Se7en for '07

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Earlier in the year I offered you a sermon, Se7en for `07, in which I suggested seven practices that might revitalized our church and your faith. As we can all use a reminder, the seven were these: 1. Pray: Prayer is not magic; it is merely listening and talking to God. The basis of our faith is a relationship with the Creator of all that is, and we can open ourselves to this untamed God of all. 2. Attend: As I write this, I’m on the verge of a family trip to Florida to visit that famous rodent, so we all miss from time to time. But, if you’re in town, I invite you to worship and bible study, to Club Jesus for youth, to our wild winter Wednesdays. 3. Invite: And, while you’re at it, bring a friend. It’s how most of us came to any church we’ve ever been a part of, and it’s how we easily introduce people to Jesus. 4. Help: There is a long and diverse list of ministries we do inside and outside our church. God needs your help getting done the important stuff that needs doing. If you’re asking where God is, look no further than your hands and feet. God needs us, so let’s get busy. 5. Give: We do haiku stewardship here: deep in meaning and ministry with not very much. We need your time, talents, and money to keep that long list of ministries I mentioned growing and flourishing. Plus, you and I need to give. 6. Read: One of the ways God speaks is through our sacred text, the bible. So this is a challenge to read it regularly. Let its words soak through you, and wash over you. As a record of God’s crazy love affair with humanity, nothing beats. Try listing to in on CD in your car, or on podcast. The Message is a particularly excellent version. 7. Enjoy … your life, this moment, the day. For all the horror—this terrible war, terrorism, betrayal, pain, and suffering, it is still a beautiful world. God wants us both to repair the world, and to enjoy it. Relish the good times with friends and family, and the wonder of creation. Michael

College Park Baptist Church 1601 Walker Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27403 cpbcgbo@bellsouth.net 336.273.1779