The Lord has given me relief

The Lord has given me relief during my times of suffering and He has heard me when I call upon Him!

His ear is never deaf to my cries for help. God has proven Himself to me more times than I could write about. He has been a faithful God through the years, which tells me He will be faithful in the future. I have story after story in my life, of ways He has helped me and brought me through deep, dark waters; my history is long with Him, now.

So many times I have poured out my heart to Him. It is during these times He softly reminds me that He is not only with me, but is helping me.

Wherever you are reading you will find a path that leads you from that place straight to the heart of God, and the desires of God.”1

Oh, how marvelous are the ways of our God!

I want to be like Moses and David who knew the ways of God. Others craved only His miracles, but Moses and David wanted to know the heart of God…

If you have not tried this before, I wonder if you might be blessed by pouring out your heart to God the next time you are stressing. After you do that, just pause and listen for Him. It may take you awhile to learn to “hear” His voice, but I promise if you persist, you will eventually hear Him. And there is absolutely nothing in the universe like it!

Hope your week is going alright! My love to you!

Decisions!!!!

When we were first introduced to religion and the worship of God - our decision on how and when to worship - for the most part - was made for us by our parents. We automatically followed what they did - questioning nothing and accepting everything. Then we matured - grew up and became adults ourselves - and started questioning. We wanted answers to questions previously unasked - hearing the answers we decided to accept or reject. For many of us - rejecting the faith of our parents was a given - we were better informed - more enlightened - or so we thought. Drifting in an ocean of confusing theology only made the decision process more difficult - so we continued drifting until the Island that is God - was so far away - that many gave up - drowned in that ocean of confusion. Thankfully for us - although we left God behind - He never abandoned us. All our lives Jesus has been there - walking with us - patiently waiting for us to make our decisions - holding His breath when we chose poorly - clapping with joy when we chose well. Today Jesus is still there - waiting for you - waiting for your next decision - waiting for you to walk His way.

Love our neighbors

We don’t love our neighbors to convert them; we love our neighbors because we are converted.” We are called to love our neighbors unconditionally, without expecting anything in return.” Sharing the gospel with them is definitely loving them. “The ‘agenda’ we need to drop is the well-meaning tendency to be friends with people for the sole purpose of converting them to our faith. Many so desperately want to move people forward spiritually that they push them according to their timetable, not according to how God is working in them. It’s tempting to offer friendship with strings attached.”

Love yor neighbor and preach the gospel to them when you can. But, live the gospel before them by loving them regardless of wheather you are, planting, watering or harvesting! Loving your neighbor is your command, regenerating them is the job of the Holy Spirit.

Circumstances!!!!!

Morningstar something wonderful happened to me few day ago. When it was over, I wasn’t afraid any longer about what God might require of me. Instead, I became fearful of what I might miss out on if I wasn’t willing to obey God in whatever He asked. I switched (I believe through a merciful gift from God), from fearing God’s required obedience to fearing my lack of obedience. I don’t know if it is possible describe the impact that has made on my relationship with God.Just recently God has reminded me of His goodness in a way that surprised me. In the last few weeks I have struggled through a particular circumstance. The specifics are not as important as what I am learning. I felt as if I was on a forced journey; on a path which I did not choose and which I did not want to take. That path lead me to a point of profound sorrow; almost a grieving (including tears, etc). At one point, I prayed for God to rescue me. Almost immediately, I felt an answer. God was lovingly allowing me to feel His sorrow in what is a very sorrowful situation. I understood He is much more mournful about this problem than I am. In His goodness, He allowed me to feel a little bit of what He feels. I sensed His goodness, a gift from Him, even though I was deeply sad. How extraordinary. I pray that all of us will continue to discover more deeply how wonderfully good God is, in all circumstances.........Jason Wilson

Making mistakes

Morningstar making mistakes is a part of our nature. Only God is perfect, only Jesus was able to walk this Earth without ever messing up. We are all flawed, we have all made mistakes and will continue to make them. It’s because of our imperfection that we need God. We don’t stop making mistakes the moment we put our faith in Him. How we handle these situations, ultimately will form who we are.

These mistakes are a key part of our journey with God and test our character or even our faith. A mentor once told me, “It is not about how you fall down, it’s about how you get back up.” Often times it is tempting to give up, but that is when we need to remember God’s forgiveness and love. He will never allow anything to stand between us. So when will fall down, what matters is how we get back up.

The hardest lesson I’ve had to learn was how to recover from my mistakes. It took a while to understand how to do this, until I looked to David as an example. The Bible says, “David is a man after God’s own heart” even though he still made mistakes. David is a great example of how to handle mistakes with humility. After every mistake we see him make, he recognizes them, calls them out and begs for forgiveness. We need to realize that what we have just done is not who we are nor does it define us. Once we take our mistakes to God, we can start to grow from that experience. We have already been forgiven by His love and grace. Learn from David and and the way he handled his mistakes.

Christian walk?

We need the Church for encouragement  we try to walk the Christian walk. Satan will try to use our bodies to discourage us from being a part of the Church, but we need to rely on God’s strength to do what we can to be a part of the Church.

However, we can’t just expect the Church to come to us. Yes, the Church does have a duty to minister to the sick, but we have to remember that we too are a part of the Church. We, too, have a duty to encourage others. We need to make phone calls, send emails, send cards, and visit others when we can. If you can never get out of the house, think about hosting a Bible Study. Do whatever you can to fellowship with and encourage other believers. This is one of your duties as a Christian.

I am guilty of pulling away for the Church when I am going through a rough time with my health, but I am also guilty of being angry at the Church for not meeting my needs when I am going through a rough time with my health. The truth is that I cannot pull away and expect the Church to come to me. I have to engage the Church in one way or another. I also have to be willing to communicate what my needs to the Church is. The Church cannot possibly know what my needs are if I am sitting at home feeling sorry for myself.

Christians with disabilities and/or chronic illness need the church, but they also need to be the Church. We need to be encouraging one another to be in relationship with God. We need to remind each other that God is our strength. When our bodies are weak, God is strong. This is the message that Christians with disabilities and/or chronic illness need to be proclaiming to the Church, and then we need to live out our message. Satan just loves it when we allow our bodies to keep us from serving God, thus we need to keep pressing on to be the Church. Day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute we need to rely on God’s strength to overcome the challenges of our bodies in order to serve God’s Kingdom. And, when our bodies our weak we need to lean on the Body of Christ to get the encouragement we need to keep pressing on..........Jason Wilson

Do you love me ?

Morningstar the most important question that Jesus Christ could ask anyone is, "Do you love Me?"  He is more concerned about the answer to that question than anything else.

      In Mark 12 Jesus answered a very simple question put to Him by a certain scribe who asked, "What is the greatest commandment?"  Jesus answered,  "Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.  And love your neighbor as you love yourself."

      What is the greatest commandment?  Love God.  What is the most important question that Jesus could ask of us?  Do you love Me?

