Tonight's Service is at 5:00PM!

We have moved the service time to 5:00pm tonight. Please get the word out!
Singers and band will meet at 4:00!

Tonights service; When You Come To Wits End

I hope you will join us at 5:00 and find a Spiritual Solution for your life!

Love, pastor kent

Time Change This Sunday!!!

Not the time change where we roll our clocks back but because of the Cardinal Game on Sunday, I have received requests to move the service time to 5:00PM!

So get the word around, This Sundays service will start at 5:00PM!  
Singers and band we will meet at 4:00!

Love, pastor kent

Right Where You Are

Never make the mistake in thinking that God cannot use you right where you are in your life.
God requires only one thing for a person to be used powerfully, and that is surrender to His will.

Your sinner?….. Who isn't?
Your in a messed up circumstance?….Join the club!
Your in a profession that demands huge amounts of time and energy?……Perfect!
You are unemployed?….Even Better, you have complete flexibility!
Are you ill?….Read The Blind Man
You are confused?…..Again, join the club!
You are worn out?….Come this Sunday and listen to the sermon!

Circumstances never prevent God from working through people, people prevent God from working through them.

God can accomplish more through a person who works as a janitor who is completely surrendered to His will than through a pastor of a mega church who is there for his own glory and a prestigious job!

This Sunday……A short sermon….When You Are at Wits End!

Is God tapping you on the shoulder with an idea? Call me, lets talk!

See you Sunday. Love, pastor kent

Too Much!

The bible is a huge book and therefore overwhelms many would be readers. So is Gone with the Wind, Moby Dick, and War and Peace…..

Here is the thing about the bible. It contains infinite Spiritual wisdom and because of that it can seem overwhelming. However, God also knows you and your capabilities, your habits and your patience level. The object of reading the bible is NOT to read it straight thru and try and grasp everything that you are reading. The bible is not designed like any other book because it was written for you personally. God will speak to you on your level of understanding when you commit to getting to know Him by starting a daily bible reading discipline.

Disciplining yourself to daily bible reading shows God you are committed to getting to know Him. He will honor that. So after you read everyday for a week and you have absolutely no clue what it is you've read, it's ok because God knows that! Just listen to your inner voice and watch your life circumstances as you continue the discipline.

If you go to the gym and begin lifting weights, more than likely you will see no results after the first week. But, if you continue with the discipline, you will progressively change your strength and body shape. Reading the bible is the same in many ways. If you go to the gym and lift too much at one time, you are going to get so sore you will probably not go back to the gym. However if you select a proven systematic routine based on your fitness level, you can progressively increase your strength and stamina. Start by reading a couple of paragraphs. Don't worry if you don't understand or feel different, just stick with the program! Your spiritual life will develop as sure as your biceps will strengthen with weight training.

Announcements:

Choir practice tonight and every Thursday from 7:00 to 9:00PM at the Crystal Garden, all are invited to be part of the choir.

Chuck Weiss is at Meridian Village for rehab.

I will be offering a 5 week confirmation class for any of our youth who would like to participate. Let me know if you have interest. I am hoping to have at least 4 to start the class. This will be our first confirmation class. I will determine the times after I hear back from who is interested.

Wednesdays a group of guys meet at Edwardsville breadco at 8:00 AM all are invited to join us at this informal meeting.

We will be having a meeting soon, (time and date to be determined), about our booth at Barb Joiners office for this years Halloween parade. We will need volunteers to be ambassadors for Praise Community Fellowship. We will decide what we will be handing out, cooking, and music!

See you Sunday!  love, pastor kent

Thought for the Day

Who are you giving your allegiance to?

Allegiance defined: loyalty or commitment of a subordinate to a superior or of an individual to a group or cause.

Why read the bible? To Hear from God about your life. There is also a very interesting verse in Colossians.

Colossians 2:1-3New International Version (NIV)

2 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

"All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge!" Get to know Jesus for in Him, there is infinite wisdom. I want to remind you of a blog I posted earlier this summer. When you reach a point in life where you are up against a wall, you feel down, defeated, lost, what do you typically do? Worry, fret, call all your friends and rehash the problem over and over? There is a better option. Go to God, read the bible, pray. Not just for 5 minutes but until God's Peace and Joy comes. 

