Prayer for Today, Monday, October 31

God of All Generations,

On this eve of All Saints Day we remember those who have gone before us, on whose figurative shoulders we stand. Our lives have been touched in so many ways by family members, friends, clergy, teachers, leaders in the church, gentle spirits, and compassionate dreamers. Thank You for their positive influence. There are also those whose names we do not know whose labor and sacrifice continue to enhance our lives, faithful fore-bearers who settled new lands, built new buildings, established colleges, spread the Gospel, and left a great legacy. Please move among us, Loving God, so that our ministry might benefit present and future generations. This is our prayer in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

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Yesterday was a GREAT DAY! We celebrated our first Convergence Service. Trunk or Treat was a wonderful success and the “Does God Exist?” class is continuing to be well received.

Next Sunday, November 6^th, everyone is invited to the Fellowship Hall at 9:00 a.m. in lieu of Sunday School for an All-Church Breakfast to kick-off our Extravagant Generosity Pony Express Run. It will be a time of great fellowship and good food. There will be a brief program. Mark your calendars now.

Please continue to pray for Liz Beaty, Fig Newton and Melissa Hula, who all recently lost loved ones.

I was informed that Frederick Elton, whose obituary was listed in the paper, was a former member of Central Christian Church and the Sooner’s Class. He moved out of state in 2000. According to the paper, there will be a service at the Memorial Park Mausoleum at 2:00 p.m. on Friday. Please pray for his family.

The Fall Prayer Vigil is going well. Remember the small chapel is open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00, Monday through Saturday. To date we have had 23 different participants during the 22 days of the vigil. Please consider coming to the church to pray. The vigil will conclude on Saturday, November 19th

The scripture for today is Colossians 1:11-14:

May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. ¹³He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Grace and peace,

John McLemore

Prayer for Today, Sunday, October 30

Dear Lord of All,

Your have extravagantly blessed us. We are overflowing and we give You thanks. May the generosity You exhibited in the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ live through us. May we, O God, extravagantly bless others. In Jesus’ name we pray. AMEN.

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Alta Mae Birkenbile is in the last days of her life. Please pray for Alta Mae and her family.

Joan Petersen is back in St. Mary’s hospital. Please pray for Joan.

Congratulations to Letha McGuire on her 90^th birthday

We have a wonderful day before us at Central Christian Church:

            8:00 a.m. Chapel Service

            9:00 a.m. Sunday School for all ages

10:15 a.m. Convergence Worship in the sanctuary. The R & R and traditional services join together for a unique worship experience.

5:00 p.m. Trunk or Treat on the north side of the church

6:00 p.m. “Does God Exist?” study in the Fellowship Hall

7:15 p.m. Stewardship Committee

The scripture for today is Colossians 1:1-10

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, ²To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

³In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, ⁵because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel ⁶that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. ⁷This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, ⁸and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

⁹For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.

The Psalm for this week is Psalm 18:20-30:

The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.

²¹For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

²²For all his ordinances were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me.

²³I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from guilt.

²⁴Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵With the loyal you show yourself loyal; with the blameless you show yourself blameless;

²⁶with the pure you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you show yourself perverse.

²⁷For you deliver a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down.

²⁸It is you who light my lamp; the Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.

²⁹By you I can crush a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.

³⁰This God—his way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

Grace and peace,

John McLemore

Prayer for Today, Saturday, October 29

O Binder of Wounds,

We find our solace in You, because Your peace is always available to us. You are our comfort in sorrow and You alleviate our  distress. Illness, anger, depression, defeat, even death have no power over You and we give You thanks. As we travel the road that is before us we know there will be moments of great joy and love. We will see creation clearly and stand in the warmth of Your embrace. We also know that we will travel through shadows, even darkness. Our way will be uncertain and fearful. May we know You are with us even then. O God. Binder of Wounds, we find our solace in You, because Your peace is always available to us. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.

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Birdene Schoonover is continuing to fail. Please pray for Birdene and her family.

