You can tell a lot about the purpose of a trip or the nature of an event by the invitation and the list of instructions given.
1. Bring a hat and plenty of sunscreen (outdoors activity)
2. Dress is business casual (social event for work)
3. Bring a Bible, sleeping bag and a torch (church or youth camp)
4. Bring a salad or dessert to share (church potluck)
5. In lieu of flowers please send donations to... (funeral)
Today Jesus' invitation and instructions clue us in to the purpose of the Kingdom trip he is sending us on. It's an urgent trip that will challenge and confront but it comes with a promise that will sustain us in all circumstances. So today we pack our faith and our courage and get ready to embark on 'The Way of Mission.
#3 in Series: Waypoints
THEME VERSE:
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. Luke 10:1
REMEMBER THIS WEEK:
In the way of mission , the question is not what you need for the journey, but who you need. It's Jesus and the community of faith. For when we are on the way of mission, his mission, we are never, ever alone.
‘Whatever it takes…’. Three little words that embody a strength, a commitment and passion. Three little words that will not be pushed aside when the obstacles become too large or the challenges too great. Three little words that we are reminded of again today as Jesus shows us the unexpected, life transforming ‘whatever it takes’ that both surprises us and enables us to live fully. Three little words that lead to a healing, restoration and a fullness of life that goes way beyond what is expected. Today we explore ‘The way of life’ that God has envisioned for us as his people.
#2 in series: Waypoints
THEME VERSE:
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Luke 5:20
REMEMBER THIS WEEK
Living fully is only possible when you receive three little words - love, grace and forgiveness - spoken to you from the cross. It creates faith that is active, persistent, creative and sacrificial; a faith that enables you to do whatever it takes to bring people into the presence of Jesus.
READING
Luke 5:17-26
FAITH TALK:
1. Finish the sentence: “My life would be so much better if______________”
2. Share a time when someone did somethng for you that was more than you ever expected. How did it make you feel?
3. Who is someone you would do 'whatever it takes' for? Why them?
Waypoints are a part of our life. To varying degrees we all have them. For some they are called a "Bucket list" - things that we want to do and tick off before we die. For others, they are life goals - markers along the way that signal we are on the right path, whether relationally, financially, spiritually or career wise. But the only way we can punch in the waypoints for the journey ahead, is to know our starting point and the destination that we are heading to. So as we launch into a new season of ministry, it’s time to check our bearings, be clear about the vision God has called us to, so that we can continue the journey with confidence and boldness in the Way he has shown us.
#1 in series: Waypoints
THEME VERSE:
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT
REMEMBER THIS WEEK
The beginning, the waypoint and the goal of life is Jesus!
READINGS
1 Corinthians 2:1-10
Luke 6:17-23
FAITH TALK:
1. Share a time when you got lost or lost your way. What happened?
2. What are some things that help you keep your life “on track?”
3. As you look back on your life, what have been key waypoints for you in your walk with Jesus?
Routines - we all have them. Routines in relationships, in daily quiet times, in weekly scheduling. Routines bring order to chaos. It makes life predictable and less scary. It brings comfort and stability. But routines can also be dangerous; weakening us with fatigue, blurring our vision, limiting our ability to grow, and blinding us to new opportunities. Today Jesus issues an invitation that wakes us from our complacency, gives us a new situational awareness and calls us to a deeper trust as he gives us a kingdom refocus.
THEME VERSE:
Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Luke 5:5
REMEMBER THIS WEEK
Jesus calls us to leave the shallows of our faith and life and venture into the deeper water of trust. The water may be deep, the vision murky, and the work difficult and uncertain, but the moment you respond to Jesus' call and say, "but because you say so", you will discover an abundance of blessing like you have never imagined.
READINGS
Isaiah 6:1-8
Luke 5:1-11
FAITH TALK:
1. What is your normal morning routine?
2. Where in your life does it feel like you are working hard but coming up empty and how does it make you feel?
3. What would it take for you to go deeper in trust in your relationship with Jesus?
The statistics and research cannot be clearer. The Church in Australia is becoming increasingly irrelevant in the eyes of the majority. It has been marginalised. It has lost its social location at the centre of culture and no longer occupies an influential place in the community. But maybe that's a good thing. For it's precisely on the edges and in the margins of life that Jesus says we belong as his people. It's among those that the world does not want to see or chooses to ignore, among all whose experience of life is impoverished, that we rediscover God's good and holy purpose for our lives - to restore people to the fullness of his life. So come, hear, receive, and experience the good news as Jesus pushes us out of the comfortable places to live a powerful life that restores.
#3 in series: A Time of No Regrets.
THEME VERSE:
“Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:21
REMEMBER THIS WEEK
You have but one mission and purpose in life. Filled and anointed with the power of the Spirit, God is calling you to go wherever there is hurt, pain, isolation, fear or need and announce, in word and deed, that God sees them and is present with his life-transforming grace to heal, release, and restore.
FAITH TALK:
1. Where are the marginal places of life in our communities today?
2. Complete the sentence: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to_________”
Who am I?
