Scripture at Sunrise 7.13.09

Sunday School | 1 Peter 3:8-22 | Bro. Steve Dawson
“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”  -1 Peter 3:8
vs. 8-12– Living and Loving the Good Life
1)The Right Attitude (vs. 8)
-unity of mind, sympathy (touched by what’s happening to your brothers and sisters in Christ), brotherly love (relish being together, tenderhearted, humble minded (realize you don’t have all the answers)
2)The Right Response (vs. 9)
-Does my life bless and build up others or hinder them and make them stumble?
3)The Right Standard (vs. 10-12)
-Seek peace and pursue it.  (This often goes back to having a humble mind).

Morning Worship | Colossians 4:2-4 | Pastor Steve Wainright
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”  -Colossians 4:2-4
-Be rooted in doctrine (ch. 1-2), then apply it (ch. 3-4).
ch. 3:1– If Christ is your life, then apply ch. 3-4.
vs. 16– Get the Word in you.  Read it and apply it to your life.  Flesh it out.  Put it in every aspect of your life.  Proclaim it with your lips AND live it out!
ch. 4:2– Continue steadfastly in prayer…
*Prayer without reading the word is a one-way conversation with God.
-If you don’t pray like you should, it’s because you don’t want to pray.
Matthew 6:9- Prayer is essential to your relationship with God.
vs. 2– continue=be devoted, committed, persevere in prayer; stick with it in good times and bad times, those devoted to something put priority on what they are devoted to; commit your life to praying.
1 Thessalonians 5:17, Matthew 6:8
*Perseverance in prayer shows your dependence on Him and develops patience.
-watch=stay alert
James 5:16-18- Pray fervently/boiling
-with gratitude, thanksgiving (Ephesians 3:20, 2 Chronicles 20:21- they put the singers in the front because they knew the battle belonged to the Lord so they were praising Him with thanksgiving!)
vs. 3– Pray for us…
The Apostle Paul is asking for prayer?!
*Why do we seek the prayers of others?
Psalm 50:12-15- It brings more glory to God.  (John 14:13)
*Our need magnifies His supply.
-Open door for the Word to go forth (God gets the glory for opening doors)
*Pray for others in their witnessing, for missionaries, for preachers, for hearers…
****You can have a mission work in your prayer life…
-Boldness: Paul was in chains not because of doing wrong, but to preach the Gospel.  He saw it as an opportunity brought about by the providence of God.
-Make it manifest, clear and simple.
*Pray that God will help us put it like people will understand it.

Evening Service | Exodus 34:29-35 | Pastor Steve Wainright
“Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”  -Psalm 34:4
-If you’re glowing as you’re going, you’re growing.
-There ought to be something shining through us and that’s the glory of the Lord.
-There is an afterglow when you have been in God’s presence.
-God is glorious and just a fraction was revealed to Moses.
-The holiness of God reveals sin.  (The sinfulness of Aaron and the Israelites was exposed in God’s glory shown through Moses).
-When the children of Israel, who rejected Moses’ authority, saw God’s glory showing through Him, they realized this was a stamp of approval from God on Moses.
-1 Timothy 2:5- Our Mediator has inherent glory.  He is not a reflection of God’s glory, He IS God’s glory.
-Matthew 17:2, Hebrews 1:3, John 1:13, John 17, Revelation
2 Corinthians 4:6
The light of the knowledge of the glory of God is in the face of Jesus Christ.
*God glows through those who are redeemed.
*As we gaze upon His glory, God is working in us so He might work through us.
*Psalm 34:1-5
-Our gaze must be on Jesus Christ.  Continuallly look at Him through His Word to shine with His glory (Hebrews 12:1-2).
*Catch fire for the glory of the Lord!
*Glow to the glory of God!
*2 Corinthians 3:7-11- How much more glorious is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  (vs. 13-14: Through Christ, we have boldness and access).  The Lord removes the veil, therefore He gets the glory because it’s His work.
“Shine, make ’em wonder what you’ve got, make ’em wish that they were not on the outside lookin’ bored!”

-Do others see Jesus in you?

Scripture at Sunrise 7.6.09

Sunday School | 1 Peter 3:1-12 | Bro. Steve Dawson
“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct.”  -1 Peter 3:1-2
Wives: If my husband was unbelieving, would my conduct lead them to Christ or push them away?
Husbands: If my wife was unbelieving, would my conduct lead them to Christ or push them away?

