God is For Us

This week I have been reflecting on Romans 8 verses 31-39, one of my favourite passages in the Bible.

If we look at the earlier verses in chapter 8, we read that God works for the good in the life of the believer, including salvation.

In verse 31, Paul now asks the question: what shall we say in response to this? ‘If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”

The question for us then is this, ‘is God for you or against you’? It’s a pretty important question!

These final verses of chapter 8 offer great assurance with two precious truths for believers in Christ. That God is for us and that nothing can separate us from God’s love.

So how do you know that God is for you?

Because God, who gave his own Son, will graciously give you all things along with him (v32).
Because God who justifies you will not allow any charge to be brought against those he has chosen (v33). If the God of all creation has already declared you innocent of all charges, then who can bring accusations against you? Satan is the ultimate accuser, but he has already been defeated.
Because he doesn’t condemn us. Instead of condemning us, Christ died and was raised, and not only does he not condemn us, he intercedes and speaks for us.

And because absolutely nothing can separate us from God’s love.

How do we know that God is for us?
He gave his own Son for us. He justifies us. He can condemn us but chooses not to.
And nothing can separate us from the God who loves us.

We can see that the only way God will be against us is if we reject the Son he did not spare for us.

How then, would you answer the question, Is God for you or against you?

SANDEE BATELIC

Coming Up This Weekend 22nd September 2024

This weekend Jodie will continue preaching in our sermon series ‘Isaiah: Complete Comfort’ talks, titled ‘Concealed Comfort’ from Isaiah 6:1-13.

This weekend we have the following questions for our Question Time:

1 Jesus will judge the living and the dead. Does that mean the dead are not with Jesus at the moment?
2 How will the locum be selected?
3 How can salvation not require good works when in James it says faith without works is dead?
4 How do I turn all my worries over to God?
5 What does it mean to store up your treasures in heaven?

If you would like to ask Jodie a question please email the office.

Every day (except Sundays) we meet at 7am online for an online half-hour morning prayer time at zoom.jamberooanglican.com and you’re very welcome to join us!

After church we’ll have brunch in the morning and dinner in the evening, so there’s plenty of time to chat and chew, together!

See you on Sunday, God willing!

Church News for the Weekend of 15th September 2024

Sunday’s Sermon

This Sunday, Jodie McNeill continues our series ‘Isaiah: Complete Comfort’ with the second sermon from Isaiah 2:5-22 called ‘False Comfort’.

Book of the Month

Our book of the month for September is ‘About Love by David Mansfield. Physical copies are available at our bookstall or buy online at: wanderingbookseller.com.au

Friday Kids and Youth

Each Friday we meet for our kids and youth groups of SPARK (Years 3 to 6) at 4:30-6pm, and Youth Group (Years 7 to 12) from 7-9pm at the church hall.

ONE Music Festival

ONE Music Festival is a wholistic family event aiming to bring different generations and denominations together to celebrate and experience Jesus in community. Children, youth groups and adults are all welcome. It will be running on the 16th of November at the Kiama Pavilion and showgrounds from 2pm – 9pm. Expect to see different bands, food trucks among other fun surprises. You can come for the whole event or part of it, your choice. Tickets are available now at onemusicfestival.com.
They also need Volunteers to help run the event!- More info on their website.

Anglicare Toys ‘n’ Tucker

This Christmas, we’re collecting food and gifts for those who are doing it tough. Our partnership with Anglicare’s “Toys ‘n’ Tucker” aims to share the joy of Christmas with families who would otherwise go without.  Last year Toys ‘n’ Tucker delivered 4,000 toy hampers and 5,000 gift hampers directly into the hands of our local community.
More details coming soon!

Square One

If you’re in year 3 to 6 then join a group led by leaders from our church at the regional Youthworks ‘Square One’ camp 8-10 November at Port Hacking. Regos from 1st August. See Rach for details and visit www.youthworks.net/squareone

Midweek Small Groups 

By being a member of a Small Group, you are helping us all to care for each other as we grow in our knowledge and love of God. Join a group by filling in the Connect Card or contacting a staff member.

Safe Ministry Matters  

Our Safe Ministry Representative is Gemma Bartlett. Speak to her about everything related to safety in ministry on 0414 425 639 or email gemma.bartlett@jamberooanglican.com .

Catch up on Sermons and Questions

Listen to sermons and our Question Time on Apple Podcasts or Spotify by searching ‘Jamberoo Anglican’. You can also watch previous services at watch.jamberooanglican.com

Church Giving

Each week we need to receive $6300.00 in order to meet our commitments. For last month, our average weekly giving was $5509.00, leaving a gap of $791.00. 

Olimometer 2.52

Up to the end of last month, we needed to have received $273,000. Compared to that total we received $245,588, leaving a gap of $27,412.

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: Jamberoo Anglican Church. Account number: 356831. BSB: 032605.

