Thursday, January 29, 2009
Good Clean Fun Retreat - This Weekend!!
Please be praying for Pastor Jeremy and many of our youth as they attend the "Good Clean Fun Retreat" this weekend! They will be joining with youth from at least 5 other local congregations as they seek to know and follow Jesus! The retreat is being held at Camp Camby and Pastor Jeremy is one of the leaders and organizers. Many thanks to him for his hard work in preparation for this potentially powerful event for our youth!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
No Classes on Wednesday, January 28
Mooresville Church of God is closed today, Wednesday, January 28. There will be no mid-week classes tonight. We hope to see everyone this Sunday!
Please stay warm and safe and have a good end to your week!
In His Grip,
Pastor John
Please stay warm and safe and have a good end to your week!
In His Grip,
Pastor John
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Coming Soon...!!
We wanted you to be aware of some upcoming events and preaching series that we hope you all will plan to be a part of:
1. Reconciliation Equation: Feb. 1 - Feb. 22
We will look at God's call to His church to be "ambassadors of reconciliation" and what is required to accomplish that task. The key is found in John, chapter 1, when it says of Jesus that He "...came from the Father full of grace and truth". Join us to see how we can join God in His effort to reconcile the world to Himself!
2. Missionary to Peru, Ken Byrum: March 1
Ken will be our guest speaker on March 1st and will share about what God is doing in the country of Peru!
3. Voices of Lent: March 8 - Easter Sunday
The season of Lent is much like the Advent season as we wait expectantly and prepare our hearts and minds for our Easter celebration. This year we will spend a few weeks hearing and learning from the biblical voices of those who walked with, learned from and whose lives were changed by Jesus! We will also hear a few Mooresville Church of God voices who will share how their encounters with Jesus has changed their lives!
4. Life Sentences: Wednesdays beginning Feb. 4th
Charles Spurgeon once said, “Scripture frequently sums up a man’s life in a single sentence.” We will be looking at the life sentences of 12 key biblical figures and asking God to show us how their lives can influence and impact ours! In addition, we will be giving some thought to our own “life sentence” and sharing those as a brief testimony to what God has done, is doing, and will do in our lives!
1. Reconciliation Equation: Feb. 1 - Feb. 22
We will look at God's call to His church to be "ambassadors of reconciliation" and what is required to accomplish that task. The key is found in John, chapter 1, when it says of Jesus that He "...came from the Father full of grace and truth". Join us to see how we can join God in His effort to reconcile the world to Himself!
2. Missionary to Peru, Ken Byrum: March 1
Ken will be our guest speaker on March 1st and will share about what God is doing in the country of Peru!
3. Voices of Lent: March 8 - Easter Sunday
The season of Lent is much like the Advent season as we wait expectantly and prepare our hearts and minds for our Easter celebration. This year we will spend a few weeks hearing and learning from the biblical voices of those who walked with, learned from and whose lives were changed by Jesus! We will also hear a few Mooresville Church of God voices who will share how their encounters with Jesus has changed their lives!
4. Life Sentences: Wednesdays beginning Feb. 4th
Charles Spurgeon once said, “Scripture frequently sums up a man’s life in a single sentence.” We will be looking at the life sentences of 12 key biblical figures and asking God to show us how their lives can influence and impact ours! In addition, we will be giving some thought to our own “life sentence” and sharing those as a brief testimony to what God has done, is doing, and will do in our lives!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Devoted Series Opportunity
Devoted Series Opportunity
As perhaps you already know, we've started a new sermon series called, "Devoted" in our Sunday morning worship services at Mooresville Church of God. The series is based on Acts 2. I will be preaching the 3rd installment (devoted to love) in just a few weeks. I’m amazed at how God is already guiding me in preparing for this sermon.
Last year I tried something once with our student ministry and it went extremely well. I’m going to attempt to do this again with this sermon. I'm gathering examples of what it means to be devoted to loving God and people. I wonder what being devoted to loving God and others means to you. Write me and share your thoughts. It would be great to know if certain scripture passages come to mind when you think about being devoted to love. Who knows, maybe you'll even end up in the sermon (with your permission of course). Don’t worry, I’ll cite my source!
Learning to be devoted,
Pastor Jeremy
As perhaps you already know, we've started a new sermon series called, "Devoted" in our Sunday morning worship services at Mooresville Church of God. The series is based on Acts 2. I will be preaching the 3rd installment (devoted to love) in just a few weeks. I’m amazed at how God is already guiding me in preparing for this sermon.
Last year I tried something once with our student ministry and it went extremely well. I’m going to attempt to do this again with this sermon. I'm gathering examples of what it means to be devoted to loving God and people. I wonder what being devoted to loving God and others means to you. Write me and share your thoughts. It would be great to know if certain scripture passages come to mind when you think about being devoted to love. Who knows, maybe you'll even end up in the sermon (with your permission of course). Don’t worry, I’ll cite my source!
Learning to be devoted,
Pastor Jeremy
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Devoted to Prayer
"They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer..." (Acts 2:42)
Among the many things the early church was devoted to, primary among them was prayer! The church was born during a prayer meeting, they responded to persecution with a prayer gathering, the Word of God was spoken boldly by the believers after having been enabled through prayer!
There are 4 stages of entering a prayer relationship with God and they mirror the stages we go through when establishing relationships with other people as well:
1. Love
The initiative of love is always first with God! There must be a basic, foundational love for God before you can move into deeper relationship with Him. John 3:16 tells us that God already has this love for us, "For God so loved..."!2. Intimacy
True prayer is not a stream of eloquent words, it is the expression of a deep, intimate longing for God that is born out of love! Charles Spurgeon said, "The best style of prayer is that which cannot be called anything else but a cry." And we won't cry out to a God or to anyone that we haven't developed intimacy with.3. Privilege
Out of the atmosphere of intimacy, trust is born. Where there is trust, there is the granting of privilege: The privilege of knowing God's heart, His mind and His will. And you grant God the privilege of freely exploring all the areas of your life that you've previously guarded from Him.
