In today’s service, we delved deep into the essence of worship, understanding it not as a mere suggestion but as a vital necessity in our spiritual journey. Just as daily medications are essential for our physical health, so too are worship, prayer, Bible reading, and fellowship crucial for our spiritual well-being. Worship is not optional; it is critical for our connection with God and our overall spiritual nourishment. Neglecting worship can lead to spiritual malnutrition, impacting every facet of our being. Therefore, we must engage wholeheartedly in worship, allowing God to be in control and experiencing His transformative power in our lives. Worship is not passive; it is a profound connection with God that refreshes us spiritually, physically, and emotionally, akin to hooking a hose to a faucet for life-giving water to flow freely. Let’s not forsake true worship but embrace it as a joyful privilege and a vital part of our Christian walk, enriching our lives and deepening our intimate connection with our Creator.
The message revolves around the profound significance of forgiveness in our spiritual journey. Starting with Jesus’ teachings on forgiveness in Matthew 6:14-15, the text emphasizes the pivotal role forgiveness plays in our relationship with God and others. It delves into the consequences of unforgiveness, likening it to a barren desert that hinders spiritual growth and God’s blessings. The message then shifts to the toxic nature of unforgiveness, drawing parallels to a poisonous substance that corrupts our souls and relationships. Through biblical references and reflections, it highlights God’s model of forgiveness characterized by grace, kindness, and reconciliation. Practical steps to forgiveness are outlined, emphasizing acknowledgment of hurts, letting go of bitterness, prayer, seeking reconciliation, and imitating God’s forgiveness. The conclusion underscores forgiveness as a commandment, a pathway to freedom, and a means to experience the fullness of life in Christ, urging us to embrace forgiveness wholeheartedly for spiritual restoration and abundant blessings.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
Matthew 10:38, “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”
The cross should become very personal.
It must become in our experience a personalized cross.
What do I mean by a personalized cross?
The above verse indicates that if a man is going to follow the Lord, he has to deny himself and take up his cross–his cross–and follow the Lord.
It is always his cross.
Brothers and sisters, the Lord Jesus had His cross.
He had the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the religious people 2,000 years ago.
He had His Judas.
He had His environment that was against Him, that was ordered before the foundation of the world (Acts 2:23).
The Lord had his own personal set of circumstances, His own trials, which were sent by God.
He accepted everything, without exception.
Watch Him when He was under the fiery testings, under the environments.
And now the Lord tells us to follow Him.
Each person has to take up his cross.
It must become personalized.
We must see our environment in the same way the Lord saw His environment.
For God’s plan to be worked out in us requires death and resurrection.
We have to have our cross and know it in a personal way.
In Mark 8:34 the Lord said, “Let him deny himself, and take up his cross.”
This means the Lord has allowed certain situations.
He has allowed certain troubles and insults.
He has allowed a certain kind of husband, wife, or children.
Each of these is a certain kind of environment.
And for each, we have to take up the cross in a personal way.
Let a man take up his personalized cross.
To take up our cross means to embrace what God allows in our lives.
It means to embrace our environment as the outward cross the Lord has sent to us.
The cross must become that personal.
But have we really personalized it?
For example, when you complain about your husband, when you have an issue with your wife, when you are hoping that the other person will change–he or she is too hard on you and it is too difficult–when you have a blaming attitude, wanting to change the situation, it indicates that you are a person who has not embraced your cross.
The Lord says to such a person, “Let him take up his cross, and follow Me.”
Until Tomorrow
With A Shepherd’s Love,
Pastor Jackson
MONDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Pam Adams Is Passing Of Her Husband
Junior Stephens – Funeral TODAY 11:00 at Church
Tom Graham (Sandra’s Husband)
John McClain’s Mother
Amy Garner
Amy Garner’s Mom & Dad
Andrew Halevi & Daughter
Ashely Burn’s Sisters
Coly/Connor – Allison’s G’sons
Dan Haines
Darlene Wiggins
David Burnette
David Harrison – Riverside
Deanna Fowler
Denise Hulsey – Jordan’s G’mother
Donnie Butler’s Dad
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Drew
Easton Fielder
Ed Mays
Eric Magnusson’s Mother
Eric Ward
Faith Burnette
Freddie May’s Mom
George & Linda Alexander
James Burnette
James Garner’s Friend
Joanie/Jeanie Mom
Jodi Bateman
John Austin
June Cronan’s Sister
Junior Stephens
Kailey Bateman
Kim McClain’s Mother
Krista Hilscher
Larry Barker
Lee Cronan
Lillanna Magnusson’s Mom
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Linda Hodges’ Sister
Lonzo Christin
Lori Blount’s Mother
Mary Sims
Marynell Ford
Maureen Brown
Michael Stanley
Miles Bradshaw
Nora Allison
Pastor & Mrs. Driskell
Ricky Gipson
Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA
Roseleigh Osborn
Sandra Graham
Scott Lanier
Soso Nzolo – 17 Yr. Old South African Pastor’s Daughter
Susan & Alexis Tesone
Susan Mosley
Tom Witcher