Tuesday Evening Prayer

God, they have just one more day to work for you in Honduras. Make it a powerful one!

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Honduras Monday

Dear heavenly Father,

Thank you for the group in Honduras and thank you for the success that has already been accomplished. We continue to keep them all in our prayers. Continue to give them safety and strength to continue their mission. Give comfort to them and their families. Thank you for their hearts and continue to bless their work.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Sunday Evening Prayer

Lord, protect them as they sleep and help their minds to rest. When they wake up in the morning, make their bodies pain free and energized in order to do the work you've set before them that day. Remind them of why they are in Honduras and what Your purpose is for them.

Thank you for answering our prayers concerning this precious group of missionaries. We trust you will continue to do so as we continue to ask many things of you.

You are God and we are not.

In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Saturday Evening Prayer

Lord, as Sunshine's missionaries unwind from a busy day and prepare for bed, make sure you are first on their minds. Keep them safe as they sleep and give them pleasant dreams through the night. When they awake and prepare for what I assume is more work, remind them that everything they do, whether it be work or play, it is to all be done for you. Refresh them and revive their spirits for the work you have planned for them to do. Make this work enjoyable and fulfilling to the team and see to it that the people coming in contact with them see and hear YOU and can't help but run to you. We know that your arms are wide open and waiting to welcome more children into your family. Help us all to know what to say and do to show people that you truly do love them and want them to be with you forever.

In Jesus Holy name we pray, Amen.

Honduras Day 2- Thoughts from Honduras

This morning, we went and worked at a home for boys. It was for orphan boys ages 3 to 16. We worked very hard doing concrete work. We are working on a paved drive from the main dirt road tp the home. We joined with a group from St. Louis. We did have a gas powered concrete mixer. Shoveling and loading was done with shovels, buckets, and wheel barrows. With a small section left to go, it absolutely started pouring rain. This was a blessing. I think we all got cooled off. Amazingly, our 15 person group did as much as a 40 person group did yesterday. Tonight, we went to a mall here in Tegucigalpa that looks very much like a mall in a big city in the US. We are all well and having a fabulous time.

THOUGHTS FROM HONDURAS
1. Honduras driving is crazy! Traffic laws are merely suggestions and there is a lot of honking.
2. Honduras is absolutely beautiful!
3. You never know how blessed you are until you get away from it. I have always been told we are so rich in America. It isn´t that I didn´t believe it, I just didn´t realize exactly how rich. The way some peoples here live is unimaginable in the United States. We will never know poverty like this.
4. I really need to learn more Spanish.
5. God is so good!

Someone please call and tell my parents to check this. They don´t know I am writing this everyday-

Women's Fitness Class

(I've asked Al to put this in the bulletin but I also wanted to post it here.)



Our Women's Fitness Class will start back again Tuesday, September 4th.

We will be meeting in the auditorium on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.

Come to class 10 minutes early everyday.

Bring your mat, weights, exercise ball and good walking shoes.

Don't forget to bring your prayer requests so we can pray about them together.


If you or someone you know would be interested in volunteering to babysit during this hour and a half period of time, please contact me. If childcare was provided free of charge, I'm sure more mothers would be able to come and benefit from this time of fellowship and prayer while transforming their bodies. This is a ministry for the women in our congregation as well as our community. If you are unable to be part of the fitness class, please consider serving the Lord by giving of your time in the way of childcare. Bless you for considering this wonderful thing!

In the few months I have been a part of this fitness class, I have witnessed women becoming closer to one another as well as the Lord. This class has become more than just sweating. It has enabled moms to have a set time to get together and have adult conversations. It has enabled us to get our bodies back in shape when we thought it couldn't be done. It has been a wonderful reminder of what it's like to play again. I've gotten to pray with women as tears run down our faces before the Lord.

Dads, this 3 hours a week is a great time for you to spend with the kids. Take your kids out for a walk or an evening picnic. You could watch a movie or play a game with them. Take a bike ride or read your kid's favorite books to them. This will prove to be valuable time with your kids that you can look back on years from now and treasure. It's a beautiful gift to your wife and gives your kids something to look forward to.

