Category: Uncategorized

Singing is today’s featured hobby, enjoyed by a junior TGP team member.

From beginning to end, singing is an intrinsic part of God’s work on Earth. The Lord Himself says that when He created the world, the angels sang (Job 38:1-7). In praise of the Lamb Who brings redemption and restoration, believers in heaven sing a new song (Rev. 5:9-10).

Singing also fills in the middle space of Earth’s existence, the time we currently occupy. Music has been part of every culture. The capacity of both the words and melodies of songs to capture all the emotions and themes of life, stirring our souls in many ways, is truly a gift from our gracious Creator.

For the Christian, singing bolsters our faith; in the declaration of what is true about our God our focus is re-oriented on the anchor of our souls that is greater than anything else. Both in singing (or listening to / meditating on a song) in the solitude of one’s home, or joining other believers in corporate worship, every child of God should follow His many directives to praise Him in song. It blesses Him; it encourages us; it ministers to other believers.

Musical talent is not the basis for deciding whether to sing to God; love is. Let our hearts echo the words of Psalm 104:33, “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.”

1. Pray for a Christian in each of the fifty US states who is discouraged today to be deeply encouraged by the truth of a song about the Lord.

2. Pray for the families of Christian musicians to abide in Christ, and know the provision of their Father in all realms.

3. Pray that a lost person in each of the fifty US states who has heard the song “Jesus Loves Me” will think of the words today, considering what they really mean, and believe the gospel.

Isaiah 40:29-31

Matthew 21:22

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

Praise the Lord for two new TGP members that joined our prayer team this week!

1. Persecution in Nigeria: Pray for the Lord to comfort and provide for grieving families who have lost a family member(s) this year due to targeted attacks against Christians.

2. Newton Ground, St. Kitts and Nevis: Pray for John Newton’s song “Amazing Grace” to find resonance in the lives of many people in Newton Ground.

3.Your Choice: Please pray for a request you remember from one of the other locations featured this week:

Embroidery

Modeling

Calabar, Nigeria

Thank you for praying!

Embroidery is one of the oldest textile arts, examples of which have been found from hundreds of years before the time of Christ. It has spanned cultures and continents, and the basic stitches and techniques of hand embroidery have remain unchanged (machine embroidery is fairly new). Young and old alike enjoy this inexpensive and versatile craft.

Embroidery has included everything from monogramming initials to portraying detailed pictures of historical events. There are many subcategories of embroidery, such as cross stitch or candlewicking. Adding beauty to everyday items (pillow cases, handkerchiefs, kitchen linens, etc.) is a way to simultaneously exercise creativity and express love for the people who use those things.

1. Sashiko is Japanese embroidery that began as a way to mend or reinforce clothing, using eye-catching shapes and patterns. It typically uses white thread on denim colored fabric, and is now often applied decoratively. Pray for both the youngest and oldest two people in Japan who will do sashiko embroidery today, that they may have (and take) an opportunity to put their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.

2. Crewel embroidery uses wool threads to create designs. The wool thread is thicker than regular embroidery floss. Though originating in medieval England, today the center for crewel embroidery is Kashmir, India. Pray that a skilled crewel embroiderer in Kashmir will let the Good Shepherd work His design in her life, just as she does what she wills with the wool thread.

3. Pray for a Christian whose eyesight is decreasing, and with it the ability to thread a needle / embroider. Giving up a long-enjoyed hobby is difficult, so pray for God’s grace to continually encourage that person.

Matthew 21:22

Our Tuesday/Thursday summer hobby series will conclude at the end of August. There are a few open slots left, so feel free to send in your favorite hobby if you would like to see it featured.

Modeling involves several components:

1. Studying the “real thing” to  understand minute details,

2. Making scaled down measurement applications so that the model will accurately reflect the original,

3. Patience in construction of intricate parts – including internal components that will not be visible upon completion of the project, and

4. Enjoyment and satisfaction in the finished product’s accurate representation of the original.

Each of these components of modeling as a hobby is also true in the lives of Christians. In fact, the word Christian literally means “little Christ.” At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell all believers, beginning the transformational process of making them like Christ. He does not stop until a Christian enters heaven, at which time the model is beautifully finished (Ph. 1:6). Jesus said, “…everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” (Lk. 6:40)

1. Pray for yourself and other Christians in your church to yield to the Spirit as He works today toward the goal of making all of us more like Christ.

