To God's Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
Our Kids Camp is in full swing, and we are having a lot of fun seeing children singing songs and learning about the love of Jesus. So thankful that we are a church that displays the beauty of God's love, and we will make sure we sing a few of these great songs (with actions) on Sunday. Thank you for your prayers, and staying in prayer! It is only through the prayers of God's people that the hard work of our teams will bear fruit (Psalm 127:1).
I love looking for books at thrift stores. Strange I know, and usually I buy for other people (my bookshelves are already full), however this last time found a book by Elizabeth Elliot that she signed. That is a treasure worth making space for, both because of the content of the book, and also because one of my heroes signed it. Elizabeth is mainly famous for her first husband Jim, and then her response to his death and the people that murdered him. He is the one who said, "He is no fool to give up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose"....and then gave his life in seeking to bring the Gospel to a people that had never heard of Jesus. Elizabeth and others stayed after the murder of her husband (with a small child), and this people group, through her faithfulness came to know Jesus as Lord and Saviour. She is worth our celebrating for her trust in God and faithfulness to His mission even in horrific circumstances, and staying where God had called her because of His amazing grace in her lfie. She lived a life for her God, and in the beauty of her life we see a reflection of Jesus. There is so much to learn from her, so my book suggestion this week is to find something she has written, and rejoice in her call to faithfulness through her life and lips (okay pen). If you have not read her stuff before, a good place to start would be, Through The Gates Of Splendour, although all of her stuff is helpful! Share with others what you are reading and how it is helping you love Jesus more, and please be sure that your time in God's Word supersedes your time in other books (and TV).
Prayer: One of the great missing jewels of the modern church is corporate prayer. Perhaps you could argue prayer, or even deeper, a realization of our dependence on God for everything, but at the very least we are missing prayer meetings, and where we have them we are missing people. At CBC, over the summer months the Elders host a prayer meeting on Tuesday nights, from 7-8. We would love for you to come and join us in crying out to God in absolute and total dependence on Him for everything! He loves us and wants us to use our prayers to accomplish great things.
Connect: We want to be a church that connects. Please this week find someone you don't know and pray for them (use our church prayer book/directory)...then look for them on Sunday and greet them. If you BBQ pick a family you don't know very well and invite them over, and enjoy time together. Make sure in the conversation you share three things you just learned and two things you love about CBC. Would also love to see the boxes at the back of the church filled with encouragement notes, so take the time to notice someone in ministry and bless them. This week there are many you could choose from, and if your not sure who, look for someone in a Dandelion Acres t-shirt this Sunday!
Please continue to pray for people who have lost loved ones in the past week, or are currently in the shadow of death. Seems like many going home at this time, and those left behind can struggle.
Sunday Is Coming:
Title: God's Grace Is AMAZING
Text: Ephesians 2:1-10
As we finish kids camp, we want to focus together as a church on the Gospel.
- Take the time to write out the basics of the Gospel.
- Read through the text in Ephesians 2
- Why is grace so important to understand and experience daily?
- How can you grow in this experience?
- Share the Gospel with at least one other person this week. If you are nervous, pick someone who you are comfortable with and already knows the Gospel.
Looking forward to a great weekend as we rejoice in what God has done for us!
May God's Grace Ever Impact Us Deeper,
Pastor Rob