Central's Pastoral E-Letter: October 26, 2012

Dear Central Family,   I hope that you will be in town this weekend and will take the time to be at one of our four worship services!  We will be continuing our study in the book of Galatians, and Jared will be teaching in the Classic Service and our Pastor of Worship and Mission Jeremy Bell will be teaching Saturday night and at both Modern Services on Sunday morning.  We will be challenged to examine how easy it is to let legalism creep into our lives and the how the power of the gospel can keep us on track with living a life of grace.  Important message for everyone to hear.   I also want to say thank you to everyone who has been dropping off candy for our Fall Festival on October 31!  I appreciate your generosity but we still need more candy, so while you are out this weekend, please pick up some candy and just drop it in one of the bins this weekend.   We are planning a special Thanksgiving Dinner and Worship Service for Sunday evening November 18 at 6 pm.  There is an electronic invite link below so that you can RSVP.  All the information is given there and this is an evening for the whole church family to gather together.  I hope you will plan to be with us. http://www.pingg.com/rsvp/7r65n48e4b7qdtypc (Click Yes, No, or Maybe at the top of the page and enter your name and e-mail address.  You will then have the chance to add to the number of people in your party).    By the way, we have been working as a staff on our plans for Christmas, and we are pumped up to say the least!  You will be hearing more about this in the days ahead.  There will be opportunities to worship, opportunities to invite friends, and opportunities to shine the light of Christ in acts of service.  Can’t wait!   Hope you will come to worship this weekend!   Pastor Gay

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Central's Pastoral E-Letter: October 19, 2012

Dear Central Family,   This is going to be a powerful weekend!  Look at what we have in store for you!    First, forty five men from Central will be trekking to Sandy Cove Bible Conference Center for a powerful weekend of teaching, fellowship, and worship at the annual Men’s Retreat.  Please pray that they will come back refreshed and energized from their time together.    We will be having our regular four weekend services, but with a bit of a special bonus!  We will be continuing our series in Galatians but with a special line up of guest speakers.  Paul tells us the gospel is for everyone, and we are going to be hosting some great World Impact Associates to bring this truth home in each of our services.   On Saturday night at 6 pm, Gary Williams will be speaking.  Gary is from the ministry organization Camino Global (formerly CAM International) and currently teaches at Seteca, a seminary designed to equip nationals in Guatemala, and has a passion for communicating God’s Word.  Also with us on Saturday night will be Yoshito Kato, one of our associates from Word of Life Japan.  He will be sharing a powerful testimony of God’s working through your faithful gifts during the tsunami and follow up ministry.  And of course we will rock with worship!   At the Sunday morning Classic Service at 9:30 am, Yoshito will be teaching and Gary will share about the ministry in Guatemala.  The two Modern Services at 9:30 am and 11:00 am will feature World Impact testimonies as well as guest speaker Mitch Glaser, who is president of Chosen People Ministries, an organization dedicated to reaching Jewish people for Christ.  Mitch is a nationally recognized speaker known for his ability to open Scripture and encourage followers of Jesus.  Check out his ministry’s website chosenpeople.com for more information.  We will then wrap up each of the Modern Services with baptism, so plan to come and celebrate with us!   So you can see it is going to be a great weekend!  One last reminder: this is a great time to go and buy a pack of candy and bring it to Allen Hall or the Fellowship Mall to bless the kids who will be attending our Fall Festival on October 31.   Look forward to seeing you this weekend, and for the guys who are going to Sandy Cove: get refreshed and recharged!   Pastor Gay                                ---   Like us on Facebook!  https://www.facebook.com/worshipatcentral. For Central’s upcoming events, go to http://www.worshipatcentral.org/events.aspx. To unsubscribe from this list, please reply to this message with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line.

 

P31 CHALLENGE: Final Thoughts

Well, you did it!  You took the challenge and you entered the path of wisdom in the wonderful book of Proverbs.  I know that I was blessed as I have heard stories of how God has used His Word to touch all of us as we have journeyed together.    I would love to hear how God impacted you, so please send me an email at dgay@cbcnj.org and share how this journey has blessed you.  We look forward to doing this again, so keep your eyes open!    I also want to encourage you to enlist in a regular daily reading of God’s Word.  Two great resources that I would encourage you to check out are youversion.com and jointhejourney.com.    Thanks for joining me on this journey.  God bless you as you keep seeking His Word!   Pastor Gay   ----- Missed any days from the P31 Challenge?  All the P31 e-mails are archived here.

