It was second Sunday of the month today and it is changed pulpit Sunday, a different Pastor delivered a message. The service proper was started late because there is a short discussion about the upcoming Thanksgiving and Foundation Day of the church.

Some people at my back was a bit shocked when the leader sit in the chair where a Pastor usually seated, I heard someone asked if the leader will be the preacher, it answers my thought that there is something wrong when the service proper started. Anyway the scriptural topic delivered by the Pastor was “The Beauty of Being Faithful” and the scriptural verse was from Job 2: 1-6, according to Pastor R there are three beauties of being faithful and the first one is God is proud to us.  He is proud when we live a clean and upright life like the life of Job, the Pastor also added that God wasn’t lacking and He didn’t commit mistake when He send over trials and problems to us, maybe it was us who did something wrong.

[Image courtesy of thelatterdays.blogspot.com]

Secondly, God is concerned to us. He won’t let us down, He will help us when we are willing to help ourselves first. He doesn’t walk away but we are the one who walk away from God through the sins we are making. Pastor R also says if you are concerned to someone it means you love that person just like how God is concerned to us because He love us.

The last beauty of being faithful is God is sufficient.  There are a lot of things God want us to have, to experience but all He wanted first is for us to be faithful to Him.  How? Pastor R says we must do all things with love,in short  do all things to God with love.

It is Sunday today and it is the day that the Lord has made, I went to church with my hair untie which is unusual. I have to lose my hair to hide something in the side of my face, in my jaw particularly. It started as a pimple then it feels very itchy that I scratched it without thinking until it grows bigger like the size of a small coin. 🙁

Anyway, before the service proper started Pastor E announces some church concerns like who would like to lead during Sunday service and etc. One of the older member in the church whispered to me that it will look good if I lead, I just smiled while saying I can’t do it. Honestly, what I would like to do is to teach Sunday school among children.

The scriptural reading can be found Joshua 1: 1-9 with a scriptural topic of Facing Challenges This Year without Fear. Pastor E says that New Year brings new opportunities, possibilities as well as new challenges but with God’s provisions we are able to overcome these challenges because God give us power to persevere, a promise of His Presence and provisions for prosperity.

Pastor E shared a passage from the book of Romans 5: 3-4 which says “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” If we persevere we will overcome new challenges because facing our problems and trials will helps us to develop endurance and endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident of hope and with God’s presence we can face these challenges without fear.

When we overcome all these challenges God’s promise that we will be successful and prosperous so we shouldn’t be discouraged so let’s be strong and courageous. These were just parts of preaching that Pastor E delivered today, he challenges everyone to be as one church when facing challenges and overcoming them and encourage everyone to believe and have faith.

It was indeed true that problems made us strong and they help us grow as a person, with them too we are able to change for the better. Honestly, These past few Sundays I can relate on the scriptural topics it was like they were meant for me as if God is talking to me and telling me that I should persevere, be courageous and have faith in Him and everything will be alright in His presence.

It was been my habit to say “always look at the bright side” but when I passed through the dark tunnel of life I have closed my eyes and I can’t see any light like I am blind; there is no bright side it is pitched black.

Today is the first Sunday of the month and as usual the church service started at 7 o’clock in the morning the spiritual topic is Fulfilling Life Purposes from the book of Psalms 90: 12.

[Image source: d.gr-assets.com]

All of us have different purpose and mission in life, have you found yours? What is God’s purpose in your life? Are you fulfilling that purpose? These were the question raised to us by our pastor and after which he informed everyone that we could find our life purpose if we remain teachable throughout our brief life span, by learning to manage our given time well and allow ourselves to be transformed as God intends.

This Sunday is different from previous Sundays I have attend the church service because it is exchange pulpit Sunday and  different Pastor (R) was in-charged to speak in front of the congregation. The church service didn’t start early because we’ve waited until the choir was done practicing their number in the parsonage.

[Image source: mtolivebaptistchurch.wordpress.com]

Anyway, the Pastor who preached in front of us is from another church in town and the scriptural topic he tackled is True Worship Offer to God and scripture reading can be found in Genesis 22: 1-10 when Abraham worship God through offering Isaac.  The new pastor shared that true worship is a systematic way of obedience, a rendition of service, act of sacrifice and a sign of celebration. We are told too that everyday is a worship day and it isn’t only Sunday because when we are doing good things to others we are worshiping God so which means service isn’t only mean temple worship and it doesn’t only mean singing. Attitude matters, singing is just an ingredient of worship the most important thing is the word of God.

Pastor R says too that when something is done repetitively, it means importance so when someone repetitively asked how are you doing or if you are doing alright, it means you are very important to them.

Today, is the fourth Sunday of the month and the scriptural topic is living with a thankful attitude and grateful heart. It was said that Thanksgiving is an attitude we should have everyday, every hour, every minute and every seconds. Our Pastor told everyone to always wear a smile too, and give a smile to the people around us because with this little gesture we are able to help, touch someone’s life and lighten there burden.

According to what Paul has said to Timothy “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy.” – 2 Timothy 3:2

On our generation today what has said was true, we can found it around us, we forgot to be thankful and being thankful is a personal decision, it is our self-desire. We should give thanks in everything, the hurts and the trials. God knows what’s on our heart and mind too, He notices when we are thankful and ungrateful. Always remember too God’s will is always expandable or elastic.

It is the third Sunday of the month; the service will not start early so I didn’t hurry that much.  When I went inside the church, they are still announcing church concerns.  The praise and worship seems not joyful like the previous Sundays maybe because the congregation are being disturbed by the leader swiping her phone while leading the team,  it looks like she didn’t memorize the lyrics that she needs to look at her phone all the time. It was so much better when other youth members lead the praise and worship team, I guess I should just be thankful that there is someone who lead the praise and worship team, isn’t it?

The scriptural topic for this Sunday is about “The man who forgot to be thankful“.  All of us forgot to be thankful when our life is well, we forgot to say thank you to our parents who sacrifice a lot for us, waking up early to nurse us when we are still very young and vulnerable,  they gave us a better life, they brought us to school so we could learn and get a good life when we grow up. When was the last time you say thank you to your parents? We also forgot to say thank you to our friends and benefactors who are always there to help us emotionally and spiritually, and lastly we forgot to say thank you to God for all the blessings He showered to us.

It was said we must thankful for everything, it is either small or big.  We must count our blessings and name them one by one, blessings are not always material things, the love from God and people who love us is enough for us to be thankful.

It’s second Sunday of thanksgiving month, I have thought I will not be able to go to church today because my younger sister and mother went to town to shop for vegetables that our father could carry on his workplace since he said things were expensive over there and then my father went to the field, I was left alone at home and I could not live the house empty. Gladly,  my mother and younger sister came on time the Sunday school was just finished and the Sunday service was just about to start so I immediately put on my jeans and blouse and left. I’ve already prepared while they are away so all I need when they came home is to get dress.

When you need, God knows.
When you ask, God listens.
When you believe, God works.
When you thank, God gives more.

The topic this Sunday is about Thanksgiving, and it was said that the first mention of thanksgiving is found in Leviticus 7:12. Thanksgiving offering must be given voluntarily, in your own free will, private and there should be no regrets and hesitation. To be thankful to God we first must believe in Him and accept the truth that all things come from Him, our life, the earth and all the blessings we are enjoying everyday. We can show our gratitude to God by proclaiming God’s greatest and praise to others, through public worship services and testimonies of God’s faithfulness and goodness and through giving offerings to the Lord.

The scripture reading this Sunday is in book of Psalms 192: 1-6, it was written by David, it was said that the David has great achievement but he also face failure and trials before he became victorious.