Why YOU Need to Be in a Small Group

Tim Johnson sent me the following devotional from a devotional book called "Seeking Daily the Heart of God." This is great on how it benefits each of us to be a part of a small group. Cell Groups are vital to the health of the individual Christian, the Church, and the Christian Community as a whole.


“Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples.” -John 6:3

A Small Group is necessary for sincere disciples of Christ to thrive in an environment of encouragement and accountability. It is in the confidentiality of a small group that you really begin to understand yourself, others, and God. Without the reality check of the group, your perspective drifts into detrimental living. Jesus structured a small group prayerfully by inviting those who were teachable and available. He knew small groups were wise wards of the soul. It is within the care and concern of a small group that special things take place. Prayers are answered. Tears are shed. Joy erupts. Frustrations are vented. Teaching occurs. Truth is unleashed. Dumb decisions are averted. Wise actions are initiated. Work is found. Families are freed up. Accountability is invited. Love is applied. Character is cultivated. Fun flows.

It is in the confines of a Christ-centered small group that the Holy Spirit woos each heart. He is free to roam and romance each soul to Himself. No wonder the work of the enemy seeks to lure you away from the safety of a small group. Outside of the security of the group you are fair game for his demons of destruction. Wavering disciples become sitting ducks when they struggle alone; dying in desperate silence. You give up the good and give in to the bad without the guardrails of the group. This community of home care was the model of the early church (Acts 2:46).

So, engage with those you would like to get to know better. Seek out spiritually mature followers of Jesus. You are secure in Christ and your small group feeds these feelings of security. A healthy small group is not co-dependent, rather interdependent and Christ-dependent. The group rises to the occasion when a crisis occurs. They minister hope to each other. It is a microcosm of the Body of Christ. Large groups leverage wonderful corporate worship and praise. Gifted teachers thrive in the throngs of bigger is better. However, accountability and care get lost in largeness. It is in the small group that the teaching is synthesized down for personal and practical application. Questions and answers flow unguarded under the influence of the small group. Furthermore, prayer proceeds specifically and supportively within a community of trust. Your prayer life goes to a whole new level because the Lord becomes more intimate through specific supplications. Indeed, the transition of life are lubricated through the love and acceptance of the group. Christ-centered groups develop Christian communities who reach into the community.

So, be a small group that submits to the authority of the Lord and His church. A small group led by the Spirit encounters Christ!



Publication: Seeking Daily The Heart Of God

Author: Boyd Bailey

Publisher: Wisdom Hunters. LLC

Distributed by: Family Christian Stores

Copyright © 2008 by Boyd Bailey

Sunday Wrap Up

Great day! Great weekend! Top Seven Reasons... #7- I got the house cleaned up before Annette came back from the encounter...well sort of. #6 - It was great to have my brother's ladies from his church attend the encounter. Debbie, Tom's wife, and his daughter, Cassandra, were a part of that group. #5 - I am just so proud of the great godly women leaders that God has raised up in KP. They do such a beautiful job leading encounters. God honors their prayer, fasting, and their hard work. #4 - Good fellowship with my brother this weekend. #3 -Seeing my beautiful wife again after being gone from her during the week and the weekend. #2 - Hearing God's Word this morning and preaching it tonight. #1 - Wonderful testimonies of changed lives at the women's encounter celebration service today. Check out these beautiful encounter testimony excerpts...



Have a wonderful week! - Pastor Randy

Friday Countdown

Good Friday everyone! I have kept the rapture video up for a few days. I hope it served to remind viewers that Jesus is coming.

The women's encounter starts tonight. Over one hundred ladies will attend this spring's encounters. Congrats to our ladies. They do such a great job preparing for and working encounter weekends. This is the eleventh women's encounter weekend they have done now. They have ministered to well over a thousand women from many different churches and states. Only heaven knows the lives that have been changed forever. Please keep this weekend's encounters in your prayers. This is a ministry of Kings Point. They need you and I praying and even fasting a meal or two on their behalf. Please join us!

My brother will be preaching Sunday morning. Tom is the director of the Grant County Rescue Mission in Marion, Indiana. He also is the founder and pastor of the Downtown Tabernacle in Marion. Tom is a great preacher of God's Word. I am sure we will have a great service Sunday morning.