Spirit Club pics 7.22.07

WHOO! Way to go, Spirit Club Kids!!! You have all done so well!

Sunshine is proud of your work & effort!

Honduras

Hi everyone! I am happy to say that we made it to Honduras safely. We are now at Baxter Institute and have our rooms/beds. We left our hotel to head to the airport this morning about 3:30 am. Rob was searched and patted down in security at Columbus, but eventually we all made it through. Our 6:00 flight from Columbus to Houston was pretty uneventful. Our flight from Houston to Honduras was delayed on the runway in Houston for about an hour and forty-five minutes due to some bad weather. (I took a nap the whole time we were sitting there, so I'm not sure if that is the exact timing or not. ) We arrived in Honduras about 1:15 and had to wait at the airport and Burger King for a while to be picked up. We rode a bus from Burger King to Baxter and have been bagging rice at Baxter since we got here. The rest of the evening will be dinner and a devotional. Thank you for all your prayers and thanks for the notes of encouragement! We praise God for the first of many fabulous days here in Honduras! We love you guys!

Honduras Update

I have been in touch with Jamie this morning. They are stuck on the plane on the tarmac at Houston. They went ahead and boarded, but have been sitting for quite awhile due to some weather issues. The only problem is their connection in Honduras does not know they are running late. They were supposed to e-mail him from the airport if there were delays and they did not know of the delays until they boarded. So Jamie has called me and I have been trying to e-mail Dudley a couple of times. No response yet, but keep praying!!!!

I will update in the comment section of this blog.


Aaron

Thursday Morning Prayer

God, they're flying right now and emotions are high. Remove the fear of flying and remove any danger you see in the future, both in the air and on the ground. God, make it so that the family members of this team are proud of them and glad they're going to serve you. There are alot of scared mother's who need your comfort right now because their babies are leaving the country to do dangerous work. We ask that you will provide that comfort and know that you will because you have told us that all we need to do is ask and it will be given.

We trust you and believe you will hold them close to you while they're away from us and when they return. You never let go and we thank you for this, Lord!

In Jesus' beautiful name we pray, Amen.

III

Dear Heavenly father,

I wanted to continue our prayer for those traveling to Honduras. I pray that you continue to be with those leaving and with their families. Be with them as they prepare for the journey and for a safe trip to the airport. Please calm their concerns and give them the strength for what is ahead.

Thank you for all that you have done for us,


Amen

Pray With Us

Lord, we stand before you asking for peace to be welling up in the families of the missionaries you are sending out from Sunshine to Honduras. We ask that you provide a safe trip for each person going and not let one hair on their heads be harmed. Create in them a changed heart for you that brings about the ability to physically and verbally show others who you really are. Teach each member of this team to know what exactly it means to be a servant of man for you and increase their desire to be that kind of servant. Bless them intensely with every good thing you have available to you and set them on fire for you so they will come home to us and change us as well. Make their fire from you, set us all ablaze!

In Jesus' holy and precious name we pray, Amen.

Praying for Honduras II

Dear Father,

I take this moment to pray for Wayne, Dewey, Mary, Andrea, Luke, Tyler, Rob, Jamie and Nick. I pray that you help them prepare for the trip that they are getting ready to take. Be with them and calm their fears and concerns. And give them peace about the trip, the flight and whatever lay before them. Help them in all aspects, great or small. Give comfort to their families, knowing that You will be watching over them at all times.

Thank for this group and the courage they have to step foward and listen to Your calling. I pray that you be with us at home and that we continue to support our brothers and sisters with prayers.

Amen

The cross had to do its own work.

The following is some of the comments of Tom (N.T.) Wright on 1 Corinthians 1 from his book, "Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians".

"[Paul] is contrasting 'the wisdom of the world' with 'the wisdom of God'. His basic claim is that the message about the Messiah and his cross carries a power of quite a different sort to the power of human rhetoric, with its showy style designed to entertain the ear and so gain an undeserved hearing for a merely human message."

