Sunday, July 10, 2011

Monday, July 11

New Testament Reading: Philippians 1:12-22
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 63

1. From where is Paul writing? (See Acts 16:11-12 and 22 and 23)
2. What difficult circumstances have you faced? Have you thanked God for them?
3. What challenges do you think you will face in Portland?
4. What challenges do you think our team will face in Portland?
5. What do you and our team need to do to thank God for the challenges we will face?

Pray for:
-- Team member Lois Callen
-- Bonus Days at Covenant this week and the endurance of the adults leading it
-- CTR's music camp that begins today and the team from Delaware leading it
-- Children in Portland to hear about Explorer Camp and begin planning now to attend next week

Sunday, July 10

New Testament Reading: Philippians 1:7-11
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 115

Points to Ponder
1. What is grace?
2. How do we "partake" of it?
3. What are the fruits of righteousness?
4. How do we get this fruit?

Pray for:

--Team members Madeline Brawley, Kathy Browne and Madison Browne

--Team unity

--Doug Warren, pastor of Christ the Redeemer in Portland, and his wife, Kristen

--Endurance for CTR members as they head into two weeks of back-to-back camps, music camp this week and our camp next week

His Glory!

When we first gathered as a team, we looked at a big number! The cost of all of us going to Maine for a week...camp...flights...hotel...food. Each of us had a very personal reaction to it. Most of us probably thought it was unattainable. In and of ourselves, it was.

The next time we gathered, we looked at individual obligations to go on the trip we felt called to go on. Each of us had yet again a very personal reaction!

Today's note is to share the new number: $0. Based on the money that we know is coming in, the entire team is fully funded. All 36 of us.

“And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus,” (Phil. 4:19).

Let's worship and praise God for His provision and the way He allowed us to see His hand so personally in our lives. Take a second for personal and family worship right now! Read Phil. 4:10-23 aloud. See Him and praise Him!

These verses related to the financial support the Philippians had sent to Paul for his missionary ministry. Like Paul, we have received financial support for our missionary ministry. It would be easy to stop there and only acknowledge how God has met our need. But we need to also consider the giver. God, through them, met Paul's ministry needs, like He has ours. The verses remind and show us that the givers were a part of Paul's ministry like they are ours, sharing and participating. Paul was reassuring them that God would supply their needs as they, like we and the givers to our ministry, must have been feeling a bit overextended! A partnership. The fruit increases to the credit of the givers! The reason for His supply? His Glory! Nothing less than “His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

God's wealth greatly exceeds my understanding of it, be that a wealth of forgiveness, love, or funds for a missions trip.

How awesome He is. Let the worship begin!