knowledge

A Time To REST? (Sermon Audio)
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A Time To REST? (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the January 2, 2022 sermon, “A Time To REST?”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

Text:  Mark 6:30-44

God created us with a need to rest.  He even set the example for us as we see in scripture following the creation of all things that on the seventh day God rested from all His work.  But rest done God’s way isn’t strictly about us and often helps us to see how God would have us to be involved in the lives of others.  So when our idea of rest seems to be interrupted, perhaps it would be good to consider a time to . . .

  • Retreat.  Mark 6:30-32
    • Finding a place of quiet solitude can be a good thing from time to time.  Making the time to be alone with His Father appears to be a priority of Jesus not only in His actions, but also in the teaching of His disciples.  Even in the midst of good work and productive ministry, briefly stepping back from the needs of people can help us have a better view of things from God’s perspective.  While a time to retreat is good, and even necessary at times, it alone will not assure true rest.
  • Encourage.  Mark 6:33-34
    • Even as Jesus made plans to withdraw to a quiet place with His disciples, a crowd of people ended up arriving at the intended destination even before He did.  Rather than turn around and go back to where they had come from, or even seek out a more secluded place, Jesus took notice of the crowd and had compassion on them.  At their intended place of retreat, Jesus took the opportunity to encourage the people as He began to teach.  When we recognize that our desire for rest isn’t all about us, we are more likely to use our times of stepping away from routine to encourage those we encounter in our quiet places.
  • Serve.  Mark 6:35-40
    • Just as our desire for a time to rest may involve retreat and encouraging others, we may discover it is also a time to serve.  I know it probably sounds strange to think of a time to rest as being a time to serve, yet there is something uniquely refreshing about serving when you know without a doubt that it is God serving others through you.  As Jesus called the disciples to serve the crowd, they did a quick tally and concluded that the task was too big.  When Jesus tells them to see what they can find, I believe He does so to emphasize the impossibility of the task by human standards.  When we serve outside of our comfort zone in ways that require God to work through us, I believe we not only find a time to rest, but also a time of rest.
  • Thank.  Mark 6:41-44
    • Even before the crowd was fed and the leftovers collected, Jesus paused and recognized a time to thank.  Someone has once said (and interestingly the source is greatly debated) that it is amazing what can be accomplished if you don’t care who gets the credit.  I believe that even greater is what can be accomplished if you set out to deliberately give God the credit.  Perhaps one of the reasons we become so weary at times is because we’ve convinced ourselves that everything in front of us has been accomplished by us.  We wear ourselves out just thinking of all we have done.  We are most prepared to find a time to rest when we make it a priority to have a time to thank God.  It is in offering thanks to God that we acknowledge His hand in our life and we are able to lift Jesus up so that many would be drawn to Him.

Do you need a time to REST?
How will a deliberate life of Retreat, Encouragement, Service, and Thanks help you experience a greater rest?

Encouragement and Prayer: Remember the Warnings of God! (12/31/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Remember the Warnings of God! (12/31/21)

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This is the audio from the December 31, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.”
John 16:4 (NIV)

As we prepare to finish another year it is a good time to pause and remember some things that God would have us never forget.  While we each have events take place which seem like they will be forever etched in our mind, experience says that without a consistent reminder we will likely forget most of those memorable events.  For this reason, God is constantly calling us to remember as He gives us reminders and memorials to help us do so.

As you pray this week, ask God to help you understand your own weaknesses and seek His help in remembering the things that are of utmost importance.  Pray that you would remember the warnings of Jesus when trouble comes so that you are prepared to trust Him.  Pray that the people around you would remember both the promises and warnings of God.

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: Remember the Name of the Lord! (12/30/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Remember the Name of the Lord! (12/30/21)

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This is the audio from the December 30, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“In the night I remember your name, O LORD, and I will keep your law.”
Psalm 119:55 (NIV)

As we prepare to finish another year it is a good time to pause and remember some things that God would have us never forget.  While we each have events take place which seem like they will be forever etched in our mind, experience says that without a consistent reminder we will likely forget most of those memorable events.  For this reason, God is constantly calling us to remember as He gives us reminders and memorials to help us do so.

As you pray this week, ask God to help you understand your own weaknesses and seek His help in remembering the things that are of utmost importance.  Pray that God’s name would always be on your mind as He draws you to follow His ways.  Pray that a remembrance of God’s name would lead you to honor that name with your life in everything you do.  Pray that the people around you would see you as keeping God’s name holy.

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: Remember the Laws of God! (12/29/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Remember the Laws of God! (12/29/21)

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This is the audio from the December 29, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“I remember your ancient laws, O LORD, and I find comfort in them.”
Psalm 119:52 (NIV)

As we prepare to finish another year it is a good time to pause and remember some things that God would have us never forget.  While we each have events take place which seem like they will be forever etched in our mind, experience says that without a consistent reminder we will likely forget most of those memorable events.  For this reason, God is constantly calling us to remember as He gives us reminders and memorials to help us do so.

