Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who helped make the Road Trip Series a success at First Missionary Church. We had a great summer full of fun activities, encouraging stories, and challenging preaching. God bless you as you continue your journey!

The Healing Power of Prayer

by Sandy Bunch

1 Kings 8:28 Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and plea for mercy, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 

I asked God what He would like me to share today. I kept being reminded of the first time He made himself known to me as my Healer. A new Christian at 40 years of age, I suffered from severe allergies all of my life. They were especially bad in the summer, when the trees bloomed, when we baled hay and when we were around animals (which I love). It was a constant battle with sneezing and itching, which was so severe that I wanted to claw the inside of my head out.
Right after I became a believer I had an attack in the middle of the night and asked God that He would take this from me, if it was His will. Immediately I heard a pop in my head and all the symptoms left. That was 30 years ago and I have never suffered from allergic symptoms again! I am reminded whenever I hear, “it's that time of year again,” to give thanks over and over that He heard and answered my prayer so beautifully and powerfully.
What can people learn and apply? Nothing is too insignificant or too hard for God. He knows the hairs on our heads and the sparrow that falls from the nest. He ASKS us to bring our requests to Him. He is a loving, caring God that delights in the prayers of His beloved.

Prayer: Dear Father, I need You. You are everything to me. Comfort me and make something beautiful from my life. I surrender all that I am into Your hands and I ask that You fill me with all of You. Whatever You have for me, I receive with open arms because I know it's from You and I trust You with my life.

Are You Listening?

by Annemieke Kosten

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him… 

Mom…Mom…Mom…Mom…MOM! This is the sound of my son trying to get my attention recently. The problem is I didn’t even hear him until the fifth “Mom”. I was so busy scurrying around the kitchen getting dinner ready while thinking about the phone calls I needed to make and helping my daughter with her homework and realizing that the dishwasher was full of dirty dishes. (No clean dishes for the dinner that will be ready in 5 minutes!) When I reacted to my son asking for my attention with less patience than I would like to admit, my husband asked, “Didn’t you hear him calling you?”
I have realized that Jesus must feel like my poor son—desperately wanting my attention. I mean, if I can’t even hear my son, who is standing right next to me calling my name, how can I expect to hear my Father whisper my name? I wonder how many times God has been trying to talk to me and I couldn’t hear Him? And how can I expect to be close to God if the noise filter in my life is left unchecked?
So, should we quit all that we are doing? I don’t think that is what God expects of us. But we can simplify. We can set aside time to turn off the radio, the TV, our endless “To Do” lists and take some time to listen to Him. Isn’t that what He told Martha in Luke 10:38-42? He asked her to slow down for a few minutes and listen to what He had to say.

Prayer: Lord, I want to hear what You are saying to me. Teach me to live in simplicity. Help me each day to look for the moments where I can turn off the “noise” so that I am able to hear Your voice.

Meditation

by Caleb Hoskins

Joshua 1:8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 

Christian meditation is misunderstood, seen as too complicated, and usually misused. My personal experience with meditation erred in all three of these ways until I read about it in Richard Foster’s book, The Celebration of Discipline.
Misunderstood meditation. Most people think of meditation in terms of Eastern religions—the emptying of the mind and letting go of the world. But the goal of Christian meditation is to fill your mind with the Word of God and to let Him change you.
Complicated meditation. I always saw meditation as something reserved for the so-called “Spiritual Giants,” perhaps for monks and priests or a super-spiritual pastor. Could an amateur Christian like myself actually meditate? The truth is that we all can!
Misused meditation. Even on the rare occasion that I did attempt to meditate on Scripture, I would close the door behind me, think really hard about the Word, and then, when I was done, go outside and try to do it—usually to no avail. I later learned that meditation is not a single act done apart from our day, but an attitude of prayerful contemplation. It is a choice to be mindful of God and His Word throughout my day. (This definition requires that I already read and study the Word.) So, if I hold on to God’s Word throughout my day then I have to let go of something else. I have to let go of my own understanding, which is usually wrong anyway.
Now that you understand how simple it is, it’s your turn. Read Proverbs 3:5-6 today. Read it again. Commit it to memory. Take it with you all day long. Trust Him, lean on Him, acknowledge Him, and He will guide you.

Prayer: Lord, teach me to meditate on Your Word all day long.

Service

by Jeanie Ogden

Ephesians 6:7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men. 

