Worship Thoughts - Feb. 12, 2012

Friends,

This week I want to share something that's on my heart; something that hopefully ties in to our "Radical" series a bit. Since I was little, I've been inundated with the idea that I should be able to pursue my dreams and achieve great success in life, if I really believe in myself. As a Christian, I've learned that my dreams are only in line with God's plans for my life if I surrender everything to Him and stay close to the Vine, relying on His life, wisdom and power to accomplish His purposes for me. I've also learned that achieving worldly success leaves me empty, while abiding in Jesus satisfies completely. However, I've noticed that many times in Christian circles, the "success pep talk" I used to hear in the world is still present. The new twist goes something like this: "God wants you to achieve your dreams, so trust in Him to accomplish great things with your life." I'm troubled by this line of thinking when I read passages like Luke 22:25-27: 

"So Jesus told them: Foreign kings order their people around, and powerful rulers call themselves everyone's friends. But don't be like them. The most important one of you should be like the least important, and your leader should be like a servant. Who do people think is the greatest, a person who is served or one who serves? Isn't it the one who is served? But I have been with you as a servant." (CEV)

I'm going to be very transparent with you: when I was young, I dreamed of being successful as a musician, singer and songwriter. I drew pictures of billboards where "The Steve Mills Band" was performing. As an adult, I have had a little success recording several albums and having a few songs placed on other artists' projects. Part of me still wishes someone would "discover" one of my songs, pitch it to a big artist, and that I would experience a much higher level of "success" in the Christian music world.

However, as I keep reading God's Word, seeking to be like Jesus, I don't see Him promoting Himself; I see Him lowering Himself to the level of the "invisible" people of the world - the lepers, the prostitutes, the children. I feel convicted that I'm not really supposed to seek recognition for myself; I'm supposed to seek to recognize the infinite value of those God is calling me to love - even the people who are difficult to love. It just occurred to me this morning that if I ever write a book about serving Jesus (which I don't plan to do), I think I'll title it: "Think Small." :-)

Thanks for indulging my thoughts this week. Please join us Sunday morning as we come before our Servant-Savior-King, "who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men." (Philippians 2:6-7)

Worship Thoughts - Feb. 5, 2012

Friends,

Sorry to miss another week...got a little busier than expected! I'm finding myself wrestling with one main theme as we progress through this "Radical" series. I become more and more convinced that though we are blessed to live in our country, for which I am very grateful, we wage war with one great enemy every day: COMFORT. I feel the pull of comfort every time I seek to obey commands like "Set your minds on the things above, not on the things that are on earth" (Colossians 3:2), and "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). I'm seeing how following these commands requires a daily, conscious decision; it's not something we determine to do just once, which then comes naturally. Every day I have to choose to deny myself, take up my cross and follow my Savior; however, this is definitely not something I can accomplish in my own strength. He is the vine that gives and sustains my life; apart from Him I will wither and die - I am powerless. When connected to Jesus, I have everything I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Hallelujah!

May we seek to make any radical changes needed in order to follow and obey our Lord. Sitting in a new seat in church is one thing; dying to my selfish desires daily is another.

On Sunday morning, please come ready to give all glory and honor to our King! We'll be singing: "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow," "All the Earth Will Sing Your Praises," "I Lift My Heart," "Jesus Saves" and "My Hope is in You."

By His Grace Alone,
Steve

Worship Thoughts - Jan. 22, 2012

Are you satisfied with your current walk with the Lord? Do you believe you have experienced enough of His love, grace and power? I doubt if you feel that way - I know I don't! However, I often become complacent and satisfied with lesser things than the spiritual blessings God offers when I quiet my heart and draw near to Him, worshiping in the splendor of His holiness. A.W. Tozer said the following:

"I believe that God wants us to long for Him with the longing that will become love-sickness, that will become a wound to our spirits, to keep us always moving toward Him, always finding and always seeking, always having and always desiring. So the earth becomes less and less valuable and heaven gets closer as we move into God and up into Christ." ("Man, The Dwelling Place of God," p. 107)

I encourage you to take time every day to seek after God; to draw near to Him, delighting yourself in the God Who made you, saved you, and is coming back in glory to claim you as His own! (see Psalm 37:4-6) I also encourage you to join us Sunday morning in worship, longing to know and praise the One True God with your brothers and sisters in Christ! This Sunday, we will sing: "Our God is Greater," "The Rock" and "My Hope is in You." If you want to hear this new song before Sunday, here is a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kftUFUccg-A

