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

The long walk on a small campus.

 Joshua 6:1-16

When I was a student working on my undergraduate degree, I was required to fulfill math requirements.  As a person that has fought math all his life, college math was no different as I studied and still got less than stellar grades.

As I walked across campus after studying most of the night for my math final, my head was overflowing with what I had studied. Previous exam attempts had shown poor results and I was truly afraid of not getting a passing grade on the final.

As I walked I did the only thing that I knew how to do, which was go to the Father in powerful and serious prayer. As I walked the long sidewalk on campus, I prayed in a circle around the quad and told God the following: “God you have called me to be a minister and you have called me to be here, I beseech you to intervene in this exam, supply me with the needed knowledge to be successful “.

After my walk and this prayer, I felt the power and grace of the Holy Spirit come over me and give me the authority to do the following. I walked directly to the professors office and advised him that the knowledge was in my head right now at this very moment, and could he give me the exam now, and not make me wait. I told Dr. Jenson that my head was leaking and I needed the exam right now, with this he smiled at me and placed the exam in an envelope. He had me take the exam to the campus proctor for immediate test taking.

As I sat down and took the exam I felt the knowledge leak from my head and into the pen as it marked the exam. Upon completion of the exam, I left the proctors office with a peace that flowed like a river, and passed the test and the class.

Brothers and Sisters I encourage you to walk and pray large serious prayers  before God, the God of all love and power wants to answer prayers and is not afraid of powerful prayers. Make your circle and pray your prayers before the Lord this very day.

The receiver of answered prayer

Pastor Tim

Can You Go Home Again?

John 14:2

 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you^?

Hello from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, where I am currently attending Alumni Spring Renewal. As I write this article, I sit in the seminary chapel preparing for morning worship. As I sit here in contemplation of the day’s activities, the phrase “You can’t go home again comes to mind”  As I sit here this morning as one who is worshipping, there is a sense of filling in the fact that I am free to just worship and be filled with the word of God.

As I sit here, I contemplate the six years that I spent on this campus and in this chapel preparing for ministry. The last year I have had three homes, Seminary, Moline Illinois, and for the last ten months Benton Kentucky. I find myself carefully thinking about where to call home, and where to tell people where home is when asked.

As we enter our first week after Easter, the promise has been fulfilled and the empty tomb celebrates and promises the fact that with Jesus Christ we have come home, and through his promised fulfilled the home is eternal.  As we contemplate this week after Easter and as we go into the future, let us not worry about where we call our earthly home.

Next time somebody asks you where home is, tell them this: “I live with Jesus Christ with all of my heart, all of my soul and with my entire mind”. Living with Jesus is a home where furniture never needs moved and the mortgage never needs paid. Jesus Christ has paid our eternal mortgage and we have been given an eternal address with him.

So as I sit hear preparing for worship and I hear the piano being played and the hand bells being practiced, I have the knowledge and the promise that you can go home again and my home resides in the loving and promise fulfilled arms of Jesus Christ.

Home Is Where Jesus Resides.

Pastor Tim Polley

Reverend Timothy Polley is the Senior Minster at First Christian Church in Benton Kentucky and a 2011 graduate of Dubuque Theological Seminary in Dubuque Iowa.

Lent Day Forty

Good morning, Brothers and Sisters: Today ends the forty days of our journey through Lent together, and I would like to thank everyone that has read my blog. The journey through Lent has taken us to several topics, as well as several emotions. As we gather together this Easter, know that you and I have both been made anew. And every Sunday since the resurrection has become the day of Sabbath for all Christians. When we gather to worship every Sunday, it is called the "Lord's Day", because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ rose on this glorious day. 

The Resurrection of Christ Jesus, is what truly unites we that call ourselves Christians, and every day that we take a breath on this earth we are called to bear witness to this fact. We all know that Easter is not a one day gathering, a one-day celebration, but Easter is to be lived out daily and truly remembered anytime when we gather to worship God. The Gospel of John 8:51 tells us that those that worship Christ and keeps his word, will never see death, and John 14:15 tells us that if we love Jesus, we will keep his commandments. 

Many have asked me the following question: "Preacher why do I have to go to church to worship, can't I worship by myself anywhere?"  And my answer is the following: "Christ has called all of us into personal relationship, thus we can we with him at any time and any place." But worship is also about community, in the fact that as God wants to be in relationship with us, he also wants us to be in community and family with like-minded people." "This worship community that gathers on the first day of the week (Sabbath) to worship God, but to also strengthen one another and encourage one another to do the ministry that God calls each of us to do." 

