On Wednesday I visited the Google offices in Sydney with Joel Hockey. Joel works for Google, and each year the company gives employees $400US to give to a charity, which they also triple match when donated! So Joel invited Andrew Browning to come and speak to employees about the Barbara May foundation, as an option to donate their funds to.  It was a privilege to be a guest and meet the BMF team, as The Grove has supported this incredible life saving work among African mums for three years now.  

This is such a great example of how followers of Jesus are ambassadors for the Kingdom of God in workplaces. We all have different jobs, and different opportunities to point to what Jesus is doing in the world; but we can be confident God placed us in our vocations not only to provide a service, but to be a light in the darkness.    

Last Sunday Ryan Vallee preached about praying to the Lord, asking him to send out workers into the plentiful harvest field. Ryan shared encouraging evidence of the growing harvest seen in people becoming more open to God. Church attendance in Europe has doubled in six years, and in the last week the YouVersion Bible app passed 1 billion downloads! In Australia the stories of God moving in lives are also stacking up, even in our own church. 

Then last Sunday night, Ben Daiton shared about being a light in the darkness. He finished with our church mission verse in Matthew 5:16. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish even one little light. But when we let our light shine through deeds done in Jesus name, our light overcomes darkness. Ben had the auditorium lights turned off and asked a few to shine their phone torch. Then he asked everyone to shine their torches and the result was a fully lit up room. One light is good, many lights can’t be missed. 

When two guest preachers share the actual words of Jesus about reaching others, we need to take notice that God is speaking to The Grove. Jesus own mission statement was that he came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). It’s clear that God wants us to have a laser focus on his search and find mission, in this time of incredible openness and opportunity for the gospel. 

I am so thankful for the many ambassadors shining their light in their workplaces. I am thankful for the twenty young adults shining their light as Red Frogs at schoolies. I am also thankful for the many who pray, because prayer is the hidden mission. As Ryan reminded us, much prayer much power, little prayer little power, no prayer no power. With many Christmas opportunities coming up at work, in our neighbourhoods and as a church, 

lets pray and shine light whenever we have opportunity.

God bless, Marty.