The Women's Celebration service will be at 2:30 pm at the Higher Ground Retreat Center. It will last about 45 minutes. Everyone is welcome to attend. We will have our regular Sunday evening service at 6:00 pm. We had a great crowd last Sunday evening. Please join us this Sunday. We will worship, hear God's Word, and we will be praying again. We are doing more praying on Sunday nights in our services. As I said last Sunday morning...DON'T WAIT UNTIL CRISIS COMES AND THEN PANIC PRAY...LEARN TO PRAY DAILY "...LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION.." AND IF THE CRISIS COMES, THE PEACE AND POWER OF GOD ALMIGHTY WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH IT.

Enjoy your weekend!

-Pastor Randy

He Really Is Coming...

Like the ministry of John the Baptist as recorded in Luke 3, I declare to you Get Ready... Prepare the Way...He is Coming...Repent of your Sins.

Just a reminder, that one day, in one quick moment, IT REALLY WILL HAPPEN.




Are you ready? Romans 10:8-10

In His Love,

Pastor Randy

Be Strong, Be Courageous...Here's Why

"Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight." Then Joshua struck and killed the kings and hung them on five trees, and they were left hanging on the trees until evening." - Joshua 10:25-26

As I mentioned Sunday in my message, the Commander of the Army of the Lord fought with Joshua. He tells the people of Israel in the above passage to not be afraid or discouraged, but be the opposite of that - strong and courageous. Like Joshua, God is with us...He has already won our battles for us through Jesus Christ at Calvary. However, we must trust Him and obey.

Time after time as Joshua and Israel went into battle, God told them that He would be with them and that they would be victorious. But Joshua and Israel had to believe God and act on His Word. We too, must believe God's Word that we are victorious, that He is with us, and we will be victorious. No matter how big and bad the enemy. No matter how difficult the circumstance. See what He says to you in His Word (the Bible)...believe it...act on it or obey it...and you too will be victorious.

Your God is the same God of Joshua and Israel. You too are His child. He gives you the same promises. He is the same God who never changes.

Have a wonderful week!

-Pastor Randy

Sunday Wrap Up

Another great Sunday! Wow, tonight's service I thought was awesome. The worship, the Word, and what a great time of prayer we had. The crowd too, was good. I know its not fashionable, but I really do think we can get back to great crowds on Sunday evenings. I really believe that as God revives our church, it can happen!

God is doing something in our church right now. I sincerely believe the Lord is taking us to another level. I felt like the Holy Spirit spoke that to me a few weeks ago. That He was about to take us to another level, but that some would not go with us. But we couldn't worry about that. We had to let God move us to where He wants to take us.

The youth went to see "Dead Serious About Life" today. It was a powerful program and really touched our kids deeply. Our youth pulled an "all-nighter" Friday evening as they studied, prayed, and had some fun together. Corina, Mark, and Ken are doing a wonderful job. Corina really is doing a wonderful job growing out kids in discipleship and in evangelism. Thanks so much Corina!

The ladies encounter is this week. Our second generation cell leaders will be leading this encounter. I am looking forward to seeing God do a great work this weekend. I am proud of these ladies. I have full confidence in them and their walk with the Lord. I am looking forward to seeing the fruit of their labors.

Everyone have a great week!

-Pastor Randy

Friday Countdown

Wow, what a beautiful morning! I personally had a long day yesterday. I drove to Indy and picked my mother and went to my brother's mission in Marion, Indiana. There I picked up a whole truckload of goodies for the church. We will give away all of this to those that are in need. We are officially calling our food ministry the "Open Arms Caring and Sharing" ministry. I had announced another name a few weeks ago from the pulpit. Sorry, I got it wrong. Whats the pastor know anyway?

I hope your week has went well. We serve a wonderful, great God! Be sure to tell someone that today. Declare His great works to those that are around you today. As you do, God will be glorified!

I am excited about Sunday. I have been studying and praying this week. I haven't zeroed in on anything yet. But I do know God is going to meet with us. Please join us for prayer on Saturdays. The men meet for prayer at 9 am. This is not just for cell leaders, but for any man that wants to pray. The ladies have a great prayer meeting at 6 pm. Our prayer and fasting makes a great difference in our services on Sunday. That's why God shows up...because we ask Him too.

Have a great day!

-Pastor Randy

The Men's Ministries at Kings Point

We had a wonderful men's net meeting Wednesday night. The Chili Cookoff was won by Chris McBeath (1st place), Brian Griffin (2nd place), and Dale Boegeman (third place). There were probably fifteen different kinds of chili represented. It was all good...too good! Pastor Scott Skeens and some of their men from Cornerstone joined us. We had a great time of fellowship. Pastor Skeens shared a powerful message about how men are to be trees of righteousness. It looked great to see lots of men around the altar praying and weeping together. I especially appreciate the men who brought friends, I believe that God ministered to those men as well.

