Category: Church

Church & State

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date December 5, 2019

I recently stumbled across this meme on social media, and I instantly liked it and saved it. It fits right in with a new sermon that I began writing while on vacation with my family in North Texas. (My brother and sister-in-law randomly revealed to me that they are actually looking for a church to attend in their new town that they live in. My brother specifically stated that he wants to join a small church family of about 20 people.)

I’m part of a small church family where I live. In fact I’m the Associate Pastor at my small church family of about 20 to 30 people. This upcoming March will mark 5 years with my small church family. (I had previously spent 8 years with a large church family that rapidly evolved from a once small church family.)

There are a few things that I miss about a large church family, but after 5 years I’ve realized that I overwhelmingly prefer the small church family experience. When I retire and move away from here in about 4 years I hope to join a small church family in my new town. If God gives me the opportunity I’d love to Lead Pastor a small church family and walk with them towards God every day.

So back to the meme. There are dozens of churches where I live, and by “churches” I don’t mean the buildings. I mean the bodies that meet corporately inside those buildings – whether they are traditional church buildings, or movie theatres, or schools, or hotels, or former stores in shopping centers. Do what I did. Do research online and offline, and determine which of those churches (bodies) are closest to the Bible. Once you do that go and visit that church for a Sunday morning service. If you feel loved immediately by God’s children – then God probably led you there intentionally. Declare it your new home.

Don’t go to church. Be the church. Bring the church. Your life will change forever.

Bible Blogging Christian Church God Holidays Ministry Scripture Travel

Sunday Scripture

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date December 1, 2019

WELCOME to the “Winter Season Premiere” of my blog. Today – December 01ST 2019 – is the 12TH anniversary of this blog here on WordPress. It officially began on this date in 2007, but it was actually a continuation of my blog that started on Myspace a little more than 6 months earlier.

I’ve been on hiatus since my last post was published almost 2 weeks ago, but now I’m back. I got to spend quality time with immediate family over in North Texas, and we celebrated our annual tradition known as #ThanksChristmasGiving – 8 fun-filled days and nights of Thanksgiving and Christmas combined leading-up to the traditional Thanksgiving Day Dinner.

Over the next 3½ weeks I’ll celebrate Christmas here in South Florida with church family and work family. I’ll also be here online resuming blog posts every Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday – starting today – with a special end-of-year post on New Year’s Eve.

Today I preached my sermon on the prophet Habakkuk to my church family.

Here’s how I started today’s sermon – before preaching on Habakkuk:

Well Good Morning (again) Church Family ! It is so great to be here – in the house of the Lord. You know this is a nice sanctuary that we have here – with this nice pulpit – on this nice big stage – and we have nice new chairs on our nice new carpet. We have an A.C. that works great. We have a roof that doesn’t leak.

This is the Lord’s house – but only because – we are here right now, and the Lord is with us. You know our bodies are the Lord’s house. That means that everywhere we go – is the Lord’s house. God’s presence – is there – right where we are. God lives within us – in our hearts. The Bible says that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit – who lives in you – and was given to you by God. You do not belong to yourself. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

I like Psalm 27 & 4:

The one thing I ask of the LORD – the thing I seek most – is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life – delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in His Temple.

That’s why we praise and worship Him. That’s why we have faith in Him.

Here’s how I closed today’s sermon:

As today’s prophets – with the temple of the Holy Spirit living within us – we must continue to go forth – together – as a church body – towards His bright light. We must remember what He has done for us in the past. We must accept what He is doing for us right now. We must trust what He will do for us in the future. We must believe in Him, for He is the only way. And we must invite our loved ones to join us for this journey. We want our loved ones to know the God that we know. That’s how we bring the church in everything we do – and in everywhere we go.

(And that Conclusion was actually a hidden “sneak-preview” of my next sermon to preach.)

Bible Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date November 17, 2019

Last night I finished writing what will be my next sermon to preach to my church family – “Habakkuk & Forth”. It’s all about the minor prophet Habakkuk from the land of Judah some 600 years before Christ. He’s a minor prophet not because he was irrelevant (quite the opposite), but simply because there’s only 3 chapters in his book in the Old Testament. (Compare that with 66 chapters for Isaiah, 52 chapters for Jeremiah, and 48 chapters for Ezekiel – the 3 major prophets.)

I wrote this sermon in just a couple of weeks, and I think that it flows well from beginning to end. I’ll be enhancing and tweaking it over the next couple of weeks. Following the conclusion of today’s service our Lead Pastor told me that I’ll be preaching 2 weeks from today on Sunday December 01ST 2019. So I’ll be preaching on Habakkuk.

I actually finished another sermon previously, but I’m not fully satisfied with it. It will (eventually) be a groundbreaking sermon for me unlike anything I’ve ever done before – and unlike anything my church family has ever seen before. For a message that different it needs a bit more work.

