It's my life and I can do with it as I wish. Well, in the verse here in Philippians and in the Gospel lesson for this Sunday in Matthew 20, God says no it's not. Life is His gift of life for you. It's given on His terms, and He desires that it be blessed on His terms alone as well. To live, to die, in Christ is gain? What? In the Gospel, when Jesus says that heaven is a gift given and received by grace alone because of His generosity and not because of our works -- what? That doesn't sound fair; it doesn't sound right. Well, that's what most people say today. One of the great problems with Christianity for many people is that it treats all people exactly alike: all people are 100-percent sinners who receive God's love as 100-percent grace, or they can't receive it at all. It seems so unfair until you realize how grave our predicament is -- not only in this world -- but in our lives. Before God, every one of us is in the same boat. As I get older, I realize how entrapping sin and temptations are. I realize how inept all of us are at doing the right thing at the right time for the people who need it when we don't get anything out of it but the joy of doing what's right alone. That doesn't mean we should stop trying. But it does mean that even when we actually do something right, for the right reason, for the right purpose, even that is a gift of God's grace at work through His love in our lives. The problem today ... so much of the puritanical bravado, both on the left and the right, that I see going on in our world today is about setting up straw men and woman and then punishing them with vitriol, with shame, even with threats to their well-being. Why? Because they really aren't all that powerful, and they can't or won't fight back. Listen, I'm not saying we shouldn't stand up for what's right and fight for the truths of God in the public arena of life. The key to it all is "Why?" Jesus wants us to be His people for others. He wants us to live life in Him for others. He wants us to speak His truth in love (see Ephesians 4:15), with gentleness and respect. Why? Because He ultimately wants all people to come to faith and trust in Him alone. When the apostle Paul says that "to live is Christ, to die is gain," he was being clear. Life is about Jesus Christ being our Lord and Savior. We live now in Him and through Him for others. And even the greatest challenge to life -- physical death itself -- can't get in the way of Him blessing us with life and salvation, even then. Thank God it's not my life; it's not your life to be lived on our own, with our strength and wisdom alone. Look at human history, and you'll see how that story ends. Thank God there is another way to live. It's one that blesses now and forever. To that end, God bless you today and always. THE PRAYER:Dear Lord, give me a clarity of heart, mind, body, and soul to see how all things relate to You as my Lord and Savior, and then give me courage to live that reality for all its worth. Amen.
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Poncio Pilatos preguntó: "¿Qué es la verdad?" Cuando Jesús compareció delante de Pilatos, este poderoso representante de Roma estaba totalmente seguro que su pregunta nunca sería respondida. A veces me siento inclinado a estar de acuerdo con él. Déjenme decirles por qué. Hace unas semanas, una camarera llamada Stacey creyó que estaba haciendo un acto de buena caridad cuando, por donar su cabello, juntó $2.700 dólares para un instituto de investigación del cáncer. Sin lugar a dudas fue un acto de buena caridad, pero la historia no termina allí. Cuando regresó a su trabajo en el restaurante, el jefe le dijo que estaba despedida por haber trasgredido el código de vestimenta. Dado que su cabeza estaba prácticamente rapada, sólo podría regresar a su trabajo si se ponía una peluca, o después que el cabello le volviera a crecer. Cuando los reporteros le pidieron que explicara por qué había hecho eso, dijo que no la había echado a Stacey, pero que tampoco quería que una mujer casi pelada atendiera a sus clientes. La pregunta, entonces, es: ¿la echó, o simplemente le dijo que hiciera algo con su cabeza? Probablemente nunca sepamos la respuesta, así como probablemente nunca tengamos respuesta a muchas otras preguntas a lo largo de nuestras vidas. A veces es difícil decidir quién está diciendo la verdad, lo que nos lleva otra vez a la pregunta de Pilatos: "¿Qué es la verdad?" La respuesta a la pregunta de Pilatos es simple: Jesús es la verdad. Tanto con sus vidas como con sus muertes, los apóstoles demostraron que la historia de salvación de Jesús fue cierta. Al cumplir las profecías antiguas, Jesús nos demostró qué es la verdad, y hasta la voz del Padre celestial nos dice que Jesús es su Hijo, quien ha hecho todas las cosas necesarias para nuestra salvación. Por todo eso es que podemos creer, sin dudas ni reservas, que Jesucristo es la verdad. ¿Ha encontrado la verdad, o todavía la está buscando? ¿Y sus amigos y familiares? Todos podemos encontrar la verdad en Jesús, porque él se dio en sacrificio por todos, sin excepción, para que podamos vivir una vida plena en este mundo y disfrutar de la eternidad junto a él. ORACIÓN:Señor Jesús, en este mundo confuso y conflictivo en que vivimos, tú sigues siendo la única verdad. Te pedimos que a través del Espíritu Santo podamos recordar en todo momento que solamente tú eres el camino, la verdad, y la vida. En tu nombre. Amén.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
~ Phillipians 1:2
Confession and Forgiveness Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
