Preparing for worship tomorrow at GFW!

As I prepare for church tomorrow at Gastonia First Wesleyan Church my heart is overflowing with thanksgiving to our Great God.  The current teaching series is challenging me in my walk with Christ.   Join us tomorrow at 11:00am and invite someone to join you for a great personal encounter with God.  Here are some of the songs we are preparing to sing tomorrow:

Beatitudes: The Great Contradiction

Success in the world is often defined by popularity, wealth and power. But Jesus broke the standard measure of success with the Beatitudes, teaching that God doesn’t reward the rich and powerful just because they’re rich and powerful. Instead, he rewards the meek, the persecuted, the gentle — he rewards those who seek Him. 

The message tomorrow is from Matthew 5:5

“Blessed are the meek (gentle), for they shall inherit the earth.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek”. The Greek word for meek means gentleness, mildness of spirit, power under control, or a submitted strength. A good example of meekness is a bull. If you set a bull loose in a china shop, you will have disastrous consequences because the bull’s strength will be a detriment. However, if you put a yoke on a bull, it becomes a source of great power to do things that we normally couldn’t. Meekness is not weakness or a lack of strength. Rather, it is power under control.

America is not a nation that celebrates gentleness. It was born out of rebellion. There are no magazines or newspapers that celebrate gentleness. And while we do read stories of gentleness from time to time, most of our stories center on those that are angry or want power. Athletes, politicians, or business leaders, they all share in the common desire to exude power, but they don’t want to appear meek or gentle.

Join us tomorrow to hear more....