Inauguration

This morning (Tuesday), I watched the inauguration of our 44th President, Barack Obama. An inauguration unlike any in my lifetime. An inauguration unlike any in American history. With a new president and a new administration, we are hopeful, but we are also apprehensive. We hope things will turn out well, but we wonder.

Did you know that God is involved in such a transfer of power? That's right! Take a look at this:

For not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert comes exaltation; but God is the Judge; he puts down one and exalts another (Psalm 75:6-7).

And then this:

Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the epics; He removes kings and establishes kings (Daniel 2:20-21). The Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes (4:17).

Now that our new president is in place, we must pray for him. The scripture is very clear about this.

I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings—in our case, Presidents—and all who are in authority... Why?... so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

If there was ever a president who needs our prayers, it is this one. He faces enormous and daunting challenges.
Logo

Recently, we adopted a new logo, designed to represent and communicate our mission, which is to:

Love God...love others...make disciples

Presently, the logo does not include a cross, which has led some to speculate that we intentionally left it out. That is not true. We were simply very focused on communicating our mission. The cross is central to the gospel, central to our message, central to everything we do. My preaching revolves around the cross. So, we will figure out a way to include a cross in the logo, going forward.
Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

This next Sunday is "Sanctity of Human Life Sunday." We believe that life is sacred, from conception to death by natural causes. Because of this, we have established a Crisis Pregnancy Center. It began as a counseling and guidance ministry for women facing an unexpected, unwanted pregnancy.

In the last year, we have added a boutique and an "Earn-While-You-Learn" program.

This weekend, the CPC begins its annual Baby Bottle Drive to raise funds for the next year of ministry. The goal is $100,000. I hope we can all participate in some way.
MADE Campaign

In three weeks, on February 7th, we begin our "Spiritual Growth Campaign" titled, simply, MADE. The overall message is that God has created us to make a difference. We'd like to help you discover how your gifts and talents can impact the world.

In the campaign, we are wanting to nudge you into a small group, and we still need a few hosts. If you could help us out, stop by the Purpose Center on the weekend or contact Deborah here in the church office.
Prayer

In addition to praying for our President, we need to be praying, always, for our ministry. We have a lot going here at Southwest, and a great deal at stake.

I certainly need your prayers; and according to the scripture, it is possible for you to help me by your prayers (2 Corinthians 1:11).

Hope you are getting a good start on the New Year.

Blessings and love,

Pastor Bob