Time of Worship

Bobby offered to play in during the worship service for the two specials the team prepared for.  Cute side to this story the lead guitarist in the church thought Bobby was playing for the entire service.  Well this was corrected by Bobby every quickly as he sat back and worship while waiting his turn.  Our team learned something from the Hondurans this week as they enter the church they greet everyone by shaking their hand and making eye contact with them. Pastor Brian took this and went with it as he walked throughout the sanctuary greeting everyone with a hand shake.  Pastor Brian teaches his youth by example.

Mike was asked to read Psalm 100 and then the team was asked to provide their specials.  The first song they sang was "Open My Eyes to My Heart" and the second song sung was "Sunshine In My Soul Today".  The pastor thanked us for providing a home for Juan and Felipa and welcomed us into their church.

We had three testimonies provided by Carlton, Justin and Mrs. Sheri.  Carlton shared how he had accepted Christ as an 8 year old but did not truly understood what he had done.  As a teen ager he was thankful for two friends, Anna Kate and Taylor who invited him back to church where he rededicated his life to Christ.  He has struggles in life just like we all do but he now has Jesus to lead and guide him every day.  Justin shared he was raised in a Christian home where he saw Jesus on a daily basis.  He also accepted Christ at a young age but did not fully understand what he had done at the time.  As he became a teen he was not living out his life for Christ.  He did things God not bad things so to speak but things definitely not glorifying God.  He did this for quiet some time until he could not do this any longer. Satan made Justin feel like he was not worthy to make a difference in others life.  He used Justin's friends to convince him of this.  God spoke to Justin through a gust of wind on July 1, 2015 as he was sitting on the ground reading his bible from an entirely different passage.  God sent Justin to Ephesians 1:15-16.  This passage helped Justin understand he could make a difference in others by his walk with Jesus.  Justin shared I can even make a difference when I allow God to do instead of me. 

Mrs.Sheri was next as she shared about her blessed relationship with her Lord and Savior.  She heard about Jesus in her early twenties.  She realized as time passed she was missing something in her life and it was Jesus.  Through the lost of loved ones and friends and other opportutinities of the world she realized she needed Jesus Christ. My life made an U-turn once I dedicated my life to Jesus Christ.  She is able to deal with the loss of friends who knew Jesus and those who did not know Jesus.  God opened my eyes, ears, and heart to Him when I experience these times. He drew me closer to him and she treasures in her life the scripture out of Philippians 3:8-14.

Pastor Brian shared what it means to be a Christian.  First of all a Christian is one who believes in Jesus Christ out of John 20:31, "but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in HIS NAME. We can then have confidence in the Lord.  Confidence that Jesus is who HE says HE was.  Not arrogance but confidence. As a believer in Christ I realize I cannot do anything to get me to God. It is by HIS grace that I am saved.

What do you have in your life that shows you are confident in Jesus and your need for HIS saving Grace?  Does your prayer life look as though you are confident  in HIM?  Do your thoughts look as though you are confident in HIM? Do your words show you are confident  in HIM?  Does your work show you are confident in HIM? Does your belief affect your behavior? Does your trust and confidence in Jesus change the way you view the world? Does your trust and confidence affect the way you make your decisions?  How can you know if you are confident in Jesus? Be in HIS Word daily and pray to HIM daily for guidance. We will all continue to struggle in life with anxiety, fear, worry and other stuff but faith produces confidence in Christ.

A Christian is one who follows Jesus Christ.

Mark 1:17 says "And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."

Mark 2:14 says, "As he passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth and Jesus said to him, "Follow me!!!" And he got up and followed Jesus."

Jesus will change your passion: Mark 10:31, "Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, 'If anyone wishes to come after ME, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

Pastor Brian shared that we can never be successful living off the faith of others.  What we must realize that Jesus is calling us to a personal walk.  FOLLOW ME, JESUS SAYS.

Come take this dangerous step, come and take a chance.  Lend me your ear and hear the soft whisper of my voice. Hear the dangerous plans I have for you.  Wonder at the power that comes from merely being obedient to Follow ME!  Pastor Brian challenged us all by saying or we a fan or a follower of Christ?  You can admire from a distance and relatively unaffected but followers have their lives turned upside down. AMEN!!! If the gospel of Jesus does not turn our lives upside down then we need to ask the question WHY?.  Why follow Jesus, it is because this is what we were made to do.  In HIM is the life God intended us to have. Following Jesus is a journey and an adventure.  Is it possible there is so much stuff going on in our lives that we cannot hear him say "FOLLOW ME"  Jesus gives us clear direction on where we need to go and clear discipline to protect us from bad decisions and wrongs paths in life.  Pastor Brian said one more time, "if the gospel hasn't turned your life up side down then why?"  Are you really following Christ or are you just a fan?"

Last but not least  a Christian is one who learns from Jesus Christ.. Matthew 11:29 says "learn from ME." The come to Jesus is a call to depend on Jesus, believe in HIM, place your confidence in HIM.  Take is the second command that proceeds learn.  This is the deeper experience of  the Christ follower. This is the follower portion.  This is the deep surrender and obedience to God's will for your life.  Some places God's will is clear, rejoice always, pray without ceasing.  But some require journeying with Jesus. "FOLLOW ME!!!" Take a journey where you will make mistakes, where you will have some pain, but through it you will discover that Jesus' yoke is light.

As we learn more of the person of Jesus we trust more in the promises of Jesus.  Life is truly simplified and connected completely in the name of Jesus.  There is no shortcuts in this process, there is not enough books we can read, there are not enough classes we can take.  WE MUST RESPOND TO HIS CALL BELIEVE, FOLLOW AND LEARN.

In conclusion this is what it truly means to be a Christian.  Be confident in HIS power to forgive us of our sin and connect us forever to God, be willing to follow HIM in a journey that will turn your life upside down.  We have to be teachable as we learn from the MASTER OF LIFE what living truly is all about.  All God's people shouted AMEN...