A Strange Weekend

This weekend we are in southwestern Michigan and it is strange - not southwestern Michigan but rather our plans this weekend.

It started with a Friday night going away event for our friends Scott and Jenn Miedema.  It seems to strange to say this but Scott and I met over 20 years ago.  We were in each other's weddings and while we don't see each other very much he has been a blessing to me.  So when we heard they were heading back to the Dominican Republic, we wanted to see them.

After deciding to do this I connected with a possible ministry opportunity out here.  So we coordinated an informal visit and then a week ago we heard about another possibility out here.  To clarify, we are visiting these two churches as visitors with no commitments or candida ting.

Here is what I want to take the rest of the time to write about.

During this transitional time from our ministry at Emmanuel Baptist Church, it is very strange, good but strange, being here meeting with people from our past ministry while thinking about and considering future ministry opportunities.

God has worked in so many

   Amazing 

   Strange 

   Difficult 

   Great

   Amazing

   Challenging 

ways.

As I think back on my first Sunday in the Dominican Republic, I tried to find where the rest of the school teachers were meeting for an English service.  I got so lost using public transportation in a Spanish speaking country.  Eventually I decided to go back to my apartment where I cried the whole morning wondering what in the world I was doing in that place.  Over time I made many great friends, met my wife and lived there 8 years.

Fast-forward to tomorrow, Krista and I, along with Joel, Josiah and Jadyn, are visiting two churches as we begin the next phase of our journey with God guiding us.  

I am praying that I don't get lost.

I am thankful I understand the language.

I am not planning to go back to a lonely apartment to cry.

I recently came across a book called Detours by Tony Evans.  I read it in a day and I know God provided it as an encouragement for me personally even though I picked it up as a resource for my Camp Patmos messages.

Here is the link to the Detours website with quotes and a video

http://www.detoursbook.com/  

Throughout this weekend,

Throughout this past year,

Throughout my life, 

God has provided so many different things in so many different ways.

I will post more about this crazy weekend tomorrow, if we have electricity.

But that is a story for tomorrow.

Some prayer requests:

Pray for good church visits tomorrow.

Pray for discernment as we begin to focus in on some specific ministry opportunities.  If it is the Lord's will we would really like to begin settling on one ministry before the start of the school for the kids' sake. 

Pray for Emmanuel baptist Church.  I have been working with other pastors on transition stuff.  

Pray for Krista.  She has ear surgery on Thursday to fix a hole in her eardrum.

Camp Patmos 2017

Looking forward to speaking at Camp Patmos the week of July 17 through 22.

Here is some of the great truths I will be speaking on.

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, 

leading you to fall away from the living God.   

But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” 

that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  

For we have come to share in Christ, 

if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.  

As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, 

do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” 

Hebrews 3:12-15 (ESV)

Monday

BIG IDEA:  God is faithful to keep his promises.  
God makes, honors, and fulfills His promised and we need to be reminded of His faithfulness.
God is the BOSS.
Hebrews 1:1, 2

Tuesday

BIG IDEA:  God rescues and delivers.  

God rescues His people for His glory and our good in His way in His timing.

God is the RESCUER.
Hebrews 2:14, 15

Wednesday

BIG IDEA:  God provides.  

God provides what we really need and sometimes blesses us with even more.
God is the PROVIDER.
Hebrews 2:17, 18

Thursday

BIG IDEA:  God desires obedience.  

God desires obedience even when His commands might not make sense and even if the task seems impossible.
God is the LIFE CHANGER.
Hebrews 13:5, 6

Friday:

BIG IDEA:  God gives hope.  

God gives hope to His people and we know He will fulfill His promises.
God is the HOPE GIVER.

Hebrews 9:12

Why does the church meet together?

I want to offer what I believe is the biggest reason the church meets together and
why those who follow Jesus Christ should make it a habit to regularly meet with a local church gathering.

My personal and family devotional time this morning helped remind of this reason.

This month we are starting The New City Catechism with our family.  
So this morning I asked each person on their own to 

• read the passage, Romans 14:7, 8, that is connected with the first question/answer (Q: "What is our only hope in life and death?"  A: "That we are not our own but belong to God.")
• think about how this verse connects with going to a church service.  

