Seacoast Chapel Blog

Seacoast Chapel Dedicaiton

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:42:32 -0500

Alpha Sept, 14th 2008

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:45:57 -0500

Listen:

Alpha
Whether you've attended Seacoast Chapel once or a hundred times, I want to personally invite you to one of the most exciting opportunities we have ever offered. Alpha is an exciting course where people come together to share some refreshments, discuss a life impacting topic, and make friends in a relaxed, non threatening setting.

The Wrecking Photos

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 21:39:17 -0500

Thank you so much to The Wrecking for coming to our church and putting on an amazing show and showing us all how to worship and live our lives for him. It was an amazing event, thanks also to Rich Ganong for making it possible! Next month we have True Witness, if you loved The Wrecking then make sure you come next month as we welcome True Witness!

We have some great photos check them out http://www.seacoastchapel.com/photos/

Special Music: Sarah Gagnon

Sun, 7 Sep 2008 20:22:00 -0500

Listen:

Special Music
Our youth leader, Sarah Gagnon presents an original song, recorded live for our congregation.

Bitterness

Sun, 7 Sep 2008 20:13:00 -0500

Listen:

Biterness
14Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

America's Epidemic & Gods Answer

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 20:12:00 -0500

Listen:

America's Epidemic & Gods Answer
A recent gallop pole concluded that Americans are among the loneliest people in the world. What is His answer and what should we do about it.

Battle for Worship

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:10:00 -0500

Listen:

Battle for Worship
The Church was commissioned in a worship service. (Matthew 28:16-20). After the disciples worshiped the resurrected Lord in that Galilean encounter, Jesus told them, All power is given unto Me and I am commissioning yaou to go in My name with that power.

Longing for Wisdom

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:17:00 -0500

Listen:

Longing for Wisdom
The trials and pitfalls of our lives often require wisdom but even Solomon who had all the wisdom that God granted him, still fell into darkness. So even we should long for the wisdom of God and heed its instruction.

The Power of Prayer

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:16:00 -0500

Listen:

The Power of Prayer
Do the spiritual benefits that accompany Spirit baptism outweigh the extremes and abuses that have been associated with some Pentecostal practices in the past?

Walking by the Spirit

Sun, 3 Aug 2008 19:14:00 -0500

Listen:

Walking by the Spirit
Do the spiritual benefits that accompany Spirit baptism outweigh the extremes and abuses that have been associated with some Pentecostal practices in the past?

Empowered To Impact

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:54:40 -0500

Listen:

Empowered to Impact
The power of Pentecost is for people. What happened at Pentecost is for the Paralysis of the world. The Holy Spirit, Christ in the present tense, is for the healing of people in the present age.

John Flood: Missionary to the Native Americans

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:51:00 -0500

Listen:

John Flood
Native Americans have a great part to play in this end time move of God. We want to help them achieve that destiny, and work to bring them the gospel of salvation and to equip them to live victoriously and successfully with Biblical principles, and to bring the glory of God into the their midst.

Gifts of the Spirit

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:49:00 -0500

Listen:

Spiritual Gifts
Do the spiritual benefits that accompany Spirit baptism outweigh the extremes and abuses that have been associated with some Pentecostal practices in the past?

Freedom Emphasis

Sun, 6 Jul 2008 19:49:00 -0500

Listen:

Freedom Emphasis
Welcome to our Annual Freedom Celebration 2008 Come and join us for a great time of celebration and fun as we celebrate our freedom. Our freedom in God and for our great country. Come and join us for a time of celebration and appreciation for the freedom that we share each day in the USA and also freedom in Christ Jesus! Invite a friend or someone you know today.

Freedom's Never Free

Sun, 6 Jul 2008 19:49:00 -0500

Listen:

Freedom's Never Free
Special Music by Mona McLean shares her passion and our appreciation for the soldiers that died to support our freedom.

Amazing People : Amazing God

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 21:54:00 -0500

Listen:

Amazing People : Amazing God
Acts 2 describes what a meeting with the Holy Spirit can do to the disappointments in our lives -- and by studying what happed to, in and through the diciples we discover how to go from being disappointed deciples to dynamic disciples!

