I'm just got curious about something after reading this guy's post asking for response to the question "What worship song could you be fine NOT SINGING again for 5 years?" Well, I'd like to put a spin on it...what song is speaking into your life right now?
So go ahead, click on that mysterious "comments" link and let me know what yours is. And let's say for purposes right now that I'm not just talking about worship stuff...it could be anything. Make sure you post the singer's name with the song. It's all you...
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Reflecting on Sunday
Wow! What a weekend! You can't get much better than that. To start it off, we saw 38 people dunk'd for Jesus. To put that in perspective, not many churches out there baptize 38 people in an entire year. It's just another testimony to what God is up to at TrueNorth! And the video testimonies were incredible. (In case you missed Sunday, be sure to check out the video link on our webpage!)
One absolutely amazing thing about Sunday morning is a particular way God worked amongst the band. I came in Sunday knowing my voice was pretty much shot due to allergies and a sinus infection---nasty stuff! So I had TJ on standby in case I woke up that morning without a voice. And you can guess what happened when I woke up...not much of a voice. (Actually, I sounded like a middle schooler going through puberty!) Anyway, we run through our set that morning, and TJ starts to lose his voice! (Thankfully the rest of the band was on with everything else.) When we prayed before the service, we just surrendered it all to God. It's not like anything we do or don't do can stop God from doing what He wants to do!!! And what happened in the service, God took over. I remember a few months back when Zak, one of our guitarists, prayed "God, make us more unsure of ourselves so that we can be more relient on You!" I've discovered through the years the most powerful times of worship are the times when I'm unassure of myself, but totally assured in Him.
So that was Sunday morning. Sunday night was Starfield, and they ROCKED IT OUT! Those guys from Canada have a unique ability to draw you into the presence of God through celebration and reflection. Very gifted fellows. And I was especially impressed and refreshed by their humility. If you ever get a chance to see these guys again, don't miss it!
Check out these two pics from Sunday night courtesy of my buddy Mike Adams:
One absolutely amazing thing about Sunday morning is a particular way God worked amongst the band. I came in Sunday knowing my voice was pretty much shot due to allergies and a sinus infection---nasty stuff! So I had TJ on standby in case I woke up that morning without a voice. And you can guess what happened when I woke up...not much of a voice. (Actually, I sounded like a middle schooler going through puberty!) Anyway, we run through our set that morning, and TJ starts to lose his voice! (Thankfully the rest of the band was on with everything else.) When we prayed before the service, we just surrendered it all to God. It's not like anything we do or don't do can stop God from doing what He wants to do!!! And what happened in the service, God took over. I remember a few months back when Zak, one of our guitarists, prayed "God, make us more unsure of ourselves so that we can be more relient on You!" I've discovered through the years the most powerful times of worship are the times when I'm unassure of myself, but totally assured in Him.
So that was Sunday morning. Sunday night was Starfield, and they ROCKED IT OUT! Those guys from Canada have a unique ability to draw you into the presence of God through celebration and reflection. Very gifted fellows. And I was especially impressed and refreshed by their humility. If you ever get a chance to see these guys again, don't miss it!
Check out these two pics from Sunday night courtesy of my buddy Mike Adams:
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Spiritual Transformation: To feed or not to feed
As I've said before, I love reading blogs. I track close to 70 blogs through bloglines, which is a very helpful resource because it allows you to see what's updated out there in blog-world without having to click on, in my case, 70 something websites. That can get quite time-consuming!
Anyway, one guy that I track is Mark Waltz, Pastor of Connections at Granger Community Church in South Bend, Indiana. He posted this today about spiritual transformation and what that means for people at different stages of their spiritual journey. Very, very good stuff!
I would have to agree with him here. We need to teach new believers how to feed themselves, but once they learn, they need to stop being dependent on the church and learn to do it for themselves! It's almost like a newborn child. Once they are born, they are heavily dependent on the parents to feed them and give them what they need. But as the child grows, they are gradually weaned from the parents toward a more independent life. That's exactly what needs to happen in the life of a believer.
