Single Parent Homes

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In the months leading up to the opening weekend of Courageous, I was asked to speak at various churches or functions concerning my role with the film.  While I had access to the script and an early edit of the film, I was bound by certain stipulations concerning what I could or could not say about the film. Since I …

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Lead Us Not Into Temptation

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Yesterday’s sermon on sexual immorality was so helpful.  1 Thess. 4:1-8 is crystal clear concerning God’s expectation of us. What do you do when you are tempted?  Pray!  Jesus taught how. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  -Matt. 6:13 These final two petitions of the Lord’s Prayer ask for protection from temptation and …

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A Call to Holiness

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Special day with the church family today.  So excited we get to continue it tonight with Baptism and Bruster’s!  I love these gatherings to share some exciting news about the church and share in fellowship with one another!  Please come! Today’s services focused on a call to holiness from 1 Thess. 4:1-8. Here’s how it all came together: We Have …

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92% of Down Syndrome Babies Are Aborted

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What does Psalm 139 tell us about the unborn?  What about those children with disabilities?  David Platt provides answers for these questions in this short soundbite from a sermon.

End Bible Poverty for the Mushere People

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My 7-year-old son, Obadiah, and I have been talking a lot about the Bible these days.  I told him that there are people around the world who have never been able to read it because it has never been translated in their language.  This fact overwhelmed him.  It truly shook him up. We decided to do something about it.  We …

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Family Ministry (The Plan as We Go Forward)

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North Side Baptist Church exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ.  Whether at home or abroad, we seek to fulfill the Great Commission by making disciples. We define a disciple as someone who: loves Jesus learns the teachings of Jesus lives those teachings out and leads others to do the same. While the ministries of our church seek to make …

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Prayer for the President

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I saw this church sign awhile back.  It made me chuckle but also cringe at the same time. I do not agree with everything that President Barack Obama does.  I am brokenhearted over some of his stances.  But he is my president. And of all the things that people will say about him or say we should do, I know …

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Paul’s Prayer Request

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We studied Ephesians 6 this week at Summer Roundtable.  The discussion was a rich time in the Word. This passage reminds us that the armor of God is essential to spiritual victory.  Studying Ephesians 6, we see what Paul instructs that is essential after one has put on the armor of God. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword …

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A Pastor’s Prayer

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Today was a day we had been working towards and praying about for months!  So glad to finally gather and share it with our church. Here’s how it all came together: All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name Family Ministry Presentation Offering Oh, the Deep Deep Love What a Savior Sermon Have Thine Own Way The worship team led so …

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What Birthday Present I Am Hoping For

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So, today is my Birthday.  I am so grateful for another year of life! I know you are embarrassed because you haven’t gotten me anything yet.  It’s OK.  I will tell you exactly what I am hoping for on my birthday. My 7-year-old son, Obadiah, and I have been talking a lot about the Bible these days.  I told him …

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Scheduled Prayer

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I got to teach on prayer last night at our Summer Roundtable (and again this Wednesday).  Loved our time in Luke 11:5-13 as we discussed prayer. I had so many great conversations with our folks about how they are progressing in their prayer lives.  It made me so excited about the upcoming study, “The Battle Plan for Prayer.” With all …

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Fuge Camps 2016

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This month has been one of the craziest, most fast-paced, powerful months of ministry I’ve ever experienced.  In addition to being at North Side most Sundays and doing a lot of work remotely at night, I went from Family Camp to Fuge at Mississippi College to VBS to Fuge at Charleston Southern University. The sobering reality of Monday morning is that it …

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A Pastor’s Heart

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I was so eager to worship with our church family today.  It was a fantastic week of ministry for our family.  Our students had a great experience at X-Fuge on Mission.  Our Ghana team was back in the house.  Lots of new faces.  It was such a special time to focus on 1 Thess. 3:1-10. Here’s the service flow: Amazed …

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You Learn to Pray by Praying

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Psalm 15 describes characteristics of a godly person.  It contains qualities to which we should aspire and other qualities to which we should avoid.  In the passage below, reflect on the qualities that grab your attention. Psalm 15:1 Lord, who can dwell in Your tent? Who can live on Your holy mountain? 2 The one who lives honestly, practices righteousness, and …

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How Long, O LORD [Storytellers]

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“How Long, O LORD” was written for “The Word” project to cover the time of the exile and the longing for the Messiah. “The Word” is a project by North Side Worship telling the grand narrative of the Bible.  It is available at North Side (May 3, 2015) and iTunes (May 5, 2015). We knew that the last song of the Old Testament would have to …

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Identifying the Real Enemy

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We have a real enemy.  Oftentimes, we live like our family member is an enemy.  Maybe it is a co-worker out to get us.  It could be that friend that stabbed us in the back. Those people might be your enemy.  But in reality, there is an enemy greater than those who really has your destruction in mind.  If you …

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The Ministry of the Word

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Incredible day of being the church.  Loved meeting so many new guests today – can’t wait to see all that God is up to! Today we focused on 1 Thess. 2:13-20: 13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the …

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We’re On a Journey (Whoa Oh Oh Oh)

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Amanda and I had the privilege to teach 1 of the 4th grade groups at our Vacation Bible School this week.  As we began the week, she stated, “We both are used to being in charge in these type of situations.  This is either going to go great or not so much.” It went great.  Amanda is such a gifted …

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No, Mr. President

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The video above is from a John Piper sermon delivered in 2009.  In light of the news today, it has been a serious reminder for me to: Speak out for those who have had their voice removed from them Pray for our President Pray that this news will cause a change to happen with him and other leaders