2. Pray for unsaved individuals in your town to meet Christians who accurately reflect the Savior, and for the Lord to use that to draw them to  salvation.

3. The airplane model above is being made from layers of cereal box cardboard glued together, paper, thread, bits of metal from a soda can, etc.  Hours and hours of work have occurred to draw the plans and get the model to the stage it is at in the picture. A hobbyist doesn’t mind the painstaking labor because he enjoys what he does. Praise God for His loving patience – which far surpasses any modeling hobby project – in all of our lives!

Matthew 21:22

Mark 16:15

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

1. Los Angeles, USA: Pray for every Afghan refugee who has resettled (or will) in Los Angeles to hear/believe the gospel in the process of beginning a new life.

2. Galindez Island, Antarctica: Galindez Island is part of the Argentine Islands, Wilhelm Archipelago. Pray for the salvation of the next Argentine naval officer to go to Galindez Island.

3. Selcuk (Ephesus), Turkey: Pray for a policeman in Selcuk to know the peace of God in his life.

Thank you for praying!

Matthew 13:43

Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

1.Collecting: People can change the tenor of their words. The thief on the cross started out as one who ridiculed Jesus, but came to a realization and belief in the fact that Jesus was innocent. His words and attitude changed as a result, and Jesus took notice. Pray for someone living in your region of the country who has long ridiculed Truth to be likewise gloriously redeemed.

2.Writing Fiction: Jesus used the genre of fiction when He told parables to illustrate spiritual truths by placing them in easily understood daily life settings. (The way to distinguish a parable from His references to actual events is that parables do not contain names of specific individuals.) One such parable is Matthew 13’s story of the farmer and the types of ground that received seed. Pray for someone who has heard the gospel but not yet believed to have a heart like the good ground Jesus described.

3.Your Choice: Please pray for a request you remember from one of the other locations featured this week:

Zagreb, Croatia

Damascus, Syria

Ostersund, Sweden

Yeniseysk, Russia

Thank you for praying!

The hobby of collecting items can be as varied as the individuals who enjoy it. Postage stamps, patches (of state / national parks visited, for example), vintage books, buttons, varied China teacup patterns, antique guns, movies of a particular actor – these are just a few examples of what people collect. Even among a category like coin collections there are many sub-categories: military coins, ancient coins, state quarters, coins from international travels, etc.

Did you know that God Himself is a Collector? Malachi 3:17 records this declaration: “And they shall be Mine, saith the LORD of Hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels (literally, “special treasure”)…”

What is the “they” of His collection? Verse 16 answers this question: “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name.”

To get the full impact of why the people described in verse 16 were viewed by God as a special treasure, we need to notice the setting of verses 13 to 15. Most people’s words were stout against the Lord, and yet they claimed innocence. This is like a black velvet cloth on which a jeweler places jewels. The colors and sheen of the jewels are more obvious to the observer because of the contrast of the background fabric. The same contrast is highlighted in Malachi 3:13-18.

1. Pray that Christians who are currently living out the same actions of verse 16 (fearing the LORD, thinking about Him, and speaking often to other believers about Him) will be deeply encouraged by the fact that God Himself pays attention to, listens, records, and remembers their words.

2. People can change the tenor of their words. The thief on the cross started out as one who ridiculed Jesus, but came to a realization and belief in the fact that Jesus was innocent. His words and attitude changed as a result, and Jesus took notice. Pray for someone living in your region of the country who has long ridiculed Truth to be likewise gloriously redeemed.

3. David prayed the following in Psalm 19:14: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my Strength, and my Redeemer.” Pray for this to be true in the lives of all TGP team members today.

Matthew 13:43

Thank you to a Vermont TGP team member for submitting today’s featured hobby!

