How profound and how sobering that we (in this generation and time in history) get to "finish what so many before us began".

It was noonday. They were tired from the journey and they were hungry. His friends leave him resting beside a well as they go in search of food. In the heat of a Middle Eastern day, the Son of God opens a conversation with a woman - a woman he culturally isn't supposed to speak to. What unfolds is beautiful and impacting for her personally, for the people she shares life with, and for us.

When his disciples return he continues to teach them and says of the harvest, "... one person plants, and another harvests. I sent you to harvest a crop that you did not work on. Others did the work, and you get to finish up their work".

LET'S TALK CHURCH EVENTS - for pastors and leaders

We have a number of foundational statements (or philosophies) that frame the culture of our church. They are all based in the Word of God and have proven to be true of who we are as a community of believers.

One of them is, "Hillsong Church is not built on the gifts and talents of a few, but on the sacrifice of many". When we say sacrifice, we are using this word in its purest sense. When you love someone or something, the sacrifices made come from a place of devotion, commitment and joy. In Hebrews 12 it says of Jesus that "... for the joy set before him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God".

Well our church is definitely thronging with people who exemplify the above statement and it is full of truly "gifted and talented" people, who use what is in their hand for the betterment of others and the extension of God's glorious kingdom.

Bobbie and I are excited to be hosting church pastors and church leaders for a special gathering in Honolulu, Hawaii where we will be taking a few hours each day and talking through some of the issues and challenges of church life.

Bobbie and I have led Hillsong Church for 29 years and by God's grace, they have been 29 years of sustained blessing and growth.

Also joining us will be Christine Caine and Hillsong London Pastor, Gary Clarke, who both will make a strong contribution to what we are believing will be a memorable gathering.  We want to be able to share with you some of the principles that have helped us in the ongoing growth, life and health of Hillsong Church.

LIFE IS SO FLEETING! One minute something is before us & then it has passed. I guess it's the ever moving "passage of time". 

This time next week (Monday) thousands will be landing, arriving & gathering in SYDNEY for the 26th Hillsong conference.

The moment is seven sleeps before us. The opportunity, the songs, the "ah-ha moments", the conversations, the spoken words that we will sit under. It's all still before us - and then BOOM we will be looking back to what it was before we all press on to whatever is next on the agenda.

My daughter-in-law's mum has a great sense of humour and an astounding gift for finding random images to post on her Instagram. The above image is one.

The caption might read, "my life is so much more interesting in my head" - but there is a reality to the image. I doubt that literal fire-breathing dragons are hovering overhead (although the book of Revelation does liken our adversary to a dragon) but as followers of Christ, we are wielding a Sword in the spirit-realm. We are contending (as the Bible says) with principalities, powers and rulers of darkness. No need to fear though, because we are also fighting what the bible calls "the good fight of faith", which, FYI, ALWAYS PREVAILS!

For a lot of people in today’s world, the question is probably not "can it get any better?", but more so "can it get any worse?"

The answer to both is yes.

Whatever assails us in the negative can certainly get worse, because everything in this natural life is tending towards decay. I once heard my husband teach, "anything left to itself tends towards decay or deterioration" - a team needs leadership, a vision needs stirring, a house needs repair, teeth need brushing and a sweaty body needs a bath.

However the God I know and love, the God I see evidenced in the Bible and in the lives of so many I observe, is a GOD OF LIFE.

He came to give life and life in abundance ... and the kind of life He offers begets life, inspires life and promises life. So the answer to the question "can it get any better than this?" is also YES!

Psalm One in the Message starts with the best statement ever!! "HOW WELL GOD LIKES YOU".

Of course there is a condition to this statement. It's directed to those who follow His Way, love His Word and choose what is right.

Of course there is another "of course". Of course He loves EVERYBODY, and everybody has a chance to personally process the direction of their life and TURN AROUND if need be.

Have you ever become aware of the plight of others or read about innocent hearts being subjected to insane cruelty and felt completely helpless to make a difference? I'm sure like myself you have felt like this on many times.

I recently read of a 90 year old woman being viciously attacked in her home. The article showed her unconscious in hospital. A swollen, bruised face and a finger mercilessly severed in the attack. Outrageous on every level.

Spending some time downtown in our beautiful city last week, you can't help but notice the amount of homeless men and women who make their beds on the streets of Sydney. Many of them hold cardboard signs reading, "Homeless…Hungry, please help".

As I watched many corporate men and women, shoppers and families walk past these precious people each morning, I couldn't help but wonder how many times I had done the same. And I wondered, if I held up a cardboard sign…what would it read?

Just a few years ago at our 25th anniversary, we did just that. Congregation members who had been saved at Hillsong over our 25 years, stood up on the platform with cardboard signs. On one side wrote words that described their past; honest revelations such as: drug addict, liar, gambler. And yet on the other side were words of redemption, words that described the hope they had in their new life with Christ.

Yes, it's true - At Hillsong Church, we have begun plans towards planting a church in MELBOURNE.
 
After allowing this possibility to stir in my heart for several months and after some vigorous vision planning and discussions with key members of our team, we have decided that the time is right for us to make some serious plans to plant Hillsong Melbourne. We are VERY excited about the possibility of building from the ground up; I really believe that Hillsong Melbourne will be a thriving representation of our church right in the heart of this growing city.

Why Melbourne? Obviously it is a great city; reputed to soon become Australia's largest. There are so many areas of Australian life and culture that are synonymous with Melbourne and like any large and cosmopolitan city, there are so many people to reach and so much potential to be realised. I believe it is the right time for us to do our part to see God's great Church flourish in this world-class metropolis.