September 6-12, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Kingdom Prayers

Monday, September 6. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money… But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:24, 33). Pray for insight to see what other “masters” you might have in your life and ask for the Spirit’s help to have God and His kingdom be the only Master in your life.

Tuesday, September 7. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock… But everyone  who hears these words of  mine and does not put them in to practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand” (Matthew 7: 24, 26). Lord, help us to see that your words are not just good advice but that they give life,  life in your kingdom.

Wednesday, September 8. “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). “God, I want to build your kingdom and not my own. I need you to show me that this life is temporary. I ask that you would put eternity into my heart and that I would long to be in my heavenly dwelling more than my earthly home. You have only given me one life and I want to live it with more purpose, on a mission with you. Lord, I pray that you would give me the eyes to see this place as a temporary home and that my heart would be at home in you alone. Help me to see that this life is but a mist and a fleeting breath.” (taken from rachelbaxter.com)

Thursday, September 9. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and  drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ is this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval” (Romans 14:17-18). Lord, help me to remember that being in your kingdom is not a matter of doing the right things but of dwelling in you and your Spirit.

Friday, September 10. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is , there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). “God, I want to build your kingdom and not my own. Jesus, I confess that I spend much of day thinking about how I can lay up treasure  here on earth. I allow the world to tell me that what I have is not enough and that I need to spend my money and time accumulating more. Jesus, please help me to break free from earthly treasures that can be taken away from me and help me to cling to you my heavenly treasure.” (taken from rachelbaxter.com)

Saturday, September 11. “He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this: Even the winds and the waves obey him!’” (Matthew 8:26-27). Lord, forgive us for our fears, our doubts about being in your kingdom instead of our own. Open our eyes to be able to truly see who you are and what you are calling us to. Increase our faith.

Sunday, September 12. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20). Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity we have to hear the “Good News” of the Kingdom. Thank you too that as you send us out to share that “Good News” you remind us that you, the one with all authority in heaven and on earth, is the one who always is with us.

August 30 - September 5, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

“Life Giving Prayers for Your Church”

Monday, August 30. Lord, I lift up the Church universal. Father, we claim the power of Your name over us so that we will be one, as You and Your Son are one. We want Your joy in full measure just as Your Son, Jesus, prayed for us. Help us live as though we are not of this world; sanctify us by Your word. May we be brought to complete unity so that the world will know the truth of the gospel. (John 17:11-23)

Tuesday, August 31. Lord, I lift up our need for protection. Protect and deliver us from the evil one. Help us be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves as we deal with the wolves around us. Show us how to test every spirit to see if they are from You. Help us recognize the enemy’s disguises and schemes so that he won’t outwit us. (John 17:15; Matthew 6:13, 10:14; 1 John 4:1; 2 Corinthians 11:14, 2:11)

Kingdom Prayers

Wednesday, September 1. “…Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Lord, we pray that the desire of our hearts would be that your Kingdom be in us and around us here on earth as it is in heaven.

Thursday, September 2. “For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God’” (Romans 14:11). “God, my desire is to build your kingdom and not my own, but I confess most of the time I live like that is not true. I spend so much of my day trying to build my kingdom, making myself instead of you, the center of this life. Lord, I need your spirit to remind me minute-by-minute that this life is not all about me. It is all about you. Your word says the time is coming when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and your Kingdom will be made complete. In the end that will be all that matters. Nothing I build for my own glory will be left so I ask you to help me stop spending this life focused on myself. Jesus, I want to see my daily life through the eyes of your kingdom. Help me to seek your kingdom in my heart, mind, and life” (taken from rachelbaxter.com).

Friday, September 3. “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 4:17). “God, I want to build your kingdom and not my own. Lord, I know that building your kingdom instead of my own starts with repentance. Jesus, I am sorry for how I live my life trying to control everything and everyone, including you. I don’t want to be in control. I want to have a repentant heart, turning from the sin that keeps me seeking my own glory instead of yours. Jesus, please keep the words ’repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,’ always before me so that I will fight hard against my sin and work hard to bring your kingdom here” (taken from rachelbaxter.com).

Saturday, September 4. “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Lord, I want to think I can do it on my own, that I am good enough, but I am not and never will be. Thank you for providing Jesus as the way into your kingdom.

Sunday, September 5. “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom” (Matthew 4:23). Lord, prepare our hearts to hear the good news of your kingdom.

