Sunday 30th June - 8.30am

This Sunday service begins at 8.30am with the gospel continuing in Luke, chapter 9. As Jesus is approached by two men who express a desire to follow Him, He makes it clear that discipleship is not just a matter of words or "properly ordered priorities". This is first commandment stuff - we are the fear, love and trust in God above all things!

Impossible, you say? Well that's kinda the point! None of us fear, love and trust God as we ought. Despite our best intentions, our discipleship is always less than perfect and our following is far from what it should be - especially when the rubber hits the road.

Rather than despairing of this, our Heavenly Father would have us flee to the One who fulfilled all things on our behalf, receive forgiveness and life through His obedience, and follow in the way of repentance.

Here are the readings as you prepare for worship:

1 Kings 19:15,16,19-21 The call of Elisha
Galatians 5:1,13-25 Freedom in Christ to live by the Spirit
Luke 9:51-62 The cost of following Jesus

The peace of the Lord Jesus be with you,
Pastor Matt

Sunday 23rd June - 8.30am

Hi everyone - worship is at 8.30am this week.

This Sunday's gospel reading from Luke 8 takes us to the 'wrong side' of the Jordan as Jesus comes across the Gerasene man who is possessed by a legion of demons. With very little fuss and without ANY of the Hollywood exaggeration normally associated with exorcisms, Jesus speaks and the man is freed from the hellish torment he has been enduring for years. The demons depart and possess a herd of pigs who flee into the depths of the sea.

A great story of deliverance and one you would expect to have been received with thanksgiving and praise. But no. Instead the people come flocking to see what has happened and then, filled with fear, they beg Jesus to go away! What motivates their fear? Is it Jesus' power? Or is it their fear of further loss if more of their livestock are the collateral damage of another exorcism?

God forbid that we should respond to Jesus' power to forgive and free us from sin, death and the Devil with this faithless kind of fear. Yes, there is a cost to discipleship (as Jesus will tell us in the next chapter). But that cost is about letting go of things that lead to death and embracing the way of the cross, that leads to eternal life. It's about letting go our own, self-styled Christianity and being swept up in the true faith that trusts in Christ alone for forgiveness and salvation.

The healed Gerasene man got it - and Jesus sent him off to tell everyone what God had done for him. I pray you will receive the same liberation from sin, death and the Devil tomorrow as we gather in the presence of the risen Lord Jesus who continues to call us to life out of the graveyard of this world.

Here are the readings:
Isaiah 65:1-9 The Lord will punish the rebellious but save those who serve him.
Galatians 3:23-29 We are Christ's, justified by faith
Luke 8:26-39 Jesus heals a man with demons

See you all at 8.30am!
Pastor Matt

Sunday 16th June - 11am

Service starts at 11am this coming Sunday (16 June).

Well this week we continue in chapter 7 of Luke's gospel, reading from verse 36.

Jesus is invited into the home of Simon the Pharisee for dinner. As Jesus kicks back at the table, a known SINNER, an unclean woman, lays at Jesus' feet, washing them with her tears, wiping them with her hair, and annointing His feet with incredibly expensive myrhh.

How could Jesus allow such a SINNER come near Him, let alone touch Him like this? That's the question on Simon's mind. And maybe it's the question on your's too. We can handle Jesus forgiving 'respectable' sinners - those who's sins don't make our skin crawl - but not the really, really bad and terrible sinners! How can Jesus forgive them, be near them and love them?????

As Jesus tells the parable of the two debtors (or as I like to call it, the parable of the amazingly, fantasmagorical, gracious, generous, forgiving and merciful Creditor ie. God!) He makes it clear that we are all indebted to God because of our sin and in need of His mercy. But more than that He makes it clear that having recognised our sin and received forgiveness as a gift, love of God will flow in our lives as a sign of the faith He has given us.

"Your sins are forgiven" Jesus says to the woman. "Go, YOUR FAITH has saved you!"

Awesome stuff - faith trusting in the promise and mercy of God; forgiveness making new and inspiring love; and it all flows out of God's work in Christ alone. Doesn't depend on you. Doesn't depend on your holiness and righteousness. DOESN'T EVEN DEPEND ON HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THE LORD. It depends on JESUS!

Here are the readings for your preparation - it's not too hard to figure out how they all hang together!

2 Samuel 11:26 - 12:10,13-15 Nathan's message: You are the man!

Galatians 2:15-21 Jews and Gentiles are saved by faith

Luke 7:36 - 8:3 A sinful woman forgiven; women followers

You might like to watch this video as you think about the gospel reading as well....

Sunday 9th June - 8.30am

Service begins at 8.30am this week.

Here are the readings for your preparation:

1 Kings 17:8-24 Elijah and the widow in Zarephath

Galatians 1:11-24 Paul called by God himself

Luke 7:11-17 Jesus raises a widow's son from death

  

The sermon is based on the reading from 1 Kings, but I highly recommend the following video which discusses the gospel reading. It's well worth watching!

 

 

 

God's peace be with you,

Pastor Matt