"The point is that when Paul came into a pagan city that prided itself on its intellectual and cultural life, and stood up to speak about Jesus of Nazareth, who had been crucified by the Romans but raised from the dead by God, and who was now the Lord of the world, summoning people to faithful obedience, he knew what people would think. This was, and is, the craziest message anybody could imagine. This wasn't a smart new philosophy; it was madness. It wasn't an appeal to high culture. It was news of an executed criminal from a despised race."

"Simply to make the announcement, to tell the story of Jesus and his cross, was to invite people to mock."

"The cross had to do its own work. Simply telling the story released a power of quite a different sort from any power that human speech could have: God's power, beside which all human power looks weak; God's wisdom, beside which all human learning looks like folly."

"When this announcement is made, people discover to their astonishment that things change. Lives change. Human hearts change. Situations change. New communities come into being, consisting of people grasped by the message, believing it's true despite everything, falling in love with the God they find to be alive in this Jesus, giving Jesus their supreme loyalty. That is the evidence Paul has in mind."

Praying for Honduras

We should try to do some kind of an on-going prayer on this blog site for the people going to Honduras. Something that we can keep up with everyday, to share our thoughts and prayers about those in Honduras. What do you guys think?

Aaron

Sending forth the missionaries

Last night something awesome happened! When we gathered around those going to Honduras and prayed, and sang "The Greatest Commands" the Lord was present. In all of my memory, this was the most New-Testament thing we have ever done. It was awesome. If we had sang and prayed some more, I do not know what would have happened - but it would have been even more awesome. As we stood there holding on to each other, I looked around at the people I love singing to our God and a sense of excitement I have never known before at church filled my heart. Jesus was in our midst - of this I am sure. And when Steve shouted at the end and gave us the charge from the Word, I thought the Spirit would completely over take us.

There was power and faith. We are the people of God! Our faith transcends geopolitical borders, cultural barriers, and even our problems here. I am convinced that there is a power so great available to us - when we collectively focus our hearts and minds on Him who saved us - a power we know little or nothing about that is available to us individually when we come together as a united group.

"We believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from where He shall come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Church of Christ the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen"

"To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen! " Rev. 5:13

Bulletins Online

The bulletin for last week (and this week's) is finally online along with an updated news scroller.

Sunshine Cookbook Blog

Noel Franke has started a blog for the Sunshine Cookbook. Click the link in this message or in the links list on the side.

Sunshine Cookbook

Website Offline

I know there are a few folks from out of town that read the current news and our weekly bulletin that I post on our website every Sunday morning. I discovered this morning that our website is offline so I was unable to post this week's stuff for you.

I received an e-mail from the folks who host the website saying that they experienced a server crash, so it may be a little while before they get things back online. The upside of the problem is that they're giving us a free month of service. :)

I'll get this week's info posted whenever they get things back up and running. If it goes more than a day or two offline, I'll find an alternate place to post it and leave a link here.

God is God....

I just went to one of my adoption friend's blogs to check in and see what was going on. I discovered that she was talking about the same kinds of things we were talking about in class Wednesday night. I love it when this kind of thing happens. It's like God gives us all a theme to work with and everyone ends up saying the same kinds of things about the same subject. Here is the link to her post Wednesday. I want to encourage you to read all the way down to the end in order to get the full story.

http://millersadventures.blogspot.com/2007/07/praise-god-ris-report.html


The book of Job is such a beautiful and helpful book! If you havn't read it all the way through, I want to encourage you to do so. It's amazing how many times you will then be reflecting back on what you've read as you go through hard times of your own.

It is enough that God is God and we are not.

Watch and Read

Thoughts from the book of Job

I like the book of Job and I like the TNIV (Today's New International Version).

The second verse of the passage I am to teach tonight in Bible class is as follows (Job 38:2):

NIV-> Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?

TNIV-> Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?

I am no reader of Hebrew; therefore, I have no idea about the nuances of meaning in the original. Nevertheless, I prefer the TNIV reading here.

The words of man can obscure the plans of God. Many would spring from this passage into a warning to avoid theology and other sorts of "biblical scholarship" because it all amounts to nothing more than words of men that obscure the "plain teachings"/plans of God.

Not so fast.

The writer of Job is very, very interested in theology. The book of Job is a challenge to the theological assumptions of its day. However, the author is not condemning the act of thinking about how God works (which is what theology really is). The author is highlighting the fact that bad thinking about God, specifically the communication of such bad thinking can counter the real work of God.

Ultimately, (at least it is my understanding) the author is calling us to a much deeper appreciation of the mystery of God. There is much about God's being and His work that is beyond human understanding. The practical point in all this is the need to recognize our limitations. In thinking about God, be always mindful of the limited nature of your own understanding. When we speak, as if we understand, about things we really do not understand, we are in danger of obscuring the plans of God. Job, amidst great trials and tribulation, fell guilty of this to a degree. God rebukes him, but quickly transitions to blessing him.

In many areas of life, we understand and expect that folks know their limitations. We expect physicians and counselors to make appropriate referrals when the situation is beyond their expertise. We appreciate and respect when a person admits that they do not know the answer to a question posed to them. Why to teenagers have more car accidents than older adults? Because they tend to drive beyond their capacity to control.

There is a lesson here for us religious folk. We could probably spend a little more time coming to grips with the limitedness of our understanding of the things of God.

What do you think?

What Is A Christian?--by Greg Laurie

I heard the story of a man who was down on his luck and desperate to find work. As doors kept closing to him, he got the idea of going to the city zoo to seek a job feeding the animals.

The manager at the zoo had no such openings, but seeing how big this guy was, he thought of something else.

"Say, our gorilla died the other day, and he was one of our most popular attractions. If we got you a special gorilla suit, would you put it on and imitate him for a few days until our new gorilla arrives? The pay is great."

When you need a job, you need a job. The man was so desperate for work, he agreed.

After a few hours, he really got into the part—beating his chest and shaking the bars. Huge crowds gathered to watch. Maybe this won't be so bad after all, he told himself. Besides the good money, he could take naps in the sunshine and had all the bananas he could eat.

But that afternoon, as he was swinging on a trapeze as part of his gorilla act, he lost his grip. His momentum carried him over a tall chain-link fence into the middle of the lion's den. The huge lion, seeing this intruder in his domain, gave a ferocious roar. The crowds were mesmerized.

Still trying to hide his identity, the gorilla-suited man backed slowly away, hoping to climb the fence and return to his own cage. The lion, however, had a hungry look and began stalking him step by step.

Finally, in desperation, the gorilla hollered, "Help!"

The lion immediately spoke in an annoyed whisper. "Shut up, stupid! You'll get us both fired!"


You see . . . things aren't always as they appear!

There are many people today who claim to be Christians—who may even think they are Christians—but are not.

Polling data consistently shows that a majority of people in this country believe in God, identify themselves as Christians, and believe the Bible is God's Word. But how much of Christianity do they really understand? In one survey, for example, of those who said they read the Bible regularly, half couldn't name even one of the four gospels in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), and fewer than half knew who spoke the Sermon on the Mount (Jesus).

On close examination, it's clear that many people don't have a clear grasp of what it means to be a believer in Christ. Do you? Are you a believer? Are you sure?

What exactly is a Christian, anyway? Are you born that way? If not, how do you become one? What are the requirements?

In 2 Corinthians 13:5, Paul wrote: "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine. Test yourselves. If you cannot tell that Jesus Christ is among you, it means you have failed the test" (NLT).

Check up on yourselves, Paul was saying. Are you actually believers? Do you pass the test? Or are you just pretending to be (or hoping to be) a Christian, when actually you aren't at all?

When you ask someone if he or she is Christian, one of the most common responses you get is, "Of course I'm a Christian. I go to church, don't I?" That's like saying I'm a golfer because I own a set of golf clubs. Or I'm a surfer because I own a pair of board shorts. But to be a golfer, you need to golf; to be a surfer, you must surf; and to be a Christian means you need a real relationship with Christ—knowing Him, trusting Him and obeying Him.

Reading this, you might be thinking, "But what difference does it make how we define a Christian anyway? Why make Christ such a big part of it? Don't all roads basically lead to God?"

Not according to Jesus!

Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3 NKJV). Only Jesus Christ—and no other—died on the cross for your sins. Only He promises you the hope of heaven. And no other religion teaches that! Jesus essentially said that the only way you can be certain your sins are forgiven and know you will spend eternity in heaven is by putting your complete trust in Him.

