Frame It!!

I was in the mall awhile back and went by a store that specializes in paintings and prints. As I was looking at one of the prints that was not framed, I noticed another one exactly like it a few feet away. The only difference with the other one was it was framed. After looking closer I could tell immediately that the details of the framed print jumped off the canvas and the unframed print looked rather faded and the colors weren't vibrant. If I had only looked at the unframed print, I would probably have thought, "nice picture" and moved on. But after looking at the framed version, that was framed in a beautiful cherry wood frame, I continued to pick up more and more color varieties and intricate artwork painted by the painter.

At Christmas we many times look at the birth of Jesus as a historical fact, which it is, and after remembering it once again we get on with our life. Even Jesus is the Reason for the Season can become empty and reduced to just a phrase if we don't look closer at the picture God has painted on the canvas of history. Like the print without a frame in the print store it can at times become a reptitious event on the world calendar. But....it's much more than that and I believe we need to frame the event of the birth of the Savior of the world in the beautiful framework that God's grace and mercy has built to make Christmas a time for life change and challenge.

If we put it in the proper framework of God's Word, we will start to see very intricate details that many people are missing. Details like hope for eternity in heaven and not hell. Power to live a life that makes an impact on all who cross our path. Strength to change history in a nation that so desperately needs to turn back to God. Wisdom to lead our children and their children in a path to God and His wonderful ways. Peace to know that when all else is falling apart around us we are growing stronger every day. Love that uplifts our hearts and gives us a heart for giving and growing closer to the God who loves us.

It we take Christmas just one step further by framing it in the beautiful framework of God's plan, it WILL be a time of the year when we see more clearly just how much God really loves us. Abba Father wants us to see Him more and more clearly every day, so don't let this opportunity slip away by just looking at a calendar date. Frame it in God's frame and see it fresh and anew. And remember, He is painting the picture of YOUR life and framing it in His grace and mercy. Oh what a Savior!!!

Jesus, really is the reason for the season,

David Warren

fighting the war in the stars...

Being a huge Star Wars fan, I remember going to the first movie to come out in theaters. It was weaving the story of Luke finding his place in fighting the good fight to make sure the good won out. He had a mentor named OB1 Kenobi, who in appearances, seemed wise but not much of a fighter. Luke and his companions had gone to the enemy’s ship to free Princess Leia and in doing so encountered Darth Vader. In a powerful scene, OB1 Kenobi ended up fighting Darth Vader face to face. Good versus evil. Luke and his companions saw the fight from a distance and after OB1 had assured enough time for the group to escape, he did a very strange thing. He lowered his light sabre and Darth Vader seemingly struck him down. Luke was mortified as he saw his mentor, his friend die before his very eyes. He did not know that OB1 had to die to make it possible for Luke and those of the force to rise up in more powerful numbers and defeat evil once and for all. After that OB1 was a constant help as a spirit that would step in and continue to lead and enable those fighting the good fight. Evil was defeated and peace and good reigned from there on.

That mirrors the fight we as believers continue to fight through the strength of the one who died for us, Jesus. It has always been a struggle as we continue to fight the good fight and present the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. Each of us are important to God’s plan and His great power comes alive in all who know Him and call him Savior. That plan takes many different directions as He guides us in His perfect will to accomplish, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, the Great Commission. Jesus died and left the Holy Spirit to empower us to do His work. HIS work!

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do

what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these,

because I am going to the Father.

--John 14:12

As we have served together over the past three years we have seen God do some incredible things. We have experienced those things together and those experiences have knit our hearts together for eternity. Even though I won’t be here, we are still actually all still together….in our love for Jesus, in our heart for worshipping our Lord, in our obedience to His call. The call remains the same, just different connections with different people.

My challenge is this: don’t back away or back off. Continue to fan the flame and see just what God can continue to do through each of you. His plan is still the best. His love is still contagious. He is still worthy of all our praise. He is the great I AM. Serving miles apart we will continue to be of one heart and mind as we serve Him in our mission fields. Our time with you has blessed our hearts and made us better servants. Thank you for encouraging us and loving us, and challenging us to greatness. Hopefully, we have done the same and the lasting effect of our crossing paths will continue to impact a world desperately in need of a Savior.

The Pilgrimage continues....


