The Father’s Gift – Jesus the Creator – Eric Watt – Part 1

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God invites you into His destiny

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master’s happiness.” Matthew 25:21

God has a mission, a plan for this world and you play a key role in it! Through His own choosing He has determined that each of us are a part of His body at work in the world (I Corinthians 12:27).

Like an earthly father entrusts his children with increasing responsibility over time, so the Heavenly Father awaits you to be faithful in the smaller duties He has awarded so that He can expand your territory.

Prayer: Dear Father, I thank You for placing me perfectly in Your kingdom’s plan. Today, I make the commitment not to look at the work of others or be distracted by the activity around me.

I will begin here and now to be excellent, thorough and joyful about the work in front of me, knowing that as I bloom where I am, You will be faithful to increase the opportunities for me in the future. Thank You for caring so much for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Rose Marie Bohs…”Tag You’re It”!

If you haven’t attended a women’s ministry event, this title “Tag You’re It” puzzles you.  Well, please allow me to share what this means at Greenbrier.  We have taken on a new tradition to honor a woman in our Greenbrier family that shows the true heart of a servant.  The woman chosen at each event takes on tasks without hesitation, goes that extra step to make others feel welcome and special and more than likely has her heart and hands in more than one ministry!  This month we are excited to honor Rose Marie Bohs!

Thank you Rose Marie for all that you do to serve in our church family to reach beyond water and walls.  It is our desire that you feel as blessed as you make all of us feel!

Angel Tree Outreach @ Geneva

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And you know that means our Annual Angel Tree Outreach is just around the corner. Our event is on Saturday, December 13th from 5 PM to 7 PM. This year we will be hosting a party for 130 children from the Geneva and Chesapeake Mobile Home Park right there at the community center.

Starting November 30th, our Angel Tree will be displayed in the foyer (next to our PEACE wall). There are 130 gift tags on the tree with a description of a child along with the gift idea they would like to receive. Each year our Greenbrier families graciously purchase gifts for these incredible children and we pass them out at the outreach on Saturday, December 13th.

Many volunteers are needed to make this outreach a huge success. We need 20 table hosts, 12 food servers and 8 gift givers. Volunteers will receive special instructions on their roles and when to arrive to be ready to receive our guests. Please contact Pastor Curtis if you are interested in serving this Holiday Season.

Communicating with Each Other Effectively

I really enjoyed reading this week’s Discipleship Tip of the Week from Anne Ortlund (see below). Imagine if we could master these 13 ways to communicate to one another. Our Small Groups @ Greenbrier would be even more incredible than they are now.

May the joy of the Lord be yours this week!

Pastor Curtis

(excerpt from Anne Ortlund’s Discipleship Tip of the Week)

Has your group studied the ways the New Testament tells us to communicate with each other as believers? When you take out the repetitions there are 13:

1. Suffering together: 1 Cor. 12:26
2. Rejoicing together: Rom. 12:15
3. Carrying each other’s burdens: Gal. 6:2
4. Restoring each other: Gal. 6:1
5. Praying for one another: Rom. 15:30
6. Teaching and admonishing each other: Col. 3:16
7. Refreshing one another: Rom. 15:32
8. Encouraging each other: Rom. 1:12
9. Forgiving one another: Eph. 4:32
10. Confessing to one another: James 5:16
11. Being truthful with one another: Eph. 4:25
12. Spurring one another toward good deeds: Heb. 10:24
13. Giving to one another: Phil. 4:14,15.

At the bottom of my copy of this list I have written, “Have I placed myself so deeply within a loving, functioning local body that I myself am functioning in all these ways and so living as a well-rounded, healthy, contributing member of the Body of Christ?”

In your small group you may want to write this list of thirteen down the left side of a page, with the names of your group members across the top, and check with a date when you communicate each of these ways with each member.  In the time you have together as a group, see how many boxes you can fill!  That will be “placing yourself deeply” in your group.

God grants you the ability to produce wealth

“Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant.”  Deuteronomy 8:18

God is your Source, your Supply and desires to be your Priority. You can be assured that the blessings that come from heaven are good! They are bountiful and are intended for you to use to extend His blessings to others.

Resist the temptation to think that you are somehow the ultimate recipient of God’s favor, rather than the conduit of His abundance in the earth (Isaiah 49:6,8).

Prayer: Dear Father, I am so grateful for the goodness and blessings that You have directed toward me. I ask that You would help me to remember that Your blessings come with a purpose. By receiving your blessings I choose today to share Your goodness with others and to invite them into Your covenant blessings. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Father’s Gift

Just a quick note from Frankfurt, Germany where we are enroute home after a life-changing time in India.  We had the chance to reach out to children in feeding centers (their only meal of the day), HIV/AIDS home, hospital and be a part of the production of a Christmas TV special production.

We can’t wait to re-connect on Sunday for the Father’s Gift!  See you at 10!

You should invest His treasure

“Men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” I Corinthians 4:1-2

The riches of God come to those who don’t covet His gifts more than Him. The “secret things” are found in repentance, forgiveness and through the indwelling of God’s Spirit in you.

Be faithful today to carry out what has been entrusted to you. Ask God for wisdom to provide for those around you, to invest for your future, your retirement, your children’s education and then to become generously faithful by holding all you have very lightly.

Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven, I trust You to point me in the right direction in life. Grant me wisdom to properly care for my family and my future, but to not grab on to things. Instead help me to cling to You and your generous ways. In this I know I will find hope and peace in my world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Watts and Parrocos are safe in India!

Many of you have heard about the recent terrorist attacks happening in Mumbai, India and have inquired about Pastor Eric and the rest of the team. After hearing of the news, I decided to call Pastor Eric myself to check on him. I realized it was probably the middle of the night and hung up the phone quickly knowing it is difficult to get a good night’s rest when travelling overseas. A few minutes later, I received a call back from Pastor Eric. He said in a sleepy voice, “what going on?” So I told him about the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai (he was aware of them) and asked if they were safe. He said that they were doing great and that they were looking forward to getting home soon. I am sure he was doing much better before I called and woke up him up at 3 am. 

 

So the good news: Pastor Eric and the rest of the team are doing great. They leave India in less than 24 hours. Please pray for their safe return! Thank you for all your calls of concern. It is great to be part of such a loving and caring family at Greenbrier.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

 

Blessings,

Pastor Curtis

Giving God’s way makes it grow

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land He promised – a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” Deuteronomy 6:10-12

God’s intention for you today is good. He is a good and generous God. When you follow Him and yield what you have to Him, He begins to abundantly bless you beyond what you deserve. The secret to enjoying the abundant life is in giving away what never belonged to you in the first place. It is God’s not yours so after meeting your basic needs, bless someone else with it!

Prayer: Dear Lord, You have given me more than I deserve today. I have eternal life in You, and I see now that as I obey Your WORD You are over providing for me. Today I will start giving the extra away! I anticipate Your joy flooding my soul as I choose to be rich toward You and giving toward others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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