Church Requel Blog - Writings of Mark Pierce

British Invasion On All Saints Day

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

I have such exciting news to share with you about our planned worship service this Sunday morning. We shall have our own version of a British Invasion! Ha! Our good friends, Don and Vanessa, have prepared a very special video celebrating All Saints Day on Sunday, November 1st.  One of the few really good things that has come out of the Covid-19 pandemic has been the enlargement of our Church Requel family to include many who watch online from afar. None are more afar so far than Don and Vanessa, hailing from the southwest regions of England. They will bring a unique perspective for us about All Saints Day with a focus on the Lord as our Shepherd. I promise you that you won't want to miss!

There is no better time than now to remind those who watch us online that we would also LOVE to include YOUR contributions. If you have something that you would like to send our way - a testimony, a story, a Bible reading, a prayer, a song - whatever form of worship the Lord Jesus inspires in you, please let us know! We absolutely love that so many of you share our worship experience with us!

Remember! We FALL back Sunday morning. Eleven AM comes an hour later than normal starting Sunday. So turn your clocks back and enjoy that extra hour of sleep. If you live near Mansfield and show up an hour early, no worries. You can sing along with the praise team, who always arrives a couple hours early to practice. For those of you tuning in to the stream, you won't find it until about 10-15 minutes before the worship service begins,

Our Sermon - Guidance From God! Over the past 3 Sundays we've been talking about how to hear from God. This week we will take all we have learned over these past 3 talks and put it all together. How do we ask God for guidance? Especially in the big direction changes of our lives? I'm pretty excited about this talk, because I believe it could help so many. Also - we will be teaching from the Old Testament book of Habakkuk, which I don't often do. We will discover a pattern of  5 W's to follow when we want answers from God.

This would be a great time to remind you that if you ever miss a sermon, that there are multiple ways to catch up! First, our entire worship service - including the live sermon - is kept up on our Church Requel Facebook page. Also, the sermon video itself is made available in 3 places - our website, our YouTube channel, and again on our Facebook page. If you've missed any of the last 3 weeks, take a few minutes to catch up on what you've missed! 

Our Worship Music This Sunday. One of the great joys of 2020 - yes indeed, there are joys to be found - is the growth of our praise team. These men and women have gone so far above and beyond in learning their instruments and developing their voices to lead us in worship singing each and every Sunday. I appreciate their sacrifice of praise!

Here are the songs we will be singing this Sunday: "Praise Your Name" by Cory Voss; "Champion" by Bethel Music; "The Whole Earth" by Gateway Music; "Raise A Hallelujah" by Bethel Music; and "This Is Amazing Grace" by Phil Wickham. Also we will have two special pieces of music on Sunday - Vanessa's song that I mentioned at the top of this newsletter AND an ancient Irish hymn, "Be Thou My Vision" sung by yours truly.

First Wednesday! We are starting something new this coming Wednesday evening. We are calling it "First Wednesday." We recognize that many of us are not able to connect in person because of the Coronavirus and also because so many of us are located in so many different locations now. So we are setting up the first Wednesday of every month at 7pm EST for a fellowship Zoom meeting. This will give us the chance to catch up with one another - in many cases actually meet one another - and to share what's going on in our lives. This will also give us the opportunity to pray for and encourage each other. If you have participated in any of the Zoom meeting in the past, Brandi will automatically send you the link to this one. But if you haven't and you want to be a part - please just let me know and I will make sure you receive the Zoom connection.

I look forward to seeing you all Sunday - whether in person or online. Stay safe! Be gracious! Pray for one another! Love you! Pastor Mark

How To Test Impressions From God

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

I am writing you from my hotel room in downtown Dayton, Ohio. Mary Kay and I arrived yesterday and we are planning to spend a couple days with Jillian and her family.  Last night we hiked through the woods of Englewood Metropark near sunset. It was so beautiful. And if I may proudly boast - my grandsons were terrific little hikers!  After our hiking adventures we came back to Jillians home, where she served us Grandpa's chili. I wolfed down two bowls! It was so hearty and flavorful.  This morning I ran alongside the Mad River as I jogged out of the city along some gorgeous countryside. In this time of trouble and turmoil, it is good to remember that life is good!

This Sunday we will continue with the sermon concept we began last week about the different ways that God speaks to us. Do you remember the six ways we talked about? (Through the Bible, through gifted teachers, through other godly people, through circumstances, through pain, and through impressions.) If you want to review it, check out the YouTube video here.

