Bible Lessons

Stories of the Heart: Representing Jesus While Waiting On FEMA! (12/20/21)
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Stories of the Heart: Representing Jesus While Waiting On FEMA! (12/20/21)

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As expected, internet connection has not allowed the live video broadcasts while I am in Kentucky helping with disaster relief and cleanup and now my laptop computer has died so even posting stories is a bit more difficult.  Nonetheless, I will try posting some “Jesus in the midst of disaster” stories as I get the opportunity.

Here is one from last week:

Representing Jesus While Waiting On FEMA

As I walked from the truck to where we were picking up debris, I noticed a person looking through one of the large piles of debris along the road.  As I introduced myself, I asked if this had been their home.  It had been and she was just waiting for a person from FEMA that was to meet her there.  I asked about her story from the night of the tornado and since, then listened as she spoke of gratitude for her protection but sorrow for the loss which surrounded her.  We talked about the mess of this world and the love of God that was greater than any of the messes we experience or create.  We prayed together and prayed specifically that God would grant her favor in the eyes of the FEMA person she would soon be meeting with.  We prayed through tears, with her destroyed house in the background, that God would lead her to housing that was affordable and suitable for her and her family.  As I prayed God’s blessings to be upon her soon to happen meeting, the FEMA representative walked up and waited for our prayer time to finish before introducing herself and beginning the process she was there for.  I went on my way knowing the Jesus had been present as we waited on FEMA.

In prayer,
Tom

Stories of the Heart: Jesus and Spoiled Food! (12/19/21)
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Stories of the Heart: Jesus and Spoiled Food! (12/19/21)

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As expected, internet connection has not allowed the live video broadcasts while I am in Kentucky helping with disaster relief and cleanup and I’ve not been able to upload recorded video at this time.  It is looking like I will be here through Christmas Eve, so I will try posting some “Jesus in the midst of disaster” stories as I get the opportunity.

Here is one from this past week:

Spoiled Food and Jesus

Walking through one of the hardest hit areas of Bowling Green, I encountered many people who weren’t sure what they needed but definitely needed someone to listen to their story.  The typical initial response is often that they don’t need anything.  After receiving that response at one home, I asked about their experience and after listening to their story I again asked if there was anything at all we could help with.  With a hint of embarrassment, I learned they had been trying to clean out the refrigerator that had been without power for 6 days and the process was overwhelming to them.  The relief that was expressed when I said we could do that was great.  After hauling out the spoiled food, the offer was again made to provide additional help and I soon found that the spoiled food encounter had opened up the opportunity to not only do more for this family, but to share with them the good news of why we were doing it – that God’s love for them is great and our compassion toward them was because of God’s great love for us.  When our work was done, we prayed for the family and went on our way knowing that seeds had been planted and Jesus had been present in the disposal of spoiled food.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Pursuing Peace With One Another! (12/14/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Pursuing Peace With One Another! (12/14/21)

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This is the audio from the December 14, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
Mark 9:50 (NIV)

While many will gather at Christmas time and sing of “peace on earth, goodwill toward men”, for many the stresses of life make this season anything but peaceful.  Whether you think you need it or not, we can all use a gentle reminder that God wants His children to pursue peace.  It seems nearly everyone loves the idea of peace, but few actually obtain it because we want peace according to our definition and standards rather than God’s.

As you pray this week, use the suggestions each day but most of all allow God’s Word to soak into your life and direct how you pray and who you pray for.  Pay attention to any changes and/or actions God would be calling you to make that would lead you to a more deliberate pursuit of peace.  Pray that you would recognize the importance of being at peace with one another and make the effort to season your surroundings with peace.  Pray that you would pursue peace with others in a way that preserves what is good.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Pursuing the Life of a Peacemaker! (12/13/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Pursuing the Life of a Peacemaker! (12/13/21)

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This is the audio from the December 13, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”
Matthew 5:9 (NIV)

While many will gather at Christmas time and sing of “peace on earth, goodwill toward men”, for many the stresses of life make this season anything but peaceful.  Whether you think you need it or not, we can all use a gentle reminder that God wants His children to pursue peace.  It seems nearly everyone loves the idea of peace, but few actually obtain it because we want peace according to our definition and standards rather than God’s.

