Bible

The Authority of the Church

by

20130602-132640.jpg

While Jeff Lethco can preach anything well, I love the stride he gets in when talking about the church.

It was a powerful start to our “Church Matters” series today as we focused on the authority of the church. For us, it’s Scripture.  We won’t be conditioned by expectations.  We don’t have to cave in to comparison traps.  We don’t have to try to woo or keep anyone based on preferences.  We want to be obedient to God’s Word.  And oftentimes, churches can begin to base all of their activity and identity on something that is totally absent in the Bible.

Today, we worshiped to:

READ MORE

1 John Recap

by

BIBLE 1John

A few months ago, we looked at the calendar and needed to plan how we were going to end the series on 1 John – “Knowing That You Know Jesus.”  I had this random idea.  I began to tell Jeff what I was thinking, and he said, “I was thinking the exact same thing.  Let’s go with it.”

So, anyway, that “go with it” happened this morning. It was powerful and unexpected.

We simply read through the Book of 1 John.  At the end of different sections, we worshiped according to the truth read.  It was so simple and powerful just letting the Word speak.  No commentary.  No need for explanation.  And we know it did not return void.

Gus Burgdorf did a great job sharing his work with the Gideon’s ministry.  The Word is powerful (getting the theme yet?).

Today, we worshiped to a lot of music:

READ MORE

Day 88 of M’Cheyne

by

photo-5

I started the M’Cheyne Bible reading plan on January 1st of this year.  The goal is to read through the entire Bible once, the NT and Psalms twice.  At first I was unsure of the format, but I have grown to love this plan.

It is a simple format reading through 4 different of sections each day, and it is not geared around any holiday.  That’s why Day 88’s reading was so powerful.

It so “happenned” to be Good Friday.  It so “happenned” to be on the day we were starting our “Knowing Jesus” presentation.  It so “happenned” to be after a very rough dress rehearsal on Wednesday where everything you could possibly imagined that could have gone wrong did.

And I wake up that Friday morning and I pull out the day’s reading and I was overwhelmed by what I found:

READ MORE

The Love Dare for Parents

by

I’m honored to have been asked by LifeWay and Sherwood Pictures to partner with them again on another Bible study curriculum.  I’ve been very humbled to play a very small part in their ministry over the last couple of years, and I was humbled again that I was thought of to come alongside the latest project. I was contacted about …

READ MORE

Keep His Commandments

by

photo-20

The above picture is a shot of my sermon notes today.  1 John 2:3-6 is so plain, there isn’t a ton to unpack there.  It’s pretty simple.  If you really know Jesus, you will keep his commandments.

There really wasn’t a lot to add to that Scripture, so I didn’t try to add a bunch to it.  God’s Word is sufficient.  It doesn’t need frills, it just needs to be heard.

So that’s what we did.  We ended my message early and let God speak.

READ MORE

Teaching an Old Dad New Tricks

by

Want to be a better father?  Join me for the course Courageous: Honor Begins at Home.

Derek was a “good enough dad.” He provided for his family. He stayed faithful to his wife, never committed any of the “really bad” sins, and took his children to church. Most people would look at him and think he was a model father.

In his late 60s, something changed. As a retired grandfather, he become exposed to biblical teaching concerning a father’s responsibility to teach the truths of the Bible to his own children. Through the conviction of God’s Word, he began to seek out how exactly God had called him to live. As he watched the movie Courageous, he realized he too didn’t want to be just “a good enough dad.”

But it was too late. His children were out on their own, married with their own children. While all of his children were fine members of society, God was a part of their home and not the central piece. He realized that his children were simply repeating what they had seen.

His children were out of the home, but they were not beyond his influence.

READ MORE

Would My Life “Fit” in the Bible?

by

Is my life biblical?  Is our church biblical?  In 50 years from now, what will people look at us and say was weird by the way we followed God? Great message clip to make you think:

Greater Works

by

What a wonderful day to be a part of North Side!  We still have the Last Supper table setup on stage.  Strutton did a great job recreating this scene for our stage.  For weeks, Jeff will be preaching from the teaching that Jesus gave all from the Last Supper table.  It’s surreal for me listening to this powerful Scripture and realizing that Jesus dropped all of it while he was eating a meal.  And his dinner conversation could be the content for weeks and weeks of sermons!

Today, we worshiped to:

READ MORE

“I Got All These Trees”

by

Our little family is growing.  Not only in number or size, but we are slowly getting things.  Our minds are growing.  One of my prayers for my children have been, “God, give them a mind to comprehend your nature and help them develop a big heart with which to love you.”