How long will that take? Does it matter? Go to God, read the bible, Pray!  Go to God, read the bible, Pray! Go to God, read the bible, Pray!   Then repeat………….

Announcements: 

Sheryl Burian had to go to the emergency room last night due to the painful affects of kidney stones. So the youth group meeting planned for tonight will be postponed.

See you Sunday, love pastor kent

Monday Morning Power Points

Question:  What is it that is keeping so many of us from living a God empowered life?

Answer: I can only answer that from my life experience and what I have observed as I continue to seek  God and walk with Him on a daily basis. I think the primary obstacle for most of us is that our lives are primarily focused on our agendas rather than on God's agenda. It takes quite a paradigm shift to make Gods agenda more important than yours. But that shift can be made. 

Question: So what would I have to do to begin this "agenda" shift, switching my agenda to Gods agenda?

Answer:  I think there are many ways this could take place but here are some of what I think are foundational requirements. If you can get these fundamentals down you will see a radical shift in your relationship with God.  So here are what I would call the foundational requirements.

A.) Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior by confessing your sins and then crying out to Him that you need Him and accept Him and need help in believing in Him.

B.) Get an easy to read version of the bible like the  New International Version or the New Living Translation,  there are several good choices, and begin a daily devotion reading program from your bible. God will speak to you through His word which is written in the bible. It still amazes me of how few Christians actually read their bible. Let me give an illustration of just how important this part of your Christian walk really is. Imagine someone wanting to become a member of a professional sports team. I'll use football as my example. The person shows up for practice and at the end of the very first practice the coach hands out a "Play Book" This book contains this particular teams methods and strategy for playing the game. If you are going to become a active member of this team you are going to have to know the play book. Coming to practice without knowing the plays is going to leave you on the bench.

 I still say journaling is an excellent way to "hear"  Gods voice. Read and then write. What is the playbook saying to you? The Holy Spirit will interpret Gods word to you for your particular circumstance. God will speak to you about your life from His word. But you have to make a daily commitment to reading it. 

Question: Do I have to read the bible daily?

Answer: Only if  you want to enjoy all that God has for you!

C.) And the other fundamental requirement would be prayer. Go to God daily with anything you would like guidance on but also with this, "God show me how to become part of your plan. Give me the  wisdom, the strength, the patience, and the energy to become a major player in your agenda!"

Hope to see you soon! Love, pastor kent

        

             

It's Thursday and God is Still in Control!

I saw Chuck Weiss yesterday and he definitely took a bad fall. The good news is, he may be coming home today but will have to be very careful. He is wearing a neck collar because he broke a bone in his neck. Please continue to pray for his recovery.

The meeting last night with the Well. There have been no decisions made at this point because we will need to have an attorney look over a document that may be binding on the Well.  Please continue to pray for Gods wisdom for our future and for the future of the Well.  The board continues to explore all options for our future. Don't worry about a thing, God is in control!

This Sunday, we will be gathering food for the Glen Ed Pantry. Canned goods, laundry detergents, soap, and paper products are all needed. We are going to make every communion Sunday a day we collect for the Glen-Ed pantry.

Youth Group The startup of our youth group will meet the first time Wednesday October 8th 6:30 pm  at Sheryl Burian's house  - 108 Michelle Drive, Glen Carbon, Ill.  Call or text Sheryl Burian if you need directions, or if you cannot attend at 618-806-4623

Choir starts tonight! We will be rehearsing on Thursday evenings at 7pm - at The Crystal Garden (current home for PCF Church services), starting this week, Oct 2nd.
For those of you that cannot commit to every week rehearsal - please feel free to come when you can.  Also, if you want to sing with us on Sunday's, but can't make the rehearsal, that's great too.  All are welcome - just as you are - and just when you can.  :)

This Sunday's Sermon….."When You've Come To The End of The Road!" 

"If we do not yearn and pray and expect God to stretch out his hand and do the supernatural, it will not happen. That is the simple truth of the matter. We must give him room to operate. If we go on, week after week, filling the time with religious lectures and nothing more, God has little opportunity in which to move." From "Fresh Wind Fresh Fire" Jim Cymbala

Fill your life with love, forgiveness, compassion, and healing and prayer! Love, pastor kent