Read the newspaper lately?  Have you seen the ads in your local paper?  Does anyone read these things at all or is it just a waste of time?

Advertising is an essential component of any business venture whether it’s large or small, young or old. Marketing keeps the customer aware of your services and products and maintains a strong presence to your customers.

When it comes to church marketing the church has typically been behind the trend. Churchmarketingsucks.com is a website designed to help churches get better at this but we have some work to do in order to catch up to the world of business.  I mean don’t we have a product greater than all the products combined in this world?  The answer is YES!  We have Jesus Christ, salvation, and He’s left us with the Holy Spirit.  Pretty amazing product wouldn’t you agree?

We’ve been working on some new ads to place in the Etobicoke Guardian, but we want your feedback.  What do you think on the current ad- go ahead rip it apart- give us your honest opinion!  We want to reach people within 25-35ish year old range, families & young adults who want to get involved in social justice issues. Does this ad give enough information?

We’d love for you to share your ideas with us?  Help us create a unique ad campaign.

7 Ads needed, here’s the first one.

Share your thoughts, email me your ideas, graphic designers, all welcome!

Dave

Reading #97

Scripture   Revelation 2:1-3:22

²⁹ “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches (Revelation 2:29).

Observation: It cannot be ignored that the seven letters written to the seven churches represent a unified message for the church in all times and places, taking into account all its spots and wrinkles….all its flaws and imperfections. In other words, any single body of Christians might be similar to one of these churches, and each community contains people who are like the Christians from these churches. Christ invites every community of believers to examine itself in the light of these messages.

Application: It is quite amazing, and sparks some wondrous thought about what the book of Revelation represents. It brings home so many things that plague us on the times and the coming of the Lord. All claims that the Bible has passed its relevancy are dispelled by this reality. The church has entered the final stage of its experience, and the full maturity of time is approaching! The mystery of God will soon be manifest, made known, to all men throughout history. And the long denied, despised, rebutted, doubted, hated, crucified Christ will, as He promised, return to this world and take His rightful place as its ruler! I know there are many who don’t like or agree with this, but the realization of the fact that every single second of time since Christ returned to heaven is ticking away exactly as He said it would. The reality of God needs to be more real to us now than ever! It needs to cause us to praise Him for the knowledge and understanding of the information in this passage of scripture.

Prayer: Merciful, Father, we acknowledge our desperate need of You. You have called out to us to pay attention and to hear what You are saying to us. Our genuine prayer is… “give us ears to hear what the Spirit is saying”. Father, many who are in the body of Christ are forgetting or have already forgotten the awesome meaning of their calling and responsibilities to You. We cry out to You from our state of spiritual decay. We desire and are in need of a dramatic change in attitude and behaviour before the arrival of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We humble ourselves before You. In the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ. AMEN!

Judy

Day 93 (1 Peter 1:1 – 2:1-12)

Scripture : 1 Peter 1:13-21

13 “So prepare your minds for service and have self-control. All your hope should be for the gift of grace that will be yours when Jesus Christ is shown to you. 14 Now that you are obedient children of God do not live as you did in the past. You did not understand, so you did the evil things you wanted. 15 But be holy in all you do, just as God, the One who called you, is holy. 16 It is written in the Scriptures: “You must be holy, because I am holy.”

17 You pray to God and call him Father, and he judges each person’s work equally. So while you are here on earth, you should live with respect for God. 18 You know that in the past you were living in a worthless way, a way passed down from the people who lived before you. But you were saved from that useless life. You were bought, not with something that ruins like gold or silver, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, who was like a pure and perfect lamb. 20 Christ was chosen before the world was made, but he was shown to the world in these last times for your sake. 21 Through Christ you believe in God, who raised Christ from the dead and gave him glory. So your faith and your hope are in God”.

Observation :

Peter is reminding the believers to live their lives with respect for God – as ones bought with the precious blood of Jesus. Now that they have been saved from their old, useless lives doing evil things they wanted, they must be holy (set apart) because the One who called them is holy. He is a holy God and those who belong to Him must live as He is holy.

