Are you enjoying the book of Ephesians?
I'm delighted that each week, as we go through another chapter, we are being reminded of what Christ has done for us. This week in chapter 4 we are also reminded of how we ought to live in response to what Christ has done on our behalf. Paul urges us to live a life worthy of the calling we have received. He says we are to be completely humble, gentle, patient, bearing with one another in love, keeping the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. Together we are one body in Christ and yet we have all been given different gifts to help us all grow up together into maturity in Christ Jesus. Some of us he has appointed to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers. In my experience, I have received greater gifting in one of these areas for a period of time to accomplish certain ministries. It is the same spirit who enables all the giftings so that make sense. I wonder what your gifting is and how you are using it for God's kingdom purposes? I encourage you to take this questionnaire (link below) and discover which of the 5-fold ministry gifts you are most naturally suited to. There's a quick questionnaire and a more comprehensive one if you have time. I look forward to hearing what your gifts are and how you would like to use them to equip God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the son of God and become mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. This is God's plan and my desire for us all. Please follow this link to the questionnaire: https://fivefoldministry.com/ Take the Five Fold Ministry Test Now (Free) Discover your kingdom strengths and see if your giftings are apostolic, pastoral, prophetic, evangelistic or teaching. It's fast, effective and free fivefoldministry.com Feel free to share your results on Sunday. Peace be with you, Reverend Tanya Cummings
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There's a kids' song that I love called 'Great Big God'. The lyrics go:
Our God is a great big God... (repeatx3) And he holds us in his hands He's higher than a skyscraper deeper than a submarine He's wider than the universe and beyond my wildest dreams He's known me and he's loved me Since before the world began How wonderful to be a part of God's amazing plan! Our God is a great big God... (repeatx3) And he holds us in his hands https://youtu.be/0K3TUFFpmhA HERE This is SUCH a good song to sum up Ephesians 3 for us! God's amazing plan is that we - the gentiles, have been included in God's family all because of God's kindness (his grace) to us in Jesus (Eph. 3:6). So now, we are heirs and sharers of the promises from Eph 1! How great is our God?! This amazing plan has been mapped out from the beginning of time as we know it (Eph 1:4-5). That's because God's plan is bigger than we can imagine! Because God is bigger than we can imagine. Because God's LOVE is bigger than we can even measure! Paul prays that the Ephesian church would be 'rooted and established in love' - in God's love - and that they would 'grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ' (Eph. 3:17-19). May that prayer be for us too. May we see God's great, immeasurable love for us - beyond our wildest dreams! His plan for us - bigger than we can fully comprehend. The lengths he goes to save us and bring us into his family through Jesus - unfathomable. Why? Because our God is a Great Big God. And he holds us in his hands. Praise God! Reverend Amy Brown It's Reconciliation Week, thus a good opportunity to turn our thoughts toward Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have experienced a long history of exclusion from Australian history books, the Australian flag, the Australian anthem and for many years, Australian democracy. This history of dispossession and colonization lies at the heart of the disparity between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other Australians today. Therefore, this Sunday we will Incorporate an 'acknowledgement of country/land' to show respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional custodians of the land we worship God on.
This theme of reconciliation is also a main theme in part of our bible reading this week - Ephesians 2:11-22. Here we read that God is a reconciling God; reconciling sinners to himself through the blood of Christ, and reconciling all believers of all nations, tribes and tongues into one household built on Christ our cornerstone. In Him we are all joined together and rise to become a Holy temple in the Lord. You too are being built together with us to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. To that we say, "Build your Church Lord!". May he build us up to be a people of power, built on Christ alone as our Cornerstone. Two songs inspired by this message will be part of our repertoire on Sunday; 'Cornerstone', and 'I'm building a people of power'. It's going to be a wonderful time of praise and worship. I hope to see you at our 9:30am service. Note: Our 6:30pm Praise and Prayer gathering is not meeting this week and is on "Pause" until further notice. Every blessing in Christ, Rev. Tanya Are you a Christian? If so, do you realise the full extent of all the blessings you have been given through faith in Jesus Christ?
