Gratitude and ‘The Missional Community

November 25 – November 29 DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (Wk 48) M 11/25 Psalm 131-133 T 11/26 Psalm 134-135 W 11/27 Psalm 136 TH 11/28 Psalm 137-138 F 11/29 Psalm 139 PRAY FOR OUR FAITH FAMILY Praise God for conversing with us in prayer. Ask Him to nurture us into a passionate people of prayer. Pray we will also be a faith family who actively pursues sinners and extends grace to all who are tempted and led astray. Ask God to guard our walk from worldly distractions, temptation, and to prepare us for Christ’s return. PRAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY PRAY FOR OUR WORLD This week’s focus: This week’s focus: China Thanksgiving Week / Asia First Baptist Church of Haynesville – Pastor David Fisher Mon: Give thanks to God for good health in your life and the lives of friends and loved ones. Give thanks for the things you can do physically and even for the things that you can’t. God is sovereign and uses all things in our lives to help us grow and fulfill His purpose. Mon: The window of opportunity for spiritual receptivity is open. China today faces the debilitating effects of spreading corruption, moral decline and the impact of the one child policy. All of these may profoundly affect the spiritual openness of the nation and the Church itself. Pray that the Refiner’s fire might keep burning and that the Church’s spiritual cutting edge might not be blunted. Tues: Pray for healing and strength regarding physical needs in your life as well as the lives of friends and loved ones. Pray specifically for those in our church body who are struggling with chronic health issues or long-term illnesses. Lift-up their respective care givers as well. Tue: Praise God for the government’s changing attitude and approach toward the Church. The Church is of such size and influence that it can no longer be ignored or denied; furthermore, the state is recognizing faith-based organizations’ potential for addressing social ills. Wed: Give thanks to God for the various ways He has met your daily needs. Remember the things we often take for granted such as electricity, running water, operational vehicles, etc. Wed: China remains officially atheist, and Communist Party members number well over 70 million. But the Christian population has eclipsed this number, and party members are becoming believers. Pray that the atheism will finally be revealed as hollow and deceptive lies. Pray also that all followers of Christ might walk faultlessly and be a redemptive force in the government. Thurs: Pray that God will continue to meet your needs no matter what the future holds. Also remember in prayer those who struggle every day just to obtain the basics of life such as food and shelter. Ask God to give you opportunities to help wherever possible. Fri: Ask God the Holy Spirit to continue giving First Baptist Church of Haynesville the wisdom through Scripture to proclaim the Good News with clarity and boldness in the church and community. Sat: Praise God for the witness of the First Baptist Church of Haynesville in their community and beyond. Ask God the Holy Spirit to nurture the hearts of the First Baptist Church of Haynesville family to be receptive to God’s Word as they read it daily and to practice a Christ-like walk. Thur: Gender imbalance, poor care for the elderly and a decrease in a younger workforce are all sobering effects of China’s one-child policy. Pray for wise policies to be implemented that will stabilize the population. Fri: Social and health needs in China overwhelm the available resources. Pray that Christians in the caring and social professions find many openings to serve the suffering and to show and speak to them about the love of Jesus. Sat: Ask God to give us a greater burden for the lost! (Operation World, 214-261 pp) “Gratitude and ‘The Missional Community’” Psalm 107:31-32; 1 John 1:3 Series: GRATITUDE Message:2 November 24 ,2019 lewis.cooper@discoverunity.com Scripture for Contemplation “I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders.” (Psalm 9:1, NASB95) What’s a missional community? What’s gratitude got to do with it? Observations from today’s text: As a grateful missional community of God’s redeemed, we . . . 1. 2. 3. 4. Take this home: