 Who are the people of peace in your life and local community?
This Sunday we are talking about making disciples by finding people of peace. This isn’t a new idea. In fact, it’s the way Jesus made disciples. We read in Luke chapter 10:1-11; “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ From this text and the other stories of Jesus making disciples through finding people of peace; such as the Samaritan woman at the well who, after speaking with Jesus, ran into town telling everyone “Come meet the man who told me everything I ever did… could this be the messiah?” (John 4). And the demoniac (Mark 5), Zacchaeus (Luke 19), and also through his disciples’ interactions with Cornelius (Acts 10), Lydia at the river’s bank and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16), Jason in Thessalonica (Acts 17) and Crispus the synagogue leader (Acts 18), we can gain more understanding of how to make disciples “Jesus' way”, through finding people of peace. We call them people of peace because they
Jesus wants us still to make disciples in the same way today; through people of peace. So, lets ask ourselves… who are the people of peace around us currently, in our lives and communities? Reflect:
May God bless you and be with you as you go into the world and make disciples as Jesus commanded, demonstrated and taught us. I look forward to hearing the stories that you come back and share. Rev. Tanya
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 Last Sunday, we were reminded that we are Children of God.
This coming Sunday, Libby will remind us that children of God are called to bear and birth the fruit of the Spirit. To do this, we have to know what the fruit of the Spirit is. Galatians 5:22-23 says: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law." These are the character traits that we ought to portray as Christians. We’re supposed to be full of love, joy, peace, and everything listed above, but it can’t just be an act, because the cracks will show. We need to display them faithfully and authentically, so others will know from our character that we a Christians. Matthew 7:20 says: "By their fruits ye shall know them." To be known by our fruits is to be identified through our thoughts, words and actions, etc. Sadly, some people who call themselves Christians are seen to act even more worldly than people of the world. Let it not be so with us. Let us continually grow genuine fruit and display it faithfully, by keeping a healthy connection with God. We need to be connected to Him to have the Holy spirit grow and nurture those fruits in our lives so we can be continually transformed into the image of Christ. We cannot bear fruit on our own, but as we stay connected to him we will develop more of these fruits in increasing measure. Jesus said: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15. So, stay connected to Him this week and observe those fruits which you are displaying. Are there any you need to grow in? Ask God to grow them in you by the power of His Holy Spirit. Blessings on your week, Reverend Tanya  I consider myself greatly blessed to be part of a loving, caring, faith community. Think a moment
about the people you know and the relationships you share in Christ that enrich you. As Christians, we have become brothers and sisters in the family of God through the blood of Christ, which means we share beliefs, convictions, and behaviours, which in turn ought to produce mutual cooperation in God’s worship, God’s work, and God’s will being done in the world. Therefore, building relationships and associating with others in the body of Christ is important. In an effort to build community and connect with other believers. I would like to invite you to come along the Excelsis Choir performance this Saturday in Mornington. I still have several free tickets available which I’d love to share with you. Please get in touch if you’d like one. If a choir doesn’t interest you, how about a social lunch at The Dava Hotel on Thursday 16th June? We hope to see you there. We are made for love and community, because we are made in God’s image. God in himself is love, and relationship. In Him we see relationship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While there is only one God, the Godhead consists of these three distinct persons. Each of them are equally omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, eternal, and unchanging, but each one has unique functions. This Sunday we will focus on the Holy Spirit’s unique personhood within the Trinity. In the meantime, I encourage you to reflect on the difference the Holy Spirit has made in your life and come prepared to share and encourage your brothers and sisters this Sunday. Blessings in Christ, Reverend Tanya |
