This Sunday we begin our first new message series of the year. We’re calling it The Church and…because it will focus on the church’s response to several issues that directly affect our day to day lives. Direction for these issues comes from the final two chapters of the New Testament book of 1 Thessalonians, a book we began looking at last fall.
Are you giving God your highest and best? In our first service of the New Year I challenged you to press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus.(Philippians 3:14)To accomplish this I further challenged you to do something you’ve never done beforeand offered several actions to consider. I have been so very encouraged by your response. Many of you used the BPF App Sunday to record your commitment. If you haven’t yet, please join those who have. Open the BPF App, click on the Next Steps box, find the thing you’re going to do and make a commitment.
The 2020 Ministry Budget we are asking you to approve Sunday, which has been available at the GuideMarks Resource Center the past two weeks, provides support for all our BPF ministries. Most of our ministries have grown modestly in 2019 and some have experienced significant growth. Our giving has been strong this year as well, though it has come slightly under the projections for the 2019 Budget you approved last year.
We received a lot of questions from one of the takeaways in this past Sunday’s message: When you feel the presence of evil, call on Jesus to protect you. I pointed out that Satan is powerful and active but Jesus is stronger. And he will use that strength to rescue you if you call on his name. Then I said as a caution: Don’t speak to Satan and say things like “I bind you in Jesus’ name.” That’s not biblical and not wise. You can’t bind Satan. Jesus can. Pray to Jesus.
