Agape Newsletter, June 26 2009 - Special Don’t come to Agape next Wednesday edition (plus Sunday message featuring a Q and A time).
Hello everybody, and welcome in to another Agape newsletter.
I am excited about the message this Sunday, and there are a couple of reasons why. First of all, I believe the topic is not only important, but will prove to be a very interesting one to cover. I would have to work to make this message anything less than exciting! We will finish up our discussion about tongues, and enter into a discussion about the Spiritual gift of prophecy (as well as pastor/shepherd and discernment if we have time) Along the way, I intend to answer a few questions: 1. Why are we talking about the gift of tongues in a Baptist church? 2. Why spend so much time talking about tongues, when clearly Paul teaches that prophecy is more important? 3. What does New Testament prophecy look like, how is it different from Old Testament prophecy, and why does Paul consider it so important for the church? 4. What does a church look like when all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are active through all of the people? Not only will we be addressing those questions, but my intention is to cut the message short by about 15 or so minutes and take your questions and/or comments. It may be that I am not able to answer every question that is asked, but we will write down all of them, and next week (July 5th), we will have an extended question and answer time as well, as a way of wrapping up our Spiritual gifts series.
If you are keeping track, you will note that this Sunday’s message will be the tenth in a row that I have preached on the subject of spiritual gifts - a long series by any reckoning. Why focus so long on this one topic? I hope to give a fuller, more complete answer to that question over the next two Sundays. For now, I can tell you that these messages are very foundational for where I believe God is leading us at Agape - and they are a large part of the reason why God sent me to you, as opposed to sending somebody else. I am unusually eager to teach these next two messages, and I hope you can join us for them! After these two messages, we will have the priviledge of having our own Steve Sellers here at Agape to preach for the first time in several years. That will take place on July 12th (more info in that week’s newsletter) and then on July 19th, we will begin a brand new series of messages.
Finally, please allow me to push you on an issue: I believe for Agape to fully walk in the destiny and calling that our Father has for us, that we must make corporate prayer more of a priority than it currently is. As such, I invite and urge you to start making it a habit to join us for prayer in the front of the sanctuary every Sunday morning, beginning at approximately 9:15 am. It is a no frills prayer time, where we sit on the steps of the stage and simply seek God as a group. If you haven’t been before, this Sunday might be a great time for you to come! (Children are welcome)
Links worth viewing and reading:
***** Wow - this is a great article! America is talking about Jon and Kate (plus 8), the tv show about two people who are supposedly Christians that are raising 8 kids together. Unfortunately, the reason America is talking about them right now is not because of their show, but because of some significant failings in their relationship together. I have never watched the show at all, but I have heard quite a bit about it, and what I have heard grieves me. I know a family that right now has 8 kids, and they are nothing like this family portrayed on tv. In fact, they are a fabulous family that I have learned a lot from. This article makes the very important point that not all large families are like the one’s you see on tv! CLICK HERE
***** Ray Ortlund was a pastor in California for many years (click here to read what John Piper wrote about Ray, the man who pastored the church he used to attend), and he passed from this life in 2007. Recently, his son found a letter written by Ray to his family before he died. The letter is short, powerful, wonderfully sweet and well worth your time to read: CLICK HERE (note: link goes to a PDF file)
***** What is superbowl quarterback Kurt Warner’s favorite thing about being an NFL football player? CLICK HERE for the answer.
***** Of the almost 6 million jobs lost in the current recession, 80 percent of them were jobs held by men. Some eye opening statistics: CLICK HERE
I hope to see you Sunday!
Chase
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