One of my favorite messages to preach when I am on the road is a sermon based upon a passage found in Acts 1. It is a wonderful glimpse into the life of the early church. The disciples are just returning from the ascension of Jesus with His marching orders (The Great Commission) fresh on their minds. Their first activity after that experience is revealing, if not a little convicting, for the modern day church.

“And they all joined together constantly in prayer…”

Acts 1:14 The very first service the church had was a PRAYER service. I am convinced that they prayed out of a sense of desperation. This God-sized mission was going to require some God-sized movement. That scenario has not changed. We still need Him. With all of our numbers, experience. and resources, we are dead in the water if He does not show up. DeSoto Hills must continue to make prayer a higher priority. (more…)

In these unique days at DeSoto Hills we are living out the words of Jesus to His disciples in Matthew 9:37

“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”

These now famous words were spoken in response to the growing crowds that were being drawn by the words and works of Jesus. I don’t believe they were spoken as a complaint or criticism, but rather as a challenge to His followers both then and now. The fact is WORKERS ARE NEEDED. I want the crowds. l love the crowds. I see them as an opportunity for us to fulfill the real heart of the Great Commission which is to “make disciples”. However, we cannot do that without workers. This is why Jesus challenged His disciples to pray for field hands. According to Jesus, who is certainly an authority in such matters, the needs are great, but the workers are few. It is not that only a few can serve, but unfortunately, only a few will serve. I am asking you to consider being one of the few. Opportunities abound for workers at DeSoto Hills. Right now we have openings for Sunday school teachers and helpers in every age group. In addition to this, a new semester of F.A.I.T.H. will begin on September 10 and we are literally in need of team members who will be trained to go out into “his harvest fields”. This semester we are offering F.A.I.T.H. on both Monday and Wednesday nights. The semester will run for 12 weeks. It is critical that we continue to reach out into our community and this process called F.A.I.T.H. is designed to help us achieve that.

I feel so blessed to be a part of the movement of God in this area. We did not make the move here just to maintain. We moved here to make a difference in the KINGDOM. If you have questions or need more information about how you can be involved, call the church office or contact Bubba Eubanks (Sunday School director) or Brandon Ulrich (Minister of Outreach). You can also volunteer by using the comment section on the visitor’s card in your bulletin. Sign up today. I guarantee you that we can help you find your niche at DeSoto Hills.

For Such a Time As This,

Bro. James

In the movie Apollo 13, Tom Hanks plays one of three real life astronauts whose mission to the moon, and even their very life, is jeopardized when they experience an onboard explosion while in space. Tom’s character utters what has become a famous line as he relays the news to NASA with these simple words, “Houston, we have a problem”. I want to borrow that phrase today to relay some news - “DeSoto Hills, we have a problem”. I am happy to say that it is a good problem, but nevertheless, it is a problem. We are experiencing some great growing pains here that must be addressed sooner than later. Sunday School is a vital part of who we are and we know from past experience that for folks to really “get connected”, they need a small group dynamic that this kind of ministry provides. However, to keep SS growing, we need more space. To provide this, we are now exploring the possibility of starting a third Sunday School. If this is implemented, we need some of you to be willing to move to that alternative hour. Please make this a matter of prayer as we weigh all our options. In the end, we want to provide the space, and most of all, the right spirit that will help folks grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you would consider moving to this “3rd Hour”, please pick up a survey, fill it out, and turn it in to the church office. Thanks for your help.

A Fellow Pilgrim,

Bro. James

P.S.
We welcome Jay Lemonds to our evening service. He is on staff at the X-tended Mission Network. I will be at First Baptist Church Booneville, MS tonight through Wednesday for my last church revival of the year.

It is hot and it’s August so that could only mean one thing, school is starting back. I have been asking folks if they were ready to go back, and so far I haven’t found anyone all that enthusiastic about it. The truth is that can be a downright dangerous subject to bring up, especially in a church that is full of folks who work in the field of education. However, ready or not, school is starting and summer is ending. But it is not all bad. The change of seasons and even a change of schedule can be a good thing. Certainly for the church the end of vacation season means more of us will be here at the same time and that is always a good thing. I look forward to the days ahead as we seek to expand the staff and the ministries of DeSoto Hills. Some exciting things are in the works and we will keep you posted. In the mean time, KEEP PRAYING. I want His hand and heart to be all over what we are doing.

A Blessed Pastor,

Bro. James

D-Now was an incredible success, thanks to everyone who had a hand in making this very large event come together! Jenn and I wanted this retreat experience for our students more than anything, and you guys helped us pull it off. Students, you were worth every minute of hard work we put into this weekend and we look forward to all God has in store in the future. We will soon have pictures on the website and the highlight video. If you are interested in a picture cd we will have them available soon, we are heading back to school this week so it may be a few days. If you have some pictures you would like to share on the cd send them to my e-mail marcuspoplewis@aol.com RIGHT NOW! Thanks students for making this weekend a great one!

Well it finally happened.  After putting it off and convincing ourselves that what we had was good enough, we finally did it.  The Lewis household has entered the 21st century.  We now have high speed Internet at 4833 Henry Drive.  But it doesn’t stop there.  Not only have we gone high speed, we have gone wireless.  It is enough to make two technophobia individuals dizzy.  I can now get on the World Wide Web anywhere in my house, even on my screen porch, which is one of my favorite spots.  It sounds like a cliché, but the fact is we didn’t know what we were missing.  We thought that what we had was sufficient, until we got a better connection.  I hope you have noticed that we now have a new bulletin shell here at DeSoto Hills and with it a new kind of theme.  It is my desire and prayer that the Lord will use us to help folks “Get Connected” to the Lord and His will.  Some may have no connection at all, while others have a slow connection that gives them little access to the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Once they really “get connected”, I believe there will be no turning back.  Being connected to the World Wide Web is small potatoes compared to having direct access to heaven.

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

Surfing the Web,

Bro. James