God is light; in him there in no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him, yet walk in the darkness, we lie and son not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
~ John 1:5b-8
Most holy and merciful Father, We confess to you and to one another, that we have sinned against you by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not fully loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not always had in us the mind of Christ. You alone know how often we have grieved you by wasting your gifts, by wandering from your ways. Forgive us, we pray you, most merciful Father; And free us from our sin. Renew in us the grace and strength of your Holy Spirit, for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen.
Sunday Morning Prayer
God, as you gave us the sun to lighten our days, so you have given us your Word to lighten our minds and our souls. I pray that you will pour out on me your Spirit as I pray today, that my heart and mind may be opened to your Word, and that I may learn and accept your will for my life. Shine within my heart, loving God, the pure light of your divine knowledge; open the eyes of my mind and the ears of my heart to receive your Word, this day and always, Amen.
The Psalm
Psalm 145:1-8 1 I will exalt you, O God my King, and bless your Name for ever and ever. 2 Every day will I bless you and praise your Name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; there is no end to his greatness. 4 One generation shall praise your works to another and shall declare your power. 5 I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty and all your marvelous works. 6 They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts, and I will tell of your greatness. 7 They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness; they shall sing of your righteous deeds. 8 The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great kindness.
The Lessons A reading from Jonah 3:10-4:11
When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it. But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live." And the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?" Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city. The LORD God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, "It is better for me to die than to live." But God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?" And he said, "Yes, angry enough to die." Then the LORD said, "You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?"
A reading from Philippians 1:21-30
For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again. Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God's doing. For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well-- since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
A reading from Matthew 20:1-16
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.' When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.' When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
Here ends the Readings.
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Continuous Reading Track
Exodus 16:2-15 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days." So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your complaining against the LORD. For what are we, that you complain against us?" And Moses said, "When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the LORD has heard the complaining that you utter against him-- what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the LORD." Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, 'Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.'" And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. The LORD spoke to Moses and said, "I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'" In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 1 Give thanks to the LORD and call upon his Name; make known his deeds among the peoples. 2 Sing to him, sing praises to him, and speak of all his marvelous works. 3 Glory in his holy Name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 4 Search for the LORD and his strength; continually seek his face. 5 Remember the marvels he has done, his wonders and the judgments of his mouth, 6 O offspring of Abraham his servant, O children of Jacob his chosen. 37 He led out his people with silver and gold; in all their tribes there was not one that stumbled. 38 Egypt was glad of their going, because they were afraid of them. 39 He spread out a cloud for a covering and a fire to give light in the night season. 40 They asked, and quails appeared, and he satisfied them with bread from heaven. 41 He opened the rock, and water flowed, so the river ran in the dry places. 42 For God remembered his holy word and Abraham his servant. 43 So he led forth his people with gladness, his chosen with shouts of joy. 44 He gave his people the lands of the nations, and they took the fruit of others' toil, 45 That they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Hallelujah!
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen
Prayer of the Day
O Lord, who hast mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of thy Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore Thee, a heart to delight in Thee, to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ's sake, Amen.
A Collect for Sundays
O God, you make us glad with the weekly remembrance of the glorious resurrection of your Son our Lord: Give us this day such blessing through our worship of you, that the week to come may be spent in your favor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for Mission
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.
