God Working Through Our Inadequacies

Janet Whited

I feel very fortunate to have been encouraged by Ford and Eric to participate in the Sunday School class they were teaching on inductive Bible Study this past semester. (Actually I was under the impression that attendance was required for community group leaders!) Either way, God knew I needed to be there.

I had facilitated a number of Bible Studies through the years, but I had always used questions provided by a book or an organization. This class was truly transformative. Over the course of the semester we slowly worked our way through the process of studying the Bible ourselves and then coming up with questions for a group that would help everyone observe, interpret and apply Scripture to their lives.

Over the months I was amazed that we could produce questions strictly by reading the Bible, with no commentary or additional study, but with the leading of the Holy Spirit. I was also learning a lot from not only Ford and Eric, but from the other members of the class. I was sure that everyone in that room had a better understanding of the Bible than I did. So imagine my surprise when I got an email from Eric the Thursday before our last class asking me to develop a Bible Study on a particular passage and lead the class! I asked Eric if he had accidentally sent this request to me rather than someone else.  This class was full of spiritual powerhouses. I was just there to learn! When he assured me he had, in fact, intended to ask me, I agreed to do it. 

With much fear and trepidation and especially prayer, I was able to prepare the lesson and to lead it as well. Not only did God make the study process exciting and meaningful, but he sustained me as I led the class. There was excellent discussion, and I never felt nervous once we started. God is always sufficient, and we often forget that until we step out in faith to do something we know we are inadequate to do on our own.

Please join us for Christmas Eve

I hope you will join us for Christmas Eve services at Church of the Apostles at 3pm, 5pm, or 11pm. Last year we heard the Christmas account from the perspective of the Innkeeper. This year we’ll hear it from the lips of an angel. It should be a heavenly experience!

Check out last year's “Christmas Eve drama sermon” by Church Apostles on Vimeo. The video is available for your viewing pleasure at http://vimeo.com/57774339

Patrick

The Sunday Set-Up for December 22, 2013

Readings for Sunday: Isaiah 7:10-17 and Matthew 1:18-25

Bulletin: December 22, 2013 

"Smushed" by God

I'd like to share with you a story from a friend and regular visitor in our congregation. I have had the privilege of seeing God take him from a very hard place into a growing and joyful relationship with Him.  – Eric Bolash

At 44 years old, I was living what the world calls the “American Dream.” Wife with the requisite number of kids, senior executive of a large company, being paid a big salary with all the power and perks that comes with this role, nice home, two nice cars and great vacations. 

In addition, I was going to, and making a point to be seen at, a prominent area church and the popular area Bible studies. I was being real smooth in talking all about my “relationship with God and Jesus.” All the while, I had no peace in my heart, but thought if I could ever get to the level of financial independence that I was seeking, all in my world would be well and I would then have the peace I was so badly looking for. At that point, I would be able and would choose to live as a follower of Christ in my heart. And no doubt, I would then “walk the talk.”

In an unexpected two-minute conversation, all that was my world came to an end.

I came home without the job and career that I had so desperately built as my foundation—one that had become my god, and how I defined myself as a man/husband/daddy. My foundation had been built and was made up of pride, greed, deceit (of course hidden by my shrewd and manipulative words and actions), lust, envy, anger, hate…..all the rest of the list you could add here.  My god was now gone, and I had no idea how that in a short period of time I would collapse into nothingness at every level—physical, emotional, mental. I would add spiritual to that list, but I never had this even though everyone around me thought I did from my carefully crafted words and works.

A neat thing happened during the next 18 months. In the midst of an absolutely awful time that took me to the edge of my mind, physical body and life, and almost ruined my marriage and family….JESUS showed up. Of course He was always there, but it took my Father in heaven loving me so much that He set aside time and effort to smush me. He knew I would never surrender to him otherwise. Every professional I sought out for help offered up all the tools that modern day society has offer as their “fix.” And I tried them all in a big way, but to no avail. 

How was I healed? The way man has always had freely available to him…JESUS!  Funny thing, even in the most awful time, pride was so deeply ingrained in my heart that I would not turn loose of myself for a year and a half. The world tells you when you get to the end of your rope you tie a knot and hang on. That is a lie, although probably well intentioned. God’s smush finally had me to the point that I ran out of pride, and I let go of the rope. And I landed in the arms of JESUS!  What a Blessing. JESUS healed me.

I am grateful to have been taken to the point of hopelessness, because it took this for me to finally quit faking it and accept JESUS as my Savior. He gave me, and still does give the only true HOPE. I still turn away from Him when I fear the future and worry about being able to provide financially for my family. But the Holy Spirit is there with me always. Nearly every day when praying, I ask the Holy Spirit to holler real loud and even stomp His feet when talking to me, as I am still so easily tempted to pick up all the pride and selfishness, and all that goes with them. It’s humbling, but it is a blessing.

