Encouragement and Prayer: Grow In Faith! (9/12/24)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Grow In Faith! (9/12/24)

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This is the audio from the September 12, 2024 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.”
Zechariah 2:11 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will be about our need to grow!  Far too often we think of church growth as being all about increasing attendance in a church building. The Bible says God adds to the number those who are being saved, so we can’t ignore numerical growth.  However, when the Bible talks about our need to grow, it is most often talking about the individual Christian growing so that the body as a whole will be healthy.  When we spend time with God seeking to grow in Christ, we find that we are less distracted by the things the enemy will use in an attempt to keep us from maturing.  Pray that you would never lose sight of the need for growth in your life.  Pray that you would experience healthy growth in Christ that will benefit the entire body of Christ.  Pray that your growth would be according to the instruction from your Head, Christ.

“We ought always to thank God for you, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.”
2 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you see how you need to grow.  Pray that you would grow in the faith required to love others as you ought.  Pray that you would live by faith in a way that increases your love for others.  Pray that you would be thankful for the way God is growing faith in others.

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: Grow In Knowledge! (9/11/24)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Grow In Knowledge! (9/11/24)

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This is the audio from the September 11, 2024 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.”
Zechariah 2:11 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will be about our need to grow!  Far too often we think of church growth as being all about increasing attendance in a church building. The Bible says God adds to the number those who are being saved, so we can’t ignore numerical growth.  However, when the Bible talks about our need to grow, it is most often talking about the individual Christian growing so that the body as a whole will be healthy.  When we spend time with God seeking to grow in Christ, we find that we are less distracted by the things the enemy will use in an attempt to keep us from maturing.  Pray that you would never lose sight of the need for growth in your life.  Pray that you would experience healthy growth in Christ that will benefit the entire body of Christ.  Pray that your growth would be according to the instruction from your Head, Christ.

“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.”
Colossians 1:10 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you see how you need to grow.  Pray that you would grow in knowledge where it counts — knowledge of God.  Pray that your knowledge would help you live a life that pleases the Lord.

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: Grow In Love! (9/10/24)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Grow In Love! (9/10/24)

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This is the audio from the September 10, 2024 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.”
Zechariah 2:11 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will be about our need to grow!  Far too often we think of church growth as being all about increasing attendance in a church building. The Bible says God adds to the number those who are being saved, so we can’t ignore numerical growth.  However, when the Bible talks about our need to grow, it is most often talking about the individual Christian growing so that the body as a whole will be healthy.  When we spend time with God seeking to grow in Christ, we find that we are less distracted by the things the enemy will use in an attempt to keep us from maturing.  Pray that you would never lose sight of the need for growth in your life.  Pray that you would experience healthy growth in Christ that will benefit the entire body of Christ.  Pray that your growth would be according to the instruction from your Head, Christ.

“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
Ephesians 4:16 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you see how you need to grow.  Pray that you would grow in love as you care about how others grow by you doing your part in the body.  Pray that you would live in a way that everything is held together by godly love.

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: Grow By God’s Power! (9/9/24)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Grow By God’s Power! (9/9/24)

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This is the audio from the September 9, 2024 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.”
Zechariah 2:11 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will be about our need to grow!  Far too often we think of church growth as being all about increasing attendance in a church building. The Bible says God adds to the number those who are being saved, so we can’t ignore numerical growth.  However, when the Bible talks about our need to grow, it is most often talking about the individual Christian growing so that the body as a whole will be healthy.  When we spend time with God seeking to grow in Christ, we find that we are less distracted by the things the enemy will use in an attempt to keep us from maturing.  Pray that you would never lose sight of the need for growth in your life.  Pray that you would experience healthy growth in Christ that will benefit the entire body of Christ.  Pray that your growth would be according to the instruction from your Head, Christ.

“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
1 Corinthians 3:7 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you see how you need to grow.  Pray that you would know and follow the source of true growth.  Pray that you would be actively involved in helping your growth even as you trust God’s power to cause it.  Pray that the people around you would grow by  God’s power.

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

In prayer,
Tom

Godly Vision – Vision To GROW! (Sermon Audio)
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Godly Vision – Vision To GROW! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the September 8, 2024 sermon, “Vision To GROW!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Zechariah 2

“Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.”
Zechariah 2:11 (NIV)

As God revealed Himself in Old Testament times to His chosen people, He often did so in visions seen by His prophets.  Zechariah was one of those prophets who was given a series of godly visions to share with God’s people of his time and with God’s people of today.  Today we begin a sermon series from the book of Zechariah as we consider how his godly vision should teach us now.  As we gaze into God’s Word, we find this Godly Vision extended beyond the physical realm of Jerusalem as God was adding to His kingdom a citizenry from all nations.  When we attempt to define the boundaries of God’s kingdom, He reveals to us a vision to . . .