August Prayers: © 2004, 2012 by Church Prayer Leaders Network, www.prayerleader.com. This guide can be photocopied or emailed freely as long as this statement and website is included on the bottom.

Maranatha Media - August 2021

Pick up a COOL book to read from our library on these HOT days!

August 23-29, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

“Life Giving Prayers for Your Church”

Monday, August 23. Lord, I lift up those who are hurting right now. May they come to know You as El Roi, the God who sees them. For every situation of rejection, help them feel sonship. Bind up the brokenhearted! In every area of bondage, set the captives free; in every case of mourning, replace it with Your oil of gladness. Comfort them so that they will have a ministry of comfort to others. (Genesis 16:13; Romans 8:15; Isaiah 61:1-3; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Tuesday, August 24. Lord, I lift up every one of us who struggle with sin issues. Keep us from the enemy’s scheme of condemnation. Grant us repentance so that we can escape the trap of the evil one. Thank You that sin was done away with on the cross and that we are no longer slaves to it. Help us to throw off everything that entangles—help us run the race with perseverance. (Romans 8:1; 2 Timothy 2:25-26; Romans 6:6; Hebrews 12:1)

Wednesday, August 25. Lord, I lift up our priorities as a congregation. Give us ears to hear what Your Spirit is saying to our church. Open our eyes to see things as You see them. Help us move beyond issues of immediate need to pursuing Kingdom issues. Bring us to a place where “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is more than just words we say. (Revelation 3:22; 2 Kings 6:17; Matthew 6:25,33,10)

Thursday, August 26. Lord, I lift up our church growth to You. Add to our number daily through new converts. Birth spiritual children through us. Let our actions win people over without words. Use us as Your agents to rescue people from darkness and bring them into Your Son’s kingdom. We long to be worthy ambassadors in this ministry You have entrusted to us: that of proclaiming Your message of reconciliation to a lost world. (Acts 2:47; 1 Corinthians 4:15; 1 Peter 3:1-2; Colossians 1:13; 2 Corinthians 5:20)

Friday, August 27. Lord, I lift up our community, especially the surrounding neighborhood. Let us love these people as we love ourselves. May our concern for their needs override other things that take our time and focus. Rebuild and restore areas that have been devastated. Renew our community—send Your peace and prosperity into this place where You’ve planted us. Bless each individual home and family. Build each house from the inside out; watch over our city. (Galatians 5:14; Proverbs 3:28; Isaiah 61:4; Jeremiah 29:7; Luke 10:5-6; Psalm 127:1)

Saturday, August 28. Lord, I lift up the Church in our city. Thank You for creating the body as one unit made up of many parts. Help us understand the value of each part as You have arranged them. We confess that we’ve minimized other parts. Forgive us, for we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body. Help us to work at being one: concerned about one another—suffering with and rejoicing with other congregations as appropriate. (1 Corinthians 12:12-26)

Sunday, August 29. Lord, I lift up the Church in our nation. We humbly unite and confess as one people—one Church called by Your name—that we have sinned. We’ve operated out of acquired wealth thinking we could do it on our own—but we are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. We seek Your face, O God! Thank You for hearing and forgiving us. We wait on You for the healing of our land! (2 Chronicles 7:14; Revelation 3:17)

© 2004, 2012 by Church Prayer Leaders Network, www.prayerleader.com. This guide can be photocopied or emailed freely as long as this statement and website is included on the bottom.

August 16-22, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

“Life Giving Prayers for Your Church”

Monday, August 16. Lord, I lift up the spiritual temperature of my church. Revive us! Refine us so that we burn hot for You. Give us singleness of heart and action so that we always fear You and follow Your precepts. Pour out a spirit of Josiah on us so that we turn to You heart, soul and strength. Open our minds to understand Your Word so that our hearts burn within us. (Psalm 85:6; Revelation 3:14-18; Jeremiah 32:39; Psalm 111:10; 2 Kings 23:25)

Tuesday, August 17. Lord, I lift up the issue of our willingness to be led by Your Spirit. Holy Spirit, show us any way we are grieving, quenching or resisting You. Convict us and lead us to level ground. Help us keep in step with You as we live by You. Reign in us so that we experience Your freedom. Lead us into grace, life and peace. (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Acts 7:51; John 16:8; Psalm 143:10; Galatians 5:18,25; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Romans 8:6)