Unfortunately, that's not what happens. I'm hearing more and more from church leaders around the country that the "we want to be fed" group of church attenders is growing. Whether its more indepth bible study or church history courses, the cry is the same. "Feed me!" But when does the burden of growth become lifted off the church's shoulders and placed on the mature believers? Please hear me here because I'm not saying that indepth bible studies are bad, nor is going deeper. What matters is how and why. "How" meaning is the expectation placed on the church, and "why" meaning what is the purpose for wanting to go deeper. If the "how" is that the church needs to be provide, well, I don't believe that's the church's responsibility. I applaud the initiative of three friends of mine who meet on their own every Thursday night to go through an indepth study. That's taking the spoon and feeding yourself! If the "why" is strictly for knowledge, then you run the danger of becoming a consumer of spiritual knowledge and then it becomes all about what you know and what you want. But if it's to help you grow in light of a circumstance, by all means, dig in!
I have to go out on a limb here and say that American Christians can be spoiled brats. We want more and more without giving anything. Sometimes I just want to tell people that, if you want to grow and go deeper, step out in faith and mentor a few new Christians in their journey. Lead a Journey Team. Share what God has done in your life and the lessons you've learned with those who haven't "been there and done that." I'm of the belief that Christians can grow without bible studies. After all, what did we do before the printing press started churning out the first bibles? Steve has said many times, and I'm a firm believer in this, that spirituality is more caught than taught. That's why we have Journey Teams (small groups) that meet weekly to build relationships that will last. These relationships are being created so that each of us have help along the journey of becoming passionate followers of Christ.
I think the reason I've got such a strong opinion on this is because I've observed several people (including myself) through the years who have gone on the journey of "going deeper" only to become more inward focused. For me, those times found me desiring more knowledge than seeing lives changed. But one experience changed me forever on this. It was through being a Journey Team leader in 2005. Our group was filled with new Christians, eager to grow and learn how to live the Christian life. It was at that time I realized the joy and excitement of being a part of another's spiritual journey. I think I grew more in that year than all the years of bible study combined. Why is that? I believe it's because I was in a place that I had to rely more upon God because I realized others were looking to me for guidance in their new found faith. Also, for some reason, the longer I am a Christ-follower, the harder it is for me to stay passionate about Jesus. But being around new believers is contagious. Their passion, their energy, their excitement over the changes occuring in their lives can't help but transform yourself.
And that's all I got to say about that...
Anyway, one guy that I track is Mark Waltz, Pastor of Connections at Granger Community Church in South Bend, Indiana. He posted this today about spiritual transformation and what that means for people at different stages of their spiritual journey. Very, very good stuff!
I would have to agree with him here. We need to teach new believers how to feed themselves, but once they learn, they need to stop being dependent on the church and learn to do it for themselves! It's almost like a newborn child. Once they are born, they are heavily dependent on the parents to feed them and give them what they need. But as the child grows, they are gradually weaned from the parents toward a more independent life. That's exactly what needs to happen in the life of a believer.
Unfortunately, that's not what happens. I'm hearing more and more from church leaders around the country that the "we want to be fed" group of church attenders is growing. Whether its more indepth bible study or church history courses, the cry is the same. "Feed me!" But when does the burden of growth become lifted off the church's shoulders and placed on the mature believers? Please hear me here because I'm not saying that indepth bible studies are bad, nor is going deeper. What matters is how and why. "How" meaning is the expectation placed on the church, and "why" meaning what is the purpose for wanting to go deeper. If the "how" is that the church needs to be provide, well, I don't believe that's the church's responsibility. I applaud the initiative of three friends of mine who meet on their own every Thursday night to go through an indepth study. That's taking the spoon and feeding yourself! If the "why" is strictly for knowledge, then you run the danger of becoming a consumer of spiritual knowledge and then it becomes all about what you know and what you want. But if it's to help you grow in light of a circumstance, by all means, dig in!
I have to go out on a limb here and say that American Christians can be spoiled brats. We want more and more without giving anything. Sometimes I just want to tell people that, if you want to grow and go deeper, step out in faith and mentor a few new Christians in their journey. Lead a Journey Team. Share what God has done in your life and the lessons you've learned with those who haven't "been there and done that." I'm of the belief that Christians can grow without bible studies. After all, what did we do before the printing press started churning out the first bibles? Steve has said many times, and I'm a firm believer in this, that spirituality is more caught than taught. That's why we have Journey Teams (small groups) that meet weekly to build relationships that will last. These relationships are being created so that each of us have help along the journey of becoming passionate followers of Christ.
