There are some great new praise and worship songs that have been written the past few years. One of my favorites is Ancient of Days that talks about the God of all Creation. A powerful song about the God of the universe that deserves all praise this beautiful day. May God be your Ancient of Days!
Ancient of Days
by Gary Sadler
blessing and honor,
glory and power
be unto the Ancient of Days
from every nation,
all of creation
bow before the Ancient of Days
every tongue in heaven and earth
shall declare Your glory
every knee shall bow at Your throne in worship
You will be exalted, o God,
and Your kingdom shall not pass away
o Ancient of Days
Your kingdom shall reign over all the earth
sing unto the Ancient of Days
for none can compare to Your matchless worth
sing unto the Ancient of Days
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Monday, September 12, 2005
A Powerful Sunday
What a great day at Central yesterday. Powerful worship led by Carl and Jim, great bible study and over $12,000 contributed for the relief efforts in the Gulf Coast area. I am sure more funds will be contributed over the next few weeks to help in this great cause.
Last night Central had three services taking place. The regular worship service at Central, the service taking place out at Tall Grass Christian Camp, and the Young Professional Devotional at the Kelly’s. We had 19 at Herb and Alberta’s last night for our monthly YP devotional and fellowship. We want to thank Herb and Alberta for a great time and for the wonderful hospitality. They are great servants and such an encouragement to all of us at Central.
Hebrews 10:24“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds”
Last night Central had three services taking place. The regular worship service at Central, the service taking place out at Tall Grass Christian Camp, and the Young Professional Devotional at the Kelly’s. We had 19 at Herb and Alberta’s last night for our monthly YP devotional and fellowship. We want to thank Herb and Alberta for a great time and for the wonderful hospitality. They are great servants and such an encouragement to all of us at Central.
Hebrews 10:24“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds”
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Face to Face Ministry
The stories that will be written about Katrina will be numerous. Stories of survival, but stories of death and destruction.
We had our first contact yesterday from the authorities that our school district will be getting two students from the Louisiana area. Our Osage City students have been very generous trying to find ways to help. At the football game last Friday night kids were going around seeking donations. Class challenges are occurring. A group of students collecting food items in the relief effort. And now our kids will have the experience to minister “face to face” with kids that were actually involved in this terrible tragedy. Be praying for the children. Many don’t want to leave the Astro Dome in Houston because it’s better than what they lived in. They now have food, clothes and someone that actually cares about them.
Faculty and students at Oklahoma Christian University participated in a special contribution of $75,000 last Sunday at the Memorial Road Church of Christ. Many Central College students participated in this special time of giving. I appreciate their hearts! I look forward to our special contribution on Sunday as we give to those in dire need.
These verses have touched my heart the past week……….
"If you refuse to listen to the cry of the poor, your own cry for help will not be heard."
Proverbs 21:13
"Be generous and share your food with the poor. You will be blessed for it."
Proverbs 22:9"
"A good person knows the rights of the poor, but wicked people cannot understand such things."
Proverbs 29:7
"Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless. Speak for them and be a righteous judge. Protect the rights of the poor and needy."
Proverbs 31:8-9
We had our first contact yesterday from the authorities that our school district will be getting two students from the Louisiana area. Our Osage City students have been very generous trying to find ways to help. At the football game last Friday night kids were going around seeking donations. Class challenges are occurring. A group of students collecting food items in the relief effort. And now our kids will have the experience to minister “face to face” with kids that were actually involved in this terrible tragedy. Be praying for the children. Many don’t want to leave the Astro Dome in Houston because it’s better than what they lived in. They now have food, clothes and someone that actually cares about them.
Faculty and students at Oklahoma Christian University participated in a special contribution of $75,000 last Sunday at the Memorial Road Church of Christ. Many Central College students participated in this special time of giving. I appreciate their hearts! I look forward to our special contribution on Sunday as we give to those in dire need.
These verses have touched my heart the past week……….
"If you refuse to listen to the cry of the poor, your own cry for help will not be heard."
Proverbs 21:13
"Be generous and share your food with the poor. You will be blessed for it."
Proverbs 22:9"
"A good person knows the rights of the poor, but wicked people cannot understand such things."
Proverbs 29:7
"Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless. Speak for them and be a righteous judge. Protect the rights of the poor and needy."
Proverbs 31:8-9
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
It Is Well With My Soul
One of my favorite hymns of the 1800’s is “It is Well With My Soul”. A powerful song of hope and peace.
This hymn was written after two major traumas in Horatio Gates Spafford [1873] life. The first was the great Chicago Fire of October 1871, which ruined him financially (he had been a wealthy businessman). Shortly after, while crossing the Atlantic, all four of Spafford’s daughters died in a collision with another ship. Spafford’s wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone.” Several weeks later, as Spafford’s own ship passed near the spot where his daughters died, the Holy Spirit inspired these words. They speak to the eternal hope that all believers have, no matter what pain and grief befall them on earth.
“It is Well With My Soul”
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Refrain
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
Refrain
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Refrain
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Refrain
This hymn was written after two major traumas in Horatio Gates Spafford [1873] life. The first was the great Chicago Fire of October 1871, which ruined him financially (he had been a wealthy businessman). Shortly after, while crossing the Atlantic, all four of Spafford’s daughters died in a collision with another ship. Spafford’s wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone.” Several weeks later, as Spafford’s own ship passed near the spot where his daughters died, the Holy Spirit inspired these words. They speak to the eternal hope that all believers have, no matter what pain and grief befall them on earth.
