Beginning in mid-April, on Wednesday at 7 pm, we are talking about the Holy Spirit, using the book Forgotten God from Francis Chan.

Acts 4:13 (NIV) ¹³When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

If you are wondering if this study is for you, consider these questions, framed from the introduction of Forgotten God.

1. How do you react to this statement: “While no evangelical would deny His (the Holy Spirit’s) existence, I am willing to bet there are millions of church-goers across America who cannot confidently say they have experienced His presence or action in their lives over the past year” (p. 15)?
2. Chan says, “There is a big gap between what we read in Scripture about the Holy Spirit and how most believers and churches operate today. In many modern churches, you would be stunned by the apparent absence of the Spirit in a manifest way. And this, I believe is the crux of the problem” (p. 16). What kinds of manifestations do you think Chan is referring to? Are they missing? Why?
3. Chan asserts that the light of the American church is flickering and nearly extinguished, having largely sold out to the kingdoms and values of this world. Do you see that around you? If so, why is little being done about this?
4. Do you think that the “forgotten-ness” of the Holy Spirit is due to lack of theological teaching or are there other reasons the power of the Spirit is not evident?
5. Chan suggests that the holding back Christians have concerning the Holy Spirit is not based in a fear of getting too much of Him, but in a fear of giving ourselves to God. Why don’t Christians want to give themselves to God? How can we overcome such obstacles?
6. Paul said that his words to the Corinthians were not “wise and persuasive” but were “in demonstration of the Spirit’s power” so that their faith would not rest on the “wisdom of men” but on the “power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). Does your faith rest on the power of God or on the wisdom of men?

“There’s more of the Spirit and more of God than any of us is experiencing. I want to go there—not just intellectually, but in life, with everything I am.” — Francis Chan, p. 22.

Join us in room 101 for a discussion on this book and a time of prayer Wednesdays at 7 pm.

It’s downright embarrassing — how long it’s been since I updated this blog. One would think I had nothing to write about. One would be very mistaken.

God’s been doing wonderfully amazing things at Curwensville Alliance in the recent months. Young adult ministry has been thriving. Small groups have been growing. And lives are being changed.

I spent the greater part of this day on some serious administrative planning concerning small groups at Curwensville Alliance. As I worked through this, I realized that we have about a dozen small groups — groups whose focus is upon biblically centered discipleship for the group — in our church.

Stay tuned for more information concerning small groups, namely a new section of the web site that will describe each of them.

~Pastor Steve

Last night, in prayer meeting, we talked about Jesus’ words in John 14:13 where he said he answers prayer that the Father might be glorified. As we gave thought to Jesus’ life and to his work in our lives, we asked the question, do we pray that the Father might receive glory? Naturally, our hearts pray so that we might receive blessing, but how much richer our lives in Christ would be if we would pray that the Father would receive glory as we ask for his blessing.

Of course, one can’t conjure the desire that the Father be glorified when one goes to prayer. It’s not something you can tack onto the beginning or ending of a prayer and feel it’s real. Instead, in our very lives, we must emulate Christ who did all to the glory of the Father. When we do this, our prayer life changes and desiring his glory in our prayers is as natural as desiring his glory in our jobs, our recreation, and our relationships.

As you look for God to receive glory in your prayers, please take a moment and pray for Jeanine. The latest on her is that she needs to regain some strength before they can schedule her surgery. Also, please pray for Ed who was taken to the hospital last night and admitted so they can adjust some of his medications.

Because of privacy concerns, it’s my practice not to place last names on this blog, so if you don’t know who these people are, give me a call or shoot me an email. If you are part of the family at Curwensville Alliance, I’ll be glad to share the appropriate information with you.

Thanks for praying to the glory of the Father!

~Pastor Steve