I think the reason I've got such a strong opinion on this is because I've observed several people (including myself) through the years who have gone on the journey of "going deeper" only to become more inward focused. For me, those times found me desiring more knowledge than seeing lives changed. But one experience changed me forever on this. It was through being a Journey Team leader in 2005. Our group was filled with new Christians, eager to grow and learn how to live the Christian life. It was at that time I realized the joy and excitement of being a part of another's spiritual journey. I think I grew more in that year than all the years of bible study combined. Why is that? I believe it's because I was in a place that I had to rely more upon God because I realized others were looking to me for guidance in their new found faith. Also, for some reason, the longer I am a Christ-follower, the harder it is for me to stay passionate about Jesus. But being around new believers is contagious. Their passion, their energy, their excitement over the changes occuring in their lives can't help but transform yourself.
And that's all I got to say about that...
Facedown
It's coming. April 22, 2007. One incredible night of meeting with God as a body of Christ. Our Facedown team met yesterday to brainstorm and plan and I can assure you this edition will be like none other.
Something we read through that I would encourage everyone to read through to fully understand the Facedown concept is Matt Redman's book Facedown. Amazing, amazing book. So there's my sales pitch.
So, mark the date on your calendar. You won't want to miss it!!!!
Something we read through that I would encourage everyone to read through to fully understand the Facedown concept is Matt Redman's book Facedown. Amazing, amazing book. So there's my sales pitch.
So, mark the date on your calendar. You won't want to miss it!!!!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Unleashed
I had the opportunity to go to a conference in Anderson, SC, today with a few other TNCers. The conference was called Unleash and it was put on by our friends at NewSpring Church. What a great day! There were a lot of things said today that I needed to hear. For a rundown of today, check out this blog.
The really cool thing for me was to run into some friends in the church planting world that I've gotten to know over the past few years. I thought it would be cool to share what God is doing in some other churches out there...
1. NewSpring Church, Anderson, SC This is the church that put Unleash on today. Amazing, amazing job! Their volunteers provided an incredible experience for the 900+ visitors. NewSpring is around 7 years old. They started with 15 people in the living room of their pastor Perry Noble right around the time of Y2K. For many years, they met on the campus of Anderson University, growing to the size of 4,000+ by the end of 2005. At this time, they moved to their first building in February 2006 to accomodate their growth (they were doing 5 services at the University!). Most recently, they celebrated their one year anniversary in the building with over 9,200 people! They also had a service a few weeks ago where 250 people accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior!!!! God is doing some amazing things through NewSpring Church!
2. Elevation Church, Charlotte, NC I ran into Elevation Church pastor Steven Furtick, who spoke at TNC in the summer of 2005. Elevation launched in Charlotte, NC, in February 2006 with around 300 in attendance. The past year has literally been indescribable as they have seen growth every single month bringing them most recently to over 1700 in attendance and the announcement of a second campus in Charlotte. Two weeks ago the church saw 50 people accept Christ! Another example of God on the move...
3. Mill Creek Community Church, Buford, GA Back in September, before our move to the gym, we had the pleasure of a visit from pastor Tony McCollum and his wife, Amy, from Mill Creek Community Church outside Atlanta. He told me today that they are having to look for a new place to meet because they are outgrowing their current facitliy, which is a movie theater. Awesome, awesome stuff!
These are just three examples of God majorly moving in people's lives. Talking to these guys and seeing what God is doing there and here makes me so pumped to keep pursuing the vision He's given us at TrueNorth, which is to transform spiritual seekers into passionate followers of Christ. That's what it's all about!
The really cool thing for me was to run into some friends in the church planting world that I've gotten to know over the past few years. I thought it would be cool to share what God is doing in some other churches out there...
