The highlight of each week for me is coming together to worship with and hang out with our incredible church family – the RC community!
What made this Sunday extra special was having my friend Blaine Bartel in the house with us. Blaine was the host of the classic TV show ‘Fire By Nite’ way back in the day. He was also instrumental in helping build one of the largest youth ministries (OneEighty) in the country at Church On The Move in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He currently resides in Dallas where he is the co-director of BullyProof.
When Blaine got up to greet the congregation he said, “That was the most energetic 9 o’clock service I’ve ever been a part of!” I would have to agree. In fact, our 9AM crowd was rowdier than our 11AM crowd for this first time in a long time.
Here’s the scoop:
RCBand Worship Set
- Breath
- Loving, Forgiving, Saving
- Rain Down
- Hallelujah / Now & Forevermore (11AM)
- Special Song – Adam by LiveCoal
Message – Throw It Down (Part 2)
[This series was inspired by Jud Wilhite’s book of the same title.]
Synopsis: Throw down anything and everything that is keeping you from being close to Jesus. This requires honesty and willingness to change today by understanding that God’s grace is big enough to see us through.
The story of Exodus reveals 2 opposing strategies:
1. Pharaoh abused power for selfish gain.
2. God used power to liberate His people.
What do you need to ‘throw down’ so you can be liberated?
Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith (uh, look around), let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
1. CONFESS
1 John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins HE is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.
- Requires honesty (keeping it real)
- When we come clean it releases God’s power to free us.
Regarding the likes of Tiger Woods, Jesse James, Anthony Weiner, etc. the media always asks,
“What can this person do to restore his image?”
According to Jud Wilhite in his book Throw It Down the question should be, “What can they do to restore their character?”
“God doesn’t want to improve our image. He wants to restore our lives!” ~Jud Wilhite
-This requires honesty.
“Ongoing honesty opens the door to God’s grace that heals us.” ~Jud Wilhite
James 5:16 (NLT)
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Don’t camouflage your sins.
Confess them.
After King David was confronted by the prophet Nathan he humbly acknowledged his sin, repented, and penned Psalm 51.
2. COMMIT TO CHANGE
(To repent is to turn from your sin and turn to God.)
Exodus 10:17 (NLT)
“Forgive my sin, just this once, and plead with the Lord your God to take away this death from me.” ~Pharaoh
Jud Wilhite notes in his book, “The problem was that Pharaoh didn’t really want a changed life. All he wanted was a different situation.”
3. DO IT NOW!
“You can do it!!!” ~Rob Schneider
Don’t wait until tomorrow. Surrender now.
Pharaoh preferred to postpone surrender until tomorrow. He begged Moses to have God remove the plague of frogs from Egypt. Exodus 8:1-10 (NLT) tells us frogs were everywhere (in their homes, beds, ovens, etc.)! Moses told him to set the time. Pharaoh’s response: Tomorrow! He was willing to put up with the frogs one more day because of his stubbornness.
Don’t be like Pharaoh and postpone your surrender until tomorrow.
‘Throw it down’ today!
4. GOD’S GRACE IS ENOUGH
We find the account of The Passover in Exodus 12:21-23 (NLT). The final plague that brought down Pharaoh and his kingdom and ultimately convinced him to release the Israelites was the angel of death. The Israelites were instructed to take the blood of a lamb and wipe it over their door-posts. If they were obedient the angel of death would ‘pass over’ them.
Jesus became that sacrificial Lamb for us. His blood is good enough. His grace is sufficient.
What do you need to surrender?
What do you need to confess?
What do you need to be free of?
What do you need to throw down?
Whoever Jesus sets free is free indeed.
~PC
