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Change is here to stay

“Change” can be worse than a swear word sometimes in faith communities. People will usually change their cars every so many years, their computers to keep them up to date, change or move the furniture around their home. But for some, when it comes to church certain things have to be done as they have been for years. On the other hand some things are never to change for example, the word of God and all His teachings do not change as Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever, but things which are not really of biblical importance can at times have a stronger hold on us than His word and it can become a stumbling block rather than an opportunity to reach out to people with the message of hope.

In 2 Corinthians 3:18 we read ..

_And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. _

There is a constant change which needs to happen in our lives in order for us to grow more and more like Jesus, reflecting His image. From the moment of conception, we are forever changing as we develop into adulthood. Without change we become stagnant, unproductive, and ineffective in our world. Change into His image is something we need to seek, desire, and strive for. For this we need His help, strength, and wisdom.

Pastor Sandro Schietroma



From the Archives

Face the Future with a Righteous Determination
This is a very exciting month in the life of Wonthaggi Baptist Church. Because, we are finally welcoming our new Senior Pastor Sandro Schietroma and his wife Susan whom God has called to lead our Church forward. Therefore, let us all gear up to support one another, and rally around them by praying daily for and encouraging them. Let us all move into the future embracing all that the Lord wants to do in our midst here. Sandro and Susan will... read more
Preparing for Change
No one was prepared for life in Australia to change so dramatically after the pandemic hit us in March 2020. Most of us had to adjust to the changes thrust upon us. Since then we are still faced with a rapidly changing world. I am in no doubt that unexpected and unpredictable obstacles will continue to face all those who seek to live to please God. God permits obstacles on our pathway only to support us as we change into His likeness. The... read more
Impacting the next generation
Present research has exposed an alarming fact, that the 21 st century church is not delivering sound Bible based disciples for the next generation. The reason is due to unwarranted exposure to ungodly influences on the one hand, and an over-dependency upon church programs that do not deliver kingdom-focused faith in the next generation. I believe that it is time for every one of us to ask ourselves this question: “Am I inspiring our younger... read more
Godly Fatherhood
Fathers all over Australia will be celebrated this Sunday September 3rd - Its Father’s Day! The first job God gave Adam was “Fatherhood”. It takes a real man to be a real father. God commanded Adam and Eve in **Genesis 1:28** to **“be fruitful and multiply”.** This meant that they would build a devoted and loving family together. Most men want to be good fathers, but many don’t have a clue what a godly father looks like. The only place to... read more
Live to please The Lord
Who do you live for each day? Most people live for themselves, or for others. But, how many of us really live each day to please the Lord? Have you ever asked yourself, “Am I living to please the Lord today?” It would be interesting to survey followers of Christ, to find out how many really think about God, His Word, His Church, or their own testimony every day. Can you truly say with confidence that you are living each day as one of God’s... read more
Learn to Celebrate God's Goodness
As a Church family, we can easily say the Lord has really been good to us through the first part of this year. We should be celebrating the fact that we were able to make a difference by giving to the missions appeal last month. We should be celebrating the many answers to our prayers each month. We celebrate events like birthdays, anniversaries, or special events throughout the year. I am sure that there will be several events to celebrate... read more
MISSIONS MONTH & MOTHER’S DAY
This happens to be the final month of Autumn in Australia. I have always enjoyed Autumn; it is the best season of the year for me. Most people also know that the second Sunday of May is designated as Mother’s Day each year. A day when Mothers are pampered and given special recognition. Emma & Jenny have something special prepared for our mothers. Let us celebrate our mothers on the 14 th of this month. Mothers are considerate, they are... read more
Refocus on Jesus this April
Pigeons have a unique way of walking. They need to adjust their focus as they walk. It can’t adjust its focus while moving. So, the pigeon actually brings its head to a complete stop between steps in order to refocus. We too need to refocus on Jesus during our spiritual journey. Let’s dedicate the month of April to refocusing on Jesus before moving forward. Christians around the world will focus on Jesus this month too. Let’s stop between... read more
A Person in White Fed Me
Boy stuck under rubble survives earthquoake in Turkey These word immediately captured my attention. I discovered that his was reported on February 16, 2023 by ChurchPOP and a few others. The report read: One incredible testimony moving across social media discusses the miraculous survival story of a five year old boy rescued 192 hours (8 days) after the earthquake. Upon questioning, authorities asked how he survived for so long. According to... read more
Packed with Potential
Looking back, I can say: “Immanuel” God has truly been with us through the ups and downs of 2022. We are still here to celebrate the dawning of another new year – 2023. We may choose to dwell on the negatives, obstacles, difficulties of 2022, or we can praise God for guiding us safely through the twists and turns of the past year. I would rather choose the latter, than waste time bemoaning what is behind us. Let us look ahead for all that God... read more
God was with Mary & Joseph, Jesus was Unique
Most people want to celebrate Christmas at almost every occasion. Which raises a couple of questions. What is being celebrated? And, what is Christmas? The best way to answer these two questions, is to look at Joseph, Mary & Joseph. Read carefully, what the Gospel writers have recorded about Joseph, Mary and Jesus and you will understand that we should be celebrating a person, not a meaningless celebration. Something that is overlooked during... read more
TWO MONTHS MORE!
You must be intrigued by my title this month. Many would instinctively think: “Two months more” for the Christmas season to be over, 2022 will be behind us, or... I was thinking, in two months more we could assess, whether we lived lives that pleased our Lord, whether our prayer-life was enhanced, or our understanding of God’s Word and His Will for our lives was deepened. Two months more, and what would the Lord actually say to each one of... read more
August 2022
**THE POWER OF PRAYER** What is Prayer? Why do we pray? When do we pray? Most people around the world pray. People of all religious persuasions pray. I will be addressing all these questions and more when I begin a series of studies on THE POWER OF PRAYER, beginning on the 1st Sunday of this month. Prayer isn’t a magical formula for getting what we want. Neither is it reserved as a special privilege for ‘holy’ people or for special times and... read more
July 2022
**THE COOLEST MONTH OF THE YEAR** July is always the coolest month of the year in Wonthaggi. This reminds me of what Jesus–the Lord of His Church said to another Church. He was disappointed with His Church at Ephesus whose love was growing cold. You can read all about this in the second chapter of the Book of Revelation. Jesus actually praises the Ephesian Church for all the good things they were doing. He commends their hard work and... read more
January 2022
Many look back on 2021 and say… “What a year!” “The locked down year!” I know that we are expecting a year of freedom from restrictions through 2022. It is this time of year when people make New Year resolutions. Statistics show that in a few weeks those resolutions are broken. Did you make a resolution for this year? Three New Year resolutions always stand out each year. They are: I must lose weight, exercise more, and control my eating... read more
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