Prayers Out of the Book of Psalm - NIV

Prayers of Praise and Worship
I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. (Psalm 30:1-2)
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God. (Psalm 59:16-17)
Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them they would be too many to declare. (Psalm 40:5)
I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you-- I, whom you have redeemed. My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion. (Psalm 71:22-24)
My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. (Psalm 108:1-5)
Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. (Psalm 115:1)
Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen. (Psalm 72:18-19)
I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. (Psalm 57:9-11)
I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. (Psalm 145:1-3)
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the "gods" I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted. (Psalm 138:1-3)
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I love, and in your name I will lift up my hands. (Psalm 63:3-4)
Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! (Psalm 66:20)

Prayers of Confession
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. (Psalm 51:1-2)
Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. Fulfill your promise to your servant so that you may be [reverenced] . (Psalm 119:36-37)
Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me. For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. (Psalm 40:11-12)
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are [reverenced]. (Psalm 130:1-4)
Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. (Psalm 79:9)

Prayers for Help
Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love my be delivered. (Psalm 60:5)
O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from [our enemies] forever. (Psalm 12:7)
Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. (Psalm 61:1-4)
Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. (Psalm 86:1)
Save me, O LORD, from lying lips and deceitful tongues. (Psalm 120:2)
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt. We have endured much ridicule from the proud, much contempt from the arrogant. (Psalm 123:3-4)
In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. (Psalm 31:1-5)
O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God... (Psalm 59:9-10)
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. (Psalm 57:1)
Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. (Psalm 6:2-4)
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. (Psalm 51:6)
My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. I said, "Oh that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and stay in the desert. I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm." But you, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of corruption; bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you. (Psalm 55:4-8, 23)
When I am afraid, I will trust in you... Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll-- are they not in your record? Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me... For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling that I may walk before you in the light of life. (Psalm 56:3, 8-9, 13)
Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless... You, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless... You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more. (Psalm 10:12, 14, 17-18)
I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me. (Psalm 69:29)
Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered. (Psalm 108:6)
Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. (Psalm 3:7)
Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not s#863A63. (Psalm 69:1-4)
Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men; protect me from men of violence, who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day. They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips. Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet. (Psalm 140:1-4)
How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me. (Psalm 13)
Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. (Psalm 16:1)
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you. (Psalm 25:16-21)
Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow week. Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends-- those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and lot to take my life. But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. (Psalm 31:9-16)
Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me. (Psalm 71:12)
Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before. (Psalm 68:28)
Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies. (Psalm 141:3-4)
O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. (Psalm 143:1)
Help me, O LORD my God; save me in accordance with your love. Let them know that it is your hand, that you, O LORD, have done it. (Psalm 109:26-27)
Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me. Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes. (Psalm 69:16-18)
O LORD, I say to you, "You are my God." Hear, O LORD, my cry for mercy. O Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer, who shields my head in the day of battle-- do not grant the wicked their desires, O LORD; do not let their plans succeed, or they will become proud. Let the heads of those who surround me be covered with the trouble their lips have caused. (Psalm 140:6-9)
Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. (Psalm 102:1-2)
Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me. (Psalm 142:6-7)
Part your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains so that they smoke. Send forth lightning and scatter the enemies; shoot your arrows and rout them. Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters... (Psalm 144:5-7)
For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant. (Psalm 143:11-12)
In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies. (Psalm 118:5-7)

Prayers of Trust
You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not turn. (Psalm 18:35-36)
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. Show me your ways O LORD, teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love; for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD. (Psalm 25:1-7)
My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. (Psalm 27:8)
But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. (Psalm 71:14)
But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. (Psalm 3:3)
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. (Psalm 5:11-12)
Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. (Psalm 119:49-50)
I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings... And I-- in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. (Psalm 17:6-8, 15)
May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise; then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in your word. (Psalm 119:41-42)
On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:3-8)
But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge -- do not give me over to death. Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, from the traps set by evildoers. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety. (Psalm 141:8-10)
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. (Psalm 138:7)
Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. (Psalm 43:3)
Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. (Psalm 86:2)
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for you and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. (Psalm 90:14-15)
When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:21-26)
But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Turn to me and have mercy on me... (Psalm 86:15-16)
You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. (Psalm 119:114)
I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the people. (Psalm 77:11-14)
You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! (Psalm 68:35)
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. (Psalm 143:8-10)
O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in -- behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, to lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, and your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your words are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do not I hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139)

Tidewater Transportation Ministries, Inc.

