Sowers Class News May 24th

1. In Today's Pantagraph:
Chicago city buses carry atheist 'Man Created God' ads
By Associated Press
Advertisement

CHICAGO — For the past week, 25 buses from the Chicago Transit Authority have been bearing an unusual advertising slogan.

The large ads read “In the Beginning, Man Created God,’’ and they’re scheduled to remain on the sides of the buses through June. They’re part of an effort by the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign, with the help of the American Humanist Association.

The board that runs South Bend’s city bus system recently agreed to allow ads on that city’s buses reading: “You can be good without God.’’

The group had hoped to have the ads installed on 20 South Bend buses before President Barack Obama’s appearance at the University of Notre Dame last Sunday, but that move was delayed.

Bloomington, Indiana’s city bus service recently rejected similar ads, prompting a lawsuit.

Information from Chicago Tribune

2. Sowers Class NEWS:

a. You are invited to a HAWAIIAN Luau on Saturday, May 30th at Jill's House, off of Shelbourne.
The festivities begin at 5:00 and kids are welcome to join in the party. Please plan to bring a dish to pass while doing the hula! :) Bring lawn chairs and plenty of sunshine and laughter too! A volleyball net will be set up and a prize will be given for the best Hawaiian outfit.
You can text or call Jill to RSVP by Tuesday, May 26th! :)

b. SOWERS CLASS vs. Legacy Class Golf Challenge: Friday, June5th beginning at 5:00
This is a 9 Hole Golf Outing against the Legacy class.
The excitement will take place at Highland Golf Course and will cost $22.00.
Please let Ralph know if you are planning on participating.


3. Prayer Requests:
- Dirk Norman's brother-in-law, David, had a heart attack.
-Jill's mom, Vickie, is really having a bad time with her legs.
-Gail's mom is facing surgery
-Continue to pray for strength for Gail as she is feeling well after three months of being in her house recuperating from her terrible fall.
-Theresa's sister-in-law, Sara, is pregnant and has placenta primavera and may need to be on bedrest.
-Theresa's nephew, James, has aspergers and ADHD and has been struggling with some outbursts lately. Help him understand
the plan and need of salvation.
-Brent has a serious unspoken


4. Praises:
-Gail is feeling very well and is walking without a cane!

-Brian's mom, Alice, is doing well after her hip replacement.

-Jeremy & Jeanine's son befriended some boys in the neighborhood.
Joshua has been praying and witnessing to this seven year old.
The little boy was over at their house asking Janine questions and she was able to lead him to the Lord.
His parents are not thrilled with this and we pray that Jeremy and Jeanine are given an opportunity to have the door open to
witness to the entire family and for that family to see the need for salvation.

-Mike and Marcia's son, Luke, who is 15 months was not walking very well and were concerned. They went to the mall and bought him some sandals and he was
so excited about his new shoes and took off running. :)
-Mike and Marcia have been able to witness to and give some tracts to some Mormons. This family is interested in coming to our church.

5. Class Notes:

The church is a team, unified for a single purpose. TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT OUR AMAZING LORD AND SAVIOR!
We need to become more skilled in the ways of the Lord and that is through practice. Make yourself available!

You are born again in God - are you thankful EVERYDAY that the penalty of sin is gone and that sadness you once had is replaced with joy?
Do others see something different about you and do they want to know to talk with you about it?

Are you thankful and joyous?
*Recognition: The Lord has done great things for us - others should be able to see there is a difference in us.
*Request: God is in control of your life
*Responsibility:
-First, sow the Word of God in your own heart. Get into the book, feed on it, read it, digest, it, memorize it, and use it!
-Second, sow the word of God in the hearts of others - in believers.
-Third, sow the word of God in the hearts of others - unbelievers.
*Rejoicing: Do you have a joyful heart?
SOW IN TEARS and WE'LL REAP IN JOY!
Go sow, weep, and reap!


6. VIDEOS to watch:

a. A powerful lesson from ER - Will YOU be the person that gives the truth to someone that is searching for the answers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06HGc_jb6tk&feature=channel

b. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umn3iCn90IY&feature=related - Ray Comfort preaches to a kid on the beach

c. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxUr5AVecKY - people love GIANT money. See what we can do wherever we are?

Watch this video above, gather a few friends, arms yourself with some bible tracts, and head out to the Coliseum or Walmart and PASS THEM OUT
or put them on the windshields of cars! We can all do this! Our job is to SOW!!!

d. Song: I Will Stand as a Witness of Christ: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4BNv-Ca3wA

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK! Go and tell others!

Are YOU Ready for the Lord's return? Are your friends and family?

Sowers Class NEWS:

1. Thanks to everyone that brought treats last Sunday to celebrate Mr. Good's birthday!

2. Friday, June5th beginning at 5:00 will be a 9 Hole Golf Outing against the Legacy class.
The excitement will take place at Highland Golf Course and will cost $22.00.
Please let Ralph know if you are interested in participating.

3. You are invited to a HAWAIIAN Luau on Saturday, May 30th at Jill's House, off of Shelbourne.
The festivities begin at 5:30 and kids are welcome to join in the party. Please plan to bring a
dish to pass while doing the hula! :) Bring lawn chairs and plenty of sunshine and laughter too!



Prayer Requests:
1. Mike, from Pekin, is one of Ralph's Christian customers and fell while he was painting and
broke his foot and ruptured 2 vertebrae in his back.

2. Joan's dad is going through radiation. May his treatment be effective and his spirits be lifted up.

3. Jill's Aunt Joyce is recovering from breast cancer surgery. She had a mastectomy and that went very
well, but she has a very aggressive cancer and she doesn't really know if she wants to do chemo.

