Fanny Crosby, a blind poetess, wrote more than 8,000 Gospel songs. For many years she wrote three hymns per week. Many times a composer would bring their music to her and ask her to write the words. Such was the case with Phoebe P. Knapp, 1839-1908. Knapp played her melody for the blind poetess and asked, “What does this tune say?” Fanny responded immediately, “Why, That says: ‘Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine.’”
Blessed Assurance is our foundation hymn for Sunday, August 21, 2011. My favorite line in this great hymn is “Heir of Salvation, Purchase of God”. This brings two thoughts to my mind.

1. If you could choose your inheritance would you choose riches or eternity with God?
2. God who could have anything and created all things chose to purchase you!

The last phrase in the chorus is the result of knowing the truth of our inheritance. “Praising My Savior All the Day Long.”  James 1:2 says, Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. There are so many things in this world that challenge us. This week when you have “An Opportunity” try praising your Savior all day long. We are heirs of Salvation, purchased by God!

Along with Blessed Assurance we will sing songs that proclaim the greatness of our God.

• Ah Lord God taken from Jeremiah 32:17
• We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise taken from Hebrews 13:15
• Let there Be Glory and Honor and Praises taken from Revelation 5:11-12
• He Has Made Me Glad, taken from Psalm 100:4
• In Christ Alone is a song that captures the Biblical truth of the life, death, and resurrection  of Jesus.

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.                                                                        Romans 12:1-2 (Message)