For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. (Ezra 7:10)

Ezra's approach to the Word of God is an example to every follower of Christ. He sought to learn the Scriptures, to obey the will of God, and to teach others. Jesus himself placed a high value on the Word of God, using it frequently and quoting it three times in the temptation story of Matthew 4:1-11.

We can also apply Ezra's example to the many young graduate students at our nearby seminary, Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS). Like other churches in Orlando, Lake Baldwin Church works closely with RTS as that school seeks to train a new generation of Christian pastors and counselors. We can rejoice that the global church is being strengthened through the work of RTS. Today, let's pray for our friends at RTS, and for the faculty and students who work closely with LBC.

Pray for Don Sweeting, president of RTS. He will be preaching at LBC tomorrow. Pray, too, for Cheryl Foca, LBC member, who serves as assistant to Dr. Sweeting.
Thank God for Mike Glodo and Steve Childers, professors who worship with us at LBC. Steve teaches church planting, spiritual formation, and evangelism. Mike Glodo teaches Old Testament as well as communication (preaching) classes. Pray for them as they touch the lives of so many future leaders.
Thank God for the RTS students who have been able to get practical ministry experience at LBC: Dave Abney, Soon Pak, Tyler Groff, Mike Aitcheson, Josh Bales, Fritz Schalmo, Ben Mills, Liz Edrington, and many others who have gone into church work and counseling. Pray for a lifetime of fruitfulness.
Pray for RTS students currently serving at LBC: Tim Inman (worship), John Hill (sound, set-up), and others who have been a blessing to us.
Pray for the pizza lunch at RTS this Thursday, when we will be making connections with incoming students. Pray for the continued development of internship opportunities at LBC.
Thank God for the promise of Jesus in Matthew 16:18--"I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Pray that God will mightily use his servants who graduate from RTS to be part of Jesus' plan.