Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts

God Continues to Answer Prayer at Calvary Church!

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Monday, August 24, 2015 10:13 AM

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It is through prayer that Calvary will move forward. It is through us crying out to God with all kinds of prayer, with perseverance, for everyone, through the help of the Spirit that the gospel of Jesus Christ will advance in our community. We cannot rely on programs or strategies or our strength to get done what God has called us to do, it is only through God’s help that we will see anything significant take place in this community. Praying is a sign of our desperation that we need God!
And God is answering prayer all the time…
We started in earnest praying once again for God to continue shaping us into a unified people, and I see and sense evidence of that when we gather. It is refreshing to walk, serve and worship among people who are like-minded. I love gathering together with you.
We’ve also been praying for God to meet our financial needs above what we deserve or expect. I continue to see God doing just that. Some weeks we are not hitting it out of the park financially, but I’ve seen God move powerfully in hearts in the last several weeks and have witnessed grand slam giving. Your response to God’s leading in giving has kept us above the water line. Thank you for responding generously to a God who is generous above all.
Finally, we just began praying for ten new families or individuals and God has added the first – welcome home to M.R. & Harriet Jones. It’s wonderful to see God answer so quickly and people respond so faithfully.
“Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)
Life is war! Pray that God would prepare us to meet the daily challenges of the battle. Love one another by praying for one another. Pray as the Spirit directs you. Pray without quitting. Always pray depending on the Spirit of God to intercede and interpret your prayers for the glory of God and the benefit of His people.
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Pray for VBS!

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Monday, June 29, 2015 9:35 AM

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It was good to have most everybody back on Sunday morning. I know some of you were missing…still on vacation or at family gatherings or whatever. Just know that you were missed. We just aren’t the same when some of the family is missing!
We had another Spirit infused time of prayer Sunday night. It was such a blessing to sing the praises of God through song, Scripture and prayer. The more we do this the more we are expressing our dependence on God, and an utter dependence on God is where we need to be.
“And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31)
And as we are thinking about praying…we are coming up on Vacation Bible School Week (July 5-9). So this is the last opportunity to invite your neighbor kids, family friends, and relatives to come for this exciting week. Each night will start with a snack supper at 5:30. This puts something in the stomach of the kids so they will have all the energy to make it through an action packed Bible School. VBS will kick of at 6:15 pm with a rally in the auditorium. The night will end at 8:45. If you have the time, energy and talent to give, please sign up as soon as possible or call the church office and let Amanda know.
I want to encourage everyone to be praying every day for VBS. This is something we all must do if we expect to see results for the kingdom of God. Pray for the kids’ hearts to be open to the gospel. Pray for the staff that they would clearly show and teach the gospel to the kids. Pray for the safety of everyone. Pray for good weather.
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Be Intentional About Prayer

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Tuesday, May 26, 2015 10:59 AM

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How do you approach prayer? What attitude is evident when you pray? What are your motives when you pray? What desires, passions, sorrows, joys, and emotions are present when you pray? Prayer is talking to God who has already started the conversation with us. Prayer is an act of obedience toward a loving heavenly Father who spoke first.
I think too often we approach prayer casually, conveniently, cavalierly, selfishly or only as an emergency when we can’t figure things out on our own. We don’t treat our conversations with God as a beautiful time of fellowshipping with and talking to our intimate Father who is in heaven. Prayer should never be an add on or a tag to the end of something (dinner, our day, a close call, etc.). Prayer should be part of the warp and woof of our daily lives.
Let’s look at Jesus as an example of how to approach prayer…
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
He got up, He got away and He got down to business. Jesus didn’t want the noise, the pressing needs or the clamoring crowds of the day to steal His time of talking with the Father. He was very intentional about prayer, and His followers should do the same.
Take time to meditate on what Mark observed about Jesus and ask the Lord to challenge your prayer life. The way we approach prayer says a whole lot about how serious we believe God can handle things in our lives. It reveals our trust in God.
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Things Happen When I Go Away!

