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Sunday Service 30 June 2024 Ps Paul Curtis Our devotion to God finds its outward expression in loving one another. Or to put it another way, our devotion to God is validated by our love for other people. We cannot truly love God without loving one another. Paul said love binds together all the virtues of our Christian character. Love directs us to be kind, gentle, faithful, compassionate and forgiving. As Peter says, above all, love each other deeply.
Joy – Rom 14: 17-23 We can go thru life bored, glum and complaining or we can rejoice in the Lord. It is both our privilege and our duty to be joyful. To be joyless is to dishonor God and deny his Love in our lives. To be joyful is to experience the power of the Holy Spirit within us and say to a watching world, our God reigns.
Kindness and goodness are closely related. They both indicate a desire to recognize and meet the needs of others. Kindness is a sincere desire for the happiness of others, goodness is the activity to advance that happiness. Kindness is the work of the spirit, He enables us to be sensitive to those around us and goodness is that kindness in action, both word and deed.
What are some steps we can take to develop a gentle spirit? First we must decide that this is a trait we really do want to develop. We have to decide to want to be mild and sensitive in our dealing with others, that we are willing to live without a rigid structure of black and white rules. We must really want to care about people.
To Live Like Him - Walking in the Spirit - Our Calling
Living Close to God in Obedience Psalm 132 Ps Paul Curtis
Each of us will encounter suffering at some time, in some degree. Psalm 130 is essential for us, for it convinces us that the big difference is not what people suffer, but more in the way we suffer. It is a powerful reminder that our suffering is not out of bounds for God. We are persuaded that God's way with us is redemption and that redemption, not suffering, is ultimate.
Ps Sam Thom Psalm 28 Sunday 3 March 2024 Everyone wants to be happy and blessed. Sometimes we are tempted to think that this lies somewhere other than God. However, God's ways and His presence is the only means of lasting happiness. There is a path to happiness. All you who fear God , how blessed you are, how happily you walk on this smooth straight road.
We have been extracted from the philosophy of this world. We have been removed from its purposes and plans as we are now set apart to be God's church. Jesus has left and we have been sent in. So we are in this world, but no of this world. We exist in the world but we now have a new agenda. Our pleasure and purpose and our peace is not found within human thinking but now it comes from visibly revealing the love of God.
We are to draw near to God when we are at our worst, because His grace is up to it. He is patient and kind, long suffering and forgiving. James says He gives us grace and then gives even more. Whatever amount is needed, it Is available. So we are draw near to God. We intentional cultivate this relationship through faith and obedience. Then we enjoy the blessing of God as He draws near to us. His healing washes over us day by day by day We enjoy His grace day by day by day.
The Israelites knew of the power of God, they knew of His mercy and compassion. So when the cloud descended, they were reminded of the Greatness of God. They stood and worshipped. True worship is when we value nothing more than entering into the presence of God.
Humility and Obedience – Eccles 5:1-7 As we read about coming into the house of God – the principles we discover in these verses are ones that apply to life generally. We are to acknowledging God's true worth or true value. It is the means by which we worship God with our lives every day. Solomon challenges our motives….. Why do we come into God's house – why do we pray – why do we pursue God – is it for selfish reasons or are we genuinely humble in attitude before God, resting in Him, trusting Him and committed to obedience, His ways not ours.
What brings you here? Summary Exodus 3:7-8, 19:3-11, 25:1-8 FOCUS: The coming of Jesus is big news. Life-changing news. World-changing news. FUNCTION: That hearers will get a taste of the breadth and depth of God's love for us in Christ
Exodus 25:1-8 John 1:14 FOCUS: God's more than a rescuer and offers more than mountaintop moment/s, indeed, to share life with us. FUNCTION: That hearers will 1) understand God's desire for ongoing daily relationship, and 2) step into it.
What Brings You Here ? To Covenant Exodus 19:3-11 FOCUS: God is more than a rescuer. The freedom he releases us into – is an intimate relationship with him. FUNCTION: That hearers will 1) glimpse the depth of God's love for us and 2) actively respond to it.
FOCUS: God is a great rescuing God, who genuinely cares for us and comes to break us out of captivity. FUNCTION: That hearers will 1) see God's compassion and kindness and 2) seek his rescue and freedom
John 3:16-21 FOCUS: That God has drawn – and draws – near to us can be good news in theory but confronting in practice. When the God who sees all comes close, we can feel very exposed. But it can be the opportunity of a lifetime. FUNCTION: 1) That hearers may understand that God is not merely a distant concept/possibility, but far more ‘up close and personal'. 2) That if we have the courage to turn and face rather than avoid him, it makes all the difference in the world
Invite friends in your circle along to a service, to a small group, to an Alpha Course or even just to a barbecue with your church people, and they will meet Jesus. Of course, finding people who like you, sharing your story with them, and inviting them to a gathering of God's people isn't enough. At some stage they must hear the specific good news and make a response to Jesus' invitation to believe, be forgiven and “follow me.” But that may take longer than you think. To get started think, “Who has God already sent into my life right now and what can I invite them to?” It might be easier to start mission than you think
You probably won't find yourself being tortured for sharing your story about what Jesus has done in your life or for inviting someone to church, but you may very well find it difficult or embarrassing. There is a guarantee about Christian mission: some way or another, it will be costly. It will cost you time, reputation, money and even relationships
Recent research has shown that average Australians who don't follow Jesus are not all that impressed with celebrity Christians or strong arguments for Christianity. But they are very impacted by seeing people live out their faith and hearing genuine stories and testimonies from people they trust and respect. Much of the New Testament, especially the Gospels about Jesus, consists of those who encountered Jesus and had their lives changed by him sharing their story - what they had actually “seen and heard”
Ephesians 2:8-10 Salvation by grace is the beginning of our journey with God. God then calls every believer to a lifetime of good works accomplished in his strength. What are these 'good works' and how do we participate in them?
