30 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2011 - Day 24

Today, be in prayer for the 2 congregations that also meet at 5055 Governor Drive - Chinese Bible Church of San Diego and the San Diego Taiwanese Presbyterian Church.  These churches are meeting the needs of many Asian believers in University City and their oikos.

Please pray for each congregation as they are going through much transition and change as churches do.  

Acts 1:8

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

30 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2011 - Day 16

Today, pray for our city, San Diego, and the surrounding cities.  Pray that as we serve our city in various ways, that we would both demonstrate and announce the Gospel, by loving others and Jesus loved us.  

FBC supports the Interfaith Shelter Network, you can learn more about them here: www.interfaithshelter.org.

Psalm 145

    A psalm of praise. Of David.

 ¹ I will exalt you, my God the King;
   I will praise your name for ever and ever.
² Every day I will praise you
   and extol your name for ever and ever.

 ³ Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
   his greatness no one can fathom.
⁴ One generation commends your works to another;
   they tell of your mighty acts.
⁵ They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
   and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
⁶ They tell of the power of your awesome works—
   and I will proclaim your great deeds.
⁷ They celebrate your abundant goodness
   and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

 ⁸ The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
   slow to anger and rich in love.

 ⁹ The LORD is good to all;
   he has compassion on all he has made.
¹⁰ All your works praise you, LORD;
   your faithful people extol you.
¹¹ They tell of the glory of your kingdom
   and speak of your might,
¹² so that all people may know of your mighty acts
   and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
   and your dominion endures through all generations.

   The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises
   and faithful in all he does.
¹⁴ The LORD upholds all who fall
   and lifts up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you,
   and you give them their food at the proper time.
¹⁶ You open your hand
   and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

 ¹⁷ The LORD is righteous in all his ways
   and faithful in all he does.
¹⁸ The LORD is near to all who call on him,
   to all who call on him in truth.
¹⁹ He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
   he hears their cry and saves them.
²⁰ The LORD watches over all who love him,
   but all the wicked he will destroy.

 ²¹ My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
   Let every creature praise his holy name
   for ever and ever. 

FBCSD

30 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2011 - Day 14

One of the missions we support is InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at UCSD.  Not only do we support IVCF financially, but also, the campus at FBCSD is often used for student outreach events and leadership development.

This week, many of the IVCF staff from UCSD and other San Diego area campuses are meeting on the campus at FBCSD as they make plans for the summer and next school year.  Additionally, all of these men and women on the IV staff are missionaries themselves and must raise support to continue to work on the campuses.  Due to the current economy, many campus ministers are falling short of financial goals for the current fiscal year, which ends this month.

Today, please be in prayer for the leadership of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at UCSD and the other San Diego campuses.  Pray that their fundraising goals are met and that they are focused on God's call for thier ministry next school year.

Also, pray for the students that are involved with IV, especially the student leaders, as they are away for the summer.  Summer time is often a difficult time for students who struggle with temptations while away from regular fellowship.  Pray for their strength and their ability to stand firm, and find Christian fellowship wherever they are.

Galatians 5:1

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

30 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2011 - Day 11

Today, pray for the missional events going on this weekend at FBCSD, the Pajama Jam movie night and the Great American Bake Sale (More information here).  Both of these events are designed to bring Fellowship opportunities within our church and with the people that God has placed in our relational worlds (oikos).  The Bake Sale also addresses the issue of hunger, which is very great even in our own country.  We must be aware of suffering and realize we are called to make a difference in the name of Jesus Christ.

Please pray that through these events, relationships of all kinds are stronger, that people will hear and see the Gospel through these relationships and that much will be done to address the issue of child hunger in America.

Matthew 5:13-16

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

   ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

FBCSD 

30 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2011 - Day 10

Today, please be in prayer for the San Diego Rescue Mission.  There are over 10,000 homeless men, women and children in San Diego and the Rescue Mission is one of the leading agencies for help and recovery.

There are many ways to pray for them and you can find out more on their website at www.sdrescue.org.  In particular, pray for the planning stages of "Sleepless in San Diego", an important event now in it's fifth year.  The strategic planning meeting will be held at the First Baptist Church of San Diego later this month.

Proverbs 22:9

 ⁹ The generous will themselves be blessed,
   for they share their food with the poor.

FBCSD

30 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2011 - Day 9

Today, please pray for our missions in El Salvador. Our ministry in El Salvador is through a mission called “Enlace.” Please pray for the leadership of that mission group.

Also, pray for our church partners in El Salvador, Pastor Marcos (http://www.enlaceonline.org/sjen/) and Pastor Miguel (http://www.enlaceonline.org/las-delicias/), and their congregations.

You can find out more information here:

http://www.projectmilagro.com/
http://www.enlaceonline.org/

Matthew 25:31-46

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

FBCSD

30 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2011 - Day 8

Today, please pray for FBCSD missionaries, Tim and Patti Long.

The Longs began their mission service in Baja California, Mexico, in July 1996. Invited to minister in leadership training by the Baja Baptist Convention Dios Con Nosotros (God With Us), they help in the acculturation process of the many people who relocate to the Baja Peninsula of Mexico from other areas in Mexico.

