This is the latest blurb that is published on the front of our weekly bulletin

But It Hurts!

/in /by

When a child comes to you and says: “Mummy (or daddy) my sore hurts”

As a loving parent you will not want your child to suffer unnecessarily, you will do the very best you can to bring healing to their hurt.

We have a heavenly father, who loves us greater than any earthly parent, who wants to heal our hurt.

Psalm 23: 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows

Because we live in an imperfect world, you’re going to be hurt. You’ll be hurt accidents, by illnesses. But the deepest hurts you’ll have in your life will come from people. Relationships,  are the greatest source of stress in our lives. They are also the greatest blessing and the greatest joy. Yet people do hurt us, sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally, sometimes accidentally, sometimes on purpose.

But the pain can be managed! Like a middle eastern shepherd, who uncompromisingly cared for his sheep, we have our Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd who cares for all our hurts if we allow Him.

Will you trust your Good Shepherd to do that for you today?

Tony Galea

Sheep have many natural enemies — wolves, foxes, eagles, snakes, ticks… Sheep are very defenceless animals. Sheep cannot defend themselves from anything. They don’t have teeth that are sharp that they can bite with. They don’t have claws. They can’t kick. They can’t run fast. They are absolutely the most defenceless animal there is.

They don’t know how to do anything. They can’t be safe unless somebody protects them.
The job of a good shepherd is to go find a good table land, a mesa, a field of green grass, and drive out all the enemies but also to bring healing to their hurts.
Then he brings the sheep and gives them a safe place to eat.

What is your greatest hurt? What is your greatest enemy?
God is saying “Let me heal your hurts, let me deal with your enemy”

Tony Galea

When Fears and Difficulties Surround Me

/in /by

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” Psalm 23:4

Everyone goes through dark days at some time or other. Some people go through difficult times more than others. So, what should we do when we think we are all alone & even fearful?
This is the central verse of Psalm 23. It’s a powerful expression of trust in God during life’s most frightening and uncertain times. It teaches that even in the face of death or overwhelming danger, believers can find peace because of God’s constant presence, guidance, and protection. It’s one of the most comforting verses in Scripture, often quoted in times of grief or trial. Knowing & practicing the presence of God in our lives is able to give us healing and boldness to stand firm in all circumstances.
Fix your eyes on the Good Shepherd!

Tony Galea

David is not speaking about the shepherd but speaking to the shepherd. In the dark valley, He is not before us but beside us, leading the way and calming our fears. The “valley of darkness” represents any difficult experience of life that makes us afraid, and that includes death.

Sheep lack good vision and are easily frightened in new circumstances, especially where it’s dark; and the presence of the shepherd calms them. The rod was a heavy cudgel with which the shepherd could stun or kill an attacking beast, and the staff was the shepherd’s crook, which he used to assist the individual sheep.

Tony Galea

God’s Peace

/in /by

God’s Peace typically refers to a deep sense of calm, assurance, and well-being that comes from trusting in God, especially in the midst of difficult or uncertain circumstances.  It’s relaxing in God’s character and promises.

He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters

Psalm 23:2

This verse is a picture of the Good Shepherd leading his people to a peaceful existence. It is “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

What it means to be at peace with God:

1. Relaxing in God’s Character despite Circumstances

God’s peace isn’t dependent on everything going right in life.

It’s described as something that can guard your heart and mind even when things are going wrong.

God’s peace isn’t just the absence of problems or war — it’s the presence of the Holy Spirit guiding and leading us. The fruit of the Spirit being evident in our lives.

In Hebrew, the word shalom (translated as peace) means completeness, wholeness, and harmony.

2. Trusting in God’s Promises in His Word

It comes when a person puts their trust in God rather than in their own ability to control life. This trust brings a sense of surrender and relief which David continues to highlight in Ps. 23

3. Accepting God’s Gift

God’s peace is seen as a gift — not something one earns. It doesn’t mean we have to be busy working for, but something one receives through faith, in Jesus Christ.

Ps. 23:2 expresses trust in God’s care. It means God provides peace, rest, and spiritual nourishment — leading us to calm and safe places, both literally and metaphorically. It’s an image of deep security and well-being under God’s guidance.

Tony Galea

Psalm 23:2 “He makes me lie down in green pastures – “

This implies a place of rest, nourishment, and peace. Green pastures are where sheep graze — full of food and safety. The verse paints a picture of God (the shepherd) providing not just sustenance but a restful place, suggesting that with God, you have what you need, both physically and spiritually.                       