Partial-Birth Abortions to Sell Baby Parts

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I have no words.  I am physically sick right now.  When are we going to wake up? If you haven’t seen the video from the sting operation that revealed a level of wickedness many didn’t think possible, you can watch it above. Warning: it is disturbing at the callous nature of this conversation. So, fetuses that are too useless to …

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You Alone Are God [Storytellers]

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“You Alone Are God” was written for “The Word” project to cover the doctrine of the Trinity and to worship every member of the Godhead. “The Word” is a project by North Side Worship telling the grand narrative of the Bible.  It is available at North Side (May 3, 2015) and iTunes (May 5, 2015). I wanted to address the Trinity, but where do you begin? …

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Forgive Us Our Debts

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In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus offered a challenging prayer point: And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  -Matt. 6:12 This petition is very unique compared to the others.  This request for pardon comes with a distinct stipulation: forgive us as we have forgiven others. We understand that we need forgiveness.  None of us are righteous …

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Effective Spiritual Leadership – Part 2

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Such a great day to focus on spiritual leadership and sending leaders out all over the world! 7 But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. 8 Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. 9 For you recall, …

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You Can’t Make Christ Cool

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Enjoy this edition of Short-Sermon Saturday with a clip of Matt Chandler reminding us that “you can’t make Christ cool.”  It is a great word for church leaders.

Unless the LORD Builds the House

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Psalm 127 is what commentators call a “song of ascents.”  As the people of God would ascend the hill into Jerusalem and ascend the stairs into the place of worship, the priests would sing this song over the worshipers upon their journey: Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.  Unless the LORD watches over …

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Family Camp 2015 Recap

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It is hard to describe Family Camp 2015. It was such a powerful time for my family and in the lives of other families.  I can say this: I believe in family ministry more than I ever have after last week.  I also believe in Family Camp more than I ever have after last week. For those who came, served, …

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Effective Spiritual Leadership – Part 1

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2nd week in 1 Thessalonians as we discussed “Effective Spiritual Leadership.”  I hate not being there in person but it was great to watch the service online and see how great our team led out today! Today’s service: Burning in My Soul – Passion Welcome To God Be the Glory – The Alone Instrument Baptism Offertory Prayer Scripture Reading 10,000 …

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Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

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Give us today our daily bread.  -Matt. 6:11 This petition in the Lord’s Prayer is asking God to provide for our needs.  After the Exodus, the nation of Israel wandered through the wilderness.  God promised to “rain bread from heaven” (Ex. 16:4) for the people.  One interesting fact about this provision was its unique nature of being a daily provision. …

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Washing by the Water of the Word

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Last year, we celebrated my birthday at Family Camp and this year, Amanda gets the honors!  We get to celebrate the love of my life today who deserves celebrating every day of every year! I love the picture above because it describes us right now.  Making sure we have those moments to connect and enjoy one another even while a …

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Return to Me [Storytellers]

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“Return to Me” was written for “The Word” project to cover the expansive section of the Old Testament prophets. “The Word” is a project by North Side Worship telling the grand narrative of the Bible.  It is available at North Side (May 3, 2015) and iTunes (May 5, 2015). With 17 books associated with the Old Testament prophets and a wide-array of themes, this section was …

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Legos Can’t Build a Home

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In the ever-increasing drive to impact the families of our community, God continues to deliver experiences that wreck my heart and yet serve as catalysts for greater desperation for the tasks ahead. I keep encountering people whose lives are shattered by what is happening within their families, and these experiences won’t let up.  And I pray that neither will I in my …

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Characteristics of the Elect

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Great start to a new series in 1 Thessalonians as we focused on the “Characteristics of the Elect.”  We studied 1 Thessalonians 1. 1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you …

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The Cure for Anxiety

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Anxiety can be a practical sign of a theological problem. When we become anxious, we are refusing to acknowledge who God is and what God can do.

The Prayers of Mrs. Judy

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Yesterday, marked 1-year after the passing of Mrs. Judy.  It is hard for me to believe.  As I talked with Scott yesterday, we reminisced about his precious wife, the ebb and flow of the last year, and God’s faithfulness throughout this entire time. One of Scott’s greatest desires is that Judy’s legacy will continue to impact lives as she did …

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Saving a Soul from Death

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Our church has benefited so much from focusing on the Book of James over the last few months.  It was a great day to finish up our “Faith Works” series. Today’s focus was James 5:19-20: 19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save …

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Teach Us to Pray

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What would our lives be like if we truly believed in the power of prayer?  Think about Jesus’s example for a moment. Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.  -Luke 5:16 The gospels are full of evidences of Jesus praying. Jesus prayed alone (Matt. 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 9:18; 22:39-41) Jesus prayed in public (John 11:41-42, 12:27-30) Jesus prayed …

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Elisabeth Elliot Quotes

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One of my heroes passed through the gates of splendor this morning. Elisabeth Elliot (12/21/26 – 6/15/15) went home to see Jesus. If you don’t know her story, here is the much abbreviated version starting when she met her husband, and soon-to-be-martyr, Jim Elliot: A year after I went to Ecuador, Jim Elliot, whom I had met at Wheaton, also …

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You Pray Too Long

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  So thankful for the time our church focused on prayer in yesterday’s services.  I was thinking this morning of why people are often fearful to pray. One of the main reasons people are intimidated to pray in public is due to a misunderstanding of prayer rhetoric.  While we claim to believe that all prayers are equal, we tend to …

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