And there will be tangible results to show you have done that. Jesus once said, "Therefore by their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:20 NKJV). Just as apples identify an apple tree, there are results or evidence in someone's life that marks that person as a believer in Christ.

Now, don't misunderstand me; I am not suggesting that any particular amount of "good works" makes you a Christian. Far from it. In fact, all the good works on earth will not save you. The Bible tells Christians that God "saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5 NLT).

This, in fact, is one of the main things that sets Christianity apart from all other religions in the world. All other religious systems essentially say, "Do!" Do this particular thing and you'll have "good karma," or you'll get to heaven or paradise or nirvana or whatever. In contrast, Jesus Christ says, "Done!" That's what it meant on the cross when He cried out, "It is finished!"

The transaction is complete.

The price for our sins has been paid, and the way has been opened up—through Christ alone—for an eternal relationship with God.

But please understand this: If we've discovered that the price has been paid, if we truly believe, and if we receive Christ's payment for our sins—it must mean radical changes taking place in our lives!

Are those changes taking place in your life? If you were arrested for being a Christian today, would there be enough evidence to convict you?The Bible says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV). Honestly, do those words describe your life?

If you did your own survey of people on the street and asked them what someone must do to become a Christian, you would probably get answers like this: "Go to church, pray, read the Bible, and keep the Ten Commandments. Believe in God, miracles, heaven, and hell. And, oh yeah, probably be baptized. And start living a good life.

"Right now, I'm going to make a statement that may shock you: You can do all those things I just mentioned and not necessarily be a Christian! Don't get me wrong; if you're a true Christian, you should do all those things.

But the outward change is often without the inward . . . while the inward change is never without the outward.

"Examine yourselves," Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 13:5. When you honestly examine yourself—inside and out—what do you find?


http://www.harvest.org/

N.T. Wright "For Everyone"

N.T. Wright is one of the more prominent New Testament scholars in the world today. He is unique for a couple of reasons. First, he is fairly easy to read. He is a brilliant scholar yet capable of communicating to folks who are not familiar with theological jargon. Secondly, he is a passionate believer. He is inspiring because he is speaking from the perspective of belief.

With that said... I recently discovered his "For Everyone" series of commentaries. I highly recommend them. They are cheap (I think you can pick one up for under $12). He has written on most if not all the NT books.

The style is friendly. He starts immediately with a paragraph of text then illustrates and explains the main ideas. He introduces the technical background information in small bits as needed (as opposed to most commentaries containing large volumes of background information in the introduction).

If you are interested, here is a link to list of N.T. Wright's more popular books (several of the "For Everyone" commentaries are on the list). You can find everything you need on Amazon.com. N.T. Wright Listmania from Amazon.com

Some thoughts

I was channel surfing the other night and came across the Chronicles of Narnia movie. (Wow. I hope all of you had the chance to see it.) When the music started during the battle, the score goes from fearful and sinister to triumphant. It makes me think of our faith in a different (perhaps even more accurate) light. When I hear that music, I can only imagine when our King returns to earth and destroys our enemy with the words of his mouth. I find it hard to believe that this is reality (not the music, but the larger-than-life event we're guaranteed will happen)

I've long been a fan of John Eldredge's writing as he encourages Christians to see ourselves in the midst of a great epic. I believe he hits the nail on the head here. The minute we're born we are thrust in the middle of a cosmic battle. When we become Christians, we also become marked men and women. There is [something] trying to take us out. The apostle Paul got it. St. John got it. C.S. Lewis got it and Tolkien got it. Read any of their books ( or in the latter two cases, watch the movies) and you'll see the Biblical struggle played out. I love those movies (and perhaps others do to for the same reason) for the mysterious and the mythical intertwined with reality. I reckon our lives are like that -- the mysterious, nearly mythical, interacting with our physical realities.

If you get a chance, skim through one of Eldredge's books; rent the Chronicles of Narnia, or the Lord of the Rings movies. Sometimes I think we need reminded of the pageantry, glory, beauty, holiness, and fierceness of the One who loves us and how it will be when He returns the second and final time.