On Father's Day last Sunday at the Family Church here in Gainesville, senior pastor Philip Griffin delivered his first message in a new series, titled Upward Habits, and tied it around Psalm 63, which you can read via Bible Gateway by clicking on the passage. In Psalm 63, King David of Israel has been overthrown by his own son Absalom and has fled to the desert. His attitude toward his circumstances, his own role as a father, and his relationship with God form the basis of this message...
As Pastor Griffin said, David knows that he bore responsibility for Absalom's rebelliousness from his own earlier sins. He could have let himself be overcome by fear, worry, or anger: instead he focuses on his relationship with God...and provides some direction for ourselves in our times. As Pastor Philip pointed out, when we ask ourselves the questions "what is our deepest need, our most valuable prize, and our greatest hope", we can...like David...choose to answer them according to either our earthly circumstances or from our deep spiritual thirst for an experiential relationship with God. As for the need, desiring rescue, strength, and courage are all legitimate but fall short of the ultimate need, our Lord. The prize we should seek is God's love...it is more important than life itself. And about that hope, Philip explained that our mistakes do not define us since, from our relationship with God, he has forgiven us: our living hope is with God...
Pastor Philip used this inaugural sermon in the new series to begin within the congregation a program whereby we purpose to develop the habits that will make God first in our lives, be they expressed within our hearts, the start of our days, in our daily considerations, or with our finances. Using the Gospel of John and providing a reading plan suited to morning devotions, the hope is to inculcate a spirit of trust and reliance on God instead of letting the world dictate our needs and hopes. This sixty-day challenge is to change habits, and to direct them "upward"...
You can watch the video of this sermon on the church's YouTube video website...click on the following link: [TFC Videos]. The Family Church, at 2022 SW 122nd Street, meets Sunday mornings at 9 and 10:30 for its weekly services, featuring the message, praise and worship music, prayer, and discipleship and fellowship opportunities. A hospitality room has coffee and treats before and between services, a place to get to meet some friendly and interesting folks. Let's see what the message will be this coming Sunday...
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