Culture of evangelism AND this quarter's 3E classes

"The Story of God's Glory" will demonstrate that God has made Himself known throughout history.

"God has repeatedly displayed his character in a corporate people. He didn’t just create Adam. He created Adam and Eve. God promised to make Abraham into a great nation. God displayed his character through Israel. Then in the New Testament God purchases the church through the blood of Christ."  Mark Dever

"What We Believe" will help people understand the basics of the faith and live them out in their lives.

"Shepherding a Child's Heart" will help parents and others disciple children.

Excuses, Excuses...

Taken from Multiply (www.multiplymovement.com/Multiply-INT-F3.pdf)

Most Christians can give a number of reasons why they cannot or should not disciple other people:
“I don’t feel called to minister.”
“I just have too much on my plate right now; I don’t have time to invest in other people.”
“I don’t know enough.”
“I have too many issues of my own. I’ll start once I get my life in order.”

As convincing as these excuses may seem to us, Jesus’s commands don’t come with exception clauses. He does not tell us to follow unless we’re busy.
He does not call us to love our neighbors unless we don’t feel prepared.

In fact, if you read Luke 9:57–62, you’ll see several individuals who gave excuses for why they could not follow Jesus at the time. Read the passage and take note of how Jesus responded to
them. It may surprise you


What excuses tend to keep you from following Jesus’s command to make disciples? 
What do you need to do in order to move past these excuses?

Culture of Evangelism

Have you been praying for a growing culture of evangelism at Emmanuel?

This begins with each member treasuring the Gospel in his/her heart.

These ten questions are taken from an article entitled "Ten questions to diagnose the evangelistic health of your church."  Prayerfully consider these questions and your involvement in EBC's culture of evangelism.

1. Are members more concerned about the lost than their own preferences and comfort? 
2. Is the church led to pray for lost persons?
3. Are the members of the church open to reaching people who don’t look or act like them? 
4. Do conflicts and critics zap the evangelistic energy of the church? 
5. Do small groups and Sunday school classes seek to reach lost persons within their groups? 
6. Is the leadership of the church evangelistic? 
7. Do the sermons regularly communicate the gospel? 
8. Are there ministries in the church that encourage members to be involved in evangelistic outreach and lifestyle? 
9. Have programs become ends in themselves rather than means to reach people?
10. Is there any process of accountability for members to be more evangelistic?

Prayer requests for the Arthur family

We rejoice and thank the Lord for the following:

1. The seminary where I serve as director had lots of debt at the beginning of this year. The Lord provided in unexpected ways and the debt has been reduced from about $200,000 to about $50,000.
2. Our church plant that is starting up at the seminary has a steady attendance of about 60 after only a year and a half.
3. In spite of health issues and financial crises, the Lord has faithfully kept us on the field of Brazil for almost 25 years as a family.

Please join us in prayer for the following:

1. Our son Peter, who graduated from Cedarville while we were on furlough there in Toledo (May, 2011) is living in California and preparing for marriage next July. He is working three jobs and trying to keep his head above water. He also has some health issues, such as problems with his back and some difficulties with concentration due to a concussion in high school.
2. We are very busy! I am preaching in three different churches in the next three weeks and will teach a masters module in Portuguese starting next Monday (Nov. 26). Please pray for me to be ready for this module. I have never given the course (Biblical Theology of the OT) and have had to start from scratch in my preparation. My job as director of the seminary does not leave me enough time to prepare for my classes as well as I would like (I am teaching 10 credits this semester).
3. Our daughter Jill is a senior in high school this year and she is also very busy. Besides her classes and her sports at school, she plays violin for our church and is spending lots of time taking tests (ACT, SAT) and trying to decide where to go to college. On Nov. 30, she will play Alice in "Alice in Wonderland" at the school play. She has lots of lines to memorize. Pray for her to do well. She wants to do everything well to please the Lord.

Real Disciples!

"Real Disciples make disciple!!  The Word of God is intended to SPREAD through us, not STOP with us!" David Platt

We need to be praying that this would be true of every member of Emmanuel Baptist Church.
Prayerfully consider how you can make disciples.
Some, but not all, possibilities are:

1. serving in a ministry at Emmanuel (www.emmanuelbaptist.com/service_opportunities)
2. being equipped in and/or inviting someone to one of our 3E classes (www.emmanuelbaptist.com/3e_discipleship)
3. inviting someone to the Christmas benefit concert (www.toledobenefit.com)
4. actively participating in our Sunday morning service by finding and talking with someone you don't know. 
5. praying for and talking with your neighbors

Ultimately share and show Jesus to those around you!!

More than parades, turkeys and football?

What if God had more for our kin this Thanksgiving than the Macy’s parade, tryptophan-induced naps, and NFL football? What if we saw our gatherings with extended family not as a chance to check out, but as an opportunity for Christian mission?

