Sunday, September 19, 2010 40 Days of Prayer & Impact: 21 Days to Launch

Today, there are 21 DAYS before the Encounter Grand Opening on 10-10-10. We are asking you to join us in what God is doing and is going to do in these last 40 days.

Pray with us. Act with us. Imagine the impact we could have in Helena if each one of us is individually involved in making Helena a better place. Imagine the lives that could be touched. Imagine how the spiritual landscape of our community could be changed even BEFORE the grand opening.

Lifting Jesus Up

Today, we are looking at John 12:23 ...

And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself."

Jesus knew that He would endure the cross. In this scripture, He was telling His disciples that the cross was necessary. Even more, "being lifted up" has several depths of meaning. Yes, Jesus would physically be "lifted up" on the cross. But Jesus also promises that whenever He is "lifted up" in our hearts — that is, when we begin trust in His suffering and death upon the cross as the penalty for OUR sins, then He will draw us to Him.

When we lift up Jesus above everything else, He draws all people to Himself.

TODAY'S PRAYER

Today, there are only three weeks left in our 40 day countdown to our Grand Opening on 10.10.10. Tonight is a milestone in our church planting journey — it is our third and final Sneak Peek Worship Gathering. And as we reach milestones like this, we are reminded why we are doing this. We want people to be drawn to Jesus.

So our prayer today is simple. Pray that through our Worship Gatherings, LifeGroups, and Community Impact efforts, people would be drawn to Jesus. Ask God to allow people to see Jesus through who we are and what we do. Let us never forget the simple goal of lifting Jesus up.

TODAY'S IMPACT

Let's make today's impact simple as well. Bring a friend to tonight's Sneak Peek Worship Gathering. Here are four great reasons why. And then come with an expectation to hear Jesus lifted up.