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GFS Sydney GFS Sydney is a society of girls and women who accept the Christian faith and seek, in worship, study, work and play, to serve God and extend His kingdom.

Thanking God for YouEphesus was an important port city in what is now modern-day Türkiye. It was also a wealthy city, bo...
24/10/2026

Thanking God for You

Ephesus was an important port city in what is now modern-day Türkiye. It was also a wealthy city, boasting the Temple of Artemis (one of the ancient seven wonders of the world) which could hold over 20,000 spectators and dominated the landscape. St Paul lived in Ephesus for around three years, teaching and preaching (Acts 19). His letter to them dated around 60AD was written to them under house arrest in Rome.

The early Christians in Ephesus faced hostility from both Jews and Gentiles which you can read about in Acts 19-20. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was, in part, to motivate them to keep the faith. His words to them in Ephesians 1are inspiring, and should encourage you to make it your prayer for each other.

Ephesians 1:16-20 (TLB)
“16-17 I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you wisdom to see clearly and really understand who Christ is and all that he has done for you. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can see something of the future he has called you to share. I want you to realize that God has been made rich because we who are Christ’s have been given to him! 19 I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great his power is to help those who believe him. It is that same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in heaven,”
How encouraging it is to know that someone is thanking God for you? Praying that you receive wisdom and understanding in your Christian life. That you will have an idea of the hope filled future God has called you to. Recognize the power and strength of Jesus and his ability to hold you secure.

This is a wonderful and necessary prayer to remind us that we belong to and are loved by the most powerful and loving One in all creation. May we all find comfort, strength and hope in this prayer just as the Ephesians no doubt did.

Many things are Unseen but Real.What things can you think of that are real but you have never seen?How do you know they ...
17/10/2026

Many things are Unseen but Real.

What things can you think of that are real but you have never seen?

How do you know they are real?

Often, we look for an outward sign before we are convinced things are real.

Think about the story of Moses (found in the books of the Bible - Exodus and Deuteronomy).
Moses endured a lot. He faced the opposition of the Pharaoh and the criticism of his own people. He knew many days of difficulty, danger and disappointment and when the end was in sight, he and his people were sent back into the desert again. It would have been easy to give up but although Moses could not see God’s wisdom or God’s love, he was convinced they were real. His faith was based on who and what God is.

Today so much emphasis is put on material things. It is the things we can not see that are really important and necessary because they are eternal.

God, the eternal one, unseen yet real to those who know Him through Jesus Christ.

“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus, have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” Galatians 5:22-26

Dream DreamsDreams come and go in our lives.Far more die than come to reality.What is it in us that allows us to let go ...
27/09/2026

Dream Dreams

Dreams come and go in our lives.
Far more die than come to reality.
What is it in us that allows us to let go of visions
That could create new and beautiful worlds?
Why do we so easily give in to barriers?
Why do we let ourselves conform and be satisfied with what is?
Reaching out to a dream can be risky.
It can involve hardships that our imaginations never knew.
Our comfortableness can so easily be disturbed.
But, what beauty can be experienced as we accept the challenge of a dream!
What a precious feeling to be supported, to have others say you can do it, we can do it together.
Nothing is beyond our reach if we reach out together.

Author Unknown

O Lord, let our dreams soar. Let all our inhibitions and fears disappear as we strive to make our hopes come into being. Give us the strength, courage and insight we will need as we work to bring our vision to reality. Let your Spirit guide us in our imaginations and our fantasies so that worries and anxieties will not overcome us, for it is only through dreams that the beauty and wonder of your kingdom will be made known to all mankind. Be with us, Lord, as our minds wander, as we dream your dreams. Amen.

The Value Of A Smile A smile costs nothing, but creates much. A smile enriches those who receive without impoverishing t...
20/09/2026

The Value Of A Smile

A smile costs nothing, but creates much.

A smile enriches those who receive without impoverishing those who give.

A smile happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.

None are so rich they can get along without a smile, and none so poor but are richer for its benefits.

A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in a business, and is the countersign of friends.

A smile is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and nature’s best antidote for trouble.

Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen; for it is something that is no earthly good to anybody ‘til it is given away.

For nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none left to give.

By Frank Irving Fletcher

A Litany for those who would fly kitesLeader: Those who fly kites know that kites are earthbound and cannot lift and ...
13/09/2026

A Litany for those who would fly kites

Leader: Those who fly kites know that kites are earthbound and cannot lift and soar until they are caught by the wind.

People: People and churches are earthbound
and cannot be themselves until the wind of God’s Spirit lifts them to fly.

Leader: Kites are not free to thrust and move
until they are let go to explore the skies.

People: People and churches are not free to love and care
until they can let go and catch the Spirit which is love.

Leader: Kites have no power and direction
unless they are caught and controlled by the wind.

People: People and churches have no power and direction
unless they allow the Spirit of God to move within them.

Leader: Let us pray…
Together: O God, may your Spirit lift us from being earthbound
and free us to soar, to explore, to have direction and purpose.
O God, help us to fly as people freed by your Spirit, to live and to love. Amen.

From Issue 67 of “On The Move,” published by The Joint Board of Christian Education of Australia and New Zealand.

