The AW Blog

Old Testament Principles for Worship

2011-10-16T19:11:00.001-07:00

From the beginning of time, God has desired a relationship with everything that He created. Whether it is the birds and the trees, or the creatures in the ocean deep, God desires relationships with all of creation. This includes us today. God wanted a relationship with Adam and Eve and He still desires relationships with His people. We see that before the fall of man and sin entered into the world, God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.[1] He wanted a relationship with the ones that He created.

According to Called to Worship, the wonder, work, wisdom and wishes of God demand our worship of Him.[2] So after looking at these first few chapters and books of the Bible, we see that the first principle of worship is a right-relationship with God. Since the Father is all about relationships, we should desire to be in the right-relationship He has designed us to be a part of. According to Dr. Henry Blackaby, the first way of experiencing God is to have a right-relationship with the Father. That means to turn from sin and seek the Father’s will in all facets of our lives.[3] If we choose to worship God, then we will seek what it is He has created us to do for Him. Just like in Adam and Eve, God has placed within the hearts of people today the impulse to pursue, comprehend, love and ultimately worship Him.[4]

After the fall of man, God still desires the relationship He was seeking before sin entered into the world, but now it is different. God cannot be with man anymore because man is now cursed with sin and God is holy and just. So we see that because of our sin, we cannot be in the same place with the Father, if we lived during the times of the Old Testament. Our relationship with God starts within our hearts and misguided worship begins right there. Our heart. It is one of the most precious pieces of one’s body. What is so pure and precious can become one of the darkest places that man has. The heart is where we choose to have a relationship with God, or not. The heart is where we decide whether or not to believe in the Father or not.

Next we see that an Old Testament principle for worship is obedience. You see, before Jesus came to fulfill the new covenant, people had nothing they could see or feel, like the Holy Spirit. The only thing they had to rely on was their faith in God and their obedience to Him alone. Worship begins with obedience to the Father and to what His will is for our lives. We must examine the life of Abraham and Job to see that faith and obedience are the cornerstones of our worship. According to Whaley, without obedience everything that we do is meaningless and ceases to be worship.[5]

When we study the life of Abraham, we see that he was willing to obey God no matter what the cost. We see that God told Abraham to sacrifice his own son, and Abraham said yes. There was no hesitation. There was no fear. Abraham was willing to put his own son to death to show his obedience to the Father. If we are willing to be obedient, God will use us in mighty ways, just like He used Abraham. Obedience is at the heart of worship and if we want to worship God, then we must be willing to obey Him.

Job was obedient to God through his faith. We see in the book of Job, that he endured so many hardships that is was crazy for him not to denounce his faith and turn from God after everything that had happened to him. Job lost his children, his land, his livestock, even most of his health, but that did not stop Job from worshiping God. He was a man that people need to look too as a worshiper of the living God.

Next we move to fear of the Lord as a way of worship from the Old Testament. We see and know that God is jealous for His own and for His glory. He is a just and holy God who will rain judgment down on the earth and that He is to be feared. This is something that we struggle with today, because we think of God as a loving and kind God who would never harm his creation. Yet if we look at the Bible we see that He destroyed the earth with a flood, and then rebuilt it. God will fight for His worship and then defend his worshipers. We look at the life of Moses and see that he was awestruck in the presence of the Holy One. Moses led His people out of Egypt and was in awe of the One who allowed him to do this. According to Whaley, we must come before God with fear and respect just as Moses did when he saw God in the burning bush.[6] We must be willing to fear God and show respect for Him. Without this fear of the Holy One, we are being disrespectful to the One who gave us life. God deserves His place on the throne and we must approach Him in that manor, just as Moses did.

Through the worship of Joshua, we see that there will always be obstacles to worship, and that authentic worship requires holiness from God’s people. Also, through Joshua’s worship, we find that worship needs a home and worship is a choice. One of the best quotes from Whaley’s book is this:

To worship, we must put action to our faith, because genuine worship is active, energetic love for God, demonstrated in our choice to obey.[7]

So we see that worship is a choice that we all have to make, to either worship God or worship something else, because we are all vessels of worship.

Through the Psalms we find love and fear of God, and also that we must have a craving to be in the presence of the Father. David, the sweet psalmist, wrote so many love songs to God, and showed his love for the Holy One through song. We see that love is something that can go beyond our belief and straight to the heart.

Idolatry is a principle of worship that we cannot forget about. Many times this is something that is not talked about because it is hurtful to our feelings. But, we must examine what happens when we idolize something else, instead of God. First we see that there will be a separation from God, because as I mentioned earlier, God is jealous for His own. In Ecclesiastes we see these serve penalties. A curse from God. The absences of God. A sentence on the children of the Idolater, total destruction and a ruined name. All of this is because of the idolatry that has taken place. We must remember that we can have no other Gods before God and that nothing should come in our way of worshiping God. He is jealous for his own and nothing will stop Him.

As we have seen, we can take many of the things that happened in the Old Testament and apply it to what is going on today and use the information to help us worship the Father more deeply. These principles should be on our minds constantly and something that we must think about daily.

[1] Genesis 3:8 (ESV)

[2] Whaley, Dr. Vernon M. Called to Worship. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2009. P. 12-14

[3] Blackaby, Dr. Henry. Experiencing God Day by Day. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers. 1999.

[4] Whaley, Dr. Vernon M. Called to Worship. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2009.

P. 22

[5] Whaley, Dr. Vernon M. Called to Worship. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2009.

P. 52

[6] Whaley, Dr. Vernon M. Called to Worship. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2009.

P. 68

[7] Whaley, Dr. Vernon M. Called to Worship. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2009.

P.95

What a Friend

2011-04-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

On a Roman cross, the Savior of the world died. He died just like you and I would have. The sky became dark and the earth trembled as he said his last words... "It Is Finished." The Savior of the world took his last breath on earth on Good Friday. He was dead. He had no breath, he had no movement. He was dead.

His body was laid in a tomb and sealed with a large stone that was rolled up against the opening of the tomb. His body was laid in cloth, the custom for burying the dead, in that day. His body had oils among other things on it, and was laid to rest for the final time on Good Friday.

