Here is the sermon from this week’s gathering of Rolling Fields Church. The sermon is entitled “Membership Responsibilities” and is from the series through 1 Thessalonians, “More and More: God’s Will for the Church”.
Monthly Archives: June 2013
Today’s sermon
Here is today’s sermon from the gathering of Rolling Fields Church. The sermon is entitled “Encouragement While We Wait” from the series through 1 Thessalonians named “More and More: God’s Will for the Church”.
For your worship
Here are today’s songs from the gathering of Rolling Fields Church. Enjoy them as you worship God this week.
From the Word
And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
– Colossians 3:15-17
Child of God, be thankful. Three times in these three verses the apostle Paul charges the church of God to be thankful. It’s obvious Paul is trying to tell us something here. And I think that something is to be thankful in all things. As one who has been raised from the dead to walk in new life my disposition is to be one of thankfulness. As one who was once far off but now brought near by the blood of Christ, my attitude is to be one of thankfulness. As one who has been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, my general response is marked by thankfulness. As one whose life has been hidden with Christ in God, my outlook is directed by thankfulness. As one who along with Christ has been given all things, my heart is full of thankfulness. As one who has been given the gift of the body of Christ to walk alongside me, encourage me, exhort me, bear with me, rebuke me, restore me, teach me, and love me, my heart is is to overflow with thankfulness. As one who has been brought into right relationship with the Father through the works of the Son and sealed in me by the Holy Spirit, my demeanor is bent towards thankfulness. As one whose inheritance is God himself, in all things I can give thanks.
I confess, though, I love complaining. I love acting as if my life is one disappointment after another. I love pretending like I need so many things that I don’t already have. I love putting on my “woe is me” face and inviting people to my pity party. And I know I love it because too often it’s what I do. And I love it because it’s easier. It’s easy to complain. It’s easy to whine. It’s easy to say “this is hard God doesn’t care”. It’s easier to say “take this cup from me” and stay there than it is to say “take this cup from me” and land on “not my will but yours be done”. Let’s be honest it is a fight to be thankful. It is a fight in the midst of debilitating depression to say thanks. It is a fight in the midst of overwhelming grief to say thanks. It is a fight in the midst of blinding pain to say thanks. It is a fight in the midst of gut-wrenching loneliness to say thanks. It is a fight in the midst of knee-buckling weakness to say thanks. It is a fight in the midst of blinding self-righteousness to say thanks. It is a fight in the midst of perpetual self-worship to say thanks. It is a fight. But it is a fight worth fighting and it is a fight in which we have been given every weapon necessary to have victory, including Christ himself. Christ is worthy. He is worthy of our thanks. In all things, in all circumstances, in all stages of life, give thanks.
As you go today…wait for it…give thanks. Find ways today to be intentionally thankful to God. In your interactions at work, be thankful. In your interactions at home, be thankful. In your interactions with the body, be thankful. In your interactions with God, be thankful. And for those of you who today will find it next to impossible to find anything to be thankful for or even the strength to say thanks, there is much grace to help you, empower you, and sustain you. Sometimes our first response is not “thanks”, but “help me be thankful”. And God is pleased by the thankfulness and by the opportunity to help us be thankful.
“Save us, O God of our salvation,
and gather and deliver us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!”
Then all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.
– 1 Chronicles 16:35-36
Today’s sermon
Here is today’s sermon from the gathering of Rolling Fields Church. The sermon is entitled “The Kind of Relationships We Need” taken from the series through 1 Thessalonians named “More and More: God’s Will for the Church”.
For your worship
Here are the songs from today’s gathering of Rolling Fields Church. Enjoy them as you worship this week.
Today’s sermon
Here is today’s sermon from the gathering of Rolling Fields Church. The sermon is entitled “A Prayer for the Church” taken from the series in 1 Thessalonians, “More and More: God’s Will for the Church”.
For your worship
Here are the songs from this week’s gathering of Rolling Fields Church. Enjoy them as you worship.
the fields 