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outreach
Speaking At Braden’s Chapel Baptist Church VBS
Where can I begin? First of all, I want to thank Nick Goins for giving me an opportunity to come and be a part of their outreach to their youth. I’m always very honored to get to come and be a part of anything that we can do to send the word of Christ to the youth of today.
I’m not exactly sure if any of the people that are members of the church will be reading this anytime soon, but I feel like writing this for anyone that is needing some encouragement in the fight for youth outreach.
When I was speaking and sharing the testimony that God has done for me, I’m sure there might have been some at the time that could have cared less about what I was trying to say. I’m sure that we have been standing for God many times and felt like that we were not making a difference. As I continued, I could begin to see how the spirit was beginning to work on those around me. I began to see the conviction working on their faces, even in their eyes. It was such a sweet sight to see how God was working in the youth there. If I could say anything, I would say to that church (and any church) that kids are “right there”, ready for Jesus Christ to be a part of their life!
We always have to remember that we have to keep going forward as the leaders that surround them. We have to be willing to hear a million “nos” so we can get to that one “yes” for Christ! To make a long story short, one (a youth) came on this night and asked Christ into their life to be saved! An adult came to simply pray for help in their life. It just goes to show that if you keep working for God, that he will perform the work in their lives!
It was a wonderful experience, and we hope to come back and be with the church sometime soon!
07/24/11 – New Salem Baptist Church – Homecoming – Singing and Speaking
More Features! More To Do! More To Come!
We hope that you have been enjoying a lot of the parts that have been rolled out lately. We have came so far from where we started. I wish I had saved a screenshot of what the site looked like in the beginning compared to where we are now! Our main goal as a ministry is to provide as many avenues that we can that you will find something that will draw you closer to God. So let’s talk about some of the things that have been going on!
More features:
Books! I decided a little while back to incorporate the books section because it’s always hard to find a good recommendation with millions of choices. We thought it would be a great idea to simply put out there the books that we read that we actually enjoyed (and save you from the ones we didn’t so much lol). There will be books that we loved in the past and ones that we are currently working on now that will continually be posted as we move forward!
Verse of the day & What To Study Today! I don’t know how much more of a convenient way that you could make it to actually give a verse to read and a study plan to conquer the bible in a year, but we found it and made it available to you! As we all know, the tricky part is actually doing it! Trust me, as a person who loves to read the bible and to learn more and more each day, it is a fun experience and well worth the time you spend to do it!
After The Fact & The Everyday Word! Now that these are in full swing, we truly enjoy getting these out there. If someone reads a thought or an idea that inspires them to go out and be a greater witness then the intent was completely fulfilled! With so many different types of pieces that you could read, it’s almost like coming to a buffet; you can sort of choose what style you enjoy and get that word you need for the moment!
More To Do:
Outreach! As we are starting to come around the next bend in our ministry, we are committing to participating in ministry to one of our local nursing homes. It will be a mix of singing and speaking, and we hope to lead all that we can to the Lord. Sometimes we think that we have to wait for those great big opportunities before we’ll ever jump out there, but there is work right in front of you!
Sermons & Messages Pages! We’re now on iTunes! And now that we are implementing these new parts, we are phasing out the old message page and converting to our new sermons page. This will have a easier look and feel and incorporates far more than what I could write right here! Be sure to subscribe to our audio podcast by using the email subscription link in the top right corner! You’ll be emailed every time a new sermon is added!
Radio! With the great effectiveness that the radio ministry set us up with, we are hoping to expand where we are in our town and to start moving out to other stations. Pray with us that we make the right choices so that the message we carry goes out as far as it possibly can.
More To Come:
Recording! We have finally got all of our equipment and song selections fine tuned, so be prepared for some posts in the future with some demo previews of some officially recorded content! I personally cannot wait!
Writing! One of our big goals for this year is to begin to start compiling our works into a book that can be distributed by hand, so be sure to check back in for updates for that! It’s going to be a very exciting project!
Outreach! As God leads us, we’re going! We hope to see you soon! And if you don’t see us, you’ll more than likely get a chance to hear it on the site! That’s why it’s here!
Send A Message: We Miss You
I want to write a message today that reaches out to many that might think that they are so often missed. This one is for you.
There have been many times in my life where I was looking for others to encourage me and it was not there. Either I was looking for advice or some kind of positive outreach to give me that breath of life that lets you know you still exist. I couldn’t tell you how many times, especially in the earlier years of my youth, that I longed to feel like there was someone that was truly there. No matter how old you are today, people continually still want to fill this void in their life; and over time we find some way to occupy it with persons, objects, or by some kind of abstract thinking to just “get us by”.
The fact of the matter is that people are living in depression each and every day and are finding better ways to mask what they feel inside. People long to feel like they have someone that loves them, cares about them. We as Christians DO know of something that we could give unto others that could help them begin to live, but yet, we get weary from fears and worries of rejection. I once had these same struggles, and believe me, living in this for too long will lead you down the wrong road.
So let me get real and stress this clearly and with joy! I’m glad people were not afraid to lead me to a better life. I’m glad I got out of the lifestyle that I was living in. I’m glad that I finally found happiness. I’m glad that I finally got saved through Jesus Christ! I’m glad that I got filled with His spirit to the greatest abundance! I feel like I can finally see the light in the midst of all the darkness that we live in! Praise God! I’m free today!
