Podcasts

Hey, everyone - Torch's messages are now available on ITunes - just search the store for "Torch Podcast" and it'll turn up in the list. They can also be found here.

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 9

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever." - Psalm 138:8

No matter where I go in life, Your Spirit will guide me.
Every time I find You somewhere in my life.
Always seeking, never finding, never knowing
what I'm hiding.
Your Spirit fills me in places no one else can find.
For my heart is deep with dark places - fill me!

Your Spirit guides me to places I can't see.
Have Your Spirit come back to me.
Feed our stomachs with tacos and our hearts with love.

Take me to that place, where hopes and dreams
bring us closer to You and in the end,
Your purpose will be known.

- Team Taranatron

for the beginning of this series, you can go here
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 , Part 5, Part 6 , Part 7 , Part 8

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 8

Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry for help come to You. - Psalm 102:1

Here is my heart, broken and cut.
No other could mend, so I brought it to You.
Lord, hear my prayer,
though it's as silent as the night.
Take me by heart, take me by hand.
Walk with me so I'm not alone.
Mend my poor heart, that I may live.
This is my prayer.

Wake me up from my spiritual sleep,
yet give me rest in Your Name.
Please hear my prayer for this new job.

When I can't see, You still see
the big picture; You push aside everything
to spend time with me.
I'm tired and overwhelmed... there's just
so much to do. But I know that Your power
is much greater than my circumstance.
Lord, melt me and shape me into the tool
that You would have me to be.
Reopen my heart; light a flame of passion inside
that only satisfies and delights in You.

I don't know what to do;
I don't know what to say;
and I don't know how to wait patiently.
Teach me to trust You,
and to truly know Your voice.
You redeem all of my mistakes
and make them beautiful
when I entrust them to You.


for the beginning of this series, you can go here
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 , Part 5, Part 6 , Part 7

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 7

(in times of failure)

May the intensity of my longing for You be pleasing
even when we feel we don't deserve it.
The Lord sees and judges the heart, is pleased
with a heart of obedience.
When I'm feeling so low, God is even then with me.
Hold my eyes up to Your light.
Please hear my prayer for this new job.
May I remember that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
What others see as nothing You find in me something great.
even when it wasn't perfect.

- The 3 Musketeers


for the beginning of this series, you can go here
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 , Part 5, Part 6

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 6

I woke up today feeling that life was gray.
You are faithful despite my unfaithfulness, doubt, and confusion.
In my head, I know You are here. Sometimes my heart is not as sure -
sorry for my instability...

Your love is amazing, constant, never-changing and beautiful.
Thank You!
God of light, I want to see You through my heavy eye-lids.
Thank You for making that possible.
Even when I'm a moron, You still prove faithful!
(How do You do that?)
Let Your overflowing love pour over to others more deeply.

God, give me strength that I don't have.
Help me keep my focus on You.
Pray for me, Lord.

- God's Grace

for the beginning of this series, you can go here
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 , Part 5

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 5

My heart cries out for wisdom.
I seek You and still find no joy.
Where is the path You want me to take?
Thanks for the "treasures" You have brought this week.

My body cries out for Your strength
for I am weak without Your mighty power.
Words can't describe how I feel towards You.
Your grace is enough!

Lord, if You could just speak a little louder, please...
God, I need You. I cry out for Your touch, Your love,
Your wings to come and keep me from harm.

Like a chicken with its head cut off, I run around
seeking satisfaction and fulfillment. I need You
to grab my face and show me the satisfaction I may find in You.

Why do I even bother breathing
if I don't breathe in You?
Life is death if You're not living in me.

Ps. 70:4 - "May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You."

- The T-Birds


for the beginning of this series, you can go here
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 3

By seeking Him wholeheartedly, we shall find peace.
How almighty is our God; how awesome His power is.
By trusting in Him, we can live this life for Him
without limitations.

Thank You, God, for my great friends
and thanks for always being there for me.
I don't really know where I'm supposed to belong.
Thank You for loving me no matter how many times I mess up.

Your grace is sufficient for me.
Your love is everlasting.
You are holy.
I give You praise, for You are good.

- The Shout Outs

for this series intro, you can go here.
Part 1, Part 2

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 2

Turn my frown upside-down.
Please heal my wounds and end my suffering.
Lord, in You I find my rest.

Help! I need somebody, not just anybody...
to quiet my eager heart and to put a skip in my step.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but Jesus
will always heal them.

Keep me safe, guide me home
and fill me with Your love.
Fill me with Your love and peace,
a kind which I have rarely known.

- The Freedom Writers

Series Intro
Part 1

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 1

Ok, Lord, seven of us lookin' up at You.
are we ready for Your return?
I want to shout but my voice is muffled by the branches.
Autumn trees blossom green.
Find rest, o my soul, find rest in God alone.

