In today’s fast-paced world, true worship is often overshadowed by trends that prioritize emotions, entertainment, and shallow participation, taking us away from authentic worship meant to deeply connect us with God. Worship is essential for spiritual survival, much like food is for physical survival. Without daily worship, our spirits become weak, disconnected from God, and unable to thrive. Making worship a daily practice helps us maintain a strong spiritual life, providing guidance, strength, and peace. It ensures our actions align with God’s will, helping us handle life’s challenges with grace. Through worship, we draw closer to God, experience His love, and gain the resilience needed to face difficulties. Just as a tree by a river thrives by drawing water, our spiritual lives thrive through regular worship. Let’s prioritize daily worship to experience God’s love and provision fully.
Neglecting worship can lead to spiritual dryness and a lack of purpose, just as neglecting to eat can cause physical illness and fatigue. Therefore, making worship a daily practice is crucial for maintaining a strong and vibrant spiritual life. Daily worship practices such as morning prayer, Bible reading, listening to worship music, reading devotionals, keeping a gratitude journal, memorizing Bible verses, evening prayer, and spending quiet time with God help us stay connected to Him. This daily dependence on God for spiritual nourishment is similar to how the Israelites relied on manna during their journey in the wilderness, teaching us to trust in God’s provision. Worship sustains our spiritual health, provides guidance, and strengthens our faith, helping us navigate life’s challenges with resilience and purpose. By prioritizing daily worship, we deepen our relationship with God, ensuring our efforts are purposeful and aligned with His will. True worship involves heartfelt engagement and reliance on God’s presence, guiding us and providing for us just as He did for the Israelites.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
John 8:28, “Then Jesus said to them, ‘When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.'”
Jesus teaches us the importance of living a life of dependence on God, just as He depended on His Father for everything.
This means not acting or speaking from ourselves, but relying on God in all things.
In Romans 14:7-8, Paul writes, “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.”
This passage emphasizes that our lives belong to the Lord.
Living this way simplifies our lives and helps us enjoy Christ continuously.
We stop living independently and start living in constant fellowship with Him, handling everything with His guidance.
Jesus exemplified this dependent life, saying, “I do nothing of myself” (John 8:28).
His life was fully reliant on the Father, and He invites us to live in the same way.
This grace-filled dependency on God transforms us, enabling us to live in unity with Him.
It involves a shift from self-reliance to relying on the Lord in all aspects of our lives.
Paul describes our previous state in Ephesians 2:3: “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.”
Before knowing Christ, we were driven by our own thoughts and desires.
Even after being regenerated, we may still struggle with self-reliance.
However, God has imparted His dependent life into us, calling us to deepen our reliance on Him daily.
In practical terms, this means actively seeking to live by the Spirit.
We need to familiarize ourselves with our spirit, using it to connect with God and make decisions.
Instead of being controlled by our thoughts and feelings, we learn to live out of our regenerated spirit, where Christ’s dependent life dwells.
This daily walk with God brings us into a deeper dependence on Him, just as Jesus lived.
By embracing this dependent life, we grow in our relationship with God, aligning our actions and thoughts with His will.
Let us strive to trust and rely on God in all things, ensuring that our lives reflect His presence and guidance, just as Jesus did.
Until Tomorrow
With A Shepherd’s Love,
Pastor Jackson
WEDNESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Joe Shelnutt
Kathryn Raines
Tom Graham (Sandra’s Husband)
John McClain’s Mother
Amy Garner’s Mom & Dad
Coly/Connor – Allison’s G’sons
Dan Haines
Darlene Wiggins
David Burnette
Denise Hulsey – Jordan’s G’mother
Donnie Butler’s Dad
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Ed Mays
Eric Magnusson’s Mother
Eric Ward
Faith Burnette
Freddie May’s Mom
George & Linda Alexander
James Burnette
Joanie/Jeanie Mom
Jodi Bateman
June Cronan’s Sister
Kailey Bateman
Kim McClain’s Mother
Krista Hilscher
Larry Barker
Lillanna Magnusson’s Mom
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Linda Hodges’ Sister
Lonzo Christin
Lori Blount’s Mother
Marynell Ford
Maureen Brown
Michael Stanley
Nora Allison
Pastor Driskell
Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA
Scott Lanier
Tom Witcher