I attended the Tidewater Transportation Ministries (TTM), Inc. Van Dedication Ceremony today and it was a great ceremony. When you give to Horizon you are helping this ministry touch lives from all over the world. Find out more about TTM at www.ttm-va.org. George and Glenn give of their time to serve and lead in this ministry.

Luke 18:1-8 Stay At It, Praying

Luke 18:1-8 The Persistent Widow

A Good Article For the New Year, 2012

Three Challenges You Will Face In 2012

Prayer Position

I Asked...

I asked God for strength that I might achieve.
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy.
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

Prayer - Quote

"We ought to act with God in the greatest simplicity, speaking to him frankly and plainly, and imploring His assistance in our affairs, just as they happen."         Brother Lawrence

When You Haven't Got A Prayer - A Prayer For The Past

"Fill up that which our lives have left behind. Undo that which we have done amiss. Repair the places we have wasted, bind the hearts we have wounded. Dry the eyes which we have flooded. Make the evil we have done work for good so that we ourselves would not know it."

Prayer - A Little Sarcasm

John 3:16

Become A Mary

³⁸ As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹ Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! ⁴² There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”                                  Luke 10:38-42  NLT

We Do Not Attend Church

The church is the people of God.  We attend a worship service, a Bible Study and we participate in various ministries on Sunday mornings or on weekends, but we do not attend church. Today as you and I are out and about we are the people of God on His mission of redemption, the Church. In our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our employment, in our shopping, in our lives we are the Church, the people of God and His Kingdom. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you are a part of the church. You are "God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus" (Eph.2:10).
No more attending church. Make worshipping God with others a priority, get in tune with other believers, and seek to help others enter into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ as the people of God, the Church.

For The New Year - For Me

Listen
Pray more specifically
Ask more questions
Fewer negative thoughts
More positive thoughts
Better communicator
More ministry
Expand connections
Help others grow spiritually
Discover, memorize and practice two key leadership principles
Lead, follow or get out of the way
Help people Celebrate, Connect, Contribute

Spread The Cheer

"The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing aloud for all to hear." - Buddy The Elf

Little Drummer Boy - Jars of Clay

From Pain To Gain

The only monument in the world built in the shape of a bug to honor a bug is located in Fort Rucker, Alabama. In 1915 the Mexican boll weevil invaded Southeast Alabama an destroyed sixty percent of the cotton crop. In desperation, the farmers turned to planting peanuts. By 1917 the peanut industry had become so profitable that the county harvested more peanuts than any other county in the nation. In gratitude the people of the town erected a statue and inscribed these words,"In profound appreciation of the boll weevil, and what it has done as the herald of prosperity." The instrument of their suffering had become the means of their blessing.

Worship does not satisfy our hunger for God—it whets our appetite. Our need for God is not taken care of by engaging in worship—it deepens. It overflows the hour and permeates the week.” - Eugene Peterson

Choose Thankfulness - Powerful

Big

"If you partner with God make your plans big." - D.L. Moody

Thanksgiving

$10.00 Word - Thanks

Rudyard Kipling, who was the author of “The Jungle Book”, was so popular that his writings were earning him about $10 per word. A few college students however didn’t appreciate Kipling’s writings, so they sent him a letter, enclosing with it ten shillings (about $10). It read simply, “Please, send us your best word”. They received a letter back that simply read, “Thanks”.  - Source Unknown

Psalm 100

86,400

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" - William A. Ward

Psalm 136:1-9

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
4 To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
5 To Him who made the heavens with skill,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
6 To Him who spread out the earth above the waters,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
7 To Him who made the great lights,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting:
8 The sun to rule by day,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
9 The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Funny!!

