, you’ll remember the didn’t help a pregnant peasant, outside. Furthermore, they said, ‘No room, but I’ll do the outcome. With no rooms to spare, the case could be made that he did omitted to mention that the best I can to help.’ And I did …” but faced with a heavily pregnant what he could, and although he child about to be born was That innkeeper did what woman about to give birth, he didn’t go a second mile, he did at the Messiah, and that all of he felt he could – but it really offers the couple lodging in the least go one and a quarter miles. history would be changed wasn’t enough. But then stable. It was less than ideal, but Imagine if we were able to because of Him. Obviously Christmas happened because what are you supposed to do ask him why he hadn’t tried a if I had known that, I would nothing that we do, will ever when it’s census time and every little harder to ensure that Jesus have offered them my room be enough. Dr Brian Harris couple and their donkey has was born indoors. If he were – but I’m an innkeeper, not a Dr Brian Harris is the Principal arrived in town? an articulate man, I imagine he prophet. How was I supposed of Vose Seminary and Pastor at I’ve seen a lot of nativity would protest: to know? Actually, I’m rather Large for the Carey Group. plays, but I’m longing for one “Don’t forget that the inn proud about what I did. Not that portrays the innkeeper was full – and full is full. They everyone would have opened sympathetically. Rather than were peasants. It’s not as though up their stable to them. I did, Knights and still voices Some years back, my niece had a ‘Princesses and Knights’ themed party for her shield from cardboard, ice-cream birthday and wanted her guests to dress up. containers and alfoil. I’d attempted to do too much, I didn’t listen to the Holy Spirit’s I had borrowed a puffy 1980s “You’re too tired,” the little with their baby sister in the seat wise prompting and I ended up at ball gown that my sister-in-law voice persisted. upside down on top of them. the hospital. had saved for such occasions. Maybe it was the sleep After I managed to right side We are coming up to But my eldest daughter wanted deprivation, and the lack the trolley and unclip the baby, Christmas which, in our to go as a knight and I had no of rational thought that we sat on the floor and all had a culture, encourages a sense of knight paraphernalia in the accompanies, but I decided to good cry. I called my husband, urgency and hurriedness. It also house. I debated whether to go go anyway. Leigh, and he collected the big encourages perfection and excess.