DAY TWENTY FIVE

Happy Day After Thanksgiving....hope you had a great day giving thanks to the Lord and to all the special people who make your life so full! (I'm sure I don't have to mention having all of your favorite foods, right? I bet you're still full from your feast!)

(I spoke about the wrong bible study yesterday, but have fixed it so yesterday and today are now correct...sorry)

Worship begins with love--God's love for us and our love for God. I praise God that not only does He love me, but that He took the initiative to love me first. In the study, Harland asked for you to list as many words as you can think of that describes God's love for you. Here's a few of mine:

Amazing

Humbling

Awesome

Incomprehensible

Eternal

Overwhelming

Unmatched

Non-reciprocating

Unconditional

Never-ending

How should we respond to God's love?

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)

³⁷Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' ⁴⁰All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

The Bible also tells us to be imitators of God and to walk in love. Spend moments throughout the busy Thanksgiving holiday, giving Him thanks and thanking others for being an important part of your life.

I want to thank each of you, my dear church family. You are truly an important part of my life and the life of every member of my family. The Montgomery's appreciate your love, support, kindness, friendship, openness, care, compassion, and faithfulness to our Lord. We are so blessed by knowing and serving our Lord with you. Thank you for the privilege of knowing you and allowing us to be a part of your family. God bless you!

_____________________

FREEDOM IN WORSHIP

Today's Main Idea:

God wants us to worship Him with all our heart and soul.

Harland tells us that God is really a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6

⁶And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

A few thoughts that I want to be sure are reread again from today's lesson are as follows:

1. Whether we are worshiping corporately or privately, our response to God should be biblically based and unhindered.

2. The style of worship, the volume of worship, and the elements of worship are not the issue. The issue is that each believer must raise his or her own unhindered expression of worship to the King of kings in response to what He alone has done.

3. The Bible is full of specific activities of worship, including those listed below.

Kneeling/bowing

Singing

Praying

Shouting

Clapping

Prostrating

Raising hands

Dancing

Playing instruments

Meditating/listening

Giving

Serving

Taking communion

Fasting

Please take time over the weekend and look up a few of these in your bible. Harland gives you several verses for each of the worship activities listed above.

Lord, Jesus, may we each be unhindered in our praise to you! Amen.

Bless you as you worship Him today. See you Sunday morning.

Ken