30 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2011 - Day 29

Today, please pray for JR Nall and the music ministry at 1st B.  You've probably noticed many new faces along with the people who have been serving for quite a while.    Please pray for each person on the music team and others who will soon be joining.   Also, be in prayer for this Sunday's Independence Day Oikos Party which will feature many people in our music team performing great national hymns and more at the potluck after church.

Please pray also for our Worship Director, J.R. Nall.  Pray he and his wife Eri as parents to their son Corban and teach him to love God passionately as he grows up.  Also, for his parents who are retiring and looking for a condominium in San Diego to live.  Pray that they are blessed with an affordable place.

Psalm 96

 ¹ Sing to the LORD a new song;
   sing to the LORD, all the earth.
² Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
   proclaim his salvation day after day.
³ Declare his glory among the nations,
   his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

 ⁴ For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
   he is to be feared above all gods.
⁵ For all the gods of the nations are idols,
   but the LORD made the heavens.
⁶ Splendor and majesty are before him;
   strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

 ⁷ Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations,
   ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
⁸ Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
   bring an offering and come into his courts.
⁹ Worship the LORD in the splendor of his^[a] holiness;
   tremble before him, all the earth.
¹⁰ Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”
   The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
   he will judge the peoples with equity.

 ¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
   let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
¹² Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
   let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
¹³ Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes,
   he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
   and the peoples in his faithfulness. 

FBCSD

30 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2011 - Day 17

There are many things that we can be praying for related to our church.  But let's not forget that praying for each other is what that means at it's most basic level - the "church" is not the building or the company, it's the people.

Today and through this weekend, pray for our church that we will be more Christlike in all we do - specifically, that we would be a forgiving people, full of grace.   That prayer is one we can also say for ourselves.

Below is a video and scripture references that will help inspire your prayers today.  Consider the amazing work that is being done all because this woman chose to forgive as Christ forgives us.




Mathew 5:44-46

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[i] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

Matthew 6:14-15


¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Luke 6:35-36

³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

FBCSD

30 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2011 - Day 4

Day 4 our our 30 Days of Prayer and Fasting.  Please read and pray through Psalm 111 below, giving thanks to the Lord our God.

Psalm 111

         1      Praise the LORD.

         I will extol the LORD with all my heart
         in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

         2      Great are the works of the LORD;
         they are pondered by all who delight in them.
         3      Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
         and his righteousness endures forever.
         4      He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
         the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
         5      He provides food for those who fear him;
         he remembers his covenant forever.
         6      He has shown his people the power of his works,
         giving them the lands of other nations.
         7      The works of his hands are faithful and just;
         all his precepts are trustworthy.
         8      They are steadfast for ever and ever,
         done in faithfulness and uprightness.
         9      He provided redemption for his people;
         he ordained his covenant forever—
         holy and awesome is his name.

         10      The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
         all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
         To him belongs eternal praise.



FBCSD

Revelation 8 - 30 Mintues of Silence and You

Please comment below...

Are You Lukewarm? Revelation 3 Devotion Follow-UP

Greetings!

I hope you are having a great Christmas season!  

On Sunday, I told you about a devotional I would send you related to our topic on Sunday from Revelation Chapter 3.   Here's the passage we studied:

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:  These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth.  You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.   Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.  To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.   Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

This devotional (link below) is part of a small group curriculum called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan.  It contains a list of 18 different descriptions of "Lukewarm People" with a scriptural reference for us on each one.   Since the book of Revelation begins with Jesus' concern for His church, I thought it would be good for us to be challenged to respond during these next few weeks before we continue with the book.

So, for the next 18 days, just take one of these thoughts and scripture references each day and have a devotion and prayer about it.  Ask God to examine your heart and to draw you closer to Him.  No doubt, this will be challenging for us all, but following Jesus is the most serious part of our life, so its worth it.  Keep in mind, we all struggle, but God's grace through Christ not only brings you forgiveness, but also spiritual growth.

As we consider all there is to consider this Christmas, remember our little Advent Conspiracy slogan - Spend Less, Give More, Worship Fully.  More about that on Sunday.  See you then.

Blessings,

Pastor Scott

Click here for the "Lukewarm People" PDF


Want to use Crazy Love in your small group?  Here's a link to the book - we have the DVD at church in the Resource room.

Crazy Love

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Song Devotional For This Sunday

O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing
(PRAYER) Let my life be a praise song to You and give me strength to proclaim Your love and grace through my words and actions.

"Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.
I will praise the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live" (Psalm 146:1-2)

Hosanna
(PRAYER) I will put my hope in You because You are faithful.

"When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust. I will not fear; what can mortal man do to me?" (Psalm 56:3-4).

Mighty to Save
(PRAYER) Jesus, You are the hope of the nations and You are mighty to save.

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation" (Isaiah 12:2).

Community Prayer
"'All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of the Lord stands forever.'
And this is the word that was preached to you" (1 Peter 1:24-25).

Help us to be a church that trusts in Your word and plans for us

Sunday Reflection

As usual it is such a joy to sing together about the grace of God and the hope we have through Christ. He really moves when we come together and focus on him.

For me, I really connected with the verse in first Peter about the living hope and assurance we have through Christ (1:3-4). Dorothy loved the lyrics "be glorified in me" and Krista really connected with "Father Let me dedicate all this life to You. In what ever worldly state thou would have me be".

These are great words to live by this week as we ask the question to God "how can I be more holy?".

How about you? How did the messages from this Sunday connect with you and how did you experience God this week?

In Spirit and Truth,

J.R.

Song Devotional for May 2

In the midst of our busy lives often we need reminders to be still and know that God is God. This opportunity for you to pause in worship and remember God. The songs we are singing tomorrow are about the greatness of God and the assurance we have in Christ our Living Hope. Take ten minutes and pray through this blog proclaiming these truths.

- J.R. Nall

Happy Day
(PRAYER) Jesus, You are my living hope and because of you I am forgiven.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:3-4).

Blessed Assurance
(Prayer) Jesus, be my story and my song - make me aware of Your presence today.

I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
He has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise Him,
My father's God, and I will exalt Him. (Exodus 15:1-2)

This Is The Gift of God
(PRAYER) Lord, your grace humbles me because my forgiveness does not come out of what I have done but only from the righteousness of Christ.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast"
(Ephesians 2:8).