The Resurrection Of Jesus Is Historically Accurate, As Real As "Real" Can Get And Life Altering

The evidence for our Lord's life and death and resur­rection may be, and often has been, shown to be satis­factory; it is good according to the common rules for distinguishing good evidence from bad. Thousands and tens of thousands of persons have gone through it piece by piece, as carefully as every judge summing up on a most important cause. I have myself done it many times over, not to persuade others but to satisfy myself. I have been used for many years to study the histories of other ti mes, and to examine and weigh the evidence of those who have written about them, and I know of no one fact in the history of mankind which is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort, to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than the great sign which God hath given us that Christ died and rose again from the dead.

Taken From Did The Resurrection Really Happen, Josh McDowell and Dave Sterrett, Page 50. This is  quote from Thomas Arnold who was the famous headmaster of Rugby and author of the three volume History Of Rome.

The REAL Symbol For Christiainity

Share Your Faith - INVITE

Ways To Keep People In A Church Family

Good Article From Pastors.com

Pray then like this—‘Our Heavenly Father, may your name be honoured; May your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day the bread we need, Forgive us what we owe to you, as we have also forgiven those who owe anything to us. Keep us clear of temptation, and save us from evil’.”   Matthew 6:9-13 J.B. Phillips Translation

Thy Will Be Done

“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done." All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened. ”  C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce   

Psalm 33:6-9

⁶ By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
⁸ Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the people of the world revere him.
⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

The Central Message Of The Church

The Central Message of the church is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  "I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said." I Corinthians 15:3-4.  The Gospel is the Good News Of Jesus Christ.  The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is the life changing and central message of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel is transformational. Change is a word that many churches have disregarded for years, but is the central message of the church.  The Gospel, accepted, or rejected will transform your life. Accepting the Gospel will change the way you think about life, death, the future, your past, the church, your vocation, others and rejecting the Gospel will do the same. Change is not optional for those following Jesus Christ, it is the norm, it is the message of the Gospel and the central message of the church.

The Gospel is relational. Christianity is all about relationships.  A relationship with God which will impact your relationships with others.  God loves you and desires to be a part of your life.  He desire to have a real, meaningful and life-changing relationship with you and others.  Christianity is about loving God and loving others as you love yourself. The primary message of the local church is the life changing message of the Good News of Jesus Christ. God provides for us hope in a relationship with and hope in our relationship with others. Most, if not all, of the world religions focus on being good, doing good, living in such a way that will get you a good reward at the end of your life, and focus on the self. Christianity centers on God and His desire relate to the human race.

The Gospel is intentional. God is purposeful. Life is meaningful and more purpose can be experienced in life when the life changing message of the Gospel is experienced. Entering into a relationship with God will place within you a new purpose and new meaning. You will become much more intentional in your personal life, vocational life, family life and church life.  For many years it seems that the local church has "been doing what we have always done." This must change because the Gospel is so intentional and purposeful. The central message of the church will remain "The Gospel", and yet the methods and ethos of the church must evolve so that others can hear and experience the central message of the church.

The Good News of Jesus Christ is the central message of the church. As we share this message we glorify God and hep others experience the hope we live in because of the Gospel.

Labor Day

In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.  Proverbs 14:23

I'm So Busy

I'm so busy..
..I must pray
..I must listen
..I must be in a small group
..I must help
..I must have fun
..I must offer an encouraging word
..I must learn
..I must spend time with God
..I must spend time with my family
..I must develop friendships
..I must share my faith
..I must stop being so busy to make more time for the above.

Time In The Morning

And early in the morning, while it was still dark, He (Jesus) rose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there.  Mark 1:35  NASB

The Symbol For Christianity

The Last Word

A really, really good way to get the last word in - an apology.