“It is Well With My Soul”
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Refrain
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
Refrain
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Refrain
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Refrain
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
More News on Katrina Relief
The Long Beach church building in Mississippi
BREAKING NEWS
Church members begin to assess losses from Katrina
By Erik TryggestadThe Christian Chronicle
September 01, 2005
Long Beach, Miss., church's facility severely damaged by hurricane
Roger Mills was preaching for a church in Homestead, Fla., when Hurricane Andrew made landfall on Aug. 24, 1992. The storm ripped apart the church’s meeting place before it moved into the Gulf of Mexico, eventually striking Louisiana.Nearly 13 years later Mills watched as another hurricane, Katrina, followed a similar path, dumping water on southern Florida before it slammed into the Gulf coast, threatening the church in Biloxi, Miss., where he currently ministers.The church building on Rodenburg Road may have escaped the fate suffered by many structures in Katrina’s path, Mills said Wednesday afternoon from a hotel room in Birmingham, Ala. A church member who was able to get a call through to Mills reported that only the roof appeared to be damaged.Not so for the church of Christ in nearby Long Beach. Lee Hodges, whose brother, Mark, is the congregation's minister, said that the Long Beach building was severely damaged by the storm. "While the building was not flattened (as earlier reports said), it is likely beyond use," Hodges told the Chronicle Thursday afternoon.Mills said that many of his church’s 85 or so members evacuated before Katrina roared ashore Monday morning. He and other church members were trying to account for them — especially those living in Biloxi’s nursing homes.Dwight Lawson, a member of the Clearview Church of Christ in Texas, said that he planned to load up a truck with supplies and volunteers and head into the affected area this weekend. If they can’t make it all the way to Biloxi, they’ll do what they can where they are, he said.As church members begin the rebuilding process, Mills hopes that the Rodenburg church, if intact, can serve as a staging area for relief efforts in southern Mississippi.Watching disaster strike — in 1992 and 2005 — it seemed like "everything's falling apart," Mills said. But as he and other church members plan to respond to Katrina, "everything's falling into place."Churches across the nation are loading trucks with supplies and preparing to head into the flooded regions in Katrina’s wake:• Workers with White’s Ferry Road Relief Ministries, West Monroe, La., plan to survey the affected areas by airplane this weekend and meet with churches to establish relief centers.• Rapha International, a relief ministry supported by churches of Christ, is shipping medical supplies and equipment to southern Louisiana, Executive Director Ray Hughes said. “U.S. aid is not our normal mission, but we have received too many requests from people around the country to ignore,” Hughes said. “We just can not refuse such a huge challenge and opportunity to serve.”• Relief agencies and church members plan to meet Friday at the South Baton Rouge, La., church to coordinate relief efforts. The church has transformed its Christian Student Center into a hurricane relief center, housing 50 refugees from the storm in its gym, according to the church’s Web site, www.sbrcc.org.• Members of the Centralia, Ill., church plan to use a large, white truck with the words “Fill Me Up” painted on the side to receive relief supplies. Volunteers will drive the truck to the University Church of Christ in Shreveport, La. Church members there will assist in distributing the supplies to affected areas. Centralia member Bill Amason is encouraging other churches to do the same.“Even small congregations can help,” Amason said. “If they don't have enough supplies to fill a truck, then a van will do. The main thing is that we plan to have a centralized staging center that can specifically serve the need of the refugee centers.”• The Memorial Road Church of Christ, Oklahoma City, is working with WFR Relief, collecting funds and relief supplies that volunteers will deliver Sept. 8, said Community Outreach Minister Micah Hobbs. Church member Drew Barnett planned to leave Oklahoma City at 4 a.m. Thursday to deliver relief supplies to friends and family members in Gulfport, Miss.As churches and ministries begin relief efforts, church members from around the globe are offering prayers and words of encouragement.“We are stunned at the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Mississippi and other places in the United States,” said Abraham Cojo Monney, a minister in the West African country of Ghana. “All we can do is to go to our knees and pray to our father in heaven that he sheds his mercies again for the people.”
BREAKING NEWS
Church members begin to assess losses from Katrina
By Erik TryggestadThe Christian Chronicle
September 01, 2005
Long Beach, Miss., church's facility severely damaged by hurricane
Roger Mills was preaching for a church in Homestead, Fla., when Hurricane Andrew made landfall on Aug. 24, 1992. The storm ripped apart the church’s meeting place before it moved into the Gulf of Mexico, eventually striking Louisiana.Nearly 13 years later Mills watched as another hurricane, Katrina, followed a similar path, dumping water on southern Florida before it slammed into the Gulf coast, threatening the church in Biloxi, Miss., where he currently ministers.The church building on Rodenburg Road may have escaped the fate suffered by many structures in Katrina’s path, Mills said Wednesday afternoon from a hotel room in Birmingham, Ala. A church member who was able to get a call through to Mills reported that only the roof appeared to be damaged.Not so for the church of Christ in nearby Long Beach. Lee Hodges, whose brother, Mark, is the congregation's minister, said that the Long Beach building was severely damaged by the storm. "While the building was not flattened (as earlier reports said), it is likely beyond use," Hodges told the Chronicle Thursday afternoon.Mills said that many of his church’s 85 or so members evacuated before Katrina roared ashore Monday morning. He and other church members were trying to account for them — especially those living in Biloxi’s nursing homes.Dwight Lawson, a member of the Clearview Church of Christ in Texas, said that he planned to load up a truck with supplies and volunteers and head into the affected area this weekend. If they can’t make it all the way to Biloxi, they’ll do what they can where they are, he said.As church members begin the rebuilding process, Mills hopes that the Rodenburg church, if intact, can serve as a staging area for relief efforts in southern Mississippi.Watching disaster strike — in 1992 and 2005 — it seemed like "everything's falling apart," Mills said. But as he and other church members plan to respond to Katrina, "everything's falling into place."Churches across the nation are loading trucks with supplies and preparing to head into the flooded regions in Katrina’s wake:• Workers with White’s Ferry Road Relief Ministries, West Monroe, La., plan to survey the affected areas by airplane this weekend and meet with churches to establish relief centers.• Rapha International, a relief ministry supported by churches of Christ, is shipping medical supplies and equipment to southern Louisiana, Executive Director Ray Hughes said. “U.S. aid is not our normal mission, but we have received too many requests from people around the country to ignore,” Hughes said. “We just can not refuse such a huge challenge and opportunity to serve.”• Relief agencies and church members plan to meet Friday at the South Baton Rouge, La., church to coordinate relief efforts. The church has transformed its Christian Student Center into a hurricane relief center, housing 50 refugees from the storm in its gym, according to the church’s Web site, www.sbrcc.org.• Members of the Centralia, Ill., church plan to use a large, white truck with the words “Fill Me Up” painted on the side to receive relief supplies. Volunteers will drive the truck to the University Church of Christ in Shreveport, La. Church members there will assist in distributing the supplies to affected areas. Centralia member Bill Amason is encouraging other churches to do the same.“Even small congregations can help,” Amason said. “If they don't have enough supplies to fill a truck, then a van will do. The main thing is that we plan to have a centralized staging center that can specifically serve the need of the refugee centers.”• The Memorial Road Church of Christ, Oklahoma City, is working with WFR Relief, collecting funds and relief supplies that volunteers will deliver Sept. 8, said Community Outreach Minister Micah Hobbs. Church member Drew Barnett planned to leave Oklahoma City at 4 a.m. Thursday to deliver relief supplies to friends and family members in Gulfport, Miss.As churches and ministries begin relief efforts, church members from around the globe are offering prayers and words of encouragement.“We are stunned at the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Mississippi and other places in the United States,” said Abraham Cojo Monney, a minister in the West African country of Ghana. “All we can do is to go to our knees and pray to our father in heaven that he sheds his mercies again for the people.”
