Thanksgiving is upon us!
2008 is rounding the corner to the home stretch, and for many of us I'm sure that it feels like we've been sprinting the whole way with no breaks.
Jess and I have certainly been running full speed throughout this year, but despite the exhausting pace, we are incredibly THANKFUL for everything that the Lord has brought into our path. Jess is finishing up her Master's degree in English online from National University, which is based in San Diego, AND which her school pays for! Three more months; keep her in your prayers!
I'm up to nearly full time at Crossroads, which is such a testament to God's faithfulness both to Crossroads, and to my family. I've continued tutoring after school to round out the last few hours, and the more I've done it, the more I've seen it as a valuable ministry. The danger of a career in the church is that it's easy for me to spend all of my time around Christians! Now I love spending time with all of you, but we're supposed to be sharing God's love IN THE WORLD, with the lost who need it the most! Needless to say, I'm very thankful for my church family, and the blessing it is to me both in providing me a job, and for the encouragement that you guys provide on an ongoing basis!
This is what's going on this Sunday, as we anticipate the Thanksgiving holiday.
We're going to open with "Your Grace Is Enough" which recounts different ways that God shows us his grace in scripture:
Great is your faithfulness o God! (Lam. 3:22-24)
You wrestle with the sinner's restless heart (Ps. 55)
You lead me by still waters into mercy (Ps. 23)
Great is your love and justice God! (Ps. 89:14)
You use the weak to lead the strong (1 Cor. 1:26-28)
You lead us in the song of heaven's victory (1 Cor. 15:50-56)
Pastor Todd will come and lead in prayer for the morning, and welcome any visitors that will be with us, giving us a few minutes to do the same.
We'll continue singing as we give thanks for the gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and his work on the cross: "That's Why We Praise Him." Then we'll sing a 400 year old hymn that reminds us of God's sovereignty and providence in our lives: "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty"
...he is thy health and salvation
...shelters thee under his wing, yes so gently sustaineth
...all thy longings have been granted in what he ordaineth
...[he] doth prosper thy work and defend thee
...his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee...
Then we'll share a time of public thanksgiving together, where we will encourage each other by sharing what we are thankful for in our lives. I'd encourage you to think of something you are thankful for, and share it with us so that we might give thanks with you, and glorify God with you. Remember, we need to be thankful not only for God's material provision and blessings, but also for the trials he allows in our lives that cause us to turn to him, and depend on him!
After this, we'll sing the new song I posted earlier this week called "Offering" as we respond to the time of thanksgiving. Take a look at the song, and get familiar with the words so that we can all sing it together easily! Also, watch the video where the songwriter, Paul Baloche, explains how the song came about; it's really inspiring and encouraging, as well as convicting.
Pastor Todd will then come and preach to us from Luke 17, where Jesus heals the lepers. Read the passage to prepare, and ask the Lord to open your eyes and heart as Todd teaches us, that it might change the way we live and give thanks.
We'll respond with the song "Overwhelmed" that takes a long, hard look at the truth of the gospel: that God Almighty bids us come to him, despite our wretched sinfulness, through the once-and-for all sacrifice of his son on the cross! It should be a great way to let the truth of the message sink into our hearts through the power of song.
That's what's going on; happy preparation!
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