1/26/2025 | Our Journey to the Vision

good

morning well Happy Chinese New Year to

everybody here and also uh um you all

survived we all survived the the snow

days uh how many people did

snowman how many people did uh snowball

fight I figured there'll be a lot more

in this service than the previous

service but anyway anyway how many

people lamented and were sad when

everything melted and was matter of day

yeah well anyway well praise God God was

good to us this year was a little bit I

think we we didn't get too much I felt

like we only got maybe like two Ines

anybody got like I heard like in people

down Southwest they got a little bit

more like in Sugarland and so forth so

but anyway it's great to see all of you

we we are going to uh um this uh the end

of this four-part uh New Year Vision

series we call call to uh call to

expanding the tent so we've been

reviewing our vision frame we've been

reviewing our vision frame frame and we

see the way to kind of think about

Vision frame would be if you see what

vision is a picture a picture of the

future a picture of what God calls us to

do and if you look at the sky well the

sky is the limit or I say well the sky

it's such a big sky I can do anything

well in a way a church could do anything

but you can do everything and since you

can do everything you have to kind of

frame up the P so if you kind of look

put a frame around and say okay that

help me to know my piece of the sky

where God wants us to focus on and that

be a simple way to think about a vision

frame it frames the picture for the

future to help us to know this is where

we are focusing on and we see the vision

frame consist of four sides the four

sides one side what we call our mission

and this part of it where he tells us

that what are we here to do and we see

we're sharing the journey uh to uh

welcoming Souljers home to the Joy

following Jesus together and in that

that's usually the mission statement is

a paraphrase of the Great Commission

usually that's that's our own language

explaining how we understand the Great

Commission so that's the missions on one

side and the other side we have values

and if you remember last couple times we

have went through the message on our

values and looking at values such as

reconciling Generations such as

relinquishing perfectionism these values

represent things that's important to us

that the way we want to do community

that God has impressed upon his Spirit

has led our leaders as we thinking

through the way we would want to follow

him and then last time um uh Pastor

Nason took us to the marks uh he used

the term fundamental marks I like to use

or foundational marks and I said that

the these marks of discipleship meaning

the kind of disciples we want to

become this is how God is shaping us

it's kind of like you know the product

the picture of the product so the the

marks was included we say we're beloved

right beloved of God we say we're truece

Bears or choose bear where teammates

where people who can team play together

will work together with other believer

to advance the kingdom and we say we're

Bridge builders that want every one of

us to be people that will continue to

build Bridges to connect with the people

that's around us and so today we come to

the last the bottom part of this the Sid

where we talk about uh our journey and

here in our journey we want to answer

the question about where H how do we get

there how do we get to the vision where

God is leading us into which would say

it's kind of also the Rhythm of Life As

We do life together how we're going to

get there and so we're going to be

talking about that but the but the big

picture of vision is in the middle of

that picture which we says expanding the

tent and we have gotten this uh we have

taken this describing this Vision about

what God is doing with our church and

our

desire to continue to be a multiplying

Church uh last night I had a privilege

to be over at Houston Chinese Church our

mother Church uh celebrating their 50th

anniversary

and uh also it was a a real special uh

time to to be there uh seeing uh the the

churches that have birthed out of

Houston Chinese Church whether it be W

or for Bank Community Church and and uh

in Clear Lake and what God has been

doing and we have carried on that DNA

that want to continue to multiply so we

say expanding the 10 vision is a dream

that we have where we want to in the

next 10 years we want to continue to

deepen our Christian formation here that

the way we grow as in Christ likeness as

God's family and we strengthen our

kingdom identity as a missional church

bring the gospel to reach the less

reached and underserved communities both

locally and globally so that it's

through Kingdom multiplication and

church planting that we want to we have

this aspiration to plan 10 more churches

in the next 10 years God allows it

sounds very wanting thing to do but we

do believe that God is is is moving our

hearts to do this and this is a vision

of maturation how we can grow in

maturity because if we don't mature and

grow deeper we're not going to be able

to do this but it's also a vision of

multiplication we want to continue to

multiply and and bear fruit and grow and

so it's a journey that that we feel that

actually we as a church actually has

been on ever since our church was

founded and so um and so today we talk

about this journey some of you may be

familiar with if you if you was like a

group like The Navigators or you have

seen those old diagram actually didn't

put one up here it's the uh it's the

diagram of the disciples wheel you know

where there there are spokes of the

wheel that that supports the wheel that

the wheel can turn and the four spokes

of the wheel lot a couple of different

variations to it and one of them I want

to use is is talk about how the the

spokes including worship you know this

is the the the rhythm of a disciple's

Life Worship and there's Fellowship in

small group and then it's instruction

which is uh uh growing in for us is be

pathway in our ministry and it will be

evangelism Outreach and it says that

