The Heart of Their Worship Services

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

July 3, 2025

The Heart of Their Worship Services

He has given me a new song to sing,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Psalm 40:3a 

My friend, and avid reader of these meditations, Bea Fosmire, died on June 13, 2025. Her funeral service a few weeks ago was entitled, “Celebrating Jesus in the Life of Bea Fosmire.” She scripted her service, and it was so nice to hear her words read by the worship leaders. More powerful for me though was the worship music which included, Because He Lives, The Spirit Song, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, and I Love to Tell the Story.

I doubt I will be as thorough in my planning as my friend Bea, but I do want several Christian hymns in my service. Why? Because it has been my experience that I am especially aware of God working in my life when I am worshipping Him, and Christian music draws me into a proper attitude for worship. When we are home, Christian music is continually playing from our iPod atop our Bose. I really enjoy this music, especially when I catch Cheryl singing along with the recording artists, but hymns in a sanctuary truly capture my heart.

In the first few centuries following Christ’s resurrection, people who became Christians were baptized and then were sustained by the worship of Christian communities. Interestingly, prayers and the Eucharist—the heart of their worship services—were not open to those who were still being taught before their baptism, and certainly not open to outsiders. Presently, many churches use their worship music to draw unbelievers to their services.

My Takeaway: I still vividly remember languishing for six months when our churches were closed during the first year of the covid pandemic. Yes, I am sustained by the worship in my Christian community. Worship helps me stay grounded in God’s grace for today.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

My Anxious Thoughts

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

July 2, 2025

My Anxious Thoughts

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you,

    and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Psalm 139:23-24 

Cheryl and I begin our morning prayer time with this Collect for purity which is deeply embedded in Methodist and Anglican liturgy:

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

We are essentially praying Psalm 139 quoted above. As I read the Psalm today, the phrase, anxious thoughts, caught my attention. I thought about how much time I spend waiting. I don’t always wait well. Sometimes I imagine God saying, “Raising Jesus from the dead was easy peasy compared to working patience into Alex.” My mind easily wanders to all sorts of irrelevant places.

As I know I am prone to wandering, I want to include in my stops this portion of Station Fourteen of Everyman’s Way of the Cross:

CHRIST SPEAKS: “. . . So seek me not in far-off places. I am close at hand.  Your workbench, office, kitchen, these are altars where you offer love. And I am with you there. . . “

My Takeaway: Thus, my favorite prayer, from verse 4 of Psalm 23: “Thou art with me.”

Yes Lord, you are with me, and I join my voice to the Psalmist, “This I know: God is on my side!” (Psalm 56) Staying in God’s grace for today is easier when I remember the words of these psalmists.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Godly Patience

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

July 1, 2025

Godly Patience

Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.”

Wait for the Lord to handle the matter.

Proverbs 20:22

When I am entrusting my future confidently to God, I am inviting The Holy Spirit to increase my awareness that God is working in me, giving me the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:13) With this awareness, the Holy Spirit is developing His fruit within me, especially patience. Not patience as the world understands it, but Godly patience that is rooted in God’s character. Patience that is rooted in God’s character accepts injury without retaliating in kind. Rather, as the writer of today’s Proverb stated, Godly patience waits for the Lord to handle the matter.

Instead of retaliating for an injury, patience teaches us to practice forgiveness. Retaliating is irreverent. Forgiveness displays reverence for God. (Remember, be holy in everything you do.) Forgiveness does not affirm the actions of the one who caused the injury. Forgiveness says that God is faithful and will do what is right.

My Takeaway: Godly patience is teaching me not to be in a hurry.  Godly patience is teaching me to live at the pace given by God, to accept incompleteness and experience God’s peace as I wait on Him. Godly patience is teaching me to stay in the grace for today.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Which Voice Do You Hear?

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

June 30, 2025

Which Voice Do You Hear?

“But now you must be holy in everything you do, 

just as God who chose you is holy.”

1 Peter 1:15

I have previously noted the affirmation from Bishop N.T. Wright that the world’s culture is telling us a pack of lies about who God is, who we are, and who our neighbors are. But God in Christ Jesus is telling us the truth.

The world entices us with the claim we are entitled. The world tends to be loud and screams for our allegiance. This is one voice.

The Prophet Elijah had a different experience. There was a mighty windstorm, but the Lord was not in the wind. There was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. There was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. (1Kings 19) The gentle whisper got Elijah’s attention.

