A New Years Goal

“But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you: to love the Lord your God and to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and to cling to and unite with Him and to serve Him with all your heart and soul your very life”
Joshua 22:5

My goal in 2006 is to be a servant. How about you?

Lord, I Want to be a Servant (Words: John K. Green and George Pendergrass © 1994 Anthony K. Music)

Lord I want to be a servant
Giving all my praise to you
Giving all I have to please you Lord
My heart makes pure and true

Lord I want to be a servant
Bring me closer to your will
Father all I want is to serve you more
Make me worthy to serve you still

Prayer:
Words come slow
When it comes to expressing
My true feelings of humility
My heart's desire to serve
But Lord you've done so much for me through the cross
I just want to give my life, my love
And all my heart back to you
And under the shadow of the cross
Let me hide myself and all that would
Shout out your glory
And allow me to see you
To know who you really are
So that someone else
Can see you through me.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Order of Worship-January 1, 2006

Welcome/Announcements

1 Chronicles 29:10-13

2 We Praise Thee O God (Verses 1,2,5)
15 Step by Step
63 I Will Call Upon the Lord

Prayer

John 19:1-6

324 Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed (Verse 1,2,4)
Wonderful Merciful Savior

Communion
Contribution

683 I Am Mine No More

Dismiss 2x2

828 Instruments of Peace

Message-Evan Burdan

Invitation 924 Just As I Am (Verse 1,2,4)

Announcements

517 Heaven Came Down (Verse 1)

Closing Prayer

Prayer of Praise

Father, In the Mighty Name of Jesus….I enter into Your courts with praise to lift You up and Glorify Your Holy Name. I put on my garment of praise so that Your Name can be exalted High above all the earth. I praise You for being the Wonderful God that You are. You are truly worthy to be praised for all of Your works. Your works are wonderful, Dear Lord, more wonderful than the heart can conceive.

Hallelujah to the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords…Your Name is greatly to be praised throughout all the earth. I praise You for Your marvelous creation and it’s beauty. I praise You for the work You have done in my life…for even giving me life. My soul praises and magnifies You because I have salvation and am Your child. I praise You for Your undying mercy that is new every morning.

Lord for every mountain, You brought me over…I give You praise. For every trial You have seen me through…for this I give You praise. I give You Total Praise for Who You are…so Mighty…so Wonderful…So Precious…So Awesome. If I had a thousand tongues, they would not be enough to praise You. All night and day my soul cries out praises to Your Name.

You are Highly Praised and Exalted in my life because You are my life, and apart from You I am and can do nothing. It is said when praises go up, blessings come down…Lord I just want You to know if You never blessed me another time, I am already blessed because I have You in my life. I praise You in song. I will make a joyful noise unto You and Bless You. Lord, accept my humble praise as I bring the sacrifice into Your House. For all that You are to me Lord, I give You Total Praise.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen

The Real Christmas Story

Luke 2

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

The Greatest Christmas Gift

(Published in USD 420 Osage City Faculty-Staff Newsletter, December 2005)

I have already heard from several of our elementary students about gifts that they hope to get from Santa for Christmas (some lists are quite long). I have heard of a variety of items that even the big boys and girls hope they receive. High School students seem to be set on vehicles while for elementary students, it’s much simpler and less expensive items.

Do you remember what you wanted for Christmas growing up? As I was growing up as a Navy kid, we moved around about every two years or so. Dad was stationed on several ships that were deployed all over the world and many times Christmas was a very difficult time for my family because dad was gone.

Mom and the grandparents would try to give my brothers and me special gifts during Christmas to make up for that important missing member that was away during that very special time of year. But it just wasn’t the same as dad being home for Christmas.

One Christmas that I will never forget was one that we thought dad would be overseas, and away from the family, but come mid-December we got word that he would be home for the holidays.

That Christmas I didn’t care what I got because I felt like I had the best gift ever, dad was going to be home to celebrate with the family.

I often think about those special times and difficult times we experienced growing up and think about our students and the difficulties many experience around the holidays. A time of celebration for many seems to bring difficulty for several of our students as well as faculty and staff members.

This holiday period, I encourage you to reach out and be that special individual that might be able to touch the heart of a student or adult that needs to hear that they are special and appreciated.