      Because this is true, we need to examine ourselves to determine whether we truly love Jesus.  We Christians all say we love Jesus.  We talk about loving God.  We sing songs about loving God -- "Thy Loving Kindness Is Better Than Life," "I Love You Lord" and others.  We say we love God, but do we really love God?............

How do we keep our YOUTH AND ADULTS in our church?

Morningstar I have a question? ‘How do we keep our YOUTH AND ADULTS in our church?’ and to some my response is the question, ‘were they ever a part?’  The fact that we have removed them from the ‘church’ could be a huge factor in what is now happening.  Consider this, in the last decades there has been more age appropriate ministry then ever before in history.  In this decade we have less young adults in many denominations than ever, and the retention stats are depressingly low in some circles.

  We have removed an age out of the church for a period of time, given them close community, given them discipleship, let them ask the hard questions, loved them unconditionally, and made them aware that they need to live out their faith.  We involve them in ministry, send them on mission trips, teach them about the Bible, and spend an incredible amount of time investing into them personally.  We have taught them that this is what Church is all about.  Living it out.

The only problem is that the church model they have been taught about is not the church model that many are trying to get them to transition to.  In fact for most they don’t even understand how they can live out what they have learned in a ‘regular’ church setting. Is one right and one wrong?  Perhaps, but likely just different.  It is almost like we have churches in churches, and it is awkward and painful at times to go to a new church.  Even many of those leading these sub-churches don’t want to be part of the ‘regular’ church.  Go ask some youth and young adult pastors about this in secret. Even most of them don’t want to be there.  Sadly, if they don’t neither will those they lead.

Is there an easy solution?  Not at all.  I think it is a combination of a lot of things but there are some practical things we can do.  As an example, the next time your youth ministry is going to help at a youth fundraising event, why not get each youth to bring a parent or guardian.  We must move to some of the reasons at the core of this and realize parents must be involved (when possible) with the spiritual formation of their children.  Truly successful youth and church ministry must focus on the family and be inter-generational.  So instead of asking why did they leave, ask how do we stop excluding them.Morningstar tell me what you think?...Jason Wilson

What is God's purpose for our lives?

What is God's purpose for our lives?That is the million dollar question and one that I have asked most of my life as a Christian. I have found that the best answer to that question is to simply obey Him. However, this obedience means much more than we might think.  It isn't just doing what God says as far as don't do this and do that (rules and regulations, i.e., the law).  It deals with the path of life.  Prov 3:5-6 tells us that God would direct our path if we trust Him.  Psalm 1 tells us that God will prosper what we do if we meditate on Him.

You will probably never be able to say without a doubt that, "my purpose is _______."  We never know what the end will be and we never know completely what God is doing or where He is going and our part in all of it.  So the best we can ever do is to follow Him as He leads us through life.  Now that is true faith. Life is truly a journey.

However, there are some things that we know that He wants us to do, which are given in His word.  This is why a personal relationship with God is so important.  It's not about following the rules of a church or denomination.  It's not about doing what the pastor says or any religious leader.  It's about discovering your own path and walking that path as God leads you.  It's God who put the path before you to walk and it is up to you to discover that path.  Our pursuit in life should be to fulfill what God wants of us, which we can do through trust and obedience, which includes love.  Pursue God and you will fulfill your purpose.

First and foremost God's purpose is for us to please Him.  God wants to be pleased with us.  Revelation tells us that he created all things for his pleasure, which is according to His purpose.  So if we strive to walk the path that God has for us and be fulfilling to what he wants then we do well.

I suppose Jesus Christ said it best.  Jesus said, "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" .  Jesus also said to seek and we will find .So pursue God with all of your heart and you will not have to be concerned about what his purpose is for you because you'll be living it.

I Hope this helps.  Feel free to ask more questions, especailly on this and relating topics................ Jason Wilson

Man up!!!!!!

There are two main connections that men need to grow strong in character and in their faith; A connection to Jesus Christ and a connection to other men where they can be challenged and encouraged to live out what they learn; at home, with family, at church, at work, and in their journey with Christ. The natural tendency of men is to isolate themselves, especially when faced with crisis in their lives. A direct result of this is that they begin to lose sight of their God given mission in life and begin to give in to the stress, temptations and pressures of the world around them.

At Morningstar  we challenge and encourage men to become men of integrity, men of faith and to become the strong leaders that God has called them to be through connection to Christ and to other men.  R.E.A.L. MEN know that through Christ, they have what it takes to positively impact their families and the world around them!  R.E.A.L. MEN  empowers, trains, teaches, and challenges men to live out their Christian faith. Morningstar men come join us July 8, 8:oo A.m Guest speaker Darren Harrison

Prayer?

Morningstar we believe no mission vision can be fulfilled without spiritual power, Morningstar Church envisions developing a church-wide prayer ministry to undergrid and give support to every ministry, program, and activity initiated within the congregation or community.
because we believe that God cares for His people as well as hears and answers our prayers, we pray for His direction, oversight, assistance, and healing power for the needs within our church family.

Do you have, or know of, a prayer need that you would like the ministers and members of Morningstar Church to pray for? If you want someone to pray with you for that need, please let us know about it so that we can take the need to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His help and assistance....... Jason

Friend of Jesus?

Morningstar are you a friend of Jesus? Do you know what it means to have a friend in Jesus? Being without friends is lonely and frustrating but it is even worse when Jesus is not one’s friend. Jesus wants to be friends to all but only those who accept Him get to have Jesus as a friend.

Jesus is that friend you need at all times, in times of joy and peace or in times of sorrow and disappointments, etc. He is always there for His friends. You don’t need to go far to reach Him neither do you need to spend money calling Him. He is there with you even now.

Having a friend in Jesus is to have peace of mind in times of trouble. He comforts us and leads us in the path of peace and joy, Psalm 23:2. Have you ever needed a shoulder to cry on? Jesus as a friend forever provides His shoulder for us to cry on. Yes, you can go to Him and pour out your heart to Him. He truly understands and cares about us and all that concerns us.........Jason

Putting God first

Morningstar if Jesus is truly the Lord of our life, we will put aside all the things in which we previously found pleasure and satisfaction. Jesus becomes everything we need. We will discover life in Christ is what life is all about. As we immerse ourselves in His love and grace, and allow Him to envelop us in His all surpassing mercy and Holiness, we will find there is nothing else worth having.  Putting God first in our lives requires that our priorities become reoriented to Him. Our focus changes from our own selfish desires to the sacrificial mission of Jesus.

It’s time we stopped lying to ourselves about our priorities. If your life looks pretty much the same as the person next to you, you probably aren’t putting God first in your life. If possessions, money and social status are important to you, chances are God is not. What has our attention is what has us. We can’t proclaim God to be first in our lives and then go and live for ourselves. Putting God first means doing it constantly, not just when it is convenient or when we know someone is looking. What good is it to fool others and even ourselves when we know that God sees our heart? If we want to be true followers of Jesus, then God must be our number one priority. Is this the reality in your life? If not, confess it to Jesus and ask Him to help you walk in His ways. Putting God first is the only way to have life. Make Him your top priority today and begin to experience the life you were created to live.........Jason

Money are God?

