Nelson Newsletter - December 2021

“For God so loved the world that He gave...” John 3:16

Christmas is a time when we give gifts to family, friends, and others. For those of us who have come to know God, it is a time when we remember His precious gift of the Baby Jesus who came to earth to die on the cross for our sins. We celebrate with songs of praise and prayers of thanks for God’s gift - “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The Bible says that God is love. Whereas there can be giving without love (motived by obligation, guilt, or even pride), there cannot be love without. What can we learn about this amazing Giver?

God Is The Ultimate Giver

God gave us LIFE! In the beginning, God created mankind and He gave us life! “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” Genesis 2:7  He wanted people made in His image that He could have an intimate relationship with. He wanted people He could give life to and who would be totally satisfied with Him and His gifts.

God gave us FREE WILL! God gave Adam and Eve a free will. Without a free will, there could be no sincere worship of their Creator. “The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”” Genesis 2:16-17  As we all know, sadly, they chose to disobey God. The Bible calls this rebellion sin. Sin brought death – physical, spiritual, and eternal. But God did not stop giving!

God gave us SALVATION! God is merciful and gracious to sinners. He wanted to redeem us, to rescue us from sin and death because of His great love. “The free gift of God is eternal life.” Receiving God’s gift of Jesus Christ is not by our works or good deeds. It is free! It cost God everything, but His gift is given freely to everyone.

We love God because He loved us first.  “…Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Ephesians 5:2

 

 God gives each of us the opportunity for NEW LIFE! God wants to give new life to everyone! “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13  

It can be difficult to admit, but by nature, we are all takers. Yes, we will give to others, but often expecting something in return. It is totally unnatural to give like God gives – self-sacrificially, forgiving others, and loving our enemies. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 Amazing love!

God simply asks us to turn from our sin to Him and receive His gift of eternal life in Christ. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” We cannot save ourselves by our good works. God saves us! The blood of Jesus cleanses us from our sin and He makes us a new person in Christ!

God gives the HOLY SPIRIT to make us Givers of the Gospel! Every Christian receives God’s gift of the Holy Spirit when they believe to transform our lives from takers to givers of the gospel. “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Now we can be God’s instruments of grace and take the GIFT of Jesus to our lost world. Praise God!!!

Thank YOU for demonstrating the love of God to us and a lost world by giving of your finances and prayers in 2021! Thank you again for your generosity! You are God’s gift to us!

We are praying that you will have a wonderful Christmas enjoying our Lord and Savior who loves you so much!

Steve & Danelle                       

 

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

 

Nelson newsletter

November 2021

It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night.” Psalm 92

Dear Friends,

As Thanksgiving approaches, we are reminded how good it is to be thankful. A heart filled with thankfulness to the Lord is evidence of the Holy Spirit living in us and ruling in our hearts. Thankfulness is a fruit of the Spirit. It is not natural to practice, “in everything give thanks.” Thankfulness is a choice of our will often going against our feelings or circumstances. Thankfulness is an expression of our faith in a good God who always has our best in mind. Therefore, may God give you grace to praise Him for all things, even the hardships, knowing He has a purpose for them and His love for you never changes! Here are some things we are thankful for:

Atlanta House Church - Baptism  A few weeks ago our church celebrated the new birth of one of our members, Ari Warshaw, by baptizing him in Lake Allatoona. We enjoyed a time of worship, prayer, hearing from God through His Word, a delicious meal, and then baptized Ari. He was raised in the Jewish faith in New York. He told us his fascinating story of finding Christ, or, as he would say, how Christ found him! (Ari is wrapped in a towel next to Chelsea, his wife.) We are thankful for this new brother!

Pastor’s Conference Pastors throughout the Southeast gathered together for 2 days of fervent prayer for ourselves, our families, our churches, our country, and our world. It was awesome!!! Thank you for praying for us!

What I Am Thankful For This Thanksgiving Season:

Ø  50 Years Of Knowing Christ! Yes, 50 years ago I experienced God’s love as never before when I asked Jesus Christ to forgive my sin, come into my life, and surrendered control of my life to Him. He cleansed me and made me His child. I was saved by grace. There was nothing I did to earn eternal life. It was 100% His gift! Since that day in 1971, Jesus has been faithful to His promises, kind, patient, and He has never stopped loving me! “He who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” I Peter 2:6                                                                                                                                                          

Ø  46 Years Of Marriage To Danelle! God graciously gave me an excellent wife who loved, served, and supported me wherever the Lord has led us. She has inspired me like no other!

“An excellent wife, who can find?  For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:10-12, 30.

Ø  Our 7 Children & Their Spouses! All our children & their spouses know and love the Lord Jesus. They have honored and loved us. They also love each other and their children. They are gifts from God!

Ø  Our 21 Grandchildren.  They are our joy! Some are Christians! We pray they all come to Jesus!

Ø  My Loving Family – My mother, brother, sister, and their spouses are all tremendous blessings!!

