Was doing a bit of thinking this morning on Hebrews 13:17 which states
‘Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.’
I came across this John Piper video which challenged me! So take a look if you got a minute! It ties in membership and some responsibilities for leaders and members.
This is one of my favourite songs at moment and want us to learn as a church! Love how God centered it is and reminds me of a lot of truths we have heard from the book of Hebrews.
This bit always gets me!
‘I will glory in my Redeemer Who waits for me at gates of gold.’
Been thinking a lot lately about our ‘Family Worship’ together. I’m not talking here of my own devotion to the Lord everyday or our commitment to public Worship with Oasis church on a Saturday, but as a family, how I lead in ‘Family Worship’ on a regular basis during the week. Before Amelia came along Bec & me would sit down regularly to read scripture and pray. We would not have a set time as we were very flexible just being the 2 of us. But as we have Amelia, time needs to be more disciplined and I want to set a pattern now, even though she is only 9 weeks old, which will suit us as a family when it comes to ‘Family Worship’. I want us as a family to be reading scripture, praying, praising (singing), and serving together. We have decided that the best time for this is after our evening meal when we can settle down together and focus on the Lord. Not saying that it will be every evening, but it will be a regular part of our week.
Below are some video clips from John Piper which have been helpful to me in thinking ‘Family Worship’ through.
Friday is always a day when I prepare myself and my family for the greatest event of the week – gathered Worship with God’s people. As Saturday is the day that Oasis church decides to meet on, Friday is especially important for me in terms of preparation. I try and keep Friday as free and light as possible so I can get ready for Saturday mornings. As the head of the home, it is my responsibility to get my family ready for a Saturday morning. This normally means that come 6pm on Friday my phone goes off, food has been eaten, clothes are ready for the next day, and Bec and me read through the passage and spend time praying in preparation for the following morning. When I was playing football we had this motto: ‘If you fail to prepare, be prepared to fail’. You only get out what you put into a gathered worship service!
Not only is preparation vital, but actual participation is key also in getting the most out of the service. When at church, depending if i’m preaching or not, I make sure that me & Bec get a seat early, we have our bible’s and note pads ready and we are in the right frame of mind to hear from Jesus and respond to him. When at church we are there to serve people first and not to be served ourselves. We go with the mind set of who can we build up and encourage this week. We are always looking for opportunities to participate and not to be passengers in the church. Therefore we tend to be there early and leave quite late!
Once the Saturday service is over, we have time to ponder over the sermon, songs and relationships that we have encountered. We tend to go home and pray for the church and the fruitfulness of the preaching that morning. We want the Lord Jesus to continue to work in his people even though we have scattered to our own lives. Bec and me will tend to talk through the sermon over the next few days to see where we can apply the message to our lives. Come the end of the week, we are looking to get prepared for the coming service!
So preparing, participating and pondering are key to get the most out of the best event of the week – Gathered Worship 
Hi All,
Pastor Steve @ Oasischurchgowerton.com will shortly be starting his on-line Diary
Make sure you bookmark this page for further updates..
