Sunday 7th June 2026 - Second Sunday of Pentecost

REFLECTION: Romans 4:13-25 “Justified by Grace through Faith”

Have you ever had a major falling out with someone you loved and trusted? It

can be very difficult to manage. The trust that was once there seems to have

gone out the window. Nasty things are said. Regrettable things are done. A

distance is formed between you. How can you overcome this distance? Who

should make the first move? Sometimes attempts at reconciliation are just

squashed because the hurt is too great. The Bible tells us that our sin has

created a barrier between us and God. So, how can we be put right with God?

Paul shows us in Romans that we can be put right with God by his grace,

through faith. He shows us in Romans 4 that Abraham was declared righteous

through his faith. See an outline of the message below.

1. God’s Promise to Abraham rested on Grace

a. Not through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

b. The promise depends on faith.

c. The promise rests on grace.

2. Abraham believed God’s promise and he was reckoned as Righteous:

a. Abraham believed he would become the father of many nations.

b. He did not weaken when he considered his own body as good as dead and

Sarah as barren.

c. He was fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

d. Therefore, his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness (22)

3. By God’s Grace, through our Faith in Jesus, we also are reckoned as

Righteous.

a. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from

the dead.

b. Jesus was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our

justification.

To Think about

Is there someone you have fallen out with that God is prompting you to be

reconciled to? Is there a first move that you can make towards that peace and

reconciliation?

Hymns:

TIS 125 The God of Abraham praise

MP 1151 Amazing Grace - My chains are gone

MP 473 My hope is built on nothing less

TIS 155 How great thou art

EVENING OF PRAYER AT THE CATHEDRAL Our Archbishop Ric

invites all Parishes to come to the Cathedral for an evening of Prayer on

Wednesday 15th July from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Put it in your diary. Details to

follow.

WEDNESDAY GROWTH GROUP

Continues on Wednesday at 7:30pm in the Parish Centre. For the next few

weeks we will be looking at the theme of prayer. All are welcome.

CHANGING TO THE THIRD ORDER Our Prayer book includes a variety

services and worship alternatives. For some time we have been using only the

Second Order of Holy Communion in our Sunday worship. For a season, we

are switching to the Third Order of Holy Communion. While many things

remain the same, there are changes to sections such as the Confession, the

Creed and the Thanksgiving. Hopefully these changes will freshen up our

worship and cause us to think more on the words we use. You will need to pay

a bit more attention this Sunday to the liturgy. Most of you will have used the

Third Order before as it is not new to St James' worship. We will return to the

Second Order a bit later in the year.

LAWN MOWING ROSTER 6th June – Oyem & Rob

READINGS FOR NEXT SUNDAY – 14th June: Genesis 18. 1-5;

Psalm 116. 1-2, 11-18; Romans 5. 1-11; Matthew 9. 35, 10. 8, 9-23

FROM THE ANGLICAN DIARY, WE PRAY For Jumbunna Episcopate,

Archdeaconry of Dandenong, Deanery of Monash & Kingston: St Luke’s

Mulgrave, St Aidan’s Parkdale, St Matthew’s Wheelers Hill, St James’

Dandenong, St Matthew’s Endeavour Hills, St Michael & St Luke Dandenong,

St Nicholas’ Mordialloc, City on a Hill Melbourne East, Emmanuel Anglican

Iranian Congregation. Bishop Genieve Blackwell

THIS WEEK WE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR: Nigel, Jen, Glen, Sherene,

Gloria, Ron, Ruth, Mike, Amy, Cecil, Beryl, Paul, Fabian, Charles, Marla,

Jeremiah, Tahlia, Suzanne, Kurt & Kieran.