Matt‬hew ‭27:51‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split.

The veil being torn symbolizes you and I having a direct connection with Jesus. There are many crosses displayed throughout churches. A barren cross symbolizes that Jesus is alive. All barriers, including the veil, have been broken.

I don’t know about you but I want an encounter with God. I want to be available to Him and for Him. I want to say yes to His love and His will for my life. I desire to surrender anything that would compromise that encounter. How about you? Will you be available for God?

Let’s pray. Dear God, as I enter into Your presence, I desire an encounter with You. I desire to surrender anything that would put a veil between You and I. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

2 Cor‬inthians ‭4:7-8‬ ‭NIV — But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.

Just like the coffee being expressed, we too are hard pressed. The yummy aroma and flavor lingers as I taste each sip. I have fallen in love with espresso. It is a coffee brewing method in which a small amount of nearly boiling water is forced under 9–10 bars of pressure (expressed) through finely-ground coffee beans. The good news, God does not leave us in despair. His Grace abounds and his love lingers, even when we think our cup is empty.

Let’s allow God to make something beautiful out of our hard pressed areas so that others will see Him through you and I in all His glory. Let’s be intentional by tasting and seeing the goodness only God can provide.

Let’s pray. Dear God, mold me and make me beautiful in Your sight so that others see Your light through me. Make something beautiful out of my hard pressed areas. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

@youversion

@biblegateway

Psalm 73:26 NIV — My flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

2 Cor‬inthians ‭4:7-8‬ ‭NIV — But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.

Matt‬hew ‭27:51‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split.

Psalm 16:11 NIV — You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 34:8 NIV — Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

@biblegateway

@youversion

Looking back, my word of the year for 2021 was refine, meaning to remove impurities or unwanted elements. On this Sing Sunday, will you allow God to refine you? Will you surrender and make yourself available for God’s glory?

We can be thankful for the parts of us that fail in Psalm 73:26 NIV — My flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

I  am thankful that God continues to refine me. I am thankful that He is my strength and my portion forever. Let’s worship together!

Available by Elevation Worship

Refiner by Maverick City Music, featuring Mara Justine

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2:20-21‬ ‭MSG‬ — In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing.

Join us as we finish out our week with Deborah sharing on ministry! May we all be willing to be an open vessel for God!

Take a moment to worship with The Goodness of God by CeCe Winans.

Jeremiah‬ ‭17‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

Join us as we wrap up our week on prayer rooms and being. Today we encourage you to be planted in God’s word.

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

How can we be strong and courageous for God in a dry and weary land? In the song Psalm 63 by Jeremy Riddle, he encourages us to seek and worship God. We are humans who have a tendency to create unrealistic expectations and easily get discouraged by the people, places, and things of this world. If we seek God wherever we go and choose to see God in all our people, places, and things, then we can gain his strength and courage. 

In the devotion on How To Pray in Five Dimensions by Rick Warren, he shares how there are dimensions to prayer. I encourage you to take some additional time today to read it. In one of the dimensions he encourages us when praying to look inward at Jesus in us. We read in Ephesians 3:20 NIV – Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.

Did you catch that? God’s power is at work within us. We have all the courage and strength we need. We also read in Romans 8:11 NIV – And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his spirit who lives in you. 

Do you take for granted that the same God that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us? Let’s pray.

Dear God, thank You for Your power that lives in me. Help me not to look to this world for unrealistic expectations. I seek Your strength so that I can be courageous for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen. 

@biblegateway 

@jeremymriddle 

@pastorrickwarren