Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21
Listed below is what I’m asking God to do in the church in 2010 for the sake of the orphan. Will you join me not only in praying but also in striving to be an answer to our own prayers? I am praying that,
1. 10 pastors in each state will preach a sermon for the first time that proclaims God’s heart for the orphan. Result: 500 churches begin thinking about how they can care for the orphan (James 1:27).
2. 10 pastors in each state will preach a sermon series that considers God’s work of adoption within the story of redemption and how it should inform our care for orphans. Result: 500 churches think about adoption and orphan care more deeply than they ever have before.
3. 10 pastoral staff teams in each state will prayerfully work through Russell Moore’s Adopted for Life to explore how they may equip and mobilize their people to care for orphans. Result: 500 pastoral staff teams uniquely positioned to mobilize and unleash their people for the sake of the orphan in unprecedented numbers.
4. 10 churches in each state will lead their church’s children through God’s Heart for the Orphan . . . and Me! Result: The next generation catches a vision for God-centered orphan care.
5. 10 small groups in each state will prayerfully work through Adopted for Life. Result: 500 small groups mobilized to care for orphans that have not yet been cared for.
6. 10 churches in each state will launch a vital orphan care ministry. Result: 500 churches caring for orphans in substantial ways for the good of thousands upon thousands of children.
7. 10 churches in each state will contact their local Department of Social Services to ask about how they might serve their state’s foster children. Result: 500 churches testifying to the glory of the gospel in both word and deed.
8. 10 colleges will have someone preach in chapel on gospel-centered orphan care. Result: Hundreds of college students commit to caring for the orphan through the local church.
9. 10 seminaries will have someone preach in chapel on gospel-centered orphan care. Result: Hundreds of future pastors and missionaries gripped by the importance of caring for the orphan by the power of the gospel.
10. 10 churches in each state will send a group of people to attend one of the following: Adopting for Life conference, Summit V, Tapestry (2010 conference TBA), or Together for Adoption Conference 2010. Result: 500 churches networking with other churches for the sake of orphans all over the world.
Imagine the results if God should so graciously choose to do far more abundantly than we ask or think . . .
Is there enough evidence for us to believe the Gospels?
In an age of faith deconstruction and skepticism about the Bible’s authority, it’s common to hear claims that the Gospels are unreliable propaganda. And if the Gospels are shown to be historically unreliable, the whole foundation of Christianity begins to crumble.
