Setting an example is never easy. We have to be aware that others are watching us. People observe more of what we do than what we say. In the book of Titus, the leaders are being told to set an EXAMPLE by doing good. If we are to share our faith it starts through our actions. May our lives be good examples of how to live as Christ would have us live. May we share God’s love this week wherever we go to demonstrate His love in our lives.

In Christ’s Love and Service,
Pastor Paul Marzahn

1. Pray for your pastors every day for a week and send a note of encouragement to one of them.

2. Support your church financially and generously.

3. Find out the name of a lost person your pastor is praying for and covenant to also pray for this person.

4. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s fullness to be evident in the Sunday services. Come early to worship and pray with others for the service.

5. On Sundays in October, ask him what you can pray about for him this week. Then the next Sunday ask him how things went regarding what you prayed for.

6. Encourage your friends to join you in sitting closer to the front during October’s Sunday services.

7. Defend him or her against critics. Every pastor is imperfect and has some people whose expectations are not met by his ministry.

8. Take notes on your pastor’s preaching and teaching. Such a practice is spiritually healthy and demonstrates that you value what he says.

9. Listen and have an open heart to his/her ideas for change. Oftentimes, the value of that change may take months or years to be fully appreciated.

10. Tag your pastor in a social media post with the hashtag #pastorappreciation and tell your friends, family and fellow church members what you appreciate about your pastor.

In Christ’s Love and Service,
Pastor Paul Marzahn

2. When is the last time you prayed out loud for another person? When is the last time you prayed out loud?

3. Have you ever asked anyone else to pray for you? Why or why not? If they did what did that feel like?

Questions To Consider:
1.What is one negative thing someone said or did to me this week. Why did it discourage me?

2.When is a time recently that someone encouraged you? How did that change your day?

3.When is a time recently you encouraged someone else? What did you say or do?

4.Name three people you should encourage this week in your life.

All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.
‭‭Galatians ‭2:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In high school and junior high, I played football. In the glory days of youth there are many memories of sports moments that were “game changers.” One play could change the entire outcome of the game. I recall one game where we were behind and the coach called in an unusual play. It is called a “flea-flicker” pass. It was fourth down and long yards to get a first down. I threw the ball to my wide receiver and friend of mine named Tim. He pretended to run with it but instead stopped and then proceeded to stand still as everyone ran towards him. Meanwhile since the defense is focused on the wide receiver, I can sneak down field undetected. I ran as fast as I could and deep down the field as I could run. My friend Tim, at the last minute, planted his feet and threw the ball as far down the field as he could possibly throw. Somehow, in this crazy play, I was able to catch the ball and waltz into the end zone unscathed. The play was a “Game Changer”, as we went ahead in the score with only seconds left on the clock. We took a calculated risk but the payoff changed the game.

Caring for the poor is a game changer. It changes us from the inside out. It also changes those we share our resources with. It is a sacrifice of time and money to do local outreach like CROSSROADS. We make sandwiches for the homeless, and also bring food to schools through The Sheridan Story ministry to help kids who suffer from food scarcity. This last Saturday, I was at the Grocery Giveaway at CROSSROADS of Inver Grove Heights. I prayed with a woman who was struggling with medical bills. She was grateful for the food because her husband had his legs amputated recently and could not support the family any more. She shared with me that the groceries she took every month have helped her and her children tremendously. Our church has been a game changer in her life. The Apostle Paul challenges the Galatians to be “game changers” by remembering the poor and helping them. Paul himself collected many offerings to help widows and orphans who were struggling. It is a reminder for us to care for the least, the lost and the left behind. May we be game changers this week as we remember the poor. May we continue at CROSSROADS to reach out to the least, the lost and left behind.

In Christ’s Love and Service,
Pastor Paul

Questions To Consider:

1. When you hear the phrase “child of God” what does that mean to you?
2. What is your definition of adoption? How does one incorporate a non-biological son or daughter into the family?
3. What is our inheritance as children of God?

One way to get “unplugged” is to try something new. Who doesn’t love a new beginning? So often, I look back on life and see the many new beginnings God has given me, and it reminds me of God’s persistent love. I have made so many mistakes in my life and yet God continues to shape me and mold me in the image of Christ. Many of us would like change to come to our lives, but if we are honest, we would prefer change to happen with a quick fix. For me, I have done many years of fad diets. They only work for a short period of time. To make lasting change, I had to change how I thought about food and exercise. “The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”―Albert Einstein