Story: Lisa Morgan

Over the next few months, we’ll be using every Monday on the Bethel Blog to share our stories. These will include articles, interviews and testimonies that give us a glance at what God’s doing in the individual lives of the folks here at our church. Got a story? Tell us!

This week, we’re hearing from Lisa Morgan. In addition to being a wife and mother, Lisa is a gifted writer who maintains a very popular blog that offer tons of tips and encouragements for women. God is moving Lisa and her family out into a new adventure and we wanted her to share it!

The whole family!

It was about seven years ago, when we first attended Bethel Bible Church. The first Sunday we visited, we knew…. this was home! We had been in and out of church for several years, not seeking the Lord and putting God first in our marriage. Needless to say, when we arrived to Bethel, we were weary with a broken marriage and wounded hearts.

We eventually became involved with the Kingdom Seekers Class, on Sunday mornings, enjoying the teaching of Dan Bolin and the fellowship of Christian friends. Chris and I jumped at the chance to join the Collier Life Group. We have been members of that Life Group for about five years now.

With prayer, fellowship with Christian friends, renewed commitment to God and refocusing our marriage on a heavenly path, everything changed. Our marriage was restored and we felt God blessing us in so many ways. The support and love we have received from our friends at Bethel and from our Life Group have been irreplaceable.

I am so glad the church put an emphasis on Life Groups over the last two years. We already enjoyed the sweet fellowship that comes from a Life Group. I am thankful the remainder of the church congregation can now participate in the same fellowship. If you are not involved in a Life Group or small fellowship group find one! Get involved! The relationships you make are priceless. They become family – much more than just friends.

Many life events have happened over the last seven years, while attending Bethel. We have seen success in business and job layoffs. We have had deaths in our family and severe illness. We have great joys with our friends and in our own marriage. After thirteen years of marriage, God blessed us with our daughter, Grace, two years ago. She is our joy! Also, Chris and I just celebrated our fifteenth wedding anniversary. I feel strong our marriage would have not survived had we not come to Bethel when we did. Praise God for answered prayer of family, friends, as well as encouragement and support from church members.

So where are we now? What’s the latest?

Chris was laid off in May. He has had some off and on consulting work, since that time, for which we thank God. Now there is a new job, for Chris, and a possible move to Chicago. There are still some issues related to the new job and it might not be permanent. We are waiting to see what God does. For now, Chris is traveling weekly to Chicago and home on the weekends. With the possibility of a move, I have been doing a lot of praying and thinking.

As I sat in church, this past week, with Todd leading us in worship, I thought,

“What will we do without Bethel? If we move to Chicago, we leave Bethel.”

I then lost it. The tears flowed. Don’t get me wrong. I am excited to see what the Lord will do next. He has been with us, all the way! Through 15 years of marriage- when we were not seeking Him, even when we were not honoring him with our lives…. He never left us. He brought us to Bethel – He will lead us to a new church home, if that time comes.

I want to end this post with a verse, which I think describes the church body at Bethel. Doug McSwane preached on this passage one Sunday, several years ago. It has become a favorite passage, and I read it often. I think it describes our church and how every church body should act:

Colossians 3:12-15
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Well, I am thankful. I am thankful for a church body that exemplifies these characteristics. I feel that love, that gentleness, that kindness, that compassion every time I enter the doors at Bethel. Since that first Sunday, over seven years ago, and even now, those characteristics remain. I thank God for bringing Chris and I to Bethel, for our church family, and for the grace He continues to pour out on us, even as unworthy as we are.

Chris and I would appreciate your prayers regarding his job and the possible move to Chicago. We are seeking the Lord for direction, wisdom, and guidance. We would appreciate your prayers as well.

Thank you for the opportunity to share with you today.
-Lisa Morgan, wife of Chris, mother of Grace, and follower of Christ.

If you’d like to stay up to date with this new adventure in Lisa’s life, you can follow her:

twitter.com/blessedwGrace
www.blessedwithgrace.blogspot.com
facebook.com/blessedwithgrace

The 12: Week II

As we approach the second week of our new series, Youth Pastor Mark Kuykendall talks about common questions that come up when we study the Old Testament.

Youth Summer Trip to Durango, CO

This is the second video we did to capture our week in Colorado. This trip has been such a highlight for me. I hope you enjoy watching it.

Mark Kuykendall – Youth Pastor of Bethel Bible Church

New Series!

Compass Wilderness Camp – Still Picture Video

July 19th-25th was one of the most memorable weeks in youth ministry I have ever had. For 4 1/2 days 31 of use experienced God in the San Juan National Forest in Durango, CO. God truly brought down walls this week.

MARK KUYKENDALL – Youth Pastor, Bethel Bible Church

Daily Devotion from Persecuted Christians around the World

The World on Wednesday by Jim Smithies, Pastor of WORLDReach Bethel

 

One of the most amazing things I’ve come across recently is a daily devotion written by Christians who are truly suffering for their faith.  You can subscribe to this devotion, which gets delivered via email, through Open Doors at:

http://members.opendoorsusa.org/site/SurveyACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=3722

Here is today’s devotion from a woman in Lebanon:

Few people would choose to live a life of danger and risk. Those who do are either professional stuntmen or terrorists, for whom it is a way to make a living.