What is Church?

Church is my Spiritual Home.

A home where I am nurtured, loved, grown as a Christian & encouraged to serve my fellow family members. I have experienced this in abundance here at Jamberoo Anglican and I thank you for this.

In a family we all have something to contribute. Don’t hold back, find your gift and use it. Serve and be served. Be an active family member. This has been so evident in our church over the last few months of Graham’s illness.

Thank you so much for all the practical things people are doing for me.
Things like meals, taking shower screens off so Graham can be showered, dashing to hospital late at night because I needed something. Others are feeding me. Many of you are praying for me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

We here at Jamberoo Anglican are truly “one body”.
Each and every part doing its bit to help our body function in a spiritually healthy way. We are family.
Many members, different ages, different jobs, but all working together & supporting each other as one body.

Family members move on. Graham has moved on to his eternal home. We are sad. We are bereft. But know we will see him again when we too leave this earthly life and join all the saints in Heaven who have gone before us.

Jodie and Mandy are moving on, taking Jesus’ command in Mark 16:15 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel” literally.
We will miss them greatly, their leadership, their friendship, their love of us and the gospel but we know God is sending them out and when God sends, you go.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. AMEN.

LESLEY ERRINGTON

Coming up this Weekend 15th September 2024

This weekend Jodie will continue preaching our new sermon series ‘Isaiah: Complete Comfort’ talks, titled ‘False Comfort’ from Isaiah 2:5-22.

This weekend we have the following questions for our Question Time:

1 What are the ‘core’ beliefs’ that we mustn’t get wrong?
2 What’s the difference between LORD and Lord?
3 How long should we pray for each day?
4 Does prayer change God’s mind?
5 Do we need a daily ‘quiet time’ with God?
6 Is God angry at forgiven Christians when we sin?
7 What is ‘slag’ in Isaiah 1:22?
8 What can we do when we feel disconnected from God?

If you would like to ask Jodie a question please email the office.

Every day (except Sundays) we meet at 7am online for an online half-hour morning prayer time at zoom.jamberooanglican.com and you’re very welcome to join us!

After church we’ll have brunch in the morning and dinner in the evening, so there’s plenty of time to chat and chew, together!

See you on Sunday, God willing!

Church News for the Weekend of 8th September 2024

Sunday’s Sermon

This Sunday, Jodie McNeill starts our new series ‘Isaiah: Complete Comfort’ with the first sermon from Isaiah 1:1-2:4 called, ‘Uncomfortable Origins’.

Book of the Month

Our book of the month for September is ‘Hope: The Best Is Yet To Come’ by Bryson Smith. Physical copies are available at our bookstall or buy online at: wanderingbookseller.com.au

Friday Kids and Youth

Each Friday we meet for our kids and youth groups of SPARK (Years 3 to 6) at 4:30-6pm, and Youth Group (Years 7 to 12) from 7-9pm at the church hall.

Off the Shelf

Book of the Month is off the shelf next month! Come to Jamberoo Bowlo on September 8th at 2pm for a chat about our last few books

Anglicare Toys ‘n’ Tucker

This Christmas, we’re collecting food and gifts for those who are doing it tough. Our partnership with Anglicare’s “Toys ‘n’ Tucker” aims to share the joy of Christmas with families who would otherwise go without.  Last year Toys ‘n’ Tucker delivered 4,000 toy hampers and 5,000 gift hampers directly into the hands of our local community.
More details coming soon!

Square One

If you’re in year 3 to 6 then join a group led by leaders from our church at the regional Youthworks ‘Square One’ camp 8-10 November at Port Hacking. Regos from 1st August. See Rach for details and visit www.youthworks.net/squareone

Midweek Small Groups 

By being a member of a Small Group, you are helping us all to care for each other as we grow in our knowledge and love of God. Join a group by filling in the Connect Card or contacting a staff member.

Safe Ministry Matters  

Our Safe Ministry Representative is Gemma Bartlett. Speak to her about everything related to safety in ministry on 0414 425 639 or email gemma.bartlett@jamberooanglican.com .

Catch up on Sermons and Questions

Listen to sermons and our Question Time on Apple Podcasts or Spotify by searching ‘Jamberoo Anglican’. You can also watch previous services at watch.jamberooanglican.com

Church Giving

Each week we need to receive $6300.00 in order to meet our commitments. For last month, our average weekly giving was $5509.00, leaving a gap of $791.00. 

Olimometer 2.52

Up to the end of last month, we needed to have received $273,000. Compared to that total we received $245,588, leaving a gap of $27,412.

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: Jamberoo Anglican Church. Account number: 356831. BSB: 032605.

God’s World Through God’s Eyes

Last weekend, Jamberoo Anglican Youth went down to Burrill Pines for our annual youth camp.

We enjoyed eating together, relaxing in the beautiful beach and bush around our site, playing sport, chatting, and scavenger hunting. But most of all, we were challenged from the book of Jonah.

