5-17-26//Worship Team

5-17-26//REJOICE AND WEEP

Rom 12:9-15 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

Let’s give other people a reason to rejoice in hope

Eccl 3:1-8 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven — 

2 A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

3 A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.

4 A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.

7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak.

8 A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace

Rejoice with those who rejoice means celebrating the victories, milestones, and happiness of others without letting jealousy or insecurity get in the way. It's about letting someone else shine and being genuinely happy for their blessings, which can be harder than comforting the brokenhearted.

Col 3:12-14 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Eph 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Eph 4:32 And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you. AMP

1 Peter 3:8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;

 Weep with those who weep is the embodiment of compassion. It means sitting with people in their grief, validating their pain, and carrying their burdens without rushing to "fix" their problems.

Heb 13:3 Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body

 1 Cor 12:26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

 Gal 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ

5-10-26// OPEN MY EYES THAT I MAY SEE

2 Kings 6:8-17

8 Now the king of Aram was warring against Israel; and he [a]counseled with his servants saying, “In such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 The man of God sent word to the king of Israel saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Arameans are coming down there.” 10 The king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God had told him; thus he warned him, so that he guarded himself there, [b]more than once or twice.

11 Now the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 One of his servants said, “No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 13 So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and take him.” And it was told him, saying, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” 14 He sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

15 Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! [c]What shall we do?” 16 So he [d]answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Ps 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.

Ps 101:1-4 I will sing of lovingkindness and justice, To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.

2 I will give heed to the blameless way. When will You come to me?

I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.

3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away;

It shall not fasten its grip on me.

4 A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know no evil.

 EL SHADDAI is a primary name for God in Judaism and Christianity, conventionally translated as "God Almighty" or "All-Sufficient One". It represents God as a powerful, nourishing figure who sustains his people, frequently appearing in the Book of Genesis, particularly in covenants with Abraham and Jacob.

Key Aspects of El Shaddai

·       Meaning: While commonly translated as "God Almighty" (Latin: Deus Omnipotens), Shaddai may also stem from roots meaning "mountain" (suggesting strength/ruling) or "breast" (suggesting nourishment and comfort). It emphasizes God as the self-sufficient, all-sufficient sustainer.

·       Biblical Significance: El Shaddai was the name by which God revealed Himself to the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) before revealing the name YHWH to Moses. It suggests a God who fulfills promises and provides for needs.

According to Scripture, God sees believers through the lens of Jesus' sacrifice—as His beloved children, rather than through our imperfections. He sees the heart, knowing His people intimately, and views them as valuable, "fearfully and wonderfully made" masterpieces created for a purpose.

As New Creations:

2 Cor 5:17-21 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

As Known Intimately:

Ps 139:1-6 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

You understand my thought from afar.

3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down,

And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before there is a word on my tongue,

Behold, O Lord, You know it all.

5 You have enclosed me behind and before,

And laid Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

Eph 2:8-10 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. 

5-10-26// Worship Team

5-3-26/BLESS THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU, BLESS AND DO NOT CURSE

Rom 12:9-14 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

This instruction calls for active kindness, prayer, and wishing well toward those causing harm, rather than seeking revenge or wishing them evil.

This means speaking well of others, desiring their good, and praying for their well-being, even when wronged

Matt 5:43-48 You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.'  44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  47 "If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  48 "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Lev 19:18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.

5-3-26//Worship Team

4-26-26// Sunday Worship

4-26-26// Practicing Hospitality

Rom 12:9-13 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Gal 6:6-10 The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.  7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

Hospitality: The verse instructs believers to "pursue hospitality" (ESV) or "given to hospitality" (KJV), which often means welcoming strangers and fellow believers in need.

 A "Hunting" Pursuit: meaning to "pursue" or "chase" hospitality, indicating it is an active effort.

 Loving the Stranger: The Greek term for hospitality translates literally to "love of strangers," emphasizing it is not just entertaining friends.

 An Act of Service: Hospitality is a spiritual duty and a way to express God's love to the world.

Matt. 25:41-46 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;  42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;  43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'  44 "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?'  45 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Lev 19:33-34 When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 'The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.

Hebrews 13:2: "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares".

Luke 14:12-14 And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment.  13 "But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

4-19-26//Worship Team

4-19-26//CONTRIBUTING TO THE NEEDS OF THE SAINTS

Rom 12:9-13 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Let’s give other people a reason to rejoice in hope

Phil 2:1-11 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

"Contributing to the needs of the saints" (Romans 12:13) is a biblical command for Christians to actively share resources, time, and hospitality with fellow believers facing hardships. It implies a partnership where one believer's burden becomes another's, going beyond mere charity to foster deep community and support.

·       Active Sharing: It means entering into fellowship with other believers and sharing in their necessities, including food, clothing, and shelter.

Acts 2:43-47 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Gal 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Isa 58:10 And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,

Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday.

Practical Applications

·       Supporting the Persecuted: Assisting brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering for their faith.

·       Local Church Care: Supporting members within one’s own local church community who are in need.

·       Hospitality: Opening homes to fellow believers, especially those traveling or in distress.

·       Active Ministry: Engaging in practical service, such as helping with food, housing, or necessities for those in need.

·       Prayer: Praying for the members of the church.