Great Prayer

O Lord, where did I see you yesterday ... and didn't recognize you? Where will I encounter you today ... and fail to identify you? 0 my Father, give me eyes to see, a heart to respond, and hands and feet to serve you wherever you encounter me!   Max Lucado, Live To Make A Difference

No Excuses

Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossip, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Elijah was moody, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short, Abraham was old, and Lazarus was dead. No excuses.
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  Ephesians 2:10

The Smoke Signal

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him,and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store hisfew possessions. However one day, after scavenging for food,he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smokerolling up to the sky. The worst had happened - everything waslost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could youdo this to me?" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

Gentleness And Self Control

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  Proverbs 15:1
Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone. 
Proverbs 25:15

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  Matthew 11:29

By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you...  II Corinthians 10:1a

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:2

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Colossians 3:12

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...  I Peter 3:15
Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.  Proverbs 25:28

But since we belong to the day, let us be self-control

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.  I Peter 1:13

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  I Peter 5:8

I Want To Be An Optimist

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."   Winston Churchhill

Spur One Another On

So let's do it—full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.   Hebrew 10:22-25 The Message

Friends And Your Health

Friends make the ordinary-running errands or eating lunch, for example-extraordinarily fun. And good friends ease our pain and lighten our heavy load….Not only are friends good for the soul but for the body as well. Friends help us ward off depression, boost our immune system, lower our cholesterol, increase the odds of surviving with coronary disease, and keep stress hormones in check. A half dozen top medical studies now bear this out. Their findings didn’t seem to be influenced by other conditions or habits such as obesity, smoking, drinking, or exercise. The thing that mattered most was friends. What’s more, research is showing that you can extend your life expectancy by having the right kind of friends.  From Les and Leslie Parrott 

Church Is Not The End

Church is not the end.  It is the means to an end.  When thinking about church people often think as church as the end.  Church attendance. Serving in the church.  Worship attendance.  Church membership. "I am a part of ______________ Church." Even leaders in the church can be prone to thinking that church is the end. But it is not. Our time together in worship, small groups, book studies, and ministry opportunities is important and needed, but it is not the end. The end is making disciples.  The end is helping people walk with God in such a way that they become Kingdom Oriented, God Kingdom Oriented followers of Jesus Christ.  The end is leading people to follow Jesus Christ and live in Christ.  The end is to keep in mind, "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." Making Disciples is the main thing. Following Jesus Christ is the main thing. Developing a person and people of God is what church is about. Church, the body of Christ, the people of God, the called out ones is not the end.  Our worship services, Bible studies, fellowships, mission trips and other activities are not the end.  They are a means to an end. They are ways in which we as the church help people to live in Christ and for Christ so that they are in the world (missional is the current Christian buzz word for this) but not of the world. The end is about God and His kingdom and people following Jesus Christ. The end is making disciples, who can make disciples, who can make disciples and so on.

As a church leader who works with other church leaders it is important, no, it is imperative that we understand that our "church activities" are not the end. They are important and need to be done well, but they are not the end. I speak with many church leaders who seem to think the means is the end.  We talk about worship, Bible study, fellowship, mission endeavors, and many other facets of church as if they are they are the end. We will visit about and even evaluate the means as if it is the end. I understand how we can think this way because we invest valuable time and resources on these "means" to accomplish and end, making disciples.  But may we stop, assess, and remember church is not the end.  Making disciples, who can make disciples, who can make disciples to the glory of God and His Kingdom is the end. May we evaluate the means, learn more about the means, make necessary changes to the means so that in the end we have accomplished the end, making disciples, developing people who love God, love others and who are seeking to make a difference in God's Kingdom.

Note To Self: I thank God that He brought people into my life that have helped me understand this as a follower of the Way and as a leader in the church.