The man had caused such an uproar with the government of that day, they had a solider stand guard at the SEALED tomb.

This man, the Savior of the world, however, was not finished. He was just beginning. His Father had a greater plan. A plan that involved you and me. A plan that would not keep his son in the tomb for very long.

Jesus bore the wrath of the Holy God for both you and me. He took the weight of the world on his shoulders and was crucified for it. Jesus became sin for you and me, so that one day, we will become the righteousness of God. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. Jesus hung on the cross to pay the price of our sin. He was a perfect sinless man who walked on the earth teaching about the Father.

His name changed the world. Jesus. It has rocked the foundations of nations for all of eternity. His name rings throughout the annals of history and will continue until he returns.

This name, Jesus, through the shedding of his perfect blood opened the gate so that we might have access to the Father.

Praise God Almighty that we have a friend in Jesus! He gave the ultimate sacrifice for you and me, himself.

WHAT A FRIEND!

This Sunday at New Friendship

2011-04-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

Two Identical Worship Services to Choose From
8:30 or 11 a.m.

Hosanna (Praise Is Rising)
Christ Arose

What a Friend Medley
w/ Jesus! What a Friend For Sinners,
I Stand Amazed in the Presence,
and "Man of Sorrows," What a Name

Jesus Saves

The Father's Hand

2011-01-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

Just something that I started on today while at the church...

The inspiration comes after reading Matthew 15:8-9

"This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."

You may ask, how in the world can these verses of scripture inspire someone to write something?

I was writing all of the questions that came to my mind about these two verses in my journal, and through the questions of why we honor God by our lips only, came workings of The Father's Hand.

"Words pour out like a raging storm,
tossing about an un-endless norm,
We listen to the sounds of man
not knowing from the Father's Hand.
Would it be so hard to stop and listen,
to take time to pray and seek
what's going on with the Father's Hand?
The Father's Hand pours out love
to save the world by His Son."

Just wanted to share that short, whatever it is, with you this morning.

Man of Sorrows! What a Name

2011-01-12T12:13:00.000-08:00

"Man of Sorrows! what a name for the Son of God who came. Ruined sinner to reclaim! Hallelujah, what a Savior! Lifted up was He to die, "It is finished," was His cry; Now in heav'n exalted high, Hallelujah, what a Savior! When He comes, our glorious King, All His ransomed home to bring, Then anew this song will sing, Hallelujah, what a Savior! Hallelujah, what a Savior! Hallelujah, what a friend."

What a song! What a Savior! What a Friend!

Just think, this is what our God did for each and every person that has walked the face of the earth... He gave his one and only Son, the Son of Man, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the ONLY Savior, the ONLY Redeemer! God made himself into flesh and dwelt among the people of this land.

Each and everyone of us deserves what the Son of Man had laid upon him. For the wages of sin is death, but praise God Almighty, the gift of God lies through Jesus Christ our Savior!

We don't deserve the wonderful grace and forgiveness that God has blessed each of us with, if we will accept his Son, Jesus, as the only way to the Father.

This wonderful song at the top of the page, explains what Jesus did for each of us and why we should shout and sing and give praise to Him!

It is my prayer that today, we sing this song... But we sing it for a reason, not just to be singing. I pray that we stop and worship the God who has given us breath this morning and the God who sent his ONLY Son to save the world (and EACH and EVERY one of us) if only we will believe in Him!

Update from AW

2011-01-05T12:45:00.000-08:00

Wow! What an end to 2010 and start to 2011. It seems like just yesterday that it was the beginning of 2010! Time flies so fast these days... It has been a while since I have blogged about anything so I thought I would let you know what has been going on and I will try to do it in a short/timely manner!

God has blessed me so much over the past year that I can't even think where to start. He brought me a wonderful girlfriend in Meghan and I can't begin to tell you how much she means to me! God also provided a way to begin in full-time music and worship ministry.

At the end of 2010, I followed a call to be New Friendship Baptist Church's Minister of Music and Worship beginning Jan. 1, 2011! And I must say, it has been one of the smoothest transitions I have ever made. One of the hard parts though, was saying goodbye to my home church at Post Oak. I had the opportunity to be on staff as Minister of Music there for the past two years. Through those two wonderful years, I was able to work with such wonderful people and to know that some of them actually changed my diapers when I was little, is SO crazy!

The people at New Friendship are absolutely wonderful and so warm and open! They have made this first week in the office as great one! On Tuesday, Meghan and I had the opportunity to eat lunch with 18 wonderful ladies who quilt at the church every week! If only you were a fly on the wall to hear those stories! I can't thank God enough for the wonderful and smooth transition this has been for me and I pray that He is glorified through everything.

I know I said I would keep it short...

Our God is an amazing God, full of surprises and full of grace and mercy. I am reading a book right now called Surprised By Worship, written by one of my favorite Worship Leaders Travis Cottrell, and to think about letting everything go and be surprised by worship is amazing! I challenge you to be surprised by worship every day. Worship isn't just something that is meant for Sunday mornings. It is a life event that must take place every day! No matter what we are doing, we are to worship the Father! Don't try and put a lid on your worship to what you think it should be. Allow God to show you what worship is so that he may be honored!

Now that I will have more time, I am looking forward to blogging more! See you soon!

Testing of Your Faith

2010-09-23T20:51:00.001-07:00

James 1: 2-8
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

A little background information on James… As it says in the first verse of the chapter, “James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus.” James is also one of Jesus’ brothers, so he has seen first hand what Jesus was like.

Through this small set of scripture, James is writing in a letter to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion about the testing of your faith in Almighty God. Just think about the second verse for just a second. He says to “COUNT IT JOY” when our faith is tested because it produces steadfastness.

James also tells if we are without wisdom; let us ask God without hesitation, without reservation. However, he tells us that we must come in faith, knowing that God will provide and have no doubt that our God will provide. Look what happens to the one who does not come with faith. If we come without faith, then we will be tossed by the wind and we will be unstable in all our ways.

I don’t know about you, but I would rather come in faith, then to be tossed about and be unstable in all my ways.

