“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10″

Your opportunity to “do good works” is almost here at FPC’s first 2012 Serving Saturday on Jan 28.  We’ll meet at the Pellissippi Campus at 8:30am for a light breakfast, short devotional, and assignments and be off by 9am to the be hands and feet of Christ.  We’re using an on-line tool called VolunteerSpot to schedule these opportunities.

Here’s how it works:

1)    Click this link to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot:

2)    Enter your email address and choose your job.  You’ll get an Email reminder two days prior to the event.

That’s it.  There are limited spots available for this first Serving Saturday, so it’s important to sign up early.  Let me know if you have any problems. See you Saturday Jan 28 8:30am at the Faith Promise Pellissippi Campus!

For more information about our construction project and our vision to reach the unchurched of the world, go here.

Traditions are fun in our home.  They build memories to be relived for years to come.  These will be the “Remember when…” moments of the future.  So I look at them with excitement.  I treat them as precious.

Are they perfect?  Rarely.  But the unexpected hiccups only flavor the experiences from one year to the next.  Look for opportunities to celebrate old traditions and create new ones for your family.

Are you still searching for the instruction manual of life?

A person’s faith journey is a lifelong process and no two journeys are the same. Our passion is to walk with you in your journey to help you become a fully devoted follower of Jesus. Adding value and providing direction in your journey with Christ is what Faith Promise enrichment groups are all about.

Each group is designed to meet you where you are. No long-term commitment required. Join us for six weeks and take the next step in your journey.

Groups begin on Sunday, October 9th. For more information on the available groups and to save your spot, click below.

Next Steps
A Personal Growth group
Sundays @ 10:20 AM

Chase What Really Matters
A Financial Freedom group
Sundays @ 11:45 AM

Maximum Marriage
A Marriage Enrichment group
Sundays @ 5:00 PM

Preschool (2yrs to PreK)

At this young age God wants your preschooler to know that God wants me to do something important.  God has a plan for each of us and that plan is important.  This weekend we’ll focus on 1 Samuel 16:1-13 where Samuel has an important task… to find the new King of Israel.  Samuel is looking for a King but the person he finds is not who he expects.  Knowing that God can help him do anything, Samuel sets out to accomplish this important task.

Make it Personal by reading 1 Samuel 16:1-13 today.  The classic adage “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a fitting phrase for this story.  Sometimes the things God asks us to do can be difficult.  But God can help us do anything.

Create a Rhythm by practicing the Memory Verse with your preschooler.  Use these simple motions.

I (point your thumbs at yourself)

Can Do (pump your fist in the air 2x)

All Things (spread your arms out as far as you can)

Through Christ (point up to the sky)

Philippians 4:13 (make a book with your hands)

Elementary (Kindergarten to 3^rd grade)

Knowledge is discovering something new so you can be better at what you do.  We’re focusing your child on Luke 3:21-23 where Jesus is baptized.  As Jesus grew “in wisdom & stature and in favor with God and man” a critical step in his life was the day he was baptized.  This weekend we’ll creatively retell of this moment in history when Christ comes forward and begins his public ministry.

We want to grow as Jesus grew because when we discover what God says, it helps us trust Him more.  Make it Personal and ready Luke 3.  Talk to your child about the day you were baptized and what that meant to you.  This conversation might spark some interest in baptism.  If your child is ready to explore this step you can click here for more information.

Preschool (2 yrs to PreK)

The Details…

Basic Truth: God Loves Me
Key Question: Why should you do what God says?
Bottom Line: God knows what’s best for me.
Memory Verse: “God’s way is perfect.” Psalm 18:30, NIrV
Bible Story Focus: It’s never too late to choose God’s way. • Jonah 1:17-3:3

…Unpacked

Last week Jonah was swallowed by the giant fish.  This week we learn that even in the belly of the whale, it’s not too late for Jonah.  God said, “Go”.  Jonah said, “No!”  Will he change his mind now?