Many genres of literature are written and enjoyed throughout the world. Today’s focus is on the area of fiction, which includes many sub-categories. Historical fiction is a unique intertwining of actual events / people with created characters / sub-plots. Science fiction is often futuristic, involving imagined inventions. Mystery / adventure, romance, fantasy, allegory, and literary fiction are also popular forms. From Winnie the Pooh to the works of Charles Dickens, children and adults alike enjoy reading fiction. Fictional pieces can range in length from short stories (such as those of O’Henry) to the longest novel ever published: In Search of Lost Time, a 7-volume book containing 1.3 million words.

1. Jesus used the genre of fiction when He told parables to illustrate spiritual truths by placing them in easily understood daily life settings. (The way to distinguish a parable from His references to actual events is that parables do not contain names of specific individuals.) One such parable is Matthew 13’s story of the farmer and the types of ground that received seed. Pray for someone who has heard the gospel but not yet believed to have a heart like the good ground Jesus described.

2. Pilgrim’s Progress, an allegory written by John Bunyan in 1678, has often been described as a book second only to the Bible. One part of the story depicts Christian and Hopeful locked in the dungeon of Giant Despair. They forget that they have the Key of Promise (indicative of the promises of Scripture). When they remember they have it three nights later, they are able to escape. Pray that Christians throughout the world today will remember, be strengthened by, and avail themselves of the hope that God’s promises give.

3. Pray for Christian students in secular universities not to be deceived by the false idea that the Bible is fictional. Pray for them instead to be wholeheartedly convinced of its complete historical veracity and inerrancy.

Matthew 13:43

Thanks to a Vermont team member for submitting today’s featured hobby!

Knitting is a craft over a thousand years old. Likely originating in the Middle East, trade routes carried knitting to Europe, where it gained popularity during the Middle Ages. Creating articles that provided both needed warmth and an outlet for artistic expression, knitting has continued to be a favorite pastime through the centuries.

From bone, wood, ivory, copper, aluminum, or plastic, various materials have been used for knitting needles. Early yarns were primarily from wool, though cotton or even silk was used at times. Today’s yarns feature both natural and synthetic fibers.

It is estimated that around 50 million people around the world knit or crochet. (Crocheting is similar to knitting, but uses only one shorter hooked needle, as compared to the two long knitting needles.) This number translates to about 1 in every 161 people worldwide who knit or crochet. Yarn arts are sometimes taught in groups like 4-H clubs, and sometimes just passed down from generation to generation in the home setting.

1. Pray for 50 of those 50 million knitters / crocheters who do not know Jesus to enter a personal relationship with Him before the end of the summer.

2. Sometimes in American culture today, young people grow up without learning any practical hands-on skills. Pray for Christian parents and grandparents to see the value of passing on homemaking skills, and be intentional in doing so with their children.

3. Pray for someone who does not know his or her birth parents, and so struggles with identity and worth issues, to discover the truth that ultimately, God is the Creator Who oversaw their development in utero, as Psalm 139:13-18 beautifully describes.

John 7:37-38

Note: Please send in any additional names or updates you may have for our specific salvation prayer list before July 20.

Thanks to a Vermont team member for submitting today’s featured hobby! This series will run through the end of August, so feel free to send in your hobbies if you have not done so already.

Quilling, or paper rolling, is an intricate and colorful way to add a three dimensional element to flat surfaces. Strips of paper are rolled and then glued down in whatever shapes or designs the artist desires. The decorated surface can be anything from paper goods to home decor to jewelry. Finished pieces invite the observer to take another look because there is so much detail to be seen and enjoyed.

Quilling is both an ancient and modern craft. It’s exact origins are unknown, but quilling (first with gold and silver wires, and later with paper) has been a part of many cultures. The term “quilling” comes from the fact that strips of paper were rolled around a quill to produce and hold a desired shape (today there are a variety of quilling tools). The art form became very popular during the Renaissance and following centuries. Although it declined for a while, quilling has become increasingly popular again in recent years.

1. Pray for a person who will be quilling today to realize that God takes as much care in the details of her life as she takes in every strip of paper used to create a project. Truly, “we are His workmanship.” (Eph. 2:10)

2. Pray for the owner of a company that manufactures quilling tools to understand and believe the gospel.

3. Pray for a Christian recipient of a quilled gift to realize how much he or she is loved, and to see that human gift as an extension of God’s love.

Genesis 1:31