"One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us."
Acts 16:14-15
This week’s church planting movement principle is: Develop Outsider-Insider Partnerships. All church planting movements have what are referred to as insider catalysts: people on the inside of the movement that cause that movement to grow and multiply in some way, and also outside catalysts: people outside of the movement that cause that movement to grow and multiply in some way. Both of these groups need each other for the success of the movements. In Acts 11:25-26 we read: “Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” We can also look at Lydia working with Paul as an example of an insider-outsider partnership. Ask the Lord to continue forging many healthy teams like these in your life and ministry as you birth disciple making, church planting movements wherever you are.
Ask God this week to give everyone involved in church planting movements a sense of their connectedness to the family of Christ as children of God. Practice listening to Holy Spirit daily for where He is sending you to prepare His way.
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Unreached People Groups:
Sunday - Zaza-Alevi
Monday - Kumanji Kurd
110 Cities for this Week are: ATHENS, Greece, BAKU, Azerbaijan, and ALMATY, Kazakhstan
PRAYER FOR JEWS, ISRAEL, & ONE NEW MAN:
Peace of Jerusalem: Jesus, Prince of Peace, let Your true peace cover Jerusalem, the nation of Israel, the Jewish people, and those that love you.
Psalm 122:6 “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May those who love you be secure.”
PRAYER FOR WORLD IN CRISIS:
Strengthened Day by Day
Eternal God, as Jesus followers serve You day by day, strengthen and renew them so that an eternal glory is achieved that far outweighs all the difficulties.2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