In our case, however, life at constant risk has been our experience for fifteen years now. Our beautiful country of Lebanon is paying a high price. Terrorism, bombings and shelling of residential areas have victimized thousands of innocent civilians. Our Christian community is being confronted with a great dilemma: flee the country and live in peace elsewhere, or stay to serve the people and accept the risk of getting killed. We have decided to stay and take a stand for our Lord. By serving people in distress and sheltering the displaced we have been able to light their path and motivate their tenacity for survival against the odds.

…who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice and gained what was promised.   (Hebrews 11:33)

We experience great danger, but we also experience the presence of our God in a wonderful way.  What more can we desire?

Are you faithful in your own situation serving God and men as He directs?

In doing so you will experience God’s guidance and blessings. Be available, be grateful, rejoice in the Lord always. Whatever your situation may be. If we can do it – you can.

Pray for peace in the Middle East.

The author is from Lebanon. Instead of leaving her country to seek peace, she chose to stay at great risk.  She testifies of God’s miracles.

 You can view an interactive Map of the worst 50 countries of persecution:

http://www.opendoorsusa.org/content/view/962/21/

It’s a GMO not a GTO…

The World on Wednesday by Jim Smithies, Bethel’s Pastor of WORLDReach

Recently my very good friend, Eric Weir, wrote an article for our WORLDReach Missions Team.  It is stunning how powerful, accessible and easy this tool for evangelism and discipleship is.  I’ve copied Eric’s article here…with great appreciation.  We have one other person at Bethel, Linda, who is also using her computer in these redemptive ways.  Pray for them.  Join them.  Thanks.

Reach the World for Christ…..from your home computer!

How Does a GMO Work?

A great thing about the internet is how the Lord uses it for His good purposes.  For example, Campus Crusade for Christ is now using it to reach people around the world. The new ministry of Global Media Outreach (GMO) “casts a net” of various spiritual questions on the web & other media sources.  As people show an interest, their inquiries are directed to over 2,000 volunteers who respond with e-mails. During 2008, these sites had over 3 million visitors, with over 500,000 people making decisions for salvation or rededications. 

What’s been my experience?

My first contacts with GMO began in Feb. 2008. Their on-line training course took about 30 min. to go through.  My first contact was from Thailand, and I was soon amazed at the different parts of the world from which people were responding.  You can request how many contacts per week you’d like, anywhere from 3 to 24.  I started with 3, but then would pick up a few more each week as time allowed; it takes me around 2 hrs/week!  Contacts would usually be people who had just accepted Christ, or rededicated their lives to Him.  We send them a response and also suggest several helpful websites they can access.  Follow-up e-mails are also important.                        

The overall response rate from site visitors ranges from 15% to 30%.  A friend of mine has about a 40%+ response rate. Mine is a little less than 15%, but I’m ok with that for two reasons. First, He’s shown me how some of my responses are being used.  Secondly (and this is true for all GMO volunteers)…your response rate isn’t the total picture of what God does with your e-mails. It takes persistence.  A lot of GMO work is sowing spiritual seeds…and doing it by faith.  Someday He’ll show us what He did in peoples’ lives with the rest of our e-mails!

GMO Volunteers receive contacts from many parts of the world…I’ve gotten initial inquiries from- 

Thailand       Kenya      S. Africa     Phillippines      India       Ghana 

Jordan    Botswana    Algeria    Uganda    USA    Bosnia    Paraquay 

Jamacia    Vietnam    England     Nigeria      Norway     Maldives 

Congo     Tanzania     Turkey    Romania     United Arab Emerites 

Ireland     Burundi    Mobi     Zimbabwe     Madagascar    Bangladesh 

Egypt     Finland     Iran     Zambia      Ethiopia     Malawi      Fiji 

Ivory Coast     Lebanon      Myanmar     Guyana     Jordan    France 

Canada     Gaza     Saipan    Rwanda    Brunei    Hungary     Sudan 

Senegal       Cayman Islands       Syria       Russia         Yemen     

Here’s a reply a GMO volunteer received from Ghana - “I want to express my heart-felt appreciation for your help. As you are on a good course, your labor shall never be in vain. May the good Lord bless you and be strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit so that you will not be tired of what you are doing.  God bless you all.” 

A sister from the USA sent this to a volunteer - “Thank you so much for checking with me. Immediately upon receiving your e-mail, I checked out the helpful site and am finding it very useful.  I just finished the link “Personal Struggles”…it was so powerful that I emailed it to a friend & will also forwarded it to a family member.  I thank God for you and your willingness to be used by Him.  God bless.”

How can you learn more?

Visit www.GlobalMediaOutreach.com and/or contact Eric at ericweir@suddenlink.net.

Bethel Youth – Dallas Day Trip Video

Jamaica2 – Amazing, Profound, Successful, Humbling, Fun

The World on Wednesday by Jim Smithies, Pastor of WORLDReach Bethel