Glory

The glory of the Lord continues to unfold right before our eyes.  I'm not sure we can fully understand just how big the glory of God is.  In Isaiah 6, we see that the train of His robe filled up the entire temple...and that was just the train of His robe.  How much more the full robe!  Throughout all peoples, tribes, languages, nations, and even time itself, we see that God's glory gets bigger and bigger.  It's like when you drive to the Rocky Mountains.  When you're crossing through Kansas and you first begin to come into Colorado, you can see the mountains on the horizon, but the closer you get, the bigger and more magnificent they become.  The longer I'm with God the more magnificent He becomes to me.  The more I grow in the Christ, the smaller I get.  I guess that may be what God's glory is all about.  Let me know what you think.

Leave the Water Pot

As a worship leader, I have regularly taught out of John 4 as a passage about what God really wants...worshippers.  This morning, my eyes were opened to another application point from Jesus' encounter with this Samaritan woman.  Before you read on, please read John 4.  She came to the well for water, but she was confronted with her sinful pattern.  Jesus offers her living water that will completely satisfy her (unlike her sinful pattern).  In verse 28 it says that she left the water pot and went into town.  How many of us have recognized the eternal source of life that Jesus is, but continue to haul around an old water pot?  We try and fill it up with a sinful pattern, or sinful thoughts only to find that we are dissatisfied and have to fill it up again.  Jesus is the source of true life.  When we leave the "water pot" totally behind and let Him give us life, then we'll truly be living.  So, what is the water pot you are holding onto?

Unfair is Good

Normally, we don't like it when things are unfair.  We prefer fair treatment.  My kids are prime examples of this.  When one has a snack, the other has to have one...even if he's not hungry.  This is just the tip of the iceberg.  We all want things to be fair.  But the one area where we benefit from unfairness is with God's grace.  Romans 5:12-21 tells us that God's grace is far greater than our sin.  Imagine that your sin is on one side of a scale and God's grace is on the other side.  They do not balance each other out.  It's not like a yin and yang.  God's grace is far greater.  Take some time this week to thank God for His marvelous grace that washes you clean and ushers you into His presence.

Momentum

This Fall, our Church will be going through a sermon series and small group study called Momentum.  It's a study of the driving force of God's Spirit through the book of Acts!  I have been excited about this season at Northside for most of this year and it's finally upon us.  What has blown me away, however, is how God has begun building Momentum in this congregation even before we officially started the series!  Once again, God has reminded me in a simple way how this is His Church.  He brings the growth.  I'd love to hear how God is building spiritual momentum in your life.  Take a few minutes to respond and brag on God.

Time for Sabbath

I'm heading on vacation for a few days this week.  This will be a great time for me to get away with my wonderful wife and three kids.  I'm praying that this becomes a chance for me to get away and devote some serious and focused time with the Lord.  Even Jesus needed that time with the Father, so why shouldn't I?  If you have any ideas on what would make some great devotional books or music for this time, I would appreciate the help.  Unfortunately, you'd have to reply in about 24 hours from this posting!  I'll be in the wonder-land of not having access to internet!

Relationships are the accompaniment music for worship

This last Sunday was great!  The first half of the worship service was acapella.  That may not sound earth-shaking to you, but it was definitely out of the box for the Northside family.  I was so proud of the band.  They were willing to humble themselves and not play a note, but simply lead the congregation by joining in the song.

The effectiveness of a worship band is, I believe, primarily shown through relationship.  An effective worship ministry can not be made up of only "far-out, artsy musicians."  Since ministry is about people, the band must be connected to people within the congregation.  It's the same with any ministry (preaching, youth, children, small groups, etc.)

In your opinion, what is more important in a worship band...talent and proficiency, or a pastor's heart?

introducing...

I'm going to give this blogging thing a go!  I'm preaching this Sunday on Psalm 150 to wrap up a sermon series called "Tunes for the Road."  Psalm 150:6 says that, literally, "every breather" should praise God.  This comes immediately after three verses on the value of instruments in praise.  God wants our voices and instruments in worship.  But even more than that, Jesus told us that God is seeking worshippers (John 4:23).  God is not so interested in seeking worship as He is worshippers.  He is seeking people to give Him glory.  Any thoughts on this would be helpful for my sermon.