David Warren

Give Thanks...

The fourth-grader rose from his desk and walked slowly to the front of the classroom to deliver a report concerning the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday. With Thanksgiving just days away, the classroom was buzzing with excitement. The teacher shared the eagerness of her students and felt that she had done an adequate job of encouraging each child to focus on the true meaning of the holiday. Those hopes were soundly dashed against the words of the young speaker.
"The pilgrims came here seeking freedom of ... you know what. When they landed, they gave thanks to ... you know who. Because of these brave people, we can celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday and our freedom to worship every Sunday ... you know where."
We laugh at the thought of leaving God's name out of this childish writing but, in fact, many of us are just as guilty of leaving Him out of our daily walk - especially when it comes to giving thanks. While Thanksgiving does remind us to stop and give thanks, Thanksgiving is not just a national holiday to be celebrated for a few hours each November. Learning to live in the gear of perpetual thanksgiving is a life changing discipline. Giving thanks should be a natural characteristic and innate practice of every believer. It is thanking God for all that He has done as well as for all He is presently doing and going to do in the future. Thanksgiving heightens our awareness of His presence and thrives on an active, living faith - a faith that is not ashamed to boldly act or afraid to speak out even in the face of doubt.
The book of James tells us, " When you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the sin" (NLT).
Learning to be thankful - even when we cannot see, hear or understand what God is doing or how He is working - is authentic thanksgiving and the direct result of a living, active and personal faith in God. We often say that we need more faith in order to be more thankful. I don't think so! We operate in faith every single day. We flip a switch believing in faith that light will appear. We turn a key believing in faith that a car will start. We even go to a doctor we hardly know who scribbles an impossible - to - read prescription which we promptly take to a pharmacist we have never seen. This unknown druggist proceeds to fill the prescription, giving us a medicine with a name we cannot even pronounce. And we take it - all in blind faith! Amazing!
I believe that instead of pleading for more faith, we need to exercise the faith we already possess. As we continually step out in faith, not only will that faith grow stronger, but we will begin to trust God more, naturally developing an attitude of thanks. Faith does not believe that God can or will act. Faith believes that God is answering as we pray. And that truth, my friend, will send us to our knees in praise and thanksgiving.
Don't leave God out of your Thanksgiving celebration. Instead, realize that He is the very reason you can experience abundant and eternal life. Do not let the day pass without finding a few moments to be alone, thanking Him for His magnificent bounty in our hearts and in our lives.

No matter what happens, always be thankful,

for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

--I Thessalonians 5:18

[taken from a daily online devotional, crosswalk.com]

The Pilgrimage continues...

David Warren

What's the use?

As each of us finds our place in serving the Lord we have a great opportunity. An opportunity to find our niche in God’s plan and see how His plan involves us. His awesome, perfect plan not only changes us, but also changes the lives of all those we meet. Not because of who we are and what we can do, but because of who God is and what He will do through us. We are part of the TEAM.

I saw a sign in a high school football workout room a few years ago that said, “There’s no I in TEAM.” After I realized what it was saying (I’m a little slow) I saw the importance of everyone doing their part for God’s work. Which brings to mind this: how is God using YOU? Are you available and does He get your best (first fruits) or just the leftovers? If it is the latter, let me tell you that you are missing a blessing. You are only seeing a part of the plan God has for your life and you are missing out! You can miss a lot of things in life and not have much impact on you, but this is one you do not want to miss.

I know some very presumptuous people who minimize God’s plan in their life and just say, “Whatever will be, will be” and they think their part in this whole God plan is not significant. They are wrong and have believed “the lie” and continually stand on the sideline when God wants them in the game. They are living the “I” and God wants them to experience the TEAM.

So, as worship leaders and worshippers my challenge is to get up and get off the sideline of no commitment and get out there on the field and follow God’s plan. God has a great use for you in His game plan and now is the time to cinch up your gospel shoes and sprint to the line, ready to hit something. God will take care of everything else and then you will start to see victory on a daily basis. You will never be the same. Then you see the USE God has for you.  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

--Ephesians 6:10-15

You’ve got it….Now use it!!

The Pilgrimage continues....


David Warren

birth pains...