Here is the passage.

Now I gave this assignment to my family before reading July 2nd's New Morning Mercies.  Here are two quotes from this devotional.

Corporate worship is designed to turn your heart from the shadow glories of creation to the one glory that will satisfy it.

Life is only ever found in what all those earth-bound glories point to - a God of awesome glory who is the source and giver of life; life that satisfies and remains forever. 

After doing my assignment, giving it to my family and then reading New Morning Mercies, I wrote the following in my journal (Just to let you know, when almost all of my journal entries are written as prayers to God).   

God, In reading Romans 14:7, 8 and today's New Morning Mercies, I am reminded that my life, church and corporate worship are not about me and my wants and my comforts.  

It is first and foremost about YOUR GLORY.  Help me remember that.  

Then I was reminded of this song that declares this truth.




As many of you know our family is in the midst of a big transition.
I am thankful for God's reminder that my life and my ministry are not about me!

So my closing questions for you are not...
Did you enjoy church this morning?
or
Did you have fun this morning?  (You know this is the question many parents asked their kids this morning)

But rather...
Did you glorify God this morning?
and
How were you challenged to be more Christ-like?

End of June Update

This update is posted a little later than I planned because we were given free tickets to a Toledo Mudhens baseball game!

The 30th entry in The Gospel Primer is entitled "My Manifesto."  It is a very appropriate today.  Here are two extended quotes.

Boldness is critical. Without boldness, my life story will be one of great deeds left undone, victories left unwon, petitions left unprayed, and timely words unsaid. If I wish to live only a pathetically small portion of the life God has prepared for me, then I need no boldness. But if I want my life to bloom full and loom large for the glory of God, then I must have boldness – and nothing so nourishes boldness in me like the gospel!

The more I comprehend what God has done for me through Christ, the more I find myself confidently coming before God in prayer, 156 speaking to Him in situations in which I formerly would have shrunk from Him, and offering requests that I formerly would have been too timid to offer (due either to the largeness of the request or my own sinful unworthiness). With greater boldness in prayer comes an increased enjoyment of God and the bounty that He gives, due simply to the fact that I was daring enough to ask for what was needed. 

During this time of so many transitions, it is my prayer that God would help me grow in prayerful dependence upon Him.  I am so thankful for how God has grown me in this BUT I also know I have so much more growth.

And today I read Psalm 121, which is full of great reminders of who God is.

Below are some specific prayer requests

MINISTRY

• My new role of advisory/transitional begins July 1st.  My responsibilities will change from children, family, Soul Care and Christian education to helping the pastoral team at EBC move forward with the mission of glorifying God by making disciples who are submitted to His lordship, grounded in His teaching and sincere in His love.  
• On Sundays we are going to be visiting different churches.  Some of these churches will be potential future ministries.  Other church visits will be opportunities to encourage and learn from pastor friends here in Toledo and elsewhere.   
• We would really appreciate your prayers for discernment as we consider the ministry opportunities God seems to be providing.  There are some possibilities in Michigan and one possibility in New Jersey.  Each possibility is a great opportunity to serve Jesus Christ in a church.  These very different opportunities (lead/associate and urban/suburban) and each have their challenges and blessings.  By the middle of July, we should be prayerfully focusing in on what God has next for us.
• I am also going to be speaking at Camp Patmos' Junior Camp week from July 17 through 22.  Pray for my preparation, speaking and the kids who will be there.  

HOUSE

• We have accepted an offer on our home after only three days on the market. 
• We are prayerfully waiting on the inspection report, appraisal and closing for our home.
• 6/30 update:  Inspection went well.  Only one thing that needs to be fixed.  Very thankful.
• Here is the amazing God thing!  One of my biggest concerns as we began this whole process was finding a buyer for the house.  God, in His sovereign authority and powerful grace and perfect wisdom, gave us a buyer for our home before He gave us a place to go.  

