The number of times I have had someone ask, “Have you had an answer to that request you gave last week?” would be impossible to enumerate. This is true throughout the congregation. Our prayers are often answered by individuals pitching in when a need is expressed.
If someone has been feeling weak, others minister to him or her. If a person has been lonely, others try to make introductions or extend dinner invitations to alleviate such a problem. If some- one is having trouble with a given habit, he or she is sure to be asked again and again as the days proceed how he or she is doing, if he or she is overcoming.
In fact, just knowing that people are going to check on your progress is incentive enough to overcome a fault, or to work on improvement, or to excel. This is not to say that we don’t experience God’s hand separately from human initiative.
Once while driving to the far northwest area prayer group, I was trying to pinpoint a specific request. Because I am in the groups so often, and because of the constant staff interaction, I may run out of requests! On this particular occasion I felt that God had done so much in my life I hardly knew what further to ask of Him. Yet, the more I traveled the more I remembered the physical tiredness I had experienced and decided that probably it was time for a vacation.
Our vacations have consisted of speaking at Bible conferences and camps, which provided a change for Karen and the children, but was draining for me. What I really needed was to get away for just a short period of time, with a minimum of meetings to cover the cost. That would be perfect!
Alter sharing all this with the group, I distinctly remember one of the ladies saying, “It’s going to be interesting, David, to see how God answers this one.” The following morning I had no sooner arrived in the office than a call came from a church in Florida saying. “Why don’t you and Karen fly down, take several days just to enjoy yourselves, speak to us on Sunday and conduct a few seminars.” Needless to say I was overwhelmed!
A couple from the church volunteered to stay with our kids (I think they knew why God had included Karen in the invitation by the time we returned), and the trip proved to be delightful beyond our expectations!
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Sunday’s coming. Do you have your sermon ready? Is it relevant? Will it effectively motivate your congregation to walk more in step with the Master? What about that Sermon Series you’ve been thinking about? Or, what will you preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon? David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions. We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.
For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.