I want to remind us all to reach out to people that are in need to say that we miss them being at church, miss them being in our lives, and that when they are in need that there is a solution, Jesus Christ!
Love Will Prove True
THE WORD
1 Thessalonians 5:21 – Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
When it comes to having a strong walk with God there are qualities within you that will make you stand out as a person that possesses something amazing. These attributes of the Lord are given by the anointing that dwells within you! Some of the most anointed individuals that I have ever witnessed made a difference to the world around them through one thing: Love. For without love, our works for others are of none effect.
Churches do not produce successful outreach just by awesome praise and worship music, nor how eloquently organized the sermons may be. While these things make going to church from week to week worthwhile I feel that we are missing the greatest opportunities to help those in need with something more available than what we produce in the place of worship. God is much more powerful than a building and what we can produce from within it. I encourage you to go and read about the qualities of charity and examine your life and see if the love that is coming forth from you is making a difference in every part of your life that people see.
As we continue to operate in the church in the ministry and as individuals in our personal everyday ministries, let us always remember to do all of our works with love. It will reach the coldest of hearts, go further than you ever thought possible, and will always break ground when you sow seeds of faith in that manner! Remember the love of God in your life!
PUT INTO PRACTICE
Take a moment to get someone on your mind that perhaps you have not spent very much time with lately. Think of a way that you can bring a smile to that persons face and make an effort to supply a spontaneous blessing. It does not have to be anything over the top; something simple will do. An example that I have performed was gathering addresses and sending Christmas cards to people I never have. The response I got back in return was overwhelming, further establishing to me that even a little of God’s love goes a long way!
Time For Dusting? Clean Up Your Life!
One of the things in life that never gets done but we do more than anything is the cleaning of our houses. Well, I say that it gets done often, but does it? There are a lot of times when our energies are depleted and we have no more to give for the day and we simply put it off until another time. And when it comes to getting more important things done in life sometimes, I can understand that if you are comparing that to pressure washing the siding on your home. Enough said on that, right? I wish!
When it comes to our obedience to God, we often put it often until the next service, and the next one, and the next one…simply because we are too tired from life. I cannot help but think that we know better than that! God has been too good to all of us for us to not make a sincere effort for Him! I remember the shape that I was in when I was coming to church, and I am so glad that the people that were obedient at the time didn’t say “I’m too tired, I’ll wait until next time”. God needs us right now to clean up our acts and to get to work for him! There are people at stake out there!
Let’s do God’s work first and He will give us the strength for everything else. Or in other words, seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and its righteousness, and ALL these other things will be ADDED!
Is It Really Worth It?
THE WORD
Ephesians 4:26 – Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath
Proverbs 18:19 – A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
We as Christians are the light of the world for Jesus Christ. We are the example and outreach that people come into contact with each and every day. Without the witness and light of God in our lives, people cannot be drawn. Knowing this duty and responsibility we all share, I ask this question: Is it really worth it when we overreact and destroy our witness?
More often than not, we let our emotions and pride steer the outcome in the direction we so choose. Is it really worth it to be irrational over silly things? There are many arguments and battles that we are not in control over that are going to come up, and whether you choose to handle it correctly or not, the decision is going to be before you. Is the love of Christ being shown in what we say and do? If it is then we will not say things that we do not mean that hurt others (even when we are justified). Is it really worth that extra pat on the back? You see it in the workplace every day, while the consensus that justifies the behavior is that it is “just business”. Even though we may gain a little bit of popularity by using or taking advantage of others, I honestly do not feel that it is okay for the children of God to be on anyone’s business but God’s. We must learn to demonstrate love by being team players and not doing anything unethical or with reason to gain an advantage. If you are serving God with all of your heart, God will teach you! You can ask of him your desires and not have to pick and prod the business life!
PUT INTO PRACTICE
The next time you find yourself in a situation where you behave negatively out of your emotions take a moment and examine the choices made. Ask yourself if what you got out of your actions was really worth the expense that was invoked when the other person was hurt. You will be surprised to what you find if you approach with an honest mind and heart. And as you pray the Holy Ghost will help you learn what to do next time.
Working Through The Hurt
THE WORD
I John 4:7, 11, and 12 – Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
There are many guarantees that life tries to give but it can never promise that you will never be hurt. Trust me, if anyone knows this it would be me. I have made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I have finally realized through trials throughout my life and in the past year that I will be hurt sometimes but I always have the comfort of God to move on. We must all choose to move forward regardless of what we are dealing with. We read in the word of God about that comforter and I am so glad it is real. In times when I am down and count all my mistakes, the comfort of the Holy Spirit comes to encourage me.
Do not be disappointed when people let you down; for at some point they always do. The only constant that we have that can help us in our time of hurt is God! He can heal the broken hearted and place forgiveness within you that you never thought you could possess. You will be able to stand and fight on another day! I wish I could say that the church you attend is always going to see when you are hurt, but sometimes it will be missed. Remember that the presence of God will stick to you closer than a brother and will be whatever you need in your life. It WILL fill the empty voids that you feel inside! This breaks my heart to write as a minister but it should remind us that there should never be an opportunity slip by where we can perform outreach for hurting people. The next time you are at church may be the last time to do it. I just hope and pray in the times ahead of us that we learn to come together regardless of our differences and remember the true meaning of being “fishers of men”!
PUT INTO PRACTICE
When you recognize someone that is hurting from a situation, offer to pray with them. I am challenging you to call on the comforter to help in ways we cannot do ourselves!