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. …
In biblical times, people who owned vineyards had to be careful about pests like foxes that would come into their gardens and ruin their produce. If a person didn’t put the proper defense around the vineyard, they could lose much financially. These pests were so smart though: they would come when the owner wasn’t around, and so a wise owner …
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 …
The Five Love Languages for Children is a great resource from Gary Chapman. Using the original love languages (physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, and acts of service), he teaches parents how to apply them in raising children. Favorite Quotes We need to fill our children’s emotional tanks with unconditional love, because real love is always unconditional (17). For …
Preached at North Greenville University – January 30, 2017 Sermon Notes Are you so worried about God’s will down the road that you are missing his will right in front of you? We can focus on the future so much that we neglect the present. You can be so concerned with God’s will then that you miss God’s will now. …
In the Book of Ezra, a group of Israelites return home after being in exile. While this joyous occasion gave them hopes and dreams about a lot of things, 70 years in a pagan culture at least taught them an important lesson. The reason they went into exile was because of their idolatry and sinful ways, and so, the first …
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’m excited to say that my new book is available today. As I have discipled our worship team, spoken at worship conferences, and consulted worship teams, I have often been asked to develop a resource based on a teaching I have done around the 5 Worship Team Killers. While there are incredible worship resources available, most of them are geared towards …
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 …
Main Points Two Extremes: 1) God could never use me, 2) Of course God will use me. Do you believe that God wants to use you for his Kingdom purposes? Do you acknowledge that God is not dependent upon you for his Kingdom purposes? Even when God seems behind the scenes, his plan is always front and center. Levels in the Bible: …
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 – …
Let’s put some things into perspective. Check out these pictures below: The Grand Canyon of in Arizona is a chasm 277 miles long and up to 18 miles wide. Below Yavapai point is 2,400 feet above sea level, about 4,500 feet below the South Rim and 5,400 feet below the North Rim for an average depth of about one mile. Formed …
Psalm 127 is attributed to Solomon. Known for his wisdom, this worship song is his reminder of the need for God to be central in every home. It’s a reminder to all parents that children are indeed a gift hand-wrapped by God. Unless the LORD builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the LORD watches over a …
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 …
Biblical Church Growth is a great resource by Gary L. McIntosh. He addresses what the Bible says about church growth versus what current cultural trends can be within the church. Many people hold that the church growth movement is a bad thing, but church growth is a biblical thing. Favorite Quotes I use the word biblical to make the point that, …
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 …
I don’t think I really appreciated what I was doing when I signed my marriage license years ago. Young and in love, everything was just fine in the world. As the years have gone by, we have learned so much about each other and what real marriage is supposed to be about. As parents now, we have a greater responsibility than …
“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 …
This week’s book of the week is by my professor, advisor, mentor, and buddy, Chuck Lawless. Serving in Your Church Prayer Ministry is a fantastic read with practical steps for a church to prioritize prayer. Favorite Quotes “The early church was a prayer-driven church…They watched [Jesus] minister to all types of people, but they didn’t ask for ministry training. Instead, they …
Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline …
Last words can be a pivotal way to remember someone. Lying on their death beds, people have given life-changing words of blessing or shocking confessions. In the four Gospels, we gather seven audible phrases that Jesus said while he was on the cross. Right before he died for crimes he did not commit, he was intentional to say certain things. …
We have replaced parents with programs and we are losing our children one generation at a time. Main Points We have expected the church to do what God expects the family to do. We have replaced parents with programs and we are losing our children one generation at a time. God’s ideal is when a family of God partners with …
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 …
Worship Evangelism was written in response to the seeker-sensitive, church-growth movement. In an era when so many churches work hard at feeling just like the world, Morgenthaler makes a call for churches to remain holy in the truest sense of the word – other than. The best way to reach “seekers” (I know, no one seeks after God [Rom 3:10], but …
Did you know that you have a prayer partner? His name is Jesus. Therefore, He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them. -Heb. 7:25 Part of your progress has been due to the diligent prayers that he has prayed on your behalf. And, guess what? I have …
Marriage is not when two people both give 50%. Marriage is when two people both give 100%. In Ephesians 5, Paul sums up his discussion on marriage by telling husbands to love their wives and wives to respect their husbands. Women need love. Men need respect. Simple in concept, difficult in application. 31 For this reason a man will leave …
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 …
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