Fifteen years ago my husband Earl and I heard about an organization needing volunteers to do repairs, clean-up and painting homes damaged by Hurricane Andrew. We asked friends from church to join us and we worked two weeks in January for the next three years. The following year we learned that an organization needed volunteers to get Bibles ready to send to Russia. Again, some friends from church joined us and we helped collate, bind and ship Bibles for two weeks in January for seven years. We also painted and remodeled their buildings. We were getting to be “professionals!”
In 2000, we joined 18 others from Missionary Churches and flew to Russia. St. Petersburg Christian University had purchased an OLD building and needed volunteers to get it ready for the student’s classrooms, a cafeteria and dormitories. The building needed a kitchen, new floors, new walls, and a water heater. Since none of the Russian staff spoke English, we had interpreters and our own missionaries to help. Returning home our Mission Organization informed us about the needs of our Hispanic churches on the Texas border. For 4 years we spent two weeks every January doing minor repairs and painting. Part of our blessing each day was an authentic Mexican meal! We continue each year to find a place to be of service outside the church as well as in the church. A dictionary definition of service is “helpful acts.” Where will you serve?

Prayer: Lord, help me to be effective in service as unto You, as well as teach by example. Bless those we serve.

True Worship

by Tom Wiggins

John 4:24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. 

There are times in my Christian life when God seems very distant and I have trouble finding Him. When these times come I go to a song on my computer’s “favorites” list; I turn up my speakers and listen. The song was written by Andraé Crouch and is titled “My Tribute.” It is sung by the Oslo, Norway choir. Here are some of the words:
“How can I say thanks for the things He has done for me, things so undeserved that He did to prove His love for me? The voices of a million angels cannot express my gratitude, all that I am or ever hope to be I owe it all to Thee.”
When I think of what Christ has done for me personally, God is suddenly very near and worshiping and thanking Him become easy. True worship only takes place when our spirit and the Holy Spirit commune with each other, whether in our daily living or when we come together as a church to worship God.

Prayer: Lord, help us to worship You in spirit and in truth. May we always have Your Name in our hearts and minds—giving You praise and thanks for all You do for us.

Staying Close to God

by Janice Leonard

Hosea 5:15 Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me. 

“Keep short accounts,” Pastor Dan has said a number of times. I wondered just exactly what it meant until I finally figured it out. What does that mean? Don’t let your list of unconfessed sins mount up.
No, I am not in the habit of stealing, murdering, or even lying, but I sometimes have negative thoughts about people, and that’s not good. Sometimes I get carried away and interrupt or monopolize a conversation or unintentionally say something that makes others feel bad. God wants me to build others up and be encouraging and be a good listener. I want to be a healthy part of the body, not a part that secretes drops of poison. Until I confess, these things come between God and me, they hinder my prayers, and I limp spiritually.
As soon as I have disobeyed God, and when the Holy Spirit lets me know I have disobeyed or displeased Him in anyway, I talk to Him about it. I think about why the words, or thoughts, or actions were wrong. I feel bad and tell Him so. God hears me ask for forgiveness and helps keep me from going down that road again. Sometimes I need to make something right. This is one of the ways I stay close to God.

Prayer: Dear Father, I want to be close to You and to please You. Please show me when I mess up and give me the strength to do what is right. Thank You! In Jesus Name, Amen.

Victorious Prayer

by Rick Leonard

I Samuel 17:36-37: Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine... 
Several years ago, I had to have shoulder surgery twice on the same shoulder. I was off work for 12 weeks. This put me on disability checks, which amounted to 60% of a regular 40-hour paycheck. To make matters worse, the paperwork was sent to the wrong address, so I didn’t receive a check for five weeks.
Within the first week, the rear end on our main vehicle locked up, our garage door broke and the lawn mower quit working. Two weeks later, the transmission went out on our truck. A couple of weeks later, I had to have my wisdom teeth pulled, and then I needed a root canal and a crown put in. I needed victory! First Samuel 17:37 jumped out at me.
David based his prayer on what God had done for him in the past. He knew God was still with him and would give him victory again. That’s exactly what I needed. God had always provided for me, and there was no reason to think He wouldn’t do it this time. What a peace came over me! God took care of every situation that summer.
Sure, there are times stress, concern, and worries engulf me. I’m only human. But God delivered me in the past, and He delivers me now.