Our “Virtual Sunday Church” this week is a concert hall, with a beautiful rendition of Holy God We Praise Thy Name from the Irish Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus. Sing along!
Holy God, we praise Thy Name Faith of our Fathers concert performed by Irish Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus at the Point Theatre, Dublin, Ireland
Lyrics (The words vary slightly among denominations)
Holy God, we praise Thy Name; Lord of all, we bow before Thee! All on earth Thy scepter claim, All in Heaven above adore Thee; Infinite Thy vast domain, Everlasting is Thy reign.
Hark! the loud celestial hymn Angel choirs above are raising, Cherubim and seraphim, In unceasing chorus praising; Fill the heavens with sweet accord: Holy, holy, holy, Lord.
Spare Thy people, Lord, we pray, By a thousand snares surrounded: Keep us without sin today, Never let us be confounded. Lo, I put my trust in Thee; Never, Lord, abandon me.
Original lyrics by Ignaz Franz (1771) English lyrics translated by Clarence A. Walworth (1858) Tune: Großer Gott, wir loben dich (traditional German)
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia! Thanks be to God! Alleluia!
Closing Prayer
O God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole earth also worship you, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and bless you, and men and women everywhere love you and serve you in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, I pray, Amen. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.
~ 2 Corinthians 13:14
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.
"For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."
"The Labourers in the Vineyard" by Christopher Holdsworth Jesus Calls Ministries, U. K. Norwich, U.K.
Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen This parable is part of Jesus’ response to Peter’s question: ‘Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?’ (Matthew 19:27). This challenging part of the reply is framed with a formula concerning the ‘first’ and the ‘last’ (Matthew 19:30), which is inverted at the end of the parable (Matthew 20:16). Since we are dealing with “the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 20:1), we need to think our way into the cultural setting of the parable, eradicating worldly presuppositions along the way. First of all, the employer went to the market place to hire daily labourers. This was the usual custom. Straight away we are made aware that it is God who comes seeking us, rather than vice versa: but it helps if we situate ourselves in the place where we know God will most likely reveal Himself. Secondly, the employer came with the express intention of hiring labourers. We see the dignity of work (cf. Matthew 20:7), and God’s grace in providing it (Genesis 2:15). Thirdly, as we might expect, the employer contracted with his employees to pay a specific amount (Matthew 20:2). That amount was enough for each to purchase his daily meal. It may have been no more than the national minimum wage, or the equivalent thereof: but it was sufficient, though not excessive (Exodus 16:14-18). Furthermore, BOTH PARTIES AGREED TO THE AMOUNT. So far so good: but as the parable proceeds it becomes a little strange to our ears. There is nothing wrong with the employer seeking out other workers as the day proceeds (Matthew 20:3-7): even if it is for no other reason than to rescue them from the indignity of being idle (Matthew 20:6). And each would receive, “whatever is right” (Matthew 20:4; Matthew 20:7). I don’t know whether it was normal for the last to be paid first, but certainly this is what Jesus would have the employer doing here (Matthew 20:8). Remember we are talking about the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 20:1): which though the world views it as topsy-turvy (Acts 17:6), is in fact setting things the right way up! Imagine the surprise when the employer gave to each group of labourers the full day’s wage! A pleasant surprise for some, but a source of increasing alarm to the first-contracted workers. Jesus certainly wasn’t teaching a lesson about the economy and diplomacy of trade relations! The angry attitude of the first-in-the-field (Matthew 20:11) reminds us of the jealousy of the Prodigal’s brother (Luke 15:29-30). Both Peter and Paul teach us that, ‘God is no respecter of persons’ (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11). There are eleventh hour converts, and they are just as eligible as recipients of God’s grace as those who fancy that they have personally “borne the burden and the heat of the day” (Matthew 20:12). The complaint was: “you have made them equal with us” (Matthew 20:12). However, since the first-comers RECEIVED THEIR FULL CONTRACTED AMOUNT (Matthew 20:13), why was anyone complaining? Would they rather that these others were sent home without sufficient for their daily meal? The Lord is in no doubt: “I will give unto this last, even as unto you… Is your eye evil because I am good?” (Matthew 20:14-15). We pray day by day, ‘Give us (plural) this day our (plural) daily bread’ (Matthew 6:11). Whether viewed in relation to our physical needs, or to our spiritual needs, it is a prayer for us all. We should not begrudge those who receive the answer to this prayer, though late in the day. We must not envy the new converts their blessings. Amen
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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV), KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK. Sermon shared by Christopher Holdsworth on Jul 30, 2014.