Morningstar it’s clear that our checkbooks reveal far more about our hearts than our church attendance.  And even more importantly, our checkbooks can change our hearts.  Two bible stories confirm that money can change our hearts for better or worse.  Remember Zaccheus?  He was that the tiny tax collector, that Danny Devito look-a-like who gave half his possessions to the poor after deciding to follow Jesus, and his heart belonged to God forever.  Remember the rich young ruler?  He’s the young preppie who refused to give his treasures to the poor at the request of Jesus, and so far as we know he spent the rest of his life far from God.

Jesus spends so much time talking about money because money is the number one rival to God for our hearts—always has been, always will be.  The real issue in our lives is, “Who’s going to be God in our life—God or money?  That’s why Jesus says, No one can serve two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money. 

Speaking of God, our fixation with money can also reveal that we don’t trust God to come through for us when it counts 

And the truth about money is this: you don’t own a single penny. I don’t own a penny. Nobody on earth owns a penny. So whose money is it? It’s God’s money——every penny of it. Whatever money we have is ours to manage not to own. We must handle money God’s way and answer to him for the way we deal with his money.

Does that sound good to you? Do you like the thought of treating your money as not really yours but God’s? Maybe not. You might prefer to have God stay out of your finances. But like it or not, there’s really no such thing as your finances. There’s only God’s finances, which he allows you to handle for awhile. This might not appeal to you at first, but treating your money as God’s money turns out to be a privilege and a joy. It honors God and it blesses you enormously.......Jason

What kind of friend am I ?

Morningstar friends come and go with the passing of time. Some friends are lifelong; others are friends only for a season. Some friends will always hold a special place in our hearts even though their love for us may have changed or diminished. Each of us has experienced friendships that fall into at least one, or perhaps all, of these categories.

As we consider our relationships with others, we would do well to ask, “What kind of friend am I?” Am I a fair weather friend who will be there for someone else only when it is convenient for me, or am I a true friend who is sincerely interested in the well being of another individual, regardless of the time and effort it costs me to nurture the friendship? If we are honest, most of us would admit to being disappointed by friends at one time or another. At times, we ourselves have been guilty of the same offense.

Earthly friendships are complicated because human beings are complicated, imperfect creatures. Nonetheless, there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother, and his name is Jesus.

Jesus is faithful, kind, and loving. He sees us just as we are and loves us, warts and all. When I can’t call on anyone else, I know that I can call on him. I know that he will never, ever stop being my friend and that he will always be with me. His Word assures me of that. Jesus has loved me with an everlasting love that is not dependent on my employment, my financial status, my outer beauty, my sense of humor, or my availability to provide a service or favor. If my circumstances change, Jesus remains faithful, true, and constant. Never too busy for one of his own, he talks to me and is always glad to hear my voice.

What a friend we have in Jesus! Oh, that we would be more like him in our own friendships!

Prayer

Morningstar God desires that we establish a relationship with Him, He always speaks to us even though we don't know it, He has given us our conscience as a voice that tells us what is good and what is bad. He guides us with the Holy Spirit and He teaches us the way to go, He has sent His Son to redeem us and to establish the true way to Him.
Jesus founded His Church on the Apostles and we have learned about our faith through the teachings of the Church.
But faith starts within, as a flame that needs to be fuelled, it hungers for knowledge it hopes to come closer to its goal which is to be united to God. After all this is the plan of God, that we know Him, love Him and serve Him.
Through prayer we can cultivate our faith, we can come closer to God, we can receive the knowledge and wisdom to know Him more intimately and ultimately we can love Him by accepting His commandments and by loving one another.
Prayer then is an expression of our faith, since by the virtue of piety we are moved to seek God, to please Him and to trust Him in all our needs.
Prayer is an act of trust, because we don't see God and yet we come to Him, it is like negotiating with someone who will give us a very great deal. Everything that comes from God is good, so we have nothing to lose when we come respectfully in prayer before Him, but we have so much to win.
Every prayer is listened to, although some prayers are not answered the way we expect. Perhaps we are not praying in accordance with the will of God, perhaps we are unknowlingly giving instructions to God. Let us be very humble when we pray, so that our prayer does not become an insult.......Jason

 

Do you have it?

Morningstar having faith is more than just sitting around waiting on God to move a problem.  We have to make moves when we are burdened down with things.  This simply means that we have faith, but are not going to be lazy, but instead, trust in the Lord that He will lead us in the right direction.  The Bible states, "But do you want to know...that faith without works is dead?" - James 2:20.  Faith is realizing that God will lead you in the right direction.  You know you can't sit around waiting on the Lord, but you trust in Him to guide every aspect of your life.  Remember, sometimes we can only see a piece of the picture, but God sees the whole picture.

So, be confident and assured that the Lord Jesus knows what He is doing.  Put your life in His hands, and let Him lead you.  Keep your faith and don't lose heart; there will be the GREAT REWARD OF ETERNAL LIFE waiting for you.  Never lose hope in Jesus Christ, but realize His love and peace sustain all...........Jason

Do you have Faith?

Morningstar do you have faith in the electric utility company. Proof? Flip the light switch, and the lights come on. Your faith is confirmed. You have faith in the local water department. Proof? Turn on the shower knob, and the water sprays. Your faith is confirmed. You believe in your car. Proof? Turn on the key, and the the engine starts and gets you where you need to go. You don't even have to think about it much, except to be sure you have plenty of gasoline. You believe in television. Proof? Push the button on your remote control, and your faithful TV set displays your favorite channel. Everybody has faith&emdash;in something. Everything in life has an element of faith. Brother and sister, what do you really believe in? Where is your faith today? Can you honestly say that your faith will never fail? Do you "have faith in God?"

When folks get under distress, they often pray. They make special promises to God. They ask Him for special favors. Has He answered your prayers lately? Has He given the special favors you have asked for? No? Then is your light switch more reliable and faithful than your God? You say you "have faith in God." Then why does He not give you what you ask for? If faith is as easy as flipping a switch, thus causing the lights come on, as easy as turning the knob and the shower sprays, as easy as forking over some money for a sack of groceries, as easy as pushing a remote button for the TV, why does God fail to instantly respond when you ask for special favors? Could it be that you have not yet learned the practical answer to what is faith?

 

What is faith? Faith is in fact a way of life, good or bad, happy or sad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. Everybody has faith in something. And that faith is defined as whatever dictates your life, sun up to sun down, seven days a week, all year long. Faith is tied to a way of living. The way you live shows the things you have faith in. The way you order your time and life is a precise measure of your real faith. You have faith in your worldly lifestyle, but do you "have faith in God?"Morningstar read Mark11,23 and Heb,11.1........Jason

 

Obeying His word

Morningstar have u ever tried to take a grilled cheese sandwich apart? I dare you. Just try and separate the bread from the cheese after they have been grilled together. You end up with a grilled cheese messwich. That’s exactly what happens when you try and separate being a disciple of Jesus and obeying His word. According to Jesus Himself, there's no such thing as a disciple who doesn't study, know, and practice His word. To illustrate this, I ask guys to hold up their hand in front of them, as I do the same. Then I ask them to follow the motions of my hand with theirs. It's really pretty easy. Then I ask them to close their eyes and follow my hand. Impossible! You must be able to see Jesus in order to follow Him. To see Him today, we must get into the Word. Then we can adequately follow Him. Make it a daily habit to read the Scriptures. Morningstar  have you read his word today?