Our God is a faithful God, a God who wants us to come to him, and rely on his mighty word. He wants us to have faith in him that he will provide, because He is holy and just.

A prayer for you and me…
Father, we praise you today. We come before you with humble hearts, filled with joy and thanksgiving, knowing that you are God and God alone. Lord, we seek your face today in all the things. Father may we come to you in fullness of faith knowing that you will provide. Lord we love you, praise you and thank you! In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

Its been a while...

2010-09-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

Wow... July 15th, 2010 the last post on alexwatkins.blogspot.com! Madness!

The summer has been absolutely crazy. It seems like it went by so fast and that it never even started. I guess that is what happens as you get older and the responsibilities of life take over! Oh well...

I must say it has been a wonderful summer that I would not trade for the world! I will spare you the details, because they would go on forever!

Just wanted to check in and let you know that I will be back soon to posting more frequently than I have been the past two months.

May God bless each of you!

In Him,
AW

Praise the Father, Praise the Son

2010-07-15T21:08:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of weeks, the Worship Choir at Post Oak has been working on a new song, Praise the Father, Praise the Son, by Chris Tomlin. That song has done something to the way that I look at my worship to the Father and the Son... It has shown me that my worship is to praise the living God!

I have been working on some research on what exactly worship is... What is the true definition of worship and how do we achieve worship that is worthy to what the Father deserves? I have not even come close to an answer yet! That is how big this little word is... WORSHIP!

Do you know when someone gets it? Can you see the difference in the way they carry themselves? Can you see the difference they are in their relationships with others?

I was sitting in our senior leadership team meeting on Monday and our Senior Pastor read these verses before we spent time in prayer to the Father...

"Who shall separate us form the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to to be slaughtered. NO, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

Now listen to these words that Paul used next... "For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us form the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

We want to talk about someone who got it... What a great example we have in Paul. Once a man who persecuted Christians has now pinned such great words as these. There is no way that a man could have written something like this, especially a man who would kill God's people. This just goes to show us that God can do anything and everything. He is a God who grants mercy and grace, a Father who loves each and everyone of us so much that he sent his only son to become sin for the world and die, so that we might have eternal life with him on day in heaven if we believe.

I guess what I am trying to say is we have examples of people in the bible who got it... We have examples of people in our everyday lives who have understood and have it... Why then do we take our worship for granted and think that there is always going to be next Sunday? People... God has not promised us the next five minutes! We must get it right with him NOW!!!

How do we want to spend the rest of our lives? Do we want to worship the Father and live our lives for him in a radical way or do we want to sit back and just coast through and take it easy?

I Surrender All

2010-07-01T08:49:00.000-07:00

Three words. Three simple words. Three words that can define our lives in a positive way or define our lives in a way that potentially bring hurt to ourselves. Three words... Three powerful words. How can three small words have such a profound meaning?

Jesus gave his everything for you and me. He lived a perfect life. I know that I can not say that. He was the savior of the world, your Savior and mine. He was the true King, the only king. He was the true Lord, the only lord. Jesus did just as His Father had instructed and knew that at a point He would have to endure the wrath of a Holy God. I can only imagine what Jesus was thinking in the garden when He was praying and praying so hard that blood began to drip from his brow. I can't imagine what it must have felt like to know that He was going to have to take the punishment for the entire world. Jesus, the Son of God, sent to this earth to dwell among the people of this land, to be a living sacrifice, to bear the wait of the world, to endure the wrath of the Holy God, to live a perfect life, to die, and to be raised again.

Jesus gave his everything, so why shouldn't we?

God does not need you and me for what He wants to accomplish. He could choose to do so without ever involving us. God can do anything He chooses and quite frankly, He doesn't need us! I don't think we have ever wrapped our minds around that fact. Sometimes we think we can do things without God and we don't need him to do the small things. We think we can do them and only need him when its a big thing. When in fact, WE NEED HIM ALL THE TIME!

He is in control and WE ARE NOT!

When we sing the song, I Surrender All, is it the truth to be blunt about it, is it a lie?

"If My People..."

2010-06-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

2 Chronicles 7:13-14

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

The passage is referring to when Solomon finished the house of the Lord. The Lord then appeared to Solomon in the night and thus this verse was breathed by the Father.

When we look at the text we see a simple statement that has the potential to change our lives if we abide by what it says… God is saying If my people (you and me) who are called my name (His name) will humble themselves, and pray and seek his face. What a simple, but powerful statement. If we PRAY and SEEK his face. How much more simple can it get?

As we think about what the Fourth of July means, we must remember that America was founded on the belief in God with the intention of having the freedom to worship God without threat of persecution.

America… Our country founded on the belief in God. Why have we gotten away from this simple fact? Why have we gotten away from doing what the Father told Solomon? Why have we stopped praying and humbling ourselves before the God who created each and everyone of us?

May I submit to you today, we are a nation that needs revival. We are a people that need to die to ourselves and take up the cross and follow God daily. America has been blessed more times than not and we are taking it for granted.

It is time to live radically for God. It is time to go and do as He says and let His praises ring throughout America and through all the Nations of the world. I challenge each of us to be RADICAL for the one who gave His everything for you and me.

New Orleans Mission Trip Days 5 & 6

2010-06-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Historic Lower Ninth Ward... This was the sign that met us as we drove over the bridge from the Upper Ninth Ward into the Lower Nine. The levee that separated the two wards was destroyed after a barge broke loose and smashed through the concrete wall creating the massive flooding. Remember, the water rose between 10-15 feet in most areas and stayed for over a month.

The photo above is a memorial for the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the Lower Ninth Ward. The blue part of the memorial stands for how high the waters rose. The red shows that people are coming back and they are rebuilding their homes and neighborhoods. The chairs represent the people who have not come back and the one who died in the storm.

This is a daily reminder for everyone!

The Greater New Jerusalem Baptist Church in the Lower Ninth Ward. We worked on this building our first year in New Orleans. This is also the church where Pastor Washington serves as Senior Pastor.

