# Church News and Pray Earnestly

March 23, 2026

If you would, to the book of James real quickly tonight. I know it’s been a long day for many and busy for the Lord. That’s a good busy, but I know some of you are tired. Let me just say an update about the property and the new building. How many of you have noticed they’ve started to start a little bit of—it’s really pre-construction on the new land? How many have seen that? It’s exciting to see, but let me just say a word: it’s not really the start of the building program. It’s kind of pre-start. Some are doing test pits, digging some test pits, kind of—they’re trying to get an accurate bid on the site work and then the steel building.

Now, the building will be steel. You won’t be able to tell it once it’s finished, but it’ll be a—it’s actually three steel buildings put together, and that’ll come in on six semis.

Probably towards the end of the month, and so they’ve laid like a gravel bed, they might call it, to put that on, is what that is. And so it’s not really the start of it, but it’s getting everything ready to go. It won’t be long, and everything will be just going full force. Tomorrow, in fact, I’m supposed to have an update from our builder about an accurate [date]. I asked him last week if I had a date, and there’s been some changes in all that.

He said, “I could spout a date off right now, but I don’t want to do that. And we’ve not been real accurate in the past. So I want to study this hand. Give me Monday.” And he said, “By Monday, I should have a good answer for you about that.”

But here’s with that about to start: we’re about to get some large bills in. Now, we’re ready for that. We have a loan processed. The money is available.

If you remember, we’re raising funds. We’re about $675,000 raised towards that. Some of that we spent on the plans and whatnot, but most of that’s there. It’s been about $150 [thousand] already on the plans and getting to where we’re at right now at this point. But that building, the steel building, is about $600,000. We’re about to get a bill for it.

We’re about to get some other large bills come due. The site work is very expensive, and that bill will come due the first [of the month]. And then the state of Tennessee requires us to have some on hand. We’re about to get some large bills in. Now, here’s the thing: we have the money available. We have some here in what we’ve raised. We have the loan ready to go. We can draw from that any time we would like.

But part of it is the proceeds from the sale of this location. And we really would like to prolong drawing from the bank on that loan. We want to use the proceeds from the sale of this building. Now, we’ve proposed in all the voting we’ve done on all this to take up or borrow up to $2.5 million to complete that.

But you realize the interest on $2.5 million for our loan, at 6.75 [percent], is $167,000 a year, just the interest.

So, and then you factor, not only that, once we take that loan, we’re paying—by the way, it’s a construction loan at first. We only pay interest on what we borrow. So the first month, if we only borrow $100,000, we’re only paying interest on $100,000, you see. The next month, if we draw, you know, $500,000, we got six [hundred thousand], we’re paying interest on $600,000. During the construction time, you only pay interest only.

And I’m talking to a little business, just trying to—we haven’t given me an update in a while about all this. But if we were to take the full two and a half million out, or to draw that full amount, then the interest on that alone is $167,000 a year. You understand?

So not only we’re paying that interest now, but now we’re not able to take—right now in our budget, we’re budgeting $14,000 a month towards that. Now we’re not able to take that $14,000 and put it on that, the building fund; we’re having to put that on the monthly payment, which a month’s payment for the interest on $1,000,000 is not quite $2,000, but right there at it. So if you… say $167 times 2, well, you’ve got over $300,000. That’s a lot of money. How about y’all? A lot of money to me, yeah, you know.

And so here’s my thing: how important it is if we could sell this property here. Now, most have been around for a while. You know, we had a contract on it from another church who wanted to buy it.

But it was contingent on them selling their existing property, and they never did sell their existing property. And so their contract is null and void. Now they’re still interested if they were to sell their property. I said, “Hey, man, it’s still open.” He says, “Hey, we’re still interested.” And so they would come; we would do business. They’re very good about sharing while the building is being built. We’ve had charter schools. We’ve had a lot of showings on this property.

Just a lot of them. We’ve had two different charter schools at one point interested in it. One found another property. The other, they’re still kind of—they kind of bogged down in the city. It doesn’t look like the city is going to be real favorable with them putting a charter school here, so they’re trying to do all their homework. And we said, “Hey, don’t”—at one point they would have put an offer in. We said, “Hey, do your homework because we don’t want to get stuck in another contract that can’t be fulfilled.”

