Campfire Faith - Simple Reflections With Korske Ara

I was in Adelaide when a billboard caught my eye. In big letters it read “One name moves more Australians than any other”. What name? Caltex. It was followed by the tagline “With you all the way”. What a solid marketing campaign and It turns our focus onto what actually drives our lives. Without fuel, the world around us literary stops. No cars, trucks, busses, trains or planes! As Christians, we’re fueled and driven by another name. Jesus. It's often easy to forget that and it’s easy to start putting our faith in worldly things. This week I’ve been encouraged by this verse in Hebrews 12: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”

The bible talks about having faith like a child and to trust God with everything. As a young boy, I loved to go fishing with my Dad, we would launch the boat and spend the day out on the ocean. It would take ages to reach the good fishing spots and I would watch as coastline disappeared into the horizon. By the time we stopped, I would have no idea where I was. All that surrounded us in our 6 metre boat was water. I didn’t understand how my dad knew where we were or which way home was but I always trusted him. By nightfall, we would pull up at the boat ramp with a box full of snapper, tuna and flathead. As an adult, our ability to trust is often taken away from us. We put up walls to protect ourselves. I’ve been challenged to remember the role that God plays as a father. Child like faith is humbling, it’s knowing that even beyond your understanding, you’re going to trust that someone else knows the way. In Proverbs 3:5 it’s written: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; Do not depend on your own unde

I'm a bit of a Doctor Who fan and in an episode I watched a few years ago, Clara betrayed the Doctor. So determined to get her way, she tried to destroy the Tardis. After it all goes down, The Doctor, still willing to help to Clara exclaims: "You betrayed me, you betrayed my trust, our friendship and everything that I ever stood for. You let me down. Confused, Clara replied: Then why are you helping me? The Doctor's reply is a solid one. He says: Do you think I care for you so little that betraying me would make a difference? What a great reply. It can be tough to forgive people. Sometimes it's even harder to forgive those closest to us. But so much is lifted from our shoulders when we care enough about someone to forgive them. Ephesians 4:31 says "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."

In 1 Peter 3:15, it says: "If someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way." I remember the first time that someone asked me about my faith and I freaked out. I wasn’t sure about what to say or how to explain it. If you’ve committed to living life under Christ, the most powerful explanation that you have is in your story, your testimony. I’ve often asked people about their story and the response often starts off with: "Well, it’s not that interesting...”. But in Christ, your story is powerful, every decision you make and every challenge you overcome is testament to your life in the Father. Each step in your journey with Christ has eternal significance. You can’t say that's not interesting. Sharing our hope as Christians isn’t about attacking others for the things that they’re doing wrong, it’s about understanding the shortcomings that we’ve overcome in our own lives though Christ, how the love and grace of Jesus in our past experiences

A campfire is warm, lights up dark nights and brings people together. Our faith as Christians should reflect those properties of a campfire. Back in the day, Jesus used simple stories to share powerful messages. He used real experiences that resonated with those he was sharing with. From young children to the elderly, the sick, the healthy, the rich and the poor, Jesus was truly a master storyteller. Imagine the stories that Jesus would tell around the campfire. My name is Korske and Campfire Faith is a series of my reflections as I explore the stories of Jesus and their relevance to the world around me. I’m not a Theologian and I don’t have a fancy title. I’m an ordinary bloke serving an extraordinary God. In Hebrews it’s written, "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another” This is my first step into recording and sharing my thoughts. I pray that these short reflections, challeng