The Heart-opening Power of the Lord
Good morning Immanuel. The God of mercy delights in wielding His awesome power for our good - to awaken us to His love!
“The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul” (Acts 16:14).
There are many things that you and I can open. I can open my email. You can open a door. If you’re strong enough, you can open a jar of pickles. But there are some things that cannot be opened short of a miracle - like the human heart. We are deep and complex people. We cannot even open our own hearts, let alone the hearts of others.
But the Spirit of the risen Christ is in the joyful business of opening hearts. That is the beauty of Acts 16:14. If not for the heart-opening power of the Spirit, Paul’s message would have fallen on deaf ears. The hope of the gospel would not have pierced the mind or sunk into the heart. But the Spirit is able to crack open our minds and hearts to receive gospel hope. Today, we can rejoice that the God of mercy delights in wielding His awesome power for our good - to awaken us to His love!
This Week at Immanuel
On the Horizon
WORSHIP NIGHT - Immanuel invites you to join us on October 18th for our Worship night at Immanuel at 6:30 pm. All are welcome to come and sing together and rejoice in the goodness of Christ. Doors open at 6 pm!
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS FELLOWSHIP - Our next event is just around the corner. Join us for fellowship and encouragement on Thursday, October 19. Learn more and RSVP here.
NEXT STEPS DAY - Interested in learning more about membership at Immanuel? Our Next Steps Event is for you! Join us on Saturday, October 21, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in the cafe as we cover four sessions on membership at Immanuel. Coffee and lunch will be provided. You may RSVP here.
HOPE SMILES DENTAL OUTREACH - Hope Smiles is an organization that exists to develop leaders who transform lives through dentistry in underserved communities in Nashville and far beyond. One of Immanuel's very own members, Ryan Shinska, is an integral part of the Hope Smiles team and is happy to invite you to an exciting new opportunity! Join us on October 28th from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Immanuel Nashville's gymnasium for a Dental Outreach event. They will be offering essential dental services such as extractions, fillings, and cleanings to our Nashville neighbors. This is a wonderful opportunity to serve our community and to make the real Jesus non-ignorable in our city. For more information or to sign up as a volunteer, please contact Ryan Shinska at ryan@hopesmiles.org.
Rejoicing!