And so that’s where that is. And we’ve had a lot of churches. We have one church that they’re right on the gospel, so we’d be willing to sell to them, but they just can’t come up with the financing. They’re working at that. We’ve got some other churches interested. We’ve really not had any developers look at it. We’ve tried to, you know, we’ve proposed it to them, just—and we had some calls, but nobody—any offers? No offers.

And so I want to ask you to do this specifically: let’s pray. It is amazing when we were trying to buy that property, how we kind of got stuck in the mud for a while, that it seemed humanly impossible, and you would start praying. It was amazing when you started praying so often, it just seemed like we started gaining some traction then. We weren’t spinning our tires or moving somewhere.

I want to ask you tonight, let’s start praying about the sale of this property. Now, we’re looking and we’re asking that we can meet together, you know, with whoever it is, and we’ll try to work at that. We already brought up the one contract and you know all the details with that that fell through. But let’s pray about that. And I’m going to ask you this: we did this at one other point in the process of this. I’m going to ask if you would, at 7 p.m., wherever you’re at—7 p.m.—I’m asking if we all, wherever we’re at, let’s meet at the throne of grace. When we did it before, one of our people were so good, they put an alarm every day on their phone: 7 p.m. It went off and it reminded them to pray. And I want us just to bond together as a church family; let’s pray.

It would say, by the way, praise the Lord, we’re able to support—I think we’ve got 57 missionaries right now. And the more we save, we’re not paying on interest, the more we can do with missionaries. Wonderful family tonight, and we want to be wise stewards of the funds God’s given us. And so the quicker we can sell this—we’ve listed for $2.5 million, you know that—these details—we’ve listed for $2.5 million.

Real estate fees and everything else, if we got at least $2 million net profit out of it, I’d be happy. Well, that’d be $2 million we could put on all these bills before we have to start drawing from a loan. So I understand. So just the priority: we’re about to start to build, and we’ll get you a good date on that. It’s about to start. And once it starts, it’s going to be on.

And we’re going to try to use that as a big day when we actually start. We’ll try to do everything we can to use as big days to get people in here. But it’s already drawing people’s attention. That’s exciting. And we’re going to use all that, but it’s vital that this sells quickly so we can use the proceeds from this to finance that at the beginning so we’re not taking the loan out up front. You understand all that?

And help me out: what time are we going to pray about that every now and then? What time? Seven o’clock. Seven o’clock. So we got 12 minutes, and we’re going to pray. Amen.

You know, and look over in James. James chapter number five. It’s a familiar passage; you’ll know it. I want to just briefly—just very briefly—I have marked out some things already in my notes—very briefly—let’s look at this: James 5 and verse number 16. James 5 and verse number 16. Would you please stand as we read God’s Word together? James 5 and verse number 16 of God’s Word.

And he says right there, he says, “Confess your faults one to another.” I don’t think he’s saying, “Hang your dirty laundry out on the lawn for everybody’s clothesline for everybody to see.” But, you know, it’s pretty humbling to confess your faults. God gives grace to the humble. You know, just for God to hear us when we get truly right with the Lord.

We have Deacon election tonight. I think of years and years ago—not a man that’s here now, good man—but he got a position in some things. He got a little proud, and he was battling me on everything. Just very temporary. He’s a good man for the most part. And you see it over the years, those things. But he kind of came down off of it. But here’s the thing that’s very impressive: he came to me. He said, “Pastor, I’m sorry.”

Wow, that’s rare. He said, “The honest truth is I got a little proud for a bit, and I just want to say, I’m sorry.” And, man, let’s do something together. I praise the Lord. But how about so humbling? Yeah, God blessed and used him greatly. He’s in heaven tonight, and just one of the great men of our church years gone by.

And I’m not saying whoever—you confess to Jesus, but confess your faults one to another. Sometimes we bypass that one. And I say this: when somebody is trying to overcome a problem, you know, if you confess it, you’re more apt to overcome it. You say something you shouldn’t say. Well, if you go back and say you’re sorry—I told the Lord—if you go back and tell them you’re sorry, you’re more apt to say it next time.