Making the Most of Turkey Time:  Thanksgiving on Mission  
Tips for those visiting unbelieving family members during Thanksgiving.

5 aims of holiday family gatherings

Taken from a Gospel Colation blogy by Kathleen Nielson.
Click HERE to read the whole article.

1.  Pray in advance.
2.  Pray for God to set a guard over my mouth (Psalm 141:3)
3.  Care for different stages of life.
4.  Infuse my plans with trust in a sovereign God.
5.  Make time to read the Bible out loud and pray out loud together.

The Daughter Project & this year's Christmas Benefit Concert

This offering from this year's Christmas Benefit Concert will be going to the Daughter Project.

You can find out more about this ministry at their website http://thedaughterproject.org/ or their blog http://thedaughterproject.wordpress.com

Here are some recent prayer requests from their website.

1. Thanks to Nova Faith Community for being generous with a donation and for their on-going support of TDP!
2. That ‘Tina’ will continue in her recovery.
3. Thanks to Barry & Craig for joining our Financial Committee.  Both have much experience in financial planning and accounting.
4. That we will find the right women to fill our two House Mom positions.
5. Thanks to Emmanuel Baptist Church for designating us to be the beneficiary of their annual Christmas Benefit Concert, scheduled for December 8 & 9.

Another groups Romans 5

Gracious Father in heaven, 

How wonderful and mighty and awesome you are, full of love, kindness and mercy.   

Where our sin abounded, grace abounded much more. 

We are so grateful to You for providing us with the free gift of eternal life through Your Son Jesus Christ.  

Thank You for giving us grace abundantly, righteousness and hope through our Lord.  

Thank You Father so much for this free gift of eternal life that we so greatly needed due to one mans' disobedience.  

You are God Almighty. 

You are Life. 

You are Good.

You are our Strength. 

Please grant us boldness to share your mighty truth of Love, The Gospel, to all you set in our paths in need of The Savior.  

In Jesus Love,  Amen

Another set of Romans 5 prayer (pt. 2)

Father God,
Thank you for the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ, without whom we were under the power of death's reign, condemned and helpless.
But because of God's love demonstrated in Jesus, grace abounded.  God's grace defeated death's reign and sin's power.
We have been made righteous and given the gift of eternal life now and forevermore, through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Lord, help me to live more consistently aware that sin has spread to all men. Those men need to be made aware of, or reminded of that.  Help me to share with neighbors and other acquaintances that you are a gracious God that has given a free gift to pay for that sin.  Through that gift they can be justified, and be made righteous.

Amen

PRAYER TIME FRIDAY NIGHT

This Friday (11.02), we are going to have prayer time from 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm.
This prayer time is for our families, our church and our country.
If you are interested in finding out more email soulcare @ emmanuelbaptist.com

Another Romans 5 prayer

King of the Universe,

I submit to your lordship, repentant of my disloyalty.

I praise and thank you, that though I welcomed Sin’s rule with open arms,

Enthroned him upon my very soul,

And participated in the curse of anti-creation,

Your grace conquered Sin and Death for me.

I praise and thank you that while I was on the enemy’s side,

You purged my record of condemnation,

Granted me citizenship in your eternal kingdom,

And called me righteous, though I am far from it.

I praise and thank you that though once I was in the very grip of death,

I now will reign under your good rule in eternal life.

Give me grace to fight evil at every turn, at any cost, for the sake of your kingdom.

Oh, how I feel the strain of warfare still.

Come, end this war.

Come, establish your kingdom.

I join the groaning of all creation in longing for the restoration of all things,

So come quickly, LORD Jesus!

More Romans 5 prayers

Here are two more Romans 5 prayers.

More will be posted as Soul Care groups send them in.

Sovereign Father, Creator of the universe and mankind, We recognize our need for you.  Thank you for the law that shows us our need for a savior.  We are so grateful for your magnificent grace, planned ages ago in advance for us.  We accept the grace that rescues us from the grips of death, who was king, and sets us free, making us righteous.  Please grant us strength to be your ambassadors and reflect your love and mercy to the lost.  Since you stood in our place, grant us the strength to stand in your place.  Be glorified in our battle against sin, because you are worthy of our highest effort and allegiance.  Amen. 

Lord,
I thank you for your free gift of eternal life that came by grace.  I am thankful that while I was not interested in, or even thinking about you, while my life was lost in turmoil, you invaded my life and opened my eyes to who you are and my need for forgiveness and gave me faith.  I thank you for declaring me forgiven and justified through Christ’s death on the cross in my place.  I thank you for the great, joyous, graced life that you have given me here on earth and the hope I have of being in heaven with you someday, all because of Christ.
Amen