The River City Boy Band rocked it today! Seriously though, I love their hearts and passion for worshiping God. Stephen and the team modeled passionate worship today for us.
I’ve really appreciated the Lewiston crew coming over once a month and showing us what passionate worship looks like. I think we’re growing in this area.
Hugh Layborn from Lewiston brought a great message on the importance of prayer. We then had a panel discussion where Andrea, Jamie, Mike, and myself were asked several questions about prayer. What a unique way to teach!
We ended the service by breaking up into small groups to pray for one another. Probably a bit uncomfortable for some, but hey, Jesus never promised comfort!
In fact, it was a powerful time of praying for one another. We should do that more often.
Met with a bunch of people down at Taco Del Mar after the service. It seems like a bunch of us always eat together after the service anyway, so we’re going to start announcing where we’re going each Sunday. Great way to get to know each other.
Next week is our monthly Communion Meal so we won’t be going out. You won’t want to miss it!
Had a bit of a rough week. Just felt dry spiritually. Had trouble preparing the sermon. Just wouldn’t come together. Don’t know why.
However, I have a great wife who prayed for me last night. Woke up this morning feeling refreshed and filled up. Full of faith.
Sometimes I hate my feelings. Feelings are a total ripoff. We need someone to speak truth into our lives when we’re feeling down for no particular reason.
Now, onto our service! We finished the Born Identity series by talking about our Rights and Responsibilities as a Christian. What are we to do with all of the blessings that God has given each of us?
Spiritual embezzlement is when we misuse/misappropriate the blessings that God has entrusted to us. They’re not all for us! Share the love!
God blesses us so that we can bless others.
American consumerism has infiltrated the church to the point that God has become a consumable commodity.
Example: “Like, I just don’t get anything out of the sermons” (in a Valley Girl kind of voice). Well, has anyone told you that church isn’t about what you get out of the sermon? Whatever happened to the church being the Body of Christ, and everyone doing their part to make disciples of all the nations?
We’ve gotten so wrapped up in “what can I get out of this” consumerism that we fail to see that God has made us stewards, not owners of His blessings.
We’ve been educated way beyond our obedience.
We as the church need a heart change if we want to change the world. We’ve got to get out of ourselves, and put on Jesus so that we can see the world through His eyes.
What has God told you to do with the gifts, talents, and blessings that he has given you stewardship over?
This isn’t going to be my thesis on the subject, but rather a forum for all to discuss this issue. I believe the Bible teaches us that it is not God’s will for us to live in sickness and poverty. However, many of us still suffer from these and other issues in our lives. What gives? Click on “comments” down below, log in, and sound off!
Started off a little rough at worship practice for me. I had the wrong chords to the 1st song and it took me a while to figure out why I sounded so bad.
Overall worship was great though, no thanks to me. Loved doing Salvation Is Here, particularly since it went perfectly with the sermon!
Spoke on Part 2 of the Born Identity series. Last week was about understanding our identity in Christ. So crucial to get this one. This week was our Explanation of Benefits.
The benefits of being in Christ are so numerous, I could preach on it for weeks. Jesus said in Luke 19:10 that he came to “Seek and save that which was lost.” That which was lost was perfect fellowship with God, heaven on earth if you will.
Jesus came to restore that, and he even directed his disciples in Matthew 6 to pray that the Father’s will would be done on earth just as it is in heaven.
There is no sickness, sin, death, poverty, fear, or bondage in heaven. The new covenant gives us a promise of restoration to the way God originally intended it to be.
The new covenant also gives us authority to possess our full inheritance. Jesus said he was given “all authority” by his Father in heaven. He passed this very authority on to us, his followers.
We have authority to stand against darkness and evil, and to speak life into situations.
Couple of faux pas today: the sermon went 40 minutes. Haven’t done that in a while. And I spontaneously tried to quote Psalm 91 and got hung up in the 1st sentence. So much for spontaneity!
We ended with some ministry time. Got to pray with and for several people. Lives were changed today! That’s the business of the God we serve!
Next week we’ll be discussing the great responsibility that comes when we are given the great blessing and authority that God has given us.