Sing Along.

In a couple weeks we will be singing a song by Christy Nockels called "Sing Along".
It's a fairly easy song, catchy too, with a simple message: God's mercy is so great that it reaches all over the world, even the secret places. He holds us all and we will sing together so that His glory will be clear and obvious to everyone.

Here are the lyrics:

From babies hidden in the shadows
to the cities shining bright
there are captives weeping far from sight

For every doorway there's a story
and some are holding back the cries
but there is One who hears us in the night

Great God, wrap Your arms around this world tonight
around the world tonight
And when You hear our cries, sing through the night
so we can join in Your song and sing along
Yeah, sing along

For the farthest corners of the earth, still His mercy reaches
even to the pain we cannot see
through the deepest darkness there's a promise that will keep us
there is One who came to set us free

So let Your song rise and fill up the earth
Let Your hope ring out, let Your heart be heard


How great would it be for this song to just be picked up in the next week so that we can truly sing along as a group of Christ followers rejoicing in the One who hears our silent cries and saves our broken hearts?

Singing,
Hailey

This weeks memory verse is Revelation 5:12
In a loud voice they sang: Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!

Worry - what is it good for? Absolutely nothing...Say it Again!!!

(Think Edwin Starr 1970 or Rush Hour and Jackie Chan)


Corrie Ten Boom writes,
"Worrying is carrying tomorrows load with today's strength
-carrying two days at once.
It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time.
Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

Few things sap my strength quicker than worry. I am energized when I am focused. And it is impossible to focus on the moment, when I'm worried about what's ahead.

Max Lucado writes, "No one can pray and worry at the same time."

Tonight as I was writing this devo, I knew my heart was anxious. As I read each of these verses, the heaviness began to lighten. Each verse of God's truth removing a part of the load of worry from my battle fatigued heart.

So here they are!!! 20 verses of God's truth on worry. May they lighten your heart as they did mine.

Shalom,

Joseph

What did Jesus Say About Worry?

Matthew 6:25-27 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Luke 12:25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you;my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Worry Bible Verses- All About Peace
Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved

Worry Bible Scriptures Mentioning Anxiety

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 5:7casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Worry Verses Say Do Not Fear
Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Isaiah 43:1-3 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

Hebrews 13:6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Additional Bible Verses Related to Worry
Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

Psalm 121:1-2 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Catching Up With Old Friends.

Yesterday I had the chance to hang out with some old friends, Larry Cotton and Matt Carter. It was great catching up with them and having been away from them a while I noticed their unique strengths as individuals. In my time with Larry I was reminded of his incredible ability to make anyone feel like a million bucks. As we were visiting I realized I was doing the majority of the talking because Larry took such an interest in my life and asked question after question. I finally had to just stop him and start asking him about his life near the end of our time together. In Philippians 2 it says that we are to 'consider others better than ourselves' and that we are to 'look not only to our own interests but also to the interests of others.' Larry reminded me of the power of living that truth out in relationships with others.

In hanging out with Matt I was powerfully challenged by His unshakable passion and vision. We were visiting with him about our adoption and he was sharing with us about his own passion for the orphan as God's Word tells us over and over to care for the fatherless. He has this relationship with God where He just asks God, 'God, what do you want me to do about the orphan....you know I'll adopt if you want me to.' He said that God told him that he was not supposed to adopt but that he was to use his influence to support fostering and domestic and foreign adoptions So that is what he is doing now simply because God told him to do it. He very matter-of-factly told me that they were planning on getting all 400 orphans in the Austin foster care system adopted this next year. Matt challenges me to dare to ask God those kind of questions and to be willing to say yes and simply trust and obey Him. It made me think of Isaiah's response in Isaiah 6 that says, ' 8 Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?"And I said, "Lord, I'll go! Send me."

As I walked away from these times I hope to grow in my ability to serve and encourage others and also to dare to trust God for bigger and bigger things for His kingdom!

in Christ,

Brian

In God We Still Trust.

Sunday, we sang "A Mighty Fortress" by Christy Nockels,
a song based on Psalm 46:1-2

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth should change
and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea."

