12 Nov Relationship NOT Religion
Wednesday, 12th November 2025
I’m HOME!
Yes…I’ve returned from the yearly worship planning gathering with the Pastors at LifeWay Lutheran Church in Sydney. They’ve got a different leadership configuration this year, so we weren’t sure how things would go. I’ve been working with the previous lead pastor for almost 15 years…so we were all a bit unsure how the three days would progress. BUT…as always God is GOOD & our time was blessed & productive. I’ve a new-found respect for the new team at LifeWay & am praying for them & confident that this new season for them will bear great fruit for Christ’s Kingdom. I’m also praying for & confident in that same fruit for us as our 2026 bodes a few significant changes.
Let’s get the schedule for the next few days put together & then a few final thoughts…
- Zoom Bible Study Catch-up
Friday 14th November 2025 @ 1:00 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89674789066 – Meeting ID: 896 7478 9066
- Sunday the 16th of November is a Morning Tea Sunday. Please plan to hang out & enjoy the family of faith for a few minutes. There have been so many birthdays in the last month that there’s bound to be cake! Or at least a table-full of other yummy delights!
- Sunday the 23rd of November we’ve got a Baptism scheduled! We’ll welcome Nathaniel into Christ’s mighty family through the water & God’s Word of salvation in Christ. Don’t miss this! We’ve got work to do in helping his family disciple him more fully into Christ’s likeness…that’s our job you know?
- Advent begins on 30th November! While the world has had Christmas decorations & advertising going since about the first week of October, the church teaches the wisdom of waiting & preparing in hope. Join us every Sunday in Advent and then for our Christmas celebrations! More details till come soon!
- While we’ve reached the end of the year for our year 12 students, they’ve still got a few special events on their calendars AND the rest of our students are still hard at it; as are the teachers & school staff members. Keep your prayers flowing for the whole education process. Ben Franklin once said, “A nation of well-informed citizens who have been taught to know & prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins.” Think about that for a bit…
I’ve almost finished Acts in my yearly Bible reading…Acts 17 is one of my favourite passages of Scripture. Paul is standing among pagans, surrounded by pagan altars & proclaiming Christ crucified & risen as the God they’re truly seeking. Like I say…one of my favourites. Imagine being fully immersed in a multi-god culture & declaring your assurance of salvation in the One True God as you know him in Jesus Christ. Maybe we should practice that!
As Paul preaches in the marketplace, surrounded by pagans & pagan altars he masterfully describes God in relationship language. Long before the “Christianity is not a religion it’s a relationship” truism was uttered…Paul describes his faith in exactly that way. Religion is always a “static” lifestyle…you do the prescribed rituals, pray the prescribed prayers, over & over again. But as Paul talks about the Father it’s all living lifestyle language & finishes this way, “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins & turn to him. For God has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, & he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” – Acts 17:30-31
We are ultimately accountable at the end of all things which for all who trust in the Risen Jesus leads to an eternal relationship beyond death & larger than life. Life in Jesus is real life…it’s dynamic, abundant, full…never rote or routine & never religion. That’s good news.
See you Sunday or somewhere in between!
John
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