Chosen People

by

Today was a great day to worship with the church family.  We got to 1 Peter 2:9-10 this week as we discussed being God’s chosen people. We introduced a new song from our “Stand Firm” project.  The song was entitled “Declare Your Praise.”  It was based on the Scripture for this week and surrounding weeks. Someone commented after worship that …

READ MORE

“If It’s Based On the Word of God…”

by

Our band got the privilege of leading worship at First Baptist Ware Shoals Sunday night.  We were asked to do the “Knowing Jesus” event and our group always loves getting to go through that music together. The music was composed by our band and it tells the story of Christ through the major events and teaching. Since writing the music …

READ MORE

Living Stones

by

We focused today on the “Living Stones” described in 1 Peter.  Built upon the cornerstone of Jesus and solidified by the Word of God. In addition to some worship music focusing on these elements, we also highlighted our partnership with End Bible Poverty.  We are raising the funds to translate 1 Peter for the Mushere people of Nigeria.  The map …

READ MORE

“Did You Pay for the Beach?”

by

The Agnews piled in the minivan in the middle of September for a 4-day trip to the beach.  We had just finished a month where we had started homeschooling and I returned to teaching at Lander.  We had started back up our college group at the house.  We had also just finished a week of Gathering services in addition to …

READ MORE

Is Jesus Really the Only Way?

by

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”     -John 14:6 (NASB) His name was Yohei.  It was the year 2000 in Tokyo, Japan.  He told our mission team that Jesus, Allah, or anybody else who claimed to be God was probably correct.  They all …

READ MORE

What a Japanese Steakhouse Taught Me About My Daughter

by

  Our family made a Saturday trip to Greenville recently.  Amidst the shoe shopping extravaganza, we decided to go to Miyabi Japanese Steakhouse for dinner that night.  We just had to pick out shoes quickly so that we could make it for the early bird special! All of my children have been really good eaters.  They try a lot of …

READ MORE

Grow Up

by

The Word of God causes us to be born again and can also cause us to grow again. Therefore, we should both desire it and consume it, especially since we know how good it is. Focusing on the need to “grow up” spiritually, the service was planned all around understanding the goodness of God and the willingness for that good …

READ MORE

God Doesn’t Need You to Help Him Out

by

I mentioned in a previous post that God’s promise was not contingent upon Abram’s performance. Regardless of Abram’s shameful behavior, God still intends to bless Abram so that the nations of the earth can be blessed through him.  Abram couldn’t grasp a great nation coming from him if he couldn’t even produce one single child (Gen. 15:2).  His hope continued …

READ MORE

“Call Me Jeff”

by

  On Sunday, we surprised Jeff and Sandy Lethco with a banquet after morning services to celebrate their 15 years at North Side.  We shared testimonies, gave 15 gifts, and thanked God for their influence in our lives. I spoke to many who were excited about this time, but who got very emotional during the service.  They had the intention …

READ MORE

The Resolution for Men Bible Study

by

The Resolution for Men – Bible Study includes content for small-group sessions, five personal devotions each week, and leader notes. You’ll also find icebreakers, interactive Bible study, provocative insights, and guided prayer. This men’s group curriculum was inspired by the document featured in the movie COURAGEOUS. The Resolution contained 12 commitments related to characteristics that all men of God want to …

READ MORE

The Enduring Word of God

by

This was my Sunday: Soundcheck. Worship. Worship. Surprise Lethcos. Banquet. Clean up. Set up. NSU. Community group. Hopewood Haven awareness night. Drive thru. Recliner. It was great.  I wouldn’t trade anything for it.  It was a full day but it was a great day. The entire time of worship was great.  Surprising Jeff and Sandy was stellar.  The church’s encouraging …

READ MORE

Bad Church Sign: Drop It Like It’s Hot

by

Do churches need to be cultural to be commissional? This church must think so.  Their sign reads: BRING YOUR SIN 2 THE ALTER AND DROP IT LIKE ITS HOT What you think?    

