Remembering Psalms? Giving thanks!

Remembering the efforts put in by the very Psalms committee led by Rebecca?

Remembering the tiring hours of making pineapple tarts?

Remembering the tiring hours of desigining posters and brochures?

Remembering the long hours of planning put in by the team?

Remembering the little performers?

Remembering the ushers?

Remembering the one who's taking this photo? Camera women?

Remembering the audiences? The supportive parents?

Remembering the cards and deco team?

Remembering the publicising team?
The logistics? The one who ran to get food?
The admins and loads of paper work?
The make-up artist?
The one who took care of the younger ones?

Remembering the one who's birthday falls on Psalms?

Remembering the ones who actually made all these happen?

Remember God who made this happen?

GIVE THANKS!

What Faithfulness In Him measures to.

Measuring Spiritual Formation

by: Pastor Pete Wilson
www.withoutwax.tv

We’ve found a lot of different ways to measure spiritual formation over the years.

• church attendance
• clean language
• dressing the part
• paying for indulgences
• memorizing Scripture
• serving in the church

There is obviously nothing inherently wrong with any of these things in and of themselves. A matter of fact some of them may be foundational for spiritual formation, but not the way in which we should measure it. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of believing one can somehow measure their spiritual maturity by checking off how many of the “do’s” have been performed and how many of the “don’ts” have been avoided. However, real spiritual formation isn’t evaluated by how well we perform a list of tasks on a check-off list. Jesus said…

John 13:35 35 “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Matthew 22: 36″Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

In other words Jesus said, spiritual maturity is measured in the context of relationships. Are you interested in how you’re doing at having Christ formed in your life? Then take at look at how you’re loving God and loving people.

Published on Wednesday, September 2, 2009 @ 4:39 PM CST

Fishing Lessons

Fishing Lessons
by Greg Laurie

I once took a fishing trip to Alaska with three guys from our church who are about as different as three guys can be.

Lonnie has great hair, which he was always messing with, even when we were getting ready to go fishing at 4:30 A.M. Then there is Dwight, who doesn't say a lot. He's very unassuming. Then there is Dennis, who is Mr. Outgoing, Mr. Activity. He never stops.

We were fishing on the Kenai River near Soldotna, where the king salmon run. Dennis was the eternal optimist. He would say, "You know what, guys? I just know we are going to catch a fish right now. This is the spot! I just feel it."

Not only did we not catch fish in those spots, but I don't think Dennis even got a single bite. The next morning at about 7:00, our moment came. Our diligence was rewarded. Dwight got a bite. He reeled that baby in-a 45-pound king salmon. It was really something. The rest of us went home empty-handed.

After doing all that fishing, I started thinking about what Jesus said to two fishermen: "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19 NKJV). There certainly are a lot of parallels between fishing for fish and fishing for men.

The expression, "fishing for men," is an important one for us to understand. Another way to translate it would be, "catching men alive" (women, too, of course). We find this unique phrase only two times in the Bible, first in Matthew 4:19 and then in 2 Timothy 2:26, where it describes those who have been ensnared by Satan. Thus, Scripture provides a striking contrast: either we will catch men and women alive or the devil will.

With that in mind, I want to point out a few qualities that make for a good fisherman that also apply to fishers of men.

A good fisherman needs to be patient. When we were fishing in Alaska, I was told that it could take up to 100 hours to catch one king salmon. You cast out your line. You reel it in. You cast it out. You reel it in. It takes time and lots of it. On some days, you will catch ten fish. On other days, you won't get a single bite.

Sharing our faith can be that way too. Sometimes people respond, while at other times, people don't respond at all. So when we go fishing for men and women, we need to learn to wait and to persevere.

A good fisherman must have good instincts. Some people can just tell that a certain spot is the place to catch fish. They just have that fisherman's instinct. The same is true of sharing our faith. We must be sensitive to the timing and leading of the Holy Spirit.

Opportunities often arise at the spur of the moment. You may have other things you want to do. But a good fisherman will always have his pole and tackle box ready to go. We, too, should always be ready, always looking for an opportunity to be used by the Lord.

A good fisherman must have skill. A good fisherman knows his tools. He knows what to use at the appropriate time. He uses certain kinds of bait for certain kinds of fish. He knows how to cast out his line.

In the same way, fishers of men have the Word of God and the leading of the Spirit for their tools. They learn how to use these tools more effectively with experience. They learn by taking chances and trying again and again.

Good fishermen must know how to work together. When that fish is hooked, you need your buddy standing by with a net.

Have you ever noticed that when Jesus sent His disciples out, He sent them out in twos? That is an effective way to share your faith. As one person shares, the other person can pray. We need to work together and pray for each other.

