40 Days of Love - Prayer Requests (Weekls 1-3)

Debbie and Becky have done an excellent job leading our church in prayer. Please visit our prayer room this week and continue to pray daily for 40 Days of Love. Debbie and Becky wrote the following the prayer requests for weeks 1, 2 and 3: -- Pray for….. 1) Successful planning, promotion, and presentation of weekend services. 2) Exponential thinking and growth. 3) The success of small groups; wisdom and knowledge for hosts and discussion leaders. 4) Successful planning and holding of Reverse Trick or Treating, Trick or Trunkin’ and Celebration Sunday and the sharing with those in need with Thanksgiving baskets.

Sober 7 Years by the Grace of God

Today, by the grace of God, I have been sober 7 years. My heart is full of gratitude.

40 Days of Love - Memory Verses

Oct. 11 - Matt 22:36-40 36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: “'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.‘ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. ___________________________________________________ Oct 18 - 1 Cor. 13:4-8a 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ___________________________________________________ Oct 25 - John 15:12-14 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. ___________________________________________________ Nov 1 – John 13:34-35 34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." ___________________________________________________ Nov 8 - Matt. 5:43-45 43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. ___________________________________________________ Nov 15 – James 2:8 & 12-13 8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself,"[a] you are doing right. … 12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! ___________________________________________________ Nov 22 - 1 John 3:16-18 16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. ___________________________________________________

40 Days of Love - Five Commitments

Get the book - The Relationship Principles of Jesus

Read a chapter a day in Tom Holladay's book "The Relationship Principles of Jesus". We sold out last Sunday but a new box of books arrived today. We are selling them at cost $8. One per family unit. If you don't have the money we will give it to you free. It contains 40 chapters of practical Bible teaching on the most important thing in life - loving God with all your heart and loving people like you love yourself. Make sure you pick up your copy this Sunday and read a chapter a day.

40 Days of Love - communicate by phone and email before this Sunday

No one left behind – no one overlooked– everyone gets a personal invitation to join a small group during 40 days of love. 99 people need to be invited. Each one needs a prayerful and personal invitation to join a small group for six weeks. All 99 invitations need to be extended by Sunday. To accomplish this we have to communicate by phone and email. Act today. Don't wait. Make phone calls your assistant small group leader, your group members, elders call your ministering shepherds and vice-versa. Print your list of 99 people and carry it with you and use your phone for Jesus. You also need to send emails to let everyone know your progress. When you respond to emails make sure you “reply to all” so everybody can track progress. Lets communicate with each other during the next 4 days - that's all we have - 99 in 4 days! I feel so urgent about this - I am concerned that some of the 99 people will be overlooked. We have to communicate with each other. Start today.

40 Days of Love - Four things to remember when inviting people to join a small group

When you invite people to join a small group remember four things - Be prayerful – pray for them before you ever approach them. Be winsome - do not use pressure anybody – do not be pushy be pleasant, persuasive – and if they say no – that’s fine – at least they received a personal invitation – they may join next year – just plant the move on. Be a witness – when needed, briefly share your own experience in small groups – tell them how it has helped you Rely on God – ask God to love people through you - quietly, silently say in your heart “I am doing this for you Jesus – give me success”

40 Days of Love - a message for our leadership team

OK. I did some math and if my calculation is right - here’s the situation. · 99 people are not in a small group (63 individuals + 36 couples = 99 people). · 33 leaders are inviting (5 elders + 18 small group leaders/assistant leaders + 6 ministering shepherds + Jeanie + Jon + Jeff = 33 leaders) · 99 divided by 33 = 3. · Theoretically, if each leader invited 3 people to join a group for six weeks – no one would be overlooked – and many would join a small group. I recognize the limitations of my logic. Some of us will invite the same people, one invitation could result in 2 people joining because 36 of the 99 are couples, and so forth. Although the math above is not exact – it was a helpful exercise for me because it breaks it down - makes it seem doable. Our goal is reachable. 33 leaders praying for and inviting 99 people to join a small group for six weeks – we can do this! No one left behind. No one overlooked. Every member will receive a personal invitation to join a small group for six weeks. Below are the people who are currently not in a small group. Start working with each other today. Love, Jeff

Leadership Conference at Southeast Christian (Oct 23-24)

The 2009 leadership conference at Southeast Christian Church is October 23rd -- 24th. It will be a great conference. I hope that our ministry leaders and small group leaders will be able to attend. For information regarding the conference just click on this link - http://www.southeastchristian.org/