Introducing the new Sovereign Grace Journal. A publication of original theological, practical, and devotional articles written by and for the pastors and members of Sovereign Grace Churches to strengthen your soul. The Sovereign Grace Journal will also include book reviews, resources, and more.

I am very please to write to you and commend this new resource produced by our family of churches, Sovereign Grace. They have resurrected their theological journal to help serve our churches to be theologically informed for loving Christ more in our world today. Click here to read it online.

Below a post from Mark Prater, our Executive Director, introducing it:

“On behalf of the Sovereign Grace Leadership Team, I want to invite you to read the first edition of the “Sovereign Grace Churches Journal.” The journal is not a new idea, for our Founder, C.J. Mahaney led in the publishing of a journal that served our family of churches years ago. We thought this was a good time to resurrect his idea with the aim of fulfilling the same purpose he had, which is to serve the pastors and members of our churches in Sovereign Grace. With that purpose in view, the articles in the journal are written in a way to equip our pastors, strengthen the members of our churches, and to help us celebrate the gospel values that we share. Our hope is that the journal will help us to know Christ more, love Christ more, and fortify the gospel partnership that Christ has given us.

The theme of this first edition is, “Christ Our Treasure.” We chose this theme because we, who were once alienated from God because of our many sins, have now been reconciled to God through the death of Christ on our behalf on the cross. In response to this great salvation, we want to be a people who obey Christ, serve Christ, love Christ and treasure Christ. Our desire is that Christ would be preeminent in all that we do. The articles in this journal, written by Sovereign Grace pastors throughout the world, are intended to help you to do just that, make much of Jesus Christ.

I want to thank each of the pastors who are contributing articles to this first edition of our journal. I also want to thank our Executive Editor, Jeff Purswell, and our General Editor, Jared Mellinger. Jared has done the bulk of the work in assembling this journal, and I thank God for him and his labors on your behalf.

As you read through this journal, my prayer is that every article would help you treasure Jesus Christ with all of your heart, mind and soul.

Treasuring Christ with you.”

Dave Taylor and I, are very excited to launch a new podcast, ‘Grace and the Adventure of Leadership’! This podcast is designed to help cultivate leaders who are fueled and formed by the realities of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is so easy to look primarily to the world and not the word for our models, plans, and strategies for leadership. Instead, we believe that the Bible is the best book for understanding how to lead a church and more than that, that at the center of all good leadership is knowing and understanding the gospel!

The title of the podcast comes from a famous sermon by our founder, C.J. Mahaney, which he preached over two decades ago. His sermon can be found here. In it, he looks at how a proper understanding of the grace of God fundamentally changes how you lead your church, taken from 1 Corinthians 1. And we thought it would be a great title to reflect what we are hoping to do.

We hope these episodes will encourage lonely pastors, train lay leaders, and envision church planters to come… Have a listen, everyone is welcome!

If you click this link, you can find the podcast at the various main websites! Or search for it in your favourite app!

Also, a shout out for my old podcast, ‘Following Jesus’, you can head here to listen to that!

It is too early in the week to make a call for this Sunday. Please stay tuned!

On Sunday we had the joy of ‘gathering’ again on Zoom to sing, pray, hang out, and hear the word as a scattered church! Thank you all for joining in so enthusiastically and joyfully. It truly gives me joy as your pastor to see your faces and to see you participate in the service, despite all the weirdness of online!

We looked at Matthew 13:1-23 and saw that the parable of the sower is here to: train us as messengers and test us as hearers.

It’s trains us that as we go forth in mission we are to go forward confidently knowing that God is in control, and that even if we don’t see the fruit we want, to know that the message of the gospel and the messengers of the gospel are not the problem, it’s the hearts of the hearers.

It also tests our hearing of the word. Jesus warns us to beware of the devil, beware of our temporary feelings, beware of the cares of this world, as we hear the word.

So friend, how is your hearing?

Listen to the message here or watch the service on FB here

A big congratulations to:

• Ben Bridges

• Georgia Lick

• Abella Lick

• Mel Khoh

For being the first people to send in their bible memory verse challenge for Revelation 21:1-5!

And…as a special introductory offer…ANYONE who sends it in to me will receive a prize!

Start memorizing Deuteronomy 6:4-5!

Deut. 6:4   “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

That’s all I am going to reveal!

Tune in on Sunday to hear it!

We are back on Zoom again this week for our worship service!

To log on to Zoom:

• https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85405451754

• Meeting ID: 854 0545 1754

• Or www.sgparra.org.au/zoom - at the bottom of the page are instructions on how to use Zoom.

We will send out a service order for you to print out, so you can sing along, OR we will have the lyrics on the screen for you.

We will then go into breakout groups afterwards for community hang out time.

And…this week there is going to be FRESH SG KIDS TV! Head here to watch it once it’s updated:  https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZiy2Gu-9Pl_KIxqxzWNL-OAEE1tO-nYg

Good Evening Church!

Well, here we are again! Locked down again! On Zoom again!

But again the Lord will meet us as we come with an open heart and a joyful spirit.

 Let us tune in as a church family tomorrow, screens on if you can, and be ready to sing, pray, and hear God’s word preached.

To log on to Zoom:

• https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85405451754

• Meeting ID: 854 0545 1754

• Or www.sgparra.org.au/zoom - at the bottom of the page are instructions on how to use Zoom.

Attached is a service order for you to print out, so you can sing along, as we haven’t yet organized slides for zoom.

If you would like you can watch re-runs of Abi’s awesome SG Kids TV here:  https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZiy2Gu-9Pl_KIxqxzWNL-OAEE1tO-nYg

Hey Church, as the situation unfolds we will continue to modify our plans as and where needed. As it stands with the latest health order we have made a decision as a Core Team to brave the cold again and head outside for our service, with kids in the hall, which means we are still able to sing!

Here are the requirements:

• Masks must be worn, even outside, at all times, unless eating or drinking.

• Stay home if unwell

• Continue to sign in

• Bring your own mask if possible please

• We will postpone morning tea

• Dress for warmth!

You can view the current restrictions here. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Let’s come ready, expectant, and joyful!

Psalm 27:4   

One thing have I asked of the LORD,

that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD

and to inquire in his temple.

Hey Church,

Firstly, As you may be aware there is are some further restrictions on our meeting imposed by the NSW Government due to the recent cases of coronavirus.

This Sunday we will need to wear face masks whilst indoors at church. So please help us by bringing your own mask. And be diligent with signing in!

We will endeavour to have masks supplied for those who forget or visitors.

At this stage, we are not aware of any further restrictions and so we will plan on going ahead with things as normal.

Secondly, we will be having morning tea together after the service! So please plan to stick around :) The Burnett group are kindly bringing the goods!