God wants to use you to be a fisher of men and women. If you will make the effort, if you will load up your tackle box and your pole and go out looking for opportunities, God will use you to not only work alongside other fishers of men, but also to have the privilege of leading someone to Christ.

That is one of the greatest joys you ever will experience-far greater than catching a king salmon.

Champions- Focus

Seriously…can you believe the Olympic rampage that is Michael Phelps? The 23 year old swimming sensation from Maryland rocked Beijing and inspired a discouraged nation.

Oh - and did you know he eats 12,000 calories a day?

To put his accomplishments in perspective, check out these facts:

• Michael Phelps - If Michael Phelps were a country (Phelpsland - maybe?), he'd be tied for third overall in gold medals won.
• In the total medal count, Phelps would be tied for 12th overall with the Netherlands.
• India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt, Mexico and Bangladesh (combined population = 2.1 billion) have earned a total of four Olympic medals in Beijing. Phelps (population = 1) has EIGHT.
• Michael Phelps has a perfect build for swimming success, but so do thousands of others.

The thing that I believe separates him from all other competitors is the most critical piece of success: Focus.

You know who else had focus? An Olympian from the past who you probably never heard of - but you should know about her story:

Picture a small girl hobbling across the yard with leg braces attached to her crooked leg, her left foot twisted inward. Neighborhood kids laughed and pointed.

This girl was Wilma Rudolph

Michael Phelps - If Michael Phelps were a country (Phelpsland - maybe?), he'd be tied for third overall in gold medals won.

Wilma was born prematurely, weighing only 4½ pounds at birth. She was sick most of her childhood, suffering from double pneumonia, scarlet fever, and polio. After losing the use of her left leg at six, she was fitted with metal leg braces.

But Wilma wasn’t one to let her disability hold her back.

Wilma was one of 22 children from her father’s two marriages. She got her brothers and sisters to serve as lookouts while she removed her braces, forcing herself to learn to walk without them.

Wilma’s disability affected her family. Her brothers and sisters took turns massaging her crippled leg every day. For years Wilma underwent weekly therapy, requiring her mother to drive 90 miles roundtrip to a Nashville hospital. She was determined not to allow her disability to get in the way of her vision.

By the time Wilma reached her 11th birthday, 5 years of work - she had shed those braces and was playing basketball with her brothers in the yard.

A few years later, Wilma made the high school basketball team, and before long- Wilma became an all-state player, setting a Tennessee state record of 49 points in one game.

When basketball season ended, she decided to try out for the track team. That decision turned out to be one of the most significant of Wilma’s life. It started when Wilma beat her girlfriend in a race. Then she beat every girl in her high school. Soon, she beat every girl in the state of Tennessee.

Wilma was only 14 years old, but she’d come a long way since her leg braces.

Two years later she was invited to try out for the Olympics. At 16, Wilma qualified and ran in the 1956 games in Melbourne, Australia. She won a bronze medal - her team placed third in the 400-meter relay.

The victory was bittersweet. Yes, she’d made the Olympics and won a medal, but in her own eyes Wilma had only won the bronze. She wanted the gold. The prize wasn’t the Olympics - the prize was the gold medal - so she decided to try again in four years. Wilma knew that if she wanted to win the gold, she’d have to dedicate an enormous amount of time, commitment, and discipline. Wilma started daily training runs at 6 a.m., 10 a.m., and 3 p.m. She’d often sneak down the dormitory fire escape from 8 to 10 p.m. to get in some running on the track before bed. For more than three years - a total of more than 1,200 days - Wilma maintained this punishing schedule.

Finally 1960 Olympics in Rome arrived, and Wilma became the first American woman to win three gold medals in one Olympics. She won the 100-meter and 200-meter races and anchored the U.S. team to victory in the 4x100 - meter relay, breaking records along the way.

Michael Phelps and Wilma Rudolph had one thing in common…focus. You see, I tell you this story not only because it’s amazing - but also because it reminds me of us.

Why? Well, we all have disabilities - ‘braces’ - not on our legs, but on our hearts and lives. They hold us back from experiencing life the way it’s supposed to be experienced.

You know what I mean - right? Habits – addictions - struggling home life - fear of failure – disappointments - shattered dreams - pressure and pride - anything that makes us feel trapped or limited.

But like Michael Phelps and Wilma Rudolph, we want to succeed. We want the best out of life.

Success for her was to take her focus off her braces and limitations, and keep her eyes fixed on the gold medal at the Olympics. Bronze wasn’t good enough - it had to be gold.

Success for us is taking our eyes off ourselves, our problems, and our world and focusing - not on a gold medal or any other thing - but on a person.

That person is Jesus Christ. Focusing on a career or a title or a salary or a school are not bad things - unless they are your only thing. That’s when they become a bronze medal. But the gold is Christ because when you focus on Him and put His honor in first place, everything else falls into place.