If you and I are going to experience the fullness of the Christian life, then we must learn how to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It isn�t enough just to be saved. That will get you to Heaven, but unless you are filled with the Spirit, you will have a rough road here below.

This verse gives the Christian a command. It says, �You be filled with the Holy Spirit.� Too many read these words and say, �Well, the Bible says that we ought not drink.� And, it does! But, it also says much, much more. While this verse does give us a �don�t�, it also give us a �do.� Christianity is far more than a bunch of �don�ts�, there are a whole lot of �do�s� to keep you busy too. In fact, if you will spend your time doing the do�s, you won�t have time to do the don�ts.

Mystery in Jesus

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:52:00 -0500

Listen:

Mystery in Jesus
Life with the Lord is like a marriage it is full of fun, adventure and mystery. The mystery is learning and coming to know God and what he has for your life. Explore the mystery of our Lord Jesus and grow closer to him.

Fathers Day Photos 2008

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:09:19 -0500

Fathers Day 2008

Fathers Day Photos 2008 are now online! Special thanks to Paul Michaud for taking these great photos. Also a reminder to those out there with cameras. If you have a photo that you would like to see in our album or that you have taken at any of our events please email them to webmaster@seacoastchapel.com!

Filled With The Holy Spirit Part 2 : Fathers Day

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:07:14 -0500

Listen:

Disapointed To Dynamic
Acts 2 describes what a meeting with the Holy Spirit can do to the disappointments in our lives -- and by studying what happed to, in and through the diciples we discover how to go from being disappointed deciples to dynamic disciples!

If you and I are going to experience the fullness of the Christian life, then we must learn how to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It isn�t enough just to be saved. That will get you to Heaven, but unless you are filled with the Spirit, you will have a rough road here below.

This verse gives the Christian a command. It says, �You be filled with the Holy Spirit.� Too many read these words and say, �Well, the Bible says that we ought not drink.� And, it does! But, it also says much, much more. While this verse does give us a �don�t�, it also give us a �do.� Christianity is far more than a bunch of �don�ts�, there are a whole lot of �do�s� to keep you busy too. In fact, if you will spend your time doing the do�s, you won�t have time to do the don�ts.

Beauty 4 Ashes : Agape House Concert Live

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:01:52 -0500

Beauty 4 Ashes

Listen:

Isaiah 61 tells us that Jesus was sent to bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, to release those in darkness and to comfort all who mourn. It also states that He will bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, pour out the oil of gladness instead of mourning.

Filled With The Spirit Part 1

Sun, 8 Jun 2008 15:03:00 -0500

Listen:

If you and I are going to experience the fullness of the Christian life, then we must learn how to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It isn�t enough just to be saved. That will get you to Heaven, but unless you are filled with the Spirit, you will have a rough road here below.

This verse gives the Christian a command. It says, �You be filled with the Holy Spirit.� Too many read these words and say, �Well, the Bible says that we ought not drink.� And, it does! But, it also says much, much more. While this verse does give us a �don�t�, it also give us a �do.� Christianity is far more than a bunch of �don�ts�, there are a whole lot of �do�s� to keep you busy too. In fact, if you will spend your time doing the do�s, you won�t have time to do the don�ts.

J. Virgilio & Marsha Forti: MISSIONARIES TO HONDURAS

Sun, 1 Jun 2008 16:39:46 -0500

Listen:

Jose' & Marsha Fortin are Assemblies of God missionaries to the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is an island country in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Cuba. The island is shared by two distinctly different countries and cultures, French speaking Haiti...

Memorial Day 2008

Sun, 25 May 2008 16:38:00 -0500

Listen:

America is becoming a nation in which peoples closest friends are known as me, myself, and I. We foster the I have mine, you get yours attitude, and a modified conception of Social Darwinism, in which only the strong survive, seems to prevail. Even religious persons, as in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, can become distracted by inverted priorities, too busy being religious to respond to those in need.

Making a Difference Today

Sun, 18 May 2008 16:37:00 -0500

Shall Not Perish

Thu, 8 May 2008 18:11:35 -0500

Listen:

A twenty-six-word parade of hope: beginning with God, ending with life, and urging us to do the same. Brief enough to write on a napkin or memorize in a moment, yet solid enough to weather two thousand years of storms and questions. If you know nothing of the Bible, start here. If you know everything in the Bible, return here. We all need the reminder. The heart of the human problem is the heart of the human. And God�s treatment is prescribed in John 3:16.

