Tag Archives: prayer

Bible Reading Plan

Posted on by
Reply

With 2008 just a few days away, I put our Cover-to-Cover Bible reading plan on its own page off to the right. I may leave it there to stay. And now, some counsel from John Wesley to another minister:

“What has exceedingly hurt you in time past, nay, and I fear, to this day, is want of reading. I scarce ever knew a preacher who read so little. And perhaps, by neglecting it, you have lost the taste for it. Hence your talent in preaching does not increase. It is just the same as it was seven years ago. It is lively, but not deep; there is little variety; there is no compass of thought. Reading only can supply this, with meditation and daily prayer. You wrong yourself greatly by omitting this. You can never be a deep preacher without it, any more than a thorough Christian. Oh begin! Fix some part of every day for private exercises. You may acquire the taste which you have not; what is tedious at first will afterwards be pleasant. Whether you like it or no, read and pray daily. It is for your life; there is no other way; else you will be a trifler all your days, and a pretty, superficial preacher. Do justice to your own soul; give it time and means to grow. Do not starve yourself any longer.”

John Wesley, quoted in D. A. Carson and John D. Woodbridge, Letters Along The Way, page 169.

Discovered on the blog Pure Church, written by a pastor in the Cayman Islands.

Getting Started @ School #18

Posted on by
4

I love to tell the story of when Horizon Central first got started – specifically how we acquired Old School #18. Many have been encouraged by hearing it. I’m encouraged just remembering it.

Before that day, Horizon Central was a group of people in a home fellowship that met in the Fletcher Place neighborhood of Indianapolis. The group was associated with the larger Horizon Christian Fellowship on the NE side – pastor Bill Goodrich. For the record, John Colón was leading the group and it met in the home of Scott and Tracy Murphy. They were praying about and looking for a way to begin a church nearer to downtown – one that would focus more on the people and needs near the center of the city.

So one day in November of 1997, the Indianapolis Public Schools held an auction to sell off some of the buildings which they had closed that year. Horizon had noticed School #18 in Fountain Square and thought it might fit their vision. They sent some guys over that day to bid on it.

They went to the auction equipped with somewhat more faith than money, but not a whole lot of either, really. As the going price for #18 went up they bid more money than they had. The bidding continued, so they dropped out, stopping at the limit of their faith. Eventually the building was sold. Oh well. Nice try anyway. God must have another plan.

Then the man that bought it gave us the building! And we’re still here, 10 years later. God did have another plan – one that teaches us that His resources are always greater than our own.

School #18 ← This is the place.  Beautiful, is it not?