with these without these four spokes the

whe wouldn't be able to kind of hold

itself together and wouldn't be able to

continue to move forward and in a way

those four areas are also part of our

Rhythm and our journey and today I want

to take our time together for us to go

over these four parts of our ministry

our worship together our small group

life life life group or small group

together our pathway classes with the

way we get equipped in the body of

Christ and then finally the way we all

reach because each one of these is

indispensable to the part of a healthy

and growing disciples life so I want to

pray together and we'll get started okay

thank you so much for bearing with me

Lord Jesus we thank you and praise you

for your love for us thank you for um uh

just uh the snow days uh thank you Lord

for for a new year and we pray Lord that

this morning that you will speak to us

and that your word will touch our hearts

and that this Vision that you've given

us to expand the tent and the journey

you given us will continue to move us so

that each and every one of us in this

new year will grow deeper as Christ

followers in maturity and as we all move

toward this multiplication dream we love

you Lord help us Lord and help us to

listen to what you have to say to us in

Jesus name amen

so we start with this we say that we are

made for worship as his

beloved can we uh uh read John John

chapter 423- 24 I I think I I have the

scripture let's read it

together but the hour is coming and is

now here when the true worshippers will

worship the father in spirit and Truth

for the father is seeking such people to

worship him God is spirit and those who

worship Him must Worship in spirit and

Truth

Jesus words uh to the women at at the

well powerfully give us key insights

into what worship is all about he says

worship is about spirit and truth it has

to be done in the with our heart with

the help of the Holy Spirit and at the

same time has to be truthfully uh has to

be guided according to his truth because

the truth is you know if we don't

worship truthfully and in spirit

if we don't worship

rightly we will worship wrongly and we

will be bound up with the worship of

Idols there's really no other third path

we either worship God acceptably and

pleasing to Him worship the true one

true God or we'll end up worshiping

Idols who will hold us in

bondage you may say oh but a lot of

people don't worship worship doesn't

have to be coming to to a place is

whatever captures our hearts and so the

things that captures our heart

captivates our imagination who that

takes away all of our energy that's

often time the thing that really the the

object of our

worship and and so and the scripture

here says this that the father is

looking for

worshippers who worshiping in spirit and

in

truth who are these worshippers

where are

they well they're here we are the these

worshiper we are worshippers that that

the father is looking for and he's

looking and forming and transforming

us from people who used to be caught up

in Idols into Christ

worshippers and you know our

worship is not something we

watch it's not what's happening up here

you know we're coming here we feel like

uh there's almost like a presentation of

a a message there's a presentation of a

worship set you know the worship team

practice but you know we're are all

involved in a presentation in come to

worship how many of you have had to uh

present something whether at work or in

school uh have you done that were in

school I think a lot of people have to a

lot of time School world have involve a

presentation nowadays does presentation

make you

nervous presentation always require

preparation right because if you go out

try to present something that you're

unprepared for often times it's not

going to go too well well worship is the

same

way worship is a presentation of

ourselves to

God we are here to present ourselves to

the King of Kings which is why our

preparations everything from in the

morning when we get ready to come out

here to the way of the the heart that we

bring uh including you know why do we do

confession here because we realize when

you're preparing to presentation you

realize that that we're deeply

unworthy that there are things in our

lives the things we have said the way we

treat people and the way we treat God

that is Unworthy of him and Unworthy of

people around and that and then we

realize that's not acceptable to a holy

and righteous God that's why as part of

our presentation we try to cleanse

oursel we try to purify and confess our

sins and get our hearts right to do this

presentation each and every one of us

from the youngest to the oldest when we

come to worship we engage in a

presentation of our hearts ourselves

before

him now our Sunday worship here is

surely not the entirety of our worship

we worship the Lord in our quiet time in

our de devotional time we worship when

we're in our family in our family time

together if if we have that habit of

family time reading the scripture or

family altar together we worship when we

have a prayer time together you can

actually worship in your office in your

and when you go to school you can you

can we can worship a lot of different

places

however

however there is something special and

important when it comes to the Believers

Gathering Together physic

physically in for Sunday worship on the

Lord's day this corporate worship canot

be

replaced by private worship or by uh

worship using online media our gathering

together is a special time of worship as

we gather together the Believers

Gathering there there's two full things

happening one is inwardly what's

happening inside of us but as we worship

we realize God sees us more than the

outside he sees what's in our hearts so

we so this is not just here punch of

cards or saying that you know I was

there God sees our hearts and so

inwardly we're reminded and when we are

gather with the brothers and sisters

here we realize that we're not we do not

worship alone we're part of the family

of God and we Inspire each other to

Worship in fact we come to understand

