Ministry

Encouragement and Prayer: A Godly Example of Diligent Work! (06/22/22)
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Encouragement and Prayer: A Godly Example of Diligent Work! (06/22/22)

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This is the audio from the June 22, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.  So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”
1 Corinthians 10:11-12 (NIV)

Throughout scripture we are told to view various things as examples of God’s mercy, His judgment, His patience, His love, and the list goes on.  This week our focus will be on praying about the examples we learn from and the example we ought to be.  As we celebrate Father’s Day, it is important to realize we have a perfect loving Father to follow regardless of our relationship with our own father.  Not only does God set the example through His nature and the life of His Son, He gives us godly examples throughout His Word for us to follow and learn from.

“For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you.”
2 Thessalonians 3:7 (NIV)

 As you pray this week, ask God to help you learn from the examples found in scripture.  Pray that you would follow godly examples of those who work faithfully for the cause of Christ.  Pray that your example as a worker would help others see Christ more clearly.  Pray that your diligent work would serve as an example to others in providing for yourself and for those in need.

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: A Godly Example to Follow Jesus! (06/21/22)
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Encouragement and Prayer: A Godly Example to Follow Jesus! (06/21/22)

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This is the audio from the June 21, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.  So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”
1 Corinthians 10:11-12 (NIV)

Throughout scripture we are told to view various things as examples of God’s mercy, His judgment, His patience, His love, and the list goes on.  This week our focus will be on praying about the examples we learn from and the example we ought to be.  As we celebrate Father’s Day, it is important to realize we have a perfect loving Father to follow regardless of our relationship with our own father.  Not only does God set the example through His nature and the life of His Son, He gives us godly examples throughout His Word for us to follow and learn from.

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)

 As you pray this week, ask God to help you learn from the examples found in scripture.  Pray that God would surround you with people who are faithfully following Jesus.  Pray that you would learn to be a godly example as you grow in following the example of Christ.  Pray that your life would be a consistent example.  Pray that Jesus would be seen clearly in the way you live.

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: A Godly Example to Serve Others! (06/20/22)
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Encouragement and Prayer: A Godly Example to Serve Others! (06/20/22)

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This is the audio from the June 20, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.  So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”
1 Corinthians 10:11-12 (NIV)

Throughout scripture we are told to view various things as examples of God’s mercy, His judgment, His patience, His love, and the list goes on.  This week our focus will be on praying about the examples we learn from and the example we ought to be.  As we celebrate Father’s Day, it is important to realize we have a perfect loving Father to follow regardless of our relationship with our own father.  Not only does God set the example through His nature and the life of His Son, He gives us godly examples throughout His Word for us to follow and learn from.  As you pray this week, ask God to help you learn from the examples found in scripture.  Pray that you would always have people in your life that serve as spiritual fathers and mentors.  Pray that you would live in such a way that you are a godly example to others.

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
John 13:14-15 (NIV)

Pray that you would have eyes that notice the needs of others and have a willingness to serve them.  Pray that you would be a godly example to  others as you serve in every way possible.

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

In prayer,
Tom

Training a Courageous SON (Or Daughter)! (Sermon Audio)
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Training a Courageous SON (Or Daughter)! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the June 19, 2022 sermon, “Training a Courageous SON (Or Daughter)”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  Deuteronomy 31:7-8, Judges 2:7

As we prepare for a journey through the book of Joshua, it is important to consider who Joshua is and why he chose to act with courage.  I believe the obvious answer is God, but I also believe that in many ways he was trained by Moses as a man would train a son.  When we look at Moses as a spiritual father to Joshua there are lessons each of us can learn, regardless of whether we are a son or daughter, father or mother, or simply a person investing in the lives of others.  When applied universally, we learn to train a courageous . . .

  • Servant.  Exodus 33:11, Deuteronomy 3:28, Exodus 24:13, Joshua 24:15
    • We train a courageous son or daughter when we train a courageous servant.  Joshua spent time not only with Moses as his “young aide”, he also spent time with God.  He learned to serve and he learned the value of choosing to serve.  A courageous servant is one who discovers what God wants and then follows through with doing it regardless of who else might stand with him or against him.
  • Observer.  Deuteronomy 3:21, Exodus 17:14, Numbers 13:16, Numbers 14:5
    • We train a courageous son or daughter when we train a courageous observer.  Not only was Joshua good at learning what he was taught, he was good at learning through what he observed.  Even when he saw the same things that everyone else saw, he saw them in a different way as he looked through the lens of God’s will.  A courageous observer is one who not only notices the things around him, he acts on them according to God’s Word.
  • Nature.  Numbers 27:18, Numbers 32:12, Deuteronomy 34:9
    • We train a courageous son or daughter when we train a courageous nature.  Courage and obedience to God are not natural products of our flesh, but they are the supernatural product of God’s Spirit within us.  Joshua was known as one who had a different spirit and understanding because his nature had been trained to pursue God in all things.  A courageous nature will lead us to not only imitate Christ in everything, but to be aware of how that represents Jesus in all we do

Who is training you?  Who are you training?

Prayer Lessons from Nehemiah (SCC Prayer Seminar)
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Prayer Lessons from Nehemiah (SCC Prayer Seminar)

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This is the audio and outline from session two with the leaders during a June 2022 prayer seminar held at the Spencer Christian Church in Taylorsville, Kentucky.

