Sunday was an exceptional day for us at LFC. Our worship time was touched by the grace and presence of God. All the songs we sang dovetailed into the theme of Jesus, Our Savior. I really loved leading the congregation and having such great hearts on our worship team. People who really "get it" when it comes to worshipping God - serving and not performing and enjoying God's presence while helping people to connect with Him. Singing along with Becca during, “My God, My Savior” was a great moment for me and watching the hands go up in adoration and surrender to God as people recognized that our Savior loves us and is alive was moving to say the least. As we started the worship time, I shared briefly how it is the heart of God that we become a grateful people. As you read the life of Jesus the encounters He had with people, it truly was His heart to leave them with a desire to be grateful. Disciples are people who are generous and grateful for all God has done for them. They are givers and give more than they ever take. They can be trusted with blessing others and helping people live transformed lives. Transformed people are grateful people. It was that gratitude we heard about this past Sunday night as we baptized 22 people in water. They spoke with gratitude of the grace that God had provided for them. Those who were water baptized this morning have demonstrated that for us. They shared publicly of their faith and love for Jesus and clearly identified themselves with Him in His life, death and resurrection. (Romans 6 – which we shared with them prior to the baptism time) They have given themselves, body, soul and spirit to Jesus. This visible was moving and their statements of the value of our church family in bringing them to a place of transformation was simply heart-moving. One person shared how they were saved here just three months ago, others had shared about their return to the Lord or their transformation as they have moved into recovery. If you haven’t been baptized in water yet, you may be feeling
the tug of the Spirit in your hearts, urging you to follow their example and publicly declare that you have given your heart to Jesus. We’re going to have another Baptismal Service in September.
As I listened to the brief statements made the other night during baptism, it was apparent that grace gave birth to gratitude. Gratitude comes from the same root word as grace. Grace is ‘charis’, gratitude is eucharistia. Right in the middle of GRATITUDE is GRACE. And I believe they are inseparable. Grace changes our hearts and it must find expression in our lives. The way we talk and the way we act must reflect that grace that has changed our lives. Grace compels us to be grateful: gratitude compels us to be generous: to give back, to give of ourselves, our time and our substance. It’s grace that changes our hearts and makes us people who are the kind of cheerful givers who God loves.
2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (NIV)
God makes His grace abound to us so that we will be grateful and generous at all times and in every way possible.
Gratitude starts with the acknowledgement that we don’t actually deserve anything! Everything we have is a gift of God’s grace. As we invite God’s grace to move in our hearts, we are inviting His empowering presence to transform us, then gratitude rises up, and bubbles over. And the very best gifts come from a thankful heart. Keep allowing God to transform you and keep growing in your heart to be grateful. Several of you have asked about the words to the song we did this last Sunday, so I thought I would post them here for all to enjoy. The song is My God, My Savior and is written by Aaron Shust.
I am not skilled to understandWhat God has willed, what God has plannedI only know at His right handStands one who is my Savior
I take Him at His word and deedChrist died to save me; this I readAnd in my heart I find a needOf Him to be my savior
That He would leave His place on highAnd come for sinful man to dieYou count it strange, so once did IBefore I knew my Savior
My Savior loves, My Savior livesMy Savior's always there for meMy God: He was, my God; He isMy God is always gonna be
Yes, living, dying, let me bringMy strength, my solace from this spring;That He who lives to be my KingOnce died to be my Savior
That He would leave His place on highAnd come for sinful man to dieYou count it strange, so once did IBefore I knew my Savior
I trust you will move forward in your journaling each day and to listen to what God might reveal to you through His word. Some on our team at LFC are posting their journal entries online and desire to share them with you. You can access them here http://lfchurch.wordpress.com/ you can also learn more about the journaling process here http://lfchurch.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/how-to-journal/
I love being your pastor and growing right along with you,
Pastor Bernie
the tug of the Spirit in your hearts, urging you to follow their example and publicly declare that you have given your heart to Jesus. We’re going to have another Baptismal Service in September.
As I listened to the brief statements made the other night during baptism, it was apparent that grace gave birth to gratitude. Gratitude comes from the same root word as grace. Grace is ‘charis’, gratitude is eucharistia. Right in the middle of GRATITUDE is GRACE. And I believe they are inseparable. Grace changes our hearts and it must find expression in our lives. The way we talk and the way we act must reflect that grace that has changed our lives. Grace compels us to be grateful: gratitude compels us to be generous: to give back, to give of ourselves, our time and our substance. It’s grace that changes our hearts and makes us people who are the kind of cheerful givers who God loves.
2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (NIV)
God makes His grace abound to us so that we will be grateful and generous at all times and in every way possible.
Gratitude starts with the acknowledgement that we don’t actually deserve anything! Everything we have is a gift of God’s grace. As we invite God’s grace to move in our hearts, we are inviting His empowering presence to transform us, then gratitude rises up, and bubbles over. And the very best gifts come from a thankful heart. Keep allowing God to transform you and keep growing in your heart to be grateful. Several of you have asked about the words to the song we did this last Sunday, so I thought I would post them here for all to enjoy. The song is My God, My Savior and is written by Aaron Shust.
I am not skilled to understandWhat God has willed, what God has plannedI only know at His right handStands one who is my Savior
I take Him at His word and deedChrist died to save me; this I readAnd in my heart I find a needOf Him to be my savior
That He would leave His place on highAnd come for sinful man to dieYou count it strange, so once did IBefore I knew my Savior
My Savior loves, My Savior livesMy Savior's always there for meMy God: He was, my God; He isMy God is always gonna be
Yes, living, dying, let me bringMy strength, my solace from this spring;That He who lives to be my KingOnce died to be my Savior
That He would leave His place on highAnd come for sinful man to dieYou count it strange, so once did IBefore I knew my Savior
I trust you will move forward in your journaling each day and to listen to what God might reveal to you through His word. Some on our team at LFC are posting their journal entries online and desire to share them with you. You can access them here http://lfchurch.wordpress.com/ you can also learn more about the journaling process here http://lfchurch.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/how-to-journal/
I love being your pastor and growing right along with you,
Pastor Bernie
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