About My Father’s Business Outreach Ministries (a Grace Brethren Church)

Yesterday’s sermon was titled, “What Happened To All Your Joy?”  Do you truly understand all that you should be thankful for?  We often forget the power and the greatness of God.  Pastor Joyce awesomely preached from Galations 1:3-5, 4:4-7, and 6:14.  Remember, God helps those who help themselves.  The problem that many Christians have, is that they don’t think they need to help themselves because they don’t think they’re really all that bad.  We’ve lost our joy because many of us aren’t walking in the promises of God.  We need to live in His promises and stop living for things of this world.  When we accept defeat in our lives, we’ve forgotten that God is bigger than that defeat…bigger than us!  Stand through trials in the knowledge that you are His.  Don’t fake it.  Don’t try to convince others (and yourself) how spiritual you are.  Live as though you TRULY believe that God loves you…take back your joy, so that you can start to act on the purpose(s) God has for you.

Wonderful sermon Pastor Joyce.  We pray for the ability to apply this to our lives, asap!

Saturday was our once monthly Women’s Shelter Ministry visit.  The women choose to partake in our service…it’s not mandatory for them to attend just because they stay in the shelter.  They’re there because they want to be…they want to hear the good news of Christ.  Unfortunately, we sometimes encounter negative attitudes and dissention between some of the women there, but we lift up the name of our Lord and Saviour in the midst of it all.   We praise God for all of them and will continue to keep them lifted in prayer.  We conducted our Ministry as usual, starting with the Praise and Worship portion.  Prayers were prayed, a solo was sung, Pastor spoke about Jesus, and we fed them home cooked meals.

Friday evening at 8pm, the Women’s Fellowship was relaunched after some time of being dormant.  It was held at Pastor’s and Sister Rosie’s home.  We praise the Lord for the turnout and look forward to more to come.  There was real talk, games, and an impromptu skit that was done by Tinesha and Marquita.  The skit was done to illustrate how female caddyness tends to be a problem in many churches.  Women need each other to lean on, for support and friendship.  So, we encourage this ministry in all it aims to accomplish.

Wednesday’s Bible Study was insightful.  We continue in the Gospel Transformation series.  The lesson was titled, United With Christ.  Our goals for the lesson was to understand our union with Christ and to learn how to live out of that union.  We are united to Him through the Holy Spirit.  We are justified and sanctified through Christ by faith.  When we ‘forget’ or don’t believe in our union with Christ, we act like:  A slave who has lost our freedom.  A hermit who is all alone.  And a tyrant who won’t submit.  Although there is a wonderful freedom in Christ, we must take heed because it should not be used to indulge our flesh.  As it states in 1 Corinthians 6:12– “Everything is permissible for me” -but not everything is beneficial.  “Everything is permissible for me” -but I will not be mastered by anything.  We must live our lives free in Christ!  The benefits of the gospel are ours in full.

Help Wanted…We are still in need of Teacher’s on Wednesday night sessions for Arts and Crafts and Movie Nights.  Please see Sister Rosie or Pastor if you can help.

This coming Sunday will be the day of our Communion and Love Feast Dinners. Sister Barbara and Sister Rita have teamed up to present smothered pork chops.  Not to be outdone, Sister Ollie and Sister Sarah are cooking their famous fried chicken.  Expect all the fixins; mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and string beans.  The last day of our fast is rapidly approaching (Wednesday).  Sunday’s dinners will be welcomed and appreciated on an entirely different level !

Daddy 5 Productions will be holding auditions for the play “Just When You Least Expect It”, this Saturday from 10am to 6pm.  Auditions will be held here at the church.  Seize the opportunity and bring your talents in acting, singing, and more.

About My Father’s Business Outreach Ministries // 411 New York Avenue, N.E. // Washington, D.C. 20002 // (202)548-7555 // amfbgrace@yahoo.com

              

Take a lesson from us at AMFB…hug someone and tell them that you love them!  God continues to be much too good to us to be stingy with passing along a little love.  Someone may really need that affection.

Women’s Fellowship will be held tonight in the Joyce residence at 7pm.  We encourage all who can make it to come.  Ladies, come out and have some fun in the Lord!

Tomorrow is the 4th Saturday…our Women’s Shelter Ministry.  Don’t hesitate to come out and be a part of this fulfilling ministry.  Men and women are allowed to come.  We need all the help and support we can get.  So, if you are interested in feeding and ministering to the poor, we’d love to have you.  These women are as much a blessing to us as we are to them and we praise God for that!  5:30pm at the Mitch Snyder Open Door Shelter; come on out!

About My Father’s Business Outreach Ministries // 411 New York Avenue, N.E. // Washington, D.C. 20002 // (202)548-7555 // amfbgrace@yahoo.com

What one thing should you do to grow as a Christian?  Think carefully!  WARNING…most answers mentioned usually include, the need to be more dedicated, to witness more, to read the Bible more, to pray more–in general, to do more things.  These are wonderful things to do, however they are not the correct answer.  Give up?  Okay folks, the answer is FAITH.  This was the focus of our Valentine’s Day Bible Study lesson.