Here’s the way the Bible puts it:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

What’s your focus? Do you want to succeed in a way that lasts for eternity? Yes? Then take a cue from Michael and Wilma - and set your eyes on the relationship that is pure gold - Jesus Christ.

Head: When we fix our eyes on Jesus and focus our priorities on His honor, we will succeed in this life and in the life to come.

Heart: A story like Wilma Rudolph’s or Michael Phelps is incredibly inspiring. When you think of their sacrifice and dedication, think of what Jesus Christ did to purchase your salvation and to offer you the best life possible.

Hands: To focus your life is to start each day asking Jesus to help you keep Him in first place and care more about His will than your own. Are you willing to do that each day?

By Lane Palmer

Taken from a entry from lisasrestingplace blog


Prophesy over your life!

February 9, 2008 by lisasrestingplace

In the beginning God SAID, Let there be light, and there WAS light. Everything that God SAID, was created from absolutely nothing. With the exception of man. He took from the earth that had been created by the word of His mouth, and fashioned and formed His most spectacular and favored of all creatures. He then breathed His very breath of life into Adam and he became a living soul. In order to create Eve, he put Adam to sleep, took a rib, and sculpted a breathtaking masterpiece. Adam needed to asleep awhile, so Father God could spend some quality time with His precious new daughter. He then presented them to one another to walk side by side. After everything was finished that God had fashioned, He took a step back, observed His creation, and “saw that it was good”.

What does this have to do with prophesying over your life? When the Holy Spirit of God lives inside of you, you have His very breath in your lungs. The bible tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue. We all know how words have edified, encouraged, and cheered us on in our journey, as well as words that have discouraged, crushed, and defeated us.

When you step back and observe your life, your family, your health, your….whatever….can you “see that it is good?” Words are powerful. The tongue is compared to a small rudder on a huge ship in the book of James. That is encouraging if you are given to “see the glass 1/2 full”. What needs to be turned around in your life?? The Lord says, “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it”. In Psalm 32:7 we read “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.” When you open your mouth and let Him fill it, the songs that deliver you from trouble will be from your own mouth!

Murmuring, complaining and negativity are the weeds that you plant in your own garden with seed from your heart and lips. Begin to speak life over your circumstances; over your health, over your finances; over your family, over our nation! Stop looking at what you can see, and begin to see as God sees. All things are possible for those who believe. The things you believe will be made manifest by the words that you speak. Prophesy LIFE over your life, and the lives of the ones you have influence over! Be a life giver with the fruit of your lips.

May God bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you and give you peace!!

The Lust for Worship- By Caleb R Humme

Dostoyevsky wrote:
“So long as man remains free he strives for nothing so incessantly and painfully as to find someone or something to worship.”

Is this a true statement? I think it has to be. People have a craving…a longing…a lust to have something they can look to for meaning. We search for something greater than ourselves to give us purpose

People have a craving…a longing…a lust to have something they can look to for meaning. We search for something greater than ourselves to give us purpose. We are wired to find this meaning through authentic worship of God, yet too often we try to fulfill this craving with something other than true worship for God.

I would argue that this is because God has hardwired us to search for Him. Yet too often our wires get crossed and we look for someone or something else to fill that lust.

I think that today we see this most clearly in the way that people ravenously consume endless information about celebrities. They buy magazine after magazine and faithfully watch a multitude of entertainment programs on TV. (Don’t even get me started on reality TV!)

The same example could be made of sports as well. We sacrifice time with our family to play a quick eighteen holes or to catch the game of the day. We can turn on dozens of channels to find twenty-four hour coverage of Ocho-Cinco’s latest touchdown celebration or Kobe’s weekly tantrum. We call ourselves “die-hard” fans and get emotionally disturbed after our favorite team loses.

Fine tuning our physical appearance is another way we fill this lust for worship. Hours are spent at the gym, and an inordinate amount of money is spent on the right clothes or the right procedures to help us look the right way, all in an effort to provide ourselves with meaning.

This list can go on and on. I haven't even mentioned relationships, money, material possessions, drugs, alcohol, food, work…

Perhaps the most destructive way we try to satisfy this striving is by inundating ourselves with religion. I’m talking about the institutionalized religion that gets in the way of a real and honest relationship with God. This is destructive because we think that we’re doing the right thing by filling our time with church activities, but in all of those activities we seldom demonstrate true worship. We end up fooling ourselves and others into thinking we are “really spiritual” because it’s “God’s work”.

As youth workers we have a major impact on how our students fill their “incessantly and painfully” desire “to find someone or something to worship.” Perhaps the greatest influence comes from the way we model worship for them. By demonstrating the utter fruitlessness of filling out lust for worship with anything other than authentic worship of God, we teach our students more about what worship truly is than any number of messages we give. Now is a good time to reflect on the picture of worship you are presenting to the students in your ministry. Are you demonstrating authentic worship of God or worship of pop culture?