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Wednesday, April 29, 2015 9:48 AM

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It never ceases to amaze me what God will do when we finally shut our mouths and listen to His Spirit. I know everyone who showed up Sunday morning and Sunday evening were genuinely blessed by a fellow follower of Jesus and lover of Calvary, Keith Higginbotham. I just want you to know why I keep asking him to preach and teach when I am out of town…or maybe if you heard him you don’t need an explanation. God consistently uses Keith to encourage, challenge and convict through the clear and consistent teaching of God’s Word.
I’ve heard all kinds of good things from Sunday night’s meeting. Maybe I should just stay home next time! I’m sorry I missed it but if I had been here I probably would have messed with it. It just proves that when we get out of the way and let God move us amazing things will happen. Your spontaneous, unscripted, Spirit led prayer time was just what this church needed. My hope, expectation and prayer is that we’ll continue to respond to the prompting of the Spirit and allow God to show us His direction for how we should be making disciples. Let’s not move, plan, do, orchestrate, strategize, manipulate, or whatever until God leads us. Yes, that may make us uncomfortable, and yes, people may think we’re crazy, but think about what they thought of Jesus and His first disciples,
“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus” (Acts 17:6-7).
Oh that we would be a church that would turn the world upside down through God pouring out His Spirit through standing firm together striving side by side for the cause of the gospel! And may do this not for the sake of our name or the building of our kingdom, but for the sake of the name that is above all names and for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Grace & Peace,
Scott

A Prayer of Desperation to See God Act Wondrously Again!

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Monday, January 05, 2015 3:54 PM

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I don’t want anyone to come to the end of their life and realize that they’ve thrown it all away. What I mean by this is that I want our lives to count for something that will last for eternity.
“Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.” (Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV)
This verse is packed with so much great truth. It’s comforting to know that we actually have a shot at doing something that God wants us to do. Instead of living selfishly God does have a plan for each of us that will put us on a path that is meaningful.
This verse also teaches us that this path is not automatic. We have to “try to understand.” We have a choice to make. Finding what God wants us to do is going to take some effort. The Christian life is not like getting to the top of a hill and then coasting all the way to heaven. The life God has called us to live is filled with intention. It must become our aim to live careful lives, not careless lives. We are going to need to put into place some good habits to replace some not so good habits.
Three good habits I shared with you on Sunday morning:
1.              A daily time devoted to reading and studying God’s Word.
2.              A weekly commitment to a Sunday school class that will involve you in community and accountability.
3.              A weekly verse to memorize so we can meditate upon its truth constantly.
Here is some help with number 3…
“Lord, I have heard the news about you; I am amazed at what you have done. Lord, do great things once again in our time; make those things happen again in our own days.” (Habakkuk 3:2 New Century Version)
Spend time every day with this verse. Write it on a 3”x5” card and carry it everywhere you go. Put the verse in your phone and set a reminder that will have it pop up every day at a specific time. Pray that verse, begging God to do today what He has done in the past; make it a prayer for you personally, your family, the church, and the world. Let’s make our lives count!
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Praying for Laborers for God's Harvest

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Tuesday, September 23, 2014 2:41 PM

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Wow, what a blast of cool weather – I love it! I really, really, really enjoy the changing of the seasons, and this season of the year is a particular blessing to me. The cooler weather reminds me of my northern roots, it signals the ending of yard work, it stirs up all kinds of good memories, it marks harvest time...corn, combines, hunting, and the gospel. What does this have to do with the gospel? Read the words of Paul,
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6)
We wait for the harvest of souls; it is God who harvests the souls; He is the “Lord of the harvest”, but we are laborers in the harvest.
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” (Matthew 9:36-38)
Yes, God has a part for us in the reaping of those who come to Him for salvation. We don’t just sit idle, twiddling our thumbs waiting for people to “drop into Jesus.” We are part of God’s great harvest plan. We are His hands, feet and mouthpieces.
This means that we don’t force someone to come to Christ; we shouldn’t be manipulating or tricking people into professing to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. Doing that would amount to picking a crop too early and spoiling the fruit – it’s no fruit at all. We wait praying, living, listening, and speaking. We pray for God’s grace and their repentance and belief. We live consistent with the gospel we believe. We listen to their stories, sensitive to pick out how we can share the truth of the rescuing gospel. We speak the story of Jesus who is the real Hero of redemption.
I don’t see a problem with the harvest – it is still abundant; the problem I see is us – we just aren’t laboring in God’s harvest. The first step is that which Jesus asked His disciples to take: earnest prayer to God for laborers. The word for prayer is a unique word, which means prayer that cries out from a sense of need, thus “earnest prayer.”
Do you see the great harvest of souls? Do you see that few are laboring with God to bring that harvest in? I do and so therefore I am compelled to serious, heartfelt, earnest prayer to God for more workers! I hope you see the need as well.
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Back-to-School!