Currently, Patti serves as the special education teacher and consultant at the "Centro Pedagogico Dedaque" Baptist grade school in Tijuana. She also serves as an infant development specialist working with babies and young children with disabilities and their families. Patti teaches English at Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana in San Diego.

Tim works mainly with the theological education programs of the Baja Baptist Convention. He assists the director and administrator of the Dios Con Nosotros Seminary, working with extension classes in Ensenada, Tijuana, and the Mexicali Valley; with residential students at Mexicali; and in a continuing education program for pastors and church planters.

Please see videos below:

About Tim Long:

About Patti Long:





FBCSD

30 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2011 - Day 7

Today, as we pray for our missionaries, please pray for “The Centre”, an outreach for students in Chiang Mai.  Pray for the ministry team that reaches out to the 35000 students in their area. 

http://www.thecentrethailand.org/

http://www.asianoutreach.org/

Joshua 1:6-9

6 “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Generate Hope

On Sunday, Ashley told us about her work for Generate Hope, a comprehensive and uniquely designed long-term recovery program for young women who have been trafficked, prostituted, or otherwise sexually exploited.  The issue of Human trafficking is only just now coming into awareness in the church and culture, but it has been a growing problem for a long time.

More people are slaves today in the world than ever before in history.  200,000 people are currently enslaved in the United States alone.  San Diego is ranked 8th in US cities for human trafficking.

Below is the video Ashley shared with us letting us know more about this ministry she supports.





You can learn more at www.generatehope.org.

FBCSD

Oikos Christmas Party is THIS SUNDAY - Michael Jr.

I am so excited about this year's Oikos Christmas Party!  You know why?  Because I get to spend time with some people that I've been praying for all year:  your oikos and mine!  Your oikos is our primary missional group, and this is one of the easiest opportunities to build your relationship with the people that God has purposefully and providentially placed in your life.

This year, we are pleased to welcome comedian Michael Jr.  Michael is a clean comedian with a solid Christian testimony.  He has been on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno as well as many other television and other venues.  He will not only be making us laugh, but he will also be showing us the way he uses his comedy to minister to the broken in prisons, homeless shelters, homes for abused women and kids, and elsewhere.  We'll laugh a lot - and maybe cry a little too.

Here's a promo video - more information below...



We call this event the "Oikos Christmas Party" because it is a party designed for your oikos - it's for them to have a good time with you, building a relationship that is necessary for you to make disciples.  By getting to know them better, you'll be more ready to discover and meet needs they have; an opportunity to show them the love of Christ.  You will also be a person they know who knows Jesus.  As Peter reminds us, we must be prepared to give a reason for the hope we have in Christ.  (1 Peter 3:15) 

Please be in prayer for them now.  If you haven't already, make a list of those people in your oikos, the people you interact with on a regular basis, and pray for them every day.  Ask God for the opportunity to invite them and that God would be moving in your relationship with each other.

Keep in mind that there are further opportunities for you and your oikos.  Our Christmas Eve Service is on December 24th.  Also, we'll be starting "Financial Peace University" with Dave Ramsey in January.  And also in January, our "Starting Point" class will begin again.  This class is for anyone who is a new believer, seeker, or otherwise interested in the faith.  We'll be promoting these things at the Oikos Party.

Tickets are available now for $10, but if cost is a problem we have quite a few complementary tickets.  We want you to be able to invite your oikos, so if you need a comp ticket, please contact the office ASAP at info@fbcsd.com.   I recommend that you purchase them for your oikos and give them as a gift.  Think of it as an investment in your relationship with them.  We do want everyone in your oikos to be able to go, so if you need to buy more tickets than you can afford, please let us know on Sunday at the Connection Table, we will have a few comp tickets for your oikos.  Also, if you want to buy extra tickets for other people's oikos becuase you can easily afford it, please do this at the Connection Table as well on Sunday.

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS! - Sign up to help THIS Sunday or send an email to info@fbcsd.com letting him know what you will do:

• We need people to make Christmas goodies and hors d'œuvres.  Baked goods and finger foods are perfect!
• Also, if you can make Apple Cider, that has been a huge hit every year.  Pots can be set up in the church kitchen if necessary.
• Set up and tear down teams

This is a great opportunity for you to get to know your oikos better.  I encourage you to ride together and make plans to get to know each other further.

Looking forward to seeing you - and your oikos!

Blessings,

Pastor Scott

August Blanket Drive On Now!

Each week many Christian families face religious persecution in their home countries.  Through our "Feed My Sheep" food bank ministry, we feed many families in San Diego each week.  But along with food needs, we have many refugee families coming to San Diego each week who will need warmth for the upcoming winter. 

Would you be able to help?  We need new or gently used blankets, quilts, comforters and afghans for all bed sizes.   Please bring to church on Sundays throughout the month of August.

See Carri Butler for more information.  CarriButler@yahoo.com.

Thank you so much for your generosity and sharing the love of Jesus in such a tangible way!