The good news of Christ
Your way of wisdom, Lord, is my desire,
Your love of man, O God, I would acquire;
In holiness, like you I strive to live,
With free and generous heart, teach me to give.
To be like you, my Savior, my only aim,
To never end a day as I was, the same;
Perfect me, draw me upward, into the light,
To dwell forever upon your city’s height.
Regardless, Lord, of this world’s worst,
In spite of evil and harm and ill,
Let us be sure of your good will,
And always put your kingdom first.
Let none spurn faith, let none ask why
You cause the innocent early to die;
Instead, may we all marvel how,
In patience, you let us live until now.
O Lord, remove from me that flat desire
To free myself, like cunning Pilate, to please
The clamoring crowd, and cowardly fearing the ire
Of others, making political moves to appease
The popular demand. On principle let me stand:
Commitment to Christ, forever faithful, strong
In truth, to suffer for love, the Word in hand —
My eyes on you, the Lord whose patience is long.
Jas 5.19-20
Our Father in Heaven, your hand is out
To give redemption to fallen souls;
Obedient faith brings full remission
Of sins, to find in Jesus’ blood
The hope of life, that holy love
Whose boundless height cannot be measured,
Nor depth or width or length or cost.
Our human praises fail the price
You paid to pull us back to you.
We fall, with faces to the ground,
In all humility, in reverent fear —
The thought that you came near to us!
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long. Psa 25.5
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
You are God, I lean upon you;
Only mercy now can reach me,
All day long my hope is in you.
I’ve no sense of truth or justice,
No notion of what is good and right;
You, O God, are guide and compass,
For my path the constant light.
By John Henson, Dibrell congregation, McMinnville TN
Colossians 3:1-4
I. KEEP SEEKING (Verse 1)
a. The Things Above
b. Where Christ is in a Special Place
II. GIVE YOUR MINDS TO THINGS ABOVE (Verse 2)
a. The Practical Pursuit of Heavenly Goals.
b. THINK Heaven!
III. WHY FOCUS ON HEAVEN (Verse 3)?
a. Your Life Exists in God now!
b. Your Life is in a Safe Place Now!
IV. WHEN CHRIST OUR LIFE APPEARS (Verse 4)
a. Our Lives Hidden In Him, With Him
b. You Will Be Revealed in Glory (NASB)
c. Is your life hidden in Christ?
d. If not, obey the gospel now.
Teach me to do what pleases you,
For you are my God, in whom I stand;
Let your good Spirit work anew
To lead me into a level land.
Surrounded by technology,
From you, O God, our senses flee;
No longer can we see the stars
From concrete cages, electronic bars.
Where time is money and truth is death,
Where power is success’s shibboleth,
Where work and sex make man a slave;
From these, O Lord, I pray you save.
In pain, be our salve, O Lord.
In confusion, cut through to clarity.
When our hearts fail us, give us cheer and courage.
In the face of betrayal, let us find Jesus.
When exhaustion weighs upon us, energize our limbs.
In hurry, slow us down to your speed.
In sin, free us and bind us to yourself.