Alan first spoke at Passion for God 2011 and was well received and was a fantastic speaker. Alan is back with us again in 2012. We took this opportunity to catch up with him before the busy Christmas period. Click here for more information about Alan

1 – What have you been up to since PFG 2011 in March?

I have travelled to Africa, the Far East, Singapore and the USA, working with ministries and Churches by promoting training, providing strategic support and participating in Prayer retreats with leaders across the continents.

2 – What do you like so much about PFG that you are returning for a second year?

I am blessed by the sense of earnestness for God and His Word. It is a truly hospitable time of fellowship together across the age groups and churches.

3 – What has been pressing on your heart and mind recently?

I am stirred in the current climate to inspire people to hear from God and to encourage them to fellowship in a meaningful way with the person of the Holy Spirit.

4 – What are you looking forward to the most at PFG 2012?

I am trusting for an insightful time and a genuine heart, searching together in the presence of God. I am praying that teh weekend will have a transforming effect; that the sparks of the Holy Spirit will ignite a passion across the people which will cause them to engage with His eternal purpose of spreading the gospel of the Kingdom across the world. I believe God is searching for such people to engage with Him. 

To book tickets for Passion for God 2012 take a look at the 2012 webpage

There’s a story in Luke where Jesus calms the storm. For many of us that’s a very useful analogy for what goes on in our lives and we can often feel that we need the ‘storm of life’ to be stilled.

Amazing to think they only encountered the storm because they were in the boat with Jesus. Sometimes following him can mean we go through storms on the way to our destination, but remember they are not the point or object of our travels, only things we must endure ‘if needs be, for a little while’ (1 Peter).

Do these things bother Jesus? Well in one sense no. He is the Lord of all and knows exactly what is going on. But of course it’s true to say that Jesus ‘had compassion’ and he ‘walked where we walked’ so he knows and feels our trials.

So what did they need to do when they encountered the storm? Not panic, or sing, or even do their devotions. They simply needed to ask Jesus to sort things out. It can be the simplest things that we can forget to do. Have you asked Him to ‘rebuke the wind and calm the raging waves’? He can and will if we will but ask him. They had to endure the storm for a time so they might ask him to help. How often do our trials serve to benefit us because for the first time in a while we have to ‘ask’? In the calm we can forget our reliance on Him.

What did Jesus call for in return? Faith – trust in Him, leaning on Him, relying on Him, depending on Him so that if he doesn’t come through we’re sunk.

The other thing they learned? More about who Jesus actually was. You would have thought they knew but again this storm served to open their eyes to the wonder of the King.

Next time you see the waves swelling around you, remember this simple gospel story!

Here’s the full story:
“One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, Let us go across to the other side of the lake. So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, Master, Master, we are perishing! And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, Where is your faith? And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

What is our Church like?

Questions for thought?

- Are we demonstrating the attributes of a Jesus centred church?