ADORATION – Reflect on God’s Greatness
GOD IS INFINITE – God is limitless. God is not limited by anything outside of His character. This applies to all of God’s attributes.
Psalm 147:5
Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.
Praise God because He is Infinite.
We are finite and as such we cannot fully fathom infinity. God is not limited by time or space. Praise Him because He has been present in every place. Praise Him because he has been present for every person for all of time. Praise Him because each and everyday He has acted with wisdom, love, grace, justice, and mercy. Praise him because He will never exhaust His ability to demonstrate His character.
CONFESSION: Confess your sins to God and receive his continued mercy.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
THANKSGIVING: Giving thanks to God for his specific blessings in our lives.
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100
SUPPLICATION: Bringing our requests to God.
- Bring your personal prayer requests to God.
- Pray for Christian Challenge. Ask God to minister to students tonight through the worship, through the teaching, and through the fellowship time. Pray that students who don’t know Christ would turn to him.
SCRIPTURE READING:
1 Timothy 3:1-16 – The Message
Leadership in the Church
3 1-7 If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good! But there are preconditions: A leader must be well-thought-of, committed to his wife, cool and collected, accessible, and hospitable. He must know what he’s talking about, not be overfond of wine, not pushy but gentle, not thin-skinned, not money-hungry. He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up. Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap.
8-13 The same goes for those who want to be servants in the church: serious, not deceitful, not too free with the bottle, not in it for what they can get out of it. They must be reverent before the mystery of the faith, not using their position to try to run things. Let them prove themselves first. If they show they can do it, take them on. No exceptions are to be made for women—same qualifications: serious, dependable, not sharp-tongued, not overfond of wine. Servants in the church are to be committed to their spouses, attentive to their own children, and diligent in looking after their own affairs. Those who do this servant work will come to be highly respected, a real credit to this Jesus-faith.
14-16 I hope to visit you soon, but just in case I’m delayed, I’m writing this letter so you’ll know how things ought to go in God’s household, this God-alive church, bastion of truth. This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough:
He appeared in a human body,
was proved right by the invisible Spirit,
was seen by angels.
He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples,
believed in all over the world,
taken up into heavenly glory.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION:
Paul describes the church as the household of God. It’s a beautiful picture of the warmth and refuge that a family provides. The church is where the Word of God is proclaimed. It’s alive and active, not a place where some dead idol lives. Because of this, Paul goes on to describe the church as the pillar and foundation of truth! The church—your local church—is where the Word of God is preached, studied, and applied, where people come together and grow in their knowledge of God. It’s a place where lives are transformed. Relationships are healed, people are inspired and renewed. It’s where we get to know and love God and make his love known to others. Take time throughout the day to thank God for the church.