Church of the Living Christ

Today we worshiped at Church of the Living Christ, 220 West Allegheny Road, Imperial, PA 15126, 724.695.7188, www.cotlc.com, Pastors Matt & Tami Shouse.

Scripture – NIV

Proverbs 3:5-7 –

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

Matthew 6:33 –

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Jeremiah 29:11 –

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Romans 10:17 –

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Psalm 119:33-38 –

Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared.

Proverbs 3:7 –

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

Proverbs 3:9 –

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;

John 14:26 –

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

2 Timothy 1:14 –

Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Zephaniah 3:12 –

But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord.

Zephaniah 3:17 –

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.

Bob’s thoughts:

This was a welcoming church; many of the members engaged us in conversation. The sanctuary was tastefully decorated along with the social area downstairs and the restrooms.

Crosses were projected on the screen before the service and a handsome wooden cross on the wall was revealed when the screen was raised for the sermon.

I appreciated the personal testimony early in the service.

I liked the sound of the praise band but noticed the congregation sang the loudest when there were no words projected.

I had difficulty hearing the prayer over the piano.

The sermon was about trusting in God: how much is lip service and how much is true complete trust. How quick we are to fall back to a known evil rather than step forward in complete trust.

I have always felt retrospectively that God waited a long time to claim me, maybe the first 50 years He was waiting for me to step out in faith. When He did claim me, I was completely overcome. In my life in Christ I continue to be overwhelmed every day.

There has not been a day I did not feel His love. I cannot imagine going through dark times like the loss of our son without God. He has cared for us in all life’s trials; many times I didn’t know how to pay our bills, but the money was always there when we needed it. And the more we gave away in faith, the more He entrusted to us.

It’s important to spend that time in prayer so when you feel called to step out in faith, you know Who is calling.

Jan’s thoughts:

A young man smiled warmly as he opened the door for us when we approached the building, and about five people greeted us immediately, handing us bulletins and a welcome packet. The pastor happened to be in the vicinity and introduced himself, then escorted us downstairs to the restrooms and coffee. A number of people introduced themselves all along the way, and almost anyone who did not do so before worship, did so afterward. The welcome was genuine and hospitable.

The entire building was tastefully decorated, and one of the interesting touches I noticed both downstairs and in the sanctuary were panels of string art. It was a pretty, unique touch.

The voices of the pianist and the guitar player were the only two I could hear, but they blended well, though the instruments seemed to drown out the voices occasionally.

The pastor’s wife presented announcements with enthusiasm.

The message, “Trusting in God,” began with a terrific story about a women who dreamed she was walking with Jesus. He asked if she trusted Him, and she agreed to the trust exercise where she allows herself to fall backward and He, standing behind her, catches her. She was filled with a new sense of trust in Him, until He asked her to trust Him as He stood in front of her while she fell backward. This, of course, is the definition of faith.

The pastor pointed out that’s how most of us trust God…in some situations but not all. The focus of trust is full obedience and submission. Instead of trying to “help God out a bit,” instead of choosing a path and expecting God to approve it, we need to remember “God has already chosen a blessable path.” We need to cry out to Him, ask Him for direction, and then wait as a servant, listening to the Holy Spirit and not our deceitful hearts.

Toward the end the pastor spoke of one of Satan’s favorite tools: shame. He said we must surrender everything to God – including our shame – and rest in His love. I for one forget to do that with feelings I wish I didn’t have, but of course that’s the way through them is to talk to God about them. I appreciated the reminder.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray this congregation always recognized Your voice and is prepared to follow, secure in their faith. Amen.