SUMMER SEMESTER BEGINS JUNE 1! REGISTRATION BEGINS APRIL 1!

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1 Ministry with Excellence, LLC. MWE School of Ministry, INC. Dr. Michael D. Woods B.A., M.A., M.Div., D.Min. Creating Excellence from the Pulpit to the Pew! March 2009 IN THIS ISSUE School Updates Page 1 Dr. Woods New Book Page 4 Holy Land Trip February 09 Page 5 St. Paul s in Nassau Page 8 Mt. Nebo in Nassau Page 9 Operation Impact 09 Page 10 Dr. Woods Sermon Outline Page 11 Dr. Woods Itinerary Page 14 GoodShop & GoodSearch Page 15 Sow a Seed Page 17 SUMMER SEMESTER BEGINS JUNE 1! REGISTRATION BEGINS APRIL 1! Please watch this Newsletter and other special promotions for the Summer 2009 Schedule. Please be prepared to enroll to either start or continue your learning track. SPRING SEMESTER 2009 UPDATE! The Spring 2009 Semester classes are progressing along quite well. This semester MWE and the MWE School of Ministry have seven classes and a total of 88 students. Hermeneutics (Interpreting the Bible) is being taught at three locations. The other classes are Sermon Preparation, Sermon Delivery, Theology and New Testament Survey. Pages 2 and 3 feature pictures of the classes. MWE and the MWE School of Ministry is led by Dr. Michael D. Woods and is staffed with persons who are Five C Instructors. Each has the Character, Calling, Competence, Chemistry and Credentials to bring excellence in biblical and theological education to the classroom setting. As a result, we have a growing number of students who leave each class with great excitement and enthusiasm over their learning experience. 80% of the persons serving in churches, from the Senior Pastor on down, are individuals who have never had any Bible College/Seminary training. MWE and the MWE School of Ministry provide that same quality of training at a tremendously reduced cost. If you are not seeking a college degree, but want the same knowledge and skill as those who are, MWE is the perfect fit for you. Tuition is affordable, we accept credit and debit cards and we offer payment plans.

2 Sermon Delivery at Corinth Baptist Church Theology at Salem Baptist Church Sermon Preparation at Fairfield Baptist Church Interpreting the Bible at Fairfield Baptist Church Interpreting the Bible at All Nations Church N. T. Survey at Big Miller Grove Baptist Church 2

3 Interpreting the Bible at Norman Grove Baptist Church - Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 We Create Excellence from the Pulpit to the Pew! How do we do it? By Encouraging Senior Pastors, Equipping Associate Ministers Empowering Church Leaders, Edifying Church Members! Enroll next semester into the MWE School of Ministry and become blessed along with many others. 3

4 What Now Lord? by Dr. Woods is HERE! Dr. Woods first and long anticipated book is now ready. If you want to experience the promises of the Scripture as you grow into a more mature believer, get this book, read it and take heed to it. What Now Lord? is an easy to read volume that addresses 10 of the most important issues relating to the growth and development of a Christian. Would you like to: Understand why we need a Savior! Learn the significance of Baptism! Pray with effect as Jesus did! Read and understand your Bible! Get truth on tithes and offerings! Learn how to choose a church home! Discover the personality and works of the Holy Spirit! Order your copy today at These issues and others are addressed in What Now Lord? Also, this book is an excellent study guide for New Member Classes, Discipleship and Bible Study Groups. What Now Lord? is available through the MWE website at Soon it will be available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Target, Xulon Press and other venues. Please visit our website to order your copy at $10.99 each. Call or MWE for discounts on orders of 12 or more copies. ENDORSEMENT Dr. Michael Woods writes out of an abundance of professional and practical experience. His work is a great contribution to the body of Christian literature and the body of Christ. I highly recommend its reading. James Flanagan, Ph.D., President, Luther Rice Seminary Atlanta, GA ENDORSEMENT Dr. Michael Woods approach to Christian maturity is holistic: he combines faith with practice. His work of studying theology is reflected and mirrored by his life of doing theology. This multifaceted examination of Christian discipleship will benefit any believer who is serious about going from faith to faith and from glory to glory. I highly recommend it to you. Robert Smith, Jr. - Professor of Preaching Beeson Divinity School of Samford University Birmingham, AL 4

