Update: Sunday Service - January 26, 2014

Praises & Prayer Requests

- R's dad is finishing chemo

- Continued prayer for the ministry

- Fundraising committee is working on activities

- Continued prayer for the lost

Message Overview: 

1 John 4:7-21, Romans 5:8

God Commands us to love one another, not just those like us, but all -  whether of like mind or not. Jesus provided this example - loving all, whether friend or foe.

Who is waiting for us to provide similar hope? We need to care enough to get involved, to carry burdens, to facilitate relationship between them and Jesus. We may be the only Christian influence that some have.

The only way we can share love is to have that love grow in us - through study of the Word, through fellowship with other Christians, & through prayer.

We need to be willing to share with others, to get out and make a difference with others. The whole purpose for Jesus coming was to sacrifice for us and to bring us hope. With a selfless, giving love, you can point someone to Christ. Through pouring your life out & setting new priorities in your life, you can demonstrate the love that God has shown you. Each of us can make a difference, if we are open to His direction. Nobody can meet the need alone. We need to rely on Jesus and His Word, living in His guidance. Plant that seed, and God will provide the increase. We are planters and waterers. Jesus shows that we need to act even when it is not comfortable

Unconditional love does not place conditions on the person’s willingness, past, or appearance.  God shows that He truly loves this world, every person. He desires that all would come to know Him. God puts people in front of us for a reason - to try and make a difference. Hardness of heart in man can make it difficult for a seed to take or thrive, but willingness to try is our directive. We must make an effort and trust Jesus to make that difference.

Can my enemy become my burden? My area of effort?  ONLY in God’s love.

To grow in love, remember how much He has loved us. Spend time with God in prayer and in His Word. Think of the two greatest commandments:  Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, & Love your neighbor as yourself. Daily ask God for strength & for the ability to obey His commandments to love. As His love becomes more real in our hearts, we become more able to follow His commands.

TO DO this week:

1.     DAILY ask for the strength and courage to Love you and love our neighbor…

2.     DAILY ASK for the opportunity to reach out to our neighbors and others to make a difference for Jesus….to witness and share God’s Love as it lives in us….

3.     Get in His Word every day!!

4.     Pray and meditate on His Word…build your relationship with the Savior!!

5.      Pray for opportunities to share and/or serve Him

6.     Act on the opportunities He provides

7.     Grow through ACTION

8.     SHARE this weeks Action next Week

Update: Sunday Service - January 19, 2014

Activity Update:

Held board meeting yesterday and a committee was formed to work on fundraising and outreach efforts.  All ideas are welcome.

Will be getting a food shipment on Tuesday and will look to arrange an outreach in Lame Deer.

Yesterday the men’s home had an outing in Billings.

Praises & Prayer Requests:

- R's dad is finishing chemo treatments

- L's sister has moved home

- blessing for men's home & it's continued operation

- R's niece

- L's son & dad

Message: 1 John 4: 7-21

How do we love like Jesus? To love one another, we must love like Jesus.

In the Greek language: Phileo: brotherly love, friendship. Eros: romantic love. Agape: sacrificial love, the deepest level of love. Not just devotion, it is decision; an act of will - exampled in a long marriage.

Emotional love can fade. Jesus commands us to love one another using the word agape - to make it an act of will, to make a decision, choosing to have grace.

1 Cor. 1:26 - "think of where you were when you were called…."

John relates that loving one another is not only our standard, but is evidence of our love for God.

Matthew 22: 27, 1 John 4:20  

We grow every day to be more like Him; never perfect, but always growing. He gave us two things both built on relationship: family and church. Do you love your neighbors as Jesus loves you? Would you sacrifice for others? Have you decided to love like Jesus?

Let’s love one another. It is the Lord’s command. We each have different likes and dislikes, but LET’S LOVE ONE ANOTHER...

God couldn’t save sinners and spare Jesus. He allowed His Son to give up His life to save us. This was a planned, deliberate event - not spawned out of emergency - but out of our long standing need - true love.