Monday, September 05, 2005
Special Hurricane Relief Contribution
As announced yesterday the Central Church of Christ sent $5,000 this past week to help with the hurricane relief. The Central congregation will have a special contribution next Sunday to help with further needs.
The following article comes from the Church of Christ Disaster Relief agency in Nashville:
HURRICANE KATRINA TAKES LIVES & DESTROYS HOMES & BUSINESSES
Churches of Christ Disaster Relief has already sent five trucks, loaded with food, etc.to various congregations north of New Orleans and other cities. These initial efforts are to help the victims, who have fled the flood waters and are staying in other cities near by. We are waiting until we are allowed to go into the areas that are flooded with our semi trucks with food, water, baby supplies, & other needed items. More information will be posted as we make progress. Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Pascagoula, & other cities in MS, New Orleans, LA, Mobile & Gulf Shores, AL, Pensacola, FL, & many other cities have been contacted and help is on the way. Please keep posted to our web site for more details. Details of losses suffered and aid given will be updated periodically. Our many thanks to all of our volunteers and donors, who have helped us to help so many others.
Anyone wishing to donate may send their donations to the following: Churches of Christ Disaster Relief, 410 Allied Drive, Nashville, TN 37211.
Thank you in advance for your prayers, thoughts, and donations!
The following article comes from the Church of Christ Disaster Relief agency in Nashville:
HURRICANE KATRINA TAKES LIVES & DESTROYS HOMES & BUSINESSES
Churches of Christ Disaster Relief has already sent five trucks, loaded with food, etc.to various congregations north of New Orleans and other cities. These initial efforts are to help the victims, who have fled the flood waters and are staying in other cities near by. We are waiting until we are allowed to go into the areas that are flooded with our semi trucks with food, water, baby supplies, & other needed items. More information will be posted as we make progress. Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Pascagoula, & other cities in MS, New Orleans, LA, Mobile & Gulf Shores, AL, Pensacola, FL, & many other cities have been contacted and help is on the way. Please keep posted to our web site for more details. Details of losses suffered and aid given will be updated periodically. Our many thanks to all of our volunteers and donors, who have helped us to help so many others.
Anyone wishing to donate may send their donations to the following: Churches of Christ Disaster Relief, 410 Allied Drive, Nashville, TN 37211.
Thank you in advance for your prayers, thoughts, and donations!
Friday, September 02, 2005
Finding and Following God's Will
Have you ever asked…
What if I’m not sure what to do?
What can the Bible tell me today?
If the going gets tough, did I make a wrong turn?
What if I missed God’s plan?
I have started reading a new book called Finding and Following God’s Will by Jane Kise. Excellent book that asks some key questions about discovering God’s will for my life. The book takes scripture and real life stories to show how God’s Word can be our road map to a wonderful life of service and ministry.
God is very present in the lives of His people today. He guides us through his Word, through circumstances, through prayer, through people and through the many gifts that he blesses us with.
I appreciated our young people Sunday night giving their summer reports on how God touched their lives. God is ever present, wanting to lead us through the many roads of life, if….we let Him!
What if I’m not sure what to do?
What can the Bible tell me today?
If the going gets tough, did I make a wrong turn?
What if I missed God’s plan?
I have started reading a new book called Finding and Following God’s Will by Jane Kise. Excellent book that asks some key questions about discovering God’s will for my life. The book takes scripture and real life stories to show how God’s Word can be our road map to a wonderful life of service and ministry.
God is very present in the lives of His people today. He guides us through his Word, through circumstances, through prayer, through people and through the many gifts that he blesses us with.
I appreciated our young people Sunday night giving their summer reports on how God touched their lives. God is ever present, wanting to lead us through the many roads of life, if….we let Him!
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Sunday a Day of Hope
This Sunday will be a special day of worship at Central. The Elders have decided to center our thoughts, prayers and worship on the aspect of Hope in our lives. With the hurricane and the many people searching for something to hold on to what better time than to share with our Father the concerns of his people and the search for the real Hope that we need today to make since of this natural disaster.
Be in prayer as we plan for this special day!