Wednesday, August 18. Lord, I lift up the use of spiritual gifts in our church. We eagerly desire spiritual gifts that You’ve given for our common good. Help us understand the various gifts and how they work. Teach us to use what we’ve received to serve others and faithfully administer Your grace—whatever form that takes. Help us exercise our gifts in love. Remind us to keep fanning into flame the gifts You’ve entrusted to us. (1 Corinthians 14:1, 12:4-7; 1 Peter 4:10; 2 Timothy 1:6)

Thursday, August 19. Lord, I lift up our love for one another as a body. Help us purify ourselves by obeying the truth so that our love for each other will be sincere, deep and from the heart. May our love for one another prove that we are Your disciples. Give us a spirit of unity so that we may glorify You with one heart and voice. Help us accept one another as we clothe ourselves in love. (1 Peter 1:22; John 13:34-35; Romans 15:5-7; Colossians 3:14)

Friday, August 20. Lord, I lift up our church finances. May we sow generously into our church without reluctance or compulsion. Make all grace abound so we have all we need for every good work You’ve assigned us. Make us rich in ways that result in generosity on our part so You will be praised. Keep reminding us of your promise to throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out blessing on all who bring the whole tithe into Your house. (2 Corinthians 9:6-11; Malachi 3:10)

Saturday, August 21. Lord, I lift up our outreach programs. Remind us to do good and share with others as a pleasing sacrifice to You. Keep us outwardly focused so we don’t become self-absorbed. Help us teach one another to be faithful ministers of Your Son. Enable us to meet people wherever they have a need. Help us minister faithfully as we proclaim the gospel so that the ones we reach might become an acceptable offering to You. (Hebrews 13:16; Philippians 2:4; Colossians 1:7; Jude 1:23)

Sunday, August 22. Lord, I lift up the single parents in our church. May they know You as father to the fatherless and defender of widows! Let us be a real family to them when they are lonely. Show us ways to include them and minister grace to them. Stir up practical ideas in us that show Your love and care. Help them relax in Your grace and provision which is more than enough for every weakness and need. (Psalm 68:5,6, 25:16; Matthew 25:35-40; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 4:19)

© 2004, 2012 by Church Prayer Leaders Network, www.prayerleader.com. This guide can be photocopied or emailed freely as long as this statement and website is included on the bottom.

August 9-15, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

“Life Giving Prayers for Your Church”

Monday, August 9. Lord, I lift up the speakers and teachers in our church. May everyone who holds that position—pastors, Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, guest speakers—rightly divide Your word of truth. Let them admonish and teach with wisdom. Reveal the mysteries of Your word to them and encourage them to speak those mysteries courageously and fearlessly. Let them speak with a spirit of faith that springs from their relationship with You. (2 Timothy 2:15; Colossians 1:28; Daniel 2:47; Philippians 1:14; 2 Corinthians 4:13)

Tuesday, August 10. Lord, I lift up our Women’s Ministry. Encourage our older women to train the younger in family issues. Teach our women to be virtuous—women with gentle and quiet spirits who put their hope in You. Let this ministry produce women who feel Your passion for them and who choose to spend time at Your feet. Train them to contend for the gospel side by side with the men. (Titus 2:4, 5; Proverbs 31:10; 1 Peter 3:4, 5; Psalm 45:11; Luke 10:38-42; Philippians 4:3)

Wednesday, August 11. Lord, I lift up our Men’s Ministry to You. Use this ministry to build our men in their faith. Teach them to be in right relationship to You and each other, to love their wives sacrificially and to instruct their children with patience. Encourage them to hold each other accountable as they carry each other’s burdens. May they speak the truth in love to each other even when its hard. (Jude 1:20; Titus 2:2; 1 Timothy 5:1; Ephesians 5:25, 6:4; Galatians 6:2; Ephesians 4:15; Proverbs 27:6)

Thursday, August 12. Lord, I lift up our Youth Workers. Let these men and women set an example in their speech, life, love, faith and purity. Cause them to be strong, alive-in-the-Word overcomers. Help them to have discernment as they deal with the young people in our church. Help them to notice any youth who lacks judgment so they can teach them to value Your life-giving principles. Pour out Your Spirit on them. (1 Timothy 4:12; 1 John 2:14; Proverbs 3:21, 7:7, 7:2; Joel 2:28)

