Tonight was our first night of kids crusade. Jay is really entertaining! Even parents need to see this because it is so fun. Your kids and their friends (and their parents) will hear a great message as well.
There is a prize for the child who brings the most visitors this week. He or she can choose between a Nintendo DSi, a boys bike, a girls bike, or a $100 gift card to Wal-Mart. The child who brings friends and gets second place get second choice of the prizes. Parents and grandparents, if you want your child to get a Nintendo DSi or $100 help them bring friends!
The fun starts each night, Tuesday and Wednesday, at 6:30 p.m.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Nothing I Desire
Psalm 73 is a song about a man who is watching his wicked, God-less neighbors, and wondering why the wicked seem to be "always carefree, they increase in wealth." (vs. 12). Then he enters the sanctuary of God, the house of God, the presence of God and he is reminded of their, "...final destiny." (vs. 17).
The presence of God makes all the difference in our perspective. Get into the presence of God. Make a quiet devotional time with God daily. Make church a part of your weekly routine and don't miss. Then, learn to walk in God's presence in all your daily activities.
With a new perspective the song writer concludes by saying, "...And the earth has nothing I desire besides you." (vs. 25). Let's make God, his presence and his favor the only thing that we desire in this life.
The presence of God makes all the difference in our perspective. Get into the presence of God. Make a quiet devotional time with God daily. Make church a part of your weekly routine and don't miss. Then, learn to walk in God's presence in all your daily activities.
With a new perspective the song writer concludes by saying, "...And the earth has nothing I desire besides you." (vs. 25). Let's make God, his presence and his favor the only thing that we desire in this life.
"Fishers for Men" on Facebook
Hey all you FB nuts. Keep your eye out for our, "Nothing's Too Hard for God" ads on Facebook. We have targeted the area codes of Marthasville, Washington, Villa Ridge, and Union. If you are getting our ad the links to www.firstagwasington.org and you live outside these area codes PLEASE contact me! We want to know that we have posted our ads correctly.
Second, don't anyone brag to your friends about your church advertising on FB. Let people just find the ad. We are striving to be creative in reaching the lost and want to keep our creative edge for as long as possible.
Second, don't anyone brag to your friends about your church advertising on FB. Let people just find the ad. We are striving to be creative in reaching the lost and want to keep our creative edge for as long as possible.
Weekend Rewind
Sunday was a great morning. Average attendance, but great services! The first service really worshiped and prayed Sunday. It was entirely refreshing to be in that service.
In the second service a lady came up to me after the song portion of worship just before we usually take offering and we shake hands and greet one another. With tears streaming down her cheeks she said, "I want to ask Jesus to forgive me of my sins. I have not been living right." We postponed the offering and I had a group of ladies come forward and surround her. We prayed with her and then for her. It was beautiful. her daughter was baptized last Sunday. Next time I hope we will baptize her too!
Great responses to the message. I am still praying that God will answer prayers today and provide the miracles and confidence that people prayed for yesterday.
One of the best parts was the number of teens who responded to the preaching in both services! Absolutely amazing. Exactly what we have been praying for.
In the second service a lady came up to me after the song portion of worship just before we usually take offering and we shake hands and greet one another. With tears streaming down her cheeks she said, "I want to ask Jesus to forgive me of my sins. I have not been living right." We postponed the offering and I had a group of ladies come forward and surround her. We prayed with her and then for her. It was beautiful. her daughter was baptized last Sunday. Next time I hope we will baptize her too!
Great responses to the message. I am still praying that God will answer prayers today and provide the miracles and confidence that people prayed for yesterday.
One of the best parts was the number of teens who responded to the preaching in both services! Absolutely amazing. Exactly what we have been praying for.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Relay for Life
Our Relay for life teams are less than $250 away form our goal of $4,000! In April we are doing a silent slave auction. If you want to help let Allyson Johnston know. We made $253 at the spaghetti dinner last Sunday!
Let's work to give more to our community than we take!
Let's work to give more to our community than we take!
Monday, March 22, 2010
E-Vites
An e-vite is an invitation that your church makes and e-mails to you so that you can invite your friends to stuff.
We sent out e-vites for the egg hunt, kids crusade and Easter events last week. Please make the most of your e-vites. E-mail them to your friends!
