Preparing For Sunday Oct. 21

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

This is the apostle Paul's call for prayer. The church had apparently stopped praying that the lost might come to a saving knowledge of the sacrificial death of Christ! He also urges them to pray for leadership, both that they may be saved, and that as a result they would be able to live godly lives under that leadership.

This Sunday we will have a special segment in our service devoted to prayer for our leadership, and we will pray for 1) our national leadership, 2) our state leadership, and 3) our local leadership. It is our prayer that this will model what we should be doing in our own personal prayer lives, as it is a command of Scripture. Set aside some time in the next few days to pray specifically for those that don't know the Lord, either people you know, or the lost in general, and also for those that the Lord has placed in leadership over us.

We'll also be able to meet the pastor of the church "next door" (in the gym): Real Life Church. Pastor Rusty George will stop by Crossroads' service so that we can be introduced to him, and to pray for their ministry that takes place a few short feet away. Pastor Todd will also have the opportunity to pop into Real Life's service for the same purpose.

Here's how our morning will look. We'll sing a few songs to call our hearts and minds together to corporate worship: "Stir In Me" and "Your Grace Is Enough," and then we'll have a short time of greeting. We'll come back and sing "To God Be The Glory" together, which is an arrangement by worship leader Tommy Walker. Take a listen to the sample, because though it's a familiar hymn, he does a few really neat changes with the rhythm of the verses and chorus. Then I'll read the Scripture passages I posted above, that will call our hearts to corporate prayer. The song "May The Mind Of Christ My Savior" is a well known prayer-hymn that echoes the call of the apostle to live peaceful, quiet, godly, and dignified lives in every way.

Pastor Rusty will hopefully be over by this time and we can introduce him, and incorporate that into our prayer time for leadership. Wayne Dell, Ken Ruggles, and Darrin Utley will then lead in corporate prayer for national, state, and local leadership, and then we will respond with a prayer in the form of a song that we might live in a way that is honoring to God as we live ultimately under His leadership. The song is called "May The Words Of My Mouth (Psalm 19)."

Then Pastor Todd will bring us his message from 1 Timothy 2. Each week I've been reading from the beginning of 1 Timothy through the specific text Todd is preaching on, this way I keep myself familiar with what we've already studied, and prepare for his teaching on the next section. I find that it has been really helpful to remind myself of where we've been, and how it all contributes to where we are going in the book, and to stay mindful of the context in which the apostle is writing to Timothy. If you don't have another way that you prepare for the teaching each week, you might give that a try.

We'll respond to the truth of God's Word by returning to the chorus of "May The Words" and then closing with the song "Humble King" which reminds us that even Christ, God incarnate, did not come into the world to dominate the culture, or to put Himself on a cultural pedestal, but He came humbly, to do the will of the Father, and ultimately, to die a death He did not deserve in order that God's wrath for sin might fall on Him and not on us!!

I hope this helps you to prepare your hearts to gather together and respond to all that God has revealed Himself to be through His Word. The corporate worship experience is one that I hope we all look forward to, and take seriously, as we come before his presence as one body, and offer up songs of praise, prayers, offerings, and our desire to know Him more through His Word!

See you all on Sunday!