In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.' - Acts 20:35 Someone is always left off the Christmas list right? Blame it on inflation, distance, or lack of... Continue Reading →
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his. Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest, so... Continue Reading →
We all live within a story. It’s either within God’s sweeping story of redemption where our identity is in Christ, or it’s in our own little world where we are ruler and our identity is comprised of lies and half-truths we hear from the culture, others, and ourselves. The goal of this study is to... Continue Reading →
As we've preached our way through Hebrews I've been reflecting on how it applies to us. The author seeks to convince his readers that the New Covenant is better than the old, but we don't want to hang on to the Old Covenant right? How does the call to let the old go apply to... 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 →
During the past 4 weeks on Wednesday nights we’ve been looking to the scriptures to examine what racial reconciliation and justice look like in a few different scripture passages. We’ve considered the Babel narrative of Genesis 11, the implications of us all becoming one in Christ from Galatians 3, and the implications for “the dividing... Continue Reading →
2020 What a year huh? No doubt this will be a year for the history books. The medical, financial, and psychological implications of the COVID-19 pandemic will be far reaching. The important conversations about racism should be positive for our nation. But without the proper foundation they’re just as likely to suck us deeper into... Continue Reading →
“Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”Amos 5:24 The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever. Isaiah 32:17 There have been cries for justice all over the place this past week. Justice to be served for wrongful killings by police, justice to... 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 →
Failed Coping Mechanisms When we're confronted with our own insanity we tend to play the blame game right? Blame it on COVID-19, cabin fever, my spouse, my kids, my church, my government. All this is a diversion to avoid the painful reality that often our own idols make us crazy. All the things we task... Continue Reading →
This article is about embracing the present. Pastor Ryan wrote an article helping us think about preparing for the future here... I recently took a personality test in a moment of weakness and I saved one of the quotes because it was so funny and true. "Your natural good humor may deteriorate into sarcasm or... Continue Reading →
Here are a few resources to help you prepare for Good Friday and Easter. Good Friday "Poor Bishop Hooper" is a band that put together an hour long of original music narrating the events of Good Friday called "Golgatha". It's beautiful and moving (in my opinion!) There's a companion booklet with corresponding scripture as well.... Continue Reading →
Part 1 HEREPart 2 HERE Is There Anything Good in Fear? We are interesting creatures. The habits we often cultivate in our lives drive us nuts and lead to burnout, yet somehow they're also comfortable because they're familiar. We don't know of any other way to act or live unless we are shown another way.... 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 →
Part 1 Click Here... It would be so nice if we could just see the junk on the surface of our lives and just skim it off and be done right? It’s terrifying to think of how much work there is to do in my life when I peel back the facade on the surface.... Continue Reading →
Over the next few months, almost everyone on the planet will be coming to terms with their own fears. With each new development in the news cycle, some will be triggered with anxiety and immediately feel panic, some will self-righteously "rise above it", and others will be more afraid of what people think of their... Continue Reading →
Week 1: Introduction Week 1 Our first week of "Tough Questions" focused on why these questions are tough in the first place, and what kind of cultural context we're speaking to. We finished with a few tactics and questions that can help us interact better with those immersed in postmodern culture and philosophy. Sorry for... Continue Reading →
God has always found a way to dwell with his people, and Jesus is the culmination of that. We read in John 1 that The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Christmas is a celebration of a holy God coming to dwell with his sinful people, inhabiting the creation he spoke into existence, and... Continue Reading →
You think you’re going to have a good day don’t you? You’re determined to not get angry like you did yesterday, to not fall into that habit of sin that you often struggle with, or to not waste time like you have been recently. These things are all great to desire, but what do you... Continue Reading →
You are what you love, you love what you desire, your desire shapes your habits, your habits shape your worship, your worship shapes your identity, you are what you love... Got all that? Let's break it down backwards just to be clear! First, you are what you love because what we love shapes our identity... Continue Reading →
Week 1 (no audio): Priority: Because we believe in the value of community, we agree to give priority to our group meetings. If we are running late, we will call ahead. Hebrews 10:24-25, Matthew 18:19-20, Psalm 133 Week 2: Confidentiality: We agree that whatever is shared here stays here unless permission is asked. This includes what is... Continue Reading →
To buy the book click here For a post related to this topic click here Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Summary: What we do is not only (or even mostly) fueled by what we know, but by what we love and desire. Whatever we love we worship. What we worship is evidenced by how we habitually... Continue Reading →
Where did you learn that? It’s a question we may ask our kids, but we’d be better off asking ourselves first! We often go through life on autopilot, acting and reacting in our set ways. I’m not talking about committing “big sins”, but the little ways and habits that show up as we interact with... Continue Reading →
Easter is a day where the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is front and center in our prayers, songs, and preaching. This can give a false impression that during the rest of the year we should be emphasizing something else because this is only worth emphasizing once a year. That couldn’t be further from the truth!... Continue Reading →
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
Five years ago, our son Silas was born on Christmas Eve. A few days after we went home, we thought he had a temperature and maybe an infection, which could be serious in a newborn, so we went to the children's hospital. The ER doc thought he was ok, but just dehydrated. However, the hospital... Continue Reading →
It's Advent season! It's a time not for idolatry, materialism, and gluttony, but worship, anticipation, and reflection on the glories of God shown in the incarnation. With that I want to share one of my favorite quotes from my dead best friend Clive Staples (commonly known as C.S. Lewis). Hear him glory in the marvels... 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 →
For Part 1 click HERE. So, if God's holiness necessitates his closeness to us instead of his distance, what does that mean for us? If God's commitment to his own glory drives him to purify ungodly sinners, how does that affect our response to him? Here are a few thoughts... We come boldly to the throne of... Continue Reading →
Much has been made of the seraphim’s cry in Isaiah 6 of “Holy, Holy, Holy” is the LORD of Hosts, his glory fills the whole earth”. This is the only time in the Old Testament where a attribute of God is uttered three times over. Repetition is a Hebrew way of over-emphasizing or making something... 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 →
We all live within a story. It should be within God’s story of redemption where Jesus is king and our identity is in him. More often than not, we live in our own little world where we are king and our identity is comprised of lies and half-truths we hear from the culture, others, or... 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 →
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Exploring a life of worship in light of the resurrection
Exploring a life of worship in light of the resurrection
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