How to Worship: An Instructional Video

Words of Encouragement

In a world of doom and gloom we need to hear words of hope and encouragement. Here is a great quote from the great Protestant Reformer Martin Luther on encouragement.

“One of the most amazing things about God was the way He redefined reality with words. God looked into chaos and spoke the hopeful words of creation. He looked into the chaos of our sin and declared us righteous in Christ. By speaking those words, coupled with our belief in them, He reconstituted our reality. If He had declared us lost He would have spoken truth, but He spoke a greater truth by recreating us with His words.

In other words, others might tell me I am a failure, an idiot, a clown, evil, incompetent, vicious, dangerous, pathetic etc., and these words are not just descriptive: they have a certain power to make me these things, in the eyes of others and even in my own eyes, as self-doubt creeps in and the Devil whispers in my ear.

But God's speaks louder, and his word is more powerful. You may call me a liar, and you speak truth, for I have lied; but if God declares me righteous, then my lies and your insult are not the final word, nor the most powerful word. I have peace in my soul because God's word is real reality. That's why I need to read the Bible each day, to hear the word preached each week, to come to God in prayer, and to hear words of grace from other brothers and sisters as I seek to speak the same to them. Only as God speaks his word to me, and as I hear that word in faith, is my reality transformed and do the insults of others, of my own sinful nature, and of the evil one himself, cease to constitute my reality. The words of my enemies, external and internal, might be powerful for a moment, like a firework exploding against the night sky; but the Word of the Lord is stronger, brighter, and lasts forever.”

HT: Winfield

Good Luck Will, Rend Collective Experiment

Will Herron, one our worship leaders for our contemporary service, will be heading off to the UK to work with friends on a new album. We will miss him at Westkirk, but we wish him and his wife Bridgette all the best and pray that God's blessings be upon them during this new journey. Good luck Will!

You can check out Will's band, Rend Collective Experiment, above (Will's one of the singers) and check out more of their music on itunes.