Weekly Message / Prayer Request

Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship

“So watch yourselves. ‘If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.’” Luke 17:3 NIV

Vince Lombardi is considered one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time. He was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1959-67, winning five league championships during his 9 years of coaching. Every year he had his team ready to play, ready to take on another season. Not once did his team ever have a losing season.

His success was built not on new ideas, looking toward what were the trends of the NFL during his time of coaching. His success was built on the basics, what was fundamental to the game of football.

In fact, one time after the Packers lost a game, he sat his team down for a team meeting. He said they were going to get back to the basics. So he walked into the center of the room with a bag, reached into that bag and pulled out an object and said, “Gentleman, this is a football.” These were professional football players, yet he brought them back to the fundamentals of the game.

I believe we need to do that as Christians. We need to not look forward to trends, to what is the next big thing in Christianity. We need to continue to look back to the fundamentals. We need to reach into the bag at the center of the room and say, “Gentleman, this is the Bible.”

Yet this is not easy because even when we do, it is easy to keep our 21st Century mindset and read it through the language of today. Just look at how we have mangled the word love today in our culture. People will say, ‘I just love that T-shirt’ or ‘I just love those socks’. Really? You just love them? Then a few minutes later turn to your girl and say, ‘I love you baby’. We have watered the word love down completely to where it almost has no meaning.

And it has happened to other words we use. For example, the word rebuke always tends to have this negative cogitation about it. We tend to think as rebuking as this action of setting someone straight harshly, using tough language, in defense of the faith. Yet this is a 21st Century mindset because this is not what the word rebuke meant to the 1st Century Christian. The word rebuke actually meant to the 1st Century Christian ‘to speak truthfully to your brother’ or ‘be straightforward with him’. Not to defend the faith.

This is what we need more of in the Church. We need to get back to the basics. And this can only happen when we develop relationships with others which is why I am constantly striving to emphasize how this group is not just a Bible Study, it is a fellowship. It is about caring and being straightforward with your brother. Loving them for who they are—a part of God’s creation.

We are called to be open with our brother and speak upfront with him in the book of Proverbs where it says:

“Better is open rebuke than hidden love.” Proverbs 27:5 NIV

Brothers, no matter how much we love one another, if we do not come to this place where we can take off the masks and speak straightforward to one another, then we have not come far enough.

I believe we need to be unique in this generation by truly living a ‘counter-cultural’ life. We need to get back to the basics and live according to how God desires us to live.

Billy Graham once said, “The men who followed Him were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up. The world has never been the same.”

This type of impact could happen again if we began to live like this. If we can only turn our hearts in the right direction and live according to the way God desires us to live. I have a long way to go on this journey as well. But this year, may we all come together in this fellowship and develop relationships that can help each one of us on this journey, to live a life counter to the culture and to live a life glorifying God…


Prayer requests

Kelcy – pray for all the pastors and leaders within the Church

Ernie – pray for wife who is having some health problems and is not feeling well, pray for granddaughter who is having some financial problems

Carmine – pray for the troops which are serving overseas and for their financial health and security

Greg – pray that he will continue to spot the temptations the enemy tries to put in his way and fight through them with Christ

Calvin – pray that the men of this church will become energized for God, pray for his brother which is dealing with a difficult custody battle

Richard – pray for this fellowship of men and that it can continue to make an impact on others for Christ

Dick – praise for his new job that it is a good fit and he can be successful

Tim D – pray that he will be able to continue doing devotions with his children

Mark – pray that this fellowship of men can continue to make an impact on men for Christ, pray for financial discernment as we continue to make ends meet, pray for the Church leadership that they continue to discern the will of the Lord in all the decisions they make

***Pray that Northshore can continue to make an impact in the local community for our Lord Jesus Christ


Continued prayer needs

Paul – pray that God will guide him during the moving process and allow everything to go smooth, pray that His purpose will be made clear over in Prosser

Stephen G – pray for strength in teaching kids at school so they may learn and become better students

Steve S – pray that he will be able to trust more in God

Brett S – pray that he will be able to stay strong in the Word and continue to come back to this fellowship

Nelson – pray for the President-elect that he will be a man of God, pray for his brother Bob

Tim W – pray for wife who is going to Germany to visit parents who may not be doing well, pray that a great deal of success came from the auction which happened on Saturday night

Bill M – praise God that everything has been healed from his prostate surgery, pray that he will continue to remain healthy and return to the group next year

Ramon – pray that God will continue to heal his wife Tina and give her strength in the coming days

Larry Miller – pray that he will be able to find work, pray that he will be able to strengthen the marriage ministry at Northshore

Sky – pray that the move to Bellingham will be smooth and he will be able to attend school up there to pursue some of his goals

Kevin – pray for his youngest daughter and her boyfriend that they make smart choices, pray for exwife

David – pray that he will be able to serve in the children’s ministry and make a difference in the lives of kids

Tim H – pray for his wife to find her ministry

Gary – pray for strength as he works through all the various stresses of life, pray for the health of his wife

Brent – pray that he will find clarity and guidance for finding the right person to marry

Keith – pray that their youngest daughter will be able to do well in college

Chad – pray for continued seeking of purity in his life


Future Meetings

**** Wednesday, January 7th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church in room C214 at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, January 14th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church – Start of the study of Ephesians

**** Wednesday, January 21st, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, January 28th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, February 4th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church


Group Happenings

Coming January 14th, 2009… “Ephesians: The Wealth of God in us”—A study through the book of Ephesians, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, so we can discover all we have been given by God…

As the world continues to tell all of us all what we do not have and what we are lacking; as each one of us continue to struggle through tough economic times; as the Church continues to face new challenges; I believe there is no better time then to truly discover all we do have as Christians. We have been blessed beyond measure through our Lord Jesus Christ and by Him have access to all of God's promises.

By studying all the topics covered in the book of Ephesians together in this fellowship of men, my prayer is that all of us will truly come to understand that we have "The wealth of God in us".

Pray that this study will be a tremendous blessing to each one of us, a blessing to the Church, and an opportunity for the Acts 2:42 Men's Fellowship to continue the calling God has placed on all of our hearts...

I invite you to invite others so that through this study, we can minister unto others and share the love of God.

God bless and I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting.

In Christ,
Mark


Memory Verse

“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!” 2 Chronicles 15:7 NKJV