And let’s keep going. The preacher keeps stopping when he needs to keep going. Amen, you know. “Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another.” Oh, let’s do that, “that you may be healed.” He’s told me the earlier verse, sickness and whatnot.

Here’s the statement: “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man.” Now, that righteous man—Sunday school, we were told about Jesus’ baptism. He said, “Suffer it to be so to fulfill all righteousness.” And we mentioned Jesus was getting baptized for us in more than one way. One way because he was fulfilling righteousness. When we got saved, our sins were put on his account, and his righteousness was put on our account.

And I stand before God righteous, not because of Paul Chisgar. I know Paul Chisgar; he’s messed up. Brother Steve Page, don’t say “Yep” yet. But you’re right, I am. I’m teasing with you. But I stand righteous before God because of Jesus’ righteousness. Amen. Put on my account.

So look at that thing: “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Accomplisheth. Gets a lot done. Here’s the illustration: Elias—he’s speaking of Elijah. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are. He got flaws just like me and you got flaws.

And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. Wow. I mean, well, the Strait of Hormuz is blocked and the gas prices are going up—you ain’t seen nothing yet.

If you didn’t have rain for three and a half years in that day and time, you talk about economic chaos. Wow. And he prayed. Didn’t rain three and a half months; three and a half years. And look at this thing here: “And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man—a righteous man, saved—avails the economy, just belly up, and God began to bless again because of prayer. The power of prayer. It’s amazing.

Let’s pray. It’s almost seven. Let’s pray about the building, selling this, and that’s just for the message that God would speak to hearts.

Very quickly tonight. Father, Lord, we do come. We come humbly, Lord. I can’t get the job done selling this property and making it all work. Lord, it would be foolish for me to think I can. All of us together, we can’t. Lord, we look to you. Would you sell this? Lord, I do ask, would you allow us to use the proceeds from the sale of this property, Father, before we have to draw from the loan? Lord, would you do that? You can do it.

Father, we’re looking to you. We’re asking, Lord. We’re going to be coming to you 7 o’clock every night, Lord, asking, would you intervene here, Lord? Do it only you can. Lord, your mighty hand and your power and your muscle, Lord, would you move this thing, Father? And, Lord, we’ll praise you for it. Encourage us tonight in prayer, and we’ll thank you, Lord, for what you do. It’s in the name of Jesus we ask. Guide me and fill me, in Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

Thank you so much for staying. You may be seated. Many times over the years I’d meet on Saturday night, not always, but a lot of times with John Fontaine. How many remember John Fontaine? Man, just a great man of God. I love Brother Fon; miss him. Looking forward to seeing some of those men in heaven one day. I said, Brother Mark Gates, looking forward to seeing your dad here in heaven one day.

But Brother Fontaine, and we would share a prayer request, whatnot. And then right before we pray, we’d say, “Hey, you got a good prayer promise?” And John Fontaine, more often than not, his prayer promise was Jeremiah 33:3. You know that. If you know it, say it out loud with me. Here we go. And call upon me. Help me. Help me out. Let me see. I’ve got it.

There it is. Thank you, brother, essentially. We needed you here tonight, more ways than one. That’s it. Here we go. Here we go. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things, which I know.”

Maybe one of my favorite prayer promises is over in Matthew 7. You want to look over there? Matthew 7 real quickly here? We’ll know that verse number 7, but verse number 8 is amazing to me. Matthew 7. And look at Matthew 7. And then look at verse number 8, amazing promise to me. Matthew 7:7. And it’s a great, great passage. I could quote it, but I’ll mess up like I just did on Jeremiah 33, but Matthew 7. And look at verse number 7 right there. He says, “Ask, and it shall be given.” That’s pretty strong. “Shall.”

Then it goes on, “Seek, and ye shall find.” Then he says, “Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Now we know that one; we sing that one sometimes in a song. The next verse is amazing. Look at that verse number 8 back there: “For everyone that asketh, receiveth.” Everyone.

“And he that seeketh, findeth. And him that knocketh, it shall be opened unto you.”

