Yesterday, we had an awesome time in the Lord, from intercessory prayer @ 830 to 4:30 small group bible study. I’m getting back in the habit of meeting with the prayer warriors on Sunday morning for intercessory pray for our worship experiences. There are only a few but they are committed to welcoming the Holy Spirit into the building and faithfully praying for the souls who will attend the experiences. Our 9am bible study is growing as we continue to share God’s Word, during the summer we focused on God’s Amazing Grace as a prelude to our series on Love. Rev. Terry Buxton of the Agape Bible Fellowship Church of Tulsa, Oklahoma was our 46th Birthday celebration speaker. Rev. Buxton has been a friend a long time and while in college I invited him to come and preach. He’s also married to a childhood friend from the Fairview Church. Reverend quickly felt comfortable and relaxed and gave us a solid word from Mark chapter 5. The Buxton’s have a young ministry in Tulsa that have just celebrated their second year but just purchased a church in a fast growing area of Tulsa. They’re doing some very exciting things and we connect at so many levels that we simple talked for hours about what God is doing, able to do and will do in these two churches.
Today, we started week 2 of “40 Days of Love,” this has been both a struggle and blessing. It is amazing how God will open your eyes when you give concentrated and intense study of a particular subject. This has been a practice of mine since our first spiritual journey, to simply just saturate the congregation with that which God is saying whether it’s worship, tithing or fellowship. The Buxtons asked if there was one thing that I could contribute the growth of the church to what would it be. It was simple, concentrated focus…in my preaching I am primarily a series preacher [that means each message I preach connects for at least 4 or 5 weeks]. I find that people relate and respond better, when number one they know what to expect Sunday after Sunday and two they are excited to know more about deepening a subject matter. The struggle has been there are so many hurt people that have come to church for years and never ever been healed. The level of bitterness, anger, fear, brokenness and unforgiveness is almost suffocating. In writing this I’m reminded of the man with the evil spirit that attended church every week but until Jesus stood up and preached the spirit was comfortable in [Mark 1:21-28]. The moment Jesus spoke the spirit recognized the authority of Jesus. 40 days of love has actually exposed something in all of us. Love is one of those things we say we do but our English vocabulary has limited the meaning and definition of love…we love everything from peach cobbler to our favorite team to hobbies to people.
In week one we learned that love is life greatest lesson to learn and that God commands us “to love him with all our heart, soul, mind, and all our strength and love your neighbor as yourself”. This week we’re learning to love like Jesus loves… “a new command I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Today’s thought was “Jesus doesn’t want us to try our hardest [in loving one another], he wants us to learn to trust in him.”
This week’s memory verse: “Love is patient, love is kind” 1 Corinthians 13:4
Pray for the Greater Bethel Church as we seek to destroy these enemies: bitterness, anger and unforgiveness as we learn more about loving like God loves.
Today, we started week 2 of “40 Days of Love,” this has been both a struggle and blessing. It is amazing how God will open your eyes when you give concentrated and intense study of a particular subject. This has been a practice of mine since our first spiritual journey, to simply just saturate the congregation with that which God is saying whether it’s worship, tithing or fellowship. The Buxtons asked if there was one thing that I could contribute the growth of the church to what would it be. It was simple, concentrated focus…in my preaching I am primarily a series preacher [that means each message I preach connects for at least 4 or 5 weeks]. I find that people relate and respond better, when number one they know what to expect Sunday after Sunday and two they are excited to know more about deepening a subject matter. The struggle has been there are so many hurt people that have come to church for years and never ever been healed. The level of bitterness, anger, fear, brokenness and unforgiveness is almost suffocating. In writing this I’m reminded of the man with the evil spirit that attended church every week but until Jesus stood up and preached the spirit was comfortable in [Mark 1:21-28]. The moment Jesus spoke the spirit recognized the authority of Jesus. 40 days of love has actually exposed something in all of us. Love is one of those things we say we do but our English vocabulary has limited the meaning and definition of love…we love everything from peach cobbler to our favorite team to hobbies to people.
In week one we learned that love is life greatest lesson to learn and that God commands us “to love him with all our heart, soul, mind, and all our strength and love your neighbor as yourself”. This week we’re learning to love like Jesus loves… “a new command I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Today’s thought was “Jesus doesn’t want us to try our hardest [in loving one another], he wants us to learn to trust in him.”
This week’s memory verse: “Love is patient, love is kind” 1 Corinthians 13:4
Pray for the Greater Bethel Church as we seek to destroy these enemies: bitterness, anger and unforgiveness as we learn more about loving like God loves.
3 comments:
Love is patient, Love is kind...very powerful characteristics of Love. A great challenge for all of us.
Pastor,
I took the liberty of browsing your blog and am certainly grateful to savor your writing prowess. I found your link through the blog of your friend and brother, Pastor Ray E. Owens. Looking forward to reading more of your posts.
What amazing dedication it takes to stick with what the Lord tells you to do and to realize what your strengths as a preacher are. Any number of your series of sermons have blessed my life and my ministry. I pray that God will continue to bless all that you are doing with the Bethel family.
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