Ministry: Getting a New Focus

“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water; that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:3
Day38

Over the years I have watched our AWANA ministry dwindle and have accepted it, even welcomed the decrease in children attending. It makes the ministry more manageable for the few of us who are dedicated. It is a shame that I am so complacent to watch the ministry filter down to only church kids. The AWANA ministry has and still does minister to children from families that do not go to church, as well as children from our community that go to other churches. Our commitment to all these children is our opportunity to prepare their hearts for the Lord. The Lord can use our efforts to bring up a new generation of Christians impacting their families and their communities for Christ. What better way to grow the body of Christ.
The motto of AWANA is “The other boy and girl for Christ.” This means the focus of the ministry is growth and I really need to reassess my commitment to the program if I am willing to be complacent with a decrease in numbers because of a lack of volunteers. I am seeking the Lord in hope that my heart will change and that I will desire, even welcome, growth in the AWANA program regardless of the struggles it may bring. May all the ministries of Prior Lake Baptist Church always bear fruit, never wither, and always prosper for Christ’s Kingdom.
Tami

Praying as we approach Sunday March 1

It is a humble blessing to read how God is using the devotional book that God allowed us write. I cannot tell you the great joy that I am experiencing from the privilege of partnering with each of you in this campaign. Our times are special and I can sense the building of excitement.

Please pray this week as we approach Sunday. Satan does not like what I will be teaching from God's Word both Sunday morning and Sunday night. Pray that God will guard me this week as I prepare and that he will give me rest and prep time. Also lift up my family. My oldest has the flu - the real bad strain. I am keeping my distance from him and taking plenty Vitamin C!

Please know that both during the morning and evening times, the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be shared! As you invite friends (and enemies), pray that their hearts will be open to receiving the Gospel.

And finally, I trust that all are praying as to what God desires from each during the next three years of the campaign. Remember, it is more than money. It is about His Lordship over every aspect of our lives. May God use this time to pay down the debt of prior Lake! May He also use this time to create a Revival that lasts long beyond thirty six months for His glory.

I am looking forward to seeing you Sunday!

Col 2: 6
Tim Guthrie
Eklund Stewardship Ministries

Is God ever surprised?

One thing comforting about growing "old" in the Lord is the ability to look back through your life and review how faithful God has been to you through all circumstances. I enjoyed a statement I read recently that said "His plans are made on the basis of complete knowledge and control which extend to all things past, present and future, so that there can be no sudden emergencies or unexpected developments to take Him by surprise." This brings me a lot of comfort. He knows all about the economy and everything going on nationally and personally. It can be an exciting adventure to submit to His guidance and see how He works!

How Big Is Your God?

Psalms 78:41-42 “Yes again and again they…limited the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power.” (Day 30)

Over the years as my Sunday school students asked me to pray for relatives that were very ill I would pray that God would give the relative strength and comfort and give the doctors wisdom. I would rarely ever pray for out right healing. I thought that I was protecting their young hearts from disappointment in the Lord, incase the relative died. Now I realize that I was not protecting their young and innocent hearts, but that I was manifesting my unbelief. I was limiting God and I was inadvertently training them to believe that God is not capable of the answering really hard requests. This has been true in my personal pray life also, I have forgotten that my God is BIG ENOUGH and that He can and will always answer my prayers. I plan to turn over a new leaf – I will stretch my faith and pray BIG and I know that God will answer in the way He sees best.
Tami

Sacrificial Giving

I've been having fun thinking of ways to give sacrificially especially in times when our regular tithe seems like a sacrifice.
-From Day 15 (Utility Belt), wouldn't it be great if I could give 2 1/2 hours to God each day in Bible study and prayer? Atleast I can increase it since my current 30-60 minutes seems like such a small part of the 24 hour day He gives us.
- From Day 17 (Adequate Footwear), I have taken classes and had great opportunities in our racing ministry. I know the verses and the methods so I have adequate footwear but it seems I've been standing still this winter. I need to get walking again. I'm praying that God will give me a burden for the lost and a boldness for Him so I can share with others the salvation God has given me!
- From Day 21 (Traveling Companions), it was great to think of ways I can give more to God through the church. One of the things on my list I would like to share on this blog. Seeking God's direction throughout this Journey has been going really well and I really feel that God pointed out something to us. Aaron & I know debt is enslavement to the lender (Proverbs 22:7) but didn't know how to get out of it especially with Aaron isn't working. That verse, some others and Matthew 6:19-21 made us think how silly it is for us to have treasures on earth when we have debt. After much prayer and feeling confident that while we are going against worldly financial advice that we are following God's direction to use some of our earthly treasures to pay off our debt. Oh how freeing it is and we are so excited to be able to tithe first and help with the church debt too. We are also excited that it will allow us to give more to missions and others in need.
- From Day 25 (Power that Works), I really enjoyed the imagery of the depths, length, width and height of God's love. I've been meditating on that the last couple days. Wow! Lord, help me to share your love with others!
Michelle

A testimony from Skip Price

"This past week a person of the congregation inquired from another member to find out if he could help him purchase a product he was involved with. The member said he could and that the only costing would be freight. On Wednesday nite the original brother tried in vain to pay for the freight in advance. It was denied. Somehow a gift of $30 was placed in the hands of a sister who is out of work. The following morning a thank you card was received by mail from the sister who was out of work. Another card contained a check to the original individual for $250 to help pay for some trip expenses. Now three people got a blessing! The message is that you can never outgive our God - anonymous

Mac McKennon's Video Testimony - Journey to Faithfulness

Check out this testimony for a quick look at a long walk into Mac's journey of faithfulness!

Click on link on right side of blog or you can cut and paste link below into your browser:

http://www.priorlakebaptist.org/Journey/mac-1.wmv