Sunday 27th October - 8.30am

Tomorrow we commemorate the Reformation of the church and give thanks to God for the restoration of the gospel to God's people. We celebrate this day not to glorify Lutheran or Melancthon or other reformers, but to celebrate that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. And how do we know this? Because we rely on the word of God alone as the only source and norm for teaching and for life - and the central message of that Word is Jesus and the forgiveness He won for all on the cross.

Worship begins at 8.30am.

Sunday 20th October - 11am

Apologies for the very late post.

Worship begins at 11am tomorrow morning and I'm preaching on the Old Testament reading from Genesis 32 where Jacob wrestles with God. Like the persistent widow in the gospel reading, Jacob hangs on to God and refuses to let go until God blesses him.

How much more blessed are we to know that in Christ, God holds on to us in everything that we wrestle with in this life. Jacob got lots of things wrong in his life, but one thing he got just right. He hung around long enough - even when all looked lost - for God to bless him in faith.

We will also have the privilege tomorrow of witnessing Harvey Bensch join God's family through the washing of renewal and regeneration in the Holy Spirit that is Holy Baptism.

God bless,
Pastor Matt 

Sunday 13th October - 8.30am

This Sunday worship begins at 8.30am.

The gospel reading tells the story of Jesus healing the 10 lepers from Luke 17. Too often this text is used as little more than a heavy dose of Law, demanding that you be thankful like the single leper who returned to Jesus and fell at His feet in thanksgiving and praise.

But think about it....that single, healed leper returned to Jesus because by faith he knew Jesus had so much more to offer. He returned in thanksgiving because He recognised the presence of God and His mercy and could do nothing else but return and worship Him. And the really cool thing - when he returned to Jesus he got a whole lot more than physical healing - he received forgiveness, life and salvation!

Of course we are to be thankful. But true thanksgiving flows only when we know who Jesus is as our Saviour, when we know our desperate need for Him all the time, and when we see with faith what He has done for us on the cross.

Come to worship and give thanks - and receive those same gifts - forgiveness, life and salvation!

God bless,

Pastor Matt