Until further notice we’ll be meeting online via Zoom. If you’d like to join us you can find all the information you need at www.sgparra.org.au/zoom
Here are some suggested books to read through with all your new spare time! No excuses now for any of us hey?! You could even start a book club with people from church and read it together and discuss via facetime.
The Wisdom of the Cross - Commentary on Job - Christopher Ash
Living the Cross Centred Life - CJ Mahaney (I have 24 copies of this book, $10 each, let me know if you want one!).
I am thinking of starting a book club via Zoom for anyone interested. If you are, let me know what book you are keen to read through.
What a weird joy it was to gather “online’ last Sunday! Thank you all for tuning in and worshipping together. For me, it underscored how important the physical gathering is. God made us with bodies for a reason. Yet, He has allowed the updates in technology so that we can still enjoy relationships, even when separated.
I wanted to take the time in the preaching to prepare our hearts for the suffering, trials, and hardships that are likely to come our way in the next 6 months and beyond.
My main idea was: “As we approach the seas of suffering we have firm biblical foundations to stand on to keep our head above water”
Points:
We need to understand the origin of suffering
We need to accept the reality of suffering
We have a Sovereign God to turn to amidst suffering
We have an opportunity during suffering
We have ultimate victory over suffering
Catch up by listening to it here.
If you’d like to read the manuscript you can here
Watch the Zoom here
With the recent and constant changes, it makes it hard to plan anything more than about 2 days out! So I am not going to give any grand plan or strategy for how we are going to organise and structure things just yet. I will need a bit more time and help to do that. But for this week:
Starting Point will be on Zoom (I will send out a link)
Ladies Growth Groups will be on Zoom (your GG leader will send out a link)
Church will be on Zoom (same link as last week)
We are coming up with a plan to help you do your own SG Kids on a Sunday!
All other church based events are cancelled for the time being. Not that we have that many!
I will start sending the newsletter twice a week now so that I can avoid sending multiple emails and give you updated information, especially for Sunday!
Pastoral Care: I am here for you! If you need to chat, pray, talk, read, study, or just hang out. Let’s Zoom! I don’t want anyone to feel isolated or alone or uncared for in this time :) I am Zoom Pastor now!
Let’s keep up the communications, prayer requests, and support for each other via texts, calls, even letters!
Much love!
Thank you so much for those of you who have committed to giving to our 2020 Go Forward Fund, we have received indications of your giving from over half of the church and we are already at roughly $37,000! This is an outstanding expression of your love for the Saviour and your generous hearts! I cannot wait to start sending this money out!
If you haven’t yet given, you still can! The earlier the better but there is no official cut off date.
Fill in the form attached here and email it to me or to rp@sovgrace.org.au.
I have now launched our very own Resource Page which helps you to get connected to our best resources internally and externally. For example, you can find the ‘Mark Prayer Blog’ which gives you updates about SG Worldwide from the perspective of Mark our Executive Director. You can go to the ‘Ordinary Pastor Podcast’ and here from CJ Mahaney and Jeff Purswell about how we seek to pastor local SG Churches. You can find the ‘Sovereign Grace Music” website to access 30+ years of worship albums, kids albums, lyrics, blogs, resources, chord charts etc. from Bob Kauflin and the team. There is a list of a number of SG authors who have written books to serve you, and much more.I hope having this here blesses you and spurs you on in your faith!
We had a great morning rejoicing in God our Fortress and Rock (Psalm 62:5-8), reflecting on our certain hope (John 11), rehearsing the great Love of God evidenced to us in Christ (Ephesians 3:17-19), and receiving a hard word from Ephesians 5:3-14. The main point: As children of light we are to love the light and hate the dark. I had three points:
Depart the Dark (v.3-7)
Walk in the Light (v.8-10)
Shine as a Light (v.11-14)
Take some time to re-listen to the message and reflect on how to apply it in your life. One good application question would be:
Where in your life do you ‘dim the lights’, so to speak, so that the light doesn’t expose sin for what it is?
- Is it in the media you consume?
- How you talk with particular friends or colleagues?
- Or is it in your private headspace?
You can listen to it on our podcast or on our sermon page. For further listening, i did an episode on Entertainment for my ‘Following Jesus Podcast’, listen to it here.
Also, we sang a two new songs: “Christ the Sure and Steady Anchor” by Matt Boswell and “How Vast the Love” by Sovereign Grace, take some time this week to listen to them again! Go to our three music playlists to find the songs!
May these lyrics stir your soul and fuel your faith:
“Christ the sure and steady anchor,
In the fury of the storm;
When the winds of doubt blow through me,
And my sails have all been torn.
