Pray for Returning Leaders and New Leaders

We are excited about what God can do when Holy Spirit empowered Christians meet for the purpose of encourage one another to live out God's Word!

Please join me in praying for this fall's Soul Care leaders and assistant leaders.

Pastor Duke and I have talked about the nature of our fall study may encourage more people to sign up.
This past year we had 23 groups meeting.
This upcoming year, we have set a goal of 30 groups.

Here is what I would love for you to pray with me.

God would allow us to help even more people grow even deeper in their relationship with God.
We would love to see 30 Soul Care groups because we believe that would help this happen.
This goal of 30 groups is not the ultimate goal though.

The ultimate for our Soul Care ministry is more God-glorifying disciples who are worshiping God, growing in the Lord and loving others.

Pray for more discipe-makers willing to lead a group of people into a deeper relationship with God and others.

Summer Prayer Time: Praying for Gospel Growth!!

This is going to be on the church website tomorrow.
I want to encourage you to invite your Soul Care Group to these prayer meetings.
You will be getting an invite/encouragement from a pastor to attend at least one specific night but I want to encourage you come every night.

"A praying church is a church that admits its dependence upon God."  (Megan Hill)

We are going to have 5 weeks of prayer meeting starting next week (July 13) from 7:00 to 8:00 pm.

This church-wide prayer time is going to focus our attention on God 
as we pray that God would continue making us into a church that is 

• Growing closing and closing to Him (July 13)
• Praying in a way that show dependence upon God not merely His approval of our plans (July 20)
• Giving generously from what God has given us in order to glorify God (July 27)
• Serving one another and the community to help others grow closer and closer to Him (Aug 3)
• Shining the love of God to the world around us (Aug 10)

No notes but obvious discussion topics

As noted in last week's Soul Care notes, there are no Soul Care notes for December.

If your group is meeting this week here are some suggestions for this week.

Remember, God is the greatest gift you could ever receive.

• How has or can your life show this?
• How can you make much of God this Christmas season?
• List ways that you can honor God each day, from small to big ways.
• Watch the following 28 minute video by John Piper  http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-blazing-center-part-1

Check blog.emmanuelbaptist.com  for prayer and Bible study resources.
Today's post is specifically about praying for Senior Saints and Shut-ins.

A great devotional to read and discuss is the first advent reading from John Piper,
http://solidjoys.desiringgod.org/en/devotionals/prepare-the-way

The Benefit of Sharing the Benefits of Being God's People

Prayer Helps:
Military:  You should have received your military assignment this past week in your mailbox.  If you didn't I am emailing them to the group leaders.
Fighter Verses:  Trying Psalm 118:5 - 8 to start out your prayer time.  

This week's sermon and discussion time provide a great opportunity for you and your group to talk about God and the amazing gifts we have in Christ.  The mere reading of Romans 5:1 - 11 should stir up some excitement and passion in you and your group members.  And if it doesn't you have some serious heart issues to discuss.


My tips are in red!

A great way to do the first two questions are to have everyone write down their answer and then have individuals read what they wrote to the group.

Read Romans 5:1—11 out loud.  This will really help those who were not in the service because of absence or service.

According to the passage and Romans 5 sermons what benefit’s are there to being God’s people?

This is a HEAD (knowledge) question.  You should have people look at the Bible and find a verse for their answer.

Everyone should have similar answers.

Because of these benefits, what are some practical ways God’s people should live?  Think  attitude change and action steps.

This is a HAND (action) question.  Have people think about really practical, actionable, measurable things.  

How should you live differently in light of these benefits?

This could be used as a HEART (passion) question.  What do I need to desire more in this life, not just this week.  It could connection with the previous question but this would be a more general lifestyle.

On the back of the notes, I put part of our sermon discussion training notes for every to understand the purpose of Soul Care.  You should remind people of the purpose of Soul Care each week.  

Sermon—Based, Life Changing Discussion

Here are some tips the Soul Care leaders learned this summer on how to kill their groups discussion time.

1. Don’t READ THE BIBLE PASSAGE.  While we say our groups are sermon-based, we really want them to be Bible-directed.

2. Don’t MAKE IT PERSONAL.   We don’t want groups to merely share information.  We want them to share life.

3. Always STICK TO THE SCRIPT.  The questions provide a guide for the leaders but the goal is not to get through every question.

Soul Care meetings should challenge each group member to live differently because of what God has done.

You can share on social media how you have been challenged by using
#EBCdiscipleship

Here is the "Banning Bible Studies" link.  

This article is a great reminder of what we are doing in Soul Care.

https://davidwhiting.today/2012/02/banning-bible-studies-northridge-church.html

Bible Reading, Prayer and spiritual conversations (05.17)

Because of the question/answer nature of this week's sermon, there are no Soul Care notes.

Here are three suggestions for you as you lead your group...