5 Holy Land Pilgrimage 2009 On Wednesday, February 4, Dr. Woods and 20 others departed the U. S. for another trip to the Holy Land. Their pilgrimage started on Mt. Carmel where Elijah defeated 850 false prophets. This site provided one of the most beautiful views of the Valley of Meggido where the Battle of Armageddon will take place. The group spent the first three nights at a hotel on the Sea of Galilee. From that base, they sailed across the Sea of Galilee; visited Nazareth where Christ was brought up; the place at Cana where the Lord performed His first miracle; Capernaum, the home of Peter; Gadara where Jesus delivered the man who lived among the graves and several other sites in the region of Galilee. After having a Baptism Service at the Jordan River, the group visited the ancient city of Beth Shean where Saul and Jonathan were killed. From there they saw Quamran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and then they enjoyed the healing properties of the Dead Sea. The final days were spent in Jerusalem where the group visited Bethlehem, Gethsamane, the Temple Mount, the Western Wall (Wailing Wall), and other locales in and around the Old City Jerusalem. Their trip climaxed with a Communion Service by the tomb where Christ resurected from the dead. Our Motorcoach Dinner at Our Hotel Pastor Goodrum on the Mt. of Olives Pastor Brooks Praying in Gethsamane 5

6 Min. Johnson Crossing the Sea of Galilee Pastor Thomas Being Baptized in Jordan Pastor Odom Conducting Holy Communion Dr. Woods Preaching During Sunday Worship Min. Fields Enjoying the Dead Sea Dr. Woods Camel Riding in Jerusalem 6

7 The 2009 Group Dr. Woods will return with a group of senior pastors in February You or your pastor can be a part of this next Holy Land Pilgrimage. Call his office at or send him an at DrWoods@mwenow.com for the cost and details. 7

8 Leadership Workshop at St. Paul s Baptist Church in Nassau and Book Signing On Sunday, February 22, Dr. Woods preached during the Morning Worship Services of the St. Paul s Baptist Church in Nassau, Bahamas. On that following evening, he conducted a Leadership Workshop there. Dr. Woods was hosted by Senior Pastor, Rev. Dr. J. Carl Rahming. During the Workshop, Dr. Woods taught from his book, What Now Lord? Below are pictures from the affair and if you are ever in Nassau, Bahamas, please visit with Dr. Rahming and the St. Paul s Church Family. Dr. Rahming and Dr. Woods The Saints at St. Paul s Baptist Church St. Paul s Baptist Church Dr. J. Carl Rahming - Senior Pastor Bernard Road Fox Hills Nassau, Bahamas jcstpauls@yahoo.com

9 Worship Service at Mt. Nebo Baptist Church in Nassau and Book Signing On Sunday, February 22, Dr. Woods preached during the Early Morning Worship Services of Mt. Nebo Baptist Church in Nassau, Bahamas. Dr. Woods was hosted by Senior Pastor, Dr. Charles Rolle. Dr. Wood s message was well-received by the Mt. Nebo Church Family and many copies of his book were purchased. Below are pictures of the affair. If you are ever in Nassau, please visit with Dr. Rolle and the Mt. Nebo Family. Dr. Rolle and Dr. Woods The Sanctuary Interior Mt. Nebo Union Baptist Church Rev. Dr. C. Ephraim Rolle Marshall Road South Beach Nassau, Bahamas mnubc.ministries@gmail.com

