The Sunday before Christmas is always exciting. It's the Sunday that includes many guests and even some people you haven't seen since Easter. (l0l) Our service started with 3 children taking the spiritual step of baptism. Two of those were saved as a result of Judgement House and one was saved during family devotions. Pastor David had the privilege of baptizing his daughter, Holly, and that was a special moment.
We were able to video tape the testimony of a lady whose family was truly blessed by our "Home for Christmas" service in 2007. We showed this in hopes that people would see the tremendous impact they are having by reaching out to grieving families. This dear lady said that "that service changed her life."
We received our Christmas offering, which our Deacons selected to give away to our missionary partners. The money will be divided among our missionaries as a reminder of our support and God's provision at this special time of year. I'm hearing of missionaries struggling because of the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar, so I encourage you to be faithful in your missions giving.
Today's message focused on the different "Views of Christmas" and looked at how Christmas started and what it's become. We looked that way the angels, Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds, the Wise men, and Herod looked at Christmas. I asked the question, "How do you look at Christmas?" and would encourage you to seriously consider whether you give more to others or to Jesus, the One Whose birthday we celebrate.
In lieu of an evening service, we hosted Christmas parties for our children, teens, and adults. My wife and I invited the entire church to our house for an open house drop-in. There was a great crowd and it allowed us to say "thank you" for allowing us the privilege of serving as the pastor of EBC. Some thought we were crazy (and we were wondering), but it really turned out that we were extremely blessed!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Sunday Summary 12.13.09
This was a very special day as we celebrated our 8th Annual "Home for Christmas" service in partnership with Hines, Norton, and Young & Young Funeral Homes. This year, the Life Care Hospice group also participated with us as we offered a service of hope and comfort to grieving families across our community.
The service is truly a partnership. I preached... our choir sang... Carl Days sang... Scott Norton read the names of those we were remembering... the funeral directors handed out the ornaments... and Wendell Davis prayed over the families. As the family members of the deceased stood in the aisles, our EBC family greeted each one with comfort, hugs, prayers, and words of encouragement. It was a great opportunity to show God's love to hurting people!
Just this week, I met a lady who does not attend EBC, but said she attended the "Home for Christmas" service in 2007. Her husband had passed and she had slipped into depression. She was not going to celebrate Christmas, until she received our letter. When she read the words, "remembering your loved ones who will be celebrating Jesus' birthday in His presence," she said her whole perspective changed. She called her children and they bought the biggest tree, decorated, and celebrated the fact that this man had been saved just a few years earlier.
This has now become a Hartsville tradition and one of my favorite services of the year. The best part is the joy we bring to those who are hurting. That peace they experience is only because of Jesus Christ... the Hope... the One Whose birth we celebrate. Oh, and the best part... 7 people chose to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior!
The service is truly a partnership. I preached... our choir sang... Carl Days sang... Scott Norton read the names of those we were remembering... the funeral directors handed out the ornaments... and Wendell Davis prayed over the families. As the family members of the deceased stood in the aisles, our EBC family greeted each one with comfort, hugs, prayers, and words of encouragement. It was a great opportunity to show God's love to hurting people!
Just this week, I met a lady who does not attend EBC, but said she attended the "Home for Christmas" service in 2007. Her husband had passed and she had slipped into depression. She was not going to celebrate Christmas, until she received our letter. When she read the words, "remembering your loved ones who will be celebrating Jesus' birthday in His presence," she said her whole perspective changed. She called her children and they bought the biggest tree, decorated, and celebrated the fact that this man had been saved just a few years earlier.
This has now become a Hartsville tradition and one of my favorite services of the year. The best part is the joy we bring to those who are hurting. That peace they experience is only because of Jesus Christ... the Hope... the One Whose birth we celebrate. Oh, and the best part... 7 people chose to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
We've Got a Great Team
Recently, we were blessed to host our annual Christmas party for our church staff, school faculty, our deacons, and School Committee. As I looked around the room, I was amazed by the wonderful team that God has brought together. It's not perfect, but it's amazing! We now have approximately 50 employees associated with our ministry; plus 12 deacons and 9 laypeople on our school committee. Many have advanced degrees, some are alumni if ECS, others have taught here for 25+ years! There are many people, but one team. The variety of backgrounds and life's experiences are just a few of our strengths; but the greatest strength is the spiritual depth of those in leadership. Together, this leadership team is leading today and dreaming about tomorrow.
I just wanted to give a public "thanks" to my co-workers. We could not accomplish all that God is allowing... without you!
I just wanted to give a public "thanks" to my co-workers. We could not accomplish all that God is allowing... without you!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Valley Haven Christmas Show
Last night, our choir and drama departments put on the most hilarious Christmas program that I have EVER seen! I've always been used to the somewhat somber Christmas pageants (nothing wrong with those and one of my most memorable was Handel's "Messiah); but this Christmas program was the best laugh I've had in a long time. It was as though the script was written around our church members (type casting was perfect) and the entire setting took place in a nursing home. The characters lost everything from their hearing to their minds; but this program kept true to the message of Christmas and did so in a way that kept everyone's attention. I heard people laughing from start to finish and this was truly among the best Christmas programs that EBC has ever presented, and it was all directed by lay-people!
Kudos to everyone who put in the extra time and effort to present such a strong program. God blessed with full house and one new name written in the Lamb's Book of Life!
Kudos to everyone who put in the extra time and effort to present such a strong program. God blessed with full house and one new name written in the Lamb's Book of Life!
Monday, December 07, 2009
Sunday Summary 12.6.09
Today, I began meeting with all of our volunteers prior to the start of the Sunday morning rehearsals. I have recently felt impressed of God to ask those who lead our church in worship to examine themselves prior to stepping onto the stage to lead others... to make sure their hearts are right... to confess sin... and to make sure they are truly prepared to lead worship. I enjoyed our time and look forward to these moments in the days ahead. Our Interim Worship Leader started today -- Welcome to the team, Travis.
The service started with two baptisms and four new members becoming part of our church family! Following that, we took time to vote on our 2010 church budget. This may surprise some of you, but the vote to increase our budget during this economic downturn and to raise our support for world missions passed unanimously. It confirmed that our church members are placing their trust in God, and not in the dollar. I know God is well pleased with such a step of faith!
In the morning service, I concluded the sermon series on the book of James with a message on healing. James places the responsibility upon the sick, to notify their elders. Pastors aren't mind readers...! He also tells the sick to examine themselves to see if their illness could be the result of personal and/or unconfessed sin. James then places responsibility upon the elders to pray, anoint with oil (medicinal reference), encourage trust in God, to share salvation, to encourage restoration of relationships, and repent before the Lord.
The Sunday evening service addressed the topic of being lukewarm in our faith. Lukewarm believers are not fully committed to or passionately pursuing Jesus Christ. Lukewarm believers are satisfied with meeting the minimal requirements (i.e. - church attendance, tithing, etc.). They are okay with being "good enough" or at least appearing more spiritual than the next guy. They want to know how far they can go, before a behavior is considered sinful. They want to be popular, rather than Christlike. They live for the moment, instead of eternity. They live for Christ, as long as it is convenient and fits into their plans. Sadly, this describes too many in today's church. Billy Graham said, "The greatest mission field in all the world is the American church." Francis Chan said, "The American Church is a difficult place to fit in, if you want to live out New Testament Christianity." I closed by asking our folks to examine themselves and turn up their spiritual temperature. Will you do the same?
The service started with two baptisms and four new members becoming part of our church family! Following that, we took time to vote on our 2010 church budget. This may surprise some of you, but the vote to increase our budget during this economic downturn and to raise our support for world missions passed unanimously. It confirmed that our church members are placing their trust in God, and not in the dollar. I know God is well pleased with such a step of faith!
In the morning service, I concluded the sermon series on the book of James with a message on healing. James places the responsibility upon the sick, to notify their elders. Pastors aren't mind readers...! He also tells the sick to examine themselves to see if their illness could be the result of personal and/or unconfessed sin. James then places responsibility upon the elders to pray, anoint with oil (medicinal reference), encourage trust in God, to share salvation, to encourage restoration of relationships, and repent before the Lord.
The Sunday evening service addressed the topic of being lukewarm in our faith. Lukewarm believers are not fully committed to or passionately pursuing Jesus Christ. Lukewarm believers are satisfied with meeting the minimal requirements (i.e. - church attendance, tithing, etc.). They are okay with being "good enough" or at least appearing more spiritual than the next guy. They want to know how far they can go, before a behavior is considered sinful. They want to be popular, rather than Christlike. They live for the moment, instead of eternity. They live for Christ, as long as it is convenient and fits into their plans. Sadly, this describes too many in today's church. Billy Graham said, "The greatest mission field in all the world is the American church." Francis Chan said, "The American Church is a difficult place to fit in, if you want to live out New Testament Christianity." I closed by asking our folks to examine themselves and turn up their spiritual temperature. Will you do the same?
Saturday, December 05, 2009
No Such Thing as "Seekers"
On Sunday nights at Emmanuel, I've been teaching through Francis Chan's book, "Crazy Love." As I was reviewing the chapter for tomorrow, I noticed his statement that too many churches look at attendance numbers to gauge success. He draws attention to Jesus' example of preaching hard to the multitudes, with the goal of eliminating those who were not true followers. Jesus did not water down the message to maintain the attendance, but few preachers use Jesus' tactics today. Too many preachers seem to focus more on growing their attendance, than preaching truth. They focus on attracting "seekers," rather than growing disciples.
Over the past 20 years, the "seeker sensitive" and "seeker driven" movements have weakened the spiritual depth and core separatist foundation of the church. While this movement has resulted in larger crowds and does have some points of merit regarding relevance, even Bill Hybels, former pastor of Willow Creek Community Church and early leader of the "seeker" movement, has since admitted the weaknesses produced by it. Others who led the early "seeker movement" are also now realizing the shallowness produced by services void of doctrine, which cater to the unsaved and the malcontents. Much time and weakening in the walls could have been saved, if they would have read Romans 3:11 - "...there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God."
Don't misunderstand me... I have always been a student of church growth and willing to try many methods for the sake of growing the church and reaching people for Christ. I do believe we must be relevant in order to reach our culture, and change is one of my dear friends. I abhor unbiblical tradition, pious Pharisees, and dead churches. I admire pioneers like Chuck Smith, and preachers like Andy Stanley, Ed Young, Perry Nobles, and Steven Furtick who push the envelope; but also preach sound doctrine. I am simply reminding you (and me) to follow Christ, instead of the latest fad or guru in the church growth movement. Remember, anyone can draw a crowd; but Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone and the sure foundation of the Church.
Over the past 20 years, the "seeker sensitive" and "seeker driven" movements have weakened the spiritual depth and core separatist foundation of the church. While this movement has resulted in larger crowds and does have some points of merit regarding relevance, even Bill Hybels, former pastor of Willow Creek Community Church and early leader of the "seeker" movement, has since admitted the weaknesses produced by it. Others who led the early "seeker movement" are also now realizing the shallowness produced by services void of doctrine, which cater to the unsaved and the malcontents. Much time and weakening in the walls could have been saved, if they would have read Romans 3:11 - "...there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God."
Don't misunderstand me... I have always been a student of church growth and willing to try many methods for the sake of growing the church and reaching people for Christ. I do believe we must be relevant in order to reach our culture, and change is one of my dear friends. I abhor unbiblical tradition, pious Pharisees, and dead churches. I admire pioneers like Chuck Smith, and preachers like Andy Stanley, Ed Young, Perry Nobles, and Steven Furtick who push the envelope; but also preach sound doctrine. I am simply reminding you (and me) to follow Christ, instead of the latest fad or guru in the church growth movement. Remember, anyone can draw a crowd; but Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone and the sure foundation of the Church.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Using Your Platform For Christ
Last Tuesday, I attended the annual "Mayor's Prayer Breakfast" in our city. The guest speaker was former Miami Dolphin, Glen Blackwood. I've been a faithful fins-fan all of my life -- through both the good and the bad years. Needless to say, I was excited to hear Glen speak and well pleased with his message. Glen told the crowd of approx. 300 that he was unhappy with what the NFL had become, as guys beat their chests and point to themselves, instead of focusing on the team as a whole. Think about it... a good QB has a good offensive line, running backs gain yards when they get good blocks, and sacks come because of good coverage down field. Football is a team sport and so is Christianity. Every believer has a role to play in the propagation of the Gospel. Best of all, Glen stood before the crowd of approx. 300 and gave a crystal clear explanation of the Gospel. He used his platform to share Christ.
Recently, I've noticed more and more believers using their popularity to point people to Jesus, rather than draw attention to themselves. Tim Tebow (Gator QB) faithfully shares Christ during interviews and the verses under his eyes were read on national television during his final home game. Last summer, our church hosted three-time Olympic Gold Medalist - Leah O'Brien-Amico who tells people that following Jesus is better than winning three gold medals. In October, we hosted Mike Minter (Former Carolina Panther) and he shared the Gospel and the story of how teammate, John Casey, was instrumental in leading him to Christ. Singer, Amy Grant, was on Fox News this morning talking about Operation Christmas Child. Recently, our City hosted the "Hartsville Idol" competition and several tremendous vocalists used this opportunity to share their faith and sing songs that proclaimed Christ.
Not everyone uses God-given opportunities to bring glory to Him. The media is in a frenzy over Tiger Woods squandering of his integrity and forfeited position as a model family man. The media has also enjoyed professing "Christians" such as Bill Clinton, John Edwards, Newt Gingrich, and several television evangelists as they brought shame to their own name and the name of Christ. Sadly, some forget that God places them in positions of influence.
The bottom-line question is this... How will YOU use the opportunities that God allows you? Remember, when we are faithful in the small opportunities, then He can trust us with larger ones.
Recently, I've noticed more and more believers using their popularity to point people to Jesus, rather than draw attention to themselves. Tim Tebow (Gator QB) faithfully shares Christ during interviews and the verses under his eyes were read on national television during his final home game. Last summer, our church hosted three-time Olympic Gold Medalist - Leah O'Brien-Amico who tells people that following Jesus is better than winning three gold medals. In October, we hosted Mike Minter (Former Carolina Panther) and he shared the Gospel and the story of how teammate, John Casey, was instrumental in leading him to Christ. Singer, Amy Grant, was on Fox News this morning talking about Operation Christmas Child. Recently, our City hosted the "Hartsville Idol" competition and several tremendous vocalists used this opportunity to share their faith and sing songs that proclaimed Christ.
Not everyone uses God-given opportunities to bring glory to Him. The media is in a frenzy over Tiger Woods squandering of his integrity and forfeited position as a model family man. The media has also enjoyed professing "Christians" such as Bill Clinton, John Edwards, Newt Gingrich, and several television evangelists as they brought shame to their own name and the name of Christ. Sadly, some forget that God places them in positions of influence.
The bottom-line question is this... How will YOU use the opportunities that God allows you? Remember, when we are faithful in the small opportunities, then He can trust us with larger ones.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
David's Ordination
Ordination is the closest thing the Church has to a professional review board. Several months back, one of our men requested to be ordained, so we called together an Ordination Council made up of local pastors and a pastor friend of the man being ordained. The questioning period included questions about his personal life, doctrinal positions, and ministry experience. My personal opinion is that there are too many "mama called" and "un-educated" preachers who have distorted doctrine and lowered the integrity of the pastoral office, so we approached this VERY seriously.
