Question:
I'm doing "Open the Eyes of My Heart" this Thursday night at a youth service. It's going to be held in the basement of the church here, with just me and my guitar leading a fairly simple, fairly short set (depending on what your idea of "short set" is). There typically won't be any more than 5-15 young people here, even fewer Christian ones.
So there's your background. I've decided on that song, mainly because this youth group is building from the ground up, and is just getting off its feet. They don't really know very many songs, and this is one that they're familiar with.
So I'm looking for some ideas of exhortations, scriptures, etc., to use with this song, either before or after it, or during if you wish. Doesn't matter. I'm just looking for ideas.
I'd like to preferably focus around the idea of what "seeing God" means. As in, not physically seeing him with our eyes, but with our mind/spirit kinda-thing. I'd like to get them to understand that even though it might sometimes be hard to believe in God or follow him because he doesn't seem real to us, that there are ways for our minds and spirits to recognize him and communicate with him and feel him.
I just want something simple to say, and a scripture to back up the idea that our spirits can see and communicate with God.
Hopefully you know what I mean.
Thanks
Answer:
Originally Posted by agrimes87 I'm doing "Open the Eyes of My Heart" this Thursday night at a youth service. It's going to be held in the basement of the church here, with just me and my guitar leading a fairly simple, fairly short set (depending on what your idea of "short set" is). There typically won't be any more than 5-15 young people here, even fewer Christian ones.
So there's your background. I've decided on that song, mainly because this youth group is building from the ground up, and is just getting off its feet. They don't really know very many songs, and this is one that they're familiar with.
So I'm looking for some ideas of exhortations, scriptures, etc., to use with this song, either before or after it, or during if you wish. Doesn't matter. I'm just looking for ideas.
I'd like to preferably focus around the idea of what "seeing God" means. As in, not physically seeing him with our eyes, but with our mind/spirit kinda-thing. I'd like to get them to understand that even though it might sometimes be hard to believe in God or follow him because he doesn't seem real to us, that there are ways for our minds and spirits to recognize him and communicate with him and feel him.
I just want something simple to say, and a scripture to back up the idea that our spirits can see and communicate with God.
Hopefully you know what I mean.
Thanks
Sorry, I'm too late for the service you talked about, but...
Ephesians 1:18
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
Use biblegateway.com and do a word search using "eyes". You'll find several interesting scriptures. Seeing God is not, as I understand it, not a physical sighting, though that would be great, as much as like you say, a spritual thing. It might be better to use the word insight, rather than sight. That is, to understand His ways, His character, His judgements. Learn to see as God sees things. Learning to see God in His proper place as God of everything. It's about about Him, not us. Hope that helped.
Richard
Answer:
I agree. Thanks for the verse too.
In case you're wondering, the service went well. I had something ready to say, but I didn't feel compelled to say it. The service went in a different direction than I had anticipated, and it was one of the most awesome worship services I've been in. I won't forget it.