A Song for Your Friday

I had the privilege of going to an Andrew Peterson concert last night on UK’s campus. I fell in love with Peterson’s music back in the fall and could listen to his music all day long; however, there’s something really special about seeing him sing live because you get to hear the stories behind his songs and see his emotion as he sings them. It was certainly a blessing.

I have a lot of favorites. I’ve never disliked one of his songs. This one I’m going to share with you today has such beautiful words. You will see that Peterson is careful with his words and uses each to the fullest. He’s a brilliant storyteller.

“Hosanna” means “save us now.” It was a Hebrew word that became a shout of praise. How beautiful that when you cry for help, it also becomes a shout of praise because you’re acknowledging your own sinfulness and realizing that Christ is the only one who can help.

“Hosanna” – Matthew 21:9, John 2:19, Genesis 3:15, Matthew 27:51
Words and Music by Andrew Peterson, Ben Shive, and Andy Gullahorn as heard on Resurrection Letters, Volume II (2008)

I am tangled up in contradiction.
I am strangled by my own two hands.
I am hunted by the hounds of addiction.
Hosanna!

I have lied to everyone who trusts me.
I have tried to fall when I could stand.
I have only loved the ones who loves me.
Hosanna!

O Hosanna!
See the long awaited king come to set his people free.
We cry O Hosanna! Come and tear the temple down.
Raise it up on holy ground. Hosanna!

I have struggled to remove this raiment,
tried to hide every shimmering strand.
I contend with these ghosts and these hosts of bright angels.
Hosanna!

I have cursed the man that you have made me,
as I have nursed the beast that bays for my blood.
Oh, I have run from the one who would save me.
Save me, Hosanna!

O Hosanna!
See the long awaited king, come to set his people free.
We cry O Hosanna! Come and tear the temple down.
Raise it up on holy ground. Hosanna!

You have crushed beneath your heel the vile serpent.
You have carried to the grave the black stain.
You have torn apart the temple’s holy curtain.
You have beaten Death at Death’s own game.
Hosanna!

O Hosanna!
Hail the long awaited king, come to set his people free.
We cry O Hosanna! Won’t you tear this temple down,
raise it up on holy ground.
O Hosanna! I will lift my voice and sing:
You have come and washed me clean. Hosanna.

Isaiah 58: First Cookout of the Year!

We kicked off our 2010 Isaiah 58 Ministry last night and more than 100 of our neighbors showed up to hear the Gospel, grab a burger, and fellowship with us.  Pastor Steve preached a 5-minute sermon from the book of Hebrews about the grace of God.  Bro. Roger Cruz translated the message into Spanish for all our Latino friends who came out!  After Bro. Randy led us in prayer, our neighbors lined up to grab some grub. 

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Kenny worked the grill along with Denise (Charlie supervised!).  Ethan, Landon, and Joseph made the lemonade with Nikki.  Cheryl, Brenda, Leslie, Mollie, Helen, Ron, Wayne, Jason, Micheal, and Olivia all worked the serving line at one point.  Harry did a lot of the grocery shopping and was serving in every way as usually does.  Roger and Gina served the drinks (la limonada!).  Randy had trash patrol (he could squeeze more trash into one bag than anyone I’ve ever seen)! 

Everyone worked together very well and enjoyed getting to know our neighbors.  Pray that the Lord will water the seeds that were planted and give us courage and boldness to plant even more next time. 

View a clip of some of our members serving our precious neighbors!

Baptism Pictures 11.15.09

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Picnic Pictures!!!!

Picnic pictures are finally here!  If you would like to view them in full size, please click here.  Fun videos of the egg toss are also up on our YouTube channel.

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Scripture at Sunrise 5.8.09

“And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.”  -Matthew 24:4
Be sure that it is your Savior who leads you ALL the way! 

Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman have revamped this precious Fanny Crosby hymn.  Read the lyrics and then listen to the gorgeous rendition Chris Tomlin sings in the video! 

All the way my Savior leads me
Who have I to ask beside
How could I doubt His tender mercy
Who through life has been my guide

All the way my Savior leads me
Cheers each winding path I tread
Gives me grace for every trial
Feeds me with the living Bread

You lead me and keep me from falling
You carry me close to Your heart
And surely Your goodness and mercy will follow me

All the way my Savior leads me
O, the fullness of His love
O, the sureness of His promise
In the triumph of His blood
And when my spirit clothed immortal
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages
Jesus led me all the way
Jesus led me all the way

All the way my Savior leads me
All the way my Savior leads me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKkDzII4s4s

Remembering 12 Years

“Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe.  And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel,  that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” 
(read all of Joshua 4)

Our Church History Slideshow

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Our 12th Anniversary Celebration Slideshow

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A Brief Overview of Our Church History

For those who don’t know, on Sunday we all wrote down where we were 12 years ago and how the Lord has worked in our life since then.  If you did not have the chance to write that out, please see Sarah for a piece of paper.  They are being compiled in an album along with pictures!

