Brothers and sisters,
I hope you were as encouraged as I was last week to be honest with God about our feelings as we pray.
Sermon Recap
Last Sunday we looked at Psalm 13 by way of introduction to a new sermon-series, “Habakkuk: Tough Questions for Troubled Times”. David began the psalm with raw and pointed questions directed towards God: “How long?” “Will you forget me forever?” “Will you hide your face forever?” We felt the anguish of David’s soul, which he boldly poured out before the Lord in honest lament. David then progressed from lament to petition, asking God to “consider him” and to “light up my eyes”. Then, before we can discern any change in David’s dire circumstances, we find him praising God with restored confidence: “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.”
Through prayer, David’s gaze shifted from his pressing circumstances to the glory of God’s character and merciful deeds. We too can proceed in prayer from the darkness of life’s hardships, whatever they may be, to the light of God’s life-giving promises. As we pray this week, let’s honestly express to God the feelings we are tempted to mask, and as we petition Him, let’s consider His character and His promises. We will find ourselves moved to confidence as we behold His goodness and remember that He works all for the good of his children. Consider getting together with another member simply to pray together.
New Connection Classes
This Sunday (Feb. 26th) we will begin two new connection classes:
1.) Men are invited to join Randy Hagler at 9:30 am in the Northwest wing of the auditorium to consider the call to holiness. We will be looking at J.C. Ryle’s, Thoughts for Young Men (but not only for young men!), and discussing how we might grow in Christ-likeness together.
2.) Women are invited to join Katina Skinner and Amy Diehl at 9:30 am in the Southeast wing of the auditorium. The class is entitled, “The Fear of Man”, and will explore how our misunderstandings of God and His character can lead us to overvalue or dread the opinions of people. Come and discuss how a healthy “fear of God” can transform all of our relationships.
Brothers and sisters, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Num. 6:24-26).
A (Continued) Call to Prayer
As you pray in your GC’s and mentoring relationships this week, remember to pray for the three requests the Transition Team gave us last month: a culture of disciple-making, healthy church and churches, and pastoral proximity. If you missed the important background behind these requests, go here. As we move deeper into 2017, let’s remember to pray for and personally consider what we can do to help the church progress in these three areas.
Your brother in Christ,
Phil Hoshiwara
