Sharing With Steve
We are studying the Book of Ephesians in our adult Bible study that meets every other Wednesday evening at 7 pm. In our last session we looked at Paul’s prayer in chapter 1. I called it “praying deeper.” My favorite magazine over the years has been Discipleship Journal. In the May/June 1996 issue was an article that I would like to share with you about this topic. The article was written by Pamela Binkley. I will not share the whole article because of length, but the introduction and key points.
As I prayed I knew something was missing. Requests from the women in my Bible study group had grown predictable. Concerns about health, careers, cantankerous cars, financial needs, and trying relationships packed my prayer journal. I’d even prayed about two leaky roofs. Shouldn’t there be requests for spiritual needs? I wondered. Not that the prayers in my journal were insignificant. Along with the other women, I’d learned by His answers that God’s love for us and the ingenuity of His solutions to our problems defy the imagination. He tends to our daily needs even as He tends to our souls. Besides, one of those leaky roofs was mine! But were there other prayers God wanted me to offer up for these women? The answer surfaced the year our leader challenged us: “As you study the letters of Paul, look for the prayers he prayed for the churches and pray each one for your group.”
My first discovery occurred in 1 Thess. 5:23—a petition for purity. I knelt and asked, “May the spirit, soul, and body of each woman be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Surely, this prayer was holy to God. I began to understand that God wants us to pray for daily needs, but He also wants us to pray for our spiritual needs.
A Prayer for Filling and Spilling
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Ro. 15:13).
A Prayer for Unity
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ro. 15:5-6).
A Prayer to Know God Better
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Eph. 1:17-19).
A Prayer for Salt-and-Light Love
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:9-11).
A Prayer for Sharing Faith
“I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ” (Phlm. 6).
The answers to prayers like these are not as tangible as the answers to prayers about cantankerous cars and leaky roofs. Sometimes the answers are long in coming. Spiritual qualities, like oak trees, take time to mature. Sometimes the answers are hidden from us because they represent private victories. If you become discouraged because you don’t see the results of your spiritual petitions, ask God to let you see just enough so that you will persevere.
Discipleship Journal, Issue #93, May/June 1996, Page 25.
FEBRUARY SERMON CALENDAR
January marked the start of our new series, Believe. This series will contain thirty sermons dealing with each chapter from the book, Believe, by Randy Frazee. Each month in the newsletter we will be listing the sermons to be preached that month in the series. We hope that this will help you better prepare for each week. Please be keeping Steve in your prayers as he prepares each message and keep Randy and the praise team in your prayers as they plan each service. Here goes:
February 4 – Salvation
Key Question – How do I have a relationship with God?
Key Idea – I believe a person comes into a right relationship with God by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
February 11 – The Bible
Key Question – How do I know God and His will for my life?
Key Idea – I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God that guides my Beliefs and actions.
February 18 – Identity in Christ
Key Question – Who am I?
Key Idea – I believe I am significant because of my position as a child of God.
February 25 – Church
Key Question – How will God accomplish His plan?
Key Idea – I believe the church is God’s primary way to accomplish His purpose on earth.
Mark your calendars and plan now to join us on these Sundays as we seek to understand our place in the world and the relationship that we can have with God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and with each other.
Join the fun at our Super Bowl party
Join the fun on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m. for our Super Bowl Party. Kick-off is set for 6:30 pm and will be shown on the big screen in the fellowship hall. Please bring snacks and food to share and a 2-liter bottle of pop. Come and cheer on your favorite team. If your team does not make it, come and cheer anyway. If you’re not a football fan, bring some cards or table games or a project to work on. There will be other football non-believers to share with you.
Sisters in Service will assemble College Care Packages in February as well as learn about Patti Bradford’s dog Barley
Care Packages
Sisters in Service will be preparing “Care Packages” for three college students who live away from home, on Monday, Feb. 26, at 6:30 p.m. Two college students living at home will receive gift cards. All women are invited to join us for this annual project.
If you can’t attend but would like to contribute items for the boxes or cash donations for shipping expenses, you may drop off items in the foyer before the meeting. Some items you might consider for the Care Packages are: cocoa mix, microwavable soups and oatmeal, peanut butter, individual size boxes of cereal, granola and protein bars, dried fruits, nuts, pretzels, cookies, small cans of juice, etc. Also consider pens/pencils, notepaper, toothpaste, hand/body lotion, tissues, etc. A sample box is on the table in the foyer.
Patti and Barley
Patti Bradford’s dog, Barley, is a trained therapy dog, and she will tell us all about the training for the dog as well as the handler – which is Patti. She’ll tell us about what’s involved including the time devoted to training, cost of training, health requirements, vaccinations as well as the Beaumont Troy Hospital test for the handlers. Expect to see pictures of Barley at work.
Donate blood to help save a life
The American Red Cross will be at Meadowbrook on Wednesday, April 4, between 12:30 and 6:15 p.m. You can make an appointment to donate by either calling Theresa Meegan at 248-340-9215, or sign up in the lobby during March, or go on-line to www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code meadowbrookchristian.
Communication from Meadowbrook Elders
As announced at the conclusion of last Sunday’s worship service, we are beginning the search for the next staff member at Meadowbrook Christian Church. After much prayer, discussion, and more prayer, the elders feel led to search for the person who can fill the roles of Worship Minister and Family Life Minister.
Our Worship Leader, Randy Gilbert, is looking forward to retiring from his current role sometime this year. We have been without a Family Life Minister for several months (Note: we are very grateful for those who have stepped in to continue teaching and caring for our children and teens!).
We believe that God can provide the person to fulfill both of these roles at Meadowbrook. We have faith that nothing is impossible for Him!
Essentially, we are looking for a person (or couple?) who is passionate about worship and working with families with children.
This would be a full-time position, and we believe that one person could be effective in both areas – with the understanding that volunteers would continue to play a major role in support of our children’s ministry.
We covet your prayers, for God to direct our path in this very important step, making us sensitive and alert to His leading. Also be praying for the person God is already preparing for this role at Meadowbrook. If you have any questions, please contact one of the elders.
Lothar & Arleen Rossol (Ann.) – February 2
Leanna Thomas – February 3
Dave Deaton – February 5
Kaye Thompson – February 6
Nathanael Cox – February 15
Shalon Cox – February 22
Zain Cox – February 22
