Man, this past Sunday was so encouraging. My man John-O preached from 1 John 1:1-4 and man I had goose bumps. It is funny how you never outgrow the Gospel. He gave a very experiential message on John’s intimacy with the Lord Jesus and how because of that, his message was not one of manipulated stories but a life that he experienced for 3 years. I don’t think I have heard the Gospel presented this well in quite some time and the Holy Spirit was all in the message. No one could walk away confused about the reason of our gathering. It was Christ Centered and powerful.
What happened to be even more moving was the testimony time. We spent about an hour or so giving testomines. Person after person proclaimed the love of God and what He has being doing in their lives. Mostly through our college ministry Plumbline. People cried, people rejoiced about jobs, people talked about the sovereingty of God leading them to Denton and how it was the best thing to happen to them, young women talked about going partying earlier that week but the Holy Spirit convicting them and them not fitting in and that they were to never go back, others talked about friends that died, parents that had cancer, friends struggling from mental sickness, an 8 year old thanked the church for coming to his football game and that they played hard because of God’s strength. My man E-Young rejoiced about a Labor day outreach and praised those who had made sacrfices to contibute everything from food to music. He talked about how they invited a brother in who was a professing alchoholic and how they presented the Gospel to him with love and grace. This went on, woman, man, child and tears flowed down my face as I was overjoyed what with God was doing and what God is doing in the lives of so many. I ask that you pray for our small fellowship, that we won’t lose this.
How great is God?
Glory to God bro…sounds like it was great edification…i’m encouraged to hear…
Jude 2-3,
Q
It was brother. This is the stuff that makes you love the church more and more. Nobody can tell us that Jesus doesn’t exist because we see the living epistles that He is writing everday and the most glorious thing is that as an author He has shared with us the end of the story so no matter how rough the story gets in the end we win and all the glory goes to the Godhead
Praise the Lord…what a blessing!
I truly miss that type of experience and am hopeful that I will one day experience something similar again.
Hey Hutch,
What is funny is that we have a traditional worship team, a traditional pulpit and a traditional program; however, the Holy Spirit took full control brother. Each person testified one by one, and all people appluaded and afterward our Senior Pastor asked if anyone wanted to pray some more afterward and took some women with him (including my lovely wife) and they prayed for some people even more. It was so encouraging brother. That is how it can be done, but when it gets to big we usually say that must stop, thus my concern with big churches and program driven churches.
I’m not anti-building and if God is going to conform us into the image of His Son, then He will do it in spite of our structural errors.
I just miss good intimate Christian Fellowship and edification.
Again, you guys are blessed.
I would appreciate any feedback on this new reformed website: http://www.gracegate.org
much appreciated
…and had you not had an open, face to face sharing time, would you have heard these witnesses of God’s love, comfort and guidance?
How much like a family was your time together! Can institutions, highly organized and programmed achieve what you experienced?
Ded,
1. No
2. Much like a loving family at dinner time
3. Nope too programmed, got to get the next service going, the verses up on the screen, the worship team back on stage, people got to leave, its too trasparent! With upward towards a 1000 people in some “churches” no way people can share, that isn’t for Sunday right?
You are such a right-on pastor. God be praised!!
DED,
I am not a pastor. I barely want to be in leadership in any capacity. LOL!!!!
Lionel,
Unfortunately for you that is the quality God is most looking for…LOL
hmmm…how did I get the idea you were a pastor? Not sure where that came from. I thought I had seen you mention something like that in a comment on another blog, which is how I came to find your blog.
DED,
If I did I lied and I repent. Can’t say that I didn’t but I don’t EVER remember saying something like that.
Lionel-
Maybe you are already in leadership the way God’s Word defines it, not as the institutional church has corrupted it.
I bet someone is being shepherded by you as you go about your day to day life/ministry as one of them there exemplary elders?
No degree, name badge, or fancy ceremony required!
Brother Woods,
You certainly hit a key point about being tooooo programmed to (a) respond to the leading of God’s Spirit and (b) respond to the leadings/needs of God’s people.
It was a big stink (with some folks) when we removed an “order of worship” from the materials handed out in our congregational gathering. However, now we are free to pray as long as we are led, to receive testimonies, and to interact as a body as the Spirit leads.
HaHa, the choir used to be upset if they practiced three songs and only sang two. Finally, people are used to the “flow” of our corporate gatherings.
Did you notice I said “congregational gathering” instead of “church?” (Give me my pc points!)
What’s up Q? Greetings from the flagship seminary of the SBC.
Sounds like a GREAT time was had by all – an hour or so of testimony???? Not a 20 min “sermon” from the “pastor”? Hey, you bet I will be praying for the Body that you are a part off, you are His visible expression within your community .