Disappointed....

I missed the contemporary service yesterday at church. However, I made myself go to the second service, the traditional service. I was not in the best mood. I know my mood was because I was out of my routine and I missed the first service.

The second service is just so much different. The music reminds me of when I was little. The traditional service does not move me like the contemporary service.

I opened up the church bulletin to see that our church was having a guest speaker. Ewww...guest speakers! There's a 50/50 chance with guest speakers. The guest speakers are either really, really good or they are so incredibly boring that you can not pay attention.

My problem is that I went to church with high expectations. I was hoping our associate pastor would preach. (Just to fill you in...our church is currently looking for a new pastor...) There were many times where I would love to hear our associate pastor preach over our own pastor. The associate pastor just has a way of sharing God's word.

I was soon disappointed as our associate pastor introduced the guest speaker. Instead of listening to God's word and what the guest speaker was preaching...I found myself drifting away and thinking about the day's activities and what all I need to accomplish. It was as if I tuned out the guest speaker because I was unhappy he was preaching. I wanted to hear someone else preach.

Does it really matter? In all honesty, no matter who preaches....I should be there to hear what God's word says. So, this morning...I decided to go back over the scripture that our guest speaker discussed yesterday. I can not tell you anything he said other than the scripture verse he read. Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose...(v. 26) In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."

This sermon really was perfect for me if only I would have listened. Right now, I am not sure what the Education budget cuts have in store for me. I know some things in my life where I have prayed to do God's will, yet he has not allowed me to do those things. It could be that I God has something else planned for my life or it could be that it is not time for God to fulfill those promises. Everything is done in God's time...not our time! I really could have benefited from the sermon if only I would not have tuned out the preacher!

This comes straight from the Life Application Study Bible (NIV)--Rom 8:28--"God works in all things, not just isolated incidents. It is for our good. This does not mean that all that happens to us is good. God is able to turn EVERY circumstance around for our long-range goal. God is not working to make us happy, but to fulfill HIS PURPOSE! God's promise is NOT for everybody. It is only for those who love God and are called according to his purpose."

In verse 29, God's goal for us is to make us more like him. If we discover ourselves and be a true follower of Christ, God will continue to work in our lives and help us to be more Christ-like.

I pray that I will have an open ear next time instead of being disappointed in who is "relaying" the message. After all, it should not matter who is preaching...it is all coming from the same book--THE BIBLE...God's word is God's word!