So back to Habakkuk where Chapter 3 is a prayer that was sung to the LORD by Habakkuk. After his conversation with the LORD (Chapters 1 and 2) Habakkuk praised and worshipped Him. Here are some of the highlights of his psalm to the LORD:

I am filled with awe by Your amazing works. (3:2)
His brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and the earth is filled with His praise. (3:3)
His coming is as brilliant as the sunrise. (3:4a)
Rays of light flash from His hands – where His awesome power is hidden. (3:4b)
When He stops – the earth shakes. When He looks – the nations tremble. (3:6a-b)
He shatters the everlasting mountains, and levels the eternal hills. (3:6c)
He is the Eternal One ! (3:6d)
You split open the earth with flowing rivers. (3:9)
The mountains watched and trembled. Onward swept the raging waters. (3:10)
You went out to rescue Your chosen people – to save Your anointed ones. (3:13)

Tags Habakkuk

Christian Church God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 143

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date November 12, 2019

Every Monday I post my all-new Top 10 Christian hit music chart based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday November 10TH 2019:

“Fear No More” – Building 429 [# 1 last week / 15TH week on chart]
“Nobody (But Jesus)” – Casting Crowns Ft. Matthew West [3 / 15TH]
“Burn The Ships” – for King & Country [2 / 8TH]
“Dead Man Walking” – Jeremy Camp [6 / 17TH]
“Faith” – Jordan Feliz [8 / 5TH]
“I’m Gonna Let It Go” – Jason Gray [5 / 14TH]
“Up Again” – Dan Bremnes [4 / 7TH]
“Unstoppable God” – Sanctus Real [- / 1ST]
“Rescue Story” – Zach Williams [10 / 5TH]
“Better” – Pat Barrett [9 / 5TH]

# 1 One Year Ago This Week:
“Only Jesus” – Casting Crowns

# 1 Two Years Ago This Week:
“Different” – Micah Tyler

This past Sunday night I was among 13,000+ brothers and sisters of a MASSIVE church family at the BB&T Center in Sunrise Florida. It was a wonderful 3½-hour show, as we praised and worshiped our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ in unison.

Elevation Worship kicked-off the show with a 7-song setlist including their 4 big radio hits of the past couple of years, “O Come To The Altar”, “Do It Again”, “Resurrecting”, and “Echo”. This is actually the 2ND time that I’ve sung along to “Do It Again” LIVE in concert. Mack Brock (former lead singer of Elevation Worship and cowriter of the song) performed it LIVE on his tour with Hillsong United this past May. Fun Fact: “Do It Again” is the # 1 smash out of 136 hits since this current “K-LOVE Era” of my chart began in February 2017.

Hillsong Worship were up next with an 8-song setlist. Of the 3 bands on the stage that night I was least familiar with their music, but I surely knew “Who You Say I Am” and “What A Beautiful Name” – both # 1 hits at Christian pop radio. They also performed “Mighty To Save” which I know more from Praise & Worship at my own local church than I do as a Hillsong Worship song.

Following an inspirational message leading-in to a Compassion International fundraising event and a brief intermission after that – Casting Crowns – led by Mark Hall – took to the stage, and they performed 10 hits in a row – nearly all of which I knew ! “Only Jesus” kicked-off their hitlist. It’s the longest-running # 1 smash (at 10 weeks) during this current era of my chart. “Thrive” (surprisingly) got a huge response. “Nobody (But Jesus)” was their encore song, and deservedly so. It’s the track that everyone was waiting for. All of my brothers and sisters were clapping along and singing together loudly and proudly. Chris Brown – lead singer of Elevation Worship – came out and performed the Matthew West part of the song, and he sounded just like Matthew West too. During the Megan Garrett part of the song all of the members of Elevation Worship and Hillsong Worship joined Casting Crowns together for a grande family finale.

As 13,000+ poured out of the arena into the South Florida darkness we were all singing bits and pieces of “Nobody (But Jesus)” – shining God’s light for all to see.

♫ ‘Cause I’m just a nobody – trying to tell everybody
All about Somebody – who saved my soul
Ever since You rescued me – You gave my heart a song to sing
I’m living for the world to see nobody but Jesus
I’m living for the world to see nobody but Jesus ♫

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again next weekend (starting in just 48 hours) – with 4 new entries on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday. I don’t blog on Saturdays. That’s my day of rest.

Your likes, follows, and comments are always appreciated. Thank You for being part of my online ministry to share God’s Good News and win souls for Christ through His music. Enjoy this week my friends. I’m on Twitter @ChrisMDay, and I’m also the man behind the tweets for my church @LivingWatersHFL. May the God of hope fill you completely with joy and peace as you trust in Him.