Ps. Devin: I’ve never been more exhausted in my entire life!

Church,

Have you ever had a season where things just kept piling up? It has been a combination of transitions, unmet expectations, loved ones’ health issues, loss/grief, household pressures, concerns for my wife and children, worries for my extended family and close friends, and the list could go on and on. And that’s not to mention the burdens that can come with pastoring and leading a church back from pandemic status. It’s enough to make you want to holler! [scream]

Allow me to share a little remedy with you that helped me immensely. After I let out my scream, this passage of scripture immediately came to my mind:

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. – Psalm 61:2

I think there are at least two things that we can glean from this single verse:

1. WE CAN CALL OUT TO GOD FROM OUR BREAKING POINT. David felt like he was at the ‘end of the earth.’ Have you ever had moments where you felt like your world was coming to an end? When have things in your life gone from bad to really bad, to even worse than that? Let me remind you that there is no distance, and neither is there a situation that can keep your Heavenly Father from hearing and being concerned about the things that concern you. The main thing is to ‘cry unto Him.’ God wants to listen to the most resounding cries of your heart at all times, and if your heart is only capable of producing tears, God will take that honesty.

2. GOD NOT ONLY WANTS TO HEAR YOUR CRIES, BUT HE ALSO WANTS TO HEAL YOUR CRIES.He wants to carve out the broken places in our lives, soothe them with His healing presence, and replace them with more of Himself. Only by inviting God into your hurt can you experience a peace that passes all understanding, regardless of what is happening around you. So it is healthy to grieve but not beneficial to wallow endlessly, assuming there is no hope. In all things, Jesus is the ultimate hope for the world. His grace is sufficient for every shortcoming, and His strength is perfect in every weakness. So while we should express our sorrow in healthy ways, we should also be willing to give our hurt to God and trust that He will work something good from it.

The next time your heart seems overwhelmed, try turning to God in worship. You may not feel fully invested, but the Word of God never returns void. Instead, God will use even the smallest amount of faith to work miraculous things in our hearts. Psalms like this one are called psalms of lament, and they are in the Bible for a reason: they can be a model and an outlet for our worship when words will not come. Try reading through this entire psalm or another familiar passage and use those words to pour out your overwhelmed heart to the God Who is never overwhelmed.

In His Grip,

Ps. Devin

P.S
If you missed any of our previous letters, you can find them all on our website. Go to www.revivaltab.org and click on the tile that says Letters To The Church.

P.S.S 😂
In case you haven't heard, we're going GOING, back BACK, to 10 AM service start time. New sermon series [UNLEASHING THE POWER OF PRAYER] begins THIS SUNDAY.

Community Requires Consistency

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:24-25

Dear Church,

I know the Marvin Sapp Biopic on TV One is on, but hear me out. This Summer was AMAZING at RevivalTab. The Summer of Empowerment series enriched our natural and spiritual lives. It was a refreshing reminder that God cares about every area of our lives, not just the churchy part. So many members of our spiritual family have told me how they were so thankful for the resources that helped spur them onward to the next level of their lives.

Let me exercise my pastoral voice in your lives if you missed any sessions. Hear me good, my brothers and sisters, Community Requires Consistency. Something powerful happens when you consistently show up in and for your community. You never know what you will receive and what you might be able to give to another brother or sister in Christ.

We have many ways for you to SHOW UP for your community:

• In-Person for our weekend worship experiences

• Online for our weekend worship experiences

• 6 AM Prayer every weekday

• Serving on a Team within our church

• On Facebook, both our public page and private group page

• Every 4th Saturday for Serve The City

• Midweek Bible Study [Fall Semester starting soon!]

As the Summer ends, I encourage you to establish some consistent routines that will benefit you and others within your community; your RevivalTab community.

Sincerely,

Ps. Devin

P.S
Remember, this coming Sunday, we are virtual ONLY, and Minister Sheyonna Watson will deliver a power word to us on our online platforms.

The Just Shall LIVE By Faith!

Church,

This morning we shared a powerful time at our 11 AM service. I hope your faith was stirred and strengthened by hearing the Word of God as mine was by studying and delivering the Word. We all need God to do some things that ONLY GOD can do. I want you to know, church, that I believe God with you for the things you desire to happen in your life. Is there ANYTHING too hard for our God? Absolutely NOT!

