Does pain serve a purpose?

Why Pain

Does pain serve a purpose?
What causes us to feel pain?
When I speak of pain and suffering,

what feelings does that evoke in you?


The young toddler was about to place his tender hand on the hot stove. His mother grabbed  him and yelled at him not to touch.

The teen comes home after curfew, again. Her parents, worried sick for her safety,wait up for her. They ground her and take away privileges, to get her to understand the consequences of her behavior.

The young man is fired from his job because

of poor attendance and work performance.

He is broken, ashamed, and disillusioned.

In light of what has happened in his life,

he takes time to examine what he did

and how he got where he is at.

I ask again does pain serve a purpose?

As you can see by my examples above,

I believe there is a purpose to pain. I

believe pain can be useful for protecting,

correcting, and/or instructing us. In each

of the illustrations pain was used to bring

about a positive result. It was not enjoyable

for the recipient, but was intended for

their best in the long run.

But you say, this is all well and good and I

can agree that specific pain may serve a

purpose, but what about poverty,

starvation, war, etc.?

I ask you, What do you think, 

can the pain of poverty, starvation, war

have a purpose? What are your thoughts?

Perry

What inspires a worship leader?

Guest Interview-What Inspires The Worship Leader

Craig Kutteroff- Worship Director Faith Church

Craig Kutteroff is Director of Worship at Faith Church in

 Trexlertown,Pa. Faith Church is a moderate sized church in

The Allentown, Pa area.

Craig tell us a little about yourself. Are you married, any children?
Craig: I am married and we have 3 children.

In your position of Worship Director, what are your duties and 
responsibilities?
Craig: As Worship Director, I am responsible for programming
and leading the various church services with an emphasis on
leading people into the presence of the LORD.

One of your responsibilities is deciding on the music that will
be used in the service. Do you listen to a lot of music and
music sources when looking and deciding on which to use?
Craig: I listen to a ton of music from different sources. I am
always looking for new songs that impart the truth and hope
of the Gospel.

When listening to songs, is there something that "inspires"
you to chose one song over another?
Craig: My main criteria for which songs we use is sound
theology followed closely by sing-ability.

To change the subject a little, do you also write songs?
What "inspires" you in your writing? 
Craig: I do write songs, and my inspiration is the Holy Spirit.
Most of my writing comes following intense prayer. I
believe the Holy Spirit inspires my songs to be directly
relate-able to my congregation.

Do you have any advice, as a  worship leader, for 
songwriters out there, that might encourage and 
enlighten them?
Craig: My advice is keep it simple. The song needs to be
singable by a congregation. Don't over do it trying to pack
40 lbs of music theory in a 10 lb bag. Most people in the
church wouldn't recognize advanced theory if it bit them.
They do however, remember great hooks. If you think of
some of the worship songs that have stood the test of time,
many are not very complex at all.