I am aware of two confidential situations where there is great personal distress. Please offer prayers for healing and hope.

Carolyn’s sister, Kathi Miller, is being released from Integris Hospital in OKC and will be recovering in her home. Please pray for Kathi’s speedy recovery.

Letha McGuire is celebrating her 90^th birthday and you are invited to a birthday reception in the Fellowship Hall today from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LETHA.

Tomorrow is full of celebrations and activities. Bring a friend with you to worship to start the day.

The scripture of today is 2 Peter 3:14-18:

Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; ¹⁵and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, ¹⁶speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. ¹⁷You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability. ¹⁸But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Grace and peace,

John McLemore

Prayer for Today, Friday, October 28

God of Tender Mercies,

There are times when the words to our prayers easily roll off our lips. There are other times when they get stuck in our throats. Forgive us, loving God, for attempting to hide our doubt, despair and frustrations from You. May we realize our folly. You know us, O Lord, with all our foibles, warts and sin. Today we confess it all before You and we ask for forgiveness. Enter our hearts, we pray, and cleanse us. May we know that Your grace will always outweigh our sin and shortcomings. The scales are always balanced in our favor when we confess and turn into Your embrace. Thank You for Your love. May we share our life transforming experience of You with others. Today, may we be Christ’s hands and feet in the world. In His name we pray. AMEN.

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Please continue to pray for the family of Fire Chief Phillips Clover; for the family of Jewell Witty; for the family of June Fowler (Fig Newton’s sister); and for the family of Arlene Parson (Liz Beaty’s mother).

Birdene Schoonover remains at the Bass Pavilion. Alta Mae Birkenbile is still in St. Mary’s hospital. Please pray for them.

Tonight our Christian Action and Community Service Committee and the Civitan Club will sponsor a Halloween Dance for the developmentally disabled. This is always a great event. We still need cookies and pop.

At 5:00 p.m. Sunday, Trunk or Treat will be begin across from the church. This will be a fun and wonderful outreach event for the neighborhood. Drop by to enjoy the festivities. Hot dogs will be served. We still need more candy and pop.

Check out our website at www.centralenid.org. There is a lot of good information there, plus links to our Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as denominational links. Studies show that 21^st century visitors will always check out the website first. Special thanks to Gene Heitfeld for keeping our site up to date.

Remember, we are reading through the entire New Testament and a good portion of the Old Testament in three years with these daily scripture readings. We are currently on week 48 of the first year.

The scripture for today is 2 Peter 3:8-13:

But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.

⁹The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. ¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.

¹¹Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, ¹²waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? ¹³But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.

Grace and peace,

John McLemore

Prayer for Today, Thursday, October 27

God of Power and Might,

Your people have perceived You in so many ways. . .as an omnipotent creator, as a mighty warrior, as a vengeful lord, as a divine presence, as a heavenly father, as a heavenly mother, as a suffering servant, and as an ever-present friend. We seek to explain You in terms that are limited and inadequate. Forgive our feeble attempts, O God. May our focus be less on describing You and more on experiencing You. May we be less concerned about proving Your existence and more concerned about sharing your love. Come to us in these moments, O Lord. Embrace us, forgive us and empower us to be more like Jesus, the one who gave us a true glimpse of You. We offer this prayer in his name. AMEN.

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Yesterday evening I received the following email from Kayte Anton:

“Please keep my Grandmother in your prayers. She has dementia and went out for errands at Noon today and hasn't returned. We're trying to stay positive about this. Please post this to the church prayers. This is an ongoing situation for my family in terms of what is best for my Grandparents and their declining health. Their names are Don and Marge Milton and they live in southern California.”

Marge was found late last night and is now home, but please pray for the Miltons and their family.

Liz Beaty’s mother, Arlene Parson, died yesterday in Moore.

Fig Newton’s sister, June Fowler, died Tuesday evening in California.

Tom Witty’s wife, Jewel, died earlier this month in Grove.

