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Planning meeting

This week the ministerial staff is gone on a  4 day staff retreat. We are taking part in a Johnny Hunt Pastor’s School and then we are spending another day brainstorming and focusing on our ministries at Liberty. To my shame, this is the first time we have ever done this. Many people probably have the idea that we sit around and talk all day at the church, but sadly that isn’t true. We are all so busy with our part of the overall ministry that overall strategic visionering can get put on the back burner. Well, this week we are putting it on the front. While we are gone, we are putting every ministry on the table and discussing where we want it to go and what we want it to look like.

Would you pray for us during this time? I think your prayers could make a big difference in how the week goes.

Here are 5 specific ways you can pray for us:

1. After the Wednesday night session with Johnny Hunt I am teaching a lesson to our staff on discouragement. Would you pray specifically that our staff would be encouraged?

2. Pray that God uses Johnny Hunt to minister to our lives.

3. Pray that we receive fresh and new ideas while we are away.

4. Pray for our Friday session. This is the time we will spend “locked up” talking specifically about each ministry. Pray that God gives us great wisdom and direction.

5. Pray that there would be an immediate and lasting impact at LBC because of our time away.

Thanks for being such a great church.

See you Sunday!

It is good for us all to remember what happened 8 years ago on September 11th. Our nation was shaken to the core. It is one of those events that everyone who was old enough to remember can tell you where they were and what they were doing.

On the anniversary of that date, we often are told we should remember – and I agree. But, we should take it a step further – we should learn as well.

I believe in a strong military, but more than that I believe in an omnipotent God!! He is where our strength as a nation comes from.

So, let’s remember what happened on 9/11 & learn that our true security is in Christ….

Psalm 33:16-22

The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.17 Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory— for all its strength, it cannot save you. 18 But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.19 He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine. 20 We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield.21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.22 Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.

Remember and Learn…..

Scientists are raving about the beauty of God’s creation – only they aren’t really giving him the credit for it. Since the Hubble telescope has been repaired and updated, NASA is getting some great photographs of outer space…see http://twurl.nl/w1lw82 ….however, God is not getting the credit he deserves.

To quote one scientists from the YAHOO article, “What I see is the grandeur of creation, however it got there,” Leckrone told The Associated Press.

However it got there? Well, I can answer that questions without a telescope.  John 1:3 says, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

So, give it up for GOD! He made a beautiful universe that we haven’t even begun to explore.

Over 4,000 10 & 11 year olds  were studied in Canada. The study was done to determine how their body shape effected their happiness. What they found … http://twurl.nl/ftk0oi … was that society is putting too much pressure on kids. If a young girl has an overweight body, she had lower levels of happiness. If a boy was too skinny, he had lower levels of happiness [hold on boys it will change later in life : -)  ]

You know we are living in a hedonistic society when 10 year olds are worrying about their body shape. Obviously, there may be some extreme cases where they should worry. That would be the exception not the rule. A few pounds here and there shouldn’t even be on the mind of a 10 year old!

If you are one of those kids – don’t fall into that trap. Don’t set the rock / country music or Hollywood stars up as your idols.

If you are a parent, don’t push that on your child. Let them be a kid. Teach them the greatest qualities in life are character & integrity. Teach them that their walk with God is far more important than their external looks.

1 Timothy 4:8 Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.

Johnny Diaz recently spoke to the same issue in his new song…enjoy….

I have spent the day preparing for Sunday’s sermons and I wanted to give you a heads up. I am planning on preaching on “B the 1….to go to Heaven”. I think it is really going to be a powerful Sunday.  In order for that to be true, I need you to do a couple of things:

1. Pray. PRay. PRAy! PRAY!!!

2. Invite people to be here. It is going to be a great Sunday to invite unsaved friends and family. They WILL hear the gospel!