To follow Christ as individuals and as a church requires God-Dependency. This is clear when we consider the three words to focus our prayer from yesterday's message: holiness, transformation, and preparation.

Growing in holiness is always an act of God. "May the God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23) Lean on God for holiness.

Transformation of our hearts through the gospel is always an act of God. "For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction." (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5) Let's depend on God for transformation!

Preparation to meet Jesus comes by God's help. "He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 1:8) Pray for preparation!

When Mary heard the angel tell her that she would conceive a son named Jesus, that He would be called great and the Son of the Most High, that His kingdom would never end, she asked, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel revealed that, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the child to be born will be called holy-- the Son of God." This, of course, is a BIG statement. So, to encourage Mary's faith (and ours) the angel adds that her relative Elizabeth who was old and without child is now pregnant. The angel concludes, "For nothing will be impossible with God!" (Luke 1:35-38)

Can God do the impossible? Can God overcome obstacles? Can God transform your day? "Nothing is impossible with God!"

May we, with Mary, respond, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word."

Yesterday, I mentioned John Ortberg's idea that anyone can have a "shadow mission." That is, any mission other than to live for God's glory is a "shadow mission." Jesus was tempted to skip the cross and get all the kingdoms of the world by simply bowing down and worshipping Satan. Esther was tempted to remain quiet and comfortable while her people faced execution. Adam and Eve were tempted to be "like God" by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Jonah was tempted to run away from giving God's message to the enemy Ninevites. Pilate was tempted to abdicate responsibility by washing his hands and handing Jesus over to the mob. For some, the shadow mission is self-idolatry. For others, the shadow-mission is a cultural form of Christianity that has nothing to do with transformation and aims at producing nice people that are impressed with each other but make no impact on the world. The shadow mission can be in defining Christianity as all about prosperity and comfort and health. Or, it may be in keeping God at a distance and not entering into a daily relationship of submission to Him and delighting in the glory of God.

All of this begs us to ask a question: "Do I have a shadow mission?"

I was just impressed in my heart to say to the 21 people who asked for prayer this Sunday as they seek to share Christ with someone and for the 17 others who are praying for an Each 1 Reach 1 to happen -- I'm praying for you all!

I encourage everyone to pray that God "open to us a door for the word" (Colossians 4:3)!

If we are to accomplish the "Each 1 Reach 1" objective that we talked about yesterday we will need to start spiritual conversation. In a world where we are not supposed to talk about politics and religion it's a bit challenging (but not that hard) to get a good conversation going. Here are some simple questions that can help you move into conversation about faith issues with a friend.

• What Christmas traditions did your family have? Why were they important?
  
• So what are your spiritual beliefs?
  
• Do you go to church? Why do you go to that church? Or, why don't you go to church?
  
• What goals do you have for your children?
  
• What was a good piece of advice that your parents gave you about faith?
  
• If you could ask God a question, what would it be?
  
• What gives you  hope for humanity?
  
• When was the last time you did volunteer work?
  
• Do you feel you have a purpose or calling in life?
  

Here are some Bible verses that call us to give thanks.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:18) 

 . . . always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph. 5:20)

Give thanks to the LORD, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done. (Psalm 105:1)

Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Ps. 106:1) 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Ps. 107:1) 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts . . . And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:15-17)

Wow! That was a great weekend with Timothy Smith at our Parent Summit! One thing that struck me was when Tim said, "Treat your child as a member not a guest." That's great wisdom! It's so easy to do everything because it always seems to take so long for the child to do anything. Also, I'd encourage you to check out Tim's blog: ParentsCoach.wordpress.com

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Colossians 4:2-5)

"Vision can be understood in the mind, but it’s something that must be felt in the gut. It is the ability to see something that is not, yet it is so compelling that we know it is something that must be, and something that, by God’s grace, will be."

O'Dell, Shannon (2010). Transforming Church in Rural America (p. 55). Master Books. Kindle Edition.

A woman from our church shared with me a great story of God's provision. God repeatedly laid it on her heart to give $10 to the Parking Lot project. She was strapped for money but finally gave the $10. In just a few days, God provided an extra $60 she had  not anticipated! Several thoughts.

1. Ask and you will receive! Ask God to guide you and He will provide for you. We have just over $5,000 to go and Sunday, September 25 is our goal for paying for it. I encourage you to ask God and see what He does.

2. Pray for the upcoming Parent Summit. Pray that God uses it mightily in the lives of people who come to transform families and raise up a generation of world changers. Pray, too, who you might invite!

Sunday is going to be a great day! See you there!