State of Our Lord's Church

Fayetteville United Methodist Church

Pray, Care, and Share With Family, Friends, and Neighbors!

This is the Ministry of Fayetteville United Methodist Church

7-24-11

State of Our Lord’s Church

          It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (Ephesians 4:11-16 NIV).

            God has granted to each of us all that is needed to do His kingdom work. This is a great church, one that has accomplished great things for God. It’s time to do more great things for God. I don’t believe that attendance alone determines whether or not a church is a healthy church. As people are joining in membership and professions of faith are up. Honestly however, perhaps we have become a bit complacent, the ordinary has become comfortable, and numbers don’t lie. I will not compare Fayetteville to other churches; just suffice it to say that we have fared better than some and have not done as well as others. Our attendance has remained the same for the past couple of years, this must change. We could find a number of reasons for this except for the fact that I am not an excuse guy. No excuses we must serve Christ and we must do better. Why? Glad you asked.

            God has called us do win souls and make disciples. This is the great commission. Soul winning is what we are called to do. Jesus has said that the gates of hell could not stand against His church. There is no earthly force that can stop what God will do, grow the church. So, the only thing stopping church growth is our own unwillingness, and or, inactivity. I have outlined a plan of action that we will begin to follow; it is the biblical plan for church growth. First, we will pray. I will be contacting several leaders of the church and will be asking them to pray at the altar. Secondly, we will actively seek greater spirituality in our faith journey by the way we allow God to move in and through us, maturing and speaking truth in love. Lastly, each member must be about doing their part in kingdom work, and all the more as we see the day approaching!

            Beloved, I see this church with all the promises of God saying yes in Christ Jesus! So, I remind you of these four truths (below) and God’s yes to Fayetteville United Methodist. Now, let us get to it!

                                                                                                                        Love Ya,

                                                                                                   Bro. John

·        THE CHURCH IS ESTABLISHED BY JESUS

·         JESUS HAS A PLAN FOR HIS CHURCH

·         THE CHURCH BELONGS TO JESUS

·         JESUS WILL PROTECT THE CHURCH

He Lived. He Loved. You Believe. You Live! Understand? July 17, 2011

"For God so loved _______ that he gave his only begotten Son, that if _________ should believe in Him, _________ should not perish but have life everlasting" (John 3:16)

     A child was once trying to quote from John 3:16 in the King James version, which says "His only begotten Son," but the child misquoted it and said, "His only forgotten Son." It was one of thos slips off the tounge that carried more truth than we could care to admit. For by most people in the world today Jesus Christ is truly forgotten. His life is forgotten. His love is forgotten. His sacrifise is forgotten. It is our job as Christians as God's ambassadors, to help them remember.
     Joe was a drunk, miraculously converted in a street outreach mission. before his conversion he gained a reputation as a derelict and dirty wino for whom there was no hope. But following his conversion to Christ, everything changed. Joe became the most carng person at the mission. He spent his days there doing what needed to be done. There was never anything he was asked to do that he considered beneath him. Weither it was filthy, Joe did it all with a heart of gratitude. He could be counted on to feed any man who wandered in off the streets, undress and tuck him into bed, when he was too 'out of it' to take care of himself. One evening, after the mission direction delivered his evangelistic message to the usual crowd of sollen men with drooped heads, one of them looked up, came down to the altar, and kneeled to pray, crying out for God to help him change. The repentant drunk kept shouting, "Oh God, make me like Joe! Make me like Joe! Make me like Joe!" The director leaned over and said, "Son, wouldn't it be better if you prayed 'make me like Jesus?" After thinking about it for a few moments, the man looked with a questioning expression and asked, "Is he like Joe?"
     What a great story and what a powerful way to live! Are you living your life in such a way that you're reminding people of the only 'forgotten' Son of God?


                                                                                        Love Ya,
                                                                                           Brother John.
                  John 3:16

*He Lived.
*He Loved.
*You Believe.
*You Live! Do You Understand?