So my worship job is done. Most of my blogs now will be devoted to cool messages i’ve heard, lessons i’ve learned, or questions i have posed. I have a few of those from my current road trip with Keith Hodge. I am doing my typical stay with friends for free in cities in the south. I am in Charlotte and visited two churches this morning.
One. Ephesus Church. Small building with stain glassed windows. Maybe 35 people there total. Solid worship. Message regarding Honestly. It is not possible to be sort of honest. Once you are dishonest, it takes an immeasurable more amount of honesty to ever make up for it. Maybe you are possibly no longer a honest person once you have been dishonest. Praise God that he forgives. I found myself also continuing to prove that love is a choice and not an emotion. God is involved in choices. He is in the business of that if you let him. God has less control over emotions. Heck, we have less control over emotions. This is why love is a choice. Because if it were up to our emotions, we would go back on love all the time or become dependent on the emotional high. I compare this to joy. God doesn’t demand happiness. it is an emotion. Happiness is not essential to life. But joy is. Joy is demanded by God. and we must also choose that. Like. Love. and Happiness. Joy. Think on it.
Two. Elevation Church. Huge mega church. has 8 services per sunday at three different locations. We were not lucky enough to have the pastor on site today. It was a video sermon. Interesting. I will say this about elevation. there production is unparalleled. The songs were executed flawlessly. Exactly like the CD from which the songs came from. The videos were professionally done and were weaved into the service numerous times perfectly. I could listen to their worship team for hours. I was amazed today. The message was not given by the controversial lead pastor, but rather, his wife, because of mother’s day. It was on purity to an extent. I liked a few things that were said today. with regard to purity the concept is to”protect the investment God has made in me.” I like how that was said. Often times we are concerned with the burdens that are on us. We cry out “why” all the time. Not the point. She encouraged us to stop focusing on the Why because God never fully answers why he has placed a burden on you anyway. Not in the moment anyway. The point is what. what is next? what is God trying to teach you? What will you do differently next time? what do you really believe in?
Two different services. questions posed. stuff learned. Great to worship in the congregation again. That’s what I got today.
Keep trying to learn from the messages you are hearing while challenging the parts you don’t like or understand. Critical ears that don’t follow up are stupid ears. I have been that for too long. It’s time to actually challenge what i hear and so far, it has been great. God bless.