that our absence or

presence matters to our corporate

worship that including our heart absence

we may be physically present but

mentally in our heart not being here we

affect each other when you see others

worship with their

hearts they Inspire us to right kind of

worship so we we come together this is a

very powerful inner interior thing

that's happening but there's also

outward thing here outwardly are

gathering together on a rainy day could

be sleeping in bed could be doing other

things but this group of people gather

together sing their hearts out and and

confessing the things what's wrong with

their lives and focus on the Lord we

together Proclaim and testify to the

world of God's greatness and reality so

our worship also testified to the en

entire world to everybody out outside

that we worship a Great and Mighty and

awesome God who's worthy of our worship

and we all is so great we offer

ourselves in

worship um uh when I had years ago when

I had a chance to uh visit East Asia and

uh and and really sees when people lined

up to go to

worship you

know you don't you see those pictures

but it's it's one thing to see a picture

it's one thing to to to be there and see

that people actually waiting in line to

get in and

worship and it's just it's just

something inspiring but also make me

feel ashamed because you know here in

America what do you get in line for when

was the last time you were in line and

what were you doing okay let's just uh

remove school lunch from from the from

the list reason maybe you're waiting in

line or or may maybe maybe you're

waiting in line because you know you

were maybe in the U Department of Public

Safety maybe uh doing something or in

post office but maybe more often than

not people are in line maybe for other

type of Reason like maybe you're at a

very fine dining facility you're waiting

in line for your number to be called to

in order to go in and eat

or um you know maybe uh maybe can say

maybe you're waiting in line to get some

bargain like like you know people like

you know this limited deal door door

busters and you're waiting there to to

to get the door buster the the deals um

in America we get in line for tend to be

more consumer reasons but this is where

we see that with Believers in other

parts of the world in Africa people

people gather because a deep

anticipation a deep anticipation and

desire for

worship and so at every

worship we are called and invited into a

communion with God we're invited to

Humble ourselves repent to get our heart

Hearts right with God we come with faith

to receive his word we offer our

obedience we present ourselves and bring

our offering to show our joy gratitude

and grow in Christian generosity this is

a picture we had we uh we used last year

when we doing uh uh the teaching on

generosity but this is in a way uh

worshipper is somebody who is

offering and that offering matters

because not only does offering included

a a a monetary offering include the

offering of our hearts our time our

person to

God and and so the so worship is

connected to expanding the 10 because in

expanding the 10 we are trying to expand

to worship Our God and in that sense is

starting with an expanding of our

hearts I remember when I first started

on this journey on the bottom when I

first when I when I as a a child going

to a Sunday school this is even before I

even had allowance so actually my mom

would give me some money for the express

purposes of giving offering at

church and just for uh honesty's sake

I'll just confess I have sinned with

those money before you know there were

times where the offering did go into the

offering box but there were also times

where I pocketed the offering and went

to the the store next to the church and

bought some bought some candies there so

I done that I've asked the Lord for

forgiveness I believe he has forgiven me

and then and then and then from there on

I've continued to grow and moving on the

mountain of growing as a giver as a

worshipper as a person learning about

generosity when I got my first job my

first job when I was in high school I

worked as a janitor at a local technical

school there was a crew of of kids

working there and I remember getting my

first

paycheck I was thrilled I had all sorts

of big plans for my that check um until

when I was told by my parents that um

that I need to give 10% to the Lord and

I was like oh you know I did the hard

work you know but then that was the

beginning for me to learning about

tithing and giving and so the growth on

moving from somebody who's a firstand

giver to somebody who's a consistent

Giver intentional Giver even a

sacrificial givers who who a number of

people in our church who because the way

the Lord has blessed them and the Lord

has touched their hearts they joyfully

and in gratitude give more and Beyond

because they've been given that joy to

do so and then we say in a way

ultimately we're all growing to become

the lifetime Giver that we need to be in

Romans 12 it says I appe appeal to you

therefore Brothers by the mercy of God

to present your body as Living Sacrifice

holy and acceptable to God which is your

spiritual Worship in some version says

which your spiritual service but here is

describing that that worship is

connected to this offering as I said

before that pray presentation of

ourselves and it's not just giving a

talk to God you're not giving that kind

of presentation you're are giving a

presentation of Our Lives of our soul of

who we are where we've been and our

desperate need for God to continue to

transform us into the worshippers that

the father is looking for and so do not

conform to the world that's the way that

God is moving us and growing us and so

I'm just thankful for what is doing here

now here also I just want to make a

point that some of you uh or most of

your publish have received a letter this

this uh past week on Pastor Andy about

how that we are kind of making a little

change we sunsetting the name meta that

which we use to describe this service

and and moving to a a the name of being

the English service of of our church and