I am thankful for the strong, praying men of Kings Point. In my ten plus years as pastor, God has raised up some great men of integrity. Men that our younger men can look to as examples of godliness. That doesn't mean we are perfect, but we are conforming to the image of Christ daily.

Another men's "God Encounter" weekend will soon be upon us. April 24-26 (Fri-Sun) at the Southern Ohio camp grounds is the location. These weekends change lives. If you are tired of living a status quo life for God, make plans to join us. I promise you will not be the same. Please see our home page and click on "encounters" in the left box of the various web pages. All the information is there or you can call the church office.

Have a wonderful day!

-Pastor

God's School of Testing

We may graduate from high school or college. But as Christians, we seem to never graduate from God's school. In His school, He uses lots of tests. I found these lists interesting and insightful.

Nine Tests Every Christian Must Face.
Lesson 1 - The Wilderness Test
Lesson 2 - The Time Test
Lesson 3 - The Motivation Test
Lesson 4 - The Failure Test
Lesson 5 - The Self-will Test
Lesson 6 - The Discouragement Test
Lesson 7 - The Misunderstanding Test
Lesson 8 - The Frustration Test
Lesson 9 - The Servant Test

Testing is
* Inevitable
* Continual
* Necessary
* Productive
* Influential
* Crafted by God

Dangers of the Testing
* People become DISILLUSIONED
* People become DISTRAUGHT
* People become DISTRACTED
* People become ANGRY
* People become BITTER
* People become HARDENED

The purpose of every test is:
* To reveal what we understand
* To reveal what we don't understand
* To reveal to us the applicability of the lesson

Have a great day!

-Pastor Randy

Sunday Wrap Up

What a wonderful praise & worship service we had this morning during Sunday School! I heard one comment after another how much people enjoyed it. Some even suggested that we do it more often. Who knows? The morning service was great as well. What a wonderful time we had around the altars.

Beginning in May we are going to do a once a month Saturday evening service. This will be a different kind of service more geared toward flowing in praise & worship and ministry of the Word. We will also be involving other churches and their ministries. Who knows, if there is a good response over time, we might make it a weekly service.

As I mentioned tonight, we are planning on blessing our active widows again in April. We plan on giving them groceries, some personal care items, providing a health checkup free of charge, and a financial gift. If you would like to give toward this, just put "widows" on your offering envelope and the amount.

Please remember our missionary, Arlene Miller, in your prayers. She is having a very tough time right now physically. She needs a touch from God. Have a wonderful week!

-Pastor

An Unsual Hunger for God

If you have been at KP lately you have heard me say that people in America are beginning to turn to God. Americans are losing their retirements, their homes, their jobs, and their health insurance. They have little hope in the government, or Wall Street, or big corporations, the banking system, or the future. For many, they are turning to organized religion in hopes of finding help, peace, hope, grace, and strength.

In the last few months at KP, our finances have increased. We are seeing more visitors. More people are coming to prayer meetings. We are hearing more stories of people "out of nowhere" coming to our small group leaders crying and asking for prayer and counsel. Undoubtedly, the climate is changing and as our American way of life continues to decline, we will see a greater hunger for God from some people... but not all.

Why not all? Because some people will not turn to God. Some will try working harder, worrying more; some will just give up, and some will insist on asking "why" instead of "who." Some will become bitter and cause their ill circumstances to come between them and God instead of pushing them toward God. Some will turn to religions that point them to a false god, or a powerless god, or to humans who think they are gods.

My concern is that the church in America is revived and renewed to the place that we are ready for the people with this unusual hunger for God. I know the the church as whole isn't ready. But I am hoping and praying that just a remnant is prepared with oil in their lamps and the compassion of Christ in their hearts. I am excited about the opportunities ahead for the church. But I am praying daily that we God's church will humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our sins (2 Chronicles 7:14). If we will do this I sincerely believe that we will see one last great harvest of souls in America before Jesus comes back for His bride.

-Pastor

Friday Countdown

Hello everyone! I hope you have had a great week and are ready for the weekend. Remember to join us this Sunday for a special day of revival and refreshing. We start at 9:30 am in the sanctuary for a time of worship and prayer. The children will have their Sunday School classes as usual at 9:45 am. Worship will follow at 10:40 am with the evening service at 6 pm. Please invite family and friends. Not because we ask that you do but because Jesus is coming soon and you want them to be ready!

Our big easter egg hunt is only a few weeks away. We are still needing workers. We have some sign up sheets in the foyer. Please get involved and help us out. We need a big team of people to handle the massive crowd we are expecting this year. Remember, the objective is to see people come to Christ. PLEASE HELP US MAKE THIS HAPPEN!

