For His Glory
Joy is a gift from God. Jesus came to give us Joy and we celebrate His joy at Christmas.
On November 7, 2013 Billy Graham will turn 95 years old. This incredible man of God has a final message for America. To get the message about Christ out to as many people as possible the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has provided a power tool for evangelism called My Hope for America. Their plan is great! It is based on Matthew 9:9-13. After he started following Jesus, the Apostle Matthew invited people into his home to meet Jesus. This is the plan for those who will be a part of this historic event and throw a party for Jesus:
The content of the video messages are evangelistic, inspiring, and compelling. Watch the videos here: VIDEOS
These messages are available in multiple formats to accommodate the variety of locations these meeting will take place in.
May God richly bless My Hope for America with a great harvest.
Power outages are tough, but spiritual power outages can be costly. Jesus’ disciples experienced a spiritual power outage. Jesus helped them understand why they came up short and the key ingredients for living with spiritual power.
ARVE Error: need id and providerPaul’s prayer to the church-plant in Ephesus has incredible application for our lives today.
ARVE Error: need id and provider“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Gal 6:10
John Wesley’s Motto:
“Do all the good you can.
By all the means you can.
In all the ways you can.
In all the places you can.
At all the times you can.
To all the people you can.
As long as ever you can.”
Small Group Ideas for Summer Time
As Summer vacations start and kids are out of school, small group ministry can be challenging. Look for ways to stay connected to every member and reach out to those you have not seen in a while. Please don’t take the Summer “off” as you minister to your group. This can be a great time of ministry and connection with your class. Consider these ideas for Summer time ministry:
1. Pray for your group, calling each member by name before the Father.
2. Plan a summer fellowship for the group. Include kids and make it a fun time. Fellowship is a very important part of a small group ministry.
3. Spend some time every week talking about your member’s Summer plans. Let them know you will miss them while they are on vacation and you intend to see them when they come back.
4. Develop a weekly plan to contact absentees to check on them. Including other group members in the process is a great way to share your leadership responsibility with other members.
5. Plan a Summer mission project for the group and encourage each member to participate in the ministry opportunity.
Make a goal to contact every members on your list during the Summer. Summer is a great time to reconnect.
The Changing of the Guard Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery honors those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom whose bodies are not identified. The video below is a clip from the Stepping Up Bible Study – A Call to Courageous Manhood. It interviews some of the soldiers who bravely guard the tomb and the sacrifice they make. I highly recommend the Stepping Up Bible Study from Family Life. See samples of the Bible study at the link below.
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Arlington National Cemetery Washington D.C.
This weekend we remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. There are two places that I have personally visited that left a permanent mark on my life. Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC and Normandy American Cemetery in Normandy, France. These two places are sacred reminders of the great price that was paid for our freedom. Each grave represents a life, a family, a story, and a sacrifice. What should our response be to their sacrifice?
Recently I went through The 33 Series with a group of men. This was a challenging study that calls men to Authentic Manhood. During our small group discussion time, Dr. Rob Jackson mentioned the “Holy Club” that was begun by brothers John and Charles Wesley. Here are the questions:
In 1729, while John Wesley was a student at Oxford, he started a club with his brother Charles, which was mockingly dubbed “The Holy Club” by some of his fellow collegians. The club members rigorously self-examined themselves everyday by asking the following 22 questions:
1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence?
4. Can I be trusted?
5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
7. Did the Bible live in me today?
8. Do I give the Bible time to speak to me every day?
9. Am I enjoying prayer?
10. When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?
11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13. Do I disobey God in anything?
14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
17. How do I spend my spare time?
18. Am I proud?
19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
22. Is Christ real to me?
These men were on to something powerful. They knew that the choices they make every day determine who they are and who they are becoming. This self-examination helped them “keep their heart-flames burning red hot for the King of Glory!”
Do you regularly evaluate your life and the condition of your heart?
Do you have someone in your life that you have given permission to ask you the hard questions of life?
From BGEA . . .
Billy Graham has said that the three most important things that one can do are: 1) Pray. 2) Pray. 3) Pray.
“When Paul said we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17, NKJV) he chose a term used in his day to describe a persistent cough. Repeatedly, throughout our day, we should be turning quickly to God to praise and thank Him, and to ask for His help. God is interested in everything we do, and nothing is too great or too insignificant to share with Him.” (Billy Graham, Hope for Each Day)
On Thursday, May 2, people across the U.S. will join together to celebrate the 62nd annual National Day of Prayer, with the theme “Pray for America.”
As My Hope America with Billy Graham continues to spread across the country, it is important to recall that prayer is the most crucial and basic element of the program. We hope that you will join us in praying for America on May 2. We encourage you to pray specifically for your neighbors and friends who don’t know Christ. Our nation needs to hear the Good News, and it is our prayer that the movement can begin through us as individuals committed to seeing our communities transformed with the Gospel.
