Weekly Update 08/31/2021
Greetings!
We’re thankful to have been spared the horrible weather south of us, while praying for those who met the wrath of Hurricane Ida. Let’s keep the many crews in our prayers as they work to restore power and essentials. Let us continue to pray, as well, for the believers in Afghanistan who face living under enormous threats each day. Much of my meditation and prayers in reading the Word of late, have led to praying for these brothers and sisters as they endure. I had a sweet time praying Psalm 46 for those fellow believers this morning.
We had a really good opportunity this weekend, first to serve some internationals in the community with sewing, through World Relief on Saturday, and then at Shelby Farms to do some evangelism. Some of the discussions on Sunday afternoon were with internationals (from a number of countries), locals, and visitors to our community. We had a number of gospel conversations, passed out gospel literature, prayed for people who needed encouragement, and talked with some about visiting our church services. Pray for fruitfulness. As I was praying this morning on our Tuesday “local ministry” need, I reflected on how many months we have prayed for the Lord to restore our opportunities to do evangelistic work at Shelby Farms, and finally, by His grace, that happened on Sunday afternoon. Andrew Harris and I talked with a local pastor in our first conversation and were able to give him some encouragement as he faces opportunities ahead.
The building project continues to make progress. We’re at the stage where the plumbers and electricians are completing their work overhead, and we’re getting ready for the flooring to be installed. The expansion area has been slowed down by the rain. It will take at least two days of dry weather for the workers to get back into it. Right now, a pig would find it to be a delight!
We get started with monthly Sunday night worship on September 19th! A good team of our guys will be expounding Paul’s epistle to the Colossians during these times of worship. Pray for them and join us in learning from this incredibly rich epistle!
The Corporate Worship STINT class will be tomorrow night at 6:30. The men are up for this one, discussing chapter 3. Pre-K through 6th graders will be enjoying seeing one another and learning together at the same time for Wisdom Wednesdays.
We covered a lot of biblical territory on Sunday morning. That’s one of the longest passages that I’ve attempted to expound. Since Acts 13:13–42 covered Luke’s synopsis of Paul’s sermon in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, we decided it needed to be considered in one sermon. The primary reason was not that it couldn’t have been broken down and considered in a few parts, but that looking at the whole showed how the apostle preached the gospel of Jesus from the whole of Scripture. I hope that you were served as we looked at the continuity of the message of God’s Word, the promise in the gospel unfolding, and how the gospel of grace was proclaimed. You can read or listen to the sermon here.
I left you dangling at the end of the sermon. We didn’t close out how the people responded. But that’s coming, Lord willing, on Sunday, as we look at the balance of Acts 13. Join us as we see the joy and glorying in the proclamation of the gospel while right in the middle of it, there was persecution. That sounds like something we’re seeing in the world today!
Warmly,
Phil N.
We’re thankful to have been spared the horrible weather south of us, while praying for those who met the wrath of Hurricane Ida. Let’s keep the many crews in our prayers as they work to restore power and essentials. Let us continue to pray, as well, for the believers in Afghanistan who face living under enormous threats each day. Much of my meditation and prayers in reading the Word of late, have led to praying for these brothers and sisters as they endure. I had a sweet time praying Psalm 46 for those fellow believers this morning.
We had a really good opportunity this weekend, first to serve some internationals in the community with sewing, through World Relief on Saturday, and then at Shelby Farms to do some evangelism. Some of the discussions on Sunday afternoon were with internationals (from a number of countries), locals, and visitors to our community. We had a number of gospel conversations, passed out gospel literature, prayed for people who needed encouragement, and talked with some about visiting our church services. Pray for fruitfulness. As I was praying this morning on our Tuesday “local ministry” need, I reflected on how many months we have prayed for the Lord to restore our opportunities to do evangelistic work at Shelby Farms, and finally, by His grace, that happened on Sunday afternoon. Andrew Harris and I talked with a local pastor in our first conversation and were able to give him some encouragement as he faces opportunities ahead.
The building project continues to make progress. We’re at the stage where the plumbers and electricians are completing their work overhead, and we’re getting ready for the flooring to be installed. The expansion area has been slowed down by the rain. It will take at least two days of dry weather for the workers to get back into it. Right now, a pig would find it to be a delight!
We get started with monthly Sunday night worship on September 19th! A good team of our guys will be expounding Paul’s epistle to the Colossians during these times of worship. Pray for them and join us in learning from this incredibly rich epistle!
The Corporate Worship STINT class will be tomorrow night at 6:30. The men are up for this one, discussing chapter 3. Pre-K through 6th graders will be enjoying seeing one another and learning together at the same time for Wisdom Wednesdays.
We covered a lot of biblical territory on Sunday morning. That’s one of the longest passages that I’ve attempted to expound. Since Acts 13:13–42 covered Luke’s synopsis of Paul’s sermon in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, we decided it needed to be considered in one sermon. The primary reason was not that it couldn’t have been broken down and considered in a few parts, but that looking at the whole showed how the apostle preached the gospel of Jesus from the whole of Scripture. I hope that you were served as we looked at the continuity of the message of God’s Word, the promise in the gospel unfolding, and how the gospel of grace was proclaimed. You can read or listen to the sermon here.
I left you dangling at the end of the sermon. We didn’t close out how the people responded. But that’s coming, Lord willing, on Sunday, as we look at the balance of Acts 13. Join us as we see the joy and glorying in the proclamation of the gospel while right in the middle of it, there was persecution. That sounds like something we’re seeing in the world today!
Warmly,
Phil N.
Posted in Weekly Updates