Picking up where we left off last week, I'd like to delve a little more into the feelings or impressions we think may be from God. How do we know that an impression or feeling or dream is really God given? In this week's talk we will consider 7 tests to know for sure. If God is the Source of the impression, it will pass all seven tests.

I'm looking forward to our worship time together too! The worship band will all be here and we have some favorite songs that we will be singing together. I really love this group of people and I love their dedication to practicing each week to lead us in worship.

Here are the songs we will be singing together Sunday morning: "Cornerstone" by Hillsong; "You've Always Been" by Unspoken; "Living Hope" by Phil Wickham; "King Of My Heart" by Bethel; and "Forever" by Kari Jobe. It should be a wonderful morning together. Can't wait to celebrate with you! Love you all! Pastor Mark

How Does God Speak To You?

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

So how does God speak to you? My first response is always, "Any way He wants!" Right? God is God, after all. There is nothing He cannot do. However, from a practical matter, it does seem like there are some ways that we hear from God more than others. This will be the topic of my talk with you this Sunday morning. We'll start with 3 reasons why it is important to hear God's voice. And then we'll finish with six of the most common ways God talks with us. I hope you'll join me Sunday morning.

The Songs We Will Sing.  I sure am looking forward to worshiping with you Sunday morning. Here are the songs we are planning to sing: "Your Grace Is Enough" by Chris Tomlin; "How Great Is Your Love" by Phil Wickham; "Do It Again" by Elevation Worship; "Tremble" by Mosaic; "Fighting For Me" by Riley Clemmons; and "Only A God Like You" by Tommy Walker.

I don't know about you but I am so thankful for our band that sacrifices their time every week to lead our worship. We are indeed so blessed!

Hope to see you in person or online this Sunday at 11am EST. Love you! Pastor Mark

Your Best Life Now

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

My friend Paul sent me this cartoon earlier this week. It is spot on! Ha! Who knows what the long term results will be of all the online worship streaming that is happening during this Covid-19 year of 2020? In our darker moments, we pastors are concerned for people who had formed a lifetime habit of going to church and now may find themselves adrift and not ever return.

I choose to see the brighter side - more people than ever may be engaging with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! We certainly have seen more people participate at Church Requel online than have ever physically attended our church. I say, "good news!" We sing a song at church named, "See A Victory." The lyrics are so applicable:

"You take what the enemy meant for evil and You turn it for good!"

Do you believe that? In almost every area of my life - especially when I've gone through hard times, I have been an up close and personal witness of this truth. With all my heart I believe that more people are turning to Christ in the most unusual ways BECAUSE of the current health care crisis... even though we often cannot meet together as easily as we did before. God is once again taking what was meant for evil and turning it for good!

Thanks For Praying For Our President. At lot can happen in one week. Seven days ago we heard the bad news that President Trump had come down with Covid-19. I asked you - in this same newsletter space - to pray for the healthy restoration of our president. How ungrateful would we be today if we didn't say, "Thank-you" as well as "Thank-You!"

By the way - for our new folks watching from afar - I am an equal opportunity praying pastor. I pray for our president whether Republican or Democrat. It's just what we are supposed to do!

Your Best Life Now! Speaking of last week, how are you doing with the challenge of last Sunday's sermon? Are you living a Masterpiece kind of life this week? If you're not sure what I'm talking about, please go back and watch or listen to the sermon again. God created a masterpiece when He made you!

Every morning when I get dressed - especially when I see a clothing label - I remind myself that I am wearing the most important label of all: "Made By God!"

This really does make a difference. My first response is to thank God for His goodness and kindness.

My second response is to step just a little higher with my spine just a little straighter. Each day I vow to make this day the best day possible. Each day I strive to live a life of encouragement to others because I am made by God for this purpose. How about you?

Four Attitudes To Hear From God. This Sunday's focus will be a natural extension to last week's focus. If you want to live your best life as a made by God kind of person, how do you hear from God? How do you know what's best?

I've found that in my life there are four different attitudes that I need to continuously work on in my life to keep the communication channels open between me and Him. I want to share those four attitudes with you on Sunday. If you'd like a head start, read the familiar passage of Luke 8:5-15. I don't know about you, but these verses never get old for me.

The Music Of Our Praise. I mentioned last week how much I loved the participation from our online streaming viewers. This continues to be true this week as Jack Buckley sings our special song of the day, "Someone's Been Praying." How appropriate for this week's theme!

Our very first song that we'll all be singing together will be a brand new one to us: "Love Is The Reason" by Unspoken. The opening lyrics are so apropos for this year.

