Thank you!

08 Sep Thank you!

8 September 2026

Thank you!

I’ve just returned home from helping feed our Ministry Partners at CSU, the Campus Fellowship. Not only do we provide a measure of their funding, through individual gifts & last week’s GBO, this year we’ve had 3 opportunities to provide food for their Tuesday night ministry evenings. And I’m deeply thankful to God for everyone this year who’s had a hand & a heart in this tremendous gift for these young disciples. Living Water is one of those unique communities of Jesus-followers that grabs these moments & makes them radiant with the love of Christ. Well done! Thank you!  [A side note…Their Harvest Celebration (end-of-year worship & fellowship evening) is set for Saturday 10^th October. Details will follow. I’d love for a few of us to be there to support & celebrate with them. Check your calendar.]

I mentioned this past week that my Bible reading has led me into Proverbs. Today, I read something in Proverbs & my mind flashed to something Jesus said…and I remembered that all of Scripture ultimately points to Jesus. So it’s no surprise that these verses echo one another:

Proverbs 13:14 – The instruction of the wise is like a life-giving fountain; those who accept it avoid the snares of death. John 7:38 – “Jesus declared, ‘Anyone who believes in me may come & drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from their heart.’”

In the language of the Old Testament, to be “wise” is to live in a responsive, attentive, obedient relationship with God & to share that relationship by visibly living out what you know to be true and by teaching that wisdom to others. Words backed by deeds are how God’s wisdom, the life-giving relationship with God, gets passed on to others. Jesus’ promise is exactly the same: to live in a relationship with him where he is the source of your life, strength, identity, security, sustenance & hope for the future will become a visible life-imparting witness to others. To live connected to the Source of All Life is to become a conduit of life for others. You & I, every day of our lives have the opportunity to lead others from death to life in Christ. What a gift we have to share!

Now…some other gifts from God among us this week:

• Sunday September 13^th – we conclude our worship & teaching series on Joshua – Learning to be Different. In the uncertainties & insecurities of every age how do we live with a sense of purpose & hope? In the wildly blowing winds of society’s distresses, how do we build resilient & persistent joy into our lives, families, & churches? In our post-modern world, where all things seem up-for-grabs, how do we find faith that endures, love that triumphs over all things, & relationships that last? Joshua tells us: “So fear the Lord & serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River & in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone.” At some point, our faith has to be more than something we believe in our heads or mouth with words. Over time it must shape our priorities, habits, choices, relationships, hopes & dreams, attitudes & values, behaviour…or we’re not being serious…we’re just play-acting. Join us & allow God’s whole-hearted dedication to your eternal good shape your dedication to Christ in return.
• Thursday 10^th September – Ladies Fellowship @ Bev & Ray’s home – Romans 9:1 – 10:4
• Saturday 12^th September – LWF Prayer Morning @ the Guilfoyle home – 10:00 a.m.
• Sunday September 20^th – we begin a new worship & teaching series: Living Words. In any endeavour or vocation, there’s often a unique vocabulary that only the experts or insiders know. It can often be that way among Christians. We use words that people outside the church have never heard before or use in very different ways. Over the next few weeks we’ll take some of those words & ask ourselves, “What do you mean when you say ______?” And we’ll fill in that blank with words like, “love, gospel, disciple, repentance…” One of the ways we learn to share our faith in Christ is by ensuring we know what we’re talking about so that others can hear, understand, & come to trust in Jesus for life in abundance.
• Sunday 27^th September – Annual InterSport Lake-to-Lake Run-n-Ride – Worship begins at 12:00 noon with a shared lunch in the Guide Hall. We’ll say more about this over the next week or two.

God bless you with his peace!

John