Life is about relationships. We were created by God for a relationship with him, and we can better develop that relationship through the friendships around us. Friendship is important in a biblical community to help us better glorify and pursue Christ.

Life is about relationships. We were created by God for a relationship with him, and we can better develop that relationship through the friendships around us. Friendship is important in a biblical community to help us better glorify and pursue Christ.

Join Austin Crawford, our Director of Worship and Youth Discipleship here at Emmanuel, as he shares his heart & passion for this week’s worship service. He will be sharing his thinking behind the songs he has chosen for the service as well as encouraging us to prepare our hearts to worship together on Sunday.

This week, Austin interviews the always hilarious Pastor Dan Neighbors, expertly EQ’d to make his voice sound smooth as a sweet tea, highlighting the availability of all the 2019 One Purpose Weekend workshops!  Now, seriously, everyone ought to look through these and listen to several in their spare time: what a beneficial opportunity!  One Purpose Weekend 2019 Content

Now, looking forward to this Sunday, Austin highlights a new song we’re bringing into the rotation: Death Was Arrested.

“Surely he has borne our griefs

    and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

    smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions;

    he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

    and with his wounds we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:4-5 (ESV)

In the suffering of Christ, we see something that is truly worth singing about.  He bore our grief, carried our sorrow, and suffered for our sin.  Those who are in Christ are freed from sin, and freed from condemnation.  It’s a once-and-for-all act which saves from that miry pit of sorrow and sin, and into a family made for good works.  Oh, Emmanuel, let’s please learn this song, and when we join together on Sunday, sing from our collective heart that’s been redeemed from ash into beauty.

Don’t forget about the Sunday Night Impact service this week!

Paul David Tripp says in his New Morning Mercies devotional that “Fellowship is God caring enough to put people in your life to encourage, rebuke and comfort (one-another).” This is in many ways what Small Groups ought to be. At its core then, small groups (or whatever name we want to call it), is the practical extension of Hebrews 3:12-14. Join me as we consider the Biblical importance of small groups and their implications in our daily walk of faith.

All we have belongs to God. God requires us to be good stewards of all we have. Being a good steward begins with treasuring Jesus. As we treasure Jesus and His love for us, our love for Him grows. As our love for Him grows, we learn to Trust Him more and more and not we ourselves. As we Trust Him more, we learn to follow Him and be obedient. Then in obedience to Him, we can learn to follow His commands of stewardship. Being a good steward, results in the rewards God has for us in this life and the life to come.

Whether you know someone who has struggled with an eating disorder have struggled with an eating disorder yourself, this talk will help you know how to use God’s word to have victory with this dangerous spiritual & physical struggle.

Beauty. True Beauty. What is it? Where does it come from? And, how can we as believers show it? Join me as we discuss God’s intention in our human recognition of beauty and how we as Jesus followers can be the picture of beauty God intended in a world focused on image. Hint: Inner beauty is NOT the answer.

God has given parents the great responsibility of discipling and guiding the heart of their children. But in a media driven world, how do we begin to drown out all of the opinions & noise of tv, youtube, social media, music, and the world to allow our kids to hear us share the hope & wisdom of Jesus Christ with them? We’ll take some time to break down the struggle and give practical help from scripture to steer you in the right direction.

As a wife, we all know that there are areas where we can improve to become more like Christ. We are given a clear picture in Ephesians 5 and other passages about God’s plan for us as wives.