Application :

Our calling as believers is to live right before God – to live with awareness that the God we serve is HOLY. Jesus shed His precious blood that we may be reconciled to the Father. This is something that we can not take for granted. Living for God and doing what is right is the minimum for a follower of Jesus.

Prayer :

Father, thank you for what You have done through Jesus. Holy Spirit, I know that only through You I can live a holy life – a life pleasing to God. Fill me with Your presence and help me I pray in Jesus’ name.

teresita

Day 92, Life Journal Essential 100 Challenge

Follow the S.O.A.P method for bible journaling and you’re ready to go!

Todays’ Reading:  2 Corinthians 4-6:2

Theme: The Apostles’ Teaching

SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 4:5
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.”

OBSERVATION: If you experience Christ’s presence and power in your life, absolutely no trouble, sickness or tragedy will cause your spiritual defeat.  When their are obvious outward circumstance that become unbearable and your human strength is challenged, God’s resources are always given to expand your faith, hope and strength.  Under no circumstances will God forsake his faithful children.

APPLICATION: The scripture reminds us of God’s protection even in the most challenging of situations.  It doesn’t promise us that we will not be effected by challenges or that we are exempt from difficulties because we are children of God.  We must therefore walk in obedience and trust Christ in the middle of the most challenging moments of our lives.  We are PRESSED- pressures happens, challenges come, but we are not CRUSHED- defeated, destroyed, left to die!  Thank God for this truth.

PRAYER: Lord help me to trust in you in the middle of the storms of life.  May my life be an example of one who is determined to receive blessings on the other side of the storm.  Keep me in your strength, in Jesus name, Amen.

Dave

On May 15, 2011 a team of athletes from Liberty will be joining  thousands of other runners in the Mississauga Marathon. This team from Liberty will be putting their endurance to the test in hopes of raising awareness and financial support for Child Poverty in Canada.  All donation pledges will go towards the Rumble Kidz program at Liberty International Church.

The Rumble Run is our first attempt in bringing awareness to this cause and a great way to get in shape.  Let’s face it we are going to need your prayers and support!

All donations will be accepted through Canada Helps just visit www.rumblekidz.ca to pledge your support.

Pledge $50 to Rumble Kidz for your chance to win an iPad2 - not a bad incentive!

Dave

So please don’t hesitate to support the children today!

RumbleRun May 15, 2001 Video

Reading #90

Scripture:  1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11
4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Observation: In chapter 4 verse 13, it says 13 “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.”  In spite of all the biblical data regarding Christ’s return, many of us are so familiar with end-times teaching that we have tuned out.  This tendency reminds me of how we treat our alarm clocks.  We have grown so accustomed to hearing them sound off that we can press snooze as we sleep right through the alarm warning us to rise from our slumber.  In light of our human tendency to forget and ignore God’s Word, Paul sounds a red alert: “Don’t get caught sleeping!”

Application: We must wake up, open our eyes and wise up to the soon coming of Jesus.  Paul says that this day will come “like a thief in the night.”  The trouble with thieves is they do not tell us when they are coming.   It is not their habit to send a warning postcard.  The same unexpectedness will characterize the day of our Lord’s return.
Paul also says that this day will come upon unbelievers like labour pains upon a pregnant woman.  Labour pains are uncomfortable and painful.  They are bearable at times yes BUT……
A woman may feel one, and then not feel another for fifteen minutes or more.  But as the moment of birth approaches, the pains become more acute-and they get closer together.  There comes a point where the woman has to make a mad dash for the maternity wing of the local hospital.  In the same way, during the day of the Lord, times will be frightfully bad-but to add fuel to the raging fire-they will escalate out of hand rapidly.  Yet, in the midst of this, the world will be declaring peace and security.
May I ask a few questions?  What do we currently know about the end-times?  Are we living out our knowledge?  Or are we foolishly living as if we are guaranteed tomorrow and Christ couldn’t possibly return today?  I encourage us all to shake ourselves awake from our sleep walking and wise up to end-times doctrine.  Don’t get caught sleeping!