Fire Chief Phillip Clover’s funeral is today.

Please pray for all these families who have lost loved ones.

Terry Jones is home from the hospital but is very weak. He has an appointment on Monday to see what his course of treatment will be.

Carolyn’s sister, Kathi Miller, had a successful procedure yesterday at Integris Hospital in OKC. She will remain hospitalized for 3 to 5 days.

We have a big weekend ahead of us with the Civitan Dance, a convergent service, Trunk or Treat, and Does God Exist. Please pray for all these activities. May they help us reflect God’s love and grace.

Global Ministries has a website that is very informative. Check it out at www.globalministries.org

Please forward this email to family and friends.

The scripture for today is 2 Peter 3:1-7:

This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you; in them I am trying to arouse your sincere intention by reminding you ²that you should remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles.

³First of all you must understand this, that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts ⁴and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!”⁵They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water, ⁶through which the world of that time was deluged with water and perished. ⁷But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the godless.

Grace and peace,

John McLemore

Prayer for Today, Wednesday, October 26

Lord of Life,

We humbly approach You in prayer. Your signs and wonders are all about us, but often we fail to notice. Your grace and goodness are without end, but often we choose to live by our own rules seeking retribution and even vengeance. Help us to remember, Loving God, that we are forgiven by the measure we forgive. We are blessed by the measure we bless. We receive by the measure of what we give away. Today we see in a mirror dimly, but the day will come when we see You face to face. It is only Your grace that redeems us. May we act, today, as those unworthy, yet as those seeking to live as true followers of Jesus. This is our prayer in his name. AMEN.

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Gene Carlson fell again and was in the ER at Bass yesterday morning.

Terry Jones has been released from Bass.

Please pray for Gene and Terry.

Carolyn’s sister, Kathi Miller, is having a lung biopsy at Baptist Hospital in OKC today. This is a major procedure and will require her hospitalization for a few days. Please pray for Kathi.

You have responded generously to our request for candy and pop for Trunk or Treat and pop and cookies for the Civitan Dance. Thank you. Of course we can always use more.

Tonight is WWNF. We will be eating chicken fajitas, baked beans, Spanish rice and dessert. Come enjoy the food, fellowship and classes.

We have three families who have asked for prayers. God knows the situations. Please lift up prayers for healing, peace, reconciliation and hope for these unnamed friends.

This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. May the spirit of love, peace and joy flow through us to others.

The scripture for today is 2 Peter 2:10b-22:

—especially those who indulge their flesh in depraved lust, and who despise authority. Bold and willful, they are not afraid to slander the glorious ones, ¹¹whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not bring against them a slanderous judgment from the Lord. ¹²These people, however, are like irrational animals, mere creatures of instinct, born to be caught and killed. They slander what they do not understand, and when those creatures are destroyed, they also will be destroyed, ¹³suffering the penalty for doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their dissipation while they feast with you. ¹⁴They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! ¹⁵They have left the straight road and have gone astray, following the road of Balaam son of Bosor, who loved the wages of doing wrong, ¹⁶but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. ¹⁷These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm; for them the deepest darkness has been reserved. ¹⁸For they speak bombastic nonsense, and with licentious desires of the flesh they entice people who have just escaped from those who live in error. ¹⁹They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for people are slaves to whatever masters them. ²⁰For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first. ²¹For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment that was passed on to them. ²²It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “The dog turns back to its own vomit,” and, “The sow is washed only to wallow in the mud.”

Grace and peace,

John McLemore

 

Prayer for Today, Tuesday, October 25

Loving God,

The Apostle Paul says, “¹⁶it is that very Spirit bearing witness^* with our spirit that we are children of God,¹⁷and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. . .” (Romans 8:17-17).

Help us, O Lord, to understand and accept our inheritance, embracing it and not squandering it. Your spiritual DNA is within us. We are a part of You and a part of Christ. Such an understanding overwhelms us, but we are like the prodigal of Jesus’ parable. We can waste it all by turning away from You and following our own desires. Forgive, we pray, our impish and immature response to Your amazing grace. You are in us and through us, O God. May we recognize our inheritance and live in Your embrace. In Jesus name, AMEN.