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Tuesday, August 12, 2014 11:26 AM

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School starts back up this week for our students. This is a time when kids are both excited and nervous. The feeling of excitement comes because they are getting back into the routine of seeing friends and teachers. The emotion of nervousness comes because of new classrooms, teachers, and pressures. There are probably other thoughts and emotions that come to the surface each time a new school year begins, but we don’t have the time to get into that.
This is our time to begin praying in overdrive. According to StopTheShootings.org there have been 387 school shootings since 1992 (this includes college campuses); South Carolina has experienced 6 of these. This statistic is a reminder to pray, pray often and pray hard. Prayer is how we all can make a major difference in the lives of our kids, administrators, staff and teachers. Here are some practical petitions: safety, understanding, patience, a strong faith, a bold witness, and diligence.
You will be provided a list of the names of our students that will simply be a prayer prompter. I would encourage you to put it in a place that gets your attention consistently. Take each of these names to the throne of grace because each of them needs our prayer.
To kick off this school year we have designed a two-part program. The first part will be Saturday, August 16 at 6 pm: Tie Dye Party; bring a cotton t-shirt and during the night you will enjoy tying your shirt, eating hot dogs, dyeing your shirt, and then watching Frozen. What an awesome night planned before you have to start learning what x and y mean! The second part of this weekend will be Sunday, August 17 at 5:30 pm: Back-to-School Pizza Blast; we will be challenged from Scripture, have a special time of prayer, get a free gift, and eat so much pizza that you may be too sick to go to school the next day!
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Persistence in Prayer

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Tuesday, June 17, 2014 4:54 PM

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We need to persevere in a lot of things…believing the gospel, taking God at His word, battling disease, building a marriage, raising kids, managing money, paying bills, mowing the grass, being a faithful friend, getting the gospel out into the community, and praying. Even when we don’t see something (or somebody) change we still stay at it. We just don’t know what God is up to; we don’t know how God is working; and we don’t know when God is going to do something. We just keep enduring, and that is what I want to remind us all about in the area of prayer…
Don’t give up! Go to God day and night. Pray on your knees (if they can take it and you know you’ll be able to get up again) and on your jog. Pray at work and at play. Pray while you’re getting ready and while driving to work (just don’t close your eyes). I’m a firm believer in people not texting while they drive, but I’m an avid believer in praying while driving.
Here are a couple of thoughts from the Apostle Paul on persistence in prayer:
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Now a reminder from me what I want us to be persistent in prayer about:
  • A spirit of unity through genuine, gospel transformation
  • 7 more families who will glorify God by serving His church (welcome Michael McCollum & Catie Smith!)
  • $60,000 gift and an increase in our offerings by $500 per week

In the words of Winston Churchill, “Never, never, never give up!”
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Purposeful, Focused Times of Daily Prayer

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Tuesday, April 22, 2014 10:57 AM

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I find that setting aside purposeful times for prayer helps me to pray. If I just go about my day without planning for a specific time to humble myself before my heavenly Father then at the end of the day I feel defeated and deflated. Jesus consistently did this very thing…
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed” (Mark 1:35; cf. Matthew 14:23; Luke 6:12; 22:41-44; Hebrews 5:7).
Even a casual reading of the Gospels will leave you with the sense that Jesus was busy. He had places to go and people to see. Add to that the constant interruptions from people clamoring to get His attention to ask Him a question or have Him heal them. And don’t forget the consistent badgering of the religious hierarchy seeking to trip Him up and bring Him down. Jesus was busy, but Jesus planned times of purposeful prayer.
Jesus simply takes it for granted that we would pray. When instructing His disciples about how to pray He began by saying, “When you pray…” (Matthew 6:5, 6, 7). Notice He said when not if. He assumed that His disciples, then and now, would pray.
I am writing this because our society has cultivated a culture of end zone to end zone living with no elbowroom. We are a fast-paced, narcissistic society that has no time for anything that doesn’t feed our egos. We live without margins and once our days get started…well, look out, because there’s no stopping until we collapse on our pillows. This is why we need to plan purposeful times of focused prayer. This is not to say that we should ignore spontaneous, unplanned times of prayer; those happen all the time, at all times of day and night. And when the Spirit moves us to pray we shouldn’t hesitate to pray. But if we don’t plan to pray then I fear that we simply won’t pray.
When do you plan to pray today?
Grace & Peace,
Scott

It Is Amazing What God Will Do!

