Thursday, October 28, 2004

Roots of Sorrow

CCC people on Stage around Gainesville...

Kelly MacGregor (and her pet dog!) are in the cast of "Anything Goes". This family-friendly show runs Friday through November 7th. There are no Saturday or Monday shows. FYI, our own Tamara Johnston (coordinator of upcoming children's Christmas music) has a younger brother playing the lead in the show. University Box Office or 359-6603 for tickets and info.

also...
Maggie Martin is in an upcoming production at Oak Hall, details to follow

One of our students,Erik Folgate, is promoting this event Sunday Night

Caedmons Call

One way to amaze an unbelieving world...

Michael Wolfe, in New York Magazine said the United States are fundamentally two nations.
“There is the quicker-growing, economically vibrant, morally relativist, urban-oriented, culturally adventurous, sexually polymorphist and ethnically diverse nation. Then there is also the smaller-town, suburban, nuclear-family, religiously oriented, traditional values, white-centric other America with its diminished political and economic force.”

The Apostle Paul, in a letter to the Churches in Galatia...
For Christ Jesus himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.



Is there an election upcoming?

Seems like alot on news lately... Seriously, Sunday i'll be addressing trusting Christ in polorized political situation in which we find ourselves.

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

Mkt Street Pub a success

7 guys at b'fast downtown today. Next week they'll start meeting on Tuesday mornings at 6:30.

Mystery Dinner

If you haven't signed up for a mystery dinner... why not?
Contact 359-6604 if you want to participate. They are being held in couple o' weeks.

Monday, October 25, 2004

Men's Breakfast Here Wednesday 6:30am

The Market Street Pub

Task Force Meets Tonite

Pray for the work of a Hospitality Task Force which is meeting tonite, seeking to develop a plan to present to elders.

Thursday, October 21, 2004

Update on Mission's Trip to Guatemala

Our team is doing well here in Guatemala. Today we were up visiting a couple of different mountain villages about 20 miles from El Salvador. The children here have loved receiving the gifts that you sent with us.
Tomorrow we will go by Cessna Planes to get an aerial view of the area and go into the jungle. There we will meet different ministries and hear about what’s going on in their villages.
Friday we will visit the Mayan Ruins.

We continue to appreciate your prayer support.

Friday, October 15, 2004

Sunday at Christ Community

9am Classes
10am worship
Looking at Acts 5 and the spread of the gospel...

See you there...

Also, this is last day to bring things for Guatemala trip... the last of our team is leaving Monday!
Pray for the part of the team that leaves tomorrow.

Thursday, October 14, 2004

Desperate Situation, please pray

Between Thursday night and Sunday night my calendar shows 7 speaking engagements to open the Word of God to people.
Unless God comes by His Spirit, that is 7 exhalings of hot air. If He comes and blesses, lives will be changed, the lost reached, hearts will be healed, relationships will grow, repentance will be rampant, zeal for His glory will be increased. And, mysteriously, your prayers (and mine) have a place in which happens. This Piper quote works for every Lord's Day when i speak, but 7 times makes me especially aware of the glorious possibilities. Please pray:

“Now we can say and again, safely and stunningly, what the awesome
place of prayer is in the purpose of God to fill the earth with his glory.
Not only has God made the accomplishment of his purposes hang on the
preaching of the word; he has also made the success of that preaching
hang on prayer.
God’s goal to be glorified will not succeed without the
powerful proclamation of the gospel. And that gospel will not be
proclaimed in power to all the nations without the prevailing, earnest,
faith-filled prayers of God’s people. This is the awesome place of prayer
in the purpose of God for the world. That purpose won’t happen
without prayer.” John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad!, p. 66.

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

I'm off to pray...

Wednesdays at 1:30 i joyfully gather with Marion Clark, pastor of Faith presbyterian... and Ty Keys, pastor of Grace Community... and we pray.
For God to fill our hearts
For our congregations to experience His grace and power.
For hurting people in our churches....

You are being prayed for today.

Upcoming Youth Event

Volleyball and Cookout at Park
on 23rd Ave. on 24 October from 3-6PM

Friday, October 08, 2004

Sunday October 10

Oak Hall
9am classes for all ages
10am worship

Young Marrieds & Soon 2 be marrieds are having Lunch together... ask for Brandon/Krista Wilson after the worship service

5-8pm Intro to CCC seminar (pizza provided)
6-7:30 Children's Craft Night, parents encouraged to join them

Also, if you would like to bring something for the Guatemala team to carry and give away for you... candy, clothes & shoes (children's), cash, fine women's toiletries, deflated sports balls... there will be a box to receive them

Thursday, October 07, 2004

Pray for my speaking at Campus Crusade tonight...

I'll be speaking to Campus Crusade on UF campus tonight. Please pray for God to bring Himself glory by bringing students to repentance from their idols and rest in His Son. Thanks.

