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

You Were Made for Mission

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God wants you to have both a ministry in the Body of Christ (Church family) & a mission in the world. Your ministry is your service to believers & your mission is your service to unbelievers.

Our Mission is a continuation of Jesus’ mission on earth. We are not only called to ‘Come to Him’, but we are also called to ‘Go for Him’. We are to Go to all the nations (See Matthew 28:19,20, John 17:18 & Acts 1:8) but we are to start in our own backyard with our neighbours & friends.

Your mission is a wonderful privilege. Telling others or inviting others to hear how they can have eternal life is the greatest thing you can ever do for them. It has eternal significance but it also gives your life meaning & purpose.

How many people will be in heaven because of YOU?

We are not all evangelists, we are not all good in giving answers to our unbelieving friends questions, but we can all invite someone to Church & especially our Easter Services next week.

So come on Church family, don’t let another opportunity pass you by to invite someone to hear the good news of our Lord Jesus. It might be just the time that people will say ‘Yes’ to your invitation. Nothing matters more to God than for lost people to be found. The cross of Jesus proves that! Let’s care about what God cares about! – The salvation of your friend & family.

Good Friday Communion 9am

Alive Sunday (Easter) 9am for brekkie & 10am service

Tony Galea

Who doesn’t love a good series! In a distant time and a galaxy far, far away, I had to wait a week before the next episode. Streaming? What was that? some kind of fishing strategy? Now we can binge all we want, and I do! 

Mark’s Gospel runs like a fast-paced series, with each chapter a collection of first-hand accounts of the unfolding power and purpose of the Messiah, God’s King over all. King of his kingdom, his creation and his followers. Mark puts these episodes into an order and flow that is guided by the great Author, God himself. 

And in chapter 6 we find a rolling set of scenes where the expectations people had of Jesus were tipped on their head. Familiar family and friends tripped up on his claims and miracles. The political top dogs were intrigued and a little bit threatened, but would have no frame of reference for a King to give up his life willingly.

A crowd of thousands were fed, which was mind blowing in itself, but the deeper message of spiritual food completely missed even by his closest followers. And to top off the episode, a storm, a ghost and a bunch of fishermen who were out of their depth in more ways than one.

Just in case we think it was only a first century kind of confusion, think about our own temptation to put God in a box, to have him look after us when it’s convenient for us, and to have our minds closed and ears blocked to his true identity – King of his kingdom, his creation and us. And our response, humble repentance, praise and devotion. Now that’s a great final episode for a series!

Andy McPhail

HFTI – Where to From Here?

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The Hope for the Illawarra mission is now engaging churches- including us- in following up the adults, youth and children that gave their contact details at the conclusion of each evangelistic event.

That’s where we’re at now. So, where to from here? Two crucial matters come to mind.

Firstly, follow up the new believers, together with those who recommitted to Christ, and those wanting to find out more about what it means to be a Christian. This will involve: Growth Groups, individual church members (you), Sunday gatherings and staff.

Secondly, the dynamics of the HFTI continue. We keep intentionally building relationships with not-yet-believers, we continue praying for them, and we continue sharing with them the good news of the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ. This sharing may be 1:1, or by inviting them to your GG, or a 9am or 4pm Sunday congregation, or 4 sessions of Christianity Explained with Tony, or another evangelistic event- such as a dialogue coffee and dessert night. 

Oh, here’s an observation: all this is the normal dynamic of a healthy church!

Steve Bligh

This week I was struck by the raw, untameable power of the ocean. As the waves smashed against the coastline, and washed into parks in Kiama, all I could do is stand in awe and observe the might of the ocean.
It got me thinking about my favourite Psalm – Psalm 8. In this Psalm David is in awe of God’s creative power as demonstrated in his creation.
Psalm 8:3 says “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place; what is man that you are mindful of him?”
Sometimes, our limited minds think of God as a limited God. Yet the character of God is unfathomable. None of us can understand his strength – infinitely more powerful than even those giant waves wreaking havoc on the coastline.
What a world he has created – a world which points to him as the creator and sustainer of everything. His name is majestic in all the earth (v1).
Yet he cares deeply for us, numbering even the hairs on our head (Luke 12). Though we are small and powerless and broken individuals, he sees us, knows us and loves us more than we can imagine.


Why not have a read of Psalm 8 and with all of creation, praise God’s majestic
name!

Brad Vidilini

The Power of Persistent Prayer

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How has the Hope For The Illawarra event left you feeling about God and how he works in the world?

