firstIMPRESSIONS
from Senior Pastor Timothy Satryan

Are you facing a problem that you need to be solved? We can learn a lot about problem-solving by reading the miracle Jesus performed in the feeding of the 5,000.

When Jesus and the disciples discovered thousands of hungry people He asked Philip, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” (John 6:5) Jesus wasn’t asking for information. The very next verse tells us He already knew what He was going to do.

Instead, He was trying to give Philip a revelation that we should never assess our problems in the light of our own resources or strength.

We have no right to ask the world to believe our message unless there is something about us that is unexplainable and supernatural. There must be a divine dimension to our lives.

What does Proverbs 3:5-6 tell you to do when faced with a problem? “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight”.

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 7.36. Live for God, on purpose, trusting in Him and relying solely upon Him each and every day.

What is a “disciple”? What do you think of when you hear the word “disciple”? As a young boy, I grew up thinking the word disciple was a description of the original twelve followers of Christ. In my mind, it was nearly synonomous with the word “apostle.” Later, as a young man and a new believer in Christ, the word took on new meaning for me – a “Disciple” was part of the group of musicians that sang with Andre Crouch!

The truth, as we all should realize, is that the word “disciple” should be a description of who each of us is! We are all called to be disciples. A disciple is a committed follower of Jesus Christ. A disciple is one who strives to do what Jesus said we should do, and live how Jesus said we should live.

Not only are we called to be disciples, but we are called to go and make disciples of all men. Unfortunately, for too long in evangelical Christianity, we have been more concerned with making converts than making disciples.

What should a disciple act like? What does a disciple need to be doing to truly be a committed follower of Christ? Beginning this Sunday, I will be sharing a three-part preaching series entitled “True Disciples. You won’t want to miss one Sunday as we grow in our understanding of who we are called to be, and learn to walk in that knowledge!

September 9 – The Character of a True Disciple
In Acts 17, we learn that a group of believers in Berea were considered to be “of more noble character” than certain other believers. What qualities did the Bereans possess, and what actions did their lives encompass that made them more noble? And – perhaps most important – how can WE be “of more noble character’?

September 23 – The Example for a True Disciple
Are you a true disciple? What is the best measure of a disciple of Christ? Why, the life of Jesus Himself, of course! Luke 6:40 says “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” A true disciple is called to be like Christ. In this message, we will learn three critical areas where Christ serves as an example for each and every disciple.

September 30 – The Requirements of a True Disciple
Have you ever heard of “easy-believism”? That is a phrase that is used to describe those who’s Christianity is nothing more than “surface deep,” those who’s understanding of being a Christian is simply saying that they believe in Jesus. The truth is, the devil believes in Jesus – but he surely isn’t saved! Jesus personally addressed the notion of people who thought that “easy-believism” was adequate to be a disciple. In Luke 14:25-35, there are three times that Christ says a certain kind of people “cannot be His disciple.” What does Jesus say is required to be his disciple? That is the question we will ask in this final message of this vital sermon series! Don’t miss it!

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Next weekend, September 14th – 16th, we are pleased to welcome Kristian and Shannon Walker to WFA for a dynamic time of music and teaching in their “Worship Encounter.” The Walkers use a balance of ministry in music, ministry through worship and ministry from the Word to invite the presence of the Lord and provide an atmosphere where people can experience God’s peace, healing and refreshing in their spirits.

The “Worship Encounter” weekend will begin with a Night of Worship on Friday evening, September 14th from 7:00 – 8:30pm. On Saturday, Kristian Walker will be teaching on topics such as:

• Spiritual Aspects of Worship

• What is Worship and What Does it Accomplish?

• Why We Worship

• Spiritual Warfare

• Beyond the worship service

• Worshippers to Lead Worshippers

• Practical Aspects of Worship

Saturday attendance will be limited to those registered for the seminar. Lunch will be provided on Saturday, and registration is only $10 for the entire weekend! Registration is due by Friday September 7th, so if you have not yet registered, you will need to call the church today!

Following the Saturday teaching session, the WFA Worship Choir and Band will have a special time of rehearsal with Kristian and Shannon in preparation for the Sunday morning worship service, where the Walkers will lead us in a time of worship, as well as bringing a special word from the Lord for all of us here at WFA.

Kristian and Shannon have been involved in full-time music ministry for the past 12 years, performing live worship concerts, conducting worship seminars and producing several worship CDs. Kristian also traveled with The Couriers, of which his father-in-law is an original member. A/G Gen. Superintendent Tom Trask recently promoted one of the Walkers’ worship CDs in a newsletter to Assemblies of God pastors and missionaries worldwide. The Walkers have also had the opportunity to share their music ministry in 25 foreign countries.