Since Football Season Is Coming John 3:16

The Message Of Christianity

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all—life healed and whole.               I Peter 1:3-5

Breakfast

I had a late breakfast with a friend this morning and the food was really good , but the visit was really really good. A brief prayer started our conversation. Not prayer over the food, but just praying as a part of our lives and a start to our visit. How refreshing. We talked about the creation story in Genesis, work, personal growth, the activity of God in our lives that sometimes can't be described and other various topics. It was good to sit down, and just visit with one another. This friend is growing in Christ, loves his family, is thoughtful about life, has a servants heart, likes to solve problems and has a passion for his life to make a difference in the Kingdom of God. What a privilege to enjoy a good breakfast with a fellow follower of the Way and what a blessing to listen and share in really really good fellowship. For me, the time was encouraging and uplifting and my hope quota was boosted. Thanks.

A Great Prayer

"Lord, do anything in me you want to do so you can do anything through me you want to do."

Heard this from Al Peverall

This Is What I Pray for Horizon Leaders

3-6Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God's Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.
Philippians 1:3-6 The Message

Beyond Mud Pies

“If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desire not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, we are like ignorant children who want to continue making mud pies in a slum because we cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a vacation at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” C.S. Lewis

This Is The Symbol For Christianity

Eternity

" People today take time far more seriously than eternity" Thomas Kelly

Now That Is Good

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8

God Can

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephesians 3:20-21a

A Little Humor

Just Say Yes

Say yes to the things of God. Say yes to God as He calls you out to touch the lives of others. Say yes to worshiping regularly with a local church. Say yes to praying more often. Say yes to trusting God more and worrying less. Say yes to joy. Say yes to sharing your faith story with others. Say yes to inviting your neighbor to a worship service or special event hosted by the church in which you serve. Say yes to spending time with God in Scripture. Say yes to ...

The Main Thing Is Jesus Christ

Git Ur Dun

"The person who says it can't be done needs to get out of the way of the person doing it." Saw this statement on FB.

I Will Begin Blogging Again In August

C-KId - Away From Blogging This Week and In July 2011

Happy Father's Day

You!

"God made you as you are in order to use you as He planned." S.C. McAuley

"In" But Not "Of"

Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives. I Peter 2:11-12

Dad - Example

A third grade student who was asked to draw a picture of what she thinks God looks like. The little girl showed the teacher - teacher said "Wait a minute, that looks like a man - that's not God!" The little girl said "Well, I don't know what God looks like, but this is a picture of my daddy and he is pretty awesome. so surely, God must look something like my daddy."

Share Christ With Others

"The wish to win the lost for Christ should be and indeed is the natural spontaneous outflow of love in the heart of everyone who is born again." J.I. Packer

The New Symbol Of Christianity

SERVE

³⁵ Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.” ³⁶ “What is your request?” he asked. ³⁷ They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” ³⁸ But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?” ³⁹ “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering. ⁴⁰ But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.” ⁴¹ When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. ⁴² So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. ⁴³ But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:35-45 NLT

Prayer Thoughts Shared on Sunday, June 5

Faith in a prayer-hearing God will make a prayer-loving Christian. - Andrew Murray

Pray, and let God worry. - Martin Luther

Rich is the person who has a praying friend. - Janice Hughes

Prayer is not a discourse. It is a form of life, the life with God.

Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude—an attitude of dependency, dependency upon God. - Arthur W. Pink

Prayer does not fit us for the greater work, prayer is the greater work. - Oswald Chambers

This Is What HCC Mission Weekend Is All About

Isaiah 44:1-8

1 “But now listen, O Jacob, my servant,
Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 This is what the LORD says—
he who made you, who formed you in the womb,
and who will help you:
Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant,
Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They will spring up like grass in a meadow,
like poplar trees by flowing streams.
5 One will say, ‘I belong to the LORD’;
another will call himself by the name of Jacob;
still another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’
and will take the name Israel.
6 “This is what the LORD says—
Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
apart from me there is no God.
7 Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come—
yes, let him foretell what will come.
8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”

