As we celebrate Father’s Day, it’s good to thank God for our earthly fathers, and for their contribution to our lives.

Fatherhood is a good thing, even though none of our earthly fathers are able to match the quality and character of our heavenly father.

In his first letter to the church in Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul embraces fatherhood, as he compares his own ministry to the role of father:

And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12.)

The apostles pleaded, encouraged and urged the members of the church—three behaviours that earthly fathers should do as they lovingly lead their families.

At the same time, the Apostle Paul tells the Ephesian fathers that as they lead their children, they must do so wisely and lovingly:

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)

Fatherhood is a good thing, but sadly, it’s stained by sin and affected by the fall of humanity.

That’s why we must pray that our fathers would model themselves on our heavenly father.

We also should pray for children whose fathers have caused them sadness and pain, asking our heavenly father to fill up in those children all that their earthly father has failed to provide.

For, ultimately, as all earthly fathers fail to meet the standard of our heavenly father, it is a fresh reminder for us to know the depth of our fathers’ love for us—how vast beyond all measure!

JODIE McNEILL

When people think about asking an unbelieving friend to come along to a Christian event, they sometimes hesitate to invite them to church on Sundays.

After all, many people think that church services are for people who have already trusted in Jesus, and not for those who are still starting that journey.

Yet, in 1 Corinthians 14:23-25 we read that Christians should conduct our gatherings with the expectation that unbelievers will be present with us.

For, as the outsiders hear God’s word, “they will be convicted of sin,” (verse 24), “their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, ‘God is truly here among you.’” (verse 25).

In other words, unbelievers will recognise their need to become friends with God, and so they’ll join us in worshipping Jesus as Lord… all from watching and listening to normal, Sunday church.

The reason this works is that God’s word is ‘dual action,’ for its essential message is that Jesus is Lord.

So, for people who already know Jesus as Lord, it grows our knowledge and trust in him; and for those who don’t yet know Jesus as Lord, it shows them how to follow Jesus and why it matters.

Like dual-action shampoo and conditioner, the Bible is effective to achieve two things at the same time—both mission and maturity—which is why we love to have the Bible front and centre in all we do.

So, if you’re thinking of bringing a friend along to a church event, then every Sunday’s a great day… especially as they join with us to enjoy our delicious, sit-down meal after church each week, with people of all ages and stages.

And if you don’t yet know Jesus, then Sunday church is the right place and the right time, for we pray that as we all gather together to hear God’s word, that together we’ll worship Jesus as Lord!

JODIE McNEILL 

It’s been a delight to hear back from so many of you by email about what you consider to be the values of our church, and for me to praise God for how he’s used our church to encourage and equip you to love others.

As I’ve read your responses, it’s been clear that there is one value that stands head and shoulders above the rest: that our church is deeply Bible-based.

You said we’re “Bible-based in a real and well-articulated way that does not shy away from why we are like that,” and that we have “faithful teaching of God’s word by people of real conviction and gifted by God for that ministry,” with preaching where “the main focus is God.”

It’s a genuine delight to know that the labour of our preachers is not in vain, as we seek to humbly sit under God’s word ourselves, and as we are lead by his Spirit to know more of him and ourselves, which we then bring to you.

I often think of teaching God’s word like serving up food for friends: the greatest compliment is when our guests finish all the food on their plate, and they are deeply satisfied in a way that brought real change and comfort, by God’s strength.

Sadly, this is not something that all Christians embrace, with some feeling that being too Bible-based somehow quenches the Holy Spirit or dampens our experience of God.

Yet, in my experience over the years, the churches that have been most profoundly impacted by God are those that humbly receive his word… especially as it challenges us to stand firm in a world that wants to own us as its own.

Praise God for his glorious word, and for the passion his Spirit has brought upon us to devour it and live for Jesus in every way.

JODIE McNEILL

Over the past few weeks some of our staff and senior leaders have been giving prayerful consideration to the best way to help support our growing church through refreshing and defining how leadership works in our church.

One of the things we talked about was whether it might be better to call each of us ‘partners’ rather than ‘members?’

Now, they’re both useful names to use to describe each of us who are actively involved in the ministry of our church.

And, as we’ll see in this weekend’s sermon from 1 Corinthians 12, the idea of ‘member’ actually makes sense when you think of each of us being a part (or a ’member’) of a body.

But in our common speak, we sometimes can think of a member as someone who pays their membership fees and seeks to get the benefits of being a member… which feels more of a consumeristic way of thinking.

Yet, that’s not how  our ‘members’ act in our church, for we all participate as partners who work together with servant hearts to sacrificially share our lives and resources with our fellow parishioners as we seek to see each person in our village, valley and region know how to follow Jesus and why it matters.

So, in that sense, the idea of being ‘partners’ is a more an active way of describing us, and perhaps , it better describes the depth and joy of our rich fellowship.

So, what do you think? Should we speak of each other as ‘partners’ of Jamberoo Anglican, or is the name ‘member’ still the more user-friendly way of describing all of us as parts of the body of Christ in Jamberoo?

Either way, the Lord has blessed with a wonderful team of disciples, who love to serve him as he has served us… no matter what we’re called!

JODIE McNEILL

(photo credit: ajusticenetwork via Flickr)

Over the holidays I’ve been reflecting on the rapid change our world has gone through as we’ve shifted into a state of mind that considers the ‘self’ to be both an authority and an idol.

My thinking partner has been Carl R. Trueman, who has written a fascinating book called ‘Strange New World’, in which he explores how things have changed so much that the phrase, “I am a woman trapped in a man’s body,” has become normal in just one generation.

Trueman begins his analysis by looking at a bunch of old and new philosophers, including Descartes (“I think therefore I am”), Marx (“Religion… is the opium of the people”), Nietzsche (“God is dead”), Freud (“erotism [is] the central point of… life”), and even Oscar Wilde (“A man… may break the law, and yet be fine.”)

These thinkers set the foundation for the radical change that has only fully arrived in our society in the last decade.

But the thing that lit the fuse of this explosive change was technology, including ‘the pill’ that kicked off the sexual revolution, and the internet that normalised pornography and established new communities that have rallied together for support and change.

The result is that our society has closed itself to alternate views, and has developed a habit of silencing speech and cancelling debaters, out of fear of causing harm to a person’s self by injuring their feelings.

In response, Trueman suggests that Christians should make it a priority to invest in Christian community, so that we can show the world that we are Christ’s disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35.)

Furthermore, he encourages us to make our church services special, since, “a large part of the church’s witness to the world is simply being the church in worship.”

So, as we face this strange new world, let’s continue to gather together in love for one another, as we show the world the hope we have in the new creation.

JODIE McNEILL