It’s hard to believe that my family has been at Rocky Creek for 2 months now. So much has happened in these initial weeks that I feel like I have been here much longer than that! So thankful for how God planted us here in this wonderful church. While the first few weeks were spent getting my feet under me …
We all have had pastors pray for us, but have you ever prayed for your pastor? Your pastor or pastoral staff is a target, and they need your prayers. In the Book of Titus, the Apostle Paul tells Titus to appoint other pastors on the island of Crete. He gives him a description of the qualities the pastors must exhibit. …
Titus was a pastor trying to keep the church he pastored in the center of God’s will rather than the center of man’s wishes. When we encounter God’s direction regarding the Church, we will realize he has paradigm shifts for how we think and live as the Church.
God is at work in the life of Rocky Creek Baptist Church! We are seeing him do some mighty things in the lives of our people and in the lives of those they are engaging. In recent weeks as we have studied the Book of Jonah, God has been impressing on our hearts to open up the doors and pursue …
Yesterday, we finished up our first series in the Book of Jonah at Rocky Creek! I learned so much through that study. I have been working on finishing up sermon outline for 2017 (almost there), but I am so excited to tell you where we are headed next – Titus. The Book of Titus is one of the pastoral epistles. …
Reading biographies is so good for the soul. Knowing the stories of the Christian soldiers who have come before us can inspire us and encourage us to live faithfully in our day. The following is an abbreviated biography of William Borden that changed my life when I was in college. It is a quick tour of his life but one …
I often talk with people who are waiting on that perfect situation before getting involved. Believing that they would thrive in a certain role, they refuse to get involved until that moment comes along. Instead of waiting on that perfect something, just do something! Don’t sit around – get involved in any part of God’s Kingdom process. I planted the …
Dr. Gene Fant, Jr. is the 8th President of North Greenville University. After months of praying and working, our presidential selection committee recommended Dr. Fant to the Board of Trustees today for this pivotal position. After the board’s affirmation, we are so happy to be able to reveal who we believe God has led to Tigerville to lead in this …
We tend to tolerate mediocre talent in worship because it’s “only church.” Since it is an offering to God and church people are supposed to be categorically nice people, we tend to overlook a lack of proficiency. We tend to say that God sees the heart. I could not agree with you more, but we misunderstand what even the word …
Jonah was a prophet on the run but discovered quickly that he could not outrun God. No matter how hard we may try to avoid God’s call on our own lives, we will soon realize that we cannot escape God’s relentless pursuit.
So excited to start first sermon series at Rocky Creek this Sunday at 10:30! I will begin preaching Jonah: God’s Relentless Pursuit and if you don’t have a church home and are in the Greenville area, we would love to have you! Series Overview Jonah was a prophet on the run but discovered quickly that he could not outrun God. …
It was a day of rejoicing. As we concluded our appointment at North Side, there were a lot of things to process, but I will keep it where it needs to be – Jesus has been so very faithful to our family and we love the people of North Side. He loved each of us while we were still sinners, …
When I was ordained into the gospel ministry at North Side Baptist Church in 2003, I was overwhelmed by the weight of the moment. As people prayed over me and exhorted me concerning what a pastor should be, I left that day a changed man. While I believe that an ordination affirms God’s calling rather than creates it, I still …
Sunday will be my last day leading worship at North Side. As the church as a whole has been aware of this change for two weeks, I have been trying to do what I could do to help during the transition for a while now. Part of the plan was writing a new worship song and recording a 6-song EP. …
Since we announced last week that God has called our family to serve Rocky Creek Baptist Church in Greenville, SC, we have been overwhelmed with love and support. From those at Rocky Creek, those at North Side, and those on the outside, we have been so encouraged by those who have offered prayers and supportive words. Among all the kind …
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Rom 5:3-5). Special day of worship today. Each Sunday is special with our North Side family, but …
I sent this letter to the membership of Rocky Creek Church this week, but I’ve also realized in recent days that many people in the area are interested in what is next for this church. Our family has been overwhelmed with the support, messages, prayers, and interest you have shown this journey. If you are without a church home in Greenville …
If the team prepares before practice, group rehearsal will go so much smoother. Having prepared team members does not guarantee a successful practice. Even with prepared individuals, without a thoughtful game plan from the leader and without a dedicated mindset from the team members, practice could still become stressful for everyone. In order to have a successful worship team practice, …
In certain situations, divorce may be permitted but it is never promoted. Main Points Matt. 19:8 – Moses permitted divorce Eph. 5:32 In certain situations, divorce may be permitted but it is never promoted. 1. Study God’s Word for Direction 2. Pray with Your Spouse 3. Seek Biblical Counsel What do you have to lose by one session with a …