1. NewSpring Church, Anderson, SC This is the church that put Unleash on today. Amazing, amazing job! Their volunteers provided an incredible experience for the 900+ visitors. NewSpring is around 7 years old. They started with 15 people in the living room of their pastor Perry Noble right around the time of Y2K. For many years, they met on the campus of Anderson University, growing to the size of 4,000+ by the end of 2005. At this time, they moved to their first building in February 2006 to accomodate their growth (they were doing 5 services at the University!). Most recently, they celebrated their one year anniversary in the building with over 9,200 people! They also had a service a few weeks ago where 250 people accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior!!!! God is doing some amazing things through NewSpring Church!
2. Elevation Church, Charlotte, NC I ran into Elevation Church pastor Steven Furtick, who spoke at TNC in the summer of 2005. Elevation launched in Charlotte, NC, in February 2006 with around 300 in attendance. The past year has literally been indescribable as they have seen growth every single month bringing them most recently to over 1700 in attendance and the announcement of a second campus in Charlotte. Two weeks ago the church saw 50 people accept Christ! Another example of God on the move...
3. Mill Creek Community Church, Buford, GA Back in September, before our move to the gym, we had the pleasure of a visit from pastor Tony McCollum and his wife, Amy, from Mill Creek Community Church outside Atlanta. He told me today that they are having to look for a new place to meet because they are outgrowing their current facitliy, which is a movie theater. Awesome, awesome stuff!
These are just three examples of God majorly moving in people's lives. Talking to these guys and seeing what God is doing there and here makes me so pumped to keep pursuing the vision He's given us at TrueNorth, which is to transform spiritual seekers into passionate followers of Christ. That's what it's all about!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Blocked Out
I have been suffering from MAJOR writer's block lately. I think it's because life has had my head swimming. Sometimes I come home at the end of the day and my brain is just dead. I'm worth nothing for about an hour or two until I can unwind.
That's where it's good sometimes for me to play hide-and-seek like we did tonight with our kids. Now, I'm at a slight disadvantage because I'm what you'd call a "big guy". Hiding a 6'4", 200 lb frame is not the easiest thing in the world! And then you have Laurie who can lay on the bed and throw a blanket over her and the kids can't find her for a good 20 minutes. What's up with that? So how do you unwind?
I read this post the other day and it really got me thinking about how I would respond. I mean, the idea of faking worship? But there is something there. If I were to really be honest (which I'm going to be, so watch out!), I would have to say I'm going through a worship funk right now. What??? The worship leader is going through a worship funk? What's that all about? But it's true. I'm human and sometimes it happens. It's hard to keep things fresh and real. Reading the above mentioned post was good for me because it made me realize it's okay not to be "super worship guy". In fact, I don't want to be that. I just want to come unashamedly just as i am.
That's where it's good sometimes for me to play hide-and-seek like we did tonight with our kids. Now, I'm at a slight disadvantage because I'm what you'd call a "big guy". Hiding a 6'4", 200 lb frame is not the easiest thing in the world! And then you have Laurie who can lay on the bed and throw a blanket over her and the kids can't find her for a good 20 minutes. What's up with that? So how do you unwind?
I read this post the other day and it really got me thinking about how I would respond. I mean, the idea of faking worship? But there is something there. If I were to really be honest (which I'm going to be, so watch out!), I would have to say I'm going through a worship funk right now. What??? The worship leader is going through a worship funk? What's that all about? But it's true. I'm human and sometimes it happens. It's hard to keep things fresh and real. Reading the above mentioned post was good for me because it made me realize it's okay not to be "super worship guy". In fact, I don't want to be that. I just want to come unashamedly just as i am.
Friday, March 09, 2007
New TNC Blog!
I wanted to let you know that we've started a new blog specifically for life at TrueNorth Church. Steve, as well as other staff, will be posting every week about the happenings at TNC, as well as sharing transformation (T-Life) stories and casting the vision. Check it out regularly...in fact, we're encouraging everyone to set the blog as your home page!
Thursday, March 08, 2007
New Videos
We posted some new videos on our YouTube site. You can now see Steve tackle an alligator and a flying squirrel! Also, the interview with Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber is up. Good stuff!
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Nehemiah 1
On Sunday, Steve started a journey through Nehemiah and challenged us to join him over the next few weeks. So, I started reading yesterday in Nehemiah 1. I love verse 4 because it shows a brokenness, a dependence, and a real faith that I so long for.