We sent out e-vites for the egg hunt, kids crusade and Easter events last week. Please make the most of your e-vites. E-mail them to your friends!
Weekend Rewind
We just about had revival in the second service Sunday. If people keep worshiping with this kind of intensity in second service, who knows what God might do!
Don't miss the next few weeks of church. I am expecting some great things from God as we go into our next sermon series, "Nothing's Too Hard for God." Be praying that God will do miracles for his people, to convince the lost, to heal the hurting and to lift up God's Son Jesus.
Don't miss the next few weeks of church. I am expecting some great things from God as we go into our next sermon series, "Nothing's Too Hard for God." Be praying that God will do miracles for his people, to convince the lost, to heal the hurting and to lift up God's Son Jesus.
We started advertising on Facebook three days ago. We have spent a grand total of $5.36 and have appeared on computer screens 32,000 times as of Sunday night. We have had twelve people click on our ad and check out our church website.
If you are a Facebook nut and see our ad, let me know. We are limiting our advertising to four area codes in the Washington, Missouri area so if you live very far outside of Washington you may not see our ads.
If you are a Facebook nut and see our ad, let me know. We are limiting our advertising to four area codes in the Washington, Missouri area so if you live very far outside of Washington you may not see our ads.
Living H2O
Yesterday was perhaps the best water baptismal service I have ever been in. An amazing sense of excitement! Ten people were baptized. There was an amazing sense of excitement in the whole thing. Pastor John, Dylan and I had the privilege of baptizing people.
I know that for some people who were baptized, this was a step in a personal journey that has been amazing and powerful. The stories and testimonies of each person who was being baptized was very rich. As a Pastor you kind of have a little more insight into what has been happening and it is amazing to think about.
We will have our next baptismal service in the summer. I know that we have several kids who want to be baptized at the next opportunity and we want to move on this. if you are a parent of a Children's Church age student please talk to them about H2O baptism. Make sure they know why they are being baptized. If you ask them why they want to be baptized and the answer is, "I don't know." Then they may not understand what they are committing to or what God is doing in their life. If you have questions about how to talk to your kids about baptism let me know so I can help you. Don't miss these opportunities!
I know that for some people who were baptized, this was a step in a personal journey that has been amazing and powerful. The stories and testimonies of each person who was being baptized was very rich. As a Pastor you kind of have a little more insight into what has been happening and it is amazing to think about.
We will have our next baptismal service in the summer. I know that we have several kids who want to be baptized at the next opportunity and we want to move on this. if you are a parent of a Children's Church age student please talk to them about H2O baptism. Make sure they know why they are being baptized. If you ask them why they want to be baptized and the answer is, "I don't know." Then they may not understand what they are committing to or what God is doing in their life. If you have questions about how to talk to your kids about baptism let me know so I can help you. Don't miss these opportunities!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
H2O Baptism
Water baptism is this Sunday! We will meet at First Baptist Church at 2:30. If you have not been baptized you really should be. Let me know ahead of time so we know how many to be ready for on Sunday.
If you have children in children's church you need to talk to them about water baptism. This week Ben said he wanted to be baptized so he could have his sins washed away. I had to explain to him that baptism does not wash your sins away. I reminded him of all the times we had prayed for forgiveness at bedtime devotions, "Did God not forgive you when we prayed?" I asked. Of course he knew that God had already forgiven him.
I asked Gabe about baptism later and he wanted to be baptized so that he could, "Get the Holy Spirit in him." Again I asked him, "Did Jesus come to live in your heart already when we always sang Come Into My Heart Lord Jesus?" He said, yes he did come to live in my heart. So, baptism does not make the Holy Spirit reside in you.
For my boys, we are going to wait till the next baptismal service in a few months. They are really moving forward in understanding what God has been and is doing in their lives. I have instructed them to watch and listen to what is happening at the baptism service and learn. I want them to keep their desire for being baptized, but I also want them to understand what they are doing and cherish that memory for the rest of their lives. It is a great event and passage toward maturity for any believer.
Monday morning our family devotions were about water baptism to clear up the confusion. Jesus was baptized, "...to fulfill all righteousness..." We have already taught the boys what righteousness means, to do things right. So, baptism is an act of obedience. Did Jesus need to be baptized for his sins to be washed away? No. Was he baptized to get the Holy Spirit in his life? No. He was baptized to do everything right before his Father in heaven.
