Good afternoon travellers,

I enjoy most things sport. I enjoy watching the skills, athleticism and the energy that goes into planning, preparing and communicating. Very few people can just walk up to their chosen sport, without any effort, and play the game. Even the greats need to practice.

There is one sport that is intriguing me more and more, golf! I remember watching golf tournaments as a boy and thinking how boring it was. You couldn't see the ball and I liked sports with a little more energy. Maybe its a sign of my ageing that I have come to appreciate the game a little more.

The distance a little ball can be hit, the precision with which it can be hit and the minute mistake that can have a huge impact. The slightest variation can cause a golfer to put the ball in the trees or in the water. The smallest mistake can be the difference between staying ahead or falling behind.

Golf is the kind of game that you have to put your last shot out of your head. You may have hit the greatest shot two minutes ago, but if you don't go through a process and discipline of preparing for the next shot; checking the distance, the lie, selecting the right club, placing your feet accordingly, keeping the swing even and your body square - your last shot can be quickly undone by your next shot!

I have only been playing golf for about 15 years, sometimes only once or twice a year. Needless to say, my game hasn't really improved. However, I now have a stronger appreciation for how precise the professionals are and how disciplined they are. Where once I thought it was about simply walking up and hitting the ball, I now understand the time I need to take, the disciplines I need to go through and the need to play more than once a year to improve my game. I have this theory at the moment that if I can have one good shot in a round, it might be worth going again.

I can't help but think that pursuing a relationship with God takes the same sort of energy and discipline. Unlike elite sports, we don't have to have talent or skills to be in a relationship with God. We don't have to be in the top ten to advance to the next level. However, to be growing in a relationship with God requires discipline, checking the lie of our environment and seeking the heart of God for our 'next shot'. It's not always easy and every now and then we make a mess of it. Yesterday might have been a good day with God. Today? Not so good. A relationship with God takes practice, discipline, preparation and communication.

Scripture talks about meditating on God's word, hiding it in our heart, eating it. We are also told to 'work out our salvation so we shine like stars in the universe', strive after the prize, to be like an athlete running after a prize.

God welcomes us as 'walk up' people. We can enter His presence any time, any place with nothing but broken hearts, lives and a heap of questions, and God will invite us deeper into His presence. Staying in that presence, believing that we are there, always welcome, always forgiven - is the hard work part! We make a mistake and think ourselves unworthy and unloved. Yet we are invited to pursue holiness, not by anything we do but because of everything God is and has done. While we might feel we fall behind with every mistake. Every mistake is a greater opprtunity to experience the grace of God. To learn more about the nature of God and the plans and purposes God has for us. It's the best place to be!

We get closer to starting our 90 days of reading the bible together. We are excited about the conversations and learning that God will bring through this time together. It will be hard work. It will take discipline and we might even fall behind. This doesn't determine our relationship with God. We pray it will strengthen and deepen it.

We will provide a written plan for you to mark your readings every day. We are pursuing an audio copy for people to use if you spend a lot of time travelling. If you are on the computer often, you might like to check out www.youversion.com in preparation for our launch and if you have a smart phone, you can download the app for reading on your phone and marking each chapter as you go. I will leave you to explore the extra features!

We are looking forward to starting this together in a couple of weeks. If you already have a reading plan, stay with it! If you have never done this before - sign up! We will start in February so all our Life Groups can be talking about the same chapters, learning together and encouraging each other in our reading. We look forward to the great things God will do in us and through us as we pursue God's heart in a deeper, richer way.

We look forward to seeing you this week as we continue to explore Beginnings ... A New Way of Thinking. My prayer for each of us is that God is speaking into our lives in a meaningful and transforming way. Stay the course friends, keep running the race or hitting the little white ball!