Worship Confessional for 8/10/2008

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D - Majestic (Lincoln Brewster)
E - He is Good (*Original // Unplugged Version)
G - Miracle (*Original)
D - All I Need is You (Hillsong United)

[Links go to iTunes]

Worship Confessional for 8/27/2008

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G - Hosanna (Paul Baloche)
G - My Future Decided (Hillsong United // “I Heart Revolution” version)
C - Glorified (*Original)
C - I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

(Links are for the iTunes Store)

Seth Godin: Complicit

“Consumers are also complicit when they fail to support the organizations that they agree with.”
Seth Godin.

Ouch. I believed that for a long time with regards to our moral choices. Take, for example, entertainment. As believers, we all stand for marital faithfulness, sex within the borders of marriage, and lifelong commitments to our spouses. Then we’d get together with all our buddies to watch “Friends”, a TV show that stood for the exact opposite of all those principles! To explain our behavior we’d say, “It’s OK for me to watch because I’m mature enough to understand it’s wrong.” That’s how I always explained away my entertainment choices. One day, I examined the logic of that statement and immediately realized how absolutely ridiculous that line of reasoning was!

We are far too often a willing part of the societal problems we complain about. We are complicit. I’m still not as consistent as I want to be with my entertainment choices but a lot has changed since I realized that by simply viewing a movie or TV show, I am condoning it and putting my stamp of approval on it.

And if I start looking at what I’m putting my “stamp of approval” on, things get icky really, really, fast.

I gotta keep it real - are there things you’re slapping your “stamp of approval on” that really don’t believe in or agree with?

Corporate Prayer, Fasting & Worship

Our staff has been doing for fasting and praying as a group than ever before… and it’s been amazing! We’ve all seen breakthroughs in areas of need, received specific encouragement, and received strength from the Lord. I’m more convicted than ever before that fasting needs to be a very regular part of my life. I HIGHLY encourage you to listen to Pastor Dan’s message, which is basically “Fasting 101″ and will absolutely blow apart (in a good way) your paradigm of faith, healing and fasting!

Check it out, here (right-click to download).

What I’m MOST excited about is the upcoming church-wide fast we’re going to be starting next week. We’re going to fast and pray, as a church, for 3 Mondays in a row and then do a 3-day fast (Monday-Wednesday) at the end. Even better, we’re going to conclude the fast with a night of prayer and worship on the final Wednesday! Times of contemplation and prayer are going to be seamlessly weaved into the worship time and we’ll end the fast by taking Communion together at the end of the night. I’m positively giddy about how powerful that night is going to be! I’ve got to believe that when God’s people gather to fast, worship, and seek Him for direction - HE WILL SHOW UP!

Fasting is about seeking the wisdom of God before the wisdom of man. It’s about seeking the Lord on HIS terms. It’s getting serious about seeing God take your faith to the next level. I can’t wait!

When was the last time you fasted? If you’re local, you’ve GOT to be a part of this - you’ll never be the same!

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness… And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry… And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.
Luke 4:1-3 & 14

Jesus said to them, “…the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
Matthew 9:15

Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. [But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.]“
Matthew 17:19-21

Charlie Peacock on Artists in the Church

“True artists purpose to love the church despite indifference or opposition to their work. Though indifference is their enemy they separate it from the brother or sister who is seduced by it. They are eager to find their place in the Body and do not consider themselves exempt from fellowship and church stewardship responsibilities. They love the church and do all they can to build it up, for how can you love Christ and hate His church?”

Charlie Peacock in “The Heart of the Artist“ by Rory Noland.