First, when Nehemiah heard of the news of his people in Jerusalem, he became broken. "As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days..." I heard the news of a friend who is battling cancer the other day and what the outlook is for them, and my heart broke. Yesterday, I read the news of Britney Spears trying to hang herself. Now, Britney is not a friend, just a celebrity from afar, but my heart still broke for her because she desperately needs to know that there is a God who loves her and wants her to run to Him. These are just two examples of brokenness that I have experienced lately, one for a fellow Chist-follower and one for someone who is in a downward spiral and as lost as can be. I want to have a sensitive heart more often toward my brother or sister and toward the lost!
Second, I see a dependance and a faith in Nehemiah. He goes on to fast and pray "before the God of heaven." I so long for this in my life! If you read through Nehemiah, you'll notice that as his journey unfolds, his consistent response to anything is to pray first. WOW! How much different would things be if I only would respond in this way? Don't get me wrong, things will always go wrong because we live in a fallen and imperfect world. But, my attitude will change. I've been reading through Dave Ramsey's book The Total Money Makeover and in it he says that dealing with finances is 20% head knowledge and 80% attitude. I would go a step further and apply this to everything in life. Our attitude is HUGE!
I had a good friend, Dan, who battled cancer a few years ago. I'm convinced that his attitude and his faith are what made his recovery go so well. I've even heard of doctors say that they notice patients with positive outlooks respond to treatments a lot better than those that don't. My point? Attitude can make or break a situation.
God, for my friend that is battling cancer, please wrap Your arms around them. Let them know that you're there to take care of them and their family. I also pray for a miracle of healing. Regardless the outcome, let You be glorified! I also pray for Britney Spears and the countless multitudes out there that feel alone and abandoned. I pray that they will come to know that You love them and that You want to pour out Your love upon them.
Let my friend and Britney hear the words of the old hymn:
First, when Nehemiah heard of the news of his people in Jerusalem, he became broken. "As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days..." I heard the news of a friend who is battling cancer the other day and what the outlook is for them, and my heart broke. Yesterday, I read the news of Britney Spears trying to hang herself. Now, Britney is not a friend, just a celebrity from afar, but my heart still broke for her because she desperately needs to know that there is a God who loves her and wants her to run to Him. These are just two examples of brokenness that I have experienced lately, one for a fellow Chist-follower and one for someone who is in a downward spiral and as lost as can be. I want to have a sensitive heart more often toward my brother or sister and toward the lost!
Second, I see a dependance and a faith in Nehemiah. He goes on to fast and pray "before the God of heaven." I so long for this in my life! If you read through Nehemiah, you'll notice that as his journey unfolds, his consistent response to anything is to pray first. WOW! How much different would things be if I only would respond in this way? Don't get me wrong, things will always go wrong because we live in a fallen and imperfect world. But, my attitude will change. I've been reading through Dave Ramsey's book The Total Money Makeover and in it he says that dealing with finances is 20% head knowledge and 80% attitude. I would go a step further and apply this to everything in life. Our attitude is HUGE!
I had a good friend, Dan, who battled cancer a few years ago. I'm convinced that his attitude and his faith are what made his recovery go so well. I've even heard of doctors say that they notice patients with positive outlooks respond to treatments a lot better than those that don't. My point? Attitude can make or break a situation.
God, for my friend that is battling cancer, please wrap Your arms around them. Let them know that you're there to take care of them and their family. I also pray for a miracle of healing. Regardless the outcome, let You be glorified! I also pray for Britney Spears and the countless multitudes out there that feel alone and abandoned. I pray that they will come to know that You love them and that You want to pour out Your love upon them.
Let my friend and Britney hear the words of the old hymn:
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Monday, March 05, 2007
March Madness Takes Off!
If you missed yesterday, you missed the start of what is going to be an awesome series. Steve kicked off yesterday with The Road to the Final Four, a message on leadership and vision. I thought he did a great job tying leadership to everyone. As he said, whether you know it or not, you're leading someone.
I've been reading a book called Compassionate Leadership by Ted Engstrom and Paul Cedar. Excellent, excellent book. The whole premise of the book is that leadership must start with service. You cannot be a leader without first being a servant. That was Jesus' model. He even said that He came not to be served, but to serve. Powerful example from the Son of God!