I have never truly known the meaning of “bittersweet” until now. This morning, Rocky Creek Baptist Church in Greenville, SC called me to shepherd their congregation in the role of Senior Pastor. Our family is answering God’s call to serve the Greenville community with the gospel. This congregation is committed to making disciples that love, grow, and serve through intentional relationships, and we …
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2). Service Order Reading – Isaiah 64:1, 4 Open Up the Heavens – Meredith Andrews Lord I Need You – Matt Maher Homeward – …
If careful, people who lead people in ministry can detach themselves from those people they are called to lead. The fact that detachment is detrimental to ministry is obvious, but the reason why people detach can differ. Elitism – Some people detach due to elitism. They think they are simply better than others. Our American Church culture bucks against the …
Trying to find the difference between your reputation and your character is like taking a picture in the mirror. You can’t get an accurate picture of who you are because the camera is in the way. We have a version we want to portray but who we really are can be hidden oftentimes. Christians are responsible for holding themselves to a …
Parents must discipline themselves before they discipline their children. Main Points Eph. 6:4 – Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Parents are called to disciple their children. Parents are also called to discipline their children. Parents must discipline themselves before they discipline their children. Hostile parents produce …
As the prophet Isaiah attempted to bring God’s people back to obedience, he challenged the spiritual leaders. God appointed watchmen to watch over the people and to pray for them continually (Isa 62:6). In addition to praying for the people, he also gave them very specific instructions: Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people; build …
No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God (Romans 4:20). Great day of worship at North Side! Loved the passion and honesty with which people worshiped today. Great to hear testimonies, Scripture, sermon, and prayers going up! Service Order Reading – 1 Thess. 4:16-17 The …
“Near, far. Near, far.” One can easily picture Grover from Sesame Street running back and forth in front of the camera. The closer he gets to the camera, the bigger he gets. The more steps he backs up, the smaller he becomes. Or does he? Obviously, Grover’s size isn’t changing, but our perception of him does. In walking with the …
You might be aware that disunity exists on your ministry team, but you have never thought through why it exists. While there are many possible grounds why division might be present, there are some common reasons that happen very frequently: Immature Members – Some of the division on your team is that you have spiritually immature members. Physically, your average age may …
9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised (Romans 4:9-10). Today was one of those days that I was very aware how …
It was great to introduce the song “Lion and the Lamb” today. I got a few versions to check out and the lyrics beneath. Lyrics VERSE 1 He’s coming on the clouds, kings and kingdoms will bow down And every chain will break, as broken hearts declare His praise Who can stop the Lord Almighty? CHORUS Our God is the …
Leading worship is an honor. Leading worship beside the incredible people that I get to lead beside is even a greater honor. One of the things I have loved about this team is their commitment to musical excellence but also doctrinal integrity. Not only do they take what we lead seriously, but they have also worked so diligently studying the …
Scripture commands believers to meet together (Heb 10:24-25) for mutual edification. Regardless of what you call the group, meeting together with a group of believers smaller than what you probably experience in church worship is essential for growth. In order to have successful groups, your group must focus on having the right elements: THE RIGHT LEADER. It is imperative to place …
With 150 psalms in Israel’s hymnbook, it is easy to imagine that the majority of them focus on the object of our worship. While that is true to some extent, many of the psalms also describe the method of our worship or the character of our worship. Psalm 133 is a short psalm that describes an integral component of our …
I loved bringing in the new year with our church family! Such a special time of worshiping together. Due to all the holidays, I allowed the band to have a week off from practice but they did an incredible job of coming prepared to lead in worship this morning. It was incredible to sing “All Glory Be to Christ” to …
Happy New Year! If you are like me and can’t sleep due to all the fireworks around you, here is a great worship song to prepare you for the new year. These incredible lyrics are put to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. I can’t wait to sing this with our church family in a few hours, but allow these …
2016 has been the best year of my life regarding reading. You know why? In 2016, I decided I was going to read more and I disciplined myself to do it. I wish I had some other brilliant plan, but that was it essentially. A few months into the year, 3 books really challenged me concerning my disciplines, and I made up …
I love when Christmas falls on a Sunday! What a wonderful way to celebrate the arrival of Jesus than with our church family! In addition to a wonderful time of worship, we did a tag-team sermon with 5 preachers as we explained why we shouldn’t have to fear! Service Order Fear Not – North Side Worship Welcome Go Tell It …
Our Christmas Eve services is one of my favorite times all year! Such a wonderful time to worship with our church family. Service Order Communion Welcome to Our World – Chris Rice Reading – Luke 2:1-20 O Come All Ye Faithful – North Side Worship version Angels We Have Heard on High – North Side Worship version Video – First …
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