Recently, Eric Turbedsky, Director of Church Planting and Jeff Purswell, Director of Theology, had a conversation about civil disobedience. While this certainly isn’t a new topic, it’s one that’s become a bit more frequent recently as we wrestle through more issues arising in 2020. I respect both Eric and Jeff and the ways they have thought through this topic. I hope that listening in serves you as you pray and consider how to best lead and serve your churches in the coming weeks and months. As you prayerfully consider your position on these things, let us take comfort in our God’s continued sovereign work in our lives.

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Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.

During such a unique year that has been filled with trials of various kinds, we want to be a people who pray big prayers with faith that our God can answer them according to His will. In his wonderful book entitled, The Power of Prayer in a Believers Life, Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Do not bring before God stinted petitions and narrow desires, but remember, as high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are His ways above your ways and His thoughts above your thoughts. Ask, therefore, after a Godlike fashion, for great things, for you are before a great throne.” 

Friends, let us be go before the “great throne” asking God in prayer for “great things.” As you pray, please consider praying for Sovereign Grace, our family of churches and our shared mission believing that God will continue to do great things through our small denomination. Here are a few ways you can pray:

• Pray that God would give the members and pastors of Sovereign Grace churches opportunities to share the gospel with unbelievers from every tribe, tongue and nation especially during such a unique year.

• Pray that God would protect and strengthen our unity in every Sovereign Grace church in a way that display’s the power of the gospel to our broken and divided communities.

• Pray for the pastors of Sovereign Grace churches asking God to give them wisdom as they continue lead their local church through COVID-19 related decisions.

• Pray that God would provide for Michael Granger as he and his family begin the process of planting a Sovereign Grace Church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia asking God to give Michael wisdom for when to launch his plant in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Pray for the Pastors College students and their families as they move to Louisville, asking God to provide for their needs, and for grace to transition into the demands and joys of a full Sovereign Grace Pastors College schedule.

• Pray that God would give the Sovereign Grace Churches Leadership Team wisdom for how to expand globally in a way that preserves our theological convictions, gospel values, and allows us to continue to build relationally.

• Pray that God would continue to provide financially for Sovereign Grace Churches so that we can fund the gospel opportunities He is giving us throughout the world.

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Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.

On behalf of the Leadership Team of Sovereign Grace Churches, I want to communicate our deep sorrow for the effects of sin that have been magnified by the events of the past few weeks. The evidence of injustice, suffering, and fragmentation within our communities breaks our hearts.

We are humbled by our inability to remedy the evils of this fallen world. Yet we are hopeful, knowing that Jesus Christ has the power to rescue sinners, transform hearts, heal the deepest of wounds, and reconcile the bitterest of enemies.

Over the past few weeks we have thought it appropriate that our local churches, in their varied nations, communities and circumstances, speak to these recent issues, and we’ve been encouraged by the compassionate and wise response of our pastors. However, we desire to express our dependence on Jesus Christ together by calling for a Day of Prayer on Wednesday, July 1, 2020.

The prayer requests below reflect not only the burdens on all of our hearts, but also the promises and faithfulness of God revealed in his Word. It is to Him that we pray in faith asking for His divine help.

• Pray that God would comfort those who have lost loved ones, who are saddened and wearied by injustices, and who are experiencing deep sorrow for the effects of sin that have been magnified recently in our culture. As a family of churches, we “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15b) and pray knowing that God draws near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18).

• Pray that God would give us wisdom and discernment as we look beyond political, economic, or social factors to the biblical issues of the human heart underlying the brokenness in our world (Mark 7:21-23). Pray that our responses to current events would be humble, patient, compassionate, and biblically informed.

• Pray that God would deepen our conviction that every man and woman is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) and that we would value everyone—including those different from us—and treat everyone with compassion, kindness, and generosity that is in keeping with the intrinsic dignity and value that is theirs as an image bearer of God (James 3:9).

