Oh perfect Love! One of my favourite chapters in the Bible is Luke 19. Here we have the account of Zacchaeus, a man who as the NKJV Bible states, “sought to see who Jesus was”. Yet, because of his short stature, he was unable to see above the crowd. To alleviate his problem, he has an idea. Running ahead of the crowd he decides to climb up a sycamore tree – a good vantage point. …
The Fruit of Love Last month we started looking at the Fruit of the Spirit. This month’s study focuses on the Fruit of Love. Love is mentioned 551 times in the Bible. If any of us listen to the radio, we may have heard the song What’s love got to do with it? It was a song that was released in 1984 by Tina Turner. It is a pop song that talks about love and …
Heavenly fruits When Grace sent me an email with the request to consider contributing devotions for Lutheran Women 2023, one the first things I did before giving my answer was to open my Bible and read the theme for the year – “Fruits of the Spirit”. And there they were in all their loveliness in Galatians chapter 5: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As I slowly read the verse, allowing …
Before we begin: What is your favourite fruit to eat and why do you like it so much? Please discuss with group. Many people like fruit trees and the produce that comes from them. If we are prone to eating fruit, we find that, in moderation, it is good for us. However, if we have too much or too little fruit, we may find that we have some health issues that we need to deal …
“In just about every area of our life – finishing strong, and finishing well, are important goals.” Read Sal Huckel’s bible study on this theme…
Music is such an intrinsic part of Christmas and for celebrations of life. In this, the penultimate of Pam’s devotions for our magazine, she encourages you to ‘refresh your soul…’ with music during December.
Read her full devotion here …
We are all familiar with the sign that says: TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED!
It means that you need permission to be in the place where you are. It means don’t go there, stay out. There will be consequences for disobeying. Still, we mentally measure up the risk and decide whether it’s better to rely on forgiveness rather than get permission. Human nature is at work. Human nature is aligned with St Paul when he writes in Romans 7:14,15 (NLT) about the struggle we have with God’s Law which clearly points out our sinful nature. So, the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead I do what I hate…
Read Pam’s full devotion here …
Who taught you how to pray?
Are there any people you can name as mentors/influential in your prayer life?
Do you remember learning the Lord’s Prayer?
How have you prayed it over the years?
What happens in your mind as you pray it in our weekly liturgy?
If your church does not use liturgy regularly, do you still use this prayer? Why or why not?
Think more about prayer with this Bible Study by Sal Huckel …
Debts, trespasses, sins … many of us have, over quite a time, possibly prayed these words in a version of The Lord’s Prayer. You can probably think of many other words which have “changed” to suit the times. So … debts come to mind, as something we might owe … trespasses, we’ve gone somewhere the sign told us not to go … sins, we’ve done something wrong and hurt someone or something. Transgressions is another …
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us What this means for us We don’t deserve anything we pray for. We sin every day, and all we deserve is punishment. But, in this prayer, we are asking: “Father, do not look at our sins or refuse to listen to our prayers because of them. Instead, give us everything we need simply out of your kindness.” In the same way, when people …
On 13 October, Faith North Bundaberg ladies hosted the day with the theme Under His Wings, text: Matthew 23:37. Fifty-two attended. Karen Bryce from “Faith” and Heidi Lane, Zone President warmly welcomed everyone. Pastor Ryan Norris opened the morning with a devotion from Isaiah 40:28-31. Pastor Ryan stated we should never forget God in our ability to hang on during tough times in life. Take time to remember God’s faithfulness as he is always there …
A collection of first-hand accounts of the floods in Queensland in 2022. SE Qld Flood 2022 March … SE Queensland … Autumn … a beautiful time of the year. The heat is abating, the cyclones and rainy season should be gone. The skies are blue, the air is cooler, and mornings and evenings have a little crispness about them. Well, that’s the way it should be – but not March in SE Queensland in 2022! …