Psalm 138:8a declares, "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;"

I am taking God's Word at face value. I believe that if it concerns me, it is a concern to God. My brother and sister, the same hold for you as well. If it is important to you, it is important to God.

We have many needs within our spiritual family. Some conditions are pressing issues and require God to move immediately. Please stand in FAITH and believe God with me for positive outcomes for the following people and situations:

• Sis. Candi Smith's mother is on life support.

• Aubrey Pritchard's mom, Carole Verlin, is recovering from surgery.

• Sis. Yvette Frownfelter is facing a physical challenge.

• Sis. Beth Tucker's dad has some bleeding on his brain, which is causing seizures.

• Lady Cortney's father, Vincent Gregory, is experiencing physical challenges.

• Sis. Linda Kent-Buchanan's nephew, LaDon McCloud, has favor with God but now needs favor with men to overturn unjust sentencing.

• Sis. Kimberly Holiday's father [Nate Holiday], who is experiencing internal bleeding, and uncle [Benjamin Holiday], who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

• Ps. Ken & Rachel Keene and Family.

• Kyle Eubanks, who is the cousin of Ps. Devin.

Family, I'm sure these don't even scratch the surface of all that is happening among us. I know the needs are many, and they are great; however, our God is greater!

Faith that pleases God causes us to believe His promises, even when what He promises seems impossible.

Non-believers only have five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

However, Christians have a "SIXTH SENSE: FAITH"- faith gives us confidence and evidence of things not seen. Through faith, we perceive the invisible.

Let's activate great faith today for the Will of God to be done in all and for all.

Remember to Go with God, and He will go with you!

Blessings,

Ps. Devin

P.S
Missed the sermon today? Catch it ON DEMAND HERE

Faith Fail Not!

Good Morning Church,

I recall a time in scripture when Jesus gave Peter the inside scoop of some plans the devil had in store for him. He said, [and I paraphrase] "Peter, Satan desires to have you so that he can sift you just like we sift wheat. But don't worry, I've already prayed for you." [PAUSE] Isn't it good to know that before we even go through the trial, Jesus has already prayed for us? There is something about knowing that JESUS, not His best friend, not His cousin, and not His representative, but JESUS HIMSELF prayed for you. My God. I'm getting happy all by myself. Let me get back to my point. Look at what He prayed for Peter:

"But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not:" - Luke 22:32a

Family, my sincere prayer for you, in the midst of what you may be going through or have already gone through, I pray that your FAITH fail not. Keep on trusting. Keep on believing. Keep standing on what He told you in the light, even though it might be dark now.

I invite you to our service this coming Sunday as I will be preaching on "A FAITH THAT PLEASES GOD." It is still the Summer of Empowerment at RevivalTab, and God wants us to Get Our Faith Right, too!

Sunday will be a special gathering time as not only will Ps. Lisa and RT Worship be ministering to us in song, but we will also be OFFICIALLY WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS into the RT Church Family. Over the last couple of years, during the pandemic, we have had the privilege of having new families connect with us and make RT their preferred place of worship. Unfortunately, because of our virtual-only mode of worship services, we have not had the chance to officially welcome them into the family. Well, this Sunday, we get to do just that, and we will do it for our in-person and online spiritual family. If you would like to take that next step of becoming a new member of RevivalTab or even recommitting to RevivalTab being your church-home, please complete the Membership Registration Form HERE. After we have welcomed all our new members into the family, we will share in a special time of Communion.

But wait, that's not all...

We have a new Deacons Board candidate that we will present to the congregation this Sunday. These are exciting times of growth and development for us as a church, and we can't wait to come together; in the manner you feel most comfortable and experience the goodness of God together.

Lastly, I want to thank you for your prayers for my entire family and me as we recover from COVID. Yes, everyone from Baby Ashlyn to Mother Gough tested positive, but our God continues to show us that He is a healer! We are all doing well and getting better day by day. And we want the same testimony to be said of you. So if you need prayer, please tell me how we can pray for you by filling out this PRAYER REQUEST FORM. Then, our prayer ministry team and I will lift those requests in prayer, believing God for a breakthrough on your behalf.

