The Well Church of the Nazarene

Our praise may look different in different seasons, but nothing that we're going through--good or bad--changes who He is. We always have reason to sing.

This week, Josh, Mara, and Paul look at Psalm 139, which we talked about on Sunday along with the idea that God fully knows us and loves us anyway. This psalm isn't unique. There are all kinds of songs throughout scripture that demonstrate the different reasons we sing. But there are some intense-but-beautiful truths in this passage that we encourage you to digest and then continue the discussion with your family, because let's be honest--there are times when we don't feel like singing happy songs. 

In those seasons of our lives, how can we apply this passage and continue to lift our praises regardless?   

This month we're going to focus on Psalms, and using them to fill in the blank: "I have a reason to sing because ______." The goal is to remember that while life may not be perfect, we have a reason to sing.

This week we're looking at Psalm 139. "I have reason to sing because God fully knows and loves me."

This week was the conclusion of our Amazed series, where we've talked about the life of Elijah. It's important to remember that it's not necessarily Elijah himself that was particularly amazing, but what God did in and through him. Pastors Josh, Mara, and Paul recap the highlights and takeaways from this series in today's discussion.

Elijah waits, he listens, he goes, he finishes. What does a life look like that's lived well with these ideas in mind? Are you ready for whatever God asks you to do, regardless of what season you're in? 

God's vision is bigger than our vision--and He will finish what He started.

As we're going through this series, we're seeing how God works through his people in some amazing ways. One of the many things Pastors Josh, Mara, and Paul discuss this week, is how there are times we need to wait and rest in Him, and times when God's calling us to go. How do we know the difference?

God doesn't want just our strengths and your gifts. He wants our weaknesses--even our failures. How we handle failure is just as, if not more, important than how we handle success. Elijah had a defeatist perspective--he was most likely burned out and exhausted. But God took that, worked through it, and He will do the same for us. 

Take a nap and eat. 

God doesn't always do the expected, but He's in our midst, working through our normal, our abnormal, our good, and our bad. And we can't help but be amazed.  

God often speaks best when we are at the end of ourselves. Expect the unexpected!

[Quarantine Service]

2020 has been a difficult year. Case in point: We'd much rather be in our sanctuary this week, speaking and engaging in worship together the way we have the last several weeks. But praise the Lord--we can look for the small cloud, even when God seems quiet.    

We're looking into the life of Elijah this month, a prophet God used to interact with his people in amazing ways. But a lot of times we find Elijah at the mercy of others. This week's story demonstrates God's providence in our lives, and how he gives each of us what we need, day by day. The widow in 1 Kings 17 is yet another example of an ordinary person--a Gentile, widowed woman--that God uses in unexpected, significant ways to sustain Elijah.

How does waiting develop our faith? What parallels can be drawn between Sabbath and these periods of waiting in our lives? Is it possible that God is working in YOUR waiting, preparing you for going?

In the life of Elijah, we see 4 characteristics that are important if we want God to move in amazing ways in our lives: how to wait, how to go, how to listen, and how to finish. This week, we're exploring how God invites us to wait on Him.

Wisdom ultimately brings wholeness to the community.