Picture of the Week!™

I was driving back from Tupelo yesterday as the Sun was setting. As I watched, I was freshly amazed by the very fact and nature of our existence.

This "Sun" that I've watched rise and set my whole life is a ball of nuclear fire 865,000 miles wide (the volume of 1.3 million earths) and 93 million miles away. And every day and year our little planet spins and dances around it.

And here we are. Driving our cars. Eating food. Working. Laughing. Breathing. All on this ball of dirt, metal, rock, and lava that we call "our's". Floating around in space, we are. Right now. Traveling through a universe more vast than we can comprehend.

We. Are. Small.

But...we are. Oh, we are. In the midst of this vast universe, we are very much here.

How sweet perspective is.

This picture was taken from the International Space Station.

The green part is the Aurora Australis. (It's like the Northern Lights...but south!)

(click picture to view full-size)

Songs from March

Here are the songs we sang at the 9:45 service in March:

3.7.10

1. "Rise" | Robbie Seay [iTunes]

2. "God of Love Enable Me" | words: David Duncan music: Kyle Kite

3. "Fully Alive" | Kyle Kite

4. "I Surrender All" | J. W. Van DeVenter [iTunes]

3.14.10

1. "All Creatures of Our God and King" | Francis of Assisi [iTunes]

2. "Send the Light" | words: Charles H. Gabriel music: Kyle Kite

3. "This is My Father's World" | Malt­bie D. Bab­cock [iTunes]

3.21.10

1. "Shine in Love" | Kyle Kite

2. "The Wonderful Peace" | words: Alfred Barratt music: Kyle Kite

3. "Grace Greater than Our Sin" | J. Johnston [iTunes]

4. "He Who Knew No Sin" | Kyle Kite

5. "I Surrender All" | J. W. Van DeVenter [iTunes]

3.28.10

1. "Psalm 62" | Shane & Shane [iTunes]

2. "Hosanna" | Kyle Kite

3. "Jesus Paid It All" | E.M. Hall [iTunes]

4. "I Surrender All" | J. W. Van DeVenter [iTunes]

Bible & Prayer: Day 28

Here's today's scripture and prayer.

Read

"In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going."

-John 14:2-4

Pray

Thank God that He has promised that we will join Him forever in Heaven.

Imagine for a few moments what it will be like to be in God's presence and know Him fully. What peace. What joy. To be home.

Pray that God will help you to remember today (and everyday) where you're life is headed. Where your true home is.

Bible & Prayer: Day 27

Here's today's scripture and prayer.

Read

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Pray

Pray that God would help you to 1) rejoice always (be truly satisfied in him), 2) continually be in prayer (both listening to and sharing with God), and 3) give thanks to Him no matter what your circumstance (humbly recognizing that your very existence is constantly a product of His grace).

Bible & Prayer: Day 26

Here's today's scripture and prayer.

Read

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

-2 Corinthians 5:21

Pray

Thank God that, for your sake, He had Jesus take the penalty of sin, that you might receive the privilege of being rightly related to God (as His beloved child). Praise Him for His grace.

Bible & Prayer: Day 25

Here's today's scripture and prayer.

Read

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

-Romans 12:1-2

Pray

Think about yourself. Your body. Your emotions. Your thoughts. Your past. Your dreams. Your desires. Your abilities.

Now, lay all of those things that make up you down, in surrender to God. Ask Him to make those things (you) the way He wants them to be. To change them. To take them away. Or to let you keep having (being) them.

Allow God to renew your mind (change the way you understand things) that you may know what He desires.

Bible & Prayer: Day 24

Here's today's scripture and prayer.

Read

"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God."

-Psalm 62:5-7

Pray

Praise God that He is willing to be our rock, our salvation, and our fortress.

Pray that He would help you to wait on and trust in Him alone. That you would not run after other gods. That you would find your salvation and glory in Him alone.

Bible & Prayer: Day 23

Here's today's scripture and prayer.

Read

"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,"

-Acts 17:24-27

Pray

Praise God that, though He does not need us, He wants us to seek Him and to find Him and that He is not hiding from us.

Bible & Prayer: Day 22

Here's today's scripture and prayer.

Read

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love."

-John 15:4-9

Pray

In this passage "abide" means to "continually live in". To abide in Christ is to continuously live in intimate dependence on Him. To be continuously seeking to know Him more.

Thank God for the privilege of knowing Him. Pray that He would help you to abide in Him (to depend on Him and seek to know Him more) today.

Bible & Prayer: Day 21

Here's today's scripture and prayer.

Read

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

-Hebrews 11:1

Pray

Pray that God would help you to not only hope for His love, but have faith in it. To be sure of it. To risk everything you have believing He loves you and will take care of you.