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Category Archives: Elements Blog
2009
Worship through Unity
Week # 36
• John 17:22-24 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 24 Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!”
We are unified with Christ when we become His followers. Communion is one symbol of this. You will notice that the word communion contains the word union. It is to become one with Christ. We become one with His suffering, one with His love, and one with His future plans. Just as we become one with Christ so we should also be one with each other. We do not show Christ’s love to an unbelieving world when we are always arguing. How do we become unified? Always do what is best for others, not what is best for yourselves. When we all do this we show that we are more concerned for the needs of others than for ourselves. When everyone is concerned for the other person everything works out. It’s when we get into what is best for me that things get difficult. Unity is a form of worship. It is a tough form because some are very hard to be unified with. God loved us enough to die for us. Shouldn’t we love each other enough to be unified?
2009
Worship through Trust
Week #35
I changed what we were going to write about this week. Many are going through tough situations right now. So I decided to write about trusting God. We all know that it is true, but sometimes we need reminded that God is in control of every situation we go through. Parent issues, friend issues, or illness, it doesn’t matter God is in control. Believing that God is in control is the easy part. Trusting Him with our situations is the tough part.
Prov. 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
The word trust here means to put full confidence in. That is what we are to do with God, in spite of our circumstances. The word trust is used 50 times in the book of Psalms. God wants us to understand the importance of trusting Him. Some of you have real challenges in your lives right now. You are in need of help, direction, and comfort. Trust in the Lord and He will see You through.
2009
Worship through Obedience
Week #34
In the Old Testament sacrifice was seen as the ultimate form of worship. Each year the children of Israel would sacrifice an animal to cover their sins. They would sacrifice as an act of thanksgiving. They would sacrifice as a sign of trust. They would sacrifice at festivals and celebrations.Sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice.
Sacrifice became such a part of Jewish worship that it lost its meaning in the people’s hearts. God told King Saul to go out and completely destroy the Amalekites.Saul did except for their king and the best of the livestock.
1 Samuel 15:20-23 “But I did obey the LORD,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else. 21 Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.” 22 But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. 23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.”
The children of Israel began to be disobedient to God, but felt that they were still okay because they sacrificed. God wants your obedience more than anything else. When we are obedient to God all the other areas of our les fall into place. Worship is more intimate. Decisions are easier. Life is better because we have made a conscience choice to obey our Lord. God wants obedience in all areas of our lives. We need to obey all authority figures in our lives. God honors us and we honor God when we are obedient.
I Samuel 15:27-29 “As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe. 28 And Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you. 29 And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”
Samuel prophesied about a coming King that would not lie, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is worthy of worship through our obedience to Him.
2009
Worship through Decisions
Week #33
Eight years ago a man made the decision to drive after drinking. A few minutes latter his decision changed our family forever. Our lives are marked by our decisions. Some, like what color of sock to wear, are unimportant. Others are life altering. God has only good plans for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” God’s plans are good but we must follow His design for our lives or we will end up with a lot of problems. A decision to have sex in the heat of the moment can forever alter your life. The decision to drink and drive can alter your destiny and others around you. Choosing to take that fist hit can lead down a path of addiction. When we make decisions we are not only affecting our lives but the lives of those around us. My cousin was killed by that drunk driver. Our lives were all changed. One of my heroes was gone. I never get to email him or ask for his advice. He never got to see my son who is named after him and shares his birthday, all because someone made a stupid decision. Our decisions will affect people, both negative and positive. When we make a decision to follow Jesus Christ, we make a positive affect. This is the single most important decision of our life. All of us make a choice to follow. The question is who will that choice be? Ground your life in Christ. Make decisions according to His design not your own. Fulfill the destiny God has for your life.
2009
Worship through Language
Week 31
One of the first ways that people identify us with Christ is our language. When we meet someone and we let out a string of profanity, it is assumed that since you talk a like you also act a like. Language is a tough thing for us to change. The Bible says that our tongue is the hardest thing to tame. You may feel like your doing well. Then you break your toe or get in a heated argument.
Ephesians 4:29 “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you This verse tells us that our say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”
Our language should not be foul but it should also not be abusive. This is where most of us struggle. We too often use language that let people know that we do not care about them or their problems. As Christians we must represent Jesus Christ in all that we do. That includes the words that we use and how we speak them. We can not worship and honor God with the same mouth that we curse others with.
James 3:7-12 “People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.”
