A few months ago the SBC announced a nationwide call to prayer. I am leading UBC to take up the challenge. I began a series of messages on New Year's Day titled "A call to prayer: What happens when we pray?" The Lord has led me to preach thru the book of Nehemiah with this theme in mind. In just 2 chapters we have discovered at least 15 things that happen when we pray...most of which happens in you...the rest happens thru you all by God's amazing and powerful grace. So let me list them by chapter.
Nehemia Chapter 1 - What happens when we pray?
1 - God gives us a tender heart as we weep, fast and pray in His presence
2 - God gives us a right perspective of Himself and ourselves
3 - We get a personified view of God and a personal experience with God
4 - We get a hightened sensitivity to sin...both personal and corporate
5 - We get assurance of forgiveness from God and a right relationship with God
6 - We get assurance that we are not alone in our prayers
7 - We get bold fresh new ideas to pray for success and favor
Nehemiah chapter 2 - What happens when we pray?
8 - We get courage to face our fears and speak…
 |
A Recipe for ThanksgivingPosted on Nov 23, 2010 - 04:02 PM by Michael Allen |
From The Tract League
2 Teaspoons of Trust: "Come to me, all who carry heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for you souls. For my yoke is easy and my load is light." Matthew 11:28-30
1 Cup of contentment: "...for I have learned that in whatever situation I find myself, I can be content." Philippians 4:11
3 Table Spoons of Gratitude: "...giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption thru His blood, the forgiveness of sins." Col 1:12-14
1 Teaspoon of faith: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God didnot send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world thru him might be saved." John 3:16, 17.
|
Followership?Posted on Oct 13, 2010 - 11:40 PM by Michael Allen |
Just about every week I hear about a new book on leadership! Every year I read or hear about another conference on leadership. I am a leader and I have benefited greatly by attending great leadership conferences and reading excellent books on leadership. But what about the followers? Who's writing the books that followers read? Who's leading the conference on followership? Where do the followers turn to learn how to be a better follower. Is it each to their own leader?
So I thought I'd dedicate this blog post to the idea of followership. Jesus said, "Follow me and I will make you a fisher of men." Most followers in the Christian Church context are busy learning many good things. They are learning how to be a godly man or a godly woman. They are learning how to be a faithful husband or wife. They are learning how to be a more effective mother or father. They are learning how to pray and how to be an ethical/Christian business man/woman. They are learning Theology and how to study their Bibles but are they a good follower?
Does the average Christian know what it means to be a good follower of Jesus? Do they know what…
|
Week of Prayer - 2010Posted on Sep 17, 2010 - 08:52 PM by Michael Allen |
The Allen Family was blessed to be a part of SBC's week of prayer. As always, we are very grateful for your prayers and support! If you are interested, you can find out more about the Week of Prayer at http://www.anniearmstrong.com.
|
Working Together to Stop Gun ViolencePosted on Sep 17, 2010 - 04:23 PM by Michael Allen |
Gun violence is a terrible symptom of what troubles our communities. Dealing with it has become a quality of life issue, and to understand how gun violence affects us, we need to take a look at our communities.
I am pastor at Uptown Baptist Church on Chicago's North Side. In this community, there is incredible diversity -- rich, poor and middle class, those with Ph.D's and those with no education, people of all colors and backgrounds. People live, work and worship next to one another. It's essential that they come together to fight crime, including the threat of gun violence.
We have seen here how a community can improve itself and deal with its problems.
For example, consider the murals that have gone up in Chicago's Uptown community. One that is intact at Sunnyside and Sheridan was done in the mid-1990's, before I got here. Before the mural went up, that area was called "Blood Alley," because of all the stabbings and rapes and shootings there. When the mural went up, crime took a nosedive in that area. There is still crime there, but it's way better than it was 8 to 10 years ago. A friend of mine has explained to me that where there is order and beauty, many criminals have been known to scatter.
Meanwhile, over the years our church has participated…
|
A Prayer for Our PresidentPosted on Sep 17, 2010 - 03:14 PM by Michael Allen |
