Peter Irvine by The Grainery Church

Walk with our narrators on a purposeful yet leisurely walk through The Lord’s Prayer. You will be invited to stop. Reflect. Pray. Apply the teaching to your own life.

This begins the third Grainery Challenge for this year- a challenge to rise up in prayer and together shape the future.

Matt and Ryan continue their discussion on leading yourself well amidst lockdown.

In John Chapter 6 Jesus proclaims that he is the “Bread of Life”. This sets the context for his teaching on what the church calls Holy Communion, or, The Eucharist. Matt explains how this, in the early years of the church, was misunderstood and sometimes deliberately mis-interpreted in the wider context of persecution by the Roman Empire. The Kingdom of God is made up of those who bow their knees to a heavenly King not an earthly ruler. Yielding to God as your King, following Jesus, knowing and loving him, involves laying down kingship of our own lives and putting allegiance to God’s kingdom above earthly allegiances.

Whatever you are feeling or facing in these days of isolation and distancing, Matt’s message will encourage you to put knowing and following Jesus as first priority.

What can you not do without? Corona Virus season has taught us a few things about that. It has, in particular, taught us the value of relationships, of connection, of community. Loneliness is a widespread and destructive experience.

Yet there is a deeper relationship that all humans desire. A relationship with God. Jesus said he is the “Bread of Life” and the “Living Water”. We all need food and water but there is a spiritual food and water, which Jesus said would never leave us dissatisfied. Using stories from the New Testament book of John, Asher reveals how a relationship with Jesus completely satisfies our destiny, the purpose our life, the one thing we simply cannot live life in all its fullness without.

Mel Attia discusses the update and the future of COVID-19 with Dr John Attia

Your identity has internal and external aspects which sometimes are at war with each other. A story in John chapter eight speaks of a woman who had been caught in adultery and was brought to Jesus. Springboarding from this story to our life situations, Sue explores the roles of accusers, victims and advocates in our life. She concludes that since we are all often the guilty person, we need to be honest internally and externally. No religious act. No pretending to be who we are not.

Rather, when we fully find the free gift of our identity in Jesus’ love, advocacy and forgiveness for us, in God the Father’s consequent judgement of us as righteous in Christ, and in the Holy Spirit’s presence in us, we have a brand new identity!

How can we talk about joy in such a troubled time for the whole world? John looks at the book of Philippians and the story of Paul the Apostle, to show us how to experience joy in difficult circumstances. Five secrets to joy are revealed....

1. Rejoicing is found in the Lord - only knowing Jesus and his love for us can bring lasting, overflowing joy

2. Rejoice - it’s a command- an imperative which takes effort and discipline as well as being a work or fruit of the Holy Spirit in us

3. Joy is possible without good circumstances. Outward events can bring happiness but joy in the Lord is inward - it endures despite life’s circumstances.

4. Being “other focussed” can bring great joy. Being overly self focussed is often a source of great anxiety

5. Be an active part of a community involved in kingdom work.

Ryan and Matt talk about three ways you can lead yourself well in your journey with God.

What gives you satisfaction? Can you distinguish between the satisfaction that fades and leads to the cycle of addiction, and the eternal satisfaction that knowing Jesus brings?

Life in all its fullness - what does it depend on? Naomi debunks some myths that many of us believe, thinking they will lead us to perfection, satisfaction, fullness. Wealth, perfectionism, appearance management will not lead us to a closer walk with Jesus. Rather, Naomi points us to humble acceptance of our sinfulness, giving up the throne of our life to Jesus and then living in close union with him.

The biblical story of the “rich young ruler” informs this message, pointing us to align our thoughts and lives with Jesus’ thoughts and life, and Naomi gives practical guidance in how to do this.