Thursday

“God reigns over the nations;

God sits on His holy throne.”

~Psalm 47:8~

Hannah Shockley is home, but will be having additional tests. Please continue to pray for her and her family during this time.

Susan Rimes’ sister, Lisa Davis, has been having some more difficult days lately. Please pray for Lisa and her family to experience God’s presence as He walks through the days with them.

A number of people are undergoing tests for various concerns. Pray for each need.

Opportunities:

• Share group meeting 2 6:30 tonight at the Alford cabin
• Prayerwalking in Kentwood @ 7:30 A.M. Saturday
• OnMission in Kentwood @ 8:00 A.M. Saturday, September 27
• Cottage prayer meetings for revival the week of September 29
• Fall Revival at FBC, Kentwood October 5-8; Pray for those who will be in attendance.
• AWANA is back! 4:50 P.M. Sundays

MISSIONARY PERSONAL NEEDS. Praise the Lord for His wonderful provision! In answer to prayer, God has provided the R family with a place to live during their stateside assignment. (They had to change their dates, and mission housing is usually booked years in advance and can be difficult to find.) He even gave them a home that is near their son’s college! Praise the Lord that nothing is too difficult for Him.

MUSLIMS: PRAYING BEYOND THE WALL. The 12 countries of North Africa and the 288 million people who live in them are overwhelmingly Muslim; however, there are Christians living in each of the countries. Pray for these believers to live sanctified lives that honor Christ and demonstrate His love and holiness to their Muslim family, friends and neighbors. Pray for God to use radio and television broadcasts to introduce His Word and His ways to the Muslims of North Africa. Ask God to raise up an ever-increasing group of visionary, passionate and effective witnesses and church planters to build His kingdom in North Africa. Finally, pray for North Africans to place their faith in Jesus Christ. http://btw.imb.org/

Week of Prayer for

Georgia Barnette Offering for Louisiana Missions

“My life as it was, is no more. My life is now in service to God’s message of the Gospel,” reflects Randy. “…and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday,” Isaiah 58:10. “My life as it was, is no more. My life is now in service to God’s message of the Gospel,” reflects Randy.

Randy Smith is the church planter for Cross Brand Cowboy Church in Robert. He preaches God’s Word in a western atmosphere. “This ministry is built around horses, roping, and bucking bulls,” says Randy.

Cross Brand Cowboy Church is reaching many unchurched individuals because of the cowboy activities that it offers. “Larry, who was unchurched, started coming to Cowboy Church because he liked to rope steers. He came to know Jesus as Lord and is now at church every Sunday,” recalls Randy.

Please pray for a permanent building site for Cross Brand Cowboy Church. Also, pray for the lost people in the western culture. Ask God for guidance as the leadership plants this church for God!

Baptist Press

September 17, 2008

TENNESSEE–Media takes note of Baptist disaster relief. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28936

TEXAS–Ike keeps Baptists in the kitchen. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28937

TEXAS–ANALYSIS: Market drop not a time for panic. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28942

COLORADO–ELECTION 08: Colo. ‘personhood’ amendment would answer question Roe posed. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28938

TEXAS–Engineers examine HBU complex; ETBU hunkered down for Ike. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28939

TENNESSEE–He introduces Jesus into the conversation. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28940

GEORGIA–FIRST-PERSON: Using ‘GPS’ to engage others for Christ. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28941

TEXAS–Baptists gear up to 500,000 meals a day. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28935

KNOWING, DOING, BECOMING

I heard about a story about a man whose wife wanted to buy a pet monkey. The husband protested strongly. He said, “Where will the monkey eat?” She said, “He’ll eat at the table with us.” He said, “But what will he eat?” And she said, “He’ll eat the same thing we do.” He said, “But where will the monkey sleep?” She said, “He’ll sleep in bed with us.” He said, “But what about the smell?” She said, “I got used to you, I reckon he will, too.”

So often when we think about the need for change, we are quick to think of ways that somebody else needs to change. We are much more hesitant to recognize that there are problems in our own life that need to be dealt with. But Christianity is a growing process, a process by which we are constantly looking for those things that need to be changed and improved, and then taking steps to do just that.

In the next several TFTD messages, I want to share with you some things that relate to changes that may need to come about in your individual lives. They are certainly changes that I’d like to see in my own life. In regard to our Christian lives, I think there are three areas that we need to focus on — we need to KNOW the will of God better, we need to DO more of the work of Christ, and we need to BECOME more like Christ.

Knowing, doing and becoming — I really think those are the three pillars of the Christian life. I believe that’s what Christianity is all about.

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:9-10).

Do you see the ideas of knowing, doing and becoming in Paul’s prayer for the Colossians? In my next message, I’ll begin a closer look at each of these points.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Please feel free to share praises, requests, and updates. We would love to pray with you.

Anna Lee