Follow Me (Matthew 16:24)
Dear Members of the Our Savior Lutheran Church Email Prayer Chain,

Follow Me

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. --Matthew 16:24 

We can take God’s presence for granted. We can assume that because Jesus said He would be with us always, He will follow us wherever we go (Matt. 28:20). Jesus does not follow us; we are to follow Him. You do not invite God to join you in your activity. He invites you to become involved in His activity. Jesus said: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). Following Jesus requires absolute faithfulness. He does not seek our counsel about which direction we think is suitable. God already knows what is best without ever having to consult with us.  

Following Jesus will lead you into experiences you never dreamed of! You will be with Jesus as He weeps over those trapped in sin. You will feel the pain that Jesus feels. You will see those who were spiritually blind experience the joy of coming to see God for the first time. You will see lives that were broken, made whole. You will see marriages restored; those in captivity, released; and those who mourn, comforted. At times it will be easy to follow Jesus. At other times, you will be tempted to abandon Him. Following Jesus can mean going through a storm or standing on a mountaintop.

You may have stopped following Jesus, but now you want to follow again. When you stopped following Jesus, you did so on your terms. But returning to Jesus is strictly under His conditions. He is God, and you are not. Are you willing to follow Jesus anywhere, at any time, under any condition? That is the only way you can follow Him.

REFLECTIONS

Am I inviting God to join me in my activity? Am I asking Him to follow me?
What needs to change in my life so that I am following Him?

PRAYER REQUESTS -- Week of July 27, 2008

FOR THOSE WHO LOOK TO THE LORD FOR HEALING

Ben Hutto          [Nephew of Bev Silletto] Recovering and awaiting news from throat surgery

PRAYERS FOR THE CHURCH

Pray for the Lord’s guidance, wisdom and discernment for the leaders and members of our congregation as we move to join God where He is working among us. The leadership of this congregation is considering two major avenues where we believe God is at work.

We have been considering for over a year the possibility of planting a new church through child care ministry. We are in the process of looking at various locations including the former Ford Plant Child Day Care Center. Market studies need to be completed in order to help us make an informed decision regarding the feasibility of any site we may be considering.

We have most recently been discussing the possibility of expanding our current campus. Conceptual drawings have been submitted showing how we can add additional space for an expanded Preschool and Child Care for approximately 60 children. There would also be second floor that would contain an expanded Fellowship Hall located off the narthex with a dedicated, enclosed kitchen. There would be a Youth Room and office for the Youth Pastor. There would be a cry room with visibility into the sanctuary, a technology room for all the control panels and computers to run the sound system and projection system.

We are also desiring to upgrade our organ. It is in serious need of major maintenance and upgrading.

As you can see we need the Lord to reveal His will for our congregation so that we join Him where He is working. So please pray that God would make His will clearly known as we, leadership and members, become further informed and seek to join Him in His work around us. Remember, we cannot stay where we are and go with God. 

Please pray for the Lord’s blessing on our Vacation Bible School to be held this week. Pray that the experience will be a blessing to all involved – participants, volunteers and staff – that all that takes place will be a blessing to His name. 

Again I would ask you to pray for our Sunday School. We are getting dangerously close to Rally Day and the beginning of a new Sunday School year. At this time we have NO SUPERINTENDENT(S) OR STAFF. If we are to have a Sunday School Ministry that blesses the lives of the children of our congregation, pray that God will lead the people we need so that Sunday School will happen. I cannot believe that it is God’s will for us to have no Sunday School this fall. 

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. --Colossians 1:10-12

In Christ,
Paul Nickel
Director Of Christian Education
Our Savior Lutheran Church
 

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