1. BIBLE READING:  What are the marks of a true believer?  Read 1 John together out loud.  This can be done in  about 15 minutes and answer this question.  When Pastor Duke was talking about true believers he referred to this book several times.    You can use the questions on page 6 of http://matthiasmedia.com/Samples/otobr/OTOBR-Sheets-for-copying-US-letter.pdf to help with the Bible reading.  You don't necessarily need to do preparation before hand.  This is a read and think through exercise.
2. PRAYER:  Pray with the glory of God as the focus.  Here are some prayer focus questions to use.
1. How can you, individually, glorify God?
2. How can we, EBC, glorify God?  Think how you can work with others to help fulfill our mission.
3. How can God work in the lives of others specifically to bring Him glory?
3. DEEPER QUESTION:  Depending on where your group in openness, you could ask "Which one of these best describes you right now?  Why?"

• changing and growing
• not perfect but progressing
• failing but fighting
• desire to please God
• persevering in faith
• living outside the will of God and headed toward discipline

Are we that kind of church? (05.10.15)

You can always check to see what helps are posted for the whole church at http://blog.emmanuelbaptist.com/category/soul-care/

HERE IS THE MOST RECENT POST FOR THE WHOLE CHURCH REGARDING SOUL CARE DISCUSION.  

As we gather in our Soul Care Groups this week, let us encourage one another to fight sin.
As we meet together and grow in Christ this week and beyond, let us encourage one another to fight sin.

When you gather in your Soul Care groups, meet together with others from EBC and do family devotions, think about these 2 questions and 2 prayer challenges.

Think about these two questions,

1. What are the marks of a church that helps one another fight sin?  (Notice is not “What are the marks of a church that identifies sin in others and yells about?”)
2. Are we the kind of church that helps one another fight sin?

Here are two prayer challenges Pastor Duke shared in the sermon:

1. Pray that those who don’t believe will REPENT and BELIEVE.
2. Pray these truths will produce HOLY HUMILITY
   1. Thank God that He saved you
   2. Be reminded how easily we will fall away without Him
   3. Pray that this will help us deal with Christian complexity

Don’t forget the free ebook God is the Gospel by John Piper.  Click HERE to find out how to get a copy.

Prayer guide helps!!

Extended prayer focus times can be difficult but this post is full of ideas to help you with your prayer time.

Romans 1:21—24

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

While this past Sunday's message was great, sometimes there is a human tendency to respond to these truth like Eeyore from Winnie-the-Pooh.  “It’s all for naught.”  Poor me!
This is the song I referred to in the email "The dark is just a canvas for your grace and brightness."  Think about the trust from this passage and this sermon with God's glory in mind.

This Thursday is National Day of Prayer.
We want our Soul Care groups this week and every week
to focus on praying to the God who demonstrated His love by sending His Son to be our Savior

We don't gather together to focus on the problems of this world.
This does not mean foolishly closing our eyes and acting like there is nothing wrong.
It does mean choosing to focus on the King of Glory.

These questions and prayer items are meant to help focus your minds on God.  The links are resources you can use in group or private prayer times.

Based on Romans 1:21—24 and this week’s message, how would you answer this question:  What in the world is wrong with the world?
The problem in this world is that God is not worshipped by humans the way he should.
We are sinners.
The problem is not the circumstances I face, my biggest problem is me!  Your biggest problem is you!

As we remember what is wrong in this world, let's remember the truth in the month's memory verses for our children's ministry.

Philippians 4:12 & 13.
No matter what the circumstance, we find our strength and peace in Jesus Christ.

I must be content, satisfied in Jesus Christ, no matter the circumstances or situation in this life.

This week in Soul Care we want to focus on PRAYER FOR
OUR WORLD,
OUR COUNTRY,
OUR CHURCH and
OUR LIVES.

Take time do to the following:

10 minutes:  Answer these 3 questions:  Your group could probably talk about these all night.  Limit the time and encourage people to talk about these questions outside of your group time. 
- How have you honored God this last week?  Questions like this one and the next one should be difficult to answer because we don't want to seem arrogant and self-righteousness.  At the same time we should want to talk about how God's has glorified himself in us.

- How can you honor God this week?

- What can you thank God for this week?

10 minutes:  Prayer for our world

- Nepal.  http://blog.emmanuelbaptist.com/pray-for-nepal/

Read through parts or all of this article with your ear listening for prayer requests.  Here are some:
pray for the Hindus.  "Most of the people of the people hit by this tragedy in Nepal are Hindu." 
"Please join me in praying that this dark tragedy will open up new doors of ministry and make new ways for the hope of Jesus Christ to shine even more brightly in the nation of Nepal, bringing with it the message of hope, consolation and restoration."

- Unreached people group of the day http://joshuaproject.net/pray/unreachedoftheday
This is the website Pastor Duke referred to during the Missions conference.  You can use their other prayer resources.

