He wants our hearts
Hey Westside,
I am very happy to announce that we have a “Guest Blogger” for this e-newsletter. Please read carefully these thoughts from one of our pastor’s wives, Patty…
From: Patty Vander Dussen:
It is easy to settle in life. It’s our culture here in America to get a job, marry, have a family, buy a house, accumulate things/stuff and settle. It’s not God’s culture for us. He wants our hearts – completely. He wants us to be settled in Him. He is continually, daily leading us to the Promised Land, which is eternal life in Him! The cool thing is we are living that life now, with Him, through His Holy Spirit, who is alive – living in us!!
What about our church services? Have we settled there? Have we gotten so comfortable with the three or four songs at the beginning of the service, then a teaching, then a song or two at the end, talk to a few people and we’re good to go? Same ole, same ole? Or have we allowed the Holy Spirit to grip our hearts and lead us, convict us, change us?
Where are our hearts? Where are our minds? Have we spent time sitting with God, worshipping Him, resting in Him, listening to Him before we come to church? Every church service is a NEW service. It’s a fresh moment in time to bring worship to the King of kings and Lord of lords. A time to bring all honor and glory to our Creator as we sing songs to Him, pray to Him, learn from Him through the teachings, share prophetic words from Him with the church, serve Him by allowing His Spirit to lead us to people to love, to pray for, to share words with them, … to be usable for His Glory.
We should see every church service, whether 7:00 on Thursday night, or 8:30 or 10:30 on Sunday morning, as a fresh opportunity to come together as one in the Spirit of Christ. Now that’s exciting! It can be unsettling, and should be unsettling to our lives here – but, ever new and ever changing us as we fix our eyes on our life in Christ. That is the reality of living in the Promised Land here on earth. His Kingdom Come!!!
God doesn’t want us to settle here on this earth – period!!!
From Steve Barr:
Please take these words from Patty to heart. We have a huge task before us here at Westside. We want to “go the distance” in our purpose to impact people’s lives for the Kingdom’s sake.
Love you guys,
Steve