November 22: Tuesday Refocus

“Jesus transforms our hearts by service, not by power.” - Tim Keller

The weeks of Thanksgiving into the season of Advent are an opportunity for followers of Jesus to remember once more, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). All is gift. All is grace.

The arrival of Christ into our world was not marked by power.

It was marked by service. Because, “Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28).” 

Christ transforms our hearts because He has first served us by emptying himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, humbling himself, and becoming obedient to the point of death (Philippians 2:7-8). Christ transforms our hearts once more when we seek to serve others as Christ has first served us.

Lord, may this upcoming Advent season be a time of heart transformation as we see how You have first loved and served us. Amen.

In service,

AB

Remembering, Celebrating, Reevaluating

How much time have you spent remembering as we enter into a new year?

Understandably, the last two years have felt like a blur. And it can be tempting to simply rush past remembrance in hopes of finding something better in 2022 than what we have experienced in 2020 and 2021. But what needs to be remembered? These past two years have been painful but they have not been devoid of God’s grace and kindness. What ebeneezers can you raise in your life and in ministry?

Celebration begins with remembrance. After remembrance, what needs to be celebrated? How can you name the sustaining grace of God in your life and ministry?

Everyone of us has learned first hand, ’The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps (Prov 16:9).’ How can we plan for our area of ministry with open hands? How can we reevaluate how we lead and serve? Perhaps our priorities need to shift from planning further in advance, to being more present with people, more attentive to the voice of the Spirit as we remember, celebrate, and reevaluate.

‘You are good and do good; teach me Your statutes.’ Ps 119:68

September 12: Liturgy + Set List

• ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING

Call To Worship: To all who are weary and need rest, to all who mourn and long for comfort, to all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares, To all who fail and desire strength, To all who sin and need a Savior, This church opens wide her doors with a welcome from Jesus Christ, the Ally of His enemies, the Defender of the guilty, the Justifier of the inexcusable, the Friend of sinners, welcome. [10th Presbyterian Church]

The human heart is one prone to forget. So we mark days that have marked us to remember. One of the reasons the Church globally gathers on Sunday is to remember the day that Jesus rose from the grave. Every Sunday is a mini Resurrection Sunday, a mini Easter celebration remembering that Jesus was dead but now is alive. Yesterday we remembered it has been 20 years since September 11, 2001. A day that has marked us as a people, a nation, and the world in subtle and significant ways. It is good to remember. When we walk through these doors we remember that we live in a broken world and we ourselves are broken. We do not take a break from reality for an hour or so, we carry these remembrances with us and remember a deeper truth, a deeper reality - and that is that Jesus is alive, ruling, and reigning. Seated at the right hand of the Father. The One who created the universe sustains it by the word of His power, there is nothing that has ever happen that has surprised Him, nothing has threatened to topple His rule as King, and there is nothing so broken that He cannot redeem and restore, that He cannot turn for His purpose and plan, for His glory and our good. So we remember that Jesus is alive. We remember September 11th. We remember the brokenness of the world and the brokenness of our sin, and we remember that Jesus is alive, sovereignly ruling, and reigning. Let these songs be songs of remembrance, remembering the heart and character of our Savior and King.

• IS HE WORTHY

• GOODNESS OF GOD

Message: Ephesians 5:25-27

Christ cares and cared enough for His Church to lay down His life for Her - She may be bruised, but She has never been and will never be a lost cause. We are going to sing ‘Jesus Paid It All’ - and I want you to sing this as someone who has sinned, and someone who has been sinned against. And I want you to remember the blood of Jesus is enough to cover the sin you have committed, and it is enough to cover the sin against you. We sing not hoarding forgiveness, because the blood of Christ is not just for me, not just for you, but for His Bride. We sing as the sinner, the sinned against. We sing as the forgiven Bride of Christ.

• JESUS PAID IT ALL

• IN CHRIST ALONE

September 7: Tuesday Refocus

“All sin is rooted in unbelief. We don’t trust that God can and will handle our lives fairly and well.” - Martin Luther

Has life ever worked out well for those who have taken it into their own hands?  Our first parents attempted to find life outside of a perfect relationship with God and instead grasped death, clinging to fragments of sin-broken relationship between God and humanity, one another, and creation (Gen 3).

