Abraham was a man of faith. He believed God when God spoke to him and called him to leave his home and go where God would lead him. He didn’t even know where he was going. God came to Abraham and established a covenant with him, changing his name from Abram (exalted father) to Abraham (father of a multitude) and promising that he would have a son by Sarah and she would give rise to nations. Paul refers to this in Romans 4 ‘Abraham believed the Lord and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness’. (Genesis 15:6) Abraham’s willingness to believe the Lord in impossible circumstances is inspirational, but Paul says even Abraham didn’t have what we have. You and I have the great privilege of living after the death and resurrection of Jesus. We, therefore, receive more than God’s approval or being counted as righteous in and of ourselves – we receive the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God is that state of being right with God in the sinlessness that belonged to Jesus. It is to be called completely sin free, spotless, clean through and through. It isn’t something we can attain for ourselves. Our lives have already had sin in them and can’t be called righteous in the same way that Jesus’ life was and is righteous. His righteousness began before the beginning of time and continues today, still sinless and unassailable by any enemy. Thus, since Jesus has no sin in him, to be given his righteousness is to be counted as not having our background of sin at all. This doesn’t mean that we don’t ever do anything wrong or that if we do we can just ignore it. If we do something which is against God we must still confess it and ask forgiveness and practice the change of mind and heart that true repentance requires. The difference is that, having repented and been forgiven, the righteousness of God is ours and that sin we just confessed and repented of to the Father is no longer considered to exist in God’s eyes. To the Lord it is as if it never happened. This we access only by faith, it is the gift of God through Jesus. Are you listening to an inner voice saying that you can’t have this? If you believe in Jesus, you absolutely can and do have this gift. Repent and receive the gift by faith in his death and resurrection, it’s free.
Janice
This Week
| SUNDAY: | Holy Communion, 8.45am |
| Family Service, 10.30am | |
| MONDAY: | Study Group, St Mark’s, 7.00pm – 9:00pm |
| Contact Kevin or Anne (0438 234 857) | |
| 10.30 Service Core Team Meeting, St Mark’s 10.30am | |
| TUESDAY: | Zoom Prayer Meeting, 1.30pm |
| Contact John (0421426156) | |
| Zoom Bible Study Group, 7.00pm | |
| Contact Graeme (0490 664 843) | |
| WEDNESDAY: | Bible Study Group St Mark’s,11.00am |
| Contact Keith (0419 551 082) | |
| Cuppa, Craft & Chat Group, St Mark’s, 12.30pm | |
| Contact Robyn (0409 425 044) | |
| THURSDAY: | Women’s Bible Study, St Mark’s, 9.30am |
| We will be using Cynthia Heald’s book | |
| “Becoming a Woman of Grace” | |
| Contact Fay (0401 404 280) | |
| Men’s Coffee & Chat, Blackthorn Café, 10.00am | |
| ALPHA Course | |
| Contact: Carol (0411405597) or Steve (0437984679) | |
| FRIDAY: | JANICE’S DAY OFF |
| NEXT SUNDAY: | Holy Communion, 8.45am |
| Family Service, 10.30am |
Regular Worship Times
| SUNDAY: | 8.45am | Holy Communion |
| 10.30am | Family Worship with Children’s Ministry | |
| (Holy Communion – 1st Sundays) | ||
| 6.00pm | Healing Service – 1st Sundays | |
| WEDNESDAY: | 10.00am | Holy Communion |
Parish Contact Details
| Monitored contact points | 0493 280 691 |
| contact@stmarksdromana.org.au | |
| Parish Web Addresses | www.stmarksdromana.org.au |
| Facebook page | https://www.facebook.com/stmarksdromana |
| Pastoral Care Coordinators | Kevin and Anne Cranwell (0438 234 457 Kevin) |
Notices:
Thank You…
We can’t thank you all enough for helping us celebrate Keith’s 50th Anniversary of his Ordination. Thank you to Janice for organising the celebration and for your support and encouragement, to Carol for organising the cakes, to Michelle for your patience with our grandchildren, to the Muso’s and to all at St Mark’s for your ongoing love and fellowship. Keith and Edna
Alpha…
Alpha is continuing and the Lord is blessing us richly. Thank you for your prayer involvement so far. We do need food. There are two weeks in March for main courses and we need slice or cake each week. Hospitality is a significant part of the Alpha evening. Thank you.
Our Celebration will be on 21st March at the Church. Please pray about who you can invite or come yourself and hear wonderful testimony of the graciousness of God. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. 1 Jn 3:1a
Resurrection Garden…
We are creating a resurrection garden in the front garden of the church as a static display to draw the attention of those walking by. We will also have a contemplative walk with the biblical stations of the Cross going into the front garden in the next week. These will be there for the lent/easter season and then be taken down. Go check them out!
Janice
10:30am Service Media Team…
We still need a second person to learn how to set up services for the 10.30am service. Please speak to Anne or Janice.
World Day Of Prayer 2024…
This year’s service will be held at the Southern Mornington Peninsula Uniting Church, Murray-Anderson Road, Rosebud at 2.30pm on 1st March 2024. The Service was prepared by Christian women in Palestine. We have been asked to participate in the service with the prayer of confession and a short reading.
Vicarage Working Bee…
There will be a garden clean-up at the Vicarage Monday 4th March, 2024 Please join anytime you can between 9.30am and 2pm. A BBQ lunch will be provided from around 12noon. It would be great to have “All hands on deck” !!
This Week’s Prayer Focus
In our country and the world:
- For all suffering damage and loss caused by the violent storms in Victoria.
- For all affected by the storms and floods in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.
- For all in Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine.
- For those facing homelessness, hardship, anguish and despair amid rising costs.
- For families affected by violence.
- For those affected by natural disasters in around the world.
- For King Charles III, the UK and the Commonwealth.
- For peace and unity in countries around the World.
- For aid agencies such as “Save the Children”, Oxfam, CARE, UNICEF, World Vision.
In our community:
- For teachers and students.
- For doctors, nurses, paramedics, Coast Guard, the CFA & SES.
- For local community outreach groups such as the Dromana Community House and “Food for All”.
In our Diocese and beyond:
- For Archbishop Geoffrey Smith’s ministry as Primate of Australia.
- For Archbishop Philip Freier’s ministry in the Diocese of Melbourne.
- For the ministry of Bishop Paul Barker in the Jumbunna Region and for Archdeacon Helen Phillips in the Frankston Archdeaconry. Give thanks that Archdeacon Helen is now well and beginning to return to work.
- In our Deanery, we pray for the Parish of Mornington & Mount Martha Church, their Vicar, Ven. Helen Phillips, Assistant Priest Rev’d John Phillips, and Children & Families Minister, Rev’d Liz Rankin.
- For the work of the Church Missionary Society and Wei-Han the Victorian Director.
- For Anna Radkovic our CMS Link Missionary.
- For Christian churches around the world to be free to worship and be witnesses of the love of God as shown through the coming of His Son.
In our Parish:
- For our leadership and ministry teams.
- For Rev’d Janice O’Gorman our Vicar.
- For the finances of our Parish.
- For our Parish, its people and those we reach out to every week.
- For the success of the new Family and Children’s Ministry.
- For the 2024 Alpha program, its leaders, and all who attend.
- For the 9am at home prayer time for the Parish, Dromana & Mornington Peninsula.
- For: Helen R, Jessica, Audrey, Joan, Backy, John R, Margie, Fred, Robert, Jan, David, Guy.
