I received the first copy today! Woo hoo! I’m going to take a nap after ordering some. We might have them here next Sunday! Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement during this process! UPDATED (05.08.09 3:16PM) Find some errors on the publishers end in the interior of the book. Doh! Going to see if they can correct it …
9:04 AM TravisAgnew – Will be live blogging for most of today at John Maxwell’s Maximum Impact Simulcast here at North Side. 9:09 AM TravisAgnew – Linda Kaplan Thaler is now up: The Kaplan Thaler Group is an advertising agency based in New York, NY. It was founded by Linda Kaplan Thaler, who serves as CEO and Robin Koval, who …
Today, I submitted Freshman 15 to the publishers. I will hopefully get a copy of the book in approximately a week. After that, unless there is some major issue with it, it will be available for printing! It was such a huge relief to click “submit” today. This project has been a part of me for a few years now. …
Almost done with the formatting, proofing, and editing of Freshman 15. Going to be pulling a few late nighters to get it done though by my hopeful date of middle of May. I have been so blessed to received endorsements from these wonderful servants of God: Dwight Robertson – President of KBM Paul Patrick – Erskine Chaplain Steven Furtick – …
6:34 PM TravisAgnew – 30 minutes before Town Hall for Hope. People were outside our doors waiting before 7:00. If you can’t come, I will be blogging some thoughts in real time to follow the event. 6:47 PM TravisAgnew – 6:56 PM TravisAgnew – I love Craig Groeschel. He’s the real deal. 7:01 PM TravisAgnew – Sigh…it’s working…now it’s time …
Here is Cory’s design for the Freshman 15 cover. He took this picture and did all the fancy stuff to make it look like this. I think it looks pretty stellar myself. He’s so stinking talented! What do you think about it? I am currently finishing some editing. I am waiting to receive the proofed version of the last few …
As I am making some more adjustments on my first book, Freshman 15, I am pleased to announce that my cover came in the mail yesterday. Funny story: Cory and I found a picture on a stock photo place that we loved, but we then discovered to use that photo on a published book would cost over $100. Target had …
This week’s book of the week is A God Divided written by Christopher Catherwood. It is our featured book in the bookstore for the Crossroads series. If you are wanting some extra info on the differences between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, you need to pick up this book. Top 5 Ideas: “By the ironic nature of its title – A …
I am so relieved to tell you that the content for my Freshman 15 book is complete! After many hours of work (filled with many months of taking off of the process), I have been working feverishly for the last four weeks to complete the content, and I am happy to say that I have finished it yesterday afternoon. …
This week’s book of the week is Stop Dating the Church!: Fall In Love with the Family of God. This small book by Joshua Harris is full of sweet goodness. While Harris is a great writer, this book is a critical read for many people. Many people (especially college students) have a tendency to church hop or church shop or …
This week’s book of the week is the Book of Genesis. I received a new ESV study Bible this week, and started rereading Genesis even though I read it once this month. Since I am reading through the Bible in a new plan, I wanted to go through it in this Bible so I wouldn’t just jump in at a …
This week’s book of the week is none other than The Gospel of Matthew. The first gospel in the New Testament was written by Matthew, one of the original twelve disciples. As a tax-collector, he really hit on many parables on money. And ethnically, as a Jew, he included more Old Testament quotations than any of the other gospel writers. …
Top 8 Viewed Posts from My Blog as of Late: About Passion Church?! Giglio and Tomlin Church Plant?! Why People Under 30 Hate Their Jobs Culmination of a 32 Month Anticipation of a Sermon Series Bad Church Sign of the Week: Don’t Let Worries Kill You Storytellers: “All Things New” 2009 Bible Reading Plan Christmas Eve Service
This week’s book of the week is Andrew Hill’s “Enter His Courts with Praise!” This treatment is a thoroughly biblical study of worship. Looking at how worship was prescribed in the Old Testament, Hill attempts to give guidelines for New Testament worship. Top 5 Ideas: “For our purposes Shaper best captures the idea and ideal of worship when he characterizes the event of worship …
This week’s book of the week is The Interventionist written by Lyle E. Schaller. Top 5 Ideas: Schaller stated that “this has become the central theme of this book, the most effective way to influence both individual and institutional behavior is to ask questions” (15). Speaking concerning the necessity for a minister to be well-presented, Schaller stated that “the pulpit …
This week’s book of the week is Walter Kaiser’s Mission in the Old Testament. Top 5 Thoughts: God’s original intention was to extend his offering of grace beyond merely the Jewish people to the Gentiles (9). Blessing had to start somewhere with someone. God’s purpose in blessing one people was to create an instrument to bless all other nations of …
This week’s book of the week is by Charles Spurgeon entitled, The Soul Winner. Spurgeon is the “prince of preachers” and had an incredible ministry during his lifetime. This great volume explains the need for personal evangelism. Top 5 Ideas: “Soul-winning is the chief business of the Christian minister; indeed, it should be the main pursuit of every true believer” …
This week’s book of the week is Thom Rainer’s Breakout Churches. Rainer, the president of Lifeway, used to be the dean for the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth. In this book, he studied churches who were making the leap to doing great things. It is a great read with some great findings. Top 5 Ideas: Rainer’s …
This week’s book of the week is Charles Finney’s Experiencing Revival. “The fact is, Christians are more to blame for not being revived than sinners are for not being converted” (18). “There are two goals necessary for revival; one is to influence men, and the other is to influence God…I do not mean that God’s mind is changed by prayer …
This week’s book of the week is John Maxwell’s Developing the Leaders Around You. Top 5 Thoughts: “The greatest leadership principle that I have ever learned in over twenty-five years of leadership is that those closest to the leader will determine the success level of that leader” (3). Maxwell quoted Winston Churchill who stated, “If you are doing big things, …