This is what it looks like from the front of the church. Now just imagine seeing houses upon houses sitting there five years ago. One of the guys on the trip said... "The Lower Ninth Ward looks like the middle of Baghdad. If the green grass was brown you would think you were in the war zone."

The journey is long from over for residents of the Lower Ninth Ward and throughout the Gulf States of the U.S. It is my prayer that we do not forget our fellow neighbors in times like these. We are quick to go after something happens, but what about five years later?

Acts 1:8 says, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

-AW

Day 4 of the New Orleans Mission Trip 2010

2010-06-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

Half way through the week and we are still going strong! Praise God for the continued strength and encouragement after long days of sweat and some tears. But, He is good and is greatly to be praised!

We had the opportunity to have dinner with the Westside Christian Church and a special family was invited... Pastor Howard Washington and his wife! Now I must tell you that he is truly a MAN of GOD! An inspiration to me and many others.

I could tell you stories for hours, but I will spare you the time! I must tell you one though... Two years ago, we were working on Pastor's church, and it was a hot morning in July. We got to the church in the Lower Ninth Ward around 8 a.m. As we are pulling up, we see Pastor outside the church with a pick ax breaking concrete to fix a water leak on the church's side of the water main. Now I need to tell you that he was 81 years old at the time! I hope and pray that I am able to get around like he does when I am 81!

This man truly cares for the people of New Orleans and has put everyone else before himself... Now to be like Christ, I see that in this man! I praise the Father for men like this, men who put their true faith in the living God!

If you want to know more, I have many more to share!

Our fellowship dinner with Westside! Usually, the church cooks for the volunteers but tonight our cooks (Carol and Pam) made a great meal for everyone! Praise God for them and the work they have put in behind the scenes to make sure that we are fed and ready to go the next day!

They keep us full! Praise the Father!

Jonathan working on coating the ceiling in the Yellow House... Needless to say, we go the house covered twice in the span of one day!

JT acting crazy with the mud for the ceiling! The day goes by so fast when you are having a great time and being on mission with God!

Working on the living room in the Yellow House.

It is my prayer today that He is glorified through all things! We deserve NO credit... We are being His hands and His feet! God is the one working through us!

Psalm 150:6 "Let everything that has breath Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord."

Father, we praise you today for the mercy and grace that you show. We come into your presence with thanksgiving and with praise. Father we thank you for sending your son, Jesus to save us from an eternal hell away from you. We are humbled and honored that you would want to use us in being on mission for you. You do not need us, but you choose to want us. May your kingdom be expanded and all the nations hear your gospel!

Father we love you, thank you and praise you!

In Jesus' name, Amen.

-AW

Day 3 of the New Orleans Mission Trip 2010

2010-06-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

What a day... God is so good! Despite the heat, He has allowed us to move forward in both of the projects we are working on this week! Praise the Father for another successful day in New Orleans!

Today was the first day for the second site... Only five of us went over to the house that is almost finished. And I must say, the house is very close to completion! We are in charge of finishing the drywall and then hopefully slapping a coat of paint on the walls before we leave!

Here is where our day started... A YELLOW house! We have the opportunity to finish the drywall process by cleaning the walls for painting and spraying the ceiling! Can't wait for the messy day that lies ahead!

This is a picture of the view from the Yellow house... Can you see the concrete wall that lies in the distance? That is a levee that has been updated and modified since Hurricane Katrina.

After we left the Yellow house, we went back to the house in Gentilly (the one we worked on yesterday). This is Jonathan and JT mudding the ceiling of one of the rooms on the second floor. We were able to get most of the room finished yesterday, but had to finish the ceiling.

Jennifer, Crystin, Joe and Chris all lending a hand at cutting sheet rock... Needless to say, we think we are all professionals with sheet rock since we have worked on a project that involves hanging sheet rock for the last three years! Jennifer and Crystin were working on their "Special Project" at this point!

"A meeting of the Minds"

John and Larry talking after a long day hanging sheet rock!

Frank working hard on cutting some of the mess out of the stairwell. He, Chris H., and Sam worked hard on clearing the walls of the stairwell to hang sheet rock. And by the way, they are working machines!

Johnathan and me doing what we do...

Sometimes we need reminders of what has happened in the past. Sometimes we need to see those reminders on a daily basis. This next picture is a daily reminder of what residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast of the United States dealt with and are still dealing with today... And I remind you, Hurricane Katrina hit the coast in late August of 2005.

This is a home across the street from the house in Gentilly... Now this house has been remodeled since the flood. That is new siding on the outside of the house. Would you choose to spay paint something on the side of your home after it had been remodeled? This family chose to do so as a constant reminder of what it was like in New Orleans just a few years ago. This was the way neighbors, families, friends and many others communicated after the storm.

People were displaced. Families were separated. Neighbors had no idea.

Residents would come home and try to clean up after the storm but many homes were unsuitable to live in because of the massive flooding that took place. This home had close to 5-7 feet of water standing on the inside of the house. Could you imagine leaving your home during a storm and coming back to find massive amounts of water standing in your living room?

The Morgan's chose to write on their home they were okay so their families, friends, neighbors would know they were. And they chose to repaint it to remind them of the days after Katrina.

- AW

NOLA Mission Trip 2010 - Day 2

2010-05-31T15:54:00.000-07:00

Now, I know that I blogged yesterday about eating... and eating a lot, but we finally got to work today and I must say, I think we made a pretty good dent. We are working on a house in Gentilly, New Orleans. There is a story behind all of the projects that we work on...

This home was under 7-10 feet of water. The family moved up to the second floor. I'm not sure how many people were living in the upper story of the house, but it was a full family. Now, remember this is 2010 and Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the United States in August of 2005. This family lived in the second floor of the house for over three years. Finally, another group was able to come in and gut the bottom of the house and the top floor as well.

The family has since moved down the street to a rental property and has been staying there for a while but is ready to be back at their home!

We are working on the top floor of the house with hopes to get back down to the bottom floor and start the clean up process.

This is a picture of what the bottom floor looks like. It has been completely gutted and is a mess... This is what we hope to get to later this week!