– he leads me beside still waters”

Still waters (as opposed to rushing or dangerous currents) symbolize calm, peace, and safety. For sheep, still water is drinkable – they won’t drink from turbulent water. Spiritually, it suggests inner peace, restoration, and guidance toward serenity.  

Tony Galea

7 Ways to Deal With Anxiety

/in /by

1. God Invites Us to Cast Our Anxiety on Him “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7

God doesn’t ignore our anxious thoughts—He invites us to bring them to Him.

2. God Offers His Peace in Place of Our Worry “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6–7

Rather than scolding us for worrying, God offers a trade: our anxiety for His peace. This peace isn’t just the absence of trouble—it’s the presence of God guarding our hearts and minds even while trouble may still be present.

3. Jesus Understands Anxiety Personally “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death…” – Matthew 26:38In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus experienced intense anguish. This shows that feeling overwhelmed isn’t a sign of weak faith—Jesus Himself felt that way but he did pray.

4. God Provides Through Church family Encouragement “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” – Proverbs 12:25 Sometimes God’s comfort comes through people—friends, counselors, pastors—who remind us we’re not alone.

5. He Reminds Us of Our Value and His Care “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life… Look at the birds of the air… Are you not much more valuable than they?” – Matthew 6:25–27 Jesus teaches us not to obsess over future outcomes.

6. He Promises to Be With Us “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…” – Isaiah 43:2. God never promises that we won’t go through hard things—but He does promise we won’t go through them alone.

7. God Provides his Care and interest The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing – Psalm 23:1. God deals with our anxiety not with judgment, but with compassion, control, and care.

The Christian journey is not about being anxiety-free, but learning to trust God in the midst of it—even if it’s a daily process.

Tony Galea

I don’t know what you’re worried about or stressed out about today, but I do know this: God loves you, He cares about your stress, and He can help you. “The Lord is my Shepherd”.

Emphasize different words — “The Lord is my Shepherd” — there is only one real Lord, all the others are fakes and imitations. “The Lord is my Shepherd” –not might be, He will be, He always has been, He always will be. “The Lord is my Shepherd” — Can you say that

with certainty? Is the Lord your Shepherd? Is the Shepherd your Lord? He can’t be one without the other. When you can say that and mean it, you’re going to stop worrying.

Don’t carry that burden one more second. It’s unnecessary.

So pray:

“Jesus Christ, I don’t understand it all, but I’ve seen that You’ve promised to take care of my needs if only I’ll trust You. And I realize that worry is just a warning light that I’m trying to control everything.

I don’t want to be anxious any more. I want you to be in control of my life. I want You to be my manager. I want You to be my Lord. I want to know You. I want to listen to You. I want You to lead me in the life plan that You made me for. Amen”

Tony Galea

Dealing With Life: Psalm 23

/in /by

Psalm 23 is one of the most well-known and beloved passages in the Bible. Attributed to King David, it expresses deep trust in God as a caring and protective shepherd.
Psalm 23 is a declaration of faith in God’s provision, guidance, protection, and eternal care. It presents God not as a distant deity, but as an intimate caretaker who walks with His people through every season of life.

David pictured God’s people as lowly sheep. Why? So we would learn about the Shepherd and see how tenderly He cares for us. Sheep are defenceless animals that are prone to get lost, and they need almost constant care. You can’t drive sheep as you do cattle; they must be led.

The Eastern shepherds know their sheep by name and can call them and they will come (John 10:1–5). The sheep were kept, not for food but for wool, milk, and reproduction. In this psalm, David explains that if we follow the Lord and trust Him, He will meet our every need, no matter what the circumstances may be.

Try This for Meditation!’

Take a deep breath.
Remember: God is your shepherd.

You are not alone.
You are not forgotten.
You are cared for, guided, and loved.

Even when the path is unclear or the valley is deep, God walks with you. He provides rest, peace, and strength.

Let His goodness and mercy surround you today.
You are safe in His presence—now and always.

Tony Galea

The Lord is my Shepherd. The Lord is Jehovah God, the covenant making God of Israel.

David deals with some difficulties in his life. While people of all ages love and quote this Psalm. Its message is for mature Christians who have fought battles and carried burdens.

The derivatives of the Lord God are: The Lord will Provide, The Lord our Peace, The Lord who Heals, The Lord of Righteousness, The Lord is with me, The Lord our Protector and The Lord who Sanctifies. What a Lord!

Praise God He is MY Lord!!!

