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How do we pray with boldness - and in a way that gets answers? We consider 1 John 5:14-18 to learn that God hears our prayers, answers in unlimited ways, often before we even can see the answers accomplished.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
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How do we pray with boldness - and in a way that gets answers? We consider 1 John 5:14-18 to learn that God hears our prayers, answers in unlimited ways, often before we even can see the answers accomplished.
Confident Prayer from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
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Good morning Church Requel!
I don't know about you, but it seems like I've been praying for so many more things lately within our church family. So the topic of our next sermon from 1 John is most timely for us. What does it mean to pray with confidence? How do we actually do it? What is the goal of our prayer life?
Many times people will tell me that they don't feel comfortable praying. Or don't want to pray out loud. Or not in public. And I understand that. After all, Jesus told us that the prayer of a righteous man is often behind the prayer closet door.
Having said that, as your pastor, I'm concerned that the reason many of us are not confident about praying with one another is because we're also not confident about praying by ourselves. Or we do very little of it. Or we pray, but we struggle with the faith behind our prayers.
I hope to help you with that this Sunday morning. Pastor John in his first letter is writing intimately to his beloved congregation. When he comes to his last chapter (verses 14 & 15), he says some pretty bold things about praying with boldness. I'm convinced this is because he saw it first hand from the Master Prayer, Jesus. I'm also convinced that he experienced the results of such bold prayer himself as a pastor and Christ follower.
We'll learn Sunday morning that praying with confidence is not something just for the pastor or for the Super Saint. Effective praying with boldness is designed by God Himself to be something each one of us can and should be able to do... with confidence! I hope you will make Sunday morning at Church Requel a priority. For those of you who would like a head start, here are the online sermon notes.
KidsMin News. I've written to you often about the new Middle School class being led by Cindy Thoman. I'm so excited for this new class. In fact I will be enjoying a pizza dinner with these upcoming teenagers on Sunday evening at our home.
Today, though, I want to tell you about some great things going on with our younger students. They are taught by Tamira Barnes and her crew of faithful assistants. Recently they have been learning about the miraculous power of Jesus! The last couple weeks they've learned about Jesus walking on water, calming the storm on the sea and telling the disciples to cast their fishing nets on the other side of the boat .. Resulting in a huge bunch of fish! They've learned Jesus can do anything!
Of course Tamira is never satisfied with just telling her students about this. She helps them experience it for themselves. The pictures above show our children creatively learning with fishing poles made out of pretzels, twiZerls, and gummy fish. (I don't even know what a twiZerl is. It's a good thing we have Tamira!)
For those of you, who are serving in our KidsMin department, I just want to shout out "THANK YOU!" What a difference you are making in the eternity of our young people! For those of you who are thinking about joining the KidsMin team, please talk to Tamira. We have increased the size of our KidsMin department by 50% in the last month and the kiddos are responding really well. We could use your help if God is calling you into this area. What a great opportunity we have!
Worship This Sunday is being led by Ron, Jan and Brandi. I had the privilege of running the sound and tech booth for their rehearsal last evening. You're in for a treat. I love to hear them sing. I also love to hear Jan pray! (How good is it that we will be learning about confident prayer and can hear from Jan, who I know will pray with confidence!)
At the end of our worship service, Jeff Barnes will join me on the platform. We will invite all who desire special prayer in their lives to come forward. We will pray for each one and we will stay as long as necessary. We invite you also to pray for those who come forward. We offered this prayer service a couple months back and it was received well. I always look forward to the opportunity to pray together!
Bonfire and S'mores on October 2nd. We are still planning our bonfire for next Friday - one week from tonight. But I can't tell you where just yet. Here's the deal. We have been planning the event for months to be held at Jack and Sheri's house. However, with Jack's surgery this morning, they understandably had to bow out. Dan and DeeDee are "99% sure" they can have it at their place and will let us know for sure Sunday morning. However, if they cannot host it, Dave and Jen have told us they will offer their place. So we don't know where it will be just yet, but we know we're still going to do it... somewhere. Stay tuned!
Special End to 1 John Series on October 4th. Believe it or not, we will be coming to the end of this great teaching from the Apostle John next weekend. By then we will have invested 20 weeks of study. (They're all posted on YouTube here.) We'd like to do something a little different next weekend. We would like to give you the chance to respond. How has God worked in your life through this teaching? We are setting aside time in our worship service for you to share - but we'd like to have some idea of how much time we need to plan. Will you consider sharing your story? If so please contact Brandi Walker and let her know. She'll work with you on the details if you'd like to do it. I know it will be a blessing to me and the entire church!
