How Do You Know What God Wants?
How Do You Know What God Wants?
“Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God-what is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12: 1-2).”
Ever say to someone, “I’ll see you tomorrow!,” and they say back to you, “God willing and the creek don’t rise.” I don’t live next to a creek, and Florida can handle lots of water so a flood is not too common an occurrence. I suppose it is that person’s way of saying, “If God gives me another day to live!”
I once heard someone tell me that God must have wanted them to buy the house they were moving into because the deal went so smoothly. In that situation, the house was far larger and more expensive than was necessary. I wasn’t sure then that God was in the real estate business, and after they were foreclosed on, I was pretty sure God didn’t give them that particular house.
God gets blamed and credited for all kinds of things that could just as easily be explained by human decisions. “It must have been God’s will,” is an overused phrase. But we who follow Jesus desperately want to know what God’s will is for us. We love God and want to follow where He leads, so what is God’s particular will for us?
Join us this week at our 8:30 Traditional worship experience or 10:45 Contemporary worship experience as we discuss A Disciple’s Path: Knowing And Doing God’s Will.
So how is it with your soul? An important part of growing in life with Jesus is sharing and praying together. I’d love to pray with you.
You can message me here: clashbrook@lakesidefellowship.org.
Peace,
Pastor Cameron Lashbrook
What’s So Great About The Old Hymns?
“Let everything that breathes praise the Lord (Psalm 150: 6)!”
It is no accident that this Psalm is the final song of the book of Psalms. The purpose of the Psalms is to teach God’s people to sing and pray and worship God in the Temple, the Church, and in daily life with whatever instruments they have!
This Sunday marks the start of our new Traditional Worship Experience at Lakeside at 8:30 in the morning! I’m so excited! One of things I am excited about is getting to sing the old hymns I grew up with. Whether you like contemporary worship songs or traditional hymns or both, whether you are young or old, rich or poor, black or white or yellow or brown, the Psalmist shouts at everything with breath to “praise the Lord!”
So what’s so great about the old hymns?
1. Many of them used to be bar tunes sung with friends, neighbors, and family in the local pubs of England. Charles Wesley, in an effort to encourage more people to sing praise to God, wrote poems of faith in Christ to go with familiar tunes.
2. They communicate a rich understanding of Christian life. Pay attention to the words of these songs and you will find words that encourage, challenge, and inspire us to live with and for Jesus Christ today!
3. They are familiar. Many Christians, like me, have sung these since they were children. So the words and the tunes hold a deep connection to our personal stories of faith.
4. They are easy to learn. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard them! The tunes repeat each stanza. So, if you don’t get the tune right at first, by the second or third stanza, you will catch onto the tune and can join right in!
So come one, come all! Let’s “Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness (Psalm 150: 1-2)!”
New Service Times
Getting Ready For Worship
Exodus 19: 10-11
“10 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. 11 And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.”
Exodus reminds us of the importance of preparing for worship. Consecration is the act of preparing something or someone for special use or a special event, like standing in the presence of God, for example! As we start the new sermon series “A Disciple’s Path,” I want to encourage you to think about how you prepare to come to worship. Think about all you do to get yourself and your family ready. I encourage you think about your waking, your breakfast, your ironing and getting dressed, your drive, as prayerful parts of preparing to meet God in worship. Pray during these preparations. Tell God that you are looking forward to being in His presence. Ask him to prepare your heart as your coffee awakens your mind! Then see how this changes your connection to God in worship!
Lakeside is making preparations to add an 8:30 Traditional Worship Service. Nursery workers, ushers, greeters, musicians, communion servers, tech workers, and worship leaders are all preparing for worship to begin October 11th at 8:30. I hope many of you are praying and inviting people you know to worship at either 8:30 or 10:45 on October 11th also. We want to invite as many people into the loving presence of God as we can!
Pastor Cameron
