From 8pm we are having a mission prayer night tonight via Zoom to commit ourselves to pleading with God to bring people to know him through Alpha! If you’d like to join and don’t have the Zoom link, just email rs@sgparra.org.au to get it!
It’s so exciting to see how many people are stepping out in faith to invite people on Alpha! Already we have 10 people registered! If you are a bit stuck on what to say, here are some suggested lines you might like to consider using.
“Hey (name), how are you (and your family) going? Missing you! I wanted to reach out and let you know that our church is running a great course called Alpha…
“It’ll be fun with great company, great conversations about life, faith and meaning. No pressure but wanted to reach out and put it out there for you to consider!”
“You can ask questions, you can share what you think, you’ll get a chance to watch really interesting clips on the topics of faith, life and meaning.
It’s a great opportunity to explore life, faith, and meaning, as well as to ask questions in an honest and open space.
It doesn’t matter about your background, faith, or walk of life. It’ll be a great time to watch, chat, ask, and listen, exploring the big questions of life.
It’s going to be via Zoom , there’s a video and then an open discussion time in small breakout rooms. It goes for 4-6 weeks but you can opt out at any time
Starts Monday Sept 13 , 7:30pm.
I think it’ll be fun, thoughtful , and worth your time
Let me know what you think
Here’s a trailer to get a feel for it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fViYK_Xb3Wg
You can find out more details here: www.sgparra.org.au/alpha
This Sunday Henry will introduce a new song, “Christ Our Hope In Life And Death”. It’s a great song derived from some old Protestant confessions and adapted for today! From the Getty website:
“WHAT IS YOUR ONLY COMFORT IN LIFE AND IN DEATH?”
For centuries, believers have learned the Christian faith beginning with that question. It’s the first article in the Heidelberg Catechism of 1563. Why start there? Because death is our common fate. Unless Jesus returns first, we will all die. To find comfort in life, we must know how we can face death. Hope comes only in trusting the one who died to take the curse of death and who crushed the power of death by his resurrection. “Christ has been raised from the dead” (1 Cor 15:20). That is the only statement that can transform how we live each day and how we prepare for our earthly life to end.
The hope of the resurrection spurs us to sing. That’s why a group of songwriters from Getty Music wrote the modern hymn “Christ Our Hope in Life and Death.” Like the Heidelberg Catechism that inspired it, this song is honest about death. There is no need to shrink back from mentioning death in our hymns, because we know the Living One who has conquered death forever. The Christian can sing hallelujah, because Christ assures us of our glorious future. Now and ever, we confess: “I am not my own, but belong—body and soul in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.”
What is our hope in life and death?
Christ alone, Christ alone.
What is our only confidence?
That our souls to Him belong.
Who holds our days within His hand?
What comes, apart from His command?
And what will keep us to the end?
The love of Christ, in which we stand.
O sing hallelujah!
Our hope springs eternal;
O sing hallelujah!
Now and ever we confess
Christ our hope in life and death.
What truth can calm the troubled soul?
God is good, God is good.
Where is His grace and goodness known?
In our great Redeemer’s blood.
Who holds our faith when fears arise?
Who stands above the stormy trial?
Who sends the waves that bring us nigh
Unto the shore, the rock of Christ?
Unto the grave, what shall we sing?
“Christ, He lives; Christ, He lives!”
And what reward will heaven bring?
Everlasting life with Him.
There we will rise to meet the Lord,
Then sin and death will be destroyed,
And we will feast in endless joy,
When Christ is ours forevermore.
Words and Music by Keith Getty, Matt Boswell, Jordan Kauflin, Matt Merker, Matt Papa
Our Alpha course begins Monday 13th September. Alpha is a great opportunity to explore life, faith and meaning in a relaxed and enjoyable environment. Who are you going to invite?
Your LG leaders will let you know all the details!
For many of us there are so many different questions, thoughts, and concerns swirling about in our minds when it comes to the coronavirus and how we should respond to it and how we should respond to how our government responds to it and how we should respond to how our friends and family respond to it!!! It can be exhausting, frustrating, confusing, and anxiety inducing.
That is why we need grounding in God’s word and good counsel. Both of which are helpfully outlined in an article by Ray Galea Pastor of MBM Church Rooty Hill.
In it he writes, “God’s church should be a profound mystery to the world: a place where men, women, young and old; where people of many different cultures, classes and political persuasions come together in love—united by Christ’s precious blood and sealed by his Holy Spirit. Let’s not divide it over vaccines.”
His teaching is solid and his points are wonderfully rooted in Scripture. Such a helpful read and directive for us as a church. I’ve been wanting to write and say something about this issue and then came across this article that said it for me! Thanks Ray!
You can find the article here.
If you have concerns or queries about the virus, the vaccine, or the various responses to it, I’m here for you! I’ve already had a number of people reach out to me privately, so please feel no hesitation at all!
Alana Burnett had a great idea for our Zoom service, a quick book review during our 5 minute break. She kicked us off with “Hope In An Anxious World” by Helen Thorne (which is only $7.50 atm!).
If you have an idea for a book that you’d like to review, text or email Alana and let her know!
We’re now 5 sessions into our 12 month long ‘Leadership Bootcamp’ and what a great start it’s been. The bootcamp itself is designed to help folk who have an interest in leadership, to understand what it means to lead in a way that is biblical, fuelled and formed by the realities of the glorious gospel of Christ, and therefore be better equipped to be used by God in whatever sphere he calls them to: home, church, work, sport, neighbourhood, etc.