I had the opportunity to be the tape guy for the drywall... Needless to say, I got to do a lot of taping and still have so much more to do. We were able to get one room taped and mudded but still have to go back. If we can do at least one room per day, then by Friday, we should be able to have the entire second floor ready to be sanded and painted!

Just another picture of safety precautions... We use what ever we can find!

Here is what the room looked like at the end of the day today... We were able to get it to a good stopping point. The rest of the team was working in other rooms of the house, placing drywall on the walls and ceilings. It is now our job to follow behind them and continue this wonderful process!

Despite not really knowing what I am doing, I know that we are working for a much greater cause than ourselves... We are working for Him and expanding our Father's Kingdom!

We are called to have a kingdom focus... God did not tell us to keep the gospel to ourselves.

Jesus is speaking in Matthew 28: 18-20... "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (ESV)

Jesus told us to GO...

-AW

NOLA Mission Trip - Travel Day and Sunday

2010-05-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

Need I say anymore... Char Broiled Oysters from Lil' G's in New Orleans, La.

What a great way to start off a week of work with a nice meal after a long drive from Russellville.

The Westside Mission Center in Algiers, New Orleans, La. This is site of our home for the next week as we are working with the people of the Crescent City to help restore and rebuild this great city! It is my prayer that God moves through this city for His glory and that His kingdom is sought first, by every person of New Orleans!

Here is a picture of the church that was completely washed away by Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005. Many members have left but a few remain and thanks to many volunteers, this great ministry has continued despite many set-backs.

The group from Russellville... eating of course!

I hope and pray that God will use each of us to bring Him honor and glory through the work we are going to be doing this week. May He use this time to use us to be on mission with Him and work for His kingdom and not ours. May we not take any credit for the work, but my our Father take all the credit because He is the one to be praised!

Friends, I urge you to pray for us as we head out to the Lower Ninth Ward in the morning to begin our work! Please pray that we have the opportunity to share the Gospel with someone we come into contact with!

Check back again tomorrow for more updates and more pictures from our first day of work!

-AW

Update from New Orleans...

2010-05-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone... Just wanted to give you a quick update from the Crescent City. We arrived safely this afternoon to the Westside Mission Center! Praise God for the safe trip down to New Orleans today!

Tomorrow is going to be a relaxing day with not a lot planned. We are going to go to worship at Westside Christian Church before heading down to the French Quarter to enjoy a little taste of this great city. Monday will mark the beginning of our actual work!

Check back tomorrow night for another update... with pictures from New Orleans!

To my church family... Praying for you all tonight that you have a wonderful day of Worship tomorrow and that we have an expectation that God is going to be there!

In Him,
AW

Update on Everything...

2010-05-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone... Just wanted to give you all a quick update on everything. It has been a while since I posted my last blog, so I thought an update was in line.

Post Oak celebrated the graduation of our Associate Pastor Nick Stamps from Southern Seminary with a Master's Degree last Sunday. What a great accomplishment for he, his family, and our church. Congradulations Nick! We are very proud of you!

This Sunday is Youth-Led Sunday at Post Oak. Emily Stamps is going to be our guest Worship Leader for the day while Matthew Hamilton and Dominic Sandlin are going to bring us the message. Looking forward to this great time, seeing the young people of Post Oak use their talents for the Lord!

I will be traveling back to New Orleans for the third year in a row to work in the Lower Ninth Ward, the beginning of June. I am looking forward to seeing the progress that has been made and lending a hand where I can. I pray that God uses this time as a wake-up call to show that we are not promised tomorrow, so we better have it right with Him, today!

Vacation Bible School is coming up at Post Oak in the next couple of weeks. June 21-25th... Mark you calendars!

-AW

Where Do You Build?

2010-05-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of weeks I have been reading through the Gospels and I got to the end of Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 (The Sermon on the Mount) and thought about the parables that Jesus was using to get His message across.

One stuck out to me... Matthew 7: 24-27 Build Your House on the Rock

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell, and the great was the fall of it."

Jesus is speaking at the end of the Sermon on the Mount about where to build you house... No, that can't be what He actually means. Jesus is talking about putting your faith and trust in something that will not fail, no matter what is put up against it. He is talking about placing your faith, trust and hope in Him, the one who conquered the grave and defeated death.

I was thinking about where we put our faith and trust. Do we actually put it in Jesus or do we think we are invincible and place our hopes in ourselves or the people around us? Do we put or trust in something that will only last here on Earth or do we believe in the one who has gone to prepare a place for us at His Father's house?

Jesus wants us to be like the wise man and put our faith in Him. He has done everything. Jesus' blood was used to be atonement for the sins of man, so we would not have to bear the burden. He was sinless and became sin for each and every one of us. Who else do you know, would lay down their life for the entire world? Who would willingly take the place of every person on the earth, so that they might have eternal life with Almighty God?

Who would be beaten, mocked, cursed at, and crucified for you and for me?

One man... The Son of the Living God, Jesus, did that you both you and I.

So where do you choose to build your house today?

-AW

No One Can Worship God in Spirit and Truth...

2010-05-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

No one can worship God in Spirit and Truth for long before the obligation to holy service becomes too strong to resist. - AW Tozer

I was reading through Twitter the other day and this was one of the tweets that popped up. After reading through the quote by A.W. Tozer and thinking about what the meaning of it was, I have decided I would share my conclusion.

1. We are commanded to worship God in Spirit and in Truth
2. We are to worship the Father for all things (good and bad)
3. We are to serve
4. Matthew 28:19-20 The Great Commission

Beginning with No. 1... God calls us to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. To lay ourselves down and lift Him up. He wants us to worship Him for what He has created. Many times, we want to worship something else, not God. If we wanted to worship God alone, then our choices would be different and our actions would not be the same. God told us not to worship false idols, not to worship money, not to want fame. God told us to worship Him and Him alone.

Our Father is a jealous God... Hints one of the Ten Commandments! He wants us to join Him in what He is doing.

No. 2... Sometimes it is difficult to give praise and honor for something that wasn't right, at least in our eyes. It is easy to praise and worship the Father when everything is going good. But the true test is worshipping Him when something bad has happened. When something that wasn't suppose to does. God wants us to worship Him in all things. He told us He would never leave us or forsake us. He also told us that we can do all things, through Christ who gives us strength.