See you Sunday morning!
Steve

Worship Thoughts - Jan. 15, 2012

Brother and Sisters in Christ:

I hope you're all having a great week and planning to join us Sunday when we gather to worship our Great God! I'm really excited to have our High School Worship Band join me as leaders this week; they bring an awesome energy and passion to worship. One of the things that encouraged me most about my initial visit to First Free was the way the youth group worshiped; I observed them praising God with joy, passion and an abandon often lacking with us adults! Please allow their joy and energy to encourage you as you offer your thanks and praise to God this Sunday :-)

Here is a passage I'm working on memorizing from Titus (2:11-14) that reminds me Jesus is coming, and that He redeemed me with His blood to belong to Him, pure and zealous for God! - 

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."

See you Sunday morning!

Steve

Worship Thoughts - Jan. 8, 2012

Happy New Year! I hope you are encouraged by all that our faithful God has done for us, and looking forward to growing closer to Him this year. Here is another great Tozer quote; one that expresses our need as believers to always SEEK the Lord, drawing near to Him daily so He will draw near to us, comfort us, guide us and strengthen us to do the work of His Kingdom. 

“I believe that God wants us to long for Him with the longing that will become lovesickness, that will become a wound to our spirits, to keep us always moving toward Him, always finding and always seeking, always having and always desiring. So the earth becomes less and less valuable and heaven gets closer as we move into God and up into Christ.” (Tozer, 'Man: The Dwelling Place of God,' p. 107)

This reminds me of Colossians 3, which reminds us to "set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth; for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore, consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed, which amounts to idolatry." (Col. 3:2-5)

Come worship with us Sunday as we seek to understand the RADICAL commitment to Christ God's Word calls us to. We will sing: "Happy Day," "The Time Has Come," "I Give You My Heart" and "I Surrender All."

Looking forward to how God will change us for His glory in 2012!

Steve

Worship Thoughts - Dec. 24, 2011

Friends,

I hope you all have a wonderful time with your families and friends over Christmas and New Year's, and I hope and pray you make time to think deeply about the "Wonders of His love" - the incomprehensible Incarnation of God's one and only Son as a mere mortal. I also hope you don't just think about His coming, but that you "draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith" to our Savior, Jesus Christ. I was struck by the following quote from A.W. Tozer, reminded that our God does not merely want us to know about Him, He wants us to know Him, even as we are fully known by Him (1 Corinthians 13:12)!

"Whatever else it embraces, true Christian experience must always include a genuine encounter with God. Without this, religion is but a shadow, a reflection of reality, a cheap copy of an original once enjoyed by someone else of whom we have heard. It cannot but be a major tragedy in the life of any man to live in a church from childhood to old age with nothing more real than some synthetic god compounded of theology and logic, but having no eyes to see, no ears to hear and no heart to love." (Tozer, “The Divine Conquest,” p. 26)

Hallelujah! We have a God Who sees us (see Genesis 16:13), hears our prayers (Proverbs 15:29) and unquestionably loves us with all His heart - see John 3:16 :-)

I hope to see you this Saturday, Christmas Eve as we join with the angels, shepherds and all creation in singing: "Glory to God in the highest"!!!

Steve

Worship Thoughts - Dec. 18th

Wow; I can't believe it's only 10 day until Christmas Eve! Where did the year go? Life is busy - with church, family, school, work, neighborhood and community activities to participate in! My hope is that each of us will SLOW DOWN enough these next couple of weeks to come and adore Christ the Lord. Just the fact that HE CAME to earth to pay us a visit should astound us; let alone inhabiting a frail human body, suffering unimaginable pain and anguish, and dying on the cross for our sins!!! I'm told the wise men watched for his coming for many years and traveled great distances to visit the King of kings. We, on the other hand, have around-the-clock access to His very throne room; yet we often take this truth for granted.

I know Christmas is a very hard time for many, so be encouraged that: "we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:15-16, NIV)

Please join us for a very special Children's Christmas Program this Sunday: Gina Boe & Barb Dorn wrote the musical, and our kids have been preparing for weeks - don't miss it! May the Lord grant you a renewed (or brand new) sense of wonder at the coming of Jesus, Emmanuel, for you!

Praising Him,
Steve