Beloved, my prayer for you this day is that you embrace your church community, your church family. Share Sabbath together, strengthen and embolden one another to do the work that Christ asks us to do. As you worship the Risen Lord in community and wonder if you are being fed spiritually, maybe that is when God is telling you to do some feeding in that community. Church community is not looking for the next big thing, and being fed spiritually is not by being entertained in worship. Church community is about the love that Christ has given us for one another, and the fact that we are called to journey together and not individually. 

All My Love and Shalom.

Happy Easter. "He has risen. He has risen indeed"

Pastor Tim.

Lent Day Thirty Nine

NOTE: Today's blog content contains graphic images and video links of Christ's crucifixion. If viewing with children, please explain to them of what is occurring and view with them.

Day Thirty Nine-Welcome Happy Morning

Brothers and Sisters, as I sit in the office writing this blog the sun is shining and the weather man is predicting a beautiful Easter weekend. Last night in our Maundy Thursday service, we witnessed Christ's betrayal and since this occurrence he has been arrested, beaten, crucified and died and has been placed in the tomb. As I look at the beautiful sunshine this morning, I find my emotions split as I should be happy with the beautiful day. Instead I'm in mourning as I think about the beating that Jesus took for me, and in the fact that he died for "ME" and "YOU". 

Even though this day is a day of pain for all of Christianity, it is also a day of assured peace within ourselves as we await for three day's when the promise of Christ will be fulfilled Easter morning. The sun that shines this morning can still be viewed in happiness in the fact that the horrible events of the cross are not the end, but only the beginning. We that know the promise of Christ, understand that God the Father will vindicate, God the Son. As we look positively to the sun, we look positively to the SON in the fact that his prophecies can be trusted.  This beautiful day that is also a day of pain and mourning for us, is also a day of salvation in the fact that through Christ on the cross, he has reconciled us with God. 

The story of the child born to Mary (A Form of Joshua, Meaning Savior)  and Emmanuel (God With Us), has truly come to the point in the fact that the baby of Bethlehem, now the man of Nazareth has redeemed you and me. Beloved! As you view the sun this day, and as you hear the birds chirping outside, thank God this very day for sacrificing his Son. Know and celebrate that we will see very soon that death will be swallowed up in "Victory".

Day Thirty Nine Scripture Reading

Romans 6:23

John 15:13

Matthew 27:46

Matthew 26:38,39

Philippians 2:7,8

John 15:11

Matthew 12:38-40

John 14:9

Matthew 1:21

Matthew 1:23

John 17:3

1 Corinthians 15:20, 54, 56, 57

A Sinner Redeemed By The Blood Of Christ

Pastor Tim.

See video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqI-4jopYIM

Lent Day Thirty Eight

Day Thirty Eight - Why?

As we go through our lives, many of us have seen friendships come and go. We ask ourselves, "why did the relationship wither on the vine, I loved them, what happened"? One of my personal traits is taking friendships to heart and developing a closeness that hurts me when that friendship grows dust upon it and fades into the past with no future. I often wonder if friendships should always begin with ground rules, or an agreement of expectations?

As we go into day thirty eight of Lent and as many of us attend a Maundy Thursday service tonight, we ask ourselves the question: "Why did this have to happen, why did Jesus have to go to the cross"? Brothers and Sisters, we must go back to the beginning when God created us and understand that God created us for relationship. God loves us so much that he desires relationship with everyone of us, from the youngest to the oldest. God came to us in human form as his Son Jesus Christ to continue that relationship and friendship, that could only be built in his living with us and being one of us. Jesus came to us as human and divine to establish the relationship that God so desires, and Jesus came to bring his Father's word to each and everyone of us.

As we gather tonight and witness the Last Supper in the Upper Room in which Jesus will be betrayed, we will soon see the path that leads Jesus to the cross. "Why did Jesus have to die on the cross"? Jesus went to his death on the cross to take upon the sins of the world, your sins and my sins. Only by taking our place and paying our debt, is our eternal relationship with God sealed. This promise fulfilled was through Christ death for us as atonement for our sins, and our eternal relationship will come to fulfillment three days later when the tomb is found empty.

Friends, some relationships come and go and my prayer is that you cherish them while you have them. But my main prayer for you this day is that you cherish the relationship that will never go away that was fulfilled on the cross, by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We invite you to experience the Upper Room tonight as we gather at FCC Benton at 7:00 PM. Our address is 2515 South Main Street in Benton Kentucky.

Happy to be your friend and brother in Christ.

Pastor Tim

Day Thirty Nine Scriptures

Galatians 3:10,11

Genesis 3:17

Matthew 20:28

1 Timothy 2:6

Corinthians 6:20

John 4:10

John 14:6

Please watch this Maundy Thursday video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8KVGMsP2w8&feature=rated