Every child............

"Every child you encounter is a divine appointment." Wess Stafford, Compassion International.

Do you believe that? I do. I believe that as adult followers of Christ, children must become important to us all. They are the ones Jesus brought closer to him when the disciples wanted to dismiss them....they are the ones that usually speak to us far louder and more honestly than our adult counterparts.

 In the Greater Montgomery area, there are MANY children who are neglected, abused and sometimes passed over when need is there. There are more children being "passed on" in schools here and not given the education they need to function in this world. I hear story after story of kids who are passed on from one grade to the next, never learning what they need to know. One such young woman came to us for help. She is in her early 20's and never learned to read. A volunteer is helping her right now not only in reading but has opened up a whole new world for her in many different ways. The volunteer is investing in her life. 

Tutoring children and youth is not only a great way to improve kids grades and help them learn...but it is a wonderful vehicle in which to share Christ.....Montgomery Baptist Association is offering a training in May on Tutoring Children and Youth as a Ministry....you will have the opportunity to learn some basic methods on tutoring and sharing your faith! Email Lisa Rose, lrose@mgmbaptist.org for  more information.

In the meantime, are you praying for kids in the Greater Montgomery area this week? Would you? As you drive by schools(all schools)pray for the Lord to be with that kid in that big building who might need reassurance today that he/she is a worthwhile child of God who has value OR pray that those kids who came to school hungry will be filled up both physically and spiritually with the Bread of Li


Mark 9:36-37 "He put a child in the middle of the room. Then, cradling the little one in his arms, he said, “Whoever embraces one of these children as I do embraces me, and far more than me—God who sent me.”

Are You Ready to Be Involved in What God is Doing Today in Montgomery?

Look around you today as you are out and about and ask the Lord to show you what direction to pray this week. There are many, many needs in the Greater Montgomery area and you can be the conduit for God's love to others as you go about your day. Ask the Lord for guidance to see the needs around you today and every day this week. Wonder what you will find? 

“We never know how God will answer our prayers, but we can expect that He will get us involved in His plan for the answer. If we are true intercessors, we must be ready to take part in God’s work on behalf of the people for whom we pray.”
― Corrie ten Boom

Refreshing Others

A friend died this last week unexpectedly. She was a middle aged woman with some special needs who lived alone. She was a Christian and knew the Lord and ministered very graciously even with her limitations. She was always trying to make people smile, she served well in what she did and was very concerned for the disabilities community here in Montgomery.

She was living out her faith as she was able, but quite honestly, probably did more "outreach" than those of us with no medical or mental health issues. She was childlike in her faith and just "did it"...you know, reached out and loved others despite the possible rejection. I loved that about her. She was inspiring to me despite her limitations.

What are you and I doing today...despite our circumstances to show the Greater Montgomery area God's love in tangible ways?

This is a verse that describes how I feel about my friend....

Romans 15:32 ESV "............So that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be "refreshed" in your company".

Are you "refreshing company" for others? Can others come to you and be refreshed with a listening ear or a hug or just the acknowledgement that what they are going through is very hard?

Think on these things this week as you go about your daily routine.

Giving Generously and Learning to Pray

It had been a very cold week in Montgomery. I got a call from a friend who had a co-worker who needed a coat. I put the word out and very soon after got a call from a lady I know who said that just that morning she had prayed and asked the Lord to show her who to give this coat she had to. The coat was the exact size this other woman needed. The lady who needed the coat was thrilled. She didn't know how she was going to afford one. 

The lady who had the coat was thrilled because it was a reminder of several things.
1. She had too many coats for one person. She needed to share what she had.
2. God answers when we ask and she was willing to be obedient to His prompting.
3. She was learning to consider ALL of her possessions God's property,not her own. So if someone else needed it, she was asking the Lord to help her be willing to give it up...for someone else.

Wonder what it would look like if, as followers of Christ, we took seriously the fact that everything good that has been given to us is from God and that we are called to "live generously" because of what He has done for us? Would you pray that prayer this week?

Are you willing to be "willing" to give up your possessions for those who need it more? Montgomery would be a DIFFERENT kind of city.

Praying this week for all followers of Christ in the Greater Montgomery area to come to a point of radical generosity because of the great generosity the Lord has bestowed on us.
                                                      Matthew 10:8b MSG
                            "You have been treated generously, so live generously".

Praying for Our City During Lent

This Wednesday, March 5th, begins LENT, a season on the Christian calendar in preparation for Easter. It goes through Saturday, April 19th which is the day before Easter. People "give up" things during Lent for many reasons. Wonder if we all decided to sacrifice some time each day that can be specifically for praying for Montgomery?

I will be listing something to pray for each week during Lent but in-between, pray for the Lord to use you and me as we go about our life where HE has placed us for this season.

Here are five areas you can focus on this next 40 days that are real issues in Montgomery. I listed them last time but here they are as a reminder. You can copy/paste and print this list out to remind yourself to pray.

Crime-Praying for wisdom for our public safety folks as they protect. Pray for encounters with the Living God for those who commit crime. Remember: crime is a symptom of a sick heart.

Poverty-Praying for provision, for insight, for direction for those who are impoverished. Praying for those of us who have our needs met to be more generous. Praying for our "system" to stop enabling people to be imprisoned by poverty.

Race-Living a life where we see ALL people through God's eyes and treat them with love, kindness and mercy. ALL people are God's creations but we tend to not treat those who are different from us the way we would like to be treated.

Schools-Lord have mercy on our school systems in the area. Praying for wisdom, for creativity, for politics to get out of the way of education and for administration to stop fighting and work together for the good of the kids!

Consumer Religion-BIG in Montgomery! Praying for Christians to step up and start giving out of sacrifice not abundance. Praying for Christians to get out of self and start worshiping the Lord and not the programs! Praying for Christians(all of us)to stop picking and choosing what "easy" verses we will live by and ignoring the hard ones!