Please be praying for Sunday's services. Also, if you will, fast a meal or two tomorrow. Not only will it get you ready to receive from the Holy Spirit Sunday but your prayer and fasting is good for you rphysically and will bless the entire body of Christ.

See you Sunday!

-Pastor Randy

I need a "Strong God"

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of [them] whose heart [is] perfect toward him.

I love this passage. I truly believe this. I believe God when he says his eyes are running to and fro throughout the earth looking to show himself strong on my behalf. I don't know about you, but I need a "strong God." I feel weak a lot and helpless. I don't always have it together in spite of what some of you might think. I need a God who is strong on my behalf. You say, Are you saying your heart is perfect toward Him (God)? Yep, it is. The word "perfect" here means "full, peaceable, ready, quiet, complete."

I am seeking God with my whole heart. I experience the presence of the Lord daily in my life as I have fellowship with Christ. In the Old Testament, God's presence was embodied in the tabernacle as the Israelites encamped around it. Today, we experience God's presence as we spend time with him in prayer, worship, and in His word. It is a wonderful thing to spend quality time with the Lord, building consistent intimacy. The continual pursuit of His presence will lead to a revelation of the glory of Christ in your life. What's so special about His glory? His glory is a manifestation of God's goodness, His mercy, His love and compassion. This is what causes our heart to be "perfect toward Him." Isn't that cool?

Please remember little Rachael Worley in your prayers. Also, remember our missionary, Arlene Miller. Please be praying now for Sunday's special day of revival and refreshing. Come expecting!

-Pastor

Financial Principles That Always Work

Man, I must be loosing it. I thought I wrote a blog yesterday. But I guess I got too busy and didn't get it done. So here is the one for today. May God bless you!

As I was doing my daily reading today, I found some financial principles for individuals, businesses, and nations that always work. There are many others in God's Word, but these are big ones that we hang our hats on. God will bless you, your business, and our nation greatly as we practice these.

I. Give a Tenth of your Income to God
Deuteronomy 14:22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. 23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always. 24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), 25 then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose. 26 Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice. 27 And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.

II. Provide for the Ministry, the Fatherless, and the Widows
28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

III. Provide for the Poor
Deuteronomy 15:4 However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, 5 if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. 6 For the LORD your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.7 If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. 8 Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. 9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: "The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near," so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. 10 Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.

As a church, we too are committed to practicing these principles. God is blessing our church tremendously financially and spiritually right now. And I believe its because of our obedience.

Have a wonderful day!

-Pastor Randy

Wilkerson's Recent Prophetic Word on the Drudge Report

Some of you may be familiar with the Drudge Report which is read by hundreds of thousands of people daily. Today the Drudge Report carried David Wilkerson's prophetic word that I read this past weekend in my message. Here is what it looked like on the Drudge Report.

___________________________________________

TESTING THE FAITH
Famed pastor predicts imminent catastrophe
Best-selling author, Teen Challenge founder, sees 'earth-shattering calamity about to happen'

A respected pastor, best-selling author and founder of a major ministry to teens predicts an imminent "earth-shattering calamity" centered in New York City that will spread to major urban areas across the country and around the world – part of what he sees as a judgment from God.

David Wilkerson, author of "The Cross and the Switchblade," a book about his ministry to troubled New York street kids that was later made into a movie starring Pat Boone, tells readers of his blog this weekend that he is "compelled by the Holy Spirit to send out an urgent message" about his prediction.

"An earth-shattering calamity is about to happen," he writes. "It is going to be so frightening, we are all going to tremble – even the godliest among us."

Wilkerson's vision is of fires raging through New York City.

"It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires – such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago," he explains. "There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting – including Times Square, New York City. What we are experiencing now is not a recession, not even a depression. We are under God’s wrath. In Psalm 11 it is written, "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"



Wilkerson is the founding pastor of Times Square Church in New York City, where he launched a ministry to gang members and drug addicts in 1958. He is a highly regarded mentor to other pastors in evangelical circles and travels the world holding conferences for other Christian ministers.



His work in New York in the 1950s and 1960s led to the formation of Teen Challenge – a nationwide ministry to reach out to people with life-controlling habits. Teen Challenge has grown to include 173 residential programs and numerous evangelism outreach centers in the United States, and 241 centers in 77 other countries. The program claims a recovery rate of 86 percent.

