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Word for Today, Wed, 13 Dec 2006: Word for Today, Wed, 13 Dec 2006: Too Much of Me?

#1 · December 13, 2006, 10:15 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on December 13, 2006, 10:15 pm
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Word for Today, Wed, 13 Dec 2006: Too Much of Me?

Dear friends,

Larry's message about leadership and the choir is one that I have read
before, but this year it caught me fresh because of some recent
convictions within my spirit and realizations about my recent
behavior.

This story is not only about leadership and leading a choir, it is
about false pride. There are few things more irritating to me than a
Mister Know It All or a Candy Coated Spiritual Christian - one who
says all the right things but has other things going on beneath the
surface.

That has always bothered me, but recently I realized, at least in some
areas, that has BEEN me!

As my friend Larry says, "Ouch!" That one got me where it touched to
the depths of my soul.

I want to be a real, authentic person, but particularly so in matters
of faith. So imagine my own sense of personal conviction when I
realized that I was not being honest with myself?

This is the kind of personal examination I often talk about at this
time of the year, during the season of Advent, and man, did it get me
this time!

Friends, I urge all of us (and I am preaching to the choir here,
speaking to myself) to closely examine our hearts. Are we really
seeking the way and will of God for our lives? Are we honestly
trusting in Him not only for our eternal soul, but also for daily
guidance in the way in which we live?

Are we really living in love or do we have some other agenda?

I found myself coming up short in several areas as I came under the
conviction of good, solid preaching which was inspired directly from
the Word of God. As I allowed it to soak in and I started praying
privately, I was convicted again in my thoughts.

On Wednesday nights at my church, we have been studying Philippians,
and we are hanging out on Philippians 4. Last week we studied one of
my favorite passages in the entire Bible, Philippians 4:4-9. If you
do not know it well, read it and you will see why I like it so much.
It is full of guidance on how to live.

But the verses immediately after that bunch are the verses that
finally deeply convicted me, verses ten through twelve. Read those as
well.

Scripture, as 2 Timothy 3:16-17 say, is useful in all respects of
teaching. The Word of God can literally slice through anything, even
a somewhat hardened heart.

Read the Word. Who knows when a passage you are already familiar
with, as I was with these passages, will strike you with a fresh
conviction from the Spirit of God. That is what is unique about the
Bible. No other text can make such claims, and save our souls.

Dear God, thank you for your Word, for You literally are the Word, the
Logos, the One who spoke and brought the world into being.

Please use your Word even now to pierce our souls and touch the places
it needs to reach, not just to give us that eternal assurance of
salvation (though I do pray for anyone who does not have that absolute
assurance), but also to touch and change areas in our lives to bring
them into total abandon and complete surrender to you.

We instinctively want to be self sufficient, yet Your Word tells us
that everything comes from You.

May the strengthening of our faith and the refinement in our hearts
also come directly from you as we serve you in love, first for You,
then for one another.

Yours in Christ,
Brian

Sowing Seeds of Faith... by Rev. Larry E. Davies

"Leadership and the Choir" Part 1

Recently, I stopped the director just as she was about to lead the
choir during our Sunday morning worship service. "Excuse me. I'm sorry
to interrupt but do you mind if I take over?"

She gave me a strange look but coolly replied, "No, not at all."

I said to the choir: "I've always wanted to direct a choir so today
I'm going to do it. Will you help me?"

You could hear mumbling as first one then another choir member finally
replied, "Sure... okay."

My hands went up just as I saw the director do so many times
before. "Are you ready?"

"Wait," a voice from the choir shouted interrupting my directorial
debut. "What are we singing?"

1. To be an effective choir, it helps to know what you are going to
sing.

"Oh, that's a good question." I replied but already beginning to lose
my confidence. Maybe this job wasn't so easy after all. "Let's do
something familiar and Christmassy. Let's sing, "The First Noel?"