Now, all through the Bible, I have marked out—I listed—but we’re not going to take time to do, but all through the Bible, God invites; he gives us prayer promises, amazing prayer promises. All through the Bible, he says, “Hey, ask me.” We don’t want what we can do; we want what God can do. We don’t get what God can do unless we’re asking for it.

I mean, we’re so limited in what we can do. Actually, the truth be known, without him, we can do nothing. And yet, sometimes we’re so lacking in prayer. Prayer is the key. It’s plugging into these electricals, and we’re gaining the electrical power, and you do that by prayer. Great things for God are done through prayer.

Now let me say this: Elijah, he’s using his illustration; he’s tapping into some of these prayer promises. Why did Elijah pray? Oh, Ahab was wicked and sinful. Why was it? He prayed that it would not rain, and God heard his prayer. And he prayed that it would rain, and God heard his prayer. But why was it? Well, look over in Deuteronomy, if you would. Deuteronomy chapter number 11. By the way, Elijah knew this.

And he’s tapping into God’s Word and his prayer promises. And it wasn’t just a half-hearted, just right off the cuff prayer. Elijah was praying for no rain for a reason; it was from God’s Word. Deuteronomy 11. Would you look in verse number 13 there real quickly in that? Deuteronomy 11 and verse number 13 right there. Notice what he says. This is, of course, Moses, and he’s giving his last farewell preaching and teaching to Israel before he leaves the scene. And notice what he says here, Deuteronomy 11, look at verse number 13: “And it shall come to pass if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments, which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart, with all your soul, that I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn and thy wine and thy oil.”

“And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full. Take heed to yourselves that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside and serve other gods and worship them.” By the way, that’s what Ahab was doing—Ahab and Jezebel and those false gods. Remember that? Mount Carmel.

So what does he do? Verse number 17: “And then the Lord’s wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit, lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you.”

Now, here’s what I’m getting at. So Elijah over there, he prayed, “Now, Lord, you said that.” He had Deuteronomy 11; he knew that. That’s those first—the Pentateuch, those first five—but he got that. And he said, “Lord, you said if we’re living sinful, worshiping other gods, it’s not going to rain.” And, Lord, you know, you know Ahab and Jezebel and what all they’re doing. And God said, “I’ll hear that prayer.” He’s using my Word.

“Oh, God, when you get a prayer promise, Lord, you said, ‘Everyone that asketh shall receive it.’ Lord, I’m asking, and I believe your Word. And, Lord, I want you to hear me.” And you get fervent about claiming these promises of God in His Word. God’s right. I like that. Oh, Steve Page believes what I wrote—my Word. God’s honored when you believe His Word.

And God says, “I’ll hear”—oh, Elijah’s prayer. God said, “Boom, shutting off the water hose.” The country, what do they call it? Hose pipe. God says, “That’s country language right there, Brother Marlon; you know that language there too, don’t you? You know?” Turning off the hose pipe, you know? And God said, “No rain, because my servant there claimed my Word, and he prayed about it.”

Friend, I’m telling you, there’s power. We have so much power if we just claim the promises of God in prayer. Well, look what all I can do. Fully on what you can do. Praise your Lord for what God can do through prayer. That’s what we want, friend: prayer. I’m saying God’s people, when they get in prayer, we travel the furthest and actually the fastest on our knees, friend. Prayer is so very, very vital. He likes it when he believes what he says.

Years ago, when Sarah was a girl, she had her bike. It was one of those bikes the chain kept coming off. And, you know, one of those bikes, you pedal about three revolutions, the chain coming off, you know. And I don’t know how old she was; I don’t know. And she said, “Dad, my chain’s messing up.” And I said, “Well, I’ll fix it. I get home; I’ll fix it,” you know.

Well, there’s a boy in the neighborhood that liked Sarah—Dirty Rod and Stinking Brat. I’m going to choke him, you know. And he was going to be the hero, and he was going to fix Sarah’s bike. “Get your hands off of her bike!” And Sarah said, “No, my dad says he’s going to fix it. And if he said it, he’s going to do it.” Woo-hoo! I like that, you know.

