Prodigal Son – Part Two
Our Sunday Setlist was:
- Glory to God – Steve Fee & Vicky Beeching
- O Worship The King – Chris Tomlin Version
- King of Glory – Chris Tomlin
- Hallelujah – Tenth Avenue North (Response)
- We Will Worship You – Carlos Whittaker, Jason Ingram & Mia Fieldes
- Mighty To Save – Reuben Morgan
Despite one new song (Carlos’) and another “newer” song, it felt as though people were really singing out, worshiping together and praising the One who made this all to be. I was also extremely pleased with how the music pieces fit in well with the sermon.
Today, at Church at Bethany, we continued Part Two of our series, “Finding Your Way Back To God” (CLICK HERE for last weeks’ story). Matt’s talk today was titled, “This Isn’t What I Want” and it featured my good friend, Mikey, who finally got to share her story with our church.
Mikey has always been the “good girl” so when her life started to unravel, to her own doing, she was unequipped to handle it.
She ran.
She hid.
She ignored it.
Then… she found her place of safety. Watch the first part of her story below:
Mikey is in a COMPLETELY different place in her life now. Her realization that she DIDN’T have to live a life she didn’t want overruled the lies that told her that she was doomed to the consequences of her choices. Truth spoke loud and clear. She lives not only with integrity and strong conviction now, but she lives in search of REAL LIFE accountability. She repented of her mistakes, turned 180* from them and willingly chose to start over… which is more difficult to do than to just SAY to do.
I’m SO proud of her for sharing her story so boldly. I know it was one of the scariest things she’s ever done… but she did it anyway, in hopes that she can help even ONE person find their way back to God.
So how about you?
What in YOUR life do you NOT WANT?
And when are YOU gonna start over?
My thirty-FIRST Birthday
Today, I am 31 years old.
When I was little, I thought 31 was old… like REALLY old.
I thought that by 31 I would DEFINITELY have it all together.
Well… here I am. Too old to be in love with Zac Efron and too young to get a face-lift.
And seeing that I only have one living grandparent left, I think I can safely guess that genetics would say my life is already half over.
But you know what?
… Thirty-ONE is a great number.
It took me 30 years to get to the point of complete honesty with myself.
It took 30 years to fall completely broken on my face.
It took 30 years to realize the walls I had built around me were suffocating me.
It took 30 years to finally set up appropriate boundaries of protection.
It took 30 years to experience what grace really is.
It took 30 years to see that love was real… even for me.
Today is my thirty-FIRST birthday.
My first year to fall in love everyday with my husband.
My first year to love those around me UNCONDITIONALLY.
My first year to extend the grace of God that is for EVERYONE.
My first year living with no hidden secrets.
My first year being 100% available to my children.
My first year being whole.
It’s my FIRST year. My life is only beginning.
God is in the business of restoring lives. This is the first year I’ll fully experience it.
Guess what???
Today’s the first day of the rest of YOUR life too!!!
Worship Confessional – 09.13.09
Today was such an awesome day!
Not only was it the first day to our new series: The Story of Everything… but Matt decided we should change stuff up. Just for fun.
We moved ALL of the music worship portion to the front end of the service. In other words, we didn’t have a “response time”. We sang 6 songs up front with a break for announcements after the first two songs (we usually do announcements at the VERY END of the service).
Here was our Sunday Setlist:
- Evermore – Joel Houston
- Meet With Me – Lamont Hiebert
- Jesus Paid It All – Kristian Stanfill Version
- I Worship You – Generation Unleashed
- The Stand – Joel Houston
- Shout to the Lord – Darlene Zschech
It was really fun to mix things up, but I have to say the best part was actually having an opportunity to take 6 songs worth of time to get to a place of connection with our Creator.
After “Jesus Paid It All”, I read Psalm 5 with no musical background. In the silence, there was nothing but the words David wrote how many years ago. I love how he so perfectly put into words the very cry of my heart. It was really a privilege to just sit and soak in God’s words… a whole chapter…
During “The Stand”, I asked the church to raise their arms high in surrender. It’s SO awkward to do it when you feel like you’re the only one, but the reality is sometimes it takes us PHYSICALLY lifting up our arms in order for our hearts to follow. It’s amazing how freeing it is to throw caution to the wind and just worship Him in reckless abandon.
Highlights: There was a woman in the room who “came home” after a long time being away. Her story is one of being completely broken. She, like many of us, chose a route she thought would be better and not only hurt others in the process, but really lost herself. Today… she came home. She came home to a gracious, loving, forgiving husband and a church family who is just glad to see her come home. But best of all, she came home to a God who was waiting for her to let Him love her. She bawled during most of the service. The cry that you can’t control… I call it the “ugly cry”… yet, something about her tears were SO beautiful. SHE IS BEAUTIFUL… and completely restored in her humility. Today, she was baptized. Her past is gone… her journey begins today.
I SO can relate to her story. I, too, have gone astray. I, too, have thought my way was better that His. I, too, have hurt the one’s I love more than I ever intended and WAY more than they ever deserved. Yet God is good! He waited for me. He waited for me to come home. In exchange for my debts and humility, He has restored me COMPLETELY and will continue to refine me into who He has called me to be.
There IS hope, my friends. There IS redemption. I promise!
This is the only highlight that matters. I have NO lowlights in today’s Worship Confessional.
Grateful…
I’m grateful for my loving and adoring husband.
I’m grateful for how he always tries to make me laugh.
I’m grateful for everything he invests into making us US.
I’m grateful for the amazing grace he shows me everyday even when I show him the sides of me that are less than graceful OR gracious.
I’m grateful for the two handsome boys I get to help raise.
I’m grateful every time I hear the simple word: “Mommy”.
I’m grateful for every smile & every tear my sons produce.
I’m grateful for laundry – cuz it means we have clothes.
I’m grateful to see I have everything I ever wanted RIGHT in front of me.
I’m grateful for friends that call.
I’m grateful for a God who forgave forgives me.
I’m grateful that God desires to be with me.
I’m grateful for second chances to make things right.
The Healer Hoax
By now, you have probably heard about “The Healer – by Michael Guglielmucci hoax, ARTICLE HERE.
Tyler Braun, Carlos Whittaker and Rich Kirkpatrick have written about it in their blogs along with many others.
This song is still incredibly powerful to my heart. I’ve seen God work miracles through people even though they are sinful and less than. I’ve seen Him work in and through me (amazingly, He still IS working in/thru me).
It’s apparent, Michael Guglielmucci has been struggling with something bigger than himself. And with all this publicity, this must be one of the most embarrassing things he and his family has ever gone through. Right now, Michael Guglielmucci and his family needs our prayers… not our judgment.
For one thing – I know I am NOT any better. I struggle on a daily basis with sin I want to hide. We should celebrate that he has brought this to the light and is now dealing with this issue face-to-face. As a church, we must lift him up in prayer and show him grace beyond our understanding. This is where his healing can really begin.
Here are the lyrics to the song:
You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my diseaseI trust in you
I trust in youI believe
You’re my healer
I believe
You are all i need
I believe
You’re my portion
I believe
You’re more than enough for me
Jesus, you’re all i needNothing is impossible for you
Nothing is impossible
Nothing is impossible for you
You hold my world in your hands
The words still ring true though the story behind it may not be.
Jenni on Skype: jclayville 
