church at the fair - sunday, july 14, 2019
MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019
Jeremiah 29:7 reads, “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” The people of Israel were captive in the city of Babylon, and they were tempted to try and escape. However, God wanted them to know He had them there for a reason. Since God’s purpose was for them to live in Babylon for a time, He calls His people to seek the blessing of the city.
Thankfully, we do not live as captives in Babylon. However, many Christians express concern as they watch the world around them seemingly move further and further away from God and His ways. In their concern and even fear, some are moved to yearn for our future home of heaven so much, that they forget we are also called to bless our city while God has us here.
This is one of the primary purposes of Church at the Fair: to remind ourselves we are called by God to bless our city. Not only that, we need to communicate to our city that we want to bless them – and the opportunity to come together at the fairgrounds rather than a church building provides a great opportunity to accomplish that goal.
How do we bless our city? First, we want our city to know that as Christ followers, we love them and are with them. The challenges our community faces are our challenges too – and we want to be part of the process of seeing our community flourish. So we too acknowledge addiction, injustice, housing problems, economic disparity, and access to mental health services are issues that need to be addressed.
Second, and of primary importance, we tell our community we have found hope in Jesus, and they can have hope in Him too. The hope of Christ changes hearts. The hope of Christ changes entire cities. We have seen this happen in history, and we want to see it happen in the Rogue Valley!
Here are some ways we can be praying this week as we seek God’s will for Church at the Fair 2019:
MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2019
Jesus called His disciples to follow Him, and on one occasion, they followed Him into a boat. We read what happens next in Matthew 8:24-27, “And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but He was asleep. And they went and woke Him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing.’ And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then He rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey Him?’”
The question is not, “Is Jesus powerful?” The question is, “Do we believe?” Why do we fear? Because our faith is small. But notice what Jesus did in the face of the small faith of the disciples: He still calmed the storm.
Jesus calls us to trust Him. He beckons us to step out of fear and doubt into the confidence of trusting Him in everything. But even in the weakness of our faith, He is still powerful.
We saw this last year at Church at the Fair as storm after storm passed through the Fairgrounds. God is powerful and mighty. We prayed the storms would fizzle, but God decided to dial up hail, lightning, thunder, and torrential rain – what a powerful God!
Since He is God of the storm He is also God of the calm – so we can seek Him boldly to provide exactly the weather He wants at Church at the Fair this year. But we pray He will provide a clear sunny day! We can trust that He hears our prayers, and when we see Him answer, we will react the way the disciples did and marvel – “What sort of man is this…?” He is Christ, creator of all things, and our savior!
Here are some ways we can be praying this week as we seek God’s will for Church at the Fair 2019:
1. Pray for the weather! Ask God to provide a beautiful sunny morning for Church at the Fair this year!
2. Pray for our ministry partner, Mercy’s Gate. Pray that God would use Church at the Fair to strengthen
their ministry to those on the verge of homelessness.
3. Pray for our mission partner, Salvation Army, as we will be participating in a canned food drive on their
behalf.
Monday, june 10, 2019
Our hope and prayer is that God would use Church at the Fair to do significant spiritual work in the lives of individuals. So, we dedicate significant time to pray for the ministry that will occur up front, on the platform. We want God to work through musicians, those giving their testimony, the sharing of the gospel, and those facilitating baptism.
However, the Bible helps us to expand our view of ministry beyond what is occurring up front. Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
These verses remind us that ministry is whatever we do for the Lord! Whatever God calls us to do, we can do as a ministry by setting our hearts on the Lord and working heartily for Him. Picking up trash, handing out water, serving coffee, setting up facilities, helping people find a place to sit, security, transportation, clean-up, and promotions.
We are thankful that God uses gifted musicians, teachers, and artists to touch our hearts with the gospel. We are just as grateful for the spiritual ministry of those who serve in a myriad of other capacities – showing the love of Christ through “working heartily for the Lord.” Let’s keep these folks in prayer especially this week.
Here are some ways we can be praying this week as we seek God’s will for Church at the Fair 2019:
Monday, June 3, 2019
The night before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed. The words of one of Christ’s prayers on that night are recorded in John 17. His prayer is a beautiful glimpse into His heart. His prayer would have been magnificent, regardless of when it was prayed. But the fact that Jesus cried out to the Father with this prayer, in particular, the night before His crucifixion serves to bring the power of His prayer into sharp focus.