As we begin a new sermon series in the book of Ephesians, I encourage you to reflect and make sure your life is congruent with who you are in Christ. I want you to be reminded that you have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ and ought to live like it. God has chosen us to be blameless and holy in his sight. In love, he predestined us to become his own adopted children, in accordance with His good pleasure and will. We have redemption through the blood of Christ, and forgiveness of sins, in accordance with God's grace which he lavished on us. He gives us wisdom and understanding and has made known to us the mystery of his will which he purposed in Christ. When we came to saving faith in Christ, we were marked with the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing our inheritance. So, I pray that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened in order that we may fully know the hope to which he has called us and our inheritance in the saints. Many of us who have been Christians for a long time may sometimes forget to live out these realities. We can easily become distracted, or comfortable and complacent. In this world with all its troubles, and Church systems which can become dull and repetitive, it's good for us to be reminded of our first love. Remember when you first became a Christian and were so in love with Christ and overwhelmed with trying to fathom his amazing blessings and grace? If we aren't living in the fulness of these blessings, we may need to repent and do the things we did at first, like Paul told the Ephesian Church to do in Revelation 2:4-5. I pray that through our studies in Ephesians, we will all rekindle our commitment and live out the calling which God has placed on all who believe. To the praise of his glorious grace! Yours in Christ, Reverend Tanya Cummings One of the first things I attended in my first month working here was a local Faith Leaders' Network.
I was blown away that (a) someone would bother organising such a group and (b) that it is well-attended by local Christian organisations from various denominations - Pentecostal, Charismatic, Anglican, Catholic, Uniting, and also para-church or faith-based social justice organisations like the 247 Prayer Movement or HomeGround catering. This has not always been my experience. Often denominations are known for their stalwart convictions that set them apart from another rather than the core truths of Jesus that unite us. At the first meeting someone shared about FaithValues a relatively new organisation seeking to work with the main religious bodies in Australia to generate a worldviews curriculum called General Religious Education that schools would be HAPPY to include in their curriculum and teachers would be ABLE to clearly teach from their secular point of view. Since this first meeting, I have been to the launch of this new organisation and am attending a zoom webinar entitled 'Distinctively Christian in Secular Education' next week. God is moving! He is at work in this space! I am so excited that the possibility of Christian Education is legitimately back on the table for Victoria, and perhaps Australia. I am excited by the government being on board with this development and that schools are asking for this sort of resource. With such a multicultural society, we as Christians must be willing to work together across denominations to keep the opportunity of young people being exposed to the Christian message in schools POSSIBLE. And yet, it is perhaps the ability to not be able to work together as Christians that may be the downfall of such an important development in secular education in Australia. Jesus says, "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 15:5 Such a powerful verse about the unity of believers with Christ. We may have different 'flavours' but together, we must keep the main thing, the main thing. Will you join me in praying for the FaithValues organisation, the cooperation and unity of fellow Christian stakeholders, and that God would keep moving to bring about his purposes in secular education? If you'd like more information on FaithValues you can chat to Amy more about it. If you'd like to join the webinar next Thursday 23rd May from 7-8pm addressing the question: "How can Christians serve an education system for it to flourish in a more secular and multicultural age?" Click this link to register: https://tinyurl.com/mt2upepp Blessings Rev Amy In my experience over the years, many families have chosen John 14:1-6 for a reading at their loved one's funeral. I have preached on it many times, bringing words of comfort and challenge. It is a comfort for those gathered to hear that their loved one knew the way to the father, through faith in Jesus Christ and is now in the place prepared for him/her by Christ himself.
In Jewish culture and tradition, the bridegroom would go away and prepare a house/place for his bride and when it was finished and when the groom's father gave the go ahead, the son would come back and take his bride to go live with him in the place he had prepared for them. This is what Jesus promises those of us who believe in him. Believing in Jesus is the way to our eternal heavenly Father's home. He is the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him. This Sunday I will preach on the 6th of Jesus "I am" declarations in John's Gospel. We will also celebrate Mother's Day with sensitivity to those who may be grieving the loss of theirs. We wish a Happy Mother's Day to all who are mums and empathize with those who haven't had the chance to be a mum. We will celebrate all women. God be with you, Reverend Tanya Cummings Earlier this week I was scrolling through Facebook when I saw a friend's post that had me pausing in shock.