The questions directed to David included, but were not limited to:
- His salvation experience
- His call to ministry
- His marriage & fidelity
- His family's financial integrity
- His personal walk with God
- Names of people he has recently led to Christ
- Doctrine of God (Theology)
- Doctrine of Jesus Christ (Christology)
- Doctrine of the Holy Spirit (Pneumatology)
- Doctrine of Salvation (Soteriology)
- Doctrine of the Scriptures (Bibliology)
- Doctrine of the Church (Ecclesiology)
- Doctrine of Last Things (Eschatology)
Under each of the categories above, the Council agreed that David had a good knowledge and practical application. They recommended to the church that David be ordained into the Gospel Ministry. A special service was held for such purpose that included a Scriptural charge, prayer, and the laying on of hands.
It was a great for Emmanuel Baptist Church to ordain a man into ministry! We are praying that God will call others from our congregation into His service!
The questions directed to David included, but were not limited to:
- His salvation experience
- His call to ministry
- His marriage & fidelity
- His family's financial integrity
- His personal walk with God
- Names of people he has recently led to Christ
- Doctrine of God (Theology)
- Doctrine of Jesus Christ (Christology)
- Doctrine of the Holy Spirit (Pneumatology)
- Doctrine of Salvation (Soteriology)
- Doctrine of the Scriptures (Bibliology)
- Doctrine of the Church (Ecclesiology)
- Doctrine of Last Things (Eschatology)
Under each of the categories above, the Council agreed that David had a good knowledge and practical application. They recommended to the church that David be ordained into the Gospel Ministry. A special service was held for such purpose that included a Scriptural charge, prayer, and the laying on of hands.
It was a great for Emmanuel Baptist Church to ordain a man into ministry! We are praying that God will call others from our congregation into His service!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday Summary 11.29.09
Sundays are truly exciting at Emmanuel! Yesterday's service started with video testimonies of 3 elementary children being interviewed about recently leading their friends to Christ. It was AWESOME! Noah, Taylor, and Ray... we're proud of you!
The music was tremendous, the choir did a new song, and a new men's trio was launched! The One Focus Trio blessed us with two special songs. Thanks Brian, Libby and Chrystal!
John and Melissa Bjorgen, our missionaries to Belize, Central America, were with us. They met with our teens that will be going on a missions trip to Belize this summer. They also gave a report in our service. Our church family helped them with some of their moving expenses.
The sermon series continued in James 5 as we discussed the correlation between sin and sickness. I pointed out that sickness and death were never part of God's original plan. Some sickness is due to Adam's sin. Some sickness is due to our personal sin. Some sickness is not due to sin, such as the man born blind, but gives opportunity to point people to Jesus. God is still in the healing business and we will focus on that more this Sunday.
Sunday afternoon and evening included the ordination of one of our staff members. I'll write more about that in the next post.
The music was tremendous, the choir did a new song, and a new men's trio was launched! The One Focus Trio blessed us with two special songs. Thanks Brian, Libby and Chrystal!
John and Melissa Bjorgen, our missionaries to Belize, Central America, were with us. They met with our teens that will be going on a missions trip to Belize this summer. They also gave a report in our service. Our church family helped them with some of their moving expenses.
The sermon series continued in James 5 as we discussed the correlation between sin and sickness. I pointed out that sickness and death were never part of God's original plan. Some sickness is due to Adam's sin. Some sickness is due to our personal sin. Some sickness is not due to sin, such as the man born blind, but gives opportunity to point people to Jesus. God is still in the healing business and we will focus on that more this Sunday.
Sunday afternoon and evening included the ordination of one of our staff members. I'll write more about that in the next post.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Sunday Summary 11.22.09
WOW... what a day! I mean that in every aspect of that statement. We had a great crowd and many guests; we had some of our worst technical difficulties ever; we had a great performance by our children's choir (Kidz Praiz); we confronted one of the most difficult topics - forgiveness and restoration; we handed out our proposed budget for 2010, and we even got out early again. You see why I said, "What a day."
I know it's the plight of many preachers to preach to the topical messages around holiday themes, but I just felt that God would have me continue our Sunday morning series in James. We examined James' instructions in 5:7-13 on how to do right, when you've been done wrong. The Church (at large) is plagued by people who want to kill and destroy their own, rather than restore and reconcile. Interesting... Gal 5 tells us the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. Then in John 10:10, it tells us that the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. So, it should be obvious which "spirit" is controlling people who refuse to reconcile? Neither obedience nor forgiveness are optional among believers (Eph 4:32).
On Sunday night, we discussed God's love for us. The closest earthly comparison would be a parent's love for his/her child. True love is unconditional, loving, giving, forgiving, has other's best interest at heart, etc. Hard to comprehend, but God loves us a million times more than we even love our kids! God's love should motivate us to love Him back, to honor, to respect and to obey Him. God's love for us should be the basis for living out our Christian faith. One final thought... we all know how bad it hurts when our children disobey us. So, if God loves us a million times more than we love our kids, I wonder if it hurts Him a million times more when His children disobey Him? Take some time and try to comprehend the love of God this week.
I know it's the plight of many preachers to preach to the topical messages around holiday themes, but I just felt that God would have me continue our Sunday morning series in James. We examined James' instructions in 5:7-13 on how to do right, when you've been done wrong. The Church (at large) is plagued by people who want to kill and destroy their own, rather than restore and reconcile. Interesting... Gal 5 tells us the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. Then in John 10:10, it tells us that the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. So, it should be obvious which "spirit" is controlling people who refuse to reconcile? Neither obedience nor forgiveness are optional among believers (Eph 4:32).
On Sunday night, we discussed God's love for us. The closest earthly comparison would be a parent's love for his/her child. True love is unconditional, loving, giving, forgiving, has other's best interest at heart, etc. Hard to comprehend, but God loves us a million times more than we even love our kids! God's love should motivate us to love Him back, to honor, to respect and to obey Him. God's love for us should be the basis for living out our Christian faith. One final thought... we all know how bad it hurts when our children disobey us. So, if God loves us a million times more than we love our kids, I wonder if it hurts Him a million times more when His children disobey Him? Take some time and try to comprehend the love of God this week.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Dolphins vs. Panthers
Last night, we took a group of men to the Miami Dolphins vs. Carolina Panthers game. Interestingly, 8 of the 10 were Dolphin fans. (And by the way... we won!) We had a great time and God used some VERY generous people to provide tickets and allow us to join in their tailgate party. It was GREAT!
As I was sitting in the stadium, I wondered...
How is that people will drive two hours, pay $70 per ticket, pay $25-30 for parking, spend $20 on concessions, wait in lines, fight the traffic, and will jump seats trying to get closer to the field, and sit for 3 hours -- all for the sake of watching their favorite football team? Yet on Sundays, some of those same people will say they can't afford to tithe, say the church is too far away, they leave early so they can beat the traffic, they sit as far away from the preacher as possible, and they complain if the service goes more than an hour.
Carry the thought a little further... at the ballgames, enthusiasts are called "fans." On the other hand, if we drove two hours for church, dropped $120 in the offering, sat down front, and raised our hands and screamed "Go God," people would call us "fanatics."
I am a die hard football junkie and enjoy most sports, but I wonder how God feels when we get more excited about a sporting event than we do about our relationship with Him. Just something to think about.
As I was sitting in the stadium, I wondered...
How is that people will drive two hours, pay $70 per ticket, pay $25-30 for parking, spend $20 on concessions, wait in lines, fight the traffic, and will jump seats trying to get closer to the field, and sit for 3 hours -- all for the sake of watching their favorite football team? Yet on Sundays, some of those same people will say they can't afford to tithe, say the church is too far away, they leave early so they can beat the traffic, they sit as far away from the preacher as possible, and they complain if the service goes more than an hour.
Carry the thought a little further... at the ballgames, enthusiasts are called "fans." On the other hand, if we drove two hours for church, dropped $120 in the offering, sat down front, and raised our hands and screamed "Go God," people would call us "fanatics."
I am a die hard football junkie and enjoy most sports, but I wonder how God feels when we get more excited about a sporting event than we do about our relationship with Him. Just something to think about.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Sunday Summary 11.15.09
Today was another awesome Sunday! We started the service with three baptisms and ended the service with a young man accepting Christ as his Savior! The music was GREAT, which led my father-in-law to say that we shouldn't hire a Worship Pastor, because they would only mess things up. I hope he's not prophetic, but I'm not sure no one could do any better than our volunteers have been doing. At the close of the service, Joe sang his first solo at Emmanuel and knocked it out of the park!
In the morning, I continued the sermon series in James 5:1-6 offering James' "Advice to the Affluent." I emphasized that money is not evil, but the love is money is. James warned against hoarding money, being selfish, becoming rich at other's expense, mistreating people for money, and misusing wealth. God will often "give through us, but not give to us." Our folks were challenged to give to those in need, invest in eternity, and refuse to make money their god. I closed by reminding them that each of us can be rich in Christ as seen in Eph. 1:7, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
On Sunday night, I continued the sermon series based on Francis Chan's book, "Crazy Love." If you haven't read it, I HIGHLY recommend it. The book is an easy read, but carries you deep in thought and introspection. The primary focus tonight was to lead people to realize that Christ CAN return any time, so we should live as though we expect Him. What would you do if you knew Jesus would return tomorrow? Francis Chan said in a spiritual sense what Tim McGraw said in the physical sense -- "Live like you were dying." Live ready for Christ's return.
In the morning, I continued the sermon series in James 5:1-6 offering James' "Advice to the Affluent." I emphasized that money is not evil, but the love is money is. James warned against hoarding money, being selfish, becoming rich at other's expense, mistreating people for money, and misusing wealth. God will often "give through us, but not give to us." Our folks were challenged to give to those in need, invest in eternity, and refuse to make money their god. I closed by reminding them that each of us can be rich in Christ as seen in Eph. 1:7, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
On Sunday night, I continued the sermon series based on Francis Chan's book, "Crazy Love." If you haven't read it, I HIGHLY recommend it. The book is an easy read, but carries you deep in thought and introspection. The primary focus tonight was to lead people to realize that Christ CAN return any time, so we should live as though we expect Him. What would you do if you knew Jesus would return tomorrow? Francis Chan said in a spiritual sense what Tim McGraw said in the physical sense -- "Live like you were dying." Live ready for Christ's return.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Homecoming 11.1.09
This past Sunday, Emmanuel Baptist Church celebrated our 83rd anniversary! This is the first year that our Homecoming represented a "normal" Sunday service format and the responses have really been good. I've learned that while "showcasing" people from the past is fun, our people are proud of their church and want their returning friends to see what is taking place now. So, outside of some extra music with the One Focus Trio, everything else was pretty normal. I laugh in saying that, because people always respond, "We never have a 'normal' Sunday at EBC."
Heather did a great job leading - as always. Lisa knocked it out of the park with her solo. (For me personally, we could have given the invitation as soon as she finished.) Reports were given celebrating God's blessings in Emmanuel Christian School, Judgement House, Trunk-or-Treat, the progress on our Children's Theater, Ropes Course, etc. God is doing some awesome things at EBC! It was good for our own folks and our guests to hear what's happening and the lives being impacted because of EBC's efforts and God's blessings.
I continued the sermon series moving into James 4:1-10. In a brief summary, James tells God's children to 1) stop fighting among ourselves and grow up! Selfishness, bitterness, failure to forgive, and desires to retaliate are all marks of spiritual immaturity. Christ-followers are to love, forgive, reconcile, restore, and live in unity. James also instructs us to 2) stop warring within ourselves by selling out to our Savior, instead of our sin. He tells us to 3) stop warring against God and calls those who choose other gods spiritual adulterers! James closes by 4) giving instructions on making peace with God (vss 7-10).
We closed our our Homecoming with a potluck feast like you would not believe. We had 14 serving lines setup in our gym and people ate and spent time catching up with old friends.
Heather did a great job leading - as always. Lisa knocked it out of the park with her solo. (For me personally, we could have given the invitation as soon as she finished.) Reports were given celebrating God's blessings in Emmanuel Christian School, Judgement House, Trunk-or-Treat, the progress on our Children's Theater, Ropes Course, etc. God is doing some awesome things at EBC! It was good for our own folks and our guests to hear what's happening and the lives being impacted because of EBC's efforts and God's blessings.
I continued the sermon series moving into James 4:1-10. In a brief summary, James tells God's children to 1) stop fighting among ourselves and grow up! Selfishness, bitterness, failure to forgive, and desires to retaliate are all marks of spiritual immaturity. Christ-followers are to love, forgive, reconcile, restore, and live in unity. James also instructs us to 2) stop warring within ourselves by selling out to our Savior, instead of our sin. He tells us to 3) stop warring against God and calls those who choose other gods spiritual adulterers! James closes by 4) giving instructions on making peace with God (vss 7-10).
We closed our our Homecoming with a potluck feast like you would not believe. We had 14 serving lines setup in our gym and people ate and spent time catching up with old friends.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Trunk-or-Treat
This was our 7th year of hosting "Trunk-or-Treat" at Emmanuel and the community continues to show overwhelming appreciation and support. Our church members decorate their cars (prizes will be awarded this Sunday) and distribute candy from their trunks. In addition, we bring in inflatables, carnival games, ponies, food, etc. and it makes for a great Halloween alternative. This year, we received cards for almost 700 children that registered, and our best count of parents and grandparents brought our grand total to 1,300+ people that walked through in just 1.5 hours! We gave out almost 1,400 pounds of candy and thanks to both our EBC and ECS families who helped provide this. That will make some local dentists happy! They were literally bringing out the candy in wheelbarrows.
Again, I want to say "thank you" to our staff and all of the volunteers from our church family, because none of this would be possible without your help and support. You brought in candy, decorated cars, dressed in costumes, supervised games, prepared concessions, registered guests, setup, cleaned up, and more! No one really knows how much work goes into one of these events, but you do... and thank you! You have really caught the vision for reaching out and making an eternal impact on our community!
Again, I want to say "thank you" to our staff and all of the volunteers from our church family, because none of this would be possible without your help and support. You brought in candy, decorated cars, dressed in costumes, supervised games, prepared concessions, registered guests, setup, cleaned up, and more! No one really knows how much work goes into one of these events, but you do... and thank you! You have really caught the vision for reaching out and making an eternal impact on our community!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Judgement House Report
Emmanuel Baptist Church just concluded our 7th year of Judgement House, and it is a highlight of every year! JH is a nine scene walk-through drama that challenges people to consider whether they have a right relationship with God and whether they are ready to meet Him when they die.
JH involved nearly 140 members of our church family, took months of practice and preparation, and many hours to build the scenes. Our Pastor of Student Ministries, Justin, provides the annual leadership to the volunteers and God used the efforts of everyone for His glory! Volunteers included registration, concessions, security, actors, counselors, tour guides, runners, set construction, cleanup crew, data entry, sound technicians, and more!
We had 1,777 people walk through JH in just 3 nights. Of those, 183 made first time decisions to accept God's gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Another 100 came for assurance or to rededicate their lives to Christ. Each person who made a decision was counseled individually, questions were answered, materials were given for immediately followup, and their names are being provided to the church they listed so the mentoring process can begin.
The stories were amazing and most of these new believers briefly wrote their testimonies, which will be displayed in our Worship Center in the weeks ahead. Those who heard the gospel included a Muslim, a Wiccan, alcoholics, substance abusers, backsliders, and and others in need of God's love. One little girl went through JH on Saturday and was saved. The next night, she brought her grandmother and grandma recommitted her life to Christ. Those stories just go on and on.
Thank you God, for using us to make an eternal impact on the lives of individuals in our local and surrounding communities.
JH involved nearly 140 members of our church family, took months of practice and preparation, and many hours to build the scenes. Our Pastor of Student Ministries, Justin, provides the annual leadership to the volunteers and God used the efforts of everyone for His glory! Volunteers included registration, concessions, security, actors, counselors, tour guides, runners, set construction, cleanup crew, data entry, sound technicians, and more!
