Scripture
– ESV
Hebrews
11:1 –
Now
faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Psalm
69:1-2 –
Save
me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where
there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over
me.
Hebrews
11:8-12 –
By
faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to
receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By
faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in
tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was
looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is
God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past
the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one
man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of
heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
Genesis
12:1-4 –
Now
the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your
father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great
nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a
blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will
curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
So
Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was
seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
Bob’s
thoughts:
We were greeted by a number of people when we came in, including a woman, a trifecta: daughter, wife, and mother of a Marine. I wish we could have talked after worship.
There
is a large cross painted on the wall that makes it look like it is recessed in
the block. They also display a countdown on the screen till the service starts.
I was
pleased to enjoy some of the best harmony ever from the four female praise team
members.
We
were delighted to witness the dedication of three babies. I have always taken
to heart that Christ wanted the children to come to Him. They so recently left
His presence that they still remember and sometimes can still see Christ and
the angels. One of my favorite conversations was with a little girl in church
talking about where the angels were sitting all around, she couldn’t believe
that I couldn’t see them in the balcony…the balcony that was removed years
before she was born.
Another
preference for talking with children is always total honesty. You might not
like what you hear, but you will learn the truth.
There
was a short video that talked about the burden of stuff, which I learned
first-hand when one of my brothers died and not too much later, my father-in-law.
I received all kinds of tools and for a while thought how blessed I was, but
soon realized what a burden it was to have so much stuff. When I followed God’s
instruction to clean out, His peace washed over me when I obeyed.
This
church has the blessed hindsight of when they needed something, the funds to
accomplish it were there. It’s easy to think we need newer, bigger, better, but
it becomes harder to seek God’s direction as to what He wants for His church.
Seek His direction first and watch the miracles.
God
was pursuing me for the first 50 years, others around me knew it, and one day
it just happened. He won’t stop.
I had
some trouble understanding everything in the pastor’s message due to volume or
echo, I’m not sure.
Jan’s
thoughts:
Churches
are often full of surprises, and locations and denominational labels can be misleading.
We
were greeted often at this church, before and after worship, and I witnessed members
enthusiastically greeting each other, hugging, and praying together. The staff
consists of numerous pastors, it seems, and several introduced themselves and
welcomed us. One touch of hospitality was a small box of Kleenex under the
chair in front of us; sometimes it’s the little things. I also witnessed an act
of kindness when a woman gave up her seat for an older woman with a walker.
Someone
mentioned in passing they were going to fill up their coffee cup, so I asked
where the coffee was. It turned out to be in a small room where three gentlemen
were having a study, but they freely offered to share, which I appreciated.
I
could clearly hear the praise team rehearsing before the doors to the sanctuary
were opened and I wondered how the volume would be from inside once the service
was underway. It was not a problem, and I was thrilled to be able to stay for
the music because it was outstanding. The praise team sounded amazing, and although
the songs were mostly new to me, I found them deeply touching.
What
a joy to be present for a triple baby dedication! The sanctuary was about
filled to capacity, including many little ones.
The
message series is called In Over My Head
and the pastor summed it up quite simply: we are all learning to trust God. Mostly
he spoke of Abraham’s obedience, how when God called him to go, Abraham obeyed
without knowing where or anything else. All he knew was what God said and that
was enough.
The
pastor urged his listeners that when they hear from God, to just follow, that
faith requires risk or it’s not faith. It is when we obey that we learn God is true
and faithful. It does not matter what other people think if we have heard from
God.
One
of the most encouraging things I heard in this message is that God will not
stop pursuing. I’m so grateful for that truth.
The
pastor asked two thought-provoking questions: “What are you holding on to that
God says to let go of?” and “What are you believing God for?” There were probably
as many answers to those questions as there were people in the room. I know I’ll
be thinking about them this week.
Our
prayer for this church:
Awesome
Lord, we pray for Your continued guidance for this church, thanking You for the
blessings You have poured out. Please encourage them and grow their faith. Amen.
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