Plantation Notes for 4/09/08

 

Worship & Prayer

–        Hark the Voice of Jesus Calling

–        Note from Global Day of Prayer – Pastor Dave shared part of an email he received from one of the U.S. leaders of the Global Day of Prayer.  We are reminded that we will be gathering locally but praying globally.  Many new relationships will be forged, and communities will be changed.  This is not just another church service.  It is a time for Christians from over two hundred nations around the world to join together in prayer. 

–        Extended time of prayer for our church’s heart, people we know, Holy Spirit’s power, etc.

o        We ask God to continue to shape and change CoH’s vision and bring it closer in line with His vision.

o        We thank God for the privilege of joining in the Global Day of Prayer.

o        Thank you for the way you are working in our lives and for the healing that you have given.

o        We rejoice that what You start, You finish.

o        Renew our minds so that we may think Your thoughts Lord and ask our your will. 

o        Help us to reach out to neighbors and invite them to participate in the Global Day of Prayer.

o        Help us to know that your arms are always open to us, now and forever, and no matter what we go through, you will be right there for us. 

o        We thank you for the way you are answering prayer.  We thank you for the new and different ways you are moving and stirring and connecting us more deeply to our community as a result of our prayers.  We ask that you would make us more and more aware of how and where you are working so that we can join you.  Keep us focused and connected to you in all that we do.

–        The Power of Your Love

 

Share peace, sit with small groups

 

Testimony – Mary Fischer’s experience at Maricopa Community College – When Mary was teaching college, she found that many of her students were atheists or non-believers.  Many were lost and terrified.  In her World Religions class, Mary couldn’t share her faith outright, but she could share bits and pieces of her faith during her classes.  For instance, she could share that she used to be an atheist.  She left her testimony there as an opening for the students to come and ask more, and that gave her opportunities to share her faith one-on-one with some of the students.  Mary prayed for opportunities, and waited for them to ask her, and God provided those opportunities.

 

Teaching/application

 

Videos –

  1. “Real Christians of Genius” from Igniter Videos, volume 2

·         The words we say matter – if the other person doesn’t understand them, that’s our responsibility.

·         Sensitivity comes from the Holy Spirit; drop our agenda in favor of His, which we’ll hear better by focusing on the other person.

  1. “The Holy Spirit” from www.sermonspice.com.  (Search for the sermon illustration called “The Holy Spirit” to watch the preview.

·         The Holy Spirit not only helps with what we say but with how we live.

·         The Holy Spirit brings to mind Scriptures that we’ve learned.

 

  1. Last week we looked at 1 Peter 3:15: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”   In review, Pastor Dave asked some people at random “What exactly is a Christian?”  The group offered some feedback in response. 
    • Are we ready and able to help each other by providing feedback?
    • “A Christian is someone who trusts that Jesus lived and died for our sins.” Trust, sin, and succinctness are all important to this testimony.  In addition, it is important to practice giving the testimony so that it becomes our words, not just a canned answer.

 

  1. “Can you explain the gospel to me?”
    • The group reviewed the ‘bridge’ exercise (see below).  We are separated from God by sin, and there is no way for us to bridge the gap on our own.  So God, out of His love, came to us through Jesus to save us and to fill the gap.  Jesus was both fully human and fully God, and so He is the only one who can bridge the gap, and He did that on the cross.  Note, it is helpful to put your name, or the other persons, in place of Me on the left hand side. 

  1. Set up next illustration:  Val’s scenario in the grocery store: after letting another woman go ahead of her in line, this woman said to Val, “Honey, if there is a heaven, you’re going?”  Do good deeds get us to heaven?  “I’m basically a good person.”
  2. The morality ladder
    1. Who’s the best person who’s ever lived?  (Write name at top of page – i.e. Mother Teresa)
    2. Who’s the worst person who’s ever lived? (Write name at bottom of page – i.e. Adolf Hitler)
    3. Now, where would you put yourself?  (Let the other person draw a line)
    4. What do you think is God’s standard for heaven?  (After discussion, put paper at the base of the wall, and say His standard is perfection – i.e. the top of the Empire State Building)
    5. What will you do to make up the difference?  Same for Mother Teresa as for us – trust in Jesus, who alone is qualified to make up the difference.

 

 

  1. Take five minutes and practice with a partner, then switch.
  2. Praying with someone to receive Christ – one pattern from Nicky Gumbel: sorry, thank you, please.  Have the person pray after you as you pray: “I’m sorry for the things I’ve done and failed to do.  Thank you for coming to me in Jesus, and doing for me what I couldn’t do for myself.  Please come into my life, fill me with your Holy Spirit, and help me live for you.”  Once this prayer is complete, it can be helpful to step out of the “pray after me” mode, and pray for them.  This is a good opportunity to pray God’s blessings over the person.  Another way is to say “God, I’m sorry for the things I’ve done”, and then give them an opportunity to pray in their own heart for those things they are sorry about.  Then proceed with the next part “Thank you for coming to me in Jesus…” etc. 
  3. Review our progress in our evangelism tool kit
    1. Pray for courage, opportunities, and effectiveness, not just for people to be saved.
    2. Get other people to pray with you and for you. (i.e. prayer triplets)
    3. Know the fundamentals of Christianity – i.e. “Four Questions” (Who is God? – Trinity; Who is Jesus? – fully God, fully human; How are we saved? – by grace through faith; How do we know? – the Bible)
    4. Be able to define a Christian in one sentence – “I trust that Jesus died and rose for me.”
    5. “The Bridge Illustration”
    6. “The Morality Ladder”
  4. Reminder that things are happening beyond personal evangelism tool kit:
    1. Strategic planning team forming, specifically working on communication, new member integration, and environment – will hear weekly reports starting next week.
    2. Opportunity to pray with people at Pima County Fairground Vietnam Veterans Wall and 9/11 memorial, April 20-27, 4:00 – 9:00

 

Any Prayer Partners to add?