Friday, August 13. Lord, I lift up the people who work behind the scenes at our church. Thank You for every nursery worker, parking lot attendant, office volunteer, building janitor, etc. who has devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Bless them for the obedience and generosity they have displayed—may You receive praise as a result! Keep them in an attitude of humility that comes from wisdom and wholehearted service to You rather than to be noticed by others. (1 Corinthians 16:15; 2 Corinthians 9:12-13; James 3:13)

Saturday, August 14. Lord, I lift up our Children’s Ministries to You. Create an atmosphere here that encourages our children to find You. Let the teachers be careful to remind each child of the marvelous things You have done. Cause everything they learn about You to become a part of them forever. May they consistently choose life and blessing each day because of the training they receive in our church. Keep them walking in the truth. (Mark 10:14; Deuteronomy 4:9, 29:29, 30:19; Proverbs 22:6; 3 John 1:4)

Sunday, August 15. Lord, I lift up the prayer focus in my church. Make us into a house of prayer. We desire to be clear-minded and self-controlled so that we can pray first, always, continually and thankfully. May everyone recognize that this is Your desire for all and not just a few. Use us to stand in the gap for others. Let there be prayer ministry among us that is powerful and effective. (Mark 11:17; 1 Peter 4:7; 1 Timothy 2:1; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Psalm 32:6; Ezekiel 22:30)

© 2004, 2012 by Church Prayer Leaders Network, www.prayerleader.com. This guide can be photocopied or emailed freely as long as this statement and website is included on the bottom.

August 2-8, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

“Life Giving Prayers for Your Church”

Monday, August 2. Lord, I lift up my elders to You. Help us respect and honor them as they direct the affairs of our church. May they wholeheartedly give their attention to prayer and ministry of the Word. Keep them above reproach, devoted to their families, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable and able to teach. May they be gentle and honest as they deal with people. (1 Timothy 5:17; Acts 6:4; 1 Timothy 3:1-2; Titus 1:7)

Tuesday, August 3. Lord, I lift up my deacons to You. May they walk worthy of respect with sincere hearts. Keep them from indulgence and greed. Help them keep hold of truth. May they keep short accounts with You so that their conscience is clear. Bless their households with peace and respect. Fill them with Your Spirit and let them operate in wisdom as they carry out their responsibilities. (1 Timothy 3:8-9, 12; Acts 6:3)

Wednesday, August 4. Lord, I lift up the adults in my congregation to You. May we live worthy of Your call on our lives. As we respond to that call, fulfill every purpose, every faith-filled act of service by Your power. May we be clothed in righteousness with hearts that sing for joy and delight greatly in You. We want to walk with You, Jesus, dressed in white, adorned with jewels. (Ephesians 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; Psalm 132:9; Isaiah 61:10; Revelation 3:4)

Thursday, August 5. Lord, I lift up the children and youth in my congregation to You. May the little ones remain humble examples of what we adults need to become in the kingdom. Let their conduct always be pure and right with reputations that show that they remember You, Creator God. Teach them to declare Your marvelous deeds. May they flee evil desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. (Matthew 18:3-4; Proverbs 20:11; Ecclesiastes 12:1; Psalm 71:17; 2 Timothy 2:22)

Friday, August 6. Lord, I lift up the senior members of our congregation. Thank You for every gray hair attained by righteous living. We are blessed by their example and ability to train us. Help us to be humbly submissive as we benefit from their wisdom and understanding. Help them receive the strength and power You’ve promised to the weary and weak. May they put their hope in You and be renewed in the process. (Proverbs 16:31; Titus 2:4; 1 Peter 5:5; Job 12:12)

Saturday, August 7. Lord, I lift up the lost members of our congregation. Let the gospel be presented to them not only through the sermon but also with power, the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. Teach us to make the most of every opportunity to share Your salvation. Help us to be the fragrance of Christ to them. We stand against the enemy and his attempts to keep them blinded to Your truth. (1 Thessalonians 1:5; Colossians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 2:15; 2 Corinthians 4:4)

Sunday, August 8. Lord, I lift up our worship leaders. Appoint people to this position who understand the splendor of Your holiness and praise You out of that understanding. Help them lead us faithfully in thanks for Your enduring love. Use their praise to defeat the enemy. May they be the true worshipers You are looking for who worship in spirit and in truth. Let them glory only in You, Jesus, so that they put no confidence in their own flesh. (2 Chronicles 20:21-22; John 4:23-24; Philippians 3:3)

© 2004, 2012 by Church Prayer Leaders Network, www.prayerleader.com. This guide can be photocopied or emailed freely as long as this statement and website is included on the bottom.