Scripture at Sunrise 2.27.09

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”  -Lamentations 3:22

In honor of our 12th anniversary this coming Monday, I thought this song was very fitting because it is so true! 
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Great is Thy Faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
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Story Behind the Song
Thomas Obadiah Chisolm (1866-1960) had a difficult early adult life. His health was so fragile that there were periods of time when he was confined to bed, unable to work. Between bouts of illness he would have to push himself to put in extra hours at various jobs in order to make ends meet.

After coming to Christ at age 27, Thomas found great comfort in the Scriptures, and in the fact that God was faithful to be his strength in time of illness and weakness, and to provide his needs. Lamentations 3:22-23 was one of his favorite scriptures: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”

While away from home on a missions trip, Thomas often wrote to one of his good friends, William Runyan, a relatively unknown musician. Several poems were exchanged in these letters. Runyan found one of Williams’ poems so moving that he decided to compose a musical score to accompany the lyrics. Great is Thy Faithfulness was published in 1923.

For several years ,the hymn got very little recognition, until it was discovered by a Moody Bible Institute professor who loved it so much and requested it sung so often at chapel services, that the song became the unofficial theme song of the college.

It was not until 1945 when George Beverly Shea began to sing Great is Thy Faithfulness at the Billy Graham evangelistic crusades, that the hymn was heard around the world.

Thomas Chisolm died in 1960 at age 94. During his lifetime, he wrote more than 1,200 poems and hymns including O To Be Like Thee and Living for Jesus. 

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 89:1)
[from FaithClipArt.com]
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One of my new favorite groups: Selah.

Scripture at Sunrise 2.20.09

“…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”  -Romans 8:37

Victory in Jesus
I heard an old, old story,
How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood’s atoning,
Then I repented of my sins;
And won the victory! 

Chorus:
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever,
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood.
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him.
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood!

I heard about His healing,
Of His cleansing power revealing.
How He made the lame to walk again
And caused the blind to see;
And then I cried, “Dear Jesus,
Come and heal my broken spirit.”
And somehow Jesus came and brought
To me the victory. 

I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory.
And I heard about the streets of gold
Beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing,
And the old redemption story.
And some sweet day I’ll sing up there
The song of victory! 

Words and music by Eugene Monroe Bartlett, Sr. (1939)

“Eugene Monroe Bartlett Senior (1885-1941) was born on Christmas Eve of 1885. He dedicated his life to Jesus at an early age. Years later, as a very successful business man, he decided to invest his money into founding the Hartford Music Company and Music Institute. He also became editor of the Herald Song music magazine.

Bartlett’s mission was to publish hymns and teach singers to sight read. He hired instructors to teach voice, piano, piano tuning, rudiments, harmony and stringed instruments. The school attracted many talented artists. Within the first year of business he sold more than 15,000 copies of his hymnbook. He wrote many of the songs himself.

Through this music ministry, Bartlett gave many writers, singers and musicians their first opportunity in Gospel music, including Alfred E. Brumley who wrote I’ll Fly Away and Turn Your Radio On

Bartlett is considered a founding father of Southern Gospel music, and he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1979. Throughout his 56 years of life, he composed more than 800 songs, including Everybody Will Be Happy Over There, and Just a Little While to Stay Here. He wrote the words to his last hymn in 1939 – Victory in Jesus.” 

(quoted from faithclipart.com)

Scripture at Sunrise 2.17.09

“And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”  -Colossians 1:17

Watch a message from Louie Giglio that mixes this verse with something unique in our bodies.  Our Creator is awesome! 

(If you are receiving this via e-mail or RSS, please make sure you can watch the above video!)

Scripture @ Sunrise 2.16.09

It was another big day filled with reminders of the importance of Christ’s resurrection, preeminence and will for our lives!  Here’s a recap for you, which is by no means extensive!   

Devotion Bro. Paul Johnson
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” –Ephesians 6:11
I always need to be reminded that I am in a spiritual battle.  I know that, but it is easy to forget it sometimes. 

Sunday School Bro. Steve Dawson
“…Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  –John 20:29
Such a great promise for us!  “What more can He say than to you He hath said?!”  This lesson was packed too full of nutrients for me to fully digest them all! 

Sunday Morning Worship Pastor Steve Wainright
“And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”  –Colossians 1:17
Another nutrient-packed message!  Christ is preeminent in creation (vs. 16-17) and Christ is preeminent in redemption (vs. 18-20).  Is Jesus Christ preeminent in your life, your all in all? 

Sunday Evening Worship Pastor Steve Wainright
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”  -Psalm 32:8
I’m so glad God has given us His Word to help us discern His will, though it was interesting to hear about the urim and thummim!  Remember to read, study and obey His Word.  Then examine the desires and opportunities in your life along with your gifts and talents.  Pray and seek His face.  Trust in His providence.  Wait on the Lord until He gives directions.  (James 1:5, Psalm 27:14, Psalm 32:8)
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And a sidenote, the kids did such a great job tonight singing “God is so Good!”  Their voice singing praises to the King were a blessing to listen to.  I hope you bring your kids next week to participate at 5:45 p.m. 

Sis. Janna Riley sings with the "Little Lifers" at their first rehearsal, Feb. 15, 2009.

 

Steve Dawson and Janna Riley applaud the "Little Lifers" during their first rehearsal, Feb. 15, 2009.