And God likes it when His children say, “God said, ‘Pray and I’ll give you.’ ‘You have not because you ask not.’” And the Lord likes it when His children say, “Hey, my dad said that; I believe he means it.”

Maybe the greatest prayer promise in all the Bible: Romans 8:32. I love this. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?” Wow, that’s an amazing promise. Somebody grab a hold of that promise. I said, “Lord, you said that. I believe it. I’m going to ask.”

Oh, friend, it’d be a shame to get to heaven, and God says, “I did so much more for you, but you weren’t praying.” I’m saying, “Hey, let’s just ask the Holy Spirit.” By the way, maybe you have some battles going on and some things in your life. Maybe ask the Holy Spirit, “Give me a good promise for that.” That’s a good thing.

The Bible is so full. Some people try to put a number on how many promises are in the Bible. You can’t put a number on it. As soon as you think you’ve got them all, the Holy Spirit shows you a new one. They’re all over there, friend. And the Holy Spirit, he guides us into all truth. And you ask, “Holy Spirit, I need a new promise.” It’s amazing how He’ll point them out to you.

It’s amazing you’re reading through your Bible, whatever you’re going through—that’s what parts. You say it’s different every year. It is because you’re going through different things, and the Holy Spirit is illuminating different things once you need that moment in your life. It’s amazing. That’s Holy Spirit: “Give me a prayer promise for this.” He’s so good at it. He’s got prayer promises all over the Bible.

Look over, if you will, in Revelation. We’ve used this many a time when we started to try to buy that land over there. God gave me this. This has been my promise, my prayer promise, the passage that I have used so much about buying the land and really just still hanging on to it somewhat here. I’m going to throw it out there again, give it illustration, and we’re done.

But Revelation 3. This may be a promise you could use when you’re praying at 7 p.m. I don’t know; you ask the Holy Spirit to give you a promise. But I like it. It’s Revelation 3. He’s talking to the church at Philadelphia. And notice what he says there, verse number 7. Revelation 3, verse number 7: “And unto the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David. By the way, Jesus comes through there. He that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth. Watch what he says: ‘I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.’”

Here’s the three things that spoke to my heart: “For thou hast little strength.” Oh, by the way, friend, let’s stay humble. God would have blessed—we’re to get that new building over there—and God would have blessed, and more people come to church and all that. Let’s don’t get proud. Let’s don’t think we’re all that. Let’s stay like the church: “Thou hast a little strength.” Let’s stay there. God’s been so good to us. We’ve got a radio station now and a school and, you know, ministries. It’s a good day today, and God’s blessed, and people are being saved. Let’s don’t get proud. “Well, I had so-and-so in my class.” Friend, be so careful with that. “For thou hast little strength.” Let’s stay there.

Then it goes on: “And hast kept my word.” You know, there’s so many ways to do—and I use this term lightly—the work of the Lord. There’s a lot of human techniques out there right now. A lot of different ways to make it happen right now. Let’s stick to God’s Word. Let’s do it God’s way. We’re not perfect, but let’s don’t go, “Well, if we loosen up on the music, we get more people here.” Hey, let’s just stick to God’s path. Well, if we don’t use preaching—well, the Bible says He has chosen the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Well, that old soul winning, it’s just old and outdated. Mother, it’s amazing to me, so many people said, “Don’t work anymore.” Man, four people yesterday; it sure seemed to work for me. Every Saturday we’ve been out, people have been saved.

There’s going to be all kind of different ways to get the job done. Let’s just do our best to follow God’s plan, God’s Word. “Little strength. Kept my word.” And watch what it says: “And hast not denied my name.” Who’s talking there? Jesus. Hey, let’s make much of Jesus. Pray, Lord—old Brother Bill, we had somewhat a salesman in his neighborhood, and he told him about Jesus. He asked Jesus to be his Savior. The jail ministry going there and telling those folks in the jail about Jesus. Brother Tim going to the nursing home, telling the folks in the nursing home about Jesus. The radio station—what do you want to put out on the radio station? Jesus. Saturday school—what do you do there? Tell people about Jesus. Sunday school class—praise the Lord, all the Sunday school classes—Jesus. The bus routes—man, it’s just, praise the Lord, for a great ministry. Why are you doing all that? To get them in here for numbers? Fully on numbers. We’re doing that, and tell those kids about Jesus.

