Sunday's Coming...

It's the close of yet another Thursday. This is typically the day that sermon preparation becomes the most imminent and urgent task to complete. All week I have gathered insight and information. Now comes the time to petition the Lord about how to efficiently and effectively prepare and present a message that will be true to scripture and pleasing to God. Most times this is a task that is "easier said than done." Especially in light of the trend our congregation cannot seem to break as relates to Wednesday night bible study. My prayer is that God will raise the consciousness of the people and give them a yearning for the supernatural. What I don't want to do is become too mechanically "fussy" in my gospel presentation. I believe that God is calling us to more than the rudimentary things. I've spent the greatest part of my Pastoral ministry trying to escort "The Ship" into a time of revival and rededication. It may just be me, but I don't desire to spend any unnecessary time trying to get people to do things that should be automatic.

God has placed Revelations 2:1-7 on my heart so strongly for the last several weeks. Christ's letter to the church at Ephesus. He condemned them for leaving their "first love." This is certainly a place to mention that I actually had a person raise the question at our church "what's love got to do with it?" Well, Christ would say it has EVERYTHING to do with it. I have not yet received God's instruction to preach the text at our church. However I do certainly want them, like that Ephesian church, to "return to their first love and do the first works."

God is proving to be faithful. I had a wonderful day even in light of the cold-like symptoms I have struggled with for the last several days. I ask your prayers for our services this weekend. Our musician/minister of music will be out of the city for the weekend on a ministry assignment. Being that he is our only musician, I am going to attempt something we have never tried before. We have acquired some gospel "performance tracks" and we are going to attempt to introduce them into our worship service. I am sure that, with the congregation's cooperation, God will be exalted in our efforts.