If you have children in children's church you need to talk to them about water baptism. This week Ben said he wanted to be baptized so he could have his sins washed away. I had to explain to him that baptism does not wash your sins away. I reminded him of all the times we had prayed for forgiveness at bedtime devotions, "Did God not forgive you when we prayed?" I asked. Of course he knew that God had already forgiven him.
I asked Gabe about baptism later and he wanted to be baptized so that he could, "Get the Holy Spirit in him." Again I asked him, "Did Jesus come to live in your heart already when we always sang Come Into My Heart Lord Jesus?" He said, yes he did come to live in my heart. So, baptism does not make the Holy Spirit reside in you.
For my boys, we are going to wait till the next baptismal service in a few months. They are really moving forward in understanding what God has been and is doing in their lives. I have instructed them to watch and listen to what is happening at the baptism service and learn. I want them to keep their desire for being baptized, but I also want them to understand what they are doing and cherish that memory for the rest of their lives. It is a great event and passage toward maturity for any believer.
Monday morning our family devotions were about water baptism to clear up the confusion. Jesus was baptized, "...to fulfill all righteousness..." We have already taught the boys what righteousness means, to do things right. So, baptism is an act of obedience. Did Jesus need to be baptized for his sins to be washed away? No. Was he baptized to get the Holy Spirit in his life? No. He was baptized to do everything right before his Father in heaven.
My Cell Phone Is DEAD!
Hey friends, my cell phone, age three and one half years passed away today. It is survived by Pastor John's cell phone age two, of Washington, Missouri, and was preceded in death by four other cell phones.
Pastor's cell phone enjoyed, friends and family, checking other Pastor's blogs, responding to e-mail and keeping Pastor's calender and contacts updated to Microsoft Outlook.
Services will be held at the AT&T store on Hwy 100 in Washington. Service time TBA.
If you need to reach me don't use my cell phone for a few days.
Thanks.
Pastor's cell phone enjoyed, friends and family, checking other Pastor's blogs, responding to e-mail and keeping Pastor's calender and contacts updated to Microsoft Outlook.
Services will be held at the AT&T store on Hwy 100 in Washington. Service time TBA.
If you need to reach me don't use my cell phone for a few days.
Thanks.
Last Words: Dependance
We are in our sermon series, "Last Words." I came up with the series idea and then found out in a Google search that another AG church had did the same series two years ago and had a great logo to go with it.
We are looking at the last word of Jesus. Seven statements from the cross that sum up his entire life and mission. We are looking at them thematically. The four themes are surrender, dependence, mission and victory.
This week we looked at dependence. Jesus was fully human on the cross. He felt abandon and had emotional struggles ("...why have you forsaken me?"), he had human responsibilities and relationships that he kept to the end ("...here is your mother..."). He had physical pain and discomfort like any human would in his situation ("I am thirsty.").
In the face of these difficulties which are similar to the feelings of abandonment, emotional struggles and pain that we face Jesus was fully dependant on his Heavenly Father to fulfill his mission and be obedient to God.
Even on the cross we see that Jesus was fully man. He did not use his divine prerogatives to cheat his way out of the difficult responsibility God gave him. He was dependant on his Heavenly Father for strength and help.
God loves you no less. He is available for you today. Remain dependant on him.
We are looking at the last word of Jesus. Seven statements from the cross that sum up his entire life and mission. We are looking at them thematically. The four themes are surrender, dependence, mission and victory.
This week we looked at dependence. Jesus was fully human on the cross. He felt abandon and had emotional struggles ("...why have you forsaken me?"), he had human responsibilities and relationships that he kept to the end ("...here is your mother..."). He had physical pain and discomfort like any human would in his situation ("I am thirsty.").
In the face of these difficulties which are similar to the feelings of abandonment, emotional struggles and pain that we face Jesus was fully dependant on his Heavenly Father to fulfill his mission and be obedient to God.
Even on the cross we see that Jesus was fully man. He did not use his divine prerogatives to cheat his way out of the difficult responsibility God gave him. He was dependant on his Heavenly Father for strength and help.
God loves you no less. He is available for you today. Remain dependant on him.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Quality Growth
Tonight is the second week of Membership Class. It all starts at 6:30 p.m. We will let out about 7:30 p.m. If you are interested in becoming a member you need to take this class. There are four sessions.
