Ministry

Serving God: Purity Of Speech
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Serving God: Purity Of Speech

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 twelfth 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:
Purity Of Speech

“Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.  Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies.“
Psalm 141:3-4 (NIV)

How well do you guard what comes out of your mouth?  How about the words that you post on social media?  Are there conversations that you have in person or online that you would be embarrassed about if your parents or preacher were to hear them?  Do you ever begin a conversation or social media post with the phrase, “pardon the language”?  Why?  What does the words that you are comfortable using and hearing say about you?  What influence does the purity of your speech have on the effectiveness of your service to others?

I believe it is important to have purity of speech both in the content and in the intent of the words we use.  Many people think I’m old-fashioned when I cringe at the language that Christians use freely or when they feel a disclaimer is adequate to allow for foul language.  We like to say they’re just words but Jesus said that it is out of the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks.  When our speech is impure, it is a sign that our heart needs some cleaning too.  As you pray, ask God to help you examine the words you use in both spoken and written forms.  Pray that you would put a guard over your speech so that you may serve others with complete purity.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer: Purity Of Your Walk (03/31/21)

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This is the audio from the March 31, 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: Purity Of Your Walk
by

Serving God: Purity Of Your Walk

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 twelfth 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:
Purity Of Your Walk

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.“
Psalm 119:9-10 (NIV)

How often do you think about having a purity in the way you live?  Does the level of purity in your daily walk reflect how much attention you pay to it?  How often do you realize that you are being tempted to not keep your way pure?  Are you likely tempted more often than you realize?  How does God say a person can keep their way pure?  What would living according to God’s Word require from you?  How does keeping your daily walk pure help you as you serve others?

We live in a time when most people would agree that keeping one’s self pure in their daily walk is a difficult thing.  God says that the way to keep our way pure is to follow His instructions.  It is so easy, as we go about life each day, to let distractions keep us from considering what God’s Word says about the way we ought to walk.  It is time spent in God’s Word that becomes the straightedge in our life to see if our way is pure or not.  When our way is pure, then our serving reflects God’s Word into the lives of people.  As you pray, ask God to fill you with a desire to walk in a pure way.  Pray that you would meditate on, and live by, the Word of God so that your way is pure as you serve the people around you.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer: Purity Of Heart (03/30/21)

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This is the audio from the March 30, 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: Purity Of Heart
by

Serving God: Purity Of Heart

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 twelfth 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:
Purity Of Heart

“Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.“
Psalm 51:9-12 (NIV)

Do you consider yourself to be an emotional person?  Would your closest friends agree with your answer?  How often are your actions driven by your emotions?  When are some times your emotions have led you to say or do something that you later realized you shouldn’t have?  When are some times when your emotions have led you in a good direction?  What made the difference?  How does having a purity of heart (emotions) help you to serve others well?

While not everyone displays or expresses their emotions in the same ways, we all have emotions that can drive us to serve well or to serve poorly.  In the American culture I live in, when I think of God creating in me a pure heart, I think of having pure emotions.  The emotions that we feel and experience are not a surprise to God.  The emotions are His gift to us but how we react to them and what we do with them is our choice.  Love, hate, anger, sadness, and whatever emotion you want to list, have all been experienced by God yet He does so in a way that is completely pure.  As you pray, ask God to help you be pure in heart at all times.  Pray that the emotions that well up within you would be pure as you serve others.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer: Purity In a Fear of the Lord (03/29/21)

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This is the audio from the March 29, 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: Purity In a Fear of the Lord
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Serving God: Purity In a Fear of the Lord

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 twelfth 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:
Purity In a Fear of the Lord

“The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.“
Psalm 19:9 (NIV)

Is there someone in your life that you respect and love so much that you would do everything in your power to avoid hurting them with your words and actions?  Who?  When are some times that a knowledge of consequences keep you determined to do what is right?  How does the purity of an authority influence your willingness to obey them?  Do you view the phrase, “Fear of the Lord”, in a positive or negative way?  Why?  How would having a pure fear of the Lord help you as you serve others?

Very few of us, if any, like to be manipulated or feel that we are being manipulated.  When we have a fear of the Lord that is pure, we understand that His actions are always looking out for our best.  Yes, the fear of the Lord contains an awareness of consequences if we disobey Him, but the element of purity helps us to realize even the consequences are designed not to harm us but to draw us back to Him.  As you pray, ask God to put within you a fear of the Lord which is pure.  Pray that you would desire to do right because of God’s love for you.  Pray that you would serve with a purity that comes from a fear of the Lord.

In prayer,

Tom

Proclaiming the King of KINGS (Sermon Audio)
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Proclaiming the King of KINGS (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the March 28, 2021 sermon, “Proclaiming the King of KINGS”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

Text:  Luke 19:28-48

We honor God when we proclaim Jesus as king . . . but not just as the king we want, but as the King of KINGS!

Here is the outline to go with this message:

  • King of all Knowledge.  Luke 19:30
    • Jesus had knowledge of what His disciples would find and He has knowledge of every detail of your life.
  • King of all Instruction.  Luke 19:31
    • The instructions of Jesus are to be followed — not only by owners of donkeys, but by every one of us.
  • King of all Nature.  Luke 19:40
    • Nature proclaims the glory of God as it all exists by His word — we ought to do likewise.
  • King of all Goodness.  Luke 19:41
    • Jesus knew what was coming for Himself as well as for the people and He wept because of His love for us.
  • King of all Service.  Luke 19:47
    • Jesus continued to serve even as the leaders sought to kill Him.  We ought to do the same.