Blame God

If you got yourself into a relationship and that relationship turned bad – don’t blame God. People are free to make choices. God made us that way. It was 1) your choice to get into that relationship or situation and 2) the other person’s choice to get into that relationship or situation. Whatever went bad with that is on the two of you – not on God.

If you became a drug addict, alcoholic, or abuser of others – that was your choice. Stop blaming God for your mistakes and errors of life.
God is standing by waiting to heal you, love you, comfort you, lead and teach you. It is your fault if you continue to turn your back on God. Don’t blame God.
Whenever you die (or if Jesus comes back for us before that time), if you have not accepted and received that Jesus Christ is  the Son of God, came in the flesh, died on the cross to pay for all the sins of everyone, and now sits on the right hand of the Father in heaven – if you do not accept these facts and receive Jesus into your heart and life, don’t blame me and don’t blame God. I am free from being blamed because I have told you the truth. I just gave you the answer to your problems.
God sent me through this writing to tell you that His Son Jesus Christ is an option for you. You can escape eternal hell and torment. God is free from blame if you reject and refuse to receive salvation through Jesus Christ.

It is your choice! If you get left out of heaven and the peace, mercy, and love of God – don’t blame God. Choose now!!!!! Morningstar it's time  to wake up........Jason

Hurt people

Morningstar sometimes hurt people, who have had little or no love in their lives sometimes read the bible and see only the anger of God, or they see the self-depreciating language and then decide that it was God’s will that they were not loved and that somehow a God of love thinks it’s ok that they were disrespected in their lives.

I remember clearly when the truth fell “into” me and I suddenly understood that my parents were meant to love me – that was their role in my life. Because they didn’t fulfill their role properly DID NOT mean that God thinks it’s ok for me to go through life without love.

I cried, because I understood that so much of my self-awareness and awareness of God was flawed – I had discovered that He loves me and He wants the best for me… and that my past experiences were not what He had in mind for me. Nor for you!

Some people might think that we should love others and we should quietly disrespect ourselves. If we do this, what message would we send to the people around ourselves… that they should disrespect themselves? But I thought we were loving them and building them up?

How can we have love for them if we do not respect ourselves?............Jason

Love in action

Morningstar demonstrates Christ’s love in action.  People are tired of empty words…they are looking for something real!  They want to know they are loved and our church demonstrates this in many ways.  I love how we reach out to the community to those in need…meeting physical needs in order to reach them for Christ!  Jesus is our perfect example.  He wasn’t concerned about their socioeconomic status very big word ; whether they wore the right clothes or spoke the right way…He loved them and ministered to them right where they were at! Morningstar has demonstrated “love in action” to our family on many occasions but I will always remember the love poured over us when our house burned down.  The news was life-changing for all of us and our church family was right there, providing the emotional, physical and spiritual support we needed during that time.  In James, Chapter 2, James addresses “faith without works” and how our faith, without works, is dead.  In Matthew 7:20 it says “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”  I love my church for demonstrating “love in action” – through good works, ministering to one another as well as the lost, that they may see good fruit produced in us, for the glory of the Lord!.....Jason

Can you hear me now?

When a friend calls you, how do you know it isn't just a prank caller? How do you know it's not your mother, father, brother, teacher or neighbor? You know because you know your friend. By spending time with your friend, you know how they talk—you know the expressions they use, the tone of their voice and the changes in their pitch when they're happy or sad. That's the way it should be with God: You know him—his character, his nature, his interests, his pleasures and displeasure, his joys and hurts—so well that you recognize him and his involvement in your life. God is inviting you to know more than just his voice, though. He is inviting you to know him. It's an awesome opportunity. Morninstar do you know more than his voice?..........Jason

Sowing in tears

Morningstar  church must get back to not just sowing, but “sowing in tears.”  In this age we can easily be self-absorbed, but we must get back to the place where we are moved to tears over the lostness of people, the lostness of our friends and family not in Christ yet.  We must stop just being critical of people who are slaves to sin (Romans 8), and start sowing the love of Christ that will free them from the only thing an unsaved person can do.  We also need to sow in the midst of our own struggles, challenges, and yes, our own tears.  We can’t wait till our lives are perfect, our walk is flawless, and we feel wonderful.  God calls us to sow, even in pain, yes our own pain.  Galatians 6.7, declares that we will reap what we sow, and this verse promises sowing in joy.  So let’s get planting good seed, let’s grow Morningstar and, the Kingdom of God, and may our tears become the call to action, the call away from apathy, and the declaration that, “This is the year of the Lord’s favor.”  I am expecting. I am really expecting...............Jason

thankful

I am thankful for each of you and your commitment to prayer. Your prayers are a vitally important part of the work of the church. Please pray that all of God’s people will become involved in diligently seeking the Lord through prayer and fasting.

God has been showing me that prayer is essential to accomplish His work. Whether it is preaching or teaching or anything else that we do, our fruitfulness in large part is dependent on our praying. We are engaged in a spiritual battle. It can only be won in the spiritual realm..................Jason

Pride?

Morningstar admitting sin and acknowledging that in our own strength we can do nothing to inherit eternal life is a constant stumbling block for prideful people. We are not to boast about ourselves; if we want to boast, then we are to proclaim the glories of God. What we say about ourselves means nothing in God’s work. It is what God says about us that makes the difference (2 Corinthians 10:13).

Why is pride so sinful? Pride is giving ourselves the credit for something that God has accomplished. Pride is taking the glory that belongs to God alone and keeping it for ourselves. Pride is essentially self-worship. Anything we accomplish in this world would not have been possible were it not for God enabling and sustaining us. “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). That is why we give God the glory—He alone deserves it.How much pride do you have?

Thought for today

Morningstar it is easy to keep a record of sins. How many times have we found ourselves caught up in bitterness over someone’s repeated offences against us? How many times should we continue to forgive? Jesus addressed that very question when Peter asked Him how many times we should forgive someone. Peter in a magnanimous gesture suggests seven times, but Jesus said seven times seventy was more like it. The truth is God’s love is greater than we can imagine. David was trying to make that point in this passage. He was amazed at the fact that God was totally justified in keeping record of all our wrongs but chooses not to. Instead, what does God do? He offers forgiveness. Forgiveness is a powerful healer. Is there something weighing heavy on your heart? Is there a secret sin or something from the past you need to repent of? Today, bring it to God. The God who does not keep a ledger of your wrongdoings but instead offers complete forgiveness.
Today prayer Father, thank You for not keeping a record of my wrongs. Instead, I bring my sins to You and ask You to forgive me and set me free. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

Stumbling blocks?

