Why Kids Leave Church Once They Leave Home

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 …

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7 Reasons Disunity Exists on Ministry Teams

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 …

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Christmas Presence

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!

Equipping Your Family

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 …

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Prepare the Way

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.

Family Reconciliation

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!

Marriage Evaluation

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 …

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Parental Nags

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. …

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What Jesus Said About Children

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 …

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Don’t Be THAT Parent At Sporting Events

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 …

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The Presidential Election and Your Family

As Americans observe Election Day, here are some things to consider regarding how you react to the results in the presence of your family. Main Points Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s but keep from Caesar what belongs to God (See Matt. 22:21). Never allow your politics to change your religion (see Ezek. 43:8). Don’t idolize or demonize a politician …

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Better vs. Biblical

It’s one thing to claim you are better, and another thing to claim you are biblical. Enjoy this video?  Check out the growing collection of Family Alter videos!

Pause the Divorce Proceedings

If you are considering divorce, is there any motivation for giving the marriage one more chance? If so, go with it. Enjoy this video?  Check out the growing collection of Family Alter videos!

21 Things That You May Not Know About Your Pastor

You can’t truly appreciate a pastor that you don’t know. While you may think that you know him, there are things you may not understand about him and his position.  While he will appreciate a card, a meal, or a gift this month, he will appreciate something even more – acknowledgement and understanding. As a pastor of a local congregation, there are …

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The Danger of Worshiping As a Family

While it is great when the entire family worships together, there is danger there as well. What are we teaching our children? Enjoy this video?  Check out the growing collection of Family Alter videos!

Pursue Your Spouse

If your marriage is drifting, don’t wait for your spouse to make the first move. Pursue your spouse. Enjoy this video?  Check out the growing collection of Family Alter videos!

Media Safeguards

How can you protect media influence from corrupting your children? Enjoy this video?  Check out the growing collection of Family Alter videos!

Love Before Live

Before you teach your children how to live for the Lord, have you taught them how to love the things of the Lord? Enjoy this video?  Check out the growing collection of Family Alter videos!

Practical Family Ministry

Practical Family Ministry: A Collection of Ideas for Your Church is a book written by Timothy Paul Jones and many other contributors.  I began reading this book as assigned reading as a mentor for a seminary student doing a family ministry project.  It was assigned reading for him, but I wanted to go over it as well. The book serves …

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The Debt Snowball

Want to get out of debt? Here is a principle that can help you do just that. Enjoy this video?  Check out the growing collection of Family Alter videos!

The Parent Funnel

You job is to make your child independent, but you might be going about it in the wrong order. Family Alter Videos

The Worship Critic Isn’t Your Greatest Opposition (God Is)

Worship leading is a dangerous task.  Concerning the musical side of worship gatherings, churches and ministries assemble teams with a unique charge: Worship teams are the only type of musical producers in the world who are expected to give a quality offering without desiring a commending response. In every other setting in life, musical presentations are always meant for the applause …

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Engagement Rules

Make sure that you don’t prepare more for the wedding than you do the marriage. Here are 4 relationships you need to cultivate during your engagement: Jesus Fiance Godly Friends Godly Mentors

Two Sides of the Cross

Preached on August 26, 2016 at North Greenville University for the Ignite 2016 Conference. Text is Luke 23:39-43. Main Points Avoiding hell is not the same thing as desiring heaven. Our churches market a better life and label it the gospel. If the residents of hell believe in God and shudder, than mere intellectual ascent is incapable to grant heavenly …

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5 Worship Team Killers

I can’t lead you somewhere if I don’t know the way. While that admission seems like an obvious statement, its reality can be tragically forgotten in our churches.  In worship, the desire is to respond to God via offerings of praise and thanksgiving.  The gathering of God’s people is a needed pause from the routine in order to proclaim the goodness of …

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Search

Currently, I am working with two organizations going through a leadership transition time.  As a pastor of North Side, our student pastor just took a job as a pastor at another church.  As a trustee of North Greenville University and member of the presidential search team, we are picking up the pace and work regarding the school’s next leader. I …

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You’re a Pastor Before You’re a Worship Pastor

I was never passionate about becoming a worship pastor, but I was passionate about becoming a pastor. So when our pastoral staff decided to restart our church’s focus with a blank page, I honestly had no idea where we would land.  If I still had a job, I wasn’t sure what I would be doing. We had grown overwhelmed with the busyness of …

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How to Frighten Engaged Couples

We never intended to scare the engaged couple, but that is exactly what happened. Their faces said it all.  No longer were they excited about the prospect of marriage, but they were frightened concerning the impending storm awaiting them.  In perfect tandem, my wife and I sat across the table and barraged them with all the possible marriage landmines awaiting them after …

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How Long Does It Take to Prepare a Sermon?

Since Sunday, I’ve received some questions and engaged in some great conversations concerning how long it takes to prepare a sermon.  Our senior pastor has been talking for a long time about how ready he was to begin a sermon series through the Book of Romans.  Due to his excitement, it was shocking when he wasn’t there delivering the first message on Sunday. …

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Open Places

We are back with the 1st installment of this year’s Family Alter videos.  These short videos are intended to help you make small alterations for home transformation. In this episode, we talk about the open places. In every home, there are open places for the enemy to enter.  We must identify where they are, build up the walls, and fight …

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The Gospel of God

The gospel of God has centered around the person and work of Jesus Christ from the very beginning. In Paul’s introductory comments in the Book of Romans, we see that he had committed his life for the sole purpose of spreading this gospel. Romans 1:1-7

Two Invitations

Series: Proverbs // Scripture: Proverbs 9 My life will be determined by the choices I make between what is easy and what is right. The wise will leave their simple ways and experience life. The foolish will maintain their simple ways and experience death. Main Points We are tempted to take the wrong path when the right path seems too …

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The Anxiety of Ministry

Caring for souls within a local church can cause anxiety for its leaders. Rely on God’s power to change your church, and don’t settle for what you can do.

Broken Bones

In the “Unashamed” Fuge 2016 series, I preached a message entitled “Broken Bones” on Night 2.  The sermon comes from 2 Samuel 11 & Psalm 51.  It speaks of David’s rampant sin being confronted and the brokenness that followed. Main Points Sin can start with being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Sin can only be covered temporarily …

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4 Keys to Communication

We all are trying to communicate something.  Our passion comes out on our platforms.  It is natural. As a preacher, I desire to communicate truths about God from the Bible.  I don’t put trust in my communication ability because I believe in the power of God, but that doesn’t mean that I am slack in my approach either.  There is …

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Step Up

I think family ministry is a big thing.  Investing in your home is critically important for their discipleship and for the sake of the Great Commission. I would be remiss though if I did not make an appeal for men and women to step into the lives of some children who are less fortunate. As Paul served as a father figure …

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How Do I Report Abuse? [Ministry Mandated Reporting]

Due to having to deal with abusive situations in my years as a pastor, I learned a lot by asking questions of friends who deal with such issues in their professions. I decided to pull together an expert panel who could help churches and ministries navigate through the legal requirements concerning abuse. David Stumbo – Greenwood County Solicitor Charlotte Ehney – Children’s …

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What Is Abuse? [Ministry Mandated Reporting]

I learned a lot in seminary, but there are some things they don’t train you for in seminary. One of those issues is concerning how pastors are to handle situations relating to abuse.  Many pastors believe a myth that they don’t have to report something that is shared in a counseling session.  That is simply untrue. Some pastors and churches …

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