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Spirit and Truth
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 23-24 True worship is led and empowered by the Holy Spirit. God seeks worship from believers filled with the Holy Spirit leading them in worship. God seeks worship rooted in the preaching of the Word of truth inspired by the Holy Spirit. We must desire the kind of worship where the Holy Spirit changes those who gather together, some for salvation and others for…
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Worship As Witness
“You worship what you do not know, we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.” John 4:22 The great overarching purpose for Dublin Baptist Church is that others would come to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord, that others would grow as disciples who love and serve Jesus. Jesus has changed our lives, but we are surrounded by people who do not know salvation. For them, our worship is something they don’t understand. But our worship is part of our witness. We worship God because we know Him, and every week we celebrate something about who Jesus is and what God has done. They…
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Finishing What He Began
“And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 When God begins something new, He does not start it to abandon it or partially complete it. We can be assured that a perfect and all powerful God can finish what He starts. He will finish our salvation and He will finish His work in the church. If we undertake a task for God in our power, then we may fail to complete it. If God begins a work in us then He will empower us and work around and through…
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How Do You See People?
“When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest field.’” Matthew 9:36-39 How do you see the people you work with, where you shop, at the park, or at school? What do you see when you look at others? Jesus saw their great need and it moved Him with compassion. We must be moved with compassion when we consider the people around you and their great…
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Starting Something New
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19 When God speaks of doing something new, it is something that only He can do. So many times we are guilty of trying to do something in our power and then asking God to bless it. This verse focuses on what only God can do, but the great encouragement is God’s power and desire is to do something new. God wants to bring something new and full…
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Prayer Guide for a New Missional Focus
Starting on December 2, I will be posting daily a prayer guide. This prayer guide is designed to prepare our hearts for a new modern worship service starting on January 6th. Historically, almost every great move of God has been preceded by a powerful prayerful emphasis. As we look for God to move greatly in our midst, I am calling us to a period of daily prayer. I am excited about the future of Dublin Baptist Church and a focus on reaching an unreached group living among us. The need to reach a younger demographic is fueled by the Great Commission, “To go and make disciples of all people” (Matthew…
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Ministry In Misery
“Now when Jesus heard this, He withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by Himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed Him on foot from the towns.” Matthew 14:13 “Now when Jesus heard this” is a reference to is the death of John the Baptist. John was the last individual in the lineage of the Old Testament prophets but he was also the forerunner for the Messiah. He was that unique individual who reached back to Old Testament prophecies and stretched forward toward their fulfillment in Jesus. John was also a cousin to Jesus. Jesus and John were connected as a spiritual family and…
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The First Steps of a Great Leader
Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to…
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The Faith of Abraham
In Hebrews 11:17-19 we read about Abraham and how God called him to sacrifice Isaac. Remember that Abraham was living under the promise that God would make a great nation from his descendants and that Isaac was the only son God had agreed to be in the lineage of what would become Israel. Abraham demonstrates great faith as God tests him (v.17). There is a key difference between a testing and a temptation. Satan tempts us to fall and God tests us to be able to stand. Abraham does not fall in the testing but steps forward and demonstrates incredible faith in God to keep his promise. So…