Since the days of the Old Testament, generosity and sacrificial giving have been a mark of God’s people. In New Testament temple giving was an important aspect of Israel’s worship, and today in contemporary America almost (if not all) churches receive offerings to help cover their costs and further their ministries. What sometimes gets lost, though, in how we take up offerings in church today, is WHY we are called to be generous, and HOW generosity is worship to our King. God is a generous God, and we are His people, called to image Him in our giving. Over the next five weeks we will explore this theme in Scripture, seeking to understand how giving, blessing, and worship blend together to please our Lord.

The collection of Psalms in the Bible formed the backbone of the ancient Jewish "hymnbook."  Written as poetic songs, they magnify the Lord of the universe while also expressing the gamut of human emotion.  The Psalms are no less relevant today than they were thousands of years ago, as they influence and inform HOW we worship God even as they reveal WHO He is and what He is like.  Each year we will take some weeks in the summer to learn from the Psalms, joining our hearts with the words of David as he sang, "Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, bless his holy name." (Psalm 103:1)

Sometimes there is a word or phrase that we hear often -- and that we may even use ourselves from time to time -- but are not entirely sure what it means. If we were forced to try and define it we would fumble around and arrive finally at the conclusion that it doesn't need to be defined because "everyone already knows what it means." I think "disciple" and "discipleship" are words that fit this description. Within the church we hear these words often (or at least, I hope we do) and we have probably used them ourselves, but do we really understand what they mean?

The great call of Christ to His Church is to make disciples who make disciples. Over the coming weeks we will be seeking to answer some questions surrounding discipleship such as: What is a disciple? Am I one? How do we "make" them? Disciples of whom? Our desire is to answer these questions (and others like them) so that we can begin to assess how effectively we as a church are fulfilling the call God has given us. Join us as we seek to magnify the glory of God by joining Him in His disciple-making mission.

Join us Friday, April 15 at 7:00pm for Good Friday Service. And Sunday, April 17 at 9:00 and 10:30am for Easter Sunday services.

He is risen indeed!