Great Ash Wednesday service last night. Big thanks to Pastor Jeff for coordinating the music to fit the scripture so well. Looking now toward what God would do through us (me) as we move toward Easter.
GDale- Thanks for putting this blog together. Everyone did such a wonderful job in the service last night. I look forward to the journey toward Easter. While I know I shouldn't need a reminder, it provides a great reminder to teach our five children that Jesus didn't just die for us; but that he rose from the dead.
The scripture that struck home last night and echoed that which the Lord has been speaking to me about lately is Hebrews Chapter 12. Isn’t it funny how when the Lord begins pruning you in a particular area, he speaks to you in so many ways? (through scripture, prayer, other believers, song, your wife…yes your wife too!, etc.) The Lord’s ‘still small voice’ comes from every direction. To me, Chapter 12 is such ‘a call to action’. Only by fixing our eyes continually on Christ and following his example do we begin to see as he sees, love as he loves, rejoice as he rejoices, and grieve as he grieves. Through his grace and mercy, more and more we begin to see the world around us through his eyes. But that is just a step in our maturity in Christ…there is more! 2 Cor 1:3-4 says ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.’ A quick word of caution…be prepared (read 1 John 5:14-15) if you pray for the Lord to give you a greater burden for the lost or lay people on your heart for which to pray!
Thank you for the direction and challenge you presented to us to 'fix our eyes' on Jesus for the next 40 days...there is no other way. I pray that some of us are encouraged to this for the first time and others who have already made this the only way to live...that we would be renewed, refreshed and enlivened to press in and walk in the fullness that He gives. I am continuously amazed at His unfailing, unconditional love for me and the sacrifice He was willing to give for me in order to have relationshiop with me. WOW! Such love. Wed evening truly was a time of 'worship'....a time to reflect and 'soak' in word ,prayer and song.....This is only a glimpse of what we have to look forward to in eternity.....I can't wait.
GDale-
ReplyDeleteThanks for putting this blog together. Everyone did such a wonderful job in the service last night. I look forward to the journey toward Easter. While I know I shouldn't need a reminder, it provides a great reminder to teach our five children that Jesus didn't just die for us; but that he rose from the dead.
The scripture that struck home last night and echoed that which the Lord has been speaking to me about lately is Hebrews Chapter 12. Isn’t it funny how when the Lord begins pruning you in a particular area, he speaks to you in so many ways? (through scripture, prayer, other believers, song, your wife…yes your wife too!, etc.) The Lord’s ‘still small voice’ comes from every direction. To me, Chapter 12 is such ‘a call to action’. Only by fixing our eyes continually on Christ and following his example do we begin to see as he sees, love as he loves, rejoice as he rejoices, and grieve as he grieves. Through his grace and mercy, more and more we begin to see the world around us through his eyes. But that is just a step in our maturity in Christ…there is more! 2 Cor 1:3-4 says ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.’ A quick word of caution…be prepared (read 1 John 5:14-15) if you pray for the Lord to give you a greater burden for the lost or lay people on your heart for which to pray!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the direction and challenge you presented to us to 'fix our eyes' on Jesus for the next 40 days...there is no other way. I pray that some of us are encouraged to this for the first time and others who have already made this the only way to live...that we would be renewed, refreshed and enlivened to press in and walk in the fullness that He gives. I am continuously amazed at His unfailing, unconditional love for me and the sacrifice He was willing to give for me in order to have relationshiop with me. WOW! Such love. Wed evening truly was a time of 'worship'....a time to reflect and 'soak' in word ,prayer and song.....This is only a glimpse of what we have to look forward to in eternity.....I can't wait.
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