Para Vista Lutheran Church

Over the next few Sundays, Pastor Michael will talking about the Holy Spirit – who he is, what he does and how we can relate to him. This week we will look at when Jesus told his disciples what would happen when the Holy Spirit came. It was a promise! Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: John 15:26-16:15 (NLT)

Over the next few Sundays, Pastor Michael will talking about the Holy Spirit – who he is, what he does and how we can relate to him. This week we will look at when Jesus told his disciples what would happen when the Holy Spirit came. It was a promise! Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: John 15:26-16:15 (NLT)

Peter, Jesus’ close friend, was well aware of how he abandoned Jesus in his hour of need (on the night before he was crucified on a cross). Three times he had the opportunity to stand up for Jesus, but instead denied that he even knew Jesus. Because of that, Peter believed that it was “three strikes and you’re out”! Jesus didn’t think that way, but instead re-affirmed his love and trust of Peter. Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: John 21: 1-17 (NLT)

Peter, Jesus’ close friend, was well aware of how he abandoned Jesus in his hour of need (on the night before he was crucified on a cross). Three times he had the opportunity to stand up for Jesus, but instead denied that he even knew Jesus. Because of that, Peter believed that it was “three strikes and you’re out”! Jesus didn’t think that way, but instead re-affirmed his love and trust of Peter. Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: John 21: 1-17 (NLT)

Where in my life am I afraid to admit doubt, and how might God be inviting me to bring those questions honestly to Him? “Believing Thomas!” One of Jesus’ disciples, Thomas, didn’t believe the testimonies of the other disciples when they told him, “We have seen the Lord”. And for doubting their testimonies, he has ever since been remembered as “Doubting Thomas.” Doubt, however, is not necessarily a lack of faith, but a step on the journey to faith!   Bible Reading: John 20:19-31 (NLT)

Where in my life am I afraid to admit doubt, and how might God be inviting me to bring those questions honestly to Him? “Believing Thomas!” One of Jesus’ disciples, Thomas, didn’t believe the testimonies of the other disciples when they told him, “We have seen the Lord”. And for doubting their testimonies, he has ever since been remembered as “Doubting Thomas.” Doubt, however, is not necessarily a lack of faith, but a step on the journey to faith!   Bible Reading: John 20:19-31 (NLT)

How can I be more attentive to God’s presence in ordinary moments this week? Our purpose in life is to help grow and advance God’s Kingdom wherever we are placed.  Though God is unseen, He is never absent.  The small moments and quiet circumstances in our lives may well be His hand gently guiding us toward His greater purpose. Pastor Paul Newsham leads us in the third message of his series on Esther, and we encourage you to read the Book of Esther from beginning to end before hearing the next part of this remarkable account.

How can I be more attentive to God’s presence in ordinary moments this week? Our purpose in life is to help grow and advance God’s Kingdom wherever we are placed.  Though God is unseen, He is never absent.  The small moments and quiet circumstances in our lives may well be His hand gently guiding us toward His greater purpose. Pastor Paul Newsham leads us in the third message of his series on Esther, and we encourage you to read the Book of Esther from beginning to end before hearing the next part of this remarkable account.

We continue our Easter reflection with a dramatic presentation of people who experienced their new life following the crucifixion.  

Have you asked yourself what it looks like to trust God when you don’t know what’s next? We often read Bible stories with the advantage of hindsight. Because we already know how events turn out, the struggles of people in Scripture can seem less intense or easier than they really were. But for them, those moments were not stories—they were real life. They faced fear, uncertainty, risk, and hardship without knowing what would happen next. We also don’t know how our own circumstances will unfold. So just as they trusted God through uncertainty, we’re encouraged to rely on our faith to carry us through the unknown parts of our lives. Pastor Paul Newsham will lead us in the second message of this three-part series, as we explore how this ancient story continues to speak powerfully into our lives today. In preparation, we encourage you to read the Book of Esther from beginning to end before hearing the next part of this remarkable account.   Bible Readings: Romans 8: 22-28 (The Message) and the book of Esther

