OCTOBER MESSAGE FROM PASTOR

OCTOBER 2026

“RE-IGNITE”

From the Pastor’s desk,

 In Luke 19, scripture tells us the story of a tax collector by the name of Zaccheus.  This man had a desire to see a change take place in His life and when he heard about Jesus, I believe that desire was awakened.  There is always something that takes place in our lives when we encounter our Lord and Savior, Jesus. For Zaccheus, a dramatic change took place. This DIVINE DESIRE began with the desire to SEE.  Zaccheus was so determined to see that he climbed up in a tree to be able to see Jesus.  What he thought would be merely a visible image became a genuine reflection of his own life.  Zaccheus saw himself as a man whose reputation and image was tainted by sin.  The light of Christ will always bring to light our sin and when we come into His presence, we recognize our desperate need for Jesus in our own lives.  Second, Zaccheus had a DIVINE DESIRE to WELCOME Jesus into his life.  Verse 6 says that “he hurried and came down and received Him gladly.”   Each of us should have the desire to welcome the Lord into the most private places of our lives.  We notice that Jesus didn’t just stop and speak to him publicly, rather Christ went to his home and stayed with him.  When we welcome Christ into our lives, He gladly comes to stay with us as promised in His word.  Third, Zaccheus had a DIVINE DESIRE to CHANGE.  It began by embracing Jesus as Lord over his life and offering proof of his repentance by offering to make restitution to anyone he may have defrauded in the past.  The “new creation” that the apostle Paul talked about in 2 Corinthians 5:17 became a living reality in his life.  My question for you today centers around the desire we have or lack when it comes to Jesus.  Are we just wanting to stay out of hell or do we have a DIVINE DESIRE to really know Him as Savior and Lord. Our Lord is passing by today so let’s not let this divine desire diminish, but allow it to bring significant change in our lives. 

 

THE DERRICK LOUDERMILK BAND will be with us on Sunday, November 1st for the morning service.  You won’t want to miss this great time of ministry as they minister God’s Word and share in song. Invite someone who does not attend church to come with you that day.  Remember; it’s not just a concert, it’s church.

 

PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES

SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER – We are asking that a minimum of 5 people commit to coming and praying once a month in the sanctuary starting at 9:30am and ending around 10:10am. This prayer time will set the atmosphere for the morning worship service and enhance the presence of the Holy Spirit for the people of God.  Perhaps you are not in the habit of coming to Sunday School so this would be a great time for you to offer yourself to the Lord. It will help Pastor if you sign up at the welcome center if you are willing to participate.

LUNCH HOUR PRAYER IS EVERY WEDNESDAY FROM NOON-1PM IN THE SANCTUARY! FEEL FREE TO STOP IN & PRAY.

"GUARDRAILS" INFORMAL WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY

ON SUNDAY, APRIL 12TH, PASTOR LARRY WILL BEGIN A SERIES TITLED “GUARDRAILS”. TOO MANY TIMES CHRISTIANS FIND THEMSELVES IN DISASTROUS SITUATIONS BECAUSE THEY HAVE FAILED TO ESTABLISH SAFE GUARDS (GUARDRAILS) IN THEIR LIVES. ALONG WITH THE SUNDAY MESSAGE, PASTOR WILL BE HOSTING A WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIFE GROUP FROM 7PM-8PM IN THE FELLOWSHIP HALL. THIS DISCUSSION GROUP WILL BE BASED UPON THE SUNDAY MESSAGE. THIS WILL ENABLE THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO LIVE VISTORIOUS OVER THE DEVICES OF THE DEVIL. DON’T MISS THIS SERIES!

