24 Oct Oh what a night!
What a wonderful night at the Riverina Hotel!
Great laughs & fellowship & good food among the family of faith!
Thanks Liz for helping us pull all the pieces together! Such a wonderful start to our week!
Speaking of our week…
My plan is to hit the Marketplace again today…lots to do around that so we’ll see. Please pray for those efforts to strike up conversations in a gracious & inviting way.
And as always…
Zoom Bible Study Catch-up (This is the wrap up of Philippians 4)
Friday – 27th October 2023 @ 1:00 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting — https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83586782734 — Meeting ID: 835 8678 2734
This Sunday, 29th October is Reformation Sunday. I’m going to give you a head start on the “Faith Chat” because I hope to get some good conversation going even before we get there.
So:
The Reformation was first a powerful Christ-centred transformation of Martin Luther’s life before it transformed the church & the culture of Luther’s day.
In 2023, what is in need of that same kind of transformation…
- In your life
- In the church
- In the wider culture or our community
Talk about that amongst yourselves & then we’ll visit it in earnest on Sunday. We’ll also look at Jesus’ last words from the cross, “It is finished.”
Living Water’s next Prayer Morning is Saturday 4th November at 85 Red Hill Road @ 10:00 a.m. We go for an hour praying for the Giving Beyond Ourselves opportunities and varied other items on our hearts. If you haven’t made it to one of these yet…this is a good time to start coming with regularity.
Speaking of GBO…Sunday November 5th, we give for the Red Frogs ministry to schoolies attenders. When our young celebrators get themselves in strife, it is the Red Frogs Volunteers who work hard to keep them out of danger as much as possible & offer a kind wisdom redirecting them toward someone safe. We bless these volunteers so they can bless folks we’d never be able to reach.
Sunday the 5th is also a Morning Tea Sunday!
My daily devotions are leading me through John’s gospel at the moment. The last two days have left me in worshipful wonder…
John 8:12: “Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness for they will have the light of life.’”
John 10:11: “Jesus said, ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.’”
Sure…I’ve read those verses a thousand times before…
What struck me working backwards was simply that Jesus’ sacrificial death is fundamentally about his character. He is “the good shepherd.” Our salvation is not anchored in our repentance, our sadness about our sinfulness, our desire to be saved or anything else about us in general. Salvation from start to finish is grounded in the “goodness, justice, righteousness, & love” of God. Grace & mercy are at work from within the very heart of God & move to us in Christ & his sacrifice that accomplishes our salvation. AND THEREFORE…as we “follow” (allow that grace & mercy to work in us by the Spirit)…we are never in the dark. We always have access to the light that dispels darkness…and become active bearers of that light to the world. You cannot NOT be a light bearer if you are a follower of Jesus. You can “hide” your light, but you cannot NOT be a light bearer. A number of you have expressed some dismay that I go out of my way to engage folks I don’t know in conversation…How can I NOT do that as a light bearer? How can I go through the public square of life (wherever my feet take me on any given day & to whomever God leads me) & not “let my light shine before others”? Think about that one too this week!
See y’all Sunday & until then…
Be the light!
John
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