Come ready to be refreshed and renewed in the Lord’s presence! You can visit the Walker’s web site at www.KristianWalker.org

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by Jim Liebelt

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you fulfill the law of Christ."—Galatians 6:2 (NIV)

Recently, we learned of the bridge collapse in Minneapolis. If you’ve seen the security camera footage, it’s pretty scary, really. It all looked like a typical afternoon commute across the I-35W bridge, when suddenly and without warning, the bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River below. At the time of this writing, twelve deaths have been confirmed and it is frankly amazing so many people who plunged into the river survived.

When we think about bridges, (at least until recently) the vast majority of us never give a moment’s thought to whether or not they are structurally sound. We simply drive across them. It’s such a matter of trust for us, that we (at least up until recently) don’t even consider the possibility that they might not be safe.

As such, I am reminded of the many people around us every day, including the people who make up our world of relationships. Some bear the physical scars of life and some don’t. Typically, we don’t give a moment’s thought to what is going on in their lives. Yet, many people bear tremendous emotional and spiritual damage – interior damage that few, if any of us, see. Like an unsound bridge that looks normal, but is critically damaged in places unseen, most appear as though all is well in their lives. Yet, some teeter at the brink of collapse from the wounds that have weakened them.

In the Minneapolis bridge collapse, heroes emerged: People caught on the collapsed bridge and rescue workers who quickly arrived at the scene. These were people who courageously put their own lives at risk to help those caught up in the tragedy. What a great reminder that we, as Christ-followers, are called to be spiritual and emotional rescue workers in the lives of those around us.

In the New Testament book of Jude, we read, “Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There are still others to whom you need to show mercy...” (Jude 22-23, NLT)

Today, decide to look below the surface of the lives of people in your world. Chances are, there is someone you know who needs your support. Through your love and care, you can help to prevent someone from suffering collapse.

as seen in “Today’s HomeWord,” a daily devotional with Jim Burns. Visit them online at www.homeword.com

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(Adapted from the Parable of the Sower)

A man was strolling along the beach one day when he spotted a bottle washed up on the shore. He went over and picked it up, and noticed a message in the bottle. He popped the cork out and inside was a weathered treasure map indicating that there was buried treasure to be found in the shallow waters below. But the man thought it was a hoax, so he slipped the map back in and threw the bottle back into the ocean...

A little later, another man was walking along the beach and the bottle had washed upon the shore. He too picked up the bottle, popped out the cork, and found the treasure map. This man, however, was curious enough to wade into the water and hoped it was buried shallow enough to find. But once the cold ocean waters reached up to his thighs, he decided to quit. “This is not worth it!” he thought to himself. So he scrambled back to shore and chucked the bottle back into the ocean....

A third man was walking by the beach and noticed the bottle washed upon the shore. He went over, opened the bottle and found the map. The map looked authentic enough, and promised great treasure... So he got himself a small raft and set out into the ocean to claim the treasure... he rowed out far enough into the ocean where the “X” on the map was and to his surprise, he saw the glint of something shining in the waters below... he dove into the ocean and swam towards the shining object below..he could see that there was something that looked like a treasure chest, but he couldn’t quite reach it and the deeper he went, the greater the cold and pressure on his body and his mind..,” I am about to lose my breath, and the longer I take, my raft might be swept away!", he thought. So the man decided to give up the hunt so he would ensure his own life and safety...when he reached the shore once more, he took the bottle from the raft and tossed it back into the ocean...

Finally, one more man was walking along the beach. He noticed the bottle, went over, popped it open, and was excited to find a map promising great treasure. He noticed someone had left a raft by the water’s edge, so he took it and paddled out. He too, got far enough to where the “X” marks the spot, and squinted into the waters and saw the shadow and glint of the treasure below. He took a deep breath and plunged into the waters. Like the man before him, the cold, darkness and pressure upon his senses increased as he got closer. He also realized that if he kept swimming, that he might lose his breath, the raft, and even his own life! But this treasure could be worth all the risk and he persisted. Just as he was about to give up, he grabbed the long chain that was binding the chest and pulled it up along with himself back to the surface. He broke the surface of the water gasping and exhausted but with the treasure chest safely in his grasp. He paddled back to the shore, opened up the treasure chest and found what the map had promised – gold, and precious diamonds and jewels that would make him secure for the rest of his life.

A relationship with Jesus Christ is a similar treasure hunt. People hear the same message, but the way they receive it will determine the reward they might find. Eternal life is waiting for all those who are willing to take that risk to follow Jesus all the way to the “X” (the Cross), where we find love, forgiveness and life everlasting... for eternity.

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“A land in which you shall... lack nothing.” —Deuteronomy 8:9 (Amplified Bible)

When God delivered the Israelites from slavery He did it in stages:

First: He brought them out of the land of ’not enough.’ As slaves in Egypt without power, they were forced to depend on Pharaoh for everything. And when you have to keep relying on anyone but God, you’re not really free. God won’t allow you to get ‘hooked’ on anybody but Him. Elijah was living happily by a stream in the middle of a famine. Ravens brought him meat each day. What an arrangement! But one day the ravens didn’t show up and the brook dried up. What happened? God dried up the brook to drive him back to the source! Regardless of who God uses – He alone is the source of all you need.

