Fighter Verse Songs

===

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD God is an everlasting rock.

Isaiah 26:3-4

===

Perfect peace. How many people in this world would love to have a little peace – never mind ‘perfect’ peace? Almost everyone?

God gives this to a person who has his mind stayed on Him. Because that person will trust in the LORD.

And happily, we have a God who is very trust-able. As certain and permanent and strong and reliable as a rock.

===

Song written and sung by Scott Jamison – Instruments by Phil Krause

===

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:16-17

===

There’s a lot in these verses. I could see a pastor spending a month of sermons on this passage.

1. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly – Remember what Jesus did and said.
2. Teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom – Encourage and exhort fellow Christians
3. Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs – Worship your Heavenly Father
4. All with thankfulness in your hearts to God. – Act out your gratefulness to Him

And whatever you do … that’s everything. That’s quite a challenge. Do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.

If you’re doing something that you can’t do in the name of the Lord Jesus, you shouldn’t be doing it.

===

Song written and performed by Phil Carlson

===

For the LORD will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.

Lamentations 3:31-33

===

Does it feel like God has cast you off? He will have compassion.

Do you feel like your affliction will last forever? His steadfast love is abundant.

It is not his will to grieve you. By the grace of the LORD, you will get past these dark days.

You will feel his love and compassion.

===

Song by Scott Jamison
Performed by Scott Jamison

===

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:24-26

(This week’s passage begins near 0:40 in the song)
===

Resting confidently. Waiting quietly for God. Seeking God. These are all things this passage calls good. Aren’t you glad it doesn’t say “Work Hard!” or “Be Perfect!”? Our God wants peaceful people who hope in Him and seek after Him.

===

Song and Sung by Scott Jamison. Keyboard by Becki Warnock. Cello by Jenny Good.

===

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:21-23

===

As you can tell by it’s title, Lamentations isn’t a happy book. But there is peace in this verse.

What should we think about if we want hope? This: God’s love and mercies don’t end.
Tomorrow you will wake up and not have to worry, “does God love me today?”

You know as you wake up: God’s faithfulness to those he has called is great.

Other things might be going wrong in your life – but you always have that. I hope it gives you joy and peace.

===

Song and Sung by Scott Jamison. Keyboard by Becki Warnock. Cello by Jenny Good.

===

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Hebrews 13:5-6

===

One reason people want financial resources is they want to feel safe. We think – if I get enough money, and I invest it wisely, and diversify correctly, then whatever happens, I’ll be set to weather the storm.

This is foolish in two ways:

First, no amount of money can ever do this.
Second, the Christian has the Lord as his helper. And this Lord who created the universe has also promised to never leave you. He is your real shelter, your true helper.

Be content with what you have.

===

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

1 Timothy 1:15

===

We know that all of scripture should be treated as the Word of God and considered true and helpful.

But when scripture tells us that a certain truth is “trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance”, we should open our eyes wider and be very interested to find out what it is.

And as we read this passage, we can easily see why it’s so important – it involves our salvation.

Christ Jesus made a way to save sinners. Yes, that’s very important. Take note. Tell others.

===

Song written and performed by Scott Jamison

===

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will not fulfill it?

Numbers 23:19

===

Man is weak. Man is unable. Man is unstable. Man is not trustworthy.
God is strong. God is able. God is stable. God is trustworthy.

When you think about what God is like, don’t think it’s anything near what men are like. That line of thinking will cause you to come to wrong conclusions.

God is not man.

===

Song written and performed by Phil Carlson

===

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Galatians 6:14

===

If you are a Christian – then these things are true:
– There is a meaningful way in which you have been turned off for the world
– And there is a meaningful way in which the world has been turned off for you.

Therefore …
– You should not boast about what you’ve done
– You should boast about what Jesus has done for you (and everyone) on the cross.

===

Song and performed by Becki Warnock

This week’s passage begins at around 1:28

===

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

===

One thing we humans want is assurance. We want to be able trust. We don’t want to fear being left out in the cold. I think this longing for something we can trust long term is God-given.

God gave us that longing, because he wants us to long for the love that only he can give us.

The love that he gives us in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Who (or what) can separate from the love of God, or his son Jesus?

Nothing. There are many strong things in our world. They are not as strong as God’s love.

===

Song by Phil Krause. Performed by the Krause family