Sometimes the greatest gift is not in materialism but in the giving of time, relationships and friendships that we are able to share with one another.

On behalf of Debbie, Brian, Craig and myself, we wish each faculty and staff member a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas Break

The last day of school for student's and teacher's before Christmas Break! Not sure who’s more excited the kids or the teachers? They will be very energetic today.

Remember how excited you were for Christmas Break to begin? We have several kids today that wish we could continue with school and not have Christmas Break at all. Their lives are so messed up and they are having to deal with so many family issues that Christmas is not the enjoyable time that it’s suppose to be.

This Christmas look around and see those less fortunate that need a kind work, a special smile or a hug of friendship.

You might just be what they need to make it through the holidays.

As Randall Frame has written, “Christmas does not deny sorrow its place in the world. But the message of Christmas is that joy is bigger than despair, that peace will outlast turmoil, that love has crushed all the evil, hatred, and pain the world at its worst can muster.”

A Prayer for a Friend

My heart is hurting today over a high school friend and teammate of mine that has made some bad decisions. It has cost him his marriage and currently his relationship with God.

Why do we allow ourselves to be overcome by the thought of a little excitement in our lives? Why do we want something that we know will hurt us in the long run? Why do we fall for the temptation and sin and know it’s wrong?

I am so appreciative that I have a Heavenly Father that watches over me. I am so blessed that I have a wife who loves me for who I am and accepts all my faults. I am so glad I have two boys that put up with a dad who often doesn’t understand how it is being young and growing up. I am thankful I have a church family who encourages me and prays for me on a daily basis.

Please pray for my friend Bill today. He needs God back in his life. He needs to remember his first love.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4)

I Love You, Lord

A remote mobile home gleams faintly in the crisp Autumn sunrise. Within that metal refuge in the high deserts of central Oregon, a young mother is having a quiet time with the Lord. Her toddler is still asleep. Her husband is a full time college student, and the couple is surviving on $400 per month. They have no home church, no friends nearby, and she does not drive. Even the expense of a long distance phone call might leave them without milk or bread in weeks to come.

Such is the backdrop of Laurie Klein's classic praise song, "I Love You, Lord", written in 1974.

"It was a very hopeless time, a very depressed time," she summarizes. "I felt the poverty of my own life keenly at that point, both emotionally and physically."

"That morning I was so empty," she says, recalling her time with the Lord. "I knew I didn't have anything to offer Him. I asked if He would like to hear me sing . . if He would just give me something He would be in the mood to hear."

Klein describes "I Love You, Lord", as a gift from God that emerged spontaneously: "I sang the first half and put the chords with it with no effort," she says.

I love You Lord and I lift my voice To worship You O my soul, rejoice!

Intrigued and moved by these words, she remembers thinking, "maybe I should write that down." She stopped long enough to get a pen. When she came back, the last two phrases came just as easily:

Take joy, my King in what you hear May it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.

Laurie's husband, Bill, recognized the simple beauty of the song and encouraged her to play it for a local minister.

Since then, Bill Klein has lost count but estimates the song has been released on 60 or 70 recordings.

The Kleins, now parents of two grown daughters, live in Dearpark, Washington.

Now 47 years old, Laurie Klein is more driven by a thirst for intimacy with God than ever. God has placed the phrase, "prepare Me a place" on her heart as a personal theme for this year. "We're called to prepare room for Him," Laurie explains. The heart of a worshiper becomes evident as she speaks. "We must be prepared to meet Him no matter who we're talking to or what we're doing, whether we're worshiping in church or worshiping with all the tasks that make up our day."

That, she has come to understand, genuinely makes a "sweet, sweet sound" in God's ear.

A Worship Prayer

How do you prepare for worship? Many Sunday mornings rushing around, getting the kids up (trying to get them up), reading the paper, fixing breakfast, finding something to wear, getting the ice off the windshield then its off to Church we go. Is your mind set on what you are about to do? I appreciate so many, that pray for our worship services each Sunday. I appreciate the ministry of Mark Cox and Doris DeForest and several others who pray on a regular basis for our worship after Sunday morning class.

Individually we all need to be in prayer as we anticipate our visit with the King!