The above clip caught a moment of this riveting Bible Study.  Many sciptures were read and touched on, including (but not limited to) John 6:28-29, Galations 3:1-5 and 3:14, and Hebrews 11:1-40.  The class emphasized that faith is the instrument for receiving the power of God in our lives; simply put, to believe in the one that was sent.  Don’t abandon God when things don’t appear to go our way.  Stay faithful!  Church, although we are to be thankful for everything God has given us and blessed us with, we must not exercise faith in that…the faith must only be in God Himself.

We praise God for this lesson and pray that we will apply it to our lives in all aspects.

Yesterday’s service was awesome.  The Children’s Church lesson was taught by Marquita Joyce.  She posed the questions, “What does the Messiah mean to you?”  Do you know how important he was?  Do you understand the crucifixion?  And lastly, What are some characteristics of Christ?  The kids (up to age 12) pleasantly surprised, with very knowledgable answers.  Often times, we don’t think our children are listening to what we say and teach, but they understand Christ’s sacrifice.  In their own words, “Christ is brave, honest, and forgiving.”  We are thankful for the teachers of Children’s Church and we express our gratitude to you.  Keep up the great work!

During our 11:15 main service, Minister Eric Jones announced the launching of his new non-profit organization named “Daddy 5 Productions“.  This company will produce, write, and direct Christian stage plays as well as mentor youth through drama and the arts.  What a blessing Minister Jones!  Continue to do the work of God, while using your God-given talents to serve Him. 

Pastor Joyce preached a sermon he titled Cheer Up.  Fellow Christians, we are a lot worse off than we think.  We spend so much time and energy focusing on one area of our lives, that we neglect the many other areas that needs work.  Remember, it is not our own actions that save us; we’re saved by His grace…period!  During this time of fasting and prayer, let’s focus on and pray for the countless areas that we continue to fall short in.  We have limitless potential in Christ who died for our sins.  Let’s get to work and make Him proud! 

About My Father’s Business Outreach Ministries // 411 New York Avenue, N.E. // Washington, D.C. 20002 // (202)548-7555 // amfbgrace@yahoo.com

     

Unfortunately, the ice, sleet, cold winds, and snow caused our choir to cancel rehearsal last night.  But, Bible Study is scheduled for the normal 7:30 time this evening.  Everyone be safe out here and we hope to see you tonight.

God Bless

Our church is looking for serious-minded individuals who are willing to use their gifts to expand the Kingdom of God and build up the church.  Help is needed to enhance existing ministries and build developing ministries, which include Drama, Usher, Dance, Evangelism, Nursery, Building Maintenance, Youth Activities, Shelter, and Administration.  If you are a member that is interested in becoming more involved, but didn’t know what role you could play…here’s the answer.  Choose one, contact the Pastor (or other ministry leaders) to get approval, make a commitment, and get started.  It’s that simple!

Being involved in our church is pertinent and necessary.  We are making great strides in becoming the church we’ve always dreamed of.  Keep praying for our leaders, visionaries, and members and God will continue to show His favor on us.  Everyone needs to do their part.  Let’s not be like The Church of Laodicea — the luke warm church.  Also, let’s not be like The Church of Sardis in Revelation 3:1-3 — These are the words of Him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.  I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.  Wake up!  Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of God…

Our 2nd Friday, Men’s Fellowship gathering was wonderful.  This ministry continues to grow and we praise God for it.  We need more of our members (men) to support this ministry.  Many of the men in attendance have joined the church and that is a blessing.  Men, don’t hesitate…tell a friend.  It was a good turn out this past Friday and we hope to see the numbers increase each month.  Good food, fun, fellowship, and prayer…be a part of it!

Guest Pastor, Stephen Howell (Calvert County Grace Church) really blessed us with his funny, animated, and quirky approach to preaching God’s word yesterday.  His sermon was fantastic and he taught it from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd chapters of Romans.  He spoke about the kind of righteousness that ony God can produce; it is nothing we can do in and of ourselves.  As a people, we need to stop concentrating on why we think people behave in a negative fashion.  Until their hearts have been transformed by Christ, they will not behave as though the love of God is inside them.  We must trust God to change us on the inside because we can not truly change ourselves.  As Christians who are walking the walk, we must be models of transformation.  By being a model, you are currently living in righteouness through Jesus Christ.  There are many of us who can tell a story of how God has worked in our lives back in 2005 or 2006, but to be a true model of transformation, you must live by faith this day. 

We praise God for Pastor Howell and hope to see him again soon.  His sermon went right in line with our Wednesday night Bible Study series “Gospel Transformation”.  We praise God for the lessons that continue to enlighten and uplift those who are a part of it.  For God’s truth and learning to apply it to your own personal situation(s), come join us each and every Wednesday evening at 7:30.

