We are back with Life Groups this week! Your LG leaders will send you all the information you need!
This Sunday we get to celebrate the wonderful gift of Mother’s! Join us Sunday morning for a special morning as we celebrate the gift and role of motherhood. There will be a light morning tea to follow our service!
37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Matthew 9:37-38
As we were encouraged on Sunday, we need to have the heart of the healer, a heart of compassion that overflows into earnest prayer for labourers into the harvest.
One way we seek to do that as a church is through setting aside one night a month for ‘Mission Prayer’.
During our Mission Prayer Nights we usually spend some time eating together, singing, a short devotional, and then an extended time of guided prayer. You don’t have to be a super prayer to come, you don’t even have to pray out loud! Just come!
If you haven’t yet come, why not?
This is not to guilt trip you or anything, it’s just a good question to ask yourself. It may be that: the time doesn’t work, you have no energy on Friday’s, you send one out of your household, you’ve already got committments, but it may be other reasons. It is worth thinking it through!
I recently read an encouraging blog from one our sister churches in the U.S., Sovereign Grace Church of Orange, and thought i’d share it to encourage even more of you to consider joining our Friday prayer nights!
“There are few things more important for a church than to pray together. As Christians, we’re pardoned, accepted, and welcomed into our Father’s presence. He hears our prayers and responds. What a gracious God!
Here are 5 things that can only happen when we pray together:
God meets us in unique ways when we’re together. He promises his presence to his gathered people (Matt. 18:20, Eph. 2:22, Eph. 5:18-21).
Corporate prayer displays corporate dependence. Praying together makes our reliance on God visible.
Praying together builds consensus. The Spirit plants the same desires in our hearts: for the church to grow in love, for the lost to be found, for the broken to be made whole, and for God’s glory to be revealed. As we listen to each other pray we get the opportunity to say, “amen!”
Hearing others pray provides a window into their life with Christ. We’re encouraged by the good work we see him doing in them and our love for them deepens.
Praying for one another is one of the primary ways we bear burdens (Eph. 4:1-3, Gal. 6:2). It’s much more effective when we do this in-person.”
Are you excited yet? We hope so! Join us on Friday 21st May
Ladies Coffee morning will be on this Friday at Caber Park from 10-12pm! Contact Maddie Spring for more details.
We can’t wait to gather again to know, apply, and proclaim the gospel in our smaller groups!
Last week as we ran out of time i had to hurry through the application points, but i think they are worth thinking through some more, so if you have time, ponder these more fully. We are called to humble ourselves and trust Jesus no matter what:
1. Humble yourself and Trust him in the natural realm
Trust him in Sickness, storms, strife – As the diagnosis comes in, the disaster ruins your possessions, the market dips, death ravages.
Of course, it is best to walk through the highs and lows of life with a resolute confidence, if we can walk knowing: “all things work together for my good”, we will be firm and strong, we can go to sleep in peace, like Jesus in the boat, knowing God has got it…
but the reality is, we are more like the disciples on any given day, crying out in fear, shaking God – “WHY ARE YOU ASLEEP!”
When you see the waves rise, or the shadow of darkness creep overhead,
Cry out in humility and trust: “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”
Your little faith, in the great Jesus, will save you!
Don’t try self-salvation projects, don’t run to other gods, and Jesus as a last resort. Go to him!
2. Humble yourself and Trust him in the super-natural realm
There is a war – but he is in charge
Do not run to horoscopes, mediums, palm readers for comfort, or knowledge, or power in the spiritual realm, you are dealing with dangerous beings
Instead, when fear of the future hits, when accusations and thoughts come into your head, do not try and battle it alone
Humble yourself, and trust in in Him – put on the armour he has given you.
Ephesians 6:10-13
Eph. 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
3. Humble yourself and Trust him in the mess
Remember, the Gadarenes sent him away cause his presence is too costly, they preferred pigs over people.
ILLUSTRATION: Jesus is good but he is not safe – Aslan
Mr Beaver: “Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion."
"Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"...
"Safe?" said Mr Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”
Jesus saves messy people, which creates messes! We like order, we like predictability, we like safety, but we aren’t promised this!
He will mess up your life! He will mess up your plans, your finances, your time, your holidays, your entertainment, it will ALL be for your good, but at times it will hurt and be confusing, and you’d wish he would just go away.
But trust Him in it, he is GOOD but he is not safe!
4. Humble yourself and Trust him with your sins
Your greatest need is your most vulnerable point: your sins.
Allow him to determine how we are to live, he is the King, we may have ideas about how to be saved, but in the presence of the Son of Man, we must let him call the shots.
Read Luke 18:9-14
Luke 18:9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Ladies Coffee morning will be on this Friday 10-12pm! Contact Maddie Spring for more details.
Want to know more about joining our church family?
Our Term 2 Starting Point course is coming up, please register to let us know you are coming so that we can have the materials ready for you. Register at www.sgparra.org.au/startingpoint
Starting Point is our pre-membership course the enables you to study our doctrine, practices, and distinctives so that you can prayerfully determine whether God is leading you to join us.
It will be a 7 week course on Sunday’s before church,
Starting Date: Sunday 2nd May
Time: 8:45am, there’ll be coffee!
Commitment: It is a 7 week course that works best if you attend each week. We will end our time together with a dinner, if possible. After that, there is no pressure to join our church
Recently we have added in a few new songs to help us sing old truths in a new way.
Last week we added a hymn which rejoices in God’s wide reaching saving plan, “Let the Nations Be Glad” by Matt Boswell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy8ZD9BBu4s) . It is based off Psalm 67:4, and is a plea for God to use us to see His word go out to all peoples!
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth.
This week we are introducing another City Alight song, “Christ is Mine Forevermore”, a beautiful song by City Alight (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roQovDZeAWE) .
You can watch a video from the song writer to hear the song story here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7Kd2Gi4-jA) .
It’s a song designed to help us reflect on how hard it is to follow Jesus with our sins, sorrows, and persecution; and then to glory in the amazing truth that no matter what we have Jesus! Read the lyrics here as a poem, and let them sit with you and stir your soul.
Christ Is Mine Forevermore
Verse 1
Mine are days that God has numbered
I was made to walk with Him
Yet I look for worldly treasure
And forsake the King of kings
Chorus 1
But mine is hope in my Redeemer
Though I fall His love is sure
For Christ has paid for every failing
I am His forevermore
Verse 2
Mine are tears in times of sorrow
Darkness not yet understood
Through the valley I must travel
Where I see no earthly good
Chorus 2
But mine is peace that flows from heaven
And the strength in times of need
I know my pain will not be wasted
Christ completes His work in me
Verse 3
Mine are days here as a stranger
Pilgrim on a narrow way
One with Christ I will encounter
Harm and hatred for His name
Chorus 3
But mine is armour for this battle
Strong enough to last the war
And He has said He will deliver
Safely to the golden shore
Chorus 4
And mine are keys to Zion city
Where beside the King I walk
For there my heart has found its treasure
Christ is mine forevermore
Bridge
Come rejoice now O my soul
For His love is my reward
Fear is gone and hope is sure
Christ is mine forevermore
We look forward to welcoming in a number of new members this Sunday!