March 21st is our water baptismal service at 2:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church. If you need to be baptized please let me know ASAP. I am making a list of those who want to obey the Lord in water baptism. It is an amazing celebration to be baptized.
Between second service and the baptismal service is the Relay for Life spaghetti dinner. We have raised $3000 for Relay for Life with the two teams from our church! We are still shooting for another $1000 by June.
Quality growth means growing in obedience and growing in involvement. These are ways to have a church with quality growth that serves others, not just a crowd on Sunday morning.
March 21st is our water baptismal service at 2:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church. If you need to be baptized please let me know ASAP. I am making a list of those who want to obey the Lord in water baptism. It is an amazing celebration to be baptized.
Between second service and the baptismal service is the Relay for Life spaghetti dinner. We have raised $3000 for Relay for Life with the two teams from our church! We are still shooting for another $1000 by June.
Quality growth means growing in obedience and growing in involvement. These are ways to have a church with quality growth that serves others, not just a crowd on Sunday morning.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Revision
We finished editing a copy of "How Will We Live Then" last night and I made the changes on it and revised it today. Future copies will have fewer errors. I hope the book will be a blessing to you as you read it.
Weekend Rewind
My weekend was crammed with work! I left town Thursday night with my 5 year old daughter Elizabeth after worship practice. We drove two hours to my parents farm and then stayed up till 1:00 a.m. watching Mary Poppins, which Lib had never watched. We woke up early Friday morning and began making preparations for hog butchering day. My family is a farm family and making our own meat is a bit of a tradition, even if it is a ton of work. Saturday we processed four hogs. Then I drove home Saturday night for church on Sunday. The best part about the whole process is spending a huge amount of time with my family.
So, Sunday I was really sore, my throat hurt from Saturday's smoke (I spent a lot of time next to a kettle and fire) and I was tired. However, we had great services on Sunday. I felt like the sermon was not my best, but God worked in the services. Worship was great all morning. When we all worship together it makes a huge impact and I think God is pleased. The tithe and offering was unusually amazing. Praise God for his provision.
Sunday night we had Small Group at our house. Pretty full house. The study ended up helping me more than anyone else as far as I can tell. I really needed it by Monday morning.
So, Sunday I was really sore, my throat hurt from Saturday's smoke (I spent a lot of time next to a kettle and fire) and I was tired. However, we had great services on Sunday. I felt like the sermon was not my best, but God worked in the services. Worship was great all morning. When we all worship together it makes a huge impact and I think God is pleased. The tithe and offering was unusually amazing. Praise God for his provision.
Sunday night we had Small Group at our house. Pretty full house. The study ended up helping me more than anyone else as far as I can tell. I really needed it by Monday morning.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
How Will We Live Then?
I have registered in a contest to see who can have the most book sales on Lulu.com in the month of March. The winner gets a cash bonus.
If you have not purchased a copy of "How Will We Live Then?" I hope you will consider getting yours in March. The contest ends March 31st. I will be maiking some small editorial changes on the book in the next day or so, but have had to wait for a proof copy to arrive. You can still buy it now.
Also, in March I am able to encourage you to purchase "How Will We Live Then?" and get 10% off your purchase with a special check out code.
Weekend Rewind
Sunday Brent Nissen and I presented a report on the Africa trip. It was really exciting, but a lot different. I had not tag-team preached in a long time so that was different.
We had a lot of visitors Sunday. I wan to say thank you to all of you who invited friends to church for this special day. I know of 16 first-time visitors that were at church on Sunday. Personal invitation's are absolutely the most effective way to reach people for Jesus and to grow God's church. Watch closely for some other great opportunities to invite friends to church in March.
Sunday afternoon was Cedar Crest Nursing Home service and Sunday night was my Small Group at my house. The Small Group had a good time of prayer for the youth of our church and community at the end of our discussion.
We had a lot of visitors Sunday. I wan to say thank you to all of you who invited friends to church for this special day. I know of 16 first-time visitors that were at church on Sunday. Personal invitation's are absolutely the most effective way to reach people for Jesus and to grow God's church. Watch closely for some other great opportunities to invite friends to church in March.
Sunday afternoon was Cedar Crest Nursing Home service and Sunday night was my Small Group at my house. The Small Group had a good time of prayer for the youth of our church and community at the end of our discussion.
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