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Sunday, April 06, 2014 3:46 PM

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It is mind boggling, amazing, off-the-chain, stupendous, awesome, and every other-over-the-top adjective you can think of to describe the provision God makes when we begin to earnestly pray! I am humbled but not surprised at what God is doing at Calvary Church. He made the greatest investment to secure our future – His Son. Since He was willing to make a sacrifice as great as that, then I am absolutely confident that He will answer prayers that have a concern for His honor and the rescue of those whom He loves.
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly that all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen!” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
That about sums it up. Paul, who wrote the bulk of the New Testament, beautifully articulated what we need to hear today. Here are a couple of thoughts for you to ponder this week:
First, Paul begins with God’s glory. That is the best place to start with anything. Our prayers need to be saturated with a desire for God to be glorified. This saturation will keep our prayers in check from becoming petitions to fulfill the desires of our own hearts.
Second, we need to stop limiting what God can do. God’s ability is beyond what we can petition (“ask”) and what we can imagine (“think”). Whenever I look at my ability I have every reason to panic, but when I look at God’s ability I have all the reason I need to trust.
Since I have started to urgently pray about the unity of the church, new families becoming a part of the church and the financial needs of the church, I have had a peace about everything and a freedom in the study and in the pulpit. This is what God has done in me in the last few weeks; what has He done in you?
Friends, we don’t need to panic, worry, stress and lose sleep over things that we place in the sovereign hands of God. It’s only when we try to control things that are out of our control that we need to hit the panic button. So let’s roll up our sleeves and get on our knees and fervently pray!
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Keep Praying!

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Monday, March 31, 2014 10:28 AM

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Another great week at Calvary Church! God continues to answer prayer, but this is no reason for us to quit. Praying is what Christians do at all times. We shouldn’t just pray when an emergency arises or a problem comes our way or a need pops its head up. If we only pray when we are facing a crisis then we are not following the Lord’s will; in fact we are far from the Lord’s will. The Lord’s will is for us to be praying constantly.
“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
“Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication…” (Ephesians 6:18)
Prayer is part of the fabric of the church (cf. Acts 2:42).
We are in a season right now that prayer is intensified, purposeful and intentional. This is a reminder to us that we are desperately dependent on God. This is a time when our focus shifts a little to some specific requests. This time will pass but our prayers must not. We should be praying everyday for His church. We will always find things to pray about; we just never run out of things to pray for. There will be times of intense and intentional praying for our children (VBS, camps, etc.); there will be times like that for our youth (Awaken Weekend, mission trip, etc.); and there will be opportunities to focus our prayer attention elsewhere. The point? We will always be praying for the church.
But today I am in praise mode (along with petition mode). I am praising God for another family that joined us on Sunday. Welcome to the family Ricky and Julie Moore! That makes #2; no, you’re not in second place! You represent an answer to prayer and we feel honored to have you become a part of what God is doing in His church. I am also praising God for an abundant offering. This is God’s church and He will pay the bills and take care of our needs. No need to worry or panic or manipulate, just trust.
I am also thanking the Lord for a phenomenal Awaken Weekend! Thank you to Kristy Hall and the youth crew who prayed, planned and participated to make this a life-changing weekend for our youth. You are awesome! I’ve heard so many good things about Jared Snead and his band. The prayer garden is a perfect addition to the life of Calvary Church. Thank you youth for your hard work on that and the windows.
Now let’s all grab a prayer rock and pray!
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Mike Higginbotham Is Home!

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013 9:43 AM

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Mike Higginbotham is home! Now life can get back to “normal” for the Higginbothams…except for Mike. I think we all have to realize that right now, even though this soldier is home, his plate has probably never been more full. Why do I say that?
First, he has to figure out what his next step is: should he go back to school, get a job or both? He and Kacie have a wedding to plan in the next six months: where are they going to live, who is going to wash the dishes, who is going to decorate their home? And he has to try to figure out what to do with all the emotions he’s experienced from the last six years. Mike was on the front lines. He has seen death, anger, and depression (and so much more). These realities and the emotions that come with them have been with him constantly. These are things that most of us have never had to face and probably never will. So what can we do?
Calvary Church is a family, and when a family member comes home we celebrate and support. We need to be praying that God will continue to transform Mike, and that God will heal the emotional and spiritual wounds he suffered while doing two tours of war in Afghanistan. Pray that God would give Kacie and Mike guidance as they prepare to honor God through a biblical marriage. Pray for wisdom about job and schooling decisions. And we need to go one step further and speak words of encouragement and support. Love him and be patient. Take him out to breakfast, lunch or supper (I’m sure he would be available).
And let’s always remember, this is the same Mike who left us six years ago to get a haircut, new clothes and a gun, but he is not the same. He had our love and he has earned our respect. Let’s just be for him. Let him know how thankful you are that he was willing to put his life on hold, and on the line, to protect our freedom.
Welcome Home Mike,
Scott