I believe that Christ followers are not to be a fearful people,
but we are to possess a quiet confidence
that comes from trusting in God's goodness and His power.

And so we sang,

"A mighty fortress is our God
A sacred refuge is Your Name
Your Kingdom is unshakable
With You forever we will reign

We will keep our eyes on You
So we can set our hearts on You
Lord we will set our hearts on You"

So today is Memorial Day. Jane and I are participating in a community celebration at Reflection Lake at Memorial Oaks Cemetery I-10 exit Eldridge and U-TURN.

It begins at 11:00 if you want to join us. We are singing a trio with Hailey Michels with full orchestra directed by Mark Holter. There is a lot of great music with quartets, trios and soloists, many from StoneBridge.

I was able to pick the song we were to sing and I chose. "In God We Still Trust".

I wanted to sing a song that fully celebrated America, but that fully honored God as the One in whom we put our trust. A statement that no matter what we go through, our confidence and our strength comes from the Lord.

So here is the second verse and chorus of "In God We Still Trust"

It speaks my heart more elegantly than I ever could.

"We celebrate the stories of our heroes
who spilled their blood upon our battlefields

We stand and pledge allegiance
when Old Glory’s flying high
the spirit of the patriot revealed

Yet deep within our hearts there’s something more
Though we love this land,
still our hope is in the Lord
in the Lord

Chorus
And so we stand, one nation under God
united by the truth that sets us free
the voice that spoke creation into order
now calls us as a nation to our knees

When we turn out hearts to heaven
we know He’s leading us
and that is why
in God we still trust"

Happy Memorial Day and thanks to all those who sacrificed so we are free to worship.

Grateful.

Joe

A Playful God.

I have started reading a book by John Eldredge called 'Beautiful Outlaw.' Today's chapter was exploring the idea of the 'playfulness' of Jesus. This is not typically a characteristic when we think about our Savior. He makes an interesting point though. One thing we know about Jesus is that He is fully God and that through Him the world and everything in it was spoken into existence. In a sense Creation, just like a work of art, tells us alot about the Creator. One of the things Eldredge points out is how 'playfullness' was purposefully built into creation everywhere you look.

We have had fun observing 'playfulness' in our little foster kittens. One of the things that has been entertaining is watching them play together. Last night our little white cat was on his side on the other side of our bathroom door and wedged against the wall. He was intently peering through the crack under the door and as soon as one of his siblings would walk by he would strike at them from underneath. Then the other kittens would get down there and try to strike back at him. They constantly are making up games like this all the time. Who made them to do that? God, the Creator.

God built in playfullness to our DNA and He also is the inventor of laughter. As Christians, we represent Christ to the world around us. One of His attributes we should be reflecting is 'playfulness'. 'Playfulness' between parents and children is a sign of health. 'Playfulness' in marriage between a husband and a wife displays a closeness in their relationship. 'Playfulness' among friends is an indicator of a great friendship. Sometimes people in church can be a little too serious and stoic. I think the onlooking world needs to see the joy of Jesus spilling out of us and sparking their curiousity. Check out what Jesus says to His disciples near the end of His earthly life: 'These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.' - John 15:11

in Christ,

Brian

The Cross: A Reflection of God's Grace.

Reading through and discussing Worship Matters this week has been a reminder of everything the cross represents and the incredible reaches of God's grace. We have a tendency to think of the cross as the moment Christ died for our sins, which is very true, but we mustn't forget everything else the cross represents simultaneously.
The cross represents everything from the preexistent glory of Jesus, His perfect life and substitutionary death through to His resurrection and the promise of His return.
That is a whole lot of perfect and purpose wrapped up into one symbol but right now I would like to focus on the incredible amount of grace extended by our Father. Here are a couple excerpts from our Worship Matters book.

