Controversy

     We have started our 40 days of prayer as we ask according to Luke 10:2 "He said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (NIV).

     We are praying at 10:02 AM and 10:02 PM for God to raise an army of workers for his harvest field.  We are expecting God to answer, mobilize his people, and see hundreds of people come to Christ.

     In addition to praying for workers, this week we are also praying for revival among God's people and for the Americas this week.

     As we continue in our Mark series, our current mini-series is called "Controversy."  This week your group can explore and discuss together the "Racial Controversy" in Mark 7:24-30.  Use the Three Thirds method to lead your group in this discussion this weekend.

Preview of the Following Week

     Please notice the following three items as we preview what is coming up on Sunday, February 25th:

1. A special visit with Ying Kai.  Click here for invitation.
2. The study in your group of Mark 7:31-37
3. Praying for the lost and the broken and for the Asia and the Pacific

Back to Kairos!

Food for the Hungry - Overview-HD from Calvary Baptist Church on Vimeo.

      This week we hold our "Making Disciple Makers to the Fourth Generation" Conference.  I encourage you to come to the workshop on Saturday at 9:00 AM.  Come and bring group members to learn more about making disciple-makers.  Sunday will be very special also both morning and evening.  See more info on our website on our Facebook Page or at the bottom of this blog post.

     As we have explored giving for the last several weeks, we have an opportunity to apply it at CBC in a couple of ways (investing in the next generation).

     First, we encourage every member to financially support the CBC budget on an on-going and regular basis in order to support the missions and ministries that God has entrusted us with.

     Secondly, we invite everyone to pray about giving above and beyond the tithe to at least one special cause:

     1.  Student Building Remodeling.  Last week we talked about our upcoming student building remodeling project.  See last week's post about this here.  The opportunity to pledge for this will be given in the next couple of months.

     2.  Sponsor a Child.  This week we offer the opportunity to consider sponsoring a child through Food for the Hungry.  Watch the video above and consider what God may be leading you to do.  There will be 25 cards of children after the Sunday services this month beginning this Sunday.

     Consider in prayer participating financially in at least one of the two opportunities above. 

     Beginning February 18 we will resume the Kairos mega-series on the Gospel of Mark in our worship services.  In preparation for that, your group can explore Mark 7:1-23 this weekend.

     Lastly, we are launching 40 days of Prayer next (Ash) Wednesday, February 14.  As we count down the days to Palm Sunday, we will pray for God to send "workers for the harvest."  We will ask everyone to set the phone alarms for 10:02 AM and 10:02 PM in order to pause and pray based on Luke 10:2.  Encourage your group members to do so.  Our hashtag is #1002.

What if God Showed Up?

Calvary Student Remodel Project from Calvary Baptist Church on Vimeo.

     This week's video features our student ministry and the remodeling project that is under development.

     Fifteen years ago a process was put in place to build a Children's Building.  The construction project was completed in 2006.  With God's help we paid off the note by 2012, only six years later, allowing us to burn the note in less than half of its maturity (15 years)!  To God be the glory!

     When plans for the Children's Building were developed the intention was to build a Student Ministry Building later.  Five years ago our student ministry moved into our Family Life Center as a temporary measure.  It is due time that we provide them a space that facilitates their learning, worship and fellowship as disciple-makers.

     However, we calculate that to follow through with the construction "master plan" which makes the Student Building adjacent to the Children's Building in a horseshoe shape would cost us approximately $5 million.  We feel like, given our current focus on missions, disciple-multiplication and future church planting, that it would be better stewardship to remodel and update their current space at a possible cost of $500,000.  (Perhaps in the future we construct a new building but for now we feel this is the right thing for the students and for the mission of the church).

     At this time we are asking you, group members and the congregation for prayer support in the process and for your possible future financial contribution toward the project investing in the future of our church and the Kingdom.

     This week we are inviting you to explore Matthew 9:35-38 and Luke 10:2 with your group.  What if God showed up?  What if God answered our prayer according to these two texts?  What if we prayed believing that God would show up?

    We are launching 40 days of prayer on (Ash) Wednesday, February 14 through Palm Sunday, March 25.  We want to pray for the harvest (new disciples), for workers (those of us going to share with them, baptize them and disciple them), and for God's provision for our church in all senses.

     We are calling it 10:02 and using the hashtag #1002 to referring to Luke 10:2 and encouraging everyone to set their phone alarms to 10:02 AM and 10:02 PM to pause and pray.  Pray 10:02!

     As you talk about application with your group, keep this in front of them please.  Ask group members:

• Will you commit to praying for 40 days at 10:02 AM and 10:02 PM according to Luke 10:2?
• Will you commit to praying for the Student Ministry Remodeling project and your personal financial contribution?

Investing in the Future

CP Beach Reach 2016 from Texas Baptists on Vimeo.