Ministers of Mercy

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Wednesday, August 22, 2012 2:48 PM

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Deacons are ministers of mercy. They have never been called to be the board members of the church, and I can’t find one Scriptural proof that says they are chosen to take care of the details of the building and grounds. Unfortunately this has become the modern paradigm (i.e., pattern). It is high time we get the deacons of Calvary Church out of the boardroom and building business.

We have all sorts of committees that take care things around here. For example, we have a Building and Grounds Committee that can make sure something gets fixed or the lawn gets mowed. If the deacons take over this area of serving then I have to ask the question: “Why do we need a committee to watch over the building and grounds?” And we can go right down the list.

Let’s begin with the word “deacon” itself. The term deacon simply means “servant.” They are called of God and chosen by God’s people to lead as servants. They are not called to plunge the toilet, unless of course they are either on that committee or in the immediate area! (We have a toilet plunging committee?) What I am trying to say is that a deacon can serve in a ministry of the church, but his office does not demand it.

Deacons first appear on the scene because mercy was not being adequately shown to the poor widows in Jerusalem (Acts 6). The apostles were so taking on the needs of the poor widows and because of the growth of the church they needed help. The needs of the poor were pulling them away from prayer and preparation to teach God’s Word. Something had to give. Very wisely, and under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, they decided to have the church choose seven men to take care of the poor widows. Their singular job description was to serve (provide mercy through relief) those widows.

At Calvary because of their leadership abilities the deacons provide oversight for the different committees. They provide relief for me to give myself to prayer and preparation in the Word. Without these men I would be overwhelmed.

As we choose deacons this week I want us to prepare by reading two passages of Scripture: Acts 6:1-7 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Read them diligently and decipher them carefully. Secondly, I want us all to continue zealously in prayer.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

Praying for Our Graduates

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Tuesday, May 15, 2012 12:41 PM

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Graduations are upon us! Yes, its that time of year when we celebrate and congratulate. Every graduate feels a sense of accomplishment that deserves recognition. At Calvary Church we have a tradition of jumping right in and recognizing our high school graduates on Graduation Sunday. This Sunday, May 20th is that Sunday. We will start things off with breakfast at 9 a.m. honoring our graduate Jared Waters. During this time we will have a basket in which we can put cards and gifts to bless Jared as he takes the next step. In the fall he will be attending Auburn University.

One of the reasons we do this is to bring attention to our graduates so that we remember to pray for them. Prayer truly is the greatest gift we can give our young people. They face greater trials and pressures every year. It is both our duty and delight to take them before the throne of grace and pray for their endurance. We need to pray they make good choices. We need to pray they study hard and remember what they’ve studied. We need to pray they excel and find God’s will for their lives.

Reading through Paul’s letters will leave one with a sense that he valued prayer. He prayed for the churches and he asked them to pray for him. If we read the Bible as instruction for us, and I think we should, then prayer needs to be a focused ministry in the church. Prayer cannot be taken lightly and should not be neglected.

Pray without ceasing…pray for us. (1 Thessalonians 5:17, 25)

Grace & Peace,
Scott

Praying for Our Students

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Wednesday, August 31, 2011 11:02 AM

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All of our students have been adopted for the coming year, but I fear that we have lost sight of the vision I originally had for this ministry. The main purpose behind our "adopt-a-student ministry" was to have people praying consistently for them during the school year. What brought me to begin this at Calvary were Paul's Letters. One of the repeated themes in his letters is consistency in praying, both through his example and his instruction. Praying must be a priority in our relationships.

On a practical level I believe all of our students need prayer. They all face pressure and temptations, and I believe it is our spiritual obligation to take each of them to the throne of grace. On more than one occasion Blake told Barb that he knew people were praying for him during exam week.

