Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Christmas Letter from Dave

 Dear Friend,

On Christmas day, five years ago, I boarded a plane to Kenya where I visited children rescued from poverty and homelessness and told them stories of Jesus and His love. 


The two communities I visited were supported by Education Care Projects Kenya. One was a school and the other was a community where orphans lived during the holidays. In both settings, I told the children (through a translator) how much Jesus loves them and the great plans He has for each of them. At the end of this post, I’m going to invite you to help them too, this Christmas. 


In the past five years, I have never been far from Kenya in my thoughts. I wrote a book about the experience, preached over 20 sermons about my “One Trip to Kenya” and gave intercultural talks at more than 15 schools about the trip! I have also been managing ECPK’s website, Facebook page and writing their newsletters. In short, I’m totally smitten by the kids in Kenya!


It is my hope, in the next year or two, to visit ECPK’s new projects in Kenya. They are always looking for ways to partner with Kenyans who are providing educational programs. You can explore these new projects on ECPK’s stories page on their website. From holiday boarding programs for students to community health and wellbeing programs, ECPK gives EVERY dollar donated directly to education in Kenya. 


In November, a school where some of our students attend was closed suddenly. Carole Platt (founder of ECPK) sent in a Kenyan contact to reposition all the students in other schools. When the school closed, the other organisation supporting the rest of the students pulled their funding. Carole couldn’t stand the idea of these kids being thrown out on the street. So, ECPK is currently covering the sponsorship of all the students while we pray for God’s will and blessing as we do not have the funds to continue supporting this many.


Would you please help sponsor these kids this Christmas? Any amount will be a blessing! If you’d like to become a monthly sponsor (the most helpful thing you can do for ECPK) click the box next to “Make this a monthly donation”. Believe it or not (it’s true!) just $90 a month provides everything a Kenyan student needs to go to boarding school! Please jump on PayPal and help ECPK keep the 13 new students without sponsors in school. If you’d prefer direct transfer or want a tax receipt click here.


You can read stories from past projects and Subscribe to the ECPK Newsletter to stay updated on how things are going with these new kids and the other projects ECPK supports. 


Thank you so much for your generosity to the kids of Kenya this Christmas! 


Sincerely, 



Dave



Saturday, December 04, 2021

Kingdom of God


The kingdom of God has always been   

In the beginning God.

God is Love.

The God of Love Created you

And me. Humanity.  

He knit us together in mother's womb.

In His loving image he created us. 

Male and female he created them. 

Created by love. 

Created in love. 

Created to love.

Created to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. And to love your Neighbour.

To be one with each other - one people with one God - ONE KINGDOM.


The kingdom of God has always been   

But deep inside this kingdom of Love another raised its head.

Like black oily sludge from blue ocean depths an evil kingdom surfaced.

A kingdom of pride.

A kingdom where self rules and love is mocked. 

In the vast ocean of God's Love a kingdom of evil bubbled to the surface and began to spread.

It broke trust and shattered love

Man against wife

Brother against brother

And all against God

Love was reframed as weakness

As this kingdom of sludge darkened the earth. 

Self was crowned king. 


The kingdom of God has always been   

And in a battle of wills, love always wins

Because love plays the long game

And the God of Love, the King of Kings

Had a plan. To become a man. 

He walked our sludge strewn streets

And showed that Love still rules

By humbling himself

By offering himself

He defeated death. 

He Repelled the Kingdom of Pride 

Showing it for what it really is

With one act of Love so pure

That all sludge lost its stick

All pride lost is shine

And death lost its sting.


The kingdom of God has always been   

But now we see it for what IT is

A Kingdom of love that embraces all

No matter the amount of sludge

Stuck to those still stuck in sin

God is Love and welcomes all in

Because His love knows no bounds

And His Kingdom knows no end.


Tuesday, October 05, 2021

Kids Club - Moses Stories

Thank you: paypal.me/davedgren 

My son Michael and I were asked to be Moses and Malachi (the whinging Israelite) as we told stories about the Children of Israel crossing the desert. Here are the 5 videos for your viewing pleasure! :)

Kids Club: Trust God 1 - God is With Us


Kids Club: Trust God 2 - God Provides for Us


Kids Club: Trust God 3 - God Gives us Strength


Kids Club: Trust God 4 - God Guides Us


Kids Club: Trust God 5 - God Gives Us A Future

Wednesday, June 02, 2021

God borrowed my book!

