Day 285- A Visual Aid First

A few weeks ago, Hopewell Church voted to put up some 80" TV screens in the front and back of our church.  We have some people who have worked very hard installing and getting the screens working. Today was my first day to preach with the screens working. I preached with screens in the church today for my "first."

The screens' purpose is to help us worship and function as a church better.  We can do that by putting announcements, words to songs, and sermon notes on them. It seemed that some people were freer to worship without having to hold the hymn books. They could clap, raise their hands, or just look at the words to the songs without a book. We have hopes of one day having mission teams in a foreign country and being able to see them while we are in church at Hopewell.  That would be so cool to have our congregation actually see our people in a foreign country while they are there. 

Today while I preached, the sermon title, series title, Bible verses, and points to the sermon were put on the screen.  I enjoyed this a lot.  I feel like this will help people track with me while I preach. Plus, if I want to recap the sermon points and happen to blank on one, it's right there on the wall. That may get more and more helpful as I get older (no smiling at that last sentence). When I was on point three, the other two points plus point three were on the screen. It seems to me this can help keep people aware of where we've been and where we are going with the message. Of course, I try hard to do this anyway, but hopefully the screens will help.  I'm looking forward to using them more extensively with my messages.

What I thought about today was how we constantly need God's word in front of us.  The Bible says in Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says, "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."  While we don't normally put the words on our doorposts or gates, I think the principle of putting God's word before our eyes is good for us today.  There are numerous ways we can do that.  We can literally hang God's word on our walls in pictures, plagues, paintings, crafts, etc.  We can put sticky notes on our mirrors, computer screens, or desk.  We can put Scriptures as our screen savers.  There are numerous ways to keep God's word before our eyes. I would encourage you to look for ways to do this.  God's word is truth.  Our minds are transformed by God's word.  If God took time to write us a book and He did, we need to give continual attention to His words.

Needing to keep the abundant life before my eyes
Barry

3 things I thank God for today
1. The availability of God's word
2. The ability to whistle
3. The availability of Christian pictures and crafts to hang on our walls