January 12, 2016

Posted By on Jan 13, 2016 |


Hales Chapel Family,

I am enjoying my study of the Beatitudes in preparing for our Sunday morning sermon series. I must admit the Holy Spirit is doing a lot of convicting of my heart while I am in my study before I ever stand up to preach the final product of the study. I pray the sermons are speaking to you as well. I have already received positive feedback as we made some small changes to the order of worship last week. I think it is good thing to change things up a little to keep us from settling into a rut—even if it is a good rut. Over the next several months we will utilize some other minor changes to the order of worship but don’t worry we will not use the changes all at once and the changes will be subtle. We don’t make these changes for the sake of making changes but to enhance the worship experience for each of us as we gather to worship the Lord. Sometimes changes force us to “pay attention” to what we are doing in worship and not to be on autopilot. While I am focusing on worship, let me encourage you to pray about joining the Adult Choir. The Adult Choir practices on Wednesday after Prayer Meeting for about an hour. The Adult Choir adds to the worship experience as they lead us in worship through the choir specials.

Devotional Thought: Mt 9:37–38 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

We have celebrated reaching our Lottie Moon Offering goal for international missions but there is more to missions than giving. This is a great passage to remind us of the harvest but also to remind us to pray to the Lord for the workers to be sent out. Prayer is a part of missions mobilization that I am afraid can be swallowed up with all of our other activities. The most important responsibility for missions is to pray for God to send out workers to the harvest but most us probably do this the least. Let’s continue to pray for God to send our workers from HCBC and from other churches. Then, let’s be faithful to pray for these workers.

Bullet Point Announcements:

*January 20th, Quarterly Business Meeting at the conclusion of Prayer Meeting

*February 20th, New Members Class

*March 27th, Easter

*April 17th-20th, Community Revival- Dr. Jim Shaddix preaching