"In the cross we see the justice of God requiring a perfect payment for sins committed against a perfectly holy God.
We see the holiness of God acting to judge the sin that spoiled his creation by punishing his own son"

Here I must interrupt.
-Even there when it says "spoiled" I imagine rotted fruit. Fruit that has gone bad and that you would never dream of eating with an odor that is nothing short of offensive to your nostrils. I imagine it so vile because even the comparison of one sinner wronging another cannot measure up to that of a sinner rebelling against the only perfect God. The grace of one sinner shown to another cannot compare to the grace it takes for God to forgive us of the very thing that is against His nature: sin.

Kauflin continues:
"We see the mercy of God in providing a substitute or those who should have been condemned.
We see the wisdom of God in providing a glorious solution to an impossible dilemma.
...As David Prior has written, 'We never, therefore, move on from the cross of Christ, only into a more profound understanding of the cross.' "


Revelation 5:12
In a loud voice they sang:
Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!

Kauflin remarks, "The hosts of heaven never tire of extolling the Lamb who was slain. Should we?"

I've got to say that I fully agree with this question. I cannot verbally tell the story of the wonder, grace, beauty and love of our God without being moved to tears. And I don't really want to.


Hailey


This weeks memory verse is found in Psalm 46:1-2
1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea

Armor Up.

Do you feel blindsided by much of life's difficulties?
Do you sometimes feel like you're in a war zone?
Does life feel like a continuous battle?

Before you say this sounds like a bad late night TV commercial, I'm not trying to sell you anything.

But the Truth is we are in a warzone.
Life is epic.
We have an enemy who seeks to kill, steal and destroy us.

And the battle is not necessarily a physical one.

Ephesians 6 tells us that the battle is not against flesh and blood, but truly is a spiritual battle with high stakes.

Fortunately, we are equipped by God for this battle. If we wear all the armor He provides, we will win the day and the war.

So how do we armor up.
First we buckle up, with the belt of truth.

I think that means that we live lives with integrity,
so we are not weak, double minded people.
But I believe it is more than that.
I think it is God's truth, not human wisdom that Paul is talking about.

God's truth is embodied in the One who said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life".

At our core, at our center. it's about Jesus.
He is truth.

And He is our greatest strength and protection from the evil one.

At the Name of Jesus, every knee will bow, in Heaven, and earth and under the earth.

Make Jesus the focus of your life.

Armor up,

Joe

Next time the Breastplate of Righteousness.

Ephesians 6:14-18
belt of truth buckled around your waist,
with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people

Strength is for Service.

I love this little passage from Romans 15 (the message version) that says:

"1 Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. 2 Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?" 3 That's exactly what Jesus did. He didn't make it easy for himself by avoiding people's troubles, but waded right in and helped out. "I took on the troubles of the troubled," is the way Scripture puts it."

What a great little thought for us today, 'Strength is for service, not status.' That would make a great bumper sticker for us as Christ-followers. What if we looked at our strength, our abilities and talents, our possessions, our finances, and our experiences and we offered them all to God in worship like it says in the following lyrics of the song 'Take my life'......'Here I am...all of me...take my life...it's all for Thee.'

What a great little question just to take with us throughout our day...'How can I help?' Think of the impact we could make on our family, our neighbors and co-workers if that was our posture. Let's be like Jesus today, the One that 'waded right in and helped out.'

in Christ,

Brian

In Jesus Christ excerpts from "Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin.

"Jesus is How and Where we meet God"

1Timothy 2:5 "For there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

"Jesus served as our mediator when he willingly endured God's wrath against our sins at the cross, even though he himself was completely innocent.

Jesus served as our mediator when He became our substitute to receive the punishment we deserved, after which the Father raised Him from the dead, demonstrating the sufficiency of His sacrifice.

Jesus was our mediator when he embraced the torment of separation from God so we could live with God forever."

"This is the good news of the gospel. This is the means by which we can now worship God."

"I have never found a truth that more consistently, powerfully, or rightly calls forth the passionate praises of God's people that this: Christ died for our sins to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18)."

Thank you for the cross,

Joe

The Art of Imitation.

On Wednesday mornings I have the privilege of getting to hang out with a bunch of great pre-k thru 5th graders at the Woodlands Christian Acadamy for their chapel service. This week we took a look at Ephesians 5:1-2 that says, '1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.' As I was reading over this verse and thinking about it the word that kept popping out at me was 'imitators'. Paul was calling these Christians in Ephesus to imitate God.