The story of Wilkerson's first five years of ministry in New York is told in "The Cross and the Switchblade," a book he co-authored in 1963. The book became a best-selling phenomenon and more than 15 million copies have been distributed in over 30 languages.

"God is judging the raging sins of America and the nations," claims Wilkerson. "He is destroying the secular foundations." Wilkerson urges everyone to stockpile a 30-day supply of food and other necessities to deal with the catastrophe he foresees.

"I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off," Wilkerson concluded in his message. "I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose."

A past vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention is hoping believers pay attention to Wilkerson's message.

"I have known David Wilkerson for more than 25 years as well as many of his friends and associates," said Pastor Wiley Drake. "He is a godly man and I believe he is listening to God. I encourage each Christian to read and heed what God is saying through our brother."

Sunday Wrap Up

Long day, but a good one! What a wonderful presence of God we experienced this morning as well as tonight. Days like this when the presence of God is great...no kidding, I wish we would go another two hours or more. I guess that's because when you attend a conference at Bethany you go from 9 am to 9 pm only to stop for lunch and dinner. Like encounter Saturdays, it just gets better and better and you don't realize how long you have been there. I sincerely believe one day that might happen in our church on Sundays. God's people could get so hungry for the presence of God in the future that we could easily go all day on Sundays. Wouldn't that be something!

Wow, we just had visitors everywhere this morning. I hope to see that again next Sunday. Please invite people this week. I know I am excited about inviting people. Remember, next Sunday, we are calling it "a Day of Revival and Refreshing." Come anticipating a great move of God!

I heard a good joke this week that I will leave with you.

A Nutritionist told his patient that he must go home and practice eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. He told him to come back in a month and they would evaluate his progress. Well, one month later the man reported back to the Nutritionist that he wasn't doing very well with his new eating strategy. The nutritionist ask "Why, what's the problem?" The patient said "Well every night around 10:30 there's a voice that rises up within me that cries out Long Live the King. And off to the kitchen I go."

Have a great week!

-Pastor Randy

Friday Countdown

Happy Friday everyone! And praise God for the warm weather. This weekend is suppose to be nice.

I am anxious for us to come together this Sunday for worship. I want to encourage you to bring someone with you. I am telling you this is a great time to be a witness to your friends and neighbors about Christ. People are asking questions. People are giving up hope on this world. People are beginning to see that they can't trust in man. You and I have to be humbling ourselves, praying, seeking God, and turning from our sins. The result is God will hear our prayers, forgive us, and heal us (2 Chronicles 7:14). Don't you want God to bring healing to your home, community, and country? I do. And I know God wants that too.

On Sunday, March 15th, I ask that you join me and the church for a day of revival and refreshing. I sincerely believe God is going to divinely visit us and do a mighty work as we gather together on this day. This coming Sunday I will be announcing our schedule for this particular Sunday. Plan now to BRING YOUR FAMILY AND PRAY AND FAST WITH US ABOUT THIS SPECIAL SUNDAY!

I love you!

-Pastor

Checking in from "The Rouge"

Sorry its been awhile. I am attending the Pastor's Remnant Conference in Baton Rouge and we are on an Encounter-like schedule. So you know what that means...its pretty busy from morning to late at night. I brought nine other pastors with me from the southern Ohio area. They have thoroughly enjoyed it. Steve Hill, the Brownsville Revival Evangelist, preached this last session. Same Steve Hill...a great soul-winning preacher! He will preach tonight as well. Please remember him in your prayers. He has cancer in his blood and cancer tumors as well. But he is standing strong in his faith as the enemy attacks his body.

Also, please continue to remember in your prayers Sister Phyllis Titus as she battles cancer once again. She too, is strong in her faith.

Well, I better go! I will check in again soon. Have a great week! I love you and am praying for you.

-Pastor Randy

Sunday Wrap Up

Good day today. Great worship service this morning. Ken preached good tonight...except for the suey-side joke. Now I know what you all have to put up with when I am gone and he preaches. Just joking...I really appreciate and love Ken.

The state tools conference was really well attended yesterday. It seems like someone told me that there were 400 to 500 that participated. I know those that attended my classes were eager to learn and receive. It's great to see so many churches hungry to do ministry and be more effective in ministry.

Hey, I want to take a few minutes to encourage you to READ. That's how we learn...grow. Right now I am reading the following:
"Uncommon" by Tony Dungy
"The Remnant" by Larry Stocksdale
The book of "Mark" in the bible

What are you reading? If you are reading a book that you would like to share with me, just click on the "Comments" at the bottom and give me the name and the author. I might want to read it. Thanks so much.

Have a great week everyone!


-Pastor Randy