Our beautiful Southern California summer draws on still as we head to September. Riding my bike to work has been a great way to save money on gas, get in shape, and enjoy the hot breeze on my face! As much as we complain, we must love the weather here, otherwise we could move anywhere else in the country and live for a lot cheaper!
It speaks volumes about how much we care for something in our culture by how much we pay for it; in this case the cost of living in Southern California. We are willing to spend more on things that are more important to us.
I'd wager that food would be on this list of priorities for us. When we're hungry, we're willing to sacrifice money/time/resources/etc. so we can have food to eat. When your throat's dry, the amount of money you'd pay for an ice cold bottle of water probably increases.
Jesus calls us to evaluate what we value when he says "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness..." He wants us to place a high value on that which is right in his eyes, and be willing to "pay more" for it.
This is where we're headed this Sunday in the next Beatitude in Matthew 5. We're going to think about how much we hunger and thirst for righteousness in our lives.
We'll start the service with a song that reminds us of the power and might of our God, and the certainty that he will reign forever, and that he alone has the power to save us from sin: "Let God Arise."
Pastor Todd will lead us in prayer together and we'll also pray for our new Crossroads Ministry Interns: Nathan Trothing, and Kyle Ruggles, as they begin their ministry training under the Crossroads leadership staff. We'll also hear from Angela Bennet, CEO of the SCV Pregnancy Center, about their upcoming "Walk For Life."
The next few songs will help us focus on the idea of hungering and thirsting for righteousness: "Take My Life (Holiness)" declares that what we want in our lives, and that we completely surrender to the Lord that he may mold and shape us so that we have holiness, faithfulness, and righteousness. "Jesus Paid It All" reminds us that though we seek righteousness in our own lives, in the end, it's the righteousness of Christ, imparted to us, that counts before the throne of God; and we rejoice as the chorus says: "oh praise the one who paid my debt, and raised this life up from the dead!"
Pastor Todd will then come and teach us from the Sermon on the mount; Matthew 5:6, where Jesus promises that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. Come and find out what that means in your life.
We'll respond together by singing "I Give You My Heart" as we commit to pursuing righteousness with our lives, and we'll close our service with "Give Us Clean Hands" as a prayer that we might be seekers of God's face as we go about our week.
Happy Preparation!
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