4. Responsibility
When this privilege has been granted between you and God, then both have a responsibility to the other (of course God has always been responsible for us). God is responsible to lead, guide, speak and provide. You are responsible to accomplish His will in the world!
Once this prayer relationship is established we then begin to labor in prayer. Not out of obligation, but out of a deep desire for relationship and communion with God! We labor on behalf of those we love, of those who don't know Jesus, of those who are sick or in turmoil in their lives. And as a church we labor to see our congregation become and carry out all that God intended when He called us into existence!
If the Acts 2 church happened once...it can happen again! And the first step is for us to be devoted to prayer! Let's agree together to labor in prayer for God to use us in a powerful way in our world!
In His Grip,
Pastor John
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Truelife Student Ministries
Truelife Student Ministries experienced an awesome night last night as our Wednesday night midweek meeting reconvened after winter break. This was the first time I can remember that students returned from a school break in such high numbers. Usually, it takes a few weeks to build momentum back up to the point where we left off. This is extremely encouraging to the Truelife staff. I also think it was probably our highest attended night since the start of the school year.
There’s no doubt that God is blessing our efforts and has used these meetings to share the gospel with the community. Because of the efforts of so many students and adults from MCHOG we have experienced numerical growth and I also believe some spiritual growth. It’s important to remember what our goal is especially when things are going so well. This will help us keep on track. Check out the words of Jesus from Matthew 28…
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
I wonder what Truelife’s next steps should be. The mission should be to carry out the great commission given by Jesus. I think this translates into growing numerically and spiritually. I believe a key component in achieving this is by building upon the momentum we’re currently experiencing. What should we do now? Will you join me in prayer about this and let me know if God reveals anything to you? I welcome your comments.
Sincerely,
Pastor Jeremy
There’s no doubt that God is blessing our efforts and has used these meetings to share the gospel with the community. Because of the efforts of so many students and adults from MCHOG we have experienced numerical growth and I also believe some spiritual growth. It’s important to remember what our goal is especially when things are going so well. This will help us keep on track. Check out the words of Jesus from Matthew 28…
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
I wonder what Truelife’s next steps should be. The mission should be to carry out the great commission given by Jesus. I think this translates into growing numerically and spiritually. I believe a key component in achieving this is by building upon the momentum we’re currently experiencing. What should we do now? Will you join me in prayer about this and let me know if God reveals anything to you? I welcome your comments.
Sincerely,
Pastor Jeremy
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Preparing the Way
Just as Jesus did while spending his 40 days in the desert, we must prepare ourselves for the work God will call us to carry out in Mooresville, the surrounding communities and around the world! In order to adequately prepare, focus on these three tasks:
1. Confront Your Hunger -
Assess your hunger level from two perspectives: 1) How hungry are you to know and experience God more intimately and personally? 2) How hungry are you to accomplish what God put you on this earth to do? Pursuing those will prepare the way for your significant impact on the world!
2. Clarify Your Identity -
Who does God say you are? Who does Satan want you to THINK you are? What gifts, talents, abilities and passions are defining you today? Jesus clarified that He was indeed the Son of God, the Messiah, the Promised One! You can clarify your own identity as well! When you do, you will be a mighty weapon in the hand of God!
3. Confirm Your Obedience -
Do whatever is necessary to confirm to yourself and more importantly to God that you will BE the person He created you to be, and DO the things He created you to do! If you can accomplish that, you will CHANGE THE WORLD!
I'm praying that as a congregation we will accomplish these three tasks together and in turn, follow the footsteps of Jesus as He impacted lives and the culture around Him!
In His Grip,
Pastor John
1. Confront Your Hunger -
Assess your hunger level from two perspectives: 1) How hungry are you to know and experience God more intimately and personally? 2) How hungry are you to accomplish what God put you on this earth to do? Pursuing those will prepare the way for your significant impact on the world!
2. Clarify Your Identity -
Who does God say you are? Who does Satan want you to THINK you are? What gifts, talents, abilities and passions are defining you today? Jesus clarified that He was indeed the Son of God, the Messiah, the Promised One! You can clarify your own identity as well! When you do, you will be a mighty weapon in the hand of God!
3. Confirm Your Obedience -
Do whatever is necessary to confirm to yourself and more importantly to God that you will BE the person He created you to be, and DO the things He created you to do! If you can accomplish that, you will CHANGE THE WORLD!
I'm praying that as a congregation we will accomplish these three tasks together and in turn, follow the footsteps of Jesus as He impacted lives and the culture around Him!
In His Grip,
Pastor John
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!!
May God bless you, your family and our church in 2009!
Lord, thank you for giving us this life to live! Thank you for reconciling us to You through Your only Son, Jesus! Thank you for including us in Your plan to reconcile the world to You! May Your manifested presence in our lives and in our church be obvious to us and to those we seek to serve, reach and love! We love you Lord! May You be glorified in all that we are and all that we do!
We pray this in the name of our Lord, Savior, Redeemer and King...Jesus...Amen!
Lord, thank you for giving us this life to live! Thank you for reconciling us to You through Your only Son, Jesus! Thank you for including us in Your plan to reconcile the world to You! May Your manifested presence in our lives and in our church be obvious to us and to those we seek to serve, reach and love! We love you Lord! May You be glorified in all that we are and all that we do!
We pray this in the name of our Lord, Savior, Redeemer and King...Jesus...Amen!
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