The murmurings among the choir began again but stopped as soon as I
raised my hands high. With a flourish I began the rhythmic side to
side motions I watched so many directors use. I was confident my
inspired direction combined with the solid voices of our talented
choir, would create the finest performance of "The First Noel" ever
rendered but alas, I was so wrong!

What really happened was an explosion of noise, off key singing and
unrecognizable words. Some choir members were singing loud, some
soft. Others seemed to be singing a different song. "Stop! Stop!" I
screamed. "What version of "The First Noel" are you singing?" I soon
found out.

"I'm singing from the hymnal, of course," said one choir
member. Others quickly chimed in.

"I'm singing from an arrangement I brought from home."

"I decided to start with verse two."

"My words are in Spanish!"

"Wait! What are we singing?"

2. To be an effective choir, we need to sing from the same music.

At this point, I didn't think it could get any worse but I was wrong
again. An argument broke out: "Larry, This piece calls for a soloist
and I will gladly volunteer my voice." Protests quickly emerged.

"Now, wait a minute. I'm the one that sings the solos here. I've been
doing so for thirty years."

"It's been twenty years too long if you ask me."

"Why does Dan always have to play the organ? I want to play the
organ."

"Wait! What are we singing?"

3. To be an effective choir, we desperately need direction and
leadership!

At this point, choir members were arguing, the congregation was
mumbling and I was bewildered. "What's wrong with our choir?" I
wondered. Actually, the problem was not with the choir but with me. I
was about to receive a lesson on spiritual leadership courtesy of God
and the real choir director.

Next week: "Leadership and the Choir" Part 2

"And the Real Reason for Christmas: The Story of the Christmas Child
Fund."

"Checking Your Christmas List"

Read Sowing Seeds of Faith...
everyday! Click here:

www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm

Are you receiving prayer concerns from around the world? Join our
prayer team today. Check it out by clicking here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm

Jesus said: "You are the light of the world -- like a city on a
mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light
under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all."
(Matthew 5:14-15)

--
Brian Masinick, masinick at yahoo dot com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

____________________________________________________________________________________
Want to start your own business?
Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business.
smallbusiness.yahoo.com/r-index

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Word for Today, Wed, 13 Dec 2006: Too Much of Me?

Dear friends,

Larry's message about leadership and the choir is one that I have read
before, but this year it caught me fresh because of some recent
convictions within my spirit and realizations about my recent
behavior.

This story is not only about leadership and leading a choir, it is
about false pride. There are few things more irritating to me than a
Mister Know It All or a Candy Coated Spiritual Christian - one who
says all the right things but has other things going on beneath the
surface.

That has always bothered me, but recently I realized, at least in some
areas, that has BEEN me!

As my friend Larry says, "Ouch!" That one got me where it touched to
the depths of my soul.

I want to be a real, authentic person, but particularly so in matters
of faith. So imagine my own sense of personal conviction when I
realized that I was not being honest with myself?

This is the kind of personal examination I often talk about at this
time of the year, during the season of Advent, and man, did it get me
this time!

Friends, I urge all of us (and I am preaching to the choir here,
speaking to myself) to closely examine our hearts. Are we really
seeking the way and will of God for our lives? Are we honestly
trusting in Him not only for our eternal soul, but also for daily
guidance in the way in which we live?

Are we really living in love or do we have some other agenda?

I found myself coming up short in several areas as I came under the
conviction of good, solid preaching which was inspired directly from
the Word of God. As I allowed it to soak in and I started praying
privately, I was convicted again in my thoughts.

On Wednesday nights at my church, we have been studying Philippians,
and we are hanging out on Philippians 4. Last week we studied one of
my favorite passages in the entire Bible, Philippians 4:4-9. If you
do not know it well, read it and you will see why I like it so much.
It is full of guidance on how to live.

But the verses immediately after that bunch are the verses that
finally deeply convicted me, verses ten through twelve. Read those as
well.

Scripture, as 2 Timothy 3:16-17 say, is useful in all respects of
teaching. The Word of God can literally slice through anything, even
a somewhat hardened heart.

