Post-Christmas Peace

   In the days leading up to Christmas we read scripture and sing about "peace on earth, goodwill to men", but does all of that seem to fade away when we take down the tree?  The peace of Christmas doesn't have to be packed away with the family decorations until next year. Jesus Christ, the "Prince of Peace" whose birth was prophesied in Isaiah 9:6 didn't come to just give us a fleeting feeling of peace that is based on our own emotions or circumstances.  He came to give a lasting peace to all who place their trust in Him.  He said, 

"I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So don't be troubled or afraid."  (John 14:27, NLT)

You might say, "That sounds great, Jesus, but how are you going to give me that kind of peace?"  Well, first you have to trust Him.  You have to believe He is who He says He is--the Son of God, the one who came to forgive your sins and make peace between God and man.  Next, you have to try Him out when you don't feel peaceful or have peace in your life.  When you're worried, afraid, stressed, or anxious, take the prescription for peace given by the apostle Paul:

"Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)

Come on, you've tried to worry and come up with a plan on your own to fix things, why not try praying about it?  You've probably heard the saying, "Let go and let God."  What do you have to lose?  Try it!  Ask Him to give you His peace in exchange for your problems.  The last step to receiving God's peace is to take Him at His word.  You can't say you've "turned everything over to the Lord", but then take it all back into your own hands if He doesn't show you an answer in the next 5 minutes!  Waiting is an integral part of the faith journey.  One of the best love bible passages is:

"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."  (Isaiah 40:31, NKJV)  

If you truly want to experience peace in the days following Christmas and throughout the coming year, trust Jesus, try the Prince of Peace, and take Him at His word to begin to work all things together for your good and His glory.  

Deep and Wide - Part I

How deep is God's love? The Old Testament makes it clear that God's throne is one founded on righteousness and justice and He can have no fellowship with sin. Yet God reached all the way down to sinful people by sending Christ to reconcile us to Himself.

"God put on Him (Christ) the wrong, who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God." (2 Corinthians 5:21, MSG)

As we approach the time that marks Jesus' final days on earth, contemplate the cross and it's significance. Think of the vertical beam as standing for the depth of God's love reaching down to you through Christ. Offer God your humble praise today.

Prayer Focus:

People who feel separated from God

Sunday school teachers and bible study leaders

Homeless shelter

The Power of Encouragement

"Then Aaron and Hur held up Moses' hands." (Exodus 17:12, NLT)

Not long after the Lord had delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt by a series of miracles, they found themselves traveling for many days in the desert as they journeyed to the Promised Land. Throughout this journey, the people had tested Moses' leadership by complaining about the food and the water supply. Don't you think Moses got discouraged at times, leading such an ungrateful group? Now, in Exodus 17:8-16, Moses finds himself leading them against the army of an enemy--the Amalekites. During the course of the battle, it turns out that as long as Moses held up his hands with the rod of God in them, the Israelites would win the fight. However, when Moses put his hands holding the rod down, the enemy would win. As the battle continued, Moses' arms became tired.

Enter our encouragers, Aaron and Hur, who got a large rock for Moses to sit on, and then got on either side of him and held up his hands. Scripture recounts that they continued to keep his hands steady until the sun went down and Israel was victorious. Moses was no doubt an amazing leader called by God to do a big job at a critical time. But, where would Moses have been without a faithful group of encouragers like Aaron and Hur who were able to identify his need for help and quickly respond through action that was both appropriate and uplifting?

Spend some time in prayer today asking God to reveal the answers to two questions:

1) Who has "held up my hands" when I was ready to give up?

2) Whose hands can I hold up today through my prayers, my words, and my actions?

Praises:

Spaghetti dinner funds raised for UM Children's Home in Macon

New programs for children & families

Prison Ministry

Prayers:

Ministry Team Leaders

Disciple Now 2/16-19

What's Shaking

"When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, I am the one who keeps its foundations firm."

(Psalm 75:3, NLT)

The recent earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan as well as other natural disasters around the globe may have you contemplating the uncertainty of the future. What's shaking in your world? Is it family relationships? Employment prospects? Physical health? Is stability in any area of life a sham?

Those who place their faith in Jesus Christ can know that even when life seems fragile and unpredictable, He is rock solid and reliable. In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus told His followers that "Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on a solid rock." When everything around you is shaking, pray to the One who is unshakable.

