Monday Morning Prayers - 7-16-12

Abba Father,
I thank You that You made us in Your image
That You created us with a purpose, 

that we might dwell in Your presence
And bring you glory.
Lord, I know that even when I don't feel perfect, 

when so often I am far too aware of just how imperfect I am, 

that you see me and my actions through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Still...

mold me, form me, make me into the vessel that you can use, that you desire me to be.
Fill me with a love for You, Your word and Your purposes.
Teach me Your ways Lord. 

Blot out my desires that still remain from my times of separation and renew within me a love for You.
Lord, work in my life, it is clay in Your hands of Love,
Amen.

Monday Morning Prayer 7-2-12

Abba Father,

We lift this nation up to you, its leadership and those whom they serve.

Please Lord, to those who would seek Your face, 

Bless them with influence and hear their cries.

But for those who would pervert justice and miserly seek power, 

please remove them from the positions where they could do such things.

I am thankful that it is You who guide the paths of nations,

Raise up leaders from among Your church, 

granting them wisdom to follow your ways

and preserve the righteous.

Amen

Whetstone Wednesday

Tonight we'll be finishing up our series on Old Testament Christianity, our exploration of the commonalities between the old testament and new testament believers. I think its been a good and fruitful time, I hope God has shown you new things on these topics of faith, fearing God and tonight's topic: following God.

What do you think it means to follow God?


Who, either in the Bible or your own life, would you consider a role model for following God?


What is the difference between obeying the letter of the Law and obeying the spirit of the Law?

Sounds of Devotion: Love You Swore by John Mark McMillan

Honestly, how often do we feel exactly like this? Loving God but fearing what His attention might bring,
 or the sure knowledge that we are desperately in need of him, but even that knowledge ebbs and flows through the day. Sometimes we do fear Him, despite His desire to pull us out of the ashes of our former lives or protect us from the snares and destructive influences. Sometimes we are very aware that it is His power in our lives that gives us the strength to do "all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13)

And sometimes we are not.

Sometimes all we see is the storm whirling around us.

John Mark McMillan's song may not be the most readily understandable but it has a poetic honesty to it, and the truth is this. We can hang onto God's love, that He is the fortress that we can run to and His peace is found in the eye of the storm. He has sworn to do this for us, His beloved children.

Not just a promise or an agreement. Not just a nice idea or a hope.
God does not "hope" He can harbor us in the eye of the storm, He has made a solemn oath that cannot be broken, and He has sworn on the only thing an all-powerful creator God could swear upon.

He has sworn on Himself.

Hebrews 6:16-19
¹⁶ People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. ¹⁷ Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸ God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,

Monday Morning Prayer: 6-25-12

Abba Father,

Thank you Lord for Micheal Ent, 

for his desire to make Your name great in this city.

Thank you for leading him here to Novato

and exciting his imagination with fresh new ideas of ministry.

Lord, thank you for this sports camp, we lift it up to You

Bless it Lord, with fullness and life, 

Gather in Your children,

Encourage your workers,

Let it be a place of blessing.

Amen.

Whetstone Wednesday

Welcome to Summer! To celebrate we're having Youth Group at Pioneer Park. Its a block and a half from the church and is a lovely location, so if you show up at the fellowship hall this evening and we're not there then come on down.

There will be snacks, fun worship, Super Bocci and we'll be talking about heroes.

Do you have any heroes? What do you admire about them?

How about any spiritual heroes from the Bible?
What do you want to see replicated from their life into yours?

Sorry!

No Sounds of Devotion yesterday. Sorry about that, I'll see if I can't get caught back up on Wednesday.

Until then, enjoy this: