"In the course of this week God has worked at least 2 miracles in my life." Beginning with these words, Pastor Graves preached a sermon of moving personal testimony and of challenge.
Listen and follow the scriptural path to a faith that is greater than miracles.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
ASU Service: More Than Meets The Eye
A few months ago, God gave Hall Memorial CME Church the vision and the opportunity to take the gospel to the campus of Alabama State University. We recognized that incoming freshmen in particular, who are establishing identities that will follow them for the remainder of their college years, need to hear the gospel because if they come to Christ they can be delivered from failures that plague them all of their lives. And more, those they would have hurt will be spared the pain that young adults so often inflict on one another.
It was not an easy task. Our original facility was closed because of a severe leak. We had no venue to offer worship. Our musician wouldn't make it. Our back-up musician had a conflict.
We prayed and we prayed. Believing that this outreach was God's will we asked in faith for whatever space we could have. It was outside. 10 A.M. in August.
But we fasted and prayed.
We realized the night before the service that there was nowhere to plug in the audio equipment. The weather forecasts promised tropical storm driven rain.
We prayed for God to withhold His rain. Sunday morning it was already drizzling where I live. I walked in the mist claiming by faith God's favor and the withholding of the rain.
Our drummer missed the date. Our worship partner's musician didn't show. We started late.
It was beautiful.
The overcast sky cooled the campus and made it a pleasant morning. Because we were outside instead of the air-conditioned auditorium we'd originally booked, the sound of our choir singing accapella through the speakers (plugged up on an extension cord run into the building)brought students out who might not have dressed up and gone into an auditorium for some church's service.
At the altar call, students came forward to renew their commitment and to seek prayer for salvation.
The Word of God was delivered to every ear on campus that was outside or near an open window.
We closed a powerful service, packed up everything and went our separate ways.
As my family sat down for lunch after the service, I looked out the window.
It was raining.
God is good.
Press play to hear the sermon.
It was not an easy task. Our original facility was closed because of a severe leak. We had no venue to offer worship. Our musician wouldn't make it. Our back-up musician had a conflict.
We prayed and we prayed. Believing that this outreach was God's will we asked in faith for whatever space we could have. It was outside. 10 A.M. in August.
But we fasted and prayed.
We realized the night before the service that there was nowhere to plug in the audio equipment. The weather forecasts promised tropical storm driven rain.
We prayed for God to withhold His rain. Sunday morning it was already drizzling where I live. I walked in the mist claiming by faith God's favor and the withholding of the rain.
Our drummer missed the date. Our worship partner's musician didn't show. We started late.
It was beautiful.
The overcast sky cooled the campus and made it a pleasant morning. Because we were outside instead of the air-conditioned auditorium we'd originally booked, the sound of our choir singing accapella through the speakers (plugged up on an extension cord run into the building)brought students out who might not have dressed up and gone into an auditorium for some church's service.
At the altar call, students came forward to renew their commitment and to seek prayer for salvation.
The Word of God was delivered to every ear on campus that was outside or near an open window.
We closed a powerful service, packed up everything and went our separate ways.
As my family sat down for lunch after the service, I looked out the window.
It was raining.
God is good.
Press play to hear the sermon.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
OPPORTUNITIES ARE ONLY OPPORTUNITIES WITH THEIR BACKS TO YOU
Pray for our outreach to the freshmen of Alabama State University. Our assigned venue on campus is closed because of a leak in the roof. We don't have a confirmed alternate location to bring the Word...yet. We believed God had opened this door for us to bring the gospel to these young people at this crucial point in their lives; so now we believe God has a door for us to bring the gospel to these young people at this crucial point in their lives.
In the natural it is frustrating to be less than a week out from any planned event and see critical parts of the plan fall apart. But, I know that what we do in evangelism is not about the plan, or the venue, or even the event. It's about the gospel which is about Jesus.
So, if Hall Memorial CME Church and our ministry partners at New Walk of Life Church have to go mic-less and accapella on the steps of the Acadome, we receive what God has prepared because by faith (with prayer and fasting) we claim the fruit of what God has planted in our hearts.
Pray for us. Pray with us. Fast as God leads you.
We walk with our Father around this obstacle. We stand in Him as the obstacle turns around. And when He reveals what is on the other side of this obstacle, we will praise Him for the opportunity to do His will.
In the natural it is frustrating to be less than a week out from any planned event and see critical parts of the plan fall apart. But, I know that what we do in evangelism is not about the plan, or the venue, or even the event. It's about the gospel which is about Jesus.
So, if Hall Memorial CME Church and our ministry partners at New Walk of Life Church have to go mic-less and accapella on the steps of the Acadome, we receive what God has prepared because by faith (with prayer and fasting) we claim the fruit of what God has planted in our hearts.
Pray for us. Pray with us. Fast as God leads you.
We walk with our Father around this obstacle. We stand in Him as the obstacle turns around. And when He reveals what is on the other side of this obstacle, we will praise Him for the opportunity to do His will.
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