FROM OUR PASTOR

From the Pastor’s Desk:

Recently I read a story about a man who bought a knife from a certain company.  He was very happy with the sharpness of the new knife, however after a couple of weeks, he sent a letter of complaint to the knife company complaining that the knife was no longer sharp.  The company responded that for the knife to remain sharp, the customer must sharpen it.  This story reminded me of what can happen in our lives as we try to live in this present world.  There are times when we must sharpen our focus on the things that are most important and it is with this in mind that I want to share with you our theme for 2026; “RE-IGNITE”  Life has a way of dulling our senses to the things, purpose, and plan of God and if we do not re-ignite our lives, we will find ourselves getting further and further away from God’s original design, purpose, and plan.  With this in mind I want to ask several questions specifically for you.

*Are you happy with where you are in life?

*Do you believe that God is happy with where you are in life?

*If Jesus were to return right now, would He find you truly in love with Him?

Life has a way of pulling us down to just a survival mindset when God wants us to thrive in our relationship with Him and fulfill His purposes in our everyday life.  We must have a re-ignition in our personal lives and in the church if we are going to be faithful to our call in this present world. 

           With our focus upon God’s will, we will begin the new year by calling every person in our congregation to join us in PRAYER AND FASTING.  In the past, I have ask our people to fast coffee, social media, television, or some other item that is important to them, however this year I want us to get back to the basics of prayer and fasting.  I am asking for the first 21 days of this year (January 1-21) that you join me in fasting one (1) meal a day and that you use that time to pray for yourself, your family, the church, and our nation.  I will elaborate more upon this subject another time, but it is vital for us.  Throughout the scriptures, we see how prayer and fasting moved the hand of God to intervene on behalf of His people. Our God has so much more for each of us if we will tap into His presence.  Our people have been attacked physically, emotionally, spiritually, and in relationships. The enemy of our souls wants to beat us down and render us ineffective for the kingdom of God.  In Matthew 17:20-21, Jesus said, “if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you.  Howbeit, this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”  If we will give ourselves to prayer and fasting, I am convinced that God will re-ignite the fire of His Holy Spirit in our lives and we will move from a place of complacency, apathy, survival and frustration to a place of celebration and victory.  It will be easy to find excuses to skip this time of devotion, but this is God’s will for you.  My prayer is that God RE-IGNITES my life, my family, my church, and revive our nation to the call and will of God. 

SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER – in the November newsletter, I shared with you our goal for the Sunday morning prayer meeting.  We are asking that a minimum of 5 people commit to coming and praying once a month in the sanctuary starting at 9:30am and ending around 10:10am. This prayer time will set the atmosphere for the morning worship service and enhance the presence of the Holy Spirit for the people of God.  Perhaps you are not in the habit of coming to Sunday School so this would be a great time for you to offer yourself to the Lord. It will help Pastor if you sign up at the welcome center if you are willing to participate.

MEN'S SATURDAY MORNING PRAYER

MEN’S PRAYER & DEVOTION: MEN’S PRAYER & DEVOTION: Saturday, May 9th & 23rd.  ALL men are encouraged to join Pastor & other men at 7am for a time of prayer for our church, families, community, Nation, and unsaved loved ones. This is a great time of fellowship as we pray together and encourage one another. Breakfast with Pastor will be served on Saturday, May 23rd after prayer. Please sign up at the welcome center no later than Sunday, March 19th if you plan to attend the breakfast.

BREAKFAST WILL BE SERVED may 23rd! PASTOR IS ALSO SHARING A BIBLE STUDY TITLED:, “THE POWER OF YOUR WORDS. ALL men are welcome!

WIDOW/WIDOWER LUNCH

SPARK (WIDOWS/WIDOWERS) LUNCH SPARK (WIDOWS/WIDOWERS) LUNCH  Friday, May 15th at NOON. ALL widows and widowers are encouraged to attend this great time of food and fellowship! This is also open to those in our community, so if you know someone that has lost a spouse, please feel free to invite them. Please sign up at the welcome center by Sunday, April 12th if you plan to attend as this will help us with setting up & food preparation.

IF YOU DO NOT ATTEND RCOG PLEASE CALL 574-223-5922 TO RSVP. THIS MEAL IS FOR ALL WIDOW/WIDOWERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.