The Real Nicole.

Dear White Middle Class Christians, I hate you and I hate everything about you. I've spent the last 3 months really frustrated by you.  Maybe even angry at you.  I am annoyed by the God you supposedly believe in - its not the God I know, the God who cares for all people. The God who sent His Son to walk among the broken and the sinners. I feel like you just don't understand the privilege you actually sitting in. You talk about going out into the world and serving others, but you really just mean the people that are like you and people who would be willing and have the resources to contribute in your circles.  You talk about brokenness and hardship and reference war and poverty in Africa, you don't understand that in the streets around you there are people faced with the same everyday.  You talk about your own hardships as if something really awful has happened, but the reality of the situation is that you just had a bad day and need a nap because you are grumpy.  You tal

...In an attempt to develop further as a christian leader, I am posting sermons I have prepared for my studies or for ministry opportunities. Please feel free to comment to add helpful hints so I can develop. .... A call to Maturity Hebrews 5:11-6:12 Naracoorte UC - September Series 2016 This passage in Hebrews is one passage that is used to explain about spiritual maturity.  The writer of Hebrews uses an example of physical maturity as a way to explain what spiritual maturity is.  Some signs of growing up or adulting as I call it is that you become independent from those who raise you, you as responsible for getting your own food, paying your own bills and making sure you clean up after yourself.  I used to go food shopping with mum every week when I lived at home and I used to find it really enjoyable, when I moved here and into my own place the first few times I went shopping was such a novelty, I walked the isles hoping that people were noticing how good I was at adult

  ...In an attempt to develop further as a christian leader, I am posting sermons I have prepared for my studies or for ministry opportunities. Please feel free to comment to add helpful hints so I can develop. .... A condition-less compassion Genesis 25:18-34 Do you have an older sibling? Are you a younger sibling who wished they get the rights and responsibility of the eldest? Or are you the oldest sibling? DO you understand the value of your position in the birth order? Was there things you got or rules made which benefitted you over your siblings? In my family I am a middle child.  The second girl . before the arrival of the golden child – a boy.  In my extended step family of 5 now adult children. I’m still a middle child.  I‘ve tried every middle child complaint in the book and the middle child realities has been well lived out in my life. I was the only one to receive all the hand me downs.  I was the only one to have to wait until I was 13 for a mobile phone. I w

...In an attempt to develop further as a christian leader, I am posting sermons I have prepared for my studies or for ministry opportunities. Please feel free to comment to add helpful hints so I can develop. .... Just a cup of cold water Matthew 10:40-42 40  “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me,   and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.   41  Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.   42  And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” When I first joined the small group at my new church, the host would offer drinks on arrival and I would always turn it down.  There was something about not being heaps comfortable because I was new and just didn’t want to be a hassle by asking.  The host was persistent in

    ...In an attempt to develop further as a christian leader, I am posting sermons I have prepared for my studies or for ministry opportunities. Please feel free to comment to add helpful hints so I can develop. .... The Great Anguish Romans 9:1-5 Have you ever said or done something extreme or over the top for someone you love?  Ever made the statement “I’d do anything” maybe to see something change or to express something important.  In finding Nemo Marlin does just that for Nemo.  Marlin would rather be in the safety of his home but his love and desire to not lose his son drives him to explore the big ocean and do some pretty extreme things to save his son and bring him back home safely. I think Paul is expressing the same passion as Marlin the clown fish in this passage.  He would do anything, even being cut off and cursed if it meant that his people the Jewish people understood Christ.  You see the Jewish people – the Israelites were God’s chosen peop

Last school holidays I had the pleasure and privilege of telling and facilitating space for some of God's Story to be experienced at NCOH Youth's camp in Walkers Flat on the Murray.  NCOH is the Northern Community of Hope - a church in Daveron Park with a real heart for the community around them, a church for some of the real broken people just coming as they are and experiencing God.  I was there as part of the Access the Story team - speaking out the meta-narrative of God, and to be honest I was pretty excited to have been asked to go because I felt validated by the Access the Story crew as a capable communicator, leader or maybe even just as a leader.  It was an amazing week, of ministry opportunities, of trying things a little out of my comfort zone, of watching and responding to the community and culture and of new friendships and perceptions. My friend and colleague Trav whom I accompanied on camp shared his reflections here . There was a few things I learnt about mys