Worship

Scripture

I grew up “Christian” the same way many southerners do. We prayed before meals at family gatherings and we went to Church at Easter. My mother had a few trinkets scattered around our house with Bible verses on them, but the name of God was rarely spoken out of the context of stubbing a toe. My “faith” was shallow and in my teens I exited the pool so to speak. I was unexcited by this cultural form of Christianity and honestly wanted nothing to do with the hypocritical rule-based judgmental world in which many people I knew lived in.

Then, I met Tod. Tod was the father of one of my high school girlfriends and he was unlike any other father of a girl I was dating that I had met before. When I first met him there wasn’t a shotgun laid across his lap, he didn’t threaten my life when I walked out the door to take his daughter to the movies, and stranger than any other thing, he would ask if I wanted to grab coffee. Without my girlfriend. Just me…and him. Now, at first I obviously thought this odd, but the more we spent time together the more I realized I was spending more time with him than his daughter. We would chat about music, beliefs, and in a way that no one had ever talked to me about before, we would talk about Jesus. 

We didn’t spend much time talking about whether sprinkling counted as baptism or if the earth is millions or thousands of years old. No. We talked about Jesus. We talked about mercy. About forgiveness. About acceptance. We talked this way for about a year when I asked him to lead me in “the sinner’s prayer.” I was led to God by a man who did not judge me for my past or my current beliefs. He didn’t care what my skin color was or if I worshiped with my eyes closed. He cared that I knew that Jesus loved me. 

Sometimes as Christians, we like to see ourselves as the good Samaritan bringing the injured man to the inn. Sometimes, we are the bandits who laid him by the side of the road. There are too many of us in the Church treating people like Samaritans. Like outsiders. And they will always feel that way until we choose to invite them in.

Prayer

HONOR GOD

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Consider it a privilege that we get to be ambassadors for the Lord. The way that we carry ourselves and communicate should be a reflection of who God is. Thank him for bestowing that honor on you 

ASK GOD

Ephesians 6:18-20

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Ask God with perseverance. Knowing that when you knock on the door he listens. 

SUBMIT TO GOD

Romans 12:2 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The process of our minds being renewed is one of submission to God. Often we believe we know what is best for us, but let God’s word and His Spirit lead you to a place of transformation. 

CLOSING PRAYER

God, as I surrender to You fully. I don’t want anything to hold me back from the fruit You have available to me. Today I offer each and every area of my life to You, even the ones I’ve held onto in the past. Your ways are higher than mine and I can trust You with everything.  In Jesus Name, Amen.