Meditate on this...

Thu, 8 May 2008 18:08:55 -0500

Listen:

Meditating on God's forgiveness can be a very beneficial reminder of how much God loves you. If you are a child of God, He has cancelled your sin debt. Jesus Christ took on your sins while on the cross! Meditate on these verses:

Colossians 2:13-14 says, "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross."

Regin Down USA

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:17:39 -0500

Watch the video:

The vision began in July 2005 with a woman who describes herself as �just a stay-athome- mom.� Shawn-Marie Cole was awakened from sleep late at night after hearing her name spoken three times. In the same way that Samuel responded in 1 Samuel 3, Shawn-Marie finally realized it was the Lord, got out of bed, and said, �Okay, Lord, I�m listening. What is it You want to share with me?�

As Shawn-Marie began to pray and really seek the Lord she began to feel a very deep sorrow, but at the same time it was also a deep love. She believed she was feeling only what she could imagine was just a fraction of what the Lord�s heart feels for His children. She then began to see a picture of seas of people raising their hands in worship. They then fell to their knees in repentance. She saw people doing the same thing all over the nation in many different venues. Together they were crying out for God�s mercy, begging Him to be back in the center of their lives and in America.

Then the picture shifted to Washington, D.C., where she saw a prayer ministry leader (Pastor Bjorn Pedersen) praying over President George W. Bush. President Bush was standing on the steps of the Capitol. He fell to his knees, and with his arms outstretched and tears streaming down his cheeks, he whispered the words, �I�m sorry.� She then heard the Lord say, �I have never forsaken you nor have I ever abandoned you. I was there when America has been hit at its core. I was there through the hurricanes, the tornadoes, and the earthquakes. I was there when you lost your father, your mother, your best friend, your child. I was there. It is you who have turned your backs on Me! And it is time�time to bring Me back to the center. The peace you so desperately seek can only be found in Me!�

Then the picture panned back to the steps of the Capitol where Michael W. Smith began singing �Healing Rain.� Shawn-Marie heard the words to the song (Healing rain is falling down�) and began to see the rain. As Michael led worship, the entire nation joined in worshipping God together. A cleansing white rain began to cover the United States. She then saw the hand of God, which was a fiery white light. It began to sweep through the nation and cross over the water into the Middle East. As His hand wiped through the nation, Shawn-Marie began to see people who were previously standing in darkness being engulfed in this white light. The light began to overflow in each venue and then spill out into the cities. Eventually the light engulfed all of the states and began to move into Canada, Mexico, and other nations.

The vision included people getting up out of wheelchairs, homeless people being restored, terminal diseases eradicated, and the deep healing of wounds�including those wounded as innocent children. It was a healing only the Lord could do. It was the fulfillment of 2 Chronicles 7:14 and the promise of the �healing of the land� in answer to repentance.

Confirmation of the Vision

Shawn-Marie did not share the vision publicly until she received confirmation from the Lord over a period of time. Here are some of the confirmations:

When Shawn-Marie shared the picture with Bjorn Pedersen, the prayer leader in the vision, he confirmed it by saying that earlier that day an intercessor from Africa had told him there was going to be a move of repentance in the United States, and that someone would come and share a vision with him. He was told that he needed to listen to the vision because it was from the Lord. That someone turned out to be Shawn-Marie.

In August of 2006, through prayer Shawn-Marie heard the Lord say, �Now! Now is the time.� She had been holding the vision for a year, inviting the Lord�s confirmation. Right after hearing the Lord�s release to share the vision, she got into her car and heard on the radio that Michael W. Smith was coming to her city for a concert. She was able to arrange a five-minute meeting with Michael at a public �meet and greet� time. She handed Michael a letter and told him, �There�s a call on your life and this nation. Please pray and seek God�s will. I will call you and follow up.� He handed the letter to his manager, and Shawn-Marie wondered if that was the last he would see of the information.

In January 2007, Michael W. Smith called to say that he felt the Lord confirm he was to be a part of the event. He had been awakened in the night, and God had clearly spoken to him.

