Weekend Services

It is always a privilege to be able to share the Word of God with a group of people who are receptive to hear what God desires to say to His people.  It is also a blessing to be able to worship with a group of people who do not possess a hidden agenda of any sort.  It is always a blessing to attend church and recognize that people are not jockeying for positional authority in the local body of believers.  Each of us need to live with these ideals in mind as we gather to worship.  Time is too short and the need is too great for the Body of Christ to be captured by any other desire other than the desire for a divine encounter with the presence of God.  

The time of worship and sharing the Word of God was wonderful at New River Worship Center on Sunday.  We gathered to exalt and magnify the name of the Lord.  The Call to Worship song challenged us to focus on the knowledge that "Christ is all that we need" even when we are facing the challenges of daily life.  I truly believe that many of us who think that we are "spiritual" need to be reminded of the simplicity of trusting Christ with everything that we face in life.  We all know that the larger things of life are placed in the hands of God but we also need to remember that we are able to place the daily things of life in the hands of God.  The corporate worship also reminded us of the need to "pour our worship and pour our love out on God."  I have said it many times before but I will say it once more; "Worship has to stop being about us and our abilities and Worship must be about exalting, extolling, and magnifying Jesus Christ."  After all, Christ is still the answer for the hurting in our world.  The anointing of the Spirit filled the house and at the conclusion of the message the altar was full of people who were bringing their lives into the presence of God.  God calls us to bring our needs to Him but He also calls us to come and surrender our complete life to Him.  I desire to offer myself to Him as a living sacrifice; I want Him performing His will in my life on a daily basis.

The Sunday evening service was led by our Youth Pastor and the youth of the church.  Several of them shared their talents and abilities as well as sharing their testimonies of the challenges that they face at school among their friends.  We must reach this generation with the truth of God's Word as well as the authentic love and grace of God.  I truly believe this generation is looking for people who will live out their relationship with God on a daily basis.  We must model the message of Christ as well as speak the message of Christ.  Pastor Brandon challenged us to examine our individual lives and make sure that we are committed to the truths of Christianity.  Pastor Brandon has been teaching about the various world religions in the youth meeting on Wednesday nights.  In the midst of the false teachings concerning God we need to strengthen our own relationship with Jesus Christ which is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Not only do the youth need to see their faith strengthened but each and every believer need to strengthen their faith.  I want to stand firm in my belief concerning Jesus Christ and not allow the winds of culture to direct my decisions.