A Worship Prayer

Father, In the Name of Jesus….I come before you in a spirit of Worship. My mind and heart are fixed on you. I want to lift you up for not only the things you have done…but just for who you are. You are a Mighty God, an Awesome God…A God who is perfect in all of His ways and have never made a mistake.

I acknowledge Your Sovereignty, that you are Omnipotent, that you are Omniscient, and that you are Omnipresent. You are the Only God that I will worship…You are the only God that I will serve. You are the Creator of all things, and by You all things were created in Heaven and in Earth. All power in Heaven and Earth is in your Hands. Your Ways are True and Your Nature is Righteous. You are Holy in all of Your Ways, and Your Ways are Honorable.

You are High and Lifted up Lord, above all that I am…above every circumstance and situation that may try to exalt itself above You. I lift up Holy Hands to You Right Now in total surrender to Who you are in My Life. Lord let me ever be so mindful of Who you are lest I forget. Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain…to receive Power, and Riches, and Wisdom, and Strength, and Honor, and Glory, and Blessings. Worthy is the Lamb.

IN JESUS' NAME

AMEN

Seeking the Heart of God

One of my favorite passages of scripture is Jeremiah 29:11-14 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

May we understand that God just wants us to seek His heart. He wants us to prosper and live the path he has set before us. His plans for our lives are so much more than we could ever dream of, the Bible states that his thoughts are not our thoughts. As long as we seek his heart and live a life of worship towards him he will not let us fail. He brings back everything that was stolen and will raise you up to a new life and a new relationship with him. We must seek him with all of our hearts, then we will find him.

Live everyday with God's Love in your heart (a life of praise and worship) true love for him and for others, seeking his face and heart.

God Is

God is Lord Almighty,
Omnipotent King,
Lion of Judah,
Rock of Ages,
Prince of Peace,
King of Kings,
Lord of Lords,
Provider,
Protector, Paternal Leader,
Ruling Lord,
Reigning King of all the universe.
He is Father,
He is Helper,
He is Guardian,
He is God.He is the First and Last,
The Beginning and End.
He is the keeper of Creation,
The Creator of all He keeps.
He is the Architect of the universe,
The Manager of all times.
He is risen and brings Power,
He reigns and brings Peace,
He is the Wisdon of the wise,
He is the Power of the powerful,
He is the Ancient of days,
He is the Ruler of rulers,
He is the Leader of leaders,
He is the Overseer of the overcomers,
He is the Sovereign Lord of all that was,and is and is to come.
He is Light, Love, Longevity, and Lord.
He is Goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God.
He is Holy, Righteous, Mighty, Powerful, and Pure.
He is my Redeemer,
He is my Savior,
He is my Guide,
He is my Peace,
He is my Joy, He is my Comfort,
He Is My Lord.
He always was, He always is, He always will be...
Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated,
Never Undone.
He was bruised and bought Healing,
He was pierced and eased Pain,
He was persecuted and bought Freedom,
He was dead and bought Life.
The world can't understand Him,
The armies can't defeat Him,
The schools can't explain Him,
The leaders can't ignore Him,
The Pharisees Couldn't confuse Him,
The people couldn't hold Him,
The New Age can't replace Him.
Herod couldn't kill Him,
Nero couldn't crush Him,
Hitler couldn't silence Him,
Talk shows can't explain Him away!
His ways are Right,
His word is Eternal,
His will is unchanging,
His burden is light.
He will never leave you.
He will never forsake you.
He will never mislead you.
He will never forget you.
He will never overlook you.
When you fall, He will lift you up.
When you fail, He will forgive.
When you're weak, He is strong.
When you're lost, He is the way.
When you're afraid, He is your courage.
When you stumble, He steadies you.
When you're hurt, He Heals you.
When you're broken, He mends you.
When you're blind, He leads you.
When you're hungry, He feeds you.
When you face trials, He is with you.
When you face persecution, He strengthens you.
When you face problems, He comforts you.
When you face loss, He provides for you.
When you face Death, He carries you Home!
He is everything for everybody, everywhere, every time, and in every way.
He Is God.
He is faithful.
I am His, and He is mine!
God is in control,
I am on His side, and that means....
All Is Well With My Soul !!!

