God

Encouragement and Prayer: Promised Peace! (8/11/25)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Promised Peace! (8/11/25)

This is the audio from the August 11, 2025 social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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“When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples,  ‘As you know, the Passover is two days away — and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.’”
Matthew 26:1-2 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on some of the promises of God.  As Jesus lived on earth, the religious leaders would plot against Him, somehow thinking they could get the upper hand, not realizing that their plans were not a secret to Jesus.  He not only knew the plotting that was being done, He knew how those plots would fulfill His promises.  When God promises comfort, how often do we want it to mean we would never experience a pain that would require His comfort?  Even if we understand the nature of the promise accurately, we often expect the promise to be fulfilled in keeping with our timetable rather than God’s.  Pray that you would hold fast to His promises, especially when it takes longer for them to be fulfilled than what you would like.  Pray for the heart, mind, and eyes to see how God has not only extended His promises to you, but calls you to share in extending His promises to others.

“I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints — but let them not return to folly.”
Psalm 85:8 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you grow in your understanding of His “great and precious” promises.  Pray that you would listen to God and find a peace in Him that the world cannot take away.  Pray that you would share God’s peace with others as you fully reject a life built on folly.  Pray that the plots of others would not lead you to give up your peace.

You can find the live video feeds of previous encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page or subscribe to the audio from the Tom’s Treasure podcast channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Following Jesus – A Not So Secret PLOT! (Sermon Audio)
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Following Jesus – A Not So Secret PLOT! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the August 10, 2025 sermon, “Following Jesus: A Not So Secret Plot!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Matthew 26:1-13

 

“When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples,  ‘As you know, the Passover is two days away — and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.’”
Matthew 26:1-2 (NIV)

As one called by Jesus to “Come, follow me”, Matthew gives us great teaching on what it looks like to live a life which follows Jesus.  While the religious leaders sought to secretly discredit Jesus, He chose to reveal a not so secret . . .

  • Promise:  Matthew 26:1-5

    • While the religious leaders were plotting to kill Jesus, He makes it known that the thing they wanted to do in secret was actually a not so secret promise from His Father to mankind.  The promise given to Adam and Eve in the garden, and to God’s people throughout the Old Testament times, was one of death being turned into life.  It is in this promise that Jesus declares He is headed to Jerusalem to become the ultimate Passover Lamb who would be crucified as the sin payment for all mankind. 

  • Love:  Matthew 26:6-7

    • While the religious leaders were plotting a scheme of hatred towards Jesus, He is shown a not so secret love as a woman approaches Him to anoint Him with a very valuable perfume.  This not so secret love is not only seen in the actions of this woman, but also displayed by Jesus as He visits in the home of Simon the leper . . . one of the untouchables who had evidently been touched by the love of Jesus.  It is in the love that we find the example to love one another just as we are loved by Jesus.

  • Observation:  Matthew 26:8-10

    • While the disciples had an observation of greed and jealousy, Jesus declares a not so secret observation which revealed the hearts of all involved.  The observations we make out of our human flesh and mind will always be clouded by self while the observations God desires to lead us to will always involve an examination of the heart.

  • Truth:  Matthew 26:11-13

    • The disciples and religious leaders were influenced by a lie even as the not so secret truth stood before them.  Jesus prayed that we would be sanctified, or set apart for His use, by the truth.  As He prays to His Father, Jesus amplifies that the truth which will sanctify us is the truth of God’s Word — a truth which became flesh and dwelt among us as the Holy One of God.

 

Today, how will you share in this not so secret PLOT?

Encouragement and Prayer: Watch With Humility! (8/8/25)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Watch With Humility! (8/8/25)

This is the audio from the August 8, 2025 social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
Matthew 25:13 (NIV)

This week’s prayer guide will focus on the instruction of Jesus for us to keep watch.  As Jesus taught during the week leading up to His crucifixion, He spent time instructing His followers to keep watch.  His teaching found in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew is a good reminder for all of us to live life keeping watch.  When we learn to watch, we often find ourselves learning to also wait as we long for the very thing we don’t yet see.  Pray for a heart, mind, and spirit that keep watch and are not distracted by the noise of the world.  Pray that you would be an active participant in keeping watch rather than a passive bystander to what goes on around you.  Pray for godly patience as your watching for the return of Christ requires you to wait.  Pray that keeping watch would help you to be found ready when Christ returns.