I've known this family for such a long time, though it has been a while since we've seen each other. They were ministers at my home church when I was a young adult. I watched their children grow up, and even when they went away to another church, we kept in touch over the years. Their first child, Levi, had been the face of our local church playgroup back in the day - he was such a cute kid, so full of life and joy. He grew up to love sports and love Jesus. Last weekend, just a month before his 18th birthday, he died in his sleep sometime on Saturday night. I can't imagine what it must have been like to go into their child's room and wake him up to find he'd passed away so suddenly. Such unimaginable grief for a parent. There is some comfort in finding out an unknown heart condition that caused a medical episode, ensuring his death happened swiftly and without suffering. The greater comfort for his family and for all those who trust Jesus, is that Levi is now Home. In John 11:25 Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die." Because Levi believed Jesus' words, this promise is true for him, just as it is true for everyone who trusts Jesus. On Sunday we'll be exploring Jesus' gloriously comforting words some more and the impact of living in light of this resurrection. Amy This Thursday, on ANZAC Day, we pay special tribute to those who have been involved in our nation’s battles. As we remember those who have died in war, like my great Uncle Donnie, may our hearts be full of gratitude for what they were willing to suffer for their own and also future generations. I hope you can join us at Mount Eliza Neighbourhood House at 2pm for the special service run by Rotary.
It’s a privilege to serve alongside other community groups and be the presence of Christ in these contexts. As Christians who bear God’s name, we are all called to represent Christ all day, every day, wherever we are. What a privilege and responsibility! May God use each of us powerfully for His Kingdom purposes, just like he uses Defence Force Chaplains in the lives of those who currently serve God and our country. May they be in our prayers especially this week. I also pray that we will be encouraged to renew our own commitment to dedicate ourselves to the cause of justice, freedom, and peace; and seek to build a better world for the honour and glory of God, and his son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, whose name we bear. This Sunday we are to be reminded that Jesus is our good shepherd (John 10:11-21). He too was willing to lay down his life for others to win a battle that no-one else could win for us. He lay down his life for his sheep. He died a sacrificial death on the cross, enabling forgiveness and bringing about peace with God for every person in every nation all over the whole world - whoever chooses to receive this sacrificial gift. He defeated sin, death, evil, and paid the price for freedom for all humankind. Let us continue to reflect and consider anew the great sacrifices made for us and be truly grateful. May we learn to follow Jesus as our good shepherd; trustworthy and true; for our own good and the good of all. May we each be ready to trust and obey like Jesus and our ANZAC soldiers did. May we go into the world in peace. Be of good courage. Hold fast to that which is good. Never pay back wrong for wrong, Strengthen the fainthearted. Support the weak. Help the afflicted. Honour all people. Love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. And know the blessing of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is with you always. Peace, Rev. Tanya Jesus was an amazing teacher. He would take daily life examples to create spiritual conversation. He used parallels, parables, and allegories to depict spiritual truths. In his seven “I am” sayings recorded in John's Gospel, Jesus teaches all we need to know for salvation.
This Sunday we look at his statement; “I am the door” or “gate”. The Greek word Thyra can be translated either way as it means “passageway”. Jesus is the door/gateway through which the sheep go out and in, and He brings salvation to those who follow his guidance. John 10:9-10 says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Jesus here is contrasting Himself with the Pharisees and religious rulers of the day. They were bad shepherds and false leaders who were acting as gatekeepers of the temple, preventing people from coming to God and trying to stop people from following Jesus. So Jesus uses this imagery to clearly depict that He is the one who reconciles people to God. May we all come to God through him and enjoy the green pastures (abundant life) he promises. I find myself singing… “Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, let the people rejoice. Oh, come to the father through Jesus the son, and give Him the glory great things he has done!” … last verse: “He opened the life gate that all may Go in!” See you Sunday, Rev. Tanya God is continually drawing more people to himself and he wants to use us for this purpose.
It's delightful to see so many new faces among us each week. I want all newcomers to return and find a place of belonging among us, so please make sure you go out of your way to make them feel extra welcome. It's up to all of us! Thank you for your partnership in the gospel. Last Sunday, Amy kicked of our new "I am" series with a great sermon which is online if you missed it. This Sunday Libby will preach on the second of Jesus "I am" sayings in the book of John; "I am the light of the world" (study notes are available). In declaring Himself to be the Light of the world, Jesus was claiming that He is the source of spiritual light. He said, "Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life.’” This metaphor speaks of the light of His Truth, the light of His Word, the light of eternal Life which he offers to all people. Sadly, many choose to reject it. Some prefer the darkness and won't come into the light because they don't want their evil deeds to be exposed. But we are called to live as people of light, who let the Light of Jesus Christ into our hearts, minds, and lives so he can dispel any darkness and make our lives shine brightly for Him. The gospel Light we have is not to be covered. It's to be made obvious for all to see and benefit from, that they, too, may leave the darkness and come into the Light. May He draw many others to himself though our "Shiny" witness. Jesus said about us (His followers), "You are the light of the world". Let's live like it today and always. Light and love, Reverend Tanya Cummings |
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