As you pray this week, ask God to help you understand your own weaknesses and seek His help in remembering the things that are of utmost importance.  Pray that you would find comfort in remembering the laws of God.  Pray that your path each day would be lived according to the laws of God.  Pray that the people around you would know you as one who remembers God’s laws because they see you keeping them.

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: Remember the Works of God! (12/28/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Remember the Works of God! (12/28/21)

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This is the audio from the December 28, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.”
Psalm 77:11 (NIV)

As we prepare to finish another year it is a good time to pause and remember some things that God would have us never forget.  While we each have events take place which seem like they will be forever etched in our mind, experience says that without a consistent reminder we will likely forget most of those memorable events.  For this reason, God is constantly calling us to remember as He gives us reminders and memorials to help us do so.

As you pray this week, ask God to help you understand your own weaknesses and seek His help in remembering the things that are of utmost importance.  Pray that you would not forget the mighty works of God from days of long ago, nor from your own days.  Pray that your remembrance of God’s work would help you grow in faith.  Pray that the people around you would hear of the mighty works of God from you.

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

In prayer,
Tom

Emmanuel: God With US (Sermon Audio)
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Emmanuel: God With US (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the December 26, 2021 sermon, “Emmanuel: God With US”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  Matthew 1:23, John 1:14,16

Jesus came to be God with us and then calls us to represent Him as we allow God to interact with others through us.

God Through US
John 14:11-12, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

When we consider what it looks like for Jesus to live on earth as God with us, we should get a glimpse of how we should represent Him as His ambassador to those who need to not only see God with us, but they need to know God with them.  We do that most effectively when we put into practice the characteristics of Jesus as God with . . .

  • Understanding.  Luke 2:47, James 3:13, Hebrews 4:15-16
    • Not only did Jesus have an understanding of scripture that was unrivaled, He displayed an understanding of people through His willingness to be with them.  In fact, the Bible tells us that we have a high priest in Jesus that understands fully all of our struggles and temptations and comes to us in mercy and grace.  We live as those whom God is with when we pursue a life of understanding and display that understanding through humble interactions with others.  Our willingness to listen to others with an attitude of grace and mercy will help show others that God is with us . . . and that He desires to be with them.
  • Service.  Matthew 20:27-28, 1 Peter 4:10
    • Not only did Jesus come to be with us in understanding, He came to serve.  His entire life of ministry and serving led to the ultimate act of service in going to the cross to pay the penalty for our sin.  We live as those whom God is with when we learn to serve others according to their need.  God’s understanding of the sinful nature of people did not lead Him to distance Himself in condemnation.  Rather, through Jesus, He humbled Himself and took on the form of a servant in order to become servant to all.  Our willingness to serve others, regardless of how much we think they do or don’t deserve it, will help show people that God is with us . . . and that He desires to be with them.

Since God is with us, how is He being seen through us?

Stories of the Heart: Jesus and Spoiled Food! (12/19/21)
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Stories of the Heart: Jesus and Spoiled Food! (12/19/21)

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As expected, internet connection has not allowed the live video broadcasts while I am in Kentucky helping with disaster relief and cleanup and I’ve not been able to upload recorded video at this time.  It is looking like I will be here through Christmas Eve, so I will try posting some “Jesus in the midst of disaster” stories as I get the opportunity.

Here is one from this past week:

Spoiled Food and Jesus

Walking through one of the hardest hit areas of Bowling Green, I encountered many people who weren’t sure what they needed but definitely needed someone to listen to their story.  The typical initial response is often that they don’t need anything.  After receiving that response at one home, I asked about their experience and after listening to their story I again asked if there was anything at all we could help with.  With a hint of embarrassment, I learned they had been trying to clean out the refrigerator that had been without power for 6 days and the process was overwhelming to them.  The relief that was expressed when I said we could do that was great.  After hauling out the spoiled food, the offer was again made to provide additional help and I soon found that the spoiled food encounter had opened up the opportunity to not only do more for this family, but to share with them the good news of why we were doing it – that God’s love for them is great and our compassion toward them was because of God’s great love for us.  When our work was done, we prayed for the family and went on our way knowing that seeds had been planted and Jesus had been present in the disposal of spoiled food.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Pursuing Peace With One Another! (12/14/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Pursuing Peace With One Another! (12/14/21)

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This is the audio from the December 14, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
Mark 9:50 (NIV)

While many will gather at Christmas time and sing of “peace on earth, goodwill toward men”, for many the stresses of life make this season anything but peaceful.  Whether you think you need it or not, we can all use a gentle reminder that God wants His children to pursue peace.  It seems nearly everyone loves the idea of peace, but few actually obtain it because we want peace according to our definition and standards rather than God’s.

As you pray this week, use the suggestions each day but most of all allow God’s Word to soak into your life and direct how you pray and who you pray for.  Pay attention to any changes and/or actions God would be calling you to make that would lead you to a more deliberate pursuit of peace.  Pray that you would recognize the importance of being at peace with one another and make the effort to season your surroundings with peace.  Pray that you would pursue peace with others in a way that preserves what is good.

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

In prayer,
Tom