Have you asked yourself what it looks like to trust God when you don’t know what’s next? We often read Bible stories with the advantage of hindsight. Because we already know how events turn out, the struggles of people in Scripture can seem less intense or easier than they really were. But for them, those moments were not stories—they were real life. They faced fear, uncertainty, risk, and hardship without knowing what would happen next. We also don’t know how our own circumstances will unfold. So just as they trusted God through uncertainty, we’re encouraged to rely on our faith to carry us through the unknown parts of our lives. Pastor Paul Newsham will lead us in the second message of this three-part series, as we explore how this ancient story continues to speak powerfully into our lives today. In preparation, we encourage you to read the Book of Esther from beginning to end before hearing the next part of this remarkable account.   Bible Readings: Romans 8: 22-28 (The Message) and the book of Esther

A celebration of the new Life we all can have in Jesus.  

The word, "Maundy" is Latin for "commandment", and is a title the church has given to describe the Thursday of Holy Week - Maundy Thursday Pastor Michael.

Jesus was the one who people hoped would bring peace to their lives and their nation. Like the heroes of old, the people welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem as a victorious warrior king. Jesus is a warrior and a king, but not like any other warrior king. Jesus was, and still is, a peaceful warrior. Have you ever paused to notice how the peace Jesus brings quietly reshapes your heart, your hopes, and the way you see others? Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Matthew 21:1-11 (NLT)

Jesus was the one who people hoped would bring peace to their lives and their nation. Like the heroes of old, the people welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem as a victorious warrior king. Jesus is a warrior and a king, but not like any other warrior king. Jesus was, and still is, a peaceful warrior. Have you ever paused to notice how the peace Jesus brings quietly reshapes your heart, your hopes, and the way you see others? Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Matthew 21:1-11 (NLT)

Have you ever felt heaven come near through Jesus, changing how you see and treat the people around you? "The kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. And with Jesus came a “wisdom from heaven” to see and treat others the way that Jesus sees and treats them. And with Jesus came the transformation of people who no longer were operating out of fear but operated out of faith. Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Matthew 7:1-12 (NLT)

Have you ever felt heaven come near through Jesus, changing how you see and treat the people around you? The kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. And with Jesus came a “wisdom from heaven” to see and treat others the way that Jesus sees and treats them. And with Jesus came the transformation of people who no longer were operating out of fear but operated out of faith. Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Matthew 7:1-12 (NLT)

Have you ever experienced a moment where fear gave way to faith and changed how you see your life? “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. And with Jesus came the transformation of people who no longer were operating out of fear but operated out of faith. By Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Matthew 6:19-34 (NLT)

Have you ever experienced a moment where fear gave way to faith and changed how you see your life? “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. And with Jesus came the transformation of people who no longer were operating out of fear but operated out of faith. By Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Matthew 6:19-34 (NLT)

The kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. And with him came a transformation in the hearts of people – a transformation that enabled people to be part of the ongoing transformation of the world. By Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Matthew 6:1-14 (NLT)

The kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. And with him came a transformation in the hearts of people – a transformation that enabled people to be part of the ongoing transformation of the world. By Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Matthew 6:1-14 (NLT)

An audio message by Pastor Michael Dutschke. “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. And when that happens, relationships are transformed – in particular, relationships between people who have a history (short or long) of being treated badly by each other. Bible Reading: Matthew 5: 38-48 (NLT)

A video message by Pastor Michael Dutschke. “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. And when that happens, relationships are transformed – in particular, relationships between people who have a history (short or long) of being treated badly by each other. Bible Reading: Matthew 5: 38-48 (NLT)

The kingdom of heaven has come near. That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. On earth the reality is that not everyone is treated with honour and respect. When the kingdom of heaven comes near, Jesus paints a picture of what that is like – when we see and treat each other at fellow “image bearers” of God. Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Matthew 5:21-26 (NLT)

The kingdom of heaven has come near. That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. On earth the reality is that not everyone is treated with honour and respect. When the kingdom of heaven comes near, Jesus paints a picture of what that is like – when we see and treat each other at fellow “image bearers” of God. Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Matthew 5:21-26 (NLT)

Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Psalm 51:1-17.

Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Psalm 51:1-17.

