Scripture
– Galatians 5:16-25 KJV
This
I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
For
the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and
these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that
ye would.
But
if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Now
the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings,
murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you
before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things
shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith,
Meekness,
temperance: against such there is no law.
And
they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
If
we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Bob’s
thoughts:
This
is an interesting little church that I was glad we had the opportunity to
revisit.
The engineered
beams of the ceiling blend with the knotty pine paneling. There is a great
back-lit cross behind the projection screen, and I was grateful for the air
conditioning. Today would probably have been alright, but a few Sundays
suffering to breathe reminded me that I need A/C.
I was
taken with the harmony of the ceiling light fixtures and the lights of the
ceiling fans.
I
honestly don’t know how many years it has been since I was responsible for the
maintenance of a church, but I had to smile when I was drawn to notice a
burned-out bulb so maybe it never goes away.
I
remember sitting in a church we were visiting after being long-time members in
a nearby church. I noticed things like burned out bulbs and other maintenance
items, then I noticed a family that seemed out of place and went to greet them
as visitors. It took a while to get over that feeling of responsibility and
allow myself to just worship God. Serving the church is great but I hope you won’t
let it keep you from worship. May you free yourself to worship Him.
A
woman brought a baby to church today and that was noted by the congregation.
The timing was divine as I was thinking this church needs some youth to come
alive; maybe it’s a start.
We
were warmly welcomed, including by some who remembered us from our last stop
there.
The
lead singer has a great voice and led the congregation well. There was a bass
singer whose mic was set almost painfully loud to me. Surprisingly when he
spoke and prayed later from the pulpit, I could barely hear. There was mention
from the pastor that maybe the mic was off.
I put
my prayer request in with the offering and it was read to the congregation
while we were there, which is a first. I was pleased to find a prayer list
included in the bulletin.
A
line from the message that struck me: “Do we listen to the flesh or the Spirit?”
Jan’s
thoughts:
Having
arrived with enough time for conversation before worship, we were greeted
warmly. We last worshiped here in May 2017 when Amani Children’s Choir led the
service, and today we got to hear the pastor preach.
We
sat as far back as possible, which at times seemed a mistake because at some
points I had a time trying to hear. Usually we have the opposite issue.
The
piano, harpsichord, violin, and guitar provided pleasant-sounding back-up for
the vocalists, whose voices blended well.
Many
prayers were offered, both joys and concerns.
The
untitled sermon focused on the battle between the flesh and the Spirit and concluded
with an invitation to go forward for prayer.
Someone
had donated some pies, and everyone was urged to take one or more home with
them, which we did, with thanks.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray You will bless Your church with youthful enthusiasm, that they may live
for You. Amen.
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