However, I think the train has derailed a little and, therefore, next year we will have a major overhaul to this ministry. I sense that we have focused more on gifts than prayer. This practice is destructive to the kids for two reasons: first, it makes them more selfish because they get used to looking for a gift when they see their adoptive family on Sunday; second, it takes away from the main focus of prayer. I daresay that some have even hesitated in adopting a student to pray for because it means more buying.

I'll lay the burden of derailing the train on myself, but from here on let's keep the focus on praying. To encourage you to remember here are some tips that may help:

  • Place reminders in your life to pray (i.e., pictures on refrigerators, names on a sticky note in the car, etc.).
  • Ask you student (or parent) to give you a class schedule.
  • Be sensitive to pressure cooker times in your student's life (i.e., exams).
I think without too much trouble we'll get back on track, and as we grow our students will know that we've got them covered in prayer!

Grace & Peace,
Scott

Prayer Is Our Only Option!

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Wednesday, July 06, 2011 3:03 PM

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We are finally underway. This week they brought out the bulldozers (never really knew why they call them that) and earthmovers (I can figure that one out). Our little piece of dirt that was once all trees is being reduced to nothing but good ole South Carolina red dirt! Yea, I'm pretty jazzed right now. Here is what we can expect to see...

  • By the end of June a slab will be poured. That slab will be the foundation of our new building.
  • By the middle of July the steel will begin to go up.
That just gives us an overview of what we should see and when we should see it taking place. I anticipate many of us will spend some time out there watching, and others will not be able to do that because you don't live in the are. For everyone my challenge is to pray. If you find yourself standing in the parking lot of the Fast Stop use some of that time to seek the Lord and ask Him for wisdom and blessings for Calvary Baptist Church. If you are not able to get to the building site, then as the Lord brings Calvary to mind please pray. This is the time to be persistent in prayer. A verse that is important for our praying is Matthew 7:7:

[Keep on] asking, and it will be given to you; [keep on] seeking, and you will find; [keep on] knocking, and it will be opened to you. (emphasis mine)

Never give up praying. Prayer is not our last resort it is our only option! But we must be careful not to pray selfishly. Remember what James wrote:

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:3)

And when we find ourselves at a loss for words we should allow the Holy Spirit to help us.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings to deep for words. (Romans 8:26)

Grace & Peace,
Scott

The Trees Are Down!

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Wednesday, May 11, 2011 2:14 PM

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The trees are down...at least the pine ones are! This is progress and progress is exciting. Removing the trees was the next step in the many that we will take in the months ahead. Did you realize that we are a short six months away from moving? I usually like to take a look ahead which is good, but sometimes it can be depressing. It is good because we are taking each step into the future by faith. the future is only something that God knows and if we remember that then we will not be anxious about the future. It can also be depressing because of all the work that needs to be done before we move. Here is what yet needs to be done:

First, we need to decide how much money God would allow us to borrow. This will be the main item of discussion of Sunday night (5-15-11). Please come as we discuss the recommendation of the deacons and myself. As one deacon said, "This is not a problem for God...He has no problems."

Second, we need to finish cleaning and inventorying the approximately 48,000 sq. ft. we presently occupy. This project has been going "swimmingly." Each month we set aside one Saturday to attack an area of the building. I would guess that we are about 38.6492% done.

Third, we need to raise money for certain items we will need in the new building. What things? We will need a stage, phone system, and chairs for the auditorium. Those are immediate needs, but others will need our attention in the near future (security system, replacing tables, replacing the sound system, a sign, and landscaping).

I am confident in the Lord as I look to the future of Calvary Church. The reason I feel this way is because it isn't up to us, it is up to Almighty God and nothing is impossible for His to accomplish. the one activity that has been on my mind more than usual for us is prayer. This is not a time to fret; it is a time to pray. I would also encourage you to be fasting-praying if the Lord leads you to do so.

I believe that if we attempt this without God's help and leadership we will not have tapped into His inexhaustible resources. God is a God who does the impossible. We must be a praying and working church. We will only see fruit as we do this work God's way!

Grace & Peace,
Scott

Stuff in My Office

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011 11:51 AM

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We all forget about things from time-to-time. Sometimes when we forget it is not a big deal, but at other times it can be earth shattering. For instance, if I forget to stop at the store and pick up the gallon of milk Barb asked me to get I can put that in the "no big deal" category. However, if I forget about our anniversary it is pretty much of a guarantee that I can put that in the "you are in big trouble and sleeping on the couch tonight" category!