The kingdom of heaven has come near. That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. The first followers of Jesus got a “taste of heaven” and a “taste of earth” – two realities. A taste of heaven on the mountain, and a taste of earth in the valley. Bible Reading: Matthew 17:1-9 (NLT) Pastor Michael Dutschke

The kingdom of heaven has come near. That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. The first followers of Jesus got a “taste of heaven” and a “taste of earth” – two realities. A taste of heaven on the mountain, and a taste of earth in the valley. Bible Reading: Matthew 17:1-9 (NLT) Pastor Michael Dutschke

An audio message from Pastor Paul Newsham. The book of Esther is a remarkable story of courage, providence, and God’s unseen hand at work. Though God is never mentioned by name, His guidance is evident throughout this true historical account of two ordinary people, Esther and Mordecai, who were placed in extraordinary circumstances to shape a nation’s future. Their story reminds us that God is always at work behind the scenes to protect and preserve His people. Bible Readings: Selected verses from Esther (NLT) Pastor Paul will be leading us in the first of this three-part series, as we uncover how this ancient story still speaks powerfully into our lives today. Parts 2 and 3 will be shared with our church community when Pastor Paul returns in April.

A video message from Pastor Paul Newsham. The book of Esther is a remarkable story of courage, providence, and God’s unseen hand at work. Though God is never mentioned by name, His guidance is evident throughout this true historical account of two ordinary people, Esther and Mordecai, who were placed in extraordinary circumstances to shape a nation’s future. Their story reminds us that God is always at work behind the scenes to protect and preserve His people. Bible Readings: Selected verses from Esther (NLT) Pastor Paul will be leading us in the first of this three-part series, as we uncover how this ancient story still speaks powerfully into our lives today. Parts 2 and 3 will be shared with our church community when Pastor Paul returns in April.

“The kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. But what does that mean – that the kingdom of heaven has come near? In his most well-known sermon, which is known as “the sermon on the mount”, Jesus paints a picture of what life looks like when “God’s favour finds us!” Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Matthew 5: 1-12 (NLT)

“The kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. But what does that mean – that the kingdom of heaven has come near? In his most well-known sermon, which is known as “the sermon on the mount”, Jesus paints a picture of what life looks like when “God’s favour finds us!” Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Matthew 5: 1-12 (NLT)

“The kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. And the message that Jesus preached was, “Repent”. He was not using the word “repent” in the way that many people use it today – “Stop sinning and start obeying God”. Rather, Jesus was inviting people to change the way they think about how God works, and embrace a heavenly way of thinking. Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Matthew 4:12-23 (NLT)

“The kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. For the first 30 years of his life, Jesus had others tell him who they believed he was. At his baptism, Jesus true identity was declared by His Father in heaven. Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Matthew 4:1-11 (NLT)

“The kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. For the first 30 years of his life, Jesus had others tell him who they believed he was. At his baptism, Jesus true identity was declared by His Father in heaven. Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Matthew 4:1-11 (NLT)

An audio message from Pastor Michael Dutschke. "The kingdom of heaven has come near."  That's how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth.  For the first 30 years of his life, Jesus had others tell him who they believed he was.  At his baptism, Jesus true identity was declared by His father in heaven. Bible Reading: Matthew 3:13-17  

A video message from Pastor Michael Dutschke. "The kingdom of heaven has come near."  That's how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth.  For the first 30 years of his life, Jesus had others tell him who they believed he was.  At his baptism, Jesus true identity was declared by His father in heaven. Bible Reading: Matthew 3:13-17  

“The kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. The arrival of the promised Messiah had been prophesied, and God’s people had been waiting with eager longing for him to be born. But it wasn’t God’s chosen people, the Jews, who first recognised and worshipped Jesus. Today we hear about the journey of the unlikely first worshippers of Jesus – the Magi from the East. Matthew 2:1-12 (NLT) Pastor Michael Dutschke

“The kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s how Jesus himself describes his coming from heaven to earth. The arrival of the promised Messiah had been prophesied, and God’s people had been waiting with eager longing for him to be born. But it wasn’t God’s chosen people, the Jews, who first recognised and worshipped Jesus. Today we hear about the journey of the unlikely first worshippers of Jesus – the Magi from the East. Matthew 2:1-12 (NLT) Pastor Michael Dutschke

