Scripture – NIV
Philippians 4:6-7 –
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 6:4-10 –
Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
2 Corinthians 11:27-28 –
I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
Matthew 6:27 –
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
Isaiah 43:2 –
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Isaiah 26:3 –
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
1 Peter 5:7 –
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Bob’s thoughts:
One of my favorite things about worshiping here is the fine nuances of the snacks at the coffee bar are explained to me by my grandchildren. With my dietary restrictions, most are things I can only afford to taste, but they tell me all about them.
The most amazing thing I learned about this church is that they have close to 80% volunteer participation by the members. I don’t know of any church that comes close to this.
I was reminded about a woman I knew years ago that was so upset with the church that she wanted to leave. I asked her if she would check the pencils in the pew rack. She diligently went through the pews replacing and sharpening pencils, and in the process gained ownership in the church. She went on to find other details that were slipping through the cracks and as far as I know she is happy serving “her” church.
The sermon on worry was delivered by a retired pastor. I wish we would have had the opportunity to talk with him after the service.
I probably have spent more time advising Christians on the uselessness of fear and worry than any other aspect of our faith. I have been so overwhelmed by God’s faithfulness to ever doubt Him. Situations are seldom worked out according to my plan, thankfully, but He has never let me down.
Jan’s thoughts:
We had our grandtwins with us this weekend, so we took them to worship at their church. As usual, we had the additional blessing of seeing the rest of our family who belong here.
The last time we were here there were piles of dirt and gravel along with earthmoving equipment. This morning it was a lovely sight: the parking area is freshly graded, paved, and even has lines delineating parking spaces. I look forward to the additional changes announced.
The current message series is Getting Off the Crazy Train and today’s entry was presented by guest speaker David Vaughn and called Anxious For Nothing. He advised us to let worry trigger prayer when anxiety rears its ugly head. He named several reasons why we might hesitate to pray when we are anxious:
1 – concern it would be selfish
2 – an attitude of self-sufficiency
3 – not convinced it makes a difference
He reminded us that if we follow the advice in Scripture and pray with thanksgiving, we can experience irrational peace.
Our prayer for this church:
Father, we pray Your continued guidance for Your church. Help each person past their fears and worries. Amen.
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