Northbridge Community Church

Today we worshiped at Northbridge Community Church, 216 Mystic Pine Trail, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066, 724.371.1180, www.northbridge.org, Jame Price, Lead Pastor.

Scripture – 1 Samuel 16:6-13

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.”

So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered, “but he is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.”

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.

Bob’s thoughts:

I thought it odd to revisit a church that we had worshiped at a few times. The purpose was to help our grandchildren feel more comfortable in their respective child care areas. I don’t know what support we might have been, seeing them before and after the service (children are not present in the sanctuary), but we went. We both got a lot from the sermon and didn’t doubt God’s leading us there.

Some random observations:

• We have been welcomed, but even when identified as visitors we were not engaged in conversation. I thought that conversation with visitors might come easier at a church that valued small groups.
• I am not sure of the purpose of the parking attendants. For me they seem like one more distraction to worry about in a small parking area.
• I don’t know if attendance is kept, but it looked like there are fewer people each time we visit. Perhaps the early service is more sparsely attended.

The church is presented as an alternative for those not comfortable with traditional church, so I can see where a cross or other symbolism might not be welcoming. I hear all the references (“We raise our cross,” etc.) and wonder if the symbols should be there.

The offering is taken up very efficiently, passing a small bucket down each row and someone retrieving at the other end of the row.

The message was another from a series by Andy Stanley and raised the question what does God think about you? Not does God think what I think about me? God’s interest is not what we have done in the past but where our hearts are today.

He talked about peoples’ excuses for discerning God’s will for them. I have said that I lament God waiting 50 years to call me, and now realize maybe I wasn’t listening so well. The parts of my life that I thought were such a detriment to serving Christ are frequently the very things He uses for His glory.

When Northbridge moved in one of the major improvements for me was a sign on Freedom Crider Road identifying where to turn; I hope they bring it back.

Jan’s thoughts:

In an effort to help the grandchildren adjust to their new surroundings, we again visited Northbridge.

Truth be told, I was happy to do so; partly for the grandchildren, of course, but partly because I wanted to hear the conclusion of the message series, “Game Plan,” about finding God’s will for my life. The one previous message for which I had been present started me on a journey of self-discovery that has continued for the last three weeks and which shows no signs of ending soon. In short, I was hooked.

More people spoke with us than in the past, possibly because we arrived earlier than usual before things got very busy.

Andy Stanley preached the final installment in this message series, and I do appreciate his preaching style. He is relaxed, conversational, and well-grounded in Scripture.

One of the major points was that humans tend to think that God thinks about us the way we think about us, that He takes His cue about us from us. But based on the Scripture above, it is clear that “God does not see as man sees.” Andy pointed out that “what you did yesterday is of far less concern to God than where your heart is today. God is in the redemption and restoration business, and He uses the things we consider obstacles to bring about His plans in and through us.”

This afternoon I have begun listening to the messages I missed from this series, and I plan to listen to them all. The messages are accessible from the church’s website, and I highly recommend this series if you, like me, are trying to discern God’s plan for your life.

Our prayer for this church:
Dear Father, We pray for discernment for this congregation, that they may hear Your call. And when they obey Your will may they be amazed at how You use their objections for Your and their good. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.