I just want to comment on that and

saying that uh first of all I am just

very very grateful for how God has used

the name meta uh to serve us as a church

and Mark us uh it has always been about

that that name meta some of you may or

may even know is the prefix for the the

Greek prefix for the term metamorphosis

which is is is a word representing

change and so it was intended to

describing our longing for God inspired

change in us but and I believe that with

this life transformation DNA and desire

will continue with us but I'm also very

thankful for the desire behind the this

change where our English uh Ministry

leaders uh Desiring that greater unity

and greater connection with the rest of

the church and wanting to move to the

English service identification and I'm

excited as we move together and the Lord

show us this new vision and welcoming a

new generation of our solders home uh to

the joy of following Jesus together so

now we're going to to the second thing

we look at worship we want to look at

the part about our journey a second part

of our journey as disciples which is

which is how we work together as a

community in small group or life group

together we're built up as Christ's body

in small

groups uh I just um recently uh read

this article from uh the Atlantic and so

it has this this article is heading it's

a January issue it's called the the

antisocial Century a very interesting

read uh a very interesting

I was surprised to find out that um it

it it research shows this I was really

surprised it says that

Americans are more alone in

2023 than when we were in the pandemic

in

2021 I almost find it difficult to to

imagine what is that what it is I

thought things are getting

better you know and so it has all these

different kind of data including a a

data from open table table I don't know

if you're familiar with Open Table you

know where this is this app that you can

use to reserve uh seats so you don't

have to wait in line too long uh at for

for reservations at fine dining

facilities so open table has this data

says this I thought was interesting it

says that in the last two years that

people dining

alone has increased by

30% it says that just a lot more

people are just going to eat by

themselves

some's not too good about

this you know because the restaurants

care about this because they want to set

our tables for group or or for

individual table but they find a more

more so they need to prepare for

individual and more more the you know

you know takeouts and the and the and

the and the deliveries at Uber Eats it's

finding that more and more that all the

things that's going on all the the new

technologies is facilitating a slow but

sure

Journey for us together

to

loneliness home delivery of everything

from grocery to dinners to information

and entertainment are increasing

everybody's

isolation and so he says the anti the

author said the antisocial centry is

about acis accumulating it's about many

small decision that we make minute to

minute and hour to hour in our lives

leading to a massive National trend of

steadily Rising overall aloneness and

these choices may seem minor but they

all matter to to visit a friend or to

scroll on Tik Tok or Instagram to go to

church or sleep in and and do some more

scrolling and I just thought was

interesting you know it's that you know

when it comes to various hand thing we

can do is our hand hand gestures

throughout history you know you know the

hand gestur of shaking a friend's hand

or even you know giving a friend a hug

increasingly the most universal hand

gesture of our time

is you know little babies are doing this

you know we we're not too good at doing

this anymore we're doing even less of

this but we're good at this you know we

just do this you know everybody's doing

this you know something's wrong

something's very very wrong with this

and so and so and so you go to Hebrews

10: 2425 it said let us consider how to

stir up one another in love and good

works not neglecting to meet together as

the in the habit of some but encouraging

one another and all the more to see as

the day Drawing Near and so here

describing that the way the not to stop

the Gathering Together I like the ESV

translation here can can you keep the

that scripture on on thank you because I

like the the the the the dichotomy here

stir up it says that we're supposed to

gather so that we can stir up each other

for good word for God's purpose versus

what the other side is what neglect

and honestly I believe a lot of people

it's not that they don't want to be with

people but it's gradually we get

brainwashed and we just kind of kind of

kind just all kind of more conform into

this neglect neglecting the importance

that I need my brothers and sisters to

do life together and to to and to follow

Jesus together and without it I fall

into this

neglect that leave us all in the

antisocial century and in the loneliness

and isolation increasingly for for young

people and old people

alike and so and so but what makes our

gathering different from any other

social Gathering of this of our world

what makes a our Sunday school Gathering

or our small group Gathering or life

group Gathering different from the

Gathering of of a group of people

outside or any other interest group

Gathering We Gather in the name of Jesus

Because We Gather in the name of Jesus

and it's not just invoking the name of

Jesus We Gather in and because of Jesus

for the sake of Jesus and Jesus says

what when two or three Gather in my name

and there I will

be among you in your midst and so our

gathering is not just any Gathering our

gathering is Jesus presence in our

gathering and that makes all the

differences in the world because We

Gather in him and for him and with him

and in his Gathering even as we share

about our struggles even as we share

about the different issue with him we

don't have to solve each other's

problems because the one who who's the

answer to every every problems Jesus is

in our midst so our small group and life

group is different because Jesus is with

us we learning how to gather in jesus'

