WHY JOIN A SMALL GROUP?

Everything in life revolves around relationships -- everything. God reveals Himself to us as a relationship through the Trinity and guides and teaches us through our personal relationship with Jesus (John 17:6-8).

The most important relationship is a personal relationship with our heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ -- a vertical relationship.

The Bible, our guidebook to daily living, repeatedly confirms the importance of community. Relationships provide us the opportunity to live out our beliefs according to Scripture and be a living testimony of Christ to the world. These horizontal relationships create balance in our lives. The best horizontal relationships are commitments to live with others, to become connected with others in a basic Christian community. Small groups are our best setting to explore and experience both of these types of relationships.

Small Groups Provide:

1. An opportunity to Study God's Word in community and discuss how it practically applies to our lives.

The Bible is God's guidebook to daily living. In the same way we exercise our body for fitness, we need to exercise our minds to better understand the Bible. Studying the Bible in a group significantly improves our retention and promotes a more in-depth understanding. The group discussions sharpen our Bible skills and provides us insights on how to practically apply God's Word in real life situations. In a small group setting, you can ask questions, participate in a discussion of the text, and hear others share insights and illustrations of the truth you are trying to grasp. The Bible must be applied to your own personal situation; small groups challenge us to do just that.

2. A safe haven to honestly share our life struggles and better deal with daily stress and pressure.

Every Christian needs a spiritual family. We all need a place where we feel safe to share our feelings with others and allow others to authentically share their feelings with us. We need a family where we are cared for, nurtured, challenged, guided and prayed for; where we can ask straightforward questions and disclose our struggles. Small groups provide excellent support in times of crisis, change, and stress. You'll have a sense of stability and security because you know there are people who genuinely care for you and are committed to supporting you.

3. An opportunity to live out the "one another's" in the New Testament.

Every Christian needs a laboratory for life. There are over 50 "one another's" in the Bible: we are challenged in scripture to love one another, pray for one another, encourage one another, and stimulate one another to love and to do good deeds. The small group offers a warm family setting where the "one another's" can be lived out. This is especially important for experiencing the full essence of God. A list of New Testament 'one another' and 'each other' verses are listed in the training section of the small group library.

4. An opportunity to develop leadership skills you never knew you had

In groups we can share our daily lives, as well as share simple group tasks. Sharing in this way creates a very special bond of fellowship and at the same time offers you the opportunity to grow in God's service. The small group process provides the setting for natural sharing, so no one feels pressured or obligated. Instead, we develop our natural talents for service in a loving and caring environment.

5. Effective opportunities to share the gospel with family, friends and neighbors

Time and time again we see people connecting with God and His community because they felt comfortable attending a small group event when invited. Many who feel threatened or find church services unappealing are much more receptive to an invitation to a casual Bible discussion in a home or office setting. In a small group, your unbelieving friends can ask questions and express honest doubts without feeling out of place or foolish. In the understanding small group setting they can take their first steps in connecting with the good news of the gospels in an inviting way.

6. A place for prayer to become more meaningful to you

We are totally dependent on God and prayer with God; our communication with God through prayer acknowledges our deep need to commune and converse with Him. Small Groups provide you the opportunity to develop your prayer walk by allowing you to take small steps (such as one sentence prayers) without feeling pressured. The more comfortable we become with prayer the more we experience amazing results in our personal relationship with the Lord.

Throughout the Old Testament and the New, small groups have been a way in which God ministers to the lives of people, helps meet one another's needs, and equips His followers for ministry and service. Without small groups God would not be able to accomplish His purposes in the lives of His people.

Yours in Christ,
Roger

God Bless,
Roger

This article was borrowed and adapted from Rolling Hills Covenant Church article "Why Join A Small Group" http://www.rollinghillscovenant.com/why-join-a-small-group

THE UNOPENED GIFT

What if you gave me a gift and I never opened it? Would you be disappointed? The real disappointment would be; it would become a worthless gift because I don’t receive any benefit from a gift I never open.

Jesus Christ is God’s Christmas gift to you. Yet some of us have gone Christmas after Christmas and never opened the best gift of all – God’s gift of salvation. Why even celebrate Christmas if you’re not going to open the biggest gift? It doesn’t make sense to leave unwrapped the gift of your past forgiven, a purpose for living, and a home in heaven.

