Based on a message delivered on October 5, 2025. (The original recording was unfortunately damaged in a usb thumb drive failure.)
At the time of sharing this message, myself David and Brooke had been to the CRC National Conference (click the link for videos and podcast messages) where we were celebrating 80 years of what God has been doing in and through the CRC Churches all over the world. It is not at all about denominations, but about us being connected to a family of churches. And this family of churches are all about prayer, presence and power.
We are connected to a beautiful family of churches that are autonomous and interdependent – let me explain that…..
To have autonomy means we can be doing what God asks us to do in our context without looking ‘cookie-cutter’ and having directive from people who don’t know our community – freedom in that, but to be interdependent means we are not dependent, we rely on each and have a mutually dependent relationship built on respect and honour and connected values.
Maybe over the years, we have gone a bit too slow in speaking about this over the years, but we are part of a family that loves you even if you don’t know them yet. Many people at conference asked us about how our Lifeway family is doing because there is a mutual respect because we are part of the family. And the only way to get to know family is by hanging out with them. We have our State Conference coming up 7th-9th July 2026 in Wollongong and the invite is there for everyone.
The Core Values of the CRC are:
- Passion for multiplication of churches across this planet – for the sake of the Kingdom. To make Jesus’ name known.
- Passion for deep discipleship – healthy Christ followers who deal with their “stuff”. God has been doing this in a massive way through our community in so many ways.
- Passion for the new creation message – the old is gone and the new is here! The old man is dead in Christ – Joe Habermehl in his book “You are a new creation”, said it in a way that I had never heard. When I said yes to following Jesus, the old me hung on the cross with Jesus and was killed/ dead…. and then the new creation was born. I have been born again – the old gone and now I am a new creation. Hallelujah!!!!!
“I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20 (Promise the Lord reminded me of for someone just yesterday)
He doesn’t say “I live in a Christlike way” or “I can glorify Christ through my behaviour”. He says Christ lives in me!!!! CHRIST LIVES IN YOU!!! Through the power of the Holy Spirit.
I have just also been reflecting on where God has been taking us as a church: as we have been “sitting on”: Prayer, Presence and Power, as well as Holiness and Consecration to Jesus and His ways we are being called to be fully in and ready to say yes to all that He asks.
PRAYER:
There is an open invitation for those who want to pray and intercede every Sunday afternoon before the gathering, to come along at 3.00pm to pray and intercede for what God wants to do. Anyone is welcome to come and do that as we continue to grow and press in and seek God’s heart for not just our faith community in Lifeway, but also for the faith communities in our city, and for those that still have not heard about our beautiful Jesus Christ.
And to encourage you, God is moving and stirring up intercessors in this city:
- Prayer is also happening around the city FOR the city.
- Our Port Macquarie Ministers pray together every second Wednesday – we pray together for each other, for our churches and for our city.
- Intercessors are being called to rally and pray into the things our city needs and for the lost
- And there would be groups praying that I don’t know about. God is calling us higher in this as it is important to Him.
PRESENCE:
I don’t need to tell you how amazing it is to feel the presence of God. But we do need to be attentive. His presence is WITH US through the power of the Holy Spirit. And sometimes we need to pay attention and seek, press in, ask questions:
Moses is actually a great example of this:
Exodus 3:1-3 “Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in- law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight — why the bush does not burn up.”
Notice that Moses:
- Was working, not in a highly spiritual moment. God can show up in the most mundane of places and change history.
- Saw something he didn’t fully understand
- Was paying attention – and he moved in closer to see why what he didn’t understand was happening.
- Noticed the Angel of the Lord – he knew this was the manifest presence of God Himself – God’s Spirit.
POWER:
This is something that many have seen, but I feel that there is more for us to experience in this area. God is wanting to move and He often expresses His power through acts of faith from us.
While we were at our National Conference, we heard a first-person account from Ps John from Ghana. There was someone who had died and the relatives had asked Ps John to come and pray, believing for life to be restored. He thought to himself: “If this doesn’t happen, they are going to think Im a fraud and they won’t believe in Jesus.” So he prayed. Nothing happened. He prayed again and prayed “Holy Spirit, glorify Jesus!” – and the person was resurrected and came back to life!!! How awesome is that!
He is a wonder-working, miracle-working God.
God is always speaking to us and He looks for a response from us. Maybe ask questions when you think He is speaking to you.
What is He highlighting to you?
What is He stirring in your heart?
What is He challenging in your heart?
Thank you, Lord – we give you our moments to respond to what you’ve prompted in us. Stir our hearts, lift our eyes to you, let us not stay motionless and stuck. We give you these moments to move us forward. Bless you for your love and care for us to not let us stay static. And all for your glory.
Amen and Amen.