Good Words from God’s Word

 
NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
May 4th, 2017
Downtown Gainesville
12:00 Noon
 

Today, the Grace Church family is emphasizing prayer for our nation. America needs the prayers of God’s people. The theme of this year’s National Prayer emphasis is “For Your Great Name’s Sake”. It is based on what God said through His prophet Daniel,
 
“O Lord Listen! Forgive! O Lord, Hear and Act!  For Your Sake, O My God!” (Daniel 9:19).
 
American flags are displayed in our Worship Center this morning calling us to prayer for our country. We will repeat the Pledge of Allegiance together in honor of this land which God has provided to us all. A special prayer flag will be at the center of our attention which is called THE APPEAL TO HEAVEN flag. The flag was also known as the “Washington’s Cruiser flag”. It flew on six schooners as they were launched during the Revolutionary War. Just a few months after their first voyage, the British Brigantine, named the “Nancy”, was captured by one of our schooners, the “Lee”. On board were muskets, flint, gun powder and other supplies in abundance, enough to last for a year. Not only was this the greatest capture of the entire Revolution, it also inspired all the founding fathers, and the birth of the United States Navy as we know it today.
 
The Pine Tree, also known as the Tree of Peace, had long been a symbol of importance to the colonies. Some one thousand years before, in a very troubling and conflicted time among six Iroquois Indian tribes, a peace maker brought the six tribes together for peace. It was under one of these giant pine trees that a peace treaty was brokered and they buried their war hatchets. The phrase “bury the hatchet” comes from this event. Legend has it that a powerful bald eagle clutching six arrows in its claws perched atop the tree the guarding the place. The American eagle on our seal has thirteen arrows in its claws. The tree served as a powerful symbol of unity and reconciliation.
 
The story stands as an inspiration for all future generations, but especially for American Christians, to come together in unity, burying the hatchet, and to Appeal to Heaven for help. That is exactly what we will be doing this morning as we pray for our nation.
 
In your chairs, you will find Book Markers which have been created as a means to help us pray. Each marker has the names of National elected officials, State and Local leaders that you may put into your Bibles to remind you to pray for those who have been elected to serve our country. We will divide our congregation into 4 groups this morning:
 

• There will be two groups who will pray for our National Leaders.
• One group will pray for our State Leaders

        and

• One group will pray for our Local officials.

 
We will pray for our Nation in unity as each of us will be asked to pray out loud unto the Lord. Yes, there will be noise, but it will be the noise of God’s people praying together. God will hear it. He will answer. Our blessed and beloved nation will realize the ACTS of God because the people of God have prayed.

Good Words from God’s Word
 
Our church has experienced miracles in recent days because our church family has prayed and asked God to do amazing things among his people. We have seen God meet and exceed our financial needs to sufficiently cover all of our mortgage, lease, and insurance needs this month. We needed over $4,000 to make our payments. God blessed us through the giving of our people to provide $8,633 which demonstrates the power of prayer and God’s amazing provision. God provides when God’s people pray;
 
“Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the bird!” (Luke 12:24).
 
Easter Sunday our church family prayed and asked God to bring 100 people to Sunday School and 225 to worship. We prayed for a great attendance in order that together we would see His strong hand upon us and His amazing presence among us.
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​We set a new attendance record at Grace with 228 in worship and 89 in Sunday School. Not only did we pray for it to happen, we worked together distributing over 1,300 invitation fliers and door hangers. God blessed our efforts because He sent lost and unchurched people to be a part of the service. When God’s people pray and work together with Him, He gives the increase;
 
“Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you will find; Knock, and it shall be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7)
 
Easter Sunday is the most recent example of what prayer and hard work can accomplish when it is done in Jesus name.
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This call to prayer is provided by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association as a tool to help God’s people pray with wisdom and with power for leaders that have been elected for local, state and national service. This is a call to prayer for all governmental leaders, not just for members of certain parties, caucuses, or groups. Every leader needs our prayers from the President of our great country all the way to local governors, mayors and council members. The health and well-being of our country lies in the prayers of God’s people;
 
“When My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
 
These are names of national officials for which we should be praying:

• President: Donald Trump  

 

• Vice President: Mike Pence 

 

• Speaker: Paul Ryan

 

• Congressmen: Rick Allen, John Lewis, Hank Johnson, David Scott, Sanford Bishop, Barry Loudermilk, Rob Woodall, Buddy Carter, Jody Hice, Drew Ferguson, Austin Scott, Doug Collins

 

• Senators:  David Perdue, Johnny Isakson

 

• Supreme Court Judges: John G. Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Ginsburg, Anthony Kennedy, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito

 

• Joint Chiefs of Staff: Admiral Michael Mullen, General David Jones, General Omar Bradley, General Georgia Brown

 
Let God use your prayers to make a difference in the lives of those who serve this country and see how God works to “…heal our land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Good Words from God’s Word
 
This week has been amazing following the obvious display of God’s power at Grace last Sunday morning. Let me bring you up to date.
 
