Preparing for Sunday, 11/6/11! DON'T FORGET TO SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK!

Hey folks,
The first way you can prepare for this Sunday morning is to remember to set your clocks back an hour Saturday night.

This Sunday morning we'll meet to sing together, pray together, listen to preaching together, all to remind one another and encourage one another, of the God who has called us out of darkness and given us life in His Son. Lets prepare to participate in all of these things, and serve one another too when we meet. Be praying for God to give you opportunities to encourage others with the joy of the Gospel, and for you to be encouraged and admonished as well. Lets not waste this Sunday morning.

Jordan will preach from 1 Samuel 28, when Saul goes behind enemy lines to meet with the Medium of En-dor (don't worry, no ewoks involved). Jordan will focus on repentance, and the need Saul shows in this book for actual repentance and godly sorrow over his sin, rather than continuing to bypass God and do things his own way. Let's read the passage ahead of time so we're ready to really engage on Sunday.

We'll sing the following songs, focusing on God's holiness, and His grace in drawing us near through Christ.

1. Indescribable
This song's 2nd chorus at the end includes a really important lyric. After talking about God's sovereign glory and power, seen in creation and His governing the universe, the song says, "You see the depths of my heart, and You love me the same." God, in His holiness, has reached out to draw His people near to Him, because He is full of love and grace. This is glorious truth.

2. How Can I Keep From Singing
If you read the post about last Sunday, you knew we were going to sing this one again. We introduced this song last week for the first time in Main Service. One clarification: the first verse says, "There is an endless song, echoes in soul/I hear the music sing." This seems a little disjointed, unless you connect it directly to the chorus, that says, "How can I keep from singing Your praise?/How can I ever say enough - how amazing is Your love!" These words are for a believer, get that: believer, who has a song of praise in his/her heart because they are born-again. There is a theology of worship in this song, that God has, through Christ, made His children worshipers of Him. We sing together because we're the redeemed people of God. This is a glorious song for someone who is a redeemed Christian.

3. Stronger
This song exults in the strength of our Savior. Christ is faithful to hold his sheep secure, even through trials, or as the song puts it, "through the storm, and through the fire."

4. It is Well
One of our best hymns of the church, this song continues the thought that, no matter what may befall us, God has fully paid for our sin on the cross. Whether God ordains blessing or trial for our lives, He remains faithful and good. The songs says, "My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought/My sin, not in part but in whole/Was nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more/Praise the Lord, O my soul!"