As Shawn-Marie prayed about an opportunity to share the vision with President Bush, she heard the name �Trent Franks.� She had never heard of Trent Franks, but asked her father (Pastor Walt Kallestad, Community Church of Joy, Glendale, AZ) if he was familiar with the name. The Lord strongly impressed on her that she needed to get a hold of this man, who it turned out was a U.S. Congressman from Arizona�and her dad happened to have his personal cell phone number. At the exact moment that they called Trent Franks, he was having breakfast with the President! That connection proved helpful later on in securing the National Mall in D.C. for the event on April 26, 2008.

In early 2007 an invitation to the White House was extended to Walt and his wife Mary for the screening of the movie Amazing Grace with the President on February 19 (which happened to be Presidents' Day). Mary determined that Shawn-Marie should go in her place with the hope that perhaps she could have a moment with the President to share the vision. With the approval of Laura Bush, Shawn-Marie received her own invitation to attend the screening.

Shawn-Marie prayed and asked the Lord for �two seconds� to share the vision with President Bush. While in line with her father to have a picture taken with the Bushes, the officials broke protocol and situated Shawn-Marie right next to the President. (Normally the man would be positioned next to the President, with the woman placed on the other side of the First Lady.) After the picture, she grabbed the hand of the President and said, �There�s a call on your life and on this nation�and I have to talk to you about it.� They were then hustled away so that the next couple could have their picture taken.

Providentially, Shawn-Marie and her father were seated a few rows behind the President for the viewing of the movie. When the movie ended, Walt and Shawn-Marie exited the theater. As they began to head toward the dining room, Walt heard the Lord say, �Now, Walt.� In the split second that President Bush was moving from one person to another, Walt intercepted his path and the President pointed his finger at Walt and said, �I need to talk to your daughter.�

She and her father were then taken to a private room and had 20 minutes with the President. The President took Shawn-Marie�s hand and held it the entire time as they met and talked. Shawn-Marie told him that she knew he was a godly man, and asked him to �please pray about participating in ReignDown USA and just simply taking a few minutes to pray with us.� As the vision was shared, President Bush got tears in his eyes and said, �I love Jesus, and I know the Lord put me in this position for a reason... I want the light to shine through me.�

After the event, the White House Chief of Staff came to her and said, �Are you Shawn-Marie? Come with me.� She and her father were taken on a private tour of the West Wing, and they were able to pray over each Cabinet chair and outside the Oval office. Only the Lord could have opened all these doors!

Where Things Stand Now

The President is very favorable to attending, but it cannot be confirmed or announced this far in advance for security reasons. Please pray that the Lord will make a way, and that the President will be obedient to whatever the Lord speaks to him. Michael W. Smith desires to be a part of the event, but is still trying to work out his schedule. The Mall in Washington, D.C. has been secured for April 25-27. Please pray for the right connections to broadcast the event.

ReignDown USA is now an official movement with a budget of $25 million needing to be raised. Some of this money will pay the rent on stadiums around the country. The movement is now looking for state captains and other key leadership positions in each state.

Alpha Sunday

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:27:58 -0500

Listen:

Whether you've attended Seacoast Chapel once or a hundred times, I want to personally invite you to one of the most exciting opportunities we have ever offered. Alpha is an exciting course where people come together to share some refreshments, discuss a life impacting topic, and make friends in a relaxed, non threatening setting.

Mothers Day 2008

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:35:00 -0500

Listen:

Proverbs 31:10-12 and 25-31 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

John 3:16 - Whosoever Believes in Him

Sun, 6 Apr 2008 12:21:16 -0500

John 3:16 - He Gave

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 11:44:20 -0500

John 3:16 - So Loved

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 09:17:01 -0500

John 3:16 - For God

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:14:00 -0500

John 3:16 Numbers of Hope

Sat, 8 Mar 2008 22:41:41 -0600

Listen:

A twenty-six-word parade of hope: beginning with God, ending with life, and urging us to do the same. Brief enough to write on a napkin or memorize in a moment, yet solid enough to weather two thousand years of storms and questions. If you
know nothing of the Bible, start here. If you know everything in the Bible, return here. We all need the reminder. The heart of the human problem is the heart of the human. And God�s treatment is prescribed in John 3:16.