So why do we choose to only worship God when something good has happened?

No. 3... SERVICE!!! This one may be the most difficult to some. If we truly worship the most high God then we must be willing to get ready to get dirty and get ready to go when He calls. We must not be a generation that sits and says, "I'm ready and willing to go where you call, but can I make a suggestion on where that place is?"

We MUST be willing to go wherever and whenever He calls. If we truly worship the one who gave us breath today, then we must be ready to go and serve when He calls.

Finally... No. 4 The Great Commission.
Matthew 28:19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Enough said... This is the commandment that we are given once we believe. To go and make disciples!

The Secret of Worship...

2010-04-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

I was sitting around on Monday and I got an email from my Senior Pastor. The email was short and to the point. It stated, "Here is a quote on worship I thought you might like... The secret of worship is, wanting to meet God on His terms."

That was it... Short and sweet, but with such a deep thought.

Have you ever thought about what worship is? What it is defined as? Yes, we can look it up in the dictionary and see that it is stated as to honor or reverence as a divine being or supernatural power. To regard with great or extravagant, honor, or devotion.

That is all well and good, but let's get down to the real meat of the topic. Worship... What is the term we use on Sunday's or for that matter, any day of the week?

I liked the way the quote was stated... The secret of worship is, wanting to meet God on His terms.

When we come to meet God, how do we come? Do we come with an agenda? Do we come prepared to hear from Him? Do we come ready to do whatever He says? Do we come just because it is what we have always done?

But is that actually coming to meet the living God? Our Father longs for us to come and worship Him and go with Him on mission. He wants you and I to accept Him and be in a true, love-relationship with Him. God doesn't need any of us... He doesn't need us to accomplish what He wants. God chooses to want us! How awesome is that? Someone who doesn't need us, but wants us!

When we come to meet God, we must come with our hearts and minds ready to receive what He has in store for us. We must come knowing that He might ask us to get out of our comfort zones and do something that we are not use to doing, for Him.

We must come with nothing except ourselves... Everything must be left at the door and not picked up on the way out! We have to come to terms with this statement, "I am not in control, GOD IS!"

Sometimes we try to feel our way out of things instead of coming to our Father, who knows all things. He knows our hurts, our feelings, everything! He knows because He made both you and I, to be images of Him.

So the secret of worship... Coming to meet God on His terms!

I challenge each one of us to leave our bags at the door and meet the God is gave us life today with the passion to hear from Him. And when we do hear from our Father, let us act on what He says!

This Is My God, and I WILL Praise Him

2010-04-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

"The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and will exalt him." Exodus 15:2

After rehearsal on Wednesday night, I shared this passage with our Worship Choir and I wanted them to understand this concept of praise. Sometimes we think about the word praise as just a verb and not really a noun.

You see in the previous chapter, God parted the Red Sea for Moses to lead the people of Israel across the great sea, away from Pharaoh. "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters divided." (Exodus 14:21)

The passage goes on to tell us that the people of Israel went through the sea on dry ground with the waters being a wall on the right and left side of them. The Egyptians followed them into the sea with all of Pharaoh's chariots, horses and horsemen.

Moses was told by the Lord to stretch out his hand over the sea, so that the waters would overtake the Egyptians and swallow them up. The sea returned to normal with the walls of water crashing in on the Egyptians.

You see, Moses and the people of Israel had a lot to be thankful for! In the song of Moses... (Exodus 15) Moses is doing just that. Praising the Lord for what he has done and brought them out of the hand of bondage.

Praise isn't something to do lightly... Just like worship, we must come to the God of the universe and praise him with everything we have. He has done that for us, so why don't we do the same for him?

"... this is my God, and I WILL PRAISE HIM"

So when we come to the feet of our God, let us first come with praise and thanksgiving, knowing that he is our God and salvation and strength and our song.

We Don't Just Worship in a Building on Sunday...

2010-04-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

John 4:20-24
"Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

During this post I want us to concentrate on one particular verse... vs. 21. Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me,..."

When we look at the context of this conversation between Jesus and the Woman of Samaria we see that she has asked Jesus where to worship. Jesus tells her in v. 21, "the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father."

Aren't we glad that was the answer Jesus gave? I know that I am.

After seeing this verse and studying through this scripture, I have to remind myself that we are not suppose to just worship the Father on Sundays in a church building. We are not suppose to worship Him in just one place. We are to worship the Father everywhere.

That is what Jesus is saying... Jesus is inaugurating a new age in which people will not have to travel to a physical place temple in one city to worship but be able to worship God in every place, because the Holy Spirit will dwell in them, and therefore God's people everywhere will become the new temple where God dwells.

Sometimes we forget that statement that God lives within us and we are to worship Him everywhere we go! We think as the woman thought and we are only suppose to worship at church. PEOPLE... WE ARE THE CHURCH! The church isn't the building! WE ARE!!!

In the Name of the Lord

2010-03-23T20:41:00.000-07:00

In the Name of the Lord
"There is strength in the name of the Lord,
There is power in the name of the Lord,
There is hope in the name of the Lord.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

Matthew 21:9-10 states, "And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?""

As Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time, the people flocked to him, shouting praises to the Son of David. Children came before the Lord and laid palm leaves down in front of the Savior. People stopped and watched and worshiped the one who came to seek and save!

Worship to the King of Glory was taking place. The city shouted "Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"

How on earth could a city so overwhelmed shout these praises to Jesus but just one week later shout "crucify, crucify"? What happened in those five days? Why could this happen to the King of kings and the Lord of lords?

As we start to think about what took place over 2000 years ago in Jerusalem, we come to realization that there was a plan, our Father's plan, to make a substitute for each and every one of us. And that substitute was Jesus. Jesus became the Lamb of God, the one who, for our sake he mad him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

There was a master plan and God was the coach leading the way then and there is a plan today that still has our God in control.

I was sitting in my living room this morning thinking about why Jesus would want to take my place and why in the world He has chosen me to be on mission with Him. I had to stop and realize that He does not need me to fulfill the master plan, but He chooses to include me. I am so thankful for the cross and what Christ did for me there and I am humbled by the fact that He has included me to be on mission with Him!

