Acts: Launching the Church 1: Prepare to Launch – Acts 1:1-26 Jodie McNeill – 27 & 28 July 2019

Looking forward.

Jesus is coming back ____.

Acts is written by ____.

Reliving this era will ___ us up.

The _____ of the resurrection matters.

We should be _______ on the kingdom of God.

The Father would ____ the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is a ‘__’.

Jesus’ rule was _________.

They weren’t to know the ______.

His power will equip them to _______.

The good news would ______ out.

A spectacular _________.

Stop staring and start __________.

The disciples were waiting ________.

They ______ as they waited for the Spirit.

The Twelve was now ______.

They needed a full team of _________.

Jesus ______ them to Matthias.

The greatest future event is Jesus’ ______.

News 27-28 July 2019

OUR BIBLE TALK

This week Jodie will be kicking off our all-new, 18-week series on the book of Acts called ‘Launching the Church’. Today’s talk is on chapter 1, called ‘Prepare to Launch’, as we look at the exciting moments leading up to Pentecost.

NEXT WEEK’S TALK

Next week Jodie will continue our 18-week series on the book of Acts with the second talk on chapter 2 entitled ‘Launch Day!’

MISSION OF THE MONTH

Anglicare is our mission of the month. Support at the ‘Mission Table’ by buying or donating stuff. You can also bring along food items for us to donate to the Food and Financial Assistance appeal.

NEW ROSTERS THIS WEEK

Please visit Elvanto to update your unavailabilities for serving till the end of September. If you’re not already serving in our church in the way you’d like, then let us know via email or response slips.

YOUTH CAMP

Our ‘Alive’ youth camp is only two-weeks away! 9-11 August at Burrill Pines on the South Coast. Talks are on the topic “A Christ-centred Identity”. Cost is $150 (with subsidies available). Bring along your friends for what should be a great weekend of fun, fellowship, and Jesus!

MINISTRY TO THE INTERIOR

Would you be willing and able to occasionally cook a meal for a friend of our church or a member of our village or valley who is in need? Please indicate on the response slip, or let Shani know on 0417 424 445.

COUNTDOWN TO HOLIDAY KIDS CLUB

We’re running a four-day kids’ club during school hours on the second week of the school holidays (8-12 October). If you’re available to help for some of that time please let us know via response slip. And get the word out to everyone you know!

GIVING UPDATE

Each week we need to receive $6300.00 in order to meet our commitments. In the last calendar month, our average weekly giving was $5882.00, leaving a gap of $418.00. Olimometer 2.52 Up to the end of the last calendar month we needed to have received $245,700. Compared to that total we received $221,466, leaving a gap of $24,234.Olimometer 2.52

Electronic giving is a great way to give! It helps us prayerfully plan our giving, and then the bank will help us keep that commitment, even when we may be unable to attend. To give by direct transfer then these are the details. Account name: Church of England Jamberoo. Account number: 10081274. BSB: 062562.

Launching the Church

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to have been a follower of Jesus at the time of the very first Easter?

The feeling of emptiness with Jesus’ crucifixion… and then the surprise and elation at his resurrection… and then the bizarre period of time with his frequent appearances… and then the witnessing of his ascension into Heaven.

So much happened in such a brief time, and what looked like failure for Jesus’ kingdom was instead a time of excitement and anticipation.

It is with this in mind that the Bible’s book of ‘Acts’ was written for us, providing a powerful witness to how the message of Jesus led thousands to become his followers, which then led them to send that message to the ends of the earth, like ripples in a pond.

Given the shape of Jesus’ earthly ministry, it should have been no surprise to us that the ministry of his Holy Spirit brought great highs and lows to the first Christians.

At times, there was a great buzz as people finally understood that Jesus was the Messiah, which was accompanied at times with some miraculous displays of the power of the Holy Spirit.

At the same time, there were many moments of deliberation, as the Jewish believers in Jesus tried to come to terms with the challenges of including non-Jewish ‘Gentiles’ in the kingdom of God.

And at the same time, there were many moments where the leaders of God’s church were inflicted with horrible wounds as they were persecuted for speaking the truth about Jesus.