~~Author Unknown~~

Sunday Worship

Order of Worship
December 11, 2005


Welcome (Jerry Myers)

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 29:11-13

66 Doxology
67 For the Beauty of the Earth
68 Give Thanks

Prayer

Scripture: John 3:16-17

286 Wonderful Story of Love (Verse 1 Only)
287 There Is a Redeemer (Verse 1 and 2 Only)
288 Fairest Lord Jesus (Verse 1 Only)
382 Why Did My Savior Come to Earth (Verse 1 Only)

Video “His Grace Still Amazes Me”

Communion

781 Thank You, Lord

Contribution

2 by 2 Class Dismissed

779 I Love You Lord (Sing Twice)

Guest Speaker: Russel Bell

Invitation 791 On Bended Knee

Announcements

264 O Come, Let Us Adore Him

Closing Prayer

Hearing God

Do you know the first thing that happens after the seraph places the burning coal upon Isaiah's lips? He hears something. He hears God asking a question, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" This is not a coincidence. When we worship, we put ourselves in a position to hear the Lord's voice. As we are cleansed of all sinfulness, we are being prepared for wonderful works of service (Eph. 2:8-9). We become useful instruments in His hands to accomplish his kingdom agenda here on the earth. Worship let's us in on God's heartbeat. Worship fills us with His nature, His life, His ideas, and His plans. Worship empowers us to do great things because we've seen Him. We understand who He is and who we are. We are readied for a great commission because He has embraced us. This gives us the confidence and courage we need to then say, "Lord, here am I, send me!"

Looking forward to a great worship Sunday! Stay warm!

Blended Worship

Blended Worship
By Ron Man

Blended worship has as its goal the joining together of the people of God in all their diversity, under one roof and in one service, to glorify God through the offering up of corporate praise. The term "blended" speaks of the artful weaving together of varying musical styles and other elements into a seamless tapestry, which honors the Lord without alienating any particular group.

The strongest argument which can be marshaled in favor of blended worship (as opposed to offering different types of services, such as "traditional" and "contemporary," or only one specialized type) is a biblical and theological one. It relates to the very nature of the church: worship should rightly be blended because the body of Christ itself is blended (see I Corinthians 12).

By definition the church gathers into one living organism people from all different backgrounds and walks of life; in fact, unity within the kind of diversity seen in the church is in itself a testimony to the divine nature of the institution (Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 4:1-6) -- for, while by nature "birds of a feather flock together," Christ's body invariably includes an unusual combination of quite disparate individuals, who have in common only their faith in and love for Christ.

But that is the whole point! In order for corporate worship (unarguably the most important thing the church does together) to accurately reflect the nature and the unity of the body, it must include the people of God in all of their diversity, unified in the worship by the common focus of that worship: the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of glory.

That Christ-centered focus is the key which allows us to transcend petty, man-centered squabbles over musical taste and preference. For if we are united in our commitment to the glorification of our Lord through our worship, we will be blessedly distracted from lesser things which might divide us. And it is in our corporate worship of all places, as the most purely God-directed activity of the church, that our unity should be most in evidence. It is a scandal that worship has too often engendered the most divisiveness among God's people (in what one writer has referred to as "worship wars")!

In fact, for true blended worship to really work, all of God's people must be willing to make concessions relative to their own personal preferences - no one will get just the kind of music he or she likes all the time, but that becomes an acceptable sacrifice in light of the common good. (But it is important that all are called upon to make stylistic concessions, not just one group.) And even beyond the worth of harmonious corporate worship, the process of making such concessions is in itself a spiritual exercise of inestimable value. It is well-pleasing to the Lord when we prefer one another in such a way (Romans 12:10; Philippians 2:3) and "consider one another as more important than ourselves."

So may we focus in our worship on the One who alone is worthy of our worship, and in so doing bring to expression the oneness which all we who have trusted in Christ genuinely share. May we seek to please the Lord with our worship, bringing our humble gifts of praise and esteeming as well as the gifts which others bring, to the end that He might be honored not only by our outward expressions but also by the attitudes of hearts (which are much more important to Him anyway!). May our worship reflect the unity within diversity which is the beauty of Christ's body, blending "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs" (Ephesians 5:19) in a harmonious symphony of praise.

I Lift My Hands to Thank You!

Lamentations 3:40-42 “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven.........”

It’s a hard thing to get past, especially if you’ve been raised in the Church of Christ. You know what I’m talking about - raising your hands when you’re praising God. Is it because we’re still focusing on us and those around us, or has our praise truly left the building and ascended to the throne of God? I know there are several times when I am so appreciative of the love God who gave me through the sacrifice of His Son that I can’t deny just giving my heart but I want to give Him my entire being as I worship my Creator. Even though we don’t make it a practice of lifting hands in our worship, remember to lift your heart. Our hands should just be an extension of our heart. What a cleansing we receive when we confess our sins and He washes us and gives us the privilege of standing before Him. I stand in awe of all that is holy and righteous and I give Him my praise because nothing else matters. I love worship time. Private and corporate. A time to tell the busy world to stop so we can truly give our undivided attention to the one who gave the greatest gift that we could ever receive, Salvation!

ON BENDED KNEE

On bended knee I come
With a humble heart I come
Bowing down before Your holy throne
Lifting holy hands to You
As I pledge my love anew
I worship You in spirit I worship You in truth
Make my life a holy praise unto You

On bended knee I come
With a broken heart I come
Bowing down before Your holy throne
As I look upon Your face
Show Your mercy and Your grace
Change my life, oh Holy Spirit
Make it fresh and ever new
Make my life a holy sacrifice to You

On bended knee we come
With a humble heart we come
Bowing down before Your holy throne
Lifting holy hands to You
As we pledge our love anew
We worship You in spirit We worship You in truth
Make our lives a holy praise unto You
Make our lives a holy praise unto You
© 1988 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (ASCAP) (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.)

Respect, Love and Unity

I appreciate the comments that were made at the Congregational Meeting on Sunday. The unity and the love that the Central Church has for one another is a blessing. Even though we might disagree on issues from time to time we still respect, love and appreciate each other.

The more we reach out to our community the more teaching and instruction in God’s Word is of the utmost importance. I know Jesus wants to see a vibrant, caring and evangelizing congregation that meets at the corner of College and Huntoon. With that mission of reaching out, we have seen a change in the make-up of the Central Church. We have many members that come from other religious backgrounds, as well as no religious backgrounds. God’s Word is touching souls and hearts every week.

Thank you Jerry, for reminding all of us at the Congregational Meeting that we need to be sensitive to all groups of people and their likes and dislikes of worship and music in worship.

Several of us “old-timers” grew up enjoying the hymns of the 1800’s and sang them with all our hearts. But our “Baby Boomers” and “Generation X” members of today love the new praise songs.

I prefer scripture and silence from time to time in worship as I reflect but understand when a brother or sister of mine enjoys praise medleys and more exuberant worship.Acceptance and understanding differences will be a must as we grow and expand God’s Kingdom here in Topeka. It’s an exciting opportunity to reach out to a world that is seeking answers to life’s difficult questions.

Stream in the Desert

Over the past 10 years God has stirred the hearts of thousands of Christians, calling them to Stream in the Desert a Worship weekend hosted by the Golf Course Road Church of Christ in Midland, Texas for spiritual renewal.

This has been a time for renewed hope, for healing, new discovery, and release.In addition to these highlights, many have experienced incredible worship with old songs, new songs, and new arrangements of contemporary songs, drama, video media, testimonials, tributes to our military, comfort to the hurting, prayer, wonderful fellowship and food, incredible children’s programs, and special offerings for those in leadership.

Stream will be hosted at the Golf Course Road Church of Christ building on February 10-12, 2006.

The speaker will be Terry Rush with Ken Young as worship leader.

Due to the limited space at the GCR building, registration will be limited to the first 2,000.

For more information: http://www.streaminthedesert.org/index.p

Preaching Minister

The Central Church of Christ in Topeka, Kansas is prayerfully seeking a full time pulpit minister. The Central Church is a congregation of approximately 300 members and is led by six elders, 8 deacons and has a full-time youth minister. The candidate we seek should have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Biblical Studies or Ministry. He will need to be highly outgoing and personable, and most importantly, possess a demonstrated focus and involvement in and for evangelism. He should seek excellence and creativity in sermons and the classroom setting. The candidate should be willing to serve as a team member with our current staff and leadership. Salary will be commensurate with education and experience. If interested, please send letter of application and resume to Central Church of Christ, Attn: Search Committee, 1250 SW College Ave. Topeka, Kansas, 66604.