This week’s book of the week is John Maxwell’s Developing the Leader Within You. This book is one of Maxwell’s older books, but I had it on a list for an upcoming class, so I decided to read this volume on developing personal leadership skills. Top 5 Thoughts: “Leadership is influence. That’s it. Nothing more; nothing less. My favorite leadership …
This week’s book of the week is 11 Innovations in the Local Church written by the uber-talented team of Elmer Towns, Ed Stetzer, and Warren Bird. Each chapter focuses on different types of innovative churches. This book contains great stories of how Jesus is using some pasotrs and churches to do some incredible things in this country for Christ. This …
This week’s book of the week is An Emergent Manifesto of Hope edited by Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones. This book contained 25 emergent leaders writing on differing issues within the church from the emergent church perspective. If you are not savy on the emergent church, it is a group of church leaders who believe that the modern church needs …
The Time Is Now is a recording by North Side Worship released Oct. 28, 2008. Track Listing The Time Is Now Let God Arise All Things New Made Me Glad Your Home Everlasting God Glorious One Make Me Holy God of This City Your Home (Reprise) Friend of God May Your Life Be Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) …
This week’s book of the week is Bruce Demarest’s The Cross and Salvation. This hefty theological treatise is a slim 544 pages but is a great read even if it isn’t the easiest. Whenever you read about Jesus, time truly does seem to fly. Top 5 Thoughts: “Biblical salvation thus has past, present, and future dimensions.” Demarest’s words are pivotal …
This week’s book of the week is none other than Chuck Lawless’ Membership Matters. I read this book because he required it for my next class time with him. Dr. Lawless is the dean of my school, friend, mentor, and also an incredible writer. But I also read it because Jeff and I have been doing a lot of talking …
This week’s book of the week is entitled Evaluating the Church Growth Movement. Edited by Gary McIntosh and Paul Engle, they gather five differing views on the Church Growth Movement. Many churchgoers are probably unaware that great controversy exists on whether or not churches should try new things or incorporate new methods in order to see a greater harvest. This …
This week’s book of the week is Ken Hemphill’s Revitalizing the Sunday Morning Dinosaur. Hemphill makes a case for a Sunday school growth strategy that can work in churches. When he uses the term, “Sunday school,” he incorporates any effective small group strategy. While North Side has small groups and Sunday school, it is interesting to note that Sunday school …
This week’s book of the week is J. I. Packer’s classic, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. This book was based off on some lectures by Packer concerning how believers should reconcile free will and election (both two prevalent biblical concepts that seem to be warring against one another). In actuality, these two concepts go together well even if we …
Well, I have been so thrilled to hear how excited some of you are about the new North Side CD coming out. Either you are making me feel really good or you are truly anticipating getting a copy in your hands. Either way, thanks for the encouragement! The CD, entitled “The Time is Now” will be released Sunday, October 12th …
This week’s book of the week is D. A. Carson’s Becoming Conversant with the Emergent Church. The emerging church is a relatively new movement in church world. What’s hard about this movement is that there is a wide spectrum of people who are categorized as emergent. I know of “emergent” church leaders who keep the gospel at the center and …
This week’s book of the week is Firefall written by Alvin Reid and Malcom McDow. This book is a great commentary on the movement of the church over the last two centuries. It highlights revivals that spread when God’s people sought his power to come and change their land. Top 5 Thoughts: “Revival is God’s invitation into the lives of …
This book of the week is none other than John Mark Terry’s Evangelism: A Concise History. This book hits some of the greatest evangelists and the greatest evangelistic efforts since the beginning of the church. It’s one of those books that gets you excited about what God has done and what we can anticipate him doing again! Top 5 Thoughts: …
I’m starting a new feature on my blog this week: the book of the week. If Oprah has a book club, why can’t I? Each week, I will post a book I am reading or have read recently and give you the top 5 thoughts from the book. You might even want to check it out. This week’s book of …
Well, we are deep in the studio now. North Side’s praise band is working hard on recording a CD that will be released in September. Things are shaping up, and I am going to give you some video clips periodically of our work. This first video is me being ridiculous listening to building the track, “Let God Arise.” What you …
September is nearing soon. What does that mean for me? I’ve got to get my class notes finished! I will be teaching Religion 101 at Lander University in the Fall. The last I heard we have a full class! The class title, “Sacred Texts and Ideas,” is a difficult course to tackle. But I am enjoying the challenge. The textbook …
We have been having a lot of conversations around the office about our missions strategy as a church. Our church focuses on three environments: worship, community, and missions. Worship is how we live pleasing to God. Community is how we love other believers and build each other up. Mission is to seek and to save those that don’t have a …
I recently read a book by William Chadwick called, Stealing Sheep. Here’s my review: Introduction In Stealing Sheep, William Chadwick addresses the discreet yet volatile dangers of transfer growth within churches. Chadwick has served as pastor in different churches, and he currently pastors Stroudwater Christian Church in Portland. As a pastor, he personally witnessed and actually initiated change within churches …
The people of America are becoming more and more spiritual. On one side, it is more acceptable to believe in a higher being and to adhere to certain spiritual practices. The other side of the spectrum is the backlash against anything remotely absolute. They don’t want anyone to tell them they have to believe a certain way or that only …
George Barna, author of Marketing the Church, is the founder and president of the Barna Research Group. The Barna Research Group specializes in research concerning the state of the church and the culture in which the church attempts to impact. In addition to writing Marketing the Church, Barna has authored many other books concerning church health and the culture’s perception …
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