As you pray this week, use the suggestions each day but most of all allow God’s Word to soak into your life and direct how you pray and who you pray for.  Pay attention to any changes and/or actions God would be calling you to make that would lead you to a more deliberate pursuit of peace. Pray that you would accept just how “God-like” it is to be a peacemaker and that you would put that quality into practice consistently.  Pray that your life as a child of God would lead you to help others be reconciled with Him, and with one another, so they would know true peace.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Overcoming Weariness! (12/10/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Overcoming Weariness! (12/10/21)

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This is the audio from the December 10, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
Revelation 3:21 (NIV)

This week we finish a two week focus on living a life that overcomes.  While the time period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is often filled with many celebrations, for many it is a time that is not nearly as festive on the inside as what the outside might represent.  While I believe all of these prayer guides can be useful well beyond the week they are written for, this topic of overcoming may be one of the most needed on a continual basis as we pray for ourselves and others in our times of difficulty.

As you pray this week, ask God to help you be more aware of those who struggle.  Pray that you would be better equipped to overcome as you learn from God’s Word.  Pray that you would overcome everything that would keep you from being able to sit and rest at the throne of Jesus.  Pray that you would find the strength through Christ to persevere with confidence when the troubles of life are many.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Overcoming Through Time with Jesus! (12/09/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Overcoming Through Time with Jesus! (12/09/21)

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This is the audio from the December 9, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“He asked them, ‘What are you discussing together as you walk along?’  They stood still, their faces downcast.  . . . They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’”
Luke 24:17, 32 (NIV)

This week we finish a two week focus on living a life that overcomes.  While the time period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is often filled with many celebrations, for many it is a time that is not nearly as festive on the inside as what the outside might represent.  While I believe all of these prayer guides can be useful well beyond the week they are written for, this topic of overcoming may be one of the most needed on a continual basis as we pray for ourselves and others in our times of difficulty.

As you pray this week, ask God to help you be more aware of those who struggle.  Pray that you would be better equipped to overcome as you learn from God’s Word.  Pray that your despair would lead you to a closer walk with Jesus.  Pray that God’s Word would burn within you as you examine it during times of despair.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Overcoming Wandering! (12/08/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Overcoming Wandering! (12/08/21)

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This is the audio from the December 8, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“He who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.”
Revelation 3:12 (NIV)

This week we finish a two week focus on living a life that overcomes.  While the time period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is often filled with many celebrations, for many it is a time that is not nearly as festive on the inside as what the outside might represent.  While I believe all of these prayer guides can be useful well beyond the week they are written for, this topic of overcoming may be one of the most needed on a continual basis as we pray for ourselves and others in our times of difficulty.

As you pray this week, ask God to help you be more aware of those who struggle.  Pray that you would be better equipped to overcome as you learn from God’s Word.  Pray that you would find a place of belonging as the temple of God so you would have no need, or desire, to wander away from Him.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Overcoming Through Deliberate Praise! (12/07/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Overcoming Through Deliberate Praise! (12/07/21)

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This is the audio from the December 7, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
Psalm 43:5 (NIV)

This week we finish a two week focus on living a life that overcomes.  While the time period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is often filled with many celebrations, for many it is a time that is not nearly as festive on the inside as what the outside might represent.  While I believe all of these prayer guides can be useful well beyond the week they are written for, this topic of overcoming may be one of the most needed on a continual basis as we pray for ourselves and others in our times of difficulty.

As you pray this week, ask God to help you be more aware of those who struggle.  Pray that you would be better equipped to overcome as you learn from God’s Word.  Pray that your hope in God would lead you to praise Him even in the midst of despair.  Pray that your life would be lived in a way that leads others to praise God for the hope He offers.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.

In prayer,
Tom