What if your weakness isn’t the problem?

potters hands
~ carlyriordan ~ Leave a comment

I don’t know about you, but with every passing year, I seem to set higher expectations for myself. I don’t intentionally place that pressure on myself—it just sneaks in. Before I know it, I’m exhausted from trying to change myself and measure up to the person I think I should be.

There are moments when I catch myself thinking, “If I could just fix this one thing about myself, then I’d be the person God could really use.” Maybe it’s a weakness, a personality trait, or something I feel I should have overcome by now. But more and more I’m learning that God doesn’t wait for us to become polished and perfect before He works through us. Continue reading →

Famous or Faceless: servant hearted in a self focussed world

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Creative people are often tagged as those with huge egos. In my experience as a creative pastor, I haven’t found this to be true. For the most part, the creative team is full of servant-hearted people working tirelessly behind the scenes; practising, setting up, sound checking and packing down. Anyone with an ego doesn’t hang around for long. Yet pride is a real issue we all deal with at times. Pride was the first sin that separated Adam and Eve from God in the Garden of Eden.

In its various forms, pride continues trying to separate us from God today.  Continue reading →

Heaven is His Throne… but where is His home?

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What are you making space for?- Day 2 of 8 Lent reflections

When we first moved into our home, Joe and I regularly rearranged our furniture. We started out, as many newly-married couples do, with second-hand pieces and whatever else we could afford. As time went on, we upgraded piece by piece. Each time we moved a new item of furniture in, we’d move everything around and get rid of the old pieces that no longer fit or served their purpose. In the process, we’d find lost items and uncover spaces in desperate need of cleaning.

In the same way, we all want to create a sense of ‘home’ in our house, we can create a sense of home for Christ to dwell within our hearts. We get to invite the King of Kings to come and take up residence in the lounge room of our lives. Thinking this way, what would you rearrange in your life right now that doesn’t feel conducive to entertaining the King of Kings?

Continue reading →

Let your light shine — Lent Reflection One (of Eight)

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Let your light shine

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought,
but rather think of yourself with sober judgment,
In accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
Romans 12:3

Whenever I have the opportunity to do anything I feel called to, whether it be writing, leading, or pastoring, I have a mix of feelings. Part of me feels a sense of confidence that “I was born for this,” and the other part of me feels deeply inadequate, like “I am completely out of my depth”. While overconfidence is unattractive and causes us to do things in our own strength, feeling inadequate can lead to paralysis and an unwillingness to step up and give it a go. So, what is the correct way to view ourselves? Continue reading →

Unless He has all of me He has none of me… close and closer still.

~ carlyriordan ~ 1 Comment

It’s been a year since God first stirred my heart about being a New Creation, the old passing away… 2022 was a year to let go, to shed, to cry more tears than I thought were possible.

January has a romantic way of wooing us into what could be. Without a rigid work schedule, time commitments and washing socks, the days become more simple, filled with friends and reflection. It’s in this first date phase of a new year that we become sure that indeed, this will be ‘the one.’ Continue reading →

Boldly entering in

~ carlyriordan ~ Leave a comment

Because of Jesus our compassionate High Priest we can boldly enter the throne of grace, obtaining mercy and finding grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14

This changes everything.

The Old Testament states rules, regulations, orders, methods and practices for entering the presence of God. Only the High Priest could enter in and only providing he was pure or he’d be struck dead. Humanity needed to provide a yearly sacrifice for their sin to receive forgiveness and have their hearts washed clean.

Can you imagine carrying the weight of your sins for a whole year? On the day of atonement, you are forgiven, feel the sense of freedom only to begin the process of accumulating guilt all over again until you wait another year.

Guilt and condemnation keep people from the presence of God, not sin. God has already dealt with our sin once and for all. We just need to have faith to believe that it is so.

Once Jesus entered the equation He fulfilled the Old Testament practise once and for all. He was the spotless lamb, sacrificed for us. He was the High priest who entered, and He did it for us that we would have full access to God’s presence forever after.

Even typing this I feel the need for a little praise break. It’s just so incredible.

And to think, this truth doesn’t just affect us, but those around us because we take His presence with us, AND when we lift up His name and extend our faith others are caught up in the miracle of His presence.

If we put more energy in ensuring that this truth was alive and in full focus in our lives then the evidence of this would overflow in the faith atmosphere in our churches. We’d do less ‘convincing’ people of Christ and see God revealed to others more readily.