If you are like me you need reminders, and so I surround myself with stickie notes on my desk (yes, I have them on my computer too) and a white board in my office and alarms that go off on my phone...I even have reminders to remind me to look at my reminders just in case I forget. Does that sound familiar? I hope I'm not the only one.

Now one thing I certainly don't want to forget about is to pray. And so, I try to put things in my office, on my computer and in my car to remind me to pray for family, church and myself (to mention a few). Let me talk about "stuff in my office." Through the years people have given me things for my office and I can basically tell you who gave me what and when. The pictures and paperweights may not match the decor but they definitely serve a purpose. Let me explain...

As I walk around my office something will catch my eye and when I look at it I am reminded of somebody and that in turn reminds me to pray for them. I have found it to be a pretty cool thing to do and it has helped me in my walk with God by praying for you. This is not a solicitation to get "stuff" for my office unless you want to turn a five dollar bill in a pant suit; it is just something I thought I would pass on to you. Maybe you could use it, may be not...I was just thinking.

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers... (Romans 1:9-10a).

Grace & Peace,
Scott

Welcome Michael & Mattie!

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Monday, October 25, 2010 11:16 AM

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I want to take this opportunity to welcome two new "little additions" to our Calvary Family: Michael James Thomas (born September 14, parents: Amber & Zach) and Mattie Rae Bayliff (born October 19, parents: Megan & Matthew)! Congratulations, I love you and am so proud of you. This is awesome news for everyone and I am hoping you will do your part in helping these parents train, love and nurture these precious babies. God has greatly gifted them with healthy children. I know it took a great effort to bring them into the world, but now their work really begins...

Parents have one opportunity to raise their children, and we all know children don't train themselves. I greatly admire young couples, like these two, who are willing, by God's design and grace to bring children into this world. We live in difficult times, but God is greater than the age in which we live. We have before us two, innocent, beautiful, sweet babies. Right now their lives consist of sleeping, eating, crying, "dirtying" their diapers, being carried, and keeping their parents up at night. But, they will grow and they will learn. The weight of responsibility for training them is upon the backs of their parents; they are accountable to God for the direction of their children. Just as it is a heavy burden it is also an inexplicable joy! To both I say, "Enjoy your babies...they are your heritage from Almighty God. He has entrusted you with a wonderful gift!"

As a church what do we do? The one thing we must do well as the days, weeks and years pass is to pray. Don't take for granted the power of a praying church for its children. If you can't sleep one night take it as a hint from the Holy Spirit to pray for Mattie and Michael (Megan and Amber probably aren't sleeping either!). Think of all the children at Calvary, write their names on a card, and pray throughout the day for each of them. Pray for their salvation, pray for their safety and health, and pray for mom and dad. Pray without ceasing. Don't give up praying. And on their wedding day you can go up to them and say, "I've been praying for you since the day you were born, and I'm going to keep praying."

BTW...ask Angie and Len what their big news is!

Grace & Peace,
Scott

Pray Without Ceasing!

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Monday, August 23, 2010 3:56 PM

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As a church we have much to consider over the next several weeks. We must think soberly over an offer that has been made to us for our present meeting site. Is this the best offer? Can we move out in the time frame proposed to us? Should we try to find a temporary location to meet? Is the timing right?

We must think critically through the building the Phase One Planning Ministry Team is going to present to the church on Sunday night, September 19. Are enough classrooms proposed for the near future? Is the auditorium too big or too small? And two issues every young mother is concerned about: (1) What is the nursery facility like? (2) How nice are the bathroom?

Above all, this is a time of prayer. I beg of you to be earnest in your prayers. This is a time for some to fast while praying. For all it is a time of constant, stretched-to-the-limits praying. We must seek the kind of wisdom that only God can, and will, provide at a time such as this. A verse the Lord keeps reminding me of and directs my prayers is Proverbs 3:5-6,

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

We all have our opinions but the only one that counts is the Lord's opinion. If His will prevails then we cannot fail; if our will prevails then we are destined to fail! We must not just grab the bull by the horns; instead we must enter the throne room of the holy of holies through the blood of the slaughtered Lamb. He will give us the answers for which we are looking if we only seek His face. And let's don't grow weary in our praying, because we have a Father who never tires of hearing from us!

Grace & Peace,
Scott
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