What’s “Worse” Than an Unbeliever?

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“Blessed are the breadwinners. As men, we should consider it an honor to embrace our role as the primary providers of our families. This is part of our manhood and calling as representatives of God the Father — the One who established work as part of His creation and is still ‘working‘ (John 5:17) as an example for us to follow, continually providing for our daily needs” (From The Resolution, page 157).

Whether you love your job or hate your job, God desires that you embrace the blessed opportunity to provide for your family through your vocation. Unfortunately, many men find themselves unemployed and unable to provide for their families. Many different reasons exist for unemployment. Some men are unemployed for no wrongdoing on their part, but economic times have caused their jobs to be discarded. Some men are unemployed due to their bad attitude or lazy work ethic. Other men are unemployed because they quit because they thought they deserved more than their current job.

Your reasoning for unemployment will determine your method for finding a job.

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Rewriting Wedding Vows

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I can still remember driving away from the church with my new bride.  As I tried to navigate through the barrage of tissue paper and groomsmen’s underwear, so much was on my mind.  I had just committed to my bride and in front of many close people that I would love her.  Forever.  We vowed it.

Do you remember your wedding vows? Sure you do! They were those words you repeated guided by a preacher where you almost passed out in front of the congregation. The traditional vows from The Book of Common Prayer are:

I ______, take thee, _______, to my lawful wedded Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God’s holy ordinance.

If the average spouse were to rewrite these vows based upon marital reality, how would they change?  Think about it.

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“Enter His Gates” Release Details

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As you can see, Eli has been hard at work recording and mixing the newest North Side Worship album.  You will be impressed with his legit skills.  We are just weeks away from “Enter His Gates” being released and we couldn’t be more excited about how it came together!

When we set out to record 4 albums this year, I intentionally made each project get a little bit more difficult.  The sermon remix mainly needed keyboard instruments then we added some more. Enter His Gates added more live instrumentation and live vocals.  The Jesus album and Bluegrass Christmas is gonna be full scale in many ways.

With that being said, we have learned a lot on this project.  A lot.

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The Message of Jesus

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The Peak band did a wonderful job leading worship at North Side today.  When our high school students lead, it’s not a novel gesture, they are really great worship leaders and we are honored to be led by them.  Amanda and I were talking after services about how genuine, musical, and thoughtful they were with their leadership.  So proud of each one of you!

Today, we worshiped to:

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Learning Contentment

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As a parent, you know the frustration associated with Christmas morning. Your children tear open one gift to behold something they have desperately asked for, and before the wrapping has time to fall to the floor, they are already reaching for the next shiny package.

There’s something in all of us like that. We do acknowledge the blessings we have. We might even give God thanks for them, but somewhere along the way, we become discontented. Read 1 Timothy 6:6-10 to hear Paul’s instruction to his son in the faith, Timothy.

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Turning From Sin

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While our sin is against God (Ps. 51:4), no matter what the sin is, our sin still has a way to negatively affect others. We must address the sin in our own lives.

Read Psalm 32:3-4 and discover the weight sin can bring upon you:

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The Trouble With Following Christ

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What a very special day of worship at North Side!  In addition to recognizing our graduates, we also commissioned six college students who will be spending their summer in West Africa as North Side missionaries.  God orchestrated a very appropriate and powerful service to send them off.

Jeff’s message from John 12 was specifically directed towards ministers.  For all those who minister the Word of God to others, there are times when our souls become troubled.  Jesus showed us how to speak the Word with grace and truth.  For this message to fall in this week with these ladies being commissioned was a powerfully God-ordained moment.

Today, we worshiped to:

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Watering Down Missions

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Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of going on many mission trips and leading many mission teams.  Whenever I have prepared a team for a mission trip, I have constantly reminded them of an important fact: Christian sightseeing is not missions! Let me explain.  I think over the years, we have watered down missions so much that we classify doing …

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What Need Grabs Your Heart the Most?

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There are many needs in the world. You can’t do something about all of them, but you can do something about some of them. You can spend your life focused on confronting evil, pursuing justice, and loving mercy. Your life can potentially change the lives of others.