Obviously we aren't called to imitate creating a universe from nothing or commanding the storms to be stilled or holding the earth in its orbit but specifically we are to imitate the life of love that Jesus modeled for us. This love was a sacrificial kind of love where He gave himself up for us. Imitation is the oldest form of learning. Since civilization began a young person would become an apprentice of a master craftsman and would learn a craft. Jesus is a master craftsman of sacrifical love. God descending to earth and stripping Himself of all His rights and entitlements and putting on flesh and blood and coming into our neighborhood and going all the way to an unthinkably shameful and painful death on a cross is an 'off the charts' kind of sacrifical love.

How does this imitation work? Well, Jesus took 12 guys and allowed them into His life where they could know Him up close and personal. They camped out together, hiked together, served together, had late night conversations together, etc. Those 12 guys (minus Judas, the betrayer) eventually learned the craft of sacrifical love and modeled and taught it to others. This process has continued throughout the generations. It is no different now. Do you have someone that you are able to imitate? Is there someone in your life that when you hang out with them they make you want to go all out for the cause of Christ? Is there someone that you meet with and hang out with that you see a model of sacrifical and unselfish love? If you don't have that relationship in your life, I would challenge you to ask God for it and maybe even make a phone call (or a text works too) and make that happen. Afterall, according to Romans 12, true worship is learning to 'offer our bodies as living sacrifices.'

in Christ,

Brian

A Mile Wide And An Inch Deep.

Alarms, snooze buttons, breakfast, getting ready, work, kids, lunch, afternoon functions, gathering the family, preparing meals, eating said meal, getting ready for bed, exhaustion.

Just to name a few.

I left out all the little details like: how your kids really wanted to sleep in and then there were no eggs so you had to settle for cereal, how you forgot the clothes in the dryer and now everything is wrinkled when you have that big meeting today, and of course how many different activities you chauffeured the kids around to.

We are, at times, spread a mile wide and an inch deep. At times we can spend more time getting ready and commuting to something than we actually spend doing that thing. 75%solitary preparation 25%interaction. That ratio seems a bit off. I mean, that's not how you build a relationship is it?
I didn't spend a quarter of my week with my family growing up and just miraculously end up with a tight knit family unit.

It takes time and intention. Something that I cannot stress enough when it comes to God. Just like our daily relationships we cannot grow with God if we don't intentionally make time out to be with Him. And just like our daily relationships, there is always something new and interesting to learn when we spend time continually meditating in what He has to say!

Intentional, daily focus is important. May 15 of my Jesus Calling daily devotional said, "Spending time with Me is essential for your well-being. It is not a luxury or an option; it is a necessity". Those words really spoke to me because Wednesday is my longest day. When I finally get home around 9 in the evening after a long day of meeting and teaching (and, at times like this week, children tearing up in frustration) most of me just wants to go to sleep. Alas, I know that this day, conveniently the evening I need to write my devotional, is the day full of the most opportunities for me to learn from. I enjoy writing for this blog every week, whether I realize at it at the time or not, because it forces my focus. Forces my focus on God. Forces me to spend that extra time (that I could be sleeping) with God reading His word and trying to figure out what I should be learning.

Maybe you don't have to write something every week for your peers to read and digest, but you can certainly pick a question for yourself every week. For my small group, for the last couple weeks, our question has been, "What has the Holy Spirit taught you this week?"
Just having a question, a focus, forces you to look for an answer; to look to God for His answer.


This weeks memory verse is Psalm 145:5-6
5 On the glorious splendor or Your majesty and on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. 6 Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, and I will tell of Your greatness.


Hailey

Are You Who You Want To Be?

So Monday was my birthday. It had been a good weekend celebrating Mother's Day and my Birthday with my family. I was receiving some really nice well wishes from friends and family, via phone, text and facebook. All of these things made me feel blessed.

But as I readied for the day, I turned on KSBJ and out comes Swichfoot singing,

"This is your Life, are you who you want to be" And I turned a little introspective.