The Action Bible

I have been in communication with a young man who is a leader in HCC and who loves God and his family. He is creative and wants to make a difference in peoples lives. He recently picked up "The Action Bible". This is a very cool Bible for children and adults. I personally have two Graphic Bibles that I occasionally use for my personal bible reading time. Check out "The Action Bible". May it lead you to action in your daily walk with God and others.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. James 1:22


The Action Bible

Remembering

This past Sunday, Memorial Day became even more persoanl and important to me as a gentleman who is a part of Horizon Communty Church shared with us some of his story. Memorial Day is important to him because the town of 5,000 in West Virginia where he grew up lost six men in the Vietnam War. He new three of them pretty well. As he shared it was evident that Memorial Day weekend is much much more that the weekend that begins the summer season for many, or even a long weekend due to having a Monday off from work. Memorial Day for him is remembering, thanking, praying, and living. Thanks for sharing Les.

Matthew 26:6-13

6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Hope

Big House - Great Song

One Great Miracle

"The Christian story is precisely the story of one grand miracle, the Christian assertion being that what is beyond all space and time, what is uncreated, eternal, came into nature, into human nature, descended into His own universe, and rose again, bringing nature up with Him. It is precisely one great miracle. If you take that away there is nothing specifically Christian left." C.S. Lewis, God In The Dock taken from Raised With Christ, Adrian Warnock

Dream

In the absence of great dreams pettiness prevails. - Hans Finzel

12 + 1 Facts About The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ

1. Jesus Died By Crucifixion
2. Jesus Was Buried
3. The Disciples Lost Hope
4. The Tomb Was Found Empty
5. Christ Appeared To Many People
6. Many Eye Witnessed The Ascension
7. The Disciples Have A Renewed Zeal
8. Skeptics Minds And Lives Were Changed
9. The Death And Resurrection Central Message Of Disciples
10. The Church Was Born
11. Sunday Became the Primary Day Of Worship And Gathering
12. Communion And Lord's Supper Began
13. It Has Not Been Disproved

How Great Thou Art

He Is Alive

From Calvin Miller’s Once Upon a Tree

The grave of Christ – resplendent blight -
Where Easter came to spend the night
Has left us squinting at the sight
To shade our eyes against such light
And cry he is alive and so are we!
Hallelujah!

Jesus' Own Words

And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Luke 9:22

Believing Thomas

Acts 2:24

But God raised him (Jesus Christ) from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

The New Symbol For Christianity

God Exist

"Arguments about God are like pointing a flashlight toward the sky to see if the sun is shining."
N.T. Wright, Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense

Salvation...

". . . the work of salvation, in its full sense, is (1) about whole human beings, not merely souls; (2) about the present, not simply the future; and (3) about what God does through us, not merely what God does in and for us." N.T. Wright

Happy Mother's Day

Oh Yeah!!!

What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What joys when sins are covered over! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record.

Psalm 32:1-2 The Living Bible

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all—life healed and whole.
I Peter 1:3-5 The Message

People Get This Language

Offer Hope - Steer Away From Speaking Christianese

Often we use terms like salvation, sin, eternal life, and even God in our connversations and are confident that they hold the same meaning for the person to whom we are talking. In fact, we do this all the time without much deliberation. However, when we are speaking to someone from another culture, familiar terms that we think convey what we mean may not be communicating precisely what we want to say. This suggests that we must carefully define what we mean by our terms and concepts in our evangelistic conversations.
Beyond Opinion, Ravi Zacharias, p.212

HCC Summer T

BACK

FRONT

Thinking...

Easter is so much more than a Sunday.

Biblical Passages To Read

Matthew 26,27,28

Mark 14,15,16

Luke 22,23,24

John 19,20,21

Today

Today is worth more than all things.

Know The Lord

Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him, and he will respond to us as surely as the coming of the dawn or the rain of early spring. Hosea 6:3 TLB

Thinking Of Easter