Notice how Jesus prayed not only for His disciples but also for Christians today in John 17:21-23, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”
A simple prayer: Be one. Set aside self-interest. Walk away from personal preferences. Dive deep into self-sacrifice and humble service. When this is true in our lives as a Christian community, the world around us will take notice.
Church At The Fair gives us a unique opportunity to see Jesus’ prayer answered. We step away from the usual and press into unity. We all come together, look to Jesus, and find joy in our oneness in Him!
Here are some ways we can be praying this week as we seek God’s will for Church at the Fair 2019:
tuesday, May 28, 2019
The book of James describes a conversation between two people. This conversation is one that has happened countless times between individuals around the world. Likely, it has happened hundreds of times today, even in our city. It is such a mundane kind of thing that most of us have taken it for granted.
The scene is two people making plans for a business trip. They have identified a new market segment that offers some great opportunity for profit. With plans in place, they ready themselves for their journey. They are certainly excited about the prospect of the great rewards they will experience.
Here is the challenge we have from the Bible in James 4:13-15, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’”
As we make plans for Church at the Fair 2019, we are mindful, especially after last year’s thunderstorm, that we must work with our hearts crying out, “If the Lord wills…” One of the best ways we live out this value is through prayer. In prayer, we acknowledge that God knows what is best. In prayer, we recognize that it is Christ in us that bears fruit. In prayer, we exercise humility rests on God alone, and not on our strength.
With this in mind, here are some ways we can be praying this week as we seek God’s will for Church at the Fair 2019:
Jeremiah 29:7 reads, “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” The people of Israel were captive in the city of Babylon, and they were tempted to try and escape. However, God wanted them to know He had them there for a reason. Since God’s purpose was for them to live in Babylon for a time, He calls His people to seek the blessing of the city.
Thankfully, we do not live as captives in Babylon. However, many Christians express concern as they watch the world around them seemingly move further and further away from God and His ways. In their concern and even fear, some are moved to yearn for our future home of heaven so much, that they forget we are also called to bless our city while God has us here.
This is one of the primary purposes of Church at the Fair: to remind ourselves we are called by God to bless our city. Not only that, we need to communicate to our city that we want to bless them – and the opportunity to come together at the fairgrounds rather than a church building provides a great opportunity to accomplish that goal.
How do we bless our city? First, we want our city to know that as Christ followers, we love them and are with them. The challenges our community faces are our challenges too – and we want to be part of the process of seeing our community flourish. So we too acknowledge addiction, injustice, housing problems, economic disparity, and access to mental health services are issues that need to be addressed.
Second, and of primary importance, we tell our community we have found hope in Jesus, and they can have hope in Him too. The hope of Christ changes hearts. The hope of Christ changes entire cities. We have seen this happen in history, and we want to see it happen in the Rogue Valley!
Here are some ways we can be praying this week as we seek God’s will for Church at the Fair 2019:
- Pray for those who will be baptized at Church at the Fair.
- Pray for those giving their testimonies – as they are being filmed on June 25. Pray that God would use their stories to impact lives for Jesus.
- Pray for the mission packing day on July 7 – Pray as they give the packets out to the Carnival workers that the workers would find connection with Jesus and local believers.
MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2019
Jesus called His disciples to follow Him, and on one occasion, they followed Him into a boat. We read what happens next in Matthew 8:24-27, “And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but He was asleep. And they went and woke Him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing.’ And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then He rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey Him?’”
The question is not, “Is Jesus powerful?” The question is, “Do we believe?” Why do we fear? Because our faith is small. But notice what Jesus did in the face of the small faith of the disciples: He still calmed the storm.
Jesus calls us to trust Him. He beckons us to step out of fear and doubt into the confidence of trusting Him in everything. But even in the weakness of our faith, He is still powerful.
We saw this last year at Church at the Fair as storm after storm passed through the Fairgrounds. God is powerful and mighty. We prayed the storms would fizzle, but God decided to dial up hail, lightning, thunder, and torrential rain – what a powerful God!
Since He is God of the storm He is also God of the calm – so we can seek Him boldly to provide exactly the weather He wants at Church at the Fair this year. But we pray He will provide a clear sunny day! We can trust that He hears our prayers, and when we see Him answer, we will react the way the disciples did and marvel – “What sort of man is this…?” He is Christ, creator of all things, and our savior!
Here are some ways we can be praying this week as we seek God’s will for Church at the Fair 2019:
1. Pray for the weather! Ask God to provide a beautiful sunny morning for Church at the Fair this year!
2. Pray for our ministry partner, Mercy’s Gate. Pray that God would use Church at the Fair to strengthen
their ministry to those on the verge of homelessness.