Order of Worship
Sunday, September 4, 2005
Announcements
Prayer
Video/Pictures of Hurricane Damaged Area (I Need Thee Every Hour)
Worship led by Josh Yoho
Song (You Are My All in All)
Song (These Are the Days of Elijah)
Song (Father God)
Prayer (Howard Dodd)
“Hope Through the Screams”-Romans 8
Jim DuBose
Song (Thomas Song)
Communion (Steve)
Contribution (Steve)
“Hope for the People”
Jim DuBose
Song (Great is Thy Faithfulness))
“My Only Hope is You”
Jim DuBose
Invitation Song (My Hope is Built On Nothing Less)
Closing Announcements
Announcement of how we can assist next Sunday with a special contribution
Closing Prayer for Hope
by the Elders of the Congregation
Be in prayer as we plan for this special day!
Order of Worship
Sunday, September 4, 2005
Announcements
Prayer
Video/Pictures of Hurricane Damaged Area (I Need Thee Every Hour)
Worship led by Josh Yoho
Song (You Are My All in All)
Song (These Are the Days of Elijah)
Song (Father God)
Prayer (Howard Dodd)
“Hope Through the Screams”-Romans 8
Jim DuBose
Song (Thomas Song)
Communion (Steve)
Contribution (Steve)
“Hope for the People”
Jim DuBose
Song (Great is Thy Faithfulness))
“My Only Hope is You”
Jim DuBose
Invitation Song (My Hope is Built On Nothing Less)
Closing Announcements
Announcement of how we can assist next Sunday with a special contribution
Closing Prayer for Hope
by the Elders of the Congregation
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Hurricane Katrina (UPDATED)
Be in prayer today for the relief efforts in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
I have received several blogs from that area and many members of the Church have lost everything.
Be in prayer today for the people and the relief agencies that will be rebuilding this area in the coming months.
Those wishing to send funds directly for relief efforts here are a couple of Church organizations:
Hurricane Katrina
WFR Relief Ministries (2005 hurricane)
3201 North 7th Street
West Monroe, Louisiana
71291
Churches of ChristDisaster Relief, Inc.
410 Allied Drive
Nashville, TN 372111
1-800-541-2841
Heres the latest from the Christian Chronicle Web Site:
New Orleans Elder Appeals for Help
By Bobby Ross Jr.
The Christian Chronicle
August 30, 2005
Church of Christ disaster relief agencies making plans to help victims and seeking donations.
An elder with a New Orleans church appealed to fellow Christians on Tuesday to help those devastated by Hurricane Katrina.Fred Franke with the Carrollton Avenue Church of Christ said his family escaped with two days of clothes and essential papers."We, like God's people of old, are in exile, away from our home. Money has already run out for some of our number ... and is running out for others as we speak," Franke said in an e-mail from a Destin, Fla., hotel. Franke said famillies could be allowed back in New Orleans to check their homes in about a week, but then might be forced to leave for a month or two because of a lack of electricity and water."Where many of us had an income or a business that generated an income, many now have none," he wrote. "We absolutely will need help and assistance from every corridor throughout the building of Christ!!"John Dobbs, preaching minister at the Central church, Pascagoula, Miss., wrote on his blog Tuesday that he's almost certain that the hurricane claimed his home."I might entertain some notions of rescuing some items of interest, but between hurricane force winds, rising flood waters, looters and other potentials I haven't even considered, there is nothing left," Dobbs wrote from a public library in Cleveland, Miss., about 350 miles north of Pascagoula. But Dobbs said he was thankful to be with his wife's family. "I am thankful not to be trapped in an attic in New Orleans watching water rise," he wrote. "I'm thankful that I have my loved ones around me. My children are safe. We just have no home."David Hicks, minister of the Carrollton Avenue church, said he evacuated with his family to Anniston, Ala."I have no way of assessing the damage," Hicks said in an e-mail Tuesday. "I doubt that our church building and our home have been seriously damaged. However, we have members all across the city and beyond so I am without doubt that there has been some serious damage to some of the homes of our members."About 120 miles west of New Orleans, members of the Riverside church, Lafayette, La., are opening their homes to as many as a dozen hurricane victims each.“Our community has been inundated with long-term refugees because they can't go home and the hotels are full,” said minister Paul Jones, whose 300-member church is about 120 miles west of New Orleans.Disaster relief agencies associated with the Churches of Christ remained busy Tuesday making plans to send food and supplies to the hardest-hit areas.Joe L. Dudney, executive director of Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort Inc. in Nashville, Tenn., said his agency could distribute items to seven or eight locations from New Orleans to Mobile, Ala.But the biggest challenge Tuesday was finding a route for the ministry's tractor-trailers to get to the ravaged areas.“I've got a truck loaded. In fact, I've got two loaded,” Dudney said. “As soon as I get the 'go' sign, then we're going to start moving. But there's no use in us moving if you've got nowhere to go when you get there.”Don Yelton, director of WFR Relief Ministries of the White's Ferry Road church, West Monroe, La., appealed to church members to send donations to help victims. Yelton said the ministry was working to identify where to send help.“Hurricane Katrina has devastated six states,” Yelton said on the ministry Web site. “It is being billed by the TV news as the most costly with an estimated $9 billion worth of damage and deaths unknown.“Please help us find the churches who need our help and send a contribution if you are able,” he added. “Pray for the people for sure.”In Lafayette, Jones said he expected at least eight hurricane victims to stay with his family Tuesday night. “If I need to, I'll sleep in my office,” he said.Besides opening their homes, members are serving a nightly meal in the fellowship hall and preparing it to house as many people as will fit, the minister said.Jones described the needs as “overwhelming” and the damage east and south of Lafayette as “devastating.” And rising waters in New Orleans could make the situation even worse, he said.“There's a lot of tears and heartache, anxiousness,” he said of the people forced to flee their homes. “There's some anger; just not knowing when they can go back to see the damage is a big problem.”But for the church, the opportunity to help is a blessing, he said.“We've just got such wonderful hearts in this church to help people,” he said. “We want to do whatever we can to help. It just seems overwhelming to us at this point.”
I have received several blogs from that area and many members of the Church have lost everything.
Be in prayer today for the people and the relief agencies that will be rebuilding this area in the coming months.
Those wishing to send funds directly for relief efforts here are a couple of Church organizations:
Hurricane Katrina
WFR Relief Ministries (2005 hurricane)
3201 North 7th Street
West Monroe, Louisiana
71291
Churches of ChristDisaster Relief, Inc.
410 Allied Drive
Nashville, TN 372111
1-800-541-2841
Heres the latest from the Christian Chronicle Web Site:
New Orleans Elder Appeals for Help
By Bobby Ross Jr.
The Christian Chronicle
August 30, 2005
Church of Christ disaster relief agencies making plans to help victims and seeking donations.
An elder with a New Orleans church appealed to fellow Christians on Tuesday to help those devastated by Hurricane Katrina.Fred Franke with the Carrollton Avenue Church of Christ said his family escaped with two days of clothes and essential papers."We, like God's people of old, are in exile, away from our home. Money has already run out for some of our number ... and is running out for others as we speak," Franke said in an e-mail from a Destin, Fla., hotel. Franke said famillies could be allowed back in New Orleans to check their homes in about a week, but then might be forced to leave for a month or two because of a lack of electricity and water."Where many of us had an income or a business that generated an income, many now have none," he wrote. "We absolutely will need help and assistance from every corridor throughout the building of Christ!!"John Dobbs, preaching minister at the Central church, Pascagoula, Miss., wrote on his blog Tuesday that he's almost certain that the hurricane claimed his home."I might entertain some notions of rescuing some items of interest, but between hurricane force winds, rising flood waters, looters and other potentials I haven't even considered, there is nothing left," Dobbs wrote from a public library in Cleveland, Miss., about 350 miles north of Pascagoula. But Dobbs said he was thankful to be with his wife's family. "I am thankful not to be trapped in an attic in New Orleans watching water rise," he wrote. "I'm thankful that I have my loved ones around me. My children are safe. We just have no home."David Hicks, minister of the Carrollton Avenue church, said he evacuated with his family to Anniston, Ala."I have no way of assessing the damage," Hicks said in an e-mail Tuesday. "I doubt that our church building and our home have been seriously damaged. However, we have members all across the city and beyond so I am without doubt that there has been some serious damage to some of the homes of our members."About 120 miles west of New Orleans, members of the Riverside church, Lafayette, La., are opening their homes to as many as a dozen hurricane victims each.“Our community has been inundated with long-term refugees because they can't go home and the hotels are full,” said minister Paul Jones, whose 300-member church is about 120 miles west of New Orleans.Disaster relief agencies associated with the Churches of Christ remained busy Tuesday making plans to send food and supplies to the hardest-hit areas.Joe L. Dudney, executive director of Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort Inc. in Nashville, Tenn., said his agency could distribute items to seven or eight locations from New Orleans to Mobile, Ala.But the biggest challenge Tuesday was finding a route for the ministry's tractor-trailers to get to the ravaged areas.“I've got a truck loaded. In fact, I've got two loaded,” Dudney said. “As soon as I get the 'go' sign, then we're going to start moving. But there's no use in us moving if you've got nowhere to go when you get there.”Don Yelton, director of WFR Relief Ministries of the White's Ferry Road church, West Monroe, La., appealed to church members to send donations to help victims. Yelton said the ministry was working to identify where to send help.“Hurricane Katrina has devastated six states,” Yelton said on the ministry Web site. “It is being billed by the TV news as the most costly with an estimated $9 billion worth of damage and deaths unknown.“Please help us find the churches who need our help and send a contribution if you are able,” he added. “Pray for the people for sure.”In Lafayette, Jones said he expected at least eight hurricane victims to stay with his family Tuesday night. “If I need to, I'll sleep in my office,” he said.Besides opening their homes, members are serving a nightly meal in the fellowship hall and preparing it to house as many people as will fit, the minister said.Jones described the needs as “overwhelming” and the damage east and south of Lafayette as “devastating.” And rising waters in New Orleans could make the situation even worse, he said.“There's a lot of tears and heartache, anxiousness,” he said of the people forced to flee their homes. “There's some anger; just not knowing when they can go back to see the damage is a big problem.”But for the church, the opportunity to help is a blessing, he said.“We've just got such wonderful hearts in this church to help people,” he said. “We want to do whatever we can to help. It just seems overwhelming to us at this point.”
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
If That Isn't Love
I woke up this morning to the words of one of my all-time most favorite songs dancing around in my head. The song describes the love that Christ has for us. If that Isn't Love. Thank you Lord, for your unfailing love!
If That Isn't Love
He left the splendor of heaven, Knowing His destiny, Was the lonely hill of Golgatha, There to lay down His life for me.
Chorus
If that isn't love; The ocean is dry, There's no stars in the sky, And the sparrow can't fly. If that isn't love; Then heaven's a myth, There's no feeling like this, If that isn't love!
Even in death He remembered, The thief hanging by His side; There He spoke with love and compassion, Then He took him to paradise.
Chorus
If that isn't love; The ocean is dry, There's no stars in the sky, And the sparrow can't fly. If that isn't love; Then heaven's a myth, There's no feeling like this, If that isn't love!
Written by Dottie Rambo
If That Isn't Love
He left the splendor of heaven, Knowing His destiny, Was the lonely hill of Golgatha, There to lay down His life for me.
Chorus
If that isn't love; The ocean is dry, There's no stars in the sky, And the sparrow can't fly. If that isn't love; Then heaven's a myth, There's no feeling like this, If that isn't love!
Even in death He remembered, The thief hanging by His side; There He spoke with love and compassion, Then He took him to paradise.
Chorus
If that isn't love; The ocean is dry, There's no stars in the sky, And the sparrow can't fly. If that isn't love; Then heaven's a myth, There's no feeling like this, If that isn't love!
Written by Dottie Rambo
Monday, August 29, 2005
John 3:16
John 3:16
by unknown author.
In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in. A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people were in and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell many papers.He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and it's awful cold in there for tonight. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay." The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say John 3:16, and they will let you in." So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a lady answered.He looked up and said, "John 3:16." The lady said, "Come on in, Son." She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace, and she went off. The boy sat there for a while and thought to himself: John 3:16....I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm.Later she came back and asked him "Are you hungry?" He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days, and I guess I could stand a little bit of food." The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more. Then he thought to himself: John 3:16... Boy, I sure don't understand it but it sure makes a hungry boy full.She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself: John 3:16... I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out.The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room, tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers up around his neck, kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he lay in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night, he thought to himself: John 3:16... I don't understand it but it sure makes a tired boy rested.The next morning the lady came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate, she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big old Bible. She sat down in front of him and looked into his young face. "Do you understand John 3:16?" she asked gently. He replied, "No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it." She opened the Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to him about Jesus. He sat there and thought: John 3:16. .. ... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe. You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God was willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand the agony of the Father and every angel in heaven as they watched Jesus suffer and die. I don't understand the intense love for ME that kept Jesus on the cross till the end. I don't understand it, but it sure does make life worth living.
Author Unknown
John 3:16:For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
by unknown author.
In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in. A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people were in and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell many papers.He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and it's awful cold in there for tonight. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay." The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say John 3:16, and they will let you in." So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a lady answered.He looked up and said, "John 3:16." The lady said, "Come on in, Son." She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace, and she went off. The boy sat there for a while and thought to himself: John 3:16....I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm.Later she came back and asked him "Are you hungry?" He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days, and I guess I could stand a little bit of food." The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more. Then he thought to himself: John 3:16... Boy, I sure don't understand it but it sure makes a hungry boy full.She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself: John 3:16... I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out.The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room, tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers up around his neck, kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he lay in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night, he thought to himself: John 3:16... I don't understand it but it sure makes a tired boy rested.The next morning the lady came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate, she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big old Bible. She sat down in front of him and looked into his young face. "Do you understand John 3:16?" she asked gently. He replied, "No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it." She opened the Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to him about Jesus. He sat there and thought: John 3:16. .. ... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe. You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God was willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand the agony of the Father and every angel in heaven as they watched Jesus suffer and die. I don't understand the intense love for ME that kept Jesus on the cross till the end. I don't understand it, but it sure does make life worth living.
Author Unknown
John 3:16:For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Throw Away the Bones...
Religious Wars are occurring in many churches today. When people disagree, not about doctrine, but over personal opinions and issues, sometimes individuals are attacked, scarred and ridiculed for life.
In the wonderful Blog World, currently, several faithful ministers and brotherhood churches are being attacked based on opinion, nothing about doctrinal beliefs.
A minister friend of mine sent me the following statement recently:
"Some of what we read, and see, and discuss is like eating fish. We need to eat the meat, and throw away the bones."
Maybe we should all be treating each other more that way. Let's eat the meat of brotherly love and kindness and throw out the bones of contention, hatred, and idleness that make useless hurtful discussions part of Christianity.
I am thankful of the peace, joy and love we share at Central. May we all be an encouragement in our daily walk.
In the wonderful Blog World, currently, several faithful ministers and brotherhood churches are being attacked based on opinion, nothing about doctrinal beliefs.
A minister friend of mine sent me the following statement recently:
"Some of what we read, and see, and discuss is like eating fish. We need to eat the meat, and throw away the bones."
Maybe we should all be treating each other more that way. Let's eat the meat of brotherly love and kindness and throw out the bones of contention, hatred, and idleness that make useless hurtful discussions part of Christianity.
I am thankful of the peace, joy and love we share at Central. May we all be an encouragement in our daily walk.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Life Without Worship
Many times individuals visiting Central comment on the quality of the singing during worship. Many times we take worship for granted. But worship can change lives. Worship can bring individuals to the CROSS!
"Life without worship is terribly incomplete. It is of the fuller life that the congregation sings. It witnesses, perhaps without knowing it, to a higher reality, a mystery of salvation, a perspective beyond the limits of this life, a glory that is divine. Inside the walls of the church the singing may have been viewed as routine; outside those walls it can strike the depths of an unfulfilled searching soul. What we need as insiders is a vision of the staggering privilege, and the unlimited possibilities, of divine worship".
-John Vriend
"Life without worship is terribly incomplete. It is of the fuller life that the congregation sings. It witnesses, perhaps without knowing it, to a higher reality, a mystery of salvation, a perspective beyond the limits of this life, a glory that is divine. Inside the walls of the church the singing may have been viewed as routine; outside those walls it can strike the depths of an unfulfilled searching soul. What we need as insiders is a vision of the staggering privilege, and the unlimited possibilities, of divine worship".
-John Vriend
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
A Plan for My Life
The Young Professional Class will begin a study this fall on “God’s Plan for My Life”. God does have a plan for all of us. He wants all of us to join Him in an eternal kingdom of peace and joy.
Peter Tanksley wrote:
If we could see God’s Grand Design
As it wisely unfolds,
Then we could face life day to day
And take the licks and blows.
If we could know God’s plan for us--
Christians always knew it--
Then we’d not flee our post of duty,
But gladly stick to it.
If we have known God’s love in Christ--
If we know his love never fails--
Then that is enough to make us sing,
“We don’t need small details.”
God, help us as we read Thy Word
To look beyond the strife,
To view the Grand Design of Love
Which you’ve planned for our life.
“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” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).
Peter Tanksley wrote:
If we could see God’s Grand Design
As it wisely unfolds,
Then we could face life day to day
And take the licks and blows.
If we could know God’s plan for us--
Christians always knew it--
Then we’d not flee our post of duty,
But gladly stick to it.