As you go through life, you probably resonate with certain needs more than others. We are each wired differently — that’s the beauty of the Body of Christ!  It’s best for each of us to specifically get involved in a need we are passionate about.

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Men: Step Up in Your Church

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Hopefully, you are connected with a local church. None of us should be left alone in this Christian walk by ourselves.  Your church is a wonderful expression of God’s grace, and while it is not perfect, it is God’s vehicle to make disciples.

You need your church, and your church needs you! Read Romans 12:3-8 to see your role concerning your church.

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Grain of Wheat

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Special day at North Side!  We had some info on promotion Sunday (June 3rd), family dedication with 9 families, great time of worship, great interview video on “who was Jesus,” and a wonderful message!  Jeff’s teaching on John 12 was so good.  So much to take in considering how we are to lay our lives down just as Christ was anticipating his sacrifice for us.

Today, we worshiped to:

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The Commission of the Christ

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As we finish up our Christology, we must take a good look at the commission of the Christ.

Matthew 28:16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them int the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

After Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to hundreds of followers during a span of 40 days.  At the end of this time, the disciples saw him ascending into heaven.  His final words were words of sending the disciples out.  Matthew’s account is what is usually quoted.  Let’s look at some of the key things to note:

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Overwhelmed Mothers

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I wanted to write a post for all of you overwhelmed mothers out there.  I was blown away by the correspondence I received when I urged mothers to let mothers mother.  Let’s face it: moms have a unique burden placed upon them. Many of you are overwhelmed with your wonderful calling because it is a difficult one.  You can easily …

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How “Low” Would You Go for a Job?

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My friend Jonathan never pictured himself unemployed. Obtaining a bachelor’s and masters degree in his field, he was a great candidate for many jobs. Working during his time at school, upon graduation, he was able to receive a great job with a good salary with benefits.

After a few years in this job, he took a stand for something he was right and it cost him. Unwilling to back down from his convictions, he was forced out of his job in a hard economic time. He sent out resumes all over town. Due to family situations, he was unable to look for unemployment outside of the city. For all of his job hunting, he came up empty.

The only place that was hiring was a job that was way below his education or his prior pay scale. It would also be a job where he would be visible and a reminder of his previous job termination.

He had a choice: humbly provide for his family or worry about his reputation?

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The Anointing of Jesus

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What a great morning.  The boys normally go to soundcheck with me, but birthday boy Obadiah was extra rowdy on the drums this morning.

It was such a powerful time of worship today at North Side.  I can’t begin to tell you how much the Holy Spirit united the service today.  There are times when we plan elements together and it’s great to watch them fall, and then, today, I listened to Jeff preach his sermon and use words that were verbatim of the last song we were going to do after his message on Mary anointing the feet of Jesus.

I figured he had looked at the flowsheet and studied the lyrics, but something also told me that maybe this was a God orchestrated thing.  Turns out he didn’t know what the lyrics of the last song were, but as he preached in his message about “focusing on the gift instead of the Giver…Giver of every perfect gift…being satisfied in only Jesus…”  It was wild.

Today, we worshiped to:

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The Resurrection of the Christ

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In our Christology, we have reached a pretty pivotal section: the resurrection of the Christ.  Jesus is risen!  He is risen indeed!

Few people deny the fact that a man named Jesus lived on this earth, gathered a large following, seemed to be a pretty decent guy, and then was killed.  The point of debate has always been: did a dead man rise from the grave?

As we think about this section, here are some things to remember:

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The Danger of Hypocrisy

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Hypocrisy. It’s when hands lifted in praise have been earlier used for sin. It’s when lips proclaiming praise had hours earlier been used for insults. It’s when one’s reputation and one’s character are vastly different. The Pharisees were condemned for their hypocrisy. We read the stories of their encounters with Jesus and shake our heads at how far off they were from the truth without realizing that that is why they were condemned in the first place.

Today, we need to evaluate and see if our lifestyle is different than that of the hypocritical Pharisees. Are we living lives of integrity? Read Jesus’ words in Matthew 15:1-9.