Morningstar I  knows that money is one of man's most significant stumbling blocks. Greed and fear force us to hold tightly to our money. Many people worship money and will do whatever it takes to get it and keep it. When we are able to freely and joyfully give our money to God, we achieve a freedom like no other. Our obedience in financial stewardship reveals a maturity of character that God treasures. When we honor Him with our financial obedience, He blesses us.  for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts." (Malachi 3:12) (For understanding, read Malachi 3-10-18)

Obedience opens up opportunities for God to bless us. Just as a responsible parent would not reward a disobedient child, God cannot reward us when we do not obey Him. If you are struggling financially, it could be a result of financial disobedience. This is not the only reason we experience financial difficulty, certainly, but it can be one reason.

God also asks for our faith and trust. When we willingly surrender a tenth of our income, especially when we believe we can't afford to, we're telling God, "I believe You will take care of me and provide for me." God wants for us to be able to look beyond our circumstances and rely on Him for our needs. "Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?" (Luke 12:24)What is your stumbling block?...........Jason

We have A dream

We have A dream of creating a safe shelter for those who are lonely, hurting, confused, hopeless, helpless, and lost; that they may experience the same love, acceptance, hope, comfort, encouragement, forgiveness, and fellowship that Jesus demonstrated toward those with whom He came in contact.

 

We have A dream of welcoming lots of new believers into our family each year, where we laugh, love, cry, and grow together in harmony.  We want to grow them to become mature in Christ and to minister for Christ, as well as serve in missions. 

 

We have A dream to do whatever it takes to reach the lost and unchurched with the unchanging and timeless message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, utilizing any and every method while honoring God.

 

We have A dream of starting new “church planting churches” and congregations as fruits of a healthy and growing church both in the states and around the world.  We desire to surround the Effingham County area with new churches who will operate under the same vision in order to take back a city and county for Christ.

 

We have A dream of equipping every member for their significant ministry to which God has called them by helping them realize and develop their spiritual gifts, talents, skills, and abilities.  We desire to have every member actively involved in ministry.

 

We have A dream of developing multitudes of believers to spiritual maturity through discipleship classes, small group Bible studies, relationships that that build up, and a great fellowship where the love of Christ is alive and vibrant.

 

We have A dream of building a church with beautiful, yet simple facilities including a worship center seating 500, a prayer center, classrooms for Bible studies and training lay ministers, and resource center containing food, clothing, Life center ,and community support ministries.  All of this will be designed to minister to the whole person; spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically.  Each facility will be equipped with state of the art lighting, sound, and innovative technology.Morningstar do you have a dream?

Guilty of all

Morningstar I have a question for you? How many people does a person have to kill to be considered a murderer? Obviously, JUST ONE! So likewise, how many lies does a person have to tell to be a liar? Again, JUST ONE!Revelation 21:8 tells us that ALL LIARS will have their part in the SECOND DEATH (THE LAKE OF FIRE). James 2:10 affirms this, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in ONE POINT, he is GUILTY OF ALL.” Once Adam and Eve had committed sin, they were bound for an earthly grave as well as an eternal grave in hell forever. Hell is the destiny of all those who are spiritually dead when they die. If you die in your sins, it is too late. It is also worthy to mention that Adam and Eve only committed ONE SIN; thus, disobeying God. What was their horrible sin? Eating some fruit! It is common for people today to diminish the wickedness of sin. We must NOT make the sin of deciding how sinful sin is—ALL sin is wicked and wrong because ALL sin is rebellion against God. Also, Adam and Eve were not degenerate people before they sinned, they were perfect and upright. This teaches us that NO ONE is above sin. We ALL have the potential to sin, no matter how close we walk with God. The old sin nature CANNOT be tamed! I said all this not to scare you but TOO MAKE YOU THINK ......In Love Jason

Hell

Morningstar lets talk about HELL  he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS (Matthew 25:41). God never intended for one single person to end up in Hell. It is NOT God’s will that anyone should perish in their sins and go to Hell... “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, but that ALL should come to REPENTANCE” (2nd Peter 3:9). It is NOT God’s fault if men and women are stubborn and unwilling to REPENT of their unbelief. Hell was NOT created for human beings but rather for Satan and his horde of demons. We are ALL without excuse for the wrong decisions we make in life—we CANNOT blame God. Perhaps other humans influenced us to make some wrong decisions but that’s not God’s fault. I often tell people, “Don’t give up on God because men fail you.” Let Job be our example, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). What a statement that is !!!!!!!! Morningstar we have friends and family memebers  that is going to Hell. But God has a another place  for them can you help?

Home group!!!!!!!

The heart and soul of Morningstar Church is our Sunday Morning and our home group. This is where you really get to know Morningstar  and the people that make up the church. It is a time to build lasting, God-centered relationships as you fellowship and study God’s Word together. Bible Study is a great opportunity to grow in your faith as we serve together and reach out to those around us.

We offer a relevant, life changing Bible Study in all of our classes as we send people out to their mission field to serve the Lord each and every day. God’s Word is a living, breathing document that is applicable to our everyday lives and should bring changes in the way we live.

We encourage people to visit several different classes to find the best fit for them. Make a plan this week to be a part of a home group  where you can study God's Word.

You are never satisfied

Morningstar so why does a  baby never ceases to whimper and cry for things. He's hungry, so you feed him. Then he's tired, so you give him a nap. He then wakes up with a wet diaper. You change the diaper, then he wants to play. You refuse to play, so he cries. Then he's hot. Then he's cold. Then he bumps his head. A baby is just never satisfied.

Many of God's people are like this. They whimper about everything. The preacher preaches too long. He didn't shake your hand today. He didn't smile at you. Sally's dress is nicer than your dress. George's wife is prettier than your wife. Doesn't  Fred know that he's sitting in your chair? By the way, who authorized that new wall paper? No one consulted your opinion.

Our churches are just filled with this kind of never-ending nagging and murmuring. While the mature Christians are praying, studying, working or winning souls, the murmuring little babies are being used of Satan to hinder and frustrate the real work of the ministry.

The Bible says in Numbers 11:1, "And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD . . ." God is DISPLEASED with your constant murmuring, and He will judge you for it if it doesn't stop. You, as a born-again child of God, are expected to be CONTENT, THANKFUL and REJOICING in the Lord (Philip. 4:4; 4:11; I Thes. 5:18). Anything less is SIN.

Morningstar with Faith

Morningstar with Faith comes trusting in what Jesus has done for you rather than trusting your own efforts to restore fellowship with God. Faith is complete reliance on Christ to put you in right relationship with God, allowing Him to live His life through you. Faith also involves repentance or genuine sorrow for sin and willingness to turn away from sin.

Through prayer you can trust in Jesus Christ. Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his ways and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. (Isaiah 55:6-7) Admit to God that you are a sinner. Express sorrow or repentance for your sinfulness. Ask Him to forgive your sins. Invite Jesus into your life as Savior and Lord. Thank Him for entering your life. Commit yourself to live for Him.

