Pastor Mike’s Weekly Letter to the Church Family
December 11, 2024
"Word for the Year" - SEEK
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God...”
You may have heard someone say, “Donʼt just stand there, do something!” This Psalm teaches that sometimes active seeking involves stillness, “Donʼt just do something, stand there!” The phrase “be still” literally means, stop striving. What are you striving for? What are you striving against? That striving is often accompanied with stress and anxiety. Be still and hear what God is saying. Ask God what is causing the noise that is drowning out Godʼs voice. Know His peace.
Tonight, Wednesday, December 11, we will have our Wednesday night meal at 5:00PM, followed by our business meeting.
Remember we have set our missionʼs offering goal at $60,000. Thank you for being such a generous church who listens to God and responds so lavishly in our missionʼs endeavors!
Pray...
Please pray for the discussion at the business meeting tonight as we finalize the 2025 church budget process on Sunday, December 15.
Please continue to pray for our church and Worship Ministry as we seek the Lord and pursue His Kingdom work. Please pray for the Holy Spirit's direction and His lead in the Worship Pastor Search Team process, for God to be glorified. Please pray for oneness for all of us as Christ's Church.
Please pray for our Interim Worship Pastor, Dr. Tyler Brinson from Dallas who is leading us weekly. Please be praying Tyler, for the choir, the worship ministry, and our church during this interim period.
Take note...
This Sunday December 15, we will resume regular Sunday night activities.
Our World Wide Missions Offering goal for 2024 for year-end giving is $60,000.
Dates to remember:
JOY - All Access Ministry - Sundays at 9:15AM for adults with special needs.
Men’s Lunch - Tuesdays in December, 11:30AM - 1:00PM at Galveston Seafood Co. on E Hwy 80.
Ladies’ Lunch - Tuesday, December 17, 11:00PM - 1:00PM at Betty Rose’s on Catclaw Dr.
Men’s Breakfast - Saturday, December 14 at 7:30AM at Wylie Methodist Church.
PEP Club - Thursday, December 19 at 6:00PM in the fellowship hall.
Men’s Ski Trip - January 17 - 20, Red River, New Mexico.
Del Tackett Event - January 18, 9:00AM - 12:30PM in the Sanctuary.
Women’s Conference - January 25 at WBC. www.wyliebaptist.org/women
Men’s Summit - January 31 - February 1.
Family Discipleship Summit - Chris Shirley - March 2 in the fellowship hall.
Thank you for your continued faithfulness each week as you pray, serve, give, encourage, disciple, love, and worship. Pray daily for divine appointments as God gives you daily opportunities to be His witness throughout your week.
I love you and I am grateful to be your pastor!
Psalm 46:10
Mike Harkrider,
Pastor
Our word for 2024 is “Seek.”
Matthew 6:33
”But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.“
Jeremiah 29:13
”You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.“
Psalm 27:4
”One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.“
Psalms 27:8
”My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.“
Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.“
Acts 17:27
”God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.“
1 Chronicles 16:10; Psalm 105:3
”Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.“
Deuteronomy 4:29
”But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.“
Isaiah 55:6
”Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.“
Luke 12:29-31
”And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.“
John 15:1,4-5
”I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.“
New Testament
Seek - (zeteo) Look for, desire, try to attain, attempt to find
Old Testament
Seek - (baqqesu) discover, possess, find
Are you seeking God in prayer?
Are you seeking Godly pursuits?
Are you seeking Him in and from His Creation?
What are you seeking?
We are to seek Him with all of our heart, soul, strength, in all that we do and say.
What things are seeking you, that you are allowing or desiring above the Lord and His presence?
Seeking Him First means:
Turning to God for Help First
Obeying His Word in all Circumstances
Filling your heart with His Spirit’s Desires
Serving Him Above Yourself
Choosing Him and His Kingdom as Your Greatest Desire
Living One Day at a Time
Worry and worldly pursuits of the flesh are:
Inconsistent
Ineffective
Illogical
Quote:
“People, objects, goals, other desires, worry, longings, and passions all compete for priority. All or any of these can bump Christ out of first place, if we don’t pursue and seek Him first.”
Quote:
“There are better challenges that God wants us to pursue or seek; and worrying about a lesser issue or challenge keeps us from those better challenges or pursuits.”
Quote:
“We are living in a day and time where we are seeing that complacency and compromise Biblically is what many people and even Christians are doing. Over the last several years and decades, denominations, Christian Universities, and churches have gone backward and fallen to the ways of the world.”
Our word for 2023 is “Pray.”
Kingdom Minded Prayer!
Ephesians 3:17-21
Prayer is About Jesus
Prayer is About Relationship
Prayer is About His Power
Pray is About His Grace and Love
Matthew 11:25-31
Prayer is About God’s Wisdom
Prayer is About Surrender
Prayer is About His Victory
Matthew 6:9-13
Prayer is About The Word
Prayer is About The Kingdom
Prayer is About The Body
Prayer is About One Day at a Time
Ephesians 6:18-20
Prayer is About His Spirit Leading
Lord, help me to know You, Your love, and Your character fully so that my life might align with Yours. I need Your guidance and help Lord, so give me Your wisdom and direction as I surrender my life to You. I pray for Your Kingdom to come and Your will to be done, for You to receive the Glory and praise and Your people to be built up. Fill me with Your Spirit Lord, and accomplish Your purpose in me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.