Scott's Thoughts 2/22/24

Scott's Thoughts - February 21, 2024

Wednesday night has really grown!

It is truly exciting to hear and see so many families and kids participating in our Wednesday night activities! The building is alive with all the BEST sorts of sounds on Wednesday nights.

I had the privilege this week of being at the North American Mission Board's Replant Conference this week, helping other churches think about finding new life through the Gospel. After spending three days consulting with churches from all over the nation, I can tell you for a fact that there are literally thousands of churches that long for the types of noise we have in the building. Over the next few weeks, I'd love to share with you all a few stories I heard from brothers and sisters around the country, and invite you to pray with me for God to do a mighty work through His Word in these churches!

A few needed changes

All growth comes with the need for structural change, and since we have grown on Wednesday nights, we need to implement a few new details to how our midweek time together functions!

First, we really want families together during our teaching times! Kids learn to pray, and learn about prayer, by being with and listening to their parents. Therefore, we are asking all kids under 6th grade to stick with their parents during that time.

Second, when we break into smaller groups to pray together, kids under 6th grade will need to stay with their parents. Again, this keeps families together, so that they can pray together!

Third, youth will have the opportunity to head upstars for time together at around 730 when we get done with teaching time! A quick reminder that the upstairs youth space is reserved for 6th grade and up! Let's make sure that that space, and all the fun items in that space, are reserved for them!

Fourth, it will be helpful for kids to stay with parents, and to stay inside, for the duration of the church prayer service. This also pertains to children heading outside - let's keep all our kids indoors, until we are ready to go out with them!

Thanks for your flexibility, folks! May God continue to grant growth!

Last week's text: Exodus 3:1-4:17

Sometimes, I can be the king of excuses, even when God gives an opportunity that I know I should take. Like Moses, these excuses can range from fear of man to simple disobedience, and every step in between, but they are excuses nonetheless. I can get comfortable with the current situation in my life, I can sometimes so fill my life with the things of this world that there is little room to do other things that God may be putting in front of me. I am prone to be way too focused on this world, and the wood, hay and stubble that it offers, and miss the gold, silver and precious stones of serving God's great Kingdom. 

And I bet I'm not alone in this. Passages like last week's can sometimes shake us awake to what God has put in front of us. The reality is this: God does not need us. He didn't need Moses. He did, however, Choose Moses. The same is true for us. Our own church's health is, first and foremost, dependent upon the work of the Holy Spirit. God in His sovereignty reigns over His church, and it lives by His rule. Globally, God's kingdom will advance; it is guaranteed. In both situations, however, both locally and globally, our own unwillingness to pour ourselves out, to be stretched and challenged and sometimes engage in things that are incredibly uncomfortable, does have an effect. It hurts us, as we clutch the pearls of our comfort ever more tightly (I find this to be more and more the case as I get more comfortable and more resistant to change). And it hurts the body, which is intended for all parts to function, and to function together with joy!

So, we end where we ended the sermon: in what area is God calling you to be uncomfortable and obey? May we strive to see clearly what God opportunities God has put in front of us, and may we serve with a relentless, fearless faith.

This week's text: Exodus 4:18-31

A much shorter passage this week, but not an easy one! If you read this carefully, you will have lots of questions. I did too! Here are a few of those questions I have worked through this week that helped me prepare:

1. Why would God tell Moses that the plan won't seem to work at first? Why would God orchestrate it this way?

2. Why did God almost kill Moses?

3. What did Israel do in response to God's plan? How is that instructive for us?

Songs this week:

Holy is the Lord

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

O The Deep, Deep Love - a new song for us! Follow this link to hear the song and read the lyrics! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqTMJxSA7EM

O Great God

See you Sunday!