Read the Word. Who knows when a passage you are already familiar
with, as I was with these passages, will strike you with a fresh
conviction from the Spirit of God. That is what is unique about the
Bible. No other text can make such claims, and save our souls.

Dear God, thank you for your Word, for You literally are the Word, the
Logos, the One who spoke and brought the world into being.

Please use your Word even now to pierce our souls and touch the places
it needs to reach, not just to give us that eternal assurance of
salvation (though I do pray for anyone who does not have that absolute
assurance), but also to touch and change areas in our lives to bring
them into total abandon and complete surrender to you.

We instinctively want to be self sufficient, yet Your Word tells us
that everything comes from You.

May the strengthening of our faith and the refinement in our hearts
also come directly from you as we serve you in love, first for You,
then for one another.

Yours in Christ,
Brian

Sowing Seeds of Faith... by Rev. Larry E. Davies

"Leadership and the Choir" Part 1

Recently, I stopped the director just as she was about to lead the
choir during our Sunday morning worship service. "Excuse me. I'm sorry
to interrupt but do you mind if I take over?"

She gave me a strange look but coolly replied, "No, not at all."

I said to the choir: "I've always wanted to direct a choir so today
I'm going to do it. Will you help me?"

You could hear mumbling as first one then another choir member finally
replied, "Sure... okay."

My hands went up just as I saw the director do so many times
before. "Are you ready?"

"Wait," a voice from the choir shouted interrupting my directorial
debut. "What are we singing?"

1. To be an effective choir, it helps to know what you are going to
sing.

"Oh, that's a good question." I replied but already beginning to lose
my confidence. Maybe this job wasn't so easy after all. "Let's do
something familiar and Christmassy. Let's sing, "The First Noel?"

The murmurings among the choir began again but stopped as soon as I
raised my hands high. With a flourish I began the rhythmic side to
side motions I watched so many directors use. I was confident my
inspired direction combined with the solid voices of our talented
choir, would create the finest performance of "The First Noel" ever
rendered but alas, I was so wrong!

What really happened was an explosion of noise, off key singing and
unrecognizable words. Some choir members were singing loud, some
soft. Others seemed to be singing a different song. "Stop! Stop!" I
screamed. "What version of "The First Noel" are you singing?" I soon
found out.

"I'm singing from the hymnal, of course," said one choir
member. Others quickly chimed in.

"I'm singing from an arrangement I brought from home."

"I decided to start with verse two."

"My words are in Spanish!"

"Wait! What are we singing?"

2. To be an effective choir, we need to sing from the same music.

At this point, I didn't think it could get any worse but I was wrong
again. An argument broke out: "Larry, This piece calls for a soloist
and I will gladly volunteer my voice." Protests quickly emerged.

"Now, wait a minute. I'm the one that sings the solos here. I've been
doing so for thirty years."

"It's been twenty years too long if you ask me."

"Why does Dan always have to play the organ? I want to play the
organ."

"Wait! What are we singing?"

3. To be an effective choir, we desperately need direction and
leadership!

At this point, choir members were arguing, the congregation was
mumbling and I was bewildered. "What's wrong with our choir?" I
wondered. Actually, the problem was not with the choir but with me. I
was about to receive a lesson on spiritual leadership courtesy of God
and the real choir director.

Next week: "Leadership and the Choir" Part 2

"And the Real Reason for Christmas: The Story of the Christmas Child
Fund."

"Checking Your Christmas List"

Read Sowing Seeds of Faith...
everyday! Click here:

http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm

Are you receiving prayer concerns from around the world? Join our
prayer team today. Check it out by clicking here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm

Jesus said: "You are the light of the world -- like a city on a
mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light
under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all."
(Matthew 5:14-15)

--
Brian Masinick, masinick at yahoo dot com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/

____________________________________________________________________________________
Want to start your own business?
Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business.
smallbusiness.yahoo.com/r-index