Ø  Friends - including each of you! Your friendship is priceless to Danelle and I! Thank you!

Support Of Our Ministry  First of all, Danelle and I appreciate your kind and generous support of our work in the gospel. Many of you have been loyal friends of this ministry for decades. Know too that the Lord appreciates your heart for Him and His children, including those who are not His followers yet. “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.” Hebrews 6:10

That said, some of you may feel led to give a special year-end gift for our ministry. If so, you can go to the Reliant web site, or mail your gift to our office. (Both addresses are below) Our account is #5951. Thank you again for your love for God and trust in us. We covet your prayers to continue making disciples of Christ for His glory!

We are sincerely thankful for each of you!  

Steve & Danelle         

                        

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

Nelson newsletter

October 2021

“I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”3 John 4

Dear Friends,

Whether it is our own children, or our spiritual children, there is nothing we desire more than to hear that they are walking in the truth! To see them come to know Christ, and grow in the grace and knowledge of Him, is what we long for. We pray for them to be saved and then grow in their relationship with God and bring others to the Lord Jesus as their Savior. That is what Danelle and I see happening in our church and in our own family. God is transforming lives! Praise Him!!

Atlanta House Church - Men’s Meeting  The men of Atlanta House Church meet monthly to share their lives, pray for each other, and build one another’s faith. We have seen them grow in their love for God and His word, their families, unbelievers, and one another. Just this week one brother shared Psalm 101 and asked for prayer that he would be a godly father and husband. His honesty and humility set the pace for the entire time. I sat there amazed how the Holy Spirit led the time as they ministered to one another. It was beautiful!

Pastor’s Conference (October 22-23) Our regional pastor’s conference will be in Atlanta this year. Please pray for us as we spend a significant amount to time praying together for our churches as well as our own lives. I will be teaching that Friday night about love, unity, and forgiveness. It is always a blessing to be with men who are serious about spreading the gospel and multiplying disciples.

Friend of the Ministry  Steve and Joanne Saulinskas have been our friends for many years and loyal supporters of our work in the gospel. We are sad to say that Steve passed away on October 8^th - moving on to life in the presence of his Lord. He will be greatly missed and always remembered as a man who consistently lived for Christ, loved and supported his wife and family, and enjoyed serving others. Please remember their family in your prayers as they grieve with the hope of seeing Steve again in heaven.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

We are humbled by your consistent support and prayers!  

Steve & Danelle         

     

                                                                                                     

                                                                                                       

 wwww.reliant.org 11002 Lake Hart Dr. Suite 100, Orlando, FL 32832    

www.gcmnelson.com                                                                                                                        

Nelson Newsletter - September 2021

 Dear Friends,

“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16

Baptisms Our grandson, Isaac, was baptized last month along with several other youth in the Virginia church! Two more of our grandchildren have also expressed their desire to be baptized as a confession of their faith in Christ! They are reading the Bible with their parents to know why we follow Christ in this way. And a young husband in our Atlanta church is also interested getting baptized. We are studying the Bible together to better understand the purpose of baptism. It is exciting to see everyone’s desire to please God in this way! 

                                 (photo: David, holding Esther, is teaching the children about baptism.)

     

 

 Friends of Our Ministry Two good friends of our ministry, Dr. Chris Jernigan, and David Jones, passed away recently due to illness. They were men who loved the Lord Jesus and their families with all their hearts. They were also committed to sharing the good news of the gospel around the world. They will be greatly missed, but their legacy lives on in the many lives they touched! Please pray for God’s supernatural comfort and hope for their families.

New Grandson Please welcome Caleb Isaac Evans to Merry and Nathan’s family! He joins our 20 other grandchildren to keep Danelle and I forever young, or at least trying to be. 😉 Caleb and Merry did well during the labor and delivery. Please pray for this growing family!

Thank you for your love and prayers!   

Steve & Danelle                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                       

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

Nelson Newsletter - August 2021

 

 

Dear Ministry Partners,

In this newsletter we wish to highlight our partner church in Portsmouth, Virginia. Our daughter Stephanie, and her husband David, started this house church a few years ago. David took a job with Old Dominion University and began working on his doctoral degree. God has given them a passion to share Christ and make disciples. He has added to their number faithful men and women with a similar passion for Jesus and His mission.

David and Stephanie request our prayers and counsel on a regular basis. It has been an honor for Danelle and I to mentor them and intercede for their church. Here are some of the encouraging works God has done and a few prayer requests for upcoming events.                                                                  

                                                          Ladies celebrating birthdays and Mother’s Day

One of the couples in the church, Jennifer and Brian, are pregnant with their second child after 6 years of infertility! Praise God! Please pray for a continued healthy pregnancy and delivery.

Youth getting baptized August 22nd! Isaac (David and Stephanie’s middle son), Kebar, Zion, and possibly others are getting baptized! They have seen them grow in wisdom and understanding!  Although they are young, ages 5-7, Stephanie said they are already learning to listen to God and do what He says.