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Remodeling (The People in) Your Home

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Since we moved a few months ago, I’ve been working at remodeling our home.  I’ve had some pretty fantastic help.  While Eli obeys orders well, he also watches an example and learns quickly.  There have been many times he has taken his toy screw driver and hammer and pulled up flooring or shoe molding that was not intended to come up.  It’s hard to get frustrated with such a cute kid (that’s not to say I never did ;)).

If you were remodeling a house, the best bet would be to have a systematic approach to your work. You would determine which room needed the most desperate attention. You would organize the needed tools to find the job. You would seek help for the jobs that you felt unqualified for.

You may not be remodeling a house, but you are called to disciple your children which is actually more work and requires more dedication than any other house project you could imagine. Have you ever thought about what your goal is in your home.  Get honest about your approach. I put together a list below that could serve as a template for your approach.  Copy and paste the section below and then fill it in for each child in your home.  Fill in the sections below honestly and prayerfully.

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Substitutionary Atonement

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John 11:49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

What a wonderful text that led our worship time today!  We focused on Jesus’ selfless sacrifice today and that is always time well-spent!  Jeff’s message was plain ridiculous.  The thought that we could possess a faith not to “offend Rome” really challenged some introspective time in my own life.  Powerful!

Today, we worshiped to:

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The Crucifixion of the Christ

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At this point in our Christology, we have arrived at the point where wrath and grace became forever entwined.  The crucifixion of the Christ changed everything.

All 4 of the gospels report this event and yet each one has unique details.  When put together, the 4 combine to provide many details about what happened when Love laid down his life willingly.

Here are some things to note:

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Bad Church Sign: Stolen AC

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This week’s bad church sign says: “WHOEVER STOLE OUR AC UNITES KEEP ONE IT IS HOT WHERE YOURE GOING.” Let’s just say that you were the person who stole that unit.  You went to that church intentionally because you know you could easily acquire them.  You either needed the money or you wanted the cool relief in your home.  You …

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“I Got All These Trees”

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Our little family is growing.  Not only in number or size, but we are slowly getting things.  Our minds are growing.  One of my prayers for my children have been, “God, give them a mind to comprehend your nature and help them develop a big heart with which to love you.”

We use different types of teaching plans or Bibles with the children during family worship.  I have contended for a while that the best way to bring my kids up in the Lord is not the best church programs, but what we do in the home.  Lately, I have been retelling the Old Testament narrative over and over to the boys.  I have them repeat different elements to me, and we keep stacking more of the story each time.  They know the days of Creation, the 10 Commandments, and the big picture with the main characters involved.

Sometimes, you wonder if they are getting it, and then, you have a moment like I did last week and you remind yourself that you might be on to something.

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2 Deaths, 2 Different Legacies

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I lost 2 of my heroes in the recent week.  It’s rare that 2 leading evangelicals over significant ministries would pass in one week, but it’s true.  One of those leaders was Chuck Colson.  The headlines have read “Nixon’s Hatchet Man Dies” or “Watergate’s Culprit Passes Away.”  Chuck Colson was deep in the scandal of President Nixon’s scandal years ago.  Before being sentenced to prison, Colson claimed he was converted to Christianity.

While many saw this as an attempt to lower his sentence, his time in jail, and his time after jail displayed remarkable fruit and he never backed down from his Christian commitment.  He started an international prison ministry that has impacted countless men and women for Christ.  He has written some amazing books filled with great intellect concerning a Christian worldview and a humble disposition concerning his previous way of life.  While he started very poorly, he finished strong.

The other man won’t make as many headlines, but he was still a strong ambassador in the Kingdom, but his death is more tragic.

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The Resurrection of Lazarus

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Powerful.  I’ve been looking forward to this Sunday for a while now.  For one, I haven’t led worship at North Side in 2 weeks, and I’ve missed it!  Two, we had some really powerful moments in today’s services.

