"For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."

Worship is always about entering—entering grace, entering with thanksgiving, entering to share with others, and most of all, entering the Lord's presence in a special way. But our going in is not what worship is about. Instead, worship is about how faithful, good, and lasting the Lord's grace is. We come to God like so many others have done before us, and God is ready to meet us. We're here to praise Him for everything He's done, is doing, and will do. We come to worship inside. We can do this because God has always been trustworthy and has waited for us to come.

I "speed read" through the "begats" most of the time (you know, the genealogies in the Bible). But let's take some time today to read Matthew 1:1-17 and remember that God's love, mercy, and faithfulness not only lasted through all those generations but also blessed and cared for each of those generations. As we wait for the glorious return of His Son and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, God will continue to do what He has always done.

Worship always involves coming into grace, experiencing thankfulness, engaging in sharing with others, and most importantly, coming into the presence of the Lord in a unique way. However, worship is not about our entrance. Worship is instead an expression of gratitude for God's enduring, good, and faithful favor. Our approach to God is similar to that of so many others before us in that He is prepared to receive us. As a group, we would like to acknowledge and applaud everything that He has done, is doing, and will do in the future. It is our intention to pray indoors here. It is because God has always been dependable and patiently awaited our arrival that we are able to accomplish this.