Hostile Crowd

According to 1 Corinthians 1:23 the crucified Jesus is an offense. To attempt to adjust or pretty-up the gospel is to give no gospel at all. Paul did not shy away from delivering an unadjusted gospel even when it was on pain of his life.

Our last official Refinery of the 09/10 year has to be a call to live according to the unadjusted gospel. We must live by it and be ready to defend or explain it at any moment. Challenge your students to prepare themselves to do just this by staying in the word and in prayer even after we go off the Bible Reading Plan.

I hope that this lesson will be both sobering and encouraging. The grace is there but it wont be seen or appreciated by a soft, shy, embarrassed gospel.

Notes for 12/28/10

By the way, I still have slots open for the Walk For Life tomorrow morning.
Click Here to register.

Don't forget our end of year Surf and Turf dinner on May 22nd at the McClure's home. More info to come soon!

I Need Your Help

Hey Team,

I am writing this because I need your help. For a few weeks now I have been spreading the word about the 2010 Pregnancy Support Services of Wake Forest Walk For Life. So far I have had no one express any interest in helping. All I need is 9 people (they can be leaders or students). If you have a pulse, can walk, and are interested in supporting a crisis pregnancy center to help prevent abortions, and would like to be eligible to win some cool prizes then you qualify.

Here are the details:

Where: 440 N. Main St.
Wake Forest, NC 27587

When: This Saturday April 24th at 8:00am

What: We will walk about a mile or so and return to our starting point where prizes will be awarded and food will be available.

I need only 9 people to complete a team. Lets represent Providence in this event.

My email: ncstateredwhite@gmail.com

Stirring Up Trouble

How much trouble would it take to make you keep quiet about the gospel? Paul seemed to get grief just about everywhere he went. Satan didn't want Paul to proclaim the gospel to people he had blinded. Satan wanted them to remain blinded. He even prompted men in Ephesus to riot against Paul. Trouble was indeed getting stirred up but it wasn't the gospel that was at fault. The gospel brings peace. It is Satan and sin that causes men to stir up trouble.

Here are the notes for next Wednesday night: 04/21/10

Leader Training and Other Stuff

Hey Team,

I don't know about you but I am thrilled that rain washed all that pollen away last night. It looks like it is going to be a great weekend and I hope that by God's grace you will all enjoy it. The spring reminds us that Jesus is alive and we have our hope in Him.

Don't forget that this Sunday at 5:30pm on the 3rd floor is our last leader training for the 2009-2010 Refinery year. We need to hear back from you soon if you are thinking the least little bit about serving as a Refinery leader for 2010-2011. I hope that many of you all will be on board for next year.

Also, there is an event coming up that I would love for some of you and our students to participate in. The 2010 Walk for Life to benefit Pregnancy Support Services of Wake Forest is on Saturday April 24th. Here is a link to the facebook event: Walk for Life. It would be nice to have at least one team of 10 leaders and students combined. The cost is only $10.00 per team member which you can pay or raise. All proceeds go to help fund crisis pregnancy counseling and to pay for mobile ultrasound units which dramatically help reduce abortions. Email me if you are interested.

Hope to see you all Sunday evening,

Mike

Take The Gospel Where? And To Whom?

Sometimes the Holy Spirit directs us in, coming from our perspective, strange ways. Why were Paul and Silas forbidden to preach the gospel in all points between Antioch of Pisidia and Troas? We don't have a clue. What we do know, however, was that there was a godly woman waiting over in Europe for Paul and Silas to bring the gospel to her. No, Lydia may not have been looking for Paul and Silas but she was looking for the news that they brought. We know this because as soon as they shared it, she and her whole household believed, were baptized, and they established the first Christian Church of Philippi.

We don't always have to understand how God works, but it is crucial that we trust Him.

Here are the notes for 4/7/10. Also here is the map that I used: Map of 2nd Missionary Journey

P.S. - Please excuse the tardiness of these notes. I was rather discombobulated last week.