Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Set Lists: 4/15/12

Here are the set lists from the Austin Stone Community Church on Sunday 4/15/12:

DOWNTOWN CAMPUS:
Worship Leader: Aaron Ivey
 
  • Holy - Matt Redman (Jason Ingram, Jonas Myrin, and Matt Redman) 
  • Always - Kristian Stanfill (Jason Ingram and Kristian Stanfill) 
  • God I Look To You - Bethel Live (Jenn Johnson) 
  • Come Thou Fount - hymn (Robert Robinson and John Wyeth)
Sermon: "Gospel Obedience" - Tyler David 
ST. JOHN CAMPUS:
Worship Leader: Jimmy McNeal

Sermon: "Gospel Obedience" - Tyler David
WEST CAMPUS:
Worship Leader:
Justin Cofield

Sermon: "Gospel Obedience" - Tyler David

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

I Will Wait For You

Absolutely LOVE this. She knows. This sista KNOWS!


The Gospel, Discontentment & Depression

I'm taking a gospel counseling class. Usually our get trained classes are on Sundays, which I can't do because I'm usually singing all day. But our elder wives have been going through this class on Thursday mornings and they have graciously allowed me to sit in on their class with them.
The elder wives plus me.
I have LOVED it. These women are amazing.
The last two weeks we have been talking about the topic of depression. Funny right?!
God is funny.
Something that has hit me about struggling with depression is that I've realized that my depression has two parts.
Physical/Chemical/Circumstantial - there is a part of my brain that just doesn't work right. It's in my genes.
Then there is an active sin part - this is the part that has hit me the hardest.
I've battled with depression for a long time. I knew that it ran in my family and I knew that there were significant things in my life that have happened that have been a part of my depression also...a circumstantial depression (my dad dying when I was in high school, an unhealthy broken engagement, other unhealthy relationships that resulted in a multitude of really difficult situations) But the part of my depression that I haven't ever really dealt with is the sin aspect.

  • Discontentment. 
  • Looking to created things to get approval, success and attention. 
  • Unbelief
  • Fear

All of these things trigger depression for me and are a source of sorrow that leave me unsatisfied because they are rooted in wanting satisfaction and contentment in creation and not in my Creator.

I look and yearn for attention in so many ways.

  • Leading worship. 
  • Being on a stage. 
  • People knowing who I am.
  • What I wear. 
  • My mood.
  • I want attention from my roommates...
  • From a boy,
  • From my friends.

And when I don't get it...it ruins my day. My feelings are hurt and I hate life. I'm discontent and unsatisfied.
Ridiculous and dramatic.

I look and yearn for approval in so many ways...

  • In my singing and leading worship...I want people to like what I do
  • From my boss, I want him to offer me a permanent job.
  • I want people to like me and want to be friends with me
  • I want to look a certain way, act a certain way so that people will like me, then I get confused as to who I really am and not being ok with who I really am because it's not what people want or enjoy.
  • I let fear hold me back from doing things because I'm afraid of messing up or looking stupid or doing the wrong thing. 

I just don't believe that God is enough for me and that He is all I need so I search out all of these things...then I am left discontent and unsatisfied. Hating life and feeling sad, because all of the things that I have run to my whole life and all of the things that I want so badly, fail me and are not consistant and leave me feeling empty.

Here is a definition of discontentment that was read in my class
"Discontentment does not hold circumstance with an open hand. It clenches its fist tightly around whatever it feels it needs to truly be happy - immovable and unwavering - persisting until it has what it desires and even then will eventually grow unhappy. Discontentment is sin because it rejects the provision of God and grabs for things not offered by Him in the present - believing they cannot be satisfied by God, but rather in the things of the world."
BUT GOD.
HE is satisfying. HE is unfailing. HE is faithful. HE is good. HE is glorious. He knows me and loves me and He gives me attention and approval and success and contentment because of Jesus. Nothing that I did, nothing that I am...but all because of Jesus. Complete and perfect grace.
For HIS glory...not my own.

