Archive for August, 2013
A Call to Pray for Revival and Awakening
I wanted to share with you an invitation that is going out to Senior Pastors today. Please help us by inviting your Senior Pastor to attend this prayer gathering September 30 – October 1.
Dear Senior Pastor,
On behalf of our Invitation Team, I am inviting you to join us in a Prayer Gathering of Senior Pastors from all sizes of churches across America, for one purpose: Praying together for revival and awakening! We will focus on praying for pastors, local churches, and our nation to experience a mighty move of God that will be a catalyst for revival and awakening.
The forty-eight Senior Pastors listed on the right serve as the Invitation Team to this prayer gathering. Each of us will be there from start to finish, totally committed to seeing God move greatly. This call to prayer is from pastors to pastors…Senior Pastors just like you. Due to our commonality of need, we are focusing on Southern Baptist Pastors. Dr. Fred Luter, our SBC President, is excited about this Prayer Gathering and wishes he could attend. He regrets he has a previously scheduled commitment that prevents him from coming. This is not a “come and go” event or a place to “come and be seen;” nor is it a denominational or political meeting. It is a serious spiritual experience of prayer with pastors nationally.
Registration & Cost
To register, click here. You are responsible for your travel and hotel room, as well as your meals outside of the gathering time. Breakfast will be included on Tuesday morning. There is NO cost for the gathering.
Hotel Reservations
To reserve a room, click here or call Hilton Dallas/Southlake Town Square at (800) 445-8667. Identify yourself as a member of Call to Prayer/Cross Church or give the Group Code CRCH30 to receive our Group Rate. We have secured a group rate of $175+ tax. Upon your arrival, each of you will receive $75 cash to supplement the cost of your hotel room. This stipend is due to a special gift from someone who believes in this gathering. The Hilton Dallas/Southlake Town Square Hotel in Southlake, Texas is only 15 minutes away from the DFW Airport. The hotel does not have a shuttle service. Once you arrive at the hotel, there are numerous restaurants and coffee shops within walking distance.
Can you and will you join us? We need you to join us in prayer. We have a limited number of rooms and limited meeting space; therefore it is important that you register as soon as possible. You must make your hotel reservations by Wednesday, September 11 to secure this group rate.
Praying for Revival and Awakening,
Ronnie W. Floyd
On Behalf of The Call to Prayer Invitation Team
15 Minutes From
DFW Airport
Hilton Dallas/Southlake Town Square
1256 Main St #244
Southlake, Texas 76092
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
The Goodness of God in Bad Decisions
The results of a recent survey by LifeWay Research and Bible Studies for Life found nearly half of Americans (47%) agree they are dealing with the consequences of a bad decision on some level. Think about that. Nearly one out of two people you will see on the street, at work, in the park, or at church are dealing with issues related to a bad choice. That is significant, and should guide our thinking as we engage the people around us.
It seems people are constantly running up against the consequences of bad decisions. Try as we might, some things just do not work out. We decide to buy a car only to have something in the engine blow up three weeks later. We search and search for the best house only to have the water heater spring a leak two days after closing. (How much did we pay that home inspector, anyway?) It seems our decisions frequently yield unintended results.
Fixing problems after the fact can be difficult enough, but what happens when our bad decision involves God’s will? Specifically, what happens when we are overtly disobedient to Him?
As we consider the needs people have in responding to bad decisions, we need to help them see God does not abandon those who make bad decisions. Even overtly sinful decisions can be overcome, leading us to a new experience of God’s grace.
If we are to connect the unconnected, we need to be prepared to minister when people are recovering from mistakes.
How Jesus Responded
One well known example of this is Jesus’ response to the Apostle Peter’s denial. Jesus prophesied that Peter would deny Him in His hour of need. Jesus even gave Peter a marker from the animal world – the rooster crowing. Though Peter was disbelieving of Jesus, our Lord’s words were fulfilled. Peter denied knowing Jesus three times while Jesus was on trial for His life. When the rooster crowed, Peter wept bitterly about his denials.
Had Jesus responded to Peter’s denials with judgment or castigation, Pentecost may never have seen the Apostle preaching in the Spirit’s power. Instead, after His resurrection, the angel made it clear that Peter was still numbered among the disciples.
“But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there just as He told you.’” Mark 16:7, HCSB
Have you ever made a decision that brought a bad result? Worse, have you ever felt condemned for making the decision? Or, have you felt that God would never forgive you for it?
We are Forgiven
Thankfully, followers of Christ do not need to live with self-condemnation. The scriptures assure us,
“This is how we will know we belong to the truth and will convince our conscience in His presence, even if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience, and He knows all things.” 1 John 3:19-20, HCSB
If God does not condemn us there is no reason to allow our conscience to do so.
God has also promised that our sins have been removed from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). If they have been removed so far from us, we need not go looking to bring them back.
God’s forgiveness is full and free. Even our most damaging decisions can be redeemed to honor and glorify Him in due time.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church Northwest Arkansas
General Editor, Bible Studies for Life
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.