|
May 5, 2004
Dear Church Family,
May the hymn we sing, Revive Us O Lord, and the Psalm of David 51:12 which says, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me," be our prayer for the weeks to come. What an exciting winter and spring it has been thus far. To look back at the previous three months, it is evident that God has been at work and had His hand on the people of New Hope. The media he used to reach us has also been quite diverse. Therefore, may we never be surprised at how God may choose to speak to us and what He wants us to do for his Kingdom.
The year began with the Jesus Video promotion the showing of the video in the New Hope Cinema 1 where 90 church members gathered to watch the life story of our Savior. This video has now been sent to every home in Cleveland County. Praise God! However, there is still additional work that needs to be done with this project. Shortly after the video, in February, we began the 40 Days of Purpose Bible study. In this study, we discovered five purposes for which God created us. They are to worship Him, to enjoy fellowship, to be disciples, to take part in ministry, and to be on mission for Jesus.
In March, nearly 100 people from this church went to see the life-changing movie, "The Passion of the Christ." Isaiah 53:5 says, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes, we are healed. For us, that verse will always be read with a different understanding.
God continued to reveal himself to us throughout April. Praise God that he used the choir in such a tremendous way with the "Like a Lamb" Easter Cantata. Thank you choir and others from the bottom of our hearts for all the time and hard work you put into this program. Even this week, we heard someone say how much they enjoyed it, and what a powerful message it was. If that wasn't enough to get your heart on fire for the Lord, then surely Dr. Saye did during the revival. The subjects of his sermons included being a bold witness, the deceitfulness of Satan, the sin in our hearts and churches, and the need to forgive and be forgiven. God used Dr. Saye in an amazing way to change hearts and lives. Wow! Isn't God good?
You know, God is at work in the world, and he wants us to join him. Perhaps working with the Jesus Video Project, VBS, going on a mission trip, helping with youth/children events, choirs or just finding our place in a ministry will be where you join God at work. We do pray that as summer approaches, you will seek opportunities to serve God and the church. We pray that you will be bold and courageous witnesses and not ashamed of the gospel. We pray that you will have a forgiving heart, and will seek the purposes God has for your lives. When we do, we'll be able to look back and say, "Man, what a summer. God worked in ways that are beyong comprehension."
In Christ,
Russ and Melody Bradley
Also, see these special letters:
|
|