Leadership is a lifelong process. I was talking to a friend yesterday who is an emerging leader about the struggles he's facing as a leader, and I told him it's something you're always learning in. I know I am. Just when I think I'm doing good, God shows me an area that I need to work on. And that's cool with me...cause I just want to keep growing and learning.
On a side note, I want to piggyback off an announcement from yesterday. Starfield is coming March 25!!! If you don't know anything about these guys, start learning! They are amazing musicians, songwriters and worship leaders. You can check out some of their music by clicking here or here, or you can even purchase their CDs by clicking here. Tickets are $10 at the door and the doors will open at 6:00P. Also, the TrueNorth|Band will be opening that night. It's a night you won't want to miss!!!
I've been reading a book called Compassionate Leadership by Ted Engstrom and Paul Cedar. Excellent, excellent book. The whole premise of the book is that leadership must start with service. You cannot be a leader without first being a servant. That was Jesus' model. He even said that He came not to be served, but to serve. Powerful example from the Son of God!
Leadership is a lifelong process. I was talking to a friend yesterday who is an emerging leader about the struggles he's facing as a leader, and I told him it's something you're always learning in. I know I am. Just when I think I'm doing good, God shows me an area that I need to work on. And that's cool with me...cause I just want to keep growing and learning.
On a side note, I want to piggyback off an announcement from yesterday. Starfield is coming March 25!!! If you don't know anything about these guys, start learning! They are amazing musicians, songwriters and worship leaders. You can check out some of their music by clicking here or here, or you can even purchase their CDs by clicking here. Tickets are $10 at the door and the doors will open at 6:00P. Also, the TrueNorth|Band will be opening that night. It's a night you won't want to miss!!!
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
March Madness
It's been a few days since I last posted. I have to start off by saying that the Merge Band did an amazing job leading us in worship Sunday! And Steve did a great job looking at Students Gone Wild. Good stuff!
This Sunday we start a new series called March Madness. In this series, Steve is going to look at what every team has to have to be successful...vision, leadership, teamwork, unity, and the ability to ward off criticism and negativity in order to stay focused. It will be a great series that you won't want to miss!
Lastly, Dunk'd is coming up March 25. Dunk'd is an exciting time to experience the life-changing love of Jesus as people are baptized. We'll be having one service of celebration that day at 10:45. It will be a day to remember!
This Sunday we start a new series called March Madness. In this series, Steve is going to look at what every team has to have to be successful...vision, leadership, teamwork, unity, and the ability to ward off criticism and negativity in order to stay focused. It will be a great series that you won't want to miss!Lastly, Dunk'd is coming up March 25. Dunk'd is an exciting time to experience the life-changing love of Jesus as people are baptized. We'll be having one service of celebration that day at 10:45. It will be a day to remember!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Group 1 Crew
For some time now I've been frustrated with the hip-hop scene. I've been longing for something good and CLEAN, but unfortunately, there aren't many groups out there that combine quality with family-friendly lyrics. (My kids like hip-hop too!) Anyway, I was on iTunes yesterday checking out new releases and came across this group to the left here: Group 1 Crew. I'm sure there are some out there that don't like hip-hop, but for those that do, I highly recommend these guys. The music is well done and the lyrics are great. A lot of times Christian rap and hip-hop groups have a lot of cheese-whiz in their lyrics. There's no cheese here! For those parents out there with kids that like Black-Eyed Peas and similar groups, this is a terrific alternative.Check out this video for a sample...
Monday, February 19, 2007
Power
I read this yesterday in a devotional email I get from the writings ofA.W. Tozer:
I think Tozer's onto something here. I read a book years ago by Charles Stanley called The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life. In it, Stanley introduced me to the Holy Spirit in a way I never thought of or realized. He presented the third person in the "three in one" aspect of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Spirit). It blew my mind! I came to understand that the Spirit is not some magical thing that happens by coincidence. No, He is as alive and active as Jesus the Son and God the Father. Check this out in Romans 8:26-28 (MSG):
I'm starting to see how little I believe in the power of the Spirit. I'm beginning to realize that my life is lacking the wonderful spirit-filled life. And I look around and realize I'm not the only one. What would our world look like if we would start to see the Spirit for more than a warm fuzzy feeling we get when we sing a song? How different would our lives be if we did more than just talk about the Spirit changing our world and actually believe that He WILL change the world?
