He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
We
were warmly welcomed right at the door and in the pew. A large wooden cross is
situated over a curtained area; the air currents occasionally move the curtain making
it appear to be an open window. The sanctuary was pleasant with great aisle
space and comfortable temperatures in spite of the 20 degrees outside.
I
appreciated the female vocalist who, although I couldn’t hear her well at
first, turned out to have a beautiful voice for leading the praise worship.
Also we were entertained by, presumably, her grandson.
My
pen started to skip badly during the sermon and my back-up pen was worse, but a
phrase I can mostly discern: “God doesn’t send you to where His word didn’t
lead you.” The sermon dealt with what Christ calls us to be and do and if we
are not willing to put Jesus first, we are not worthy of Him.
I was
blessed to watch some beautiful children running around the sanctuary after the
service and to talk with some other veterans.
A
gentleman opened the door for us as we entered and welcomed us with a
handshake, a bulletin, and an introduction.
This
building is attractive with lots of glass in the entry area and a beautifully
decorated worship area. The signage was good, but was a little confusing
finding the men’s room as it looked like the arrow was pointing up the steps
but instead indicated a slightly different direction on the same floor.
The
downstairs pre-school area is colorfully and imaginatively decorated with
animals painted on the walls by someone with real talent.
We
were warmly greeted and engaged in conversation by most everyone sitting nearby.
The
worship area is beautiful with well-coordinated colors, the chairs are
comfortable and comfortably spaced.
Kudos
to whoever is responsible for the timing of the words on the screen. It was
very well done.
I
appreciated the passion with which the untitled message was delivered. It focused
on what it means to be a true follower of Christ: obedience is required, along
with speaking up and continually dying to self. He acknowledged that a true
disciple will make enemies because peace with God means we are at war with
those who are opposed to Him. He declared that it is our ambitions, desires,
and pursuits that keep us from fully following Christ and stated that “taking
up our cross is a one-way trip.”
Perhaps
I misunderstood his statement that “There is no still, small voice,” but if I
did not misunderstand then I must disagree. According to 1 Kings 19:12, that is
exactly how God spoke to Elijah, not in the wind, not in the earthquake, and
not in the fire, but in a still, small voice. Personally I find that comforting.
Heavenly Father, we pray we all have the courage to truly put You first and live our lives for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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