Worship 9-21-10

Tonight we began a sermon series on the Lord's Prayer. Our focus tonight was on "Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name." We talked about God as Father and we addressed the issue that some folks haven't had very good father figures in their life. We talked about how we can hallow God's name and make it more holy.
Do you spend time in your prayer life hallowing God's name or is it mostly just asking God for things and telling God your problems? I think this is one of the biggest shortfalls in our prayer lives. So often we just want to unload our problems on God without offering him thanks and praise and honoring his name. Try and spend more time in your prayer life hallowing God's name!
What are some tangible ways you can hallow God's name?

Worship 9-7-10

Tonight we studied John 11, the raising of Lazarus from the dead. John spends the first 5 verses of chapter 11 telling us how close Jesus was with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.I’m really taken aback by verse 6 because of how willing Jesus was to disappoint those who were so dear to him. Did you notice that when you read this passage?

John tells us how much Jesus loves these 3 and yet when he finds out that Lazarus was sick he stays where he was for 2 more days. Jesus could have simply spoken the word and Lazarus would have been healed. Jesus didn’t even need to go to Bethany, he could have healed Lazarus from right where he was and yet the scriptures tell us for the next 2 days he did nothing. What I want you to see in this passage is that Jesus chose to disappoint his very closest friends in order to carry out the plan and the purpose that God had in store for him. I think it’s important for us to see in this passage that sometimes God is going to disappoint our hopes and desires. There will be times, I’m sure there already have been times in your life, in which God does not do the things that we ask him to do.

When was a time that God disappointed you in order for God to carry out his purpose for your life?

Worship 8/31/10

Last night in worship we talked about becoming spiritually mature. James tells us, "Let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature & complete, lacking in nothing." What does spiritual maturity look like to you?

I believe when we are on the path to spiritual maturity that everything else in our life will be stronger. That doesn't mean we won't hit bumps or have struggles, but if we are seeking to be mature in Christ our relationships will be stronger, our attitudes will be better, we will be less prone to giving in to temptation, our language will be better, the way we treat others will be more edifying. The list could go on forever!

What changes will you begin to make in your life to get on the pathway of spiritual maturity?

Worship 8/24/10

Tonight's sermon has to do with, "What does God want to do with you while you're here at OU?" One of the things I proposed is that God isn't desiring for us to be more religious, he's desiring a more authentic and real relationship with each one of us. What are some ways in which you struggle to have an authentic relationship with God? What are some disciplines or habits that help you have a more authentic relationship with God?

My answer to both of those are kind of the same. Sometimes i feel like my quiet times are dry and i don't get anything out of them. When this happens it's hard for me to feel like i'm really connected to God. Somtimes my response is to just give up this discipline, but inevitably what happens when i do this is i grow even further from God and have less of a relationship. I have found in my own life that even when I'm not experiencing that "spiritual high," i still need to be going to the source for nourishment and life. When i stay consistent in these disciplines i eventually find God in new and lifegiving ways. It's at these times that i feel most connected with God. I hope you will continue worshiping, meeting with other believers, reading your  Bibles, praying, fasting, etc. even when you sometimes feel like God isn't there.

School is about to start!

The start of a new school year is not too distant of a memory for me. I vividly remember beginning my very first year as a freshman at OU. I was terrified and didn't know anybody. I was also excited about the possibilities that lie ahead of me and obviously excited about the freedom of being away from parents and starting a new life for myself. I remember starting school my sophomore year and being ecstatic to get out of my parents' home and back to Norman. Same goes for starting my junior year! I also remember feeling spiritually dry and hungry because i had slacked off in my relationship with God over the summer. I hadn't spent as much time in the Word and praying and worshipping. I was excited to get back involved at the Wesley, worshipping with my peers, teaching and being involved in Bible studies, etc.

What are you most excited about? What are you worried about? How is God calling you to be a more committed follower of Jesus this new school year?