 

P31 CHALLENGE: Proverbs 31

Proverbs 31 New Living Translation (NLT)   The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message, which his mother taught him. 2 O my son, O son of my womb,     O son of my vows, 3 do not waste your strength on women,     on those who ruin kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine.     Rulers should not crave alcohol. 5 For if they drink, they may forget the law     and not give justice to the oppressed. 6 Alcohol is for the dying,     and wine for those in bitter distress. 7 Let them drink to forget their poverty     and remember their troubles no more. 8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;     ensure justice for those being crushed. 9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless,     and see that they get justice. 10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?     She is more precious than rubies. 11 Her husband can trust her,     and she will greatly enrich his life. 12 She brings him good, not harm,     all the days of her life. 13 She finds wool and flax     and busily spins it. 14 She is like a merchant’s ship,     bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household     and plan the day’s work for her servant girls. 16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it;     with her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17 She is energetic and strong,     a hard worker. 18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable;     her lamp burns late into the night. 19 Her hands are busy spinning thread,     her fingers twisting fiber. 20 She extends a helping hand to the poor     and opens her arms to the needy. 21 She has no fear of winter for her household,     for everyone has warm clothes. 22 She makes her own bedspreads.     She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns. 23 Her husband is well known at the city gates,     where he sits with the other civic leaders. 24 She makes belted linen garments     and sashes to sell to the merchants. 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,     and she laughs without fear of the future. 26 When she speaks, her words are wise,     and she gives instructions with kindness. 27 She carefully watches everything in her household     and suffers nothing from laziness. 28 Her children stand and bless her.     Her husband praises her: 29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,     but you surpass them all!” 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;     but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. 31 Reward her for all she has done.     Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.     REFLECTION Lord, Thank You for godly women in my life.  Thank You for their commitment to You and thank You for their devotion to me in helping me to grow in Your grace.  Thank You for senior women who have faithfully modeled trust and confidence in You.  Thank You for young women who balance so many demands placed upon them and yet model godly character.  Thank You for the way that You have equipped women to fulfill unique roles in Your kingdom.  Thank You for the wisdom that we all gain as they point us to you.  Encourage them, minister to them, and may I always be an encourager for them to fulfill all that You desire them to be for Your kingdoms sake!     ----- Missed any days from the P31 Challenge?  All the P31 e-mails are archived here.

 

P31 CHALLENGE: Proverbs 30

Proverbs 30 New Living Translation (NLT)   The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God;     I am weary and worn out, O God. 2 I am too stupid to be human,     and I lack common sense. 3 I have not mastered human wisdom,     nor do I know the Holy One. 4 Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down?     Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak?     Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name—and his son’s name?     Tell me if you know! 5 Every word of God proves true.     He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. 6 Do not add to his words,     or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar. 7 O God, I beg two favors from you;     let me have them before I die. 8 First, help me never to tell a lie.     Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!     Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. 9 For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”     And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name. 10 Never slander a worker to the employer,     or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it. 11 Some people curse their father     and do not thank their mother. 12 They are pure in their own eyes,     but they are filthy and unwashed. 13 They look proudly around,     casting disdainful glances. 14 They have teeth like swords     and fangs like knives. They devour the poor from the earth     and the needy from among humanity. 15 The leech has two suckers     that cry out, “More, more!” There are three things that are never satisfied—     no, four that never say, “Enough!”: 16 the grave,     the barren womb,     the thirsty desert,     the blazing fire. 17 The eye that mocks a father     and despises a mother’s instructions will be plucked out by ravens of the valley     and eaten by vultures. 18 There are three things that amaze me—     no, four things that I don’t understand: 19 how an eagle glides through the sky,     how a snake slithers on a rock,     how a ship navigates the ocean,     how a man loves a woman. 20 An adulterous woman consumes a man,     then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?” 21 There are three things that make the earth tremble—     no, four it cannot endure: 22 a slave who becomes a king,     an overbearing fool who prospers, 23     a bitter woman who finally gets a husband,     a servant girl who supplants her mistress. 24 There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise: 25 Ants—they aren’t strong,     but they store up food all summer. 26 Hyraxes—they aren’t powerful,     but they make their homes among the rocks. 27 Locusts—they have no king,     but they march in formation. 28 Lizards—they are easy to catch,     but they are found even in kings’ palaces. 29 There are three things that walk with stately stride—     no, four that strut about: 30 the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything, 31     the strutting rooster,     the male goat,     a king as he leads his army. 32 If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil,     cover your mouth in shame. 33 As the beating of cream yields butter     and striking the nose causes bleeding,     so stirring up anger causes quarrels.     REFLECTION Lord, I am totally humbled as I think about how great You are!  I am humbled that You would send Your Son to save me. I am humbled that You would choose me to be Your child.  I am humbled that You would choose to equip me to impact others for Your Kingdom.  I am humbled by the gift of Your Word to me so that I can truly know what wisdom looks like. And I am humbled by the gift of Your Spirit who equips and empowers me to live the life of wisdom! How great are You, God!     ----- Missed any days from the P31 Challenge?  All the P31 e-mails are archived here.

