Preparing For Worship: March 29th, 2009

We are upon the second part of our three-part series called "God's Search and Rescue Mission" this week as we countdown the weeks to the day we celebrate (officially) Christ's resurrection from the dead.

Pastor Todd is teaching out of Luke 15:8-10, so take a minute to familiarize yourself with the passage before you come.

In the same way we ended the service last week, we'll be singing songs that remind us of the new life we've been given in Christ so that we might have passion to share that life with those who are dead in their sins.

We'll start with our version of "How Great Thou Art" as a call to worship and help us focus on the one we've gathered to worship. Pastor Todd will come and pray and welcome new visitors, etc. and then we'll sing "Once Again" which reminds us of what that Great God did for us in sacrificing his Son. Then we'll sing Tommy Walker's "I Have a Hope," which has been one that our church has really embraced, and claimed the truth it contains, and which fits perfectly with God's rescue mission to find lost sinners and give them hope!

We'll watch another short video that has to do with "rescuing" and that should lead us into a time studying Scripture through Pastor Todd's teaching.

We'll respond in song as we recall the song that played during the video last week: "God of this City" so go ahead and check out the video in case you aren't that familiar with the tune.

We'll finish with "Take My Life and Let It Be" as a corporate surrender of our wills to be used by God to accomplish His PERFECT will.

Thanks guys, that's what's happening, so happy preparation!

- - For What It's Worth - - On the video of Tommy singing "I Have a Hope" it's truly a TBN audience, trying to get into the soulful beat of the song by clapping on every beat. Just a little music lesson: CLAPPING OCCURS ON THE WEAK BEAT of the measure, on the 2, and 4, of the four beats. When in doubt, watch when a drummer plays the snare drum, which is the one right between his knees. Clapping on the 1, and 3 beats is a very rythmically rigid-feeling peculiarity that is unique to "white" people, and has contributed to the idea that "white people got no soul." :)

Preparing For Worship: March 22nd, 2009

This Sunday we launch into a three week series called "God's Search and Rescue Mission" as we approach Easter.  We'll be camped out in the gospel of Luke, chapter 15, so now would be a great time to CLICK HERE and read the passage so you can be familiar with the territory and gain greater insight from Pastor Todd's teaching.

Musically speaking, we'll start the service with "Holy Is The Lord," standing and lifting our hands to the Lord in submission and joy!

Pastor Todd will come and welcome everyone, pray for the morning, and bid us greet our fellow worshipers in warmth and unity.

As we continue singing, we'll refresh ourselves with reminders of the character of God in "Lord Jehovah" and remember our ultimate victory in Christ with "Stronger."

Then we have a special video presentation that will set the tone for Pastor Todd's message, and for the series as a whole.  It's set to a song by the group "Bluetree" but that was made popular by our friend Chris Tomlin: "God of This City" and I think it will give us a great perspective from which to begin our study in Luke.

Pastor Todd will come and preach part one of the series, and we'll respond in song and remind ourselves that there is "No Other Name" under heaven by which men can be saved, and the responsibility and urgency that we bear in being ambassadors for Christ in our city.

We'll close our time by remembering the joy of our salvation as motivation to be a light to the lost: "Marvelous Light."  We once were fatherless, strangers with no hope, but the kindness of God reached out to us through those who shared the gospel with us.  May we be that same light to the lost in our city.  

I'm excited for this series, and I hope it will help us see the Santa Clarita Valley in a different light, and that the Holy Spirit will empower us to action!

That's what's going on, see you Sunday!

Moving, Lack of Posting, Etc.

Friday I didn't have a chance to post a "Preparing For Worship" but it seemed like you guys still were able to prepare to come worship together; which was great! Sunday morning went really well, and you guys were so energetic and I think the Lord was pleased.

Our baptisms were wonderful encouragements and reminders of how we are dead to our sin, and raised up with Christ!

