This week there’s been more bad news in the world.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he has tested a new design of nuclear weapons that cannot be intercepted, and that have a practically unlimited range.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says the likelihood of another financial crash like the GFC is a certainty, with some economists saying that we are close to seeing another economic bubble burst.

On top of this, our Facebook feeds keep reminding us of cancer and funerals and grief and trials.

In many ways, this flow of bad news is really, very normal.

Every week we hear about threats of war, economic instability, and personal sickness and death.

And none of us know if more of our own, personal trials are just around the corner.

In the end, the only certainty we have is that life is full of uncertainty.

Except for one thing: we can be certain about eternity if we put our trust in Jesus.

Jesus make it clear that we can have certainty about life after death if we follow him as our loving ruler and rescuer.

He said that his followers are his sheep, and that he is our shepherd.

And he gave this assurance:

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:27-29)

In a time of uncertainty, we can find certainty in Jesus.

No matter what happens in the world or in our household, we can have certainty if we choose to have Jesus as our shepherd.

Since Jesus is certainty, it seems crazy to put your hope in anyone or anything else.

Jodie McNeill 

Today’s Bible talk

Today we we continue the series ‘Jesus is___’ as Jodie preaches on the topic ‘Jesus is… believable’ from John chapter 20 verses 24 to 31, and 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verses 12 to 19.

Mission of the month

Nungalinya College, Darwin is our mission of the month. Support this ministry through the ‘Mission Table’ in the Hall.

Parish Council

Our Parish Council meets this Monday, 26th February at 7pm at the church. Please remember them in your prayers.

Elvanto training night

On Tuesday, 6th March, 7.30pm to 9pm, we are holding a special training night for our Church management system, Elvanto. This will be held at Oak Flats Anglican. Please RSVP via comment card or email office@jamberooanglican.com.

Floral Display

We will be hosting a floral display at the church on 17th March, 9am to 3.30pm. $10 includes viewing of display and refreshments. For information call Helen 4236 0158.

New roster coming soon

If you’re unavailable to serve on a roster from 19th March through 1st July please let us know via comment card, email office@jamberooanglican.com or even better go to www.jamberooanglican.net

‘Jesus is___’ prayer night

Special prayer night at the Shellharbour Civic Centre at 7pm on 13th March. Plan to join people from all the churches to pray for the mission events.

‘Jesus is___’ public meetings

Public meetings at the Shellharbour Civic Centre at both 11am and 7pm on 20th, 21st and 22nd of March 2018. Plan to attend, and plan to invite someone!

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 $6272.00, leaving a gap of $28.00.

Up to the end of the last calendar month we needed to have received $98,802. Compared to that total we received $109,200, leaving a gap of $-10,398.

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 .

(CREDIT: airpix via flickr.com)

Becoming a disciple of Christ is more than just being a follower or imitator of Jesus.

As my Serve Team has been looking at the ‘Jesus Is’ studies, we saw in John chapter one the calling of two disciples, one of whom is Andrew. Andrew immediately follows Jesus (John 1:37).

But it is what happens next that has enlarged my picture of discipleship.

What is the first thing Andrew does after finding Jesus? We read from verse 41:

“He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus.” (John 1:41-42)

A disciple is someone who makes other disciples.

This of course is abundantly clear in the Great Commission at the end of Matthew, where the disciples are told to go and make other disciples (Matthew 28:18)

But sometimes we might think of that as a special case, a certain extra task for these first disciples. After all, the instruction even gets its own name – the Great Commission.

But the Bible passage in John is right at the very start of the Gospel. It’s before any special instruction was given, and we find the exact same principal at work.

The instinctive response of someone who has found Jesus, and has become a disciple, should be that they will immediately find someone else to share Jesus with.

This is because of who Jesus is, the Messiah, the Son of God!

The rest of the book goes on to show how great this Son is, whom God sent to us that through him the world may be saved.

Once you meet him, this desire to make other disciples should be who we are as his disciples too.

Are you ready to share who Jesus Is with your friends, family, and others in your world?

Simon Chaplin.