We use different types of teaching plans or Bibles with the children during family worship.  I have contended for a while that the best way to bring my kids up in the Lord is not the best church programs, but what we do in the home.  Lately, I have been retelling the Old Testament narrative over and over to the boys.  I have them repeat different elements to me, and we keep stacking more of the story each time.  They know the days of Creation, the 10 Commandments, and the big picture with the main characters involved.

Sometimes, you wonder if they are getting it, and then, you have a moment like I did last week and you remind yourself that you might be on to something.

READ MORE

Have You Read Every Word in the Bible?

by

Decisions become very simple when you put them through the lens of Scripture. God’s Word is more than adequate to provide direction and focus for every aspect of your life (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Read Hebrews 4:12 and look to see how powerful God’s Word is: For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, …

READ MORE

When Is Divorce Permitted in the Bible?

by

Marriage should be a one-way ticket. You don’t invest in one side of this journey. It is more than starting the journey, finding out along the way that you don’t like the accommodations, and deciding to turn back around. No two-way tickets should be issued.

That’s why you need to resolve that divorce will not even be an option for your marriage. Take the word out of your vocabulary.

Does the Bible make allowance for divorce? Under certain circumstances, yes. While the Bible does permit divorce in some situations, it never promotes divorce.

READ MORE

Courageous Resolutions

by

I’m in need to rally some prayer partners together again.  I’ve been so humbled to be a part of this Courageous movement by helping develop the Honor Begins at Home curriculum that is available in January.  And, for whatever reason, it appears God doesn’t have me done with this work of ministering to fathers just yet. In addition to the …

READ MORE

Courageous is Coming to Greenwood

by

I was thrilled to find out the other week that the movie Courageous will be showing on opening weekend in Greenwood!  We were able to get a private screening for leaders in Greenwood, and the response was incredible.  Church, ministry, and business leaders got behind this and we made a plea to get it here, and God obviously wants this movie on fatherhood to impact this community.

We are working out the details for advanced tickets, and I should be able to give you some info on that soon.  I am indebted to Alan Quigley and others for doing so much to help get the movie here.  This movie will impact homes, and churches need to be ready for what the next step is if you can get the people to the movie.  It’s a great, emotional experience, but don’t leave it there!

For those of you who follow my blog, you are aware that I have been blessed to be a part of writing a Bible study to accompany the movie entitled “Honor Begins at Home.” Since so much of the study has critical clips to the movie, it won’t be released until after opening weekend.  I am planning on leading the study at some time in some place, but just waiting on some few details.  So any fathers, aspiring fathers, mothers, empty-nesters, etc. who want to hear more of what God expects in the home, I would love to have you join me in this 8-week curriculum.  You can see an early sample of the curriculum here.

Here’s the synopsis of the movie:

READ MORE

Biblical Songwriting Tips

by

As the Worship Academy has been progressing through the summer, we have studied many different roles of the worship leader.

One of those roles is that of a biblical songwriter.  I made a lot of mistakes when I first started writing songs.  I’m still learning so much with each attempt, but I’ve found some things to watch out for when you write a worship song.

Here’s a list of biblical songwriting tips that I shared with the group a couple of weeks ago:

READ MORE

Bad Church Sign of the Week: Loving the…

by

Someone sent me this church sign this week.  Theologically, I understand what they are trying to convey, but I am curious in your thoughts. Was this a wise phrase to put up on their church sign?

Update on Courageous

by

I’ve had some people ask as of late concerning progress for Courageous. On one end, the movie has been edited and being screened around the country.  If you have seen the Soul Surfer movie, you can check out the exciting trailer for Courageous. On my end, I have been asked to write a few more articles of helps for the …

READ MORE

Founding Freedoms – New LifeWay Curriculum

by

  I was so excited to receive these copies in the mail of LifeWay’s LifeTruths upcoming quarterly edition.  The crew at LifeWay does a fantastic job at this Bible study curriculum geared towards parents. I was honored to write for the second time for this publication.  The first time I wrote a curriculum called “I (Still) Do” on marriage.  In …

READ MORE

Robert’s Rules of Order vs. the Holy Bible (Which Guides Your Church’s Meetings?)

by

I’m still in awe of a meeting we had at church last night.  A group of 100 leaders from our church have been gathering together to pray and to plan in this One Initiative our church has been going through.  Last night, we discussed some possible changes that would affect everyone.  From the report that I get from friends, if those type of changes were being discussed in some congregations, it would have gotten ugly.