"He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along." (Psalm 40:2, NLT)

Praises:

Friendship House - 20th Anniversary

Power Team - response was great!

Small Groups

Prayers:

Christians who are too "busy"

Ribbons & Strings Benefit

Sheep

"The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need."

(Psalm 23:1, NLT)

Praying ushers us into the holy place where the Shepherd of our heart awaits. As his sheep, we unfold our thoughts, dreams, desires, and concerns. Because he is the Shepherd, he looks and listens and hears--without interruption or condemnation--as we uncloak our fumbling, flawed thoughts.

We reveal our fears. We ask. We are utterly dependent upon him. And so we are--sheep. We entrust our plans, confide shortages, and confess sins. We empty and open and unearth and expose--for this is communion!

Bold and daring and confident in our Shepherd--this is prayer.

Praises:

New opportunities for group prayer, worship, bible study

Prayers:

Disciple Now for Youth in Community - Feb. 18-20

Plans for Friendship House 20th Anniversary in April

Our MIddle C

In Traveling Light, Max Lucado tells the following story:

When Lloyd Douglas, author of The Robe and other novels, attended college, he lived in a boardinghouse. A retired, wheelchair-bound music professor resided on the first floor. Each morning, Douglas would stick his head in the door of the teacher's apartment and ask the same question, "Well, what's the good news?" The old man would pick up his tuning fork, tap it on the side of the wheelchair, and say, "That's middle C! It was middle C yesterday; it will be middle C tomorrow; it will be middle C a thousand years from now. The tenor upstairs sings flat. The piano across the hall is out of tune, but, my friend, that is middle C."

You and I need a middle C. Haven't you had enough change in your life? The weather changes. Our health changes. Relationships change. But the Lord Jehovah who ruled the earth before Moses received the Ten Commandments, or David killed Goliath is the the same Lord Jehovah who rules it today. Same convictions. Same plans. Same mood. Same love. He never changes. Praise Him today because He is an unchanging God. Let Christ be your middle C.

 Praises:

Opportunities to worship and study God's word

Reaching across racial and denominational barriers

Prayers:

Families of those killed/injured in Arizona shooting

People suffering due to extremely cold weather

Funds for local ministries

Disciple Now in February

He is Here!

You may already be familiar with the meaning of the name Immanuel--God with us. The prophecy of a Messiah, one who would save His people, was physically and literally fulfilled upon Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. However, throughout the Old Testament, God told His people that His Spirit was with them. For example, in Hosea 11:9:

"I am God and not a human; I am the Holy One, and I am among you." 

Before you read any further, reflect on those last four words, "I am among you." Do you believe that? Jesus is no longer physically present on earth, but just as God's Spirit was with the Israelites in Hosea's day, the Spirit of Christ is with you right now. He wants you to know He is in the midst of your world. Wherever you are as you read these words, He is present. In your car, in your office, in your classroom, your bedroom, your den. He's near.

God is in the thick of things in your world. He has not taken up residence in a distant galaxy. He has not removed himself from history. He has not chosen to seclude himself on the throne of some cloudlike castle.  He has drawn near. He has involved himself in the carpools, housing projects, funeral parlors, nursing homes, unemployment offices and hospital beds of our day. He is as near to us on Monday as on Sunday. As present at the coffee break as at the communion table.

The question is, What will you do with Him? Will you live as if He is here, or will you choose to keep Him packaged and predictable? Will you leave Jesus in the manger at Christmas, or let Him be the risen Lord of your life?

Take advantage of your position as a follower of Christ and a child of God. Turn every joy and every sorrow into an opportunity to pray to the One who is here.

Praises:

The birth of Jesus

Worship opportunities

Prayers:

People in financial crises

Healing for recent surgeries

The Impact of Your Prayers

Do you ever wonder if prayer really works?  You're praying about something and Satan whispers to you, "This is a waste of time."  The only way to refute that lie is with the truth of scripture which says,

"God hears us whenever we ask Him and we know also that He gives us what we ask from Him." (1 John 5:15, GNT)

Prayer can do whatever God can do. His resources are available to you.  Twenty times in the New Testament it says "Ask."  It's encouraging to know that things that are out of my control are not out of God's control. So, you are probably thinking, "Then, why don't I get everything I pray for?"  Good question.  Here are three reasons:

1) God is not a genie. You don't put in a prayer, rub a lamp, and out pops whatever you want. If every prayer were answered that way, we would be spoiled brats. Do you give your children everything they ask for? I hope not. You know what's best for them. You can see the bigger picture. If you can see the bigger picture for your kids, how much bigger is the picture God can see?

