3 Surprising Authenticity KILLERS in Your Church

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July 28, 2020

A recent survey shows that only 5 percent of Christians go to churches where there is any sort of formal accountability for the way they integrate biblical beliefs and behaviors into their lives. ]Why such a low turnout for accountability today?

Part of the answer is because of the way accountability is typically experienced and explained.

When we get a bad taste in our mouth for accountability, many of us don’t go back again to try it out.

Failure #1: When accountability is only about sincerity and confession.

Confession of sin is the central pillar of accountability, but it should never become an end in and of itself. Good accountability is not just about getting something off our chests and putting our uneasy consciences to rest.

As therapeutic as this might feel—and it is therapeutic—we need to be careful that in our confession of sin we don’t trivialize sin as something that resolves itself with mere sincerity or honesty. If honesty is all we need to overcome the grip of sin, God would have sent us a therapist, not a Savior.

Conversation must not stop at just unloading our sin, patting each other sympathetically on the back, and leaving with no expectation of change.

Failure #2: When accountability is only about improving moral performance.

Some Christian accountability groups are militant about sin—a healthy attitude in its own right. Members want to see others grow in holiness, so this becomes the focus of the group: questions and answers that deal with obedience.

The problem is, mere rule-keeping does not itself get to the heart of sin. This is one of the great lessons Paul teaches again and again. Merely knowing the law only aggravates our lusts (Romans 7:7-12), and following rigid ascetic regulations—don’t touch, don’t taste, don’t handle—is “of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:20-23).

Moral-performance accountability leads either to measuring our sanctification by a few benchmarks of visible success or hiding our deepest failures from one another because we don’t want to admit how much we miss the mark.

Senators to Trump: Please Stop States Violating Religious Freedom

By

Jessica Lea

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July 28, 2020

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and nine of his Republican colleagues have sent a letter to President Trump requesting that he put pressure on state and local governments that are practicing what they deem to be religious discrimination. In particular, the senators want the president to support restricting the COVID-19 relief funding that would otherwise go to such states and localities.

“As you are aware,” say the senators, “there continue to be reported cases of states and localities prohibiting religious entities, including houses of worship, from reopening safely despite compliance with safety precautions found in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance such as social distancing, building and surface sanitization, use of masks, etc. This discriminatory behavior violates our Constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom, specifically the free exercise guarantee.”

Senators: Pandemic No Excuse for Religious Discrimination

Observing that “there is no ‘pandemic’ exception to constitutionally protected rights,” the senators reminded the president that on May 22, he urged state leaders to reopen houses of worship. Speaking at a press conference, Trump described houses of worship as “essential” and said, “The governors need to do the right thing and allow these very important essential places of faith to open right now for this weekend. If they don’t do it, I will override the governors.”

“This call for action appears to have fallen on deaf ears in many of our cities and states,” write the senators. Even though Attorney General William Barr has said the government will fight religious discrimination, the letter’s signees fear those steps could be “too little, too late” because of the lengthy nature of legal proceedings. They go on to say,

We, therefore, respectfully request that you consider taking additional measures within your authority to ensure churches, houses of worship, and religious institutions are able to reopen with appropriate CDC implemented guidelines. Additionally, we ask you to support proposals in Congress to place restrictions on any forthcoming COVID-19 relief funding to states and localities that prevent churches, houses of worship, and religious schools and institutions from reopening.

Joining Lee in signing the letter are Sens. Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Kelly Loeffler (R-Georgia), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), and Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas).

It is worth noting that the CDC’s guidance is not meant to offer a one-size-fits-all approach for specific regions. The CDC website says, “The size of an event or gathering should be determined based on state, local, territorial or tribal safety laws and regulations” and also advises, “Be aware of local or state regulatory agency policies related to group gatherings to determine if events can be held.” The senators did not offer examples of states they believe have violated worshipers’ constitutional rights, although there are certainly candidates, depending on how one defines such violations.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom garnered criticism when on July 1 he issued a temporary ban on singing, chanting, and group recitation in houses of worship. Newsom has since issued a ban on in-door worship services (churches are still allowed to meet outside) and has once again shut down bars, restaurants, gyms, and salons in most of the state.

Last Friday, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that a church in Nevada had to abide by a state order limiting its attendance to 50 people. The church’s lawyers argued that the order is “unconstitutional” because casinos, restaurants, and other places of business are permitted to operate at 50 percent capacity and also because the state is allowing large-scale protests. According to Deseret News, other states that have put limits on worship services include Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York.

The senators believe that if President Trump were to support withholding federal aid from states that are infringing on religious freedom,

Such executive action would send the nation and government leaders a clear and unequivocal message that religious liberty matters, and that no state or locality can unilaterally strip away protected constitutional rights.

2 Armed Robbers Shot and Killed at South African Church

By

Megan Briggs

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July 28, 2020

When three armed robbers entered a church in South Africa on Sunday, they were expecting the people in the sanctuary to be easy targets. Instead, they were met with an armed parishioner who shot and killed two of them.

“We were shocked beyond words, because we were in a church and within seconds everything changed,” Pastor Kobus Erasmus told reporters. “Everyone was praying. We prayed for [the robbers], too. It’s a hard and sore thing,” he continued.