Create A Rhythm this weekend.  Play a game of “Gotcha” with your preschooler.  Have your child stand against the wall (‘The Shore), while you stand in the middle of the room (‘The Ocean’).  They pretend they are ‘Jonah’ crossing the ocean.  You are the great big fish.  Jonah has to try to cross get across the ocean without getting caught by the great big fish!

Then grab your child’s bible, find the story of Jonah and the Whale and share some special storytime together.  Ask them the question, “Why should you do what God says?”  Teach them, “God knows what’s best for me!”

Elementary (Kindergarten to 3^rd Grade)

The Details…

Virtue: Grace—getting something great that you don’t deserve.
Memory Verse: “God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift.” Ephesians 2:8, NIrV
Bible Story: Pop Rocks (the lost son) • Luke 15:11-24
Bottom Line: God will always love me more than I can imagine

…Unpacked

The story of the Prodigal Son is a beautiful example of the grace and love our Father has for His children.  Reading through Luke 15: 11-24, it’s easy for the reader to see that heart of the Father is always pointed toward His children. Even when the hearts of His children are not pointed toward Him.

Make It Personal this weekend and read Luke 15:11-24.  Consider this thought.

Has there ever been, and will there ever be a time in your child’s life where God would say, “Leave me for a while so you can experience life without me.  In fact, if you live without me then you’ll only appreciate my Grace more upon your return.”

Can you imagine God leading your child away from Him?!?  No.  I can’t either.

It’s clear in Luke 15, the Father never wanted his son to leave.  However, He patiently waited because He understood the value of the wrestle his son needed to go through in order to desire deeper intimacy with Him.

Parents, I don’t believe there is ever a time God would lead your child away from His presence.  I don’t believe there is ever a time God would ask your child to walk away from Him.  However, in the seasons when your child might choose to walk away, the Father’s heart toward them never changes.  And when they decide to return, His arms are open wide.

Create A Rhythm this week.  Grab the GodTime card your child brings home from church.  Elevate the importance of God’s word in your home by spending 15 minutes together completing a GodTime activity.

Preschool

Basic Truth: God loves me.
Key Question: Why should you do what God says?
Bottom Line: God knows what’s best for me.
Memory Verse: “God’s way is perfect.” Psalm 18:30, NIrV
Bible Story Focus: I should obey God.Ÿ Joshua and Caleb Spy • Numbers 13-14

Unpacked:
One of the most pivotal verbs in scripture is Faith.  And faith is simply believing God will do what He says He will do.  There are many accounts in scripture where people either trusted God to do what He promised… or they didn’t.

God places a high value on faith.  Our willingness to see beyond what makes sense to us and stand on His Promises.  The kind of faith Joshua and Caleb displayed when they returned from spying out the land of Canaan, God’s Promised Land for the Israelites.

Imagine the End by focusing your energy & efforts on the issues that will make a lasting impact.  Imagine a teenager that has an uncanny faith in the promises of God.  One who’s faith has a tremendous impact on those around them.  Now, imagine that is your child.

Don’t underestimate the value of teaching your preschool child to obey God today because God’s way is perfect.  God always knows what’s best for me!

Create a Rhythm this month by tapping into the power of quality moments together, and build a sense of purpose through your everyday experiences.  Watch for opportunities you can ask your preschooler the question, “Why should I do what God says?”  Because… God knows what’s best for me!

Check out this video to learn more about our focus for Preschool in August.  Then, watch for your Small Talk this weekend for some fun activities to do with your preschooler.

Elementary

Virtue: Grace—getting something great that you don’t deserve.
Memory Verse: “God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift.” Ephesians 2:8, NIrV
Bible Story: Sheep Tracks (the lost sheep and the lost coin) • Luke 15:1-10
Bottom Line: Jesus came to rescue everyone.