Motivation for Holy Living

by

I got to be a part of today’s worship while I was on the beach with my family.  We had taken a quick family vacation, and we had family worship together around the table that morning, but as I was getting the kids ready for the day, I got to join in worshiping with the church family over my phone. …

READ MORE

The Gathering Recap

by

After an incredible 4 days of the Gathering, there really aren’t words to describe all that God did.  Here’s a few things I know: I really, really love Jesus. I love my church. Our church really gets worship. We don’t pray enough as a church. The gathering of the church changes drastically when everyone comes prepared. We don’t fast enough …

READ MORE

“When Did Angels Hit the Scene?”

by

Teaching through the Old Testament, I’m often asked questions to clarify.  Here is an answer to this question: “When did the angels hit the scene?” That is a great question.  Scripture does not give specific details concerning the timing of the origin of angels, but we can gather enough information to narrow the time down. They are not explicity mentioned …

READ MORE

Be Holy

by

894b5a37-6d2a-4e07-b6bd-a41f637fce45_7259

“Some people can’t be holy because they are seeking someone else’s approval.” -Jeff Lethco

What a strong word today on what it means to be holy.  Digging into 1 Peter 1:13-16 was incredible.  God’s call on us is clear.  We are to be holy because our Father is holy.  He is different.  He doesn’t fit into this culture and neither should we.

The time of worship today was so rich.  I love seeing all the new faces worshiping with us.  God has been working on lives among us and calling people into deeper levels of holiness.

READ MORE

What They Didn’t Know We Do

by

Today is going to be a busy but fantastic day:

Soundcheck, 2 worship services, college lunch, teach NSU, lead discipleship group, Gathering practice tonight.  I can’t think of better ways to spend my time than that!

What They Didn’t Know We Do [Series: Stand Firm]

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:10-12

As believers, we can be encouraged by realizing we know things that neither the prophets knew or the angels know!  With this knowledge, we can patiently persevere and follow the example of Christ who experienced glory after his time of suffering.

READ MORE

Empowered by the Spirit

by

But when the Father sends the Counselor as My representative–and by the Counselor I mean the Holy Spirit–He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I Myself have told you.  –John 14:26 (NLT)

Jesus Christ was an amazing example for the disciples to follow as they learned how to be on mission to tell the world about the grace and love of Jesus Christ.  As Jesus ascended into heaven, He told the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit to come over them because Jesus knew that the Spirit would serve as a guide and a teacher in His physical absence.

During the Jewish feast of Pentecost, the disciples got what they were waiting for.  The Holy Spirit, the presence of God Himself, took up residence inside ordinary bodies – their bodies.  The disciples immediately hit the streets with a bold new style that the world has never recovered from.

READ MORE

God’s Promise Is Not Contingent on Your Performance

by

Reading through the Old Testament, one might wonder where this Abram came from.  What is his significance?  Why is he now a main character in this grand story?  Why him?  And every single one of those questions is completely valid.

It appears as if there is nothing special about Abram except for the fact that he was chosen by God.  And that is more than enough.  Abram’s value does not seem tied up in the quality of the called but rather in the quality of the one who called him.

In a genealogy of Noah’s son, Shem, a man named Terah is listed last.  His crowning achievement?  He fathered a son named Abram (Gen. 11:26) who was married to a barren wife named Sarai (Gen. 11:30).  This genealogy from the surviving members of the flood comes to a screeching halt.  Based on the information given, Abram’s family of origin is known and his descendants seem an implausible dream at the moment.  No indication is given if this man is righteous, noble, bold, or innovative.  We are unaware if he is a gifted preacher or a skilled leader.  It is unknown if he is liar, cheat, or a thief.

We just know that he is chosen by God and that is where the story continues.

READ MORE

Trial by Fire

by

On a Labor Day weekend with a bunch of college football enthusiasts up late last night, I was concerned at the energy level of everyone this morning.  I should have never worried.  It was such a great day with some genuine, engaged worshipers.

We started our services with family dedications and it was such a special time as always.  We also watched a video on persecuted Christians from around the world.  This served to guide our prayer time and it also always helps to worship with the big “C” Church in mind.

Today, we worshiped to:

READ MORE

God Has to Look Down at Our Highest Attempts

by

Ever since Adam and Eve were tempted to be like God (Gen. 3:5), all subsequent people seem bent to trod down the same path.  They want to prove they are holy.  They want to show others that they are set apart.  In Genesis 11, we read the epitome of the ridiculous notion that Mankind can reach God at Ground Zero of a place called the Tower of Babel.

At the Tower of Babel, Mankind attempts to reach God through their efforts and ingenuity.  The people spoke in only one language (Gen. 11:1).  Their desire was to maintain security, so they built a city in order not to be “dispersed over the face of the earth” (Gen. 11:4).  Their desire was to be praised, so they built a tower to the heaven in order to “make a name for themselves” (Gen. 11:4).  They desired to be comfortable and known.  Instead of listening to God, they wanted to be God.  If they could only build this tower high enough, they could reach the heights of heaven, storm the castle gates, and take over ownership and become the masters of their own fates.

