GOD IS WITH US
Adam Richardson - 2012-11-28 11:13:44
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
In Isaiah’s prophecy about the birth of a special child, he uses the name Immanuel. Immanuel means “God is with us”, and Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of that prophecy.
As we move through Advent towards Christmas, may we reflect on how amazing it was that God sent his only child into the world as a helpless baby; fully dependent upon us for his survival. At first it sounds like God is a huge risk taker, but really it is about God being wiser than we can ever comprehend. His plan worked then, it is still working now and it will ultimately be fulfilled at Jesus’ second coming.
| ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE
Adam Richardson - 2012-11-26 09:55:36
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
(John 16:33)
You’re already singing the tune, aren’t you? When Monty Python’s The Life of Brian got to the closing scene and the characters are all singing, “Always look on the bright side of life,” I think they had this passage from John in their minds. The words recorded in John’s gospel are actually spoken by Jesus as he reminds his followers that they will still experience hardship and pain. Following Jesus is not some kind of “get out of tragedy free” card. However, it does provide us with the peace and comfort that we are not going through the circumstances alone, which Jesus also reminds us. If we lean on God, he will give us the strength to persevere and even identify the blessings we have in difficult times. Not even death could overcome Jesus, so why would our troubles be too hard for him to help us with? As our wonderful pastor always says, “Peace and Joy!”
| MARY'S BABY
Adam Richardson - 2012-11-14 14:29:26
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!”
Mary was deeply troubled by the angel’s message, and she wondered what his words meant. The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was, and he will be king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!”
(Luke 1: 26-33)
I spoke in chapel this week about this recount of Mary’s experience when the angel announced to her that she would carry a child placed within her by the Holy Spirit. It was pretty incredible news but Mary looked forward to the event with anticipation and hope. The birth, death and resurrection of Mary’s baby - Jesus - also gives us hope; hope for our future and hope for the eternity with God that he promises us through faith. May you be filled with hope too as we move toward the Christmas season.
| FOUNDATIONS
Adam Richardson - 2012-11-7 11:12:28
For God has already placed Jesus Christ as the one and only foundation, and no other foundation can be laid.
(1 Corinthians 3)
Last Sunday, the Year 7 students led our community in worship. Their message and testimonies strongly reflected the solid foundation upon which their education has been built; the foundation of Jesus Christ.
As their time comes to an end at Good News and each student commences at high school, I pray that they will continue building their lives on the foundation of our Lord and Saviour, and know that he will be with them throughout all that is ahead of them.
| GRACE, FAITH, CHRIST, SCRIPTURE
Adam Richardson - 2012-10-31 15:15:08
Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31b-32)
Today is Reformation Day, which marks when Martin Luther challenged the traditional thinking of the Roman Catholic Church up to that time in 1517. The Lutheran Church is founded on the understanding that salvation comes by Grace alone through Faith alone in Jesus alone from Scripture alone.
Luther was troubled by the conflicting comments of the church leaders and decided that the Church’s understandings had to be drawn from what was written in the Bible. And what he saw in the Bible was a loving God who saves us because of Jesus’ death on the cross. Our salvation has nothing to do with our “works”; so there is nothing we can do that will earn us a place in heaven. It is through God’s free gift of his Son and the suffering Christ endured on our behalf that we gain eternal life.
| JESUS IS THE WAY
Adam Richardson - 2012-10-24 13:26:18
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in me.” (John 14:1)
Jesus spoke these words to his disciples as he was helping them to understand that he was the promised Saviour. He went on to explain that all who gain eternal life with God, do so because of him. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and it is through a faith in him as Lord and Saviour that we gain the promises of heaven.
This morning we joined as a community to celebrate Georgia’s life. We remembered her special qualities and her special talents. We also reminded ourselves that she is now with our heavenly Father because of her faith and trust in Jesus.
We will continue to feel sadness for many days to come but we can be comforted by the knowledge that she is now at peace and is warm in the loving arms of Jesus.
| GAINING OUR STRENGTH FROM GOD
Adam Richardson - 2012-10-17 13:43:42
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)
At this sad time for our community, following the heart-breaking news we heard yesterday, it is this passage from John that we need to go back to and hang on to. This is God’s promise that gives us hope in the future; a hope in the eternal life with him that he has waiting for us. It gives us reassurance, too, that he has our loved ones in his care; holding them in his loving arms.
That does not mean that we won’t feel sadness, emptiness and anger. We still question why and protest at the unfairness of what has happened.
However, be reminded that God is with us all, in both the good times and the bad. He understands our pain, loss and sense of helplessness. Draw your strength from him, from his words of blessing and from his promise of a greater and better place.
I thank our community for the support they have extended to each other and for the love they have shown through their actions and words. Continue it.
| IT’S THE NATURAL THINGS
Adam Richardson - 2012-10-10 12:15:55
Through him all things were made; without him nothing has been made that has been made. (John 1:3)
As I recently travelled around New Zealand with my family, we saw and did many enjoyable things. But when asked what I enjoyed most or which things stick in my memory, it always comes back to the wonderful scenery and the awesomeness of what exists in nature. It’s the things that God made that impress the most. They’re the things that take your breath away and make you go “Wow”. How blessed we are.
| MY SEINFELD MOMENT
Adam Richardson - 2012-09-19 13:30:25
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. (Psalm 139:2)
I had a dream the other night that left me quite disturbed when I woke up. In the dream, I was crawling along in heavy morning traffic, stuck in the lane that was going super slowly. Then another person from work came level with me in the faster lane and told me to get into their car. And I did! I just left my car in the slow lane, got into the other vehicle and went to work. Upon arriving at work, I was quite pleased with myself about the time saved through the move. But then my conscience began to consider how the people behind me must have felt when I abandoned my car in the middle of the traffic. I started considering that the police could track me down via the number plate on the car (which must have been a rental, as I’d never buy a gold car through my own choice), and I thought about how my actions would probably make the evening news.
But what disturbed me most when I woke up, was that my sub-conscious could even consider this action to have been a fair and reasonable one in the first place. What was going on in my head? So when God says that he knows every thought, I trust he knows that I wouldn’t ever consider such a Kramer or George Costanza type action. I trust that God knows that, although I fail often, I seek to do the right thing in situations. And when I do fail, I ask for his forgiveness.
| BOOK 'EM, DANNO
Adam Richardson - 2012-09-17 08:45:16
They said to him, “Sit down, please, and read it to us.”
(Jeremiah 36:15)
You have to be of a certain age to understand the reference in the title don’t you? Sadly, I’m in that zone. Even though I wasn’t an avid fan of Hawaii Five-O when I was a boy, I still remember the catch phrase. And I’m pretty certain that those talented police officers didn’t do too much reading in the show (other than police files) but I do know that if they’d had a book fair at their local school, they would have been yelling it out all over the place.
The P&F has been working hard to make this year’s Book Fair another great success with more features and a strong promotion of the Year of Reading. There are new and used books at bargain prices, rides, games, food, story-telling and writing workshops, and it’s all being done to enhance the educational opportunities for our students and advance God’s work within our community. Thanks to everyone who has played a part so far in its organisation and to everyone that will be helping to run the day. See you all on Saturday!
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