A clarion call has been made to gather the saints for a grassroots effort across the state of Tennessee. We will serve those in authority from the Courthouse to the White House. We will serve through intercession for and interaction with governmental leaders in order to impact our cities, our state and nation. We will not only minister to those in the high place, but also those in the forgotten place. We will discern the heartbeat of cities and communities from mayors and city and county officials to determine how we can best serve those in authority. May we rise up rather than fall back in this hour and walk through the gates of government to serve with the heart and mind of Christ.
Welcome to The Belonging! We are a Church that loves God and loves people. We are passionate about seeing people encounter God through worship, and experience the freedom that comes through knowing Jesus. Whoever you are, and wherever you come from, you are welcome!
Each year, students gather around their school's flag pole for SYATP - the Global Day of Student Prayer. This year, SYATP is on September 25 and we want to show the power of prayer in the Nashville community.
The following article, containing dozens of spiritual quotes by our United States Presidents, is taken from Ed Moore's book, Prayer Force One: Across America. It is presented here in order to preserve the foundations of our nation's spiritual heritage. You may order Ed Moore's book by clicking on the book at the right.
The power of prayer is an incredible thing. At Philanthropy, we know that prayer is something important – but let us attempt to explain how much the Lord blesses us every day. About a year ago, Philanthropy started The Prayer Wall based on a story of a personal battle with cancer, and a mission set on our hearts from one of our customers. A random interaction turned into a very important day for all of us.The Other, Other Side
Who do we find on the other, other side? Oftentimes, we find our neighbor. What do I mean?
We have neighbors near and far that have fallen ‘among thieves’. Some, because of bad choices they have made; others through no fault of their own. None the less, they have fallen; they have been robbed; they have been wounded; they have been stripped of all life should be. They are naked and they are afraid.
These neighbors could be on the other side of the cubicle from us, the other side of town or on the other side of the world.
The god of this world is the devil. He is a lying, murderous thief and he uses people to hurt people. There are many hurting people lying on the side of their life’s road, bare, beaten, and bewildered. They are lying there, half-dead, and as they lie there, they have many questions. Where is God? What did I ever do to deserve this? Why doesn’t anyone care? Why doesn’t anyone help? They don’t need a sermon, they need help. The best sermon ever given is a sermon of deed.
We read in Luke 10:25-37 that Jesus, in order to demonstrate to a lawyer just what it means to love thy neighbor, told of a certain man that fell among thieves. They took his clothes, wounded him and left him half-dead on the side of the road. Jesus went on to tell about how a priest and a Levite passed him by on the other side of the road, but a good Samaritan ran to the other, other side of the road, the side of the road where the helpless man lay and he helped him get back on his feet. The good Samaritan didn’t explain to the man that he should have been more careful or how to be more careful, he helped him.
As Christians, I believe we are mostly sympathetic to the plight of our hurting neighbor, but what keeps us from helping them? Are we afraid to help them? Are we too busy to help them? Do we think someone else will help them? Now I realize we can’t help everyone that is hurting, but we can help some and we should help some. What would happen if we all decided to run to the other, other side of the road from time to time and help our neighbor? The world would be a better place, that’s what would happen. And when we run to help them, we should pray about how to help them for God knows what they really need.
For instance, in Acts 3:1-9, a lame man was asking for money at the gate of the temple. Peter told him, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have, give I to you: In the name of Jesus Christ. . .rise up and walk. And the man rose up and walked and all the people saw it.
God is love. When we accept the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us, we become God’s children and are born again from above by His love. We are still in the world, but we are no longer of the world. We now know the highest form of love and we now have the capacity to offer that love to others.
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:16-18
So, we’re talking about a ‘two-way street’ here. On one side of the street we have apathy; on the other side, we have sympathy. Choose sympathy; choose love.
Prayer
Father of mercy, Father of love, we know we cannot help everyone, but we can help some with Your help. Lead us to them and when You do, may we be quick to obey and run to the other, other side of the road where they lay. If you instruct us to give them food, may we give them food. If you instruct us to give them drink, may we give them drink. If you instruct us to clothe them, may we clothe them. If you instruct us to visit them, may we visit them, whether it be our neighbor on the other side of the cubicle from us, the other side of town or the other side of the world. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
Read Matthew 25:31-46