I have had the great pleasure of being nearby on some great births over the years. More recently my own grandchildren’s births have brought into focus all of God’s great plans for life and how precious life is to Him. He created life and protects it as only Abba Father can, with the utmost care. As we stood on the side of the road during Life Chain I saw those who honor life like the Father, and those who just don’t understand how important it is to look at life like God does. How we view eternity many times brings the importance of life into focus more than anything else. We know that even though we are living and breathing right now, without spiritual regeneration we are dead, yet breathing. Eternity takes what a lost world misses and brings the essence of life back to one person, God the Father. We must look at life like He does and share that message with the world! Why?

If you will read Matthew 24:1-8 this week you will see that the birthing process for Christ’ return is revealed in a parallel form to child bearing. Our Heavenly Father shows us the picture vividly through our own physical birth, and then transfers it to our Spiritual Birth. He ties the temporal with the eternal and they fit. The only problem is “Do we see the fit?” We have so much going on around us and it is all happening so quickly we might just miss the warning signs and be caught unaware. God does not want us unaware, just as much as He wants us to trust Him. As worshippers we have been called out to make a difference as God’s plan continues to unfold before our very eyes. A plan that is perfect and will be revealed with many more signs and wonders.

Just as my eyes were reopened to all it takes to birth a new baby, our eyes are seeing the signs of the birth of a new day for all of us. A day we anticipate with eagerness and faith. Even though we are seeing birth pains all around us every day, may we look to the end of the process and the culmination of the promises of God’s Word. We can trust Him through it all. As we lead in worship, let us lead with a fervency that can only be powered by Him, our Creator. All glory to God. He is truly our great Redeemer.  May we lift our praises to Him.

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

--Matthew 24:1-8

drinking from the same cup...

I am so proud of the Godly attitude I see every day in those who serve in the worship ministry here at Scotts Hill. The world is so strong in its push to make us all want to have all these “rights” and that agenda is a constant in everything we see and live. Sadly enough, it continues to plague “the church” as the enemy offers a tainted fruit called “self” to us on a very decorative platter. The subtle way it affects us is evident in the way we try to mix in very personal agendas with the leading of the Holy Spirit. If we serve, how we serve (position), and what that service can do for me is mixed in with the true attitude of service called selflessness. The attitude of selflessness is one that only wants to glorify the Father and understands that any lifting up of us is always filtered through the way we honor Christ first.

The problem of lifting up self is always highlighted more with musicians, and the desire to make ourselves “stars” is the end result of denying Christ His place of majesty and honor in our worship. Of course, this falls in line with what position satan elevated himself to as the leader of worship, just before he and his angels were kicked out of heaven. We continue to deal with the attraction to make ourselves known, which in turn puts Christ on the back burner, and the end result is a loss of fellowship with the One who gave us our talent. This makes no sense, but still is an ongoing problem with musicians and singers alike when it comes to the “reason” we use our talent. A talent given by God to be given to God for His glory is a talent God can use in incredible ways and for eternity’s sake. That same talent used in the wrong way will have its glory here on earth, but no benefit for the Father.

Once again, I am so proud of the ever growing attitude and lifestyle of those who lead worship at Scotts Hill and I want to encourage each of you to daily evaluate who is getting the praise and keep your focus on our Lord. He is worthy of all praise. Not us! Once that attitude is established and strong it gives us a boldness that is Spirit led and focused on Him. We have come so far and God has more great plans for each of us. Keep Him as your focus. Even though He has gifted each of us in different ways and levels, it is still His desire for each of us to fall equally before Him and cry Holy. If we realize we are all drinking from the same cup, it will keep us level with our attention on Him who fills us with His Spirit.

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts;

and though all its parts are many, they form one body.

So it is with Christ.

For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—

whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—

and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

--I Corinthians 12:12-13

The Pilgrimage continues....


David Warren

making the most of...

I remember years ago working with a dear lady we called Miss Ruby. She is a true southern lady with the deep accent and all. When she talked words just slid out of her mouth with little or no effort. She is the kind of person who makes everyone she meets feel great. I remember when things would go wrong and we had something that didn’t quite work out Miss Ruby would come and say, “You know what you do when you get a lemon? You make lemonade!” Through the years it may seem like you have so many lemons, that you could make lemonade every day for the rest of your life. Life does throw us lemons. You miss that promotion. Your plans for a vacation fall apart. Your kids do something that is totally off the map. Life is full of lemons and we can deal with them by letting them sour us, or we can use them to take us to a new level of commitment. A commitment that allows God’s plan to add a little sugar and a little vision can make some sweet tasting lemonade.

