Last Sunday it was a wonderful blessing to welcome D. Ray Davis from the International Mission Board. D. Ray did a great job of helping us to turn our attention from “our own little patch of dirt” to the global purposes of God.

This week is the Week of Prayer for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. I hope you have been using your prayer guide, which we passed out on Sunday. Pause and take time to pray for these gospel workers, who represent a force of some 4000 people that our church is supporting around the world as they share the gospel. Through your prayers, you are an invaluable part of what God is doing to touch the world with the gospel!

This Sunday is one of the high points of our year as a church family – our day of Ingathering for the Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions. Every penny of this offering will go to send and support gospel workers around the world. Our goal as a church is $62,000. Think about all the ways we spend money at Christmas. I am certainly not against giving gifts – it should be a reflection of the fact that God gave His greatest gift to us by becoming one of us in Christ. But think about how much you spend on gifts for Americans who already have so much, and how much you give to help those in desperate need. As serious Christians, we must evaluate such things. Giving to Lottie Moon is our opportunity to partner with God in changing the world by changing lives forever. I pray that you will give super-generously and sacrificially to it! Come ready to give with a joyful heart this Sunday.

This Sunday we also have a special treat related to our Week of Prayer and Ingathering. We will welcome the man who oversees IMB’s work among Jewish people around the world. He happens to be in the states. We connected at a recent IMB Trustee meeting, and he will be able to come and talk about “God’s Promise Fulfilled,” from Genesis 22.

Ever since our support of Ray Register, which began in the 1960’s, our church has had a heart for Israel and for seeing Jewish people embrace their Messiah. What a blessing it will be for you to meet this representative this Sunday!

I’ll see you then. It is going to be a great day in the Lord!

By His Grace, For His Glory, To The Nations,

Dr. Thurman Hayes, Jr.