Accepting Christ is the beginning. After accepting Him, be obedient by following Christ in baptism and by uniting with a church. When you do, you will find that your life truly does have purpose and meaning. Talk with another Christian about your decision for Christ.

I need to let go.

When you struggle with things in life you are often told to "Hold on."

Sometimes it just isn't possible. Sometimes it's just wrong.

Sometimes we need to let go.

I can't hold on any more. I need desperately to let go. I need to distance myself from things in the present and in particular things of the past.

That's probably the worst part, the toughest part. Letting go of things of the present is easier. They are happening now. You can influence, control the outcome. You can wake up today and say, "I'm going to stop smoking!" and actually begin.

You can stand in front of a mirror and see things that can be changed today. Your weight, the way you dress, your hairstyle and your attitude.

But letting go of the past...that's a challenge.

I carry with me way too many things of the past. I flash back in seconds to a memory I apparently can't let go of. At the same time it's a memory I can't do a thing about. It's done. It's over. I can't change it.

I need to let go.

Perhaps you find yourself spending time thinking about the way things were. Maybe you are longing for the "good old days."

You're holding onto pleasant memories, moments that made you who you are today. That's fine. It's a part of the fabric of you.

Maybe you are holding on to things of the past that are not so pleasant. Things you did, said, had done to you and it is stealing away the precious time you have now. You are holding onto destructive things that you should let go of.

You are not just holding on, you are holding yourself back.

Letting go of the rope would free your hands making them available to embrace someone, something more important. The fall won't kill you. It will heal you.

Take time today to make a list. Using a single sheet of paper draw a line straight down the middle. On top write "Hold onto" over one column and "Let go of" on top of the other column.

Then begin writing down all the things of your life that need to be dealt with. Use a pencil. Ink is too permanent. Life is written in pencil so that we can change our plans, rid ourselves of things we need not be concerned with.

Look at that list and make changes to it. Re-examine the list everyday until you feel comfortable with your choices.

Things of the past should all be on the side marked "Let go of."

Things of the present should be held onto unless they are out of your control and you have no influence over them. If you cannot change or influence it, then it is simply not worth worrying about. Let go.

Post this list somewhere that you will see it daily and as you go along add to, take away things as you see fit.

The only real thing you should hold onto is your faith and the love you give and the love you get.

"1 Thessalonians 5:21 "Test everything. Hold on to the good."

Let go. Why do you cling to pain? There is nothing you can do about the wrongs of yesterday. It is not yours to judge. Why hold on to the very thing which keeps you from hope and love?"
I'm letting go! How about you?

Gospel

God has made us stewards of the Gospel.  We have been given three components of being good stewards of the Gospel.  We are to receive the Gospel. This includes experiencing the Gospel firsthand as an act of faith in God.

            We are to share the Gospel. God expects us to bring God’s message into the world that all who believe in God will have eternal life.  Remember Jesus’ last words at the end of the Gospel according to Mathew? Paraphrased, it is simply to go, teach, make disciples, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. 

            The third component is to reflect the Gospel. When others see us, they should see Christ in us.  We demonstrate by our daily living the acceptance of our Christian responsibilities.

            We are stewards of property.  Everything we’ve had, we have, and shall have comes from God as gifts.  In appreciation, we choose to share a portion of these gifts.  Giving money to the church and the offering of ourselves in service and devotion to God are symbolic acts.  Giving is a practical matter because the offerings make it possible for the church to pay its bills and carry out its mission in Christ’s name. 

Love?

"Love, Love, Love! All the world needs is love." So goes the familiar line. But in today's society, the meaning of the word love has become so distorted that the Christian meaning has been diminished. Some view love as a feeling, but it is more than that. It is a decision followed by action. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." and "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34, 35).

Someone once said the difference between sympathy and compassion is that the one who sympathizes, sees and feels, but does nothing. The one who has compassion, sees, feels and then does something about the need. The word sympathy is used very few times in the Bible, but the word compassion and its forms are used extensively. Jesus always had compassion on the crowd and the people He came in contact with. He did something about their needs. And so we as His followers, must bear also bear our cross and follow Him. Be like Jesus!

The word "love" is used so extensively in the Bible that this compilation would be very lengthy. Therefore, the compilation has been reduced by eliminating some verses containing forms of the word "love" from the Old Testament. Otherwise, the compilation is complete. You may wish to observe how love for God and obedience to His commands go hand in hand as you study

Revenge?

Morningstar we have all been hurt, and at one point we have all wanted to get revenge. It might have been a friend who stabbed you in the back, or it might have been an .ex boyfriend or ex girlfriend who cheated on you .We all can identify with it. When we are wronged, often our first reaction is to get even. It's a natural desire to want someone to hurt like they made you hurt.

In our fallen world, it is often deemed acceptable by some to tear people down verbally or to get back at them if we feel hurt. We feel as though the revenge is justified. It makes most of us feel devilishly good inside to see someone suffer like they made us. Like they say, Revenge is sweet...Or is it? The reality is that by taking revenge in our own hands it makes you hold onto the pain and ends up hurting you more...the desire is doing you no good. A grudge destroys you with hatred and bitterness and revenge only escalates hostilities.

There have been times in my life where I was severely wronged by people I loved. For a long time, I suffered because of the things they did. I became extremely angry, hateful, and bitter, and it killed me inside, leading me to seek revenge. I sought out revenge thinking it would help heal my wounds and through those times of vengeance, I learned that getting even is actually self-destructive.

Instead of planning vengeance, pray for those who hurt you. Rise above getting back at those who hurt you. By loving and praying for our enemies, we can overcome evil with good. According to Jesus, it is more important to give justice and mercy than to receive it.

Your best approach would be one of godly behavior: You should show others the kind self-giving love that Christ shows. By being exemplary Christians and showing a changed life, others may join you and become Christians too. A changed life speaks loudly and clearly, and it is often the most effective way to influence. Others may be won over by your love

Are you alone?

Maybe you are feeling lost, like no one cares about you. Perhaps you need a friend. 

Do you know that God loves you so much that He sent His only son to die for you, so that He could have a closer relationship with you? It is hoped that something on this page will encourage you and let you know that you are loved! You are so important! You were thought so highly of Jesus died and shed His blood for you, so that you might have eternal life in Heaven!

Friend, you are most definitely not alone! We are all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus! We here at Morningstar  do not care what you have done, or where you have been. We want to introduce you to Our Savior! Please reach out to use and let us know how we can help you. Someone will call you back as soon as possible, or if you prefer, they will contact you by e-mail. Please do not be embarrassed, or feel ashamed. We all came to Christ on our knees, or at least we have at some time or another in our Christian walk!

  We promise we will reach out to you as you have reached out to us! You do not have to be alone! We love you, and God loves you!

FORGIVE OTHERS

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR US TO FORGIVE OTHERS? BEFORE

ANSWERING THAT QUESTION, I BELIEVE THERE IS A QUESTION THAT

WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES. DO WE WANT GOD TO FORGIVE US

WHEN WE SIN AGAINST HIM? IN MATTHEW 6:14, JESUS SAID THAT IF

WE REFUSE TO FORGIVE OTHERS, GOD WILL REFUSE TO FORGIVE US.