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote at the end of a long quote about worship: “…what we are worshipping we are becoming.” What are you becoming? Are you becoming the best golfer in your town, or the community fashion expert? Not that you can’t enjoy these things, but if you are becoming anything less than Christ-like, perhaps you are filling your lust for worship with the wrong things. Worship is not about the songs we sing, it's about the life we lead. If you aren't leading a life that is striving to worship God, then perhaps it's time to re-evaluate.

The Worship God Seeks

Many of us have different styles of worship. There are those who raise their hands, wave their hands, dance in the isles, clap, beat their chests, fold their hands to pray, sit in silence, etc.... There are others who make a spectacle out of worship and there are those who are so reverent, they won't let any excitement seep out of the sides of their mouths

How many of us would take our trash cans and empty them on the church altar on Sunday? None of us, right!! I mean if we were asked that question, we would laugh and maybe even get insulted that someone would even suggest the thought. Then why do we take our spiritual trashcans and our hollow words and empty those on God's alter every Sunday and Wednesday?

In our lives, many of us worship through volunteering our time for free while others give generously and anonymously through many organizations. Some of us worship by doing random acts of kindness to others while others of us let our actions and examples lead the way in our worship. However you choose to worship God, there are 2 things that must happen, either through music on a Sunday/Wednesday Service or through the actions we perform in our daily lives. Let's look at what these are;

John 4:23-24 says this, "yet a time is coming and has now come when the TRUE worshipers will worship the Father in SPIRIT and TRUTH, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit and His worshipers must worship in SPIRIT and in TRUTH."

OK, so what does all of this mean? Let’s break it down. In "Spirit", how do you worship this way? This means, when we sing and lift our hands or if we are directed to do something in our daily lives, like give money to the Tsunami relief fund, we do so with one goal in mind, TO PLEASE GOD!!! It is not something we go around "screaming" to other people about. It is not for a show. It is not for others to look at us and be proud of what we did. If we do get that attention for what we have done, then that attention should have happened upon us by accident. In Spirit, means nothing else other than pleasing God. Not what is going on around us like doodling notes back and forth on a church bulletin, watching Grandma Moses fall in and out of sleep in the row next to you, not being distracted by what happened to you or to some friends over the weekend? It is a single-minded reaction to who God is in your life. You get swept away by God's mercy and love in your life and are taken to a higher plain in expression. If our minds are on anything else, like how bad the music is or wondering if anyone is watching us, we have missed the first of these because we can't be worshiping in spirit and have our minds in the natural at the same time. It is impossible. God wants all of our attention, not just half of it.

“In Truth,” what does that mean to worship in truth? It means that you believe in Christ. Well DUH!!!! Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way the TRUTH and the Life." John uses the word truth to describe Jesus 25 times in this book, as to be making a huge point. Too many of us go about worship for ourselves, our needs, our desire to sing songs we know, etc. We miss the boat that we are worshiping the truth of Jesus in our lives. Did you know that by the way we worship, proves what we believe God to be in our lives. It doesn't matter what you say with your lips about Jesus. If your actions don't back up your words, it is obvious you don't believe it or worse, even care!!!! When we enter into worship, we are proclaiming the joy of Jesus in our lives. His saving grace, his unconditional love, his support and strength in our lives, his justice and mighty correction, His raising from the dead to take our sins on, etc.....

Can you honestly say that these things are on your mind when you enter the time of worship? Are you worshiping God from spirit or from a physical nature? Are you focused on the truth of Jesus or on where you are going to eat afterwards? Are you single minded in your intentions to sing to God a sweet and pleasing song or are you just making sure you sound good in your harmonies?

It states right here that God seeks worshipers who worship from spirit and truth. So, anything less than that is phony and fake! OUCH!!!! He desires us to move into a realm where worship is not about us and all about Him!!!!!!! If this is what God seeks and worship is the act of "pleasing God", how many times have we "pleased God" over the last month? How many of us have really offered up to God the pleasing aroma He desires from our lips and hearts? How many of us have offered up garbage and empty words?

How many of us would take our trash cans and empty them on the church altar on Sunday? None of us, right!! I mean if we were asked that question, we would laugh and maybe even get insulted that someone would even suggest the thought. Then why do we take our spiritual trashcans and our hollow words and empty those on God's alter every Sunday and Wednesday?

It's time to offer up what God seeks and not what we decide to give!!! If you lack that connection with God, it may be because of the trash that we offer up in worship. Take an inventory of what you bring to God during worship. Is it saturated in truth and directed by the spirit or is it a bunch of garbage?

Good Friday Outing

Hey guys, These are the combined videos taken Good Friday=) Courtesy of Becky and all camera-men/women! Enjoy it!