Prayer: Gracious Father, we hear the sounds of Your soon return.  Give us ears to hear and to be alert and ready.   Help us speak words of hope and affirmation into the people we meet daily.  Wake us up to opportunities all around us.  Give us the desire to go into this week with a renewed passion for Christ’s return.  We can single-handedly make an eternal difference in someone’s life.  We don’t want to be guilty of sleep walking.   Help us to live today as if Jesus could return because He just might.  In the Name of the soon coming King, Jesus Christ.  AMEN!

Judy

Day 88

Reading: 2 Timothy 2:1-2:26

Scripture:

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 2 Timothy 2:24

Observation:

I this short reading there is such emphasis on how wasteful it is to spend precious time arguing, and how important it is to live for Christ.  There is much expectation of those that are “Good Soldiers of Christ” since we are consecrated in Christ, we are called to a higher standard of living.  How as a people can we set ourselves apart from the ways of the world if we continue engaging in the same behaviors and activities as everyone else?  Things that may be acceptable before man may not be acceptable before Christ which is why verse 4 states “Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.” To know where we want to go in life and how we should carry ourselves I think the question we all need to ask ourselves is, ‘Who am I trying to please?”

Application:

Several years ago I decided that I would live for Christ, and looking at my life I know at times I get “tied up in the affairs of civilian life” like I’m sure many others do too.  I recognize the importance of seeking God daily and surrounding myself with “Good Soldiers of Christ” who will help me up when I stumble.  God never meant for us to do it on our own, He is with us every step of the way and I can be assured by this because in verse 13 it states, “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.” What a comfort to know that my Heavenly Father will always be there no matter how many times I get off track with civilian life.

Prayer:

Thank you Father for your never-ending grace, thank you for your patience with me as I try to be a Good Soldier of Christ but struggle with civilian life.  God I pray that you continuously correct me and help me to be more like you.

Blessings Everyone,

Nina

Day 87

Reading 1 Timothy 6:3-21

Scripture:

1 Timothy 6:9-10, 11

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

Observation:

In the first book of Timothy, Paul is instructing Timothy how to lead the church in Ephesus. We read in the sixth chapter of Timothy that Paul speaks about the issue of money (touchy subject). Paul gives a warning against not money itself but against the love and desire for money or wealth. Paul also contrasts the desire of money with the desire for godly things. He shows Timothy that our desire should be focused on godly things not on earthly possessions.

Application:

A number of times in scripture you need to study extensively to understand the context of a certain verse or passage, but in our culture I don’t believe it takes us too much study to see the parallels with what Paul is teaching Timothy. The culture we live in today is very much in love with money. Even within the church we see that we have a hunger for more. Paul is clear money is not the problem it is our love or desire for it, that is!

Paul instructs Timothy to teach not the desire for money but the pursuit for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Have you ever thought want a church would look like if we pursued godliness as much as we pursued money or things? Wow! I think we would see God move in ways that would blow our minds! Ask yourself today. What is more important to me, my stuff or God? Don’t just quickly answer like a Christian should and move on, really take a moment and think about it. Lets start pursuing righteousness; godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness as Wall Street pursue money.

Prayer:

Lord, help us not to get caught up in the materialism that is so prevalent in the world we live in. Lead us to a place where we are more concerned with you and pursuing you then we are with money. God teach us to handle money in a way that honors you and advances your kingdom. We love you, Amen

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Day 86 Reading – 1Timothy 3:1-16

Theme: Elders and Deacons

Scripture : “Here is a trustworthy saying: if anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” 1Timothy 3:1 NIV

Observation: Apostle Paul provided instructions for Timothy on the proper conduct of worship in the church, as well as qualifications for elders and deacons. Here’s the break down:

Qualifications for Elders/Overseers and Deacons

Application: I have learned that an overseer and deacon in the church is a function in the body of Christ to provide order. It is a serious role that should not be taken lightly. Such person has the responsibility to show others how to live right and be Christ-like.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, have your way in me. In Jesus’ name.

junn