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It Will Change Your Life

That verbiage gets old sometimes, doesn’t it? Eat this, drink that, do this and “it will change your life.” But this really is an opportunity to change your life. And you’re invited to come.

On March 15-25, 2015, we will visit the Holy Land, taking in many Biblical sites and getting the revelation of the word of God inside of us. You will see where Jesus walked. You will explore the land he called home. You will feel the Bible come to life. You will come home a different person.

As I mentioned before, this tour will not include Gaza where the current unrest has been taking place, so we will not come into harm’s way.

We still have openings available, so register today. This 10-day trip comes at a phenomenal price that beats most any other tours out there right now, so don’t delay in registering.

Come and experience the Holy Land like you never have before and even if you have gone before. Trust me when I say this trip will change your life.

Click here for more information.

Prayers for Israel

Israel has been on my mind and heart a lot lately, as I’m sure it has yours, as well. If you listen to or watch the news at all, you have probably heard of the most recent episodes of unrest in the Holy Land. As I hear the reports of what is happening there, my heart aches for those living in the Promised Land.

Prayers for Israel

As I said before, I’ve had the privilege to travel to many places throughout my lifetime, but few have impacted me as much as Israel. I am still looking forward to next year’s Israel Tour in March, to once again walk where Jesus walked and see the landscape that he called home. Rest assured, this tour will not include Gaza where the unrest takes place and it will not take us into harm’s way. Israel is a land like no other. Walking there is like walking through the pages of the Bible in living color.

So, what do we do with all that is happening there now? First, we must remember that in Genesis 12, the Lord said to Abraham:

“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”

Secondly, pray. When we are half-a-world away, it’s easy to feel helpless. It’s easy to turn off the TV, close the newspaper or change the radio station. It’s easy for us to go about our days and forget. But, they need our support. And the one form of support that each of us can offer is our prayers.

So, please take a moment right now to pray for Israel, the land that Jesus called home. And, pray about joining us in March 2015 to see and experience this Holy Land for yourself.

(Photo credit: ©iStockphoto.com/yanstav.)

Word of Life: Returning to Sweden

This weekend, I am heading to Uppsala, Sweden, to be part of Word of Life’s Europe Conference where I have had the honor of speaking for nearly two decades. I am excited to be headed back to see old friends, and hear what the Lord is doing. I have been speaking at the conference every year since Dr. Sumrall’s passing in 1996. The Lord always gives me a word to help with their Livets Ord Bible College in Uppsala.

I will be speaking on Tuesday, July 29. The conference is streamed online, so I hope you will tune in at this link: https://livetsordplay.se/en/

For the full schedule of events, visit this link: https://europakonferensen.livetsord.se/schedule/?lang=en

I am looking forward to being back in Sweden in just a few short days and I hope you will find a few moments to enjoy the ministry that comes from around the world. Trust me when I say it will be a blessing to you.

The Apex

What an amazing three days we spent in fellowship and worship during Summit 2014. As Pastor Diane said, “Again the Lord led us to the apex of the mountain, that highest level of meeting with Him in worship and the word.”

We had a packed house as Jesse Duplantis and Jess Gibson shared their wisdom with us. We celebrated in song with Paul Wilbur as he also spoke about receiving revelation from the Lord. We discovered that “passion makes a difference and causes us to come fully alive with the realization of vision and purpose,” as Jess said. “Passion moves us from where we are to where God wants us to be. And He uses ordinary people who choose to be uncommon, because of their commitment to Christ!”

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While the adults heard of wisdom and learned of understanding, knowledge and revelation, the children engaged in age-appropriate ministry, surrounded by caring adults who taught them about five values from the parables of Jesus.

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This was an incredible weekend for all. Thank you to everyone who attended. It was great seeing Provident Network members from across the country. What a special opportunity to spend time in worship with you.

Worship

As I continue to reflect back on this apex moment we shared, I can’t help but look forward to our Israel trip next March. Just as each Summit changes me and deepens my understanding of God, Israel has a way of helping us understand Christ in an even more real and tangible way. I hope you’ll join us in 2015.

In the meantime, remember what Jess said, “People will follow you into the kingdom of God when they see fire and an authentic life lived with God.” So let us be on fire and live with authenticity, so that others may reach the kingdom.

Summit, Courage and Jesse Duplantis

The Summit is just a few days away and I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to it. The weekend is going to be an amazing time to learn together, grow together and worship our Creator.

We have some exciting things planned for our time together and one thing I know I’m looking forward to is getting to hear from Jesse Duplantis as he shares a bit of his wisdom and insight with us. Jesse is a dynamic evangelist who has spent the last few decades preaching the Gospel and traveling throughout the world.

