The new Sign will be up Saturday! I can’t wait!!
The Joash Offering is over $13,000! Hallelujah! You may give to this Mission’s Offering anything during the year. The chest will remain in the foyer through March! Thank you for your obedience!
Daily Beats from your Pastor’s Heart:
Another one of my favorite hymns is MY JESUS, I LOVE THEE.
Begin your day by singing to the Lord.
- My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now. - I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now. - I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now. - In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
God gave His only begotten Son, and Jesus died an excruciating death, all for love.
The central reason for this whole thing between God and man is love!
He didn’t die to enlist your strength in His army; He already has all the power He needs to vanquish every foe.
He didn’t die for you because He was lonely and looking for companionship, for He is surrounded in glory by multiplied millions of creatures.
He didn’t die for you because He was bored and had nothing better to do.
He died for one all-encompassing reason, that He might manifest the graciousness of His glorious love to us, and in turn reap the extravagant affections of a lovesick bride.
He did it all for love.
Love is the primary essential of the secret place.
So, you’ll often find yourself spending most of your quiet time in the simple exchange of affection.
You’ll find a thousand and more ways to say, “I love You,” and He’ll amaze you with the creativity and energy with which He’ll reciprocate His passions for you.
Start your day with just loving Him.
Your requests can wait; your Bible studying can wait; your intercessions can wait.
Before anything else, give your love to your Lord.
Let Him know that love is the great motivator of your heart.
“I’m here, Father, because I love You. You are the center of my universe! I hallow and reverence Your name. I enjoy being with You.”
The Lord has put His requirements within easy reach of every one of us, regardless of social class, age, personality, giftings, etc.
All He asks for is love.
Even the mentally handicapped are usually capable of loving.
Love is the great equalizer in the kingdom, putting us all on the same playing field.
No one has an advantage over another in giving and receiving love.
Don’t come to Jesus and try to be intellectually stimulating to Him.
There’s nothing you could say that would cause Him to respond, “Wow, that’s a neat insight!”
You may as well abort all attempts to be cerebral with Jesus; He simply doesn’t try to engage us at that level.
Just come and love Him.
He’s looking for heartfelt sincerity, for instinctive passion, for authentic relationship.
No matter how unemotional you think you might be, you can love.
And He loves you!
He enjoys all of us equally when we just love Him.
The secret place is where we seek to become a better lover of God.
We practice the language of love; we surrender to the Spirit of love; we search for ways to give even more of our hearts to Him in love.
This has nothing to do with your personality.
No matter how emotional or non-emotional your temperament, you can love.
And you can get better at it.
“Lord, give me a childlike simplicity that delights in your simplest blessings.”
The times I enjoy my kids most are when they are enjoying my company or expressing their affection to me.
When they do so, it’s never with fancy words or careful dignity.
They might even be clumsy or unsure of how to express themselves.
It might be the simplest expression, or maybe just a kiss without any words whatsoever, but it melts my heart.
Lord, grant me the freedom to be childlike in Your presence.
As you express your love to the Lord, you may find yourself instinctively wanting to sing to Him.
That’s what the secret place is all about!
It’s the place where you can express yourself to your Friend without inhibition, knowing that He doesn’t get distracted with your pitch or vibrato or rhythmic meter; He looks straight at your heart and receives your song as the finest solo.
There’s an intrinsic bond between music and love.
Listen to radio, and you’ll discover that 95% of the world’s songs have to do with love.
Music and love go together.
That’s why music and singing are such a natural part of our secret life with God.
Let the Spirit carry you away on the winds of worship, open the inner chambers of your soul, and sing in the Spirit to your Beloved (Ephesians 5:19).
Learn to soar in the song of the Lord!
As Christ dwells in our hearts through faith, we are rooted and grounded in love (Ephesians 3:17).
As you give yourself to loving your Lord, you are putting down roots into the love of God.
It’s the confidence of His love for you that will carry you through the storms of life.
Satan wants to blow you over with the winds of adversity, but you have become established and rooted in love as you have pursued a living relationship with Christ through faith.
Nothing can unsettle you because you are now established in love.
Even though the love of many will grow cold (Matt. 24:12), it will not come near you, for you are rooted in a love that will never let you go.
Oh, dear friend, are you established in the Father’s love?
As His word is open before you, and as you give your heart to Him, let Him begin to lavish upon you the infinite riches of His eternal love.
He loves you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)!
He has literally killed Himself to be one with you.
His love is so breathtaking and intoxicating that when you are filled with this love, the Scriptures testify that you are being filled with all the fullness of God Himself (Ephesians 3:16-19).
What a glorious adventure, to explore the magnificent recesses of the boundless love of Christ!
One of the most powerful assurances that I carry in my heart is Psa. 91:14, “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him.”
I have chosen to set my love upon Him every day, regardless of circumstances, because I know that He is working even the difficult circumstances together for good.
As I come to the secret place and daily set my affections upon Him, I am established in the confidence that He will deliver me.
Love is the most powerful force in the universe.
When you simply release your love to your Lord, you are stepping into the dimension where God works on behalf of His loved ones.
I hope you’re latching onto this awesome secret.
Just love Him!
Open the alabaster jar of your heart and pour yourself upon His feet in loving adoration.
You’ll unlock the passions of heaven and be lifted into new dimensions of blessed communion with your Lover and Friend.
Close your time with the Lord in the secret place by singing this old hymn.
The last verse was found written on the wall of an insane asylum.
- The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.
Refrain:
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
- When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song. - Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Until Tomorrow,
With A Shepherd’s Love
Pastor
TODAY’S ? LIST:
Brian’s Niece – back in hospital-?
Amy Garner’s Mother – better – ?
Andria Carter -Ashley’s Sister – ?
Barbara Shed’s Family – ?
Bill Lawhead – ?
Bill Moody -?
Brandy Dean – Ashley’s Sister – ?
Charlie Sessom -Waiting – ?
Cheri/Barry Hill -?
Colby/Connor – Allison’s G’sons-?
Debra Roberts – Please Please ?
Denise Stubbs – Kim Allison’s Mom ?
Don Slate – Angela Bryan’s Dad – hospice?
Doug Fritzel – ?
Hanna Hall ?
James Parsons – Mae’s Brother ?
Joyceann – James Garner’s Daughter ?
Kimberly- Dustin’s Sister- ?
Larry Barker ?
Lavona Davis -?
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah ?
Lisa Land’s Family – ?
Lynn -Nancy Brown’s Daughter – ?
Mary Sims – ?
Michael Stanley – ?
Nancy Brown’s G’Daughter – ?
Nora Allison – Dustin’s Mom
Pastor Stucke- Nikki’s Dad?
Paula Ferus’ Missionary friend ?
Ricky Stubbs – ?
Roseleigh Osborn – ?
Sarah Parker – ?
Scott Lanier – Lisa’s cousin -?
Sharon Blalock- ?
Shaelyn – Jill’s friend?
Shannon Golden – ?
Sheila Simmons Cousin – ?
Susan Bryan – Mike’s Mom – ?
Susie Grant & Family – ?
Su Rocker – Shingles – ?
Terrell Loyd – ?
Tim McCollum – ?
Todd Bailey – ?
Todd Roberts -?
Tom Witcher -?
Tommy/Gayle Harris- ?
Tracie Ballard -?
Wanda Galanti – ?
Zane Gilbert -?