Exult

A couple of weeks ago we talked about the word exalt. Sometimes we use the word exalt and exult interchangeably. But they have two distinct meanings. As we said before the word “exalt” means “to elevate by praise or in estimation.” “Exult” on the other hand means “to leap for joy” or “to be very joyful.” Even in our text yesterday in our small group bible study, it used the word “exult” when it talked about hope.

Let me translate to how it relates to Wedgwood and Wedgworship. As we come together, our vision is to EXALT CHRIST…EXPERIENCE CHRIST. Out of elevating Him in praise one of the experiences that it brings is exultation. When the Spirit of the Lord truly inhabits our praises, there is a joy that engulfs us and even a sense of that joy that is in the room that can’t be explained. What I find very odd is that one person can experience this joy while the person standing beside them is looking around the room watching everyone else.

So let me wrap this up by saying a good way to know what our focus is when we come together is to examine our joy. Does our praise bring exultation?

Think about it.

Love you,
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Experience

Last week we talked about the first word in the Wedgworship purpose statement...exalt. This week we discuss the other "EX" word in that statement...Experience. Most are very familiar with Henry Blackaby's "Experiencing God" study. Blackaby points out in many ways in this study that we can talk about the Lord all we want, but until we come to the place of experiencing Him, our understanding of Him is short-sided at best.

Experience by definition means: "something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through." That is quite a definition when it comes to our purpose statement.

I taught a new song to our congregation several months ago. It is called "Encounter." The chorus of the song simply says, "I long to encounter You, I long to encounter You in this place."

So what does this mean in the light of statement? We are to exalt Christ in such a way that moves all that are present to a place of choice. A place of choice? Yes... as much as I would like for everyone in the sound of our voices to be moved to encounter Him, there are those, that for some reason or another, will not be moved to that place. The calling we have as Wedgworship is to exalt Him to that place of experience.

Before I go on to the next "EX" word, I will use next week to give you three basic ways we can exalt Christ to lead others and ourselves to experience Him.

Love you,
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Exalt

Wedgworship exists to: Exalt Christ...Experience Christ. Say that with me. Wedgworship exists to: Exalt Christ...Experience Christ. For the next year or should I say the next chapter in the story of Wedgworship will be purposed under this statement.

For the next many weeks, we will be discussing ways to carry out the purpose of Wedgworship. The first word in this statement is "Exalt." The word exalt is defined as: "to raise in rank, power, or character and to elevate by praise or in estimation...in other words glorify."

1 Corinthians 10:31 simply exhorts us to do all for the "glory" of God. That means that whatever we find ourselves doing the purpose behind what we do or say is to exalt Him.

I have a challenge for us all. Take a few minutes at the end of this day. Look back over all that you said and did today. How many of those things we said or did were motivated to bring glory to the One that loves us unconditionally? This is not to bring condemnation. It is to only bring analyzation. As we analyze where we are in our lives with our words and deeds being motivated to exalt Him, we can move one step closer to "every" deed and word exalting Him.

EXALT the Lord at all times.

Have a great week.

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Junk

There is a songwriting team named Michael and Stormie Omartian. Many will know Stormie from the many books she has authored. Many years ago they wrote a fun song called "Mr Trash Man." Some of the words in the chorus said, "Mr Trash Man, I'm glad You came today. I've got a collection of things I'm throwing away." The Trash Man is the Lord. The things referred to as trash is sin.

I started cleaning out a closet the other day. I sat there in amazement at the junk that I had there...not only junk that I have collected over the past few months I have been at Wedgwood, but pure junk that I have moved from place to place.

The Lord used it to bring to my attention how easily I can stack things that are just pure junk in the out of sight places of my life. I guess that is another reason Paul exhorted us to examine ourselves daily. We are to open the areas of our lives to make sure the things we carry around with us from place to place is not junk but those things we can truly use for the kingdom.

It is great to know that God's cleansing is just a prayer away.

Have a great week.

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The Big Picture

There is a thought that has gone around as long as I have been alive, and that is certainly a long time. It says I can make a decision and it won’t affect anyone else. I have discovered that is very rarely the case. Every once in a while it might possibly be true, but I can’t think of any.

We as Christians are called to see the “Big Picture” in things. As private of person as I wish I could be my life, as well as every Christian’s life is on display for the world to see. Yes! That is a huge responsibility to carry around. The cool part is that we are chosen by God to do that. John 15:16 says that we did not choose Him, but He chose us and ordained us to go out and bear fruit... The question of course is not if we are going to bear fruit. That is a given. The question is what kind of fruit are we bearing in what we do.

Life is one choice after another. It is astounding how one change in something can affect so many people. So by now you are probably asking yourself…”what is Phil trying to say” to us? Bottom line…know for every action there is a reaction. The life we live affects countless people daily. It is a great thing to know that Jesus longs to be our life and the more we decrease the more He increases. That is a wonderful thing for the world to see.

Think about it!

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