Pastor Randy Hoskins

​Senior Pastor - First Congregational, Ashland, NE

February 3, 2023
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I received a Twitter notification this week regarding a tweet from pastor and author Shane Pruitt. He made some good points, so I thought I'd share them with you and expound upon them a little.

He started out this way: Don't want church to feel like routine? He then listed 7 suggestions:
- Pray before you get there. Ask God to speak to you. This gets your mind ready. And pray for me that I might say something that speaks to you.

- Listen to worship music on the way. This gets your heart ready. It puts you in worship mode before you even arrive. It also might help you avoid those car rides where you're arguing with your kids or your spouse before you walk into the building. Been there, done that.
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- Take a Bible with you. A statistic I like to share with the confirmation students: 9 out of 10 American adults own a Bible, less than half ever read it. As we talked about last week, make Bible reading a habit. Do it consistently.

- Don't run late. I know some people chronically run late (I married one). But actually that is a stressor when you're slipping into your seat at the last minute. Set your alarm for a few minutes earlier, get there with time to spare, and interact with others. It makes a difference.

- Sing loudly like you mean it. I hear a lot of people say they're not good singers, and use that as their excuse not to sing loudly. Remember that we are singing for our Heavenly Father. Parents love to hear their kids singing, no matter how it sounds. It lifts their hearts!

- Take notes. Taking notes is a great way to help your mind commit to memory what you are hearing. Brain researchers have shown that handwritten notes cement the information in your mind much more efficiently than even taking notes on a digital device.

- Expect God to move. I mean, why are we even going to church? Despite our head knowledge to the contrary, I think too often we sell God short on what He can do. 

See you Sunday, be prepared!

​Pastor Randy
402-450-4447

PASTOR RANDY HOSKINS

After serving as part-time pastor, Pastor Randy was called to full-time ministry in February of 2020.
​He and Velvet now live in Ashland.