Prayer: Father, thank You for supplying all of my needs. You are my Rock and my Salvation.

Fasting

by Pat Strefling

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God. 

I’m not one to fast but one day years ago when God said, “shut the door and don’t eat”, I did.
I slammed the refrigerator door shut, fasted and prayed, “God I want to marry him.” I loved a young man but we had broken up. Several long, difficult years had passed. Both his life and mine were a mess. I had recently recommitted my life to the Lord when he called to tell me he had prayed for Jesus to come into his heart. I was elated and “knew” the Lord had planned it all. He was now a Christian. What could possibly hinder us?
Exactly five months after I shut the refrigerator door, I received another call. He was dead at age 27.
God answered my prayer. Boy did he ever…not only would there be no marriage, but he was taken out of the world. I was devastated. After months of grief and not always understanding why God chose to answer my prayer the way He did, a question suddenly came to me. I knew it was God asking, “Would you rather have had this man be saved and know Me before he died or would you rather have Me answer yes to your prayer?”
God did not bring that man back into my life for marriage; He brought him into my life to be saved because He knew his time was short. I will always be grateful for that moment at the refrigerator when God said, “Shut the door and fast.” And that I obeyed.

Prayer: Lord, help me to obey—without question.

Hearing God in the Silence

by Dan Miller

Mark 1:35-37 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!” 

Solitude and Silence…neat concept. But is it practical? Even more, is it even obtainable? This world is a noisy place because the fear of “being alone” frightens people. Consequently, we are bombarded by noise all day long from our cell phones, emails, Facebook and Twitter accounts (I fear that sometimes we think we are “connected” when we’re really not). Loneliness and inner emptiness drive us to noise and crowds. Ironically, inner fullness is found only in solitude and silence with Christ. Jesus invites us to leave loneliness and to join Him in solitude, calling us from noise to silence.
A few months ago, I started a professional relationship with a Life Coach. One of the sessions dealt with the lack of solitude and the abundance of noise in my life. My coach led me through an exercise to help me grasp the magnitude of my problem. It motivated me to make important decisions resulting in specific actions toward greater solitude and silence.
I am convinced that noise is one of satan's greatest tools to prevent us from becoming closer to God. It does not matter whether the noise is external noise or the internal noise of our mind. Solitude and silence are key to all the spiritual disciplines. The gospels say, “Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” The Psalmist said, “My soul finds rest in God alone.” The prophet said, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.”

Prayer: Dear God, make the sanctuary of my heart and mind a silent and solitary place of fellowship with You. Speak to me today so that my witness to others reveals a life spent with You. Amen.

Doing What the Word Says

by Mark Slabaugh

James 1:22, 25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says…But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom…will be blessed in what he does.

Over-promise and under-deliver was never true of my dad; in fact, he may have been on the side of never making a promise. His actions and work did the talking for him. Hard work was just an expected part of the day and your work would speak for you. The ability to get up every day and do the job without complaining was the fabric of his being—that’s who he still is today.
It is that desire—to let your actions speak for you—that gives me a hunger for the Word. I want to know how my heavenly Father wants me to live. What are the truths, the principles that should guide my life? I want that which I learn from God’s Word to be the fabric of my being. I want my life to reflect that which I read in God’s Word. So my study tends to focus on “How can I live more like Jesus?”

Prayer: Dear Father, please give me Your insights when I sit down to study Your Word. May my time be fruitful as I look for the principles and truths of God. Thank You for the Holy Bible that is Your instruction, encouragement, and training for me. I ask for an even greater hunger for Your Word. Please sew Your wisdom on the fabric of my heart. Amen.

The Power of Prayer

by Ruth Erickson

Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 

In the spring of 2003, my husband John was on his way to Southwestern Community College for his first class of the day. As he was en route another car ran out of control on the icy bridge and hit him nearly head on, which resulted in knee, back, and hip injuries. Rest, pain pills and therapy became the daily routine. The knee injury limited his range of motion to 70 degrees, but the doctor wanted 110 degrees. He sent a therapist out to the house and she worked with him about 3 times a week. We continued to pray as my husband and the therapist worked with his knee, but she was unable to break it loose. The doctor decided to put him in the hospital, as an outpatient, and bend the knee for him, but even this was unsuccessful. It looked like John would have a stiff leg the rest of his life. But we still continued to pray.
One day he was in the backyard with our granddaughter, Emily and her dog, Chayote. The dog headed for the woods and Emily called her back. Immediately the dog turned around and came running back so fast she couldn’t stop. She slammed into John and the impact was so hard that John found himself on the ground in severe pain. When the pain subsided and he began to get up, he noticed his knee had bent. His heel was touching his rump. He’s been able to bend that knee and walk without stiffness from that day on. God answers our prayers often in unexpected ways!

