I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
The Lord preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
Psalm 116:1-7
Ways you can pray:
1) The Lord is merciful. The Lord is gracious. The Lord is bountiful. The Lord is righteous. The Lord hears our cries. The Lord saves. The Lord preserves. The Lord is our rest. Yes! Praise the Lord!
2) Please continue to lift up 20schemes’ church planting teams during this difficult season of lockdown. Church planting and revitalization in the schemes is often lonely, isolating work; now that the virus and lockdown is in Scotland, the need for perseverance and joy is even more keenly felt by those who are taking the Gospel to the schemes. Please pray that the Lord would encourage the pastors, Gospel workers, and interns – pray that they would not feel forgotten. And please pray that the Church would rally around them to continue to send support and encouragement.
3) Please continue to pray for me and the other 20schemes workers who are getting ready to move to Scotland in August; please pray that we would not grow discouraged in this time of waiting and that the Lord would open doors for us to go in His timing. And let us give thanks for what the Lord will do next!
Video for this week:
There are many things to say about Sam including that he is a nut, he once ran up a mountain carrying an axe, and he once shaved off his beard as a fundraiser for 20schemes. But the most important thing to say about Sam is that he loves Jesus. Every conversation I got to have with Sam was electrifying; he exuded love and gratefulness and excitement for the Lord. Once Sam was dead, and now he is alive in Christ. Let’s pray for many more Sams to be reached by the light of the Gospel.
“The most significant thing for me has been experiencing the church as family. I now live with Mez and his family, and I’ll never forget the first time I sat around the table with them for dinner. Listen, I’ve faced a lot in my short life and been in some mad situations, but I’ve never sweat as much as when I first sat down for dinner around the McConnell’s table. It was so weird to me. And yet, the love I felt there was something I’d never experienced before. Mez is like a father to me now. Miriam and the girls are like my family. And it’s like that with the whole church here. These people are my family. I’ve learned that this is what discipleship is, and now I can pass this on. …I’m learning that following Jesus means learning how to serve. Here’s what guys from my background need—and we don’t like to admit this—love. We need love. Just like anyone, we need people who will share our burdens, call us to repent when we’re in sin, and help us to walk with Jesus on a daily basis. That’s exactly what the church is helping me to do.” – Sam
You can read Sam’s full testimony by clicking here.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Claire
Claire in Scotland 