Thanks to God

To those who are pure, all things are pure, but to those who are full of sin and do not believe, nothing is pure. (Titus 1:15 NCV)

Those who think one day is more important than other days are doing that for the Lord. And those who eat all kinds of food are doing that for the Lord, and they give thanks to God. Others who refuse to eat some foods do that for the Lord, and they give thanks to God. (Romans 14:6 NCV)

Today's meditation:

• Much has become attached to Christmas that is not part of the original story, and worse, can often detract. Santa, elves, Rudolf, to name a few. Rather than argue over myths and fiction, maybe we should use them to point back to Jesus. After all, stories of Santa can teach lessons about selflessness, elves about service, and Rudolf about persecution and persistence. In a sense, believers can help sanctify some of the fiction, and at the end of the story, point to the Savior and to the Gospel much like Jesus did with parables.

Pray today:

• For believers during this Christmas season to keep Christ the focus of the season amid all the festivities and storytelling, for us to tell the most important story of all about a loving God who teaches us by his own example how to give to make a difference in the world.
• For the people of Emmanuel College to celebrate and give thanks to God this season and throughout the year, for us to give, serve, and persist despite difficulties and even persecution.
• For Emmanuel to be a college true to its name - God with us.

Pray for the top three needs of Emmanuel College:

• To hear the Word of the Lord regarding life after debt and our vision for an expanded mission for 2019 and beyond.
• To enroll more than 1000 students in August 2019.
• To continue reducing our debt over the next five years with the purpose of becoming debt-free.

Pray for upcoming events and activities:.

• Spring Semester enrollment in January 2019 to exceed expectations because of better retention and larger numbers of new students, and for a total enrollment of 900 or more.
• New Beginnings Spiritual Emphasis, January 10-13, 2019.
• Scholars' Day recruiting events on campus in February 2019.
• Spring Preview recruiting event on campus, March 22-24, 2019.
• EC Serve trips for 2019 in the planning stages to Alaska, Appalachia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Myanmar, and Panama.
• For special projects to begin in 2019 to construct and remodel facilities debt-free, including improvements to Wellons Residence Hall, construction of the Collins agricultural teaching/lab building, obtaining lead gifts to expand the dining hall and improve academic facilities, and for wisdom in fundraising, planning, and implementation. 

Pray First! Pray Through!