Received any Good Gifts Lately?: Oct 26th - Nov 1st
This Week Last Week & Beyond...
Just a few things to note...
1) This week is my Sunday to lead. I covet your prayers as I'm also leading at a conference on Friday & Saturday night. That means that Thursday thru Sunday will be filled with musical responsibility. I'm super pumped and well aware of my need for Jesus!
2) Don't forget about the November 8th Pursuit Night for the music ministry. Our first night spent seeking the Lord and His plans for the ministry. Please respond as to your availability.
3) A big thank you to Jody and Jermey for their flexibility in trading their Sundays to drum over the last couple weeks! The band appreciates it, the church appreciates, I's appreciate it! :)
Three P's in Practice...
Just a little heads up to a new thing I'd like to try at all Thursday night practices. I'll call them the three P's of practice for now, I know, cheesy right? In any case, starting this week, we're going to take some time and facilitate the following three things:
1) Pause... "Be still and Know that I am God" Most Thursday's we come to practice having experienced a vast array of different emotions during the week. Some good, some bad, we carry stuff into the building, to practice, and are expected to join together with others in praise & worship. It doesn't need to be said, however I will, this just isn't always the easiest thing to do! So, we're going to take some time to wait on the Lord, just be in His presence, know that He is God. You can say nothing, cast your anxieties and burdens at His feet, love on Him, read the word, it doesn't really matter. Truth is, He just wants to be with us.
2) Prayer... "pray without ceasing..." 1 Thess 5:16-18 says this is part of the will of God for us. To pray. The truth is, we need the Holy Spirit to show up on Thursdays. Well, everyday really, but you know what I mean. As we lead the church in Spirit filled praise & worship, we should be purposely inviting Him to empower us to this end and more! This is also a good time to confess any sins(with someone of the same sex), simply ask for prayer from your brothers and sisters in Christ or share what the Lord is speaking to you. Let's be led by the Spirit as we seek Him.
3) Praise... "give thanks in all circumstances" Yes, this is the another part of the will of God for you. :) Let's be great at thankfulness. We sure sing about it, so, let's walk it out. It most likely isn't coincidence that as I was thinking about this over the last week, the devotional today goes hand and hand. What a wonderful way to posture ourselves as we come together to give thanks to the Lord in song.
My plan is that this would all take about 15-20 minutes. It's so easy to give up stuff like this when we have a task/s at hand. We feel there isn't time and we need to get going on what's in front of us. Well, the truth is, we can't afford not to! So, let's give it a try.
If you're going to be late for practice, of which I'm not suggesting, please come in quietly and join in. We will be starting at 7pm sharp. :)
If you have any thoughts, please feel free to share.
Devotional...
RECEIVED ANY GOOD GIFTS LATELY?
by Tom Kraeuter, Hillsboro, Missouri...click here to read
Going Deeper:
1. Tell of a difficult situation that turned your world upside down, yet ultimately caused you to grow in your knowledge and trust of God.
2. What do you suppose might have been different if you had considered that situation - that trial - as "pure joy" while it was happening?
3. What could you do differently to prepare your heart for the next trial you'll encounter?