If we have known God’s love in Christ--
If we know his love never fails--
Then that is enough to make us sing,
“We don’t need small details.”
God, help us as we read Thy Word
To look beyond the strife,
To view the Grand Design of Love
Which you’ve planned for our life.
“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” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).
Monday, August 22, 2005
A Special Moment
My heart was touched last night as 39 young people and sponsors worshipped with the residents at Hearthstone. The Tabitha Class started this monthly service about 5 years ago and it has grown larger each year. Last night was a very special time.
We received word that a special Central Sister was placed at Hearthstone on Saturday. She was having difficulty adjusting and felt lonely and depressed. You would have been so proud of our young people. At the end of the service they got in a circle, held hands and lifted her up to our Father in song by singing A Common Love. The tears rolled from my eyes as well as my heart. That is the community that Jim was speaking about on Sunday morning. A community of believers, that truly care about all members of the body. Thanks Gary for giving us the information so our young people could minister. Robert and Natasha thanks for your leadership of the Central youth group. God has blessed our young people by sending you here.
May God Richly Bless our efforts this week in ministry!
We received word that a special Central Sister was placed at Hearthstone on Saturday. She was having difficulty adjusting and felt lonely and depressed. You would have been so proud of our young people. At the end of the service they got in a circle, held hands and lifted her up to our Father in song by singing A Common Love. The tears rolled from my eyes as well as my heart. That is the community that Jim was speaking about on Sunday morning. A community of believers, that truly care about all members of the body. Thanks Gary for giving us the information so our young people could minister. Robert and Natasha thanks for your leadership of the Central youth group. God has blessed our young people by sending you here.
May God Richly Bless our efforts this week in ministry!
Friday, August 19, 2005
Order of Worship
Order of Worship
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Welcome
Scripture 1 Corinthians 3:10-11
452 Standing on the Promises (Verse 1 Only)
457 How Firm a Foundation
Jesus, You’re My Firm Foundation
Prayer
Scripture Psalm 117:1-2
18 Faithful Love
How Deep the Fathers Love
Communion
Contribution
Sing during contribution: 790 Lord, Take Control (twice)
2x2 dismissed
513 I Will Sing of My Redeemer (Verse 1 and 3)
Message-Jim DuBose
Invitation: On Bended Knee I Come
Announcements
609 I’m Not Ashamed to Own My Lord
Closing Prayer
Special Servant Recognition
MOPS Special Announcement
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Welcome
Scripture 1 Corinthians 3:10-11
452 Standing on the Promises (Verse 1 Only)
457 How Firm a Foundation
Jesus, You’re My Firm Foundation
Prayer
Scripture Psalm 117:1-2
18 Faithful Love
How Deep the Fathers Love
Communion
Contribution
Sing during contribution: 790 Lord, Take Control (twice)
2x2 dismissed
513 I Will Sing of My Redeemer (Verse 1 and 3)
Message-Jim DuBose
Invitation: On Bended Knee I Come
Announcements
609 I’m Not Ashamed to Own My Lord
Closing Prayer
Special Servant Recognition
MOPS Special Announcement
Thursday, August 18, 2005
MOPS
The MOPS ministry that started at Central a couple of years ago will begin a new fall session this September.
MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers. MOPS International exists to meet the needs of every mom - urban, suburban, and rural moms, stay-at-home and working moms, teen, single, and married moms who all share a similar desire to be the very best moms they can be! MOPS recognizes that the years from infancy through kindergarten are foundational in a mother-child relationship and are filled with unique needs. MOPS helps moms through relationships established in the context of local groups that provide a caring atmosphere for today's mother of young children. MOPS also encourages and supports moms through resources such as books, the daily MOMSense Radio program, and the MOPS to Mom Connection.
This Sunday after our closing prayer MOPS will have a special announcement for moms interested in being part of this special ministry.
See Shannon Wright for more information.
MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers. MOPS International exists to meet the needs of every mom - urban, suburban, and rural moms, stay-at-home and working moms, teen, single, and married moms who all share a similar desire to be the very best moms they can be! MOPS recognizes that the years from infancy through kindergarten are foundational in a mother-child relationship and are filled with unique needs. MOPS helps moms through relationships established in the context of local groups that provide a caring atmosphere for today's mother of young children. MOPS also encourages and supports moms through resources such as books, the daily MOMSense Radio program, and the MOPS to Mom Connection.
This Sunday after our closing prayer MOPS will have a special announcement for moms interested in being part of this special ministry.
See Shannon Wright for more information.
Monday, August 15, 2005
A Great God
God is very much active in the lives of his people today. Yesterday we attended worship at Quail Springs in Oklahoma City and heard a modern day story of how God was working in a Christian community. When a family was at their lowest level God worked through a church to be a blessing at the right moment in time.
As I was listening to the story I was thinking about Central. How God has worked through the Central Church to bless the lives of so many over the years.
The Family of God at Central has been a great blessing and continues to help and minister within the Central Family as well as to the Topeka Community and around the world in mission efforts in India, France, South Africa and other places.
What can I do this week to minister and allow God to work in the lives of people? God’s love and grace can help so many difficult situations that we feel we can’t deal with and allow us to hand them over to the One that can. He can provide that calm and inner peace that we so desperately need.
“And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His Heavenly Kingdom” 2 Timothy 4:18
As I was listening to the story I was thinking about Central. How God has worked through the Central Church to bless the lives of so many over the years.
The Family of God at Central has been a great blessing and continues to help and minister within the Central Family as well as to the Topeka Community and around the world in mission efforts in India, France, South Africa and other places.
What can I do this week to minister and allow God to work in the lives of people? God’s love and grace can help so many difficult situations that we feel we can’t deal with and allow us to hand them over to the One that can. He can provide that calm and inner peace that we so desperately need.
“And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His Heavenly Kingdom” 2 Timothy 4:18
Friday, August 12, 2005
Worship Priorities
What is the most important aspect of worship? Is it singing? Is it giving, communion, scripture, or preaching of Gods Word?