Text:  Nehemiah 1 & 2

Before Nehemiah led the people of Israel in the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, he was serving as a cup-bearer to a foreign king.  As the book that bears his name opens, I find some incredible lessons about prayer as he sought to both know and do God’s will.

  1. Seek accurate evaluations.
  2. Seek God’s perspective.
  3. Talk to God honestly about who He is and who you are.
  4. Remember God’s promises.
  5. Request mercy and favor.
  6. Be honest and courageous in your reporting.
  7. Talk to God before you answer others.
  8. Give God’s answers, not your own.
  9. Count the costs; do your homework.
  10. Trust God for His answer.

Who’s in charge of your prayer life?
Who gets the credit when God works in your life and in your church?

“When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.”
Nehemiah 6:16 (NIV)

Encouragement and Prayer: Guided By Integrity! (06/17/22)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Guided By Integrity! (06/17/22)

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This is the audio from the June 17, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
Matthew 5:37 (NIV)

As we continue to grow in A Lifestyle of Prayer, it is important to remember prayer should be a lifestyle, not an event.  View prayer as your first priority, not as the last resort.  This week we will focus our prayer emphasis on some things that God says about integrity.  Selfishness and situational ethics have made integrity a dying characteristic — everyone else does “it”, so will I.  Integrity is a part of God’s nature so it is a characteristic we ought to pursue in our life in order to better reflect Jesus to the world.

“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”
Proverbs 11:3 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you grow in your commitment to letting your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’.  Pray that your pursuit of God would fill you with an integrity that guides your every step.  Pray for a life of faithfulness that is guided by integrity.  Pray that the people around you would avoid destruction by seeking God in a life of integrity.

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: Leading With Integrity! (06/16/22)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Leading With Integrity! (06/16/22)

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This is the audio from the June 16, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
Matthew 5:37 (NIV)

As we continue to grow in A Lifestyle of Prayer, it is important to remember prayer should be a lifestyle, not an event.  View prayer as your first priority, not as the last resort.  This week we will focus our prayer emphasis on some things that God says about integrity.  Selfishness and situational ethics have made integrity a dying characteristic — everyone else does “it”, so will I.  Integrity is a part of God’s nature so it is a characteristic we ought to pursue in our life in order to better reflect Jesus to the world.

“And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.”
Psalm 78:72 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you grow in your commitment to letting your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’.  Pray that all leading you do, whether considered big or small, would be done with integrity.  Pray that all those who lead within God’s kingdom would do so with a heart of integrity.  Pray that the people around you would both lead with integrity and be involved in choosing leaders with integrity.

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

In prayer,
Tom

Growing As Leaders Who PRAY (SCC Prayer Seminar)
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Growing As Leaders Who PRAY (SCC Prayer Seminar)

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This is the audio and outline from session one with the leaders during a June 2022 prayer seminar held at the Spencer Christian Church in Taylorsville, Kentucky.

Text:  Colossians 4:2-6, Isaiah 40:30-31

For me, one of the comforting aspects of the Isaiah 40:30-31 passage is the acknowledgement that even youths grow weary and tired.  It serves as a reminder that we all experience circumstances of life that wear us down and we find ourselves in need of renewal.  The good news is that God says those who wait upon Him, or put their hope in Him, will be renewed.  Learning to put our hope in the Lord and wait upon Him helps us to lead as we . . .

  • Pause.  Colossians 4:2, Proverbs 24:32
    • Learning to pause can be a valuable tool to help us grow in a lifestyle of prayer.  It is often the lack of a pause that gets us into trouble as our nature has a tendency to want to respond out of the emotions that are stirred up by what we see and hear.  When we watch and pause, we take time to observe carefully and seek God’s perspective on what is really going on.  Practicing the pause is done when we spend time with God in prayer and His Word so that we are the sheep who hear His voice and know His voice.
  • Request.  Colossians 4:3-4, Philippians 4:6
    • By beginning with a pause that seeks God above all else, our requests are refined to remove the typical selfishness that seems to be a part of mankind’s nature.  Watching what is really going on around us should lead us to requests that God would use us to speak boldly and lovingly about the good news of Jesus.  When we are devoted to prayer in a way that is watchful and thankful, our requests of God tend to have a more eternal perspective as we realize the temporary nature of this life on earth.
  • Act.  Colossians 4:5, Proverbs 3:27
    • Learning to watch and act means that we are listening to God and being obedient when He calls us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the people around us.  Many times we make our requests known to God and then we sit back and expect God or someone else to make them happen.  Learning to pause and request doesn’t negate the need to act — it just puts the action that we take into the proper perspective of being directed by God.  When you pray and make your requests known to God, especially requests for others, it is important that you also listen for the great possibility that God will call you to act in response to that request.
  • Yield.  Colossians 4:6, Matthew 6:10
    • This may be the most difficult part of learning to watch and pray for many people.  Yielding to God’s authority in all things means that we are not in charge.  When we learn to let our words be seasoned with grace, we yield the need to be right about everything and we remove ourselves from the position of pretending we are God.  Even when we pause, request, and act, we must be careful that our will is fully yielded to God and that we are not simply using a false spirituality to push our ways on others.  Learning to watch and pray leads us to a point of joining in the prayer of Jesus, “Not my will, but yours be done.”

What do you need to work on in order to PRAY as you lead? 

What could happen if you were to PRAY as the foundation of leading?