FAMILY

• While there is the uncertainty of where we will be during the upcoming school year, we are really trying to help the kids look to the Lord and trust Him.  
• We also have some health things coming up and would appreciate your prayers.
• Krista is having ear surgery on July 13th to repair a hole in her eardrum.
• Jadyn has to have quite a bit of dental work done.  

PERSONALLY

• God has been using Bible verses from the Fighter Verses and other reading, the devotional books New Morning Mercies and Gospel Primer, and various songs to remind me of God's goodness and sovereignty.  Here are some of the specific verses that have been an encouragement.
• Psalm 51
• Philippians 4:11-13
• Psalm 121
• 2 Timothy 1:7

Thankful for Opportunities, Resources, Relationships, Personal Spiritual Growth and Ministry Development

I have been very blessed to have served here at Emmanuel.
Through EBC, God has provided me with conferences, books, speaking opportunities and the other pastors on staff to help me grow personally and develop a philosophy of ministry.
In preparing for my ministry transition I have been thinking through these great resources and opportunities and have been putting together a ministry transition notebook over the last several months.
This has provided time to reflect on and flesh out some ministry philosophy points.


This ministry transition notebook contains sections on UPWARD, EKIDZ, Kids in Church, Bible Teaching Hour, Child Teen Protection Policy, Communication, Soul Care, web-based ministries, prayer, contacts and
some general ministry principles.

While most of it is specific to ministry areas I oversaw, I wanted to share in this post, some of the general ministry principles I have learned and tried to apply during my time here at EBC.
There are two main reasons I wanted to share this

1. Sharing these things is a thank you for your investment in me.  Many of you at EBC have been such a help in my development as a pastor.  Financial gifts have provided for books and conferences that have helped me grow.  Time gifts such as serving in ministries or meeting at various times and places have provided encouragement and insights.  
2. Sharing these things is an update on our ministry.  We want you to know what we have learned and are planning to take from EBC and share with others in our ministry.  As I have mentioned before, we are prayerfully looking forward to taking what we have learned here to another church. 

I am excited to take these and other principles to wherever God has serving next.  Below are the principles and HERE are the journal pages, which I have been and probably will continue updating.

• Parents are the primary disciple-makers in their child's life

• Disciples make disciples who make disciples - hwww.youtube.com/watch?v=jRq1n1c5YUs

• What is taught in every group is vitally important for the spiritual health of the members and for the church as a whole - hthomrainer.com/?s=unaligned+small+groups

• Many people in the church don't need more options to "get information."  They need training on and opportunities to "apply information."  At the same time, information/truth is not bad and does not need to be eliminated.
• Related to children and parents:  www.timothypauljones.com/making-time-for-what-matters/

• Kids need to be seen as "potential" or "actual" members of the body of Christ - the church - not attenders of a ministry or means to reach parents.
• www.timothypauljones.com/family-ministry-do-you-see-who-your-children-really-are/

Helping People @ The Cherry Street Mission's Life Revitalization Center

Today (06.21), I have the opportunity to do the devotion with EBC's Women of Hope.
We went to the Cherry Street Mission's Life Revitalization Center.
HERE is the handout for the devotional

I shared with the ladies that life without Jesus is the poorest life of all.
Here are parts of the devotional I shared with the ladies, followed by some pictures of the Life Revitalization Center.

From Helping Without Hurting In Church Benevolence.  To find out more about this book, click HERE

A material definition of poverty puts the materially non-poor in a position of superiority over the materially poor.

    Material Definition of Poverty
+  Feelings of Superiority of Materially Non-poor
+  Feelings of Inferiority of Materially Poor
    Harm to both Materially Poor and Non-poor

Galatians 4:1 – 7

I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, ² but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. ³ In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. ⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

We were all profoundly broken people who deserved eternal punishment, but through Christ’s death and resurrection – and absolutely no merit of our own – we are now the adopted sons and daughters of our heavenly Father.

Poverty Alleviation: 
A process in which people, both the materially poor and the materially non-poor, are empowered to move closer to living in right relationship with God, self, others and the rest of creation.

Not all poverty is created equal:  Relief – Rehabilitation – Development

We need to remember there are different reasons for poverty.  We cannot and should not judge those in poverty as if we are superior to them.  