Jesus Christ says to you, “I can replace the frustration in your heart with peace. I can replace the guilt, resentment, shame, and grudges with forgiveness. I can replace the worry and anxiety with confidence and faith. I can replace depression or despair with hope. I can replace emptiness with meaning and purpose. I can replace confusion with clarity. But I’m not going to break down the door of your heart. You’ve got to invite me in.”

It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from, if you want Jesus in your life and you are ready to do as he says, the door is open.

It doesn’t matter what your religious background is; God didn’t send Jesus to give you religion. He sent him so you could have a personal relationship with your Heavenly Father.

Below is a prayer I prayed years ago when I opened the gift of Jesus. It’s a pretty simple prayer. If these words express the desire in your heart, read them as if you are talking to God.

Prayer:
Dear God, I’m scared, but I want to get to know you. I don’t understand it all, but I thank you that you love me. I thank you that you’re with me even when I didn’t recognize it. I thank you that you are for me; that you didn’t send Jesus to condemn me but to save me.

I admit I never even realized I needed a Savior, but today I want to receive the Christmas gift of your Son. I ask you to save me from my past, my regrets, my mistakes, my sins, my habits, my hurts, and my hang-ups. Save me from myself.

I ask you to save me for your purpose. I want to know why you put me on this planet. And I want to fulfill what you made me to do. I want to learn to love you and trust you and have a relationship with you.

I need peace with you, God, and I need you to put your peace in my heart. I need you to take away the stress and fill me with your love. Help me be a peacemaker, to help others find peace with you and each other. In your name I pray, amen.

Love and blessings this Christmas
Roger

Adapted from "Open Your gift from God" by Rick Warren at www.pastors.com/blogs/ministrytoolbox

MY PILGRIMAGE TO ISRAEL

As I prepare for setting off to Israel, I must say it is a very exciting time for me. As we read the Bible, from Old Testament to New Testament, we read about the history and spiritual significance of so many places found in this area.

To be able to walk the places that Jesus walked, to see the very places described in the Bible that are so important to our faith, being there physically, seeing and touching these places with my own eyes is truly the longing of my heart.

As we read in 1 John 1:1-3, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” Yes, the Apostle John was describing his personal, physical relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. What I am looking forward to is having the opportunity to see, look and touch the very places from which he ministered.

I have heard time and again about the enormous spiritual significance of Jerusalem, especially the Temple Mount. We read from Jewish writing the significance of the place…

“As the navel is set in the centre of the human body,
so is the land of Israel the navel of the world...
situated in the centre of the world,
and Jerusalem in the centre of the land of Israel,
and the sanctuary in the centre of Jerusalem,
and the holy place in the centre of the sanctuary,
and the ark in the centre of the holy place,
and the foundation stone before the holy place,
because from it the world was founded.”
-- Midrash Tanchuma, Qedoshim

There is truly a spiritual battle going on in the world we live in. The physical earth we live on is so much more than just physical, it is also spiritual. Any time we write off the significance of Israel, Jerusalem, or the Temple Mount, and the importance that place plays in our lives, we do so at our own risk. Whenever we ignore the Spiritual Battle going on in the world for the souls of man, and for the sacred places on earth, we are ignoring God’s active presence with us in the world.

Yes, I understand that places don’t hold as important of place in the eyes of the Lord. Remember he said to the woman at the well in John 4:21-ff, Jesus declared, (21) "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. (22) You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. (23) Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. (24) God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Worshiping the Lord in “spirit and in truth” is more important than making a pilgrimage to certain historical and spiritual sites, but it is still very exciting for me to go and see these places that have played such an important role in the history of our faith. Pray for me as I travel, I treasure your prayers. And I look forward to returning (Lord willing) with lots of stories, pictures, and experiences to share with you all. See you in a couple of weeks.