*Church, during this time of fasting, remember to pray for unity in the body of Christ, spiritual growth, family, marriages, deliverance from strong-holds, evangelism, missions, shelter ministries, unsaved loved ones, our nations’ leaders, our children, and our church leaders. 

About My Father’s Business Outreach Ministries // 411 New York Avenue, N.E. // Washington, D.C. 20002 // (202)548-7555 // amfbgrace@yahoo.com

     

This is the day…

After Bible Study tonight (or around 9pm if you’re unable to make it), we start our 21-Day fast.  Sister Rosie Joyce organized a prayer and fasting manual titled, ‘The Year of Victory’.  It was given out during Sunday service, to those who agreed to participate.  It is a step-by-step guide to and through the process.  It touches on how to identify and maintain your focus.  It specifies the prerequisites of fasting (i.e. forgiveness, pure motives, attitude, devotion, focus, and commitment), which helps many people, especially first timers, get started properly.  The manual also includes a journal section, along with a section that guides you on learning how to pray for an entire hour.  On Sunday, Pastor touched on the point that Christians pray an average of five minutes a day; so a full hour is a far stretch for most of us.

‘The Year of Victory’ gives a list of what foods we must refrain from during the fast, a structured formula for the 21-day period, and more.  It is awesome and we appreciate the time that was put into the organization for the sake of our walk with Christ.  

Sunday’s sermon was titled, Where Are The Intercessors Today?  We are called by God to pray for one another; to plead with God on behalf of our fellow brothers and sisters.  Pray for the deliverance of freedom from bondage.  Most of our prayers are personal, we must learn and strive to pray for others because that makes us more like Jesus.  He prayed for us while being crucified!  Fasting is undesireable to our flesh, but rewarding to our spirits.  Fasting and prayer go hand in hand.  This also makes us more like Christ.  He fasted forty days and forty nights.  You are to pray that the physical void you will feel as a result of denying yourself of food and/or other pleasures and desires be filled through faith and prayer.  This sacrifice is a testiment to send an indisputable message to God that He comes first…that Jesus is the absolute most important thing in your life.  Fasting is not expected to be easy, but it is necessary and required by God (Romans 14:17; 1Peter 4:7; 2Chronicles 7:14; Acts 14:3; Matt 6:16; Isaih 58:6&7; Heb 7:25; and more).

We are also thankful to God for Jamie Jones choosing to visit AMFB.  She sung a selection and we are happy that she chose to do so in God’s house.

Last night, our choir had their scheduled rehearsal.  We ask God to continue to bless the choir and keep them mindful of the purpose(s) of that ministry.  We praise God for them.

We thank God for the Men’s Shelter Ministry that also went according to schedule last night.  This ministry continues to be a blessing of encouragement to the men and to us.  Since this ministry began a couple of short months ago, several men from there have visited and joined our church, been delivered from addiction, found homes of their own, and gotten saved.  We exhalt the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for it all!

About My Father’s Business Outreach Ministries // 411 New York Avenue, N.E. // Washington, D.C. 20002 // (202)548-7555 // amfbgrace@yahoo.com

On Sunday, January 26th, Minister Eric Jones preached a sermon titled New Year…New Me.  The biblical text came from Ephesians 4:17-32. 

Sin lies to us.  We constantly try to minimize our sin by calling it by other names such as habits, problems, etc.  We must not compromise our walk with The Almighty by doing things that don’t glorify Him.  Don’t gossip…instead, spread the good news of Christ.  Put your old self away and never turn back.  Let it go!  Trash all of your former ways.  Progressing forward should be our desire as Christians, not falling back into what feels good to our flesh.  No one said it would be easy, but it is possible.  Get out of God’s way.  This is about salvation.  Make the eternal choice…heaven or hell?  Make 2007 your year to be washed clean and become brand new in the eyes of God.

Excellent job Minister Jones.  Thanks for allowing God to use you.

Pastor Joyce returned home from his trip to California on Tuesday.  His part within the Grace Brethren conference out there was well received.  Praise God for allowing our Pastor to be planted and used where He sees fit.  

In Wednesday evening’s Bible Study, he resumed teaching the Gospel Transformation series without missing a beat.  We praise God for these life-situation driven, Bible structured lessons.  Real lessons for real people…relatable to everyone in some way.  We praise God for the growth in numbers; in other words, more and more people are pressing their way out to show up for these wonderful studies.  God is really doing a swift work at AMFB and we exhalt His name for it all.

Tomorrow is the 1st Sunday; also known as “Communion and Love Feast Sunday”. (HOORAY!!!)  Come, not only expecting to be blessed by Sunday School, Praise and Worship, Choir Singing, Sermon, and Communion; but expect to taste the exquisite home cooked meals prepared by our very own Usher Board…Hallelujah!!  The food is scrumptuous and plentiful.  An $8 donation gets you a take home container packed to capacity .  We can’t wait!

About My Father’s Business Outreach Ministries // 411 New York Avenue, N.E. // Washington, D.C. 20002 // (202)548-7555 // amfbgrace@yahoo.com