July 26 - August 1, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Our Freedom in Christ

Monday, July 26. Because we are one with Christ, God the Father sees us as free from sin’s condemnation. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1-4).

Tuesday, July 27. Lord Jesus, help us to use Your gift of freedom to love others. “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:13-14).

Wednesday, July 28. Jesus gave Himself as a sin offering for all who believe, freeing us from the burden of law-keeping and ritual sacrifices. “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: ‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.’ Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my God’” (Hebrews 10:5-7).

Thursday, July 29. We have been set free from sin and the Spirit empowers us to say “no” to the temptation to be drawn back into sin. “Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged” (Hebrews 6:17-18).

Friday, July 30. Living Lord Jesus, You freely gave Your life in exchange for mine, so that I am free from any charges against me. “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:31-34).

Saturday, July 31. The Lord’s redemption is complete, freeing us from sin. “Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins” (Psalm 130:7-8).

“Life Giving Prayers for Your Church”

Sunday, August 1. Lord, I lift up my pastor to You. Thank You for his servant’s heart. Keep him from losing heart when ministry gets tough. Help him prove faithful with the things you have entrusted to him. Teach him Your ways so that he knows You and finds favor with You as he leads us. Keep him open and honest before You and help him to represent the truth plainly.

August Prayers: © 2004, 2012 by Church Prayer Leaders Network, www.prayerleader.com. This guide can be photocopied or emailed freely as long as this statement and website is included on the bottom.

July 19-25, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Our Freedom in Christ

Monday, July 19. Jesus died to set us free, free to serve Him and others. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).

Tuesday, July 20. We thank You Jesus that because of our relationship with You we are free to come to the Father in prayer. “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12).

Wednesday, July 21. Following God’s commands frees us from sin and guilt. “I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts” (Psalm 119:45).

Thursday, July 22. Thank You, Father, for hearing our cries, delivering us, and setting us free. “Thank You, Father, for hearing our cries, delivering us, and setting us free” (Psalm 118:5).

Friday, July 23. Jesus, You died for my sins and fulfilled every part of the law, freeing me from the guilt and condemnation of the law. “‘Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses’” (Acts 13:38-39).

Saturday, July 24. Jesus has set us free from the wages of sin and given us the gift of eternal life. What a Savior! “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:22-23).

Sunday, July 25. We have been freed from needing to keep the law to earn salvation, but our freedom should be used to serve and honor God. “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:16-17).

Youth Group Mission Trip - Fun Day!

Our day away at Dollywood!

Ready to roll!

Lunch break - Pork BBQ Fries!

Along with the great rides, Dollywood has many vocal shows

Saying goodbye to our team leader, Mallory, on Saturday morning

Youth Group Mission Trip - Work Day #4

Larry & Jeremy installed a new door and flooring

Abbe worked on the clean-up crew as we got ready to say goodbye to our new friends

Sierra, Emmaline & Leon assembled a new dresser for Ms. Tracey’s bedroom

This was our worksite for the week!

Off to the Smoky Mountains and a hike up to Clingman’s Dome

We made it to the top!

The lookout at Clingman’s Dome

We made it to the Appalachian Trail!

The perfect way to end our hike - ice cream downtown Gatlinburg

Youth Group Mission Trip - Work Day #3

Sorting clothes at KARM (Knoxville Area Rescue Mission) Thrift Store, supporting and feeding the homeless population

We sorted and moved clothes and furniture. We may have done a little shopping too!

Sierra making a card for a shelter resident

Cards for shelter residents

Chapel starts at 8:00pm. The staff lead us in praise and worship.

After chapel, we meet as a small group for devotions

Youth Group Mission Trip - Work Day #2

Visiting with Ms. Tracey, her daughter and her new granddaughter (born on Sunday!) in their new living room

Abbe vacuuming up cockroaches after we pulled up the carpet

Emmaline & Katherine prep for painting

Abbe, Emmaline, Lydia & Sierra getting the thumbs up from Leon!

Our team leader, Mallory, and Isabel painting the room with a fresh coat of blue

Lauren edging the top

A wild game of spoons after dinner with new friends :)

Youth Group Mission Trip - Work Day #1

Started out the morning with a great breakfast!

The kids are staying in the girls dorm at Kings Academy in Seymour, TN. We are here with 150 other people; 6 groups total.