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?’”
Matthew 25:37 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to open your eyes to the things He would have you see.  Pray that your deeds of compassion would be done with humility.  Pray for a humility which serves others with no expectation of recognition.  Pray that you would love others as an expression of your love for Christ.

You can find the live video feeds of previous encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page or subscribe to the audio from the Tom’s Treasure podcast channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Watch With Compassion! (8/7/25)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Watch With Compassion! (8/7/25)

This is the audio from the August 7, 2025 social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
Matthew 25:13 (NIV)

This week’s prayer guide will focus on the instruction of Jesus for us to keep watch.  As Jesus taught during the week leading up to His crucifixion, He spent time instructing His followers to keep watch.  His teaching found in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew is a good reminder for all of us to live life keeping watch.  When we learn to watch, we often find ourselves learning to also wait as we long for the very thing we don’t yet see.  Pray for a heart, mind, and spirit that keep watch and are not distracted by the noise of the world.  Pray that you would be an active participant in keeping watch rather than a passive bystander to what goes on around you.  Pray for godly patience as your watching for the return of Christ requires you to wait.  Pray that keeping watch would help you to be found ready when Christ returns.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
Matthew 25:35 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to open your eyes to the things He would have you see.  Pray that your watching for the return of  Christ would be done with an eye toward the needs of others.  Pray about how you can express compassion for others in all that you do.

You can find the live video feeds of previous encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page or subscribe to the audio from the Tom’s Treasure podcast channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Watch With Trust! (8/6/25)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Watch With Trust! (8/6/25)

This is the audio from the August 6, 2025 social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
Matthew 25:13 (NIV)

This week’s prayer guide will focus on the instruction of Jesus for us to keep watch.  As Jesus taught during the week leading up to His crucifixion, He spent time instructing His followers to keep watch.  His teaching found in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew is a good reminder for all of us to live life keeping watch.  When we learn to watch, we often find ourselves learning to also wait as we long for the very thing we don’t yet see.  Pray for a heart, mind, and spirit that keep watch and are not distracted by the noise of the world.  Pray that you would be an active participant in keeping watch rather than a passive bystander to what goes on around you.  Pray for godly patience as your watching for the return of Christ requires you to wait.  Pray that keeping watch would help you to be found ready when Christ returns.

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.”
Matthew 25:14 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to open your eyes to the things He would have you see.  Pray about how you are using the things entrusted to you by God as you watch for the return of Christ.  Pray that you would be a trusted servant of God as you faithfully use the gifts He has placed in your life.

You can find the live video feeds of previous encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page or subscribe to the audio from the Tom’s Treasure podcast channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Watch With Awareness! (8/5/25)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Watch With Awareness! (8/5/25)

This is the audio from the August 5, 2025 social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
Matthew 25:13 (NIV)

This week’s prayer guide will focus on the instruction of Jesus for us to keep watch.  As Jesus taught during the week leading up to His crucifixion, He spent time instructing His followers to keep watch.  His teaching found in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew is a good reminder for all of us to live life keeping watch.  When we learn to watch, we often find ourselves learning to also wait as we long for the very thing we don’t yet see.  Pray for a heart, mind, and spirit that keep watch and are not distracted by the noise of the world.  Pray that you would be an active participant in keeping watch rather than a passive bystander to what goes on around you.  Pray for godly patience as your watching for the return of Christ requires you to wait.  Pray that keeping watch would help you to be found ready when Christ returns.

“’No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you.  Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’”
Matthew 25:9 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to open your eyes to the things He would have you see.  Pray that you would live with an awareness of the importance of what you have in Christ.  Pray about how God wants you to hold fast to that which you have, even as you share with others about the coming return of Christ.

