Hi Church Family! 

I was reminded, on my walk to the office today, what king David wrote in Psalm 19. "The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat. The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them. How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." (emphasis mine) 

What a powerful, truthful, "cut to the core" of our heart psalm. The psalm is filled with praise to our God and Savior for His creation, and His Life-Giving message for all peoples. This psalm calls the children of God to live a life of obedience, and a life that finds the living words of God greater and more powerful than anything else this world can offer. It also calls out our sin as sin and directs us to deal with it promptly so it doesn't control us and that we may be innocent before God through the shed blood of Jesus. Through the cleansing of our sin, we are than able to pursue a life of holiness, as our God is holy. When we live in the holiness of our God, covered with the shed blood of Jesus, and filled with the Holy Spirit, the words of our mouth to the meditation of our hearts will be pure, acceptable, and pleasing to our God and Redeemer! This is the life of all of Jesus in all of us, and it is the life I long to live each day for for the glory of my God and Savior. I hope that's your desire too.

This Sunday we will be looking at Colossians 4:2-6 in a message I've titled Bookends. To summarize the message for you, Paul and Timothy taught the new believers in Colossae to pray like they prayed, to pray for others too, and that how you live as a disciple of Jesus matters. We will also honor our moms and all women this Sunday during the service. 

As I close, below you will find a link for our worship song set this Sunday. There may be a few songs you aren't familiar with, so I encourage you to use the link and join me in worship through song even before Sunday.

God loves you and so do I!

PK