God Bless,
Roger

The Just One Challenge

(A Letter from Bob Russell)

The Presidents of our Bible Colleges are concerned and I am certain most of us reading this share their concern. We are seeing a declining number of students interested in ministry, an alarming drop in students with a desire to preach the gospel. Why? Various factors may contribute: the secularization of society, the postmodern mindset that denigrates anything authoritative, the declining number of teems in Christian Service camps, and the passive involvement of ministers in the lives of teens. Whatever the reasons, the bottom line is this: we are not recruiting future laborers for the potential harvest. While the Restoration Movement is actually now witnessing its most significant influence in a century, we may soon be experiencing a severe shortage of ministers and missionaries.

That’s a crying shame! The independent Christian Churches are one of the few Christian movements that have actually experienced an increase in church attendance over the past two decades. We now have more mega churches per capita than any other movement. Some of our new church plants serve as models for the evangelical world, and some of our preaches are
being called to pulpits of denominational churches that want to return to Biblical principles. More and more doors are opening for us! The opportunities for future evangelism and influence are beyond what we could have imagined 30 years ago!

That’s why I’ve joined with over two dozen of our college presidents who have issued the Just One Challenge—asking God’s people all over this nation to pray for just one more worker for the harvest field. Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers in his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:37-38).

The Just One Challenge is a unique, united effort on the part of these presidents to motivate thousands of our people to intentionally pray for and recruit future preachers. Of course we all know that genuine prayer results in action, so I want to invite Christian leaders al across the country to join with us in honoring the Lord’s request.

Let’s make the most of this present opportunity and aggressively, wisely pray of laborers for the harvest field….because “as long as it is day, we must do the work of him who set me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” (John 9:4)

Yours in Christ,
Bob Russell, Retired Senior Minister Southeast Christian Church Louisville, Kentucky

NOTE: Bob Russell will be the speaker for the Boise Bible College Spring Conference—May 10-12, 2011.

THE CALL OF JESUS

"When Jesus calls you to follow him, he isn't asking you to become a nice person, or to do your best at helping others.

He didn't die so you could feel good about the things you've screwed-up, or so you could carry a sentimental hope of being re-united beyond the grave with the people you love who have died.

His call is a command for you to comprehensively and absolutely walk away from the way you do life now so you can follow him down an exclusive path through the narrow gate that leads to the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 7:13-14). – Jon Walker, Costly Grace: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship (Leafwood, 2010)

Jesus calls us to make a radical change in our lives. To be transformed into new people, a new creation. As we read in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Christianity isn't about becoming religious, it is about becoming a whole new person, living in a personal relationship with the living God who is actively involved in our lives day in and day out, no matter what we are doing. The call of Christ is to be changed!

Romans 12:1-2 says, "Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, His good, pleasing and perfect will."

Be CHANGED! Be TRANSFORMED! Give up the old way of living and begin living a new LIFE, and abundant life in Jesus Christ.

Love you all,
Roger

New Service Times

This Sunday, September 12, 2010 we will be starting our new services at the Myrtle Point Christian Church.

The First Service will be our
TRADITIONAL SERVICE, which will start at
9:00 a.m.

The Second Service will be what we call our
CONTEMPORARY SERVICE, which will start at
10:30 a.m.

The Traditional Service is designed to appeal to those who are familiar with church and enjoy singing lots of the old songs that have come down through the ages; hymns and older choruses.

The Contemporary Service is designed to appeal to a new generation of people seeking God who enjoy a more lively style of music, with drums and a more upbeat feel (some people might call it Rock 'n Roll). It will be lively, it will have a youthful appeal, but at the same time it will honor God and bring glory to His name.

If you have often thought of yourself as a Christian, but have found it hard to go to church this service might be for you. If you have felt that the church was old fashioned, out of touch and boring, you definitely need to come and try out our new Contemporary Service.

Hope to see you there this Sunday
Love and Blessings
Roger

Grace Changes People

He'll never change. She's a lost cause. She's obsessed with success and power. He only wants his way - he doesn't even care for God or others. Perhaps you've heard these or similar sentiments about the people who impact your life. Maybe you even silently agreed.

Many years ago a man "made it big" before the age of 20. Arrogance and ruthlessness characterized his leadership. He mocked the values he learned as a child. People assumed he was a lost cause. Yet one day he woke up in prison - old, alone, humiliated, desperate. He must have prayed, "Lord, I'm powerless to undo the mess I've made ... help me!" - for God heard and the grace of God filled his life.