The Role of the Church 2

Sat, 8 Mar 2008 22:39:51 -0600

Listen:

Growing Spiritual Redwoods is an effort to help church leaders answer the kinds of questions that confront congregations and Christians in this era of rapid and uncertain change in the church, questions such as: Are you committed to Jesus Christ, or to a particular doctrine, denomination, or church? Do you speak of faith as an experience of Christ, or as a heritage that you protect?

John 3:16 Numbers of Hope

Sat, 8 Mar 2008 22:28:54 -0600

A twenty-six-word parade of hope: beginning with God, ending with life, and urging us to do the same. Brief enough to write on a napkin or memorize in a moment, yet solid enough to weather two thousand years of storms and questions. If you know nothing of the Bible, start here. If you know everything in the Bible, return here. We all need the reminder. The heart of the human problem is the heart of the human. And God�s treatment is prescribed in John 3:16.

Spiritual Redwoods

Wed, 5 Mar 2008 18:20:56 -0600

Characteristics of Redwoods 2

Wed, 5 Mar 2008 18:20:14 -0600

Characteristics of Redwoods

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:41:48 -0600

Listen:


Me Church	iCare	iServe

David Ditrolio, Latin American Child Care

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 15:49:34 -0600

Listen:

David and Rosemarie have served as Assemblies of God Missionaries in Paraguay, South America since 1983. They first worked with the Paraguay Task Force as church planters and discipling new converts teaching International Correspondence Institute courses (now Global University). Since 1994 they have been working with Latin America Child Care (LACC) Paraguay. The draw of Paraguay LACC schools is an affordable Christian school education but the purpose of the schools is to share Christ with the students. David and Rosemarie work with the Paraguayan staff, teachers and pastors to witness, give an excellent education as well as provide work opportunities for the students. The vision of the Paraguay LACC staff is that the graduates of LACC will be men and women of integrity who are prepared to enter places of authority in order to revolutionize Paraguay and the uttermost parts for Christ.

Privileges & Purposes

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 17:26:59 -0600

Listen to Part a:

Listen to Part b:

Growing Spiritual Redwoods is an effort to help church leaders answer the kinds of questions that confront congregations and Christians in this era of rapid and uncertain change in the church, questions such as: Are you committed to Jesus Christ, or to a particular doctrine, denomination, or church? Do you speak of faith as an experience of Christ, or as a heritage that you protect?

The Role of the Church

Sun, 6 Jan 2008 19:32:43 -0600

Growing Spiritual Redwoods

Sun, 6 Jan 2008 19:05:50 -0600

Growing Spiritual Redwoods is an effort to help church leaders answer the kinds of questions that confront congregations and Christians in this era of rapid and uncertain change in the church, questions such as: Are you committed to Jesus Christ, or to a particular doctrine, denomination, or church? Do you speak of faith as an experience of Christ, or as a heritage that you protect? Do you believe that ministry is to make disciples or members? William Easum and Thomas Bandy believe that deep spiritual vitality and an openness to the new thing that God is doing will characterize the "spiritual redwoods" that emerge from this time of change. Congregations to whom this term can be applied do not spring spontaneously into existence, nor are they built in a mechanical, by-the-numbers fashion. Instead, they are grown, and providing the environment that will grow these vigorous centers of witness and mission is the crucial task of church leadership in our time.Some of the components of this task include: Cultivating the passion for the transforming experience of Jesus, in individuals and in church communities. Enabling worship that feeds new life in multiple ways, and which is indigenous to the forest from which spiritual redwoods grow. Nurturing organisms designed to release mission, make disciples, deepen faith, and proclaim God.

Things I Don't Need in the New Year

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 20:36:21 -0600

God is the giver of all good things. Trusting in this, I find that I often treat prayer like a Christmas list, asking Him for the things that I want and that I need in my life. It�s possible that He can�t give me what I really need until I let go of a few things, such as old habits, and make more room. So I�m going to start this new year by listing some needs that, with God�s help, will be eliminated from my life.

I�ll ask the Father to take away:

My need to be appreciated.
I don�t need praise from those around me. My God is the only one I want to impress. It is His approval that counts. John 12:43

My need to �fit in�.
Romans 12:2 and 1 Peter 1:14 tells me that I am not to conform to the pattern of the world around me but I must be transformed by the renewing of my mind.

