Sunday Morning Setlist #6

Here’s yesterday’s set list of music at the Awakening Service at FCC.  This will be linked to Fred McKinnon’s blog where other worship bloggers post their setlists.  Here’s what we did:

Holy is the Lord (Tomlin)

Floodgate (Paul Colman/Michael Neale) NEW SONG for us

I Will Rise (Tomlin)

We did graduate recognition Sunday and had a large class of seniors.  This went way over time and changed the rest of our service but fortunately God created spontaneity.

Shelby Smith (graduating senior in our Awakening Band) sang a solo during communion “In Better Hands” by Natalie Grant

Happy Day (Fee)

Normally we try to do a new song like Floodgate twice in a service the first time out but it got cut due to time issues.  Jury is still out on whether that will be a keeper.  We’ll do it again this week.

FCC’s Mission and Values (part II)

Yesterday we looked briefly at the mission of our church (FCC).  Today I wanted to briefly look at our “Value” statements.  These are things that we value as a church.  Do we live them out perfectly?  Obviously not.  We have a long way to go.  But this is what we want to see:

Heart for Christ Alone: We are united in our focus on the redeeming life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  In essential beliefs, we have unity.  In non-essential beliefs, we have liberty.  In all our beliefs, we show love.

Mind transformed by the Word: Christ followers should manifest authenticity and yearn for continuous spiritual growth.

Arms of Love: We must be a welcoming and inviting community, helping people to make loving, enduring relationships.

Knees for Prayer: Prayer and worship is the essential foundation for all effective ministry.

Voice to Speak the Good News: Lost people matter to God and must matter to His church.  Because of that, we must communicate God’s Love in culturally relevant ways.

Spirit of Servanthood and Stewardship:  Every Christ follower is called to serve according to their gifts, open to being equipped for ministry.

What do you think?  Make sense?  Burning questions?

FCC’s Mission and Values

Here’s our mission at FCC:

God calls FCC (Versailles) to make disciples by being a Christ-centered family, reaching out to all.

So our job is clear: make disciples.  To do that we need a church culture that is always seeking to be a “Christ-centered family, reaching out to all.”  We need both the inclusion and the desire to go into all the world.  That is the lens by which we ought to be making our decisions as a church.  “Should we do _____? ”  Does it help us “make disciples by being a Christ-centered family, reaching out to all”? 

Does that make sense?  Create any questions?  Tomorrow I’ll post on our values and why I think they are so important too.

Church: Others, not Ourselves

We are called to focus on others, not ourselves.  We are called to organize the church to reflect Christ by serving others’ needs and interests rather than our own.  Unfortunately, most churches are organized to serve the interests and well-being of the insiders rather than the outsiders.

Those who are Afraid of Stumbling Never Get in the Race

Commitment makes life better, but not convenient.  Many people are afraid of commitments because they know they will let others and even God down. 

Duh!

Commitment is not about perfection.  Those who are afraid of stumbling never get in the race.  A life of commitment leads to a fulfillment of God’s promise that we could never imagine.

Church: Authentic, not Hypocritical

God wants His bride, the Church, to be authentic.  The church is not a place but a people.  And that “people” should include broken ones, people that really need help.  The Church shouldn’t force people to hide their hurts, temptations, addictions, flaws, and problems.  It should be where they can find grace and healing.  Unfortunately, the way many churches are structured today, the kind of people who Jesus came to help wouldn’t be welcome and certainly wouldn’t find grace.

Prayer Must Never be a Monologue

Prayer must never be a monologue.  True prayer is initiated by God and represents our response to what God is saying.  We may not always realize that God is speaking.  Whatever drives us to prayer is, in fact, God’s way of drawing us into His presence.

God does not call us to make a battle strategy and then ask for His help.  But to ask Him what His plans are.  To do so we are to wait  on God so taht He can reveal His mind to us.

Are You Governed Increasingly by God’s Word?

This is question #2 from Donald Whitney’s Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health.  Awesome book that really made me look at my spiritual life.  These are for you to ask yourself.

Question #2: Are You Governed Increasingly by God’s Word?

The single most valuable item on earth is the Bible.  It is food for our soul and therefore essential to our well-being and growth. 

Do you find yourself inquiring–consciously–how the Bible speaks to specific areas of life?  Do you ask others, perhaps those in spiritual leadership or who are mature, to help you apply Scripture in particular situations? 

Many professing Christians bump along from Sunday to Sunday, year to year, with no recollection of changes in beliefs or practices as a result of new discoveries in the Word.

Are you indifferent to the truth of Scripture?  Or does God’s Word have a growing influence in your life?

How can you develop a dependence on God’s Word?

1) Deepen Your desire for God’s Word.  Make sure you are in a position to read and listen to it.  Don’t miss church for non-necessary reasons.

2) Make time for God’s Word.  We find time to eat food, but not the soul food we need.  Schedule it if need be.

3) Read the Bible daily and do not close it until you have learned something new.  Specifically one new things that you can apply to your life, that will change your behavior or something you will do in response to that new learning.

4) Train yourself to ask, “What the Bible have to say about this?”  And then look for it or get help finding the answer.

Never Slam a Door

Jesus looked at the man, and looking at him, loved him.

Jesus is looking at the rich, young ruler who he hardly knew.  Jesus loved this man even though he walked away.  He did not withdraw his love because he walked away.  I want to be like that.  Jesus never slammed a door or burned a bridge.

Sunday Morning Setlist #5

Here’s yesterday’s set list of music at the Awakening Service at FCC.  This will be linked to Fred McKinnon’s blog where other worship bloggers post their setlists.  Here’s what we did:

Marvelous Light

Blessed Be Your Name

Amazing Grace (Chains are gone)

MESSAGE on 2 Kings 17

Hallelujah Jesus

You Are My King

Beautiful One

With our main leader out we put together a pretty good team, but they were only comfortable doing some oldie but goody type songs.  But they were done well I thought.