This morning my family and I traveled an hour and a half to worship with Pastor Addis Moore & the Mt. Zion Baptist Church (mtzionkalamazoo.org) during their 7:45am service. Pastor Moore preached a message from a current series entitled "Going for the Gold" using as a foundational text, the gospel of Luke chapter 9 verse 23. During the message, He challenged the congregation to commit themselves totally to following Jesus, taking into consideration the cost. The lost soul and following Jesus was liken to the gold that Olympians aggressively pursue no matter the sacrifice or inconvenience. Pastor Moore is doing a great work and I solicit your prayers on his behalf.
Later, we worshipped with Dr. J. Louis Felton & the Galilee Baptist Church (gbckazoo.org) during their 10:30am service. It's been a while since I've heard Dr. Felton preach and he did not disappoint. I must admit showing up unannounced was rather risky knowing that he is one of America's most sought after evangelists, and the possibility that he might not be in town, but, the suspense subsided when I saw him enter the sanctuary. He is truly a prolific preacher and visionary pastor.
Dr. Felton preached a sermon entitled "Children of a lesser god" in which he used an assortment of scripture references including John 8:44-47; Exodus 20:1-6 and the theme verse for the year, 2 Corinthians 4:3-6. In the message he says:
" The struggle of our Judeo-Christian set of values is largely played out against the context of the struggle between the concepts of God. We are surrounded by secular influences every day that we live. The vestiges of false gods are around us in every place in life. Therefore in order to understand our pilgrimage of faith, we must understand what it is that God has delivered us from in order for us to realize what God is delivering us through and to."
Furthermore, the message challenged us to rid ourselves of the gods we tend to cling to so that we can serve God faithfully, and without reservation. Continue to pray for Dr. Felton & the Galilee Church, as they strive for excellence in ministry.
Praise God for the privilege of feasting on His word without the burden of preaching, teaching, ministering or any other labor of love associated with pastoral leadership. Besides, I enjoyed spending time in the pew with my family and lending my ear to them as they shared their worship reflections.
Upon leaving church, we shared dinner together and enjoyed a safe ride back to South Bend. Truly, I am grateful for God's faithfulness, loving-kindness and the prayers of my family of bloggers, as I further savor my vacation and family time. Blessings!!
