Life without hope is misery and despair. When it hits the fan in life, it’s hard to keep going without hope of better days ahead.
Jesus came alongside people in despair and gave them hope. While Jesus’ miracles are impressive, I am equally inspired by his pastoral care for people one on one.
Jesus touches an untouchable leper. He tells a woman washing his feet with her tears, “Your sins are forgiven.” He takes a deaf mute aside and heals him. He responds to the faith of a Gentile woman by delivering her daughter from an unclean spirit. He welcomes children. In all these actions, Jesus notices and cares for them – renewing their hope in God’s love.
How do we become a community of hope – where we participate in Jesus’ ministry of healing and hope to those in despair? How does the good news of Jesus change our perspective on life, and renew our compassion for others?
You can get through anything in life with a few people cheering you on: “Hey, we’re with you. By the grace of God, we’ll help you get through this.”
You can get through anything in life when you know God’s unfailing love for you in Jesus – and that your future is life with him forever!
Hope fills us with confidence to take the next step.
Hope gives us courage to persevere through hardship.
Hope is God’s gift to us in Jesus.
A community of hope keeps centred in Jesus, remembering that we are caught up in God’s story that ends in glory.
Come celebrate and share the hope we have in Jesus this Sunday!
Pr Rolly Stahl
Bible Reading: Colossians 3:1-4, Hebrews 10:19-25
Podcasts of weekly messages are available at www.paravista.org.au
Prayer Request
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 churchenquiries@paravista.org.au with your request.
Plant Sale
There will be plants for sale after both services this Sunday to support the Family Zone Hub.
Ladies Fellowship Meeting
Welcome to our March meeting, 5th March 2019 @ 1pm.
Bring along your olfactory senses (sense of smell) as we have a new challenge for you. Milla and Lorraine have a spice game where we have to name the spices and their usage.
So come along and enjoy the fun!
Café Name
It’s hard to believe that the café has been up and running for a year now. It seems like it has been part of who we are for so long that we’ve forgotten what the kitchen/café area used to look like. It has been a true blessing to use the facilities and we thank God for the way we can gather as community.
But I think it’s time, like after the birth of any baby, to find a name.
Beginning in these next weeks, we’ll be gathering ideas for names from both congregation and the school for the café, the education room (library) and the baby room. Feel free to be creative and to think of names that could connect our mission and ministry with the name. In choosing a name, we can then think of new ways to decorate and make the space even more aesthetically pleasing.
Join in the creativity!
There will be a box outside the sanctuary where you can deposit your ideas, or let us know online through this form: https://goo.gl/forms/HrrVXKsQqTfTZfEG2
From the Office
Invitation from Australian Lutheran College (ALC)
ALC invites you to attend events marking the beginning of the new academic year.
• Monday 25 February 2019
• 9.00am: Worship
• 9.30am: Opening Lecture, presented by the ALC Dean, Rev Dr Stephen Haar, entitled, ‘Learning, Formation, and Community: Challenges facing a distributed model of theological education.’
Please park off campus and enter via the entrance at 200 Ward Street, North Adelaide. All enquiries / RSVP to: Alice on (08) 7120 8212 or alc@alc.edu.au. The lecture will be recorded and made available via the ALC website: alc.edu.au.
Notice Board
Para Vista Lutheran Cricket Club
40th Anniversary
Reserve is next to Yatala Prison and behind the “Grand North” on Grand Junction Road.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’’
Romans 15:13
