Prayer, Evangelism and Worship

You may have seen reminders that catch your attention.   Warning, prolonged exposure may lead to...  Notice some of these notices.   Introduction:  Our lesson today is about how the children of Israel, at the time of their return to their land listened to God's word for a long time.  Here is one prolonged exposure that is highly encouraged.    Nehemiah 8:1-3 says,       1 all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.2 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. 3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. Also, Neh. 9:1-3 says,    3 They stood w

Introduction for Group Setting:  Confession and repentance is not just for those who needed to come to Christ, it is for Christians.  Jesus kept on repeating this message "repent" to the 7 churches in Asia minor.   Even the promise of forgiveness in 1 John 1:9 is for believers.   Encourage your church to confess by leading your men to examine their hearts.  Private confession is ideal.  Public confession (outloud) and stating "our" sins as a group is biblical and encouraged.   How can we pray confession:   Pray on your own and state to God what sins you are confessing Let me ask three people.  Please lead us in confession and confess to God our sin of pride, sin of worry, and the sin of disunity (these are examples). Let me lead us in a prayer of confession.    Dear Father, just like the children of Israel, we cry for your mercy and grace.  Forgive us because we have sinned against you.  Oftentimes, we as a church trusted on our own. We trusted in programs, people

Introduction:   The Jews in this passage had just recently returned from Exile in Persia.   Away for 70 and more years, and now they are back in Jerusalem.  Nehemiah had repaired the walls.  The temple had been restored.  Most people were back in their homes.  Ezra read the law of Moses.  Let us look at the Jews' response.   The Response of the People They were eager to read the word (8:1) They listened for long hours (8:3a) They listened attentively (8:3b) They stood in respect (8:5) They responded in a different manner (8:5-6) The Responsibility of the Leader Read from the Book of the Law of Moses (8:1) Read to all ages (8:2) Read to be heard (8:4) Read with understanding (8:7-8) We have many things to learn from Ezra and the Jews on how to relate to God's word.   Do we honor, respect, and obey the word of God?  How do you show your honor and respect to the  Bible?  What areas in your life need to be obedient for God?   

MISSION STATEMENT:  Enabling relationships with members geographically, while establishing familiarity and trust with deacon leadership. OVERVIEW: The plan for the Deacon Family Ministry is accomplished when the deacon leadership joins the Pastor in ministering to the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of each church member and family.  Church families are divided into groups.  Each group of family is then assigned to a deacon who will minister to them over a period. Deacon Meetings:   A part of each Deacon Family Ministry meeting is spent praying about specific needs of families and in rejoicing over needs met and victories won.  The deacons meet to evaluate the ministry plan, to plan actions for improvement, and to provide regular training opportunities for deacons to develop their skills in ministering to family needs. March (Weekly) April (Bi - Monthly) May (Monthly) June (Monthly) July (Monthly)  The Deacon Family Ministry plan serves as a ministering example for the entire