Firstly, Pastor Cucuzza, I recently found your ministry on youtube, and I find your preching/teaching a great blessing. I have a simple observation to speak to, here, about your 'take' on the hymn, 'Come Thou Fount", spoken at 33:25. I also truly 'like' the hymn, but am not a troublemaker, as the woman you mentioned apparently was. I differ in my understanding of the phrase 'prone to wander, LORD I feel it, prone to leave the GOD I love, ..." . After your speaking of your personal dislike of the song, you then read John 15:4, and verse 5. Those verses expressly, to my mind explain why that verse in the song is true. As John 15:4-5 eloquently expresses to us, if we do not 'abide' in HIM, which by definition is an act of will on our part, then we can not bear fruit, and thusly we 'wander' from HIM, and without HIM we can do nothing! This is exactly what the line in the hymn speaks to. You will recall that the very next verse in the hymn states, 'here's my heart, O, take and seal it; seal it for THY courts above." I see this hymn as precisely expressing the validity of John 15:4-5. I like to replace the phrase "O take and seal it" with 'LORD take and seal it", ...when the song plays in my mind. I offer this difference of understanding simply as a point to perhaps consider. I found it intriguing that your scripture reference (John 15:4-5) immediately after your offering of your 'take' on the phrase in question was such that so perfectly speaks to the meaning of the hymn's very wording. Thank you for your ministry, Pastor. Maranatha!
That was a wonderful teaching.
Practical Christian living. Thanks Tom!
Thank you from College Station, Texas. We are home bound and grateful for you teaching.
Thank you from Brandon, Ms.
Firstly, Pastor Cucuzza, I recently found your ministry on youtube, and I find your preching/teaching a great blessing. I have a simple observation to speak to, here, about your 'take' on the hymn, 'Come Thou Fount", spoken at 33:25. I also truly 'like' the hymn, but am not a troublemaker, as the woman you mentioned apparently was. I differ in my understanding of the phrase 'prone to wander, LORD I feel it, prone to leave the GOD I love, ..." . After your speaking of your personal dislike of the song, you then read John 15:4, and verse 5. Those verses expressly, to my mind explain why that verse in the song is true. As John 15:4-5 eloquently expresses to us, if we do not 'abide' in HIM, which by definition is an act of will on our part, then we can not bear fruit, and thusly we 'wander' from HIM, and without HIM we can do nothing! This is exactly what the line in the hymn speaks to. You will recall that the very next verse in the hymn states, 'here's my heart, O, take and seal it; seal it for THY courts above." I see this hymn as precisely expressing the validity of John 15:4-5. I like to replace the phrase "O take and seal it" with 'LORD take and seal it", ...when the song plays in my mind. I offer this difference of understanding simply as a point to perhaps consider. I found it intriguing that your scripture reference (John 15:4-5) immediately after your offering of your 'take' on the phrase in question was such that so perfectly speaks to the meaning of the hymn's very wording. Thank you for your ministry, Pastor. Maranatha!
So is this simply resting in Christ by faith?