We had 1,777 people walk through JH in just 3 nights. Of those, 183 made first time decisions to accept God's gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Another 100 came for assurance or to rededicate their lives to Christ. Each person who made a decision was counseled individually, questions were answered, materials were given for immediately followup, and their names are being provided to the church they listed so the mentoring process can begin.
The stories were amazing and most of these new believers briefly wrote their testimonies, which will be displayed in our Worship Center in the weeks ahead. Those who heard the gospel included a Muslim, a Wiccan, alcoholics, substance abusers, backsliders, and and others in need of God's love. One little girl went through JH on Saturday and was saved. The next night, she brought her grandmother and grandma recommitted her life to Christ. Those stories just go on and on.
Thank you God, for using us to make an eternal impact on the lives of individuals in our local and surrounding communities.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday Summary 10.18.09
Interesting day at Emmanuel. Folks were a little sluggish yesterday... it could have been from temps in the 30's or most likely from Judgement House, which involved 100+ members of our church family that didn't leave until around 10:30-11:00pm on Saturday night.
Our three main worship leaders were out this morning with sickness... one had pneumonia, one had a sinus infection, and one had laryngitis. Sherman pinch hit and did a very good job. Even some musicians were out, but Steven (part of the JH team) jumped right in and played the guitar. A guest singer was the highlight of our music yesterday. He was GREAT! Considering all the surprises and changes, it was a good reminder that our primary purpose and the one consistent element of the service is the preaching of God's Word.
Jeff Huey, the leader of the JH team, preached from 2 Tim. 4 and challenged us to realize that we are in a spiritual battle. He reminded our church that so many are watering down their doctrine and seeking pastors who will "tickle" their ears. He laid out a great challenge and people responded to the altar at the invitation.
All other activities were cancelled yesterday to help us accommodate JH. I'll give you a report on that in a later post.
Our three main worship leaders were out this morning with sickness... one had pneumonia, one had a sinus infection, and one had laryngitis. Sherman pinch hit and did a very good job. Even some musicians were out, but Steven (part of the JH team) jumped right in and played the guitar. A guest singer was the highlight of our music yesterday. He was GREAT! Considering all the surprises and changes, it was a good reminder that our primary purpose and the one consistent element of the service is the preaching of God's Word.
Jeff Huey, the leader of the JH team, preached from 2 Tim. 4 and challenged us to realize that we are in a spiritual battle. He reminded our church that so many are watering down their doctrine and seeking pastors who will "tickle" their ears. He laid out a great challenge and people responded to the altar at the invitation.
All other activities were cancelled yesterday to help us accommodate JH. I'll give you a report on that in a later post.
Never Too Old for God to Use You
I received an e-mail from a friend telling me that the Pastor Emeritus of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Rev. Milton Frazier and his wife Pat, are on a cruise and took time to minister to others on the ship. Evidently, they had no chaplain on board, so Milton preached and Pat played the piano as they conducted a Sunday morning service for approximately 100 people. Not bad for 84 years old.
I often hear people talking about the good old days and what they used to do for God. Now that they are older, they feel that someone else should take the reins and let them retire from God. Just curious... how old do you have to be in order to stop serving Jesus? I know it's older than Pastor Frazier at 84. That should encourage us to take every opportunity God allows for us to share our faith. Regardless how old you get -- don't quit!
I often hear people talking about the good old days and what they used to do for God. Now that they are older, they feel that someone else should take the reins and let them retire from God. Just curious... how old do you have to be in order to stop serving Jesus? I know it's older than Pastor Frazier at 84. That should encourage us to take every opportunity God allows for us to share our faith. Regardless how old you get -- don't quit!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Sunday Summary 10.11.09
Interesting week around Emmanuel. I had a lady tell me that she was not a Christian and when I asked "why," she said that she had wanted to talk to a preacher about it for a long time. I wonder how many preachers talked to her about attending their church, but never talked to her about Jesus. After about an hour, she invited Christ into her life!
The attendance in our services was down slightly today, either because of all the sickness (or) due to the subject matter being addressed in the book of James. :-) I continued the series in James and moved into James 3 -- the tongue. Amazing the word pictures James uses to illustrate his point - Bit & rudder - the little tongue steers the whole body and many of life's doors are opened or closed by the little member called the tongue.
- Fire & poisonous animals - it can cause destruction.
- Fountain & shade tree - when used properly, the tongue can provide refreshment and healing.
Just imagine how different the "church" would be if people started to control their tongues.
Justin met with all those involved in Judgement House this afternoon and our Fellowship Hall was FULL! It dawned on me that nearly 25% of our church family is involved in this evangelistic event. That's exciting! The spots we hold for reservations are now full, but we left space for walk-ins. Please be praying!
Tonight, we introduced strategic planning to our church family. It was interesting to hear the generation gap during the discussion, but all points were valid. The older folks referred to tracts and door knocking, while the younger folks referred to podcasts and satellite campuses. This is going to be a fun and thought provoking activity over the next several months. I'll keep you posted as we discuss our 3, 5, and 10 year plans to reach our community for Christ.
The attendance in our services was down slightly today, either because of all the sickness (or) due to the subject matter being addressed in the book of James. :-) I continued the series in James and moved into James 3 -- the tongue. Amazing the word pictures James uses to illustrate his point - Bit & rudder - the little tongue steers the whole body and many of life's doors are opened or closed by the little member called the tongue.
- Fire & poisonous animals - it can cause destruction.
- Fountain & shade tree - when used properly, the tongue can provide refreshment and healing.
Just imagine how different the "church" would be if people started to control their tongues.
Justin met with all those involved in Judgement House this afternoon and our Fellowship Hall was FULL! It dawned on me that nearly 25% of our church family is involved in this evangelistic event. That's exciting! The spots we hold for reservations are now full, but we left space for walk-ins. Please be praying!
Tonight, we introduced strategic planning to our church family. It was interesting to hear the generation gap during the discussion, but all points were valid. The older folks referred to tracts and door knocking, while the younger folks referred to podcasts and satellite campuses. This is going to be a fun and thought provoking activity over the next several months. I'll keep you posted as we discuss our 3, 5, and 10 year plans to reach our community for Christ.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Style or Substance?
I started as a Youth Pastor in September 1983 -- that means I've now been in ministry for 26 years! That's hard for me to believe, but it's true. Sadly, I can't remember a time when people have been more committed to worship "styles," and willing to ignore "Truth." It appears that there is a growing trend of those seeking to have religious experiences, instead of an authentic relationship with God. In South Florida, I remember a lady telling my wife and I, "I love that in my (her) church, we can go worship God on Saturday night and then our singles group can all go to a bar and party, without the preacher making us feel guilty." She gives a perfect example of a religious experience, without the conviction of sin or the comprehension of a deeper relationship.
Could this be what Paul was warning Timothy about in 2 Tim 3:1-5? "You may as well know this too, Timothy, that in the last days it is going to be very difficult to be a Christian. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money; they will be proud and boastful, sneering at God, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful to them, and thoroughly bad. 3 They will be hardheaded and never give in to others; they will be constant liars and troublemakers and will think nothing of immorality. They will be rough and cruel, and sneer at those who try to be good. 4 They will betray their friends; they will be hotheaded, puffed up with pride, and prefer good times to worshiping God. 5 They will go to church, yes, but they won't really believe anything they hear.
We are seeing this played out as crowds assemble for "worship" on Sunday mornings, but those same people live like hell (vs. 3-4 - liars, troublemakers, immoral, mockers, betrayers, angry, prideful, etc.) throughout the week. Something is wrong! Could it be that the "church" has adopted the mentality of "Lights, action, entertainment"... instead of Holy, Holy, Holy? Could this be a reason we don't see the great revivals of years gone by?
Could this be what Paul was warning Timothy about in 2 Tim 3:1-5? "You may as well know this too, Timothy, that in the last days it is going to be very difficult to be a Christian. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money; they will be proud and boastful, sneering at God, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful to them, and thoroughly bad. 3 They will be hardheaded and never give in to others; they will be constant liars and troublemakers and will think nothing of immorality. They will be rough and cruel, and sneer at those who try to be good. 4 They will betray their friends; they will be hotheaded, puffed up with pride, and prefer good times to worshiping God. 5 They will go to church, yes, but they won't really believe anything they hear.
We are seeing this played out as crowds assemble for "worship" on Sunday mornings, but those same people live like hell (vs. 3-4 - liars, troublemakers, immoral, mockers, betrayers, angry, prideful, etc.) throughout the week. Something is wrong! Could it be that the "church" has adopted the mentality of "Lights, action, entertainment"... instead of Holy, Holy, Holy? Could this be a reason we don't see the great revivals of years gone by?
Monday, October 05, 2009
Sunday Summary 10.4.09
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! Sunday's service with three additions to our church fellowship through baptism. These were all children and kudos to the partnership between parents, the church, and the Christian school. We also have several other children (and adults) awaiting baptism.
The morning message continued in our study of James and discussed the topic of faith and works. The Bible clearly teaches that a person is saved by by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. James 2 addresses the fact that genuine faith produces works and he stresses that a workless faith is a worthless faith. How do you reconcile James' teaching with those who claim to be Christians, but produce no evidence? I have to agree with Evangelist Billy Graham, who stated that the greatest mission field in all the world is found in the pews of American churches. James called believers to live what we say we believe.
During our evening service, we heard testimony of how one of our LIFE Groups is not satisfied to just learn the Scriptures... they are living and applying the Scriptures! Steve Garland, a long-time pastor and returning member of EBC, preached about passionately pursuing Jesus Christ. Steve was a blessing to this pastor who had one of the busiest weeks of my life. It is good to have godly men, mature in their faith, and experienced with the Word of God to fill the pulpit. Thanks Steve.
Following the evening service, the teens and their parents had GAS... Games After the Service. We've got some great teens, very involved parents, and a great youth leadership team! Thanks especially to Justin and Carie.
The morning message continued in our study of James and discussed the topic of faith and works. The Bible clearly teaches that a person is saved by by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. James 2 addresses the fact that genuine faith produces works and he stresses that a workless faith is a worthless faith. How do you reconcile James' teaching with those who claim to be Christians, but produce no evidence? I have to agree with Evangelist Billy Graham, who stated that the greatest mission field in all the world is found in the pews of American churches. James called believers to live what we say we believe.
During our evening service, we heard testimony of how one of our LIFE Groups is not satisfied to just learn the Scriptures... they are living and applying the Scriptures! Steve Garland, a long-time pastor and returning member of EBC, preached about passionately pursuing Jesus Christ. Steve was a blessing to this pastor who had one of the busiest weeks of my life. It is good to have godly men, mature in their faith, and experienced with the Word of God to fill the pulpit. Thanks Steve.
Following the evening service, the teens and their parents had GAS... Games After the Service. We've got some great teens, very involved parents, and a great youth leadership team! Thanks especially to Justin and Carie.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Carolina Family Planning Centers
The opening of crisis pregnancy centers in our community is quickly becoming a reality. This past weekend, we had 40+ people attend the 3 day training event. The representation from churches across our community and the spirit of cooperation from all was amazing! Thanks to Lakeview Baptist Church for allowing us to use your facilities for the training event. Thanks to Tammy, our new Director, for all of your hard work and organization. Thanks to all the volunteers who cleared their calendars for this 3 day event. Finally, thanks to Bob for leading us through.
The CFPC's are scheduled to open in 3 locations by the end of October - Harsville, Darlington, and Florence. Our next meeting is Monday, October 12 from 7-9pm at EBC. During this event, we will divide the volunteers into committees, roll up our sleeves, and dig into the work. Continue to pray that this effort wll truly impact eternity!
The CFPC's are scheduled to open in 3 locations by the end of October - Harsville, Darlington, and Florence. Our next meeting is Monday, October 12 from 7-9pm at EBC. During this event, we will divide the volunteers into committees, roll up our sleeves, and dig into the work. Continue to pray that this effort wll truly impact eternity!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Must Have Struck a Nerve
My recent article entitled, "Is it Possible to be Non-denominational?" obviously pushed a few "easy buttons." There have been defensive responses, personal attacks, accusations of anger, jealousy, and more. -- the site counter is spinning. :-) Sadly, the comments have all been submitted anonymously, so I have not posted them. As a side note, I've found that people who sign "anonymous" are either cowards OR those who have no facts on which to base their opinions. I usually don't even read anything that isn't signed, but I was anticipating some entertaining responses -- and was not disappointed.
Why would I write about non-denominationalism? Simply because there is so much confusion in our own church, across our community, and beyond. For those who thought I was attacking all non-denominational churches, let me assure you that is not the case. Some of my closest pastor friends do not have denominational titles on their signs. More importantly, I will never attack a church (of any denomination, "or not") that has sound doctrine, but those who stir confusion in the Body of Christ are in my cross hairs. The Apostle Paul issued a warning and God recorded it in His Word. 2 Tim 4:3-4 states, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
Paul's warning is playing out before us as we watch believers choose churches simply based on music styles, service times, recreational opportunities, geographic location, etc. -- regardless of bad doctrine! Even more regrettable is the fact that some pastors will "hide" their church's doctrinal position or write a "cute" doctrinal statement for the sake of not offending anyone. Have we forgotten that while Jesus never offended anyone with His disposition, His position would be considered quite intolerant in today's society. (I.e. - He told the tax collectors to stop stealing, the adulteress woman to stop her whoring, sinners to repent, the religious to start a relationship, and more.)
I plan to continue to address these issues in future blogs, so for clarification sake, let me give you some of my background. 1) Prior to relocating to Hartsville, SC, I worked in a church named Grace Fellowship Church. We dropped Baptist from the name in order to reach more people (and it worked), but our doctrine never changed and the church is still an SBC church. 2) A couple of years ago at Emmanuel, I was accused of trying to make the church "non-denominational because we did not include the word"Baptist" on the sides of our new bus -- even though it is on both the front and the back -- our doctrine did not change. 3) I continue to come under fire because I am willing to fellowship with people and local pastors outside the Baptist faith in community events, and in our local ministerial association; but my doctrinal beliefs have not changed. These are only a few examples, but hopefully you get the point -- I've come under fire since arriving in Hartsville by pastors and people (including Baptists) who have no understanding of the term non-denominational and misuse it as their basis for attacks.
Do any of these illustrations mean I am non-denominational? NO. It just proves that people don't understand what the term means and they have elevated denominational titles over doctrinal positions. For the record, I'm not spiritually or intellectually shallow enough to go along with the mentality of, "Baptist born, Baptist bred, and when I die I'll be Baptist dead." BUT, I do believe that Baptist doctrine is the closest to a literal and accurate interpretation of the Scriptures, so I choose to worship in a Baptist church -- BUT the key point is doctrine, not denomination.
My real desire would be for people to call me a Christian or label me a Biblicist. I think most people in our congregation and those in our community realize that my desire is to follow Jesus, to live according to God's Word, and to point people to Him. I'm more interested in people becoming believers, than I am in their becoming Baptists. This could be why our church is made up of people from a wide array of denominational backgrounds (that sounds like inter-denominationalism), but that's a topic for another post...
Why would I write about non-denominationalism? Simply because there is so much confusion in our own church, across our community, and beyond. For those who thought I was attacking all non-denominational churches, let me assure you that is not the case. Some of my closest pastor friends do not have denominational titles on their signs. More importantly, I will never attack a church (of any denomination, "or not") that has sound doctrine, but those who stir confusion in the Body of Christ are in my cross hairs. The Apostle Paul issued a warning and God recorded it in His Word. 2 Tim 4:3-4 states, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
Paul's warning is playing out before us as we watch believers choose churches simply based on music styles, service times, recreational opportunities, geographic location, etc. -- regardless of bad doctrine! Even more regrettable is the fact that some pastors will "hide" their church's doctrinal position or write a "cute" doctrinal statement for the sake of not offending anyone. Have we forgotten that while Jesus never offended anyone with His disposition, His position would be considered quite intolerant in today's society. (I.e. - He told the tax collectors to stop stealing, the adulteress woman to stop her whoring, sinners to repent, the religious to start a relationship, and more.)
