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
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
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
Have a wonderful week! - Pastor Randy
Friday, March 27, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
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
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, March 22, 2009
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
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, March 20, 2009
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
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
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