The title of the AW blog, is to share the "One Eternal Truth... Jesus Saves" and that is what our objective should be... to share the sheer fact that JESUS SAVES. He took our place so that we would not die for our sins.

It is my prayer that as we begin this week, we will stop and think about the fact that someone took our place on the cross and that God has the master plan and is still working today! Will we take the time to stop and pray and communicate with our Father and praise him for what he did, or will we be as Jerusalem was later in the week and cry "Crucify"?

In Him,
Alex

Find It Here

2010-03-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

This morning a group from Post Oak joined together to distribute over 500 Find It Here bags throughout the surrounding area near the church. What an impact this could potentially have for His Kingdom!

Our group wasn't just young people or older people, it was a combination of people that wanted to make a difference in the lives of the people in the Russellville community.

During a recent event, held by the Kentucky Baptists, Vance Pitman stated that, "We are not called to a church but to a city." That seemed to hit home more than ever. I had never thought about what it actually meant to be called to an area. I thought that I was called to Post Oak as the Minister of Music, but in truth, I was called to Russellville to serve the people and lead them in Worship.

Pitman also spoke on churches closing... What if your church closed its doors tomorrow? Would the community be affected or even notice if it was gone? Would Russellville notice if Post Oak Baptist Church closed tomorrow?

When I hear things like that, it really makes me think about what we are doing. Are we doing the right thing, or are we just sitting back and waiting for someone else to take care of it?

The simple fact is Jesus Saves! He came and walked on this earth to dwell among the people of the land, to seek and save the lost! He became sin, who knew no sin, that we might become His righteousness! How about that! He died and rose again three days later to defeat death!

We serve the Risen Savior! So what are we doing to share the Word?

In Him,
Alex

Preparing to Worship

2010-03-17T12:13:00.001-07:00

Beth Moore said that "What happens in Worship doesn't stay in worship. It is lived out! "Worship is expressed to be an element that is never-ending. It is to go with us as we leave the church building and into our daily lives.

The 95th Psalm declares, "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand."

AS we prepare to meet our Father in corporate worship this Sunday, are we really meeting him in our time away from a church building? Are we really bowing down to the Lord our God. Are we surrendering all we have to the Father?

Sunday March 21st, 2010
Open the Eyes of My Heart
Sing to the King
Majesty
How Great Is Our God
How Great Thou Art
Do It, Lord

So are we ready to encounter the Lord? Are our hearts prepared to meet the Father? Are you ready to share His word and what Jesus did for us on the cross?

I look forward to seeing each of you on Sunday at Post Oak!
In Him,
Alex

10.28.09

2009-10-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

What is it that we are suppose to do each and every day of our lives, while we are here on Earth? What is it that we are called to do when we go to work, school, wherever? What is the one thing that we always need to do?

Praise and Worship our God for everything, the good and the bad! We are to praise Him for his surpassing greatness, His mighty works, His enduring love, His son, HIS EVERYTHING! We are to praise God, the Almighty every waking second...

Psalm 96 says:
"Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the Earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. (reading through verse 6 [ESV])

We are to sing a new song each and everyday to the Lord! Praise him for everything He has done and is going to do in our lives. We are the church and our bodies are His sanctuary!

As we prepare for a season of Thanksgiving, I urge each one of us to read David's Song of Thanks from 1 Chronicles 16:8-36.

A Look Ahead...

Community Thanksgiving Service (Nov. 22nd @ 6 p.m. Second Baptist Church)
Everything Glorious (Dec. 20th @ 6 p.m. POBC Worship Center)

I encourage all of us to attend these services and worship the Lord for all that He has given to us and give thanks for everything.

Everything Glorious is a joint presentation of the Gospel featuring the Worship Choir and the Sunday Night Life Group. I pray that you are in attendance for this celebration of Jesus' birth when everything on that night was glorious!

A Preview of Sunday Nov. 1, 2009

Victory in Jesus
My Life Is in You, Lord
The Solid Rock
In Christ Alone
Revelation Song
Joyce Sandlin (offertory)
Dr. John Franklin (message)

In Him,

Alex

2009-10-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

POBC,

I hope that everyone is enjoying the fall season and the beautiful weather that the Lord has given us! Fall is one of my favorite times of the year because of the amazing pictures that are given to us by the trees and leaves!

Just wanted to fill you in on what is going on in the POBC Music Department!
Some things to look out for in the near future...

Community Thanksgiving Service Nov. 22 at Second Baptist Church beginning at 6 p.m.
Everything Glorious Dec. 20 at Post Oak Baptist Church beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Dress Rehearsal for Everything Glorious Dec. 19 at 5:30 p.m.

Mark your calendars for the events! I look forward to seeing each of you there!

As we start to think about Sunday and the message that we will receive from the sermon series "Who We Are and Where We're Going," we must realize that we are on mission with Jesus Christ and that we must be willing to serve His people in all capacities!

I look ahead to Sunday Morning...

Serve the Lord with Gladness
Rhonda Powell (Offertory Praise)
Higher Ground
I Give You My Heart
We Fall Down
Shoutin' Time
Dr. John Franklin (Message)
Lord, Here Am I

I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to our services on Sunday! Morning Worship begins promptly at 11 a.m. in the Worship Center. Sunday School starts at 10 a.m. in various classrooms throughout our campus. If you play an instrument and would like to share your talents with God's people, please join us at 9 a.m. in the Worship Center for Ensemble practice! If you can sing and are willing to make a joyful noise unto the Lord, please join our Worship Choir in the choir room at 10:40 a.m. to prepare for the morning service.

There are many opportunities for you to get plugged in here at Post Oak. We invite you to come out and see if there is an area for you!

In Him,

Alex

10.14.09

2009-10-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

POBC Family,
I hope everyone is having a wonderful day and week back from fall break! I know for many of you it was a time to rest and relax and enjoy time with family and friends!

Just wanted to give you an update on what is going on in the Music Department at Post Oak...

