Friday First - Great Thoughts

During January we are spending time in spiritual self examination. We’re asking the question, Am I Rooted? At the forefront of all of this is our continuing commitment to cooperation with God as He does the work of transformation, establishment, and vitality in us. Last week we examined our habits. Today we’ll be looking at our thoughts. Next week we’ll examine our confidence, and later in the month we’ll consider who we are following/imitating and our prayer life.

In Psalm 1 God uses the image of a tree to describe spiritual strength. This tree is strong, fruitful, and enduring. It withstands all the changing seasons and endures the storms. It is immovable. Its influence is widely felt. It stands in great contrast to the one who is weak and unstable. Psalm 1.3 is a key passage on describing spiritual strength.

Spiritual maturity is a matter we need to take seriously. There is no more important thing. How much of an emphasis are you placing on spiritual strength? Are you allowing God to root you as deeply as possible into Christ, who is your life source? To succeed you will need to intentionally schedule regular, intentional activity for the purpose of spiritual enrichment and becoming more like Christ.

On Sunday we will:

• Talk about why it is so important to be deeply rooted in Christ.
• Discuss one of the key steps we must take to be participants in the process of allowing God to firmly root and establish us in Christ.

As you prepare for worship, please think about these questions.

1. How does weakness hurt the church?
2. How would you define a well-rooted Christian?
3. Why do you think the Bible contains so many warnings about protecting our thoughts?
4. What does it mean to set your mind?
5. Who owns your mind? Who plays the ultimate role in determining what you think?

OPENING / WELCOME
Kody Pritt

SONG LEADER
Jason Schofield

PRAYER OF PRAISE
Matt Barnhart

LEAD LORD'S SUPPER
Nathan Armstrong
 
SCRIPTURE READING
Greg Morrison
Mark 7.20-23

PREACHING
Matthew Allen

CLOSING PRAYER
Eric Renegar

CLOSING COMMENTS
Rich Walker

WELCOME CENTER
Kathy Downey / Matt Ringle

USHERS
Kevin Shanesy / Randy Mullins

CLOSING THE BUILDING
Nathan Armstrong