I plan to continue to address these issues in future blogs, so for clarification sake, let me give you some of my background. 1) Prior to relocating to Hartsville, SC, I worked in a church named Grace Fellowship Church. We dropped Baptist from the name in order to reach more people (and it worked), but our doctrine never changed and the church is still an SBC church. 2) A couple of years ago at Emmanuel, I was accused of trying to make the church "non-denominational because we did not include the word"Baptist" on the sides of our new bus -- even though it is on both the front and the back -- our doctrine did not change. 3) I continue to come under fire because I am willing to fellowship with people and local pastors outside the Baptist faith in community events, and in our local ministerial association; but my doctrinal beliefs have not changed. These are only a few examples, but hopefully you get the point -- I've come under fire since arriving in Hartsville by pastors and people (including Baptists) who have no understanding of the term non-denominational and misuse it as their basis for attacks.
Do any of these illustrations mean I am non-denominational? NO. It just proves that people don't understand what the term means and they have elevated denominational titles over doctrinal positions. For the record, I'm not spiritually or intellectually shallow enough to go along with the mentality of, "Baptist born, Baptist bred, and when I die I'll be Baptist dead." BUT, I do believe that Baptist doctrine is the closest to a literal and accurate interpretation of the Scriptures, so I choose to worship in a Baptist church -- BUT the key point is doctrine, not denomination.
My real desire would be for people to call me a Christian or label me a Biblicist. I think most people in our congregation and those in our community realize that my desire is to follow Jesus, to live according to God's Word, and to point people to Him. I'm more interested in people becoming believers, than I am in their becoming Baptists. This could be why our church is made up of people from a wide array of denominational backgrounds (that sounds like inter-denominationalism), but that's a topic for another post...
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sunday Summary 9.27.09
Yesterday was NFL Sunday at Emmanuel. While professional players and coaches think NFL means "Not For Long;" at EBC, it stood for "No Friend Left-behind" and we had many guests in our service today.
The day started with tailgate parties in lieu of Sunday School. Families gathered for breakfast on the parking lots. There was good food, mixing, mingling, and of course a few pick-up games of football. This was a great opportunity for classes to emerge from their holes, fellowship outside their circles, and meet some new people. We encouraged people to wear their NFL attire, and this provided a great launching point for conversations. There were even a few loyal Dolphin fans in the bunch (several on our staff.)
Our morning service started with a baptism and included some of the best music you'll hear in Hartsville. Our commitment to a blended style usually provides something for everyone. Mike Mintor, former Nebraska Corn-Husker and Carolina Panther, was our guest speaker. Mike scored big with today's message. He continues to use his NFL platform to tell people that life is about glorifying God and giving the credit to Jesus as the MVP. He talked about the power of prayer, faith, salvation, and our testimony. It was exciting to hear Mike brag about one of our church family's that he observed in the community and recognized at church -- you never know who is watching, but your testimony always leaves an impression. God's Spirit spoke through Mike, and several made the decision to start a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
The afternoon activities included our flag football league and several new players joined in; there was a Judgement House practice in preparation for the weekend of Oct. 16-18; and we had a missions trip meeting for those going with me to Mali, Africa in February. There are many exciting things coming up!
Last night, we enjoyed communion and allowed the head of each household to serve the communion to their families. This provided a great opportunity for men & women to rise into the role of leading their families spiritually. As the families came forward, our staff and deacons prayed with each one and thanked them for the role they play in our church family. I've had several people tell me that was their favorite communion service yet! We try to observe communion differently each time in order to avoid ruts and ritualism.
We were also blessed to have our missionaries to Madagascar, Bobby and Joanna Burdett, surprise us by attending the service last night. It was another blessed day with an eternal impact at Emmanuel!
Lord, thanks for helping us to grow smaller, as we continue to grow larger. Help us to maintain our ability to care for individuals as we continue to enlarge your family.
The day started with tailgate parties in lieu of Sunday School. Families gathered for breakfast on the parking lots. There was good food, mixing, mingling, and of course a few pick-up games of football. This was a great opportunity for classes to emerge from their holes, fellowship outside their circles, and meet some new people. We encouraged people to wear their NFL attire, and this provided a great launching point for conversations. There were even a few loyal Dolphin fans in the bunch (several on our staff.)
Our morning service started with a baptism and included some of the best music you'll hear in Hartsville. Our commitment to a blended style usually provides something for everyone. Mike Mintor, former Nebraska Corn-Husker and Carolina Panther, was our guest speaker. Mike scored big with today's message. He continues to use his NFL platform to tell people that life is about glorifying God and giving the credit to Jesus as the MVP. He talked about the power of prayer, faith, salvation, and our testimony. It was exciting to hear Mike brag about one of our church family's that he observed in the community and recognized at church -- you never know who is watching, but your testimony always leaves an impression. God's Spirit spoke through Mike, and several made the decision to start a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
The afternoon activities included our flag football league and several new players joined in; there was a Judgement House practice in preparation for the weekend of Oct. 16-18; and we had a missions trip meeting for those going with me to Mali, Africa in February. There are many exciting things coming up!
Last night, we enjoyed communion and allowed the head of each household to serve the communion to their families. This provided a great opportunity for men & women to rise into the role of leading their families spiritually. As the families came forward, our staff and deacons prayed with each one and thanked them for the role they play in our church family. I've had several people tell me that was their favorite communion service yet! We try to observe communion differently each time in order to avoid ruts and ritualism.
We were also blessed to have our missionaries to Madagascar, Bobby and Joanna Burdett, surprise us by attending the service last night. It was another blessed day with an eternal impact at Emmanuel!
Lord, thanks for helping us to grow smaller, as we continue to grow larger. Help us to maintain our ability to care for individuals as we continue to enlarge your family.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Libery University
It's exciting to see Christians doing things first class! One of the slogans we use at our church is "If it bears His name, it deserves our best." I could brag on our church and school, but won't for fear that what I say may be misinterpreted as taking the glory that belongs to God. We realize our successes are the results of His blessings. Instead, I want to tell you briefly about Liberty University and direct you to their website at www.liberty.edu.
One of my daughters is now attending LU and this week we attended her pinning ceremony as nearly 150 students were accepted into their nursing program for 2009. Every time I drive on to their campus, I'm reminded of Dr. Jerry Falwell. He was a hero of the faith, who stepped out of his comfort zone, stood firm against sin, preached sound doctrine, took chances, dreamed big, and didn't seek to please anyone except God (and maybe his wife - occasionally). God used him to do miraculous things, fulfilled his dreams, and will use his life's investments for years to come!
Started in 1971, Liberty University has become a leading university, and still remains committed to its Christian distinctiveness. I didn't say that every student attending LU is a Christian, neither did I say it is a perfect school; but I am emphasizing that it is built and focused on Jesus Christ. As a university, LU has 11 schools/colleges under its umbrella and nearly 12,000 resident students, plus an additional 20,000+ enrolled in distance learning LU is SACS accredited and accreditation does matter - in spite of what some will tell you. LU is has 5,000 acres, 123 buildings, an ice hockey facility, indoor soccer complex, indoor & outdoor pools, aerobic rooms, paintball field, 112 acre lake, equestrian center, year-round ski slopes & lodge, several restaurants, football stadium (expanding from 12,000 to 30,000 seats), volleyball/basketball arena (expanding from 8,000 to 12,000 seats), and MORE! Who says Christians can't have the "best?"
I personally wish every student could attend a Christian college/university as they prepare for their careers. Imagine what this world might be like if more business professionals (and others) put Christ first and practiced Christian ethics. I understand that there is a cost to Christian education and not all Christian colleges can offer the degrees the students are seeking, but LU offers some good opportunities and I just wanted to draw your attention to it. For more information (maybe even distance learning) visit their website at www.liberty.edu.
AND REMEMBER - When God gives you a dream, He will give you the resources to fulfill it. What God did through Jerry Falwell, He can do through others who will dream big, focus on God, ignore the distractions, and remain faithful. Is God giving you a dream?
One of my daughters is now attending LU and this week we attended her pinning ceremony as nearly 150 students were accepted into their nursing program for 2009. Every time I drive on to their campus, I'm reminded of Dr. Jerry Falwell. He was a hero of the faith, who stepped out of his comfort zone, stood firm against sin, preached sound doctrine, took chances, dreamed big, and didn't seek to please anyone except God (and maybe his wife - occasionally). God used him to do miraculous things, fulfilled his dreams, and will use his life's investments for years to come!
Started in 1971, Liberty University has become a leading university, and still remains committed to its Christian distinctiveness. I didn't say that every student attending LU is a Christian, neither did I say it is a perfect school; but I am emphasizing that it is built and focused on Jesus Christ. As a university, LU has 11 schools/colleges under its umbrella and nearly 12,000 resident students, plus an additional 20,000+ enrolled in distance learning LU is SACS accredited and accreditation does matter - in spite of what some will tell you. LU is has 5,000 acres, 123 buildings, an ice hockey facility, indoor soccer complex, indoor & outdoor pools, aerobic rooms, paintball field, 112 acre lake, equestrian center, year-round ski slopes & lodge, several restaurants, football stadium (expanding from 12,000 to 30,000 seats), volleyball/basketball arena (expanding from 8,000 to 12,000 seats), and MORE! Who says Christians can't have the "best?"
I personally wish every student could attend a Christian college/university as they prepare for their careers. Imagine what this world might be like if more business professionals (and others) put Christ first and practiced Christian ethics. I understand that there is a cost to Christian education and not all Christian colleges can offer the degrees the students are seeking, but LU offers some good opportunities and I just wanted to draw your attention to it. For more information (maybe even distance learning) visit their website at www.liberty.edu.
AND REMEMBER - When God gives you a dream, He will give you the resources to fulfill it. What God did through Jerry Falwell, He can do through others who will dream big, focus on God, ignore the distractions, and remain faithful. Is God giving you a dream?
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sunday Summary 9.20.09
Sunday was GREAT! Our attendance was down by about 100 due to the flu, baseball tournaments, etc.; but God's Spirit was present! It's funny how often I even buy into the false idea that a good Sunday is a well-attended Sunday. We call that "stinkin-thinkin." A good Sunday is one in which God's Spirit has the freedom to work and God's message results in changed lives.
This past Sunday, we started with 3 baptisms. One was a 5th grade girl who was saved in our Christian school last year and now felt ready for baptism. The other 2 baptisms were a couple who were saved at young ages, recently married, growing in the Lord, and ready to be baptized and become part of our church family.
I continued the sermon series from James 2:1-13 and addressed James' warning against partiality. He makes it quite clear that God is no respecter of persons and neither are true believers. Partiality could include judgmental attitudes between black-white, rich-poor, skinny-plump, singers-non-singers, educated-uneducated, well dressed-poorly dressed, English speaking-other languages, etc. Warren Wiersbe says, "The way we behave toward people indicates what we truly believe about God." I preached in a T-shirt for the first time (hopefully there will be others), as an illustration that too many focus on the outward appearance instead of the heart. NOTE: James 2 addresses partiality based solely on out outward appearances. Other passages teach us to use discernment, to avoid, and even to treat as pagans; those with heart issues in which they choose their sin over the Savior. A simple study of church discipline in Matt. 18:15-17 will reveal how to deal with those indulging in sinful behavior.
Sunday afternoon, our Deacons laid hands on, anointed with oil, and prayed over a man who has several physical ailments. He approached me a couple of weeks ago desiring to follow the Scriptural teaching found in James 5:14 - James 5:14-15 - "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up." This was a special time of prayer and we are now just waiting to see what God will do.
Our Youth Pastor, Justin, is coordinating a flag football league that "kicked-off" Sunday afternoon with around 30 people participating. This has been a great outreach into our community and a lot of fun for those participating. There were only a couple of injuries from what I heard (Luke - broken finger, Kurt - split chin, Justin - bruised jaw, Ray - bruised shoulder, etc.) For the record, I thought Ray had been banned due to passing the number of injuries permitted. :-)
On Sunday night, we had a missions emphasis service. We mentioned and prayed for the new Crisis Pregnancy Centers, for Onesimus Kibera (a national pastor in Kenya), and for John & Melissa Bjorgen (Missionaries to Belize). We also heard a report from our mission team that just returned from Nicaragua.
Already looking forward to next Sunday as we have Mike Minter, former Carolina Panther, preaching for us. Invite some friends who need to hear the gospel!
This past Sunday, we started with 3 baptisms. One was a 5th grade girl who was saved in our Christian school last year and now felt ready for baptism. The other 2 baptisms were a couple who were saved at young ages, recently married, growing in the Lord, and ready to be baptized and become part of our church family.
I continued the sermon series from James 2:1-13 and addressed James' warning against partiality. He makes it quite clear that God is no respecter of persons and neither are true believers. Partiality could include judgmental attitudes between black-white, rich-poor, skinny-plump, singers-non-singers, educated-uneducated, well dressed-poorly dressed, English speaking-other languages, etc. Warren Wiersbe says, "The way we behave toward people indicates what we truly believe about God." I preached in a T-shirt for the first time (hopefully there will be others), as an illustration that too many focus on the outward appearance instead of the heart. NOTE: James 2 addresses partiality based solely on out outward appearances. Other passages teach us to use discernment, to avoid, and even to treat as pagans; those with heart issues in which they choose their sin over the Savior. A simple study of church discipline in Matt. 18:15-17 will reveal how to deal with those indulging in sinful behavior.
Sunday afternoon, our Deacons laid hands on, anointed with oil, and prayed over a man who has several physical ailments. He approached me a couple of weeks ago desiring to follow the Scriptural teaching found in James 5:14 - James 5:14-15 - "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up." This was a special time of prayer and we are now just waiting to see what God will do.
Our Youth Pastor, Justin, is coordinating a flag football league that "kicked-off" Sunday afternoon with around 30 people participating. This has been a great outreach into our community and a lot of fun for those participating. There were only a couple of injuries from what I heard (Luke - broken finger, Kurt - split chin, Justin - bruised jaw, Ray - bruised shoulder, etc.) For the record, I thought Ray had been banned due to passing the number of injuries permitted. :-)
On Sunday night, we had a missions emphasis service. We mentioned and prayed for the new Crisis Pregnancy Centers, for Onesimus Kibera (a national pastor in Kenya), and for John & Melissa Bjorgen (Missionaries to Belize). We also heard a report from our mission team that just returned from Nicaragua.
Already looking forward to next Sunday as we have Mike Minter, former Carolina Panther, preaching for us. Invite some friends who need to hear the gospel!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Take a look at our new website for the Crisis Pregnancy Centers at www.carolinafamilyplanning.org.
We are making tremendous strides that include:
- Receiving approval for our 501(c)3 status
- Opening a bank account to receive your tax-deductible donations
- Hiring a Director for the Darlington site
- Hiring a Fundraiser
- Hosting another community meeting at Central Baptist Church in Darlington on Sept. 24
- Providing volunteer training on Oct. 1-3 (Required for volunteers)
- Opening offices in Darlington, Florence, and Hartsville in October.
- AND MORE!
This is getting VERY exciting and I'll keep you posted!
