There’s a lesson in that…

15 Jan There’s a lesson in that…

Happy Wednesday everyone! Have you been watching the tennis over the last few weeks? I’ve caught a few  glimpses now & then, mostly while folding laundry or ironing. Some exciting stuff & some interesting stories behind the nets too…more on that in a moment…

As always, let’s get some business to the forefront of our minds.

1. Zoom Bible Study Catch-up – we pick-up with our Friday afternoons together. This week…a closer look at Ephesians 1:3-14.
   Friday 17^th January @ 1:00 p.m.
   Join Zoom Meeting  —  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81166125179  —  Meeting ID: 811 6612 5179
2. This Sunday, 19^th January, we continue our worship & teaching series, “Winds of Change: Move with the Spirit.” (Luke 4:14-21 & John 20:19-23) This is a morning tea week! You know I’ll be there!
3. UnEarthed: Uncovering stories of Faith in Australia – Thursday 27^thFebruary 2025 – This citywide multi-church evangelism event will be a FREE event for you, your families, and friends held at the Range Function Centre. Please note that date! It’s going to include Karl Faase, Colin Buchanan (and his adult country repertoire) and special guests from the Faith Runs Deep documentary interview series. All-Australian stories of faith in Christ from the length & breadth of this sunburnt country…the Great Southland of the Holy Spirit. It is time to start inviting your family & friends to this…especially those who don’t have a resounding faith in Jesus at the moment. We need to fill the house at this event.
4. HUGE THANK YOU! to everyone who has been so faithful in putting their hands up to serve & make those extra gifts over the last few months. We’re starting the year well, so let’s keep the momentum rolling. I’ve had a chance to talk to some other pastors around the state lately & it’s clear the wider reaches of the church are struggling in many many ways. My response is always the same…the best way to make a way through a rough patch is to pray with increasing intensity & do those things you know God has told his church to do.

I mentioned tennis…I heard an interesting story about a young tennis player who had been seen as a future Top 10 prospect. They were just that good. Lots of raw talent & plenty of tools in their tennis toolbox. They had all the makings of a multiple Grand Slam winner. When they broke onto the scene, there were high expectations & good reasons to have them. It hasn’t happened. They’ve made plenty of “news” in the tennis world & outside of it; much of it less than admirable. They’ve never, in their professional life, had a coach. They’ve never traveled with a physio-therapist. Do you see the pattern & possibly the problem?

Some might say this particular player thinks they already know all there is to know. It appears they’re not willing to learn from someone else or take on board the wisdom of an outsider. They’ve struggled with persistent plaguing injuries & dramatic volatility on the court. Their wins have been spectacular. Their losses, equally so…and there have been more losses than wins. In a couple weeks we’re going to read Psalm 1 in worship…the first 3 verses should be enough: Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day & night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, & they prosper in all they do.

Just verse 2…the bold/underlined sentence…I was reminded in reading this last year, & again in preparation for next week,  that “the law of the Lord” is not just the commandments or the “moral code,” “rights/wrongs,” & “do/don’t do” we often associate with “the Law.” It’s about being open to hearing God’s wisdom through his Word, through his people, through the experience & wisdom of others…to “meditate” doesn’t mean to go into some New Age trance, but to silence your own voice so you can hear & respond to God’s. And there is a lesson in that…it’s precisely what brings God’s strength into us to make our lives flourish…to “bear fruit in each season,” to add value to lives around us daily, to offer hope & encouragement and the reason for the hope within us: Jesus, to folks we know.

Spend some time today…meditating…silencing your own voice before the voice of God, allow that river of love, grace, wisdom & joy to fill your roots. Then allow him to lead you to a place of fruit-bearing…someone who desperately needs you to share what you’ve been given & received thankfully.

I’ll see you Sunday!

John