Yesterday

Yesterday was a wonderful day!  One of my favorite things about coming to Florida (other than the obvious.....time with Brian, Emily and Christopher) is worshiping at First Baptist Brandon, our church home during the years we lived here.  It still feels like home!

There are two morning services at First Baptist.  Well, actually three......one at 9AM and two going on simultaneously at 10:30.  Al and I are 10:30 people, but Emily and Christopher are 9:00 people.  (Brian is actually in both, working in the sound booth.)  Yesterday, I decided to attend both worship services instead of going to Life Group and then to worship.  That meant I got to go to "big church" with Christopher........what a blessing!

Dr. Green preached yesterday on "Words of Life"......the last words of Christ as revealed in the Gospels.  I was so blessed.  And in my mind I was carried back to Israel and relived so many of the sights I saw while we were there.

I remembered sitting on the Mount of Olives and looking at the city of Jerusalem.  I remembered praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.  I remembered sitting on the same stones where it is believed that Jesus was beaten.  I remembered being in the cistern at Caiphas' house where it is believed Jesus was held after He was beaten.  I remembered walking the Via Dolorosa.  And I remembered Calvary.  I remembered Dr. Wilton saying, while we were in Israel, that having been there we would never read the Scriptures in the same way again.  I'm finding that to be true.  I see these places and events with so much more clarity now that I have walked there.

The title of the message......"Words of Life".......reminded me of the hymn we often sang when I was a child......one of those hymns we rarely sing anymore......"Wonderful Words of Life".  Truly, the message of the Cross and our Lord's last words there are words of life!  How blessed and encouraged I was by yesterday's message!

And I was so blessed listening to my grandson sing along with us during the service.  Trying to get the words to "Brethren, We Have Met to Worship"........singing "we will sing, sing, sing....."  And during the invitation, hearing him sing "change my heart, O God".  I realize, of course, that as a 4 year old, he probably has no real idea what he's asking God to do in that song.  But what I realize even more is that many adults who sing that song don't have any idea either.

"Change my heart, O God; make it ever true.

Change my heart, O God; may I be like You.

You are the Potter, I am the clay.

Mold me and make me.....this is what I pray.

Change my heart, O God; make it ever true.

Change my heart, O God; may I be like You."