We are making tremendous strides that include:
- Receiving approval for our 501(c)3 status
- Opening a bank account to receive your tax-deductible donations
- Hiring a Director for the Darlington site
- Hiring a Fundraiser
- Hosting another community meeting at Central Baptist Church in Darlington on Sept. 24
- Providing volunteer training on Oct. 1-3 (Required for volunteers)
- Opening offices in Darlington, Florence, and Hartsville in October.
- AND MORE!
This is getting VERY exciting and I'll keep you posted!
Is it Possible to be Non-Denominational?
Southern speech often contains colloquialisms that reference impossibilities. One example would be the commonly used phrase, "Cut the light on." Now you and I both know that it is literally impossible to "cut" a light on, and that anytime a circuit is "cut," the light would go off. BUT, people still use the phrase and it has become acceptable.
I personally believe we have done the same thing in the religious realm, so I want to pose a question -- Is it REALLY even possible to be a non-denominational church? Without question, a church can be interdenominational (combining and utilizing aspects of various denominations), but what about non-denominational? Is it even possible for a church to be void of any and all denominational practices and/or traditions?
Here's my observance. It has become a common practice for churches to remove their denominational titles from their church signs. Some believe it helps them attract more guests into their services. I personally agree that there are SOME times when such action has merit and removes "real" barriers (and I'm all for removing barriers); but taking the denominational title off the church sign still does NOT make it non-denominational -- it just means they removed a word from the sign. The church still adheres to a doctrinal position of some sort. Some will claim the Bible as their doctrinal statement and it should be, but let me give you a word of caution regarding the spinsters who try to be cute and say they base all of their beliefs on the Bible -- BEWARE -- strong denominational churches make the same claim. To borrow another Southern expression... "That dog won't hunt!"
It is obvious that non-denominational churches adhere to doctrinal positions with denominational slants, because they differ in their positions regarding faith and practice. Consider some of the the variations among non-denominational churches. Regarding baptism, some baptize by immersion, some by sprinkling, some by pouring, and some baptize with the Holy Spirit. Regarding communion, some use unleavened bread, some use loaves, some drink wine, and some drink grape juice. Regarding pastors, some allow females, some require males, some allow divorcees, and some do not. Regarding elders and deacons, some have them, some do not. Regarding salvation, some believe once saved always saved, some believe true believers are secure, and some believe you can fall from grace. Regarding speaking in tongues, some believe it still occurs and some believe it has ceased. Some believe in faith healing and some do not. Some believe the Bible IS the Word of God and others believe it contains the Word of God. These are just a few of the MAJOR differences among "so-called" non-denominational churches.
I contend that each "non-denominational" church takes on the denominational background of the pastor(s), because he was raised, discipled, and trained in a church of some denominational persuasion. He attended a seminary that adheres to some denominational slant. If he wasn't trained or hasn't been proven in a church setting, then he is a novice and doesn't even meet the requirements to be a pastor. Without question, every church has to adhere to some position regarding salvation, baptism, the Lord's supper, the inerrancy of Scripture, etc.; otherwise it is nothing more than a crowd of people with a diversity of opinions.
Some use non-denominationalism as a marketing tool, but they still hold to a strict doctrinal position influenced by a particular denomination-- although they DO NOT LIKE TO PUBLISH THEIR DOCTRINAL POSITIONS, because it would reveal their slant! Interestingly enough, Thom Rainer points out in his book, "Surprising Insights from the Unchurched," that while churches are removing their denominations from their signs, those outside the church actually want to know what group they affiliate with. While in melting pots like South Florida or New York City a denominational title may turn a few away, the Christian culture of the Deep South cries out to know.
Think about it -- if a pastor has no doctrinal position, then how can he preach? Either Jesus is God or He's not... either the Bible is inerrant or it's not... either salvation comes by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone or it does not... and the list goes on. Paul told Timothy to be ready to give an answer to any man who asked. How could he answer if he didn't have a specific system of beliefs? It's been said that "If you stand for nothing, then you'll fall for anything," so you better know where you stand regarding doctrine.
I applaud those who try to be "biblical, not traditional;" but please realize that no church is truly void of all denominationalism. I'll leave you with my final observation..."Today, non-denominationalism has become a denomination."
I personally believe we have done the same thing in the religious realm, so I want to pose a question -- Is it REALLY even possible to be a non-denominational church? Without question, a church can be interdenominational (combining and utilizing aspects of various denominations), but what about non-denominational? Is it even possible for a church to be void of any and all denominational practices and/or traditions?
Here's my observance. It has become a common practice for churches to remove their denominational titles from their church signs. Some believe it helps them attract more guests into their services. I personally agree that there are SOME times when such action has merit and removes "real" barriers (and I'm all for removing barriers); but taking the denominational title off the church sign still does NOT make it non-denominational -- it just means they removed a word from the sign. The church still adheres to a doctrinal position of some sort. Some will claim the Bible as their doctrinal statement and it should be, but let me give you a word of caution regarding the spinsters who try to be cute and say they base all of their beliefs on the Bible -- BEWARE -- strong denominational churches make the same claim. To borrow another Southern expression... "That dog won't hunt!"
It is obvious that non-denominational churches adhere to doctrinal positions with denominational slants, because they differ in their positions regarding faith and practice. Consider some of the the variations among non-denominational churches. Regarding baptism, some baptize by immersion, some by sprinkling, some by pouring, and some baptize with the Holy Spirit. Regarding communion, some use unleavened bread, some use loaves, some drink wine, and some drink grape juice. Regarding pastors, some allow females, some require males, some allow divorcees, and some do not. Regarding elders and deacons, some have them, some do not. Regarding salvation, some believe once saved always saved, some believe true believers are secure, and some believe you can fall from grace. Regarding speaking in tongues, some believe it still occurs and some believe it has ceased. Some believe in faith healing and some do not. Some believe the Bible IS the Word of God and others believe it contains the Word of God. These are just a few of the MAJOR differences among "so-called" non-denominational churches.
I contend that each "non-denominational" church takes on the denominational background of the pastor(s), because he was raised, discipled, and trained in a church of some denominational persuasion. He attended a seminary that adheres to some denominational slant. If he wasn't trained or hasn't been proven in a church setting, then he is a novice and doesn't even meet the requirements to be a pastor. Without question, every church has to adhere to some position regarding salvation, baptism, the Lord's supper, the inerrancy of Scripture, etc.; otherwise it is nothing more than a crowd of people with a diversity of opinions.
Some use non-denominationalism as a marketing tool, but they still hold to a strict doctrinal position influenced by a particular denomination-- although they DO NOT LIKE TO PUBLISH THEIR DOCTRINAL POSITIONS, because it would reveal their slant! Interestingly enough, Thom Rainer points out in his book, "Surprising Insights from the Unchurched," that while churches are removing their denominations from their signs, those outside the church actually want to know what group they affiliate with. While in melting pots like South Florida or New York City a denominational title may turn a few away, the Christian culture of the Deep South cries out to know.
Think about it -- if a pastor has no doctrinal position, then how can he preach? Either Jesus is God or He's not... either the Bible is inerrant or it's not... either salvation comes by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone or it does not... and the list goes on. Paul told Timothy to be ready to give an answer to any man who asked. How could he answer if he didn't have a specific system of beliefs? It's been said that "If you stand for nothing, then you'll fall for anything," so you better know where you stand regarding doctrine.
I applaud those who try to be "biblical, not traditional;" but please realize that no church is truly void of all denominationalism. I'll leave you with my final observation..."Today, non-denominationalism has become a denomination."
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Men's Prayer Breakfast
WOW... What a great start to our monthly men's prayer breakfast. We had 14 men (from 22-78 years old) meet us at Shoney's this morning and another 6-7 that took the time to call and say, "I forgot" or "I over slept." We plan to do this on the 3rd Tuesday of every month, so mark your calendars for Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 6:30am. Some had a cup of coffee, others dove into the buffet, some had to leave early for work, and others stayed even after the 7:30 mark. Best of all, men were sharing and praying together. I gave the challenge to start some accountability groups and I believe we have 3 new groups committed to starting in the very near future. I hope this will become a vital aspect in the life of every man at Emmanuel.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Sunday Summary 9.13.09
It was another exciting day at Emmanuel and a day that the words "musical style whiplash" don't adequately cover. Too many churches and individuals focus on musical styles, rather than on Jesus! As we have tried to become all things to all men in the area of music and reach our very diverse traditional, southern community; we have implemented a broad variety into a blended style. Well... this Sunday may have topped them all.
We started the service with our Keen Choir (Sr. Citizens) and they knocked it out of the park! The congregation sang a newer song "Cover the Earth With Your Glory," an older song "Let There be Praise," and even "Because He Lives." Garrett Graham was home for the weekend and sang an accapella hymn and received a standing ovation. All of this backed with drums, electric guitar, bass, acoustic, and even auxiliary percussion. It was amazing!
If that weren't enough, our choir and drama team presented the musical, "East to West." The message and music were phenomenal! It's even more impressive when you realize that we don't even have a Worship Pastor currently on our staff! This was led by laypeople and couldn't have been better. The choir had fun, the congregation was blessed, and it had the tell-tale sign of a GREAT program --- people stayed around and talked for almost an hour after it was over!
I continued the sermon series on James and addressed a problem that had plagued the church since Paul addressed the church at Corinth. The problem is that many who call themselves believers don't behave as they claim to believe. The message focused on the aspects of receiving and applying God's truths.
God blessed us with a sweet spirit, many guests in our services, two children being dedicated, a family joined the church (2 members were baptized recently), and a couple more approaching our pastoral staff about being baptized in the weeks to come! Wow!
The icing on the cake (this whole cake seemed to be made of icing) was my observance in our Deacons meeting. Our men are praying and seeking the next Worship Pastor for Emmanuel. It spoke volumes to me as they prayed, requested more information, and made no decisions. This wasn't because they weren't capable, rather it was because they were spiritual. Too often we rush ahead of God and get ourselves into trouble. Thank you, Deacons, for waiting upon the Lord! With good lay-leadership like we have, we don't have to rush.
Lord, thanks for another great day in your house and for the privilege of leading people into your presence!
We started the service with our Keen Choir (Sr. Citizens) and they knocked it out of the park! The congregation sang a newer song "Cover the Earth With Your Glory," an older song "Let There be Praise," and even "Because He Lives." Garrett Graham was home for the weekend and sang an accapella hymn and received a standing ovation. All of this backed with drums, electric guitar, bass, acoustic, and even auxiliary percussion. It was amazing!
If that weren't enough, our choir and drama team presented the musical, "East to West." The message and music were phenomenal! It's even more impressive when you realize that we don't even have a Worship Pastor currently on our staff! This was led by laypeople and couldn't have been better. The choir had fun, the congregation was blessed, and it had the tell-tale sign of a GREAT program --- people stayed around and talked for almost an hour after it was over!
I continued the sermon series on James and addressed a problem that had plagued the church since Paul addressed the church at Corinth. The problem is that many who call themselves believers don't behave as they claim to believe. The message focused on the aspects of receiving and applying God's truths.
God blessed us with a sweet spirit, many guests in our services, two children being dedicated, a family joined the church (2 members were baptized recently), and a couple more approaching our pastoral staff about being baptized in the weeks to come! Wow!
The icing on the cake (this whole cake seemed to be made of icing) was my observance in our Deacons meeting. Our men are praying and seeking the next Worship Pastor for Emmanuel. It spoke volumes to me as they prayed, requested more information, and made no decisions. This wasn't because they weren't capable, rather it was because they were spiritual. Too often we rush ahead of God and get ourselves into trouble. Thank you, Deacons, for waiting upon the Lord! With good lay-leadership like we have, we don't have to rush.
Lord, thanks for another great day in your house and for the privilege of leading people into your presence!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
God Showed Up!
Have you ever been in one of those services where nothing goes as you expected? I've been in several. I remember the night a church member asked us to pray for his child, I closed my Bible, and people gathered around him to pray... for an hour! God answered that prayer. I can also remember the morning when people started going to the altar during a song. A quartet was singing and people began to get up out of their seats, come to the altar, and weep. I can remember a service when a couple confessed their sin before the church, they were broken and repentant, they asked forgiveness, people gathered to pray around them, prayed, and the church family stayed to encourage them for over an hour after we dismissed. Those services are special!
Well, we had another one of those services last night... on a Wednesday night. I've been teaching a Bible study through Romans and we've been camping on Romans 7 where Paul admitted the civil war he was having between his spirit and his flesh. Last night,we were supposed to get into chapter 8 and help people discover how to "stay up, when life gets you down." I introduced the message, told folks that we can't always live on the mountain top, and shared the story of Moses going up the mountain and coming back down to see God's chosen people worshipping and idol.
From the back, a man said, "I feel like I'm living in the valley and can't get out." Immediately, someone shared a personal story of encouragement. Then another person shared. Another shared scripture. The stories went on. The testimonies went on. The masks came off and before we knew it, there were tears and confessions, and God's Spirit was MOVING!
After 45 minutes, it was obvious that I was not going to ever get to Romans 8. Instead of my best made plans and preparation, God chose to use the testimonies of people to encourage others. My words can never convey the heart-warming and soul-stirring service we experienced. It's amazing what God can do when we just get out of the way. I wish you could have been there.
Well, we had another one of those services last night... on a Wednesday night. I've been teaching a Bible study through Romans and we've been camping on Romans 7 where Paul admitted the civil war he was having between his spirit and his flesh. Last night,we were supposed to get into chapter 8 and help people discover how to "stay up, when life gets you down." I introduced the message, told folks that we can't always live on the mountain top, and shared the story of Moses going up the mountain and coming back down to see God's chosen people worshipping and idol.
From the back, a man said, "I feel like I'm living in the valley and can't get out." Immediately, someone shared a personal story of encouragement. Then another person shared. Another shared scripture. The stories went on. The testimonies went on. The masks came off and before we knew it, there were tears and confessions, and God's Spirit was MOVING!
After 45 minutes, it was obvious that I was not going to ever get to Romans 8. Instead of my best made plans and preparation, God chose to use the testimonies of people to encourage others. My words can never convey the heart-warming and soul-stirring service we experienced. It's amazing what God can do when we just get out of the way. I wish you could have been there.
Monday, September 07, 2009
Sunday Summary 9.6.09
Sunday was amazing. We had a much lower attendance due to Labor Day and a variety of sicknesses, but the spirit in our service was tremendous. Brian G. led the worship (even though he was not feeling well). Brad was back on the drums (he was awesome)! We had several band and praise team members filling in due to the absences. We also had several guests, a sermon addressing the "works" of an authentic Christian, and a fun skit to promote the upcoming MOPS ministry. It reallly was a fun and spiritually challenging day.
There was a good response at the invitation and a couple talked to me about baptism and church membership following the service. Another family also expressed their interest in church membership. God is really moving in the hearts of people and prompting them to take spiritual steps. It's amazing what God can do when His church is moving forward in unity.
While we are growing, we never want to lose our "family" feel, so we took time to brag on one of our teens, Bridgette Smith, who continues to advance in the Hartsville Idol competition, shared the need to cut down a tree for a single mom, shared the need of a church family who is having difficulties, and bragged on several ministry leaders. Our church family responded like champs!
We had no evening service due to Labor Day. While we miss worshiping together, it did give us a chance to visit our daughter at Liberty University. We are REALLY missing her!
There was a good response at the invitation and a couple talked to me about baptism and church membership following the service. Another family also expressed their interest in church membership. God is really moving in the hearts of people and prompting them to take spiritual steps. It's amazing what God can do when His church is moving forward in unity.
While we are growing, we never want to lose our "family" feel, so we took time to brag on one of our teens, Bridgette Smith, who continues to advance in the Hartsville Idol competition, shared the need to cut down a tree for a single mom, shared the need of a church family who is having difficulties, and bragged on several ministry leaders. Our church family responded like champs!
