Good windy morning to you all! Hoping the wind dies down a little so that we can fully enjoy our AWANA/Youth gathering party outside tonight. Some games, hopefully smores and fun. Don’t need to be a “kid” to come! As I said yesterday, I may be the biggest kid in the church and I will be there.
We finished up “Shaken” yesterday and in the message, I talked briefly about Micah Tyler’s song “Praise the Lord.” The song was about praising the Lord in good times and in bad because he is ALWAYS good. Here is what he had to say about the song and the reasoning behind it. Awesome take.
“My new song ‘Praise the Lord’ may seem a little bit simple, but at the end of the day, it’s got a little depth to it. If you look back at the text in Judges chapter 20, whenever Israel would go into battle, the tribe of Judah would lead the way. Why? Because Judah means praise. Praise is how we begin our battles. We fight our battles by loving Jesus and knowing that we can trust Him no matter what. In this world, there will be trouble, but we take heart because He has overcome the world. For that, we can praise the Lord.”
Micah Tyler
I just shared this with a brother in Christ who is going through a tough battle with cancer and then to top it off he was just diagnosed with prostrate cancer as well. A faithful brother who always had my back at previous church, he is going through a tough time emotionally and spiritually right now. I asked you yesterday if you have ever doubted your faith during a crisis and some of you were brave enough to raise your hand. My friend confessed to me last night he was really struggling. It is okay to struggle with your faith but make sure you have “your people’ you can turn to who will lift you up if needed, kick you in the butt if needed or just sit and be with you if that is what is required.
Here is the link to the song on YouTube. It is light-hearted and somewhat humorous but in tough times, you need to have a little relief and humor does that.
We are quickly heading towards the Advent season. According to a Barna Research survey, the churchless people they interviewed were most open to a friend inviting them to attend a local church. One in five said they had a strong interest in going with that friend while almost half said they would be willing to consider attending with that friend. Barna says an invitation from a friend is the top-rated way churches can establish connections with the unchurched. A Lifeway Research project said that almost half of the unchurched say they would be likely to attend worship if invited by someone they know, and more than a third would attend a small group for people curious about God. The chances are even better for those who a nominal Christians – those who profess to be followers of Christ but bear little evidence of that faith. Plus, it’s Christmas…it will be all around them anyway!
Who are the unchurched you encounter during your day? At your doctor or dentist visit, what about those sitting around you? Your barber or beautician? The person checking you out at the grocery store? Your neighbor? Our waitress or waiter? They are all around us. You just have to be intentional seek to build relationships with them. We are creatures of habit and likely visit the same places often. I will have some tools for you this weekend and then some new tools for Advent. Be praying for God to open your eyes and heart to those around you who need “good news” in this shaken world.
Pastor Rick
