The Perfect Way To Start The New Year!

At FBC Pflugerville, we started our new year thanking God for the blessings of the past year and looking forward to the promises of the coming year.  We greeted one another with smiles and hugs and happy new year wishes as we joined hearts and voices in worship and praise to God for all He has done and continues to do for us.  There was no choir in the loft today, so I took advantage of the opportunity to do two things. I wore a dress instead of my nice black slacks because I did not need to negotiate the steep stairs up to and down from the choir loft and I was able to get photos of all of  our wonderful music leaders and musicians except for our fabulous drummer who sits at the back of the platform in a box that can make getting photos difficult.  After the congregational singing, Pastor Wes took us to James 4:11-12 to talk to us about how we talk about one another.  We are cautioned against speaking down to one another such as speaking slander of one another, against gossiping about one another or criticizing one another in a derogatory way.  But James does not focus on the kinds of judgemental speech as much as he is concerned with the heart and motives behind it.  He is concerned with whether the things we say to one another are said in a charitable helpful way or a demeaning destructive way.  Pastor Wes had much more to say  about what this kind of speech involves, where it comes from and how we are to deal with it.  He even gave actual examples that he or someone he knew had experienced and how the speech we use with one another can be helpful and kind and still be constructive or corrective.  If you watch the livestream you can hear all about it and be inspired to make sure your daily interactions with those around you reflect the love of God......