2009
Worship through the Spirit
Week 29
Lets look at the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and how it changes our lives as believers. To do this we will look at the life of Peter. Peter was a lose cannon. Those around him never knew when he would go off. Some might look at this characteristic as a negative thing. I believe he was enthusiastic, but lacked focus and discipline. John records in Chapter 18 of his book that Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of the temple servant. Later in the same chapter he denied Christ 3 times. How does a man like this become one of the leaders of the church? The answer is found in the Spirit. Acts 2:1-4 “On the day of Pentecost[a] all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages,[b] as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” Acts 2:14 “Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this.” Peter had been transformed by the power of God through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. God can do the same for you. Your life can be transformed from just a quiet Christian to a powerful world changer. Your attitudes, your motivation, your focus, your life will be changed. Seek the giver. It’s not about speaking in tongues, it’s about Jesus.
2009
Worship Through Attitude
Week 25
Your attitude determines your outlook. If your attitude stinks so does life. Our attitudes let those around us know how things are going in our lives. If we as Christians always display bad attitudes, it shows the world that they want no part of Christ. Philippians 4:8-9 “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” The Apostle Paul exhorts us to set our minds on things that are good. When we do this our attitudes change and people notice that were anger, resentment, and frustration were, peace, love, and joy now take its place. Strive to make your attitue an act or worship.
2009
Worship through the Word
Weeks 23 and 24
The Word of God is our foundation as Christians. It tells us everything we need to know about life and godliness. It teaches us truths about God, creation, angels, demons, sin, love, mercy, and forgiveness. It has it all. Unfortunately most Christians have a very weak foundation. The reason is because they do not know God’s word.
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· Read Ps. 119:11
Our faith and our life must be rooted in the word of God everyday. We must be constantly reminded of the price God paid for us. We must be constantly learning more about Him and His plan for our lives. If you are going through a trial right now, look to the Word. When your heart is breaking, look to the Word. When you are desperate for answers, look to the Word. When you need strength, look to the Word.
If we can pray with you about anything please ad a comment!
Psalm Reading from the LAB
When you want… Read
To find comfort Psalm 23
To meet God intimately Psalm 103
To learn a new prayer Psalm 136
To learn a new song Psalm 92
To learn more about God Psalm 24
To understand yourself more clearly Psalm 8
To know how to come to God each day Psalm 5
To be forgiven for your sins Psalm 51
To feel worthwhile Psalm 139
To understand why you should read the Bible Psalm 119
To give praise to God Psalm 145
To know that God is in control Psalm 146
To give thanks to God Psalm 136
To please God Psalm 15
To know why you should worship God Psalm 104
2009
Worship as Light
Week 22
Light is one of the most important elements of life. Without light we would all die. There would be no plants, no plants means no animals. As Christians we forget that we also function as light, spititual light. With life it is hard to keep our lights shinning bright. Most people do not realize that their light is growing dim and before long its out. Listen to what Jesus said in Luke 11. Luke 11:34-36 “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness. 35 Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. 36 If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.” The things that we see in life begin to block our light. Examples: things we see in movies or on TV, things we read in books, things we see in society or at school. Each time we see these things another speck blocks the light. Life experience also blocks our light. We live with the consequences of our sin. We also live with the consequences of the sins of others. These things may not be our fault but we have to live with them, divorce is an example. 2 Cor. 6:14 “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?” Sometimes life just bogs us down. We don’t feel close to God and we wonder why? Ron Luce describes this as dust that we are all covered with. God’s plan for you is to let your light shine as bright as you can. Get rid of the Junk in your life. Turn off the TV, walk out of the movie, turn off the computer, or put down the book. Paul says in Eph. 1:18 “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.”
2009
Worship through Mercy
Week 21
Mercy withholds what we deserve. Mercy is when you get caught sneaking out of your house and your parents don’t punish you. Mercy is when a criminal stands before the judge and gets a life sentence instead of death. Mercy is when your teacher gives you an A when you deserve a C. Mercy should be a part of the life of every Christian. Why is this? We should show mercy because Christ showed us mercy. Paul puts it like this, Col. 3:12-13 “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe ourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Too often we are quick to blame and hold grudges, but as Christians we should be the first to forgive. Some of you may have people that you need to forgive. No, they may not deserve it, but that what mercy is all about. Have prayer for forgivness. Show mercy as Christ has shown mercy to you.
