Start Your Day with Prayer and Scripture
From Pastor Robert
In Sunday’s Sermon, Austin Burns helped us rejoice in Jesus Christ as the “Yes” to all God’s promises and to pray accordingly. We also heard how Paul had been falsely accused by some in Corinth. Paul’s response throughout 2 Corinthians reminds us that Christ’s Kingdom is frequently at odds with the prevailing cultural norms and expectations. His kingdom often overturns the values our world celebrates. If we at High Pointe are going to live as citizens of that kingdom in our current cultural climate, we will need to embrace and practice counter habits that push against our natural instincts. We’ve considered two counter habits so far:
Being the person who’s willing to talk about subjects that feel awkward.
Being the person who plans for and actually encourages others.
Today, I want us to consider yet another counter habit:
3. Let your first words be a prayer and the first thing you read be God’s Word from Scripture.
This week, pay attention to how you wake up and what you do first thing in the morning. If you work a night shift, maybe it’s first thing in the afternoon! Studies suggest that most people reach for their smart phone as the first move after awakening, even before they get out of bed. Too often these invisible patterns do not serve us well.
What if you first gave thanks to God for another day and for a great Savior in Jesus and invited him to rule and reign over your day? What if you then read Scripture before scrolling, checking your messages or notifications? Even for just a minute or two. What if you began your day hearing from and speaking to your Creator who made you and who is with us in Christ through his Spirit?
The Bible doesn’t insist on this, but it does seem like a good counter habit for us to establish. Our smart phones and our devices have a way of urgently insisting that we attend to them often and first. Unless we are intentional, these devices and the ever present algorithms steal our attention without asking our permission. It just happens, doesn’t it?
Why not invite King Jesus to rule and reign over our phones and devices and seek to be more intentional about where we direct our attention first thing in the morning?
Being intentional about where we focus our attention and saying “No!” to our phones first thing in the morning will put us in the minority; it will be a counter cultural habit.
Here are a few ways to begin to practice this counter habit:
Do not put your phone next to your bed and don’t read your phone while in bed.
Put a physical copy of God’s Word, a Bible on top of your phone so that when the alarm sounds, you are reminded to first give attention to God and His word.
You might even create a simple notecard or note to put inside your Bible with a simple, short prayer to start each day.
Short prayers like this:
“Thank you LORD for another day. Help me walk through this day with joy and faithfulness as I seek to love you and love others well. Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from all evil this day.”
Or this: “Thank you LORD for another day. Help me walk through this day with joy and faithfulness as I seek to love you and love others well. Give me this day the daily bread I need. Remind me to be thankful.”
Or create your own simple Prayer To Start The Day where you pray a promise like Austin mentioned: “Lord Jesus, I’m weary today. Help me rely on your strength in my weakness.”
Then read God’s word: If you don’t know where to start, read one chapter in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John or read the Proverb that coincides with the date or the Psalms or the Scripture passage being preached upon at High Pointe. Or just follow your own reading plans.
Let’s practice it this week and watch how God is honored and see how we are changed when we first give him our attention as we start our days.
Opportunities to Serve
(For Opportunities to Serve at High Pointe, click HERE)
God has blessed each of us with unique gifts and talents, and at High Pointe, we believe serving is how we use those gifts to bless others and advance His kingdom.
Whether you have 30 minutes a week or several hours, there's a place for you to serve in our children's ministry, as greeters, with the hospitality team, media/tech support, building and grounds, safety, community outreach efforts, and through administrative support. Reach out to find out more today: info@highpointeaustin.org
Volunteering in the Children’s Ministry | Current Openings
*Sunday morning nursery, serving once every 5 Sundays, has two openings in the Toddler Room, two openings in the Pre-K class, and 4 openings in the baby room.
*KidsPointe, serving one Sunday per month, has two openings for small group helpers.
Volunteering in the children’s ministry is a great way to know others at High Pointe and to serve parents. Reach out the Erin Wyman for specific details and to get started on our child protecting screening steps.
Life at High Pointe
Want to know what’s happening at High Pointe? Check out our weekly announcements and upcoming events to stay informed and connected with the life of our church!
Sunday AM Preaching Schedule: Pray regularly for the ministry of the Word at High Pointe. Also, prepare for our gatherings by reading the sermon text, thinking it through, and asking questions about the text before Sunday. Here is our (tentative) preaching schedule designed to help you prepare for Sundays:
August 2 | Psalm 73 | Refuge: What Worship Does | Pastor Craig Horton
August 9 | New Series: 2 Peter 1:1-11 | Grace Gives Godliness | Pastor Robert Cline
August 16 | 2 Peter 1:12-15 | Essential Pastoral Reminders | Pastor Robert Cline
August 23 | 2 Peter 1:16-21 | Trustworthy Witness and Word | Pastor Robert Cline
August 30 | Luke 18:18-30 | What Must I Do to Inherit Eternal Life? | Pastor Juan Sanchez
September 6 | Luke 18:31-43 | The Joy of Spiritual Sight | Pastor Juan Sanchez
September 13 | Luke 19:1-10 | Salvation and the Fruits of Repentance | Pastor Juan Sanchez
September 20 | 2 Peter 2:1-10 | Don’t Be Deceived by False Teachers | Pastor Robert Cline
Begin praying as you prepare to join us this Sunday at 10:00 a.m.
Gospel Partner of the Month: Reaching and Teaching International Ministries – B.M. Reaching & Teaching International Ministries (RTIM) seeks to advance the gospel by partnering with local churches as they send qualified missionaries to make mature disciples, establish healthy churches, and train local leaders around the world. You may know of RTIM because we sent the P family through this sending organization. This month, we want to highlight our support for B.M. B and his wife served for seven years as missionaries in Central Asia, working in evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. After returning to the US, B spent six years as a global trainer, traveling around the world to equip international church leaders for ministry. He desires to see the gospel spread and churches established among the nations of Central Asia. B is a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife have three children.
On-Call Pastor To better care for you, High Pointe, we have an “on-call” pastor available for emergencies after office hours. To reach the on-call pastor, call 512-837-7725, extension 1.