Practice for Everything Glorious
Preparing for the Community Thanksgiving Service
And a little of this, and that!

I don't want to spoil all the fun by telling you everything that we are going to be doing in the next couple of months...

When we come to worship what are we looking for? What do we want to get out of the service? What are we looking for?

Those are some of the questions that run through people's minds when they come to worship. Worship isn't just something that takes place on Sunday morning. Worship is something that is expressed everyday of the week. We are suppose to praise the Lord all the days of our lives, not just once a week.

Romans 12:1 says; "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. (NIV)

A look ahead to Sunday October 18th, 2009

Praise Him! Praise Him!
Sing to the King
Here I Am to Worship
You're Worthy of My Praise
Carol Gant (Offertory Praise)
Mighty to Save (Worship Choir)
Dr. John Franklin (message)

It is my prayer that we come to worship the Lord everyday of our lives and that we seek His face and His truth in everything that we do!

I look forward to seeing each of you on Sunday!

In Him,

Alex

Music Update 10.6.09

2009-10-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

POBC,
I hope that everyone is having a great start to the fall season! I know that I look forward to this time of year, each and every year. Also, for those on fall break, I hope that you are enjoying your time off from school and resting up to finish out the fall semester.

On the music front...

Some things to look out for over the next couple of months heading into the Christmas Season:

Community Thanksgiving Service (Nov. 22)
Practice for Everything Glorious
New songs from the Worship Choir

Obviously there will be more...

It is my prayer that we are focusing in on what God has in store for Post Oak Baptist Church and Russellville, Ky. I pray that we are coming to the Lord with Thanksgiving in our hearts for the things He has done and will do in the coming days.

A look ahead to Sunday October 11, 2009...

As we enter into a time of worship together, let us focus in on what we need to focus on, not the everyday hassles that we have to deal with. Worship is a time for us to express Glory to God and praise the Father, not to worry about what is for lunch, or what time the game comes on. We are to worship the Lord all the time, not just on Sunday morning.

To God Be the Glory
Cheryl Gant (Offertory Praise)
How Great is Our God
How Great Thou Art
Holy Spirit, Rain Down
In Christ Alone (Worship Choir)
Dr. John Franklin, Senior Pastor
He Knows My Name

It is my prayer that we come to our time of worship with our hearts and minds open to receive what God has in store for us!

Psalm 150 states:

“Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and the flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”

God Bless,

Alex

September 30, 2009

2009-09-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

POBC,

I hope that each of you are enjoying your week and the beginning to a new season! I know that I look forward to this time of year when the leaves start to change colors and when the weather gets cooler. Isn't fall a wonderful time to look at what God has made!

What is it that we look for when we come to church? Is it something in the service? Is it something in the people that we are around and haven’t seen in a couple of days? Is it the music or is it the message? What is it that we look for when we come to church?

This is a question that many people ask. We are always looking for something when it comes to everything. So why would church be any different right?

What is it that you are looking for when you come to church?

For me, I look for the sweet, sweet Spirit of our Lord to move through the congregation and through my heart like it never has before. I pray that when we enter into a time of worship that our hearts are at rest and that our ears and eyes and souls are open to see what God has in store for us that day and every day.

Church is not the building we congregate in each Sunday or the place we come to on Wednesday nights. CHURCH is the people of God joining together in worship and praise to our Father for what He has done for each of us and what He is going to do in the days ahead.

Where two or more are gathered in His name, He will be there…

Sunday marks a special time in our hearts because we will be reminded of what Jesus did for us on Calvary’s cross. We will be in observance of the Lord’s Supper.

A look ahead to Sunday’s Morning Service…

You Are My King (Amazing Love)
Let Us Break Bread Together
In Remembrance
Come Just As You Are
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
We will also be hearing from Sarah Colbert, who will be bringing our offertory praise.

It is my prayer that we come to worship with our hearts and minds open to receive what God has in store for us. Let us worship Him like we never have before!

I leave you with this…

Psalms 150 states:
Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
Praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
Praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
Praise him with the harp and lyre,
Praise him with tambourine and dancing,
Praise him with the strings and flute,
Praise him with the clash of cymbals,
Praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.

May God Bless Each of you!
In Him,
Alex

POBC MUSIC UPDATES

2009-09-21T18:46:00.000-07:00

POBC,
Hope all is well...
Just wanted to give you a few updates about what is going on with the music department.

Practice has begun for Christmas 2009, entitled Everything Glorious
Everything Glorious will be performed by the Worship Choir and Sunday Night Life
New music entitled Jesus Saves, Live has been purchased and will be performed on Sunday Sept. 27
The Childern's Choir did a fantastic job this past Sunday

On another note... Anyone intrested in joining any of the choirs, praise teams or ensamble, please see myself or any member of the music department. WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU JOIN US!

A look at Sunday Sept. 27, 2009

Victory In Jesus
The Solid Rock
In Christ Alone
To The King (Worship Choir)
Robin Harris (Offertory Praise)
Dr. John Franklin (First Sunday as our Senior Pastor)

I pray that everyone has a wonderful rest of the week and I look forward to seeing each of you on Sunday!

God Bless each of you,

Alex

Music News -- 08/16/09

2009-08-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

Today we experienced what God has had instore for Post Oak Baptist Church for a long time... A day of loving the Lord with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls and everything we had to give, we did. God moved throughout our congregation like I haven't wittnessed in many years. From the beginning of the service on into Bro. John's message, we could feel the pressence of our Lord and Savior!

I hope that everyone is enjoying our worship services and experiencing God through them. Today showed that we were not just singing the songs, but we were worshiping through the songs and showing it to one another.

A Little Preview Into Next Week...
To God Be the Glory
You're Worthy of My Praise
Everlasting God
Indescribable
You Are Holy (Prince of Peace)
Amazing Grace How Sweet the Sound

Next Sunday night we will have the opportunity to hear from The Menser's and their travels to Africa to see Tim, Jill and the boys and work beside them doing what the Lord has commanded us to do and make disciples of all nations!

May God bless each and everyone of you and I hope that HE works through each of us to further HIS kingdom.

-Alex