An Appealing Message?

By Luke Midena, Canberra Labouring Community

Is this an appealing message?

This was a question asked by a young man in our discipleship training group over dinner recently.

In an era where people crave authenticity and evidence of God’s power, Simon*— who has been battling significant undiagnosed health issues such as constant pain, breathlessness, fatigue, and a 15kg weight loss in recent months — wasn’t questioning the message itself, but his role as the messenger. He voiced a common concern:

‘If anything, my life is evidence against the gospel! Who would want to be like me?’

This brought us to the core of the gospel. If it’s true that God is most clearly experienced and seen in our suffering, what is the good news that we’re sharing?

The gospel reorders what it means to prosper or succeed. It offers hope that goes way beyond physical wellbeing in the here and now. Simon’s suffering brought us to the heart of what it is to be blessed – an intimate, loving, and trusting relationship with God. Just as Jesus expressed, ‘…that where I am you may be also’ (John. 14:3).

We wondered: Do our friends desire a message like this? Is the gospel truly appealing?

Please Pray for Simon:

• Gratitude: Thank God for Simon’s burning desire to make Jesus known.
• Strength in Weakness: Pray that the power of the resurrected life of Jesus would be perfectly seen and experienced in his weakness.
• Boldness: Ask that God would fill Simon with such a knowledge of Christ’s love that he would gladly boast about the gospel to his colleagues.
• Healing: Pray for God’s healing in Simon’s life.
• More broadly, as all the young men and women in our discipleship groups learn to share the gospel with their friends, pray that their security and rest in God amid their weaknesses would adorn the message.

Upcoming Events and Needs:

• NavCon24: Our national student conference is on from June 24-27. Stowe Campbell from the NZ Navigators will train students to engage deeply with God through Scripture, focusing on the book of Exodus. We’ll be taking a group of Canberra students down to Melbourne for this. Sign up here.

• Canberra-wide Labourers Evenings: The theme for our bi-monthly dinner meetings this year is ‘Immersing Our Minds in God’s Perspective’. Pray that we meditate on His word (Joshua 1:8) and that God grants us clarity through the truth of the gospel. Also, pray for wisdom in prioritising and developing our scriptural study skills.
• Canberra Fundraising Afternoon Tea: Scheduled for 29 June. Pray that God would be honoured as we celebrate His generosity and that He continues to meet our financial needs. May everyone who attends delight in the responsibility Christ entrusted to us (Matthew 28:18-20). Interested in coming along? Sign up here.

Thank you so much for your prayers.

_{*Names are changed to protect privacy or identities of persons in sensitive situations.}