The Gospel According To YouThere’s a Gospel according to Matthew; To Mark;To Luke; and John too.There’s another gospel t...
06/09/2026

The Gospel According To You

There’s a Gospel according to Matthew; To Mark;
To Luke; and John too.
There’s another gospel that many are reading…
The Gospel according to You.

All teachings we find in the Bible
Are facts we know to be true;
You must live them to make them the Gospel…
The Gospel according to You.

Many read not the words of the Bible;
I will tell you what some of them do…
They are reading the book you are writing…
The Gospel according to you.

There’s Great Power In Gospel Preaching
The Bible teaches that this is true.
But the sermon most likely to influence others
Is The Gospel according to You.

God help us to be faithful to Jesus…
To live all His teachings so true,
So that all may see His Spirit
In the Gospel according to You.

You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day;
By things that you do; By things you say.
Others read that gospel, whether faithless or true!
Say! What is the Gospel According To You?

By Leroy Brownlow

May the love of Jesus and the good news of His salvation be seen and read in our lives as we live our lives each day.

Same mind and purpose“Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you b...
30/08/2026

Same mind and purpose

“Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and purpose.” 1 Corinthians 1:10

Quarrels and conflict in churches is nothing new.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, we see him grappling with factions within the congregation. People had splintered into groups based on specific allegiances and personal preferences. And while the group claiming, “I belong to Christ” seem to be on the right track, it was probably a boastful pretentiousness that they were holier, and therefore better than others in the church.

The community dissension had created a situation Paul found intolerable. The church is saved and sustained only in the name of Jesus, not in self-segregating interest groups. He implores them to be of the “same mind and purpose.” Unity in Christ is essential if they are to continue in the task to which they have been called, proclaiming salvation through Christ’s crucifixion. If they are to continue as an effective witnessing and worshipping community. As Jesus himself proclaimed, “if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” (Mark 3:25)

Reflect on your own church or GFS group. What message would Paul have for us? Do you feel there are divisions among us? If so, what are they based around? Specific allegiances and personal preferences like the Corinthians, or something else?

Do we all have the same mind and purpose? If so, what is it? And what steps are we taking, individually and collectively, to achieve that same mind and fulfill that common purpose?

Helping HandsShow me, O Lord I prayWhat I can do today,To help someone in need,By kindly word and deed.Was it just coinc...
23/08/2026

Helping Hands

Show me, O Lord I pray
What I can do today,
To help someone in need,
By kindly word and deed.

Was it just coincidence
when help was sent to me
Did it happen just by chance
Or was it meant to be?

Was there an unseen helper
Who planned the timely deed
Who knew my situation
Who saw and met my need?

I do not know the answer
But strange it seems to be
That when I need a helping hand
Assistance comes to me.

By Kathleen Gillum

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so." Proverbs 3:27 (NKJV)

Can we make a Difference?‘A global pandemic, wars with the threat of escalation to the use of nuclear weapons, increasin...
16/08/2026

Can we make a Difference?

‘A global pandemic, wars with the threat of escalation to the use of nuclear weapons, increasing division between wealthy and poor, the plight of refugees, the blight of racism, sexism and aging, rising domestic violence and Indigenous abrogation are just part of our contemporary woes. When we consider our troubled world and our role within it as people of God, it can feel overwhelming. What can we do and where do we start? It’s so easy to think that what we have to offer is so insignificant that it will make no or little difference or. That trying to bring change is just too difficult.

The story of Saul’s conversion to Paul in Acts 8 and 9, is a powerful one.
Initially, Saul was a zealous prosecutor of early Christians. The church in Damascus had every right to be afraid of him. For God to ask Ananias, a disciple of Jesus, a member of this persecuted church, to visit Saul, was a dreadful, life-threatening task. Ananias obeys God’s call, despite his fear, laid his hands on Saul to restore his sight, prays for Saul and baptizes him and then disappears back into anonymity. In the grand narrative of Saul to Paul’s transformation, Ananias is a crucial catalyst, and yet he’s unknown outside this story. Ananias trusted that God had a future purpose for Paul even though Paul’s past seemed to point toward a very different future. Paul became part of, and eventually a leader in, the very church he had sought to wipe out. He went on to become the one of the greatest and most effective missionaries in the Church.

Not all Christians are equipped to be apostles like Paul, but we can all answer the call of God on our lives to live with love, compassion, kindness, generosity and inclusivity, and to embrace change as God reveals it. Most of us are called to be faithful in these small but crucial things in life. But the scriptures show us time and time again that God often chooses the least likely person to speak God’s Good News. We may not be Paul, but we all can and should be like Ananias – None of us are unimportant in bringing God’s transforming presence into this troubled world. What we do, say and are, always matters.

1 Corinthians 12:21-22 (NIT)
“21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,”

Twas the Night Before Jesus Came‘Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house Not a creature was praying, ...
09/08/2026

Twas the Night Before Jesus Came

‘Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed,
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was The matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must be The Day!

The light of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus! Returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His Hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said "It's not here" My head hung in shame!

The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound
While all the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and this sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call
We'll find that the Bible was true after ALL!

Author unknown

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Emu Plains, NSW

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