In any journey, there are times of intense struggle and a push to move forwards, balanced by periods of rest to regain our strength. Physical rest comes so easily to us but finding spiritual rest can be a real challenge. If we can allow ourselves to be led by Jesus into his rest we will find ourselves filled and ready to journey with him again.
Speaker: Stephen Beaumont Bible reading: 1 Cor 12:14-20 Paul's use of the body metaphor in one Corinthians reminds us of how much better we are together. As a local church we not only celebrate each one's different gifts and abilities we rely upon it to function in a healthy way. Each one of us are special. No one is excluded . We are better together
It is easy to be offended when we are confronted by realities that we do not like or feel comfortable with. God doesn't just call us to an eternal destination; he calls us to radical transformation. God desires us to be changed, transformed and to take hold of his character, his values and his world view. This message delves into the role of Godly discipline and how we respond to correction from God. When we realise and discover the character of God, we ought to desire correction and discipline, knowing that it is for our ultimate good and for those around us.
Following Jesus is like being a soldier. You just can't do what you want. There is a war to be won and orders to obey. You don't want to be distracted by nice stuff. You have to focus on your job and that means significant sacrifice at times. It's not that we can't enjoy ourselves, but having a good time is not our purpose for existence. We serve a higher and more significant cause. Following Jesus is like being an athlete . There's a gold medal to be won, but you won't get it by cutting corners or taking it easy.
There are a couple of things you need to know to make sense out of the future. First, God has always planned for his people to live with bodies. In the future, you will not be a ghost roaming around. You will be a real person with a new real body. Now I'm not sure exactly what that body will be like, but I suspect it will be much like what we have now, except so much better – more beautiful, more powerful, more holy, more complete. We will be whole, real people with our God. All this is for those who make it to the end, who persevere. God says to you : “You will inherit all this. And I will be your God and you will be my child.” Finishing well will be worth it a million times over
Like David, you will go through many different seasons in your life. Probably, most will be mundane but fine. Some will be extraordinary, and others will be extremely painful. This is God's plan for you and me. What David emphasises in this song is that God is close and working in all your seasons. In the pasturelands, he's guiding and caring for you. In the shadowlands, he's comforting and protecting you. In the tablelands, he's celebrating and partying with you. Your seasons will change and some will be very challenging for you. But remember God loves you deeply and is working for your good in all the seasons. Make sure you let him look after you, especially when life gets tough.
Paul says, “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life,” you know things must have been really awful. He doesn't tell us the exact circumstances, but even Paul was completely overwhelmed by the situation. There is no doubt about the choice Paul made when he was overwhelmed. He threw himself onto God and relied on God to deliver. And he did deliver, and Paul knew that he would continue to do so (1:10). What a courageous and powerful call by Paul. But it is a call that you too will probably have to make at times if you are to persevere as a follower of Jesus and finish well. May God give you strength as you need it.
Sadly, some people don't make it. Lots of the big crowd following Jesus at this point weren't there two years later. As Jesus predicted, the growing seed just withered away. You need to be aware of this. Satan will put pressure on you. He hates your trust in Jesus and wants to strangle your faith. It could be through disappointments or worries or successes or hurt or failure. He'll try. But there is a lot of good soil that produces an incredible spiritual harvest. Note that Jesus doesn't describe these people as superstars but as having “noble and good hearts.” Ordinary Christians who persevere to the end. They're the ones through whom God produces a great crop. Be one of them.
2 Cor 9: 6-15 Money is actually seed to be planted. The more you plant, the greater your crop. When you get your head around this biblical concept, it will revolutionise your approach to money. God has given us resources. We are not to see these resources as our personal reward and therefore to horde them or spend them on ourselves, but to invest them in the needs of others.
A lot of serving is just seeing a need and meeting it. You don't need special abilities to clean up after dinner or sit with someone in pain or take blankets to homeless people or wash feet (how did that come up again?). It's just a matter of putting your own needs aside and choosing to serve others. But that's not the whole story. There are actually some things that you can do better than other people, and it would be such a waste if you didn't do them. These abilities have been specially given to you by God and he expects that you will use them to serve others
It's easy to live out our faith as a series of religious activities, but is that what God really wants? Micah 6 addresses the condition of our hearts, and how we can live the life our Father desires for us.
Jesus made two things very clear about his ministry. First, he was going to prioritise the poor and needy and struggling. He hadn't come to tell religious people how to be more godly, but to set free the poor and imprisoned and blind and oppressed. But what really upset a number was that Jesus went on to say that there would be no favourites. This good news was for everyone.
What are we supposed to be doing on earth? God has given us work to do and has uniquely equipped us to do it. At its most basic, that work comes down to one word, SERVE. But God is looking for a particular type of serving. There are a whole lot of selfish motivations that can drive serving. We see this in the workplace, or in politics, or in our own lives. But for Christians there is only one valid motivation – caring deeply about the needs of others. That's what drove Jesus.
People didn't like foot washing in Jesus' day but it had nothing to do with their concerns about touching people. Their problem was that feet were regarded as disgusting and only the least important person in the room, usually a slave, would do the necessary washing of dusty and sweaty feet. When the disciples gathered for their last meal with Jesus before his death, there was no slave present, so their feet just didn't get washed. No-one was keen to stoop to do such a job.
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