We scoff and bemoan their ridiculous choice - but we make the same choice every day when… 

…we do not trust God will get our lives right.

…we believe that He has gotten it wrong.

…we fear that we have been overlooked, forgotten, or mistreated.

…we believe that God owes us.

…we think we deserve better.

We forget that ‘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?’ (Rom 8:32).  

How could we doubt His care?  

How could we forget His provision?  

How could we disbelieve His goodness when we look to the life of our Savior?

Lord, we believe.  Help our unbelief.  Amen.

Remembering,

AB

December 29: Tuesday Refocus

‘It is the process not the outcome that is glorifying to God.  God’s training is for now, not later.  His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future.  We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it.  What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.’  - Oswald Chambers

In a year like no other I pray that you have turned obstacles into ebeneezers – reminders of the Lord’s help, provision, and sustaining faithfulness toward you (1 Sam 7:12).  Whatever goes before or behind, take heart, ‘…it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Phil 2:13).’   

There is purpose in the present not just in the future because God is working all things to conform us to the image of His Son (Rom 8:28-29, 1 Thess 5:18).  We can be people who count trials as joy for we know that ‘the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).’ 

We will find Him faithful in 2021.  May He find us faithful as well.

Remembering,

AB

January 14: Tuesday Refocus

‘…these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit.  For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.’ - 1 Corinthians 2:10

Eternity was etched into our hearts.  Yet our first parents birthed us into a world they marred with sin, struggle, and death.  It was not supposed to be this way.  Creation itself groans, bound in decay awaiting the revealing of the children of God.  And the children of God groan awaiting ‘adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.’ (Ecc 3:11, Gen 3, Rom 8:19-23)

Eternity echoes in every human heart.  We long for the day He will return to make all things new. Because we have been on an eternal quest to return to what was lost in the garden, we have sought the wisdom and rulers of this age - only to realize they are all doomed to pass away.  But the same Spirit who searches, tries and knows our eternity-etched hearts (Rev 21:5, 2 Cor 2:6, Ps 139:23), searches the depths of God and has revealed: 

No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.’ - 2 Corinthians 2:9

For eternity, we shall know fully, even as we have been fully known (1 Cor 13:12).

Spirit search my heart, try me and know my thoughts, see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  Give me an eternal perspective as I await the return of my Savior.  In Christ’s name, amen.

Waiting,

AB

January 7: Tuesday Refocus

Circle me Lord, keep protection near and danger afar.

Circle me Lord, keep light near and darkness afar.

Circle me Lord, keep peace within, keep evil out.

In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen. - Celtic Prayer

Whatever is left behind in 2019, whatever awaits in 2020, we can be assured in all things: ’The LORD is your keeper, the LORD is your shade on your right hand.’ Ps 121:5

The One who has defeated Satan, sin and death will ‘keep you from all evil; He will keep your life.’ This does not mean we will never experience sorrow or suffering. Jesus said, ‘In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.’ And when we are led through the valley of the shadow of death, we are strengthened, helped, upheld with the righteous right hand of our God (Ps 121:7, Jn 16:33, Ps 23:4, Is 41:10).

Our days, years and lives rest firmly in the reality: ‘The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.’ Ps 121:8

Let it be so, Lord, amen.

Resting,

AB

May 21: Tuesday Refocus

‘...our rebellious attempts to lead ourselves can be carried out only in an atmosphere devoid of the memory of grace.’ - Eugene Peterson

We are quick to forget.  

That’s one of the reasons my soul needs the regular reminder of corporate worship.  

I forget.  

I forget who I am... (Rom 8:9)

I forget Whose I am... (Is 43:1)

I forget to whom I belong.  (1 Pet 2:10)

When I forget I AM, I always forget who I am.

And the invitation is always to remember - ‘But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him." (Lam 3:21-24).  To remember the God whose name reveals His character: "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." (Ex 34:6-7)

When we remember, our response is always joyful surrender to the One who gives more grace (Jam 4:6).

Lord, make us people who remember.  People that have hearts and minds filled with ebeneezer memorial stones as monuments of Your grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, amen.

Remembering,

AB