Here is another great reminder from the June 5th Fighter Verses 

Philippians 4:11 – 13
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. ¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”


Here are some picture from our Life Revitalization Center tour.  
To read more about the Life Revitalization Center go to www.cherrystreetmission.org/facilities/lrc

Craig Magrum, Cherry Volunteer Coordinator gave EBC's
Women of Hope a tour of their new Life Revitalization Center

This is where they are going to begin serving meals
on Friday.  What a beautiful new facility

I was very impressed with the fact that Cherry Street is using
their facility to partner with other organizations like
Connecting Kids with Meals.  These are coolers of lunches
going all over the city.

O.K. I am no Jim Jackson but I did take my picture at
center court of the gym he played on in high school.

I thought my father-in-law would like this picture.
He is a graduate of Macomber High School.

God Gave Us

Recent devotionals from New Morning Mercies and The Fighter Verses have been extremely encouraging.
Psalm 51:8
Philippians 4:11-13

Specific Praise and Prayer Requests

Here are a couple of specific praises and prayer requests...

• Our House.  
• We are so thankful for the blessing of our current house.  For the proximity to the Emmanuel.  For the opportunity we have had to meet and get to know our neighbors.  

• We would appreciate your prayers for wisdom.  We are not sure where the LORD is leading us at the same we understand this is a good market for homes and after July 4th is not.  
• Pray for wisdom in deciding on and finishing projects around the house.
• Pray for wisdom about when to put our house on the market.  We are talking with people next week about what to do.  There are many things to consider.  But we know that God is sovereign.

• Our ministry 
• Please for EBC's Sonshine Carnival (6.17) and Vacation Bible School (6.18-6.22).  This has been a great opportunity to connect with many different people in the community and we are looking for even more opportunities this year.  Last night I did the Kid's Group Leader training.  We talked about the Bible stories the kids will be learning and how the leaders can use them throughout the night.  I shared the notes HERE.  The theme verse is Proverbs 3:5-6.

• It has been my prayer to help Emmanuel Baptist Church (the pastors and the people) transition well.  Pray for those who will be taking up my responsibilities.  Pray for Pastor Duke as he leads the church.  Pray for all the people  Pray everyone would desire to glorify God by making disciples who are submitted to His Lordship, grounded in His teaching and sincere in His love.

• Camp Patmos camp season is starting up very soon.  
• The staff is on the island getting their training.  Pray for David Sellers, his family and the staff as they prepare for the summer.  
• There are two fundraisers coming up.  If you would like to help support a camp ministry that we love you can check these out 
• Run for the Light - runner and/or donations - http://www.camppatmos.com/support-the-camp/run-for-the-light-5k
• Summit Motorsports -volunteers - http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0e4da5ac2caaf58-usher
• I will be at Camp Patmos speaking at Junior week (4th-6th graders) the week of July 17-22.  Pray for my preparation and the preparation of the other speakers.

• God has blessed us with a number of ministry possibilities.  Pray for discernment as we begin to sort through the ones we have received and will be receiving.  We want to be prayefully trusting in our sovereign God as we make these decisions

• Our family
• We have begun working on the weekly Fighter Verses as a family.  Pray that we would be growing closer and closer to God and one another as we work through these verses.
• Here is a good article on motivations for reading, loving and memorizing God's Word - http://fighterverses.com/blog-post/seven-reasons-to-hold-fast-to-the-word/
• Here is this week's verses Philippians 4:11-13.

For the Cause - Sonshine Training!!

Here is my goal for the Kid's Group Leaders at tonight's Sonshine training...

Trust in the LORD and help the kids who will be at Sonshine trust in the LORD!
Proverbs 3:5 - 6 is this year's Sonshine theme verse.

This song from the Gettys

Click HERE for the powerpoint from Wednesday night's meeting tim.

Here are each of the lessons for the week.

Sunday:

• Wrangler quality:  COURAGE
• Bible Story:  David & Goliath
• Passage:  1 Samuel 17
• God has won the victory for us! 
• Click HERE for a Alistair Begg's sermon "You Cannot Be Serious."  It serves as a great reminder of the big idea of David & Goliath.

