Friday, December 6, 2013

Claim the promise!
 
A few years ago my son spilt water over the keyboard of our laptop computer and it stopped working. Someone told me that their insurance company covered accidental damage to electrical goods so I rang my insurance company in the hope our laptop would be covered. I was told that they didn’t cover accidental damage to laptops and the lady politely directed me to read the policy booklet they sent out with my renewal each year.
 
After the call I looked through the policy booklet and sure enough it was clearly stated that damage to electrical goods such as laptops was not covered. This experience taught me the value of reading the fine print and knowing exactly what you get in your policy. It was good to know what they promised to do and what they didn’t promise to do.
 
Just the other day I needed to contact our insurance company again and in the course of our conversation I discovered that they now offered cover that included accidental damage for specified electrical goods such as phones, iPads and laptops. Needless to say I specified a couple of items so they would be covered and was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t increase my premium. I would have never thought to do this if I hadn’t found out that they now offer this kind of cover.
 
This got me thinking about God’s promises to us. How many times do we expect God to do something for us that he hasn’t actually promised to do? A common expectation I find is that people believe that if they live a good moral life then God will spare them from pain and suffering. Yet God does not actually promise this. If you read his handbook, the Bible, you won’t find it there.
 
At the same time I wonder how many of God promises go unclaimed because we have not taken the time to discover them? How often do we try to do things in our own strength and resources when God promises to be with us and provide us with what we need?
 
During this season of Advent at Good Shepherd we will continue to unpack God’s promises to us in Jesus. The Bible says, ‘For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!”’ (2 Corinthians 1:20) God sent Jesus into this world to fulfil all his promises to us. God wants us to claim his promises and live by them. A promise is of no use if we do not claim it and live by it. My insurance company’s promise to insure my possessions is only useful to me if I subscribe to their insurance and claim against their promises when needed.
 
Do you know the promises of God to you in Jesus? Why not take the time to read God’s promise handbook, the Bible and grow in your understanding of what God promises you in Jesus? As you do this I suspect you will discover a fresh joy for your Christmas celebrations and a new perspective to live by in the coming year. 2014 can be a very promising year as you live in the promise of God.
 
Pastor Noel
 
 
This Sunday at Good Shepherd
This week’s message will be “God’s Promise of Peace” as we continue the series ‘God’s promises in Jesus’
Podcasts of weekly messages are available at www.paravista.org.au
 
Bible Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5, Isaiah 9:6-7
 
 
Celebration Service:
Thank you to everyone who came along to our Celebration Service last Sunday. It was a wonderful morning and we thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to worship with you. We’d like to extend a huge congratulation to all the kids and leaders involved. You are amazing and we hope you had just as much fun as we did. Kingdom Kids has now finished for the year but we’d like to invite you to continue worshipping with us during Advent. Kingdom Kids will be re launched at our Back to School service on the 2nd February 2014.
 
 
 
Baby Zone:
Normal lessons will resume this Sunday 8th December during the 10:30am service and will conclude on the 15th December with our 2013 Christmas Party. Please note that our final session and party will be held on the school oval and playground as our current room is no longer available. We ask that parents and carers (who wish to have their children involved) stay so that everyone can be safe and accounted for in a more open space. We are looking forward to moving into our new room early next year.
 
Playgroup: The things we love about Christmas!
Come along to playgroup this term to help us celebrate “the things we love about Christmas”. Each Wednesday from 9:30am-11:30am the church hall is transformed into an inviting play area with loads of fun and interesting activities for everyone to take part in. Our theme this week was The Nativity Story followed by Carols and Community on the 11th December, a joint celebration with the receptions at GSLS from 9-10:30am on the school playground and oval. Please bring a plate of morning tea to share.  $2 per child or $3 per family. Please contact Beth Einthal for more info 0438 233 671.
 
Only $50 to go!
It has become a tradition at our church to give the children a Christmas pack as they enter church on Christmas Eve and Day, as a way to include and bless them in the service. To help cover the cost of this expense, we would like to ask for small donations from the congregation. $180 has already been donated, which means we only have $50 to go. Please place your donations in the ‘Kids Christmas Packs’ money house located on the Kingdom Kids sign in table in the narthex. Thanks in advance for your support in this way. We’d also like to thank the years 7’s at GSLC who will help us put the packs together next Monday afternoon.  
 
Laura Carson – Children and Family Team Leader

Prayer requests
Prayer requests are not included in the weekly news. If you would like to view the current requests refer to the email that alerted you to this weekly news. If you have a prayer request please email churchequiries@paravista.org.au with your request.
 
Lutheran Women of South Australia RETREAT 2014
Located at the Australian Lutheran College - Ward Street, North Adelaide
From 17th to 19th January 2014. RSVP required by 8th January 2014.
For enrolment forms or more information, please contact Ruth Oster on 8265 0221 or email kroster@senet.com.au
 
From the office
 
Christmas Whirlwind
Last year a number of volunteers attended the church complex on Christmas Eve and did a general clean of the grounds and exterior surrounds of the building. I am again looking for a small team to assist in creating an inviting appearance to our church facility for Christmas. 
 
In order to do this I am planning to hold a whirlwind of the church grounds and facility exterior on Tuesday 24th December starting at 9am. Now the more helpers we get the bigger the whirlwind and the greater the effect. If you have someone else in mind who you could bring along, do so and it will all be blown over in a jiffy.
 
If you have a petrol driven blow vac that needs a dust out bring it along with safety equip and we can have a dust off comp. Last year’s winner was a blow in who only led by a short puff.
 
Please mark your welcome card whirlwind, let the office or Stephen know your availability by 9am Wednesday 18th December. Thanks.
 
 
Christmas Stalls
Available after both morning services on the following dates: 8th and 15th December.  All proceeds to Cebu Mission. Thank you for your support.
 
Research on conversion to Christianity
Researchers from Flinders University (theology department) are seeking participants for research on why individuals convert to Christianity. If you are aged over 18 years, from an English speaking background, have begun considering yourself a Christian in the past two years and are willing to be interviewed about your experiences, they would love to hear from you. More information on the noticeboard or from Lynne Taylor Mobile: 0488 497 881, Phone: 08 8358 2149 or Email: tayl0548@flinders.edu.au
 
 
Past stories of grace inspire future stories of faith”