• Pray that God would give us grace to walk humbly with Him, asking the Spirit to show us any sinful ways in our own hearts (Mark 7:21-23), seeking forgiveness that is ours in Christ. (Ephesians 1:7) Pray that we might also forgive others extending to them the grace that we ourselves have received (Ephesians 4:32).

• Pray that our righteous and just God would work in any unjust or oppressive situation in our communities to establish justice. Pray for all those in authority, that they may govern and lead righteously, wisely, and compassionately (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Ask God to give us as His people opportunities to reflect his character—and so to “do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8) all for His glory because “all his ways are justice” (Deuteronomy 32:4).

• Pray that our churches would display the power of the gospel that not only reconciles sinners to God but also unites diverse, formerly estranged people into “one new man”—a new humanity united in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:11-16).

• Pray that God would grant unity and peace where there is disharmony and strife in our churches and communities, making us “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3) for the display of his glory.

• Pray for the Holy Spirit to motivate and empower our declaration of the gospel as the only hope of reconciliation with God, and with each other. Ask God for specific opportunities to adorn the gospel with the good works He has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10), sharing the gospel, and demonstrating His love to those in our lives and communities.

• Pray that God would deepen our trust in His sovereign rule and reign over all (Psalm 33:11, Isaiah 37:26), even when we don’t see and understand all that He is doing, believing that He is working all things for His good purposes and for His glory (Romans 8:28).

As a Leadership Team, we thank God for the pastors and members in Sovereign Grace churches throughout the world for their devotion to Jesus Christ, who alone has the power to unite people from every tongue, tribe and nation through his saving work on the cross—and all for His glory alone.

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Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.

Mark Prater, Executive Director for Sovereign Grace Churches, recently recorded a vlog about preparing for cultural changes and persecution. As Mark states, “… Obviously we’re, you know guys here in the States, I think throughout the world, are seeing the cultural trend as it relates to sexual identity and sexual ethics. The abortion issue has been an issue for some time, not only in this nation, but, but many nations.

And now you’re seeing the Supreme Court rule on those issues in a way, at least for Christians is, disappointing. So I think, you know, the way I’m thinking about it is that I think pastors have to begin to think about how to prepare their members for persecution. I don’t think that’s an overreaction because of the cultural trends and even biblically speaking, if we’re going to live a godly life, we’re going to be persecuted. It says that in 2 Timothy 3:12, so persecution should be expected.”

You can watch the whole video below or visit his blog here.

Get updates: https://www.markkprater.com Mark Prater serves as Executive Director of Sovereign Grace Churches, a community of congregations built on strong c...

Last week, the Leadership Team met over Zoom for their Spring retreat. Among the items on the agenda, they discussed church planting and how to prepare pastors for the current cultural and political climate. You can find out more by watching Mark Prater’s most recent vlog post or watching below.

Get updates: https://www.markkprater.com Mark Prater serves as Executive Director of Sovereign Grace Churches, a community of congregations built on strong c...

Yesterday we sent our 2020 Mission Fund brochure to our pastors and staff. I love circulating this each year because it gives a glimpse behind the scenes into some of what God is doing among us. Here is an excerpt of my letter from the booklet:

The theme of this booklet is “Soli Deo Gloria” (To God Alone be the Glory). Even though this theme was chosen well before the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems even more appropriate now because we believe that God is going to use this pandemic for His good purposes and His glory alone. Could it be that God is using this unique global event to awaken the need people have for a Savior? Could it be where doors have been closed to the gospel, God is throwing them open in the hearts of people to hear the gospel? Could it be that God is going to use this unprecedented pandemic for an unprecedented advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ? May it be so, for the glory of God alone!

Our booklet this year includes updates from our recent church plants, just a few stories about our international friends, an update from Sovereign Grace Music, two articles about thinking through mission while in a pandemic and other stories. Please take time to read through them, thanking God for our partnership in the gospel and asking God how you can participate in our mission.

You can find the booklet here.

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Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.