Prayer: God, when our problems look overwhelming, help us to stay calm and not grow anxious. Help us to trust You to work out our situation knowing You can answer our prayers in ways we never dreamed possible.

Spiritual Armor of God

by Shawn Oltz

Isaiah 59:17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

Do you ever think of each day as being a battle? I try to remind myself daily that I need the armor of God to be prepared for the spiritual battles ahead. Each morning I try to pray through each of the various pieces of the armor of God. Since memorizing scripture has never been easy for me, I imagine putting on the armor from the top and work down.
The first thing I envision is setting the helmet of salvation onto my head as I thank Jesus for dying on the cross for me and the people of this world. Next I attach the breastplate of righteousness and thank Jesus for being my mediator, forgiving my sins, and making me righteous in God’s sight. I am thankful that the truth of God holds everything together like a belt. I ready my feet with the gospel by asking the Lord to show me who to minister to. I ask Him to keep me from getting distracted by the pressures of the day. This is followed by picking up the shield of faith and asking God for the faith to carry out His will and to avoid the snares of the enemy. Lastly I grab the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God, and ask to be filled by the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Lord, now that I am fitted with the armor of God, lead me into the battle with fellow soldiers and show me the people that need to be freed today.

Opening Eyes

by Anita Belcher

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does…We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 

As Pastor Dan has said numerous times, “I’ve got problems; you’ve got problems; all God’s people got problems.” We all know this to be true. I heard a saying once, “If you haven’t run head on into satan, maybe it’s because you’re both going the same direction.” We must remember to rest in the promise that “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
At one point in my life, I found myself in the midst of a very real physical demonic attack, virtually taking over my speech, movements, and vision. My thought process even escaped me. But deep down in my inner being, I was at peace, totally absent of fear. I knew God was with me. As directed in the Bible, the elders and pastor prayed over me. As the demonic power intensified, so did the prayers and soon I felt the power that had gripped me with so much force, loosen. Within minutes, I felt it leave me altogether and I was able to testify that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. Then my eyes were opened. A victory through my Lord! Alone “against the power of this dark world” I am nothing. Tossed around like a marble in a pinball machine. I must keep my focus on Christ. And never forget that He is on the throne. There is a battle at hand—no question. But there is power for victory in Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Dear God, help me to remember as I rise in the morning and prepare for my day that I need to be dressed in the full armor of God before I am ready to face the world.

Satan Is On A Leash

by Justin Pangle

I Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 

With the Word of God hidden in my heart and sometimes even written on my t-shirt, I have found that the enticement of sin is always prevalent in new forms and ways. Adam and Eve dealt with the problem of temptation in choosing to eat the forbidden fruit, while I have numerous temptations bombarding me on any given day.
I am not the type of person who would wish to hurt himself by jumping off of a building, or even by sticking my hands in an aquarium full of piranhas. But there is damage and hurt that is caused when we give into our temptations. For some reason, I am quick to forget that when I am being tempted.
It is helpful when I’m reminded that satan is on a leash and God promises that He will never allow satan to go too far. Your own battle with your own temptation is personal for you, to be sure. We are all tempted in different ways. Yet we are so fortunate to have a loving God who promises that the intensity of the temptation and escape route will also be uniquely tailored to us. Temptation will never be so strong that it will exceed our own ability to follow God's Word. With God’s power, we can overcome.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You know of my struggle with [insert your temptation(s)]. Strengthen me and help me to stay away from and giving into [your temptation(s)]. Thank You for giving us a way out of every temptation that crosses our path.

One Long Week

by David Shier

Luke 4:6 And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor; for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.”

It was a long and tiresome week and I noticed that my actions were starting to reflect my attitude. I was working a lot, it didn’t feel like I was making any progress with the “list” and it was starting to take its toll on me. Like a constant annoying voice in my head I could hear lots of tempting ideas popping in there. Most of which were things of my past, before I was a follower of Christ. They were very distracting and appealing but through a little prayer I got through the first couple days. It didn’t take long for them to come back stronger and more direct. It was time to either knuckle up or give in to my selfish desires.