Also, Sunday evening at Oak Hall is a great craft night for children. Details here later, or contact Rebecca Schackow.

Prayer meetings y'day went great. We averaged 10 and 1/2 people at the meetings. Goal was 10.

Wednesday, October 06, 2004

The Land is a No Go

We removed our contract offer. More later. Prayer meeting 6:15-6:45 at Hope Church.

Tuesday, October 05, 2004

Prayer Today, 2 Opportunities

Wednesday Prayer & Fasting
Wednesday Oct 6th Noon-12:30 at Anne Osborn's home
Wednesday Oct 6th 6:15-6:45 at Hope Community Church (Tower & 24th)
Rob Pendley will lead both of these prayer meetings. There is much to pray for as we seek together to Experience & Extend the grace of Jesus Christ in Gainesville.
Remember that prayer has several Key Result Areas (KRA) for us this Fall
1.) to have every member participate in one of our many prayer meetings
this Fall
2.) to average 10 people in prayer at each meeting this Fall
I've been rehearsing my memory of a great book, Pray with your Eyes Open, by Richard Pratt. It has some of the best scriptural patterns for prayer.
I'll design this week's prayer meeting on one of the models Pratt suggests.
Also, I'm going to make sure that those who have never prayed out loud have the opportunity to take some baby steps (one word prayers) when we're together.
The meeting at Hope is the "child-friendly" prayer meeting.
There are some fasting quotes at bottom.


Directions to Anne's Wednesday 12:00-12:30 Prayer Meeting
Coming from University, go south on 13th St. Take a left at the Museum Rd./8th light (you will drive between sorority row and Norman field). After parking garage, take your first left onto 12th (runs behind college of education). Go two blocks and turn right onto 6th Ave. 1111 SW 6th Ave. is the second house on the right. I will try to have as much parking as possible.
Anne's House
1111 SW 6th Ave.
692-3871 or cell 283-1996

Fasting Quotes I've collected in years passed.
There is an ache inside every Christian
that Jesus is not here as fully and intimately and as powerfully
and as gloriously as we want him to be. We hunger for so much
more. That is why we fast.

Fasting is not a no to the goodness of food or the generosity
of God in providing it. Rather, it is a way of saying, from time
to time, that having more of the Giver surpasses having the gift.

Fasting gives glory to God when it is experienced
as a gift from God aimed at knowing and enjoying more of God.

I grew up on the mission field in Korea. There is one experience
emblazoned on my mind to show the sacrificial dedication
to prayer and fasting in Korea. My father worked
with a leper colony, and they had prayer meetings that met
at four o'clock in the morning. I was a little boy, but my
father took me with him, getting me up at about 3:30 A.M.
to get there on time. He sat me down in the back where I
could see out the door. And I'll never forget one man who
had no legs, no crutches, and was using his hands and crabbing
along the ground, dragging his body to pray at 4 A.M.
I'll never forget that.
Rising early is a kind of fast. And coming to pray when it
is hard to get there is another kind of fast. When we make such
choices, we make war on the deceitfulness of our desires and
declare the preciousness of prayer and the all-surpassing worth
of God.
The weakness of hunger which leads to death brings
forth the goodness and power of God who wills life.
Here there is no extortion, no magic attempt to force
God's will. We merely look with confidence upon our
heavenly Father and through our fasting say gently in
our hearts: "Father, without you I will die; come to my
assistance, make haste to help me."
-JO S E P H WIMMER
"Our seasons of fasting and prayer at the Tabernacle have
been high days indeed; never has Heaven's gate stood wider;
never have our hearts been nearer the central Glory." CH Spurgeon
If you really want to read more, and this is the book that turned my heart (from discipline/drudgery to delight) on fasting, read ANY chapter at this
link:
http://desiringgod.org/media/pdf/books_hfg/hfg_ch2-4.pdf

Saturday, October 02, 2004

Tomorrow at Christ Community

9am Great Classes...
... and not just because i'm teaching one!
all ages can receive biblical teaching in our educational wing
~a whole slew of classes for younger children
~youth experiencing Deuteronomy, led by David Bagwell
~adults (including college students) War & Peace
"You must enter war with a plan to win the peace." Man, do we live in a soundbite culture. Those candidates kept repeating the same lines. I digress.
Class: THE PEACEMAKER, How the Gospel creates & diffuses conflict... come 8:55 for coffee.

10:00
~~childcare for ages 4 and below
~~worship in the theatre: reminder: "The first 15 minutes of our service may be the most important of your week."

6:00 at Hope Church (corner of Tower & SW 24th)
Congregational meeting
Childcare provided
We'll dismiss by 7:15, hang around as long as you like.
Youth meeting at 7:22 at Hope Church.