Month: January 2017

  • Lesson Audio On Hospitality: Learning to Give.

    Just finished posting the audio lesson for Moses: A Walk Through the Wilderness And More. It is on Hospitality: Learning To Give.
    I truly sensed a special anointing on the message. If you really want to know about living out the gospel, and what is hospitality biblically. Listen to this thirty minute lesson.

    All the Short Courses can be studied for free, or for credit at FBC.
    The Short Courses can all be found at the FBC Website at http://www.focusbiblecollege.org/fbc-short-courses.html.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2YZmZJCrq83T3pmN3gxS1lPNms/view?usp=sharing

  • Some Time Off And Reflection.

    Taking some time off to repose and catch up on some projects for the ministry and the college ( FBC ). Need some reflective time as well, as the past few months at times has been a emotional roller coaster. Time in His presence, studying and pausing a bit sounds quite refreshing.
    Reflecting
    Reflection is one of a cluster of words such as contemplation, meditation, rumination, and cogitation. Here we use it as an umbrella word to describe this sequence, and to indicate the use of any of the methods described above. Preachers who do this are ‘reflective preachers’—to adapt Donald Schon’s widely used concept of the ‘reflective practitioner’.7 Unreflecting preachers have little to contribute to the church and the world. Indeed it could be argued that the quality of preaching is directly related to that of the preacher’s reflective praxis or, to put it another way, the capacity to preach effectively is closely related to the capacity for reflection. There are an infinite number of approaches to reflecting. Some of them are highly schematized; others are quite the opposite.
    ( About Sustaining Preachers and Preaching, George Lovell and Neil Richardson )

  • CGMG News And Updates for January 2017.

    I notice we have been neglectful in updating the website except for media. With that in mind I am going to step in and try to fill that void and put pen to paper if you will. I know we have been communicating amongst Shepherd leaders and various groups, but our updating the website has not been very good. I will try to step in and assist Skip, Mary and others in this endeavor today.

    Since Thanksgiving it has been quite busy, but there has been some awesome things that have gone on within the fellowship, which I think we need to rejoice in. Also, our endeavors at present and our upcoming yearly Shepherds and Saints meeting to discuss as well.

    In December we had two awesome gathering meetings. One in North Platte and the other in Omaha. Reverend James Harris from Kansas City preached in our North Platte meeting on " Faith and Fiction ", it was extremely effective. We had a variety of folks give their life to Christ and seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It was a blessed time in the Lord. In Omaha I preached on " Believing When Everything Says Otherwise ". God touched His Word and the worship in such a pronounced way in that meeting.  We saw various folks respond to God, and ask for prayer in their current struggles and we baptized 4 individuals as they surrendered their live's to God. It was a profoundly awesome time in the presence of God.

    Our study groups for adults have been studying from the book of Genesis in many groups, and continue in our Authentic Christian Men and Woman series in others. Our foundational classes continue as well, as the Foundations for Life, Shepherd Series ( study on our relationship with God ) and Covenant Worldview From the Scriptures are always quarterly revolving.

    We will have our Shepherd and Saints meeting in February. We will post that date and where it will be held. You can connect via video or the Prayerline conference number if you can't attend. We are so spread out that I realize 75% can't been in the meeting. That is okay, and we are working to as usual make the logistics work so you can participate or listen in. Amen.

    Please keep the ministry in prayer, as we face the new year with questions and will have changes forthcoming. God bless everyone. I will work with the Sherpherd leaders to try to be more interactive with the website. Sorry for its neglect.

    In His Grace,
    Founding Pastor Patrick Vossen

  • The " Secret Plan "

    3 This is why I, Paul, am a prisoner of Christ for you Gentiles. 
    2 You’ve heard, of course, about the responsibility to distribute God’s grace, which God gave to me for you, right? 3 God showed me his secret plan in a revelation, as I mentioned briefly before (4 when you read this, you’ll understand my insight into the secret plan about Christ). 5 Earlier generations didn’t know this hidden plan that God has now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets through the Spirit. 6 This plan is that the Gentiles would be coheirs and parts of the same body, and that they would share with the Jews in the promises of God in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 I became a servant of the gospel because of the grace that God showed me through the exercise of his power. 
    8 God gave his grace to me, the least of all God’s people, to preach the good news about the immeasurable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. 9 God sent me to reveal the secret plan that had been hidden since the beginning of time by God, who created everything. 10 God’s purpose is now to show the rulers and powers in the heavens the many different varieties of his wisdom through the church. 11 This was consistent with the plan he had from the beginning of time that he accomplished through Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In Christ we have bold and confident access to God through faith in him. 13 So then, I ask you not to become discouraged by what I’m suffering for you, which is your glory. 
     
     
    Common English Bible. (2011). (Eph 3:1–13). Nashville, TN: Common English Bible.
     
     
    This was my devotional reading for today. I loved the parts that talk about revelation, or the secret plan, or hidden plan of God. Why? Because God doesn't waste His time! He speaks to those who truly want to learn and receive His enlightenment. However, to those whom have other agendas, or do not wish to understand the heart of God for " all " creation, every creed and tongue. It's like a closed book, which only grace and an understanding heart will see opened up by the hand of God. 
     
    How do I know this? For Jesus ministered with that idea in mind. He withdrew and gave special instruction to the disciples and His inner circle. Yet, He spoke in parables that seemed to leave in the dark even the most learned Scribe and or Pharisee. They just simply didn't have the heart to hear or receive the revelation of the Lord. Their ways were set, their questions were more to corner or cause debate. A wasted exercise in God's view, without the right spirit to receive the wisdom of God.