In addition to an incredible message from Jeff concerning the resurrection of Lazarus, we were also blessed to have a good buddy of mine, Cole, a Lander student, do a monologue sketch from Lazarus’ perspective.  As he was concluding this unbelievable scene (with grand awesomeness), we went into “I will rise when He calls my name, no more sorrow, no more pain.”  Pretty neat.

Today, we worshiped to:

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The Dedication of the Christ

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In this week’s Christology study, we are focusing on Jesus’ dedication to the will of God.  Shown throughout his entire time on earth, it is visible very clearly at the Garden of Gethsemene.  Leaving the Last Supper, Jesus brought along the inner 3 to one of his favorite places to pray.

Here are some things to note from this section:

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Free Chapter from Freshman 15

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Ministering to college students since I began working at North Side has shown me that there aren’t many new temptations facing college students.  In fact, the same things that I teach on or counsel concerning one year or the same issues being addressed next year.  That’s why, a few years ago, I decided to write what the Bible says about 15 areas in which college students struggle.  I titled the book Freshman 15.

Freshman fifteen is an Americanized concept proposing that when students conclude their freshman year at college, they are approximately fifteen pounds heavier than when that school year began.  The theory rests on the fact that many college students experience an increase in their weight due to an excessive amount of alcohol, lack of sufficient exercise, and the consistent consumption of unhealthy food eaten at an unwise time and in exorbitant amounts.

My theory is that every college student will gain weight in college, but that doesn’t have to be a negative thing.  People in the ancient world spoke of giving weight to something as giving it glory or heightening it to a place of significance in one’s life.  You give something weight by valuing it.  In your time at college, you will put on the freshmen fifteen.  I would just recommend that you put it on in all the right places.

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Gloria’s Arrival

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The Agnews were thrilled to become a family of 5 officially on Good Friday, April 6th when Gloria Beth came into the world.  I’ve been on a blog hiatus as my attention was needed with the growing clan, but I wanted to share with you some of her story that had some funny twists and some close calls which reminded me all the more to be grateful that God was so very gracious to us.

So, here is her arrival story and some pictures to share with you:

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The Death of Lazarus

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It was great to be back at North Side this week!  We had a wonderful day focusing upon the first part of John 11 on the death of Lazarus.  Jeff’s message was so good!  He talked about how Jesus loved Lazarus and his family and yet he still waited to come.  He could have come and healed his body, but he wanted them to experience the glory of God even more!

We were blessed to have the Erskine College Gospel Choir lead us in worship today!  Their director, Tobe Frierson, is also an admission counselor at the school and has been leading this choir for a few years now.  Many of those students worship with us at North Side and some of them are a part of my Wednesday night group.  They did incredible!  Love their sound and their passion for Jesus!  If you are interested in hearing them again, their concert will be held at Erskine on Sunday, May 6th.

Today, we worshiped to:

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The Exhortation of the Christ

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As we continue this Christology, we reached the section where we focus upon Jesus’ relationship with the Pharisees.  Volatile, to say the least.  Jesus was doing so much good, but these religious leaders were so upset that he wasn’t doing it on the right day or in the right way.  They were more concerned with their traditions than they were God’s Kingdom expanding right before their eyes.

Here are some things to remember about this group that couldn’t stand Jesus:

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I Am the Good Shepherd

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Once again, with the arrival of my daughter over the weekend, I was unable to lead worship physically on Easter Sunday, but I really loved planning the service.  I heard amazing stuff from the services.  I especially heard great words concerning the stone “rolling away” during the new song “Risen.”  Hope you have liked the 2nd song now from the Jesus album.

Today, we worshiped to:

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Good Friday 2012 Recap

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I was unable to lead worship on Good Friday, since my daughter was morning, but I heard they didn’t miss me at all.  I heard it was an incredible service of worship, prayer, communion, Scripture, and remembering the cross.

Good Friday worship set:

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Just as Christ Forgave You

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It’s Passion week.  It’s the week we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus.  It’s a week when we should be reminded the great level to which Christ forgave us.

And we, in turn, are to forgive others in the same way.

This subject matter is pretty intense. Dealing with past hurts in which we were the victim or the culprit are never fun to visit.   It is extremely hard to forgive those who have hurt us

Read Colossians 3:12-15 to see how we should forgive:

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Have You Read Every Word in the Bible?

