Find a Church Home (They are Plentiful)

Have you found a church home? It is a challenge sometimes I know. Lori and I were members of a church for many years in our childhood home. We then moved to another city and it took a few months to find the right church home. We then moved again and it took another while to find the right church home. And then we moved to another a few years later. So the process can take some time, but notice that we did not stop looking for the right church home for us.

“¹How lovely is your dwelling place,

O LORD of hosts!

²My soul longs, yes, faints

for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and flesh sing for joy

to the living God.”

— Psalm 84:1-2 (ESV)

The psalm above speaks to the loveliness of the dwelling place of the LORD. We are to seek it out and find joy there. This is not just one singular location. The “dwelling place” of the LORD is where He is and not a single specific place. Remember that the LORD is omnipresent and is everywhere. He is where you need Him to be. So the “dwelling place” is where we can find Him and “sing for joy” to Him.

“³Even the sparrow finds a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may lay her young,

at your altars, O LORD of hosts,

my King and my God.

⁴Blessed are those who dwell in your house,

ever singing your praise!”

— Psalm 84:3-4 (ESV)

And now, where do we find our church home? I cannot say where, physically that is for you. As noted earlier, Lori and I moved a few times and it took time to find the church home for us. But, I will say that if/when we go back to those places, we have a church home to attend. Places where we know we will find a place to “sing for joy” to the LORD.

Looking at the above verses three and four, even sparrows and swallows find a home or nest to raise their young. I think to around my house here. On the front and back porch, we have nests that have been built by some barn swallows. These nests, during the spring and summer times are full with swallows as they have a raise their young. Multiple nests in one location that are not lacking as a home for some. Lori and I like to think that these are the same swallows coming back year after year to a home where they feel comfortable to raise their young.

Churches are the same where you are. There are churches everywhere in your area. I am willing to bet that there is a church home for you in one of them. It may take you some time to find the right one where you find your loving connection to the LORD. But, I will say, you must keep attending and looking for the “dwelling place” of the LORD for you to feel His presence. If not in the first place you go, then go to another, and another, and another. You “sing for joy” in every place and know that the LORD will be there with you.

At some point you will find the “dwelling place” of the LORD that is right for you. And you will find yourself and others singing and worshiping the LORD there always. And even if you move to another area, you will know that you can always return to the church home where you felt comfort to “sing for Joy” to the LORD and know that He is there with you. Don’t give up and keep looking for your church home.

Where is your church home? Do you have one? What if you were to keep searching, knowing that there is a church home for you in your area that is the “dwelling place” of the LORD and you can “sing for joy” to Him?

Love and Sing from From the Heart

I have studied the passage I was led to this morning, many times. I have even written about my study in the passage in my study of other words from the concordance in my bible. This morning I was brought here as I continue studying the word “heart”.

“¹⁹addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ²⁰giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” – Ephesians 5:19-20 (ESV)

I was struck this morning reading Paul’s words to sing “to the Lord with your heart”. I am an emotional person even as I do not always display a lot of emotion to outsiders. When I am singing I have challenges with keeping my composure in that I am overcome with feelings that flow from my heart. I almost have to just look a singing as a task to complete and that I am reading words and the words have no meaning when I am singing publicly. This morning I ask myself why check myself to not let the emotion flow.

God’s Word tells us above to sing from the heart and allow the emotion to flow. In the same way, we are to love from the heart. We are to give everything to the LORD and let everyone know He is filling our heart. The world needs to know that the LORD is in our heart and that He guides our love. God is what fills us and where we sing from.

I commit this morning to expressing myself from the heart. As is my nature to be more even and less emotional to the public, it will be a struggle and subtle, but I will be praying for and working to act more from the heart for the world to see (even if the world is only those closest to me). I will sing and love from the heart to show them that it is filled with the Lord Jesus Christ.

What is it that drives your love and singing? Are you demonstrating based on those things that are on the surface and not really from your heart? What if you were let the LORD spill from your heart in your song and in your love for the world to see that your heart is filled with/by Him?

Let the LORD’s Works be Known

“¹Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;

make known his deeds among the peoples!

²Sing to him, sing praises to him;

tell of all his wondrous works!”

“⁵Remember the wondrous works that he has done,

his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,”

— Psalm 105:1-2 & 5 (ESV)

I wrote about the LORD’s works are to be blessed, and now for them to be known. The LORD does for each of us and those works are to be spread to all the people. I have to remember to let them known in any way possible.

I have to shout the on high, sing them as praise to Him aloud and at all times simply utter that which He has done. Notice my words in that it is not necessarily what He as done for me, but more what He has done for all. I have to be vocal to let all know of the wondrous things He has done.

“⁶O offspring of Abraham, his servant,

children of Jacob, his chosen ones!”

— Psalm 105:6 (ESV)

And I am not alone I am just one in the line of Abraham and should be doing my part. But, I also have to encourage others to do the same. All who are in this world should be telling of wondrous works and deeds of the LORD. All have the task of letting His deeds and works known as noted here in Psalm 105.

In telling of His wondrous works and deeds, we are spreading the gospel and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to hear, learn, and accept the salvation that is freely offered and given to any and everyone.

“¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)

Jesus tells us to go and teach everyone. That starts with drawing the people to you by telling of the wondrous works and deeds of Him. Again I state, not just those works and deeds for me, but all the works and deeds of the LORD.

What is your approach to telling of the wondrous works and deeds of the LORD? Are you focused on only those that directly impact you and the life around you? What if you did as in the Psalm above and be vocal of all He has done and used that to follow the commission from Jesus to spread the gospel to all?

Sing to Be Heard

This morning I am reading in Psalm 33 as I study the word “sing”. I do believe that singing is a great way to display emotion in something. It is also used to get the attention in a group or with an audience. Singing is intoxicating to those around you. Singing is powerful and I have realized this morning, it can be used to be heard.

“¹Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous!

Praise befits the upright.

²Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;

make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!

³Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.”

— Psalm 33:1-3 (ESV)

In the above verses, singing is used in the same means as shouting and play of an instrument. Think about it. When you are walking in the park, do you even notice and/or stop when someone is speaking to another person, not likely as I know that I do not. But, what about if you hear someone playing an instrument, or singing aloud. My attention is grabbed and I may even stop to listen or at the very least, question what is going on. I know that when I am in a church service, everyone perks up when the organ is played or when someone, let alone the choir begin to sing. They have my attention.

Singing is powerful and can be used for more than just expressing one’s self. Yes, it is a great outlet for the self expression and should continue to be used as such. I am reminded this morning that is not the only thing singing for which it can be used. I know now that when looking to gain the attention of others and to be heard, opening with song is a great way to accomplish this.

Now, I have to place a disclaimer here. I am looking here at the one side of the coin and that is singing as a way to spread our message of love and praise. Singing is powerful and in the wrong hands can spread the wrong message, but it is still a very powerful way of getting attention and a way to be heard.

I break out a little song in my training classes in the interest of having a little fun and keeping the environment light. I guess I did not really give it a lot of thought as to the grabbing of the attention of the group and my wanting to be heard. I guess I do, and for that I am grateful for the dumb luck of my actions. Singing accomplishes the goal of bringing attention to the subject and grabbing attention of those in attendance so that one can be heard. I have to remember to use my singing to be heard and what I am to be singing should be my praise of the Lord Almighty.

What are you singing for? Are you singing to display your emotion only? What if you use the power of singing to not only express yourself, but to be heard as you spread the gospel?