Friday, November 9, 2018

Nelson Newsletter - November 2018



Dear fellow sojourners,
Who do you know who needs to be rescued by the Lord Jesus, like Paul was, and receive the forgiveness of their sins? What are their names? The Lord has sent us (all of us) to help open their eyes to the beautiful new life in Christ! Bringing people to faith in Christ, starts with sincerely caring for others. Let’s ask the Lord to give us His compassion for those in darkness as we used to be. Remember where you came from!

Atlanta House Church
Our church has been reading Ephesians together. Paul reminded them, “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.”  (2:1-3) Remembering our past life helps us be humble, thankful, and empathize with unbelievers. Our church is remembering so that we care for others!

Regional Leadership Meeting I went to Columbia, SC a few weeks ago to join my fellow church leaders. We shared what God is doing in our churches, families, and personal challenges. Then we prayed for one another’s specific needs. We also discussed “The Disciple Making Process” we use in our respective churches. Pictured here with me is our long-time friend and fellow pastor, Robbie McAlister from South Carolina.
                                                                                                 
                                       
                                        Prayer Requests
1. Atlanta Church Pray for Ace, our lifeguard, to come to know Christ. He is reading Secure In An Insecure World and is coming over for dinner this Friday. Pray for our church members to remember our past so that Christ’s compassion will motivate us to build relationships & rescue unbelievers here in Atlanta.

2. Regional Need Pray for God’s wisdom and grace for Danelle and I to help a church in our region that is having some problems. We have been asked to come alongside to meet the needs.

3. Alice Nelson Pray for my mother’s eye to heal. She has lost sight in one eye and is receiving injections to promote the healing.

Thank you for being our partners in the rescue,        

Steve & Danelle   
                                    
wwww.reliant.org 11002 Lake Hart Dr, Suite 100, Orlando, FL 32832    www.gcmnelson.com     

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Start With The End In Mind

Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations....” - Matthew 28:18-19
If any project, business, or mission is to succeed, it must be started with the end in mind. There will need to be constant reminders of what the goal (or purpose) is throughout the process if it is to stay on target and finish well. Finally, there will also need to be course corrections as we stray from the mark we aim for, or find better ways of reaching the goal.
In the same way, we must start with God’s end in mind for us. What is His ultimate purpose for you and every person on the planet? God’s purpose is to save us and then transform our lives to be like Christ. He wants to use every circumstance, hardship, difficult person, unexpected financial challenge, and responsibility to make us like Jesus Christ. Know this! His plan is for you to be a mature disciple and to make other disciples.
If every child of God is to be a mature disciple and to make disciples, how does one make a mature disciple? Have a discipleship class? Begin a discipleship program? God chose the church as His method of discipleship, “that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church” (Ephesians 3:10). A healthy body has healthy parts. God has chosen to equip and build His body, the church, by “the proper working of each part.” How do Christians grow and mature? “The whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:16).
Keep the end of making mature disciples in mind, and then every decision you make will reflect that purpose.