On Sunday, Dwayne will be preaching on Luke 16:1-15 and what it means to encounter wealth. The Pharisees loved money. Jesus taught that money could have a particular grip on our hearts in a way that it could become our first priority. He reminds us that the money God has entrusted to us should be used in order to bless others and further His Kingdom. He calls money a little thing and reminds us that we cannot serve both God and money. When we examine our bank and credit card statements, what do they say about our view of money and how we prioritize the Kingdom.
See you at 4 pm!
ALSO! I (Steffi) missed a question while I was away on holiday that was sent in during the service a couple of weeks ago by text: "How should we answer to family and friend who think we are choosing to follow Jesus to judge of look like we're perfect?" Dwayne replied: "This is a great question. Two quick thoughts:
- I’d ask my friend why they think that. They may answer that Christians they have met are judgmental and condescending. The truth is, of course, that the opposite should be what they see in us. We come to Christ humble and broken. We come in repentance admitting we don’t have it all together. We come believing we need a Saviour. We need someone to rescue us. Anything we have moving forward is a gracious gift from Him. Our lives and attitude must reflect that.
- If a Christian ever conveys salvation in a way that their friend/family member thinks they need salvation but doesn’t understand that the person explaining it to them also needed salvation (and still needs Jesus every day), then they haven’t explained the gospel adequately. It’s not that I needed Jesus (past tense). It’s that I desperately need Him daily. When you present Christ as the only reason you are different, then you don’t come across as judgemental and ‘all together’ but rather in gracious dependence of God who loves you and is restoring you day by day."
Other items of note --
- ZOOM: Sunday Service (opens at 4pm). Reply to this email if there are any issues during the service. We can't always guarantee that we can do much, but we will do our best.
- THIS SUNDAY: Authority of Scripture - Study with Dwayne: He will be helping us look at the Authority of Scripture on February 25 and March 3 starting at 1:00pm running to about 2:30pm. Followed by a discipleship group from 2:30-3:30pm for those who aren't serving at church those days. If you missed last week, don't fret! You'll still gain a lot of insights.
- Story of Faith: Do you have a story about how God has been working in your life? We hope to start sharing some testimonies at church during the service. Dwayne will be leading this, so please sign up on one of these dates, and we will get in touch.
- Potluck and Prayer: On Tuesday, March 5 from 6:30-8:30pm. Bring a dish to share!