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Decisions become very simple when you put them through the lens of Scripture. God’s Word is more than adequate to provide direction and focus for every aspect of your life (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Read Hebrews 4:12 and look to see how powerful God’s Word is: For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, …

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The Lord Will Fight for You (While You Keep Silent)

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As Moses approached the Red Sea, a nation of followers anxiously awaited his next move while an army of vengeful Egyptians pursued them ever more closely.  While Israel became uneasy and demanded Moses to do something, his response was a shock then and it is to so many of us:

“The LORD will fight for you when you keep silent” (Ex 14:14).

At that point, Moses stretched out his arms and waited for God to come through and deliver them.

The problem with us is we think we are a better fighter than God.

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I Am the Door

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Well, I planned today’s service with the good possibility of me not being there due to the baby’s arrival.  While our band never needs me there, they really didn’t need me there today, so it was good just to come in and sing and play along with them.

They are so good, I’m honored they let me play and sing with them!  And that is the truth.

Wonderful day with North Side today!  Continuing on through John, we arrived at John 10 today focusing upon Jesus’ statement: “I am the door.”  I have really loved this “Knowing Jesus” study.

Speaking of doors, Ms. Rosalie Cromer is normally seen opening doors on Sunday mornings for our worshipers, but today she was opening another kind of door.  I asked her to read one of her poems that she has written during our worship today.  Her poem, “The Greatest Desire of My Heart,” went perfectly into John’s song, “May Your Life Be.”  It was almost as if the 2 of them wrote those pieces together!

She read from her book of poems entitled “If.”  We have copies in the bookstore or you can get them online here.

Today, we worshiped to:

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The Invitation of the Christ

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As we continue our weekly installment of a Christology, we have arrived into section 9: the invitation of the Christ.  One of Jesus’ biggest criticisms was that he was a friend of sinners.

You have heard the phrase: “Hate the sin, but don’t hate the sinner.”  That’s a difficult line to walk.  How can we befriend sinners and not getting stuck in the sin that entangles them?  You might think it is impossible to do it, but it’s not.  Jesus hung around sinners but he never sinned.  Oftentimes, I see Christians hang around sinners but avoid being intentional about Kingdom living.  It’s almost an attempt to remain unscathed than it is to change lives.

How come most unchurched people avoid churched people because they are perceived as stuffy, judgmental, hypocritical goody-two-shoes, and yet sinners would invite Jesus to the party?

Here are some things to remember:

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How to Love Your Wife

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Maybe you are married, unmarried, remarried, once married, or want to be married.  For anyone out there interested in how to love a wife, I want to give you some advice today.  Not because I’m an expert, but because I’m learning.  My wife has endured a man trying to learn how to truly love her for almost 8 years now. …

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How to Be a (Self) Published Author

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The boys were learning the word “author” the other day at the library.  Mommy told them that Daddy is an author.  It’s about the cutest thing to hear my sons say “author.”  The word is just funny from their mouths.

It’s true – I’m a published author.  A self-published author.  I’ve been asked before how to get a book published, and my response is – do it yourself.

I recently had an email from a friend wanting to know how to get started.  Thought I would share that info with you if you ever wanted to write something yourself.

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The Jesus Album

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If you were at North Side yesterday, you got a snippet of the big project we are working on this year: The Jesus Album (working title).  I was humbled by the response I’ve been receiving since yesterday when we led the new song, “It is Finished.”  This was one of the first songs we wrote for this project, and the first one we have done live.

So, let me explain the big picture: 1) Our worship ministry desires to help disciple people, 2) Music has a way to make theology portable, 3) We are attempting 4 recording projects this year to do this, 4) We are currently studying through the Gospel of John on Sunday mornings and it’s been unbelievable, and 5) This project, #3, needs to reflect all of that somehow.

In a way to bring all that together, I felt led to challenge our worship team: What if we wrote an album that looked at the life of Jesus chronologically and worshiped him at every step along the way?

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