This all brings to mind the word LONG-SUFFERING. Long-suffering has a meaning that brings making lemonade come totally into focus. The definition of long-suffering is long and patient endurance of injury, trouble, or provocation. Or dealing with lemons!! So, I guess if you were to name the fruit for long-suffering it would be a LEMON. The attitude we must have is to allow the fruits of the Spirit to come alive in our life and one fruit that can really make life victorious is the fruit of Long-suffering. When Miss Ruby would encourage us all to make lemonade out of those lemons she showed me a great fruit of the Spirit in her life: long-suffering.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,

long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith...

--Galatians 5:22

Point for worshippers: When things don’t go your way, make lemonade. When life throws you a curve ball, make lemonade. Let the fruit of long-suffering be seen in your life by allowing God’s strength and power to make sweet tasting lemonade out of the lemons in your life. If you didn’t have Christ and there was no power, you would just have lemons and the fruit would be sour. But with Christ the fruit is made not only sweet, but becomes a major life-changing agent that makes us more like Him. Each of us must make the most of every situation by allowing Christ to move us through the obstacles as he makes lemonade out of each of us.

Get sweet and don’t get beat!
The Pilgrimage continues....


David Warren

multi-generational worship...

As a former youth pastor, and someone who has led children in worship as well, I have become increasingly concerned about the manipulation of our younger generation when it comes to worship. Manipulation to conform to a certain “cool” lifestyle that takes the focus off the Lord and puts it on the medium itself is always a big mistake. Why, you say? The very word focus says enough by itself. When the focus toward the Lord is blurred, the focus on the world, or the temporary, becomes very clear. That kind of clarity toward the ways of the world and misguided focus on earthly things is empty at best. It is well known that what your eyes are focused on will influence your mind over a period of time. If we continue to focus on a cutting edge medium that is not God-centered, the end result will be that we are manipulating on behalf of a non-spiritual agenda. That is not God-honoring and in fact, is a slam against the Word of God.

Our passion as worship leaders should always be to lift up the name of Jesus first. That means we will highlight the Word of God, and not think of it as antiquated and old. We will live vibrant lives that show an increasing desire for Godliness as we live in the righteousness provided through the blood of Jesus. We will not compromise in order to improvise to make the Word of God look better, as if it needs it. We will unapologetically lift up the name of Jesus and be Salt and Light in a time when those terms are called outdated and ineffective. In other words, we will be the church. We cannot allow ourselves to get on the slippery slope of apathy anymore and expect God to bless our efforts. It won’t happen. There is only one God, and it’s not us. Let’s worship in spirit and truth and actually let God be the one who is glorified as we lift up the Savior, not the secular.

I have enclosed a brief article below that is a good reminder for each of us as adults about our attitude when it comes to leading worship. Even though this is for those leading children in worship, it applies to us all. Thanks for all you do to lead others in worship. Please keep your hand to the plow and don’t look back. Luke 9:62…

Keep plowing from generation to generation,

Copied from Integrity Today

Worship: The Spiritual Dimension

This is an article that was written to help leaders realize the importance of leading children in spirit-led worship.

First, begin with spiritual warfare: Worship is a spiritual activity, one that will be met with spiritual opposition, every time.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness

of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”

--Ephesians 6:12

Next, welcome the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit comes to reveal Jesus in our midst. As we surrender to the Spirit’s leading, we create an entry-point for glory to permeate our praise.

Finally, see leaders as co-worshippers: Worship-leading is not like cheerleading. Cheerleaders stand apart from the game, cheering on the team. A worship-leader joins the worship, as another worshipper, modeling a heart for worship.

Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.

--1 Thessalonians 5:19-22

The Pilgrimage continues..

David Warren

birth to new birth...