If you resonate with the author's story and would like to talk further with him, he said he would welcome that. You can send me an email, and I'll put you in touch with him: eric@apostles-raleigh.org

The Sunday Set-Up for December 15, 2013

I hope you will join us this Sunday for our traditional Lessons and Carols service. This tradition dates back to the early 19th century and recalls the great biblical accounts of the Fall, promises of redemption through the Messiah, and the incarnation of Christ. The church celebrates these events through the reading of Scripture, singing of carols, and the preaching of the Word. Speaking of which, have you ever noticed how powerful words can be? Words can make or break us. The creation began with a word, fell through words, and is being restored by the Word. Come this Sunday as we contemplate the Word made flesh.

Bulletin: December 15, 2013

Pride for Parents: Our Advent Mission Focus

by Spencer Daniel

Our Advent Mission Focus this year is the Pride for Parents Store at The Encouraging Place in downtown Raleigh. The Pride for Parents Store accepts donations of new, unopened toys to then re-sell at low, affordable prices to families who would not usually be able to afford toys at Christmas. If you would like to participate, you can bring a new toy to the box in the lobby at Church of the Apostles. The deadline to drop off toys is Tuesday, December 17.

When Reggie Edwards, Executive Director of The Encouraging Place, called to tell me that she had the “perfect” service opportunity for me I thought that she was joking.  How can I run The Pride for Parents Christmas Store?  Last year I only served in the store by pricing and organizing the toys.  I had never seen the store in action.  But through prayer God led me to say, “Yes!”  And what a perfect service opportunity this has been for me!  I have seen God’s mighty hand in the store in so many ways.

One specific way that I have seen God’s work is through the faithful volunteers.  We have many of the same repeat volunteers shift after shift and day after day.  We have volunteers that are willing to offer their guidance and service to their community with happy servant hearts.  There are four women that stand out in my mind.  They are always early for their shifts (sometimes beating me there!) and stay to ensure that every last toy is priced and placed on the shelf.  They pray for the store before it opens, offer hugs and prayers for shoppers, and always have a smile on their faces.  I have been blessed by their words, hard work, and dedication to the store.  They are truly living out God’s plan and serving the store with a heart for God’s people.  They have been such an example for me, and everyone else at Pride for Parents, of how to treat everyone who walks through the door with the dignity and respect that they deserve.

I have also seen God’s hand in the shoppers that He brings to the store.  We had shoppers lined up and waiting on the first Thursday that we were open.  It was awesome confirmation to see them arrive after so much prayer that God would send them.  One particular story that stands out is a single mother with her two month old son.  She came on Friday with $2 to spend.  She bought four sets of clothes with her money.  Saturday she came back with $10 and bought her son two to three toys for Christmas (isn’t it every parent’s dream to provide Christmas presents for their child?).  As she was checking out we were talking about her son and her home life.  She admitted that she was in an abusive relationship with her son’s father, had recently lost her job, and was struggling to stay afloat.  Luckily, Reggie was standing close-by and we were able to introduce them and one of the volunteers prayed with her.  She’s been on my heart and my mind since and I know that God brought her to the store for a greater purpose.  This is just one example of how God is using the store to impact people’s lives in more ways than we can imagine.

The Pride for Parents Christmas Store has also been a huge blessing to me.  I have been able to see God’s work in action – in the people serving and shopping.  I am thankful for the opportunity to serve the people of Raleigh through The Pride for Parents Store.  And I am thankful that Reggie called me with the “perfect” service opportunity.    

A Different Take on the Apostles Prison Ministry

by David Whittaker

James 5:19-20 ( TMSG ) My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.

You might have the impression that the focus of our church's outreach to the North Carolina Correctional Institute for Women (NCCIW) is to secure as many "personal decisions for Christ" as possible each time we go into the prison. While this is an important step in the disciple-making process, it is only the first step in a lifelong process of being conformed into the image of Christ.

Most of those who come to our programs have made such a step in their lives. Many come with a good bit of Bible knowledge. The problem is they have let very real hurts pull them into a destructive lifestyle. Our mission to reignite that first-love passion and to help them see their sentence as a time of restoration and renewal. 

We encourage them to become truly penitent before the Holy Spirit and to allow him to do spiritual surgery in their lives. Because our audience is transitory, we seldom see any fruit from our efforts and must trust the Holy Spirit to finish the work he has started.  Our task is to show up. We would love for you to join us in this ministry. For more information, you can contact Mary Jo Hobbs: maryjohobbs@bellsouth.net.