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22 October: Tuesday Refocus

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"Beauty heals, partly because it proclaims that there is goodness in the world and that goodness prevails, or is preserved, or will somehow outlast all harm and darkness...⁠ Beauty reassures us of abundance, especially that God is absolutely abundant in goodness and in life...⁠ Beauty reassures us that the end of this Story is wonderful."⁠ - John Eldredge⁠

Our desires reveal something about who we are, and who we are becoming. That is why I have always been fascinated by the request of the Psalmist: “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple (Psalm 27:4).” The Psalmist knows there is a place where beauty is not mixed with pain and suffering - and that is the dwelling place of God. 

There is a day coming when the dwelling place of God will be with man (Revelation 21:3). We shall see him as he is, and be transformed by his beauty (1 John 3:2).

Lord, hasten the day of your return - let us see you as you are. In Christ’s name, amen.

Amen,

AB

7 July: Liturgy + Set List

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  • GRACE ALONE

    Good morning and welcome to worship with us on this Lord’s Day, and this family worship weekend. A special welcome to all of our elementary students who are joining us in the auditorium today! This part of our service is called the Call to Worship - not because worship begins when we start singing, or begins when we walk through the doors, but because every person on the planet is worshiping all the time. But because of sin, we worship - give our attention and our love - to things that are not really worthy of our attention and our love. And we have a call to worship to be reminded that it is only God that is worthy of our attention and our love. Let’s hear God call us to worship from his Word:

    Call to Worship: Psalm 61:1-5

    Did you hear that? Fear your name. There are so many things in the world that can cause us fear and make us worried. But God says, there is only one person we should fear - and that is Him. Not because He is scary or mean, but because He is so big, and he is in control of everything. And when we fear God - when we recognize that he is the only one worthy of our worship - we do not have to be afraid of anything or anyone else. Let’s sing together:

  • A MIGHTY FORTRESS

  • BUILD MY LIFE

    Sermon: 1 Peter 2:4-8

    Above my desk there is a quote from an author I love that says: ‘I am one in whom Christ dwells and delights. I live in the strong and unshakeable kingdom of God. The kingdom is not in trouble, and neither am I (James Bryan Smith).” If you are here this morning that is true of you as well - God, through His spirit dwells in you. And when Christ returns God’s presence will not just dwell uniquely in the midst of His people, but will dwell among His people in a real and obvious way. So let’s set out attention toward that day as we sing…

  • KING OF KINGS

  • COME THOU FOUNT

    Benediction

February 9: Tuesday Refocus

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‘’…and rend your hearts and not your garments.’  Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster.’  Joel 2:13

Ours is a culture valuing appearance over substance.  Virtue signaling and moral outrage overflow our social media feed with revelations of each new crisis.  We are well-versed in garment-rending.

And yet, it is not right external behavior that God desires, but hearts that are His (Matt 9:13, Hos 6:6).  Throughout the Gospels we see Jesus rail against the Scribes and Pharisees.  Their attention to the smallest detail - tithing spices - highlighted not their holiness, but how they had neglected what truly mattered: justice, mercy, faithfulness, and the love of God (Lk 11:42, Matt 23:23).  They were whitewashed tombs, beautiful to look at, full of death on the inside (Matt 23:27).  Can you blame them?  It will always be easier to craft the appearance of a heart belonging to God rather than to dying to self and living to Christ (Rom 6).  And yet, only hearts - not garments - that have been rent can be made whole.

It will always be easier to be whitewashed.  

It will always be easier to praise God with our mouths while our hearts are far from Him (Is 29:13, Matt 15:8).

But He invites us to return.  

Our divided, stone hearts can be made whole and alive by the One who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Eze 36:26, Ps 86:11).  Rending our hearts is the only right response to the One who did not rend His garments, but His body on our behalf (1 Cor 11:24).

Thank You, Lord, that you are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  May our hearts be holy, and wholly yours.  In Christ’s name, amen.

AB