Today  has already been a great day!  I've worked out, invested a couple of hours setting up for worship with the team from New Life,  listened to the Bible for about forty minutes, prayed for the people closest to me, filled my car with gas,  bought a birthday present --- today's Nancy's birthday and I've known for a while what I was going to get her, but didn't take the opportunity to get it until this morning, and spent a little time with the birthday girl!  What does all that have to do with preparing for worship?  Everything! I used to compartmentalize my life.  There was my family life, my church life, my work life (which eventually when I became a pastor became my church life, too!), my recreational life, etc...  As I've grown and matured, though, I've realized that there's just life.

Actually there's just life, but it's either abundant life lived through Jesus, or it's non-abundant life lived through myself.  As we've been focusing on whether we're fans or followers of Jesus, I've been reminded even more that I can't compartmentalize my life.  I'm not going to take a break from my "church life", to focus on my "family life" since today is Nancy's birthday.  I'm going to live ALL of today as the abundant life Jesus died on the cross and rose again to give me and all of us who claim it in His name.  The only thing that can get in the way of that is if I take over control and try to be the boss of my life instead of letting Jesus live in me through the Holy Spirit.   That's a constant struggle as I'm sure all of you are aware, but so far this morning, it's been mostly living in the joy of the Spirit as I've done the things I mentioned above.

What about you?  Are you going to live an abundant life day today following Jesus?  Whatever it is that you're going to do today, or have done today will it be or was it done in Jesus' name and with the goal of glorifying Him?  As we think more and more about questions like that throughout each day, and as we reflect on our days, what happens is we live into the abundant life more and more.  My prayer for each of us and all of us today is that we will take the time to ask ourselves, "Am I a fan or a follower of Jesus," and then do whatever is necessary to be a follower, because in the end that's the only way to live an abundant life!

As I go about today, I'm already thinking about tomorrow, not just what I'm going to say when I stand up to preach, but how I will enjoy God's grace and extend His glory in all that I am and do.  That's the best way I know to prepare for worship!  What will you do to get ready for it, too?

Let's pray:  Heavenly Father, thank You for being worthy of our worship and praise!  Thanks You for sending Jesus to give us abundant lives!  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit that we may live those abundant lives to Your glory and praise.  This we pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.