I asked myself the question. Is my life everything I dreamed it would be?
I've always said that if you have nothing in your life you would do differently, then you have no brain.

I certainly would make better choices across my life, knowing what I know now.

But I think the most important question is not, is my life everything I dreamed it would be, but am I who I want to be?

As I pondered that question. I really sensed God speaking deep into my heart. I sensed Him saying, "Who you are will be fully realized in knowing me. Pursue me by prayer and taking my word daily to your heart."

So today I have a renewed desire to know God's word, because it will reveal the Father's heart and by His Spirit, change me into who I want to be.

Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Who am I?
Whose am I?
I am His and He is mine.

Joe

"This Is Your Life"

Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead
Yesterday is a promise that you've broken
Don't close your eyes, don't close your eyes
This is your life and today is all you've got now
Yeah, and today is all you'll ever have
Don't close your eyes
Don't close your eyes

This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be?
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose

Yesterday is a kid in the corner
Yesterday is dead and over

This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be?
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose

Don't close your eyes
Don't close your eyes
Don't close your eyes
Don't close your eyes

This is your life are you who you want to be?
This is your life are you who you want to be?

This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed it would be
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose

And you had everything to lose

Each One Matters.

On the way to church on Sunday we apparently had four little furry visitors who wanted to hitch a ride. As we were about to leave after services we discovered that four little kittens had somehow crawled up underneath the hood of our car and had survived the drive from our house to church. Because my wife is way more compassionate than I am, we spent about an hour trying to get them out of the innards of our vehicle. We managed to get one and gave up. So we left the car (aka 'kitty motel') in the parking lot overnight. Yesterday I became, Brian, 'Kitty Trapper', Dunn. We borrowed an animal trap and applied the bait (Wal Mart Kitten food) and after an hour or so I caught 2 of the remaining kittens. I put them in a kennel and then placed the trap out one more time to catch the last one. Sure enough, he did not learn from the mistakes of his siblings, he walked right into the trap as well.

I have to admit, after I caught the first 2 kittens in the trap, it was awfully tempting to just think, 'Isn't that good enough?' Haven't we gone through enough trouble already. But no, my wife wouldn't have it. She wanted every last kitten accounted for. But as I reflected on that I must give her credit because it kind of reminded me of Jesus and His relentless pursuit of us, His sheep. I love the parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15. I love it because it reminds us that every single sheep matters to God. I mean in the story He had 99 out of 100. That's an awesome grade on a test! But without hesitation, the Shepherd, races across the pastures and searches in the rocks and behind the shrubs until he finds that one sheep that was lost. Let that sink in today. Even today, this very moment He calls us to share in the task of helping to bring more sheep home to their Shepherd. So as long as there is still one left we can keep praying for and pursuing them until they find their way home to Jesus. Here's the passage below:

1 Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

In Christ,

Brian

p.s. oh and if you want one of those miracle kittens I would be happy to send one your way!

Accept Your Limitations.

I've got some freeing news for you and me....you and I are not God. You cannot meet everyone's needs and demands of you. You cannot make everyone around you happy. In fact, Jesus (God in the flesh) disappointed more people than anyone else in all of history. Here is one little example of what I'm talking about from Mark 1:

32 That evening, after the sun was down, they brought sick and evil-afflicted people to him,33 the whole city lined up at his door! 34 He cured their sick bodies and tormented spirits. Because the demons knew his true identity, he didn't let them say a word. 35 While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed. 36 Simon and those with him went looking for him. 37 They found him and said, "Everybody's looking for you."38 Jesus said, "Let's go to the rest of the villages so I can preach there also. This is why I've come."

So Jesus is healing people and casting out demons. As He is doing this more and more people get in line and it is getting really late. As they are calling out 'OK number 343...Jesus is now ready to see you', they looked around and Jesus was not there. What! That's right. Jesus had to get away to a lonely and secluded place to recharge and be with His Father and receive His strength and direction from the One who called the shots in His life and the One whom He lived to please. The disciples finally find Him and inform Him that 'everyone' is looking for Him and asking for Him and He simply says, it's time to move on.

