Awesome “Testimony – Teresa talks about the transforming power of Jesus Christ”

Awesome “Testimony – Teresa talks about the transforming power of Jesus Christ”

Conrad Rocks! presents Teresa’s audio testimony of a changed life impacted by Jesus Christ, Celebrate Recovery, and other Christians stepping along side of her and loving her into the kingdom. Her story talks about descending into prison and back out again with hope in Jesus Christ.

Gathering Books to Give Away To Inmates in Need

We’re looking for used book and monetary donations to assist the Used Book Ministry for Inmates – a ministry of Salem Church in Gridley, Illinois. Our mission and vision statements are found at http://usedbookministry.com/about. Key ministry verses include Luke 4:18, Hebrews 13:3, and Isaiah 61:1.

See details at the ministry web site:
Gathering Books to Give Away To Inmates in Need.

Let me know if you have questions or want more details.

Thank you, Eric

Rejoice in the Lord Always

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians  4:4-7 (ESV)

Read more on the devotion at The Life Project post: Rejoice in the Lord Always.

Pleasing Sacrifices

Pleasing Sacrifices.

Great Microsoft Power BI Workshop

Great Microsoft Power BI Workshop

Microsoft has some great Business Intelligence tools. I just finished a two-day workshop at the local Microsoft Office covering Analysis Services, PowerPivot, PowerView, SSAS Multi, SSAS Tabular, and other Power BI tools. A lot of value available for end users, power users, and IT professionals to analyze, summarize, and present data visually in tables, charts, scorecards, and dashboards. The tools scale BI tools from a personal level to teams to an Enterprise Corporate level.

Do you have any experience with the Microsoft BI tools? Was it positive or negative? I want to hear your stories.

What data analysis and BI tools do you recommend and why?

Gathering Books to Give Away To Inmates in Need

Hope you’re having a great and blessed week.

Gathering Used Books to Send to Inmates

It’s been a great and busy week at the Used Book Ministry. We are gathering books to send to inmates in Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, and Kentucky. We need Bibles, Bible Reference books, Dictionaries, Christian books, and funding to assist with postage and other expenses.

Establishing Drop Off Locations

We’re still working out details with businesses and individuals in Bloomington/Normal, Illinois to establish drop off locations. Three of the first five places we asked will graciously host drop boxes. Ironically enough, two churches declined while two restaurants and a massage therapist said yes. We’ll publish a list of drop off locations once boxes are ready. Please pray as our volunteers continue seeking new book drop off locations and we build drop boxes for each.

Let me know if you would like to host a Used Book Donation Drop Box and we can discuss the details. We’re primarily seeking locations in Bloomington/Normal, Illinois where we can send someone to pick up donations on a regular basis. Any drop boxes where you’ll ship the books to our central location are appreciated. If you’re interested, email usedbookministry@gmail.com your business/individual name, address, and phone number so we can work out the details.

Donating

In the mean-time, email usedbookministry@gmail.com to work out details on donating books or make checks out to Salem Church with Light and Life ministries in the memo field and mail them to Light and Life Ministries, 4925 East 1250 North Road, Gridley, IL 61744 to help defray ministry costs such as postage, supplies, and new Bibles.

God’s Alive

Andy Cherry: “Our God’s Alive” Lyric Video

More from Andy Cherry

God’s Not Dead!

Last night, my girlfriend and wife of 25 years and I enjoyed a dinner date and watching “God’s Not Dead.” A great evening, movie, and call to bold faithfulness.

I recommend this movie for Christ followers and seekers alike.

A few days ago…

Why wouldn’t any Christian be confident in teaching the Word of God?  OK, you’d need to be familiar with the text obviously. Once familiar with it, if you simply present the Word, you don’t have to be an experienced speaker to be confident about it, do you? My confidence is not in my experience or ability, it’s in the Word of God!  It really doesn’t matter if I’m in front of 10,000 people, at the kitchen table or at my keyboard: the confidence come from the Word!

“Oh, that’s great for you Don, but I can’t do it!

“Didn’t Moses say something like that?  If I remember correctly, he did just fine.  You may not be asked to fill in as a “preacher” but you can do it in your circle of friends, family and contacts, and you can be confident about it; just stand on the Word of God!

via A few days ago….

Do I Pray? Will I Pray?

Do I pray? Do I seek God? Do I put Him first and seek His face?

When life goes right and I see God at work and I feel his blessed, do I fall on my knees praising and thanking God? When life goes wrong, when I see disobedience and idolatry, when faced with trials and temptations — do I fall on my knees and weep and mourn and pray and fast?

When Hanani, one of Nehemiah’s brothers, came to him and told him about the trouble and shame in Jerusalem with the wall broken down and the gates destroyed by fire how did he react? The city was broken, but more importantly, the people and their relationship with God was broken. Nehemiah’s first response was to sit down and weep and mourn and fast and pray. In fact, he invested more days in prayer than in rebuilding the walls and gates of Jerusalem.

In Nehemiah chapter 1 verses 4 – 11 (ESV) we hear his prayer:

4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

Do I fall on my knees and pray when our country, leaders, friends, family, and even self fail and put idols above God? Do I even react at all when I see the shameful disobedient state of affairs and faith in America? Do I see the killing of unborn babies as brutal, sinful, and equal to the murderous worship of Molech that God so hated? Do I feel shame over our sinful state? What will I do?

Do I love God and people enough to pray? Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10 – 20 tell us this is a spiritual battle God and His heavenly host are ready to fight for us and we’d better be ready to put on His armor so God can protect us from Satan and his minions.

Will I fall before God and weep and mourn and pray and fast? Do I see the shame and damage sin and idolatry cause? Do I care about God in my life and my land?