For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience, the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19 As we go through the Gospel of Matthew we'll see many Messianic themes explored, particularly in the first four chapters. Matthew in particular focuses on fulfillment of Old Testament... Continue Reading →
CLICK HERE for video, or check it out on our worship playlist on APPLE MUSIC or SPOTIFY As we journey through the Psalms we see beautiful descriptions of God's care for his people. One of the most memorable is his role of Shepherd and King in Psalm 23. The role of shepherd is so compelling... Continue Reading →
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPZnFLhltzQ As we go through Revelation we see that the Satanic powers are always waging war against the church. This leads to persecution, death, and chaos this side of Christ's return. However we are also constantly reminded of the present and future hope we have. God will ultimately win, and presently he is still sovereign... Continue Reading →
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZHbQBo-b44 As we go through our sermon series on Revelation we are encouraged to persevere as we gain a vision of who God is, what he's doing, and what he will do. Although evil is powerful, in the end Christ will prevail and those in him will have their reward. But what is our reward?... Continue Reading →
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgjFgP1ZOvo As we begin 1 John we seek to reflect on the love of God show to us that we are called to imitate and show towards others. Some of the themes that come out of 1 John that are reflected in this song are advocacy (2:1), cleansing from sin (1:7, 2:2), forgiveness (1:9), and... Continue Reading →
CLICK HERE to listen to this song on our church playlist on SpotifyCLICK HERE for our Apple Music Playlist The Heidelberg Catechism begins with this question: Question 1: What is your only comfort in life and in death? Answer: That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior,... Continue Reading →
One of the greatest benedictions in the scriptures comes at the end of the Epistle to the Hebrews. After a number of dense arguments around the superiority of the New Covenant, a call to hold fast to those promises, warnings for not doing so, and some practical out-workings of those truths, we receive the author’s... Continue Reading →
"Thanks for leading us into God’s presence”, is a comment I’ve received throughout the years as a worship leader. It sounds good at first, and resonates with certain experiences we have during corporate worship. Upon closer reflection however, the description of corporate worship as “entering into God’s presence", or "his throne room” makes too much... Continue Reading →
I think would be safe to say that these times have altered our daily lives. As creatures of habit this time has been quite disorienting. When things get turned upside down, what habits do we go back to? I've talked previously here about big picture habits, or cultural liturgies like sports, school, consumerism, and work... Continue Reading →
All the American rhythms of life we're used to are now drastically different or gone altogether for the time being. The sports cycle, the news cycle, the shopping cycle, not least the daily 9-5 cycle. All of these rhythms are habit forming, and thus soul-forming rituals (read about how habits shape identity here). Our calendars... Continue Reading →
Originally written by Augustus Toplady (who also wrote “Rock of Ages”) in 1772, Sovereign Grace’s Doug Plank wrote the music, chorus and bridge, and modernized some words for the text “Now Why This Fear” (Click for Video). Toplady’s care for his flock was evident as you read these words. This text speaks to those who... Continue Reading →
Here's the link to the newest song spotlight!https://newcreationliving.com/2020/01/17/new-song-spotlight-now-why-this-fear/ This Is Jesus See lyric video here [tune to "Come Thou Fount] Night of wonder Still and silentHeaven's brilliance from aboveLight of glory Pierced the darknessMercy pierced my heart with loveThis is Jesus King of gloryHere to rescue from the fallSon of God who Comes to save... Continue Reading →
Our series through 1 and 2 Kings has created a weekly anticipation for the true King who puts the world and our hearts to right through his righteous rule in the midst of his people. This true King faithfully follows through with God's plan and establishes the church as the witness to this better kingdom... Continue Reading →
Despite the predominant notion that we are self-forming autonomous people who can easily choose what we want to and who we want to be, the stark reality is that we are shaped by our habits and the things we consistently submit ourselves to. Habits are notoriously hard to break, and although we’d like to think... Continue Reading →
If God’s presence is everywhere, is there something special about the gathered body Sunday morning? If we can truly worship God as new covenant people wherever we are, why do we emphasize worshipping together? Given the plethora of great online sermons and YouTube videos of worship songs, why even go to church on Sunday? The... Continue Reading →
"When We See Your Face" (click for lyric video) is a new song for us by Bob and Jordan Kauflin over at Sovereign Grace Music. It's a song about longing and hope in the midst of suffering as we await the day we see Jesus face to face. I appreciate the candid nature of the... Continue Reading →
“My Worth Is Not In What I Own” is a new song for us, written by the Gettys and Graham Kendrick. There are great arrangements by both the Gettys (with Fernando Ortega) and by Shane and Shane (which is closer to what we play in church). This song seeks to hold in tension two truths... Continue Reading →
Matthew Westerholm helpfully condenses some of John Calvin's thoughts on singing and prayer. You can read it here... First, singing our prayers helps us unite our gathered church. Second, singing our prayers helps focus our wandering thoughts. Third, singing helps inflame our withering affections. Fourth, singing our prayers helps us engage our entire bodies.
