Read Isaiah 61:1-7 in The Message translation.

Let's spend time praising and giving thanks to God:

• For Jesus, the fulfillment of Isaiah 61, and how he has transformed countless lives in ways described by the prophet.
• For how God has changed our lives, turned mourning into joy, and annointed us for service in Jesus' name.
• For The Grove and fourteen years of the Lord's favour over his church. Give thanks for his word that guided us, his love that held us together, and his Holy Spirit who empowered us to fulfill his calling.
• For the people of the suburbs around us and God's love and purpose for them all. Gives thanks for the transformations that will take place this year in people who are yet to believe.

Let's spend time praying for a year of great favour:

• That the Holy Spirit would annoint us for a new work to share the good news, heal the broken hearted and release many into new purpose for God.
• For a constant flow of new people into The Grove, responding to their hunger and thirst for God.
• For those mourning to be comforted and for sadness to turn to unspeakable joy in the Lord.
• For broken lives and families and marriages to be rebuilt and restored. For the Holy Spirit to teach us how to minister in ways that bring lasting changes.
• For a double portion of the Lord's blessing to redeem the troubles and suffering in God's name over our journey as a church.
• For many new leaders and people to serve the body of Christ with humility, hunger for God and wisdom in 2021

I am so looking forward to this weekend. Saturday is a Working Bee to plant and clean, and going by other working bees, I anticipate another day experiencing the joy of serving together on the property. Then on Sunday we celebrate our 14th birthday as a church with a special AM service and PM birthday parties. It's going to be a great day too! 

There is a difference between celebrating the birthday of a church and that of a person. An individual's birthday is about the sanctity and significance of one person's life. A church, however, is about the head who is Christ and giving him praise, and about the body which is a diversity of people brought together into God's family. So this Sunday we celebrate Jesus, and we celebrate everyone who calls The Grove home. Whether you joined us this year, a few years ago, or have been with us the whole time, you are a deeply valued part of Jesus' church. We have all been brought into God's story for The Grove in 2021, and that is one of many reasons to celebrate turning fourteen.    

Last Sunday afternoon was another wonderful expression of the body of Christ. So many people came out to pray and unwrap 420 chairs (as seen in the welcome home photo). Adults, teenagers and kids. I was privileged to pray with some of our teenagers, and one of them prayed for Leanne and I. It was so moving and powerful and I couldn't help thinking great things are coming for the next generation in 2021. Those chairs will be put out to restart our PM service this year!

I continue to believe that God has given us a new song to sing in 2021. A song of worship and praise to our great King who is worthy of it all. A song that comes from soft hearts available and expectant of all he will do among us and through us. The last two Sundays at our gathered service I was so encouraged by the expreince of God's presence among us, and how loud people are singing and entering into worship. May our new song continue all through this year, a year we pray would be an expression of Isaiah 61:1-4, the year of the Lord's favour. May these words fill our hearts with faith and expectation, as we celebrate 14 years and prepare to open the doors of the new building.

 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.

God bless,

Marty

ISAIAH 40:3-5

A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
    the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

PRAYER NOTES

• Praise God for opening a way for his work in your life and our church. 
• Pray that we would have soft hearts to hear the word of the Lord this year and resoond to it.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to help us make a way in our hearts, and remove an obstacles for a fresh movement of God among us in 2021
• Pray for all the practical work that needs to be done in February. Ask that many would respond to the call to prepare the property and building for opening up. Pray also for any potential obstacles to be removed. Pray for our final approvals to come in God speed.
• Pray that the glory of God would be revealed and all people would see it in our church and community. Pray again that people would be drawn to The Grove. 
• Pray for those serving our children and teenagers, that they would be so encouraged as Jesus comes and moves in a fresh way in the hearts and loves of young people. Pray that 2021 would be a year where the next generation rise up in faith and grow in number. Pray for the provision of leaders, and funds to fitout the lower floor.
• Pray for our 14th birthday next Sunday to be a day full of the glory of God and praise of his people. Pray that we would open our hearts for all the Lord wants to do among us. 
• Pray over our finances, that every provision gap would be closed, and in particular that we would be able to meet and surpass our budget. 

ISAIAH 40:3-5

A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
    the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

PRAYER NOTES

• Praise God for opening a way for his work in your life and our church. 
• Pray that we would have soft hearts to hear the word of the Lord this year and resoond to it.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to help us make a way in our hearts, and remove an obstacles for a fresh movement of God among us in 2021
• Pray for all the practical work that needs to be done in February. Ask that many would respond to the call to prepare the property and building for opening up. Pray also for any potential obstacles to be removed. Pray for our final approvals to come in God speed.
• Pray that the glory of God would be revealed and all people would see it in our church and community. Pray again that people would be drawn to The Grove. 
• Pray for those serving our children and teenagers, that they would be so encouraged as Jesus comes and moves in a fresh way in the hearts and loves of young people. Pray that 2021 would be a year where the next generation rise up in faith and grow in number. Pray for the provision of leaders, and funds to fitout the lower floor.
• Pray for our 14th birthday next Sunday to be a day full of the glory of God and praise of his people. Pray that we would open our hearts for all the Lord wants to do among us. 
• Pray over our finances, that every provision gap would be closed, and in particular that we would be able to meet and surpass our budget. 

February begins with our 14th birthday, and we prayer it would end with our first service in the new building. Although, as we have communicated already, putting a firm date down is not still possible due to the approvals we are waiting for. The sewer and water are now connected, which is a wonderful milestone and praise point. However, we don't have permission to use these services for opening until the Fire Services, QUU and BCC sign off on them.    

So what do we do as a church while we wait? 

My understanding of a biblical response to waiting, is to use the time to get as ready possible, so that when God moves we move. Some examples of this:

• In the wilderness, the Lord led Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When the cloud or fire stopped, they remained in camp, when it moved they moved. The key was to watch God and be ready to move with him (Numbers 9:15-23).
• When Israel were on the edge of the promised land, Joshua sent his officers through the camp with this message. “Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Josh 1:11)
• When John the Baptist began preaching as a forerunner to Jesus arrival, he used the words of Isaiah 40:3, A voice of one calling:
  “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
• Jesus himself taught numerous parables about the need to live ready for the return of Jesus because we don't know the time or the hour (Matthew 25). 

These examples give us faith directions that we can apply spiritually in our lives, but also in practical action. Over the next two weekends we are planning a number of working bee's to prepare the building and property for opening. The tasks include moving the rest of our stored equipment from Russ Sweetman's house, unwrapping our new chairs, planting out the front garden of the property, and doing a detailed clean of the building. There will be other work to do, but these are a few of the larger jobs we need alot of help to complete.

In the newsletter under the working bee promotion, you can find out details of these opportunites to serve. But lets work and pray as we get ready to move. We have always been a people of faith at The Grove, seeking to be responsive to God rather than reactive to life. It's faith that will continue to keep us living as a ready and responsive people. I will leave you with this verse that God gave us in 2015 before we lodged the DA in 2016 from Joshua 3:5.

Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

Amazing things indeed!