December 2008 Archives

Here are some excerpts from a BreakPoint Commentary by Chuck Colson:

It was on my knees a few months ago that God hit me like a 10-ton truck about the priority of praying for the Church first. We can’t pray for our nation to be revived, to be saved, to receive God’s mercy; we can’t pray for our leaders to make wise decisions unless we first pray for the Church.

I want to put it in the plainest terms I know how: This nation cannot be saved unless the Church is first revived. Renewing the Church is the key to saving America.

I truly believe my prayer priorities are correct. Pray that God will inspire us, His people, to reorganize our priorities. That we will reject the idolatry of consumerism, that we will reject the therapeutic gospel, and seek holiness. And that we will serve our neighbors in charity, that we will use this economic calamity as an opportunity to teach the culture what matters most—a relationship with God.

For if the Church continues to embrace the ways of the world, I don’t see how America can maintain it place in the world—much less survive in it.

Read the rest here.

Pastor Becky and I, along with the pastoral team and staff, want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Our prayer is that you will be blessed with great love and joy as you celebrate the birth of our Savior with your family and loved ones.

This has been a challenging year for our church, but God has made us victorious through it all. By God's grace and with your continued support we will experience great breakthroughs and miracles in 2009!

Becky and I consider it an honor to serve you and are looking forward to another great year with you.

For God so loved the world that He gave His Son!

Pastor Richard

Here's an email I received from Marla Chantry yesterday:

Dear Staff,

I just wanted to share with you that a poem I wrote has been made into a mini drama that will air Wednesday and Thursday on Christian radio station KFLR, 90.3 FM, on the Intentional Living show. The drama is about three minutes long, and I am told it will air sometime between 2:15pm and 2:30pm each day. There is a possibility that I will be interviewed on air on Wednesday; we'll see.

I wrote the poem eight years ago, after spending too much time under the crushing weight of the commercial reasons for Christmas instead of the real reason for this special day of celebration. Three years ago I gave the poem to Cynthia Bogart after she expressed the same frustrations I had experienced years earlier. About six weeks ago, as a surprise to me, she submitted my poem to Randy Carlson of KFLR's Intentional Living show. They decided they didn't want to just read the poem on air, but make a mini drama out of it. 

Also, the theme of Randy Carlson's show this week is "Intentional Giving". To express their gratitude to their listeners and to be "Intentional Givers" themselves, they are going to provide the audio - via a download link on their web site - free to anyone who requests it.

Blessings,

Marla

Pretty cool! Everyone who works with Marla knows she is an excellent writer. It's great to see her gifts being used to help so many people remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Click here to find when and where the show broadcasts in your area or listen online here. Listen to the archived shows when they become available here.

That's Christmas! from andy pearce on Vimeo.

From St. Helen's Bishopsgate in London.

There are still two performances left. You can reserve tickets here.

Grace North is located at 42101 N. 41st Drive, in Anthem.

I read a book recently and the author made the comment that, "Me too." are the most powerful words in the English language.  We are created for relationships.  Everyone!  Look at TV shows that allow interaction.  Or, websites that thrive on interaction.  No one wants to be truly alone, and we should be agents of Christ, who told us and everyone, that they will never be alone.

Go deeper! Listen to the podcast on iTunes or at our TruthCast podcast page.

Christ the King Presbyterian Church (Raleigh, N.C.) has prepared a devotional of Scriptures, prayers, and hymns to help you and your family remember that God stepped out of heaven, became one of us, and fundamentally altered the course of human history so that those who believe in him might be redeemed. To download a copy of the devotional, click here.

Or, visit the Virtual Advent Wreath where over the course of the next several weeks leading up to Christmas, they will be posting a series of meditations focused on the story of Jesus’ birth from the Gospels.