Read and Grow

Bailey Jeffs. Surfer. Photographer. Guitarist with a curiosity for synthesizers. He is a man on a journey to discover what the expression of his creativity looks and feels like.

At the moment, it looks like a music project, ‘LUUNG’ — melodic musings set to an introspective backdrop of chimey guitars and smooth synths.

“I’m actively pursuing a career in music and it’s only because of Him (Jesus) that I’m doing that. It’s a really bad investment, music. You put so much in with very little return, but I’ve got this sense that He’s guiding it.” — Bailey

Like many artists, Bailey’s creativity is rooted in a conversation at the core of who he is and what he believes.

“My personal faith journey was after finishing school. I had the realization that the person other people say you are when you’re in school, that’s not who I had to be. And I guess Jesus came into that.” — Bailey

With a passion to connect his faith and identity to his creativity, Bailey has found inner confidence in his gift.

“After leaving school, I realized that God is real and He’s made me this specific way. I’ve got gifts and abilities that I’m stoked to have because of Him. Not comparing myself to other people, but I’ve got big dreams and stuff I wanna do in my life and I just want to own that, ’cause I’m proud of that and I know God has a plan.” — Bailey

‘Christian music’, as a method for preaching the gospel, has an awkward reputation for superficiality, either avoiding the deep issues of life or providing shallow answers at best. Bailey is keen to explore a third option: asking great questions.

“I don’t feel like I’ll be making music so I can go up to someone and say, ‘Hey! You should follow Jesus.’ I don’t want to go around quoting scripture or like, ‘this is why I’m being good and buying you a coffee.’ You know, you don’t do that. Music gives you the space to ask big questions like that without isolating people. I think that’s what I like about it.” — Bailey

Bailey is just as passionate about his craft as he is about living an authentic life in relationship with God and allowing his creativity to be the overflow.

“I think there’s so much inspiration that can come from being a Christian, (knowing) the God that created everything, literally the greatest creator of all. Surely we should be making better stuff than every other person who doesn’t have faith.” — Bailey

You can experience purpose by knowing your calling, having the courage to pursue it, and trusting that God will create opportunities to use you and bring others into relationship with Himself.

“Find what you’re good at and pursue it wholeheartedly. Give it to God. It’s hard but He knows what He’s doing at the same time. I think that’s what I’m put on the earth to do — express my faith through whatever I’m making. It’s simple but that’s also what I think faith is about.” — Bailey

Jade is a fashion designer with a passion for making new creations and repurposing second-hand items. It’s no surprise that in a spiritual sense she also has a desire for making old things new, having a strong calling to pray for people’s needs. However, as she tells, it’s not always that easy...

“Sometimes when I pray for a stranger I walk away thinking, ‘God, what just happened??!!’ I’m the kind of person who is very open to praying for people, especially strangers, so it takes a lot for me to feel uncomfortable in that type of social situation.

This time, I was at work and felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to pray for a customer who was visibly not well. So I approached him and offered to pray for him. He said, ‘Yeah sure, if it makes you feel better...’ This was not the response that I was hoping for. The prayer was short, it was an uncomfortable moment, and I walked away wondering whether I had got it all wrong.

However, after reflecting on the moment, I had an important realization – prayer is not all about me.

Underneath my disappointment was an expectation that when I pray for someone, it needs to be a transcendent experience where the miraculous happens and someone experiences Jesus for the first time. Now this CAN and DOES happen – I’ve experienced it before – but it doesn’t always happen like that.

God doesn’t call us to transcendent moments, he calls us to obedience. Sometimes our obedience results in awesome moments. Other times our prayer might be a small part in a much larger picture of what God is doing in a person’s life. Either way, our role is to be obedient to the part God calls us to play and leave the rest up to Him. With the man I prayed for at work – I have no idea what was going on spiritually in that moment and what God’s plans for his life are.

It’s important to approach these situations with an expectation of faith, believing that the situation could fully change and I truly believe that it will because of the power of Jesus that lives within us. This is where the Holy Spirit moves in our everyday ordinary natural lives.

It’s also important to manage my self-talk – ‘This moment is not about me. This is actually about building the Kingdom. This is going to help this person.’ – and trust that He is moving. I don't necessarily have to see the big picture. I just have to be faithful with the small. That's faith.