  • Go:  Zechariah 2:1-2

    • A vision to grow involves the need to recognize we are representatives of Jesus everywhere we go.  We may go places with our own agenda and ideas of what we are doing, but God desires to use us in ways that are bigger than we often imagine.  When we acknowledge Jesus as being in charge of everything, including us, we are filled with a vision to go simply because He says so.

  • Report:  Zechariah 2:3-5

    • A vision to grow will call for us to report all that we have seen Jesus do in our life.  When we live as one responding to the good news of Jesus, we grow in faith and we grow the kingdom when we tell others our story of encountering the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  It is in this report that we begin to realize the kingdom of God cannot be confined in ways that physical kingdoms are.  

  • Observe:  Zechariah 2:6-9

    • A vision to grow means that we will observe the things of God in ways that not only notice God’s commands, but we keep them.  Part of our responsibility as God’s child is to teach others to observe everything commanded by Jesus.  It is through our life of giving value to all of God’s Word by our obedience to it, we help others grow through our teaching and example.

  • Worship:  Zechariah 2:10-13

    • A vision to grow will lead us to a greater expression of worship as we realize it is God who is bringing about the growth.  Our response to going everywhere with the good news of Jesus not only leads us to a greater obedience, it leads us to worshiping God with the whole heart He desires for us to have.

Today, how will you GROW?

Encouragement and Prayer: Return With Love and Justice! (9/6/24)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Return With Love and Justice! (9/6/24)

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This is the audio from the September 6, 2024 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
Zechariah 1:3 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on God’s desire that we, and those around us, would return to Him whenever we stray.  One of the greatest promises of God is that there is always a way home from wherever we are.  Foundational to the vision God desires each of us to live with is an awareness we can always come home.  Pray for those you know, perhaps even yourself, who are distant from God and need to know they can return.  Pray that your life would reflect the openness of God to those who are looking for a way home.  Pray that you would know how to return to God so that you would be able to help lead others back to Him also.  Pray for a  heart of compassion that accepts those returning to God with the same joy that He has.

“But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.”
Hosea 12:6 (NIV)

As you pray this week, consider if there are areas of your life in which you need to return to God.  Pray that love and justice would always be at the core of your relationship with God.  Pray that the people around you would return to God to find true love and justice.  Pray that you would not give up on yourself, others, or God as you maintain love and justice.

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: Return With a Whole Heart! (9/5/24)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Return With a Whole Heart! (9/5/24)

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This is the audio from the September 5, 2024 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
Zechariah 1:3 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on God’s desire that we, and those around us, would return to Him whenever we stray.  One of the greatest promises of God is that there is always a way home from wherever we are.  Foundational to the vision God desires each of us to live with is an awareness we can always come home.  Pray for those you know, perhaps even yourself, who are distant from God and need to know they can return.  Pray that your life would reflect the openness of God to those who are looking for a way home.  Pray that you would know how to return to God so that you would be able to help lead others back to Him also.  Pray for a  heart of compassion that accepts those returning to God with the same joy that He has.

“I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.”
Jeremiah 24:7 (NIV)

As you pray this week, consider if there are areas of your life in which you need to return to God.  Pray that you would accurately examine how much of your heart you have surrendered to God.  Pray that you would realize the heart God has given you is one that was created to seek after Him with a whole heart.

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: Return With Joy! (9/4/24)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Return With Joy! (9/4/24)

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This is the audio from the September 4, 2024 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
Zechariah 1:3 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on God’s desire that we, and those around us, would return to Him whenever we stray.  One of the greatest promises of God is that there is always a way home from wherever we are.  Foundational to the vision God desires each of us to live with is an awareness we can always come home.  Pray for those you know, perhaps even yourself, who are distant from God and need to know they can return.  Pray that your life would reflect the openness of God to those who are looking for a way home.  Pray that you would know how to return to God so that you would be able to help lead others back to Him also.  Pray for a  heart of compassion that accepts those returning to God with the same joy that He has.

“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.”
Psalm 126:5-6 (NIV)

As you pray this week, consider if there are areas of your life in which you need to return to God.  Pray that God would give you a glimpse beyond your current sorrow to see the joy that comes in His harvest.  Pray for a heart that goes out to people as you plant the seeds of the gospel through all that you say and do.

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

In prayer,
Tom