3. Pray for our mission partner, Salvation Army, as we will be participating in a canned food drive on their
behalf.
Monday, june 10, 2019
Our hope and prayer is that God would use Church at the Fair to do significant spiritual work in the lives of individuals. So, we dedicate significant time to pray for the ministry that will occur up front, on the platform. We want God to work through musicians, those giving their testimony, the sharing of the gospel, and those facilitating baptism.
However, the Bible helps us to expand our view of ministry beyond what is occurring up front. Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
These verses remind us that ministry is whatever we do for the Lord! Whatever God calls us to do, we can do as a ministry by setting our hearts on the Lord and working heartily for Him. Picking up trash, handing out water, serving coffee, setting up facilities, helping people find a place to sit, security, transportation, clean-up, and promotions.
We are thankful that God uses gifted musicians, teachers, and artists to touch our hearts with the gospel. We are just as grateful for the spiritual ministry of those who serve in a myriad of other capacities – showing the love of Christ through “working heartily for the Lord.” Let’s keep these folks in prayer especially this week.
Here are some ways we can be praying this week as we seek God’s will for Church at the Fair 2019:
- Pray the scheduling details for the service, parking, hospitality, and children’s ministry will provide for effective ministry.
- Pray for the communications that will soon be going out (mailers, press release, flyers, etc.) Pray God would use the communications to draw people to the service.
- Pray for those who are considering being baptized at CATF. Pray that God would use this as a significant step in their relationship with Him.
Monday, June 3, 2019
The night before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed. The words of one of Christ’s prayers on that night are recorded in John 17. His prayer is a beautiful glimpse into His heart. His prayer would have been magnificent, regardless of when it was prayed. But the fact that Jesus cried out to the Father with this prayer, in particular, the night before His crucifixion serves to bring the power of His prayer into sharp focus.
Notice how Jesus prayed not only for His disciples but also for Christians today in John 17:21-23, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”
A simple prayer: Be one. Set aside self-interest. Walk away from personal preferences. Dive deep into self-sacrifice and humble service. When this is true in our lives as a Christian community, the world around us will take notice.
Church At The Fair gives us a unique opportunity to see Jesus’ prayer answered. We step away from the usual and press into unity. We all come together, look to Jesus, and find joy in our oneness in Him!
Here are some ways we can be praying this week as we seek God’s will for Church at the Fair 2019:
- Pray for the team working on the Missional Outreach elements of Church at the Fair. Ask God to use generosity and humble service to provide an opportunity for the Gospel.
- Pray for the Worship Team. Pray for the instrumentalists, vocalists, sound technicians, and video technicians. Pray that God would use their ministry to lift our hearts in worship to God in spirit and truth. Pray for God’s power to use the worship ministry to communicate the love of Jesus.
tuesday, May 28, 2019
The book of James describes a conversation between two people. This conversation is one that has happened countless times between individuals around the world. Likely, it has happened hundreds of times today, even in our city. It is such a mundane kind of thing that most of us have taken it for granted.
The scene is two people making plans for a business trip. They have identified a new market segment that offers some great opportunity for profit. With plans in place, they ready themselves for their journey. They are certainly excited about the prospect of the great rewards they will experience.
Here is the challenge we have from the Bible in James 4:13-15, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’”
As we make plans for Church at the Fair 2019, we are mindful, especially after last year’s thunderstorm, that we must work with our hearts crying out, “If the Lord wills…” One of the best ways we live out this value is through prayer. In prayer, we acknowledge that God knows what is best. In prayer, we recognize that it is Christ in us that bears fruit. In prayer, we exercise humility rests on God alone, and not on our strength.
With this in mind, here are some ways we can be praying this week as we seek God’s will for Church at the Fair 2019:
- Pray for the volunteers as they begin to sign up this week: Pray that God would use this time of service to encourage and strengthen the faith of the volunteers.
- Pray for the folks who will be sharing their testimony via video at the event this year. We are preparing to shoot the videos in the next week or so. Pray that the folks sharing God’s work in their lives will have the words to communicate how they have hope in Jesus. Pray for those who will hear the testimonies at the event – that they will respond in faith to the Gospel of Christ.
- As communications pieces are being completed (flyers, mailers, and billboards) pray that many people from our community will find out about the event who need to hear about Jesus; and that they will plan to come.