We heard 4 talks from our speakers and spent extended time in groups diving deep into the word and discussing how to apply what we’ve learned to our lives.

Something that challenged all of us was God’s compassion towards his creation that is all through Jonah but particularly stands out in Jonah 4.

Jonah 4:11 says And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

Ninevah was the capital of Assyria – the enemies of God and his people. They were spiritually blind and headed for destruction.

Yet God has such love and compassion for all people that he sent Jonah to warn the people of Ninevah to repent from their wickedness.

Over the weekend, the question we were asked was ‘do you view the world through God’s eyes?’

We are often tempted to view some people as beyond God’s reach. As people who would never give their life to Jesus.

This is not how God views the world. God has compassion on all his creation.

Our challenge from camp is to view God’s world through God’s eyes – a world full of people he loves who need Jesus to save them.

We were all enemies from God (Col 1:21) before we heard his word and he rescued us.

Our job is to preach Jesus to all people, even our enemies. Because that’s what our saviour did.

BRAD VIDILINI

Coming Up This Weekend 8th September 2024

This weekend Jodie will be preaching on the first of our new sermon series ‘Isaiah: Complete Comfort’ talks, titled ‘Uncomfortable Origins’ from Isaiah 1:1-2:4.

This weekend we have the following questions for our Question Time:

1 If God’s plan is ‘set in stone’, do we really have free will?
2 If people call Jesus Lord but have different theology, will they receive salvation?
3 Why do different versions of the Bible differ so greatly?
4 Is it acceptable to repeatedly pray for the same thing, or should we only ask once?
5 Why does Jesus pray to God, when he himself is God?
6 Who are the Nephilim and what happened to them?
7 Why does Genesis list the ages people lived to?
8 Can you be a Christian if you don’t go to church?

If you would like to ask Jodie a question please email the office.

Every day (except Sundays) we meet at 7am online for an online half-hour morning prayer time at zoom.jamberooanglican.com and you’re very welcome to join us!

After church we’ll have brunch in the morning and dinner in the evening, so there’s plenty of time to chat and chew, together!

See you on Sunday, God willing!

Church News for the Weekend of 1st September 2024

Sunday’s Sermon

This Sunday, Jodie McNeill continues our series ‘Meet Jesus’ with the sixth sermon from John 20:1-31 called, ‘Meet Jesus with the Sceptics’.

Book of the Month

Our book of the month for September is ‘Hope: The Best Is Yet To Come’ by Bryson Smith. Physical copies are available at our bookstall or buy online at: wanderingbookseller.com.au

Friday Kids and Youth

Each Friday we meet for our kids and youth groups of SPARK (Years 3 to 6) at 4:30-6pm, and Youth Group (Years 7 to 12) from 7-9pm at the church hall.

Off the Shelf

Book of the Month is off the shelf next month! Come to Jamberoo Bowlo on September 8th at 2pm for a chat about our last few books

Square One

If you’re in year 3 to 6 then join a group led by leaders from our church at the regional Youthworks ‘Square One’ camp 8-10 November at Port Hacking. See Rach for details and visit www.youthworks.net/squareone

Midweek Small Groups

By being a member of a Small Group, you are helping us all to care for each other as we grow in our knowledge and love of God. Join a group by filling in the Connect Card or contacting a staff member.

Safe Ministry Matters 

Our Safe Ministry Representative is Gemma Bartlett. Speak to her about everything related to safety in ministry on 0414 425 639 or email gemma.bartlett@jamberooanglican.com .

Catch up on Sermons and Questions

Listen to sermons and our Question Time on Apple Podcasts or Spotify by searching ‘Jamberoo Anglican’. You can also watch previous services at watch.jamberooanglican.com

Relief From Our Burdens

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Saviour, still our refuge—take it to the Lord in prayer!

These words come from the famous hymn, ‘What a friend we have in Jesus,’ and they bring us great hope as we feel the burden of life.

The words come from Jesus’ famous ‘comfortable’ words from Matthew chapter 11, verse 28 where he says:

Matt. 11:28    Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

These words bring hope to the hopeless and help us in our helplessness, for they speak to all of us who find it impossibly hard to deal with our sins and failures.

But originally, Jesus was speaking to the lost sheep of Israel, who were overcome with the burdens of keeping hundreds of rules, regulations and traditions.

They carried the burden of keeping the law… but today we carry the burden of performance anxiety.

By nature, we all feel we need to perform well to impress God, so that we will survive judgement day.

It’s a burden that will crush us, and so Jesus offers ‘rest’.

He offers rest that is about peace with God, and we get this ‘rest’ as a gift from Jesus.

As we follow Jesus, we find rest for our souls that brings us relief from the burden of our sins.

And this is the greatest relief we could ask for from the heavy burden of guilt and sin.

JODIE McNEILL