Sunny Days

In honor of the Sun coming out today!  A little fun.  Enjoy!

Happy Easter!

He is risen!

It's Friday--But Sunday's Comin'

It’s Friday
Jesus is praying
Peter’s a sleeping
Judas is betraying
But Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
Pilate’s struggling
The council is conspiring
The crowd is vilifying
They don’t even know
That Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
The disciples are running
Like sheep without a shepherd
Mary’s crying
Peter is denying
But they don’t know
That Sunday’s a comin’

It’s Friday
The Romans beat my Jesus
They robe him in scarlet
They crown him with thorns
But they don’t know
That Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
See Jesus walking to Calvary
His blood dripping
His body stumbling
And his spirit’s burdened
But you see, it’s only Friday
Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
The world’s winning
People are sinning
And evil’s grinning

It’s Friday
The soldiers nail my Savior’s hands
To the cross
They nail my Savior’s feet
To the cross
And then they raise him up
Next to criminals

It’s Friday
But let me tell you something
Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
The disciples are questioning
What has happened to their King
And the Pharisees are celebrating
That their scheming
Has been achieved
But they don’t know
It’s only Friday
Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
He’s hanging on the cross
Feeling forsaken by his Father
Left alone and dying
Can nobody save him?
Ooooh
It’s Friday
But Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
The earth trembles
The sky grows dark
My King yields his spirit

It’s Friday
Hope is lost
Death has won
Sin has conquered
and Satan’s just a laughin’

It’s Friday
Jesus is buried
A soldier stands guard
And a rock is rolled into place

But it’s Friday
It is only Friday
Sunday is a comin’!

What I Pray (part 7)

Today's post wraps up a series of posts that have revealed some of the things I pray for or about.  My intention, or hope, has been to provide a template that you can follow in your prayer life.

I pray for our political leaders:

• Local
• Our Mayor
• Our Town Council

I want it to go well for our town and I want our church to be a blessing to the town.  I feel the responsibility of this regularly as two of the council men and their families worship at Explore Church!

• State
• Governor
• House & Senate
• Courts

Likewise, I want it to go well for our state and, as possible, I want our church to be a blessing to our state.  

• National
• President Obama
• Vice-President Biden
• Secretary of State Kerry
• White House Staff and Cabinet
• Congress
• House
• Senate
• Judicial
• The Supreme Court
• Chief Justice Roberts

Again, I want it to go well for our nation.  We are blessed to be able to live and worship in a free country.  I want it to stay that way!  I pray for wisdom and discernment for our leaders, that they would guide us well.

Finally, I typically close my prayer time with special issues that are on my mind.  For example, I am currently praying about the future location and expansion of our church.  As our future is currently uncertain and in some doubt, I am praying for clarity and direction as to what is best next for Explore Church.  Please join me in this request!

I hope these posts on what I pray have been helpful.

As Paul charged the Thessalonians, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

A little background on who St. Patrick really was.  Enjoy!

What I Pray (part 6)

In this post I will briefly cover what I pray for Explore Church, other churches and church leaders.

Regarding Explore Church, I pray for the following:

• That we would be faithful and fruitful.
• That God would grant us His favor.
• That He would do great things in our church and in our community.
• That God would bless our leadership team.  That He would bless our health and grant us wisdom lead Explore Church well.
• That God would bless us with willing volunteers that will serve beyond the level of convenience. 
• That Explore Church would influence our community in a positive way by modeling the Gospel.

I usually pray for the leadership team and those who regularly attend Explore Church by name.  Unless I am aware of a specific problem or need, I tend to pray for the individual's growth, maturity, and progress in the faith.  I greatly encourage you to pray regularly for your church, the leaders, and fellow members.

I regularly pray for other churches and missional organizations with whom we have become strategic partners.  Additionally, I pray for a group of local pastors, national pastors, and several scholars who have influenced my life and spiritual growth.  A typical prayer for all of these would include wisdom, guidance, and faithfulness in their area of ministry.

This is not all I pray in these areas, but a quick overview.  Next time, I will discuss what I pray for our community and political leaders.

What I Pray (part 5)

As I pray for my family and friends here are some requests I make and some guides I use.

In general, regarding all my relationships, I ask that:

• I would be wise with my words.
• I would be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.
• I would forgive as I have been forgiven.

When praying for my wife, I usually pray specifically for challenges she is facing that day or things I am impressed to pray in the moment.  I often pray for her health and spiritual growth.  I pray for our marriage and that we would have the wisdom to parent our boys well.  Additionally, here is a guide from Desiring God that I have found helpful in praying for my wife.

When praying for our boys, I always pray that they would have the wisdom to know what is right and the courage to do what is right even when it is hard.  I pray that they would have a heart for God and a desire for Him and His ways.  I also pray for specific issues or challenges that they may be facing or dealing with individually.  Here is a guide I also use when praying for them.  There are several guides out there that you could benefit from.  Here is another one that looks good.  One more from Desiring God.  

My prayers for other family members and friends is typically driven by what I know they are dealing with in life.  Requests for them could range from their salvation to wisdom in parenting to influence in their neighborhood.  

Next time I will discuss what I pray for Explore Church and church leaders.