My Takeaway: When I am entrusting my future confidently to God, I hear His gentle whisper. When I hear His whisper, I stay in His grace for today and seek to be holy in everything I do.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Face to Face

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

June 27, 2025

Face to Face

Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.

2 Corinthians 3:12

The only model for leadership the people in Corinth knew was that of the pomp and circumstance of the Romans. Think about our President. The President never travels alone; he is surrounded by helpers, and everything around him is first class quality, the best. Consider Paul. He often traveled alone. He bought his clothes at Goodwill, did not stay in the best hotels, and worked in manual labor to provide for his needs. The people of the Corinthian church wanted their leaders to be more like the leaders in their cultural world.

Paul points out to the church that if they want to see glory, they are looking in the wrong place. He uses the example of Moses, and the people of Israel from Exodus 34 to make his point. While Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments, the people turned from God to idolatry and made for themselves a golden calf to worship.

When Moses came down from the mountain, he was outraged, but not nearly as much as God. God insisted that there must be accountability for their sin against Him. Moses returned up the mountain, and, in prayer, interceded for the people. God revealed His mercy to Moses and sent Moses back to the people. After being in the very presence of the glory of God, Moses’ face shone like the sun. When the people saw Moses, they were afraid. Just as when you turn on a light and the roaches run for cover, so the sinfulness of the people was revealed by the glory of God in Moses’ face. Moses put a veil over his face so the people would not turn away from him.

Paul shows the church that if we try to earn our salvation, if we operate by performance-based acceptance, it is as though we are putting on a veil that prevents us from seeing the glory of God. The glory of God is Christ in us. Paul wants the church to know that living in the new way of the Holy Spirit, we have God’s glory within us, and God’s glory outshines anything the world has ever known. Why would we want the pomp and circumstance of the world when the truth of God in Christ is so much more?

My Takeaway: “Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.”

(2 Corinthians 3:16-18 The Message)

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Now All Glory to God

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

June 26, 2025

Now All Glory to God

All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time,

and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

Jude 1:25b

Jude’s given name was Judah, and it is believed he was Jesus’ brother. His name was shortened to Jude by the Bible translators to help distinguish him from the other Judah’s in the Bible.

Jude’s little letter is quite transparent on the condition of some first century churches. In her first generation, there were church splits and disputes. Some of the disputes were quite simple; it was then, and is now, always about control. The nature of our fallen flesh makes it inevitable that there will be disputes. Jude cautioned us to not accept that this is the norm for the church. Christ calls us to rise above the norm of our humanity and to accept God’s call for the church to strive for holiness.

Jude stressed how important it is for every Christian to have a solid foundation for their faith. This foundation is built upon an understanding of the nature of Jesus, His mission, His resurrection, and His ascension. Simply put, a Christian has been born into the family of God, and this is made possible by the forgiveness of our sins and the infilling of God’s Holy Spirit. It is Jesus who came in the flesh, who was crucified and raised to life again, who makes it possible for us to call upon the name of God and be saved.

Even with the church disputes, Jude is overwhelmed by the grace of God who has called us into a loving intimate relationship through our faith in Christ Jesus. Jude crowns his little letter with one of the most magnificent benedictions in the entire Bible:

Now all glory to God,

who is able to keep you from falling away

and will bring you with great joy

into his glorious presence

without a single fault.

All glory to him who alone is God,

our Savior

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All glory, majesty, power, and authority

are his before all time, and in the present,

and beyond all time!

Amen.

Jude 1:24-25 

My Takeaway: I see Jude’s benediction as a glorious affirmation of these two affirmations of Saint Paul:

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Philippians 2:13 

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Philippians 1:6

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Beware of Greed

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

June 25, 2025

Beware of Greed

Then (Jesus) said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

Luke 12:15 

Jesus taught that our value is not measured by what we own. Jesus taught our value is measured by who we are. Are we a child of God. Or are we a child of the world’s culture?

In the ways of the world, if you have a lot of stuff, you are the big man, or woman, on campus. In the ways of the world, if you have little, you are thought of as little. The consequences of the ways of the world are easily predictable. If your value is determined by the sum of your possessions, then it is logical to acquire as much as you can. No price is too high when it comes to feathering your bed.

Jesus taught that greed is not measured by how much something costs; greed is measured by how much it cost you. If your quest for more possessions costs you your faith, or your family, the price was far too high.

My Takeaway: From God’s perspective, your value is measured by what he paid for you: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NRSV)

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.