Para Vista Lutheran Church

Relentless. There are a bunch of similar words or phrases that capture the idea, e.g. tenacious, obstinate, stubborn, determined, persistent, never giving up.

In 1 Cor. 13, Paul describes God’s love (agape) as relentless:  ‘It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails’ (1 Corinthians 13:7-8a NIV).

In the Psalms, we often read of the Lord’s ‘unfailing love’. 

When the Israelites are threatened: ‘May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you’ (Psalm 33:20-22 NIV).

When the people of Israel are beat up, they cry out: ‘Show us your unfailing love, LORD, and grant us your salvation’ (Psalm 85:7 NIV).

After the LORD brings deliverance: ‘Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds…’ (Psalm 107:8 NIV).

God’s relentless love for humanity is the heart of the Bible. His love towards you is relentless. God loves every person on this planet – past, present and future. He wants every person to find refuge in his love, live in his love, and share his love with others.

The depth of the Father’s love for us is evident in what he gave to make us his forever. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 NIV).

Jesus’ promise is for you, for every person you know, for the whole world.

When we believe and receive Jesus, his relentless love breaks out in our lives.

When we live in the relentless love of Jesus:

• He helps us to become better version of ourselves;
• He frees us from baggage of our past;
• He gives us hope for the future;
• He brings us into God’s story where we get to share his relentless love with others. I wonder what this might look like for you and me – and our Good Shepherd family…

Come along to celebrate and share the Lord’s unfailing love!

Shalom!

Pr Rolly Stahl

Relentless. There are a bunch of similar words or phrases that capture the idea, e.g. tenacious, obstinate, stubborn, determined, persistent, never giving up.

In 1 Cor. 13, Paul describes God’s love (agape) as relentless:  ‘It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails’ (1 Corinthians 13:7-8a NIV).

In the Psalms, we often read of the Lord’s ‘unfailing love’. 

When the Israelites are threatened: ‘May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you’ (Psalm 33:20-22 NIV).

When the people of Israel are beat up, they cry out: ‘Show us your unfailing love, LORD, and grant us your salvation’ (Psalm 85:7 NIV).

After the LORD brings deliverance: ‘Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds…’ (Psalm 107:8 NIV).

God’s relentless love for humanity is the heart of the Bible. His love towards you is relentless. God loves every person on this planet – past, present and future. He wants every person to find refuge in his love, live in his love, and share his love with others.

The depth of the Father’s love for us is evident in what he gave to make us his forever. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 NIV).

Jesus’ promise is for you, for every person you know, for the whole world.

When we believe and receive Jesus, his relentless love breaks out in our lives.

When we live in the relentless love of Jesus:

• He helps us to become better version of ourselves;
• He frees us from baggage of our past;
• He gives us hope for the future;
• He brings us into God’s story where we get to share his relentless love with others. I wonder what this might look like for you and me – and our Good Shepherd family…

Come along to celebrate and share the Lord’s unfailing love!

Shalom!

Pr Rolly Stahl

So the Jews replied to him, ‘What sign will you show us for doing these things (clearing the temple)?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.’ ~John 2:17, 18

We understand (I think) what Jesus means. Two thousand years of resurrection/Easter understanding – cognitively we know that Jesus is talking about his body, but theologically? Are we stuck where the Jewish leadership was? Are we stuck needing a sign and a wonder for the Saviour to really let us know that there really is a God?

When Jesus says, ‘Destroy this temple,’ I wonder if the Jewish leadership thought he was commanding them to do so, to rip down the building that housed their sanctuary – their safety from the world. I wonder if the Jewish leadership were aghast that anyone would dare think that the building that had been a house for God’s name, and a place for sacrifice, would be blasphemed by tearing down the structure.

The Jewish leaders are incredulous. ‘This took forty-six years to build, and you – you! Want to rebuild it in three days.’ Even God can’t do that, right?

And, the freshly scrubbed disciples, only days into the ministry, must have been scratching their heads. Get rid of the temple? Is he serious? Where will we go for the festivals? Where will we worship? Where will we offer our sacrifices? It was only after the resurrection that they fully understood Jesus’ words and their faith in the scripture (John 2:21-25).

For so long the building had been the focus of Israel’s worship, but it had been turned into a marketplace, not used for its original designation as a house of prayer and praise. And so, the temple and its sanctuary had become pointless.

The living temple was in their midst, and they were missing it.

What has changed over two thousand years? Should we look at that this week? Should we dig into our fears of the future of the ‘Church,’ and gaze into what God is doing in these three days?

