Excite my heart O Lord...

"You are my strength
Strength like no other
Strength like no other
Reaches to me."
- 'You are my Strength' by Reuben Morgan

I almost didn't make it for service @ Riverlife Church this week cos I was so tired. But Senior Pastor Vincent was sharing the church vision for 2008, so I thought I'd better go as it would be important. I wasn't sorry at all for wiping the sleep out of my eyes, and making the trip down. :)

It was a combined service today with the English Adult, Mandarin/Dialect, and Youth congregations etc gathering as one. There was something electric in the atmosphere...and it was just a beautiful scene. This IS the church....people of different language groups, backgrounds, age groups. I saw families with old grandparents and young toddlers, children sitting all together....and it just warmed my heart. :) I love that about Riverlife Church...it's just so real, so all embracing of different people.

I think Muffin Boy and I were incredibly blessed, recharged and positively excited after Pastor Vincent shared about how 2008 would be a year for us to "Strengthen our Core". It's gonna be an incredible year as we trust God for exponential growth, breakthrough in our worship, and further maturity and depth in our faith. Pastor Vincent called on the church to pray like never before (a burden that God has placed upon my heart since the end of 2007 too!), to grow in our devotion to Christ, and to live out our church core values. We're gonna have to unite as one to breakthrough...but boy, am I excited! :)

Muffy and I were sharing about how wonderful it feels to be able to resonate and flow with the church vision, heartbeat & culture. At the end of service, there was an amazing testimony by a married couple about how their whole extended family came to accept Christ over time, and how they were all attending & serving faithfully in Riverlife Church. In fact, the WHOLE extended family stood on the stage with grandparents, babies, children n all. That family was a living miracle to us....proof of how God can indeed turn the hearts of men towards Himself, we just have to take that small step of faith. Wow!

During the closing prayer, Pastor Vincent prayed this, and it moved me to tears....
"Excite our hearts with the things that excite Yours God!" I thought, "Wow, this church has really got it right!" But if you let it sink in...it's actually rather scary to pray that. Cos if you mean it, you can expect God to take you out of your comfort zones. :) And well, let's face it....love, REAL love is not convenient.

But I really want to love Him more than this...and lay down my life for this cause. I know perfectly well how flawed and selfish I can be.....and that I may stumble along the way....but God keep leading me to Your heart...step by step, to Your beautiful heart.