Scripture
– NLT
1
Peter 2:4-5 –
You
are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was
rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.
And
you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s
more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you
offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
Hebrews
10:24-25 –
Let
us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And
let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one
another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Jeremiah
31:31-34 –
“The
day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people
of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their
ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of
Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his
wife,” says the Lord.
“But
this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those
days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will
write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach
their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the
least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will
forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”
2
Corinthians 3:16-18 –
But
whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the
Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us
who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And
the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed
into his glorious image.
Romans
8:9-11 –
But
you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit
if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do
not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And
Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the
Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of
God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised
Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this
same Spirit living within you.
Philippians
2:12-13 –
Dear
friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that
I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your
salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you,
giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
Bob’s
thoughts:
God
seems to lead us where He wants to meet with us in worship when we pull a
direction sheet from the file without looking, and today was one of those.
Many
people welcomed us when we came in and some after the service.
There
is a larger back-lit cross on the wall and comfortable seating. The songs and
Scripture were projected on a screen but sometimes the lack of contrast made it
unreadable.
The
pastor delivered a valuable, pointed message that was well-supported by
Scripture and one I believe should be preached everywhere. We are always
excited with the highs, but those times can be counterproductive when we reach
the lows or even the lack of the highs, and feel God isn’t there. I read an
excellent piece from Tensions by H.A.
Williams in A Guide to Prayer which is
published by The Upper Room: “And if apparently I am alone and he is not there
that is because he will not separate his presence from my own. If he is not
anything at all, if he is nothing, that is because he is no longer another. I
must find him in what I am or not at all.” May we all be so blessed with this
internal communion with God.
When
you come together in worship, tell your story. He will use it to encourage
others. Open your hearts and let Him come in. The best church I can imagine is
one that is empty because the church is out doing Christ’s work.
Jan’s
thoughts:
The
sanctuary design is clean and simple with white walls and ceiling, muted carpet,
and gray chairs. The dark brown of the molding, trim, and cross set it off
nicely.
From
the moment we walked in we were welcomed almost continuously.
The
service began at precisely 10:30 with no apparent signal from anyone, which I
found remarkable.
The
lone voice leading the singing belonged to the pastor, and the organ, piano,
and acoustic guitar sounded lovely.
The
pastor stated that his untitled message was built on last week’s sermon about
character transformation. In today’s message, he contrasted Moses’ visits with
God on the Mount with the Holy Spirit living inside Christ believers. He
stressed the differences between external experiences that provide a spiritual
high but fade quickly and internal communion with the Spirit of God living
inside Christians.
He
emphasized the importance of regular prayer and Bible reading, spending time
with God, growing in relationship with Him. Within that growing association there
is hope for ever-increasing glory, where things get better and better within the
relationship, and the best is yet to come.
He
spent some time highlighting the necessity of real, authentic connection with
God and with other people. He emphasized that every person is a work in
progress and sometimes we fall. But believers are called to something more than
pretending or being fake or phony…they are called to be real and authentic. He
urged the congregation to find the courage to be honest and genuine and to
encourage each other.
I
was grateful God lead us here today.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray Your continued blessings on this, Your church. May they open their
hearts and let You come in. Amen.
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