Thank you: paypal.me/davedgren

Before driving from Melbourne to Darwin with my Daughter last month, I told a number of churches along the way that I was coming and offered to bring books. A church in Darwin invited me to preach, so I packed a box of books to take along.

When we got about halfway up, I received a Facebook message asking me to stop at a Katherine Church. They wanted to see my books. 

I met with Pastor Andrew and his wife Jeanette at the church. They excitedly looked through my books and chose a few. As they were looking, I noticed Jeanette lay a copy of Just Believe on her open diary. I made a mental note to keep track of it. Then my daughter Rachael walked over and Jeanette turned to talk to her. She picked up her diary as she did so. 

Two weeks later, Andrew and Jeanette called me to apologise for accidentally taking the copy of Just Believe without paying. They told me they were visiting a Bible study contact and the lady wasn't home. Because she knew they were coming, the lady had told her 17-year-old daughter, "Please apologise for me. Put a white tablecloth on the table and ask them to do the study with you."

As they sat down, Andrew realised the study they had prepared was not right for this new young lady. Then Jeanette remembered the book in her diary which she'd been feeling guilty about. She'd meant to call me for days but kept forgetting. She pulled it out and offered it to Andrew, "What about this? Could we read it together?" 

Pr Andrew and the girl thought this was a good idea and they began reading. When they got about 3/4 of the way through the book it was time for the Bible study to finish. Pr Andrew said, "Would you like to finish the story on your own? We can pick up the book next time we visit."

The girl said she was really enjoying it and would love to read the rest. So, they left the copy of Just Believe with her and left.

The next day they called me. After telling the story, Jeanette said, "The reason we've called is to ask for your bank account details so we can pay you for the book."

I was very touched by the story and let her know that God had removed the memory of that book in her diary from my mind until this phone call. "God meant for that book to be there, in your diary, so you could read it to that young lady." I said, "Please let her keep it." 

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Jeanette said. "We will tell her it is a gift from the author!"

No, it's a gift from God! He can borrow my books whenever he sees fit!


Tuesday, May 04, 2021

My Books (so far!)

Thank you: paypal.me/davedgren

Click on the picture to be taken to my book list with details about each book!



LIVE TO FORGIVE (Signs article)

By Dave Edgren
Thank you: paypal.me/davedgren

In my primary school days, I recall a teacher saying that when people are old they stay in bed for most of the time before they die. When I got home, I ran into my mother’s room and threw myself onto her bed and cried into her arms. “What’s wrong, Davy?” she asked.

“I don’t want you to die!” I blurted.

Read the rest on the publisher's website

Monday, January 25, 2021

Visitor's Welcome

Thank you: paypal.me/davedgren


This past weekend, I preached at my home church* and had the pleasure of inviting some friends along. I was pleased when they accepted the invitation and surprised when they both showed up! The day that unfolded was more than I could have imagined. 

A few weeks ago, a friend popped up on messenger. Her son had asked a tricky question for which she had no answer. They are a post-Muslim family who immigrated from Iran a few years ago. One day, as they drove past a church, her 7-year-old son asked, “What’s that building?” His teenage sister replied, “That’s a church. Christians go in there.” The boy asked, “Are people who go into religious buildings here in Australia as mean as people who go into them in Iran?” His mum was dumbstruck. 

“What do I say?” she asked me.

“Why not show him?" I said, "I go to a really friendly church in Lilydale with lots of kids his age. If you are open to it, you could all come in a couple of weeks when I am telling stories.” 

“That would be wonderful!” she said.

“The kids his age all play cricket on the lawn after the church service." I said,  "Would your son like to join in?”

“I’m sure he would love that!” she said. 


The day came. They came. And cricket evangelism did the trick of keeping them around long enough to make new friends.

After the kids went into Bible study the boy joined his mum, sister and I sitting in the shade where we were chatting. He hadn’t been there for more than a few minutes before he got to his question.

“Why do people go to church?” he asked.

“Because we have friends here! Friends who love us and want to know how we are.” I said, “So, we come here to talk to each other and find out how things are going. We all love God, too. So, we worship Him here. That’s what everyone was doing when they sang songs this morning.”

“Oh,” he said.