We had no evening service due to Labor Day. While we miss worshiping together, it did give us a chance to visit our daughter at Liberty University. We are REALLY missing her!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sunday Summary 8.30.09
We had the privilege of having Joey & Cynthia Colson stay with us this weekend. Cynthia's dad led me to Christ and was my spiritual mentor. I watched Cynthia grow up and we prayed as Joey battled cancer shortly after they were married. Those trials increased their faith and matured them spiritually. We also enjoyed their little miracle, Abigail.
I've c0ntinued preaching through James and moved from talking about trials (tests of faith) into temptations (opportunities to sin). Since I started this series, I've been living the trials and seemingly everything I touch breaks. I've been working a side job to help pay for my daughter's college and rather than saving... all I've been doing is spending (for misc. repairs) more than I've made! This morning, I pulled into the church, unloaded some boxes, and then my car wouldn't start. Earlier this week, I had our other car in the shop. I'm hoping these tests are almost over, so I can stop being my sermon illustrations. Regardless, Flora and I are learning that God is faithful and He always provides. My trials are small in comparison to many, but they do make you weary.
Brian Watts led the music portion of our worship service today and did a wonderful job. He opened with a trumpet solo as our call to worship. He also had his friend, Morgan Dampier, to accompany our orchestra on her saxophone. It was beautiful! We're without a Worship Pastor, but we have many talented people who are filling in. In fact, we have a special program coming up on Sept. 13 and it is all lay-led.
We had a father and son baptized this morning and it was a great way to start the service. I also had two other families tell me they are ready to join the church. God continues to bless us with visitors and we never take this for granted. There are many other churches in Hartsville they could have worshipped at, but they chose to visit with us!
We lost a dear church member this week, Mr. Walter Hartis (69). Walter enjoyed a great day with his wife, they went to bed, he told her that he loved her, and then he died. What a way to go! His funeral was today and it was a very sweet time. It was a picture of Ps. 116:15 - "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."
Tonight, I tied the morning messages of James (trials and temptations) together with a message from Job. It's still amazes me that God allowed the seriousness of the trials. Again, our trials seem so petty.
Let me close by sharing with you that we have a spirit in our church that has not been here since the moral failure of a worship leader in 2007. It is a breath of fresh air and people are really "buying into" the ministries at EBC. There is a sweet spirit and a unity that is catching the attention of many. Please continue to pray!
I've c0ntinued preaching through James and moved from talking about trials (tests of faith) into temptations (opportunities to sin). Since I started this series, I've been living the trials and seemingly everything I touch breaks. I've been working a side job to help pay for my daughter's college and rather than saving... all I've been doing is spending (for misc. repairs) more than I've made! This morning, I pulled into the church, unloaded some boxes, and then my car wouldn't start. Earlier this week, I had our other car in the shop. I'm hoping these tests are almost over, so I can stop being my sermon illustrations. Regardless, Flora and I are learning that God is faithful and He always provides. My trials are small in comparison to many, but they do make you weary.
Brian Watts led the music portion of our worship service today and did a wonderful job. He opened with a trumpet solo as our call to worship. He also had his friend, Morgan Dampier, to accompany our orchestra on her saxophone. It was beautiful! We're without a Worship Pastor, but we have many talented people who are filling in. In fact, we have a special program coming up on Sept. 13 and it is all lay-led.
We had a father and son baptized this morning and it was a great way to start the service. I also had two other families tell me they are ready to join the church. God continues to bless us with visitors and we never take this for granted. There are many other churches in Hartsville they could have worshipped at, but they chose to visit with us!
We lost a dear church member this week, Mr. Walter Hartis (69). Walter enjoyed a great day with his wife, they went to bed, he told her that he loved her, and then he died. What a way to go! His funeral was today and it was a very sweet time. It was a picture of Ps. 116:15 - "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."
Tonight, I tied the morning messages of James (trials and temptations) together with a message from Job. It's still amazes me that God allowed the seriousness of the trials. Again, our trials seem so petty.
Let me close by sharing with you that we have a spirit in our church that has not been here since the moral failure of a worship leader in 2007. It is a breath of fresh air and people are really "buying into" the ministries at EBC. There is a sweet spirit and a unity that is catching the attention of many. Please continue to pray!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Emmanuel Christian Opens Strong!
Emmanuel Christian School (ECS) opened in 1963 and launched this 46th year in astounding fashion. The new Headmaster, Clark Ballard, came to Hartsville from Aiken, SC where he served as Headmaster / Administrator of Aiken Christian School for 11 years. Mr. Ballard received his Bachelor's degree from University of Alabama and his Masters degree from the Citadel. He has 22 years experience in education (7.5 in public schools and 15 in private/Christian education).
In spite of the economic recession, the enrollment at ECS continues to be strong and has nearly doubled in the past five years! ECS added over 90 new students in grades 2K-12 for the 2009-2010 school year, bringing the total enrollment to 426. In preschool through 5th grade, there are now two classes offered in every grade except fourth. The majority of our growth this year was in our Upper School and I believe it is because people are finally realizing the high quality of academic product that ECS is producing. Our average SAT scores were 137 points higher than Darlington County last year and we have classes ranked in the top 1% nationally.
ECS continued the campus renovations this past summer. ECS spent $100,000 in renovations, which included technological upgrades across our campus. The technology project included new servers, upgrades for classroom computers, purchase of brand new notebook computers for our students, a Promethean board, and educational software. The project is still underway and more improvements are planned for the future, but lacks approximately $10,000 for completion.
For more information about ECS, visit our website at www.ecscrusaders.com.
In spite of the economic recession, the enrollment at ECS continues to be strong and has nearly doubled in the past five years! ECS added over 90 new students in grades 2K-12 for the 2009-2010 school year, bringing the total enrollment to 426. In preschool through 5th grade, there are now two classes offered in every grade except fourth. The majority of our growth this year was in our Upper School and I believe it is because people are finally realizing the high quality of academic product that ECS is producing. Our average SAT scores were 137 points higher than Darlington County last year and we have classes ranked in the top 1% nationally.
ECS continued the campus renovations this past summer. ECS spent $100,000 in renovations, which included technological upgrades across our campus. The technology project included new servers, upgrades for classroom computers, purchase of brand new notebook computers for our students, a Promethean board, and educational software. The project is still underway and more improvements are planned for the future, but lacks approximately $10,000 for completion.
For more information about ECS, visit our website at www.ecscrusaders.com.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Sunday Summary 8.23.09
I just started a sermon series in the book of James. James addressed the Jewish believers who had been scattered and were beginning to lose their way and cave in to the pressures of the world. They were no longer living what they claimed to believe. I see the American church in the same predicament -- pursuing comfort, rather than commitment. Dr. Daniel Kim, a Korean pastor, was beaten by his family for accepting Christ; but he remained faithful. This week, a 17 year old girl from Ohio petitioned for asylum in Florida due to fear that her father will kill her to maintain the family's honor, because she accepted Jesus Christ; but she remains faithful. These are examples of "committed" Christ-followers. Would you cave in to that type of trial? Would you be faithful to God? Would you stand firm in your commitment to Christ?
In James 1:5-12, we discussed proper responses to trials and Paul Longnecker shared his testimony. Paul was a wayward military aircraft mechanic who was in a motorcycle wreck that changed his life. Rather than getting mad at God for taking away his ability to fully function, Paul thanked God for giving him the gift of a second chance and bringing him back to Himself. When trials come, we must stand firm and not waver! God is for us -- not against us
It was a tough morning, but God gave us a tremendous altar response and brought a family into the fellowship of our church. I was in a fog this morning, as I'm still not over sending our oldest daughter off to college. The emptiness is our house is very difficult for me right now. We had some confusion in the absences of a Worship Pastor, but the volunteers responded like champions! We had 16 lights out across our Worship Center, due to a lightning storm; but God shined bright! George Singletary shared his testimony of salvation and challenged us all. With school back in session and summer vacations over, both the attendance and the offerings were strong.
Tonight, we observed communion together and it was the first time our new Deacons had the privilege of serving. There is a VERY sweet spirit of unity and cooperation in our church family at present. You always have a few disgruntled folks; but the most of our people are taking ownership, volunteering for service, showing up at all hours to care for the facilities, starting new ministries, caring for one another, visiting, conducting home Bible studies, and more! Realizing the healthy state of our church, it really made communion a special time tonight.
In James 1:5-12, we discussed proper responses to trials and Paul Longnecker shared his testimony. Paul was a wayward military aircraft mechanic who was in a motorcycle wreck that changed his life. Rather than getting mad at God for taking away his ability to fully function, Paul thanked God for giving him the gift of a second chance and bringing him back to Himself. When trials come, we must stand firm and not waver! God is for us -- not against us
It was a tough morning, but God gave us a tremendous altar response and brought a family into the fellowship of our church. I was in a fog this morning, as I'm still not over sending our oldest daughter off to college. The emptiness is our house is very difficult for me right now. We had some confusion in the absences of a Worship Pastor, but the volunteers responded like champions! We had 16 lights out across our Worship Center, due to a lightning storm; but God shined bright! George Singletary shared his testimony of salvation and challenged us all. With school back in session and summer vacations over, both the attendance and the offerings were strong.
Tonight, we observed communion together and it was the first time our new Deacons had the privilege of serving. There is a VERY sweet spirit of unity and cooperation in our church family at present. You always have a few disgruntled folks; but the most of our people are taking ownership, volunteering for service, showing up at all hours to care for the facilities, starting new ministries, caring for one another, visiting, conducting home Bible studies, and more! Realizing the healthy state of our church, it really made communion a special time tonight.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
I've Been Scolded and Will Re-Open My Blog
Life has been busier than I ever dreamed possible, so I let go of the things I thought weren't as important. One of those things was this blog, but I have been repeatedly scolded and realize that more people were reading than I realized. After reading, they were praying, so I am reopening my blog and promise to do a better job keeping it updated.
You may be asking, "What kept you so busy?" Pastors only work 1 day per week... :-)
- I've been serving as a pastor.
- Last school year I also wore the hat of school Headmaster. (I'll tell you why at another time.) We have hired a new headmaster and there is no doubt that God sent him our way!
- I'm serving as a chaplain for Hospice.
- I'm still serving on the Board of the Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce.
- I'm the Vice-Moderator for the Carolinas Baptist Bible Fellowship.
- I'm Chairman and co-founder of the Carolina Family Planning Centers. A pro-life group starting crisis pregnancy care centers across SC. Our goal is to open 5 this fall.
- We just took our oldest daughter to college.
- Our middle daughter is a high-school senior.
- We took a family vacation.
- And the list literally goes on...
I'll share more about each of these and give you some Sunday updates in the days ahead. Thanks for reading and for your prayers. God is doing some GREAT things and we are still seeing people starting personal relationships with Christ! PRAY... PRAY... PRAY!!!!!!
You may be asking, "What kept you so busy?" Pastors only work 1 day per week... :-)
- I've been serving as a pastor.
- Last school year I also wore the hat of school Headmaster. (I'll tell you why at another time.) We have hired a new headmaster and there is no doubt that God sent him our way!
- I'm serving as a chaplain for Hospice.
- I'm still serving on the Board of the Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce.
- I'm the Vice-Moderator for the Carolinas Baptist Bible Fellowship.
- I'm Chairman and co-founder of the Carolina Family Planning Centers. A pro-life group starting crisis pregnancy care centers across SC. Our goal is to open 5 this fall.
- We just took our oldest daughter to college.
- Our middle daughter is a high-school senior.
- We took a family vacation.
- And the list literally goes on...
I'll share more about each of these and give you some Sunday updates in the days ahead. Thanks for reading and for your prayers. God is doing some GREAT things and we are still seeing people starting personal relationships with Christ! PRAY... PRAY... PRAY!!!!!!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Sunday Summary
WOW! Yesterday's services were truly God led and God designed. Let me explain what I mean. I am an extremely organized person and like to plan ahead. I usually have my sermon topics /texts lined up a year in advance. For whatever reason, this year, I am moving a week at a time. I've been contuing a series on worship and yesterday's title was, "Worship Defeats the Enemy." Ron's congregational set matched the theme. Heather's solo matched the theme. The teen drama fit hand-in-glove to the theme. I was absolutely overwhelmed to see how God orchestrated that service. I've had a bad cold for the past several days and my voice has been very rough, but it gave me no trouble during the message. After the message... I could hardly talk. God is so good!
We closed the morning service by singing. We sang for approximately ten minutes and just praised and worshipped the name of our Lord. People were at the altar, some knelt in their seats, and others were wiping the tears from their faces. God's Spirit was moving!
There were other good things that happened yesterday, but I'm just going to stop there and encourage you to defeat the enemy by praising the Lord! He is able!
We closed the morning service by singing. We sang for approximately ten minutes and just praised and worshipped the name of our Lord. People were at the altar, some knelt in their seats, and others were wiping the tears from their faces. God's Spirit was moving!
There were other good things that happened yesterday, but I'm just going to stop there and encourage you to defeat the enemy by praising the Lord! He is able!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Crisis Pregnancy Centers Opening Soon
Several years ago, I felt God leading our church to begin the process of opening a crisis pregnancy center in Hartsville. We worked with Care-Net to begin the process and God brought a dear nurse alongside to help us. We were moving quickly, until it was time to establish a Board of Directors. Realizing that the center would have to reach people all across our city, I began reaching out to a variety of pastors and community leaders. We hit a wall as people were willing to "help," but didn't want the responsibility of serving on a board.
I knew God wanted us to open a center in Hartsville, but I couldn't understand why He wouldn't provide the people. I didn't understand what God was doing -- until just recently! I believe God was just preparing our hearts for something that was BIGGER than we could have ever imagined. Through a series of circumstances, God brought new pastors into local churches and caused our paths to cross with a wonderful group of people & pastors in the Florence area, who were working on opening a crisis pregnancy center.
NOW... the plans are to open FOUR centers! They will be located in Florence, Hartsville, Darlington, and Lake City. God has provided the Board, a director, doctors, graphics personnel, willing volunteers, facilities in all four locations, and even two ultrasound machines! Now all we need is financial support, but that is no problem for God.
If you are interested in finding out how you can get involved as a volunteer, supporter, etc.; join us for the community interest meeting on Monday, March 30 at 7:00pm at the Florence Library. I hope to see you there!
I knew God wanted us to open a center in Hartsville, but I couldn't understand why He wouldn't provide the people. I didn't understand what God was doing -- until just recently! I believe God was just preparing our hearts for something that was BIGGER than we could have ever imagined. Through a series of circumstances, God brought new pastors into local churches and caused our paths to cross with a wonderful group of people & pastors in the Florence area, who were working on opening a crisis pregnancy center.
NOW... the plans are to open FOUR centers! They will be located in Florence, Hartsville, Darlington, and Lake City. God has provided the Board, a director, doctors, graphics personnel, willing volunteers, facilities in all four locations, and even two ultrasound machines! Now all we need is financial support, but that is no problem for God.
If you are interested in finding out how you can get involved as a volunteer, supporter, etc.; join us for the community interest meeting on Monday, March 30 at 7:00pm at the Florence Library. I hope to see you there!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Sunday Summary - ECS Day
This past Sunday was our annual Emmanuel Christian School day! Since ECS is one of if not the largest ministry of EBC, we like to highlight the school for annually for our church family. Believe it or not, there are some who have attended EBC for decades and still haven't caught the vision for Christian education. So... we're still trying to help them along.
