Pray in Circles For Us.

The Circle Maker:

Joshua 6: 1-16

What is your Jericho? That is what Pastor Mark Batterson asks in his book “The Circle Maker”.  What dreams do you pose as impossible? 

First Christian Church in Benton Kentucky began the Circle Maker ministry last week with the first sermon of four parts. We will also be having a leadership retreat this weekend that will involve much prayer and material, and learning as to begin small group bible studies. When this is completed we will begin small group visioning sessions in member’s homes, and once these visions are cast they will be circled in unceasing prayer.

As we go forward we will:

1.       Start with Prayer.

2.       Check our Motives.

3.       Think in Categories.

4.       Be Specific.

5.       Write it Down.

6.       Include Others.

7.       Celebrate along the Way.

8.       Dream Big.

9.       Think Long.

10.   Pray Hard

We circle your prayers for us as we move forward trusting and relying on God, and are excited as we trust as those that watched the walls of Jericho come tumbling down.

The Circle Maker Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tg6ymCcIFDE#!

Pastor Tim.

  

1 Peter 5:7. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

The Strange Car In Front Of My House

When I was four years old my parents got divorced and my mother got re-married, when this occurred I would be lucky to see my biological father a few times a year. To understand this post you must understand that prior to my parent’s divorce, I was dad’s right hand man, his shadow.  After the divorce I could never understand why dad didn’t come around, what had I done, what happened to my best buddy dad?

When I was older we lived across the street from the grade school that I attended, and as I exited the school I could see the house that I lived in. On a few occasions I would see cars parked in front of the house that I didn’t recognize and in the past these different vehicles belonged to dad, you see dad went through cars like some people change their clothes.

 Upon seeing these vehicles parked in front of the house, my pulse quickened, by breath grew short and my pace went from walking to running to get to the house. As I ran to the house with the strange car parked in front of it, more than not it would be a friend of my mom’s paying a visit, or somebody just parking in front of our house.

When I would enter the house and find out that the strange car did not belong to dad, a wave of disappointment would come over me and a night of depression over a missed father. Brothers and Sisters, 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all our anxieties upon him, because he cares for us.  Isn’t it great to know that we serve a God that we can always recognize and loves us during every emotion in our lives.

Life will have times of disappointments, and at these times God says: “Bring it to me” and this is where and when we are called to place these feelings at the foot of the cross, at the feet of Christ.  As I write this blog, my son Ben turns 24 and he knows that whenever he arrives home, the car that he sees in his driveway will always be recognizable and belongs to me.

Doesn’t that sum up our relationship with God?

He is always recognizable.

He is always present.

He will always care for us.

Blessed to be your pastor, always driving the same car

Pastor Tim