10 minutes:  Prayer for our country

-  National Day of Prayer Guide.  http://nationaldayofprayer.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/30-Ways-to-Pray-Authority.pdf

Here is the National Prayer http://nationaldayofprayer.org/national-prayer/

-  This week's missionaries are Jack & Cindy Stumme,  He is a U.S. Army chaplain.  Pray for the Stumme and the military person that was assigned to your Soul Care Group.  Go to http://www.emmanuelbaptist.com/missions.php for more about the Stumme's and our other missionaries.

10 minutes:  Prayer for our church

-  Prayer Guide for Emmanuel Baptist Church. http://tinyurl.com/soulcareprayer

This contains 11 things you can be praying for EBC.
- Here are some specific prayer requests for pastors.  http://blog.emmanuelbaptist.com/tag/pastors/

Each week one of the pastors shares prayer requests on the prayer update page.  These requests can be found here.

Here are some prayer requests for pastors in general.  http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-pray-for-the-pastoral-staff

Close your time praying that each of you would be a testimony of God and His power.

Prayer Helps

Check out this post on the church blog about prayer.
http://blog.emmanuelbaptist.com/praying-prayers-like-paul-a-call-to-spiritual-reformation/

Here is another suggestion for your groups prayer time...

PRAY WITH YOUR PENCIL IN HAND.

1. Don't take prayer requests
2. Go right to the prayer time and have people pray their own prayer requests.
3. Before prayer, remind people that they should write down other people's prayer requests as they are praying.  

TRAINING #6: Pray Out Loud!! Public Prayer in our Small Groups

TRAINING #6
1.  READ THROUGH THE THREE ARTICLES BELOW.
2.  TRY TWO OR THREE IDEAS DURING YOUR SOUL CARE MEETINGS IN MARCH!
3.  SHARE WHAT YOU DID & HOW IT WORKED BY EMAIL (soulcare@emmanuelbaptist.com) OR WRITING A COMMENT ON THIS POST (see comment section below)

Some good articles to help with public prayer.The first article "Pray out loud" gives some reasons why corporate prayer is beneficial and worth pursuing in our small groups:  

• Audible prayer is an encouragement to those who are listening
• Praying together is the pattern set for us by the early church
• Praying together goes hand in hand with sharing our struggles
• Audible prayer is a good use of the power of our tongues
• Jesus and the apostles taught the flock how to pray

ARTICLE #1:  To read a more detailed explanation of these five reasons go to  gotherefor.com/2013/12/pray-out-loud/

For some tips on how improve your groups prayer time check out the following articles:

ARTICLE #2:  Pray out loud: practical tips:  gotherefor.com/2013/12/pray-out-loud-practical-tips/
Some good tips and examples of simple prayers.

ARTICLE #3:  More tips:  gotherefor.com/2013/12/further-tips-for-fostering-group-prayer/

Training #7 is going to be on Transparency In Your Group.

Two Parts of Each Group Meeting

Here is a quick and reason to read blog post...

Two things that should be part of every group meeting are
- connect during the sermon discussion.
- connect during prayer time.

Training Video on Prayer

Title: Conducting a Great Prayer Time


Conducting A Great Prayer Time from Northridge Media on Vimeo.

If there is anything that has proven helpful in your Soul Care group share it here.

Deeper Prayer Times

One area most people wrote down as an area that needs to improve in their Soul Care groups is more personal prayer.
During the meetings we discussed several things that can help move your group's prayer time to more personal prayers.  Here are some of the ideas we talked about...

1. Transparency in the group begins with transparency of the leader.  If your group members don't feel like you, as a leader, are being open and transparent then they will not.  At the same time remember just because you share your heart doesn't mean everyone else in the group will do the same thing.
2. REMEMBER, transparency in a group takes time to build.
3. Strategically pray.  Ask a question to begin the prayer time. 
• This week we will be praying evangelistically.  Who is someone you have shared or would like to share the Gospel with?
• This week we will be praying for personal spiritual growth.  What is an area you need to grow in this week?
• This week we will be praying for spiritual growth of others.  Who is someone you are discipling/helping to grow spiritually?  How can we be praying for you as it relates to helping others grow?
• In thinking about this upcoming week, what is one of your biggest concerns that we can pray for? 
4. Divide into two groups.

If you have any other ideas or suggestions, you can post them here or email them to soulcare@emmanuelbaptist.com

Soul Care Group Prayer

I usually don't post personal prayers but in preparing for the launch of the Soul Care group ministry at EBC, I thought this prayer would help us remember what we are about.

Lord,

As I think about putting these groups together I pray that you would be glorified.

For the leaders and assistant leaders…

I pray that they would desire to see you magnified in their groups.

I pray that they would desire to see biblical unity and not lack of conflict.

I pray that they would point people towards you and your word.

For the members of the groups…

I pray that they would desire You more than anything else.

I pray that they would desire to help others grow closer and closer to you.

I pray that they would be flexible as we work through the details.

For me…

I pray that you would guide me in putting together these groups.

I pray that you would grow me into the man you want me to be.

I pray that you would give me wisdom in thinking through potential problems with the Soul Care launch and ministry.

Amen.