My Prayer for You

Every pastor prays regularly for his people.  And if there is one thing that I would pray for my people at Calvary Baptist Church it would be exactly what Paul prayed for the believers in Philippi.
"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.  For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.  May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God."  Philippians 1:9-11 (NLT)
I'm praying that your love for God would overflow more and more, as well as your love for one another and your love for people in our community.  Not only that, my prayer is that you will keep on growing in knowing God in ever sense of what that word means - that you will find such an intimate relationship with God that it will impact every area of your life.  That each day, each week, each year, your relationship with Jesus Christ will grow deeper and deeper.  And not just knowing God intimately, but also understanding His perfect will for your life--obedience to the truth He reveals in His Word.  May you daily spend time reading AND applying God's Word to your life. 
Could I also with Paul say that I want you to understand what really matters in life - living every second of every day to please and honor God.  What really matters - carrying out the life that He has uniquely designed for you.  When you are living out what really matters it will show in every area of your life - in a lifestyle of purity and blamelessness; a life that is showing forth the fruit of your salvation (see Galatians 5:22-23).  As we live out that kind of life, characterized by right living, we will be bringing great glory and praise to our God who loves us so much and has sacrificed His all for us. 
That's my prayer each and every day for the people of God.  May God answer my prayers!

Serving Like Jesus

We are devoting the summer of 2010 to serving like Jesus - carrying out random acts of kindness in Jesus' name.  As we carry out these acts of servant evangelism, we need to be reminded that we serve as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ in our world.  Servanthood was the lifestyle that Jesus led.  In John 13, He told the disciples "I have given you an example: go and do the same."  He was referring to His demonstration of servanthood by washing the feet of the disciples - a task that was reserved for the lowest of slaves - in fact, it was usually done by a Gentile slave or servant and not a Jewish servant.  It was the lowest of the low in the way of assigned tasks.  Jesus said, I have given you an example that says nothing is too menial to do in the name of the Kingdom of God.
    This summer, as we serve our community in Jesus name, remember even a cup of cold water given in Jesus' name will be rewarded.  The reality is you and I are more like Jesus when we are serving than at any other time.  So, "go and do the same."

(For a listing of suggested acts of kindness, check the Calvary website, http://www.calvaryelko.org/, and click on the missions link and go to local missions.)

Summer Reading - a Must!

School is out and with it comes the proverbial reading list for students to use to stay sharp. Reading is a great way to stay sharp in following Christ. I always advocate that believers immerse themselves in great books to grow in their faith in Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, too many believers approach following Christ like treading water. Once you've taken the plunge of starting a relationship with Christ by faith, now you are supposed to just tread water until He returns. Throughout Scripture we are challenged and encouraged to grow the life that has been planted in us by Jesus Christ. To do that we need to engage in disciplines that help us grow. Reading the Bible is a must! But reading great Christian literature is also very essential. Let me suggest some books to add to your reading list for this summer. Some of these may be purchased at the resource table at Calvary.

John Baker - Life's Healing Choices
Brennan Manning - The Ragamuffin Gospel
Buddy Owen - The Way of a Worshipper
John Ortberg - The Life You've Always Wanted
J.I. Packer - Knowing God
R.C. Sproul - The Holiness of God
John R.W. Stott - Basic Christianity
Lee Strobel - The Case for the Real Jesus
Gary Thomas - Sacred Marriage
A.W. Tozer - The Pursuit of God
Kay Warren - Dangerous Surrender

And of course, if you haven't read it, The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.

That's a start, but it is enough to get you started. I'd love to hear your response as you read the suggested titles. Add a comment and let me know what was helpful.

Pastor Sam