Daily Prayer Guide

Friendship

Proverbs 12:26

The righteous is a guide to his neighbor,
But the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Stretch 456

Preteen Ministry: Why It and You Are Important
If you were a child growing up in church a few years ago, you looked forward to the days that you would be in the Youth Ministry. On the other side of Children’s Ministry was a sense of freedom, adventure, and discovering your faith on your own. Children’s Ministry was fun and your foundation expanded on Biblical truths that started when you were one of the “littles” in the church. For many of us, it was in the Children’s Ministry that we began our personal walk with Jesus and were baptized. Loving and nurturing adults poured into our lives and made sure we didn’t fall away… completely. Following your baptism you were asked to serve, be a leader, set an example, guide the younger kids, and much more. The challenge was that we didn’t really know how or what it meant to be a leader or a church member. We really didn’t understand what this new person in our life that people called the Holy Spirit was, or what our identity in Christ meant. On top of these challenges were these weird emotions for the opposite gender, temptations creeping in, and dreams of what we would actually be when we grew up. We looked forward with anticipation to the days of Youth Ministry where we could finally get these answers!
All of these things are why Preteen Ministry is so important! Kids growing up in church still desiring to begin their walk with Jesus between 9-12 years old (preteen age). They still want to be leaders and walk with God. In the midst of the challenges we had, I would say kids today have so many more. Temptations are starting at much younger ages. These temptations include: the internet, cable television, smart phones, standardized testing, broken homes, drugs, alcohol, mental illness, pop culture and music, and the demands of extra curricular activities. Many of the preteen age kids are deciding if the “Jesus Road” is the path to take. The reality is that they are being pulled emotionally, physically, and spiritually in so many directions that their lives are a constant STRETCH!
Stretch 456 is about guiding kids along this part of their lives. It’s about adults of any age pouring and investing into them. It’s about helping answer their questions with Biblical truth, engaging them in genuine worship, and deepening their faith roots. The most important time for Stretch is Sunday mornings at 9:30 and 11 am! Come check it out sometime. They are a great group of 4th-6th grade kids who are hungry to learn more, eager to serve, and loud enough to change the world they live in! That means you, as parents and church members, reading this are also VERY IMPORTANT!

~ Matt Lee

Daily Prayer Guide

Friendship

Job 29:4-6

⁴ As I was in the prime of my days,
When the friendship of God was over my tent;
⁵ When the Almighty was yet with me,
And my children were around me;
⁶ When my steps were bathed in butter,
And the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

Daily Prayer Guide

Friendship

Proverbs 27:17

Iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens another.

Adding Fruit

If you’ve worked in Children’s Ministry here at TCCC, or been out to Bluegrass Christian Camp, or any other place for that matter, you’ve most likely heard the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ song. You sing about different fruits not being the actual fruit of the Spirit, and do very silly motions along with those things, my favorite being the banana. It’s actually an awesome song, and you learn the 9-part fruit of the Spirit very quickly. Don’t know them? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). What an amazing list. Each of these things in itself is something that we, as Christians, aspire to so that we may live more like Christ. But do we show these things to others in our daily interactions? Can you imagine the outward effect they would have?
I’m often reminded of the movie “Pay it Forward” when I think of how I want to live my life. I want to do (or even say) little things that may make such an impact on a person that they have a better day and want to continue to spread that feeling. The fruit of the Spirit is a great start. I think it’s a great idea to ask ourselves each morning “How can I spread gentleness to others today?” or “I’m going to give joy to those I meet through my life”. Do this enough and the people you come in contact with frequently are going to start realizing you create such a positive presence they can’t help but ask how they can do the same. Adding the ‘fruit’ to your daily diet will no doubt multiply these qualities not only in yourself, but in all those you are trying to reach.

~ Lesley Tipton

Daily Prayer Guide

Friendship

Proverbs 17:17

A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.

God Adds the Humble – Matthew 5:5-6

When I think of being meek, it is being humble in the Spirit.  Some may feel broken and don’t know where to begin or go to find the solution.  I have found that God is the answer and our solution.  God tells us in Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”  Yes, we are meek but we can also be mighty in the Spirit and our Lord.

It also says in Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”  We all should hunger and thirst for the Word of God and want to help others to do the same, so we can multiply in the Lord and be in heaven together.

This brings to mind a young broken woman that I know.  She grew up in a home being abused and mistreated.  She lived with her step-father, mother, and siblings.  She had no solution or way out of the abuse of her mother.  The only person she could count on was her grandmother who lived far away and was only able to visit a few times each year.  Her grandmother did sense she was not happy and was often very sad.  Her grandmother began to talk with her and taught her how to pray.  As this woman grew older, she began to realize how prayer made a difference in her life.  She knew she was broken inside and needed something or someone more in her life.  Even though she could not see God, she knew He was there with her.  She began to have peace and comfort and acceptance of things she could not change.  She knew one day God would bring her out of the bondage in which she currently lived.

That day did come. God gave her an opportunity to leave that home and begin a new life in another town.  God eventually gave her a Christian home, husband, children, and church home.  He also gave her the most wonderful gift of her life, a relationship with Him.  He gave her boldness that she never had and enough love to serve and help others.

I encourage all to serve and reach out to those who don’t know the Lord.  Just pass it on and help others to become additions to the Kingdom of God.

~ Garnett Langley

Daily Prayer Guide

Friendship

John 15:12-15

¹² “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are My friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Daily Prayer Guide

Friendship

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

⁹ Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. ¹⁰ For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

Daily Prayer Guide

Friendship

Proverbs 27:5-6

⁵ Better is open rebuke
Than love that is concealed.
⁶ Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.