Pray To be Bold
This Weeks Announcements and Events
Prayer Requests for this Week:
Ted Johnson – health issues
Sarah Sauer – health issues
Mike Knicker – health issues
Evie Schroeder – Recovering from stroke
Amy Pauers
Mel Murray – Fractured Vertebrae
Walt Zimmerman – Health Issues
Brianna (Mike and Alexis Wolosz’ granddaughter) – dealing with health issue
Alexis Wolosz - back issues
On Our Calendar this week
Tuesday February 1
10 am - BIC
Wednesday February 2
4:30 pm – Confirmation
Sunday February 6
9:30 am – Worship
11 am –Sunday School
“Now Lord, look at their threats and give to your servants the ability to keep on speaking your word with all boldness (Acts 4:29)
I’ve heard a lot of Christians complain about the direction our world is heading. They lament that the government has forgotten God and his Word, the schools no longer allow or enforce the morality of the Bible, and people are becoming more intolerant of Christianity. These are truths that we must face, but we also must recognize that God still blesses us in this country in ways that many other people do not experience.
Take, for example, what happened to Peter and John. They had been arrested for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus. They were telling the people about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead when they were arrested and put in jail. But when they were released, they didn’t go back and plot to overthrow those in power or complain about what happened to them. Instead, they joined with the rest of the believers to pray to God. They praised God for carrying out his plan of salvation through the rulers of Jesus’ day, and they asked that God would give them the strength to continue to boldly speak his word in the face of such threats.
We complain about what is going on in our world because it makes life harder for us, and it makes it harder for us to do mission work, to share God’s Word, and to live our lives of faith. We don’t want to have to put in the work to share the gospel. We expect the people we talk to, to have at least some knowledge of God and his Word. But God has not guaranteed that to us. Instead, we can pray with Peter and John, and the first-century believers that God would give us the strength to boldly proclaim his Word, even in the face of the world’s threats. We can continue to live our faith, knowing that God controls all things and gives us strength through his Word. And we can pray that God forgives us for the times that we do not boldly share his Word, knowing that he has already forgiven us through Jesus. Amen.
The song for today is “The Voice Of Truth” by Casting Crowns