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 …
It was a joy to read Piper’s biography on William Wilberforce. I decided to include some biographies in my reading cycle and I was so glad I did. I learned so much from his life. You can get the book on Amazon or download it for free from Desiring God. Book Overview Against great obstacles William Wilberforce, an evangelical Christian …
Fear not – God still has a plan. If you are like me, you probably have believed at some point that God did have a plan for your life, but along the way, you honestly begin to wonder if he is just making it up as he goes along. Have you ever felt like someone made plans that began well, full of …
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 …
I finished Prince Caspian, the fourth Narnia installment. As Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are summoned back to Narnia, they must address the dismal state of the land after their absence. Can they fight back the enemy and restore their faith in Aslan? Favorite Quotes Those who run first do not always run last (90). You are my King. I know the …
A few years ago, North Side Worship started putting together a bluegrass Christmas album entitled “Peace on Earth.” You can listen to or download the entire album for free below. As we selected songs, I fell in love with some of the forgotten verses in Christmas hymnody. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” became my favorite due to one particular forgotten …
I want to say thank you for all those who keep up with my blog. I try to use this blog as a platform to encourage readers to stay biblically obedient in the areas of faith and family. I pray that 2016 helped you do that, and I look forward to navigating through 2017 in the same manner. As a recap, I …
Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin (Rom. 4:7-8). Service Order Reading – Luke 2:8-14 Gloria (Angels We Have Heard on High) – Michael W. Smith Jesus Son of God – Chris Tomlin Here and There – Report from South Asia Prayer Time Peace …
Return to Worship is a great volume by Ron Owens. With 37 short yet specific chapters and 4 detailed appendices, anyone involved in leading worship can read through the entire book and be edified or select a specific topic and be informed. Favorite Quotes Sometimes it seems we have completely lost sight of Who God is – His might, His majesty, …
Celebrate Christmas by imitating Jesus. Main Points Phil. 2:5-7 Celebrate Christmas by imitating Jesus. Be incarnational to someone in need. Help your family make a give list instead of a wish list. List out the gifts that God has already given your family. Come, let your family adore him. Enjoy this video? Check out the growing collection of Family Alter videos!
While most worship teams are composed of volunteers, the weight of this ministry should still hold a high level of accountability concerning preparation. All individual members should be prepared before practice and not use the group time as a session to cram. Corporate cramming sessions serve as an inconsiderate waste of time and an absolute stressful environment for all team …
whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins (Rom. 3:25) Loved worshiping with the church family today as we went through Romans 3:24-31. Great time as we walked through the gospel in our worship and celebrated the change it has made …
Many people can stand before people and lead worship, but not everyone should. Those who lead in worship are responsible for holding themselves to a high standard. Worship teams represent the church and teach others by the manner in which they lead (Col. 3:16). Those who desire to teach do have stricter standards in this life and the next (Jam. 3:1). As …
The Apostle Paul clearly warned believers when he wrote, “See to it that no one takes you through hollow and deceptive philosophy, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col. 2:8). The word “philosophy” literally means “the love of wisdom.” Wisdom is not a bad thing. Hollow and deceptive obsession …
I enjoyed reading the 3rd volume in The Chronicles of Narnia. My son and I were taking turns reading The Horse and His Boy, but he was reading it faster than I was, so I had to pick up the pace. I was enjoying the book, but it got much more spectacular the moment Aslan entered the story. Book overview: …
If experience is the only thing able to produce healthy homes, then all our families are doomed. Main Points If experience is the only thing able to produce healthy homes, then all our families are doomed. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 Teaching – what’s right Reproof – what’s not right Correction – How to make it right Training in righteousness – how …
Christmas has become Santa’s big scene, and Jesus has been reduced to an honorable mention. What can your family do to keep the main the main thing at Christmastime?
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24 Wonderful morning as we went through Romans 3! Service Order Family Dedication Reading – Psalm 34:1-3 Joy to the World – North Side Worship Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee – The Alone Instrument Holy …
We are singing “Jesus, Only Jesus” during December at North Side. So excited to introduce the song by Matt Redman to the congregation on Sunday but you can practice before you come! Lyrics Who has the power to raise the dead? Who can save us from our sin? He is our hope, our righteousness Jesus, only Jesus Who can make …
Mark 1:1-8 Peak Student Ministry at North Side Baptist Church Main Points Delayed obedience is disobedience. Jesus is coming and he is going to require some room. Your life will be remembered for what kingdom you try to build.
As newlyweds, we read The Total Money Makeover to understand the newfound responsibilities and opportunities concerning personal finances. I honestly was clueless, and so I bought this book so that my bride didn’t think I would remain clueless. It was a complete game-changing eye-opener for us during our first year of marriage. I am currently taking some guys through some …
When a family relationship is strained, how does the Bible expect you to respond? Main Points Rom. 12:18 Heb. 12:18 Col. 3:13 If it is your fault, seek forgiveness. (James 5:16) If it isn’t your fault, offer forgiveness. (Matt. 5:23-24) Enjoy this video? Check out the growing collection of Family Alter videos!