name and we in learning to recognize

that there is one who is all powerful

and all loving that's sitting in our

midst right there with

us and so we go to the next part here we

have looked at how worship expanding we

want to worship and grow as worshipper

to expand the tent and expand the T for

worship welcoming more more worshippers

we want to expand a small group and and

that we're welcome to to provide

coverage and shelter for more people in

the body of Christ and now we look at

becoming equip Equippers we become

equipped to follow Jesus in pathway in

Ephesians 41-13 says that that he gave

Apostles and Prophets and evangelists

and Shepherds and teachers to equip the

Saints for the work of Ministry for

building up the body and to attain the

unity of faith and and we're building up

to the knowledge and the stature of the

fullness of Christ and here describing

the fact that we are all need continue

to be equipped being equipped meaning

you've been given the tools to do

something that if you weren't equipped

you didn't have a capity to do you know

just not too long ago during my

sabatical time we we attended the

wedding and uh and you know me being

there they they asked me to to say

something at that wedding and so I was

kind of getting ready because it was

kind of a a different kind of setup and

they wanted me to to share something so

I just sitting there getting ready to to

to say something and then something

terrible

happened just out of the

Blues the lens on my glasses just popped

out and so it's great

and so you know try to fix my glasses

before I'm just about to go on there and

um and to fix that means the little

screw that holds it together popped out

so and I don't have

the the tool the little screwdriver okay

now I now I travel with little

screwdrivers and so I was like man so I

was thinking whether I could just go up

there with one lens I cannot

because my my my my uh my stigmatism are

so bad if I go up there I'm just

spinning so I ended up going up there

without my glasses so I was blind as a

bat up there I just see this kind of

this this kind of fog of people and just

talk and just oh this terrible and a

good thing my mcgyver wife Cheryl was

able to figure out a way to Caro

together and put the lens in so I can

actually drive back because else I

wouldn't be able to drive so but you

need to be equipped you without the

right equipment you cannot do certain

things and so here we are equipped in

pathway we're equipped with the word of

God in evangelis and training where how

to share the gospel with our friends in

in Alpha we learn how to use these tools

to welcome people to come together and

learn more about Christ equipping

prepares us to follow better follow

Jesus and that's what God is doing with

us and that's a part of the rhythm of of

of a growing disciples life

and then we come to the last part we're

called to outreach by expanding the tent

and here the fourth part of the rym here

is evangelism how do we how do we bring

the gospel blessing to the world and how

do we share the gospel with others uh I

I I I I came across George barner's

research on 2020 his new report called

the future of missions a lot of people

it's very interesting report but it

talks about how the our new Next

Generation think about missions uh there

were a lot of very sobering things

however there was some it was one was

helpful is like the the two groups that

they were looking at what he call the

engag churchgoers and also what they

call the uh uh the supportive Skeptics

which is that people who actually have

some doubts about missions and even

Faith but they are somewhat supportive

of it going out inur and this a lot of

young people in that category but both

group combine that a majority of young

people according to barner's research

growing up in the church they still do

believe that that the the value of

missions even though they may have

different opinions about how missions

done but but they sense that there's an

importance to share the love of Christ

with their friends and with people

outside and so I said that's that's a

great thing but you know I was just

thinking this part is probably the

hardest part as part of our rhythm of

being a Jesus

disciples a lot of time people feel

either guilty like I don't not sharing

or feel like like uh I don't know how or

feel uh that whether or not sharing or

sharing my faith or testify to Jesus

would would be threatening to other

people uh I remember um years ago this

is when I was uh I think teenager too

when I first a friend told me about

movie previews this is not movie preview

watching at home like there's a button

where you watch the thing and the

preview this is back in a long time ago

where you go to the movie theater to

watch your moview anybody done that oh

very few people you know back then you

get a ticket and you get to watch two

movies you get to watch the movie you're

previewing and then you can watch a

movie of your choice okay so I still

remember the first time I found out

about this deal and went was my friend

and was watching this and this is a long

time ago and I saw this movie called

back to the