Monday:

• Wrangler quality:  COMPASSION  
• Bible Story:  The Good Samaritan 
• Passage:  Luke 10:25-37 
• God loves us so we should love others!
• While Jesus's command says "'Love your enemy.'  Jesus' story says 'Your enemy loved you.'" 
• “The larger context—the rest of Luke and the entire Bible—tells us that ‘while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son’ (Romans 5:10). Jesus loved us with an even more sacrificial love than the Samaritan. He not only risked his life but gave it.” from Show Them Jesus

Tuesday:

• Wrangler quality:  COOPERATION 
• Bible Story:  Nehemiah & Rebuilding Wall 
• Passage:  Nehemiah 4:7-21 
• God has a great plan to protect His people!

Wednesday:

• Wrangler Quality:  CHARACTER 
• Bible Story:  The Story of Achan 
• Passage:  Joshua 7 
• Psalm 86:5-6, 11 
• We cannot hide our sin from God!
• Joshua 22:20 
• One Sinned & Many Died 
• One died & Many were Saved
• HERE is another post about Achan 

Thursday:

• Wrangler Quality:  CONFIDENCE 
• Bible Story:  Abraham Sacrifices Isaac 
• Passage:  Genesis 22:1-14 
• God is a faithful God and we need to trust Him!

Click http://ekidzministry.blogspot.com/search/label/SONSHINE for some specific Sonshine posts on our EKIDZ ministry site.

Pentecost - The Holy Spirit has come!!

Ten days ago, May 25, 2017, I wrote about the importance of Jesus' Ascension.
Today, June 4, 2017, commemorates one of the biggest reasons why Jesus had to ascend to heaven - so the Holy Spirit would come.  The article I shared in that post gave 4 results of the Ascension.  Here is the 3rd result and what followers of Jesus Christ can celebrate today.  The day the Holy Spirit came to dwell among and in those who have been saved.

#3. The Gift of the Comforter. “One of the most important reasons for Jesus’ ascension was that Pentecost might take place, that the Father and the Son might pour out the Spirit on the church to strengthen it and empower it for its earthly mission. As we all know, to witness for Christ in a corrupt world requires strength greater than our own. John Calvin said that the most important task of the church is to be the visible witness of the invisible kingdom, and for that we need the Holy Spirit.” 

John 16:5-15 contains Jesus' words regarding "the Helper" and His purpose.

Here are two basic Biblical truths about the Holy Spirit I have in my doctrinal paper.

The Person of the Holy Spirit 
The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force. The Holy Spirit has emotions and is grieved by sin (Eph. 4:30), has a will (Acts 16:6). Throughout the New Testament, the use of personal pronouns demonstrates the personality of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26; 16:13-14; Acts 13:2; 1 Cor. 2:12). 

The Deity of the Holy Spirit 
The Holy Spirit is God. He is coequal with the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3, 4; 28:25, 26; 1 Cor. 2:11; 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 13:14) and eternal (Hebrews 9:14). The Holy Spirit has the divine attributes of God: omniscience (1 Cor. 2:10, 11); omnipresence (Ps. 139; John 14:17); omnipotence (Zech. 4:6; Job 33:4; Ps. 104:30).

The Many Forms of God's Care

Today (June 1) begins my last month as pastor of small groups and children/families at Emmanuel Baptist Church.

The New Morning Mercies devotional for June 1st has served as a great reminder of what (who) is most important!

God’s care comes in many forms. He cares enough to break your bones in order to capture your heart. 

Please pray that as
  I prepare to hand off ministries that mean so much to me
  Krista, the kids and I work on our house
  Krista and I continue to prayerfully seek God's direction for our next ministry

that our hearts would be captivated by God and His glory and not our circumstances.

During this time it has been amazing to see how God is blessing us through people, His Word and His presence.

There have also been some challenges.

Here are a couple of specific prayer requests related to the three general prayer requests above....