Pr Reid Matthias

So the Jews replied to him, ‘What sign will you show us for doing these things (clearing the temple)?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.’ ~John 2:17, 18

We understand (I think) what Jesus means. Two thousand years of resurrection/Easter understanding – cognitively we know that Jesus is talking about his body, but theologically? Are we stuck where the Jewish leadership was? Are we stuck needing a sign and a wonder for the Saviour to really let us know that there really is a God?

When Jesus says, ‘Destroy this temple,’ I wonder if the Jewish leadership thought he was commanding them to do so, to rip down the building that housed their sanctuary – their safety from the world. I wonder if the Jewish leadership were aghast that anyone would dare think that the building that had been a house for God’s name, and a place for sacrifice, would be blasphemed by tearing down the structure.

The Jewish leaders are incredulous. ‘This took forty-six years to build, and you – you! Want to rebuild it in three days.’ Even God can’t do that, right?

And, the freshly scrubbed disciples, only days into the ministry, must have been scratching their heads. Get rid of the temple? Is he serious? Where will we go for the festivals? Where will we worship? Where will we offer our sacrifices? It was only after the resurrection that they fully understood Jesus’ words and their faith in the scripture (John 2:21-25).

For so long the building had been the focus of Israel’s worship, but it had been turned into a marketplace, not used for its original designation as a house of prayer and praise. And so, the temple and its sanctuary had become pointless.

The living temple was in their midst, and they were missing it.

What has changed over two thousand years? Should we look at that this week? Should we dig into our fears of the future of the ‘Church,’ and gaze into what God is doing in these three days?

Pr Reid Matthias

In our 21st Century culture, we can fill our days with so many activities that we lack space to reflect and listen to our own inner world – let alone the concerns of others …or listening out for God’s voice.

Let me confess: I am addicted to activity, and need to make some regular space to be still in the presence of God… and listen out for his voice.

Our God is not interested in our religious performance, but in a personal and intimate relationship with us.  In Jesus, God has removed every barrier that separates us from the life he wants for us.  Now that Jesus has reconciled us into a right relationship with Father God, we now have the awesome privilege of doing life together with him.  For that relationship to flourish, we need to keep listening to his voice – and talking with him.

Join us for a message by Pastor Michael Dutschke.

In our 21st Century culture, we can fill our days with so many activities that we lack space to reflect and listen to our own inner world – let alone the concerns of others …or listening out for God’s voice.

Let me confess: I am addicted to activity, and need to make some regular space to be still in the presence of God… and listen out for his voice.

Our God is not interested in our religious performance, but in a personal and intimate relationship with us.  In Jesus, God has removed every barrier that separates us from the life he wants for us.  Now that Jesus has reconciled us into a right relationship with Father God, we now have the awesome privilege of doing life together with him.  For that relationship to flourish, we need to keep listening to his voice – and talking with him.

Join us for a message by Pastor Michael Dutschke.

This is a message from the series LESS-Lent by Georgie Schuster - "Life-less"

Jesus’ words are confronting: “Deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me. Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:34-35).

Direct and to the point. These words were shared moments after he had shared the direction his own life was about to take. That of suffering.

His own life was about to be surrendered and it didn’t look pretty. But his actions had eternal consequences for us.

Our salvation.

Jesus had the bigger picture in mind when he shared these words.

What if we steadied ourselves for a moment and thought of what our surrendered life might look like?

Jesus spent three years investing in the lives of those around him, before his death and resurrection. Think of all the lives he touched and the impact that was made. He showed by his words and actions that people mattered to God.

What would it be like if we ‘surrendered our lives’ to God and allowed him to direct us to people who need to be shown that they matter to Him?

This is a message from the series LESS-Lent by Georgie Schuster - "Life-less"

Jesus’ words are confronting: “Deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me. Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:34-35).

Direct and to the point. These words were shared moments after he had shared the direction his own life was about to take. That of suffering.

His own life was about to be surrendered and it didn’t look pretty. But his actions had eternal consequences for us.

Our salvation.

Jesus had the bigger picture in mind when he shared these words.

What if we steadied ourselves for a moment and thought of what our surrendered life might look like?

Jesus spent three years investing in the lives of those around him, before his death and resurrection. Think of all the lives he touched and the impact that was made. He showed by his words and actions that people mattered to God.

What would it be like if we ‘surrendered our lives’ to God and allowed him to direct us to people who need to be shown that they matter to Him?

This is a message by Pastor Rolly Stahl on 17th Feb 2021 - Ash Wednesday "Ego-less"

This is a message by Pastor Rolly Stahl on 17th Feb 2021 - Ash Wednesday "Ego-less"