Sunday Sabbath January 24 2016  CONNECT WITH PEOPLE

“We desire to be a church where it is easy to make friends and establish relationships that enrich our lives and nurture our faith.  It is in sharing the life we have in Christ with other people by serving them with our unique talents and abilities, and by receiving from them in return, that we find true joy.”

Week three of quoting a part of our Sunday morning bulletin.  Next Sunday is the last sermon in the series.  The first sermon was “Come as You Are”, last week’s message was “Connect with God, today’s topic was Connect with People, and next week’s will be “Contend for more of God’s Presence”.  All messages are or will be available at:  http://www.citychurchonline.org

There was so much in the message that I could not begin to discuss the points without leaving too many pertinent details out.  I will, however, write a poem about some of the key topics.

 

CONNECT WITH PEOPLE

By Kathleen Martens

January 24, 2016

 

God has placed His children

In the church body with a plan.

He has purpose for each talent,

For each woman, for and each man.

 

To create a healthy body

He designed a job for each soul,

So the Church has what’s needed,

Each purposed to make it whole.

 

And because we work together

There is a reason WHY we need each other.

Before offering God your praise

Go and forgive your brother.

 

Confess your sins to the body

So your spirit can be healed.

That you will have the strength to stand

Knowing it is God who is your shield.

 

So that when before God you come

And words of love employ,

The God of all the universe

Will then receive the purest joy.

 

WHY we need each other

Is if our spiritual fire wanes,

Our brothers can step in,

Lest our burning is doused by rain.

 

And encourage you to thirst

For a deep, spiritual connection. 

So your heart will remember

The deep longing of your affection.

 

WHEN we need each other

Are the times when we sin

Confess your sins to your brothers

And your fire they’ll help tend.

 

And WHEN you are afraid

Your fire can go out.

The brethren will walk with you,

Encouraging you not to doubt.

 

So whatever it is God calls you to do

You will not stop and fall asleep,

The body of believers surround you

So on the righteous road you’ll keep.

 

Because when you are lulled to sleep

Your spiritual life will fall,

Being too busy is one reason

You fail to give God a call.

 

And the longer you ignore God

The farther from Him you become,

So the Church body rallies around

Lest you forget God’s Son.

 

So even if your fire dies down

And your connection seems so remote,

Sometimes the word of a caring brother

Is all it takes to rekindle your smoke.

 

And your fire once again will burn,

For it is God who fans the flames.

When Jesus breathes into your life

You are able to refocus your aims.

 

Though we sometimes are overwhelmed

And our life seems to fall down,

When you are part of a healthy body

Your spiritual life once again is found.

 

What we must remember to do

Is function in the part God has designed,

So the body will be healthy and whole

As it daily is refined.

 

And know that God has great things

For each of his beloveds to do.

His plan for each one is perfect

And each day He gives us is new.

 

And know God desires for us to connect

To the worshipers who around us pray.

So at times we may be the one

Who helps another get through their day.

 

I had a lot of remembering to do to write the above poem.  I hope it makes some sense without you having heard the message.

Had a wonderful afternoon, CONNECTING with a family in our church body.  It was such a joy to have them as guests in our home.  The food was delicious (even if I do say so myself),  the conversation delightful, and their children were absolutely wonderful.  The best part however, was sharing from what God has given us through His Word.  David S. (guest) read scriptures from his journal which he has penned from THE MESSAGE BIBLE (I had never heard of that translation), his wife read beautiful entries from David S’s journal and I shared several poems from my blog.  The scriptures David S. read were written with such eloquence.  I loved the translation.  I could still tell what the scripture was, but it was spoken in a very simple elegance.  Easy to listen to.  Easy to read.  I’ll have to see if I can find that translation online and read some from it.  I didn’t want the afternoon to end, but it did.  I loved the sound of life in the house while they were here.  And when the sound of silence comes over the house, I love that sound also.  And so it is now.

Dave is downstairs in his den watching football.  The sound does not travel to where I am.  I hear no noise from traffic and the snow seems to muffle all other sounds.  Earlier, when I began writing I could hear the owls hooting across the woods to one another, but they too are silent now.  Perhaps they captured their dinner and have gone home to eat.

Well, I will capture some extra sleep if I turn in now.  Tomorrow is a very early day again.  I think the alarm will ring at 5:00 a.m.  I like waking up naturally so I will go and get my beauty sleep.  I keep hoping it will help (to make me beautiful, that is).  Just in case you want to know, it hasn’t worked yet!

Good night and may God’s blessings be with each of you tonight and for the entire week!

 

Part 7:

8 Keys to Finding God’s Will for Your Life

 7) Listen to your heart.

In addition to listening to the Spirit, I also recommend listening to your heart. To understand my point here, consider the following passage:

Psalms 37:4-5

4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. (NKJV)

I love this passage, because it shows me that, when I am walking with the Lord, He will actually let me do many really cool things that I actually love to do! When you are close to Him, He actually begins to shape your desires so that you desire the things that He has already called you to do.

So then, His plan actually becomes a super-exciting adventure. I always have the most fun in life when I am doing God’s will. And that is because He shapes my “wanter” to want to do the things for which He has actually created me.

 

http://www.biblestudytools.com/blogs/chris-russell/8-keys-to-knowing-god-s-will-for-your-life.html