Church news for the week beginning 9th April 2022

OUR SERMON

This weekend we will be hearing from God’s word as Jodie McNeill preaches to us from Matthew Chapter 26 on ‘The Ultimate Betrayal’.

GOOD FRIDAY AND ALIVE DAY

On Easter Sunday we’re gathering at 9am for a free, hot breakfast, followed at 10am for a special, combined service (instead of an Easter Saturday service.) Weather-permitting, we’re planning to eat and meet outside on our lawn like we did on Christmas Eve for carols, and this will be followed by some special, open-air baptisms!. A terrific weekend to invite someone along to church. We will also be meeting for Good Friday at the normal time of 9am, which will be followed by Hot Cross Buns!

BAPTISMS

Are you interested in being Baptised? If so, please let us know as we are having baptisms on Alive Day!

CONFIRMATION SERVICE

Our Confirmation Service has been rescheduled to Tuesday 17th May. If you would like to be confirmed please let us know.

MORNING PRAYER

Join us at 7am every day (except Sunday) at zoom.jamberooanglican.com as we gather to read the Bible, pray, and encourage each other as the new day dawns.

APRIL BOOK OF THE MONTH

‘The Storm Tossed Family’ by Russell Moore. Whether you are married or single, whether you long for a child or shepherding a full house, you are part of a family. Family can be the source of some of the most transcendent human joy, and family can leave us crumpled up on the side of the road. This is not just another book about some practical steps to having a perfect family. Instead, it is a book that is painfully real about the struggles that we all have with our families while living in a broken world. Moore argues that we often actually damage our families by attempting to make them central in our lives when the gospel should be central instead. Moore’s book is challenging and helpful, whether you are a parent, a child, a spouse, or a single person. If you would like to order a physical copy or read via Kindle, you can do that here.

GIVING UPDATE

Each week we need to receive $6300.00 in order to meet our commitments. Last month, our average weekly giving was $5112.00, leaving a gap of $1188.00. Up to the end of the last calendar month we needed to have received $163,800. Compared to that total we received $144,998, leaving a gap of $18,802.

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 NEW details. Account name: Jamberoo Anglican Church. Account number: 356831. BSB: 032605.

To give to our tax-deductible MTS Scholars Fund to support our apprentice youth minister, head to mts.com.au/give/jamberoo-anglican-church/


Spiritual Confidence

Often when I’m having a chat with someone and it seems right to talk to them about the good news of Jesus, I’ll ask them this question: “If you were to die today and stand before God and He were to say to you, ‘why should I let you into My Heaven?’ What would you say?”

It’s a question that the ‘Evangelism Explosion’ organisation wrote to help people get talking about God… and to help ‘diagnose’ where people find their confidence in eternal things.

Just recently I asked someone this question, and I heard again the normal answer: “Well, I’d tell him that I’ve been a pretty good person and that I haven’t done anything really bad…”

This answer naturally leads me to say, “well, you know, that answer doesn’t actually work for anyone, because with God, even one rebellious act against him is enough to make us deserve Hell.”

And from there, I tell them that there’s only ever been one person in history who lived a life that pleased our Father in Heaven, and that’s Jesus.

And because Jesus lived a perfect life, he is the only person who could offer to swap his perfect performance for our imperfect performance… and that’s exactly what happened when he died on the cross for us.

So, if we follow Jesus, having asked for his forgiveness, then he will bring us that certainty for eternity because of his great kindness to us.

Then, I’ll often talk about the story of the salvation of the thief on the cross… which is such a great moment in history that shows the power of grace, not works.

This then leads to a stark reality: since this is true, we can have complete confidence in our eternal life with Jesus in Heaven.

That’s spiritual confidence… because all our confidence is on the performance of Jesus, not us… and his grace to us is not because of anything we’ve done.