Father- help us to see that there's more to the Trinity than just Father and Son.
Jesus- thank you for sending the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Spirit- come and pour out Your power in my life and those around me. Let us see You for who You are.
The continued neglect of the Holy Spirit by evangelical Christians is too evident to deny and impossible to justify....
It is not, however, the frequency of the Spirit's mention in the Bible or in other writings that matters most, but the importance attached to Him when He is mentioned. And there can be no doubt that there is a huge disparity between the place given to the Spirit in the Holy Scriptures and the place He occupies in popular evangelical Christianity. In the Scriptures the Holy Spirit is necessary. There He works powerfully, creatively; here He is little more than a poetic yearning or at most a benign influence. There He moves in majesty, with all the attributes of the Godhead; here He is a mood, a tender feeling of good will....
The only power God recognizes in His church is the power of His Spirit whereas the only power actually recognized today by the majority of evangelicals is the power of man. God does His work by the operation of the Spirit, while Christian leaders attempt to do theirs by the power of trained and devoted intellect. Bright personality has taken the place of the divine afflatus.
I think Tozer's onto something here. I read a book years ago by Charles Stanley called The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life. In it, Stanley introduced me to the Holy Spirit in a way I never thought of or realized. He presented the third person in the "three in one" aspect of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Spirit). It blew my mind! I came to understand that the Spirit is not some magical thing that happens by coincidence. No, He is as alive and active as Jesus the Son and God the Father. Check this out in Romans 8:26-28 (MSG):
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
I'm starting to see how little I believe in the power of the Spirit. I'm beginning to realize that my life is lacking the wonderful spirit-filled life. And I look around and realize I'm not the only one. What would our world look like if we would start to see the Spirit for more than a warm fuzzy feeling we get when we sing a song? How different would our lives be if we did more than just talk about the Spirit changing our world and actually believe that He WILL change the world?
Father- help us to see that there's more to the Trinity than just Father and Son.
Jesus- thank you for sending the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Spirit- come and pour out Your power in my life and those around me. Let us see You for who You are.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
TNC Hero
I'm going to try and post periodically to recognize someone at TrueNorth that goes above and beyond...a TNC Hero if you will.
Today, I'd like to look at a man many know as our drummer Justin's dad. But those of us that know him know him as Jeff Benson. Jeff is one of those behind the scenes, not looking for any glory kind of people. This guy loves to give and give and give! When you drive up to TrueNorth every Sunday you may notice the signs that are posted that say "Welcome to TrueNorth" or something about first time visitors and where they should park. Those signs are put up by my man Jeff. He also helps set up stuff on the stage, particularly the entire drum kit and anything else that needs it. And then there's teardown. After he finishes with the drums and the signs, he's helping collect trash and locking up the school.
The thing I love about it all is that he does it because he loves the church and believes in the vision of TrueNorth. Every once in a while he'll make the comment to me about how what we do is so good for people that don't like church. It makes it easy for them to come and see that God loves them and that He wants to have a relationship with them that transforms their lives.
So, hats off to Jeff Benson. You'll always be a TNC Hero in my book!
Today, I'd like to look at a man many know as our drummer Justin's dad. But those of us that know him know him as Jeff Benson. Jeff is one of those behind the scenes, not looking for any glory kind of people. This guy loves to give and give and give! When you drive up to TrueNorth every Sunday you may notice the signs that are posted that say "Welcome to TrueNorth" or something about first time visitors and where they should park. Those signs are put up by my man Jeff. He also helps set up stuff on the stage, particularly the entire drum kit and anything else that needs it. And then there's teardown. After he finishes with the drums and the signs, he's helping collect trash and locking up the school.
The thing I love about it all is that he does it because he loves the church and believes in the vision of TrueNorth. Every once in a while he'll make the comment to me about how what we do is so good for people that don't like church. It makes it easy for them to come and see that God loves them and that He wants to have a relationship with them that transforms their lives.