2) Sometimes Christians pray in conflict.  You get two Christians praying for opposite outcomes, and whose request is God going to answer? First, He needs to bring about some changes in our hearts and our fellowship.

3) God knows what's best and you don't. I think this is the biggest reason for not getting all our prayers answered exactly how and when we want them to be. 1 John 5:14 tells us, "We are sure that He (God) hears us if we ask Him for anything that's according to His will." (GNT) The attitude of your prayer needs to be: "Lord, this is my prayer request, but Your will be done." That's the way that Jesus prayed when He was facing the cross. ~ taken from Rick Warren and the Purpose Driven Connection

Your prayers have the potential to unlock all of God's power in response when you are praying in His will. Spend some time in prayer, today! He is waiting to answer.

Praises:

Fishers of Men movie filmed in Bainbridge

Opportunities for bible study & small groups

Prayers:

Reaching across denominational boundaries

Reaching outside the church

Leadership & direction

Saying "Thank You"

Worship is when you're aware that what you've been given is far greater than what you can give.

Worship is the awareness that were it not for His touch, you'd still be hobbling and hurting, bitter and broken.

Worship is the half-glazed expression on the parched face of a desert pilgrim as he discovers that the oasis is not a mirage.

Worship is the "thank you" that refuses to be silenced.

We have tried to make a science out of worship. We can't do that. We can't do that any more than we can "sell love" or "negotiate peace."

Worship is a voluntary act of gratitude offered by the saved to the Savior, by the healed to the Healer, and by the delivered to the Deliverer. ~Max Lucado from In the Eye of the Storm

He brought them out of their gloom and darkness and broke their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord.
Psalm 104:14-15

Take some time to reflect on all the Lord has done for you and just worship Him today.

Praying together = Praying with Power

Jesus said, "And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them." (Matthew 18:19-20, TEV)

Are you missing out on the power that can be found by praying with other believers? In Jesus' teaching about prayer, he spoke specifically about praying together. If you're not consistently praying with others, you're missing out on one of the major benefits of being a Christian. If the thought of praying in a group scares you, it's okay to start slowly:

1) For starters, try praying aloud when you're alone, and get used to hearing the sound of your own voice in prayer.

2)Next, find a small group (no more than 5 or 6) friends who want to pray together. You can start your group by briefly (and I do mean briefly) sharing prayer concerns with each other. Then try having everyone simply relax with eyes closed and listen to a worship song on CD in order to center your thoughts on God. Allow a short time period at the end of the song for people to pray either out loud or to themselves, and just be quiet together.

3) After several weeks of using this approach, you may want to move on to one sentence praises and prayers. Remember, it's not the length or the eloquence of the prayer, it's the sincerity that impresses God.

4) Within 4 -6 weeks, you will find your group becoming closer to God and to each other, because nothing binds us together like prayer. You will experience Christ's presence, and His power along with a new level of accountability and fellowship.

Begin this week to move toward the power of praying together!

Praises!

Good start to the school year

New beginnings

Prayers:

Friendship House fundraising efforts

Open ears for God's call to service

New prayer groups to form

Truth in Love

"Your kingdom is built on what is right and fair. Love and truth are in all you do."

(Psalm 89:14, CEV)

The single most difficult pursuit is truth and love. That sentence is grammatically correct. I know every English teacher would like to pluralize it to read: The most difficult pursuits are those of truth and love. But that's not what I mean to say. Love is a difficult pursuit. Truth is a tough one, too. But put them together, pursue truth and love at the same time and hang on baby, you're in for the ride of your life.

Love in truth. Truth in love. Never one at the expense of the other. Never the embrace of love without the torch of truth. Never the heat of truth without the warmth of love...To pursue both is our singular task as Christians.

