"What do you do with the mad that you feel?" It's the opening line to a theologically suspect song crooned by my childhood hero Mr. Rogers (linked only for nostalgic purposes). But we would do well to ask ourselves that question. Many people I talk to during this time have seemed to become more and... 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 →
Feeling frustrated, scared, and unsure of life? Here's some playlists that bring comfort, exalt Christ, call for love, faith, and courage, and remind us that we are not God but merely human. The Socially-Distanced-but-Spiritually-Close-Community Playlist Some friends and I put this together with the goal of exposing others to some new music while keeping some... 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 →
CG Leader Training: 1/26/2020 We covered a good amount of material from the Care Group Leader Guide (found here), but focused mostly on vulnerability and, at the end, doctrinal discernment. We focused on Philippians 2 and considered how we as leaders can lead in "selfish ambition and conceit". This can be done by making it... 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 →
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 →
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 →
First off, I do not intend to portray myself as any kind of expert on depression. I have gathered some resources that I find helpful and leaned on a few friends that have more experience than I do. Any helpful insight probably started with me doing work on myself first and being helped by others.... 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 →
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 →
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 →
As we begin our Psalms series we'll be looking at how the Psalmists display a wide variety of emotions and theological topics, but a few themes can be seen throughout. Things like depending on God, praising him for what he is done, finding satisfaction in God, overcoming fear, and longing for ultimate deliverance are just... 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 →
The ladies at Green Pond Bible Chapel and Highlands Bible Church took part in the first Women's Retreat held at GPBC entitled "The Gospel in Real Life". The title comes from a conviction that we don't need to "move past" the gospel because it has deep implications for everything practical in our lives! Below is... 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 →
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 →
“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
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 →
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 →
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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