Scripture
– NIV
1
Timothy 4:14-16 –
Do
not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of
elders laid their hands on you.
Be
diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may
see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them,
because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
2
Timothy 1:6 –
For
this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you
through the laying on of my hands.
Bob’s
thoughts:
We
were welcomed in the parking lot, by the greeter, and by the usher. Only one
non-staff person said hello.
There
is still no cross and I’ve given up on finding out why.
I
have never been to any kind of a concert but I imagine it must be like this: loud
with flashing lights and roving spotlights. I thought if I turned my hearing
aids off it would be bearable…I start to feel ill with the spotlight wandering.
I guess my age is showing.
I
enjoyed hearing a little of the female lead’s voice.
For
me the message didn’t seem to fit the rock and roll atmosphere. I don’t know
where it is recorded or what kind of venue, but it was well thought out and
presented. Often biblical sermons lack application and this was well supported.
I look forward to hearing the other parts.
The
format is not my favorite but we share this: we are all hopeless sinners but
for the saving grace of Christ.
Jan’s
thoughts:
This
is our first return visit in nearly four years, so we were curious what might
have changed. We were among the first to arrive for the early service, so we
had to wait for a few minutes until guests were permitted to enter the worship
area.
We
had some conversation with the person who handed us the cards with information
about the message. Upon entering the worship space, greeters stand between the
doorways and the seats. In anticipation of the volume, we sat against the back
wall. The greeter nearest us was kind enough to let us know the coffee had been
made available in the outer area since we sat down.
This
being National Ice Cream Day, the pastor announced that free ice cream would be
available following the service courtesy of Meadows, a local ice cream shop.
The
singers’ voices blended well but I found the volume distracting. We stayed though
and covered our eyes while the lights flashed.
The
message was presented by Jeff Henderson from the Gwinnett campus of Northpoint
Church. I found him engaging as he spoke on a topic near and dear to my heart: discerning
one’s life purpose. He said that last week, in part one of this series, he
taught that work was God’s idea. This week he mentioned some statistics: more
than 1/3 of our lives are spent at work and approximately 80% of us are
dissatisfied with our job. That’s a big number.
He
stated there is no such thing as a job without purpose when viewed from God’s
perspective. But the question remains for so many of us: How do I discover God’s
will for my life? He said the most important thing he would say was: God’s thumbprints on you are clues about His
plans for you.
(I
will use personal pronouns here, as I felt he was speaking directly to me.) Stressing
the importance of knowing my gifts and leveraging opportunities to use those
gifts, he encouraged me to pay attention and do the work to discover how I am
gifted because I will be held accountable by God for my failure to use His
gifts. (As if it didn’t seem important enough before, now it feels imperative.)
He
suggested to start the way he did: by emailing seven people who know me well and
ask “what do you think I’m good at?” And pay attention to what people tell me,
don’t be falsely humble and say it’s nothing, because it isn’t nothing, it’s
important.
The
church has developed a website with (mostly free) resources to help discern God’s
thumbprints: www.northbridge.org/messages/dream-job.
(I have bookmarked it for future use and can’t wait get started.)
Then
he said that if I’m not willing to put in the time it takes to find out what God’s
purpose is for my life, I forfeit the right to complain about it in the future.
Fair enough…let’s go.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray Your church serves in Your Holy Name according to Your desires. Amen.
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