developing lifestyle worshipers

What a great day as we concluded “Solitary Confinement.”

We’ve encouraged people to join community groups, but we’ve never really expected people to join.  If God expects us to grow, and he uses relationships to help us grow, then shouldn’t we make Christian relationships a priority?

Versus hyping people up today and trying to get them to join a community group, we decided to do something unthinkable: cut the service short and sign them up while they were all here!  Don’t get used to shorter services, though!  Jamie Parler, our Community Pastor, gave a short message that really drove it home.  God expects us to grow, and we grow in the confines of Christian relationships, so go sign up now!

The picture above shows what a really effective invitation looks like – giving people a specific, clear way to respond right then and there!  Praise God for the OVERWHELMING response!

The testimonies during “I Need You to Survive” also really drove the message home today!  Life change is happening all around us!

Today, we worshiped to:

• Made to Worship – Chris Tomlin
• Our God – Chris Tomlin
• Unite Us Together – Travis Agnew (on North Side Worship release 10.10.10)
• I Need You to Survive – Hezekiah Walker

If you didn’t say yes during the invitation today, it’s not too late to sign up for a group!  Or you can watch some of the service here.

Authentic Christian community is more than an novel concept, it is a biblical command and practice.  Looking at the life of Jesus, one can find an example on how to share life with others.  It’s more than coming to church.  It’s doing life together.

It was a great Sunday as we kicked off the new series “Solitary Confinement.”  The picture above shows one of the best community times of my week.  Praying with our musicians and technicians before services on Sunday is always a treat.  We each pray for the person on our right, then our left, pray for Jeff, and then pray for the service in general.  I get to work with people I know and love and how genuinely like each other.  Being led in worship by them is easy because I KNOW them.

Today, we worshiped to:

• You Are Good – Israel and New Breed
• Mighty to Save – Hillsong (Reuben Morgan)
• Worship You – Travis Agnew (on North Side Worship “Overcome” release – 10.10.10)

Have I told you people lately how much I love to hear you sing?  And you guys are singing LOUD and I love it!  Something about Israel and New Breed songs get me extra rowdy.  It was hard to contain the joy in the room today.  I truly believe God was honored with our worship today.  Now, let’s honor him with our worship all week long.

PRAYER TIME FOR SCHOOLS.  I have loved incorporating more corporate praying into our services.  This week, we had students or faculty surround different stations (elementary, middle, high, and college) for a time of prayer as they move into their mission field.  Woody Nivens led that time and you could see the passion of him come out.  He leads in worship almost every Sunday from the keyboards, but all of us could see how he shows people in Christ in the classroom everyday.  The prayer time was powerful.

Jeff’s message was so revealing.  He pointed out things in the life of Jesus that I never saw before!  Great stuff.  If you didn’t get to hear it, check it out online at northsidebc.org.  Both the video and audio versions of the message will be posted there by 6pm tonight.

Alright, North Side – let’s be the church!

What a Sunday!  We started a new series at North Side entitled “Tempted.”  Today was all about understanding temptation.  From start to finish, it all was geared to us understanding what temptation is, how bad sin is, but how good God is to us helping us fight temptation.

Jeff blew up his sermon.  It was crazy.  What’s even crazier is that he had a daughter get married yesterday, had to change locations of receptions due to bad weather, was cleaning up till 11:30 last night, and still threw it down today!  Check it out.  THE most practical teaching on temptation I have ever heard.

Today, we worshiped to:

• How Great Thou Art – Paul Baloche version
• You are Holy (Isaiah 6) – Christ for the Nations
• The Cross of Calvary – Travis Agnew (available in October)

I don’t know if you can tell, but each week I am just noticing everyone stepping up their game.  Worship team, you guys are amazing!  It is such an honor to lead worship with you each week.  And it keeps getting better and better!  Your worship is also propelling the worship of the rest of the church.  Some intense times today.

Can’t wait till next week.  Until then, read the devotionals in the Compass to get some practical help and biblical insight!  Let’s get after it!