Nelson Newsletter - November 2016

                    Happy Thanksgiving! 

      

                     

Regional House Church Conference (Oct 28-30)

   

We enjoyed being back together for the 3^rd year with Christians from the churches in Raleigh, Gainesville, and Atlanta for our annual conference. Todd Watkins, from Austin, Texas, did a fine job teaching and leading our discussion groups. Todd is a practitioner. He has seen God lead his team to find people of peace (people who are receptive to Christ), help them trust Christ, and then reach their families and neighbors. He challenged us to have unbelievers on our hearts, to pray regularly for them, and to use us to bring them to know the Lord Jesus.

 

University of Georgia Outreach

Last week I joined my good friend, Rich Suplita, and his team with Tom Short Ministries at the University of Georgia for an outreach. I was surprised that I was able to preach for about 90 minutes, since it had been a long time and my voice was not used to it. J Students asked sincere questions, Hanna and Jennifer in particular. Later that afternoon I met with a student named Abel, whom we met several years ago in Atlanta through his parents. Many members of our church have shared the gospel with his mother and father in their home. Abel has had some difficult times lately and he really wanted to talk with me about it. We had a fantastic discussion and I was able to go over the gospel again urging him to surrender his life to Christ. We both agreed that God was trying to get his attention. Please pray for Abel and all the students we met who heard the good news.

Prayer Requests

1. Our Supporters Please pray for everyone on our support team, including yourself, to have an amazing Thanksgiving holiday praising the Giver of all good gifts! James 1:17 “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.”

2. UGA Students The students we met to come to Christ - including Abel, Hanna, and Jennifer. 

3. Our Support Please ask God to provide for our needs so that we can continue this vital work of raising up an army of committed Christians who are sold out to wining the lost and making disciples of all the nations. Please consider a special year-end gift that will put in a strong financial place. Danelle and I are planning to return to Ukraine next year for a few weeks, and your gifts can make it happen. If you wish to give, please visit the Reliant website below and click the Give tab. Of course you can always mail a gift for us at Reliant address below. Our account is #5951. Thank you so much!

This Thanksgiving we thank God for you, your love for Jesus, and your love for people. We are also deeply grateful for your support and prayers!                                

         

Steve and Danelle 

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

What Do Voting and Dating Have In Common?

So then, you will know them by their fruits.  – Matthew 7:20

This may sound odd, but dating and voting have important characteristics in common. They both involve making a decision: which partner to marry or which candidate you want. How does one make a wise decision, one you can live with for four or more years in the case of a politician, or the rest of your life in the case of a spouse?

Wise counsel will tell you to vet your candidates, either for your elected official or your life partner. To jump in without thinking it through, without knowing the person and what they stand for, has gotten a lot of folks into trouble. We have seen the fallout in politics with the many disappointed and angry voters. Similarly, the lack of caution and discernment in choosing a marriage partner has led to a large number of divorces. How can you avoid the disappointment and heartache?

Vetting—a thoughtful examination of the person's history—is how you protect yourself. It is wise to carefully and critically evaluate your choices. When emotions and rhetoric are the only criteria for evaluation, you will surely be misled. Remember, words are cheap. Look at their fruit! The fruit of honesty, integrity, being a team player, and self-control must be evident.

Please read God’s Word and believe it to protect yourself from bad relationships and candidates! Become secure in Christ to the point that you are not looking for a mate because you are lonely, insecure, and unhappy. Learn when you are depending on your emotions more than God’s truth when evaluating your candidates. Ask God for wisdom and discernment to inspect their fruit!