Sunday's Update - October 3, 2010

Updates:

• Dixie is healing from her surgery.
• Dwayne and Vivian had a great visit with family in Tennessee!  

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for our sister Mary--heart, mind, soul, and body.
• Keep praying for healing in Ken's eye. 
• The McCully family is still recovering from the loss of their son and brother. Remember them in prayer.
• May God's will be done in the upcoming election; may the truth be made manifest. 
• Amanda has been having trouble with gall stones, pray for wisdom and relief from pain.
• Pray that we might all be students of Christ's lowly heart, and give us strength for our faith.

Sermon Notes:

Matthew 11:29-30

This is the goal for our hearts; our life's calling is to know God and to be lowly in heart like Christ. This is the foundation of the "good hearts" described in scripture. 

1 Corinthians 1:26

What does it mean to be lowly?

The word low was first used in reference to slavery. We are to be the servants of all. This calls for a complete absence of pride. 

Philippians 2:8

Jesus made himself obedient to death. he didn't make excuses. He allowed himself to be perceived by the world as the lowest of the low. 

Who has believed our message 

       and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, 

       and like a root out of dry ground. 

       He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, 

       nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

  He was despised and rejected by men, 

       a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. 

       Like one from whom men hide their faces 

       he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 Surely he took up our infirmities 

       and carried our sorrows, 

       yet we considered him stricken by God, 

       smitten by him, and afflicted.

 But he was pierced for our transgressions, 

       he was crushed for our iniquities; 

       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, 

       and by his wounds we are healed.

-Isaiah 53:1-5

Our spiritual heroes should be those who are genuinely lowly of heart. Look up to those who are acting in a Christlike manner--seeking to serve others and disregarding public censure.