Tony Galea

Servant-hearted Leadership

/in /by

This year of service as wardens at Jamberoo Anglican has been an unusual one. While we wait for our new minister, Ron, to begin, we have been privileged to serve alongside Tony as he faithfully and capably leads our church in his role as Locum. In addition to the usual responsibilities of church wardens, we’ve also been supporting the expansion of volunteer administration roles—for members of our church to carry out tasks previously handled by staff—while attending to the repairs of the old rectory and preparing the current rectory for Ron’s arrival. Throughout the year, we’re also facing important financial decisions and, together with our Treasurer and the Parish Council, we are seeking wisdom from God as we chart a path forward.

Greater than any of these responsibilities, however, is the calling to be servants of our church community. This is a responsibility all of us share. Jesus taught His disciples that anyone who would follow Him must take up their cross—and with that comes the call to humble service. He modeled this most strikingly when He washed the dusty feet of His disciples (John 13:1–17)—a task normally reserved for the lowliest servant.

In fact, servant-hearted leadership turns worldly leadership on its head. In a church that faithfully follows Jesus, leadership looks less like a pyramid and more like an inverted triangle—with leaders placing themselves beneath others in order to serve their needs, just as Christ did.

As we anticipate the arrival of Ron and Julie, let’s each consider how we can grow as servants to one another at church. Not so that we can feel proud or important—but so that we might walk humbly with our Lord, following the One who gave everything for us: Jesus, the Saviour of the world.

From your Wardens: Andrew McPhail, Greg Baker, and Philippa Cleall

In Mark 13 Jesus speaks about future events both immediate (like the destruction of the Jerusalem temple) and distant (the end of this age).

Mark 13 is Jesus’ prophetic roadmap, blending immediate historical judgment with a long-term future vision of history. He doesn’t give a timeline, but a call to watchfulness, faithfulness, and trust in God’s plan.

Much can be said about this difficult passage, but the big idea remains.
Are YOU Ready for Jesus’ Return?

Tony Galea

Why Do We Pray For Missions?

/in /by

Why do we give money to missions? Why do people become missionaries?

Because Jesus told his followers to go into all the world and make disciples!

It’s why we exist as a church!

Are you a follower of Jesus? If so you are part of his mission!

We can’t all “GO” into all the world but those who do, are supported by those who don’t.  You may be praying and financially supporting missionaries or missions which God has laid on your heart, which is great, but as a church we join in supporting:

Our Friend in the Middle East – we don’t use her name for security reasons – leads an international team of seven missionaries using social and medical skills and simple friendship to show God’s love to people of the majority religion and share the Bible with them.

In many parts of the world Christians and their leaders have poor understanding of God’s word and how to teach it. Based in Bolivia, but serving all the Spanish-speaking world, Adrian and Anita Lovell promote Theological education using a Moore College course in Spanish – MOCLAM.

In Ireland many people have become disillusioned with Church and turned away from faith. Cameron and Alex Jones in Dublin are sharing the gospel and teaching believers to reach out to others.

Moussa Ghazal is doing similar work at Sydney university, especially relating to Muslims.

Our own June Bock supports churches and their leaders around the Pacific and beyond.

Gafcon was formed by Anglicans around the world who uphold the truth and authority of Scripture, to support churches whose leaders have rejected its teaching.

Bush Church Aid supports many remote communities around Australia. Newman is a mining town in outback WA where Roger and Amanda Kyngdon lead the church.

Anglicare has a caring ministry including Chaplaincies, Counselling, Disaster Recovery, Foster Care, Adoption, Housing, Mental Health, Food and Financial Assistance.

Closer to home, we have opportunities to reach children in our schools through our SRE teachers, Ryan Sherring at Kiama High and our own Deb Baker at Nowra Anglican College.

And retired missionaries to Chile, Grahame and Patty Scarrett, continue to serve by translating Christian literature for Spanish speakers.

We pray, we give. Some go. What part do you play?

Trevor Lucas

Prayer To Move Mountains

/in /by

When Jesus talks about prayer moving mountains, He is using a powerful metaphor to express the incredible potential of faith-filled prayer.

Mark 11:22-24:

“‘Have faith in God,’ Jesus answered. ‘Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.’”

Mountains in Jesus’ time were symbols of massive, immovable obstacles—representing life’s biggest challenges or impossibilities. It’s a call to deep trust in God’s power, not in our own strength. The Lord wants to remove aby obstacles that stops us coming close to Him!
Jesus is emphasizing that nothing is too hard for God when we pray with genuine faith. The “mountains” in your life are for your own forgiveness & forgiving others. Fear. sin, brokenness, impossible circumstances—can be moved when prayer is rooted in real trust in God’s power, goodness, and timing.
After the war, Corrie Ten Boom encountered a guard who had brutalized her sister and was cruel to herself. Incredibly, he asked for her forgiveness. She couldn’t forgive knowing what he had done.
Yet, in that moment, she prayed, and said she felt God’s power enabling her to forgive. That prayer moved the “mountain” of hatred and trauma — a deeply personal, spiritual miracle.
What mountains can God help you to move?