4. Baby Jackson, few months old, had heart surgery and is still at home. He is hooked up to tubes and machines.
5. Continue to pray for Gail as she is still recovering from her terrible fall.


Praises:

1. Nick, a friend of Ralph had bypass surgery and is doing really well right now.
2. One woman was saved last week at Ministry and More. Hallelujah!
3. Theresa's father-in-law had back surgery a while back and he has recently had an injection that seems to be helping.
John, her husband, also had the injection in his hip and surgery is not needed at this time.
4. Baby Jackson, few months old, had heart surgery and is still at home. He is hooked up to tubes and machines.
5. We are so extremely thankful that Christine and Gio have been with us for the past two weeks! Welcome!
6. Thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Good for your love and wisdom!



Class Notes:

1. Check out this video about the little white-haired man.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uheP2gXy8g8


Really pray about the Lord's guidance in helping do your will on earth . . . telling others about the BEST NEWS OF ALL!

Don't find excuses . . . TOO YOUNG, TOO BUSY, TOO OLD because it may be TOO LATE!

2. Are you ready? Watch this video and evaluate how you are doing about telling others about our wonderful Lord and Savior.
. . . in a blink of an eye . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmLhyPjHVes

Just tonight, I gave the cashier at Walmart a million dollar bible tract and asked if he had ever received one of those or not.
He said, "This is great!" I told him that it was a bible tract. Another man that works at Walmart saw what he had in his hands and
was intrigued by the million dollar tract and asked me where I got it. I took another one out of my purse and handed one to him.
I told him that it was a bible tract and it was extremely important that he took time to read it. "It's better than a real million dollars
because you can't take it with you anyway . . he laughed and agreed with me. As I walked off and turned around . . . .and yes, they were both
reading it! I love that!

The Deed is FAR greater than the fear! Try to be like the little white-haired man and pass out at least 1 tract a day - even more if you are willing to.
Beginning on June 6th and throughout June and July our Sowers class will be going on the trail to pass out Gatorades, water, and bible tracts!
You can go to the annex building, City Hall Annex-611 S. Linden, Normal, IL. We will be on the trail from 8:30-11:00.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!


Really? Is this what others are hearing when they watch tv? WE NEED TO GO OUT AND TELL OTHERS ABOUT HOW JESUS TRULY IS THE ONLY ONLY ONLY ONLY WAY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di9-PebV634&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFDKwvBxv4Q&feature=related

Have a blessed rest of the week!

Rehab For A Reason

Check out this cool post from our friends over at www.fishers4men.com...



None of us expect to be in a nursing home...

I met a man whose life has taken a surprising turn. One day he woke up in the hospital after having a very unexpected seizure-he never knew what hit him. When we met, he was in a wheelchair, on a ventilator and had a feeding tube in place.

You can be a fly on my shoulder as we talk ...


I took this picture of John 2 weeks after we talked. He had gained 6 1/2 pounds and was feeling much better.

Luke 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Searching for Treasure

We decided yesterday to go hunting, so last night Dennis took a look at our metal detectors to make sure they would be ready to go this morning.

The morning was glorious...the sun rising over the ocean and the birds all hunting for food. We saw stacks of clam shells left by the Frigate birds after an early breakfast. I really enjoy just walking along and finding the cool shells that are washed up by the tide.

The detector was yielding nothing in the way of treasure so after a couple of hours I walked back down the beach toward where the truck was parked. I saw an elderly man and his wife fishing. He had all of his poles arranged 'just right' and was keeping a watchful eye on them. I stopped to talk about the fish he was catching. At one point one of the
poles nearly bent in half, but it was just a couple of Egrets flying by. One had become entangled, he quickly got out of the line. The man introduced himself as Eddie and his wife as Ruth.

I asked Eddie what he believed would happen to him when he died. He said he would go to sleep and that was it. After talking a little more he told me he didn't believe in God. If there was a God in Heaven why didn't He stop the wars. Why didn't He feed the children starving...on he went. As he was talking to me I remembered a little internet story I read last year. It goes like this...

A man went into a barbershop to get a haircut. He had been trying to get the courage to talk to the barber about God but didn't really know how. Finally he took the plunge. The barber immediately shut him down by saying he didn't believe in God. For if there were a God why didn't He feed the starving children and why were there wars and why did the crops fail?? The customer clammed up with no answer.

After he finished up the man walked out the door. He was still thinking about the barber's questions as he crossed the street to work. In front of him lay a very dirty, smelly homeless man. His hair was matted and his beard tangled and disgusting. The man wheeled around and ran back across the street to the barber. He flew in the door and said, "I don't believe in barbers!"

The barber looked at him like he'd lost his mind and said, "Uh...I just cut your hair!"

"If there were really barbers, why are there homeless men who need haircuts and their beards shaved?" the customer asked.

"He didn't come to me!!" the barber retorted.

"My point exactly!" said the customer.

Eddie laughed and came up with a couple more excuses but not with the same gusto as before. I was able to give him a Good Person tract and he said he would read it. I pray that he does.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

The problem with real Treasure is not finding it, but sharing it.

While waiting in a parking lot at the doctor's office, I let a
million dollar bill fly out the window and it ended up on the
sidewalk in front of the door. A man in a wheelchair, came out the door, spotted the bill and went over and picked it up.
He sat there and read the whole tract.
His wife came to pick him in the car and he kept the tract in his
hand as he was helped into the vehicle. He turned to her and
said, "This is very interesting." and they drove off

Naomi is a very nice girl who waited on us at Cracker Barrel. We gave the curved tract and she read it. Her comment was, "What a pleasant surprise to get a tract that catches your eye immediately. I am going to show it to my friends and family."

"God does not need an eloquent tongue, only a diligent hand"

Did you get one of these?