Before you read too much into ECS day, realize that I am committed to ALL quality education that benefits students. People attend our church who are teachers in our public school system and other private schools in our area. I am 100% supportive of them and realize that ECS is not for everyone. In addition, I have served our community in roles as a Board member of a faith based initiative and concerned volunteer that have benefited our public education system. So, I believe in Christian education, but I never criticize teachers or students who are not part of ECS.
ECS day was well attended and our teachers and students made us proud!
Before you read too much into ECS day, realize that I am committed to ALL quality education that benefits students. People attend our church who are teachers in our public school system and other private schools in our area. I am 100% supportive of them and realize that ECS is not for everyone. In addition, I have served our community in roles as a Board member of a faith based initiative and concerned volunteer that have benefited our public education system. So, I believe in Christian education, but I never criticize teachers or students who are not part of ECS.
ECS day was well attended and our teachers and students made us proud!
- Michael opened the service with a song. He is a finalist for a music scholarship at Liberty University, so pray for him.
- Our elementary choir was amazing and it's no wonder they received such high marks at the SCACS competitions on Friday. Thanks Greta for the work that you put into those children. Great job kids!
- Catherine recognized many of our students who placed the State competitions in music, art, and academic competitions. Angelica won "Best in Show" for her art piece!
- Jimmy recognized the accomplishments of our varsity girls and varsity boys basketball teams. Our boys team served as our ushers!
- Teresa shared a testimony that helped us focus on what Christian education is all about and how God led her to ECS over 20 years ago!
- Heather led the people of God into the presence of God through congregational worship. I was proud for parents to see the spiritual depth of the people teaching their children on a daily basis.
- In addition, these other teachers were part of today's praise team: Paige, Brian, Libby, and Greta.
- Student vocalists included Michael, Bridgette, and Brooke. Brooke is only in 7th grade, but she got a spontaneous standing ovation! Way to go girl!
- Lisa and Kelly... wow! There is no doubt that your song was a divine selection. We didn't talk beforehand, but your song tied in perfectly with my sermon.
- Today's sermon continued with the theme of worship and hopefully helped people to trust God just a little bit more.
Lord, thanks for allowing EBC to be the home of ECS, for allowing me to be part of it, and for giving the vision for ECS to those who have gone before. It is a privilege to partner with parents in the educational process for the children. It is also a privilege to teach academics; but also to prepare students for life and help them to develop a Christian world-view.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Sunday Summary
I've been chastised for not updating my blog, but it's just been extremely busy. I'm encouraged by how many of our church family are beginning to use this as an additional opportunity to hear what is going on weekly at EBC. Last week, one of our members had to travel out of town on business and missed the Sunday services. He commented on how much he missed the services and has never felt this way before... in any church. He said that he called his wife at the time the service usually ends, just so he could hear what God did today.
So, since I've been derelict in my updates, please allow me to give a quick update and bring you up to speed on what happened last week.
So, since I've been derelict in my updates, please allow me to give a quick update and bring you up to speed on what happened last week.
- 1 saved, 1 baptized, and 7 new members added to the church.
- Continued series on worship with message entitled, "Worship Requires Your Whole Heart."
- Text was Luke 7 and compared Simon the Pharisee to the woman who poured the ointment on Jesus feet, washed His feet with her tears, and dried them with her hair. WOW! What a reminder that Pharisees simply what Jesus to sit at their table, but real worshippers want to sit at Jesus' feet.
- Karen... Great job with your song! I truly believe it helped people connect with the story.
For all that takes place at EBC... "To God be the glory, GREAT things He has done!"
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday Summary
This morning was cold outside, but our church family extended warm hearts to many who were visiting in our services today. It was good to have the visitors, as we have many who are battling illnesses. God did some wonderful things are Emmanuel again this week
- We had a child saved this past Wednesday and one lined up to be baptized next Sunday. David is doing a great job with our kids!
- Cindy, the young lady who was saved last Sunday, was baptized and joined our church family today! She also brought her sister to church today!
- Five babies/children were dedicated to the Lord today. Realizing these children are gifts from God, their parents followed the example of Hannah and dedicated them back to God. They committed to raising them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord! Our church committed to come along side these parents and to provide godly examples from the nursery through the youth department as these children grow. We also prayed for their salvation and fulfillment of the purpose for which God created them.
- I continued the series on worship. We have discussed the distractions to worship, the problem with worshipping worship, the benefits of worshipping God, and today we examined the reason we worship.
- This morning, God led 7 adults to become part of our church family. He continues to bring some incredibly godly people into the fellowship of our church and I'm eagerly anticipating what He's getting ready to do at Emmanuel.
- Please continue to pray for our missionary Ken Best who continues to battle parasites. Our church prayed for you this morning Ken.
- This morning, I announced to our church that we will be helping to start 3 crisis pregnancy care centers within the next year. They will be in Hartsville, Darlington, and Florence. Pray for God to raise up volunteers and the finances needed to launch this ministry.
- We observed communion tonight. I used 1 Cor. 11:17-34 as our text. It gives a great reminder about unity, equality, and service within the church. It also reminds us of Christ's sufferings that were required for our salvation. I'm always moved by the opportunity to "serve" the Lord's Supper to our Deacons.
- Joseph continued our study in Genesis tonight by covering chapters 32-34. Wow! He was flying!
- Finally, join us in praying for Emmanuel Christian School. We have 100% of our teachers/faculty stating their intentions to return for 2009-2010. Our pre-enrollment is running approximately 40 ahead of years past, we have a great candidate for our new Headmaster, and ECS Day is coming March 8.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Sunday Summary
This morning's message continued with thoughts on worship. I opened Psalm 103, which is full of "benefits" or reasons why God is worthy of our worship. If anyone left our service without be excited about God... they were either unsaved, backslidden, or physically dead! God IS worthy of our worship!
Following the message, a young woman responded to the invitation and invited Jesus to be her Lord and Savior! She was invited by a friend who loved her enough to care about her soul. She plans to take the step of baptism next Sunday. Congratulations Cindy and welcome to the family of God!
We started our service with 5 baptisms. The Jordan's were saved just 2 weeks ago and the Powell's were introduced to Emmanuel by their godly employers. Their daughter was saved during Judgement House 2008 and the parents were previously saved, but today took the step of baptism. It was exciting to have three family members in the baptistry at once! These 5 also decided to join the fellowship of Emmanuel Baptist Church.
Each year on the Sunday closest to Valentines Day, our church incorporates a Marriage Recommitment time into our morning service. We invite couples to come to the altar, join hands, and renew their marriage vows. We give them a certificate that they sign and display as a reminder of their recommitment to each other and before our Lord. Today, we had couples across the front and down the aisles taking part in this service.
In keeping with the Valentines / Couples theme, tonight we showed the movie Fireproof. Our teens and singles provided the childcare, so all couples could participate in the movie. Interesting, when the film was duplicated on DVD, there were problems with the DVDs skipping. When we bought the rights to show the film (Yes... we did it legally!), the company noted the problem and sent an extra DVD that was a recent duplication. Both DVD's skipped during the showing and both skipped the MOST IMPORTANT SCENE! It was the scene regarding salvation. Call it a coincidence... BUT I think it was spiritual warfare!
Today was another exciting day in the Lord's House and I just can't believe He keeps blessing and using us like He does! We are in a very "small" town with 114 churches, yet God is still allowing us to make an eternal impact. Thank you, Lord!
Following the message, a young woman responded to the invitation and invited Jesus to be her Lord and Savior! She was invited by a friend who loved her enough to care about her soul. She plans to take the step of baptism next Sunday. Congratulations Cindy and welcome to the family of God!
We started our service with 5 baptisms. The Jordan's were saved just 2 weeks ago and the Powell's were introduced to Emmanuel by their godly employers. Their daughter was saved during Judgement House 2008 and the parents were previously saved, but today took the step of baptism. It was exciting to have three family members in the baptistry at once! These 5 also decided to join the fellowship of Emmanuel Baptist Church.
Each year on the Sunday closest to Valentines Day, our church incorporates a Marriage Recommitment time into our morning service. We invite couples to come to the altar, join hands, and renew their marriage vows. We give them a certificate that they sign and display as a reminder of their recommitment to each other and before our Lord. Today, we had couples across the front and down the aisles taking part in this service.
In keeping with the Valentines / Couples theme, tonight we showed the movie Fireproof. Our teens and singles provided the childcare, so all couples could participate in the movie. Interesting, when the film was duplicated on DVD, there were problems with the DVDs skipping. When we bought the rights to show the film (Yes... we did it legally!), the company noted the problem and sent an extra DVD that was a recent duplication. Both DVD's skipped during the showing and both skipped the MOST IMPORTANT SCENE! It was the scene regarding salvation. Call it a coincidence... BUT I think it was spiritual warfare!
Today was another exciting day in the Lord's House and I just can't believe He keeps blessing and using us like He does! We are in a very "small" town with 114 churches, yet God is still allowing us to make an eternal impact. Thank you, Lord!
Monday, February 09, 2009
Sunday Summary
I told you previously that people wait with great anticipation to see what God is going to do in the services of Emmanuel. Today was another good reminder and it really is hard to believe that any church in such a small town can have so many exciting things happening on a regular basis. Let me share a few with you...
- This week, we had 2 people saved and both plan to be baptized next Sunday.
- We also have a family that recently moved to our area that will be baptized next Sunday and they plan to make EBC their church home.
- Tonight, a young boy walked up to me and handed me a note. It said, "I want to be baptized." We talked about baptism and I introduced him to our Children's Pastor, who also talked to him. It's exciting to see children taking spiritual steps. David also focused the Children's Church message on explaining why we give an invitation. Many children responded and some godly adults were there to deal with each need.
- I continued the sermon series on Worship and pointed out how many people have started worshipping worship, rather than worshipping God. Too often, it is the "style" of worship that divides a church. People argue over songs with Christ-centered lyrics, then get in the car and listen to Country, Hip-Hop, etc. That's ridiculous! Church-goers argue over what they like and don't like in church, then go watch some movie with profanity, vulgarity, nudity, and alot of other "tease"' in there. It's no wonder the unsaved world thinks we're crazy. Some in our churches are!
- Just before this entry, I posted an article I wrote back in Feb. 2003, entitled, "What Type of Worship Does God Prefer?" I encourage you to read it slowly and carefully. At the end, you might want to join Matt Redmon in saying, "I'm coming back to the heart of worship... I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it... It's all about you, Jesus!"
- Lori showed a great video clip on worship. You can view it at http://www.tangle.com/ and it's entitled "The Gift of Worship."
- This afternoon, our adult basketball league started with 31 adults showing up and several others that plan to join in, but could not be here today. Thanks to Justin for coordinating this effort.
- Tonight, we hosted a "Night of Praise," which is a musical worship experience that included instrumentalists, soloists, groups, our adult choir, children's choirs, and congregational singing. It was a great way to culminate a day focused on worship. Thanks to everyone for the time you spent preparing.
- Thanks to Paul for sharing his testimony with our church. Paul was a flight mechanic, living in Texas, and running from God. He was riding a motorcycle, but not wearing a helmet when he hit a deer. That accident changed his life forever. Paul was in a coma for six months and God spared his life. Paul sings in our choir and is looking for how God might use his painful experience to encourage others. Paul has a great sense of humor and never meets a stranger. If you know of any person or group that Paul might be able to help, or if you know of an opportunity for him to share his testimony with others, please contact our church office and we'll link you to Paul. He wants God to use him!
- Finally, Emmanuel Christian School is also experiencing God's blessings. Our basketball teams will be heading to the playoffs, our drama department is preparing the spring play, our fine arts department is preparing for ECS Day on March 8, and our enrollment keeps climbing and is way ahead of years past -- in spite of the recession. It's good to see that families are committed to Christian education.
WHAT TYPE OF WORSHIP DOES GOD PREFER?
Yesterday, I preached part 2 in a sermon series on Worship. Included in the sermon, I read the article that follows, which I wrote back in February 2003.
Have you heard the “catch phrases” that are used to describe today’s worship services…traditional, blended, contemporary, seeker sensitive and seeker driven? Some worship services feel stiff and formal, while others have a club atmosphere. Some appear “churchy,” while others have the appearance of a Broadway show. These services are held in everything from pristine chapels to storefront buildings. In spite of the different atmospheres and meeting places, they have a common purpose – to worship God.
Have you heard the terms used to describe today’s worshipers…Senior Saints, Seekers, Boomers, Busters and Gen-X? Other terms include formal, free, rigid, and relaxed. Some of these worshipers wear suits and ties, while others wear jeans and T-shirts. Some like hymns, some like Southern Gospel and others like contemporary music. It’s amusing to hear people debate the various styles and defend their preference as the one that most impresses God. Although the worshipers are very different, the object of their worship is the same – God.
Too often, these worshipers begin to focus on their different worship styles, rather than on their common purpose. They begin to look at each other, rather than looking to God – the object of their worship. Those who are more formal in their worship wonder why the free crowd is so irreverent and lack respect in the way they approach a holy God. Those who are more free in their expression of worship wonder why the formal crowd is so dead and show no enthusiasm about their salvation. Many ask which style is right; but when given a biblical answer, the facial expressions are perplexing. People seem to be looking for someone to advocate their preferred style. So let me ask you, “Which approach to worship is the right one – formal or free, rigid or relaxed?”
Before we can answer this question, it is necessary to understand what the Bible says about worship. Consider Deuteronomy 5:7-9, Hebrews 1:6, Matthew 4:10 and Revelation 4:10, just to name a few. The Bible teaches that the object of our worship is God and that He is to be the central focus of our worship. Worship is the response of an individual as he is being transformed into Christ-likeness. It is the believer’s response of all that he is to all that God is and says and does! It carries with it the idea of submission… of one who places himself beneath another who is greater. The original Hebrew word for worship conveys the idea of a little dog humbly approaching its master and gently licking his master’s fingers. In its purest sense, worship is the submission of the human soul to its Creator.
Although it would seem that real worship should bring God’s children closer to each other as they focus on their Heavenly Father, the issue of worship has and continues to divide many “believers.” Churches have bought into Satan’s lies and confusion. They prefer to focus on “how” one worships, rather than on “Who” he worships. Some “believers” have divided Christ’s body over issues of dress, musical styles, types of instruments, orders of service, times of service and less. They seem to have forgotten that God’s chosen people wore tunics, danced, lifted their hands and used a variety of instruments including drums, tambourines, cymbals, lyres, harps, flutes and more. Some Christians are arrogant enough to say that God only likes one dress style, one musical style and one Bible version… and it just so happens to be their preferred style in each of the above mentioned categories! Formal and free styles are not why we worship; rather they are just means to worship. Worship is not about what we like; it is all about Who we serve! God is the object of our worship! Stop for a moment to consider who receives glory when God’s children fight over how we worship. God is not blessed by our selfish bickering. He is not the author of confusion, so we must conclude that Satan is ecstatic over his success in dividing God’s family.
So which style, formal or free, is God’s preferred style? The answer is both! Worship involves a sense of awe, respect and reverence, as seen in Job 42:5-6; but it also involves a sense of joy, gladness and exuberance, as seen in Acts 2:46-47 and Psalm 100:4. Those from a more formal background base their style on verses such as Hebrews 12:20-29 and Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God...” Those who are more free base their style of worship on Psalm 47:1, “Clap your hands…shout unto God” and Psalm 5, “…be glad and sing for joy.” The fact is that we need both formality and freedom in our worship, if we are going to experience true, biblical worship.