Unpacked:
This week we focus your child on a couple parables Jesus told about “the Lost Sheep” & “the Lost Coin”.  From these parables, Jesus paints a picture of the Father and the extents to which He will go in order to demonstrate His love for us.  According to these stories… He will stop at nothing to have a relationship with us.  His grace is undeserved.

I love how the character of our Heavenly Father is displayed in these stories.  I’m reminded that my kids are created in His likeness (Gen 1:26).  This tells me they were fashioned with His Character.  A character of generous, extravagant, stop-at-nothing Grace.

Create A Rhythm this weekend by tapping into the power of everyday experiences.  Have dinner around the dinner table.  Read the stories of the Lost Sheep & Lost Coin in Luke 15:1-10.  Jesus came to rescue everyone.  How much does He want to use you to find those that are lost?

Take 10 minutes next week and watch this month’s video to learn more about the virtue Grace.

Come hear Melissa Lawson’s powerful testimony and her beautiful voice at fp Women’s Gathering on May 19th @ 6:30 p.m. in the Faith Promise Worship Center. Hosted by fp Women and benefiting diaperLove, come relax, get encouraged, and enjoy the spirit of friendship as we listen to a phenomenal singer share her story and why she is so passionate about diapering innocent bottoms. Reserve your spot here.

Melissa Lawson won Nashville Star on NBC in late 2008 and thought her twenty-year trek to overnight success had finally arrived. Melissa had realized a major milestone in her music career, a personal dream with her husband of 13 year, five healthy boys, and a victory in her battle against obesity by losing 100 pounds. Come hear what happened next.

Melissa has the ability to touch audiences with a down-to-earth quality she infuses into her music. Melissa said, “I want to tackle real-life issues that women around the country have to deal with.”

What People Are Saying

“When I listen to Melissa Lawson sing, my toe taps, my head shakes in amazement, my heart leaps, and my soul is stirred – every time.” – Randy Frazee, Senior Minister Oak Hills Church, San Antonio, Texas

“Melissa Lawson blends a power voice with a pure heart. The result? Passionate worship.” – Max Lucado

Don’t miss this last opportunity of the year to walk through the ins-and-outs of managing your financial picture to achieve financial freedom. No one wants to be held hostage.

Here’s a story of the change that is possible:

I was reluctant at first to go since it was my wife’s idea that we should go. I was not interested in giving her the upper-hand. Not at all! Prideful as could be! I’m glad she did. It helped bring to the surface things we both had different opinions on when it came to regarding the use and value of our money. It helped me realize I was not being the great steward of our money God had instructed us to be. It helped us put petty things aside [we] would argue about when it came to money. It helped us realize the value and purpose of money and how if you let money be the determination of what you get out of life, than you really aren’t in control and you will be destined to lose in the end. If you are questioning the time spent doing Chase What Really Matters class, … it absolutely is worth your time, and … it doesn’t cost you a dime. … You’ll have a group of people that will understand things you may have not been comfortable enough to bring up anywhere else. It has without a doubt … enriched our life and plans for the future!

Montae and Sara Bates

Join us on Sunday, October 24th at 11:45 am in Room 222 on the Pellissippi Campus to get the information and support you need to make a change in your financial future. You can help by letting us know to expect you.

The Bible demonstrates the importance of people following the example of Jesus in baptism, and people are baptized nearly every weekend at Faith Promise.  A couple of weekends a year, we focus on the topic and give people the opportunity to respond on the same day.

This Mother’s Day weekend was one of those baptism-focused days.  Pastor Chris taught on the importance of spiritual markers, and people responded in a huge way.  Just this weekend, 110 people followed Christ in baptism!  What an amazing weekend!

Please join us in praying for those who took this important spiritual next step – that God will use them powerfully as they live for Him.

