When God called his people out of Egypt, Exodus 19:1-6 tells us that he did so for a purpose. Not only so the Messiah would come from their ranks, but so that Israel might be His people reflecting His nature to the world, thus showing the world how great He is. Peter picks up on this theme in 1 Peter 2:9-10, reminding God’s people today that we are His people, on earth to declare the wonders of His Name to the world.
Author: Philip
‘Nabal, Abigail, David and Jesus’ (Guest speaker, 1 Samuel 25:1-44)
When the would-be king, David, was spurned by the foolish Nabal in 1 Samuel 25:1-44, he saw red. In his anger, David made up his mind to put an end to Nabal’s life. If it wasn’t for the actions of Nabal’s wife, Abigail (who in some small way points us to Jesus), David would have fallen into serious sin. Anger does that, which is why the Bible teaches that we should ‘be angry’, but ‘do not sin.’ (Ephesians 4:30)
‘Nepali Night’ July 15th, 5:30pm
On Saturday night July 15th we’re getting together in the hall starting with dinner together at 5:30pm. We’ll enjoy the company of some special friends, maybe even play some fun games together, hear the latest on church planting and growth in Nepal and of course, eat! It’s a bring and share arrangement (like we do for lunch), mains and dessert. Extra points to you if you can cook up something Nepali style. It won’t be a late night so bring the family! And… it will be warm in the hall! (And yes, that is the flag of Nepal on the left!)
‘Walking in truth and love’ (Rev Peter Phillips, 2 John 1-13)
Balance is so necessary in all of life, even and especially our theology which leads to daily practice. If our witness for Christ is to be effective and fruitful, 2 John 1-13 reminds us that truth and love need to be balanced. If not, the world will never hear what we have to say, nor will they notice the reality of Christ in our lives.
‘Dealing with the consequences of the king’s sin’ (2 Samuel 12:15-31)
When David sinned in 2 Samuel 11, he set of a chain of events that would prove to be disastrous for his family, including the son born as a result of his alliance with Bathsheba. The text of 2 Samuel 12:15-31 records how the child died, but also how God’s grace was revealed in the midst of the mess that his sin created.
‘Righto’ (Rev Keith Bell, Acts 1:1-11)
The book of Acts is clear. Not only did Jesus leave this earth (as recorded in Acts 1:1-11), before he left He gave some particular instructions to His disciples to carry out. There were to be His witnesses in ‘Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.’ That was a long time ago, though. Do His words still mean anything for God’s people today?
‘The wonder and depth of the King’s grace to the king’ (2 Samuel 12:1-15a)
One thing that the world constantly fails to understand is the seriousness of sin. It is rarely spoken of as something serious and usually only spoken of as if it were something light and easily cast off. The text of 2 Samuel 12:1-15 indicates that sin is not something that can be laughed at. David’s sin was terrible, but equally so, God’s grace to him was amazing. The more we understand how serious sin is, the more we will appreciate the wonder of the gospel.
‘The tragedy and anatomy of the King’s terrible fall’ (2 Samuel 11:1-27)
History tells us that a multitude of people have fallen into temptation and sinned. Some in small ways. Others in big ways. King David was one of the latter. The story of 2 Samuel 11:1-27 makes it abundantly clear that his fall was tragic and terrible. There are lessons to be learned from it. But thanks be to God, there is also grace for the repentant.
Welcome Wednesdays set to begin!
We are grateful to the Bendigo Weekly for their willingness to follow up our story on Welcome Wednesdays in their paper last Friday (if you missed it, you can see it here on their website).
Since then we’ve had this A-frame redone (see left) thanks to a local signwriter, made some changes to the meeting room interior, purchased some new equipment and have sought to get the message out as much as we can.
Thanks for your prayers for this new venture which begins on Wednesday June 13th.
‘That James & John moment! Eyes on the right prize!’ (Mark 10:32-45)
Contrasts in the Bible abound. When Mary broke her alabaster jar of perfume over the feet of her Saviour, Judas was quick to criticise her actions. When one thief railed against Jesus, the other turned to Him and begged for salvation. When Jesus had his eyes set of his approraching death in Mark 10:32-45, James & John had their minds on other things. But…they will not be alone. Often, our eyes are on the wrong prize.