Simon Allery

 

This week’s Bible Talk took us to Luke 15:25-32 where we saw that all of us want the Father’s things but not the Father.  Elder brothers do it by being very, very good but are still alienated from God.  However they are just as welcome in the family as is the younger brother.  The Father welcomes us all into the family at no cost to us, but at great cost to our TRUE elder brother, JESUS.

If you’d like to join the conversation, just add your comment below.

Click on the following link to listen or to download:

SCPC Podcast: Talk 3, The Lost Older Brother (Luke 15:25-32)

 

This week’s Bible Talk took us to Luke 15:11-24 where we saw that all of us want the Father’s things but not the Father.  Elder brothers do it by being very, very good but are still alienated from God.  However they are just as welcome in the family as is the younger brother.  The Father welcomes us all into the family at not cost to us, but at great cost to our TRUE elder brother, JESUS.

If you’d like to join the conversation, just add your comment below.

Click on the following link to listen or to download:

SCPC Podcast: Talk 2, The Lost Younger Brother (Luke 15:11-24)

 

This week’s Bible Talk took us to Luke 15: 1-10 where we saw that we are all dumb sheep and only Jesus our shepherd can rescue us, because he became like one of us.

If you’d like to join the conversation, just add your comment below.

Click on the following link to listen or to download:

SCPC Podcast: Talk 1, We’re All Lost ( Luke 15:1-10)

 

Romans 13:1 – 16:27

There’s lots of stuff in this morning’s passage (submitting to Authorities, not being a stumbling block). But the thing I liked most about this morning’s reading was the personal greetings in chapter 16.

1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon[a][b] of the church in Cenchreae. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.

 3 Greet Priscilla[c] and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.

 5 Greet also the church that meets at their house.

   Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.

 6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.

 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among[d] the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.

 8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.

 9 Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.

It’s a great reminder that ministry is about the gospel and relationships.

 

1 Thessalonians 1:1-5:28 – the whole thing

Well where do ya start?

A strong theme in 1 Thessalonians seems to be eschatology (big word for end time stuff). At the end of each chapter is a reference to Jesus return with a bit of time devoted to it in chapter 4. It seems that the Thessalonians might have been concerned about what happened to Christians who died (fallen a sleep) before Jesus had returned.

13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

It’s great to know that everyone who trusts in Jesus will be with the Lord forever.

This morning I found the following verses from chapter 5 particularly challenging, after a fair bit of sickness in family.

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

 

Luke 14:1-16:31

I really like Luke’s gospel and particularly Luke 15 but since I will be preaching on it for three weeks at the end of term, I won’t say anything about it now.

Today I just want to focus on the following verses from chapter 14:

26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

Do you love Jesus more than anything else?

Each day are you dying to yourself and living for Jesus?

Is your whole life transformed by the gospel?

I know that I personally struggle with this and try to fit Jesus around a life of comfort, security and pleasure. I really need to understand grace and each day apply it to my life.

What about you?

 

Day 272 Matthew 1:1-4:25

Well if you’ve made it all the way through the OT you must be stoked. Hopefully with all that OT background, the NT will come alive, as you see Jesus fulfil all the promises and prophecies made about him.

As I read through the first four chapters of Matthew, I was amazed at how it was all about Jesus fulfilling the promises and prophecies and being the obedient Israelite, Israel were always meant to be.

For people who were waiting for God to fulfil his promises to Abraham (blessing) and David (king forever) the first verse of Matthew must have got their heart pumping.

 1A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:   

How did you find reading the NT with all the OT background?

Day 273 Matthew 5:1-6:34

To be honest with ya, I’ve always struggled to understand ’The Beatitudes’, and today is no different. One thing I noticed as I read through it, was that Jesus seemed to pushing for a genuine relationship with God. Not doing stuff to impress others but doing everything to please God.

Why do you live for God? Is it to get praise for yaself or the big fella?

 

sorry troops due to the rain the bonfire is off

BUT instead we are going to go on a MYSTERY BUS TOUR

details are still the same

drop off: 7pm

pick up: 9pm

cost: $10

you also need an up to date medical form (if the one we already have  is good -  no worries)

medical forms can be downloaded from the youth page

call the office if ya have any questions

 

This week’s Bible Talk took us to 1 Peter 1: 3-13 where we saw that in sure hope, we look forward to Jesus’ return when we will experience the fullness of God’s grace and respond in eternal praise.

Click on the following link to listen or to download.

SCPC Podcast: Talk 3, Grace Forever (1 Peter 1:3-13)

 

only 1 sleep to go…

the footy for Friday is organised… pity about the teams playing

the meat for Sunday is organised…

the weather forecast: Fri: 40% chance of rain Sat: sunny Sun: mostly sunny

the swell forecast: small and clean Sat morning, swell building a little into Sun….

But most importantly lots of our church family will be chewing the fat together over the weekend…

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