Last Sunday’s attendance was 125, which is in line with the number of people God has been sending to us every Sunday. In all, our people contributed through tithes and offerings Palm Sunday morning a total of $8,633.00. That total exceeds our average weekly offering by $5,873.42. It also exceeds what our weekly budget needs are by $5,234.92. That means our people gave over and above their regular tithes and offerings to the extent that we are now only $944.34 short of balancing our giving to our current budget needs. Our budget through last Sunday calls for $50,971.12 and our people have given $50,026.78 for the on-going ministry and operations needs of our church.
 
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
 
Here’s another miracle: I asked everyone to consider an over-and-above offering last Sunday of 30% over what they normally give. The appeal was intended to not only provide funds to cover the 30% shortfall, but serve as a continuing challenge beyond last Sunday to build a reserve sufficient to cover 1 month’s lease, mortgage and tax obligations should we be faced with another shortfall in the future. This one month reserve would need to be somewhere in the area of $10,000. On Sunday last week our church exceeded the 30% challenge I gave by giving 300% over what is normally received each week. Our church family in this one Sunday gave over 10 times what I had prayed about.
 
Again, TO GOD BE THE GLORY, GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!
 
Let me tell you another miracle that happened this week. Last Sunday in addition to our tithes and offerings, $851.00 was contributed toward the One Mile for God’s Glory Campaign. This brought the total amount received to-date to $19,986.40, which is $13.60 short of reaching the $20,000 mark. On Monday this week, a check was received as a donation toward the Campaign in the amount of $16.00. We now have exceeded $20,000 and hold in our designated account $20,002.40. Remember, these funds qualify for matching gifts which will give us a total of $40,002.40 toward the renovations and construction of our new ministry and worship facilities. We now are just $5,000 away from realizing our first matching donation. Continue to pray that, by His grace and power, God will help us break the first $25,000 mark which will then double to $50,000 cash on hand. When this happens, we will have funds with which to begin our work.
 
DOESN’T GOD DESERVE THE GLORY!
 
Remember, what David Franklin challenged us to do during the “UNLEASH” Spiritual Renewal Week last month. He said, “NO PUNY PRAYERS”. Everything that God did last Sunday in leading us to give such a glorious and God honoring offering happened in my judgement because the Deacons and Stewardship leaders of Grace got on the knees and asked God to meet the needs of our church. I believe with all my heart that God clearly and without doubt answered our prayers. Guess what, NO PUNY PRAYERS works! More miracles happened than I was able to share in this article. Individuals within our church family have been overwhelming blessed this week by what they gave. I have heard stories and seen with my own eyes what sacrifice and faithfulness has accomplished. Let’s not forget what the Bible says as we give thanks to God for what God did on Palm Sunday in our church, “…prove Me now, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).

Good Words from God’s Word
 
On Monday this past week, our church Dream Team met with Mr. Steve Hill to begin the process of creating the blueprints for our church’s relocation to our new property and facilities. Mr. Steve Hill was just selected as the top architect in the Gainesville/Hall County area. Our church is very blessed to have a talented and respected leader like this helping us.
 
Many will remember he was present when our church celebrated God’s provision of the new site and buildings. You will recall his unexpected offer to donate his services and provide working plans for the renovations and construction necessary at the new property. Already, he has presented a beautiful visual rendering of the new building which is on display in our worship center. We all praise God for sending Mr. Hill to us. We need to pray for him as he does God’s work.
 
The initial meeting with Mr. Hill was a general organization and brain storming type session. Basically, the purpose was to determine the general number of people the facilities would be constructed to accommodate. We learned from Mr. Hill that the worship center would determine the size and arrangement of the remaining education and fellowship space.
 
It was generally agreed that the worship center should be a space that would seat 250 people with a platform area large enough to accommodate a praise team of up to 15 people, along with a utility area equipped with sound—lighting and video equipment.
 
Nothing beyond the general size of the space was discussed such as aesthetics or layout. It was agreed that the platform will need to be elevated like it is now to provide adequate sight access to the congregation and that seating would need to be staggered throughout the space.
 
It was also agreed that we would begin this planning phase of our process with the following classroom and fellowship space outline:

 

• Fellowship Space to accommodate up to 125
• Working Kitchen Space
• 15 Bible Study Classrooms
• Nursery to accommodate up to 6 bed babies
• Toddler to Preschool area to accommodate up to 10 children.
• Children’s rooms based on 1 teacher to 10 children ratio
• Student rooms based on 1 teacher to 15 students ratio
• Adult rooms based on 1 teacher to 20 adult ratio

 

​The final point covered in the meeting will be one of our greatest challenges at the new location. We will need parking space that will be adequate for 250 people. This means that 100 parking spaces will be necessary. Mr. Hill will work to determine how many parking spaces our new property will provide. We will need to begin working to arrange additional parking by building relationships with neighboring businesses that do not utilize their parking lots on Sundays. We believe God will provide adequate parking arrangements, but we will need to pray that He will open doors of opportunity with business leadership adjacent to our location.
 
Pray – Pray – Pray as we continue to plan, raise the necessary funding and prepare to move to the place God has provided. GOD IS AT WORK! We praise Him for all He has done.