Grace changes people ... and even entire countries. King Manasseh renounced his anti-God attitudes and broke the cycle of bitterness (2 Chronicles 33:1-2, 7-13). His story reminds us all that God's grace is available to everyone who will genuinely call on Him.

Although you can't make decisions for someone else, accept God's grace in your own life today and extend it to others. Then pray for our country's leaders that they, too, will experience the grace of God - and take this nation in God's direction, and not their own.

May the Grace of God be with you all this day and always
Roger

This article adapted from the Presidential Prayer Teams "Vantage Point Devotional" Mon, September 6, 2010

The Nature of Christian JOY

In a world that wrings its hands over economic recessions, global warming, warring nations and starving children, joy can get buried by the onslaught of pessimism. Yet Paul tells you that joy will be the sweet outgrowth of abiding in the Spirit just as naturally as fruit appears on a vine. It is an expression of mutual delight of the Spirit working in the believer and the believer dwelling in the Spirit. In the words of Eugene Peterson, "Joy is not a requirement of Christian discipleship, it is a consequence ... a product of abundance, an overflow of vitality."

The fruit of the Spirit is ... joy. Galatians 5:22

Paul not only told the church that they would naturally be joyful, but he also demonstrated it throughout his life. While in prison he found reason to sing. In the midst of a shipwreck he encouraged the crew. Under house arrest he wrote letters to young churches and their leaders that continue to instruct Christians today.

How does your life bear the fruit of joy in the midst of your challenges? Pray that you recognize the Spirit's delight in you, even as you grow in your delight of His work within you, as you intercede for the nation and its leaders.

May the joy of the Lord be with you,

Roger

This article taken from Vantage Point Devotional – August 4th, 2010, PrayerTeam@Presidential-Prayer-Team.org

SMALL GROUP MINISTRY

At Myrtle Point Christian Church, our commitment to following hard after God has led to the development of our SMALL GROUP MINISTRY. The best way to feel like you are a part of the MPCC family is to join one of our Small Groups. The purpose of the Small Group Ministry is to:

• Connect people more intimately to God

The Great Commandment says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). In a small group you can learn exactly what that means and how to do it on a day to day basis.

• Connect believers together as the church, the body of Christ.
  

In 1 Corinthians 12:27 says, "You are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." For us to truly experience what it means to be a part of the "Body Life" of the church, we need to be in a small group.

• Connect the church to the mission of God in the world.

Jesus said, "The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10). He also said in Matthew 28:19-20, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Within the small group we will be participating in the very mission and purpose of the church. We will also become equipped to go out into a lost world sharing the message of the gospel more effectively.

God is at work in the world miraculously transforming lives. He’s demonstrating His compassion by rescuing hopeless people and making them part of His family through the death of His Son, Jesus. He’s demonstrating His love by restoring broken relationships between people and empowering them to live in community with each other in ways that those apart from Him can only imagine and long for. And He’s demonstrating His power by using His ordinary but faithful children to provide His light of hope to a desperate world.

We were made to be part of God’s incredible plan for rescuing and restoring the world. It’s in Small Groups that we desperately seek after Him and His purposes for us. Join a small group to learn that you’re not alone in your journey of faith. You were made by God for community, community with Him and community with His people.

You’ll find out how much you need others. We already know how much we need you. We will be having sign-ups for small groups throughout the month of August.

The kick-off date for all these new small groups will be the week of September 12th. So get signed up and be ready to enter into a new and exciting spiritual journey with other believers just like you.

Love in Christ,
Roger

Sacrificial Impact

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

On New Year's Day in 1956, five missionaries - Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, and Pete Fleming - left to visit the Auca Indians of Ecuador. Four days later, at 12:30 p.m. Nate radioed his wife saying that he had seen some Auca men walking toward their beach. "Pray for us," he said. "This is the day. Will contact you at 4:30."

Well, 4:30 p.m. came. Nothing. Sundown. Still no word. A search began and a week later four bodies were found. The fifth one had been washed away.

