Notes from Sunday - 03/29/09

What a weekend!

Saturday morning, at 8 AM, members of the Shiloh Church gathered together to pray together, as we prepared to embark upon our first Make A Difference Day - a one day blitz of practical service throughout our city. After prayer, we scattered throughout Jacksonville to show the love of Christ to others, because God has loved us in Christ.

Some helped a missions agency organize and pack goods to be sent to Jamaica.
Some put in smoke detectors in the homes of the elderly.
Some installed wheel chair ramps for seniors.
Some collected food and took them to local food banks.
Some served at local rescue missions.
Some threw a baby shower for teenage mothers.
Some visited the sick and the shut-in.
Some did house work and yard work for the elderly.
Some gave free health screenings.
Some went out and shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost.

Hundreds of members of SMBC, both young and old, gave themselves to serving others. The Lord blessed us to touch a lot of lives in Jesus' name. And the Lord blessed us as we gave ourselves in service to others.

This was the first time we have done something like this as a church family. And I praise God for the cooperation and participation of the leaders and members of SMBC. To God be the glory!

I was to finish my series on the Parable of the Sower Sunday. But I was on such a high from MADD09 that I knew that I would be preaching something else before I made it home Saturday. Late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, I edited a message from one of the psalms of praise. But by the time it finished printing, I knew that I was not going to preach. I ended up preaching from a passage that I had been meditating on all week, but had no intention of preaching.

I preached a message entitled, "The Kind of Prayer God Answers" - Nehemiah 1:4-11. I believe we find four aspects of the kind of prayer God answers in Nehemiah's example of prayer:

    1. God answers sincere prayer (1:4).

    2. God answers reverent prayer (1:5).

    3. God answers honest prayer (1:6-10).

    4. God answers believing prayer (1:11).

Even though it was not the message that I had planned to preach, I believe it was the message that the Lord wanted me to preach. And it was an important word for our congregation.

A big shout out to Pastor Mike Rodgers for teaching the mass Bible Study Fellowship hour for me.

Our men's chorus led the singing in both of our morning worship services. I was a great joy to have our men leading the congregation in song's of praise. May the Lord bless each brother who served our congregation in this important way.

We had several guests in our 10 AM worship. Arthur Jones performed a saxophone solo. And Dantavies Boatright led a song with the men's chorus. I appreciated them sharing their gifts with us.

Thank God for those who were saved and added to the church in our services.

Hailey did not make it through the 8 AM service. Again.