JODIE McNEILL

(Photo credit: Chris & Karen Highland via flickr.com)

Coming up this weekend 9-10th April 2022

This weekend we are going to be hearing from God’s word as Jodie McNeill preaches to us from Matthew Chapter 26 on ‘The Ultimate Betrayal’.

After our 5pm Saturday service we’ll be having dinner, and after our 9am Sunday service we’ll be enjoying brunch together.

We’d love you to join us in-person if you’re able, or watch our livestream at watch.jamberooanglican.com.

These are the questions that Jodie plans to answer this weekend during church:

1 Should we understand the long ages of humans in the Bible literally?
2 How many English translations are there of the Bible?
3 How would people far from Jerusalem have understood the darkness that came when Jesus died?
4 If Jesus says we should “ask, seek, knock”, then why did the bridegroom not open the door?
5 In Matthew 25, why does Jesus only commend those who care for his followers?
6 When Jesus promotes practical care for his followers, does he teach salvation by works?
7 Does the guidance of the Holy Spirit sound like an inner voice?
8 Should we expect to receive instructions directly from the Holy Spirit, like the apostles did in Acts?
9 Is it possible for some Christians to ignore the Holy Spirit?
10 Is it OK to be pleased that an evil person has died?

If you’d like to submit your own question to be answered in church next weekend, then simply hit ‘reply’ to this email.

We’re really looking forward to seeing you this weekend!

Messiah Masterclass 25 – ‘Living in the Last Days’ – Matthew 25 – Jodie McNeill – 2 & 3 April 2022

Fear of missing out

There’s nothing worse than missing out on ______

They are living in the last days before the first ______

Old Testament __________ are fulfilled at the cross

Jesus said the Son of Man would come in their ________

Jesus warns ______ not to reject him

Heaven is like a _______ banquet

Half of them were unprepared for the _____

The bridegroom _______ the unprepared bridesmaids

The master ________ his possessions with his servants

Their attitude to the money showed their ________ to the king

The return of the master brought great ___

The third servant didn’t honour and _______ the master

The coming of the Son of Man will bring a __________

They show love for Jesus by loving Jesus’ _________

Some people will miss out, big time

Church news for the week beginning 2nd April 2022

OUR SERMON

This weekend we will be hearing from God’s word as Jodie McNeill preaches to us from Matthew Chapter 25 on ‘Living in the Last Days’.

GOOD FRIDAY AND ALIVE DAY

On Easter Sunday we’re gathering at 9am for a free, hot breakfast, followed at 10am for a special, combined service (instead of an Easter Saturday service.) Weather-permitting, we’re planning to eat and meet outside on our lawn like we did on Christmas Eve for carols, and this will be followed by some special, open-air baptisms!. A terrific weekend to invite someone along to church. We will also be meeting for Good Friday at the normal time of 9am, which will be followed by Hot Cross Buns!

NEW WARDENS AND PARISH COUNCIL

At our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday night we confirmed our new Wardens to be James Rosten, John Mion and Rebecca Watson. Our Parish Council will consist of Greg Baker, Greg Cleall, Stephen Holmes, Paul Massey, Adam Rosten, Paula Vidilini, as well Barbara Stephens and Siobhan King as two Rector’s selections.

BAPTISMS

Are you interested in being Baptised? If so, please let us know as we are having baptisms on Alive Day!

CONFIRMATION SERVICE

Our Confirmation Service has been rescheduled to Tuesday 17th May. If you would like to be confirmed please let us know.

MORNING PRAYER

Join us at 7am every day (except Sunday) at zoom.jamberooanglican.com as we gather to read the Bible, pray, and encourage each other as the new day dawns.

APRIL BOOK OF THE MONTH

‘The Storm Tossed Family’ by Russell Moore. Whether you are married or single, whether you long for a child or shepherding a full house, you are part of a family. Family can be the source of some of the most transcendent human joy, and family can leave us crumpled up on the side of the road. This is not just another book about some practical steps to having a perfect family. Instead, it is a book that is painfully real about the struggles that we all have with our families while living in a broken world. Moore argues that we often actually damage our families by attempting to make them central in our lives when the gospel should be central instead. Moore’s book is challenging and helpful, whether you are a parent, a child, a spouse, or a single person. If you would like to order a physical copy or read via Kindle, you can do that here.