There is a lesson I know for me in this story and perhaps for you too. Every day when I wake up there is a sea of expectations, demands, needs and desires that people have for me that are way beyond what I can possibly accomplish as one limited human being. If I wake up and simply live to try and meet all of those needs I am heading for burnout and will end up disappointing myself and a host of others. I need to take my cue from Jesus and break away to the spot that is quiet and secluded where I can hear my Father speak His love and approval into my heart and where I can allow Him to give me my priorities for the day. A life of worship is truly living for an audience of One. By the way, when we allow our Father to pour His power and approval into our life, we will truly have something to give the people that He brings across our path today.

in Christ,

Brian

Perspective.

I attend the Indie TABLE Group for College/20-something's and this week we got on the subject of perseverance which eventually lead to the question, "Why do we strive to have a daily devotional/quiet time?"
As we sat in a circle, on the floor, around our imaginary table we each shared our thoughts. One major point we discussed and expanded upon was that it is a starting point, of sorts. A place to come back to everyday. Our daily devotional is a moment in which we spend time, INTENTIONALLY, with God. Speaking with Him, conversing with Him, asking His guidance.
And listening.
Because, how can you follow God's plan for your life, your day, if you don't listen to what He is telling you? Setting aside that time is a discipline, at times a struggle, but the more we do that the more we can rejoice in that time. Our perspective changes from our daily struggles and the chaos that surrounds us-- to all the marvelous ways God works in our lives and the world around us.
It's a change of perspective.
With this new perspective we have a new lease on life. Life wont be easy. It's not that we won't face struggles or illnesses. It's not that we won't have bad days. It's that we know we can choose to see them from God's perspective, a higher perspective full of purpose. And we can rejoice.

This week our memory comes from Psalm 34:3 "Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together"

Hailey

Magnifies the Greatness of God.

I am continuing this week with some of the highlights in our study of 'Worship Matters" by Bob Kauflin


Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable" Psalm 145:3

David writes in Psalm 34:3 Oh Magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together.

As we magnify the Lord together, we begin to realize that "God is bigger than our problems and joys, greater than our sorrows and successes, more significant than our tests and triumphs."

God has revealed Himself clearly through His Son, Jesus Christ through the Scripture.

As the One, true God is revealed, we are moved to worship.

Exploring God's Greatness through His Word, His nature, and His works.


We come to know God through His word. God is speaking to you and me, every day through His word.

Bob Kauflin writes, "We want people to leave in awe that God would speak to us--encouraged by His promises, challenged by His commands, fearful of His warnings, and grateful for His blessings."

His nature is revealed in beautifully in Psalm 145;8-9.

"The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all He made."

The Psalms are full of the characteristics of God's nature. He is faithful, loving, strong, powerful.
He is holy, wise, righteous.

We simply don't have enough words to fully describe the greatness of God's nature. We will never reach the end of the reasons He deserves our praise.

His Works.

"Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works." Ps 105:2

When we worship, we are reminded that God created everything from nothing. His power holds all things together. (Colossians 1:17)

His greatest work is through His Son Jesus on the Cross given for you and me.

Bob writes, "In the cross we find a perfect reconciling of God's blazing holiness, holy justice, incomprehensible wisdom, omnipotent power, and unfathomable love."

What a God we worship!!!!

Let us magnify Him together,

Joe

The Next Generation.

One of the core values here at StoneBridge is the Next Generation - each generation investing in the one behind it so we effectually pass on our faith. I was reminded of this challenge as I was standing out at our ground breaking ceremony on Sunday. I was looking around and saw this sea of moms and dads with their kids. Check out the challenge we have from Psalm 78 below:

1 A psalm of Asaph. O my people, listen to my teaching. Open your ears to what I am saying, 2for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past -- 3 stories we have heard and know, stories our ancestors handed down to us. 4 We will not hide these truths from our children but will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD. We will tell of his power and the mighty miracles he did. 5 For he issued his decree to Jacob; he gave his law to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, 6 so the next generation might know them -- even the children not yet born -- that they in turn might teach their children. 7So each generation can set its hope anew on God, remembering his glorious miracles and obeying his commands