Second: He brought them through the wilderness of ‘just enough.’ God provided them with manna – just enough for each day. Now it’s no fun struggling to barely get by. But we tend to appreciate what we had to struggle for, and we learn to trust God more. Plus, living through seasons of ‘just enough’ builds into us a tenacity to keep moving toward better things.

Third: He brought them into the land of ’more than enough.’ God described Israel’s future home as “a land in which you shall... lack nothing.” God’s ultimate goal for you is abundance – in all areas of life! Is that so you’ll have more than the next guy? No! God told Abraham, “I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2 NIV). Having status and success means being positioned to bless others and fulfill God’s agenda for your life.

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A man that was “big game” hunting in an unfamiliar land, was crouched low, waiting for his prized moment to shoot. He heard a ‘rustling’ behind him. He looked, but saw nothing so he resumed his position, waiting. He heard it again. As he looked in another angle, he noticed the commotion was coming from a tree very near him. He spied a large snake slowly making its way to a nest, high up in a tree. The mama bird was frantically fluttering her wings while chirping, trying to ’scare’ the snake away. Not working, and seeing it was too close to her, she left her nest.

The hunter sat there, watching, knowing the sure outcome of these little birds, when he noticed the mama bird making a quick dash back to her nest. She was holding a red leaf in her beak, she dropped it atop her nest, and flew away to a nearby branch, watching. The hunter thought on this action that this little creature took, so puzzled by it, he thought, surely the bird was maybe trying to “hide” her chicks. He thought in his mind, not a chance! That snake has “zeroed -in” on his prey. Then the hunter witnessed something very perplexing... strange. Just as the snake came up to the tip of the nest, he turned and began his journey back down the limb and then off the tree.

The hunter could not figure this out at all until he came to one of the natives later that night. The native asked him if he had any “luck” today, during his hunt. The hunter replied, “I didn’t, but a little bird did”...as he began to relay to the native about what he saw, the native told him that it was a poisonous leaf that she dropped in the nest. Highly poisonous to the snake, they “just know” NOT to TOUCH it!

The Bible says that God sees the ’sparrows’. If He provided a certain leaf that is offensive to this snake, thus by it her young were not devoured. I ask you....HOW MUCH MORE pleading the BLOOD of JESUS over our kids, to keep them from being devoured by our Enemy? The BLOOD of JESUS is an OFFENSE to him!

from Christian Challenge and Blessing E-mail. To subscribe visit http://www.christianchallengeandblessing.com

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In a recent issue of his Ministry Toolbox newsletter, Rick Warren talks about facing problems: “Trust God to know what’s best and don’t doubt. Cooperate with him. Say, “God, I’m not going to doubt what you’re doing here. I don’t know why it’s happening but I know you’ve allowed it and I don’t want to short-circuit what you’re doing.”

Wallace Johnson was the founder of Holiday Inn, and a dynamic Christian. When he was 40 years old, his boss fired him from his saw mill job. It came as a devastating shock. This was during the Great Depression. He and his wife needed the income from his job, small though it was. Wallace felt that the world had caved in on him.

His wife worried. She asked him, “What are you going to do?” But Wallace had been thinking, and he answered by saying, “I’m going to mortgage our home and go into the building business.

His first venture was the construction of two small buildings. Within five years, Wallace Johnson was a multi-millionaire. In an interview, he said, “Today, if I could locate the man who fired me I would sincerely thank him for what he did. At the time it happened, I didn’t understand why I was fired. Later I saw that it was God’s unerring and wondrous plan to get me into the ways of his choosing.”

The greatest thing that ever happened to him was to get fired.

Who knows what God might do through your problems and disappointments! If you’ve got problems, be happy. Don’t think of your problems as intruders. Welcome them as friends. God’s purpose is much bigger than those problems. Don’t doubt.”

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When I went to the doctor for my yearly physical, my blood pressure was high, my cholesterol was high, I’d gained some weight and I didn’t feel so hot.

My doctor said that eating right doesn’t have to be complicated and it would solve my physical problems.

He said, “Just think in colors. Fill your plate with bright colors of greens, yellows, reds, etc.”

So, I went right home and emptied an entire bag of MandMs onto a plate, ate them and sure enough, I felt better!

Although the weather outside is still quite warm and humid, and the calendar tells us that there are still more than two weeks of summer remaining, September brings our schedules back into the routine of our normal schedules. As the kids have returned to school, and the summer activities have ceased, let’s make certain that gathering together to worship the Lord and study His Word is a priority in our lives! Hoping to see you this Sunday here at WFA! Christian Education begins at 9:30, and Morning Worship follows at 10:30! See you here!