It seems the identity question grows more and more complex by the year. So what is it that determines your identity? Is it your sex, your ethnicity, your religious affiliation, your age, your abilities, your family of origin, your political beliefs? Is it the food you eat, the way you dress; the hair, piercings, markings or tattoos that reflect a certain identity you want to project? Who we think we are plays a key role in how we think, how we feel, and how we go about our everyday lives. Today God reminds us that we best understand "who" we are when we remember "whose" we are. So let him renew you today, that secure in his love and affirmation, you may step into this new year with confidence and boldness whatever 2019 may bring.
THEME VERSE:
And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased. Luke 3:22b
REMEMBER THIS WEEK:
Your relationship with God, is the one relationship in life that you cannot screw up, for you did not establish it. It's not dependant on your success, or lack of it, your abilities or lack of them, what you do or don't do. You are God's beloved....he loves you deeply and completely, now and for eternity. Full stop.
FAITH TALK:
1. Finish the question: I belong when ________.
2. What has been influential in shaping your identity?
3. Renew means to 'make new again.' What do you need God to make new again in 2019?
#1 in series: A Time of No Regrets
READINGS
Ecclesiastes 3:1-14
Luke 3:2b-6
THEME
Do you feel the same way as you launch into 2019? With the turning of the clock over to a New Year, everybody looks for a reset of their lives; to leave behind the old and move forward; that's why we make New Year's resolutions. To reset something is to set it back to its original purpose and original design. When an electronic device is functioning in a less-than-optimal way, it can be reset so that whatever was stuck gets unstuck and all the connections can run smoothly again. Similarly, when life is functioning in a less-than-optimal way, it can be reset too. The Bible has a particular word for this - it's called repentance and it's God's gift to us as we begin 2019 year, so that it can be a time of no regrets. Today we press the reset button of repentance in our lives so that they are in sync with God and his good and gracious will for our lives.
THEME VERSE:
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak. Ecclesiastes 3:1. 6b-7
REMEMBER THIS WEEK
A year of no regrets begins in repentance at the feet of Jesus. It humbles the mountain of pride that obscures our view and makes the road ahead difficult and impassable. It fills in the valleys of sin and despair that unbalance our lives. Repentance clears the path and resets your life so that you can live fully in his grace and step forward in every season with confidence in his unchanging Word.
FAITH TALK:
1. What would you like to press reset on in your life as you begin this New Year?
2. What needs a reset in your life when it comes to your apiritual walk with Jesus in 2019?
Final in series: Christmess
BIBLE READING: Luke 2:41-52
THEME
Home. The very word strikes a chord deep inside each of us. Maybe for different reasons. For some…Home means sanctuary, the place we can rest, relax, enjoy time with friends & family…It’s where we hide our mess & just be. For others…Home means fear, anger, grief and sorrow. Home is a place of hurt & woundedness. Home is just a mess. Our homes say a lot about who we are and what we think is important in life. But sometimes the very homes in which we feel safe and comfortable keep our life small, our visions narrow, and our world empty. There comes a time when those of us who follow Jesus need to see our dwellings here as temporary and the homes we have here as instruments of God’s blessing to us and the means through which we can bless others. Jesus needs to grow our hearts, expand our horizons, and widen our embrace of what he alone can bring to our lives and the places we call home. Today Jesus invites and guides us to a place that can handle all the mess of our lives.
THEME VERSE:
Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:49
REMEMBER THIS WEEK
Jesus came into the mess of this world, to show you where you belong. The Father's house. If you’re lost or needing direction, if you’ve spent years searching and still can’t find what you are looking for, let him lead you to the Father’s house. There you will find Jesus and life in all its fullness; a home where you can live in rooms of mercy, forgiveness, joy, love, beauty, generosity, compassion and purpose no matter how much mess 2019 brings.
FAITH TALK:
1. Think for a moment of your home. If you were to describe it in a word or two, what would it be?
2. Reflect on the year just been. Which room would you like to close the door on for good?
3. In 2019, in what room of God's house would you like to spend more time in 2019?
READING: John 1:1-14
THEME
What's the state of your home like this morning...tidy, pristine or an absolute mess with wrapping paper, open boxes, plastic from unwrapped gifts everywhere and a fridge so jam packed with food for lunch today that you have to pull out half of it to find what you need! The baby Jesus was born for this mess...not only in your home but also your lives.
This is the day that the Word was born -
- that hope took its first breath and joy shed its first tear
- that peace was wrapped in cloth and love was laid in a manger.
This is the day that changed the whole world because Jesus was born in the mess, for the mess.
THEME VERSE:
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
REMEMBER THIS WEEK
You are not alone
You have never been alone
You will never be alone.
Because God in Christ wrapped himself in human flesh and chose to be born in the mess to speak one simple and abiding truth in all of our lives.
God is with us.
These four words have the power to change every mess of your life into something of beauty. For today is the ultimate proof that God is love, God is faithful, God is with us.
FAITH TALK
1. What's the biggest mess you have ever made in your life?
2. Whose the person you go to when your life is a mess and you need help?
3. God has come in Jesus to make a home in your mess. What does that mean for you today?