10 Operation Impact s Annual Black History Program On Saturday, February 28, Operation Impact invited Dr. Woods to serve as the guest speaker for their Annual Black History Program. The gathering took place at the St. James Baptist Church in Abbeville, SC. Operation Impact is a 501-C-3 community service organization that positively influences the youth of Abbeville County in a variety of ways, including providing college scholarships. The theme for the Program was Moving Ahead with a New Generation. Dr. Woods used Philippians 4:13-14 to coincide with the theme as he encouraged everyone to Be Forgetful of the Past, Be Forgiving of the Present and Be Focused on the Future. The attendees included ministers, school board president, politicians and others. The presiding minister for the evening (Claude Thomas) is the first black chairman of the county counsel. Please make a contribution to Operation Impact and assist them in their most honorable mission. Chairman Claude Thomas Presiding Sax Solo by Eric Coleman Congregational Photo Congregational Photo Operation Impact, Inc. Mr. Paul Crawford-President P. O. Box 1061 Abbeville, S. C

11 Dr. Woods Sermon Outline Malachi 3:7-12 If It s All His, What s Mine? There are over 2350 verses in the Bible that deal with money; far more than about heaven and hell combined. 15% of Jesus words dealt with financial and business matters. In view of the importance of this issue, pray with me as I spend some time clarifying God s perspective on Tithing. The History of Tithing Genesis 14:17-20 ~ God gave Abraham and 318 men victory in a battle against a large army. Upon his return, Abraham met Melchizedek, the King of ancient Jerusalem (City of Peace). Melchizedek served Abraham bread and wine and pronounced blessings upon him. Abraham realized that his meeting with the King of Salem was not just a coincidence, but a divine encounter with God. Therefore, Abraham gave Melchizedek 10% of everything he had gained from the battle against the four kings and their armies. Abraham realized that God had given him victory and his thanksgiving was shown by giving tithes of all he gained to the work of God led by Melchizedek. Genesis 28:10-22 ~ God made a vow to Jacob to bless him, multiply his offspring into a great nation and to give them a land they could call their own. Jacob responded to these great promises by vowing to give God a tenth of everything God blessed him with. Leviticus 27:30 ~ God told the Hebrews that a tenth of everything they earned was His and was to be given to His work on the earth. Deuteronomy 14:22 ~ God required 10% of the annual gross earnings of the people. 2 Chronicles 31:2-21 ~ As the people honored God with their time, talents and tithes, God blessed and prospered them spiritually, emotionally, socially and financially. Mat. 23:23 ~ Jesus commended the Pharisees for giving their tithes, but He emphasized that He wanted their complete submission in every area of life. Jesus Raised the Standard When the subject of tithes is brought up, some immediately say that tithing was for those under the Law and not for us under Grace. The truth is, honoring God with 10% of one s income began about 700 years before the Dispensation of the Law. Even at that, when Jesus came to teach us the ways of God, did He retreat from the standards of the Law or did he raise the bar of righteousness and obedience to another level? He raised the bar to a new height. Consider these instances on the subjects of anger (Matthew 5:21-24), adultery (Matthew 5:27-28), divorce (Matthew 31-32), taking oaths (Matthew 33-37), getting even (Matthew 5:38-42), and on dealing with enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). Whatever the standard of obedience was for the believer s time, talent and tithes under the Law, Jesus raised it to another level. The Occasion of Malachi - 3:7-12 Because of their sins, God allowed the Israelites to be overthrown by the Babylonians (modern day Iraq). The young and strong were deported to Babylon while the old and weak were left to die. After 70 years of slavery, the Hebrews were released and allowed to return to their homeland. Zerrubabel, Ezra and Nehemiah led large contingencies of Jews back home and saw to the rebuilding of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. Though great celebration and revival was associated with these events, eventually the people returned to their lax ways. 11

