ZOE WORSHIP CONFERENCE
Registration is now open for the 2016 worship conference “Stand,” to be held this November 4-5 at the Otter Creek Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Expected to speak at plenary sessions and/or to lead breakout sessions, God willing, are Mike Cope, Constance Cherry, Luke Norsworthy, Jack and Jill Maxwell, Heather Hodges, and Jeff Barker. Randy Gill will again be leading “New Music Nashville,” at which he will introduce a folio of new worship songs that will bless and invigorate your congregation.
Attendees can pre-order Zoe’s latest CD, “Stand,” and be first to receive newest Zoe worship music. Early registration rates are $145 for the full conference with New Music Nashville, and $110 for the ZOE conference only. Regular rates after September 15th will be $160 for both New Music Nashville and the ZOE conference, or $115 for the ZOE conference only. To register, or for updated schedule details, lodging options, and other information, go to: www.zoegroup.org – Email questions to: kim@zoegroup.org
CLAY’S DISCIPLE HEART
Clay is a fellow-disciple of Jesus whom it is my privilege to know and to chat with from time to time about the ways our lives intersect with spiritual realities we learn from Jesus. And on those occasions we pray together about mutual concerns.
If that kind of relationship sounds familiar, it should, for it is nothing but the sibling-in-Christ relationhip that every Christian can have with every other disciple of Jesus. A hallmark of this relationship is the transparency that characterizes the conversations and the prayers within it.
That honesty and openness is apparent in the following email I received a few days ago from Clay. How many close relationships do you have that are built on common faith in Christ and that nurture honest mutual and self-examination? If none, why not make it a high priority to form one? God will bring that about if you ask him to do it, then keep praying, keep watch, and be ready to move out in faith as God directs.
Mr. Fudge,
Last week, a close acquaintance was talking about how he wishes God would provide the financial security for him that He has provided for others. I listened, without much idea how to respond, until yesterday. While I was working in the kitchen, Led Zeppelin was lamenting some woman’s unfaithfulness but promising to remain faithful.
And it hit me.
God is faithful to us–even though we are not faithful to Him. On top of that, He gives us everything He promises: peace in this lifetime and everlasting life with Him in Paradise. Nothing else is promised. We have to accept His faithfulness to provide our basic needs (food, shelter, etc.) even if it is not something we are acquiring through our own means.
This is not a one-time thing, either. It takes a lifetime of commitment to leaning on His peace. It is far too easy to walk away from that peace, to take it for granted, and just leave it behind. We have to stay in focus on it, in order to keep it. But once we accept the peace He pours out, then the source of our food, shelter, etc., is no longer something we worry about. It happens, and we accept it.
Is this biblical? Am I off-base with this?
I REPLIED: You are certainly biblical in your words of encouragement, and, if I understand the matter correctly, spot-on. I commend you for your willingness to share with others what you have learned by experience in your own journey of discipleship. We are all in this together–at times, all encouragers and at times, all encouraged.