Depression is my thorn. I may have this the rest of my life, I'm in a good place now, but there will be other valleys. I'm asking God now to remind me of His faithfulness and His goodness and the hope that I have for when that time comes when the darkness comes in again. He has given me this thorn for me to depend on Him, to depend on His grace, on His strength, on His power.
"So to keep me from being conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
He is so good. I've asked Him over and over again for my heart and my mind to be focused on Him, for my heart and my mind to yearn for Him instead of the things of this world. He is faithful. SO faithful...I don't even fully understand it. But I know that He is good.
"O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." - Psalm 63:1-8

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

EASTER - Set List

Here is the set list from the Austin Stone Community Church on Sunday 4/8/12:

FRANK ERWIN CENTER:
Worship Leaders: Aaron Ivey
& Jimmy McNeal 
  • Love Shines - The Austin Stone (Aaron Ivey, Philip Edsel, Matt Carter) 
  • Forever Reign - Hillsong (Reuben Morgan and Jason Ingram) 
  • Nothing But the Blood - hymn (Robert Lowry) 
  • 10,000 Reasons - Matt Redman (Jonas Myrin & Matt Redman)
Sermon: "Religion vs. Gospel" - Matt Carter 

My Peeps.

I'm humbled each time I sit around a table with women who love and fear the Lord.  I sit back and think... I'm so blessed that I get to do life with women who challenge me and who share with me their struggles, what they are learning and how their heart is stirring for Jesus. I would not be able to survive without these women.
I have different pockets of women who are in my life.
I have my roommates who live with me and see every side of me good and bad...pretty and ugly.
I have my LTG group who we meet once a week and talk about how our time in the word has been.
I have my Monday night girls group who we get to share prayer requests with and get to worship with and just talk about Jesus with.
I have a few women who I daily talk to, who ask me hard questions, who know all of my junk, who love me well, who I can be real with and struggle with, have fun with and just be ridiculous with.
I have those women who I may not see every day but when I see them it's like no time has passed. Women who I can just sit with for hours and talk about all kinds of things, who I can just be with without talking. Who listen, who just give me hugs when I need them, who laugh and pray with me.
I have my ministry guys (who are not women...they are dudes) that I meet with once a week to read the Word together and encourage each other. They are family and I LOVE doing ministry together with these guys.
I'm so blessed.
God created us to be in community. We were meant to live in deep living life with each other community.  He delights in that.
I'm so thankful for the perfectly imperfect people in my life. Love them.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Love Came Down

This song has been on repeat the last couple of days. We do this song at the Stone, but I absolutely LOVE this version of it. It's stripped down, slowed down and really makes you think about the words.
My heart is stirred by the thought that Jesus came to rescue me and make me His for all my days.
Listen/watch this and ask the Spirit to stir your heart and love for Jesus. He has set you free. You are His forever.


LOVE CAME DOWN

If my heart is overwhelmed and I cannot hear Your voice
I'll hold on to what is true though I cannot see
If the storms of life they come and the road ahead gets steep
I will lift these hands in faith
I will believe

I'll remind myself of all that You've done
And the life I have because of Your Son

Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours I am forever Yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out remind my soul
That I am Yours I am forever Yours

When my heart is filled with hope
and every promise comes my way
When I feel Your hands of grace rest upon me
Staying desperate for You God
Staying humbled at Your feet
I will lift these hands and praise
I will believe


I'll remind myself of all that You've done
And the life I have because of Your Son

Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours I am forever Yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out remind my soul
That I am Yours I am forever Yours

I am Yours
I am Yours
All my days
Jesus, I am Yours


Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours I am forever Yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out remind my soul
That I am Yours I am forever Yours

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Set Lists: 4/1/12

Here are the set lists from the Austin Stone Community Church on Sunday 4/1/12:

DOWNTOWN CAMPUS:
Worship Leader: Aaron Ivey

  • Love Came Down - Bethel Live (Jeremy Edwardson, Brian Johnson, Ian McIntosh and Jeremy Riddle) 
  • Holy - Matt Redman (Jason Ingram, Jonas Myrin, and Matt Redman) 
  • Nothing But the Blood - hymn (Robert Lowry)
  • 10,000 Reasons - Matt Redman (Jonas Myrin & Matt Redman) 
Sermon - The One Unforgiveable Sin - Matt Carter
ST. JOHN CAMPUS:
Worship Leader: Jimmy McNeal

Sermon - The One Unforgiveable Sin - Matt Carter 
WEST CAMPUS:
Worship Leader: Justin Cofield

Sermon - The One Unforgiveable Sin - Matt Carter 


Monday, April 2, 2012

Some New Bundles!

Here are a few new bundles that I've made recently:

Bundle 1:





Bundle 2:





A couple of cards in the last bundle were for a guy.  So I can make manly cards too!

Let me know if you are interested in buying a bundle. Email me at emilyward527@gmail.com
$25 for a bundle of 5. (If being shipped a couple of dollars will be added for shipping and handling.)