The build was impressive.  It was very high.  Their skills and knowledge had increased vastly so that this tower was ever growing taller.  For all its height and majesty, God still had to humble himself to see such a tiny, insignificant, pathetic structure.  “And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built” (Gen. 11:5).

For all their work to exalt themselves to the place of divinity, God still had to humble himself to behold their best, collaborative efforts.

READ MORE

Living Hope

by

We joined with 40+ churches in the area today to pray for spiritual awakening. Alan Quigley at South Main Street Baptist Church led the initiative and there were a lot of great things going on this weekend. The prayer was for spiritual awakening to happen in churches all over Greenwood. Love it when people focus on churches working together rather than competing with one another.

I’m not sure about other local churches, but God is continuing to do some amazing things at North Side. Loved our prayer time for spiritual awakening, and I love to hear stories of people who are being discipled at our church.

Today, we worshiped to:

READ MORE

The Long Walk to Kindergarten

by

Like many other families around our area, the Agnews had a big week this week as school started.  It is crazy to think that my boys are old enough for kindergarten.  The time is flying by quickly.

While emotions will run high for these moments and you never know how parents or the children will handle themselves, we had a fantastic first day and first week of school.  There are more options concerning schooling than ever before, and we struggled like so many other parents what was the right thing to do.

I guess we are old school in many ways and we wanted our boys to walk to school like many before them.  I wanted to videotape the whole experience.  In our house, I’m normally trying to grab a camera, Amanda doesn’t like it in the moment but then thanks me later.

So, here is a video of Obadiah and Eli on their long walk to kindergarten.  The hardest day is behind us, and many more great days to come.

READ MORE

1 Peter Worship Album

by

I’m excited to share with you a new project for North Side Worship.  We are writing an album based upon 1 Peter.

Our church is going through a study of 1 Peter.  It is entitled “Stand Firm.”  We started it last Sunday, and if calculations are correct, we will be finishing the end of January 2014.  The book is all about standing firm as believers during difficult times.  It’s a pretty timely message these days.

Since we would be spending so much time in this book, we wanted to cement these biblical truths in the ears of our church.  Ever since we started focusing on discipling people through worship, we have been amazed at how people are growing through this ministry.

Our band got together and studied 1 Peter one day intensively.  We studied and we studied.  After really understanding it as a book, we then broke it down into about 12 songs that we wanted to write.  That day we started on some of them.  We have a goal of about 4 songs a month.  We have 4 complete, and we are in the process of the next 4 as we speak.  We hope to finish all the songs by the beginning of October.

READ MORE

The Gathering – Sept. 15-18

by

 

I just sent out the final preparations to our band for The Gathering.  I am so excited for these coming 4 days at North Side.  It is a time to seek the Lord.  The times together are going to very special.  We have been praying and planning a lot.

Here are some details on the week:

READ MORE

Bring the Family Back Together

by

I’ve been haunted by a question lately: do most people’s most pivotal spiritual experiences happen with their family or without their family?

The more and more I talk with people, the same answer I continue to get.  Most people’s most pivotal spiritual experiences happen when they are not with their family.  It happens at youth camp or youth group.  It happens off at college with a group of peers.  It happens in a one-on-one conversation with someone outside the family.

While I praise God for all of those programs and people, I also find that a disconnect from the family serves to have long-term negative effects.  When youth group becomes your place for spiritual growth, those people have a hard time growing when they aren’t in the youth group anymore.  That student moves to college, that student pastor has new students to watch over, and unfortunately, that person no longer has a spiritual mentor in his or her life.

But, they should.  Dad and Mom should be the primary evangelist and disciple-maker in that child’s life.

Most people’s most pivotal spiritual experiences happen without their family.

And we need to change that.

READ MORE

Elect Exiles

by

I was so excited to start our new series today, “Stand Firm.”  This study in 1 Peter will last a few months and focuses how believers are to endure through the trials of this life.  I can’t think of a more timely series.

We started our worship off today with a spoken word video from Amena Brown as the band built into the first song.  The service was built all around the passage of the day, 1 Peter 1:1-2.  I’m gonna be emphasizing that even more in the weeks to come hoping to help connect the dots for everyone.

Today, we worshiped to:

READ MORE

Noah and the Ark is Not a Children’s Story

by

I’m teaching the Old Testament at Lander University and I am also teaching it at our church this Fall.  As I prepare, I am noticing many things about the Old Testament that are misunderstood.  One of them is that Noah and the Ark is not a children’s story.  It’s a story for all of us. It’s deeper than rain and animals.  It has to do with the fact that God takes sin seriously.

Adam and Eve sinned and were banished from the Garden.  Their son, Cain, killed their other son, Abel.  After this event, God blesses them with another son.  When Eve births another son, Seth (Gen. 4:25), solemnity is slowing taking over. Seth’s birth gives a subtle indication of deeper things transpiring with Mankind.

While the first people were made in the image of God, Seth is curiously described as a son in Adam’s “own likeness, after his image” (Gen. 5:3). On the external level, this reveals that Seth’s appearance is similar to that of his father’s. This phrase possibly also acknowledges the fact that these following generations are more and more marred by the curse of sin first seen in the father Adam.

This sinful nature and Adamic likeness grows. Sin continues to pervert, distort, and destroy what is good in God’s creation. Evil increases greatly, and God becomes evermore grieved over Mankind. God begins to impose an age limit of 120 years (Gen. 6:3) except for a few unique exceptions (Abraham lives to 175, Gen. 25:7).

Further, God declares that he is going to destroy his Creation which was good before sin corrupted it. “‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD'” (Gen. 6:7-8). The fact that God feels “sorry” does not indicate that he is now aware of something he didn’t see coming and he wish he would have never done it in the first place. God foreknew all that had transpired and all that would transpire. The actualization of enduring Mankind’s sinfulness produces a different type of grief within God than previously described.

Noah is the exception here. Chosen by God for a specific task, Noah “was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God” (Gen. 6:9). God’s wrath was coming for earth ever so filled with violence and corruption (Gen. 6:11-12). To save himself, his family, and a remnant of animals, God instructed Noah to build an ark that could sustain the coming wrath of God (Gen. 6:14-22).

Noah and the Ark was never intended to be a mere children’s story.

READ MORE

The Discipline of the Church

by

We finished up our “Church Matters” series today as we focused on “The Discipline of the Church.”  This isn’t a topic you would normally hear about in a sermon series on the church, but if we neglect this issue we are avoiding a serious issue in the New Testament.

Jeff mentioned in his very practical sermon on this matter that we have replaced God today with the god of tolerance. America’s favorite verse to quote is “judge not” and it is taken out of context and not understood.  If we don’t keep one another accountable within the church then our witness and stand in the world weakens.

Today, we worshiped to:

READ MORE

Hissy Fit or Pastoral Duty?

by

You will have an opinion about the following video.  If you haven’t seen it, it’s been quite the topic of conversation.

Baptist Pastor Jim Standridge has made a name for himself after a video of one of his sermons, showing him rebuking some of his members, went viral.  Out of all of his messages he might have desired to become famous for, I don’t know if he saw this one coming to the top of the list.

The preacher from Immanuel Baptist Church in Skiatook, Oklahoma, for 24 years, left the platform, stepped down from his pulpit into the seated congregation on May 19 to call out one member for dozing off.  But that was just the beginning.

Spotting someone else in the congregation, he then called out a member, Ryan Underwood, who had missed several services, “You are one of the sorriest church members I have. You’re not worth 15 cents.”

READ MORE

Deleted Scenes

by

A feature of many movies are the inclusion of the deleted scenes.  These scenes were scripted, recorded, and edited, but, due to different reasons, they never made it into the final release.

As you watch them, you might notice that that scene wasn’t that great in the first place.  Maybe the scene was decent cinematography but just seemed irrelevant to the big story line of the film.

Have you ever wished there were some “deleted scenes” from your life?

READ MORE

Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

by

With the exile of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, humankind’s history takes a drastic turn. The first family is banished from Paradise, and this once “good” creation has apparently made some unfortunate self-modifications concerning the original model. One would hope that Adam and Eve would learn from this rebellious episode and warn subsequent generations from revolting against God.

The first children of Creation reveal how severely sin is already corrupting Mankind. Adam and Eve were at least obedient to the command “be fruitful and multiply” (Gen. 1:28) as “Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying ‘I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.’ And again, she bore his brother Abel” (Gen. 4:1-2).

Within one generation of God making man in his image, man murders that image in his very own brother. Apparently, sibling rivalry began with these first brothers. Abel watched the sheep and Cain worked the ground (Gen. 4:2). At some point, they each brought an offering to the LORD. It was a gift. It was intended to be a sacrifice of sorts to reveal a grateful heart to their Maker. As a farmer, Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground (Gen. 4:3). Shepherd Abel brought a sacrifice from his flock.

While it appears at first glance that both men provided a worthy gift, God does not regard them equally.