Let me give you an example.

A friend called me a couple of years ago after a church business meeting.  In tears, he retold of the ungodly things stated among the people of God.  He told me concerning personal attacks that took place.  He told me of the name-calling, the cursing, and the selfishness that pervaded the entire meeting.

He asked me what I thought went wrong.

READ MORE

10 Things That Will Kill Your Men’s Ministry

by

Recently, I was talking to a buddy about why or why not men’s ministries work in certain churches.  I tried to condense what we talked about, so here is a list of 10 things that will kill your church’s men’s ministry:

1.  Hypocritical Leadership – You won’t find perfect men to lead your men’s ministry, but you better find men who are consistently striving towards godliness.  Men can spot fakes easily and provides easy excuses for them.
2.  Getting Too Close and Personal – You need to allow them to get close, but don’t force them to act in a manner against God-given manliness.  Your group can be spiritual without group hugs.
3.  Not Getting Close and Personal Enough – While you don’t force men to be something they are not, don’t also settle for anything less than biblical community.  They need to be close enough to push each other to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24-25).
4.  Cliques – When men come to your church’s functions, you need to remove the clique factor among them.  Make sure to get men with the gift of hospitality (that just means they make people feel welcome) at your doors and get men connected with others in the room.
5.  Trying to Copy the Church’s Women Ministry – Just because your church’s women ministry has a hanging of the greens doesn’t mean you get your guys to decorate the church too.  It works cause it is for women.  Let guys be guys while always challenging them to be men of God.

READ MORE

I Could Use Some Courageous Prayers

by

This week, I am hunkering down and working on the Bible study curriculum for the upcoming movie by Sherwood Pictures, Courageous.  I shared on the blog a while back about how humbling an opportunity it was to work on this project.  As the Kendrick brothers are working on the production side of the film right now for a September 2011 release, I have the task of sorting through the movie themes, taking their direction, and working on some of the Bible studies that will be a curriculum for a church to go through to accompany the movie.

I’ve met 2 of 4 deadlines, but the most difficult are on their way.  One Bible study has been submitted for editing, but now I’ve got to work on the remaining 7.  The goal of this entire project is for men to step up and be the godly fathers that He requires.  There is no telling what God could do through this entire project to impact homes, churches, and even cities if the boys started rising up and become men of God.

As I lock myself away for the next few days, I would surely appreciate some prayer partners.  If you can pray once, or if you can put my name or the word “Courageous” somewhere where you will see it this week and remember to pray each time you see it, anything would be much appreciated.  This whole project has been bathed in prayer and I want make sure that every word that goes down on paper is from God’s leading!

Here’s specifics on how you can pray:

READ MORE

Election, Limited Atonement, and Other Things That Make You Think

by

After Jeff’s message on Sunday dealing with election and predestination, I have gotten the chance to have some great followup conversations with church members.  That means, people have had some questions.  So, I thought I would give you a brief summary of some of the conversations.

  1. God is God – If God says that to get into heaven, you have to stand on your head and cluck like a chicken for 475 days straight, you have to.  He’s God.  Get over it.  So the first rule before entering into this conversation is just because something doesn’t feel right or fair doesn’t mean it might not be reality.
  2. Election is in the Bible – Like it or not, the concept of election and predestination are in the Bible.  Are they as thoroughly explained as church discipline, the Great Commission, or Christ’s work on the cross?  No.  But the concept is there even if it isn’t explained in Scripture as thoroughly as we may desire.

READ MORE

Favorite Book? Scariest Book?

by

1 Bible but it has 66 books in it. You have your favorite.  Maybe it’s the simplicity of James or the poetry of Psalms. But you also have the books you avoid.  Maybe your rule is – if you can’t pronounce it, you are scared to read it. I want to hear from you: favorite book to read and scariest …

READ MORE

Genesis FAQ’s

by

Genesis.  The first book in the Bible.  What Jews and Christians claim as the authority on creation, origin of mankind, etc.  I’d say it’s a pretty important book concerning the history of our world. In September-October, North Side’s life focus will be on two series walking through the Book of Genesis (Origins: Genesis 1-11, Ancestors: Genesis 12-50).  While the sermons …

READ MORE

The Most Misinterpreted Verse in the Bible

by

Today was a great day to be a part of North Side. The praise band led us in this amazing time of “unplugged” worship (have I told you people lately I am working myself out of a job?!) – thank you Eric, John, Peggy, and Leah.  Breathtaking and genuine: Made to Worship – Chris Tomlin Make Me Holy – North …