So, hats off to Jeff Benson. You'll always be a TNC Hero in my book!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Worship Across the World
I've been reading more and more about worship around the world...and I have to say that it's very exciting! It's made me realize that the world is a very small place. Check out this video from a church in southeast Asia...
Worship, but more specifically music, is a universal language. It doesn't matter what language you speak. I am excited about this video because it comes from a country that we are focusing on in our missions efforts. God is moving and I believe music is going to lead the front! More on this later...
Worship, but more specifically music, is a universal language. It doesn't matter what language you speak. I am excited about this video because it comes from a country that we are focusing on in our missions efforts. God is moving and I believe music is going to lead the front! More on this later...
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Gone Wild
We started our new series, Gone Wild, on Sunday...and Steve talked about Chicks Gone Wild. It was a great message on what a women gone wild for God would look like. He focused on Deborah, a judge in the nation of Israel. It was a very good message, encouraging women to focus on how God sees beautiful, which is on the inside going out, and not how our society sees it, which is skin deep.
To kick off the message, Steve did a fun little video where he tried to catch a chicken. Fun stuff!!! Check it out...
To kick off the message, Steve did a fun little video where he tried to catch a chicken. Fun stuff!!! Check it out...
Monday, February 12, 2007
Chasing Lions
I just finished reading probably one of the best books I've read in a long time. The book is called In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. The purpose of the book is to help us realize that opportunities are meant to be seized, even when they are disguised as ferocious lion. Here are some of the things that stuck out to me...-"God is in the business of strategically positioning us in the right place at the right time. But the right place often seems like the wrong place, and the right time often seems like the wrong time."
-"When we don't have the guts to step out in faith and chase the lions, then God is robbed of the glory that rightfully belongs to Him."
-"Lion chasers thrive in the toughest circumstances because they know that impossible odds set the stage for amazing miracles."
-"The more we grow, the bigger God should get. And the bigger God gets, the smaller our lions become."
-"Faith is unlearning the senseless worries and misguided beliefs that keep us captive. Faith is rewiring the human brain. Neurologically speaking, that is what we do when we study scripture. We are literally upgrading our minds by downloading the mind of Christ."
-"One of the greatest things that could happen to you is for your fear to become reality. Then you would discover that it's not the end of the world. Your fear is worse than the actual thing you're afraid of. And if you learn from every mistake, then there is no such thing as failure anyway."
-"We should stop asking God to get us out of difficult circumstances and start asking Him what He wants us to get out of those difficult circumstances."
-"Worship is forgetting about what's wrong with you and remembering what's right about God."
There is so much more that I wish I could share, but then I'd basically be typing the whole book out. It's that good! That last quote on worship is so powerful. How many times do I come into the Presence of God and worry about my short comings? I am very guilty of this. But the times when I focus on Him, my short comings fade away and I don't even remember what I was getting hung up on. That's a truth we need to drive deep into our lives. Because when we worship Him for who He is, all the lions start to seem like tame little "puddy-tats".
Friday, February 09, 2007
Jill Phillips at TNC
This weekend, TrueNorth is in for a special treat! Recording artist Jill Phillips will be performing and leading worship at the CHICKS retreat tonight and tomorrow, and then joining us Sunday morning at TNC. Jill is an incredible artist whom I'd compare to Norah Jones, Sheryl Crow, and Fiona Apple. Her husband, Andy, will be with her accompanying her on guitar and adding vocals. You can check out some of her music on her myspace page.You won't want to miss this Sunday!
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Burn For You
I haven't done this much on here, but I have to encourage you to get Steve Fee's new CD, Burn For You. Steve is one of the worship leaders at 7|22 in Atlanta. He's written quite a few songs, including TNC favorites "Glorious One" and "Madly". There are so many great songs on this album, and the way this album points the listener to the cross with honesty and passion is amazing! A very unique album both musically and lyrically, which can become rare in today's Christian musical landscape.You can buy the album here. So what are you waiting for????
Monday, February 05, 2007
Link'd Up
If you haven't heard yet, we have an exciting ministry that is making an impact in our community in a huge way! Check out today's post on the Link'd Up blog for a letter from the Hispanic Ministry that they helped this past weekend. Awesome stuff!
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