I love our church. Sure hope you feel the same. Looking forward to seeing all of you Sunday! (Keep praying for Jack!) With affection, Pastor Mark
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Can you imagine a courtroom scene where God Himself testifies on your behalf? I describe 5 ways God testifies on behalf of the Christ-follower in the courtrooms of our hearts. This sermon is based on 1 John 5:6-13.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline .
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
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Can you imagine a courtroom scene where God Himself testifies on your behalf? I describe 5 ways God testifies on behalf of the Christ-follower in the courtrooms of our hearts. This sermon is based on 1 John 5:6-13.
As God Is My Witness from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline .
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God saves us so that we might overcome the world. This means that Christians should be victors, winners, overcomers. In this sermon from 1 John 5:1-5, I talk about who is included as a Nike Christian, how Nike overcoming happens, and why being a Nike Christian is so important to God and therefore to us.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download this PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
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God saves us so that we might overcome the world. This means that Christians should be victors, winners, overcomers. In this sermon from 1 John 5:1-5, I talk about who is included as a Nike Christian, how Nike overcoming happens, and why being a Nike Christian is so important to God and therefore to us.
Nike Christian from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download this PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
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Good Friday morning Church Requel!
I'm really pumped about Sunday morning. Are you? You should be! I'm excited because I have the privilege of preaching one of the most awesome, winning messages I've ever given. Sunday we will learn that God has given us Himself so that we might be changed into "Nike" Christians.
When I say "Nike" and when you hear "Nike" you think of the SWOOSH! But I'm not talking about an active wear, athletic shoe company. I'm talking about the Greek word that John and others in the Bible use over and over again.
νίκη(nike) - means to conquer, win, overcome, prevail, defeat, gain the victory.
When I was a young Christ-follower, we used to sing a favorite hymn in the small church in which I grew up. It was called "Victory In Jesus." Anyone else remember singing this song? To this day the song possesses some of my favorite lyrics:
Oh victory in Jesus! My Savior forever
He sought me and He bought me
With His redeeming blood!
He loved me 'ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood.
Sunday morning we'll talk about what John teaches in the first 5 verses of chapter 5 of his first letter. I hope you'll walk out Sunday morning with a whole new appreciation of why Christ's Holy Spirit works to change you. It's not just to get you into Heaven! God wants you on His team to change the world. He wants you to be a winner!
(If you can't wait to start your winning ways, click here for the sermon notes. Or open your Bible app and click on "LIVE.")
Minute To Win It Evening POSTPONED. We announced last Sunday morning - but I want to remind everyone again in this newsletter - that our plans for the Minute To Win It party on September 18th have been postponed. We will reschedule for late January - early February. The reason is because the team needed me to run tech for that night. However, Mary Kay and I will be traveling to attend Ryan's funeral in Iowa. Thanks for understanding.
As of this moment our plans for the big cookout and bonfire at Jack and Sheri's still remain on track for October 2nd. We are waiting to see what the outcome will be for Jack and the procedure he will need for his heart health. However several are stepping up to help them be able to host this event at their place so it won't require work on Jack's part. (If you'd like to help too just contact Sheri. The more hands the easier it will be for everyone!)
Thank you for your generosity! I met with our leadership team Wednesday evening and learned that we had an solid financial month in August. This is so awesome on so many levels. First - it's always good to be on the positive side of the financial ledger. We received about a thousand dollars more in offerings than we sent out last month. Yay! To put that in perspective the same numbers are true for our year-t0-date, which means we have been cutting it pretty close to breakeven for the first 7 months this year. Second - for most churches August is a terrible month for giving. For us it's been one of our best. Thanks for your steady and faithful donations.
I also learned that 38% of our August offerings came from online giving. You can use your checking account, savings account or credit card to make donations on a planned schedule, which you can change or delete at any time. The more of us that use this form of giving, the better it is for us to be able to plan for our ongoing financial expenses. Click here to learn more. Feel free to also talk to me, Jonathan Pierce or Nancy Roop about getting set up - if you need the help.
Of course our financial statements are an open book. If you'd like to see our financials for yourself just email me and I'll send you a PDF copy.
On a personal note... Mary Kay and I both thank you for your ongoing prayerful support of your pastor and family. Over the last 30 days we have seen both the high and low of family life. We've been thrilled to see Mary Kay's brother John move to Richland County, where we can be closer to him. He moved into his new place a week ago and we're so very excited about that.
At the same time we're still also feeling the devastation of Ryan's death. We will be driving the 11-hour journey to Iowa and back from Wednesday to Saturday of next week for his memorial service. It will also be the first time we will see Emily since the automobile accident. Pray that we make the trip without complication. Your prayers on our behalf mean more than you could ever know.