future and I still watch that first for

the first time I mean I almost jumped

out of my seat I like man this is the

greatest movie I I want to tell everyone

about this movie it's the greatest movie

i' ever seen I they got to go see that

you know flying car and all this other

stuff I got to tell them about and I

just about the the the overflowing joy

and Zeal I had in my heart wanted

everyone to

know and I was just

thinking we need that kind of joy and

Zeal about sharing about who Jesus is to

us and what he done for us

this past uh past week I had the

privilege and the joy uh to visit um uh

with uh this family in the hospital and

um uh it's uh someone's parents for from

from this service uh who were part of

our parents Camp our parents Camp

Ministry has been trying to lead parents

to Christ and you know bring family

member to Christ is some of the hardest

thing because they see all the flaws in

our lives and and it's hard to share

with him about Jesus but I'm this this

parent these this uh her parents had

been to our parents Camp the dad did not

uh did not make a decision for Faith but

I'm just so thankful that how our sister

continued to persist in praying continue

to testify and lovingly serving her

parents and then I think it was toward

the end of last year she had a chance to

personally lead her dad to pray and

receive Christ and just that last week I

was grateful for the priv privilege to

be there to baptize her parents together

in the

hospital and I just felt like the the

the the time it was a very quiet time we

do not have a choir we do not have

singing we're just in the hospital but

there was just a a deep deep

Indescribable

Joy Indescribable Joy you know in Luke

Jesus says in Luke 15 I tell you there

will be more joy in heaven over one

sinner who repents and over 99 righteous

persons who need not need no

repentance and I was just thinking that

even though it was a quiet very quiet

setting there I felt that there was just

this Jubilation of celebration in heaven

for what we were able to be part of and

this Outreach is how do we expanding the

10 is how do we continue to see the joy

and asking God for the joy to

consistently to testify and can to share

who Jesus to me and what God is doing in

our lives expanding the tent expanding

the prayer for our people around us to

starting with praying for my friends my

classmates my co-workers expanding the

Friendship by helping a neighbor or

caring for here I know somebody who

started this journey just by helping an

elderly neighbor with the yard work and

was able to start establishing

conversation with him expanding

Hospitality that way somebody expanding

the hospitality by inviting a office

office mate who usually eating alone to

have lunch together and then gradually

to be able to have have conversation

about what Jesus means to them expanding

the reach by by bringing a friend to

church or small group expanding uh

expanding the the the mission Horizon by

joining a short of missions we know I

know a number of students this past year

went to Mexico and saw how the the the

the difference between a a Christmas

just about me getting gifts versus me

going there and be part of the gifting

for people there expanding that Heart by

by having a space in our hearts for

people who need to know Jesus

desperately and so worship expanding the

worship of the kingdom of God expanding

the small group expanding our fellowship

and the way that we can care for one

another expanding our equipping and the

way that we're equipped to better serve

and and having the tools to better serve

follow Jesus and serve the people around

us and finally expanding our Outreach in

being part of hands and feet of Jesus

and bring the good news to the people

around

us what a blessing on that and all

this is for His glory and not just his

glory but even our own good you believe

that because in doing that we ourselves

grow into the worshippers that the

father is looking for we receive a joy

that's unlike any Joy any fleeting joy

in this

world and so I let's pray together and I

want our worship team to lead us we're

worship you singing the song I don't

know if you know the song His glory and

my good but let's pray together as we

ask God to help us in this new year to

grow in these spiritual rhythms of the

disciples on our journey to the vision

together let's

pray Lord we thank you and praise you

for your love for us thank you for uh

new year new opportunity uh and new uh

opport uh time to grow in you and and as

worshippers as part of the body Body of

Christ in small group together uh to be

equipped and to continue to bring the

good news of Jesus to people around

us we pray Lord that um you will help us

to reflect on what is the area we need

to grow the

most and we pray Lord that that you will

give us a deep

longing to recognize that aive in Rhythm

as a

disciple is one that's for your glory

and for our good guide us and lead us

Lord thank you Jesus for calling us to

follow you thank you Father for you said

that you are looking for us to become

people like

that may

2025 a year of deep

growth for each and every one of us and

for us as a church in Jesus name we pray

amen