Monday Morning Musings ...
Yesterday was a truly spectacular day. We had been pointing toward this day for a few weeks. The ending of chapter 11 in Hebrews has a listing of people who exercised tremendous faith and then a statement that there are even more who could be listed. Then there is a description of many things those unnamed people endured and still their faith shone through. It is an incredible read and an even more incredible picture of faith. This series of messages has been entitled "Character(s) of Faith". We have looked at many of the people (characters) who demonstrated faith. We looked at principles of faith that they exhibited. The goal was not just to have a history lesson on faith, but to put these principles of faith to work in our own lives and hopefully to become "characters" of faith ourselves.
Yesterday we got started way too late, which is a pet peeve of mine, but I refused to dwell on it or let it impact my choice to worship and rejoice in the Lord. Our time of singing went well and people engaged fairly well. I started the message about a clock that had a nervous breakdown when it realized how many times it had to tick during a whole year and for it's lifetime. But the psychiatrist told the clock to just focus on one tick at a time. The clock said he could do that. Living by faith is much like that, live it out one day, or one hour, at a time. Do what you know God wants you to do right now, without getting freaked out by what might happen. Living by faith is decision to follow God's call one step at a time. The characters we examined were the regular people, the nameless ones who exercised their faith in spite of terrible circumstances. The principle was that they didn't give up.
We concluded the service with cardboard testimonies. Many churches have done this, where people hold up a piece of cardboard. On one side is the problem in their life from the past and then turn it over to reveal the answer from the Lord, or how they are living now. No words are spoken, a song is being played and sung during all of the people who share. We had teens, grandparents, great grandparents and everything in between. We people who were very courageous and vulnerable in what they shared. I was moved and humbled by all the testimonies.
As I said it was a spectacular day. So many people shared how much it impacted them. People were going up to those who shared, thanking them or asking for more of the story where appropriate. I received comments and emails from many people who were so encouraged by the service.
Then in the afternoon I received a very encouraging phone call, from someone not in my church who just wanted to encourage me. Wow, how cool is that?
Yesterday we got started way too late, which is a pet peeve of mine, but I refused to dwell on it or let it impact my choice to worship and rejoice in the Lord. Our time of singing went well and people engaged fairly well. I started the message about a clock that had a nervous breakdown when it realized how many times it had to tick during a whole year and for it's lifetime. But the psychiatrist told the clock to just focus on one tick at a time. The clock said he could do that. Living by faith is much like that, live it out one day, or one hour, at a time. Do what you know God wants you to do right now, without getting freaked out by what might happen. Living by faith is decision to follow God's call one step at a time. The characters we examined were the regular people, the nameless ones who exercised their faith in spite of terrible circumstances. The principle was that they didn't give up.
We concluded the service with cardboard testimonies. Many churches have done this, where people hold up a piece of cardboard. On one side is the problem in their life from the past and then turn it over to reveal the answer from the Lord, or how they are living now. No words are spoken, a song is being played and sung during all of the people who share. We had teens, grandparents, great grandparents and everything in between. We people who were very courageous and vulnerable in what they shared. I was moved and humbled by all the testimonies.
As I said it was a spectacular day. So many people shared how much it impacted them. People were going up to those who shared, thanking them or asking for more of the story where appropriate. I received comments and emails from many people who were so encouraged by the service.
Then in the afternoon I received a very encouraging phone call, from someone not in my church who just wanted to encourage me. Wow, how cool is that?
posted by Denny @ 7:04 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Nice read. Sounds like a very encouraging day.
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