GIVING UPDATE

Each week we need to receive $6300.00 in order to meet our commitments. Last month, our average weekly giving was $5112.00, leaving a gap of $1188.00. Up to the end of the last calendar month we needed to have received $163,800. Compared to that total we received $144,998, leaving a gap of $18,802.

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 NEW details. Account name: Jamberoo Anglican Church. Account number: 356831. BSB: 032605.

To give to our tax-deductible MTS Scholars Fund to support our apprentice youth minister, head to mts.com.au/give/jamberoo-anglican-church/


A Memorial To God

On Wednesday night I joined with millions around the world to watch the telecast from the MCG of the memorial service for Shane Warne.

It was a joyful occasion of thanksgiving for the life of a man who entertained people throughout the world with his antics on and off the cricket field.

As someone who has the privilege of conducting funeral services, I found it fascinating to watch what happens when unbelievers try to make sense of death and the afterlife.

We heard that Shane was “taken from us” too young… an acknowledgement that someone or something was in control of the universe.

Another person was certain that he would be together with Warnie again soon… which showed a confidence in life after death.

Others mentioned that they knew that Shane was watching down on them, as a star in the sky.

Furthermore, nearly all of those who reflected on his life did so by directly addressing Shane, even though they had already conducted a funeral to dispose reverently of his mortal body.

It seemed that there were very few, if any, materialistic atheists at that memorial service.

Almost everyone spoke as though there was immortality of the soul in some way, and that the death of a body does not signal the end of a person’s existence.

And yet there was almost no mention of God at all.

This is tragic, for we know that, “each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27).

So, no matter how positive a person might feel about their eternal future, there is judgement awaiting them.

And the only way to be rescued from that judgement is through Jesus, for “Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people” (Hebrews 9:28).

JODIE McNEILL

(Photo credit: Tomme G via Flickr.net)

Coming up this weekend 2-3rd April 2022

This weekend we are going to be hearing from God’s word as Jodie McNeill preaches to us from Matthew Chapter 25 on ‘Living in the Last Days’.

After our 5pm Saturday service we’ll be having dinner, and after our 9am Sunday service we’ll be enjoying brunch together.

We’d love you to join us in-person if you’re able, or watch our livestream at watch.jamberooanglican.com.

These are the questions that Jodie plans to answer this weekend during church:

1 If all people are descended from Adam, then who was Cain scared of?
2 Is abortion a sin?
3 Should we follow the distinction in labour we see between men and women in Matthew 24?
4 Given that Jesus said to love our enemies, why do Psalms often pray that God would kill them?
5 Since Jesus is God, why doesn’t he know everything that the Father knows?
6 Is it bad to pick and choose Bible translations as it suits you?
7 What is the difference between Anglican and Pentecostal churches?
8 Why does the Holy Spirit get less attention in our church?
9 Is there any significance to Easter Monday?

If you’d like to submit your own question to be answered in church next weekend, then simply hit ‘reply’ to this email.

We’re really looking forward to seeing you this weekend!

Messiah Masterclass 24 – ‘The End of the World’ – Matthew 24 – Jodie McNeill – 26 & 27 March 2022

It’s not the end of the world!

The ___________ is the most catastrophic event ever

The temple is a picture of God’s __________

Are we at the ___ of the end times?

The one ____ means coming, return, arrival or presence

Jesus warns them to avoid being ________ about him

Be alert, but no _______

Being a Christian is a ________, not a sprint

Jesus uses ___________ language

The most holy thing will be made ______

Lots of apocalyptic ______

The most ____________ event was at the cross

The language of Jesus matches _________

They need to be ready for the catastrophic ______

The disciples needed to wait _________ and faithfully

The timing took them by ________

The end of the world as we knew it…

Church news for the week beginning 26th March 2022

OUR SERMON

This weekend we will be hearing from God’s word as Jodie McNeill preaches to us from Matthew Chapter 24 on ‘The End of the World’.

