How does God give “everything and more” to His children?

Our worship is an obedient response to God’s invitation. We may invoke God to bless our worship and to make his presence known. But in a greater sense we cannot invite God to be present in our worship; He never left—we did! Rather it is God who invites us to worship. It is his Word which tells us to “Come, let us worship and bow down. . . .” God has revealed himself to us and has established a relationship with us by his power and grace. God delights in that relationship and desires (and deserves) our worship as a means of affirming and strengthening our relationship with him. “Worship the Lord with gladness,” says the psalmist, “come before Him with joyful songs” (Ps. 100:2). Coming to God is not an option for Christians but rather our obedient response to God’s gracious invitation.

To read the entire post and make sense of my blog title, click here.

HT: blog.worship.com

HT: the editors at blog.worship.com

I wanted to pass on a link to the CD as it is not available on iTunes.

From the amazon page –

Based on the concept of healing in times of crisis, Streams combines the talents of contemporary Christian music [artists] and the Irish Film Orchestra (who contribute a lavish orchestral suite) in an anthem of comfort for the weary, the hurting, and the spiritually impoverished.

My favorite track is “Sanctuary”. Give them all a listen at the Amazon page. I have found much encouragement in this CD.

I’d like to draw your attention to this paragraph.

“Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for sixty-one years of faithfulness to me. I am simply looking into his face now. Thank you. You were a good father. You never put me down. Discipline, yes. Spankings, yes. But you never scorned me. You never treated me with contempt. You never spoke of my future with hopelessness in your voice. You believed God’s hand was on me. You approved of my ministry. You prayed for me. Everyday. That may be the biggest change in these new days: Daddy is no longer praying for me.” -John Piper emphasis mine

Dads: strive to love and lead in a way which your children will have this to say about you. God’s grace is more than enough to be an encouraging leader in your family. Trust Him for it.

Do you desire to spread the fame of God with your musical talents? You can serve at Grace Fellowship through singing or playing an instrument in the Music Ministry. You can get signed up for our coming auditions by contacting me. I serve as the Director of Music. Please email me at kevin.schultz @ forGodsfame.org (no spaces). I work closely with Pastor John Lee, who oversees the Music Ministry.

Here’s how the audition process works:

1. We’d like to know if you are interested in trying out. We have some information about ministry involvement we’d like to share with you. These documents will help you and your family understand the ins and outs of Music Ministry, i.e., philosophy of ministry, when is practice, how often am I in rotation, what is expected of me, etc…
2. Next, for both vocalists and instrumentalists, we’d like to hear you perform two songs of your choice and one of ours from our regular song list at the audition. I have included the list at the end of this blog. Let me know if you need any arrangements. Depending on what you sing or play, we will accompany you.
3. Finally, John and I discuss the audition. We look to determine where you would fit into the present music team and if there are any development steps needed before getting you involved.

Hopefully that is not too painful for anyone. I look forward to hearing from you.

In the context of John 4:1-26, Piper offers this picture:

“The fuel of worship is a true vision of the greatness of God; the fire that makes the fuel burn white hot is the quickening of the Holy Spirit; the furnace made alive and warm by the flame of truth is our renewed spirit; and the resulting heat of our affections is powerful worship, pushing its way out in confessions, longings, acclamations, tears, songs, shouts, bowed heads, lifted hands, and obedient lives.”

I read that and think how critical it is for sound biblical thinking to inform our minds and hearts. Without God’s Word, we’d have no true vision of who God is. Without truth, there is no worship. Likewise, if the Holy Spirit has not changed our hearts, minds, and souls, then there is no worship. Praise be to our God who has made the way for us to worship Him!

Just a quick post to say one of the CDs used in Children’s Ministry at Grace Fellowship is available on iTunes for $9.99. The CD is called “Awesome God”. I suggest searching by “sovereign grace music” in the music store. It will show up in the “Albums” section.

If you’d like to have the CD, jewel case, and artwork, click here. It’s currently $12.00 plus shipping.

“Awesome God” is a great set of God-centered songs for kids and adults. We have been blessed to hear the children sing “Almighty Creator” and “Jesus Came to Earth”. Both are songs from the CD. The band will be introducing “For You Are Holy” from the CD this Sunday as well.

“If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong but too weak. We are halfhearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mudpies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Teamwork is just as necessary at Grace Fellowship. With 1.5 full time staff members, volunteers serving at GF make things happen. Most of us know how difficult it is to get a group of people organized and moving toward the same goal, say getting your family to church on time on Sunday morning.:-) Imagine the expanded difficulty of coordinating dozens of volunteers.

Fortunately, this is not as difficult as it sounds. Why? We already have the same goal. When it comes to any activity at GF, the fame of God is the goal, whether it’s Bible Study, a church wide lunch, or the Turkey Bowl. This requires planning, decision making, and prioritizing from the leadership team and directors.

I ask you to pray for the leadership team and directors. Pray God the Father would grant them wisdom and discernment for the good of the church.

But does he? Just because the gravity or importance of our daily decision making doesn’t equal the President’s, does that nullify the number of decisions we make every day? I don’t think so.

Now, if someone would like to compare the effectiveness of decision making in a 24 hour period, that might be an interesting discussion. Perhaps that is what Dan meant I and took it wrong.

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread,
12and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

I came across this idea the other morning; notice how God is the focus of each stanza, except where we are called to forgive others. Even verse 13 could read, “You lead us not into tempation, but You deliver us from evil” for amplification’s sake.

I must say my daily prayers are not of this quality. In the verses preceding this prayer Jesus encourages His disciples not to be like the hypocrites and draw attention to themselves in the ways and means of their prayers. Perhpas the consumer mindset of the world has infiltrated my prayer life? Maybe I get overly concerned with the length of my prayers being worthy of Him. Only God knows. I am thankful for Romans 8:26

26Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

I am so easily satisfied
by the call of lovers so less wild
That I would take a little cash
Over your very flesh and blood
-Derek Webb

I heard this lyric today and was devastated. I’ve heard it many times before, but today I understood it. My preoccupation lately has been with money and not God’s provision, not to mention the apathy lack of sleep brings.

I have read where Derek said the most horrible but most freeing moment he could imagine would be to have all his sins read aloud on the 5 o’clock news. Can you imagine if that happened to you? Would it change the way you interact with other believers or friends that don’t follow Christ?

For a moment, I thought there must be a explanation for the favor I enjoy under the care of our Heavenly Father as a believer. The conversation ended and I didn’t think of it again, until the next morning.

The next morning my daily flip calendar I keep in the bathroom quoted this verse.

Proverbs 21:21(NIV)
He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.

This verse reminds me of

Matthew 6:33(NIV)
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Now according to Amazing Collection study (go WOG!) Proverbs is full of Godly wisdom, but these couplets are not necessarily promises of God, like a “This says the LORD…”, but Matthew 6:33 is words of Christ.

Is it too controversial in the 21st century to talk about the prosperity that comes from a Godly life given there are those that turn the Gospel into a matter of wealth? Perhaps a good definition of prosperity is in order…