Tony Galea

Jesus’s cursing of the tree and cleansing of the temple were both symbolic acts that illustrated the sad spiritual condition of the nation of Israel. In spite of its many privileges and opportunities, Israel was outwardly fruitless in their worship (the tree) and inwardly corrupt in their mission (the temple).

It was unusual for Jesus to act in judgment (John 3:17), yet there comes a time when this is the only thing God can do (John 12:35–41).
Israel were the People of God in name only, their mission to the gentiles was disregarded instead of it taking precedence.

Is that possible with us?

Tony Galea

The Joy of Youth Ministry

/in /by

At Jamberoo Anglican Youth, our goal is to grow mature disciples of Christ, to serve the local and global church. Every Friday during term time, we gather between 7-9pm for fellowship around God’s word. Between the small faithful team of leaders, and the energetic enthusiastic teenagers, there’s usually 30-35 people each week that enjoy meeting together.

There’s a wide range of people, from life-long Christians, to youth who’ve never heard of Jesus before stepping onto our church grounds. Often these people are invited by a friend, or sometimes they’ve just heard there’s a Christian group that meets every Friday, and they come along to find out what Jesus is all about.

Youth group is a space for any and every high schooler to dig deep into God’s word, ask hard questions, wrestle with complex ideas, and ultimately start and/ or deepen their relationship with Jesus.

Psalm 119:9 says:

How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
    By living according to your word.

We seek to teach and model this verse on Friday nights, and indeed our whole lives.

Please partner with myself and the Jamberoo Anglican Youth leaders as we seek to bring God’s word to bear on the lives of the people that walk through our doors. Each one is precious in God’s sight, created in his image, and he loves them so much that he sent his son to die for them. May we view our youth with the same love Jesus has for them.

Brad Vidilini

There are times when the best way to state a truth is by means of paradox, and Mark 10 describes Jesus doing just that. He could have preached long sermons, but instead, He gave us these five important lessons that can be expressed in five paradoxical statements.

There are many things going on in Mark 10 and Jesus’ teachings include Marriage and Divorce (1-12), acceptance of others (13-16), the dangers of wealth (17-31), His death and resurrection (32-34), the request of James and John (35-45) and the vision of blind Bartimaeus (46-52). But the underlying theme is how we can be Great Followers of the Lord

Jesus. That can only happen when we see the incredible mercy of God!

Tony Galea

Why We Have an Intergenerational Kids’ Church at Jamberoo

/in /by

At Jamberoo Anglican, we believe the church is a family—so we make space for all ages to grow together in faith. That’s why our Sunday kids’ ministry embraces an intergenerational approach. We start and end the services together, seeing kids and adults worship, learn, and serve alongside one another, which builds lasting relationships, nurtures spiritual growth, and reflects the beautiful diversity of the body of Christ, Titus 2. 

When we head out to Kids’ church, it’s a team effort. Bringing together passionate volunteers, families, and the wider church, where the kids are nurtured by leaders who model Christ and help shape their faith foundations in age-appropriate bible talks, discussions around the passage, and by playing a few fun games. 

Our intergenerational model reminds us all that faith is something we live out together; it’s not a one-person job. It’s been a joy to observe how some of you sit with the kids at meal times, join in on the handball court or soccer field, and even just asking the kids what they learnt out in kids’ church. Every generation has something valuable to contribute so that the Jamberoo kids can come out knowing, loving, and obeying Jesus with their whole lives. 

Rach Bemmer

This week at church we’re diving back into the book of Mark; specifically Mark chapter 9:1-13.

This is a phenomenal passage! It’s about Jesus’ transfiguration, the appearance of Old Testament leaders of Israel, God’s presence descending on a mountain in a cloud, and heaps of other interesting stuff.

There’s a few questions we’ll answer as we look at this passage on Sunday.

  1. Why did Jesus’ appearance change?
  2. Why did Moses and Elijah appear on the mountain?
  3. What is Mark trying to tell us in this true story, and what do we do with it in our lives?

This passage is designed to show us who Jesus is, and what he came to earth to accomplish for his followers – even his followers in Jamberoo Anglican Church 2000 years later.

And Mark 9:7 leaves us with the question – will you listen to the voice of God’s own son?

What will happen when you listen to him? And what are the consequences if you don’t?

My prayer this week is that we would all be challenged to see Jesus for who he really is, and listen to his life-saving voice.

Brad Vidilini