Maybe you went along on Saturday night and are feeling really encouraged, because the people you invited came, were interested in knowing more about Jesus, and are keen to come to church with you.

Maybe you brought a friend or two, but there really wasn’t a whole lot of good conversation with them following the event, and they still seem to be apathetic towards Jesus.

Maybe everyone you invited said no to coming. And you’re wondering if you said something wrong, or whether God has other priorities than making himself known to your friends.

Regardless of your experience in the lead up to and at the HFTI event, there is one next step everyone in our church should be taking right now: pray.

It might seem obvious. It might seem useless, particularly if your friends weren’t enthusiastic to follow Jesus.

If your friend made a commitment to Jesus, it might even be tempting to ‘leave it to God’ and not pray about it.

But the command from 1 Thessalonians 5 is to ‘pray unceasingly, giving thanks in all circumstances.’

Why? Certainly not because God needs us to. He’s capable of saving people without our prayers. Indeed he has done all throughout history.

The reason why we pray persistently is because God invites us to be a part of his mission.

It shapes our hearts to be like God, and to want what he wants – namely that everyone would find life in Jesus’ name.

Please keep persistently praying for your unbelieving friends. Pray for opportunities to lead them to Jesus, and take them. We don’t know God’s timing, but we do know his heart – that no one should perish, but come to repentance (2 Pet 3:9). May our prayers and our lives reflect that.

Strong Families.

A Christian family recognizes the significance of a healthy and thriving marriage. The husband and wife strive to love and serve each other selflessly, creating a stable and nurturing environment for their children. They work together to resolve conflicts and grow in their relationship together and with Jesus.

Parental leadership involves the responsibility of leading and guiding their children spiritually. They teach biblical truths, help children develop a personal relationship with Jesus, which encourages their spiritual growth.

They also set appropriate boundaries, discipline with love, provide a nurturing environment for their children to flourish and pray for them to grow in the Lord.

Be Quick To forgive

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To forgive is to let go of the past. Seek forgiveness. Give forgiveness. Move ahead.

The more you forgive others, the more you will enjoy the forgiveness that the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ provides ( Luke 6:37; Matthew 6:14-15).

There is great danger in holding on to resentment, anger, hatred and bitterness. These things eat away at the souls of people, robbing them of joy and also robbing them of their effectiveness as Christ’s disciples. Holding on to these dangerous attitudes and behaviours can do great harm to people’s bodies, emotions, and relationships. Resentment, anger, hatred and bitterness also drain people’s energy, holding them back from fully enjoying God’s blessings.

I know a lot of athletic people. Some of them train hard and compete fearlessly. But they sabotage their full potential because they have “monkeys on their backs”- addictions, psychological flaws, bad company- to name a few. If you want to achieve your best, if you truly want to be healthy, moving freely in God’s love- wilfully choose to forgive (Philippians 3:13-14).

The more you hold onto unforgiveness towards a person who has hurt, rejected, betrayed, or caused you emotional pain or sorrow, the more you will suffer as you remain focussed on- and tied to- that person. Let go! That is the only way to let God deal with that person, to heal you, and to help you move forward. Let go of that bondage, moving forward with Christ-focussed love, courage, peace within your soul, and a renewed sense of purpose. 

Forgiveness is an act of your will. As God moves and motivates you (Philippians 2:13), ask Him to empower you to forgive- to forgive yourself and to forgive others (Psalm 51, Matthew 6:12). And a reminder- we will find it easier to forgive when we are in consistent, loving Christian fellowship.

As you reflect on forgiveness, mediate prayerfully on other passages of Scripture, including John 15:12-17; Ephesians 4:31-32; Philippians 3:12-14; Colossians 3:12-14. 

Together on this journey with you, Steve Bligh.

Wisdom & Work

Wise people are diligent in their work. Proverbs 6:6 “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! “(Prov. 10:4 ). “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son” .

Diligence and laziness are key topics in Proverbs. God is a worker & He expects his people to be workers also. Solomon makes it clear that God has nothing good to say about careless and lazy people.

Wise people are working people, people who make the most of their opportunities and who carry their share of the load. It’s our best work that God wants, not the dregs of our exhaustion. Whether it’s serving in music, cleaning, serving morning teas or leading, praying or Bible reading we ought to be preparing and doing our very best for Jesus in the Body of Christ – His Church!!

Are you involved in ministry (Christian Service)?  If not,why not? See Tony or one of the Wardens to see how you can be involved in God’s Church here at Jamberoo Anglican