Hello my church family,

   The last three retreat themes have gone like this.

2016: “Here” 

2017: “Breathe”

2018: “Countdown”

     I love how God has led our speakers to speak through each individual weekend, but I also love how it has progressed a movement of ideas within our church body. First we had “Here” which was a weekend to stop and recognize that God is wherever you are. He is always “Here” wherever here may be for you at that moment. This ended up being just 3 months before God led us to move out of Dublin into a new facility.

     Next was “Breathe” which ended up being a weekend to step back from life to inhale God as we prepared to do all of the work that he was setting before us. Like those final moments before a race, you find yourself on a starting block, head down, thinking about the competition you are about to face. You pause, inhale, and in that moment, you realize that you are prepared. God has worked in every day of your life to prepare you for the exact moment that you are in.

     And then the countdown begins. Get ready. Get set. . . and this is where we find ourselves today. The “countdown” has begun. We are moving towards this race that God has set before us and we have an opportunity to press onward on the path that he has set before us. Read Psalm 118 and think about God being “here” as we “breathe” in His presence and we see all the work in front of us that God has prepared

Psalm 118

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

2 Let Israel say:

“His love endures forever.”

3 Let the house of Aaron say:

“His love endures forever.”

4 Let those who fear the Lord say:

“His love endures forever.”

5 In my anguish I cried to the Lord,

and he answered by setting me free.

6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper.

I will look in triumph on my enemies.

8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in man.

9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes.

10 All the nations surrounded me,

but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

11 They surrounded me on every side,

but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

12 They swarmed around me like bees,

but they died out as quickly as burning thorns;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

13 I was pushed back and about to fall,

but the Lord helped me.

14 The Lord is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

15 Shouts of joy and victory

resound in the tents of the righteous:

“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!

16 The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;

the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”

17 I will not die but live,

and will proclaim what the Lord has done.

18 The Lord has chastened me severely,

but he has not given me over to death.

19 Open for me the gates of righteousness;

I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.

20 This is the gate of the Lord

through which the righteous may enter.

21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;

you have become my salvation.

22 The stone the builders rejected

has become the capstone;

23 the Lord has done this,

and it is marvelous in our eyes.

24 This is the day the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25 O Lord, save us;

O Lord, grant us success.

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

From the house of the Lord we bless you.

27 The Lord is God,

and he has made his light shine upon us.

With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession

up to the horns of the altar.

28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks;

you are my God, and I will exalt you.

29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

     Take a similar stance in whatever place you are in today and see that God is with you and that His love endures forever. Can you relate to any of the battles, the successes, or the hopes that are being expressed in this psalm? Share it, journal those ideas, and pray over them this morning!

     Today itself is going to be a long day! And a wonderful one. It will be longer than most of you spend at church. So today, I would love for you to realize that even though our retreat is not away, that God is here. See His presence, then breathe in His Spirit deeply in a quiet moment, and prepare yourself to continue to learn about the countdown.