READ MORE

The Long-Awaited Messiah

by

I scheduled this post a while back.  If all goes according to plan, I’m back in the States with my son, but didn’t get to worship with you this morning.  So, I know what is on the agenda: Carl shares his passionate heart about the Gideon’s ministry. Kennerly and the gang leads you in a powerful Jesus-focused worship time. Today, …

READ MORE

Hiding God’s Word In Your Heart

by

One way you can make doctrines stick with you longer is by utilizing Scripture memory. The Bible repeatedly encourages Scripture memorization. If we hide it in our hearts (Ps 119:11), then the Word of God is with us even when the leather-bound edition of it may not be near our hands. You can memorize and meditate on the truth throughout …

READ MORE

The Bible: More Than a Self-Help Book

by

Today, we started the new “True[ish]” series, and I wasn’t even there!  My niece was being dedicated at her church in Charlotte, so I hated to miss out on the goodness but this is what I know: We worshiped to: Your Grace is Enough – Chris Tomlin Glorious One – Steve Fee Thy Word – Amy Grant Make Me Holy …

READ MORE

Book of the Week: Biblical Eldership

by

This week’s book of the week is Alexander Strauch’s Biblical Eldership.  Our elders at North Side have gone through this book as a study.  The book is a biblical exposition of the New Testament model of elders within a local church. While we studied it in groups going over different sections, I took this week to reread it and really …

READ MORE

Bible Reading Resolution (or is it a plan…)

by

  Another part of planning for 2010 comes with a Bible reading plan.  If you don’t have a target, you don’t know where to aim.  A Bible reading plan can provide you a systematic way to work through the Scriptures rather than just haphazardly thumbing through the pages. There are plans that get you to read through the Bible in …

READ MORE

“Can I Get a Divorce?”

by

As we continued in the “You Asked for It” series today, we addressed this question from the blog: “Can I Get a Divorce?”  This post was one of the most repeated on the blog. Homosexuality last week, divorce and remarriage this week, wow, I’m glad we are addressing the easy ones… Jeff did an unbelievably good job at addressing the …

READ MORE

Book of the Week: Genesis

by

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 …

READ MORE

2009 Bible Reading Plan

by

If you are looking for a good New Year’s resolution, why not reading through the Bible?  Many people always feel guilty about not reading the Bible.  Most of the time it is because they do not have a plan for doing it. I have tried different things, but this year, Amanda and I are going to do the Robert Roberts’ …

READ MORE

Bad Church Sign of the Week: Bible Study with Scissors

by

You know this one is going to be a problem just by the title. This week’s bad church sign states: “Bible Study 7 PM Bring Bible, Scissors” Normally, at this point, I try to explain to you what the intended message probably was, but this week I have no clue.  They either are doing crafts or they are taking bits …

READ MORE

Biblical Conviction of Billy Graham

by

During a time when modernism was spreading through the evangelical world, Billy Graham’s good friend and coworker, Charles Templeton, began to reject the Bible’s authority.  Due to Templeton’s questions, Graham began to personally struggle with the authority of the Scriptures at a frightening level.  Acknowledging a deep time of turmoil through which he personally struggled with these issues, Graham himself …

READ MORE

Bad Church Sign of the Week: Walk Thru the Bilbe?

by

This week’s bad church sign is a church who has on their sign: “VBS Walk thru the Bilbe.” While walking through the Bible at VBS is a daunting task, it is even more daunting to walk through a bilbe.  What exactly is a bilbe?  It sounds like a flying creature on Hoth in Star Wars.  “I would take off in …

READ MORE

Reading Scripture(s)

by

I finally finished a pretty daunting task on Friday.  I finalized what the course reading would be for RELI 101: Sacred Texts and Ideas. After spending hours of reading the scriptures of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, my mind is very overloaded. The way these scriptures are written can be so completely different than another one.  Selecting passages to …

READ MORE

The Living Word

by

Another great Sunday at North Side.  We talked about the Living Word today in the series, Experiencing God. Today, we worshiped to the following songs: Forever – Chris Tomlin Holy is the Lord – Chris Tomlin Magnificent – Hillsong There is None Like You – Don Moen We Fall Down – Chris Tomlin We were supposed to talk about experiencing …

READ MORE

Anthology of World Scriptures

by

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 …

READ MORE

+ MORE POSTS