These past two weeks have been some of the most challenging and uplifting weeks of my life with the birth of Addison Grace Warren and Esther Ruth Askew, otherwise known as our grandchildren. I’m a grandfather! Wow…say that backwards -- wow! Their births were so much the same, but totally different. First of all, they are healthy, breathing and beautiful. Secondly, they had very different ways of getting here, but they are here. We got a call from our son, Ty saying, “I think you need to start the nine hour drive to get here in time for the birth.” Sure enough, the next morning Addison Grace Warren was born weighing 6lbs 14oz. Healthy and sometimes even smiling she lived up to her name by “gracing” our lives with her presence. Awesome! Simply awesome! Eight days later we get a call from our daughter Natalie saying they were going to go ahead and induce labor, and then deliver the baby. Sure enough, the next day Esther Ruth Askew was born weighing in at 10lbs 1oz. She was born per her namesake for “such a time as this!” Two -- not one -- two grandchildren. What an awesome blessing for all the family.

Even though both deliveries were totally different they both had the same result, new life…birth! The mothers and fathers are totally different. The babies themselves are totally different. They do have one major thing in common, though. They are alive and growing. All this brings to mind the new birth those who accept Christ experience. All are totally different people from different backgrounds who are brought to the point of new birth through different experiences. All are different, but share one common thing…birth. The first birth gives us life; the second birth gives us abundant life.

*Important note– If people are walking around, they have already experienced the first birth. Now they need to hear about the second one. We are the ones with the Message. From birth to new birth, we have the opportunity to lead others to transition from the first one to the second one by sharing one simple thing -- our experience.

I will never forget the birth of my children and my grandchildren. It keeps life in perspective. My new birth as a believer is my perspective, and it impacts me every moment of every day as I grow up in the grace and love of my Lord. It turns my crank and keeps my life purpose fresh and growing. Listen to Paul’s perspective on sharing the new birth he experienced...

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

--Colossians 4:2-6

From birth to birth, both of them are timely. We need “grace” and we need to shine like a “star”, which is what Esther’s name means. So, let your light shine and tell others of the grace that gives them new birth. I can’t wait for the new birth these girls will experience some day in the future. For now, I will help them grow in the first one. Thank you, girls -- Popsie’s proud.

David Warren
Worship Pastor

Welcome, Esther Ruth!

Please welcome little miss

Esther Ruth Askew

to the Askew family!

Born: September 15, 2009

Time: 7:47pm

Weight: 10 lbs, 1 oz

Length: 21 1/2 inches

Congratulations to the proud parents, 

David and Natalie Askew

and to the proud grandparents,

David and Andra Warren!

get back up, son...

When our youngest son, Seth, was a little boy we made a great discovery. He was very fast. I mean, extremely fast, and he could run forever, it seemed. He would line up in the track events for his elementary school and beat all the other kids by at least 10 yards in every race. I mean fast. I always wanted to encourage him, so I would say a prayer with him at the starting line and then run to the finish line to wait for him. When he would cross the tape he would continue sideways to the fence around the track and come up and hug me and I would say, “Great race! You are awesome!” He would smile and go back and get his blue ribbon, and then we would go out for Dairy Queen. I loved watching him run.

We went to one particular race in the third grade and there were kids there from other schools ready to beat one boy -- Seth. This race was for 2 miles and he took off and went over the hill ahead of everyone. We had done the prerace prayer and then went to the finish line to wait for Seth. As the kids came up over the other hill we noticed something strange…no Seth. The first ten runners came in and Seth was not with them. Just when we thought something was majorly wrong, here he came. He was running and passing kids like they were standing still and came in18th place. We ran to him and told him, “Great race!” and noticed he was crying. In the middle of the race, out of the sight of the judges and the parents, there was a place where the kids would double back and pass each other. At that point, two boys tripped Seth, sending him down the hillside, and as others ran by, Seth fell back to last. Injured and hurting he got back up and started running as hard as he could and went from 85^th to 18^th. The other boys who tripped him finished first and second -- we could only imagine what would have happened if he had not been tripped.

That was not the point. The point was, he raced. He competed for the prize and even though he had a pitfall or two, he finished as strong as he could. He didn’t give up. I learned a lot about my son, myself, and of course, my Lord that day. We may stumble and we may fall, but don’t give up! Keep on racing. Keep on running. Remember what 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 says...

