EVENTS CALENDAR
Sermons
Psalm 40:1
(New International Version)1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.
Psalm 2:1, 7, 8 (New International Version)
1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?
7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.
Psalm 4:1 (New International Version)
1 Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
Isaiah 30:15 (New International Version)
15 This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.
Isaiah 40:28-31 (New International Version)
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to he weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
4 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts.
9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of his [a] holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns." The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
12 let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;
13 they will sing before the LORD, for he comes,he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.
What is Adoration?
Prayer begins with adoration because prayer needs to begin with God. If we begin with ourselves, prayer quickly becomes nothing but asking for our own needs. We do ask for our needs but this should not be the first part of our prayer.
Adoration is a focus on the names and attributes of God.
Follow this link to a guide for praying through the next month focusing on who God is.
Walking in the light
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
Why Confess?
I watched a silly movie last night, Licence to Wed, with Robin Williams cast as a clergyman, Rev. Frank. The movie is romantic comedy and follows a well-worn path: romantic attraction, break-up on the eve of the wedding and then reconciliation. The insight offered by the movie was that the coming together could not happen until there was a recognition of what each person had done to harm the relationship. There had to be confession before restoration.
John in his first letter tells us that God is faithful and just and in we confess he will forgive us and cleanse us from unrighteousness. Our goal as Christians is to be "Christ-like." That cannot happen unless we are cleansed from unrighteousness. That cannot happen unless we confess.
1 I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
2 My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
A Response to Creation
Thanksgiving is a response to creation and a response to the blessings of God. David Thomas, the leader of this summer's Bolivia Short-term Mission, spoke of all the ways in which the team had experienced the blessing of God on their trip.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
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.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Why Ask When God Knows?
Supplication is "asking with humility." Our asking comes after Adoration and Confession and Thanksgiving because we need to ask with humility, recognizing that it is vital our asking be aligned with God's will and purposes for our lives.
The Psalmist says that goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. One commentator says that phrase could be understood in this way: God's goodness and mercy will chase me, will pursue me always. We ask with humility because we recognize that our asking needs to be in accord with the one who pursues us with his goodness and mercy.
Pray for others.
Pray for the world.
Pray for yourself.
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