Online Ministry for the Week 9/19 - 9/25 2016

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the Scriptures are read and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.

The Upper Room daily devotional: A SYMPATHETIC SAVIOR

DAILY READING

• Monday (September 19, 2016): Psalm 106:40-48; Jeremiah 9:12-26; Acts 4:1-12 OR Psalm 12; Proverbs 14:12-31; Acts 4:1-12
• Tuesday (September 20, 2016): Psalm 106:40-48; Jeremiah 10:1-16; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 OR Psalm 12; Proverbs 17:1-5; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
• Wednesday (September 21, 2016): Psalm 106:40-48; Jeremiah 10:17-25; Luke 20:45-21:4 OR Psalm 12; Proverbs 21:10-16; Luke 20:45-21:4
• Thursday (September 22, 2016): Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16; Jeremiah 23:9-22; 2 Corinthians 8:8-15 OR Psalm 146; Proverbs 22:2-16; 2 Corinthians 8:8-15
• Friday (September 23, 2016): Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16; Jeremiah 23:23-32; Ephesians 2:1-10 OR Psalm 146; Proverbs 28:3-10; Ephesians 2:1-10
• Saturday (September 24, 2016): Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16; Jeremiah 24:1-10; Luke 9:43b-48 OR Psalm 146; Proverbs 28:11-28; Luke 9:43b-48

ABUNDANT HEALTH

Time to Play

The Lord is my strength and my shield …. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7 (NIV)

When we were kids, we called it play, and we loved every minute of it. Today, for many, we call it exercise and count every minute of it, longing for it to be over. Why not integrate motion with devotion and bring back the fun and joy to your fitness and life?

Here’s a good place to start: Move toward joy. If you think of exercise as drudgery, as an ought to in your life, your motivation will disappear. If you direct your energies wisely and do something you enjoy, something you get to do, you’ll find that motivation comes naturally.

—Exercise Physiologist Sean Foy Today's reading is a brief excerpt from The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life by Rick Warren, DMin; Daniel Amen, MD; & Mark Hyman, MD (Zondervan). © 2013 by The Daniel Plan. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

NIV DAILY

Into His House with Joy (Psalm 122:1)

Why is it important to go to church?
How would your life be different if you couldn’t go to church?

Sometimes it’s a struggle to get ourselves up and going for church. But God wants us to go into his house with joy. This doesn’t mean that we will always be excited when the alarm clock goes off. But it does mean that we need to work to prepare our hearts and minds for what God has in store for us.

God wants us to gather together with other believers. He wants us to study the Bible, to hear the Word, to sing praises together and to bless others. All of this should happen in church. If you find yourself dragging, ask God to replace your lack of enthusiasm with his joy.

Many believers in this world are being persecuted for gathering together. Some people are even being killed. That’s how important it is to gather. For those of us who have easy access to a church, it can be easy to take it for granted. But we shouldn’t.

If you find yourself bored with church, ask God what you could do to make it more exciting. If you find church a difficult place to be due to problems with fellow believers, pray that God will heal those relationships and restore your joy.

Taken from Once a Day At the Table ©2014 HarperCollins Christian Publishing

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

God, our helper, every good gift comes from your open hand. You sent your Son Jesus to become human, understanding our temptations and weaknesses. In our life of discipleship, help us to stand resolute in our commitment to follow Christ rather than the lures of our culture. Send your spirit to bring peace and contentment to our hearts. Let our congregation become a haven of those rich in good works and eager to share your message of hope. In gratitude, we dedicate our offerings through Christ, our risen Lord. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:6-19)