Married couples should routinely evaluate how they are doing. And for a couple to know how they are doing, it is important to know how each individual is doing. The quality of my marriage is proportional to my investment in it. Where do you start for a good marriage evaluation? I would suggest 1 Corinthians 13. People love to use this …
After a great Thanksgiving week, it was wonderful to watch gratitude spill over into our worship services. We studied Romans 3:9-20 and walked through the gospel with our services. It is so amazing to be able to lead alongside a band that were allowed a week away from practice so they could spend time with families and watch them come together …
Christ-Centered Worship is a great and thorough book from Bryan Chapell. In it, he gives a balanced and accommodating approach to gospel-centered worship leading. Additionally, he gives examples galore on how to pull it off. Mike Cosper recommended this book in his book, Rhythms of Grace. Favorite Quotes Liturgy tells a story. We tell the gospel by the way we …
If parents nag about everything, children will not listen to anything. Main Points Col. 3:21 – Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Prov. 25:24 – It is better to live in a corner of the roof than in a house shared with a quarrelsome woman. If parents nag about everything, children will not listen to anything. …
We sang “Carried to the Table” by Leeland before communion this week. It is a powerful song using the story of Mephibosheth from 2 Samuel 9. Here’s the story: King David longed to find someone in the family of King Saul and Jonathan on whom to bestow kindness. Saul was his predecessor, and Jonathan, Saul’s son, was David’s best friend. …
The four gospels contain the life and ministry of Jesus the Christ. Within three years of organized ministry before his death and resurrection, he preached many sermons and shared many parables. In a time before podcasts and YouTube, his teachings have endured due to the life-changing paradigm with which he spoke. In all that he taught, Jesus also deemed it …
Such a special day as we observed communion as a church family and worked our way through Romans 3. We scaled things back for our band today, and I loved the way the team led in worship with an acoustic, organic semi-circle of worship leaders. We also set the communion up with a great song by Leeland called “Carried to …
Dr. Charles Swindoll, Chancellor of Dallas Seminary and Senior Pastor of Stonebriar Community Church, offers advice in confronting anxiety. In North Side’s NSU course through Philippians, Jamie Parler showed this video and the content was extremely helpful to those in attendance. I wanted to share it here as well.
We enrolled the boys into a flag football league this year for the first time. My reservations were confirmed when I was given a code of conduct, not for the players, but for the parents! We were entering into uncharted waters, but the boys were thrilled about starting. We have enjoyed watching the Bengals give their all each week. While their record …
There are Christian leadership books that give leadership principles and try to attach a Bible verse to the idea. And then there is Spiritual Leadership. Written by J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership, is an incredible read for anyone who wants to impact another. Favorite Quotes After all, is it not better for the position to seek out the person rather than the person …
Sports can have a good place as long as they don’t take God’s place. Main Points 1 Timothy 4:7-8; 1 Cor. 9:25-27 Sports can have a good place as long as they don’t take God’s place. Give eternal pursuits more effort than you give temporal pursuits. What you say and how you say it reveal what you love and how …
Have you ever wondered how long it takes to read through each book? There are 66 books in the Bible. They vary in length. While the Bible is a big book, you can read it in book-sized pieces.
At the Agnew Academy (the name I gave our homeschool), I get to teach our kids on Friday and at other opportunities. I look forward to this part of the week so much! I love spending intentional, formative times with my children. One of the curriculums we use is a writing program called Bible Heroes. “In these lessons, you will learn …
At the Agnew Academy (the name I gave our homeschool), I get to teach our kids on Friday and at other opportunities. I look forward to this part of the week so much! I love spending intentional, formative times with my children. One of the curriculums we use is a writing program called Bible Heroes. “In these lessons, you will …
Another great week going through Romans 2! Service Order Every Praise – Hezekiah Walker Reading – Hebrews 12:1-2 Prayer Time When I Survey the Wondrous Cross – North Side Worship Here and There Prayer Time There Is a Fountain – North Side Worship He Will Hold Me Fast – Norton Hall Band Sermon – The Danger of Religion (Romans 2)
Have you ever felt inadequate for something you felt called to do? Have you ever been overwhelmed at the task at hand? God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called. Jeremiah began his work as a prophet during the time that King Josiah reigned (Jer. 1:2). King Josiah had started a religious reform in the nation (2 Kings 22), …
We introduced “Every Praise” by Hezekiah Walker a few weeks ago at North Side. It is a great gospel song. While it is a great call to worship song, it is also pretty incredible that the song helped rescue a little boy from a kidnapping. The news story goes like this: A gospel song saved a 10-year-old Atlanta boy from …
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