So, I decided to call in back up and asked my accountability partner to pray for me. I also dedicated longer quiet time and LOTS more prayer. Through all this I came through that week stronger and with a greater presence of the Holy Spirit in me. I know that those voices I was hearing were that of satan’s and the more that I put my faith in Christ the greater His protection was present.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray that You would give me a clear conscience and guide my actions today so that I would not falter and I would strive to do Your will. Give me the strength to stand firm in Your ways. Thank You for Your guiding hands and restful arms that I can only find in You.

Family Faith

by Kori Hurley

Matthew 7:11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 

Kaia, my oldest daughter, hit a major mid-winter growth spurt. Her clothes and shoes collectively skyrocketed one size up. A lovely young lady she is becoming…but YIKES! An unanticipated wardrobe overhaul was not in the budget.

We had been reading about the missionary George Muller. Through prayer alone, God’s amazing provision was secured for hundreds of Muller orphans, a missionary fund, and a church. His biography had a profound impact on my four girls. They were eager to ask God to meet our needs. “Let’s just pray for Kaia’s clothes!” they suggested with wide-eyed faith. So pray we did. That very same weekend, an Upward Soccer teammate handed Kaia two pairs of top-notch shoes she had out-grown. Kaia was ecstatic, not only about the shoes, but about God’s obvious and immediate answer to our prayers. That was just the beginning. Later, my friend Petra delivered several huge bags of clothes and shoes from her girls. What a fun fashion show! Then yet another two bags of clothing came from Kaia’s teammate. “Wow,” Kaia exclaimed, “God really did answer our prayers Mama! I can’t believe how many wonderful clothes and shoes I have now!” It’s not something my girls will soon forget, and definitely a big win for our Answered Prayers Journal—a treasure of reminders that the Living God desires to move and act in our daily lives.

Prayer: LORD, You know the needs of my family. Help me to lead my children in trusting You to provide for us. Give us the child-like faith to ask expectantly and the patience to wait on Your sufficient answer to our prayers.

Game of Catch, Dad?

by Susanna MacDonald

Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 
We had just moved back to Indiana. My sister had recently been diagnosed with cancer, and my dad with Alzheimer’s. This truly had all the earmarks of a terrible summer. My mom was caring for my sister, and it fell to me to take care of my dad. What some would have deemed to be an overwhelming task, turned out to be a truly blessed summer. True, we could not discuss current events with my dad, but this allowed us to enjoy the little things. The time I spent listening to dad’s stories and jokes, most of which I had heard several times, brought laughter and smiles to both of us. It was great knowing he enjoyed the time we spent together. I bought us baseball gloves, and we would go to the park for a game of catch, or just to walk and talk while holding hands, while enjoying nature. Dad went down hill after that summer, but the blessing the Lord gave me by giving me that one-on-one time with my dad was among my cherished memories of that otherwise sad time in our life.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the blessing of two loving parents. I pray that the love I received from my parents will find its way into the lives of all the children of our church. I thank You for the blessing I received while caring for my dad, and pray that others who may find themselves in similar situations will find the blessing by enjoying the time they have. Lord, I pray that I will never forget the love You gave me through my parents.

Lunch Buddy?

by Kaia Hurley (daughter of Kyle & Kori Hurley)

Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 


One day at lunch, the new girl in my class named Ashley did not have any lunch money. She was just sitting there with nothing to eat and I felt sorry for her. So, I gave her half of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some of my carrots. She ate it, then shrugged her shoulders and told me “thanks.” It really didn’t sound much like a real “thank you.”

It really wasn’t a big deal to me at the time, but later, she ruined my friendship with my best friend named Tanya by playing with her and leaving me out. That really hurt my feelings, but I still tried to be her friend. She wasn’t interested, even though I had shared my lunch with her. Instead, God gave me two good friends, Bailey and Lana to take the place of the one I had lost.

What I learned was that God will help you love someone even if they aren’t grateful for what you have done for them. He helps me to be nice to Ashley even when I don’t feel like it.

Prayer: Dear God, please help me to remember that You can help me share and show Christ’s love to others. Help me to love others even if they make it hard for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.