~ from The Inspirational Study Bible

Can any of us hope to "speak the truth in love" as we are commanded to do? Not on our own. That's the way Jesus lived and spoke. It's why He could rebuke the sin, while drawing the sinner closer to Him. Pray and ask God to give you the Spirit of Christ. Only He can enable you to be filled with the compassion of love and the clarity of truth at the same time.

Retreating Forward

A friend told me about his church's leadership retreat. For 2 days, church leaders pulled away for a time of prayer, planning, and worship. He told me, "This retreat is really going to help us move forward as a church." The notion of retreating in order to move forward may sound funny, but often you have to pull back and regroup before you can make meaningful forward progress.

Jesus practiced "retreating forward" quite frequently, spending time alone in prayer with the Father. Matthew 14:23 tells us that "when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there."

In this fast-paced, get-ahead world, it's easy to wear ourselves down--pressing ahead and moving forward at all costs. But in order to be truly effective as Christians, we need to retreat into God's presence in order to find the resources to move forward in our service for Him.

Praises:

Oil spill in gulf stopped

Answered prayers for little girl who drowned

Prayer Requests:

Teachers/Administrators/Students - back to school

The Answer to Arguments

Foolish people are always fighting, but avoiding quarrels will bring you honor. -- Proverbs 20:3

"Bear with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you." (Colossians 3:13)

Unity doesn't begin in examining others but in examining self. Unity begins not in demanding that others change, but in admitting that we aren't so perfect ourselves...

The answer to arguments? Acceptance. The first step to unity? Acceptance. Not agreement, acceptance. Not unanimity, acceptance. Not negotiation, arbitration, or elaboration. Those might come later but only after the first step, acceptance. ~ from In The Grip Of Grace by Max Lucado

Remember that Christ loved us while we were yet sinners. How can we who are sinners saved by grace offer anything less than love to those with whom we disagree?

Praises:
Pastors calling and leading people to pray

Prayer Concerns:
Reaching the lost
Unity in the body of Christ

Let Freedom Ring

When we confess our sins and accept Christ's sacrifice on our behalf, we become children of God. As children, we inherit certain privileges. We have the right to call the sovereign God of the universe 'Our Heavenly Father'. We have ready access to God's presence where we can bring all our concerns.

On July 4th, as you celebrate the freedom of our great nation, celebrate also, your freedom to enter God's presence in prayer.


Prayer Focus - Leaders in Government

Praises - Freedom to Worship

The Place of Prayer

They went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives...They all continued in prayer together. Acts 1:12, 14

Do you desire power for your life?...It will come as you pray. For ten days the disciples prayed. Ten days of prayer plus a few minutes of preaching led to three thousand saved souls.

In our typical "revival", we tend to invert the numbers. We're more prone to pray for a few minutes and preach for ten days! Not the apostles. They lingered in the presence of Christ, never leaving the place of prayer, yet look at the fruit of their work.

Better said, look at the fruit of God's spirit in them.

We can only wonder what would happen today if we, who still struggle, did what they did: wait on the Lord in the place of prayer.
~Max Lucado from Come Thirsty

The Shepherd's Example of Witnessing

During this season of Advent, we have been looking at the lives of the main characters in the Christmas story in order to learn from the examples they set for us. In Mary, we saw a wonderful example of trust. Joseph’s life was an extraordinary example of obedience.

What can we learn from the shepherds? A host of angels appeared to these simple sheep herders, announcing the birth of God’s Son and telling them to go to Bethlehem. The shepherd’s exhibited both trust and obedience because they went to Bethlehem and indeed did find Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. The shepherds also exhibited a striking example of witnessing for God.

In Luke 2:17 we read, “When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed.” The shepherds didn’t waste any time sharing God’s message of hope with others.

How often do we worry about finding the right words, or possessing enough biblical knowledge before we feel “Qualified” to share God’s good news? Pray and ask God for opportunities to share your faith with others. Then follow the shepherd’s example of witnessing.

Prayer Focus:

Christian Fellowship

Prayers:

Praises:

Joseph's Example of Obedience

This Advent season, take some time to read the events surrounding Jesus’ birth in the first two chapters of Matthew as well as in Luke. One of the most notable characteristics of Joseph’s behavior is his obedience to God. When an angel appeared to Mary, she displayed great trust in God’s plan. Over the course of Jesus’ birth and earliest years, Joseph received three angelic visitations. All three of these “angel-grams” required Joseph to take actions that were quite extraordinary.