I love this Psalm. I love the declaration saying 'We will not hide these truths from our children....' So many times I hear stories of an adult that experiences the death of an older parent and they often have little to no information about their relationship with Christ because they were very 'private' about their spirituality. We need to truly live out our walk with Christ like an open book in front of our children. We need to model reading our Bible, memorizing Scripture, confessing and asking for forgiveness, serving others, worshiping in spirit and truth, loving others that are tough to love, trusting God in difficult circumstances, praying and sharing the gospel with others. Let's leave no doubts in the minds of our kids what it means to follow after Christ. And by the way let's be ok with allowing our kids to know that our spirituality is a messy one. Let's allow our kids to see that we are far from perfect and that it's not our good deeds that makes us right with God but that we are right with God because of grace and the finished work of Jesus at the cross.

God showcase your grace through the open books of our lives and ignite a genuine faith in the generation that follows us! Amen!



Brian

Shackles.

This morning in worship as "Evidence," our high school ministry team, sang Shackles,
I was once again reminded what a powerful message is contained in that song,
and how much people love to worship through it's music and lyric.

Shackles lyrics teach us that a part of being free in life is learning how to praise God in every circumstance.
It also talks about many of the chains that bind us can be broken through the language of praise.

This past week's memory verse is Galatians 5:1.

It is about Freedom in Christ

Here is the verse.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Freedom is never free. And although we have freedom through Christ, Paul writes that we must "stand firm" so we don't become once again burdened by a yoke of slavery to our own sin. Jesus paid a great price for our freedom. Let's not give ground back to the enemy that our Lord has already paid for.

Stand Firm and Live Free,

Joe

P.S. Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance
I just wanna praise You
I just wanna praise You

You broke the chains, now I can lift my hands
And I'm gonna praise You
I'm gonna praise You

In the corners of mind
I just can't seem to find a reason to believe
That I can break free
'Cause you see I have been down for so long

Feel like the hope is gone
But as I lift my hands, I understand
That I should praise You through my circumstance

Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance
I just wanna praise You
I just wanna praise You

You broke the chains, now I can lift my hands
And I'm gonna praise You
I'm gonna praise You

Everything that could go wrong
All went wrong at one time
So much pressure fell on me
I thought I was gon lose my mind

But I know you wanna see
If I will hold on through these trials
But I need you to lift this load
'Cause I can't take it anymore

Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance
I just wanna praise You
I just wanna praise You

You broke the chains, now I can lift my hands
And I'm gonna praise You
I'm gonna praise You

Been through the fire and the rain
Bound in every kind of way
But God has broken every chain
So let me go right now

Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance
I just wanna praise You
I just wanna praise You

You broke the chains, now I can lift my hands
And I'm gonna praise You
I'm gonna praise

Are You Tuned In?

In Acts 13 it says, "2 One day as they were worshiping God - they were also fasting as they waited for guidance - the Holy Spirit spoke: "Take Barnabas and Saul and commission them for the work I have called them to do." I came across this verse earlier this week and it has just stuck with me. Acts 13 is the beginning of Paul's church planting adventures. The Holy Spirit is the One that initiates the call, gives direction and gets him moving. It seems that the early church was very much in the habit of setting aside time to worship God on a daily basis. Worship is one of the spiritual disciplines that should be a daily part of our lives as well. Cultivating a habit of worship creates space in our life where we can hear God speak to us and give us guidance.

Daily worship should stir up our desire for God and our willingness to follow Him in obedience. Spending time in His Word, listening to Christian music on the radio, spending time in prayer, and spending time with other believers who challenge us and encourage us all work to stir up our appetite for God. I have found that God's voice is like a radio wave. He is speaking and communicating. The question is...are we tuned in? Paul and those early believers in Acts were tuned in because they were worshiping and setting their hearts upon God and His Son Jesus Christ. As a result they were able to hear God's voice and receive direction and guidance in God's Kingdom work. So many days I let alot of other voices fill my head and I miss out on the most important voice of all...the still small voice of my heavenly Father. Let's tune in today!

in Christ,

Brian

Find You On My Knees/Vuelvo a Tus Pies.