“We’ve never been inside of a church before,” the older sister said. 

“Yeah, your mum told me.” I said, “What did you think?”

“It was ok,” she said. 

His weeks-old question answered, a new question was brewing inside little man’s heart. 

“Why did Jesus die?” he asked. 

I had been sure to give a clear Gospel message in the sermon and here it was bubbling to the surface. He was processing a lot of new material! I looked over and made eye contact with his mum. She nodded, giving me permission to tell her son what I believe about Jesus.

“He died for two reasons.” I said, “The religious people who were in charge of the big buildings in his day told everyone what to do. They told people God only cared about them if they came into their big buildings and obeyed their rules. Jesus told people God loved them. Jesus talked to them under trees, by lakes and on grassy fields like this one." I pointed to the field where they'd just been playing cricket. "Jesus talked to them outside of the religious buildings. He told them God loved them right now. He said they could talk to God right now and they didn’t need to obey the religious leaders to be loved by God. What do you think the religious leaders thought?” I asked.

“They probably hated it!” he said.

“They sure did.” I said, “They hated it so much they wanted Jesus dead. But they were religious people and couldn’t kill people and still look good. So, they told the leaders of the country that Jesus wanted to be king. Those leaders were the Romans and they killed anyone who threatened their power. So, they killed Jesus. On a cross, like I explained in the story today.”

“Oh, ok.” He said, “So the religious people lied about Jesus to get him killed.”

“Yup.” I said, “And the second reason Jesus died is because He wanted to. I know that sounds weird, but this is what Christians believe. God knows that selfishness kills us. We call selfishness ‘sin’. When we do selfish things - when we sin - other people get hurt. The more we hurt people, the more alone we become. And then we die. God knew that sin always causes death. That’s where selfishness leads. So, God and His Son Jesus made a plan. Jesus came to earth and became a person like us. But He was never selfish. He never sinned. And even though he was human like us, He was also still God. So, when He died, because He was God, He could take our place. He died for our selfishness - our sin. And then He came back to life and promised we can live forever with Him when He returns.”

“Wow.” he said. 

I looked up at his mum and she said, “Let’s go now, kids. Thank Dave for inviting us today."

They both thanked me and I thanked them for coming. 


The other person I invited was a young teacher I’ve known and chatted with for a few years. She has tried Christianity before and is open and interested. I didn’t even know she was in the service until she came outside afterwards.

We exchanged greetings and then she jumped right in with a question. “You said, in there (she pointed at the church) that bad things still happen to good people - even though Jesus did what He did. I know you explained why but I’m still not getting it. I’ve had a lot of stuff happen that really hurt and really wasn’t fair or loving. So, I was caught up putting myself in the story and missed the point, or something.”

“Yeah, that happens to me too,” I smiled. “It’s like our heart is wanting answers but our mind is stuck in a loop.”

She nodded. “So, why did these horrible things happen to me, if God is Love?”

“Your question is one of the main reasons Jesus died a painful death rather than a gentle one.” I said, “Jesus suffered, too. He suffered being misunderstood by everyone. He suffered the rejection of his friends and family. He suffered abuse for things He didn’t do. He suffered a horrible whipping just to please a crowd. And then, He died the most painful death the people of that day knew how to put a person through. Ultimately, Jesus suffered a death that wasn’t His to die.” 

“It was ours,” she said.

“Yeah,” I said, “The truth is, if Jesus shows us anything, it is that God suffers with us. He suffers for us. He feels our pain because He loves us so very much. God loves you. And, although you may have felt alone, you have never been alone in your suffering. Jesus was with you. In your suffering. In your joys. And even right now He’s with us!”

“Thanks Dave,” she said. 

“Thank you for coming to hear my stories today!” I smiled. 

“You’re welcome!” She said, “I’ve gotta go. I’m headed out camping with friends.”


Over the days and hours since, I’ve reflected on what made this day possible. And, I think it boils down to three things.

1. I knew my church was a safe, friendly place to invite new people.

2. I had authentic friendships with non-Christians and knew their spiritual journey.

3. I was going to be doing something I love and wanted these people to share it.

The invitation beforehand and conversation afterwards followed naturally! 


There was so much more that happened behind the scenes to prepare for this day. In the weeks before, I told the pastor, worship coordinator and children’s Sabbath School leaders we had complete newbies coming. 

