Encountering God Through Intentional Worship - Ft. Wayne Service

This powerful message challenges us to examine what truly captures our attention when we gather for worship. Drawing from Hebrews 12:1-3, we're reminded that keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus is essential for our faith journey from beginning to end. The central question posed is profound: Who has our focus when we come together? While the correct answer should be God, we're confronted with honest examples of how easily we become distracted by people, performances, or personal preferences. The message explores Psalm 122:1, where David's heart leaped for joy at the opportunity to enter God's house—not because of who else would be there, but because of the One who dwells there. We're encouraged to examine whether we come to church as a routine obligation or with genuine anticipation to encounter the living God. The truth is sobering yet liberating: if we leave a worship experience unchanged, it's not because God wasn't present—it's because our focus was elsewhere. This teaching calls us to mental discipline, to the kind of meditation described in Psalm 27:4 that delights in God's perfections rather than others' imperfections. When we truly seek God wholeheartedly, as Jeremiah 29:13 promises, we will find Him. The transformation we're longing for begins with a single decision about where we direct our attention.