1 John 3:16  - This is how we know what love is: Christ laid down his life for us.

TO DO This Week:

1.     HAVE YOU DECIDED TO LOVE LIKE JESUS? Do so now...

2.     Get in His Word every day!!

3.     Pray and meditate on His Word…build your relationship with the Savior!!

4.      Pray for opportunities to share and/or serve Him

5.     Act on the opportunities He provides

6.     Grow through ACTION

7.     SHARE this weeks Action next Week

Update: Sunday Service - January 12, 2014

Program update, week in review:

Effort this week has been to find ways to apply the material learned.  Read, retain & apply is the “secret” to making life changes.  Our desire is to be effective sons of God.  Our question to each other is whether I/we have been the best possible child of Christ today and this week. Seek conviction to answer this question daily in the affirmative so as to demonstrate the knowledge has fruit. 

We are updating our curriculum and focus on a day to day effort of application. The process to move head knowledge to heart action is to find ways to apply (and make a difference in God’s kingdom). We have been trying on a character of the Bible and asking God to place people in our lives with whom we can make a difference - someone to whom we can be reflective of Jesus.

Earlier this week, we went to the Courthouse to create a life-like “fishing” opportunity for each participant here -  to reach out to people in the hallway of the courthouse.

Praises:

T’s surgery went well!

We got natural gas heat installed in our church building!

Praise God’s effort through Hardin Set Free!

The opportunity to come together in the name of the Lord!

Praise the Lord for provision of resources!

Praise the Lord for Cole K. and his efforts in support of Set Free!  He is coming up & working with the guys. He is consistently lifting up Set Free in the community, referring people to the program and his church is supporting Set Free efforts monetarily each month.

Prayer Requests:

S’s dad’s Health

C’s Dad & Grandpa

R’s dad’s Health

the Ministry

Leadership of Set Free

That the Spirit’s leading continues to move us

Message:  Matthew 14 - Jesus Walks on the Sea

The men performed a skit of the Disciples in a boat in the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus comes to them.

Skit:  The point of this effort was to get in character, to study the Word, to further Jesus’ kingdom, to work together. When we take our eyes off of Jesus, we start to sink - just like Peter. We each have experienced this in our own lives.

Witness from the Men: 

1:  Many times I have drowned. God lifts me up and brings me back here, and I am home. Praise the Lord.

2.  I had two Lords: alcohol and the Lord. I think many times that I can handle it. I do bible study, and then find reasons not to go. I worry about a job and other things and forget about the Lord. I slip into drinking and  fail to work with my brothers. This skit makes me look back on this. I need to keep my eyes focused and keep in fellowship with my brothers.

3.  I didn’t have faith until I got here. I hung around a group of non-believers, questioning if there was a God. I would pray when I went to jail, but didn’t pursue when I got out. I have been totally convicted. Just like the wind, I can’t see it, but I know it is there. I know Jesus is real.

4.  I’ve prayed; I know that I didn’t always give up myself for the Lord. I have been to prison, trying to do my own thing. I see the disciples gave up because of the storm. I need more faith, just as they did. I need to give up on self and trust Jesus. Look to Him, rather than myself. He is my leader, my light. It's all about Jesus. My brothers have been a great blessing to me. The program gives me encouragement.

Message:  

The message from Jesus in this story is we need to keep our eyes looking to Jesus. Peter had to have a lot of faith to get out of the boat and walk on the water. His story tells us that getting out of our comfort zone isn’t enough. We need to keep working towards Jesus. He cried out to Jesus; he exercised his faith. We’re going to take our eyes off Christ. Know that having enough faith to believe is important, but that when the time comes that we start sinking, don’t despair. Cry out to Jesus. Pursue Him and Jesus will be faithful. We know that addictions and problems will be tempting to use as a reason to give up, but when those come, cry out to Jesus!!

We will get busy and slip. Anticipate that our individual answer needs to be reaching out to Jesus at such times.

Peter just witnessed Jesus feed the 5000, and had been walking with Jesus daily. What could be better preparation? Yet, he slipped. But he shows us what we need to do - cry out to Jesus. We need to keep working our faith, applying our faith, building strength. When problems arise, be ready to reach out to Jesus.

Pray, think, and study. Where can we find ways to study and apply? Make time for Him. Put the phones, tv, and computer down and find ways to apply daily. Treat it as homework. Find the ways, and then share them...

Jesus has brought us through much. He deserves our trust and effort.

TO DO This Week:

1.     Get in His Word every day!!

2.     Pray and meditate on His Word…build your relationship with the Savior!!

3.      Pray for opportunities to share and/or serve Him    

4.     Act on the opportunities He provides

5.     Grow through ACTION

6.     SHARE this weeks Action next Week