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Our prayers go out to the family of Fire Chief Phillip Clover who died quiet unexpectedly.

Ron Maphet was hospitalized over the weekend for severe pain in his leg. Please pray for Ron.

Laura Deatherage fell and broke her wrist. Please pray for Laura.

We continue to pray for Terry Jones, Birdene Schoonover, and Alta Mae Birkenbile.

What do you love about Central Christian Church? Who here has blessed Your spiritual journey? If you haven’t filled out one of the “Heart Cards” with these answers then come by the church. Blank cards are at the Welcome Center. A number of responses have been posted on a panel at the south end of the loggia.

The Civitan Dance is this Friday evening. Trunk or Treat is Sunday evening. We are still collecting candy for Trunk or Treat and pop for both events. This will be a great outreach weekend for our church.

The scripture for today is 2 Peter 2:1-10a:

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions. They will even deny the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. ²Even so, many will follow their licentious ways, and because of these teachers the way of truth will be maligned.

³And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced against them long ago, has not been idle, and their destruction is not asleep. ⁴For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of deepest darkness to be kept until the judgment; ⁵and if he did not spare the ancient world, even though he saved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood on a world of the ungodly; ⁶and if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction and made them an example of what is coming to the ungodly;

⁷and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man greatly distressed by the licentiousness of the lawless⁸(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by their lawless deeds that he saw and heard),⁹then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment

¹⁰—especially those who indulge their flesh in depraved lust, and who despise authority. Bold and willful, they are not afraid to slander the glorious ones,

Grace and peace,

John McLemore

Prayer for Today, Sunday, October 24

God of All Seasons,

We celebrate this time of year. The weather is turning cooler and the leaves are beginning to change. It is a glorious season and we are blessed. Thank you for the beauty that surrounds us. Thank you for those moments that take our breath away. We know, O God, that you are with us through the seasons of the year and the seasons of our lives. May we pause to give You thanks each day. In Jesus name we pray. AMEN.

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Pam Baldwin asked for prayers for a friend’s newborn that has a blood disorder and is in Children’s Hospital in OKC.

Please continue to pray for Terry Jones, Alta Mae Birkenbile, and Birdene Schoonover.

Gene Carlson was dismissed from the hospital, but he still needs our prayers.

Please pray that we love each other, avoiding harsh comments and discord, so that Jesus words will live through us when he said. “Show them you are my disciples by the way you love one another.”

This week please do random acts of kindness for others at church.

We have a “spot” airing on KGWA and KOFM inviting people to church. It will run through the end of the month. Have you heard it?

The scripture for today is 2 Peter 1:16-21:

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”¹⁸We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

¹⁹So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. ²⁰First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, ²¹because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Grace and peace,

John McLemore

Prayer for Today, Sunday, October 23

O Lord Our Lord,

Thank You for Your love. May we come into Your house this day with our worship, our praise, and our thanksgiving. May we respond to your boundless generosity with our generosity and the witness of our worship be a testimony to others. This we pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

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There is a luncheon today for Kids Central. Please come to the Fellowship Hall at 11:30 a.m. for good food, good fellowship and support a good ministry.   

Please continue to pray for Terry, Alta Mae, Gene and Birdene.

Many are responding to our pleas for candy for Trunk or Treat. Thank you. We still need more.

Don’t forget the “Does God Exist?” study tonight at 6:00 p.m.

We pray for Lauren Kroeker and Terry LaFon as they are now Mr. and Mrs. Terry LaFon after their wedding ceremony yesterday evening.

The Scripture for Today is 2 Peter 1:1-15:

Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: ²May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. ³His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature.

⁵For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, ⁶and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, ⁷and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. ⁸For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹For anyone who lacks these things is nearsighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. ¹⁰Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. ¹¹For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.