“And hast not”—you say, “Well, we need to quieten down a little bit, not be so bold, so loud.” Phooey on that! Let’s don’t deny the name of Jesus. By the way, you get a soul-winning church, God will take care of a soul-winning church.

He says three things: He says, “I’ll open the door and nobody can close it.” It doesn’t matter who they are, what title they have, what power they have. He has all power given Him in heaven and earth; He can handle it for them. And He said, “Hey, little strength. Let’s do our best to keep His Word. And let’s don’t deny the name of Jesus.” Well, that’s a great promise. Somebody claiming it in prayer.

We got married in 1993. My wife was three years old at that time. But we were at Bible college at the time, right before we got married, and we needed a place to live. And we wanted to try to buy a place, but we couldn’t buy a house. But we set our sights on a trailer. It was a single-wide trailer. And be careful what you say about trailer people. I grew up in a trailer until my eighth grade; I lived in a trailer. That’s an honest truth, man, I did.

And anyway, we set our sights on this trailer. For us, man, it was a tangible home. It was a nice little trailer in a trailer park, and that’s where we wanted. The only problem: the guy that owned it, his name was Jason. And Jason said, “Well, yes, all right, you know, but I have three people in front of you, and all three people are wanting it, and all three look like they can fulfill it. So, all right, I’ll put you on the list, but, you know, three people in front of you, and they’re capable and wanting it and all that.”

But we just kind of set our hearts on that. We felt like that’s the Lord’s will. And I had already graduated but just taking some night college classes at the time, Bible college. I went to night college that evening, and there was a chapel preacher that preached on prayer. And boy, he just stirred my heart preaching on prayer, you know. And that’s the back of my head: we’ve got to get this place. We’re about to get married, and we want a place to live and all that. And he just preached on prayer. And it was convicting to me. Man, God was stirring my heart.

And so the invitation time came, and the guy that was running Bible college after the preacher got done, he got up. And he said, “Now, you know, a bunch of people came to the altar or whatnot. And he said, ‘Tonight, if you’re serious about this thing of prayer and claiming some things in prayer, and you’re not just raising your hand or coming forward for show, whatever—you’re serious about this’—you know, don’t you hate it when those preachers put all these adjectives and everything in there, you know? And he said, ‘If you’re really serious, you’re not just playing games,’ I want you to come up and shake my hand and commit.” I believe we’ll shake his hand and commit, or come forward and commit to praying about the thing. How many got in need? And boy, my hand was up.

And he said, “I want you to commit to pray about that need for two hours after midnight.” And the next week or two, I couldn’t remember—dirty big old backer’s ladder of man, I’m going to college and working 40 hours. But, you know, sleep is an important thing, you know. That’s not fair, you know. Well, if you’re not serious about it, you know? Well, all right, all right, you know.

So I committed to pray at least two hours after midnight, I think, the next week. I set my alarm—I don’t know, I want to say for 3 a.m.—and I did it two different nights, an hour each night. And… praise the Lord, there was not too much slobber on it where I was praying now, you know, all right?

And, you know, it’s funny. Right after that, I lived on an off-campus dorm. Some guys lived there, off-campus type thing. And it was before cell phones. You know people lived before there were cell phones? Did you all know that? And kind of like in the central location, there was—remember the pay phones? You had to put quarters in there and stuff. Remember those days? And there was one of those. And this guy had called—because I didn’t have a cell phone, you know, the dorm, you know, we didn’t have it in our rooms. There was one of them. And I gave him that number, I guess it was.

Someone said, “Paul, this guy called.” And I took a message, and I left a note there at that pay phone. And we’re in college the next day, and, you know, pre-cell phone, so they had like the message center, they would call it, and they would have messages, and they would go over to the intercom: “So-and-so, you have a message.” You know, they’d just read off the list of 20 people: “You got messages.” You know? And I heard my name. Well, I got a message at the message center, you know. And, you know, in the back of my head, I kept thinking, well, that’s Jason; he’s calling to tell me so-and-so bought it. It’s done. It was like the next day.