Truly, these five men had lived for Christ, but where, you ask, is the gain? By the end of 1958, Jim Elliott's wife, Elizabeth, and Rachel Saint, Nate's sister, were living among the Aucas. The five men who murdered the missionaries had become Christians and spiritual leaders among their people. Nine years later, two of those men baptized two of Nate Saint's children.

Would you be willing to die for Christ? More important, are you willing to live for Him in a way that impacts the lives of others? You do - when you sacrificially and lovingly serve others around you and pray for them. You do when you pray for our nation and our leaders, asking God that they will turn from sin to a life of freedom in Him.

Pray for our nations leaders today, asking God's blessing, guidance and direction in their lives. Also ask that God break through the spiritual barriers some leaders put up against Him and His people, so that they will submit to God and follow His ways. Also pray for your neighbors and those throughout your community that they too might know Christ; maybe even because of your willingness to reach out to them and serve them.

1 Timothy 2:1-6, ¹I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— ²for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁵For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.

God Bless and have a great day!
Roger

Adapted from a devotional from ~ The Presidential Prayer Team™

DAILY DEVOTIONS

I don't know about you, but there are times that I struggle with my daily devotions. I want to be consistent, I want to give God all the glory in my life, and grow to know Him better each day.
But at times I get distracted, or other times it seems a little laborious. At those times I like to turn to alternative ways in which to spend time with God and worship Him. One of those ways is watching powerful worship videos people have put together on youtube or godtube.

I recently was exposed to this new video that I just can't stop watching, meditating on the power of God in creation. It's a song written and sung by Brian Doerksen called "Creation Calls."

Watch it and let me know what you think. I think it is one of the most powerful worship videos I have ever seen. I was moved deep within that God is so real, wondering how anyone can deny that all things have been created by the Master Designer.

May the Lord bless you abundantly today as you worship Him in all things.

Yours, and His, Roger

Why Marriage Matters

Why does Marriage being defined as the union of one man to one woman matter? Why is it such a big deal to limit the benefits of marriage only to those who abide by the correct definition of marriage? Why can't homosexual unions between two men or two women be recognized with equal protection and provisions? What's wrong with giving the same benefits to civil unions that are given to citizens who choose to live according to the traditional definition of marriage?

Here's the reason. It's clear that an anti-marriage campaign is moving forward piecemeal [that is quietly, yet slowly but surely] because Washington doesn't want to bring the redefinition of marriage to open debate--in Congress, or with the American people. They've seen what we've seen: Each and every time voters in a state have had the chance to protect marriage at the ballot box, they have done so--because common-sense Americans care deeply about marriage and understand that it provides kids with the best chance to have a mom and a dad.

But if the majority of voters in the majority of the states have protected marriage as the union of a man and a woman, why are our federal elected officials so out of step with the will of the people? Marriage and family should be respected and supported by our government--especially for the sake of the next generation. The men and women elected--or appointed--to office have the ability to help shape our country's future for years to come. That's why elections matter, and why confirmation hearings matter as well.

Marriage matters because it is the foundational institution in America (and basically around the world) that makes our culture work. Every child needs to be raised by a Mom and a Dad. Two Moms or two Dads, not matter how sincere, cannot provide that foundation for a child.

God also established marriage to provide for a family. Only a woman and a man can reproduce. And God has established ground rules for marriage to make it last and be effective. Sexual relations outside of marriage like adultery or premarital sex are destructive to the cohesiveness of the couple and a correct example that is to be set for children.

Families are God's first priority for raising children right and effectively passing on the teaching of true values and belief systems.

As government officials continue to ignore the common sense of our nations people, and continually push forward an agenda that is destructive to marriage and family, the end result will be the dissolution of families. And I believe the eventual dissolution of American culture, way of life, and blessing.

Stand up for Families, vote for government leaders who will support marriage and family, and stop this insanity that is destroying our nation!

Love you all,
Roger

DEPENDENCE DAY!

Psalm 33:12-22
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance. 13 From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; 14 from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth -15 He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
16 No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all it great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, 19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
20 We wait in hope for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. 21 In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.
22 May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in You.