¹²Therefore I intend to keep on reminding you of these things, though you know them already and are established in the truth that has come to you. ¹³I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to refresh your memory, ¹⁴since I know that my death will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. ¹⁵And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

The Psalm for the Week is Psalm 85:

Lord, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.

²You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin. Selah

³You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.

⁴Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us.

⁵Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations?

⁶Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you?

⁷Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.

⁸Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.

⁹Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.

¹⁰Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.

¹¹Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.

¹²The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.

Grace and peace,

John McLemore

 

Prayer for Today, Saturday, October 22

Awesome God,

You meet us in the quiet recess of our meditative lives and are with us in the hustle and bustle of daily living, but we often choose not to pause and ponder the mystery of Your presence. You call us to set aside the Sabbath for worship, rest and renewal, but often our Sundays are busier than the rest of the week. Please forgive us, O Lord, when we do not come to You in corporate worship. Please forgive us, O Lord, when we do not take time to be spiritually renewed. May our personal discipline include regular meditation and prayer. You bring energy and vitality into our lives, loving God. May we turn into Your embrace. In Jesus’ name. AMEN.

_____________________

Beth Henneke wrote in an email: “Please add my brother Dan Parks and his wife Judy to the prayer list.  Judy has COPD and now pneumonia.”

May we pray for Dan and Judy.

Terry Jones was admitted to Bass hospital on Wednesday afternoon and is in the ICU. He is alert and talkative, but is struggling with pneumonia and the advancing cancer. Terry is involved in a faithful and courageous battle with cancer. Please continue to lift him up in your prayers.

Gene Carlson fell again at his home and was taken to Bass hospital yesterday via ambulance. Please continue to pray for Gene.

Birdene Schoonover is regaining some of her strength. She is an amazing woman. Please continue to pray for Birdene as she continues her treatment at the Bass Pavilion.

Alta Mae Birkenbile is in St. Mary’s  on the 4^th floor. She is very weak. Please offer prayers for Alta Mae.

Lauren Kroeker and Terry LaFon will be joined in marriage in our sanctuary at 5:30 p.m. today. May we celebrate their new life together and ask for God’s blessing.

Special thanks for Butch Phillips for leading our Saturday worship also at 5:30 p.m.

Tomorrow there will be a Kids Central Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. The church is providing the meat. Those with last names beginning with A – L are asked to bring a salad, M-Z are asked to bring a dessert. This will be a great time of fellowship and food. Also it is a wonderful opportunity to support the ministry of Kids Central. Susan Hornberger, the Director, will be doing Moments for Mission in all three morning services.

There are also tryouts tomorrow at 3 p.m. for the Christmas play “The Best Place to Celebrate Christmas”.

We still need candy and pop for Trunk or Treat on October 30^th . And we need pop and cookies for the Civitan Dance on October 28^th.

I encourage you to check out the following link to Disciples Home Missions. They publish a newsletter entitled The Disciples Advocate which has some great information about what our denomination and various Disciples churches are doing.

http://www.discipleshomemissions.org/pages/DA

REMEMBER: the small Prayer Chapel is open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday for our Fall Prayer Vigil. In the first 15 days we have had 20 different participants, some coming most every day, some only once or twice. Won’t you take the time to come to the church to pray? You will be blessed. Our church will be blessed.

The scripture for today is Titus 3:1-15:

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, ²to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show every courtesy to everyone. ³For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another. ⁴But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. ⁶This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. ⁸The saying is sure. I desire that you insist on these things, so that those who have come to believe in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works; these things are excellent and profitable to everyone.

⁹But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. ¹⁰After a first and second admonition, have nothing more to do with anyone who causes divisions, ¹¹since you know that such a person is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned. ¹²When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. ¹³Make every effort to send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way, and see that they lack nothing. ¹⁴And let people learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet urgent needs, so that they may not be unproductive. ¹⁵All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with all of you.

Grace and peace,

John McLemore