The story of Acts is the story of the launching of the church, with all its highs and lows, and it helps us understand the place that we have in the storyline of the building of the church of Christ.

What a time to be alive!

JODIE McNEILL

Coming up this weekend 27-28 July 2019

This weekend we kick off our all-new, eighteen-week series on the book of Acts titled ‘Launching the Church’. It’s going to be a thrill to walk alongside the people who experienced the power of the Holy Spirit as the church experienced explosive growth in the weeks, months and years after Jesus’ death.

This is a perfect week to join us as we kick off this new series with Jesus’ words before he left the earth. That’s why this week’s talk is called ‘Prepare to Launch!’, as we look at Acts chapter one.

As we return to normal programming, we’re also going to have our popular question and answer segment, where I get the opportunity to answer your tough questions about what the Bible teaches about us and God.

These are the questions I’ll be tackling this weekend:

  1. If God doesn’t forgive blasphemy then what hope do we have if we’ve ever committed this sin?
  2. Why do we follow some Bible commands but not others? For example, why don’t our men pray with hands lifted up, and our women avoid wearing expensive jewellery?
  3. Does a child still need to honour abusive parents?
  4. Since wives have been abused by their husbands, shouldn’t we stop teaching submission?
  5. Why didn’t Jesus write down his teachings and prayers rather than have it recorded by his apostles?

So, we’d really love you to join us at either 5pm Saturday for our all-age church (with creche, kids’ program, then dinner, then youth group), or 9am Sunday for our classic Anglican service (followed by tasty espresso and treats).

Grace and peace, Jodie.

Don’t Be Distracted – Hebrews 3:1 to 4:13 – Trevor Lucas – 20 & 21 July 2019

1. Moses or Jesus?  3:1-6

2. Your thing or God’s thing?  3:7-19

3. How do you get a good rest?  4:1-11

4. Want to be on the winning side? 4:12-13

News 20-21 July 2019

OUR BIBLE TALK

This week Trevor Lucas will be speaking from Hebrews chapters 3:1 to 4:13 on the topic, ‘Don’t Be Distracted!’.

NEXT WEEK’S TALK

Next week Jodie will begin an 18-week series covering the whole of the book of Acts with the series name ‘Launching the Church’. The first talk is on chapter 1 entitled ‘Waiting for Pentecost’.

MISSION OF THE MONTH

Anglicare is our mission of the month. Support at the ‘Mission Table’ by buying or donating stuff. You can also bring along food items for us to donate to the Food and Financial Assistance appeal.

NEW ROSTERS SOON

Please visit Elvanto to update your unavailabilities for serving at church until the 13th October. If you’re not already serving in our church in a way you’d like to be, then let us know via email or response slips.

YOUTH CAMP

Our first-ever ‘Alive’ camp is coming up for our teenagers on 9-11 August at Burrill Pines on the South Coast. Keep the date free, invite your friends, and see Rayne for more details. Talks are on the topic “A Christ-centred Identity”. Cost is $150 (with subsidies available). Bring along your friends for what should be a great weekend of fun, fellowship, and Jesus!

McNEILLS AWAY

Jodie and Mandy finish annual leave this weekend and are back on deck from this Monday 22nd July.

GIVING UPDATE

Each week we need to receive $6300.00 in order to meet our commitments. In the last calendar month, our average weekly giving was $5882.00, leaving a gap of $418.00. Olimometer 2.52 Up to the end of the last calendar month we needed to have received $245,700. Compared to that total we received $221,466, leaving a gap of $24,234.Olimometer 2.52

Electronic giving is a great way to give! It helps us prayerfully plan our giving, and then the bank will help us keep that commitment, even when we may be unable to attend. To give by direct transfer then these are the details. Account name: Church of England Jamberoo. Account number: 10081274. BSB: 062562.

Too Busy to Rest?

Will you rest with the lamb? (CREDIT: Ninian Reid via Flickr)

Our world is a busy world. People are constantly speaking about the “life-work balance”, and desiring to find ways to rest efficiently and effectively amongst education, work, sport, hobbies, and time with family.