This past Sunday (March 3), we had a great time discussing what gospel faithfulness looks like practically. Here's the video from the teaching section. It got started a minute or two late, but we start by discussing Isaiah 6. https://vimeo.com/321338403
Why do this? By posting the liturgy of the week I hope to help our congregation understand why we do what we do. I shared this information with the worship leaders each week for a while, but I realized that this is not secret information! My prayer is that it aids in the making and... Continue Reading →
[A liturgy is simply an order of service that tells a story that forms and shapes us as we interact with it. CLICK HERE for an explanation on why we use the word "liturgy", why we do more than just sing, and how this is a corporate discipline that shapes us] CLICK HERE for the... Continue Reading →
Do we need things to help us worship? We may not say that we do, but do we act like it? In our hearts, do we believe we need certain things like specific instrumentation, arranging, or styles to aid us in worship? Here’s the biblical reality: everyone in our congregation and on our worship teams... Continue Reading →
No, this is not a 30 day miracle meal plan that is guaranteed to drop you 50 pounds or your money back. We do, however, need to be aware of the diet that our souls experience through musical worship. It’s easy to see how a steady diet of accurately and powerfully applied preaching can nourish... Continue Reading →
Paul Tripp explains the dangers of idolatry in a talk at a worship conference a few years ago, and I found it quite compelling. You can listen to the whole thing here. He starts out with this phrase..."The danger of idolatry is never more present than in moments of supposed worship." Dang. Let that sink in... Continue Reading →
0:00-26:36 Biblical references for the Spirit's work 26:36-34:10 Characteristics of Spirit-Led worship 34:10-49:31 Reflection on our ministry 49:31-1:09:00 Discussion questions followed by funny video. (sorry I screwed up the power point slide for this section!) Here is the link to the slides I used. This past week we discussed the role of the Holy Spirit in... Continue Reading →
Here's the link to the pdf handout Here's the link to the video. This past Saturday the worship teams of HBC, GPBC, and Grace Bible Church of Pompton Plains had a great time discussing the nature of worship, the pitfalls of idolatry, and how to apply what we learned practically on stage. We broke down the following... Continue Reading →
I have the privilege of leading in corporate worship almost every week, and I know how easy it is to forget what we're there for and what we're supposed to be pointing to. We can get lost in the shuffle of arrangements, keys, transitions, and intros that we forget that these are all means to... Continue Reading →
Counselor, Speaker, Writer and Consultant
Knife Reviews
Seeking wholeness and integration through loving God, others, self, and creation.
Exploring a life of worship in light of the resurrection
Discussing faith, family, fatherhood, and a fair bit of anything else.
incompletely reformed thoughts on God, ministry, and life
Laboring with you in the trenches of pastoral ministry
Exploring a life of worship in light of the resurrection
Just another WordPress.com site
Pastor Stuff | Book Reviews | Randomness
Disciples of Jesus
Exploring a life of worship in light of the resurrection
Exploring a life of worship in light of the resurrection
New Creation Living 