Why doesn't God answer my prayers?

At 6:30 tonight we gather for prayer at NRN.  We pray with faith and conviction.  Here is a primer to consider before we gather tonight:





Join us this evening as I share a Biblical answer to this question and then we pray....

Pastor throws a "hissy fit"

On May 19th, 2013, Jim Standridge stood in the pulpit of Immanuel Baptist Church of Skiatook and did this.

Dr. Jim Standridge, senior pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Skiatook, Okla., preaches on May 19, 2013.

This is an excerpt of a sermon by Jim Standridge, senior pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Skiatook, Okla., has gone viral on the Internet, inspiring hundreds of comments about the Christian minister storming from the pulpit during his message to admonish a congregant for falling asleep and then calling out other worshippers, one of whom he decries as "the sorriest church member I have."

The five-minute excerpt was posted earlier this week YouTube with the title "Jim Standridge Throws a Hissy Fit." The video has about 83,000 views and well over 500 comments from offended, outraged and concerned viewers, some of whom have suggested that Standridge's words to congregants lacked love, failed to represent God's grace, and reflected arrogance.

However, Pastor Standridge, who has been serving Immanuel Baptist Church for the past 24 years, told The Christian post Thursday that he could not care less what a few strangers on the Internet think about his message. The minister insisted that he held no anger toward online commenters.

"It was a family meeting, not a national meeting," he told a local reporter, adding that his May 19, 2013, sermon was full of grace and love. "But you can't judge a man by one message."

"If you knew me, you'd know that I'm a loving, caring guy," he said, adding that he did not expect complete strangers on the internet to know that about him.

Happy Labor Day 2013

Monday - September 2, 2013   
Happy Labor Day!

 

 Today is known for time with family, cook-outs, T.V. show marathons on cable stations.  It is also a time not too forget our values of forgiveness and grace.

 

A reflection of my message today at NRN - Love in action...

Here is a reflection of my message today at NRN.  I tired to reduce the words of my message however the passage of 1 John chapter 3 is filed with such powerful truth that I had to declare it:




Here is a summary:

Preparing for Worship on Sunday- September 1, 2013

I am very excited about the message God has laid upon my heart for this coming Sunday.  I realize it is a holiday weekend and many people may be out of town or away - but I am also sure that god will bring many visitors to our church this Sunday.  I am continuing in the teaching series from the book of 1 John.  As I began my study to condensed study of Chapter 3 I was overwhelmed by the truths of this passage.  I plan to walk us through every verse of this chapter.  Get ready for a power packed, Spirit energized, full volume sermon this Sunday.

I invite you to join us with an open heart, thirsty soul and prepared to worship the Lord and be prepared to present a generous over sized financial offering to the Lord.

 

Here is the order of worship we have planned....

 

We now pause for a season of pray and a time of communion with the Lord and the body of Christ.









A few moments for announcements about or growing ministry and opportunities to serve.

Now the message of the day from 1 John  Chapter 3.

1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Alyse and Breeley visit this week.

This summer I have tried to keep up with my exercise plan to play golf a few times each month.  The weather has been awesome this summer for golf in North Carolina.  Over the past few weeks my grand daughter Alyse has asked when she can play golf with me.  

Earlier this week Sharron and I were in Charlotte to celebrate our son-in-law's birthday. We brought Alyse and Breeley back to Raleigh with us and they are visiting this week.  We stopped at a golf shop in Southern Pines this past Monday and I was able to purchase a PGA approved used junior driver.  Sharron and I then planned out the week as I would be working each day in the office and then take some time to be with our grand children. My week has been filled with meetings, counseling appointments and pastoral responsibilities.

I have also squeezed out some time for fun with Alyse and Breeley. On Tuesday we took
the girls to Pullen Park here in Raleigh.  It is only 2.5 miles from our house. Here are some pictures from that day:

 

Breeley loved the swings....

 

Sisters always have to "race" down the slides.

 

The boat ride was refreshing.

Alyse's First Golf Outing

 



On Wednesday we took a couple of hours to finally play golf.  It began with a short but fun lesson to help Alyse learn to play.  She practiced her stance and over a dozen whiffle balls.

 

 

 

She posed for a picture with her club.

 



 

On the course I asked Alyse to hold the flag when I was on the putting surface.

She loves her new ladies golf hat - even though it is a little big for her....

 

She really seemed to enjoy riding in the cart - she just hated to wait for the foursome in front of us.  

She stood on the putting surface with authority.

As we approached the fifth hole I asked if we should play 9 or 18 holes. She quickly responded, "18!"  As we approached the ninth hole I asked how she was doing. She responded, "Papa, it's so hot, I am melting....."  We ended our first golf outing after nine holes.  Here is the final picture on the course after a fun time:

 

 

On Thursday evening (last night) we joined some close friends for dinner at Cracker Barrel.  Following the meal and the visit to the toy area, we took a few pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

When we returned home it was time for Breeley to go to bed and Alyse to come downstairs for a time with Papa.  This is a moment we share almost every evening.  Tonight it consisted of cookie and cream ice cream with sliced almonds and chocolate syrup.

 

This visit is so special with the girls.  But guess who I miss and wish was here?

 

 

Cammie is now weighing in at 5 lbs. 11 oz. ! 

 

 

 

 

The Good O Meter

Be special request.... here is the clip I used as part of my message last Sunday.