Blessings upon you in Christ! Pastor Mark
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God's love flows all around us. Sometimes though we don't experience God's love. In this sermon from 1 John 4:16-21, I talk about fear and apathy as blockers to God's love. To experience God's love we must also express God's love.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
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God's love flows all around us. Sometimes though we don't experience God's love. In this sermon from 1 John 4:16-21, I talk about fear and apathy as blockers to God's love. To experience God's love we must also express God's love.
Love Flow from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
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Good Friday morning Church Requel!
No newsletter last week as I was enjoying a week off from labor. Now - as Labor Day approaches - I am back to the office in full swing with both passion and compassion for our Church Requel journey together. I think the week off really helped clear my head. I've been busy writing every day this week.
God has blessed me in so many ways. He has given me a love for His Word. He has also given me you - a people who love to hear God's Word preached. I don't know if anyone (other than God) organized this or not, but several of you have contacted me over the last couple of weeks to let me know you appreciate the verse by verse approach we've been taking in 1 John this summer. Thank you for your affirmations. Your encouragements always seem to come at just the right moments.
While I"m on the topic of "thank-yous," both Mary Kay and I want to thank you for your prayerful support of us and our families as we have weathered the tragedy of Emily's automobile accident. We are grateful that she has survived and now - after two weeks - has been released from the hospital. Clearly Emily is not out of the woods yet physically and emotionally. Please continue to pray for her recovery as well as for Ryan's family as they grieve his loss.
Also a thank-you to my brother, Todd, who ministered to you last Sunday morning in my absence. Didn't he do a fabulous job? I'm always amazed at how God has blessed him with such powerful, spiritual insights.
Todd and I have been working together on this 1 John series. He has been my collaborator. Every week, when I finish writing my sermon, I send it off to him. He always writes me back a thoughtful response, which inevitably makes the talk better for you.
When I saw his take on the 1 John 4:7-16 passage, I marveled that God worked the timing out so perfectly. I never would have come up with the love cycle - water cycle comparison. How perfect! God's love flows from Him to and through us and right back to Him. I wrote this down (Did you?): "We can never love God. We only can love Him BACK." Wow!
His talk is one that you can watch or listen to multiple times. I would certainly recommend it to you in preparation for our time together this weekend. You can watch it here or here. Also more good news - we have booked Todd for two weekends in October, when Mary Kay and I enjoy a break with my dad in Myrtle Beach.
Love Flow This Sunday - Yes, I'm sure our love for one another will flow, as it always does. Love Flow also happens to be the topic for my sermon Sunday morning as we study 1 John 4:16-21 together. We'll learn that our own fear and apathy can block God's love from flowing through us. We'll also talk about how to restore God's love flow in our lives. Want a head start? The sermon notes are up for you already. You can read them here or you can just open your Bible app and click on "LIVE."
Brandi and many of our children were hard at work last night preparing for our worship together this Sunday. After an amazing two weeks in their new special class, our middle school students will also join us in worship this Sunday morning.
Anna and Leia will be joining Brandi and Cindy on the Praise Team. Paityn will be reading our Scripture. Grayden will be running our computer graphics. Don't you just love it when our children take such an active role in our church?
Middle School Pizza Party On The Patio. Speaking of our children, we've just firmed up plans for the middle school kiddos to join me on the patio at our home, Sunday evening, September 27th at 5:30 p.m. I understand there will be some ice-breaker games to go along with the pizza. I am looking forward to this opportunity to sit down with our older children and let them have some one-on-one time with their pastor. I want them to know how much I love them and want them to know Christ in a deeply personal way. I'm hoping that we will be able to have several of these kinds of events this year.
Minute To Win It. Speaking of parties, two weeks from today is our church-wide Game Night and Pizza Party. Mark September 18th on your calendar! This will be our second annual event. Last year was so much fun. We will play lots of games - all timed with a 60 second deadline. Here is an example we filmed in preparation last year.
Bonfire Cookout. I know it's a month away, but while I'm writing about our social engagements we should remember the Bonfire out at the Nichols' place on Friday evening, October 2nd at 6pm. Jack and Sheri always do such an amazing job of preparing their country home for fun and fellowship. I know you know this. I just checked upstairs and found that we are working on our 2nd page of sign-ups!
I pray that you and yours have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. It's hard to believe that summer is coming to an end. Personally, I have enjoyed many days of running and biking. It has been my best summer in a long time. I'm putting all that hard exercise to work for a good cause tomorrow morning. I'm planning on running in the Spherion MidOhio 13er half-marathon. It's for a really worthy cause. All the proceeds from the race will be used for drug addiction prevention here in Richland County. Drug abuse has hurt so many families close to us. I'll be thinking of all of you as I run.
Blessings upon blessings to you! Pastor Mark
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