THE POINT IS, WHEN WE REFUSE TO FORGIVE OTHERS WE ARE

DENYING OUR COMMON GROUND AS SINNERS IN NEED OF GOD’S

FORGIVENESS. GOD’S FORGIVENESS OF SIN IS NOT THE DIRECT

RESULT OF OUR FORGIVING OTHERS, BUT IT IS BASED ON OUR

REALIZING WHAT FORGIVENESS MEANS. IT IS EASY TO ASK GOD FOR

FORGIVENESS, BUT DIFFICULT TO GRANT IT TO OTHERS. WHENEVER

WE ASK GOD TO FORGIVE US FOR OUR SIN, WE SHOULD ASK

OURSELVES, “HAVE I FORGIVEN THE PERSON WHO HAS WRONGED

ME?” GOD GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTS US EVEN THOUGH WE DON’T

DESERVE IT. BECAUSE GOD FORGIVES US EVEN WHEN WE HAVE

IGNORED OR REJECTED HIM, WE SHOULD GRACIOUSLY FORGIVE

OTHERS.

What is success

What is success ? Most people define success in terms of  achieving  goals, acquiring wealth, and having prestige, favor, status, and  power.  "Successful" people enjoy the "good life" - being financially  secure,  emotionally secure, being surrounded by admirers, and enjoying  the  fruits of their labor. Their example is emulated and their  accomplishments are noticed. Most people's definitions of success only  deal with the "here and now" of this life. Even in many churches today  the definition of success is in terms of numbers, size, dollars and  prestige.                     

But success is measured and defined differently by God. God's measure of success involves our obedience and faithfulness to Him, regardless of opposition and personal cost. His measure of success is whether or not we are being loyal to Him in our personal relationship with Him and in our life, and whether we are accomplishing His goals & purposes for our life

A Prediction

'God's Word will still be true in 2012.  God means what He says, He says what He means, and what He says is so.  The words of politicians, entertainers, leaders, presidents, CEO's, kings, editors, and  writers, will come up short at times.  Promises will be forgotten, treaties will be disregarded, covenants will be broken, truth will be spun, and lies will be spoken. Therefore, I predict that people who are  sincerely seeking the Truth, looking for time-tested solutions, and desiring to live lives that work, will turn to the Bible as the one sure Guide in an unsure world."

Why should I follow Jesus?

Does your life have a real meaning or purpose? Are you enjoying freedom and fulfilment? Are you confident that the good that you do now will last forever?
Or do you feel that everything you do is a waste of time? Do you feel trapped by the daily grind? Do you sometimes despair that all your efforts will be lost, when you die if not before?
God designed men and women to live lives of purpose and fulfilment. His intention has always been for us to live as his friends and to look after the earth he made and put us on.
However, we human beings turned away from God and started to run our lives as we saw fit, ignoring his instructions and warnings. Not surprisingly, lots of things went wrong. Just look at the state of the world today to see the effects of this. Nothing we do seems to work out as we hope. One result is that men and women die, missing out on God’s intention for them of living forever with him.
But God loves each one of us, the people he made, too much to leave things in this mess. He wants to bring each of us back to the fulfilled life that he always intended.

Forgiveness

A boy who was dumped by his girlfriend says, "She really hurt my feelings. How can I ever forgive her for what she did to me?"
A boy whose father sexually abused him for years asks, "Why should I forgive him for that?"
The drug dealer who wants to turn his life around wonders, "Will God really forgive me for all I have done?" How do we forgive others who have wronged us? How do we accept God's forgiveness?
God hates sin; He cannot stand to look at its ugliness. Therefore, unconfessed sin in our lives comes between us and damages our relationship with the Lord.

"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, or his ear too dull to hear, but your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that He will not hear." (Isaiah ;59.1-2)

Not only does unforgiveness come between us and God, it also breaks our relationships with others.

"He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends." (Proverbs 17,9)

Believe in Prayer

As everyone knows, I twisted my ankle this past Friday while I was out working in the yard.  I woke up Sunday morning and couldn't hardly move my leg.  It was very swollen and I couldn't put any pressure on my leg.  While I was at church Sunday morning I went to the prayer room as I do every Sunday.  Zakie felt lead to place hands on me to pray for healing.  Sunday afternoon I started the soul winning class; we had a great turnout.  We listened to one another's testimonies and it was such a blessing.  When I was praying in class I got a warm sensation all through my body.  When I arrived home I took my brace off and all my swelling and the brusing has went away.  I got up and now I can stomp my feet with no pain as if I have never been hurt.  I am saying all of this because prayer works.  It may not be on our time but it is definitely in his time.  I am saying outloud that Jesus healed me.  So let's celebrate that Jesus is still Lord of Lords.  Let's not ever forgot that Jesus is still in the healing business. 

Do you really believe?

Do we really believe He is worth abandoning everything for? Do you and I really believe that Jesus is so good, so satisfying and so rewarding that we will leave all we have and all we own and all we are in order to find our fullness in Him? Do you and I believe Him enough to obey Him and to follow Him wherever He leads?


With the best of intentions, we have turned away from Jesus. We have blindly and unknowingly embraced values and ideas that are common in our culture but are to the gospel He taught. [We] need to revisit the words of Jesus, . We need to return with urgency to a biblical gospel, because the cost of not doing so is great for our lives, our families, our churches and the world around us.

You and I can choose to continue with business as usual in the Christian life and in the church as a whole, enjoying success based on the standards defined by the culture around us. Or we can take an honest look at the Jesus of the Bible and dare to ask what the consequences might be if we really believed Him and really obeyed Him.



Not A Fan

This book makes you think. It makes you look at things with a different perspective. We as Christan are consumed by television, Facebook, internet, cell phones, sports, hobbies, etc. We are ultimately fans/followers of a lot of worldly things. However, are we followers or fans of anything? Or are we followers and fans of a lot of things? How much time, effort, glory, attention - do we give God? Do we really have a relationship with God or just know of him? Do we really realize how great God is? Who he is? What he has done? What he still continues to do daily? I enjoyed this book. . This book makes you stop and think about your relationship with God.

Hear the voice

Someone cuts you off on your drive to work. Do you pray for their safe arrival? Or do you have thoughts of anger creep in. Even if we don t act upon those thoughts they are still sin. Checking out at the grocery store the lady behind us is sucking her teeth because she thinks we have to many coupons. Do you pray for her that the rest of her day would be blessed? Or do you have thoughts of things you would like to say to her? Even if you don t say them, it is still a sin. The point being if we allow such a ruckus to enter into our mind, why would we think that we would be able to hear the voice of the Lord over the noise?

Tell Me A Story

“I think that faith should always have a story with it. When you talk about your relationship with Jesus don't just say that you love Jesus but tell me a story, don't just say that you have faith, tell me a story of following Christ.”
Remember falling in love with someone and doing all kinds of crazy things for that person? How can Christians not have similar stories about loving Jesus, .
“If you ask me if I love my wife, I say yes I love her and I could tell you three or four stories of things that I have done and sacrifices I have made because I love her and they would be easy to remember. But if you asked an average person, if you love Jesus, they say yes, then the question is, what stories can you tell me?”
Storytelling is not only a great way to check if Christians are fans or followers but it is also a way to communicate many things about God’s love.