Sunday Morning Worship | Colossians 3:22-4:1 | Pastor Steve Wainright
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men…”  -Colossians 3:23
Give every bit of yourself to every detail of your work.  Work heartily.  Put your soul in it.  Do it enthusiastically.  What you do can be an act of worship and a ministry.

Sunday Evening Worship | Exodus 34:18-35:3 | Pastor Steve Wainright
“He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will he not also with Him graciously give us all things?”  -Romans 8:32
>Feasts Observed:
-Feast of Unleavened Bread
-Feast of Weeks/Firstfruits
-Feast of Ingathering
All these feasts made the Children of Israel remember how God brought them out of Egypt and how He provided for them.

*Reflect on the work of Jesus Christ.  Think upon Christ our Passover.
>Sabbath:
-Rest from your labor.  Have time to focus on Him.  Refresh yourself on the Lord’s Day.  Worship Him.  Take time to hear from Him.

*vs. 19-20- Give of your best to the Master. (That’s how you love)
Romans 8:32- God has given His best in giving His Son.  (That’s how He showed love in Romans 5:8)

*What should we bring to God?  The fruit of our lips, continual praise to God (Hebrews 13:15).  God desires all of us more than anything.

If He’s given us His best (Romans 8:32), let’s give Him our all.
Let people see a difference in you: Christ in you, your hope of glory.

Summing Up Sunday 6.28.09

Each Sunday, I’m led to believe that it’s the best Sunday of my life!  And then…the next Sunday, the Lord adds a cherry on top!  ♪If it keeps getting better and better, O Lord, I don’t know what I’m gonna do!♪ 

Today started out with a nice family breakfast at IHOP.  Let’s just say I really enjoyed my pancakes, but my sugar didn’t.  I cut out of IHOP early to make some copies before Sunday School and get the announcements set up.  To my surprise, I wasn’t the first one to arrive at church.  A cute little couple in a shiny red pick-up truck was already there to greet me (aka: John & Alta Hatcher).  Pancakes + Hatchers = It was going to be a good day! 

After busy morning of copies and setting things up, at 9:59 a.m., I hopped in my car to drive down to the Sunday School building.  Ah, it was wonderful to sing with young saints and listen to the things the Lord has revealed to them through His Word this week! 

Sunday School | 1 Peter 2:11-25 | Bro. Steve Dawson
“Honor everyone.  Love the brotherhood.  Fear God.  Honor the emperor.”  -1 Peter 2:17
Steve connected this passage to Titus 3:1-2, Romans 13:1, Daniel and Exodus 1:15-20.  The one connected passage that popped out at me, though, was 1 Timothy 2:1-4: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  Not only are we to honor our President and leaders, we are supposed to be THANKFUL for them.  Authority is given by God and God has providentially placed leaders in authority FOR HIS GLORY! 

Back to the main building, during the song service this morning, I was overwhelmed at the thought of God’s grace: how marvelous, vast, measureless, incomprehendable it is and the fact that He showed it to such a wretched, wicked sinner named Sarah.  Wow!  It is greater than all my sin (and that’s a lot)! 

Sunday Morning | Colossians 3:20-21 | Pastor Steve Wainright
“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.  Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”  -Colossians 3:20-21
I am so thankful for the godly parents God has blessed me with.  They have fully obeyed Colossians 3:20-21 and Ephesians 6:1-4 as well as fulfilled Deuteronomy 6:4-9 by teaching me God’s Word from an early age.  (You all know my favorite verse is Psalm 19:14, one of the first Bible verses I could say, thanks to my parents!)  They realized their most important job as my parents was to lead me to Christ and that is exactly what they did.  They live the Gospel in everyday life and it was constantly preached to me.  They have instilled a love for God’s Word me that only grows greater the more I dig and search!  The Lord made them love me so much that they had the love to discipline me.  I pray that I never take my parents for granted.  I pray that my love for wisdom will increase and that this will make both my mother and father glad!  (Proverbs 17:6, 29:3, 10:1, 15:20, 29:17)  Okay, sentimental moment…here are a few of the main points from this morning’s message:
*Parents, teach your children godliness.  The spiritual is what lasts forever.  Put the highest premium on the Word of God, not education and hygiene. 
*Children should want to obey parents BECAUSE it pleases the Lord. 
*Is your desire to please the Lord?  In ALL things?  (Colossians 3:17)
– – – –
After a quick bite to eat (and some extra insulin for those pancakes!), we snatched the Hatchers to celebrate all the Lord has done through the Bratchers!  It was a beautiful celebration you can read more about here.  (Remember to pray for Bro. Harold and Sis. Marie on Monday as they travel back to Manaus!)  I was so thankful to get a picture of the four of them together: a total of 210 years of missionary service in Brazil! 

