"But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
- Luke 14:13-14
Ahoy Church,
One of the Four Big Prayers we’ve had as a church centres around being a church of generous people. As we prayed on this topic at our recent monthly gathering, God stirred our hearts towards generosity with not just our personal resources, but our persons.
As I’ve reflected on our time together two phrases kept coming to mind: “Remember the poor” (Galatians 2:10), and, “...the least of these” (Matthew 25:35).
When Dan Hill and I recently met to reflect on how God is guiding us as a church in generosity, we tried to put it all together. What became clear as we chatted and reflected on what God has been speaking to us over time is that the most direct way we can lovingly obey God in this area of life is to be ‘present’ with others.
Jesus in Matthew 25:34-40
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
In our culture, when we think of ‘the least’, our minds often go straight to financial solutions. While we’ve always attempted to ensure we are financially generous as local Christians, the plain understanding of Jesus’ life and teaching is to not only feed and clothe those who need it, but to invite others into our lives, and, when they are in greatest need, invite ourselves into theirs.
While Jesus clearly expects our resources to be shared with others, but not at the expense of sharing our personal space and time with them also.
As we sat on the rocks at Moffat considering all of this, Dan recommended that we simply integrate the idea of “the least” into our second rhythm: Invite people into our lives.
Rather than adding to the rhythms we’ve been championing, Dan’s recommendation is that we simply re-imagine our rhythms to more explicitly express the life and teaching Jesus offers us.
I love when things come together like this.
To follow Jesus into the fullness of life he calls us to, we must be willing to include the sick and the strangers amongst us, not just our besties. We don’t need to give up having close friends, but to make room for new ones.
If we explore this topic in more depth, many bible scholars encourage us that the instructions to care for the least of these, always prioritises our Christian brothers and sisters. From the passages mentioned above to 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, both Jesus and Paul countered the tendency of well-intentioned Christians to turn into “Christian Boys Club” (or Girls Club!) that can’t see beyond their own cliques.
This is one of the reasons we aim to have low admin, structures and rosters. We want each of us, and especially those leading us, to ensure that, “No matter what we do as Christians, we remember the least among us”.
So, here are two simple ways you could live this out:
- Who you talk to on SundaysFirst, youre presence on Sundays matters! I hope you’re encouraged, but some Sundays, you are the encourager God’s sending to someone else!
- Who you eat withWhether at work, school or home, we all have to eat. Ask God if there’s someone you could include in a meal or coffee break with.
- Who you enjoy life withI realise that for many of us, finding downtime is a serious challenge. However, once we stabilise our own lives, consider who you could invite into your place, time or activities that bring you delight!
- Or even do something crazy like contact, visit or meet the needs of the homeless, sick or imprisoned. As Christians it’s wild to think that the homeless, sick and imprisoned are easily forgotten in our complex programs and structures!
So, SERIOUS QUESTION, “Do you have any ideas on how you and I could live out this generous kind of life personally?”
Cheers, God Bless, and see you Sunday!
Jesus: Be prepared for my return
This week we look at another one of Jesus’ cautionary teachings - to be prepared for his return. He’s not just telling us he’s coming back, but that we need stay awake and alert and ‘ready’!
“42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Matthew 24:36-51
Wes Huff - Christian Apologist, Sept 17th
One of the newest voices proclaiming the Christian faith at a hugely popular level is Wes Huff. He’s been on many of the biggest podcasts in the world, is leading many to trust in the Bible’s veracity and the reality of Jesus! A friend, Dan Paterson, is hosting him at Suncoast. The boys and I are going and I’d strongly encourage you to join us with any mates who are open to Jesus.
Questioning Christianity (YouTube)
Ever wondered if there is more the life? Do you have questions about God and the Bible? Have you heard content creators raise objections to Christianity? Then this is a night for you.
Wes Huff has exploded onto the digital scene in the aftermath of his viral debate with Billy Carson. A PhD candidate in ancient scribal habits, Wes has been fielding questions about the Bible's origins, ancient languages, early Church controversies, gospel truth, and secular objections on some of the biggest podcast platforms (Joe Rogan, Andrew Schultz, Piers Morgan, Russell Brand, Patrick Ben-David, etc). Now, Wes Huff is coming to the Sunshine Coast for one night only.
So rally your friends, grab some tickets, and get along for a night of inspiring apologetics and arts as Wes tackles audience questions and speaks to the topic: Why Believe the Bible? This is your chance Australia to bring people along, meet Wes in person, and dive into why Jesus is worth believing, and how the Christian story stands up to scrutiny.
Families Following Jesus Podcast
If you haven’t yet joined Sally and her girls on their new podcast, 'Families Following Jesus', check it out!
- Short, easy-to-digest episodes
- Powerful testimonies from kids and families
- Practical tools to help your family grow in faith
- A supportive community of families following Jesus together
Go check the trailer now - hit play, subscribe, and join us on this exciting journey. Let’s follow Jesus together.
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3RObuqw
Apple Podcast: https://bit.ly/3XTHzRx
Cambodia Trip Success
Thanks to those who prayed for Andrew + Anne and their Team at the Shalom Valley Campsite in Cambodia. Lots of smiling faces and stories to be shared soon I’m sure. Some of you will also notice Gabrielle (front, right, sitting down), a QCCC intern, who comes to Open Road when she is able!
Coming Up
June - NEW Sunday time, from 3pm
Fridays - 6am Men's Prayer - Fred 0431 437 080
Sun 22 - 3pm Beach Gathering at Moffats
Wed 25 - 545pm Deacons
Sun 29 - 3pm 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: $8,490
Last month's expenses: $10,536
Balance: $72,139
Giving in : Oct 23-May 25: $5000
Giving out : Oct 23-May 25: $13,874
"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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