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others,I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Some day when we finish the race of this life we will all cross the finish line and run into the arms of our Father and He will say, “Great Race! You are Awesome!” Let’s get ready for that day by running the race He has set before us with all the passion we can. If you fall, God will say, “Get back up, son, get back up, daughter, and keep running.”
David Warren
Worship Pastor

Welcome, Addison Grace!

Please welcome little miss

Addison Grace Warren

to the Warren family!

Born: September 6, 2009

Time: 7:35 am

Weight: 6 lbs, 14 oz

Length: 19 inches

Congratulations to the proud parents,

Ty and Dana Warren

and to the proud grandparents,

David and Andra Warren!

What's a new song?

In leading worship at different places for different people I have noticed that certain worship songs are known by many and some songs are only known by a few. I will get before a group that is not used to my worship leading and I will start singing a song that is well known by our church, but the confused look and non-singing shows me those people haven’t heard that song. Of course, my heart’s desire is that all would lift up their voices to the Lord, but they do that easier if they are familiar with the song I am leading. Some songs are easy to learn and the chorus repeats and it makes the song one that everyone can sing. Some songs are very difficult to learn and they usually remain a solo piece or one that a small ensemble group can sing as special music. The main thing is that we lift up His name and focus on Him and not ourselves.

In so many ways, it’s not the song title, but the stirring of a heart drawn to God that causes a song to come alive as God’s people lift their thanks and worship to Him. The Holy Spirit makes that song an instrument of praise that God can use to exalt Him. The age of a song is only when it was written, not when and only when God can use it. Songs are timeless, much like God who stirred the hearts of men and women to write them. Psalm 98 says, “Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things, his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.” The songs of the saints are songs that are expressions of our great love for God, in light of His great love for us. The new song is the constant refreshed attitude that makes every moment something to be lived to the fullest. It doesn’t matter if it’s the latest greatest, or the goldest oldest. What does matter is who you are when you are singing it.

A life that God changes is a life that is in a process of growth. That growth is full of constant fresh responses to God and His wonderful grace and mercy. That generates something in us that makes every song we sing a new song. When we worship with hearts that are changed by Him, the end result is acceptable worship that goes well beyond song age and makes every song NEW! We will still have our likes and our dislikes, but a true worshipper doesn’t dwell on those things as much as he or she dwells on the Lord who gives the song.

Sing a new song this week as we sing songs you have sung before again and again. The songs will no longer be just familiar, they will be new.

Worship Him and Him alone,

David Warren

Worship Pastor

double the joy, double the love

Years ago Wrigley Candy Co. had a slogan for DoubleMint Gum and it was as follows, “Double Your pleasure, Double Your fun with Doublemint Gum.” That gum had two different flavors of mint combined to form the unique taste they were pushing at the time. I don’t think people really thought about what the ad said after a while; they just liked the ring of it. But the truth was they had a found a brand new taste that was doubling the amount of mint that their competitors were distributing. They took the market by storm and people were drawn to DoubleMint Gum without knowing all that it took to make it new and unique. In other words, the truth of the science of the gum and all the sacrifice was forgotten and reduced to a mere slogan.

Year after year we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with wonderful slogans that stir our hearts and cause us to reflect on God, family, church and the brevity of life. Those slogans, as good as they are, can never capture just what happened in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. The Son of God was born…not a favorite Christian slogan, but a truth. It happened! God was born to a human in a humble setting, probably a hay stall or manger…not a favorite story, but a truth. It happened! Because of that our joy and our love should be doubled, or tripled, or whatevered. Like DoubleMint Gum we have a great opportunity to “double our pleasure, double our fun” but our slogan is double the joy, double the love. Take note of 1 John 1:1-4 (The Message) below.

Our love for God should be premium as we think about the upcoming Christmas celebration. Our joy should be doubled as we absorb all that God did through the birth of Jesus, the Christ. Listen to John 1:14 (The Message): “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.” Instead of“there goes the neighborhood”, it should be “love your neighbor like you love yourself.”

Get the real meaning of Christmas. Not this year, not this month, not this week, not this day, NOW! Jesus is IN THE HOUSE. Let Him double your joy, which will double your love. That kind of love carries the message to the masses and changes lives, and that is what we are all about.

The Pilgrimage continues...

David Warren

From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. We saw it, we heard it, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!

1 John 1:1-4 (MSG)