We need to be a nation that declares that God is our Lord. This nation began that way, but everything happening in the political arena these days seems to lean toward getting God out of our country, and out of the public arena.

Patrick Henry said, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religion but on the gospel of Jesus Christ."

John Adams said, "We have no government armed with power able of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people...it is wholly inadequate to the government of any other..."

If we want to see America continue to be great like it has been in the past, we must see a revival of faith in God. We must stand up for independence from governmental tyranny, and declare our DEPENDENCE ON GOD!

Will you stand with me this 4th of July? As the Bible says in Romans 1:17, "for in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

We must live our lives by faith, not in government or political leaders, not even in religion, but in God, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. If we don't look to God for protection and guidance, our nation is headed down a spiral that will lead to our own destruction. It is not our enemies that will defeat us. The only way this nation "under God" can be defeated is if we turn our backs on God and trust in our own strength.

Celebrate July 4th with joy! Go to fireworks and fairs and have a great day. But I ask you to begin your day, and end your day on your knees praying for our nation, our President, and the church (the Body of Christ). Pray that we would all discover our true freedom comes only through dependence on God alone.

God bless, and have a great Dependence Day!
Roger

A NATIONAL PRAYER OF REPENTANCE

You may have read this prayer before. It was first used by Joe Wright the pastor of Central Christian Church in Wichita, KS. On January 23, 1996 before the Kansas State House in Topeka, Kansas. It was originally written by Pastor Bob Russell of Southeast Christian Church of Louisville, KY. Later Paul Harvey read it on his radio program, and received more requests for copies of it than anything he had ever done.

Here is what he prayed:

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that’s exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values. We confess that:
We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism.
We have worshipped other gods and called it multi-culturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it a choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the airwaves with profanity and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by You, to govern this great state. Grant them Your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of Your
will... Amen

May we continue to pray for our nation.

Roger

Recommended reading: 2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 81:10-16

The Testimony of Hope

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." I Peter 3:15

"While there's life, there's hope." That's nice, but contrast that to, "It is not the fact of life that determines hope, but the faith of life." A Christian believer has a "living hope" (I Peter 1:3) because his faith and hope are in the Lord (I Peter 1:21). Or like I always like to say, "Whenever Jesus is involved, there's hope."

The uniqueness of the Christian faith is that believers put their hope in the God who made Himself known in history by sending His Son, Jesus Christ. Josh McDowell explains in Evidence That Demands a Verdict, "The evidence is overwhelming ... millions from all backgrounds, nationalities and professions have seen their lives elevated to new levels of peace and joy by turning their lives over to Christ ... regardless of place, time, environment or background."

As a believer, you will face crises, but with Jesus as Lord of your life, each crisis becomes an opportunity for witness. Behave with faith and hope and unbelievers will sit up and take notice. And, as Christianity is attacked more and more in this country, be steadfast. Passionately pray for the nation ... knowing God is the only hope.

Recommended Reading: Romans 8:31-39

A Thought for Today by Pastor Roger

Taken from the Vantage Point Daily Devotional provided by the Presidential Prayer Team. org.

Graduation Sunday

We are going to be recognizing our 2010 High School Graduates during the Worship Service this Sunday. Be sure and be there. We will have a reception following the service in the Gathering Place.

WE ARE FINALLY HERE!

Our new Pastor and his wife, Roger and Sherrill Scovil, have finally arrived, and have now been here for two weeks.

We celebrated Mother's Day, and gave thanks to our Mothers for their gentle kindness, we also challenged Husbands and children to give back to their wives and Mothers the same kind of kindness. No gift can beat being treated with kindness, honor and love.

This past week, Pastor Roger challenged us all with a message on "Great Expectations." What can we expect of him, and what does he expect of us...and what does God expect of us all!

We also held a celebration and dinner on this second week to welcome Roger and Sherrill to our church.

Next week Pastor Roger will continue speaking to us about the importance of "Total Surrender" to Jesus Christ, and what that means.

Hope to see you there. Sunday School meets at 9:30 a.m., and Worship Service is at 10:45 a.m.

Welcome to Myrtle Point Christian Church

We are glad you dropped into our church blog. We have just set this up to begin sharing with you news of things that are going on in the Church