Remind Yourself To Praise + This Sunday!
Good morning Immanuel. Let's consider all the reasons God is worthy of praise.
“Praise the Lord, O my soul” (Psalm 146:1).
Where does praise come from? Most of the time, it’s a response to something that brings us joy. I praise the beauty of my wife or the efforts of my children. We burst forth in praise when a musician plays a magnificent solo or an athlete makes a highlight play. And in each of these instances, we don’t even really decide to praise–we just respond.
But our hearts don’t react to God nearly so naturally or joyfully. Because of our sinful natures, praising God often feels unnatural. This is why we need the words of Psalm 146:1 so much: “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!”
Who is the psalmist talking to? Himself! He is reminding himself, commanding himself, to do what is absolutely right but doesn’t come naturally. But this isn’t a mantra or a gritting-his-teeth force-of-will thing. He goes on to remind himself why God is worthy of praise: he is our helper, he is creator, he is just, he is generous, he is merciful, he is a rescuer, he cares for the lowly, and he will reign forever.
We need this example because our hearts are slow to praise God. First, remind yourself to praise. Then remember all the reasons God is worthy of praise. Then you will be ready to respond in praise.
August 13, 2023 - This Sunday at Immanuel
Sunday Morning
SERMON - Join us this Sunday at Immanuel as we continue our new sermon series, “The Good News in Three Dimensions.”
Seminars
9 am: Studying the Bible Together, led by Tom Cox (meeting in the Cafe until August 27th)
9 am: Student Seminar led by Vince Greenwald in the gymnasium (grades 5-12)
10:45 am: Next Steps Class 2, led by Tom Cox in the Church Office
10:45 am: Discover Reception, led by Tony Shepherd in the Cafe - New or newish to Immanuel? The Discover Reception is an opportunity to connect at 10:45 am in the cafe for an overview of Immanuel and a time for Q&A. Our next Discover Reception is this Sunday! RSVP here.
August 27th: The new Dr. Russell Moore Seminar will begin on August 27th in the cafe
On the Horizon
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS - Our next monthly Young Professionals Fellowship is August 17 from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm. Invite a co-worker, or come and meet a friend! This upcoming gathering will take place indoors in our cafe. Food will be available, with a suggested optional donation of $10 to help cover the costs. RSVP here.
NEXT WED. NIGHT - TEACHING AND COMMUNITY
Adults - Wed. Nights at Immanuel begins next week (August 16) from 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Students - Student Ministry City Groups begins next week (August 16)
iKids - In order to open up Wed. nights for iKids, we need a few more volunteers to serve. This is a great opportunity to make the real Jesus non-ignorable to the next generation. Would you consider serving in this way?
Thank you Barnabas 🙏🏼