What Jesus said!

29 Jan What Jesus said!

My Bible reading time this morning included this:

“After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent and believe the Good News!” – Mark 1:14-15

I love that word, “Repent.” It’s about making a complete reorientation of life…setting a new course…redirecting one’s path because the one you’re taking is heading for disaster. “Repent” is the “Road Closed! Bridge Washed Out!” sign of life. The Greek word for “repent,” metanoia, comes from the language of seafarers & would be used when the lookout spotted a sandbar or rocks or another ship in the path of his vessel. Metanoia was a signal to change course for danger was imminent.

When Jesus uses that same word, he means the same thing. The value system & worldview of a sin-stricken world can only end in disaster. To continue on the course of striving to make a name for ourselves by the “acquire, achieve, accumulate” values of the world will leave you shipwrecked…spent…dead. BUT…Now that HE has come, God’s Kingdom, God’s intentions for God’s creation & God’s human creations through him are ours as a gift…Now we are empowered to live governed & guided by love, forgiveness, hope, peace, joy, restoration, reconciliation…to live being made whole & complete by his embrace of us in his death & resurrection and to live without fear, guilt, shame, anxiety, or the terrors of the grave…to live in victory in real time over evil & the futile fading promises of the world.

My prayer for us for 2025 is that our lives reflect that kind of reorientation around the life of Jesus & how living in relationship to him transforms all we are & offers that same transformation to those around us. You’re going to hear some of this in more detail in our next worship series…Speaking of details…

1. NO ZOOM Bible Study Catch-up THIS WEEK! (there’s some scheduling issues in the Guilfoyle house…apologies! We will be back on schedule February 7^th)
2. This Sunday, 2^nd February, we kick off a new worship & teaching series, “Answering the ‘Why?’” (Luke 5:1-11) Living Water turns 12 this year & it’s a good time to go deep into our call from God & reorient our future toward those things God has entrusted into our hands for the advancing of his Kingdom here. It is also a Giving Beyond Ourselves Sunday (for Riding for the Disabled) AND we’ll share Morning Tea after worship! Don’t miss a minute…and bring a friend or someone who may not normally find their way to worship.
3. THANK YOU! to everyone who took flyers to share with family & friends for UnEarthed: Uncovering stories of Faith in Australia – Thursday 27^thFebruary 2025…This is a great event for us to bring those whom we know & care deeply for if they don’t yet have a resounding faith in Jesus. This citywide multi-church event will be a FREE event held at the Range Function Centre. Please note that location & date! It’s going to include Karl Faase, Colin Buchanan (and his adult country repertoire) and Peter Gibbs & (Wagga’s own) Jade Stegg from the Faith Runs Deep documentary interview series. We get to be part of all-Australian stories of faith in Christ from the length & breadth of this sunburnt country…the Great Southland of the Holy Spirit. We’ll figure out a way for folks to RSVP even if you don’t have access to the QR Code registration option…not all of us can do that. We’re working on it!
4. Be praying too for the new school year. School starts this week…so drive safely around school zones & pray diligently for families, students & school staff. Precious work takes place in those classrooms & administrative offices.
5. Living Water Prayer Mornings are starting to make their way to the calendar. Claim the dates: 1^st March & 5^th April. The other dates will come soon!

Looking forward to being with you Sunday!

John