Paul’s letter to the believers in Colossae remains a vital one for so many reasons even after so many years! We’ve just begun to tackle the letter in our Home Groups (you’ll see the times listed somewhere on this page). Why not join us at one of them?
Month: October 2013
‘Haters gonna hate, but Christians love like Jesus’ (John 15:18-16:3)
In John 15:18-16:3, Jesus warns his followers that the world will hate them because it hated him. It the coming chapters we see that it hated him to death on the cross. Jesus choses his followers out of the world to be different to it. Christians ought to respond with love and be witnesses to Jesus’ love. His love was shown when he died in our place and rose for our hope.
Guest Sermon: Commander Mike Oborn (Mark 4:35-41)
At our Annual Seafarer’s service, Commander Mike Oborn preached from Mark 4:35-41 concerning the calming of the storm. Mike looked at the passage from his vast experience at sea and so from the perspective of a mariner. In doing so he pointed out that what Mark recorded about the storm on the lake and the fear of the disciples in the boat were both plausible. So too the stilling of the storm by which Jesus showed the extent of His power over all of creation. The disciples responded to him with a mixture of awe and fear. Our response to him is vital when we consider how it is that we must face him on the day of judgement.
Annual Naval Service October 20th
Each year we welcome representatives of Bendigo’s Ex-Navalmen’s Club and the naval cadets of TS Bendigo to a special service with a distinct navy theme. This year our guest preacher will again be Commander Mike Oborn RAN, Executive Officer of HMAS Cerberus, who will preach on Psalm 107 and Mark 4. After the service Commander Oborn will inspect the naval cadets in formation, and then morning tea will follow in the hall. All are welcome!
‘Meeting the highest of standards’ (John 15:12-17)
In John 15:12-17 Jesus called his disciples to be identified by the badge of love. In doing so, He elevated his disciples from the status of servants to friends, gave them explicit instructions as to their responsibility to love each other and then set the highest standard possible by speaking of love as sacrifice. We often remember his words in John 15:13 when we remember our war dead, but these words were not given just to write on a tombstone. Instead they are to be lived out in the world.
‘Connected to the Vine and producing the right kind of fruit’ (John 15:1-11)
In these verses, Jesus said ‘I am the true Vine’. By using this figure of speech, Jesus spoke to his disciples about the Father who prunes the vine so that it produces and increasing amount of fruit, and of the disciples’ need to remain connected to the Vine in order that their lives might be fruitful. To ‘abide in Christ’ means to stay close to Him through His Word and prayer. This is our responsibility and something that must take the highest priority in our lives.