O Lord, who hast mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of thy Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore Thee, a heart to delight in Thee, to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ's sake, Amen.
Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV) So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Read all of Hebrews 10 Listen to Hebrews 10
¿Darías
tú vida por Dios? Nuestra respuesta debería ser afirmativa, sin
siquiera dudarlo. No obstante, si lo pensáramos mejor, ¿moriríamos por
Él? ¿Sabes que ese mismo decreto de muerte se lo entregó Dios a su
Hijo? Determinó que muriera por nosotros para darnos vida eterna y Él
le obedeció. Así que murió por pagar nuestros pecados y salvar de ese
modo a la humanidad. ¡Qué precio tan caro y tan grande! Lo que
ocurre es que Dios veía más allá de los sufrimientos y, aunque sabía que
sería doloroso, era un sacrificio a favor de sus hijos. Si lo
analizamos, toda la vida los cristianos han sufrido persecución y
ataques. En el peor de los casos, los asesinan solo por seguir a Cristo.
Según lo registra el Manual de Instrucciones, eso no dejará de pasar. Cada
vez podremos tener más oposición, más ataques, secuestros, torturas de
pastores y misioneros, pues estamos en un mundo donde se levantan falsos
profetas y mucha gente no sabrá a quién seguir. Sin embargo, recordemos que aunque las cosas de este mundo se pongan peor, la batalla ya se ganó. Tú y yo no debemos olvidar quién es Dios y lo que está escrito en la Biblia: «El cielo y la tierra pasarán, pero mis palabras jamás pasarán» (Mateo 24:35). Así que no te canses de seguir a Jesús, ya que la recompensa está en los cielos.
The
place in which a church meets varies. The use of big buildings, complex
organizations, involved programs, huge budgets that provide for
schools, hospitals, orphanages and other social activities are only
possible in financially strong unrestricted societies. Although
the Lord has blessed these activities in many places in the world, we
must recognize that they are not essential to the existence of the
church. In some countries these activities are forbidden by the
government, while in others, the local economic situation makes them
impossible. Still the church can thrive, because it is not dependent on
these things. Serious problems have arisen when Christians have become
confused on this point. A number of years ago, for example, some
Vietnamese leaders thought that their lack of funds for such things was
the cause of the slow growth of Christianity there. On one occasion, the
following conversation was overheard: "Do you have communists in your part of the country?" the observer asked. "Most assuredly. They are there," the leader replied. “Are
they growing in numbers and influence?" he then asked. The leader
hesitated momentarily, then admitted sadly, “Yes, they are growing very
fast." “Can you show me their meeting places and schools or
introduce me to their leaders?" the observer continued. "Certainly not,"
the leader said in disgust. "If they are known, they will be arrested." "You
mean they are secret, without buildings or property and still they grow
in number?" the observer asked in amazement. "Yes, you could say that,"
the leader responded. "Then it must be that their growing
influence does not depend on such things. If they can be wrong in their
beliefs and still grow without money and buildings, why do you think the
church of Jesus Christ needs these things?" the man concluded. If
God provides these things, then use them for His glory. If He does not,
remember that the New Testament church had none of these things, but
they turned their world upside down (Acts 17:6).
The early Christians did not confuse the church’s functions with
methods. If they had done so, the church would have died in the bondage
of Jewish legalism. The early churches were not encumbered by the
presence of buildings, nor hindered by the lack of them. They met in
public places, when they were permitted to do so, but when they were
not, they went from house to house. RESPONSE: I will no longer confuse the forms of the church with the biblical functions of the church. PRAYER: Thank You Lord for those who use their homes as centers for Your worship and declaration of the good news of Your love.