12 Widows, orphans and other vulnerable persons were taken advantage of by the powerful. Intermarriage with unbelievers was freely engaged in and divorce became the order of the day. Many refused to give their tithes and offerings and the priests became neglectful of their duties. The people became apathetic and many questioned God s love for them and His authority over them. Such were the conditions under which Malachi was charged to preach, teach and minister. In this text, the issues of tithes and offerings are given specific attention. Consider its teachings. God s Case - Vs 7a God told the Israelites that they were following the sinful ways of their forefathers who had caused them to be subjected to the Babylonian captivity. They had forsaken the Lord and His commandments. God said that they had given heed to the culture around them and were conforming to the ways of the unbelieving world. Because of their departure from an obedient relationship with God, He had withdrawn His abundant blessings from their lives. God instructed the Hebrews to rededicate themselves to Him and He would rededicate Himself to them. God s Charge - Vs 7b-8 As God presented His case against Israel, many began to raise the question as to How were they to show that they were rededicating themselves to the Lord? God responded to this question with a question that identified their defrauding of God and His ministry in Jerusalem. Since the tithe and offerings belonged to God, the Jews were guilty of robbery by refusing to give to God what belonged to Him. God informed these people that their rededication of their lives to Him would be evidenced by the giving of their tithes. Vs 9 God s Condemnation God told the people that their rebellion against Him prohibited Him from blessing them as He desired and that the result of this condition could only be described as being cursed. In this accursed state, God either stood passively by and allowed the people to deal with the struggles of life alone or He pronounced some disappointment upon them as a rebuke against their sins. God s Challenge - Vs 10a God challenged the Hebrews by telling them to return to giving their tithes to His ministry work. God invited the His people to put Him to the test to see if He would do everything He had promised in His Word (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). God s Commitment - Vs 10b-12 The God who is Truth and cannot lie told these people that if they would commit themselves to a lifestyle of obedience in the usage of their time, talents and tithes, He would pour out blessings upon them in abundance. God promised that He would protect them from the forces that sought to attack their wealth and destroy their prosperity. God promised that He would bless them and see to their investments coming to fruition. God promised that He would so bless them that the unbelievers would be attracted to them and would want to be like them. By now, the question should be clear that if all we have is God s, then what do we get? The answer is: You can take it all and use it for your pleasure. If you do, please do not expect the hand of the Lord to be upon you and in your life. If you love God and believe His Word, accept the fact that none of the money is yours. Understand that we are simply managers and that we should ask the Owner how He wants us to manage His money. In relationship to money, we need to surrender ourselves to the Lord, reject this world s system that has no affection for God and experience the renewal of our minds and hearts (Romans 12:1-2). 12

13 Consider three ways in which we should offer our monies to the Lord: 1. Commit to being a Percentage Giver. Honor God with the Tithe of 10% and do it in faith that He will take care of you. If you think that you are so deep in debt that you cannot tithe, look at ways to decrease spending in order to create the environment for God s abundant blessings. 2. Commit to being a Priority Giver. Make the Lord s Tithe your supreme financial concern. Do not let other issues encroach upon God s financial territory. Put God at the top of the list of your concerns and God will keep you at the top of His. 3. Commit to being a Progressive Giver. Tithing is our minimum service to God who has given us His Son and so much more. As you gain more financial freedom, resist the temptation to buy more and bigger stuff. Increase your giving beyond the 10%. Increase your giving before increasing your lifestyle and God will bless you and your entire life in His own particular style. As we learn to honor God with ourselves and our substances, we will find peace and happiness in and with God. We will experience more intimacy with God, especially in our prayers. He will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings beyond our imagination. When we place our contribution in the collection plate, we are not giving to the Lord; we are just taking our hands off what belongs to Him. The Speaker s Quote Book 13

