The Thursday Update

Lakeshore Friends—

A number of years ago, I heard someone say something that has stuck with me all these years.  In some ways, it really surprised me, but as I thought about it more, it didn’t.  This person said that in the Bible, there is only one thing recorded in it that God seeks from people. What do you think that is? You can come up with lots of answers, and you may be close to what it is without getting it exactly right. 

The answer is this: our worship!  John 4:23-24 records Jesus saying that God the Father seeks worshippers.  Nowhere else does it say that God seeks anything else from us.  It kind of makes sense because if we give God worship, everything else will take care of itself when it comes to Christian disciplines.

Do you help God find what He is seeking in your heart and from your life?  Do you worship Him?  Regularly?  Sincerely?  Whole-heartedly?  If that’s the one thing God seeks from us, we would be wise to make it our priority, wouldn’t we?

Every week, we’re here to help with that.  Not just on Sunday mornings during our music sets, but as often as we can.

Take some time to worship God today, right now.  He seeks it.  We need to give it.  And our lives will be richer as we engage in it.

Warmly,
Vince

Lakeshore Friends—

I hope this finds you staying warm and staying upbeat.  If you’re like me and many others, January and February are the two toughest months to stay upbeat and energized.  The holidays have passed, the days are shorter than at any other time, the sun is rarely out to energize us, and every time we leave the house we have to freeze until our car warms up or we reach our destination.

Not fun.

But as I was finally back to work today after a bout with COVID last week, I was reminded how much being with others (like the staff and a few pastors I had lunch with) changed everything for the better.  Being together with people who share faith in Jesus can change everything, and having been away these past 10 days helped remind me of that again.

Feeling the blahs?  Battling to stay upbeat?  Low on energy or enthusiasm?  Let us help you by being together on Sunday.  Between services that help us worship God and grow spiritually, and the conversations and relationships that we engage in over coffee in the Atrium, we’ll find what we need to stay close to God and be more upbeat about life.

Let’s encourage each other this Sunday.  March is still a few weeks away!

Warmly,
Vince

Lakeshore Friends—

This Sunday, we will be remembering two important events: Martin Luther King, Jr. day and Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.  Both of them help us remember that every human life has equal value before God.  Both of them help us remember that every human life is a precious gift given to us by God to value and nurture.  Both of them raise important issues that are near and dear to the heart of God.  And both of them can be summed up in this phrase: Since all people matter to God, then all people should also matter to us.

Together, let’s stand up for each other and for all people— especially for people who are vulnerable to prejudice and for those who cannot stand up for themselves.  Our God is a life-giving and life-saving God, and if we want to be like Him we will live this same way.

Let’s do our part every day we can, but especially in this season of remembrance, by showing some extra love to the people around us.  Who knows, they may see the love of God through us in ways that change their lives.

Warmly,
Vince