Sincerely,

Ps. Devin

A Family Reunion...a Family Reunion [EVERYBODY SING]

Church,

I am so happy to be home! I feel refreshed, renewed, and ready to tackle the back half of this year. Thank you all for your prayers for Lady Cortney, the girls, and me for safe travel and an enjoyable time. Your prayers were answered. I also want to thank Ps. Lisa. She did a fantastic last Sunday for the Summer of Empowerment session: Get Your CHURCH Right! It was creative, and she did, as we like to say, MADE IT PLAIN! I am excited to see everyone step up and serve this new season with Excellence!

I want to remind you all of 3 essential things:

The worship experience scheduled for THIS SUNDAY [July 31st] will be VIRTUAL ONLY. Join us online at 11 AM EST for a fantastic YK SNDY. Our youth and kids will be in FULL control. It will be 🔥.

When the Online Service is complete, join us on the church grounds for our 2022 Church Picnic from 12 PM to 3 PM. This is a Hamburger and Hot Dog affair, so BYOS [Bring Your Own Sides]. 😂

Lastly, I want to thank all of you who have continued to be faithful in giving in support of the work here at RevivalTab. The Kingdom assignment is being advanced: Sinners are being Reached, Believers are being raised, and Leaders are being Released each week. We can't do this without you. If you have yet to contribute this week, you can do so simply by CLICKING HERE.

I can't wait to see you all, hug your neck, and spike on you on the volleyball court this Sunday at the Picnic. 😂

What a fellowship.

What a joy Devine.

See you all soon!

Ps. Devin

If we ever needed the Lord before...

Church,

To say a lot is going on would be a gross understatement. Not only are there many things going on in our world, culture, and society, but A LOT is also happening in our lives. Times are changing, and if we ever needed the Lord, we sure do need Him now!

Amid everything that is going on, the Word of God helps us during changing times. Psalm 37 assures us that God sees everything we are going through. And He gives us clear instructions on what to do when life is a mess we can't control.

Just the commands in the first few verses are encouraging:

Do not fret…Be not envious…Trust in the Lord…Delight yourself in the Lord…Commit your way to the Lord…. Rest in the Lord…Do not fret. And that's just the first eight verses!

Then there are the rewards promised to those who trust: Evildoers will fade…God will give you the desires of your heart…Your righteousness will shine as the light…The Lord will sustain you…Your inheritance will be forever…You will not be forsaken.

WOW! That is encouraging. All of this, if we TRUST IN THE LORD. But how do we do that? I am so glad you asked. Here are five quick things that you can do to get started in placing your trust in the Lord:

Read the Word. God speaks to you through the Bible. If you're not reading something in the Bible every day, you will be lacking in direction, guidance, comfort, peace, and wisdom.

Pray. The Lord speaks to you through His Word, and you talk to Him through prayer. It's meant to be a conversation. God already knows what you're going through. But He still wants you to tell Him. Dump it into His hands, and He will give you His peace in exchange.

Tell others. God has not left His people alone on this earth. He has placed you and me into a family – the family of God called the Church. If you struggle to trust the Lord, find a member of our spiritual family to share. You cannot tell everyone, but you can tell one person.

Worship the Lord. Worship is not just for Sunday. You can and should worship the Lord every day. Spending time in worship helps you refocus on the One in control.

Serving others. There is always someone worse off than you are. You may be in difficult circumstances brought on by the loss of your job or marriage. Others may be facing homelessness, poverty, debt, or loneliness. Perhaps you're entering the season of parenthood and are scared. Or maybe the empty nest is on your horizon. Whatever your season looks like right now, spend some time serving others.

Let's also lift others in prayer. If you are having trouble thinking of someone to pray for, here is a short starter list from among our spiritual family:

Gloris Heard

Marco & Gennifer Redd

Clifton Jefferson

Candi Smith

Lastly, Lady Cortney and I, along with the girls, will take some much-needed vacation starting tomorrow. Please pray for traveling mercies and a safe and restful time away. I want to hear a great report from our Serve The City event THIS SATURDAY and our next Summer of Empowerment session: GET YOUR CHURCH RIGHT that Ps. Lisa Harrell will be leading next Sunday. There has been a great sense of community and love since being back in the building. Remember, Go with God, and He will go with you!

Blessings,

Ps. Devin

P.S

Did you know we are having a church picnic Sunday, July 31st, at the Church at 1 PM?

Lots of FUN, FOOD, & FELLOWSHIP. We can't wait to see you there!