                                                                                    Sunday Morning Meeting     

                               

                   Shirley Family              

          

                                                 Esther learning how to play the  djembe with David Sunday morning                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Prayer Requests

1. Virginia Church 

- To reach their neighbors & coworkers for Jesus, and to seek opportunities to minister as a church body.            - For their Sunday morning gathering and the weekly men’s and women's group to be focused on Christ.                - For their church camping trip August 13-15 to be worshipful, uniting, and inspire them to reach others.               - For the baptism a wonderful celebration of Christ’s redemption in these young people.

2. Merry’s Baby Pray for a safe delivery and healthy son for our daughter Merry. Pray for Danelle as she helps with the labor and delivery. Merry is due any day now! Thank you!

 

Thank you for your prayers and support!   

Steve & Danelle

Nelson Newsletter - July 2021

 

Nelson newsletter

July 2021

 

Dear Friends,

Our God is alive and working in and through His people in many beautiful ways! Here are some things He has done in answer your prayers. Glory to God for His love!

Twins Adoption Finalized!  Grace and Ward are officially the parents of Will and Fred Bearden! After two long years of an on-again, off-again emotional roller coaster ride, the boys were adopted July 6^th. They are excited, relieved, and grateful! Thank you for standing with us in prayer!! Now, at last, we can also show you photos of the twins.

Here is a photo of Beatrix Nelson at her 1^st birthday party last week. Such a happy girl growing up in a loving family! Danelle and I officially have 20 grandchildren to love and pray for! Merry is due next month with number 21 – Yes, another boy! (14-7!) The other photo is of Merry, Elijah, Nathan, and grandmother Danelle.

                     

 

Steve’s New Book – God is answering your prayers for, What Is Better Than Free? “Restoring The Lost Work Ethic” Today, Steve gave Jade a copy. She is the coffee shop manager who inspired the title of his new book. She said she was eager to start reading it as we discussed again the importance of a good work ethic and how she became a good example. Pray that she, and many others, will come to know Jesus personally because of reading this book.  Maybe you know someone who would benefit from reading it. It is a great tool for parents too! You can find it on Amazon in paperback and as an e-book.

Fellowship With Old Friends Recently I met our friend, Park Ashley, for lunch at the Varsity as he and his son drove through Atlanta. Park was a student at Georgia Tech who was part of our campus ministry many years ago.

Danelle and I took our friend, Martha Cornette, to her favorite restaurant -Chick-fil-A! We enjoyed rich fellowship with both of these dear saints who continue to love and follow the Lord Jesus Christ!

Prayer & Praise

I love the Lord, because He hears my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.” Psalm 116:1-2

1. Bearden Twins - Pray for Grace and Ward to parent well - with God’s grace, strength, and patience. They have their hands full with these two active boys! Pray for all 7 our children to raise godly grandchildren who come to know and love the Lord Jesus and then learn how to others.

2. Merry’s Baby Pray for a safe delivery and healthy son for Merry and Nathan. Danelle plans to assist in the delivery. She is due August 11th. Thank you!

3. New Book – Ask God to use Steve’s book to bring Jade and many others to know Jesus Christ. Pray for God to raise up more faithful, hard-working young people as powerful testimonies for Christ.  

Thank you for being our prayer warriors!   

Steve & Danelle

  

   

                      

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

 

Dear Prayer Partners,

House Church Thank you for praying for us! God answered your prayers as I met with Titus last week for 2 hours! He told me he made a profession of faith as a teenager. Pray for discernment to know how to help him. When we were parting, I gave him Secure In An Insecure World. He is reading it! May we imitate Paul’s heart and pray fervently! “My heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.” Romans 10:1

Steve’s New Book – What Is Better Than Free? “Restoring The Lost Work Ethic” is now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle! Praise God for His grace to finish this huge project! Thank you again for praying!!!  Pray for God to use it in lives across the nation and the world! It can bring many to know Christ, grow as His followers, and adopt a Biblical work ethic as a Christian testimony.

Twins Adoption The adoption of Will and Fred is scheduled for July 6th! They just turned 2 last week, so Grace and Ward are excited and thankful to see this answer to many prayers, including yours!

Mother’s Recovery My mom is at home recovering well from her surgery to repair the compression fractures. Thank you for praying for her! Another praise to our God!

                                      

                                                Prayer & Praise                                                                                  

1. Atlanta Church - Pray for Titus and others we know to turn from sin to Christ! Pray for us to value lost people more and more, including our family members, and to pray fervently for their salvation.  

2. Mother - Pray for Alice to be patient as she heals. She is eager to get out and play Bridge. Thanks!!

3. New Book – Ask God to publicize Steve’s book and use it to transform lives, families, and the church.

Thank you for being our prayer partners!   

Steve & Danelle

                             

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