"Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full"
Luke 14:23
Last year Martine and I were invited to a party. While we normally wouldn't do this, we ended up inviting someone else to come along with us to the party.
Once we had confirmed it was all good, our friend messaged us and said, "Thanks so much for extending the invite. We'd love to be there!"
I'm embarrassed to say that up until that point I'd never understood the full weight of the phrase, "extend the invitation" really meant. Up until that point I just used it as a replacement for "inviting" someone to an event. But as I read that message from my excited friend I realised for the first time that it's a far more powerful phrase than that! It means extending my invitation to include someone else in it.
As I laughed at my ignorance it made me realise how similar it is to our role in extending the invitation to find and follow Jesus. Jesus has invited me to know and follow him and my role is to simply extend that same invitation to those around me.
Just like the party we attended, there's no guarantee everyone wants to come. But, like my friend, many are just waiting to be invited to Jesus' party. And yes, I mean that literally. Jesus not only attended parties but told parables in which his kingdom was symbolised by a giant party!
So this year, may it be that each of us has at least one opportunity to extend an invitation to someone in our lives.
Cheers and God Bless,
Dan
Grateful for 2023!
Last week Kate and Merrick shared what they were grateful to God for in 2023. Among other encouragements about our identity, Kate encouraged us with Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God”.
“Be still, and know that I am God”
Psalm 46:10
Merrick shared the encouragement that an article gave him regarding times of difficulty throughout his year. For anyone who needs a fresh take on difficult times, please check out the article he mentioned "Five Purposes for Suffering" by John Piper.
Read Acts with us
This month we are reading the book of Acts! If you need a Bible, let us know or visit www.bible.com. Below is an 8min intro to the first half of the book of Acts!
Coming Up
January
Sun 7 Jan 4pm Moffat Gathering
Sun 14 Jan 4pm BBQ + Communion @ Moffat Gathering
Sun 21 Jan 4pm Moffat Gathering
Sun 28 Jan 4pm Moffat Gathering
Feburary
Sun 4 Feb 4pm Worship, Meal, Communion
Our Mission
To help people find and follow Jesus
Our Rhythms
Know Jesus: how are you getting to know Jesus this week?
Invite people into your life: who can you bless this week?
Gather and get involved: How can you connect, listen, share or pray with others this week?
Our Giving
If there is someone in need around you we'd encourage you to team up with another Christian friend and ask God to show you how to meet their need directly. You can also get started with giving to Open Road to meet needs as a church or get in touch with any questions you may have.
Last month's giving: $6,039
Last month's expenses: $5,003
Balance: $25,882
Giving Kitty Oct-Nov: $3,026
Giving out Oct-Nov: $1,190
"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed." - Proverbs 19:17
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