“26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- Matthew 20:20-28 NLT
Ahoy Church,
Lot’s happening at the moment!
- It’s school holidays!
- Marcello + Mariela have started a new gathering (“church”) in their home
- Joe + Tanya got a house
- Bill got a new job and he and Bek will move south soon
- Lachlan is taking on Coastal Youth in Term 2
- Kev + Sue just sold their house to move south to be close to family
- Caleb + Esther have moved to Normanton to serve at Gulf Christian College
…and I’m sure much more :)
Given that life is always throwing us new opportunities and challenges, we are trying to keep church straightforward - just like the teachings of Jesus.
When we gather on the beach it’s usually “Good or God”, a teaching of Jesus and a “Come, Holy Spirit” prayer :) This uncomplicated pattern gives us flexibility and provides people like Marcello and Mariela a simple template they can replicate in their home, on another beach or in a hall anywhere in Australia!
However, these practices are based on three basic “ingredients” for church that may be helpful for me to share with you all: God’s people, God’s Word and God’s Spirit!
People of God
This is you! This is me! This is all of us. Because every man, woman, boy and girl are made in God’s image, we want to honour everyone who turns up as God’s special creation. Furthermore, anyone with faith in Jesus has God himself dwelling in us.
This is why our gatherings almost always have time to “hear from each other”. Whether sharing in pairs, groups or as a group, sharing what God is doing in our lives is not just important to acknowledge, but it’s part of how we encourage each other through the seasons of life and worship God together!
Since everyone present on a Sunday is precious to God, we make sure that each of us learns to take time to connect, listen, share and pray! When we connect with others, listen to their stories, share our own stories and pray for each other we are truly valuing God’s People as God does.
Word of God
Jesus made it clear that he valued God’s Word, the Bible. As his followers, we follow his lead and allow God’s revelation to enrich us, comfort us and guide us - especially into a saving faith in Jesus Christ. This is why we always read from the Bible every time we gather. Not just to keep us focused as a church community, but to remind everyone of us that God’s Word is best enjoyed individually every day of our lives!
The reason we focus on a commandment/teaching of Jesus most Sundays is that Jesus highlighted his teachings as the #1 priority for those who would follow him. While we appreciate and treasure the whole Bible, we make sure we fulfil Jesus’ Great Commission to “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you”. It might sound simplistic to some, but we see it as rich, challenging and life-giving. The goal isn’t to simply know Jesus’ teaching but to primarily get to know him. Secondarily, we allow him and his teachings to show us who we really are. This humbles us and keeps us aware of just how much in need of Christ all of us are.
Spirit of God - Holy Spirit
Finally, Jesus says that he would give us his Holy Spirit to be “rivers of living water” within us. Jesus was clear that God’s Spirit living within us spiritually would be even better than having him walking with us in the flesh!
Not only that, but God’s Word makes it clear that every one of us has a spiritual gift that we bear everywhere we go. This means that when we gather we all have a spiritual gift to encourage each other with. Furthermore, if we are in the Word of God during the week we also have spiritual encouragement that God’s Spirit might ask us to share. So, whether you have a gift you can use or a scripture to share, every one of us has something to contribute, just like 1 Corinthians 14:26-33.
So, there it is. Our not-so-secret ingredients :)
Cheers, God Bless and see you Sunday!
Dan
Jesus: Lead by being a servant
“26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- Matthew 20:20-28
This week we discuss Jesus’ leadership model - serving others! Want to serve at Open Road? Turn up Sunday, listen, connect, share and pray with those around you as we GATHER to encourage each other. Jesus’ idea of “serving God” really is serving others!
If you're keen to read more: https://52follow.com/lead-by-being-a-servant
Being a Christian in Iran
Martine found a great documentary on Persians turning to Jesus. Of particular interest to me was some of those who shared how powerful it was to be in small, non-traditional gatherings and how rich their spiritual life was in those seasons!
Coming Up
April
Sun 13 Apr - Beach Gathering at Moffats
Sun 20 Apr - Beach Gathering at Moffats
Sun 27 Apr - Beach Gathering at Moffats
Our Mission
To help people find and follow Jesus.
Our Rhythms
Get to Know Jesus: how are you getting to know Jesus this week?
Invite people into your life: who can you intentionally open up your life to?
Gather and get involved: who can you connect, listen, share or pray with this weekend?
Our Giving
We are slowly being led to needs for our giving kitty! Please take time to ask God if there is someone in need around you whom God wants you/us to help!
Last month's giving: $10,856
Last month's expenses: $18,203
Balance: $81,561
Giving Kitty Balance: $5000
Giving Out (Oct '23-Mar '25): $12,886
"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed." - Proverbs 19:17
If you would like to support what we are doing and our giving to those in need, you can get started giving to Open Road to meet the needs of our church or get in touch with any questions you may have.
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