Home Group

 This is my desire for anyone who comes to Morningstar. That the corporate setting we call church would extend beyond the four walls of a sanctuary, and extend out to homes within our respective communities in which we live. In other words: We want to take Jesus home with us, and share that with others on a smaller and more personal scale.

At this point you may be saying to yourself, “Ok, I see the point you’re making, and I even see the need for it; if I go to a Home Group, what can I expect?” One word. Discipleship. Jesus commanded us to, “Go and make disciples.” How does that happen? It’s through the building of Christ centered relationships in which we can come together, pray together, eat together, share life together, and open the Word of God together and grow in Christ. And that’s exactly what we do in Home Groups. We come together at someone’s home in the community. We have a meal together. We pray together. We open up God’s Word together. We deal with sin together. Exercise forgiveness together, and the result is worship which is simply responding to God for who He is and what He’s done in ways that exalt and honor Him. The outcome is a faith that is built from the hearing of God’s Word, and as God’s people seek to be renewed by the washing of the water of the Word of God and prayer, we ultimately begin to reflect the love of Christ to our communities at large. We hope you’ll join us. There’s always a place for you!

Holy Spirit

A few days before I began a fairly random thought invaded my mind. What would my life be like without the  Holy Spirit? As I followed the progression of this thought, here is what happened. I began to wonder how entering the  Year would be impacted by this reality – no Holy Spirit.
I would be operating totally on my own resources.
I would have no assurance of my salvation. I would have no Presence of Christ living inside of me. His Spirit would not be indwelling me. I would have no internal conviction of sin. I would have to transform myself into the image of Christ.
I could not understand the scriptures. I would have no guide. I would not know truth. I would have no internal comforter, nor intercessor, nor counselor. I would be totally on my own.  My own efforts would be all I had. Nothing else.
 I would have no power, no internal equipment nor effectiveness in telling someone else about  Christ. I would be on my own to convict the person of their need for God.
There might even be no written revelation of God. The Spirit inspired the writers of Scripture. I’d have to figure out on my own the origin of life; what to do with my sin; on and on my thoughts continued.
Basically it would be like living without life support - bankrupt

Then, abruptly, as if waking from bad dream or in this case a nightmare , I began to focus on the reality of all God provides for me, for you, in fulfilling the promise Jesus made to send His Spirit. My immediate response was overwhelming gratefulness. I wanted to slip out of my chair and fall on my knees to worship this profound Provider of exactly what He knew I would need. In the hour of His deepest need He prays for me and for you that the Father would take care of us – John 17

Believer

When you become a believer, God implants a desire in your heart to please God. God gives you a desire to fulfill the purpose you were created to fulfill. The desire of an unbeliever is to please himself first and foremost, but the desire of a believer is to please God first and foremost. If you’re living life with a me-first please myself mentality, you’re headed down a dead-end street, you’ll never fulfill the potential God created you with. But that can change this morning and you can become a God pleaser, you can become someone who serves God

God Loves

It doesn’t make any difference how far you tried to run from God. He loves you. His eye is on you. He sees you. God loves you, and the Bible says that God sent His Son from heaven to this earth for you. Jesus Christ came to this earth to take your sins upon a cross. God has a plan for your life.

Soul Winning Class

God gave us a commission to go and preach the gospel to every creature. This is not the great suggestion, it's the great commission! Everyone has a mandate from heaven to win the lost. This should not be left up to Pastors only; everyone should be a soul winner! In these 6 weeks, you can learn what God's Word has to say about winning the lost and see how simple and important it really is..March.4th at 6.00 PM at the church with Jason Wilson

Serve

Serve

In the Church

At Morningstar, there is always somewhere for you to serve. From greeting guests during Sunday services , from teaching Kids ,  we do have one senior adult Bro.Grady we will let God teach  him because he is a mess  , from the  worship team, we have just the right place for you! Find your “sweet spot” here and join in.

In the Community

Morningstar is more than just a building. The church is on a mission to step outside the walls of our facility and into the lives of those living in our neighborhoods. There are countless ways you can get involved to serve and “love Morningstar.”

Around the World

God has called us to make disciples   and to be His witnesses at Morningstar and, the United States, and the ends of the earth. People all across the globe desperately need to hear about the love of Jesus. Sign up today to enlist on a short-term mission trip of your choosing.

Devil attempt

God has secured the victory through Jesus Christ, but the devil still has permission to attempt to wage war against God and His people so that people can make a free will choice as to whom they will follow. God does this because He desires that none should perish but that all will have an opportunity to choose Him.

This is a no nonsense church with excellent and original information, based on the “Bible”, as well as formal training; there is no "crazy" stuff here on these topics - it is sound and solid

If you are -hungry for truth and straight talk Morningstar Church is for you.

I believe you should know just who, and where, this information is coming from so you can read  the WORD of GOD we at Morningstar  call it the Bible

Committed to God

Many men desire to do great things for God but neglect to abide in growing relationship with Him.  God is more concerned with our “becoming” than our activities for Him..  Morningstar Community Men is committed to God as they lead men and boys to develop a deeper relationship with Christ and to join God in His mission.  The best way to deepen your relationship with God is by spending time alone with Him and reading His Word – the Bible.

Christian men

To make a Christian men's ministry useful nowadays it takes a simple step, follow God's Word. Even with the different troubles and hardships these days, God's Word remains true. A christian with good faith, practices it every day, and regularly demonstrates those qualities to all people around him, is really a real leader. He lives in accordance with Christian beliefs, makes his religious beliefs the cornerstone of their home, and is also frequently prepared to talk about these beliefs throughout his particular community.

A Vision

What would it be like if we could “encourage each other and build each other up?” What if we had a Christ-like lens and vision for our friends, our spouses, and our children? Instead of condemning each other, what if we called each other out and commissioned our family and friends to live the life and leave the legacy for which we each were created? What if we truly believed in God’s good plan for each other? What if we acted on our belief that our family and friends are essential to the cause of Christ – would we fight for them? And what if we were the vehicle God used to speak the words of love, belief, and challenge into our friends and family?

Establishment

The new man in Jesus Christ needs to be established in his faith. Establishment is the process of building the disciple into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and other Christian men.
Almost the first half of Jesus' public ministry was spent developing relationships with men who would ultimately become the leaders of the church. His goal was for men to become rooted, established, and built up in the faith. He desired for these men to have a solid knowledge of Himself and to know what it was to obey Him, trust Him, and follow Him for the rest of their lives.
Establishment is the key to both our personal faith journeys and our efforts to develop fully functioning men’s ministries Ask yourself the following questions:

• Am I growing in my relationship to Jesus or have I hit a plateau?
• What part of our ministry is intentionally discipling new believers?

A.K.A

FLUFFY