This Sunday @Agape - EPIC youth retreat information, and more. Keyword=Delight.

Hello all,

I am preparing to depart Friday and go meet with our EPIC youth group as they retreat in the mountains and woods of Pisgah, Alabama. In planning this retreat, David has packed their time with a focus on seeking God, maturing in God, and becoming intimate with Him and His word. Though I am sure the retreat will be fun, David has emphasized to me and the youth several times that the point of this time away will be to grow in God - not goof off. Having seen the schedule, I believe he means it! Please pray for the group this week, pray for spiritual depth to arise, pray for transformation and fire, pray for safety and joy, and pray for true, God-honoring fellowship.

Speaking of the youth (and all of the adults that are with them), they won’t be joining us for worship and word this Sunday morning, and they will be sorely missed! In their absence, we are going to be taking another look at meditation this week. I intend to make the case that Biblical meditation is a key ingredient to holiness, joy, and becoming a person who DELIGHTS in God and His word! I hope you will be able to join us!
I highlighted the word “delight” above because I was rather amazed during my studies this week to find the connection that scripture makes between meditating on God’s Word, and delight. No fewer than five times in the Bible is this connection explicitly made. Think about that word, “delight”. Do we delight in the things of God? Do we delight in worship? Do we delight in His word? Would our friends and family members say of us that we delight in Godly things? If not - I propose the missing ingredient is mediation. It is as necessary to living a Christian life of joy and peace and delight, as sugar is necessary to making a tasty pound cake. YUhmmmm, pound cake.
Now that I am hungry, I will close with a quote from Henry Blackaby, the author of Experiencing God:

Scripture is wonderful, if you meditate on it. Our problem is we read without meditation. Your life will never be anchored like a tree without meditation. Some say,“I’ve read through the Bible at least once every year.”"Well, that’s wonderful, but your life will not be anchored beside a river of living water until you stop and meditate on God’s Word. It’s the one who meditates on God’s Word day and night who becomes like a tree planted by the rivers of water. So, you really need to know what meditating is. Now, in our generation, we talk about transcendental meditation. On television we can see the stereotypical meditator, eyes closed, mumbling the same phrase over and over. That’s not biblical meditation at all.  Let me tell you my own definition of meditation. Meditation is that moment when God confronts you with the truth about Himself. It is that moment when you go into the presence of God and let God discuss it with you until you know exactly how to respond to Him, however long it takes.”

I look forward to seeing you Sunday!

Chase

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