Tanner-price Ame Church

Holidays aren't the only time to thank God, neither are Sunday mornings, nor any other time of worship, a better time than any other to give God praise. When we think about the goodness of God and all God's done for us, in spite of our unworthiness, we can't help but to thank God. That shouldn't happen on a periodic basis, however; it should happen daily. When we adopt a lifestyle of thanksgiving, we develop a posture of praise that says, "No matter what happens, no matter what I'm going through, I will thank God," we will have a depression-proof outlook on life that will make us more effective in the kingdom. (Psalm 106)

Part 1 of the series, "The Purpose & Power of the Church," exploring the challenges the Christian church experiences in its founding and formation in various places in the 1st century. By looking at how Paul addressed the individual issues each of these churches had, we can see how we can address our own issues, make improvements, discover our purpose as a local and universal body, and walk in it, all for the glory of God. Part 1 examines the social and historical context, purpose, and format of both the recipient churches of Paul's letters in general and the church at Rome in particular.

Contrary to popular belief, those placed in service positions are the greatest, not the least, in the eyes of God. When we consider that ministry and service have the same Greek meaning, as well as that those the first-century apostles chose for service were as qualified as seminary-trained ordinands, we can begin to adjust our attitude about the importance of service to the local ministry. If we're truly going to serve God's people, we must do so not under compulsion or to remain in our comfort zones, but with gladness, fervor, and sincerity. (Acts 6:1-7)

Jesus says, "O Ye of little faith" three times in addressing his disciples' unbelief while on their ministry journey, and each time He says it, it reveals something about the disciples and about ourselves in our need to grow in our faith as time goes on and we move further and further from our comfort zones. In any journey, our surroundings, at some point, change, and thus must our perspective and understanding also change. (Matthew 6:30; 8:26; 14:31)

Where is your treasure? Is it hidden, or is it exposed? Is it guarded, or is it susceptible to being taken advantage of? Is it something God values, or is it only something God reveres? Is stewardship a four-letter word in your vocabulary, or are you not afraid to talk about *gasp* money in the church? When we come into full realization of what our treasure is, we will develop a better concept of stewardship that will assure us that ministry and raising money for ministry are not antagonistic, but go hand-in-hand.

Pastor Cylar delivers Tanner-Price's first State of the Church address, laying out six principles for growth that will guide this ministry forward for the 2011-12 conference year and beyond.

A few fundamental beliefs and habits separate the successful and effective church from the one that is not; one of those is the ability to have vision. In order to have the kind of vision that will transform the community wherein it is located, the church must have a forward-thinking mentality that says, "I did not get here by myself, nor will the next generation get where it needs to get by itself." The effective local church ministry not only does the necessary things to preserve its present, but also takes the proper steps to secure its future, lest its godly legacy die before the torch is passed. The vision of the church must be both present-centered and future-focused.

In these last days, we must return to holiness and recommit ourselves to truth. Haughtiness and ministry under false pretenses--the pursuit of titles, promotions, and hidden agendas--are unacceptable attitude for kingdom building. If we are truly serious about drawing people to the kingdom, we must be for real.

One of the most serious problems we have in the kingdom of God is the inability to articulate collective vision and, more importantly, shared history and tradition from one generation to the next. When we fail to share our history with those behind us, we set up our future generations up for failure, not providing them the same opportunities afforded us to accept Christ and embrace a holy lifestyle. We must never let the comfort of our present deter us from our urgency for preparing for the future. The family who never underestimates the importance of continually reciting their spiritual history will never lose its identity and will thrive in every generation, regardless of circumstance. (1 Samuel 8:1-22)

Among the biggest misconceptions about the Christian life is that tests and trials are bad things and are a reflection of God's displeasure toward us. This assertion couldn't be further from the truth, as being tested is actually a sign that God trusts us and believes in us enough to provide us opportunities to build and affirm our faith. Just a student must do tangible things to prove his/her academic progress, and just as a person in a relationship must actively demonstrate the love he/she verbally proclaims, a Christian must pass tests from time to time to prove with actions the faith he/she affirms with words. People of God, sharpen your pencils and embrace your test! (Matthew 14:22-33)

It matters not how smart, wealthy, good looking, or well connected we are, because all that matters is that our spirits are right before God. Above all else, God desires and demands sincerity. We have a wealth of examples of what can happen to individuals or entire faith communities when there is no emphasis on renewing a right spirit with God. Approaching the things of God or the people of God with a bad spirit, we leave ourselves susceptible to being tripped up by seemingly insignificant roadblocks in our lives. When the spirit ain't right, everything will fail.

Contrary to popular belief, the Father needs you! He needs you to learn from your trials and tribulations; He needs you to continue believing and trusting Him, even though things may have not yet have changed. He needs you to hang in there and not give up because what you've endured in your past is not just to strengthen and mature you, but it's for you to go out and usher others into the kingdom. There's a reason why, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning," is a cliche...

7/3/2011

Sis. Betty shares with the Tanner-Price family how God has brought her through the past year and how both He and the church have been there for her during the good and bad times.

6/19/2011

6/12/2011 - Pentecost Sunday

6/10/2011 - Pentecost Revival, Night #2

6/9/2011 - Pentecost Revival, Night #1

6/5/2011

When obstacles come, when challenges come your way, when people conspire to attack you, you must go to a place of introspection and ask, "What am I going to do about it?" The choice is yours. Either you can fold and let the obstacles overtake you, or you can buckle down and reach for the tools God has already given you to reach your place of destiny. No more time for excuses; it's time to get the job done.