Foreign languages intrigue me. It’s probably because I’m just so nosey and I want to know what’s going on, but I always enjoy the challenge of listening to music in different languages and seeing how much I can pick up on. With that in mind, I’ve been enjoying the fact that Kari Jobe records her albums in both English and Spanish. This makes it all the more fun for me to listen to one song and compare the translations, especially because things rarely translate the same.

A prime example is the song “Find You On My Knees.” In English the lyrics in the chorus are:

But I will find you in the place I'm in, find you when I'm at my end,
Find you when there's nothing left of me to offer you except for brokenness.
You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,
When I am weak, when I am lost and searching
I'll find you on my knees

In Spanish, the lyrics translate to something closer to:

It doesn’t matter where You are,
You find me there in the middle of darkness (obscurity).
I find you in the middle of adversity.
You are here, You never abandon me
If I’m weak and unsure of my path
I come back to Your feet
Although the translations aren’t exactly the same, in a way the Spanish version is almost its own different song--yet somehow they convey the same message. Worshiping in different languages reminds me how wide the reach of God is. He goes beyond cultural, class, age and language barriers to reach all people. We can worship in every language because He came for everyone.

Love Came Down/ Tu Amor Vino a Mi
Hailey

So What Does A Worship Leader Do?

Bob Kauflin in his book, 'Worship Matters," writes:

A faithful worship leader
magnifies the greatness of God in Jesus Christ
through the power of the Holy Spirit
by skillfully combining God's Word with music,
thereby motivating the gathered church
to proclaim the gospel,
to cherish God's presence,
and to live for God's glory.

As we read and discuss this book in design team, I hope to share some of the highlights of the book in our devo's.

A faithful worship leader........

Faithful.

I like what Kauflin writes. We are to be faithful in "drawing people's attention to the God we are there to worship."

To lead worship is a sacred duty and obligation, it is a daunting task, a holy thing, not to be handled casually.

The main reason we have a team of people planning and executing our worship services is rooted in the desire to be faithful to our calling. A team is steady. A team can accomplish a lot more than one person. A team builds in accountability. A team brings differing gifts, skills and strengths. A team multiplies creativity.

In the team we are encouraged, challenged, comforted, and inspired.

I have been a worship leader in a church since I turned 18. I could easily be tempted to become weary in well doing. But many times because of the joy and enthusiasm of my fellow (younger) worship leaders, I am continually being refreshed in my spirit and today am thrilled to be a part of some of the greatest worship services of my lifetime.

We are called to faithfulness, by the One who is always faithful.
It is such an important duty. Let's all share in it.

Joe

Are You Abiding?

Yesterday I had lunch with a good friend of mine, Pastor John. He is just one of those guys that oozes Jesus. He is like a big shaggy dog that comes out of the water and then stops and shakes and every living creature within 15 feet of him gets soaked. That's what happens when you hang out with John, except instead of getting soaked with water you get soaked with Jesus. We get together and have lunch every couple of months to catch up and encourage each other. Our normal meeting place is the Chili's in Indian Springs.

Every single time we get together we end up praying with and for our waitor or waitress and yesterday was no exception. Yesterday we had the chance to pray for and encourage Dustin, who just had his first baby named Tony. What is it about Pastor John that makes him this way? One thing that stands out about him is his prayer life. Every morning at 4:00 AM he heads over to the Branch Crossing YMCA and prays for 3 hours (wow, what a way to start your day). In John 15, Jesus says, 4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me."

Prayer is how we 'abide' in Christ or 'live' in Him. When we are praying we are expressing our trust in Jesus. We are claiming His promises toward us which strengthens our hope. We are interceding for others which makes us more loving. As a result of praying and abiding, we start to bear fruit and we see God in us impacting the people that are around us. So maybe you and I aren't ready to pray 3 hours every morning, but perhaps we can pray a little more today than we did yesterday and allow Christ to shine through us to the people we encounter throughout our day.

in Christ,

Brian