1. Wisdom and direction regarding our house.  We are preparing to put it on the market soon but aren't sure what that means during this transitional time.
2. Wisdom and direction regarding ministry direction.  
• We have heard from several different churches and are prayerfully looking through them.  We also are waiting to hear back from some possibilities and have been informed that some churches are looking at different candidates.  Pray that we would wait on the Lord and His good plan.  
• I am very excited about the opportunity to once again speak at Camp Patmos the week of July 17 - 22.  Pray for my time there and preparation leading up to it.  
3. Wisdom and direction regarding ministry transition at EBC.  
• We have been so blessed to have had the opportunities to encourage and be encouraged by so many different families and individuals at EBC.  We want to finish our time here well for God's glory.  I know this means so much more than giving information about the programs that I had oversight of.  
• Also, prayer for the pastors and the staff of EBC during this transitional time.  

The New Morning Devotional today included Psalm 51 especially verse 8, which is a great Psalm to always remember.

"Let me hear joy and gladness;  let the bones that you have broken rejoice." 

Added on June 8th:
One of my biggest takeaways from this devotional has been that God is the one who brings joy and gladness.  He is also the one who crushes my bones.  It is not circumstances, situations or individuals.  God is the one who is sovereign.

Ascension Day!

Ascension Day occurs 39 days after Easter Sunday and commemorates Jesus Christ's ascension into heaven. 

Over the last couple of years, I have been reminded of the importance of this aspect of Jesus' life and ministry.
I want to share some things that I have been reminded of, and am learning about Jesus' ascension.
Then I want to share some life lessons God has been teaching me in this.

Right before his ascension, Jesus said: "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" (Acts 1:8).  

Jesus ascended so that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the one who would give His followers the power to be His witnesses around the world.

Hebrews 8:1, 2 says "Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man."

In his article "4 Results of Christ's Ascension," Tim Challies shares some of the great results of Christ's ascension:

1. Glorification
2. Coronation
3. the gift of the Comforter
4. the ministry of the High Priest

Now, the life lesson that has been challenging.

Before he ascended Jesus promised the disciples a Comforter and power (Acts 1:8).
Since his ascension, we have a high priest who is seated at God's hand that we look to (Hebrews 12:1, 2).

With everything my family has going on right now, I am so thankful 
for God the Holy Spirit who comforts and gives power, 
for God the Son who is the founder and perfecter of my faith, and 
for God the Father who is sovereign over everything and on HJis throne. 

We are not sure what ministry God has for us in the future.
We are not sure what God has planned for our house.
We are not sure what God has planned for the ministries and people we love at Emmanuel Baptist Church.

At the same time,
I am sure that God is in control.
I am sure that Jesus has saved me.
I am sure that the Holy Spirit will give me and EBC the strength and power to do what God has planned next. 

These truths don't make what is next easy.
There are definitely struggles and difficulties. 
but I choose to say blessed be God's name and I am not alone.
Here are two online resources that have been extremely helpful.

• I posted about the song Hills and Valleys at http://drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2017/05/hills-and-valleys.html
• Here is a sermon by Alistair Begg on the Ascension - https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/sermon/ascension-of-jesus-christ-the/

We would greatly appreciate your prayers for our family, for Emmanuel Baptist Church, and for whatever God has us doing next.

As Long As You Are Glorified

One of my favorite Sovereign Grace albums is 

Come Weary Saints

Here is a description.

Scripture assures us that God is sovereignly using our difficulties as tools to make us more like his Son. “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Ro 5:3–5) While we know these things are true, in the midst of our hardships we can lose perspective. Problems can loom large, and our hopes can grow dim.

Come Weary Saints is an invitation to redirect your focus to the God whose love has been forever demonstrated at the cross of Calvary. As you listen to these songs, may your faith and joy in the Savior be strengthened for the challenges you face, now or in the future.

One of my favorite songs is
"As Long As You Are Glorified"

VERSE 1
Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain?
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain?
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought?
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt?

CHORUS
Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified

VERSE 2
Are You good only when I prosper
And true only when I’m filled?
Are You King only when I’m carefree
And God only when I’m well?
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night

BRIDGE
So quiet my restless heart
Quiet my restless heart
Quiet my restless heart in You