One can assume that variety honors God. Just look at the variety found in the plant and animal kingdoms, and then look at the diversity He created among human beings. Examine the diversity of the disciples and those found in the genealogies of Christ. Pastor Chuck Swindoll stated, “Legalism requires that we all be alike, unified in convictions and uniform in appearance. Grace finds pleasure in our diversity, encourages individuality, and leaves room for differences of opinion.” As we consider the differences in our worship styles, realize that God does not desire that we become “cookie-cutter” Christians. The church should enjoy unity and diversity in worship. It should not only incorporate a diversity of gifts (1 Corinthians 12), but it should also tolerate a diversity of opinions (Romans 14).
Putting the issues of style aside, true worship should impact the worshiper in at least five ways. Our worship ought to inspire us to SERVE God, to LIVE for God, to GIVE to God, to SHARE God and to DESIRE God. In every case, true and authentic worship will cause us to take our eyes off of ourselves and to focus them on God. The more we focus on Him, the closer we will be drawn to Him. The less we demand that things be done in accordance to our preferences, the more we will begin to understand the truth of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world…” in all of its diversity. In the midst of all the diversity, the object of our worship remains the same – God and God alone! For you see, worship is NOT about us… it’s ALL about Him!
Have you heard the “catch phrases” that are used to describe today’s worship services…traditional, blended, contemporary, seeker sensitive and seeker driven? Some worship services feel stiff and formal, while others have a club atmosphere. Some appear “churchy,” while others have the appearance of a Broadway show. These services are held in everything from pristine chapels to storefront buildings. In spite of the different atmospheres and meeting places, they have a common purpose – to worship God.
Have you heard the terms used to describe today’s worshipers…Senior Saints, Seekers, Boomers, Busters and Gen-X? Other terms include formal, free, rigid, and relaxed. Some of these worshipers wear suits and ties, while others wear jeans and T-shirts. Some like hymns, some like Southern Gospel and others like contemporary music. It’s amusing to hear people debate the various styles and defend their preference as the one that most impresses God. Although the worshipers are very different, the object of their worship is the same – God.
Too often, these worshipers begin to focus on their different worship styles, rather than on their common purpose. They begin to look at each other, rather than looking to God – the object of their worship. Those who are more formal in their worship wonder why the free crowd is so irreverent and lack respect in the way they approach a holy God. Those who are more free in their expression of worship wonder why the formal crowd is so dead and show no enthusiasm about their salvation. Many ask which style is right; but when given a biblical answer, the facial expressions are perplexing. People seem to be looking for someone to advocate their preferred style. So let me ask you, “Which approach to worship is the right one – formal or free, rigid or relaxed?”
Before we can answer this question, it is necessary to understand what the Bible says about worship. Consider Deuteronomy 5:7-9, Hebrews 1:6, Matthew 4:10 and Revelation 4:10, just to name a few. The Bible teaches that the object of our worship is God and that He is to be the central focus of our worship. Worship is the response of an individual as he is being transformed into Christ-likeness. It is the believer’s response of all that he is to all that God is and says and does! It carries with it the idea of submission… of one who places himself beneath another who is greater. The original Hebrew word for worship conveys the idea of a little dog humbly approaching its master and gently licking his master’s fingers. In its purest sense, worship is the submission of the human soul to its Creator.
Although it would seem that real worship should bring God’s children closer to each other as they focus on their Heavenly Father, the issue of worship has and continues to divide many “believers.” Churches have bought into Satan’s lies and confusion. They prefer to focus on “how” one worships, rather than on “Who” he worships. Some “believers” have divided Christ’s body over issues of dress, musical styles, types of instruments, orders of service, times of service and less. They seem to have forgotten that God’s chosen people wore tunics, danced, lifted their hands and used a variety of instruments including drums, tambourines, cymbals, lyres, harps, flutes and more. Some Christians are arrogant enough to say that God only likes one dress style, one musical style and one Bible version… and it just so happens to be their preferred style in each of the above mentioned categories! Formal and free styles are not why we worship; rather they are just means to worship. Worship is not about what we like; it is all about Who we serve! God is the object of our worship! Stop for a moment to consider who receives glory when God’s children fight over how we worship. God is not blessed by our selfish bickering. He is not the author of confusion, so we must conclude that Satan is ecstatic over his success in dividing God’s family.
So which style, formal or free, is God’s preferred style? The answer is both! Worship involves a sense of awe, respect and reverence, as seen in Job 42:5-6; but it also involves a sense of joy, gladness and exuberance, as seen in Acts 2:46-47 and Psalm 100:4. Those from a more formal background base their style on verses such as Hebrews 12:20-29 and Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God...” Those who are more free base their style of worship on Psalm 47:1, “Clap your hands…shout unto God” and Psalm 5, “…be glad and sing for joy.” The fact is that we need both formality and freedom in our worship, if we are going to experience true, biblical worship.
One can assume that variety honors God. Just look at the variety found in the plant and animal kingdoms, and then look at the diversity He created among human beings. Examine the diversity of the disciples and those found in the genealogies of Christ. Pastor Chuck Swindoll stated, “Legalism requires that we all be alike, unified in convictions and uniform in appearance. Grace finds pleasure in our diversity, encourages individuality, and leaves room for differences of opinion.” As we consider the differences in our worship styles, realize that God does not desire that we become “cookie-cutter” Christians. The church should enjoy unity and diversity in worship. It should not only incorporate a diversity of gifts (1 Corinthians 12), but it should also tolerate a diversity of opinions (Romans 14).
Putting the issues of style aside, true worship should impact the worshiper in at least five ways. Our worship ought to inspire us to SERVE God, to LIVE for God, to GIVE to God, to SHARE God and to DESIRE God. In every case, true and authentic worship will cause us to take our eyes off of ourselves and to focus them on God. The more we focus on Him, the closer we will be drawn to Him. The less we demand that things be done in accordance to our preferences, the more we will begin to understand the truth of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world…” in all of its diversity. In the midst of all the diversity, the object of our worship remains the same – God and God alone! For you see, worship is NOT about us… it’s ALL about Him!
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Men's Breakfast
We just finished a wonderful men's breakfast prepared by volunteers from our "Living Hope Class." Thank you Blake, Cooper, Dick, James, Jerry, Mike, Sherman, and Justin for a GREAT meal.
The theme for our Men's Ministry this year is "Bridge Building." We are focusing on bridging the generation gap, as well as, the longevity of membership gap. Today, we had attendees ranging in age from their teens to seventies and some who joined the church just weeks ago to some who had attended for over 60 years! The men introduced themselves, told us how long they attended EBC, and shared a bit a trivia about themselves. We just thought getting to know each other would be the first step toward crossing any bridge.
I used the story of Elijah passing his mantle to Elisha (1 Kings 19:11-21) as the text for our bridge building theme and left the men with these thoughts:
The theme for our Men's Ministry this year is "Bridge Building." We are focusing on bridging the generation gap, as well as, the longevity of membership gap. Today, we had attendees ranging in age from their teens to seventies and some who joined the church just weeks ago to some who had attended for over 60 years! The men introduced themselves, told us how long they attended EBC, and shared a bit a trivia about themselves. We just thought getting to know each other would be the first step toward crossing any bridge.
I used the story of Elijah passing his mantle to Elisha (1 Kings 19:11-21) as the text for our bridge building theme and left the men with these thoughts:
- Someone said, "There is no success without a successor."
- Just because a church experienced successes in the past, there is no guarantee of future success... unless we train others to do the work of the ministry.
- Older men should be looking for someone to pass their mantle to.
- Younger men should be receiving the mantle and learning from the older men.
- Both older and younger men are necessary in order to build a strong church.
We've got some godly men at EBC and I'm praying that God will lead some to develop Elijah - Elisha relationships with other men in our church. Please join me in praying for that.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Sunday Summary
God blessed us with another exciting day at Emmanuel. Someone told me this week that we NEVER have a "normal" Sunday at EBC and they wait with eager anticipation to see what God is going to do each Sunday. That's the way church ought to be!
- This morning started with someone handing me an envelope with a financial gift inside. Not for me -- I was just the delivery person. It was being given to help one of our church families with a financial need. The person said, "They don't need to know where it came from." It is exciting for any pastor to see people loving one another, helping one another, and not caring about getting any credit for doing it. It reminds me of Acts 2:44-47.
- Today, we had 3 baptisms - 1 man and 2 children. Our youth pastor (Justin) and I tag teamed the baptisms, while our children's pastor (David) called all of the children forward to explain baptism and watch their friends take that step of obedience. The kids sat across the platform steps and kept inching forward as if to see who could get to the drums or jump in the baptistry first. We had over 80 children 4 yr-5th grade today.
- Charlie led us in prayer for the sale of David and Heather's house in GA. I ask all of you to join us in prayer for this need.
- Had two families join our church family this morning and WOW are they quality families. Welcome Padgetts and Knocks -- It's an honor to be called your pastor!
- Michael, one of our very talented teenagers, is on the list of the final 50 candidates for a musical scholarship to Liberty University. Today, we helped Michael record a DVD as part of the final application process. He led our morning worship service and did a GREAT job! Michael has the potential to be a tremendous worship pastor, as long as he remains faithful to our Lord
- Today, our Sunday radio program expanded from 30 minutes to 60 minutes on WHEZ in Hartsville. Our thanks to our underwriter! I've also learned a lot about meeting all of the legal requirements for using songs, illustrations, etc. in a broadcast venue. Thank God for bringing Lori to EBC. Lori serves as our Worship Coordinator... when she is not practicing law. She is a tremendous resource to help keep us out of trouble.
- This morning's message was on worship. I have great concerns that too many church-goers have never experienced true worship. Many simply worship their traditions, denomination, pastor, song styles, and even their buildings (that's why churches with 10 people won't just close their doors and combine with another church). We looked at John 4 and examined what Jesus taught the woman at the well about true worship. While the disciples were satisfying their physical need for food, Jesus was meeting the spiritual needs of this woman. He was politically incorrect, confronted her sin, and changed her life. She left her religion to become a Christ-follower!
- We held our first new members luncheon today after church. We had 70 new members join EBC in 2008. (Pastors take note: 50 of the 70 came after we finally dealt with a sin issue that had been plaguing our church for 18 months.) Our church family provided lunch for the new members and they had the opportunity to meet our staff, deacons, other new members, etc. We also took time to make sure these folks were getting involved in LIFE Groups, ministry opportunities, making friends, etc. We want them to truly feel that EBC is their "family." I look forward to serving them and serving with them for many years to come.
- Tonight, we had EHOPs (Emmanuel Houses of Prayer). This is something we do periodically to encourage fellowship and prayer among our LIFE Groups. Tonight, there were at least 10 groups meeting around town in various homes. My wife and I managed to get around to 6 of them, but didn't eat at every home -- I don't want to look like most preachers. The Super Bowl provided a natural opportunity to invite some new friends to meet those in the LIFE Groups and spend some time with them.
- I was also told Friday that Emmanuel Christian School is at 300 pre-enrollments for the 2009-2010 school year. That is 70 ahead of normal for this same time. We have at least one full class in most grades and are now working on filling a second class in each grade. Once those fill -- that's it, so don't delay! The early-bird registration discount ends on March 31.
- PRAYER NEEDS:
- Our pastor friend at Liberty Hill is going in for a heart procedure this week.
- Marcia and Buddy also need your prayers for health issues they are facing.
- Tyler (Dan & Amy's son) is going in for another major procedure this week at MUSC. (The Ronald McDonald House was full, so they are having to pay for a week in a hotel room and Dan is temporarily laid off. They can use some help with this need.
- Lord, thanks for another God-blessed day. I don't take credit for anything mentioned above, and I give You all the honor, glory, and praise for Your blessings. You always exceed my expectations.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Greedy in America
I've been shocked by all the talk of stimulus packages that don't stimulate anything except the pockets of banks, Wall Street CEO's, and poorly run corporations. Since the stock market reached its pinnacle in October 2007, it has steadily declined; yet during the same period of time, over $18 billion was paid in bonuses to top executives on Wall Street. Bank of America requested $20 billion of aid, while their CEO (John Thain) spent $1.2 million redecorating his office. AIG was given financial assistance, then spent a chunk of it irresponsibly on a party. Banks were given money for bailouts and in hopes that it would help thaw the credit markets, but all they've done is hoard it. It's tougher than ever to get a mortgage loan. The list of non-sense goes on, it's deflating our dollar, it's destroying our country, ... and it is all fueled by GREED!
Greed is the politician passing a "stimulus" package for the sake of popularity in his political career. Greed is a package that gives money to big political supporters and pet projects, but only applies 12% of the money toward stimulating the economy. (Some have said that if the government dispersed the same amount of money to the taxpayers, it would put $100,000+ directly into your pocket and I guarantee that would stimulate the economy!) Greed is what motivates good people to become political whores just to get elected. Greed is the CEO who accepts his bonus after running the company amok and losing the money of those who trusted him. Greed is the root cause of the financial mess America is in. 1 Tim 6:10 NIV states it clearly, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." America is a post-Christian nation that has pursued financial wealth and cast off its spiritual moorings!
Greed is also a root cause for the decline in America's churches. Greed motivates people to want things their way. Greed causes some to lay claim to particular seats in the church. Greed causes people to fight over musical preferences... to oppose changes that would help reach more people... to use terms such as "MY church"... to stand in the way of progress, for the sake of protecting their museum. Greed causes congregations to view others as competitors and the church as an exclusive club which only accepts members who meet their criteria.
Greed is also a root cause contributing to the failure of many American families. Greed caused people to buy homes they couldn't afford... to drive cars they shouldn't have owned... and to borrow more than they could never pay back. Greed causes spouses to be unfaithful... daddy's to put time at work ahead of time with the kids... to focus on keeping up with others, rather than measuring up to God's expectation. Greed ultimately costs you everything you were so greedy to get.
To put this very simply -- greed is a sin and is destroying our government, families, and churches. So how do we overcome it? Make a choice! The options are to choose to be selfish or selfless, self-centered or Christ-centered, self-absorbed or others-oriented. Jesus set the example of being others oriented. He did the will of His Father and gave His life for the ransom of many. What about you politician, parent, and parishioner? We would all do well to follow Christ's example.
Greed is the politician passing a "stimulus" package for the sake of popularity in his political career. Greed is a package that gives money to big political supporters and pet projects, but only applies 12% of the money toward stimulating the economy. (Some have said that if the government dispersed the same amount of money to the taxpayers, it would put $100,000+ directly into your pocket and I guarantee that would stimulate the economy!) Greed is what motivates good people to become political whores just to get elected. Greed is the CEO who accepts his bonus after running the company amok and losing the money of those who trusted him. Greed is the root cause of the financial mess America is in. 1 Tim 6:10 NIV states it clearly, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." America is a post-Christian nation that has pursued financial wealth and cast off its spiritual moorings!
Greed is also a root cause for the decline in America's churches. Greed motivates people to want things their way. Greed causes some to lay claim to particular seats in the church. Greed causes people to fight over musical preferences... to oppose changes that would help reach more people... to use terms such as "MY church"... to stand in the way of progress, for the sake of protecting their museum. Greed causes congregations to view others as competitors and the church as an exclusive club which only accepts members who meet their criteria.
Greed is also a root cause contributing to the failure of many American families. Greed caused people to buy homes they couldn't afford... to drive cars they shouldn't have owned... and to borrow more than they could never pay back. Greed causes spouses to be unfaithful... daddy's to put time at work ahead of time with the kids... to focus on keeping up with others, rather than measuring up to God's expectation. Greed ultimately costs you everything you were so greedy to get.
To put this very simply -- greed is a sin and is destroying our government, families, and churches. So how do we overcome it? Make a choice! The options are to choose to be selfish or selfless, self-centered or Christ-centered, self-absorbed or others-oriented. Jesus set the example of being others oriented. He did the will of His Father and gave His life for the ransom of many. What about you politician, parent, and parishioner? We would all do well to follow Christ's example.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)