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Sometimes you read a book and it makes you feel a bit uneasy -- you don't really agree with everything written in it.   But yet there are truths in that book you need to hear!   It is like the preacher who reminded his church that if they really wanted to know God's will for their lives, read the parts of the Bible they have not underlined.   It is true, isn't it.  We often underline the things we agree with.   Well, I recently read a book that made me feel a bit uneasy -- but there were many parts I underlined.

Many people wonder, how do we reach the lost for Christ?   Where do we begin?   What is our first task?   As churches we have agreed that our missional task begins with prayer.   We are "to call upon God for such an outpouring of his Spirit that his people will be assured of his love through his Word, seek to please the Saviour in all things, manifest the godly life and be filled with prayerful and sacrificial compassion for the lost in all the world."    

O God, you are the fountain of all truth; we ask you to protect your church from all false teaching.
     Protect the Church
         From all teaching and preaching which would destroy people's faith;
         From all that removes the old foundations without putting anything in their place;

A friend of mine, Chris Schievink, moved several years ago to a second pastorate.  This church has experienced significant growth.  So I asked him, "What contributed to this growth?"   I found his reply inspiring.  This is what he wrote:"When I arrived 3 years ago, I remember making rediculous claims that the "church would grow." It was ridiculous because Calvary church {Chatham, Ontario, Canada]  had not enfolded one new person in years. But I really felt like it would happen...