Grant Horner taught a spectacular message on "The Suppression of Truth and the Origin of Culture" in which we learned that fallen humans have suppressed the truth of God, but have not been able to rid ourselves completely of it; that it comes back to us in different forms because of our longing to fill the gaping void that is left when we push it away.  It's definitely an intellectually stimulating idea, and a motivating factor for us to be familiar and well educated in our culture in order to point all of the "partial-truths" we find in culture back to the ultimate truth that is God.

I'd encourage you to check it out HERE (either for the first time, or to take another pass at it!).

On Friday, I had some really cool ministry opportunities that kept me running around all day, and I wanted to encourage you with some of them.  

Friday morning, I had the opportunity to play the drums for Legacy Christian Academy's chapel services that they have twice a month.  For those who don't know, Legacy has been a highly ranked private school since their beginning in 1995.  This past year, they transitioned from "Legacy Private Academy" to "Legacy Christian Academy" and have started to institute some new things as they head in this direction.  Chapel is one of those things, and they have chapel services two Fridays a month, in which they lead worship songs, and have local pastors and other speakers come and speak to the kids.  I've been playing the drums with their chapel group since the beginning of '09, and it's been a great way to get out and serve in the community.

I had lunch with some of their staff members, and their speaker for the day: AJ Tigner, who is a Master's College graduate, and who now teaches in Thousand Oaks.

I ran back to the office to start filling our Baptistry, and edit a few charts for our worship team rehearsal later in the day.

Then I ran home and picked up my dog, Maggie, and we headed out to Sun Valley not to visit my wife (although we did stop in and say hi to her too), but to visit Holly Stark's 3rd grade class for their "Camp Read-A-Lot" day.  I read them one of my favorite books from my childhood: "The Puppy Who Wanted A Boy" and Maggie helped provide a visual aid as she wandered from child to child and cuddled with them as they sat on the floor on blankets.  I also had my guitar, and so we sang "Father Abraham" and "A-la-la-la" together, and generally had a great time.

I got back to church to finish a few preperatory things for worship team rehearesal, and then rehearsed a little with our new flautist (flute player), before the rest of the team arrived.  We rehearsed from 5:00pm to about 6:45pm and I headed home.

Today (Tuesday) I moved all of my office gear from Crossroads to the suite next door (The "E" Suite), and set up in one of their offices that we are now renting in order to convert my former office into the new nursery for our rapidly expanding childrens ministry.  So if you come by the church, I'm not in the same front office any more, I'm right next door.

So that's what's been keeping me busy the past few days, just wanted to keep you posted.  Have a great week!

Preparing For Worship: March 8th, 2009

A couple weeks ago, we showed a video of Phil and Rose Jo's son, Daniel, reciting The Lord's Prayer, and I wanted to let you know that Phil has uploaded this and other videos of Daniel's shenanigans on www.tangle.com (formerly GodTube).  But in case you missed it, here's Daniel reciting The Lord's prayer

This week we forge into the area of anxiety, and how Christ has told us to overcome it.  Read over Matthew 6:25-34 as we prepare to cast all of our care on him, knowing he cares for us.

We'll start our service with "Immortal, Invisible God, Only Wise" and "Let God Arise" which remind us that we serve a huge, and all powerful God who holds all of creation in the palm of his hand, and that when he arises, his enemies run scared!

Pastor Todd will come up and dedicate our morning to God's glory through prayer, and then we'll have a few minutes to say hello to each other (and hopefully to any new visitors).

We'll keep on singing songs that focus on God's sovereignty and his perfect plan for his children: "We Trust Your Will" and "I Fix My Eyes."

Then Pastor Todd will teach us Jesus' Anxiety Cure, and his promise to take care of our needs.

We'll have a special video at the end that reminds us to keep our focus on God, and that one day there will be no more things to worry about EVER!

We'll respond in song, and sing that "I Have a Hope," a future, and a destiny that is yet awaiting us in heaven!

That's what's going on, so happy preparation!