Visiting with members at Central music and prayer usually head the list as elements that we enjoy in worship.
Bamma church research indicates that prayer was the number one most listed element of worship. Listed below are other items from that recent research study:
Necessary elements of worship according to Pastors and parishioners (2002)
*prayer: which nine out of ten pastors and parishioners said was very important to facilitate effective worship.
*communion: mentioned by two-thirds of each group.
*giving money: mentioned by slightly more than half of both groups.
*a "turn and greet" experience: mentioned by half of each group.
*having time for quiet reflection during the service was deemed very important by two-thirds of all adults compared to one-third of pastors who deemed it very important. (2002)
*More than four out of five pastors (84%) said music is very important to facilitate effective worship. However, barely half of the congregants (55%) agreed. (2002)
In assessing the ranking of the ten worship elements studied, pastors rated music second only to prayer, and tied with the sermon, in importance. Congregants, however, rated music in a tie for fifth place, following prayer, the sermon, communion, and a time for reflection. (2002)
All aspects of worship are important. The quality of our worship needs to be a focus in our assemblies. We are talking, praising and honoring the God of all creation! He deserves very best.
Visiting with members at Central music and prayer usually head the list as elements that we enjoy in worship.
Bamma church research indicates that prayer was the number one most listed element of worship. Listed below are other items from that recent research study:
Necessary elements of worship according to Pastors and parishioners (2002)
*prayer: which nine out of ten pastors and parishioners said was very important to facilitate effective worship.
*communion: mentioned by two-thirds of each group.
*giving money: mentioned by slightly more than half of both groups.
*a "turn and greet" experience: mentioned by half of each group.
*having time for quiet reflection during the service was deemed very important by two-thirds of all adults compared to one-third of pastors who deemed it very important. (2002)
*More than four out of five pastors (84%) said music is very important to facilitate effective worship. However, barely half of the congregants (55%) agreed. (2002)
In assessing the ranking of the ten worship elements studied, pastors rated music second only to prayer, and tied with the sermon, in importance. Congregants, however, rated music in a tie for fifth place, following prayer, the sermon, communion, and a time for reflection. (2002)
All aspects of worship are important. The quality of our worship needs to be a focus in our assemblies. We are talking, praising and honoring the God of all creation! He deserves very best.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Ever Feel Far from God?
Ever feel far from God? The following article came from Campus Ministries on how we can form a better relationship and devotional life with our Heavenly Father. It was written for young people but can be used to even help us “old folks” along our Christian walk.
I Don't Feel Close to God
My devotion time used to be really intense, but now it has simmered down. At times, I feel like God isn't there. And even when I do have my time with God, there doesn't seem to be any passion in it. What should I do?
I want to encourage you to try something I call the 90-Day Experiment. Challenge yourself to spend five minutes a day with God for the next 90 days. When you complete the experiment, I can't promise you'll burn with passion for God every morning. But I do think such a disciplined approach will help you recover a devotion time you won't want to miss.
Exactly what you do during those five minutes is up to you, but here are some ideas to help get you started. A good youth-oriented devotional book may help you break out of some boring patterns. Ask your youth minister for one of the many excellent devotionals out there. Or maybe you are a person who does better if you journal and write out your prayers to God. That's fine. You might try singing praise songs as part of your daily routine. You could even read through the New Testament. Yeah, it might sound overwhelming, but it only takes two or three chapters a day to do it in 90 days.
What I'm saying is this: If what you're doing now isn't working, try something different. Mix things up. Be creative. Sure, it will still require incredible discipline to accomplish the 90-Day Experiment no matter what you do. But breaking out of your old devotional rut will give you the motivation you need to get going again. And I guarantee it will be worth it.
Nineteen years ago, I was feeling just like you, so I challenged myself to the 90-Day Experiment. I've never stopped, and I've never regretted it. Of course, I've missed some days along the way, but that time with God has made a huge difference in my relationship with him.
I've read it takes three weeks to form a habit, and three more weeks to solidify that habit as a lifelong practice. If you successfully complete the 90-Day Experiment, chances are you'll develop a routine with lasting significance. Go for it. Take the challenge. You'll be glad you did.
I Don't Feel Close to God
My devotion time used to be really intense, but now it has simmered down. At times, I feel like God isn't there. And even when I do have my time with God, there doesn't seem to be any passion in it. What should I do?
I want to encourage you to try something I call the 90-Day Experiment. Challenge yourself to spend five minutes a day with God for the next 90 days. When you complete the experiment, I can't promise you'll burn with passion for God every morning. But I do think such a disciplined approach will help you recover a devotion time you won't want to miss.
Exactly what you do during those five minutes is up to you, but here are some ideas to help get you started. A good youth-oriented devotional book may help you break out of some boring patterns. Ask your youth minister for one of the many excellent devotionals out there. Or maybe you are a person who does better if you journal and write out your prayers to God. That's fine. You might try singing praise songs as part of your daily routine. You could even read through the New Testament. Yeah, it might sound overwhelming, but it only takes two or three chapters a day to do it in 90 days.
What I'm saying is this: If what you're doing now isn't working, try something different. Mix things up. Be creative. Sure, it will still require incredible discipline to accomplish the 90-Day Experiment no matter what you do. But breaking out of your old devotional rut will give you the motivation you need to get going again. And I guarantee it will be worth it.
Nineteen years ago, I was feeling just like you, so I challenged myself to the 90-Day Experiment. I've never stopped, and I've never regretted it. Of course, I've missed some days along the way, but that time with God has made a huge difference in my relationship with him.
I've read it takes three weeks to form a habit, and three more weeks to solidify that habit as a lifelong practice. If you successfully complete the 90-Day Experiment, chances are you'll develop a routine with lasting significance. Go for it. Take the challenge. You'll be glad you did.
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