Food for Thought

Last Sunday was our Food for Thought event. In the morning there were 80 burgers eaten, 70 coffees sipped, over 250 donuts inhaled, 1 auction of Elvis Presley’s blue suede shoes, and lots of people who heard the gospel message of Jesus proclaimed! In the evening we held our gathering at Two Mates Brewery in South Lismore. This was a great opportunity to be in a public space as a church community and for those who came along to the event to be invited to meet Jesus. On Tuesday night, the first session of the Hope Explored series was conducted, with a varied mix of people attending. 

Please continue to reach out to, and pray, for those who came along on Sunday and Tuesday. You might like to have a follow up chat with someone you invited along, introduce them to a few members of your GC or perhaps consider who you might read Word 1-2-1 with. As Christians we have such a good (and urgent) message of hope through the one who died for us. 

Talk recordings 

Over the past year or so, some members of the staff team, along with Leadership Team, have been considering the value (or not) of continuing to post the bible talks publicly on the website, particularly in light of a growing antagonism towards Christianity in some sectors of society. We’ve decided to continue posting most talks online, to enable the gospel message to be shared and passed on as freely as possible. However, we’ve also decided that very rarely, it may be prudent not to post the occasional talk, depending on its subject matter. So please be aware of that going forwards. 

Content Warning

From this Sunday, we’ll be continuing our series in Genesis 12-25. There will be some potentially distressing content in some of the bible passages over the coming weeks (particularly Genesis 16-17 on June 2 and Genesis 18-19 on June 9). Some of the characters act in an ungodly and destructive way that is harmful to those in their family and community. It’s possible these stories could be triggering for some people. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing violence or abuse you can contact:

• 1800RESPECT: Call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or chat on-line

• Presbyterian Conduct Protocol Unit (CPU): for notifications and advice on any matters of abuse. Call 9690 9325 or 0421 225 740

• Presbyterian Counselling Service: facilitating access to high quality professional Christian counselling. Call 1800 818 133 or email counselling@jerichoroad.org.au (NB This is a referral service and not a crisis service). 

Encouragement

As we continue in Genesis together I’m hopeful that God will use his word to assure us of his faithfulness in the mess of life, and to affirm to us both his great mercy and great justice. This week I saw a ‘gem’ I’d never noticed before in the book of Numbers 23:19-20 which highlights God’s trustworthiness in such sure terms, 

¹⁹ God is not human, that he should lie,

    not a human being, that he should change his mind.

Does he speak and then not act?

    Does he promise and not fulfill?

²⁰ I have received a command to bless;

    he has blessed, and I cannot change it.

JR

Food for Thought is coming up in just over week on Sunday May 26th. It’s a perfect opportunity to invite a friend along. Luke Thomas from Kyogle will be speaking from John 6 on finding satisfaction in Jesus. 

Following the 9:30am gathering we’ll have three food trucks:

– OMG Donuts
– Coffee Addiction
– Charby’s smash burgers 

Also, keep in mind that after leaving space for the food trucks, there will be limited parking next to the MPU. 

Our evening gathering will be at Two Mates Brewery in South Lismore. We’ll be starting earlier than usual: 

– 5pm arrival
– 5:30pm short talk and testimony 
– 6:00pm dinner

Afterwards, starting on Tuesday night May 28th we will run a 3 week course, Hope Explored. This is designed as a next step for those who’ve come along to Food for Thought and are open to finding out more. You might want to already be talking to your friend about Hope Explored before they come to Food for Thought, so that they can start considering it (or even sign up for it) early. 

I’ve been encouraged by Romans 10:14-15 lately. It is a precious gift to share the news of Jesus. 

14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Does Jesus affect your everyday?

Does he feel present Sunday, then gone again on Monday? How can we experience the comfort of the Gospel everyday from Monday through to Sunday?

If you have ever pondered this reality in your life, please, please, please consider joining us for our second Equip night of the year – next Tuesday May 14.

We will be joined by Pete Greenwood, a pastor from Victoria who was a church planting pastor from the evangelical Anglican church St Jude’s on the edge of the city. Pete, his family and ministry leaders have a heart for the inner west of Melbourne. He and the church family there have a desire to see the everyday reality of Jesus rule and touch the challenges each new day brings. Some call this desire ‘gospel fluency’. What they are getting at is how, after we are born again (John 3), we can speak a new gospel language to our brothers and sisters in Christ – how can we help each other make sense of today’s hardship through the lens of the beautiful and full gospel.

I really struggle to do this… Do you struggle too?

If you do, come along and be encouraged by Pete Greenwood. I haven’t meet Pete personally before, but I was deeply challenged and encouraged by a podcast I heard him do with an experienced Anglican pastor in Sydney. I felt my heart connect with his heart as he described his journey to see the gospel transform community in the everyday.

I am SO excited to have Pete visit us. What a treat!

Let me sign off with this great reflection of the apostle Paul from ‭Colossians 2:6-7

[6] So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, [7] rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

SP