GOOD FRIDAY AND ALIVE DAY

On Easter Sunday we’re gathering at 9am for a free, hot breakfast, followed at 10am for a special, combined service (instead of an Easter Saturday service.) Weather-permitting, we’re planning to eat and meet outside on our lawn like we did on Christmas Eve for carols, and this will be followed by some special, open-air baptisms!. A terrific weekend to invite someone along to church. We will also be meeting for Good Friday at the normal time of 9am, which will be followed by Hot Cross Buns!

NATIONAL CHURCH LIFE SURVEY

It’s the final week to complete the National Church Life Survey, so if you haven’t done it yet, please follow the instructions that were emailed you to enable you to participate in this important event that only comes around every five years. Please complete the survey online using this URL and code: https://attendersurvey.ncls.org.au/ Code: ANS76401

SATURDAY BAPTISMS

This weekend we are delighted to be baptising Oliver, Alexander and Henry Little during our 5pm Saturday service. A special welcome to those who are joining us for this occasion. 

NEW WARDENS AND PARISH COUNCIL

At our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday night we confirmed our new Wardens to be James Rosten, John Mion and Rebecca Watson. Our Parish Council will consist of Greg Baker, Greg Cleall, Stephen Holmes, Paul Massey, Adam Rosten, Paula Vidilini, as well Barbara Stephens as the first of two Rector’s selections.

BAPTISMS

Are you interested in being Baptised? If so, please let us know as we are having baptisms on Alive Day!

CONFIRMATION SERVICE

Our Confirmation Service has been rescheduled to Tuesday 17th May. If you would like to be confirmed please let us know.

MORNING PRAYER

Join us at 7am every day (except Sunday) at zoom.jamberooanglican.com as we gather to read the Bible, pray, and encourage each other as the new day dawns.

MARCH BOOK OF THE MONTH

‘Respectable Sins’ by Jerry Bridges. Jerry addresses the “acceptable” sins that we tend to tolerate in ourselves, including pride and anger. He goes to the heart of the matter, exploring our feelings of shame and grief and opening a new door to God’s forgiveness and grace. If you would like to order a physical copy or read via Kindle, you can do that here.

GIVING UPDATE

Each week we need to receive $6300.00 in order to meet our commitments. Last month, our average weekly giving was $5112.00, leaving a gap of $1188.00. Up to the end of the last calendar month we needed to have received $163,800. Compared to that total we received $144,998, leaving a gap of $18,802.

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 NEW details. Account name: Jamberoo Anglican Church. Account number: 356831. BSB: 032605.

To give to our tax-deductible MTS Scholars Fund to support our apprentice youth minister, head to mts.com.au/give/jamberoo-anglican-church/


Coming up this weekend 26-27th March 2022

This weekend we are going to be hearing from God’s word as Jodie McNeill preaches to us from Matthew Chapter 24 on ‘The End of the World’.

After our 5pm Saturday service we’ll be having dinner, and after our 9am Sunday service we’ll be enjoying brunch together.

We’d love you to join us in-person if you’re able, or watch our livestream at watch.jamberooanglican.com.

These are the questions that Jodie plans to answer this weekend during church:

1 Why did God make people and the world?
2 Given their change of heart after Palm Sunday, did God harden the Jews against Jesus?
3 How accurately does the movie ‘Left Behind’ portray the Rapture?
4 How do we reconcile the teaching in Genesis about creation with the discovery of human-like creatures from which scientists say humans evolved?

If you’d like to submit your own question to be answered in church next weekend, then simply hit ‘reply’ to this email.

We’re really looking forward to seeing you this weekend!