Hey Guys,
What a great couple of weeks we have had!
Last week’s Christmas Party was the largest attended party we have ever had! And the week of events from the Cookie Swap to the Christmas Eve Open House, Christmas Day Coat Giveaway and Christmas Day food and Games was just amazing! I have to say thank you to everyone that made this year’s festivities so much fun. You guys are true partiers! HAHAHA!
If you want to see video, pictures and such from the events, you can click here to go to PD’s Facebook page and make him a friend, go to the Tapestry Facebook page and see the feeds from YouTube and Flickr and/or go to PD’s personal website and see the Flickr badge in the sidebar which clicks through to his and Lori’s Flickr feed.
I am also including a .pdf version of our bulletin from this past week so you check out all of our upcoming events and announcements.
And lastly, I just want to say, that both worship teams were AMAZING this past week as were they the week before. And let’s not forget Tony’s message last night, what a BLESSING!
You guys all have made life so much BETTER by sharing and being a part!
__________
Now, those of you who were at the morning service know what I spoke on. You know the passage was John 4 and the first point; I spoke about “Jesus being the GOD who takes Detours.” That sermon will later be up on the website for download by podcast, however, this morning; I went to Henry Blackaby’s website to read the daily Experiencing GOD Day by Day devotional as is my habit.
And guess what the passage was? HAHAHA! You guessed right, the same passage; his simple way of looking at things so encourages me. Read on for that full devotional below. However, as you do, let me remind everyone, that we are beginning our series on, “A Fresh Start,” next Sunday. You ARE NOT going to want to miss it! The message this past Sunday was the spring board for it. That Jesus is the GOD of Fresh Starts!
Does anyone else need a FRESH START this year? I do. And how fun would it be to do it together? Let’s start a Journey this next Sunday together as we begin life afresh as a community of faith.
Come on, test the water, you know you want to…
True Worship
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:23-24)
We are designed to worship God in spirit and in truth. As Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, He sought to help her do this by imparting to her God’s living water (John 4:13–14).
Jesus sought out this woman personally to give her abundant life. In the same way the Father seeks an encounter with each of us that is real and personal. The Samaritan woman had heard about God; Jesus said true worship must be “face to face” with God. Worship is not religion or ritual; worship is an intimate and vital encounter with a Person. True worship includes the full recognition of who God is: Holy, Sovereign, Almighty, Loving, Merciful. This recognition brings about the realization of our own sinfulness.
True worship is life-changing! It creates within the worshiper’s heart a hatred for sin. True worship results in repentance, obedient submission, and a desire for holiness (Isa. 6:1–8). True worship generates a desire to show mercy and to express forgiveness. It includes a joyful acceptance of all that God has provided by His grace. True worship is not exclusive; Just as the Samaritan woman rushed off to tell others of her encounter with the Lord, so true worship will compel the worshiper to include others. As a result of this woman’s encounter with Jesus, many others from her village came to know Him as well. The one who has truly worshiped will have a sense of peace and a confident expectation of what God is about to do. True worship produces a transformed life, reflecting the One who has been worshiped.
Have a great week!
pd
Dustin Hedrick
Head Pastor
The Tapestry Vineyard Church
PO Box 2394
Kensington, MD 20891
Phone 301-251-4082 x13
Fax 240-206-3244
Email dustinhedrick@tapestrychurch.com
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