God

Serving God: Leading With Integrity
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Serving God: Leading With Integrity

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day five in the ninth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Leading With Integrity

“He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance.  And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.“
Psalm 78:70-72 (NIV)

How easy is it to follow someone who doesn’t seem to know where they are going?  How about serving when your leader can’t seem to make up their mind about what needs done?  How do you feel when you do something to help others and later find out you had been misled and the help didn’t go where it was supposed to?  How does integrity help you to lead people in a way that serves others rather than yourself?

Very few, if any, of us like to follow a “wishy-washy” leader. When we begin to have doubts about a leader’s commitment to doing what they say, it isn’t long before we hesitate to follow. When we lead with integrity, those we are serving are more likely to benefit because they have a confidence they will not be let down by our lack of follow-through. When we lead with integrity, it means we will make every effort to do what we say we will and simply apologize without making excuses when we can’t.

As you pray, ask God to help you be a person who leads with integrity as you serve others. Pray that you would be careful with the words you say and with the promises you make so that your integrity is not questioned.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer: Upheld By Integrity (03/10/21)

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

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

In prayer,
Tom

Serving God: Upheld By Integrity
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Serving God: Upheld By Integrity

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day four in the ninth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Upheld By Integrity

“I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.  In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.“
Psalm 41:11-12 (NIV)

Do you know people who say one thing and then turn around and do something else?  How consistent are you at keeping your word?  When the going gets tough, are you more likely to finish things because you said you would or make excuses for why you quit?  Where you serve now, how often have you felt like giving up?  What has kept you serving?  How does the integrity of God hold you up when you are weary?

I think that most people have many times in life when they just feel like giving up.  Often, for the person of integrity, we keep going simply because we said we would.  We persevere because of our integrity and we are upheld by the integrity of God.  As we serve, even if it is just a cup of cold water to one who is thirsty, we can be assured by the integrity of God that He notices.

As you pray, ask God to uphold you in the hard times of life.  Pray that your integrity will lead you to follow through with what you say you will do.  Pray that your commitment to integrity would be a reflection of the integrity of God.  Pray that those you serve would be upheld by you as you serve with integrity.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer: Protected By Integrity (03/09/21)

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

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

In prayer,
Tom

Serving God: Protected By Integrity
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Serving God: Protected By Integrity

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day three in the ninth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Protected By Integrity

“Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.  May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.“
Psalm 25:20-21 (NIV)

Have you ever been falsely accused of something?  Did your reputation at the time help protect you from the accusations or make the accusations more believable?  What are some things that make some rumors more, or less, believable than others?  How important to you is your physical protection as you serve others?  Are you as concerned about the protection of your character?  How will serving with integrity protect your character, not only from false accusations but from the temptation to do wrong?

We probably all know someone who could be accused of almost anything and we wouldn’t believe it.  They have lived a life of integrity that requires a greater burden of proof in regard to wrongdoing than just someone’s word.  We live in a time where words fly so fast that accusations simply can’t be avoided as we serve people.  It is through our integrity that we are protected from accusations which have no basis.

As you pray, ask God to fill you with a desire to live a life of integrity.  Pray that your pursuit of God would lead you to a life that is lived with a consistency between what you say and what  you do.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer: Judged By Integrity (03/08/21)

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

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

In prayer,
Tom

Serving God: Judged By Integrity
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Serving God: Judged By Integrity

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day two in the ninth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Judged By Integrity

“Let the assembled peoples gather around you. Rule over them from on high; let the LORD judge the peoples. Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.“
Psalm 7:7-8 (NIV)

Would you want to be judged by your current level of integrity?  Why?  How does judging a person according to their integrity, rather than on hearsay, help you serve them more effectively?  How does a reputation of integrity, or lack of it, affect how those you serve judge you?  How effective is your serving likely to be if people judge you as having a lack of integrity?  How will you make your actions match your words as you serve today?

Years ago I worked on a commercial roofing crew with a group of guys that were not walking in fellowship with God, to say the least.  It’s not that they were bad guys, they were simply living to please self with no regard for God.  Eventually one of them told me that I was the first Christian who actually lived what I said.  They said that everyone else they had encountered eventually joined them in activities previously proclaimed as wrong.  Instead of judging Christians by their integrity, they had judged all Christians by the lack of integrity they had observed.

As you pray, ask God to help  you live in such a way that being judged according to your integrity would be a good thing.

In prayer,

Tom

A REAL Look At the Law (Sermon Audio)
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A REAL Look At the Law (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the March 7, 2021 sermon, “A REAL Look At the Law”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

Text:  Mark 3

The outline for the morning had us looking at Jesus and seeing the . . .

  • Relational look at the law.  Mark 3:31-35
    • We are related through Jesus as we do the things He commands.
  • Exclusive look at the law.  Mark 3:23-29
    • There is no place for division or divisiveness when we follow God’s Word.
  • Authoritative look at the law.  Mark 3:9-15
    • God’s Word must be our supreme authority and whatever authority we have has been given by Him.
  • Loving look at the law.  Mark 3:1-5
    • Our understanding and practice of God’s laws must be through the filter of His love.