In preparation for the Summit, I wanted to share this video clip with you where Jesse talks about courage. “Courage makes you stand up and say, ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,’” Jesse said. “God understands the things you have to walk through in this life; think about that. And, he said, ‘I will give you courage and where you go, where you walk, I will walk.’” Take a look at this video, be encouraged and find courage that only God can provide.

Plan to join us at the Summit this Friday through Sunday. The whole family is invited to this free event. This is our gift to you, so join with us for a weekend of growing in your faith and understanding of God through inspiring teaching, laughter and worship. Click here for more details.

Israel Bound

I’ve had the privilege to travel to many places throughout my lifetime, but few have impacted me as much as Israel. The chance to walk where Jesus walked, to see the landscape that He called home, to visit the sites that we read about in the Bible is a holy experience like none other. And you’re invited to see it for yourself.

israeltour1We’ve just announced that we will be hosting a trip to Israel March 16-25, 2015. That may seem a ways off, but trust me, it will be here much sooner than you think. During our time there, we will sit on the hillside of the Mount of Beatitudes, visit the Apostle Peter’s house in Capernaum, take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, be baptized in the Jordan River, worship in the Garden of Gethsemane, see the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the cripple, walk the Via Dolorosa and rejoice at the Garden Tomb. These are just a handful of the amazing spiritual experiences that await you in Israel.

If you haven’t had a chance to visit the Holy Land yet, let this be your opportunity. Or, if you have visited it before, perhaps it’s time to return. For a complete list of details and information, click here. We hope you will join us. You won’t regret it.

Summit: A Gift to the Entire Family

“Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance….” Proverbs 1:5 (NIV)

One of my favorite times of the year is rapidly approaching. Each year, we have a weekend where we invite everyone to the Christ Chapel campus to learn and grow, to be deepened in their faith and encouraged in their walk. The Summit 2014 will be June 27-29 and you won’t want to miss it.

We have an exciting weekend planned, filled with teaching from Dr. Jesse Duplantis and Pastor Jesse Gibson. We will worship together in song with the talented Paul Wilbur. And, we will celebrate the licensing and ordination of Provident Network ministers and Christian workers.

But this isn’t a weekend just for adults. This is an event for the entire family. As the adults gather together, age-appropriate ministry for the kids will engage them and teach them how to be faith commanders by living five values found in the parables of Jesus. For the littlest ones, the nursery will be available, staffed with caring attendants.

This is an opportunity for the entire family to spend a weekend learning more about our great God. And, this is a gift to you. There is no cost to attend the Summit. This is an opportunity to spend three days outside the busyness of a typical weekend, and instead surrounded by the presence of God. Won’t you join us?

We have more details and information for you. Check them out here and plan to spend June 27-29 with us. Invite your friends and family. You will be glad you did.

Up from the grave

Spring is here! According to the calendar, it has been here for almost a month, but here in Indiana it hasn’t felt like it until this week. I love this season, it leads to my all time favorite Sunday, Resurrection Sunday!

That old hymn, “Up from the grave He arose!” is one of my all time favorites and I always look forward to singing it and rejoicing Easter Sunday. HE IS RISEN! He is alive and because He lives, we can have eternal life!

I want to encourage you this Easter season to live your life to the fullest in HIM. To step out in faith with what God is calling you to do. Maybe it’s to ask a co-worker or family member to church, maybe it’s to change career paths, whatever you feel the Lord telling you to do, just do it! Take that leap of faith and press forward! He arose and because He arose we can live life victoriously!

Remember and Pray

Hello Friends,

This week I was privileged to sit down and talk with a dear brother, a pastor from Lebanon.  His church has been steadfastly helping the refugees of Syria for many months. Feeding The Nations has been blessed to be able to help provide family boxes of food, blankets, clothing and other necessities for these refugees. These people have literally fled their homes with the clothes on their backs.

The pastor shared many stories of how the tangible gift of food and clothing opens the door to share the love of Jesus. He also told stories of the high price people are paying for their faith.  Many believers around the world are paying a price for their faith!  Here in the West, we are not asked to pay a high price, yes, you may lose a few associations, maybe someone will make fun of your beliefs, but friends, these things pale in comparison to the suffering of our brothers and sisters around the globe.

So what can we do? Pray. Pray for those around the world who are suffering for their faith. Pray for those who are lost and hurting.  The Apostle Paul, who was no stranger to persecution himself,  said in Hebrews to “Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.” (Hebews 3:13 NLT) Remember, and pray.

Faith Factor: Believer Bootcamp

On the prophetic front, things are happening very quickly. We, as believers, need to make sure that we are prepared for whatever the real enemy throws at us in these coming times. Let’s not just survive, but thrive all the way to the end with the foundation of The Word of God.

God Bless,

Pastor Steve