In all of this, it's actually important to just say yes and be obedient with everything that God calls us to do, even when it's not what we expect.

You live in a world of fences. It’s all too easy to live inside your secluded home, stream on-demand TV, and lock away the world outside. These fences aren't just physical; they're emotional as well. People like to keep others away because they feel safer. This can make sharing Jesus with your next-door neighbours a challenge. So how can we change that?

Jesus told a story about a good neighbour. A Jewish man was robbed and beaten and left on the road. After a priest and temple worker walked right past, a Samaritan man stopped to help him. Samaritans and Jews had a bad history and more or less hated each other. But when the Samaritan saw the robbed man, he had compassion for him despite their differences and helped him. Jesus said this Samaritan man was a good neighbour and tells all of us to do likewise (Luke 10:29-37).

You have the opportunity to be a good neighbour. The Samaritan man helped the Jewish man despite the differences they shared. Differences don’t need to be a barrier. Reach out and have compassion for them. Find some common ground and serve them.

Start by paying attention to what’s going on in your street. If you take the time, you’ll be surprised to see what’s going on in the lives of the people living around you. Try taking some time to walk around your streets and observe. Pray as you do so. Some families are very busy and struggle to keep up with the yard work. Some people are lonely. Some people struggle with health. Don’t be nosy, but be observant.

If you observe someone that could use some help, approach them humbly and sincerely and offer to serve them. You might offer to mow their lawn or help them with their garden. Take their dog for a walk once a week. Offer to serve them in a tangible way that lets them know you care for them. Even if they don’t accept, they may still feel encouraged that you offered.

Some people will just love your company. Loneliness is a big problem in our culture today. Spending one hour a week talking with a neighbour can mean the world to them. Listen and care for them, and if a chance to share Jesus comes up, do it.

God has placed you where you live for a reason. Listen to the words of Jesus and be the good neighbour he wants you to be. Take initiative, show compassion, and love them the way Jesus would.

Take time today to observe the streets you live in. Choose one person in need and reach out to them.

There are 7.6 billion people living on earth today. That’s billions of problems people are facing at any moment. If even a fraction of humanity talks to God about their problems – that’s hundreds of millions of prayers every hour. So it begs the question – if God exists, why would He be interested in me?

The idea that God is distant and disinterested is very common. Many people believe God created the universe and then completely forgot about us. It’s understandable when you consider how much evil, pain, and death there is in the world.

But the Bible describes God as being present and approachable amidst the mess of life. God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to experience that very same pain, evil, and death – so he understands your pain. God is interested in you and wants to hear from you.

Prayer has been a part of us since humanity first emerged. The majority of tribes and peoples throughout history have acknowledged the existence of some kind of Creator and desired to communicate with it.

The ability and desire for communication with our Creator is in our very bones.

You don’t need statues, incense or music to talk to God; prayer is relational, like talking to a close friend or relative. When Jesus taught his followers to pray he said to simply go into your room, close the door, and pray to your father in heaven (Matthew 6:6).

The Bible talks a lot about prayer. It says if you draw near to God He will draw near to you (James 4:8). It also says that you can pray to God no matter what you’ve done, He knows you, has compassion for you and understands your weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15-16).

There are also many benefits to praying regularly.

Prayer brings clarity. It helps your mind focus on the things that are important to you. Since they often revolve around the most pressing things in your life, praying helps you process those thoughts.

Prayer also brings freedom. When you acknowledge and tell God your mistakes (the Bible calls them sins), it helps you learn from them. The Bible says that God forgives our sins and brings us freedom and that what we ultimately need is not only to learn from sins but to be saved from them. That’s why Jesus came.

If you’re curious about talking to God – give it a try. What can you lose? You can start by simply sharing what’s on your mind in the most honest way you know how. You could also use a prayer Jesus taught his followers:

“Father in heaven, your name is holy. May your kingdom come, and your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Provide for me my daily food, and forgive my sins, as I also forgive those who sin against me. Don’t lead me into temptation, but deliver me from evil. Amen”

Start your prayer journey today. Take some time out and speak to Jesus as if he was a close friend.