Our church is working at Ms. Tracey’s with a church from Indiana. Today we worked on installing a new living room floor, painting walls, and met her grandchildren. We have some AMAZING floor installers!

Leon, one of Ms. Tracey’s grandsons, (maybe age 6/7?) loved helping the volunteers :)

July 12-18, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Our Freedom in Christ

Monday, July 12. Give thanks that our God, who sets us free, walks with us as He calls us to be like Him to those around us. “This is what God the Lord says - he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it. ‘I, the Lord have called you in righteousness; I will take  hold of your hand. I will keep you and will  make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness’” (Isaiah 42:5-7).

Tuesday, July 13. Lord, help us to be wise and discerning in how we live in the freedom you have given us, that we may be a blessing to those around us. “‘Everything is permissible’ – but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible’—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good but the good of others” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24).

Wednesday, July 14. Father, though we are free may we be willing to serve, to bring others to know you. “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:19, 23).

Thursday, July 15. Lord, it is hard sometimes to hear your voice above others. May we always seek you to be the judge of how we live in the freedom you have given us. “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day” (Colossians 2:16).

Friday, July 16. Thank You, Jesus, for giving us Your Spirit, Who reveals truth to us and sets us free. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

Saturday, July 17. The Son of the Living God died to free us from bondage to sin. Hallelujah! “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Sunday, July 18. Father God, give me wisdom to know when I am using my freedom in ways that are harmful to me. “‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12).

July 5-11, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Our Freedom in Christ

Monday, July 5. Thank you Jesus that we can know that your words are truth and in them is freedom. “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free’” (John 8: 31-32).

Tuesday, July 6. Give thanks for the gift of the Spirit. “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us” (1 Cor. 2:12).

Wednesday, July 7. Pray for the Spirit’s help to not only listen to Christ’s word but to do it and to recognize the freedom and blessing that comes from obeying it. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says…. The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:22, 25).

Thursday, July 8. Praise God that we are justified freely by his grace. “ …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).

Friday, July 9. Ask for the Spirit’s aid to gladly share the good news of salvation with those around us. “Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach the message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near…. Freely you have received; freely give’” (Matthew 10:6­8).

Saturday, July 10. “And we pray this in order that  you  may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way... Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:10, 12-14).

Sunday, July 11. “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the Lord, who remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free” (Psalm 146:5-7).

June 28-July 4, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

A Month of Blessings from God

Monday, June 28: Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit! “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:26-27).

Tuesday, June 29: Hear the Shepherd’s voice today: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30).

Wednesday, June 30: Jesus is always with us. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b).

Our Freedom in Christ

Thursday, July 1: Thank you Jesus that through your death we have been set free—no longer slaves to sin. “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin” (Romans 6:6-7).

Friday, July 2: Give thanks that our salvation, our freedom is not earned but is a gift. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Saturday, July 3: Ask the Lord for wisdom to know how to live out your freedom in Christ. “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9).

Sunday, July 4: “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests for serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen” (Revelation 1:5b-6).

June 21-27, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

A Month of Blessings from God

Monday, June 21: The Lord Almighty is with us. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear” (Psalm 46:1-2a).

Tuesday, June 22: Our God is a mighty fortress. “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:5-8).

Wednesday, June 23: Hear God’s words of blessing: “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations” (Psalm 67:1-2).

Thursday, June 24: Soak in this truth today: “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:23-26).

Friday, June 25: God walks through this day with you. “‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation’” (Psalm 91:14-16).

Saturday, June 26: There is no one like our God! “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:8-14).

Sunday, June 27: God’s eyes are always on you. “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Psalm 121). 

Maranatha Media - June 2021

Summer is the perfect time to relax in the sun or shade with a new book! Check out these new books in our church library.

June 14-20, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

A Month of Blessings from God

Monday, June 14: May you experience and understand the good things you have in Christ. “I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people” (Philemon 4-7).

Tuesday, June 15: Hear God’s truth today: “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21).

Wednesday, June 16: Praise be to our God of all grace! “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:10-11).

Thursday, June 17: Hear the Father speaking these words over you today: “But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (Isaiah 43:1-3a).

Friday, June 18: Your Good Shepherd meets all of your needs. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23).

Saturday, June 19: Our God is in control-always. “The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace” (Psalm 29:10-11).

Sunday, June 20: Our God is powerful. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations” (Psalm 33:6-11).