Update From Your Pastors

Dear Welling Church,

As we think and pray for you all, I can’t help but remember when we were all able to physically meet together. We miss you and praise God for each and everyone of you. We are grateful to be a part of your lives, and we thank you for being a part of the Welling Church family.

Thank you for doing your best in staying connected to the church via Zoom and the livestream. Thank you for seeking Christ in the midst of uncertainty. Thank you for being faithful in your giving both online and in your service. Thank you for your prayers for your church and your community. Thank you for pursuing peace and gentleness during a season of unrest and unknowns.

As we read the news or follow social media, it can be easy to fall into despair or anxiousness over the current climate and direction of our world. As a church, our hope is to run to the God of peace who will give us the peace of God. The Apostle Paul teaches us from Philippians 4:6-7, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This type of peace surpasses all human understanding! It is divine. It is sure. It is God’s blessing to those who seek Him, and it will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Though the world may spin around us, we can be firmly anchored in Christ and His Word. The Holy Spirit of God that indwells every believer is able to keep you in all that you do.

We have peace! We have hope! We have joy! May we share His blessings and truth with all those around us.

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Prayer Points

Joe has been feeling unwell and has a scan of his remaining kidney today.
Sean has asked for prayer for Charlie and Mel.
Diana’s son Kevin has an important meeting this week.

Ministry Opportunity

Everyone loves getting post, and this week a great way you can encourage someone is to send them a card. If you need help with getting an address please feel free to reach out to the pastors and they can help facilitate that for you.

Weekly Devotional

Authentic Faith Part 2: Good Father

A key aspect to having authentic faith is to make sure our faith is based on the correct truth. We have defined faith as "confidence that God is who he says he is and that he will do all he has promised to do,” as followers of Christ we base our faith on the Bible. Using God’s Word as our foundation for our faith is crucial to having authentic faith, we must always approach our faith based on what God says.

Truth

When Jesus came to this earth He not only provided a way for us to be saved but he also reminded us the importance of where truth comes from. Jesus says in John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. When it comes to having authentic faith we must accept God’s truth and the relationship that He offers. We can’t change what God says to make our own truth and we can’t redefine the relationship that God offers us to fit our own desires.

Good Father

God could have picked any type of relationship to have with us, but the type he chose to offer us through Jesus was the relationship of a Father and child. John 1:11–13 explains that those who have received Jesus become children of God: He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Jesus made it a point to refer to God as Father and spent His whole ministry helping us understand that amazing truth. While this is not a completely new concept before Christ, the Old Testament does refer to God as Father 15 times, Jesus takes this teaching and raises it up a notch. In the Gospels, Jesus refers to God as Father 170 times! 109 of those are found in the book of John with 42 coming from Matthew. When Jesus prays in the Gospels He refers to God as Father every time less one. The only instance that he doesn’t is when Jesus prays on the Cross: Mark 15:34 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? and this is a quote from Psalm 22:1.

It is evident that Jesus wants us to understand that God desires to be our Father. The greatest thing we can do for our faith is to constantly remind ourself that God is a perfect Father. Louie Giglio says that “God is not a reflection of our earthly fathers; he is the perfection of our fathers.” As a perfect father, he would not dare give his children everything they ask for. Furthermore, as a perfect father, he can be trusted even when he seems to act out of character. Whether our earthly fathers were good or bad we can not allow their example to diminish who our Perfect Father is.

Adopted as a Child of God

Paul takes this truth and reinforces it in his letter to followers to Christ. In Galatians 3:26 Paul explains how we become a child of God: for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. He continues in Galatians 4:4–7 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. God at the right time in history sent Jesus to make us His sons and daughters and He our Father. When we have God as our Father, Paul teaches us that we now heirs to everything that is God’s.

When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Saviour we were instantly adopted in to God’s family. Romans 8:14–16 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. We can now call God Abba Father, which is something only a true son or daughter can do. Not only were we adopted into God’s family but we were also given the Spirit of God to bear witness that we are in in fact God’s children.

Gracious and Patient Father

In Luke 15 Jesus tells a parable about two sons, one who takes his fathers inheritance, spends it on frivolous things, then repents for his wrong doings; and one who resents his father for forgiving the other. While there is much to learn about each of these sons the main focus of the parable, much like the two preceding parables in the same chapter, is the gracious and patient father. So as you read this story be sure to focus on the father who represents God.

Luke 15:11–32

11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”

What is amazing about this parable is the constant shock and awe that it would of brought to the Pharisees listening that day. This whole teaching starts because of what happened in verses 1-3: Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable. Jesus was teaching that the Pharisees don’t get to determine what authentic faith is. They are just like the older brother, more worried about what is visible on the outside than the inside. They had gotten so caught up on outward appearances that they were missing the point that God loves and rejoices over a sin who repents, on the dead coming to life, on the lost being found.

For you and I, we need to make sure we approach God like the younger brother, admitting wrong and in a place where our only means of survival is dependent on God alone. We need to know that it is what’s on the inside that matters more to our Father then what’s on the outside. God desires that we have a heart that is repentant, not a life full of good works. We have a Father who is ready and willing to have relationship with us. We have Father who wants us to grow closer in understanding of Him and His truth. We have a Father who wants us to have Authentic faith.

Part of having authentic faith is choosing to embrace the truth that God is our good and perfect Father.

Pastors' Update