Go od morning, Hope folks!

“I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism … there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” Acts 10:34

When we get it (music, life, church) right … the songs we sing (our actions) in this world come with a full embrace of harmony . Harmony serves as a gateway to beauty, inspiration and joy; far better than singing alone. It reveals the clear benefit of diversity, challenging the pretense that we all sound the same all the time, or that the only good music is “my kind” of music. In contrast, harmony steers us towards an honest appreciation for a full choir of distinct voices that, under the direction of a great Composer, blend together as one – in a stunning and sometimes miraculous way – to produce a rich and powerful sound … music that can change the world.

When we get it wrong … the songs we sing in this world become all about personal quests for spotlights and status, power and control, fame and fortune, and what’s in it for me (and “my people” who sound just like me). Our voices routinely go off key, but instead of humbly owning it or listening – really listening – to unfamiliar voices, we power up and loudly insist that only our songs should be heard … carelessly dismissing music we don’t know. Fear wins, ignorance reigns, and we miss out on the potential for what might have been. We miss the beauty. We miss the joy. We miss our Conductor’s call to a deeper embrace of harmony, and his command for us to sing our songs of love and peace … together.

This weekend, leading up to Martin Luther King Jr. Day , one of my best friends – Pastor Michael Hurst – and I will preach together on Acts 10 (part of our Book of Acts #Renew Year sermon series for January): Saturday 5:00 pm, Sunday 8:00, 9:15 & 11:00 am . Pastor Andy Hermansen will preach on the same biblical text Sunday 8:30 am & 5:00 pm . It’s all about harmony

Let’s get it right!

Peace,
Mike Housholder


Today's Daily Bible Reading:

Today's Daily Devotion:
Paul, Barnabus & Mark travel to Pisidia, but Mark deserts them. Paul preaches the #GoodNews in a synagogue to Jews & Gentiles, teaching that Psalm 118:22 & Isaiah 53:3 are about Jesus, amazing all who are present. God’s Word never comes back empty. #Acts #12BooksIn12Months 


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#PiecesfromHope
"I had been a believer most of my life, but this was a time where God really showed me exactly how powerful and good he is …

I hadn’t been feeling very well for a while, so I decided to go to the doctor to see what they could do. They started with an ultrasound, but couldn’t find an explanation as to why I was having this pain. Through the process, though, they did discover something else – a mass on my kidney ..."