Carmel Family:

We wrap up our 7 Weeks of Prayer this week with a focus on the discipline of living in Transformational Community. I asked Denise Goldman to write this week's prompt. Denise and her husband lead the Hitched Discipleship Community on Sunday mornings and she has a small group of ladies she does life with.

You all know I love a good fire and what this fellow pastor wrote is a great picture:

"The gospel is the source and fuel of our joy. As a log burns hotter in a pile of other wood,
the Christian knows greater joy in the tight community of the local church."

I do believe one of the reasons Denise exudes such joy is because of her commitment to living in Transformational Community and the transparency and accountability she shares with her brothers and sisters in Christ. Be blessed by her prayer prompt below. 

TOMORROW will be our FINAL Tuesday Morning Prayer Gathering for these 7 weeks of prayer.   Come join me in the Worship Center  at 7:00am for 15 minutes or the whole hour. 

Love you Carmel, 

Pastor Alex
Be Honest
  • Do I have a small group of believers I regularly do life with who see me without any mask, hold me accountable and help me grow?  
  • Am I actively involved in a Discipleship Community (DC) at Carmel? Do I attend regularly? Do we share life and meals together?  Do I speak words of life into those in my DC?
Be Encouraged

Naturally, we look to Scripture to define Transformational Community and we find this
demonstrated for us in Acts 2:42-47. As the beautiful body of Christ at Carmel, we are
encouraged by Pastor Alex as we study The Word together and dig deeper into the things
of God, to "be transformed, not just informed." Let the cry of our hearts be to ask and allow
El Elyon - The Lord Most High - to transform us into the men and women He created us to be and to accomplish "the good works God prepared beforehand for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10). 

Carmel's DCs are an ideal place to connect with other believers, to make new friends, to come alongside one another, to do life well together, to be the "iron that sharpens iron" (Proverbs 27:17) in each other's lives, and to "stir up one another to love and good works" (Hebrews 10:24-25). 

Being involved in Transformational Community is a gift. "No man is an island" (John Donne)... We were not created to go through life alone. We are intended to be in fellowship with one another. When life is not easy or we are unexpectedly hit with difficulties, having brothers and sisters in Christ that we can turn to for prayer, assistance and encouragement is God's favor shining upon us. When we face life's battles, we will be like Moses ( Exodus 17:12), needing others to lift up our arms for us. Similarly, there will be times when we will be like Aaron and Hur, needing to lift up the arms of our fellow believers in Christ.
  
Be Bold

Prayerfully read Hebrews 10:24-25:
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another ..."
If you are not currently involved in a DC at Carmel, ask The Lord to lead you to the one He desires you to be a part of.

Father, we ask for a fresh movement of Your Holy Spirit in our midst. Help us to choose to be honest and real with You which will open the way for us to be honest and real with one another. Guide us and direct us to be spiritually healthy Transformational Communities at Carmel, to be people that act justly, love kindness and walk humbly with our God.  We give You all praise, glory and honor for the work You will do in and among us. In The Strong and Holy Name of Christ Jesus we pray, AMEN.

Content for this week's prayer and reflection was provided by Carmel member Denise Goldman. 

Click here for additional resources for the  7 Weeks of Prayer: Life in Christ Essentials.