once frustrated with the apparent unresponsiveness of heaven. He wanted an explanation concerning a vision he received. After a long delay, He was met by an angel who explained that the

timing hadn’t been right. Cosmic battles of spiritual warfare had prevented an answer. Don’t get frustrated with prayer. Sometimes the timing just isn’t right. Wrong Requests I still remember

some of my prayers as a kid. I wasn’t a born-again believer, but I wanted God to give me things. I prayed for toys, trips, and opportunities to appear on game shows! I was perplexed that God didn’t respond. My example may seem exaggerated, but it makes a point. Some people don’t hear back from God, because they ask for the wrong types of things (see James 4:3). The Lord only answers prayers which are in alignment with His will (1 John 5:14). Growth Moment At times, God

doesn’t respond to our requests as we wish, because He intends to teach us some things.

Paul realized this. Though he begged God to heal him of an ailment, the Lord told him to trust in His grace and power (see 2 Corinthians 12:8-9). Dull Perception Often, we don’t

hear from God because we simply aren’t listening well. Our dull spiritual sense keeps us from perceiving what the Lord is doing (see 2 Kings 6:8-17 and James 1:19-21). I recently had a conversation

with a friend in which he shared about his struggle with prayer. He often felt like God wasn’t listening. I assured him that his experience was normal. I’ve had the same feelings. Even Jesus agonized before His Father on occasion (see Matthew 26:36-46). We shouldn’t expect prayer to always be exciting and ecstatic. Sometimes it can be lonely and laborious. It’s simply a fact of life. Not every conversation with every human is enthusiastic and energetic, and so it is with our Lord on occasion. Remember that faith, not your feelings, is what’s most important to God. Maybe He wants to use the apparent dull and directionless times of prayer to strengthen your faith. Don’t give up and don’t quit! Keep on praying!

4 Reasons God Seems SilentPrayer can be difficult. At

times, it may seem like God isn’t listening. Have you ever felt this way? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. David once called out to the Lord, saying, “My God, I cry by day, but You do not answer, by night, yet I have no rest” (Psalm 22:2). The prophet Habakkuk prayed, “How long, Lord, must I call for help and You do not listen or cry out to You about violence and You do not save?” (Habakkuk 1:2). Though it may seem that God is sometimes distant, He really isn’t (see Psalm 34:17 and 1 Peter 5:17). He always hears our prayers. There are times, however, when He may not respond to our prayers in the way in which we desire. Usually, this is because of one of four reasons. Timing Silence in the face of our

supplications is often a matter of timing. Perhaps God wants us to wait. Maybe He has a lesson to teach us. Could it be that He is listening, and that He plans to answer, but the occasion isn’t right? I think about Daniel’s experience with intercession (see Daniel 10:1-14). He was

Latvia Mission ReportAs believers, we are called to

actively spread God’s words and love to make a positive difference in the world, whether it be our loved ones, or strangers from another country. I didn’t know why God wanted me

to go on a mission trip to a country far away called Latvia, but He had good reasons. I was excited at the possibility

of witnessing to sixty Vacation Bible School children and some of their parents, many of whom were unchurched. I went with those intentions in mind, but God revealed much more to me. Though Bible School, the precious children, the workers, and the parents were all a

tremendous blessing, the most precious blessing I received was experiencing the love from our Latvian host family. God provided us with a family that we have adopted into our lives and formed an unbreakable bond. Edgars, Inga, and their children opened their hearts and home to strangers who became family. Inga and I text every day. I gave her an Open Windows Devotional Quarterly and she shared how much it touched her life situation on a particular day. We can read the same devotional every day and even though many miles apart, share what it means to each of us. I left America for Latvia praying I

could be a blessing, but the blessings I received far exceeded my expectations. I encourage everyone to pray concerning your possibility of a mission trip, and let God lead you. We all cried when we had to leave, but didn’t say goodbye—just —until later. Declare His glory among the

nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. 1 Chronicles 16:24

Sunday School 344 Morning Worship 370 Evening Worship NA Wednesday Ministries NA

Weekly Required $ 25,923.08 Weekly Received $ 23,004.57 YTD Required $ 388,846.20 YTD Received $ 353,694.21 YTD Percentage 90.96%

KSWO PreemptionsDue to preemptions we will broadcast on KSWO channel 7too on Sun, Jul 16.

Falls Creek ReportPlease join us on Sun, Jul 16 during morning worship to celebrate with our youth who made decisions at Falls Creek this year.

Kitchen CleanupVolunteers are needed to help with kitchen cleanup on Jul 17 - 19. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall at 8:30 am.

Student Bible StudyStudent Bible Study will begin on Wed, Jul 19 at 6:00 pm in the youth room.

Missions ReportSun, July 30 we will have a missions report service at 5:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. We will have sandwiches and homemade ice cream.

Falls Creek Centennial choirSIGN UP NOW for the Falls Creek Centennial Choir on Sep 3, 2017. Space is limited to first come so don’t delay! Register at www.bgcoworship.org/falls-creek-centennial-choir. Our church will host the rehearsal for this area on Aug 5, at 9:00 am. For more information contact Mike Neff.

Baptism TeamAre you ready to plug in somewhere? We are in need of both males and females to serve on FBC’s Baptism Team. Please contact either Bob Cox or Mike Neff if you are feeling called to this area.

Choir & OrchestraThank You Celebration Choir & Orchestra for leading out in worship this past spring! Enjoy your break during the summer. We will be back leading worship from the loft August 13, 2017!

Wednesday Fellowship MealsMenu for July 19

We will return to our regular scheduled Wed evening meals on Aug 23.

Thank Yous ReceivedAwanda M. Glover

Thank you for all the love, prayers, visits to the hospital from pastors, flower ladies, Sunday school teachers, and friends. Please continue to pray for me.

HomeSchool Co-op FamiliesThank you for allowing us to use your facilities for our homeschool co-op classes!