Just a few minutes ago I was scrolling through Facebook when a post caught my eye. Someone had found a lost phone at and was trying to return it to its owner. The post read:

“Phone found on a bench at Scott Manor about 15 mins ago. If it’s yours, DM what Pokémon is in the back of the phone 💫 and we will get it back to you!!”

Attached were two photos of the phone. The front shot wasn’t much help. But the back… the back was something else entirely. Tucked inside the phone case was a Pokémon card, covered up by a big pink emoji for privacy, of course.

And that’s when the question hit me:

Could I use AI to figure out what card it was?

Zoom In. Enhance. Analyze.

I fed the image into an AI assistant (ChatGPT), and we started piecing it together. Here’s what it gave me:

• The card had a yellow border — standard for classic Pokémon.

• 100 HP — not a baby Pokémon, but not a legendary either.

• Psychic type — confirmed by the symbol near the bottom right.

• The text was blurry, but one detail stood out:
  Card number 62/102 — if you know your sets, that’s straight from the Base Set, the OG of OGs.

With those details, the conclusion was solid:

Kadabra.
From the original Base Set. Psychic. 100 HP. A classic.

Thanks ChatGPT! That was awesome!

Now, is it correct? Not likely.

A simple googling of Pokemon 62/102 is actually Sandshrew, not Kadabra.

So maybe the lesson here is:

Even though AI is an impressive tool, you really still need to do your own research and verify that claims that it makes.

AI is an amazing way to start a project. It helps you brainstorm, organize, and overcome blank page syndrome. But please check your work. Don’t let AI’s output be your final version.

Treat it like a smart assistant, not a final authority.

Oh, and if that phone’s yours, go claim it.

Over the past few months, I’ve been rethinking how we plan and lead worship on Sunday mornings. Not because anything was broken, but because I believe our services should reflect the shape of the gospel itself.

Worship isn’t just a sequence of music and a sermon. It’s a story we’re telling, the true story of redemption: God is holy, we are sinners, Jesus saves, and we are sent. Every single week, we get to rehearse this truth together.

Inspired by a framework shared by Leading Worship Well (watch here), I’ve been reshaping our liturgy to follow this gospel shaped flow. And it’s already changing how I think about what we do, and why.

The Gospel-Shaped Flow (With Real Examples from Our June 1 Service)

Here’s what this looks like in theory and in practice, using our June 1, 2025 service at Gatehouse as a real example.

1. Adoration – “God, You are holy and worthy.”

Scripture: Psalm 95:6 – “Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,”

We begin with songs that lifted our eyes to the greatness of God.

🟢 “Great Things” – A celebration of God’s mighty works.
🟢 “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” – Rooted in God’s grace and worthiness, this classic points our hearts upward.

2. Confession – “We are not.”

Scripture: 1 John 1:9 – “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.“

While we won’t use a spoken confession this week, the placement of “Come Thou Fount” subtly invites that heart posture. The lyric “prone to wander, Lord I feel it” serves as a musical confession of our tendency to drift.

You could easily reinforce this moment with a brief reflection or a spoken prayer of confession in future weeks.

3. Assurance of Pardon – “But Christ.”

Scripture: Romans 8:1 – “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.“

We responded with:

🟢 “O Praise the Name (Anástasis)” – A direct declaration of the death, resurrection, and returning King. It’s grace proclaimed in full colour.

4. Thanksgiving – “Thank You, Lord.”

Scripture: Psalm 100:4 – “Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.“

🟢 “Gratitude” was the perfect next step. Simple, raw, and deep expression of thankfulness after remembering the cross.

5. Petition & Intercession – “God, we need You.”

Scripture: Philippians 4:6 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

We created space through Pastoral Prayer for intercession. We lift the needs of the congregation and the world. This is where we shift from “thank you” to “help us.”

6. Instruction – “Speak, Lord.”

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.“

🟢 Scripture Reading and the Message followed. With hearts postured by worship, thanksgiving, and confession, we’re ready to hear God’s Word.

7. Communion – “Remember and receive.”

Scripture: Luke 22:19 – “He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.“

We paused to receive the bread and cup. Not as just a ritual, but as grace remembered and received.

8. Charge and Blessing – “Go with God.”

Scripture: Matthew 28:19 – “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.“

We’ll close with:

🟢 “Yes I Will” – A fitting final declaration: “I will praise… I will lift You high in the lowest valley.” This song sends us out with confidence and resolve to live what we’ve just rehearsed.

Why It Matters

We don’t gather on Sundays to just entertain. We gather to form people in the way of Jesus.

The gospel shaped liturgy doesn’t just organize the service. It tells a better story, one that anchors every part of the gathering in the redemptive rhythm of grace.

Because what we do in worship shapes what we believe, how we pray, and how we live.

Some days, ministry feels amazing, like preaching fire. Other days, it feels like unloading the dishwasher again.

And honestly, a lot of my life feels more like the second one.

I’ve noticed something that comes up a lot in my house. I’ll ask one of my kids to do something, like clean up a mess, finish a chore, or just do the thing they already knew they were supposed to do. And almost every time they’ll say:

“I know.”

To which I always respond:

“It’s rarely the knowing that’s the problem. It’s the doing.”

And every time those words come out of my mouth, I hear God quietly echo them back to me.

Because I know.
I know I should pray more.
I know I should rest.
I know I should apologize.
I know I should forgive.
I know.
I know.

But it’s rarely the knowing that’s the problem.
It’s the doing.

So much of the doing God calls us to isn’t glamorous. It’s not always preaching to crowds or leading worship. Sometimes, it’s just doing the dishes. Showing up on a Tuesday. Saying the kind word. Resting when you’d rather push through. That’s the doing that matters most.

We tend to look for God in the big stuff: revival moments, breakthrough prayers, emotional worship sets. But most of our lives aren’t lived in those moments. Most of our lives are made up of dishes, laundry, driving across town, wiping spills off counters, cleaning up after youth group, or exercising when I really don’t feel like it.

And if we believe God is only present in the spiritual highs, we’ll miss Him in the places where we actually spend most of our time. In the Ordinary.

The Bible is full of moments where God shows up, not in exciting lightning displays or fire from heaven, but in the middle of everyday life:

• Elijah didn’t hear God in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:11–13
• Ruth was gathering leftover grain in a field when her entire future shifted. Ruth 2:2–3
• Peter was cleaning fishing nets when Jesus called him to become a disciple. Luke 5:1–11
• The woman at the well was just getting water, something she probably did every day when she met the Messiah. John 4:5–26
• Jesus Himself rose from the dead… and then cooked breakfast for His friends on the shore. John 21:9–13

None of those moments were flashy (aside from Jesus rising from the dead and doing another fish miracle in the middle). Most weren’t even planned. But God was there in the work, in the waiting, in the repetition.

So here’s what I’m learning:
The dishes can be sacred.
The commute can be a prayer.
The act of showing up, again and again, is faithfulness.

God is not just with me in the sermon or the big bridge of a powerful feeling song. He’s with me in the scrubbing, the planning, the parenting, the training… the doing.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23

Maybe we just need to open our eyes to the fact that He’s already here. Right here in the middle of our real, messy, repetitive, ordinary every days.

Because the mundane isn’t meaningless. It’s holy ground in disguise.