My need to appear smart.
I don�t need to be a great speaker to share the good news of Jesus Christ. The power is in the message of the gospel, not in my words. 1 Corinthians 1:17-21

My need to be physically attractive.
Other people look at physical appearance, but they don�t see what the Lord sees. He sees my heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

My need to be first.
Paul writes that I shouldn�t look for what is good for me, but I should be concerned with what is good for others. 1 Corinthians 10:24

My need to be wealthy.
Luke 16:13 tells me that God and money cannot both have first place in my life. Luke 16:19-26 tells a story that warns against putting too much value on possessions. I�ll put God first and leave the rest to Him.

My need to be strong.
My own strength is never enough but the Bible tells me that God�s power can be displayed best when I am weak. 2 Corinthians 12:9&10

My need to be �good enough.�
I always try to be good and do what is right, but no matter how hard I work at it, I always fail. I will always fall short of God�s glory. The amazing thing is that by His grace and through the work of Jesus Christ. I can rest in the fact that I am good enough. Romans 4:25 and Romans 6:18-19

What is Worship?

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 20:10:24 -0600

Listen:

The purpose of our worship is to glorify, honor, praise, exalt, and please God. Our worship must show our adoration and loyalty to God for His grace in providing us with the way to escape the bondage of sin, so we can have the salvation He so much wants to give us. The nature of the worship God demands is the prostration of our souls before Him in humble and contrite submission. James 4:6, 10 tells us, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up". Our worship to God is a very humble and reverent action.
Jesus says in John 4:23-24, "But the hour is coming, and now is, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." It doesn�t say we can worship God anyway we want, but we "must worship Him in spirit and in truth". The word "must" makes it absolute. There is no other way we can worship God and be acceptable to Him. The word "must", according to Webster, expresses "an obligation, a requirement, a necessity, a certainty, and something that must be done". When "must" is used it means that it is not optional. Here the word "must" is expressing that in spirit and in truth is the only way to acceptably worship God. God seeks true worshippers, and He identifies them as those who "worship Him in spirit and in truth". Worshipping God in spirit and in truth is a serious matter which must not be taken lightly. If we have any regard for our own souls, we will want to make sure we are worshipping God in spirit and in truth.

Since God is the object of our worship, He and He alone has the right to determine how we are to worship Him. We read in Jeremiah 10:23, "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself, it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps." We are not granted the option of directing our own ways in religion. God is the One who we look to for guidance and direction in our lives.

Our very best in worship is due God and is prescribed by Him in the Bible. The worship God has prescribed is the only way we can be pleasing to Him in this life and finally attain everlasting life with Him in eternity. The Christian�s worship is of the greatest importance.

Worship is a time when we pay deep, sincere, awesome respect, love, and fear to the one who created us. Acts 17:24-25 says, "God who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives life, breath, and all things."

God is the one who holds our eternal destiny in His hands. Philippians 2:12 tells us to, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Our salvation is a very serious matter and will not happen by accident. We must work it out "with fear and trembling". Our salvation depends on whether our worship is pleasing to God or not. On the Day of Judgment it will be too late to make any corrections.

Worship should cause us to reflect on the majesty and graciousness of God and Christ, contrasted to our own unworthiness. God does not have to have our worship, but we must worship Him to please Him. Our singing, praying, studying His word, giving, and communion are designed by God to bring us closer to Him and to cause us to think more like He thinks, thus becoming more like Him. James 4:8 tells us to, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

Our worship not only honors and magnifies God, but it is also for our own edification and strength. Worship helps us develop a God-like and Christ-like character. We become like unto those we admire and worship. When we worship God we tend to value what God values and gradually take on the characteristics and qualities of God, but never to His level. As Philippians 2:5 says, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ." How do we take on the mind of Christ? In Romans 12:2 we read, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." We renew our mind as we study and meditate on God�s word and worship Him.

When we worship God we develop such traits as forgiveness, tenderness, justice, righteousness, purity, kindness, and love. All of this is preparing us for eternal life in heaven with God and Christ. As we are told in Colossians 3:2 to, "Set your mind on things above, and not on things on the earth."