14 Dr. Woods Teaching and Preaching Itinerary Mondays at 6:45 pm: Teaching Sermon Development at Fairfield Baptist Church in Lithonia, GA (Rev. Michael Benton-Pastor). Tuesdays at 6:45 pm: Teaching Interpreting the Bible at Fairfield Baptist Church in Lithonia, GA (Rev. Michael Benton-Pastor). Wednesdays at 7:00 pm: Teaching Interpreting the Bible at All Nations Life and Praise in Stockbridge, GA (Min. Keith D. Brooks-Pastor). 1 st Saturdays at 10:00 am: Teaching Hermeneutics at First Norman Grove Baptist Church in Scottale, GA (Rev. E. L. Ellison-Pastor). 2 nd and 4 th Saturdays at 10:00 am: Teaching New Testament Survey at Big Miller Grove Baptist Church in Lithonia, GA (Bishop Miles E. Fowler-Pastor). Saturdays at 2:00 pm: Teaching Sermon Delivery at Corinth Baptist Church in Social Circle, GA (Bishop William Davenport-Pastor). Sunday, March 15 at 11:00 am: Guest Preacher during the 12 th Pastor s Anniversary Celebration at the Oak Grove Baptist Church in Jackson, GA (Rev. Poleon Griffin- Pastor). Saturday, March 21 at 9:00 am: Facilitator of a Church Leadership Workshop at Big Miller Grove Baptist Church in Lithonia, GA (Bishop Miles E. Fowler-Pastor). Wednesday-Friday, March at 7:30 pm: Guest Preacher during the Revival Services of the White Rock Baptist Church in Decatur, GA (Rev. Walker Moore-Pastor). Sunday, April 12 at 6:00 am: Guest Preacher during the Annual Sunrise Services of Mt. Hermon Baptist Church in Bradley, SC (Rev. James C. Smith-Pastor). Friday, April 17 at 7:00 pm: Facilitator of a Church Leadership Workshop at Johnson Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Portal, GA (Rev. John C. Newkirt-Pastor). Saturday, April 18 at 9:00 am: Facilitator of a Church Leadership Workshop at Johnson Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Portal, GA (Rev. John C. Newkirt-Pastor). Sunday, July 12 at 11:00 am, Guest Preacher during Annual Family Day Services at Decatur Bible Chapel in Lithonia, GA (Dr. Fenton Richards-Pastor). If you would like to have Dr. Woods as a guest preacher, teacher or lecturer at your ministry location or if you desire to have him and his staff provide theological, ministerial or leadership development for your ministers, leaders and staff, please call the MWE office at for a prompt response. You may also send the details of your inquiry to DrWoods@mwenow.com. 14

15 Please Use GoodShop and GoodSearch! Would you like to make monetary contributions to the MWE School of Ministry? If you will use when you shop online, many businesses you already patronize will donate a percentage of your total purchase to our school. Just follow these instructions: Go to enter MWE School of Ministry as your charity, click on Verify, scroll down to the business of your choice, click on its icon and proceed with your purchase as normal. Each month, GoodShop will send a check to our School for the accumulated total of all orders. Down with Google and Yahoo. If you will use when you search online, GoodSearch will donate money to our school every time you use their Search Engine. Just follow these instructions: Go to enter MWE School of Ministry as your charity, click on Verify, enter your search word or words in the Search Box and proceed as you normally do. Each month, GoodSearch will send a check to our School for the accumulated total of all eligible searches and you will not encounter unwanted and offensive material. 15

16 Why not share this newsletter with your friends? Just forward your copy to them. If you are not already on the list to receive this newsletter, you can add your name to receive each edition by registering at our website. You can also access past editions at our website. Ministry with Excellence MWE School of Ministry Dr. Michael D. Woods P. O. Box Stone Mountain, GA Office Fax 16

17 SOW A SEED OFFERING AND REAP A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST! The MWE School of Ministry is a 501 C-3 Non-Profit Ministry And we need your financial support! You may donate through our website or by mailing a check to our office! The MWE School of Ministry has been designated by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501-C-3 Tax Exempt entity, and your contributions to our mission are fully tax-deductible. We invite you to invest in the spiritual development of others through our School of Ministry. Please consider partnering with this ministry with a monthly contribution that fits within your budget. You may pledge $25, $50, $100 or any monthly amount you choose. Also, you may send a one-time seed offering in the amount of $50, $100, $250, $500, $1000, or more. Please make your check or money order payable to MWE School of Ministry and mail it to P. O. Box , Stone Mountain, GA, We will immediately acknowledge receipt of your contributions. We will provide a copy of our IRS Approval Letter to donors upon request. Your gifts and investments will be greatly appreciated and will be used to prepare men and women to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to further the mission of the Kingdom of God. We are praying for your peace and well-being and please remember us when you kneel before the Lord. It pleases the Father when we pray for each other and when we assist each other in fulfilling our God-given missions. 17