Joseph is a shining example of faithfully trusting in God and His promises. He was told by an angel in a dream to keep his engagement to Mary and to still receive her as his wife - the government of the time told Joseph to go to Bethlehem with his very pregnant wife (orchestrated I’m sure by God) - he was told to take his wife and her young son to a strange land where he had no job or home - then he was given another message in a dream with yet another change of plans, return to Nazareth - when God spoke, Joseph obeyed with a humble and childlike faith. Each of us can have that same TRUST IN GOD—with a faith like Joseph’s that listens; and is obedient to God’s call on our lives. Pastor Wayne Kerber.

Joseph is a shining example of faithfully trusting in God and His promises. He was told by an angel in a dream to keep his engagement to Mary and to still receive her as his wife - the government of the time told Joseph to go to Bethlehem with his very pregnant wife (orchestrated I’m sure by God) - he was told to take his wife and her young son to a strange land where he had no job or home - then he was given another message in a dream with yet another change of plans, return to Nazareth - when God spoke, Joseph obeyed with a humble and childlike faith. Each of us can have that same TRUST IN GOD—with a faith like Joseph’s that listens; and is obedient to God’s call on our lives. Pastor Wayne Kerber.

From all at Good Shepherd, we wish you a blessed Christmas.  May our Lord, Saviour and friend, born many years ago in a stable in Bethlehem bring you joy, hope, peace and love. Bible Reading: Luke 2: 1-20 (NLT)

From all at Good Shepherd, we wish you a blessed Christmas.  May our Lord, Saviour and friend, born many years ago in a stable in Bethlehem bring you joy, hope, peace and love. Bible Reading: Luke 2: 1-20 (NLT)

An audio message from Pastor Michael Dutschke. There are many Christmas songs that have been written and sung about the birth of Jesus. The first four songs were written by those who were part of the Christmas story. This Sunday we look at the story of Simeon, who saw the baby Jesus as he was present ed to the priest in the Temple, as was the custom of the Jews. After seeing Jesus, Simeon responded by singing a song – a song of Peace.

A video message from Pastor Michael Dutschke. There are many Christmas songs that have been written and sung about the birth of Jesus. The first four songs were written by those who were part of the Christmas story. This Sunday we look at the story of Simeon, who saw the baby Jesus as he was present ed to the priest in the Temple, as was the custom of the Jews. After seeing Jesus, Simeon responded by singing a song – a song of Peace.

There are many Christmas songs that have been written and sung about the birth of Jesus. The first four songs were written by those who were part of the Christmas story. This Sunday we look at the story of the angels announcing to the shepherds that the Saviour of the World had been born in Bethlehem. It seems that the angels couldn’t help but respond to this good news by singing a song – a song of joy. Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Luke 2:8-15 (NLT)

There are many Christmas songs that have been written and sung about the birth of Jesus. The first four songs were written by those who were part of the Christmas story. This Sunday we look at the story of the angels announcing to the shepherds that the Saviour of the World had been born in Bethlehem. It seems that the angels couldn’t help but respond to this good news by singing a song – a song of joy. Pastor Michael Dutschke Bible Reading: Luke 2:8-15 (NLT)

There are many Christmas songs that have been written and sung about the birth of Jesus. The first four songs were written by those who were part of the Christmas story. This Sunday we look at the story of Mary, and her encounter with the angel who told her that she was pregnant with God’s son. Mary went to see her cousin Elizabeth, and after Elizabeth greeted her and the baby in her womb, Mary sang a song – it is a song of love. Pastor Noel Kluge Bible Reading : Luke 1:39 - 55 (NLT)

There are many Christmas songs that have been written and sung about the birth of Jesus. The first four songs were written by those who were part of the Christmas story. This Sunday we look at the story of Mary, and her encounter with the angel who told her that she was pregnant with God’s son. Mary went to see her cousin Elizabeth, and after Elizabeth greeted her and the baby in her womb, Mary sang a song – it is a song of love. Pastor Noel Kluge Bible Reading : Luke 1:39 - 55 (NLT)