We have 15 folk in this cohort, 12 from Sovereign Grace Churches and 3 from outside of ourselves. Riley Spring, our Director of Church Development, recently caught up with a couple of them to see how they’re finding it…
Andrew Whitehouse
“I've really enjoyed and benefited from being involved in Sovereign Grace's Leadership Bootcamp this year. The first thing I noticed was the emphasis Sovereign Grace places on the character of leaders rather than their ability, or gifting. I'm grateful to know this is important for our church and look forward to growing in my own character, knowing of course that Christ is at work in me.
I also treasure the opportunity to gather and learn with a group of brothers and sisters in Christ. We have different backgrounds, from different generations and cultures, yet we are one in Him. Seeing how Jesus has brought us together and having the opportunity then to learn from one another really encourages me to push on with, and into, my journey with Jesus. (Which really, I see as our journey because of the unity we share in Him)”
Baree Tripodi
“In the first month, we went through a book called Humility - True Greatness by CJ Mahaney and discussed the topic of humility. I think I have always thought of myself as a humble person in that I don’t outwardly brag about my successes, if people compliment me I usually thank them and divert the conversation to something or someone else so as to not look proud. This is why this topic stood out to me so much, because I quickly realised I wasn’t humble much at all. Through reading the book and discussing true humility with the leadership bootcamp group, I quickly realised although I wasn’t outwardly “arrogant”, a lot of my lack of humility was concealed within me and my own mind.
Mahaney defined humility as “honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness”. I was quickly rebuked by this as God revealed to me many ways which I responded to my lack of holiness or sinfulness. In moments of sinfulness, I was (and still am, it’s something I will continually need work and prayer on) quick to put up a defensive barrier and blame other things, people or situations for the reason why I was acting in a certain way. I have always struggled to apologise, through my own stubbornness, and through reflecting on this topic of holiness, it taught me both the great importance of this new definition of holiness (new to me anyway), and the sense of peace that the only judgement or comparison we should be making is between ourselves and God’s holiness.
Although I don’t hold any worldly leadership positions in my life, reflecting on humility within my role as a Christian leader to my non-Christian work colleagues and friends, has highlighted and reminded me of the importance of being a light when interacting with them. For example, in moments when I am caught in a conversation of people gossiping or speaking poorly of another person, I am quicker to question whether my engagement in this conversation is in line with God’s holiness. This reflection then helps me to either refrain from engaging or speak up against the sinful conversation. Through true humility as defined by Mahaney, I can more accurately reflect on my actions in light of God’s holiness, and strive harder and more successfully in becoming more and more like Him.”
So far, so good… But please keep praying for everyone involved in this bootcamp. May His grace be with us, and may the fruit bring much praise to His name.
As you know, situation in Afghanistan is terrible. I recently received this prayer update from Open Doors that I’d commend you to pray through:
“Right now, I am coming to you to ask for urgent prayer for our family in Afghanistan. It's hard to comprehend the magnitude of the tragedy taking place in Afghanistan, and even harder to know how to pray. What's happening? The withdrawal of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan has led to a successful advance of the Taliban. As of August 15, the Taliban has seized the capital of Afghanistan, leading to a mass exodus of Afghani's attempting to flee to neighbouring countries in search of safety from violent Islamic extremism. The Afghani president, Ashraf Ghani, had fled the country and is seeking asylum in Iran for fear of the Taliban. All Christians in Afghanistan live in secret, and the only church exists underground. Afghanistan is #2 on the World Watch List. Our persecuted family pray for us, and now is our time to pray for them. Please pray:
* For underground church members who have been living in anonymity. Underground church leaders report that they have already received threatening letters from the Taliban indicating that the radical militia know who they are and what they are doing. Pray for protection over these leaders and their families -- that God would 'make seeing eyes blind' and keep believers hidden in plain sight. Pray that they would have the boldness and resolve to proclaim the gospel, even unto death.
* For women in the country - many women will lose their rights to an education and freedom under Taliban rule. Many are forced to marry Taliban members and face extreme violence and oppression. Pray that God would comfort and rescue vulnerable women.
* For the Taliban members - pray that they would have Saul/Paul Damascus Road-like encounters with the man Jesus Christ, and that they would become passionate and zealous members of the underground church, spreading the gospel in Afghanistan. This is not uncommon - you can read a testimony of this here.
* For families who have fled to seek safety elsewhere. Pray that refugee camps would be safe places of healing and community where people encounter Jesus. Pray they find a safe place to live.
* For protection against the spread of Covid-19, specifically the rapidly spreading Delta variant.
* For world leaders and the leader of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani - that God would work through them to institute miraculous peace and stability in the nation. Feel free to share these prayer points with your church community. As the church in NSW, let's galvanise to pray for our family in Afghanistan. 'When one part suffers, all parts suffer with it.'“
On Sunday, we saw in Matthew 15:1-20 Jesus give us two warnings about worship:
Beware of worthless worship (worship that is determined by the rules of man, not the law of God, worship that is externally impressive but internally our hearts are far from God v.1-9)
Beware of having clean hands but dirty hearts (sin comes from the inside out, not the outside in, v.10-20)
And we saw that what we need is true cleansing, a changed heart leads to a changed life and true worship.
As Bishop JC Ryle says:
“What is the first thing we need in order to be Christians? A new heart - What is the sacrifice God asks us to bring to him? A broken and a contrite heart - What is the true circumcision? The circumcision of the heart - What is genuine obedience? To obey from the heart - What is saving faith? To believe with the heart - Where ought Christ to dwell? To dwell in our hearts by faith - What is the chief request that Wisdom makes to every one? “My son, give me thine heart.”
One question I wanted all of us to ask is: are you doing all the right things externally but is your heart far from God? If so, repent, and turn to God and ask Him to draw you back!
Listen to the message here.