In the suffering, in the sorrow,
When my sinking hopes are few;
I will hold fast to the anchor,
It will never be removed.
Christ the sure and steady anchor,
While the tempest rages on;
When temptation claims the battle,
And it seems the night has won.
Deeper still then goes the anchor,
Though I justly stand accused;
I will hold fast to the anchor,
It shall never be removed.
Christ the sure and steady anchor,
Through the floods of unbelief;
Hopeless somehow, O my soul, now,
Lift your eyes to Calvary.
This my ballast of assurance,
See his love forever proved.
I will hold fast to the anchor,
It will never be removed.
Christ the sure and steady anchor,
As we face the wave of death;
When these trials give way to glory,
As we draw our final breath.
We will cross that great horizon,
Clouds behind and life secure;
And the calm will be the better,
For the storms that we endure.
Christ the sure of our salvation,
Ever faithful, ever true!
We will hold fast to the anchor,
It shall never be removed.”
Matt Boswell
Ladies Coffee morning will be at the Spring’s house this week, 10am-12pm, bring something to share. But stay tuned for changes due to the coronavirus.
Hey Church,
I have attached below a slightly edited version of an email i sent out Friday last week. I will be meeting with Dave and Brendan around noon today to discuss future plans and to get wisdom for going forward. I will send an email later once I have made final plans but also please be aware that the situation is changing daily! Please be praying for wisdom, love, and discernment. So glad that we have a Loving Heavenly Father who is caring for us all in this time, no matter what!
Riley.
***
Dear Sovereign Grace Church Parramatta Family,
In light of the recent tragic developments with the coronavirus worldwide, I wanted to write to you and let you know how we plan to walk wisely in this time.
Amidst the fear, panic, and worry, we cannot be sure of our circumstances. But we what we can be sure of is this: Sovereign. Grace. Our God and Heavenly Father is in control (Sovereign) and is working all things together for our good (Grace)!
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
What do we do if we are worried, anxious, or fearful of the future? We turn to Him, our Sovereign God, in our worry and cast our cares upon Him:
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Pet. 5:6-7
Therefore, may I encourage you to fill your minds with the knowledge of our Sovereign and Gracious God so that you can meet the circumstances around us with biblical perspective, solid faith, and a calm spirit. We fight fear with faith. Faith in our God who is our Rock and our Fortress (Psalm 62).
Additionally, we have the joy and privilege of modeling to others what it means to trust in God. And not just in a “she’ll be right” easy-going attitude, but with an “even if it is not alright, I’m alright, because I have Him!” attitude. This is a profound opportunity to love and care for people and direct them to our Heavenly Father.
We ought also to be wise in how we interact as a church community so as to love each other and our neighbours and help stop the spread. As a Core Team we are keeping up to date with the advice and policies of the relevant Governmental bodies and will follow their precautions and policies.
At this stage, there has been no ban placed on public gatherings of our size, even though some public events have been cancelled. And so we will continue to meet as a Church until wisdom, love, or policy requires us to stop. I will post updates here on the blog if any event is cancelled.
However, the following precautions will be taken for the sake of love of neighbour and wisdom:
Please follow the advice and FAQ’s outlined here: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/alerts/Pages/coronavirus-faqs.aspx#1-9-2, especially in relation to being in contact with anyone who has been to a high risk country.
If you are sick with a cold (or any flu like symptoms), or if you or anyone in your household has been sick in the last 48 hours, please consider staying at home and enjoying our service online on Facebook.
Door handles, rails, and other surfaces which hands may touch will be disinfected for the Sunday morning service.
Please greet one another with a kind word but try to refrain from shaking hands or hugging to help limit the spread of sickness in case you may be ill but non-symptomatic.
Please wash your hands often. Medical professionals are all agreed that thorough handwashing is the best defense anyone can deploy to help stop the spread of disease.
We will have hand sanitizer provided at the service.
We will be altering how we do kids work and morning tea/coffee.
We will also need to practice these measures at Life Group etc, if they do go forward.
Please be praying for our world, our nation, and our community.
Riley Spring
Pastor
Sovereign Grace Church Parramatta
0481 999 476 | www.sgparra.org.au
***Pending on development with the virus outbreak ***
On Easter Sunday (Apr 12) we are having our first baptisms! If you haven’t been baptised as a believer than I warmly encourage you to investigate whether now is the time for you to get baptised as a sign of your faith in Christ, your following of Him, and a seal of His grace to you. Come along to the short class to learn more about this crucially important practice. Please also come if you know you are being baptised.
Where: At Church in the older kids work room, up the stairs.
Time: 9am-9:45am
When: Sunday 29th March