"This year's felt like four seasons of winter. And you'd give anything to feel the sun. Always reaching, always climbing. Always second guessing the timing. But God has a plan, a purpose in this. You are His child and don't you forget."

WOW! Talk about being spot on! Would you like to hear the whole song? Here is a great YouTube video with lyrics: https://youtu.be/xFLNQVM51AU

Here are the other songs we'll be singing together: "Faithful Now" by Vertical Worship; "Oceans" by Hillsong United; "The Way (New Horizon)" by Pat Barrett; "No Sweeter Name" by Kari Jobi; and "You Are Good" by Israel Houghton. Yes it's going to be a good morning! You won't want to miss it!!!

That will do it for this Friday's newsletter. I pray that it has been an encouragement to you. If it has, why don't you forward it to a friend or family member. You just never know - maybe they could really use a Church Requel moment right now. Hope to see you Sunday at 11am EST.

Love you all much! Pastor Mark

We Pray For Our President

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

This morning I'm asking each of you to pray for our president and First Lady. This is not a political request. It matters not whether you are on one side of the political aisle or the other. This is a matter of biblical instruction. Paul wrote to Timothy:

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4

So this morning I am praying that President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump may come through this positive test of Covid-19 in good shape. May the God of all healing keep them healthy. And may our president gain good and usable insight into this terrible disease that he may use for the good of all Americans. Finally, Our Lord, as challenging as this request is, may we come together as a people and remember what unites us more than what divides us. Amen.

Speaking of Covid-19 our Richland County has now risen to the very highest level of emergency alert in our fair state of Ohio. You'll also notice the star in Richland County. This indicates that we are actually approaching Level 4 - the highest level of public emergency. With this in mind, we completely understand any of you who choose to watch online rather than coming in to church Sunday, especially those of you who are at the higher end of the risk factors - age and ongoing health compromises. 

No one wants to get back to normal Sunday morning church than me. But out of love I urge you to be careful in your interactions with others right now. As tired as we are of hearing it - please keep wearing those masks, keep washing your hands, keep your social distance. Please hear these admonitions from me not through political ears, but through loving ears. I do love each and every one of you and desire your health and safety!

This Sunday Morning - You will want to make sure to arrive early (or tune in to Facebook early) this week and hear the very first song. Your praise team is learning a brand new song named "Revival Anthem" by Rend Collective. I have no doubt that this will soon become a new favorite at Church Requel.

This song is driven with strong percussion - I'm so excited for Brian. If you don't know it, Brian had never played the drums prior to joining the band two years ago. He wanted in the band and we needed a drummer. So he learned. That simple. What a humble heart and attitude of serving our Lord! He could never have played this song a year ago. So when you're enjoying and singing and praising and celebrating Sunday morning, say a special thank-you prayer for Brian!

We also will be singing "No Longer Slaves" by Bethel, "How Great Is Our God" by Chris Tomlin, "Ever Be" by Bethel, and "Sing Wherever I Go" by We The Kingdom. What a joyous time we are planning!

We also have another very special new plan for Sunday morning. We have asked Cheryl Buckley from Virginia to lead our communion time together. I must tell you that she does a beautiful job of it!

One of the best things that has come out of the Covid 2020 nightmare of a year for us has been the much greater participation of people all over the country (and even world - looking at you Causley family from England!) So thank you to all of our new participants from all the new places. We see this as nothing less than a blessing of God to bless our efforts to worship Him. Who ever would have guessed that our church would have actually grown during Covid-19?

Our Sermon Time... So maybe the secret is out. Ha! I actually have been preaching a clandestine 4-part sermon series these past 4 weeks. They each connect together. We wrap it all up this Sunday with "Made By God" - a close look at Ephesians 2:10. Here is how it reads in the English Standard Version:

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

As I was thinking about it this week I came up with the idea of labels on clothing. There are the labels that tell us where an article of clothing is made. There are the labels that tell us the brand of clothing we are wearing. All these labels tell us something not just about the clothing itself, but of the one who wears the clothing. (By the way, I'm not saying that this is how it should be. I'm just acknowledging the reality of it.) So what does the Ephesians 2:10 label of "Made by God" say about you and me? Tune in Sunday morning to find out!

Let me wrap up this week's newsletter with these appropriate lyrics from "Revival Anthem": 

We will praise You when our hearts are breaking

Praise You when our world is caving

We will not, we will not be moved!

Amen. Love you each and every one! Blessings, Pastor Mark