WEDNESDAY NIGHTS IN THE AUDITORIUM WITH PASTOR AT 6:30
Igniting Kingdom Prayer with Dr. Tony Evans
This week’s lesson is Claiming Your Legal Rights (Luke 18:1-8): When life’s problems begin to multiply and you start to buckle beneath the weight of trials and tribulations, the Bible says to “pray and not to lose heart.” In order to help us better understand perseverance through prayer, Jesus tells us the parable of the persistent widow. In this message, he will walk us through this parable along with its unique concepts that will give us a whole new perspective on prayer.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart:
Philippians 2:1-2, “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
The way you can tell that you have applied the cross is that others are happy with you.
You may ask what this means.
To fulfill my joy means to make me happy.
And how are you going to make me happy?
It is by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
This kind of oneness in the Body requires the cross.
In Philippians 2:6-8 Paul speaks of the Lord Jesus taking the way of the cross.
Then he applies this cross-taking mind to the believers in the verses that follow.
He speaks of God operating in us both the willing and the working for His good pleasure.
This operation has to do with the inward application of the cross.
And the way Paul would know that the saints at Philippi had inwardly applied the cross is that harmony would be among them, the flow of fellowship would be between them.
This would make his joy full.
This would make him happy.
Sometimes in the church life we have not made the Body happy because we have been so “crossless” in our experience.
So the joy in the church is not full.
The Body is a barometer.
Are we making the Body happy?
Are the saints full of joy because of us?
When the saints think about us, when the saints consider us, when they see our face, do they get happy, full of joy?
This is a good way to tell whether we have applied the cross inwardly–do we make the saints full of joy?
Paul was saying, “Make my joy full. Encourage me. Fellowship with me. Bring some consolation to me. Make me happy.”
Such an atmosphere comes from the inward application of the cross.
Make your wife happy.
Make your husband happy.
Make the brothers happy.
How do you do it?
By inwardly applying the cross to murmurings, to reasonings, to right and wrong.
Get out of the realm of the self and into the spirit.
Be formed with Christ, and the joy in the church will be full.
Until Tomorrow
With a Shepherd’s Love
Pastor
TODAY’S PRAYER LIST
Bill Lawhead
Brandon Black
Charlene Shiflett
Darlene Thaxton
Richard Blount
Terryl Loyd
Tracy Ballard
Amy Garner’s Mother
Ashley Burn’s Sisters
Barbara Shed’s Family
Bill Moody
Carol Lawhead
Charlie Sessom – Waiting
Colby/Connor – Allison’s G’sons
Denise Stubbs – Kim Allison’s Mom
Greg Payne – Lisa’s Brother
Hanna Hall – Pray For Grace
James Garner’s Brother, G’Son, & Daughter
Kimberly – Dustin’s Sister
Larry Barker
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Lynn – Nancy Brown’s Daughter
Mary Sims
Marynell Ford
Michael Stanley
Nancy Brown’s Daughter
Nora Allison – Dustin’s Mom
Pastor Stucke– Nikki’s Dad
Paula Ferus’ Missionary Friend
Ricky Stubbs
Roseleigh Osborn
Scott Lanier – Linda’s Son
Shaelyn – Jill’s Friend
Sharon Blalock
Sheila Simmons Cousin
Tom Witcher