READ MORE

Spiritual Multiplication

by

Have you ever heard of Dawson Trotman?  He was the founder of the Navigators.  Before he had a ministry program, he had a ministry.  He didn’t wait for a discipleship program to disciple someone.

After seeing the benefits of basic discipleship principles in his own life, Dawson Trotman wanted to teach them to others, echoing the call of 2 Timothy 2:2: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”

Dawson began teaching high school students and local Sunday school classes these principles. In 1933, he and his friends extended their work to sailors in the U.S. Navy.

Spiritual multiplication can be seen in the story of Dawson and Les Spencer, a navy man on the USS West Virginia.  After Trotman had been teaching Spencer truths from God’s Word for some time, Spencer brought a friend from his ship to Trotman and said, “Dawson, I want you to teach him all you have taught me.”

But Dawson said, “I am not going to teach him; you are going to teach him. If you cannot teach him what I have taught you, then I have failed.”

READ MORE

The Integrity of the Church

by

“If you want to be a shepherd, you have to smell like sheep.”

That was just one of the best lines from today’s sermon.  This was our second week focusing on the biblical role of elders.  In 1 Timothy 3, Paul tells Timothy some of the characteristics and traits that an elder or a pastor is supposed to have.

A true pastor must desire the calling.  It’s a noble thing.  This was one of the best things I have ever heard on calling and the danger that many treat it with mysticism.  If you are called, you desire this work.

You must be above reproach.  There must be a good set of morals and living them out.  I never really thought about the trait of hospitality like I did today.  A true pastor is going to be around sheep.  He is going to have them in his home.  He is going be near the people in his congregation or he’s really not a good elder.

Today, we worshiped to:

READ MORE

O, What’s a Church to Do?

by

O, What’s a Church to Do?

O, what’s a church to do?
Socialize, proselytize,
Empathize or try?
Congregate, segregate,
Stagnate or die?
Trivialize, patronize,
Criticize old and new.
Organize to fraternize,
O, what’s a church to do?

READ MORE

Protective Parents

by

“You’ll understand when you have children of your own.”

This statement has been repeated by many parents throughout the years.  As fathers and mothers provide rules and regulations, children of all ages accuse their parents of being unfair and out of touch with trends in current culture.

Instead of debating, many parents opt out of an argument by explaining to their children that they will understand better when they have children of their own one day.

We hope.

What rules did your parents have that you couldn’t stand when you were a child?

READ MORE

Church Bulletin Bloopers

by

Typos happen in all types of mediums.  All types of businesses and organizations have experienced the embarrassment with something written incorrectly. They can be awkward or unfortunate, but most oftentimes, they are just funny. The following statements actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services: Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Methodist. Come …

READ MORE

The Leadership of the Church

by

I loved having my birthday on a Sunday.  I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with my family and church family.  The day was just fantastic.

The worship service centered around the leadership of the church.  As we were going to talk about elders, I wanted to focus on lifting Jesus higher and us getting out of the way.  Christian leaders are called to decrease because Christ must increase.

Today, we worshiped to:

READ MORE

1 Decade at North Side

by

This weekend is a pretty special one for me.  On Sunday, I celebrate two events:

First, I am turning 32.  Just seeing that number is kinda crazy to me.  It’s not a depressing thing, but it just represents a lot of life that God has allowed me to live.  I am very grateful.

Second, I am celebrating 1 decade of being a pastor at North Side Baptist Church.  In a time when some stats say that ministers stay at a church for an average of 2 years, it seems hard to imagine staying somewhere for 10.

10 years ago on my birthday, I began moving my books into an office in the Family Life Center to serve as a full-time yet part-time College and Missions Pastor.  I had just finished up a summer serving M-Fuge in St. Louis, I was engaged to the best girl in the entire world, and I had a hopeful disposition to what was awaiting at North Side.

Things have changed in the last 10 years just a little bit:

READ MORE

Mosquitoes and Worship

by

I was asked to lead worship last night at the Epworth Camp Meeting.  I was very excited to go because I love old camp meetings.  There is something very special about those dedicated times.

Epworth is a Methodist campground that has had people gather for over 100 years in the summer to seek the Lord.  Their song leader for the last many years passed away after camp last year, and this year they were interested in trying things a little different.

So they asked me if I would bring in a band and try and connect with the young people.  See, I’m not that old ;).  Apparently, last night was a first in some ways for the camp as far as worship styles.  There were many there who have been a part of the camp for literally decades.

Don’t get me wrong, I love leading worship anywhere I get the opportunity, but there was something very special about last night.

Here’s why:

READ MORE

+ MORE POSTS