I checked with the cricket-loving kids to make sure they brought their gear and understood while every cricket game is friendship evangelism, this was the big game! Their previous impromptu games had prepared them for such a time as this! 

The teen girls came out and specially invited the new teenage girl to Sabbath School. She chose to remain with me but she felt welcomed and wanted. We had an amazing chat of our own about God and belief.

One of the children's leaders, mum of the cricket captain, arranged an extra 15 minutes between church and Bible study so the cricket friendships could set. 

My wife ‘randomly’ met both new ladies early in the day and had further conversations with them as they walked to their cars. 

My entire life group prayed for these people beforehand and continue to do so! 

There is a reason followers of Jesus are called the ‘body of Christ’ when they gather. It takes all of us to create a place filled with God’s love where each of us can bring new friends and they can receive the visitor’s welcome only the Kingdom of God can provide.


----

* Here's the Sermon I preached! 



Monday, January 11, 2021

The crazy man is sane and your pigs are all dead


A story is told in which a man possessed by demons meets Jesus.* 

The disciples have just pulled the boat onto the shore and Jesus is a few steps ahead of them. As they look past him they see a man, clearly out of his mind, flailing and jerking as he fights to make his way to Jesus. It is as if some force is pulling his body backward while his heart, mind and soul are leaning forward - desperate to get to Jesus.

When the man gets close enough, he falls to his knees at Jesus' feet and cries out, begging Jesus not to torture him. It becomes clear that the man does not speak for himself but as a puppet controlled by a legion of demons living within. The demons recognise Jesus and are terrified of Him. In their fear, they reveal their knowledge of things to come, asking Jesus not to send them into the abyss because the time has not yet come for their judgment. They know Jesus has the power and authority to control them. 

Seeing a huge herd of pigs on a hillside nearby, they use the man's voice again to beg for permission to enter the pigs rather than be left unhoused. Jesus gives them permission and they rush out of the man and into the pigs. 

There is no knowing what the mind of a pig does as it whiles away the day grunting and grazing but the arrival of the demons certainly did not go unnoticed. The legion's arrival caused such confusion that the herd's mood changed instantly from peaceful to panic. As one, the pigs ran down a steep embankment into the sea and died in the water. 

Clear-headed and free-spirited, the man surfaces from the deep fog in which he has been living. He looks up at Jesus and sees his Saviour as if for the first time. The disciples, who have been standing stunned nearby, join them and the man is clothed and fed. 

Sometime later, the whole town shows up. The men hired to look after the pigs had run home and told everyone what had happened. The crazy man is sane and your pigs are all dead. The townspeople were not happy. That herd of pigs was very valuable. 

After listening, in amazement, to the healed man tell his story the entire town agrees that Jesus needs to leave. His power is too great. Who knows what other damage he will do?  

As Jesus and the disciples enter their boat, the healed man asks to go with them. Instead, Jesus sends him home with a mission: to tell everyone what has happened to him. He is to be a missionary to his own people, preparing them for the next time Jesus arrives on their shore.

It is a sad but common truth that Jesus is often sent away. If we are not seeking a better life we will protect what we have and believe the way things are is the best way. 

The town that sent Jesus away could have had a miracle-worker walk home with them that day. Each of their lives could have been changed. Their shackles could have been loosened and their demons cast out. But they valued their pigs more than their own man, healed and returned to them. They asked Jesus to leave because they were afraid of His miracle-working power.

Are you so committed to your pigs and profit that the power of Jesus to change your life scares you? What are the 'pigs' in your life? What do you value more than people? If Jesus cast the demons out of a broken family member and sent them home, would you welcome them? What if that person's healing cost you all your precious pigs? Would you ask Jesus to leave, as well?

Imagine Jesus coming to visit you. All the things holding you back - all your demons - are not strong enough to slow you down. Running to Jesus, you fall at his feet and he heals you! He casts your demons out. Then, he sends you home to tell your story. Who will you tell first? What will your story of freedom sound like?  


* See Matt 8:28–34; Mark 5:1–20; Luke 8:26–39.


Dave Edgren ~ Story: Teller, Author, Trainer ~

BOOK DAVE NOW! Dave Edgren is passionate about creating a values-based storytelling culture. In his engaging and often hilarious way,...