Keith Urban "gets" Christmas

Christmas is really all about giving. And more specifically giving to others who can’t give back to you. Keith Urban get this. Last Saturday whilst buying a guitar for himself in a Brisbane store Keith noticed a teenage boy testing out a Fuzz Pedal. According to the Brisbane Times the music store owner Tim Brennan said to the ABC:

“Keith came back down the counter and was chatting away and had picked out a guitar he liked. He had heard the kid trying out the pedal for some time and he just leaned over and whispered, ‘How much is the pedal that kid’s looking at?’ “I said, ‘It’s $450, it’s not a cheap one’, and he just whispered, ‘Put it on my card.’

“Obviously I was quite shocked.

“I said, ‘Do you want me to tell him?’, and he said, ‘No, wait ’til I leave.’”

Mr Brennan said as the Caboolture country rock singer made his way out the door, he simply shook the teen’s hand, said Merry Christmas and left.

That my friends is what Christmas is all about. Christmas is when we remembering the amazing gift God gave us when he sent His one and only Son to be born in a cattle shed in Israel 2000 odd years ago. I appreciate the way Keith Urban "gets" it.

Goodbye to the Team from Georgia

This morning Engage Church says a very sad goodbye to the Mission Team from Georgia, USA.
As I look back over the last week I am reminded of the incredible fact that the good news of Jesus changes people’s lives. As we have shared and served the community of Brisbane people have been deeply impacted forever. Not only people who might have heard the good news for the first time, but the people of Engage City Church. We have been so encouraged and strengthened by the Crosspointe Team.
Thank you Pastor David. The people of Engage Church and Brisbane have been impacted deeply and eternally because of the love of your team. We will miss having y’all around y’hear, but knowing that a powerful partnership has been reinforced in the good news of Jesus. I look forward to joining with you and CrossPointe in seeing people from many nations come to know God’s love and forgiveness in the days and years ahead.

Bono on Jesus

"I’d be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I’d be in deep sh**. It doesn’t excuse my mistakes, but I’m holding out for Grace. I’m holding out that Jesus took my sins on the cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don’t have to defend my own religiosity." -Bono

Engaging and Serving Brisbane

On Sunday afternoon seventeen Georgians (USA) arrived to serve the people of Brisbane. Over the last two days it has been fantastic to see the heart and character of these men and women as they have fought through jet lag and embracing a different culture. I feel privileged to be able to serve alongside them as we seek to share the love and truth of Jesus with the people of Brisbane.

As we talked with people of Woolloongabba this morning it was amazing to hear the repeated concerns of adults about the needs of the youth and the homeless. It was encouraging to connect with so many "Brisbanites" today and I look forward to continuing to serve with my Georgian friends tomorrow and for the rest of the week.