I know more than a few of us are thankful for a good ebb and flow to the year, which includes school holidays and summer.

Even in our churches, we take a bit of a break from programs and school Scripture.

Yet though life looks very different for the Godhead, and looked different here on earth for Jesus, we see examples from the Almighty of rest! 

God rested on the seventh day after he made the world we live in (Gen 2:2-3), though I am sure for him it was not tiresome work.

And Jesus we have seen sleeping in a boat (Matt 8:23, Mark 4:38), taking time to pray in solitude (Luke 5:16, 6:12-13, 22:39-4), and directing his disciples to take time away from crowds and busy days of ministry to rest (Mark 6:31-32).

Often we look at rest as time to watch TV as a family, to sleep in, get a cuppa, or maybe take a surf.

Qoheleth in Ecclesiastes reminds people in a world where all is vapour to eat, drink, and be merry (Ecc 8:15) so we can know that it is good and right to take time to do these things, for they are part of enjoying life, which God really wants us to do.

But we not must forget where ultimate rest is found: in Christ (Matt 11:28-30).

If we are turning to Christ for rest, we must also be sure that we are turning towards his word, for we know that Jesus is the word of God (John 1:1) and that he has gifted us with his scriptures to assist us in living holy lives.

And of course we can look forward to perfectly dwelling with Christ in eternity as we enter his final rest when he returns (Heb 4).

RAYNE ORANGE

Coming up this weekend 20-21st July 2019

I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to be easily distracted. The modern obsession with electronic devices seems to be our best friend and worst enemy in this regard. With this in mind, we will be hearing from the Bible in Hebrews 3 and 4 from Trevor Lucas as he speaks to us on the topic, ‘Don’t be distracted!’

We’ll be meeting together at 5pm on Saturday night for our all-age service with stuff for kids, youth, and all-ages, with a hearty dinner straight after for you to enjoy. Or join us at 9am on Sunday morning for a more-classic Anglican service, followed by some tasty espresso.

We’d love you to join us!

Grace and peace, Jodie.

News 13-14 July 2019

OUR BIBLE TALK

This week we welcome Mark Howard as he speaks to us on ‘Consuming Passion of a Dying Man’, from 2 Timothy.

NEXT WEEK’S TALK

Next week Trevor Lucas will be speaking from Hebrews chapters 3:1 to 4:13 on the topic, ‘Don’t Be Distracted!’.

MISSION OF THE MONTH

Anglicare is our mission of the month. Support at the ‘Mission Table’ by buying or donating stuff. You can also bring along food items for us to donate to the Food and Financial Assistance appeal.

YOUTH CAMP

Our first-ever ‘Alive’ camp is coming up for our teenagers on 9-11 August at Burrill Pines on the South Coast. Keep the date free, invite your friends, and see Rayne for more details. Talks are on the topic “A Christ-centred Identity”. Cost is $150 (with subsidies available). Bring along your friends for what should be a great weekend of fun, fellowship, and Jesus!

McNEILLS AWAY

Jodie and Mandy are on annual leave for another week, with friends and family housesitting the Rectory until 21st July.

GIVING UPDATE

Each week we need to receive $6300.00 in order to meet our commitments. In the last calendar month, our average weekly giving was $5882.00, leaving a gap of $418.00. Olimometer 2.52 Up to the end of the last calendar month we needed to have received $245,700. Compared to that total we received $221,466, leaving a gap of $24,234.Olimometer 2.52

Electronic giving is a great way to give! It helps us prayerfully plan our giving, and then the bank will help us keep that commitment, even when we may be unable to attend. To give by direct transfer then these are the details. Account name: Church of England Jamberoo. Account number: 10081274. BSB: 062562.

Consuming Passion of a Dying Man – 2 Timothy – Mark Howard – 13 & 14 July 2019

1. The Prisoner

2. The Protector

a. Protecting what?

b. Persevering

c. Passing it on

3. The Proclaimer

a. The word that equips

b. The word that is spoken

4. People Matter