Preparing for Sunday, 1/15/12!

Hey everyone,
hope you've gotten a chance this week to look forward to our Sunday morning gathering; but either way, I hope this post is a help to you. I'm more and more convinced that our Sunday corporate worship is best when we've thought ahead about it, and are purposeful as we come to sing, dig into the Word together, pray and fellowship. We have to be purposeful.

So, let's start by reading the passage ahead of time. Pastor John will continue preaching on the theme of giving (our time and resources to the church), preaching from 2 Corinthians 8:10-24. The focus will continue to be the grace of God. We give, and can give selflessly, because God has poured His grace out to us in Jesus. Again, we are not our own, but are blood-bought adopted sons of God. And our resources are really His.

We'll sing the following songs. If you don't know any of them well, listen to the linked recordings below. Let's be prepared to sing loud and well together!

Also take a look at the set of songs as a whole - they will focus on what it means to be a people saved from our sin by God's grace.

1. Our God
This tune focuses on the strength and power of God over sin and death. The song quotes from Romans 8:31-39, that because we are redeemed by the blood of Christ that was shed for us, nothing can stand against the people of God.

2. Grace Like Rain
This one comes requested by Pastor John this week (one of his fav's). It's a creative re-working of our classic hymn "Amazing Grace." This song rejoices in the grace of God that has been poured out on us in great abundance. Also, I like that it's in a minor key. The minor key emphasizes that God's work in redemption has an edgy side to it. Grace has come to us because the Son of God went to the cross, and our salvation was the victory stroke, where God's glory triumphed and the power of death was defeated.

3. Nothing but the Blood
Another re-working of a hymn, this song affirms that Christ's blood is the only thing that washes away sin. It says, "Your blood speaks a better word than all the empty claims I've heard upon this earth/Speaks righteousness for me, and stands in my defense."

4. Stronger
One of our "new favorites." "Stronger" rejoices in, and affirms that Christ is a strong Savior, and that nothing can snatch us out of Christ's hand (See the link to Romans 8 above)!