You can find the live video feeds of previous encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page or subscribe to the audio from the Tom’s Treasure podcast channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Watch With Wisdom! (8/4/25)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Watch With Wisdom! (8/4/25)

This is the audio from the August 4, 2025 social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
Matthew 25:13 (NIV)

This week’s prayer guide will focus on the instruction of Jesus for us to keep watch.  As Jesus taught during the week leading up to His crucifixion, He spent time instructing His followers to keep watch.  His teaching found in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew is a good reminder for all of us to live life keeping watch.  When we learn to watch, we often find ourselves learning to also wait as we long for the very thing we don’t yet see.  Pray for a heart, mind, and spirit that keep watch and are not distracted by the noise of the world.  Pray that you would be an active participant in keeping watch rather than a passive bystander to what goes on around you.  Pray for godly patience as your watching for the return of Christ requires you to wait.  Pray that keeping watch would help you to be found ready when Christ returns.

“The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.”
Matthew 25:4 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to open your eyes to the things He would have you see.  Pray that you would be filled with godly wisdom as you watch for the return of Christ.  Pray that your wisdom would lead you to be prepared as your watching is done in a period of waiting.  Pray that God would help you share with others about the wisdom of preparation.

You can find the live video feeds of previous encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page or subscribe to the audio from the Tom’s Treasure podcast channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Following Jesus – Keeping Watch! (Sermon Audio)
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Following Jesus – Keeping Watch! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the August 3, 2025 sermon, “Following Jesus: Keeping Watch!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Matthew 25

 

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” 
Matthew 25:13 (NIV)

As one called by Jesus to “Come, follow me”, Matthew gives us great teaching on what it looks like to live a life which follows Jesus.  In the days leading up to His crucifixion, Jesus becomes laser focused on preparing His followers not only for His death, burial, and resurrection, but also for His ascension and eventual return with a need for us to keep . . .

  • Wise:  Matthew 25:1-5

    • Keeping watch requires a wisdom which knows what it is we are watching for.  As Matthew 25 opens with Jesus telling a parable, we find individuals labeled as wise or foolish with the only difference being pointed out is their preparedness, or lack of preparation.  The Bible tells us that wisdom begins with a fear of the Lord.  We keep watch with wisdom when we prepare ourselves at all times by obedience to God’s Word so that we are always ready for the return of Jesus. 

  • Aware:  Matthew 25:6-13

    • Keeping watch requires an awareness of that which is necessary to be declared right with God.  Our preparedness for the return of Jesus is something we can share about with others so that they might also be ready, but it is not something we can do on their behalf.  The wise in our story were aware of both an unknown time period of waiting and an eventual arrival of the bridegroom.  We keep watch with awareness when we hold fast to our faith in Christ with an unwavering grasp that refuses to give it up for anyone or anything.

  • Trustworthy:  Matthew 25:14-30

    • Keeping watch requires that we are trustworthy with all the Master has given to our care.  In Matthew 25, Jesus makes it clear that what is entrusted to each individual will vary according to an ability known by Him.  The evaluation of our trustworthiness is not based on equal results, but rather on faithfulness in using what has been given to us.  We keep watch as one who is trustworthy when we treat with value every good and perfect gift which God has placed in our life, and then we use that gift with faithfulness for the good of God’s kingdom.

  • Compassionate:  Matthew 25:31-36

    • Keeping watch requires a compassionate attitude and practice toward all people in keeping with how we would treat Christ Himself.  As Jesus tells a story depicting the scene which will unfold at the end of this age, He speaks of a separation of people according to how they treated others.  We obviously know from the context of Scripture that we don’t earn salvation through our good deeds toward anyone, however our good deeds do reflect the transformation which God has done in our heart.  We keep watch as one who is compassionate when we both notice and join the suffering of others in ways which share the goodness of God’s presence with them.

  • Humble:  Matthew 25:37-40

    • Keeping watch requires a humility which understands our being able to endure the return of Christ is only possible by His faithfulness.  This is a humility which recognizes that our wisdom, awareness, trustworthiness, and compassion are only good to the extent that they come from God and are used for His purposes.  The people who showed compassion to the hungry, thirsty, lonely, naked, sick, or imprisoned and were welcomed into the Master’s happiness had such a humility that they were unaware that they had done anything special for Jesus.  We keep watch as one who is humble when we do what is right with no expectation of recognition simply because it is right.

Today, how will you keep WATCH?