This past Sunday at Celebration our Pastors and I taught about the necessity of having a fervent, consistent, and effective prayer life - something that Jesus emphasized in the Model Prayer (Matthew 6:5-13). And we're learning more about Prayer this week in our Life Groups and Daily Devotions.
One way to learn more about effective praying is to study the prayers of people in the Bible. We can learn much about prayer from studying the prayers of Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Nehemiah, and others in the Old Testament, and from studying the prayers of Jesus, Paul, and others in the New Testament. Paul often prayed for his fellow believers to "grow in their faith" or knowledge of the Lord. Here are some examples of that.
Paul - "I pray for you constantly, asking God . . . to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God." (Ephesians 1:16-17)
Paul - "I pray that . . . you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return." (Philippians 1:9-10)
Paul - "We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit." (Colossians 1:9-10)
We can tell from those prayers of Paul that he really wanted to see the Christians in Ephesus, Phillipi, and Colossae grow in their spiritual knowledge and in their relationship with the Lord.
Growing in spiritual knowledge and our relationship with the Lord is what our DIFFERENCE-MAKERS Conference this Saturday (October 7) is all about. Attendees to the DIFFERENCE-MAKERS Conference will learn from world-renowned Pastors Robert Barriger (from Peru), Steve Kern (from El Salvador), and Moses Odhiambo (from Kenya) about how to walk with the Lord in better ways, and how to better know the Lord's way and will for their lives. We will also have a number of helpful Breakout Sessions at the Conference.
So, don't miss this Saturday's DIFFERENCE-MAKERS Conference, which will be a great morning of worship, encouragement, equipping, empowerment - and fun. We will not only hear from Pastors Robert Barriger, Steve Kern, and Moses Odhiambo, but we will also have an interactive Missions Fair between two of the Conference sessions. Breakfast and snacks will be provided, as well as a great fellowship from our Celebration members. So, go ahead and register for the DIFFERENCE-MAKERS CONFERENCE on October 7. You can do so by clicking here (click here). And encourage your Life Group members, fellow Celebration attendees, and even members of other Churches to join you for this great morning of teaching and training.
Our Pastors, Staff, and I have received many reports and testimonies from people who have been benefiting from our CHOICES THAT LEAD TO CHANGE in Spiritual Growth emphasis. If you've not joined us yet, it's not too late to get involved. If you started strong but became distracted, it's not too late to jump back in and finish well. Here's what you need to do.
First, try your best to catch the remaining sermons of this series. To review the previous sermons, go to celebrationchurch.org/change and click on the "See Sermons" tab.
Second, find a Life Group for the remainder of the emphasis so you can grow spiritually with others as you discuss the lessons you've learned from the sermon and from the series. If you need assistance finding a Life Group, ask one of the Pastors at the campus you're attending today or see celebrationchurch.org/change and click on the "Find Small Group" button.
Finally, spend time daily in God's Word and work through the CHOICES THAT LEAD TO CHANGE devotional. We're sharing daily video devotions during this emphasis by email and on social media. Physical devotionals are still available at our Campuses. To download a physical devotional or to sign up to receive daily devotions by email, see celebrationchurch.org/change.
Our Pastors and I look forward to seeing you on Saturday morning for DIFFERENCE-MAKERS, and on Sunday morning as we continue CHOICES THAT LEAD TO CHANGE.
