Worship Defined
Sunday Setlists: August 22nd, 2010
“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:5-6 ESV)
Each week, we will give you a preview of the music that will shape our time together on Sunday mornings, along with a few links and resources that will help you to sew these songs of faith into your daily life. We look forward to exalting Christ with you this Sunday.
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Just Do Something
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In response to Sunday’s sermon, some of us can feel like we don’t even know where to begin with all this “comings and goings” stuff. This post is unapologetically titled after a recent post by C.J Mahaney where he listed the closing remarks of Kevin DeYoung’s Next 2010 conference message, “The Church.” Here are a list of suggestions for how to be a difference maker in the local church.
• Find a good local church.
• Get involved.
• Become a member.
• Stay there as long as you can.
• Put away thoughts of a revolution for a while.
• Join the plodding visionaries.
• Go to church this Sunday and worship in Spirit and truth.
• Be patient with your leaders.
• Rejoice when the gospel is faithfully proclaimed.
• Bear with those who hurt you.
• Give people the benefit of the doubt.
• Say “hi” to the teenager that no one notices.
• Welcome the old ladies with the blue hair and the young men with tattoos.
• Volunteer for the nursery.
• Attend the congregational meeting.
• Bring your fried chicken to the potluck like everybody else.
• Invite a friend.
• Take a new couple out for coffee.
• Give to the Christmas offering.
• Sing like you mean it.
• Be thankful someone vacuumed the carpet for you.
• Enjoy the Sundays that “click.”
• Pray extra hard on the Sundays that don’t.
• And in all of this, do not despise the days and weeks and years of small things (Zech. 4:8–10).
Going Out and Coming In
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The gospel compels us to be on a mission of love while it nourishes us in a fellowship of grace. We must continually call others to believe the gospel and we must be refreshed ourselves by the very same gospel. This is what is means to be the missional and communal people of God—the church. Read more
Ministries of Mercy
You can get Ministries of Mercy as a free Audiobook download this Month at Christian Audio.
Like the wounded man on the Jericho road, there are needy people in our path – the widow next door, the family strapped with medical bills, the homeless man outside our place of worship. God calls us to be ministers of mercy to people in need of shelter, assistance, medical care, or just friendships.
In Ministries of Mercy, Timothy Keller demonstrates that caring for needy people is the job of every believer—not just church deacons—as fundamental to Christian living as evangelism, nurture, and worship. But Keller doesn’t stop there. He shows how we can carry out this vital ministry as individuals, families, and churches. Along the way, he deals perspectively with many thorny issues, such as the costs of meeting needs versus the limits of time and resources, giving material aid versus teaching responsibility, and meeting needs within the church versus those outside.
Worship Defined
Sunday Setlists: August 15th, 2010
“For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” (Hebrews 9:24 ESV)
Each week, we will give you a preview of the music that will shape our time together on Sunday mornings, along with a few links and resources that will help you to sew these songs of faith into your daily life. We look forward to exalting Christ with you this Sunday.
Praying for Your Pastor
Ligon Duncan (pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mississippi) posted this helpful list on the Together for the Gospel website.
Because I have a congregation that loves me more than I deserve, I am often asked by them: “how can I pray for you?” I’ve tried to put some thought into how I answer that question. So, maybe these ideas will help you pray for your pastor, or tell others how they can pray for you.
Pentecostalism (1867-present)
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In the pursuit of holiness, humility must remain the watchword as pride can corrupt even the most noble of intentions. When pursuit of gifts replaces the pursuit of the giver, even good things can become our greatest obstacles. Read more