And then I had a roommate come by, and we were passing in the hallway, saying, “Hey, Paul, you know, this guy, Jason, trying to get a hold of you.” And I said, “Yeah, he’s probably calling about my great faith, right? And he’s probably calling to tell me that I sold the trailer to somebody else.” And three different ways trying to get a hold of me. And I finally got a hold of Jason, and Jason said, “Paul, we want you and your future wife to get that trailer.” When we got married, that was our first place. About a year we lived there. It was a good place. Now, it was Northwest Indiana, and so a single-wide trailer—ooh, boy, it got cold there from time to time. It is a great place.

Hey, why do you say everything? “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Would you bow your heads and close your eyes? Our heads bowed, eyes closed. Let’s just—whatever it may be, yes, the building—I want you to pray at seven o’clock about that. But maybe there’s other battles going on in your life. Maybe you want to see someone saved. Can I encourage you to pray? Whatever it may be, would you spend some time tonight? “Lord, I’m going to pray. Holy Spirit, give me a promise to claim on this situation,” whatever may be in your life. Would you stand? We’re going to have a word of prayer. Do you spend some time? The Lord, come down an old-fashioned altar as He leads you. Let’s be obedient to Him tonight.

Father, thank you for your Word. And, boy, thank you that we can come to you in prayer. I’m not worthy apart from Jesus. Thank you, Lord. You told us to come boldly. Thank you, Lord, to the throne of grace. Lord, I pray that we can see your mighty hand move in many situations because of the prayer of your people. Well, thank you, Lord, for what you do. I ask for this in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Would you come as our instruments, please? Would you come? Seeking Him, you have not because you ask not. All is coming to faith. Ask Him for a prayer promise. The Bible’s full of them. He gives good things to them that ask. Everyone that asketh receiveth. He that seeketh findeth. The hymn that knocketh, it shall be…

I appreciate you being here tonight. Seven o’clock. Seven o’clock. Let’s pray about this thing. God’s able, amen. And faith was He who calls you; also do it. And we’re honored to have a missionary family with us tonight. Praise the Lord for them. I appreciate them so very much. Twenty-five years in Cambodia and going to Ukraine now. That’s exciting. And you keep praying for them, but God will bless and use them.

And a deacon, by the way—I appreciate those people that are willing to be on. I always tell them the hardest job is the one that’s willing to be on the ballot and they don’t get elected. That’s the toughest job. And I appreciate that. Some just—there’s a little pressure with all that. And I appreciate those that are willing to be on there. They did get elected. But we do have a new deacon. We’ll talk about it and kind of plan and get things going here in a bit on that. But our new deacon for the next three years will be Brother David McCord. And congratulations to them. Great people, great people. Have a heart for the Lord and want to serve the Lord. Praise the Lord for that. I’m excited about that.

I appreciate Brother Patterson. He’s been a deacon with us before. He does a great job, but I appreciate him being willing to be on there. Thank you so much for that. And praise the Lord, just good, godly people God’s given us to be on board and going forth for the Lord. That’s so very, very important. Praise the Lord for it. But congratulations. We’ll have a special time. Brother Chip coming off, we’ll talk about all that. Brother David McCord coming on. And praise the Lord for all those things.

Let’s pray. And 7 o’clock. Don’t forget that. Let’s remind each other on that. And wherever you’re at, man, we’re all going to meet at the throne room. Amen. And excited about that. Appreciate everybody being here tonight. I’m honored to have missionaries. Thank you all again. But the prayer cards are on the back table. Stop by and get one of their prayer cards on the back table. They’ll be praying for them. Pray about their visa thing; it’s sound like the big thing right now. Pray for that if you would, please.

Brother Steve Page, would you already cutting grass around here? And I appreciate that, man. It’s amazing; it’s picking up. The grass is, you know? And would you dismiss this in a word of prayer, please, brother?

Original File: 2026-03-23 - Pastor Paul Chisgar ＂Church News and lets Pray earnestly＂ - Sunday PM 3⧸22⧸2026