     Calvary Baptist Church supports missions in primarily two approaches.  One approach is what we call direct CBC missions, which are CBC-specific initiatives in which we lead, support and participate.  The other approach is Cooperative Missions.  Cooperative Missions joins with thousands of other churches to support mission initiatives that are coordinated by our denomination at the RGV, Texas, North America and International levels.  It is doing together with others what we could never do alone.  This week CBC is recognized as one of the top giving churches through the Texas Baptists Cooperative Program.  The video above tells about one of the many ministries we support through the Texas Baptists Cooperative Program. (If you’d like to watch other stories of what our offerings through the Texas Baptists CP support, you can go here and scroll down to the video thumbnails: http://texasbaptists.org/ministries/other-ministries/office-of-cooperative-program-ministry/resources)

     This week's text for discussion in your group is Luke 12:13-21.  (I hope you have received the session outline cards by now).  We are calling the session and message "Investing in the Future."  As you move toward the application and goals for the session, share with the group that investing in the future through Calvary includes our regular financial support of the CBC budget, as well as additional opportunities.

      As the year 2018 has begun we are thankful for everyone in our congregation who is committed to our regular and generous giving through the CBC budget, which supports local and global ministries.  We pray that those who are not doing so will consider discovering the joy of investing in the future by regular giving through the CBC budget.

      Beyond our regular support of the church budget, which we call the tithe and which is continuous, we will ask individuals and families to consider special above-and-beyond sacrificial giving toward two causes, which are short-term:

1. A capital campaign to remodel the Student Ministry area (more information about this forthcoming); and/or
2. Sponsoring a child through Food for the Hungry in the Philippines (FVR, Bulacán)

     While we believe that systematic, proportionate and continuous support of God's work through the church is expected of every believer (Malachi 3:10; Matthew 23:23), we understand that above-and-beyond giving is a free-will offering, for a short-term, where each person needs to be led by God as to where and how much to give (Exodus 35:29; Psalm 54:6; 2 Corinthians 9:7).  The former simply requires faithful obedience.  The second requires prayerful discernment.

     It all begins with commitment based on biblical truth.  Obedient faith then results in blessings for God's work and blessing to the giver.  Encourage your group in this.  Yours and their investment will go a long way.  Let us invest in the future for His sake!

Giving as We Have Received

Student Testimonies from Calvary Baptist Church on Vimeo.

     As we explore this week's topic of "Giving as We Have Received," I am sharing with you this video of CBC student testimonies.  We are thankful for adults who are investing in the students' lives to make them disciple-makers.  We are excited about students who are giving of themselves as they have received, being disciple-makers and living on mission.  I hope this encourages you as you lead your group to be disciple-makers.

     This week's Bible texts to explore in your group are the following:

• Matthew 10:8
• Matthew 23:23
• 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
• 1 Corinthians 16:1-2

The idea is to explore New Testament principles for giving.

     Instead of a blank outline, we are now making available business-card size outlines.  You should receive a hard copy of it tomorrow.  If you don't, please ask Pastors Paulo or Chad for some.  They look like this:

     The "Look Back, Look Up, Look Ahead" side gives you an overview of the session.  The "Head, Heart, and Hands" gives you guidance as to the "Look Up" portion.  You can keep this card in your wallet, purse, pocket or Bible.  You can also give them to those you are training.

Owning the Mission

2414 movement from Calvary Baptist Church on Vimeo.

     As we continue the series "Owning our Moment," we explore God's mission and our role as families along with the investment of our capital.

    This week we are again providing a blank outline with the passage to study for you to fill in.  We want you to build the confidence of leading a three-thirds session and training others how to do so as well.

     Below you can see the blank outline with this week's text in JPEG format or you can download and edit it here in Word format.

Hello 2018!

Children Testimonies from Calvary Baptist Church on Vimeo.

     As we begin the New Year, we are thankful for the progress toward disciple-making.  As you can see in this week's video above, Calvary children also participate in disciple-making.

     During our Sunday messages from the pulpit and our Bible Fellowship discussions we are focusing on "Owning our Moment."  We are grateful for the 60 years of history we celebrated in 2017.  And we are ready to write a new chapter in the history of this great church.  This is a chapter for the next generation.  Whether we are adults, students or children, we get to own this moment and make the best of it.

     The passages we are examining in the next several weeks are as follows (you can refresh your memory about our new series here):

ABF Date    Pulpit Date     Bible Texts

12-17-17       01-07-18         John 10:10; Mark 10:17-26

01-07-18       01-14-18         Matthew 6:33; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:42-47

01-14-18       01-21-18         Luke 16:1-13

01-21-18       01-28-18         Matthew 10:8; 23:23; 2 Cor. 9:6-11
                                             2 Corinthians 16:1-2

01-28-18      02-04-18          Luke 12:13-21

02-04-18      02-11-18          Matthew 9:35-38

   
     In December we left blank one of the three thirds for you to write your own.  This week, we are leaving blank the entire outline for you to fill in.  Since there are three different texts this week, you may do one of two possibilities.  You may either do head, heart and hands with each of the three short texts or you may read all three texts and do head, heart and hands with all three texts combined.

    You can view the blank outline below in JPEG format or you can download it in PDF format by clicking here.