David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets. 1 Chronicles 13:8, NIV
Yesterday we completed a two week series at Resurrection in which we looked at what it means to worship. I found this verse to be particularly timely and inspiring in light of this series. Doing anything with all my might is pretty intense. Yet this is what we are called to do in worship and in loving God.
Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come (Psalm 71:18, NIV)
This verse clearly articulates the desire to leave a legacy of faithfulness and sharing good news to the generations that are coming ahead of us. I hope that I am declaring God’s power to the next generation today as well as years from now. This is a key task for me as a father and as a pastor. I hope to do this by raising my son in the faith and being intentional about offering mentoring and guidance to those younger than me.
In what ways do you share God’s power with the next generation?
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water (Psalm 63:1, NIV).
I love the vivid description of seeking God. Thirst is powerful in a land where there is no water. I aspire to seek God in this way, but I know that it is not true for me all the time.
This weekend I had the chance to witness the baptism of my niece, Jenna. Also, my brother asked if I would be a godparent, which I am honored to be. It was a great blessing to share in the day. The waters of baptism are a sign of God’s grace and quenching of our thirst for God.
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I am preaching this Sunday at Resurrection West. I am looking forward to the opportunity to share good news with the congregation. I am particularly looking forward to it as I did not have the opportunity to preach while serving as Pastor of Resurrection Online.
We are in the middle of a series in which we are reflecting on the events of September 11, 2011 through the lens of the Christian faith. I am preaching on Living Without Fear in an Age of Terror and will be using verses from Psalm 27 and Mark 5. If you are interested, you can follow my progress in the days ahead at the Google Doc - http://j.mp/pTdEht It is pretty rough right now and won’t be in a finished form until some time Saturday night. If you take a look at it, will you please share your thoughts feelings or opinions? I would love to hear from you.
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God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:1-3, NIV)
These powerful verses remind me of God’s providence. Lack of fear in the face of the turmoil that is described here is amazing. It reminds me that what I face day to day may not be as dire as I sometimes imagine that it is. More importantly, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Thank you, God!
“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, ”when I will send a famine through the land — not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Amos 8:11, NIV.
What a powerful illustration! The previous chapters of Amos outlined many possibilities for physical difficulties for the people, however this is perhaps the most threatening. God’s Word is integral to our life in right relationship with God and others.
10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another (1 John 4:10-11, NIV).
I don’t have much of a question about these verses.
They are a beautiful picture of the love that God has for us.
We are able to love others because God first loved us.
I first heard about this fantastic video from this update:
Very creative video from Cokesbury. No, seriously… http://t.co/4myKCwj—
Steven Blair (@revsteven) April 03, 2011
Here it is – The Preacher Your Preacher Could Preach Like:
Likely, inspired by:
Thank you to everyone involved!
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I found it fascinating to read about how the new governor understands the situation behind the man who is on trial in front of him, Paul.
18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. (Acts 25:18-19, NIV)
How would someone who knows nothing about Christianity describe the life of your church? your life?
I appreciate YouVersion’s generosity in sharing a compilation of Bible Apps for mobile devices at http://www.youversion.com/free-bible-apps
