In this episode, host Anthony Mullins interviews Keysha Taylor, who serves in GCI’s congregation in Miramar, FL. Together they discuss what it looks like to lead worship in a Healthy Church environment.
“God doesn’t waste anything. It is not that no one will be touched by you being “led by the Spirit.” Because he uses us, he knows we are dust. And he is loving and kind to us. But I think that he takes a lot of time showing us that he is a preparatory God. He is a God who prepares. So we want to take the time to emulate our God. We want to imitate his ways. ...
From the beginning of time, it is laid out for us that preparation is vital. Preparation during the week, you are taking your time to hear what the Lord wants to... Read the article
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Wake Up! with Timothy Brassell
Listen in as host, Anthony Mullins and guest, Timothy Brassell, unpack these lectionary passages:
September 6 Romans 13:8-14 “Wake Up!”
September 13 Romans 14:1-12 “Disputable Matters”
September 20 Philippians 1:21-30 “The Good Life”
September 27 Philippians 2:1-13 “The High Calling of Low Living
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[caption id="attachment_15627" align="alignleft" width="275"] Donna & Timothy Brassell[/caption] Read the article
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Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 • Deuteronomy 34:1-12 • 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 • Matthew 22:34-46
This week’s theme is shared ministry. In Deuteronomy we witness Moses passing the baton of leadership to Joshua accompanied by a call to worship Psalm that reflects on life’s transience while calling on God’s compassion to the faithful. The New Testament lesson comes from First Thessalonians, where Paul recounts his own ministry and preaching in Thessalonica providing a pattern for ministry and a window into the Father’s heart revealed in Jesus’ ministry. The Gospel reading in Matthew provides Jesus’ own teaching concerning God’s great commandment of loving God and neighbor followed by Jesus teasing out his identity as the Son of... Read the article
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Psalm 99:1-9 • Exodus 33:12-23 • 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 • Matthew 22:15-22
This week's theme is God’s glory goes with us. In Exodus 33, Moses asks God to send his glory with Israel and then to show Moses his glory. Psalm 99, this week's call to worship, is a historical poem of God’s glory going with them through the desert as a pillar of cloud. Matthew 22 tells about Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees overpaying taxes and Jesus reminds us that God’s imprint is on us, so we belong to him. Our sermon is based on 1 Thessalonians 1, in which Paul talks about God’s glorious transformation of us and the life he has called us to live in response.
Paul’s Three-Dimensional Witness
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Have you ever had... Read the article
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Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23 • Exodus 32:1-14 • Philippians 4:1-9 • Matthew 22:1-14
The theme for this week is when doing changes thinking, which helps us remember that engaging in helpful practices and spiritual disciplines can deepen our connection to God. The Psalm 106 call to worship, and Exodus 32 tell the story of how Aaron and the Israelites tried to dispel their worries and fears by creating a golden calf, an unhelpful practice. While we might not engage in outright idolatry like this, we can recognize our tendency to seek comfort and guidance in externals. This week’s sermon outline is based on Philippians 4:1-9, and it focuses on how doing certain practices (or disciplines) can help transform our thinking, especially during... Read the article
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Psalm 19:1-14 • Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 • Philippians 3:4b-14 • Matthew 21:33-46
The theme this week: God’s gracious hedge. The call to worship, Psalm 19, sings the praises of God who gave these instructions for how best to be human. Exodus 20 gives us the original Ten Commandments—a hedge of godly behavior setting apart God's people. In Philippians 3, Paul describes the climactic end of all rituals and markers of being God’s people: knowing Christ. Our sermon, “The Self-Emptying Love of Christ,” is based on this reading. Matthew 21 tells the painful story of the vineyard management gone bad, and the vineyard owner sending his son there, and son’s resulting murder.
The Self-Emptying Love of Christ
Philippians... Read the article
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God’s clock—centered on Jesus—determines how we set our life clocks.
By Emmanuel Okai, West Africa Regional Director, National Director, Ghana & Church Pastor Akim-Oda, Ghana
In the diagram produced by GCI that shows the annual cycle of Christian worship activities and themes, we see the name of Jesus Christ in the inner center. There is a theological reason for that central location of Christ in Christian worship.
God, the Creator, wants mankind to seek him diligently[i] and to worship him in spirit and in truth[ii]. He desires that humanity will come to know him as he truly is.[iii] For that reason, the New Testament Scriptures make it clear that God became human in order... Read the article
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As we continue to gather digitally, or we transition to meeting in person, it is even more crucial to have clear and consistent communication about your congregation and church life. With increased live streaming of services, a communication plan is important for current members, as well as for guests that are connecting with you online. Check out our August Church Hack with four fundamental systems for your church’s communication plan. #GCIchurchhacks
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By Daphne Sidney, Superintendent Australasia
Liturgy at first glance may seem a rather antiquated idea, but in examining it further, I have found that it can have deep relevance to our Christian walk today.
The world we live in today is full of despair for many. There is a general lack of trust and life has little meaning for many people. One author described this as people lacking a sense of belonging or being able to participate in something meaningful. He compared this to the participation we can have with the divine story as written by Jesus Christ himself, through liturgy within the community of a church.1
As a body of believers coming together, Christ-centered worship—worship based on the solid... Read the article
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“…We will serve the Lord.” This quote from Joshua 24:15 is only part of Joshua’s admonition to stay focused on who God is.
As a young student of the Bible, I could not understand how Israel could get caught up worshipping other gods. I’d seen pictures of Baal, Dagon, Asherah, Moloch and others and wondered how a nation who had been delivered from slavery fall for worshipping a pagan statue or carving? How naïve I was. I didn’t ask about the gods behind the statues and images Joshua and others were referring to.
Egypt had as many as 40 gods that were feared and/or worshipped. But they weren’t just images— they represented many things. Amon was the god of the air. Thoth was the god of writing and wisdom. Anubis was the... Read the article
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