You're Invited to Resurrection 2013 at Royalwood!

This Easter, we invite you to join Royalwood Church at 10:00 am as we come together to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ! 

On Easter, we will start a dynamic 4 week series, "Resurrection." This series is specifically designed to resurrect your life with Christ. You don't want to miss the spirit-filled worship and powerful message!

In addition, our children’s ministry will have an action packed service with exciting worship and a visit from Toy Story's Buzz Light Year and Woody! After service, we will host our annual Easter Egg Hunt.

If you have questions, please feel free to call us at 281-458-2102.  We look forward to seeing you this weekend!

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In Whose Image?

My family and I were recently at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and I was reminded again at how much American people are enamored with their own looks.  I have never seen such a display and array of undesirable clothing, jewelry, make-up, etc. that adorn much of the human race.  I watched as men and women alike walked past me flaunting their best superficial attributes to the world!  I was amazed and shocked again by people trying to impress others by their conspicuous and ostensible adornment.

We live in a world that image is everything!  Our looks and outward appearance have become much more important than our character and integrity!  Everywhere we turn, there is another advertisement or article about improving our looks.  After the Academy Awards, all we heard for days was what each star wore and who was the designer.   If we are made in His own image as the Bible tells us that we are, why do we feel that we should upgrade the model that God made?

I think we should always look our best and I am certainly not declaring that fashion should not be a part of our lives; however, I believe we can become so besotted with what others think of us, that we forget who we are supposed to delight.  The Bible says we cannot serve two masters so we are either going to please God or we are going to try and gratify our own desires. 

I read again the story of Esther and the scripture says that the women that were to come before the King, prepared themselves for 12 months with purification and various beauty treatments.  It is apparent that self-image has been important for a long time.  The women were given anything that they wanted to adorn themselves before coming before the King.  The scripture says that Esther did not take anything other than what the chamberlain required of her.  We know of course, that she was the one that King Ahasuerus chose to be the next Queen.

The Lord said that he would supply all of our needs so we do not have to appease, enchant, or titillate the world around us.  Our prayer today must be, “Make me in your image, Oh God!” 

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Jeanna Macey is married to Pastor Ron Macey. She is the Chorale Director for Royalwood and serves as Advisor to Royalwood's various ladies ministries. Follow Jeanna Macey  on Twitter 

Others

We are living in the day where everywhere we look we are being encouraged to think of ourselves and   not to be concerned about others.  The self-centered, self-serving attitude is also seen in great proportion in the modern day church. We like our church comfortable, we like it like WE like it! We enjoy church programs that cater to our likes. We don’t appreciate anyone that disrupts our familiar, comfortable routine; from the place we park, to the door in which we enter, we are all prone to falling into the trap of self-fulfillment.

The love for God’s house, worship, singing, and fellowship is enjoyed by every child of God and are noble pursuits. A term we hear regularly is “church service.” Have we gotten the church part learned but failed to pursue the “service” for the Lord? We can become so consumed with our own needs in life that we fail to consider “OTHERS.” The focus of the life of our Lord Jesus was always “OTHERS.”

In 1910, the Salvation Army was meeting in London for their annual convention. Their founder, General William Booth, would not be able to attend due to illness. His eyes were failing him and he had become an invalid.  General Booth was urged by his followers to at least send a telegram and greet the Army on the opening day of the convention. Not wanting to spend money on a long telegram, he had decided to send just a word of greeting that would encourage the faithful volunteers for another year. When the telegram arrived at the convention and was read, it simply said “OTHERS”, signed General William Booth.

One word that describes the mission and calling of our Lord is “OTHERS,”  What should be on the heart of the church is “OTHERS.” Do unto others….OTHERS! OTHERS! OTHERS! A word from God…OTHERS! A word from General William Booth…OTHERS! A word that beats with the pulse of God…OTHERS! Let’s pledge to make OTHERS our focus, for by this men will know that we are His disciples!

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Pastor Ron Macey has served as Pastor of Royalwood Church for 29 years. He believes that our mission is "Reaching, Teaching & Serving" those around us. Follow Pastor Macey on Twitter.

Live Between the Steps

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. 

                                                                                   Psalms 118:24

There’s a built-in danger in goal setting. What is it? It’s believing we’ll only be happy when we reach those goals. We tell ourselves: “When I graduate, get married, have children, own my own home, etc.,” so we keep postponing life.

University professor tells of being invited to speak at a military base and meeting an unforgettable soldier name Ralph at the airport. After they introduced themselves they headed toward baggage claim. As they walked down the concourse Ralph kept disappearing, once to help an older woman whose suitcase had fallen open, once to life up two toddlers so they could see Santa Clause, and again to give directions to someone who was lost. Each time he came back with a big smile on his face. 

“Where did you learn to live like that?” the professor asked. “Oh,” Ralph said, “During the war, I guess.” Then he told the professor about his last tour of duty, how it was his job to detect mines, and how he watched his friends died one after another. “I learned to live between the steps”, he said. “I never knew whether the next step would be my last, so I learned to get everything I could out of the moment between when I picked up my foot and put it down again. Every step I took was a whole new world, and I guess I've been living that way ever since.”

Ralph had it right! To get the most out of living we must live by the scripture: “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

www.royalwood.cc

Dan Castleberry is on the Pastoral ministry team and leads various ministries at Royalwood. He is married to Robyn and has three beautiful daughters.  You can  follow Dan on Twitter.