Joseph’s faith was not a passive mental agreement, but rather an active and immediate obedience to God’s message. In each case, Joseph “did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him…” (Matthew 1:24). No doubt, Joseph had been praying about his engagement to Mary. Perhaps he had even been asking for God’s direction.

How often do we pray and ask for the Lord to lead us? How often do we respond to God’s leading in the way that Joseph did—by actions of prompt obedience to what God is asking us to do?

Spend time this season in prayer. Then be prepared to follow Joseph’s example of obedience.


Prayer Focus:
Letting the Christmas story speak to our hearts


Prayers
People who are grieving for loved ones
Soldiers overseas during Christmas
End of semester exams - students & teachers

Praises
Young people who are following Christ
A pastor stepping out in faith to follow God's call

Mary's Example of Trust

As we journey through the Advent season, it is a fitting time to examine the attitudes and actions of the main characters in the Christmas story.

Let’s begin with Mary, a soon-to-be-married young woman. She is visited by an angel who tells her God is pleased with her—so pleased in fact that He has chosen her to give birth to His own Son. To say Mary was taken by surprise would no doubt be an understatement! She could easily have rebelled or grudgingly seen this as some type of punishment. She could have said, “No way, I have other plans for my life!” But, she did none of those. I

Instead, she asked for some details and then responded with “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 1:38) A short time later, we find her praising the Lord in the beautiful words of the “Magnificat”.

Does this Christmas season find you facing unplanned circumstances? Follow Mary’s example of trust in God. Look for His plan instead of your own. Praise Him for giving you a new life within and pray for that new life to grow within you each day.


Prayer Focus

• Churches to reach out during Christmas season

Prayers

Praises

Get Thankful

Throughout my growing up years, my mother had an expression she used whenever my sister or I would be unhappy and display a negative attitude. She would say “Get happy!” It was understood by her tone and mannerism, that you had better quickly display a more positive outlook or you would be provided with adequate justification for sadness—you get the picture.

Everyone has difficulties, and conflicts, but as Christians, we have abundant reasons to be thankful every day. If you find yourself dwelling on how life is not going your way, and people are not behaving as you think they should—check your own attitude first.

In Psalm 51, David lays out a pattern for steps to thankfulness: (1) v. 10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.” (2) v. 12 – “Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.” (3) v. 15 – “Unseal my lips, O Lord, that I may praise you.”

Spend some time in prayer this week, repenting, renewing, restoring joy, being obedient, and ultimately praising God. Let this Thanksgiving Day be a time to get happy and thankful!

Daily Prayer Focus
Nov. 21 - Worship Leaders
Nov. 22 - Community Thanksgiving
Nov. 23 - Shut-Ins
Nov. 24 - Trustees Ministry Team
Nov. 25 - Shoebox Ministry
Nov. 26 - Be Thankful!
Nov. 27 - Missions to Asia
Nov. 28 - FUMC Church Staff


Prayers



Praises

A Thanksgiving Tradition

In America we set aside the fourth Thursday in November to remember the gratitude of the early settlers to God for His protection and guidance in their new homeland.

Their hearts were thankful because of the rough conditions they had been through leading up to the harvest that year. They wanted to thank God and give Him glory in front of their children and all people who were observing their actions.

In these uncertain economic times, it is important for Christian families to maintain an attitude of thanksgiving for the Lord’s past provision, as well as an outlook of hopeful expectancy in His coming kingdom.

Doing this will glorify God and pass on a tradition of real “Thanksgiving” that will impact future generations.

“But you, O Lord, will rule forever. Your fame will endure to every generation. Let this be recorded for future generations, so that a nation yet to be created will praise the Lord.” (Psalm 102:12-18, NLT)

Daily Prayer Focus
Nov. 14 - Pastor’s Families
Nov. 15 - Unchurched People
Nov. 16 - Habitat for Humanity
Nov. 17 - Prayer Ministry Team
Nov. 18 - Youth Cell Groups
Nov. 19 - Public Safety Officers
Nov. 20 - Missions to Africa
Nov. 21 - Worship Leaders


Prayers
A better attitude



Praises