Beginning May 2nd, we will adjust our Sunday service schedule on the Pellissippi Campus to the following times:

• 9:00 am
• 10:20 am
• 11:45 am

Saturday night service times will stay the same:

• 5:30 pm
• 7:00 pm

PS – With this transition, we’re also adding a new time to our Internet Campus at 9:00 am and will adjust the times to reflect the Pellissippi Campus.  Beginning May 2nd, you can join us online at 9:00 am, 10:20 am, 11:45 am and 9:00 pm.

If you have an account on Facebook, you can follow these steps to post the Sacred Storm video trailer to your Facebook Wall:

1. Go to the Faith Promise page on Facebook by clicking here.
2. Find the Sacred Storm trailer video.
3. Click the “Share” link underneath the video.
4. Type in a message.  Here’s an example that you can feel free to use:  Do you know the truth?  It’s waiting for you, but you must seek it.  Watch the video or go to http://sacredstorm.org to find out more.
5. Click the share button.

That’s it! Thanks for helping us spread the word about Sacred Storm on Facebook!

Sharing on Twitter

If you have an account on twitter, you can tweet a message about Sacred Storm:

• From twitter.com or your favorite twitter client, tweet the following:

Do you know the truth?  It’s waiting for you, but you must seek it.  Go to http://sacredstorm.org to find out more.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The focus of this fast is primarily to pray for people in this city and throughout the United States who will come into contact with the message of Jesus Christ through our Sacred Storm and Easter services – both here on our Pellissippi Campus and our Internet Campus.  Pray that God will bring transformation to people’s lives – shining the truth of His Word, breaking through the darkness, and setting people free.

What exactly do you mean by fasting?

In the life of the Christian, fasting is giving up something as an act of devotion to Jesus.  Most generally, fasting involves giving up all food and only drinking water or juice for the duration of the fast, but some people will choose a variation of this – eating no solid foods, eating only fruits and vegetables, or giving up a particular kind of food for the duration of the fast.

Fasting is a spiritual discipline that every believer should have in their lives.  Jesus did not say “if you fast.” He said “when you fast.” (Matthew 6:16)

How can I keep from thinking about food all the time?

During the first few days of the fast, it’s natural to think about food more often than normal.  Your body will tell you that you’re starving to death, but you’re not.  Instead, you’re breaking the patterns of eating that your body is accustomed to.  Try to use these hunger pains as an opportunity to focus your mind and attention back toward God.

Each time you find yourself absentmindedly thinking of food, make the conscious decision to remember God and pray to Him.

Isn’t it wrong to let people know that you’re fasting?

Jesus clearly warned people against drawing attention to themselves when fasting (Matthew 6:1-18), so we must be careful as individuals not to try to impress people through our actions; we’re doing this for God, not for people.  Even still, there are many times throughout Scripture when God called groups of people to fast collectively – together demonstrating their dependence on God.

For more information, click here.

Sacred Storm is an ongoing graphic dramatization of the invisible battle that surrounds each one of us. Sacred Storm: Final Exam highlights one person’s struggle to find truth on a college campus.

Productions will take place March 25-28, and all times on Saturday and Sunday will be broadcast online.  For more information, times and directions, visit sacredstorm.org.

During all Sacred Storm service times, our children’s ministry will present “The Mystery of the Empty Tomb.”  For more information, check out sacredstorm.org/kids.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Don’t just be a 20-something, DO-something.  This weekend experience is specifically designed to help all 20-somethings discover and take the next step, regardless of where that step might lead.

DO-something
March 14, 2010
Sunday morning, 11:45 a.m.


Are you in High School and looking for an opportunity to have fun, connect with friends, and be challenged to go deeper in your relationship with God?  If so, you won’t want to miss the High School Spring Retreat.  For details and information, go here: http://faithpromise.org/events

If you’re looking for an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, check out our Missions page for opportunities to serve.

Starting Monday, February 22, Faith Promise Church is going to begin a Bible reading plan that will take us through the New Testament twice and the Old Testament once.  If you didn’t receive a copy in the worship service, you can print out the PDF from here.

Click here to view the embedded video.