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SERMON NOTES:PRAYERREQUESTSSEPTEMBER 11, 2011

Y Pray for Presbyterian new churchdevelopments: Anchor PresbyterianChurch in Anchorage, Alaska; CovenantPresbyterian Church in Detroit, MI;Common Ground Community Church inNorth Lima, OH.

Y Pray for Charles Moore, Pastor Paulsfather, who will have surgery on his hipOctober 17.

Y Pray for Mary McNamara, President ofUnited Seminary, whose cancer hasreappeared.

Y Pray for Carole Lloyd, a friend of PastorPaul and Amy Moore, whose brain

cancer has reappeared.

Y Pray for those who lost loved onesduring 9/11 in 2001. Pray for hope.

Y Pray for Rebecca Kleins friend, PhyllisGanser, who is suffering from heartissues.

Y Pray for Dave Nelson as he recoversfrom back surgery.

Y Pray for a six year old boy named CarterOlson who is undergoing treatment for

brain cancer.

Y Pray for Ankur Chopra as he finishesarmy training.

Y Pray for Dwight Zvorak as he returnshome and recovers from the disease ofalcoholism.

Y Pray for Paul and Amys friends Katie &Greg Hansen.

Y Pray for persons and process involved inproperty purchase for COL.

Y Pray for Ben Simmer, a young man justgraduated from college and has MS. He

is currently receiving advancedtreatments.

Y Pray for Angelica Van Iperens friends,Paula and Ruben, and they struggle withinfertility and limited resources to treatit.

Y Donna Mc Cullen, Ken Mc Cullen's wife

as she goes through more intensechemotherapy treatment.

DEVOTIONThis past Sunday, IPastor Paulsharedthe first part of a sermon series called,Being friends in a Facebook world.Besides having quality relationships with our

family, having quality relationships with ourfriends can literally save our life. Studieshave shown that people with friends live amuch longer life than those who have few

friends.

The Bible and particularly Jesus share allsorts of stories about friends. We have sixstories and Scriptures from which to learnthis week. Enjoy!

Comments about the devotion can be e-mailed to pastor@colpres.org.

Monday, September 19

Read Luke 5:17-26Word had gotten out about Jesus ability toheal and four friends wanted to help theman who was paralyzed. They put theparalyzed man on a stretcher, took him tothe top of the roof of a house, let him downthrough a hole in the roof they dug, and lay

him at the feet of Jesus.

What an extraordinary act of devotion thesefour friends performed. They were willing

to do whatever it takes to bring theirparalyzed friend to Jesus.

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This level of friendship is a vision for us. Allof us have friends. Hopefully the love ofyour friendships matches the love of the

friends in the story for the man who wasparalyzed.

As you pray today, pray for this type of lovein your friendships.

Tuesday, September 20

Read John 15:12-16Jesus made the statement in these versesto his disciples. It was part of the High

Priestly prayer. This was the last prayer

that Jesus shared in front of his disciplesbefore he died on the cross.

Jesus shared that his followers were now hisfriends. They were his friends becauseJesus had shared everything with them thathe had intended to reveal.

It is quite a statement to think that we

could be friends of Jesus. Jesus wants to befriends with us. Jesus wants us to loveothers in a sacrificial way; he wants us to

bear fruit that lasts; he wants us to knowthe way that we are intended to live. Thisis partly what it means to be a friend of

Jesus. It is a high and mighty calling.

Today as you pray, pray that you willdeepen in friendship with Jesus.

Wednesday, September 21

Read Proverbs 17:17, 18:24, 27:10Proverbs are wisdom sayings. They are like

a modern-day one liner that has a kernel oftruth for our lives. Each of these proverbs

has a kernel of truth for friendship.

Look in particular at the second ProverbSome friends play at friendship but atrue friend sticks closer than ones nearest

kin.

Do you play at friendship? How seriously do

you take your friends? Do your friendsknow that you love them deeply?

As you pray today, talk to God about howmuch you play at friendship.

Thursday, September 22

Read Luke 15:1-7Look at what the shepherd did when hefound the lost sheep. When he came homehe called together his friends and had aparty with them. He wanted to share hisjoy with the people he loved.

Sharing life is part of being friends withother people. We share joys,disappointments, our happiness and

sadness, our triumphs and tragedies.

Most of the time our friends relish ussharing our life with them.

With whom could you share part of your life

with today? What joys, disappointments,happiness, sadness, triumphs or tragediescould you share with a friend? Your friendwould probably relish the opportunity toshare life with you.

Friday, September 23

Read Luke 1:6-22This is an amazing story of devotion. Even

though Ruth and Naomi were relatives theway that Ruth treated Naomi is an exampleof a deep friendship. Even though Naomi

wanted Ruth to leave her, Ruth was not

going to give up. The words are worthmemorizing.Do not press me to leave you or to turnback from following you!

Where you go, I will go;Where you lodge, I will lodge;your people shall be my people, and your

God my God.Where you die, I will diethere will I beburied.

May the Lord do thus and so to me, andmore as well,if even death parts me from you!Ruth 1:16-17

As you pray, pray that you can develop thistype of devotion to some of your friends.

Saturday, September 24Read Luke 14:12-14In this teaching for the disciples Jesuschanged the dynamic of friendship. Jesusencouraged his followers to expand theirunderstanding of who was their friend. Itsas Jesus was saying that the poor, crippled,lame, and blind should be part of a persons

circle of friends.

This message is just as relevant for us

today as when Jesus taught it. As you praytoday, reflect on who in your circle offriends is poor, crippled, lame, or blind. If

you dont have a lot of people in your circleof friends who are poor, crippled, lame, orblind pray that God would bring thesepeople to you. Also pray that we at Chain

of Lakes Church will have people in ourcongregation who are poor, crippled, lameand blind.