 

P31 CHALLENGE: Proverbs 29

Proverbs 29 New Living Translation (NLT)   Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism     will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery. 2 When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice.     But when the wicked are in power, they groan. 3 The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,     but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted. 4 A just king gives stability to his nation,     but one who demands bribes destroys it. 5 To flatter friends     is to lay a trap for their feet. 6 Evil people are trapped by sin,     but the righteous escape, shouting for joy. 7 The godly care about the rights of the poor;     the wicked don’t care at all. 8 Mockers can get a whole town agitated,     but the wise will calm anger. 9 If a wise person takes a fool to court,     there will be ranting and ridicule but no satisfaction. 10 The bloodthirsty hate blameless people,     but the upright seek to help them. 11 Fools vent their anger,     but the wise quietly hold it back. 12 If a ruler pays attention to liars,     all his advisers will be wicked. 13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common—     the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both. 14 If a king judges the poor fairly,     his throne will last forever. 15 To discipline a child produces wisdom,     but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child. 16 When the wicked are in authority, sin flourishes,     but the godly will live to see their downfall. 17 Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind     and will make your heart glad. 18 When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.     But whoever obeys the law is joyful. 19 Words alone will not discipline a servant;     the words may be understood, but they are not heeded. 20 There is more hope for a fool     than for someone who speaks without thinking. 21 A servant pampered from childhood     will become a rebel. 22 An angry person starts fights;     a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin. 23 Pride ends in humiliation,     while humility brings honor. 24 If you assist a thief, you only hurt yourself.     You are sworn to tell the truth, but you dare not testify. 25 Fearing people is a dangerous trap,     but trusting the Lord means safety. 26 Many seek the ruler’s favor,     but justice comes from the Lord. 27 The righteous despise the unjust;     the wicked despise the godly.     REFLECTION Father, remind me of the vision that You have for my life.  Remind me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and You have made me unique with a unique vision to impact others for Your kingdom.  Deliver me from pride or from comparing myself to others but to joyfully accept where You have placed me, and what You have called me to do.  I joyfully today recommit myself to that vision and that purpose.  Continue to unpack what that means in my life as I choose to pursue it with everything You place inside of me.     ----- Missed any days from the P31 Challenge?  All the P31 e-mails are archived here.

 

P31 CHALLENGE: Proverbs 28

Proverbs 28 New Living Translation (NLT)   The wicked run away when no one is chasing them,     but the godly are as bold as lions. 2 When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily.     But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability. 3 A poor person who oppresses the poor     is like a pounding rain that destroys the crops. 4 To reject the law is to praise the wicked;     to obey the law is to fight them. 5 Evil people don’t understand justice,     but those who follow the Lord understand completely. 6 Better to be poor and honest     than to be dishonest and rich. 7 Young people who obey the law are wise;     those with wild friends bring shame to their parents. 8 Income from charging high interest rates     will end up in the pocket of someone who is kind to the poor. 9 God detests the prayers     of a person who ignores the law. 10 Those who lead good people along an evil path     will fall into their own trap,     but the honest will inherit good things. 11 Rich people may think they are wise,     but a poor person with discernment can see right through them. 12 When the godly succeed, everyone is glad.     When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding. 13 People who conceal their sins will not prosper,     but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. 14 Blessed are those who fear to do wrong,     but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble. 15 A wicked ruler is as dangerous to the poor     as a roaring lion or an attacking bear. 16 A ruler with no understanding will oppress his people,     but one who hates corruption will have a long life. 17 A murderer’s tormented conscience will drive him into the grave.     Don’t protect him! 18 The blameless will be rescued from harm,     but the crooked will be suddenly destroyed. 19 A hard worker has plenty of food,     but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty. 20 The trustworthy person will get a rich reward,     but a person who wants quick riches will get into trouble. 21 Showing partiality is never good,     yet some will do wrong for a mere piece of bread. 22 Greedy people try to get rich quick     but don’t realize they’re headed for poverty. 23 In the end, people appreciate honest criticism     far more than flattery. 24 Anyone who steals from his father and mother     and says, “What’s wrong with that?”     is no better than a murderer. 25 Greed causes fighting;     trusting the Lord leads to prosperity. 26 Those who trust their own insight are foolish,     but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe. 27 Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing,     but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed. 28 When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding.     When the wicked meet disaster, the godly flourish.     REFLECTION Lord, today I choose to open myself up to You and to not cover up any of my sins.  Reveal to me things I have done, words I have spoken, attitudes I have hidden in my heart that need to be rooted out by You.  I want my life to fulfill Your purpose, and I pray that I will have the grace to reject anything in me that is holding me back from fulfilling that purpose.     ----- Missed any days from the P31 Challenge?  All the P31 e-mails are archived here.