Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “A life of service”
Our Bible verse for today: “I will sing about the Lord’s faithful love forever.” Psalm 89:1 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “A life of service comes from a heart on fire.”
Yesterday I had the privilege of performing a wedding for a middle-aged couple, each of whom had suffered tragedies in life and each of whom had wondered if they would ever again have a partner to walk through life with. And then, God brought them together.
It’s always fun to watch older couples smitten with new love and acting like teenagers. In the pre-marital counseling sessions I always encourage them to somehow capture that joy and enthusiasm about their relationship, put it in a bottle and hang onto it, because in order for a relationship to stay vital and fresh, it must be nurtured. We must never take it for granted and we must not allow it to grow stale.
As part of the pre-marital counseling I also require the couples to study the article I wrote entitled “A Biblical Model for Marriage” based upon the Apostle Paul’s teaching in Ephesians chapter five. There Paul instructs us on how to develop a marriage relationship based upon the Biblical understanding of “mutual submission”. That then leads a husband and wife into a relationship that is one of lifelong service to each other. You can download a free copy of the article at www.JimMersereauBooks.com, or see chapter eleven of my book “Walking with Paul”.
What’s true for human relationships is also true of our relationship with God. In order for our relationship with the Lord to stay fresh and vital it has to be nurtured. Just as a married couple must be intentional about doing the things necessary –everyday – to keep their marriage relationship healthy and vibrant, so too with our relationship with God. If we do that, then our heart will be on fire for Him and we will live our days seeking ways to please and serve Him.
Today is Saturday, tomorrow is Sunday. Sunday is the day we as the people of God set aside to come together as a church family to worship the Lord and to nurture our relationship with Him. It’s one of the most effective ways we have of keeping the passion in the relationship. I encourage you to attend church tomorrow.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 