How long do we wait to listen for Your voice?
Even though You are here with us every day,
why do I always feel alone?
How long until we realize that You are the One True God?
Reliance on God relieves anxiety.
I need You, Jesus.

The beauty that You have created is amazing, thank You!
You are truly amazing.
You know the number of stars and the hairs on my head.
You are amazing.
So I shout up to the heavens, "I need Your help!
I need a rescuer."

- By The Doors

For the beginning of this series, you can go here.
For the next post in this series, go here.

The Cry of Our Hearts - Introduction

This past week at Torch, we did something a little... well, I guess you could cliche-icly call it "out of the box." (wow, it's kind of ironic that the phrase "out of the box" could be called cliche...) :)

We brought our worship to the Lord without music. I have to say, I was a little worried about how that would go. As our friendly neighborhood worship director, I know that it's important to make sure we know the reality that music and singing are NOT the only form of worship we can bring to the Lord, and that it's good for us to experience that corporately from time to time - but I was still a little nervous.

Silly me.

You guys took a risk and brought your hearts to the Lord in a really honest way, and I know it blessed His heart - and, in that crazy cool way that worship often works, we got blessed in the process of offering our worship to Him.

Nights like that are worth a standing stone, even if it's only a virtual one. :) So here's ours: a series of posts on Chasing Jesus, offering the cry of our hearts to His. Every line of these psalms, with the exception of anything straight from God's Word, was written by one of you. Let's continue to pray them together, amen?


for the next post in this series, you can go here

Relationships

I heard a two-part podcast today that I think could be incredibly helpful to any number of us - check it out here and here. It's by Alistair Begg, one of my favorite teachers, and part of a series he's been doing on marriage and relationships. It'll take about an hour to hear the whole thing - but it'll be worth it.

Enjoy. :)

More About Love

This post is actually a sort of response to Josh's last post; it's not really, because I wrote it awhile ago, but it is, because it came to mind as I've been thinking about the love Christ showed/shows us. So, as a result of that weird shift in the time continuum - here are my thoughts on God's thoughts on love.


Love is patient when it could be easily frustrated.

Love is kind when it could have chosen to be cruel.

Love isn't envious of the blessings of others even in the absence of blessing to itself.

Love is humble and quiet, not boastful and self-centered.

Love chooses to forget the wrongs done to it; love refuses to stay angry, even though it has every right to be upset.

Love rejoices with everything that is good and true and right in the world, and weeps over that which is not.

Love protects fiercely, trusts unyieldingly even when it doesn't understand, hopes unswervingly against all odds, and perseveres no matter what.

Love refuses to fail.

Love embraces grace, extends it, doesn't give up.

Love recognizes it can't be earned.

Love mourns sin and celebrates repentance.

Love is meek enough - gentle enough - to both hear and tell the truth.

Love hungers for righteousness.

Love extends mercy.

Love is pure in heart.

Love seeks peace, at great cost to itself.

Love will not shy away from persecution of any kind, because its purpose is greater than any temporary pain.

Love is...Love.*

(He is also known as Jesus.)


* 1 Corinthians 13 and Matthew 5: 1-12

Repentance

Hey, everyone. Still chewing over Mark's message from last night, but ran across these passages on another blog tonight and thought they might help us process through the whys of repentance, beyond just
"i should" - it's good stuff, whether we're on the receiving end of a tough talk, or need to have one with someone. (And if we're neither place right now, it's a pretty sure bet we probably will be someday, so it's still good stuff.) :)

If you missed Torch last night, keep an eye out on the Torch website for Mark's message - it should be up in a week or two. In the meantime, I hope these verses are helpful to you, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on them. Please comment! (See the sidebar to your right if you don't know how yet.) :)

Each passage below is linked to a page where you'll find 5 alternate translations or paraphrases of the verses. I often find it helpful when I'm studying to look at different translations, as a shift in wording can help me see something in the passage that I might not otherwise have seen. The passages written out here are all from the New Living Translation.

Joel 2:12-14

That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse. Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine to the Lord your God as before.

Isaiah 57:15-19

The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always be angry. If I were, all people would pass away— all the souls I have made. I was angry, so I punished these greedy people. I withdrew from them, but they kept going on their own stubborn way. I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far,” says the Lord, who heals them.

Hosea 6:1-3

“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence. Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”

Hosea 14:1-4

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for your sins have brought you down. Bring your confessions, and return to the Lord. Say to him, “Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us, so that we may offer you our praises. Assyria cannot save us, nor can our warhorses. Never again will we say to the idols we have made, ‘You are our gods.’ No, in you alone do the orphans find mercy.”

The Lord says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever."

Matthew 4:17

From then on, Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near."

So what can these verses teach us about why we should repent?