 

It was so wonderful to see four of my heroes of the faith together! 

 

– – – –

Back to church, after some fun with the Little Lifers, we got into the book of Exodus again! 

Sunday Evening | Exodus 34:8-17 | Pastor Steve Wainright
“And he said, ‘If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your inheritance.'”  -Exodus 34:9
vs. 6-7– Moses saw (heard) as much of the glory of God as he could handle.  When we get a glimpse of the glory of God in the face of our lord Jesus Christ, what effect does it have on our being? 
vs. 8– Moses’ response.  The effect of seeing God’s glory=worship!  You cannot worship appropriately if you have no glimpse of His glory. 
vs. 9– Moses “reprays” (prays for the same thing he has a few other times: Exodus 32:31-32, 11-13; 33:12-13, 15-16; 33:14; 34:7; 19:5)  He based his ch. 34:9 prayer on God’s promises.  He is pleading on the promises of God.  Your prayers will always be answered if you pray God’s promises because He always delivers. 
-Moses is once again a type of Christ.  (vs. 9: “OUR sin…”  ~ “He became sin, Who knew no sin…”)
vs. 10– Make=cut (God cut a covenant with Israel).  God’s covenant with us: The blood is more precious and we have a greater Mediator.  Why?  For His glory!!!!  (Psalm 96:3, Romans 16:26- people are obedient to faith for His glory.) 
-As long as we are on this earth, we have a purpose.  God is at work, therefore we need to be mission-minded.  Why?  So other might be obedient to faith that God might be glorified. 
vs. 11-14– Israel’s Responsibility in the Covenant: Don’t make a covenant with any other nation because the other nations have false gods=downward spiral. 
vs. 14– God shows a little bit more of Himself to Moses: He is jealous (Exodus 20:5- to be fiercely protected)  He is protecting those He loves by demanding loyalty from them.  If you love Him, you will want to follow His commands. 
*What is it in your life that competes with your love for God?  
– – – –
So this might be the record-long blogpost.  Can you tell it’s SuMmEr?!  I guess this day was just that edifying for me and I wanted to share it with you.  To those of you who made it all the way through, congratulations…I think I owe you something!  ;o)

Scripture at Sunrise 6.22.09

Sunday School | 1 Peter 2:1-12 | Bro. Steve Dawson
“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”  -1 Peter 2:2-3
We have to be nourished or we are vulnerable to the enemies in our spiritual battles. 

Morning Worship | Colossians 3:18-19 | Pastor Steve Wainright
“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.  Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.”  -Colossians 3:18-19
-Marriage is not about what you can get out of it, but what you can give into it. 
-Look at how God has loved you in spite of yourself. 
-Love “incarnationally,” meaning “Flesh it out.”  Live it out! 
-As husbands love, there is submission. 
-Wives and husbands are equal, but husbands have been given the authority.  (Galatians 3:28, 1 Corinthians 11:3, Philippians 2:5-11, Ephesians 5:21)
-If you want a heavenly home on earth, practice these principles in God’s Word. 

Evening Worship | Exodus 34:1-7 | Pastor Steve Wainright
“The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.'”  -Exodus 34:6-7
-God was willing to renew His covenant with Israel.
-vs. 4- Moses was eager to meet God.  He got up early in anticipation. 
-vs. 5- God still had to come down to man to meet Him where He was, even though he was on a mountain.  The same is true in our lives. 
-vs. 6- God revealed Himself to Moses by proclaiming His Name.  He reveals Himself to us by His Word as well.  Moses didn’t see something spectacular, He heard the Lord proclaiming His Name.  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. 
-vs. 7- Attributes of God: merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abundant in lovingkindness, true, forgiving, just
-This passage shows us we need Crist.  Thankfully, we have a compassionate High Priest (Hebrews 4:12). 
-Jesus Christ satisfied the justice and wrath of God.  (Romans 3:26)  “‘Til on that cross as Jesus died the wrath of God was satisfied.  For every sin on Him was laid, here in the death of Christ, I live!”  [In Christ Alone]