The armed parishioner was Pieter Van der Westhuizen, brother of the late South African rugby legend Joost Van der Westhuizen, and a former police officer. The armed robbers came into the sanctuary of Querencia Ministries, located in Pretoria, just as Erasmus was concluding the service, about to say the final prayer. Speaking to reporters, Erasmus recalled: “The men came in with loaded firearms. One of the gunmen hit me on the head with the front of the gun, gangster-style. He told me to lie down, but I could not because I have a broken hip. He took my cell phone.”

What happened next is a blur to Erasmus. He remembers shots being fired shortly after he was hit in the head. Police confirmed the two robbers were shot and killed, although a more formal statement has not yet been made.

No church members were shot despite the fact that multiple gunshots—Erasmus estimates 19—were fired. In addition to Erasmus’ injury, a teenage boy was also grazed by shrapnel, but otherwise no one else was hurt physically. Several church-goers had personal items stolen like cell phones and jewelry. These items were later recovered.

The third armed robber reportedly escaped via a getaway car parked outside the church.

One attendee, Rochelle Roets, gave voice to the trauma the church-goers experienced and which will likely still affect them for some time:

I sit at the back of the church because I am in charge of the sound. When we were singing, I saw the door behind me open. I saw a guy with a gun and he signalled that I should get down. I went on my knees and I started to pray. Shots were fired. I said: ‘God, if this is how it should be, then so be it’. As I was turning around, two shots went above my head and three on my left. I still feel rattled.

Ulrich Roux, Van der Westhuizen’s lawyer, says his client acted in self-defense. Roux emphasizes that not only was Van der Westhuizen protecting himself, but the whole congregation, from harm. “Pieter did what was necessary to ensure everyone’s safety,” Roux told reporters.

Roux also disclosed that Van der Westhuizen says one of the robbers put a gun to Erasmus’ head and that the robbers were the first to discharge their weapons. Van der Westhuizen handed his firearm over to police to assist in any investigation that may take place, however he has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

Many are grateful for Van der Westhuizen’s quick action: “Pieter you were like a David who rose for the nation!!! Your own life was at stake at the expense of them around you, so there are people who might [have died], but they live. My daughter and granddaughter, the Pastor (my son-in-law) the congregation. Pieter, grandma and I here in the Cape, love you lots, we honor God for you!” Dan Oosthuizen wrote on the church’s Facebook page.

Todd White Repents: ‘I Haven’t Preached the Whole Gospel!’

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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July 28, 2020

Prosperity gospel preacher Todd White says he’s been “rocked to the core” after reading the works of Charles Spurgeon and Ray Comfort. At a service at White’s Lifestyle Christianity center in Texas, the charismatic preacher said he was repenting of not preaching the whole gospel.

“When you come into the gospel because you’ve come for a better life, then you’ve come in for the wrong gospel,” White told the group that had gathered on Sunday, July 26, 2020.

Todd White Is Known As a Prosperity Gospel Preacher

Todd White is the founder and president of Lifestyle Christianity located in Watauga, Texas. According to their website, their mission is to see a generation walk in their God-given identity by equipping them to encounter Jesus daily and walk like he says we can.

White was a drug addicted atheist for 22 years until God came into his life in 2004. In conservative circles, Todd White has been labeled a prosperity gospel preacher, and has closely associated himself with other prosperity preachers such as Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn. Less than a year ago, Hinn also made some comments about the prosperity gospel and appeared to repent of the prosperity gospel. These names are ubiquitous in many evangelicals’ minds with the kind of teaching that says Jesus wants us to be prosperous not only in a spiritual sense but also a physical sense and that if we are truly following Jesus, we will be happy, wealthy, and healthy. Francis Chan, who hasn’t been accused of preaching the prosperity gospel, ignited controversy for speaking at The Send conference last year because Benny Hinn, Mike Bickle, Todd White, and others spoke at it.

An article on ChurchLeaders.com explains why White’s words and actions are considered controversial by many in the evangelical world:

White is controversial for a variety of reasons, one being that he is a “street healer.” He has also called prosperity gospel preacher Kenneth Copeland his “spiritual father.” In this video, White and Copeland discuss their belief that, as Christians, we have a “heavenly account,” and that we have to put something into it to get something out of it. “Jesus is the banker,” Copeland tells White, who nods and says “Amen.” How do people withdraw from this account? Copeland quotes Mark 11:23-25 and says the answer is sowing in the form of giving to the leaders of the church.

Is Todd White Changing His Message?

On Sunday night, White preached at Lifestyle Christianity’s Encounter service. While the worship band was finishing up White joined them on stage for prayer, and said that it “would be sad if you got born again and someone told you that when you do, you’re just going to get love, joy, peace and happiness.” White chuckled, “How twisted is that. It’s the fruit of righteousness, but it’s not what you get.”

In the video you can see that White is visibly and audibly shaken. He tells the audience, “I’m really overwhelmed so I hope this goes over well…I’ve been rocked for a whole month…I’ve been asking Jesus to take me deeper into the Gospel.”

White said, “There’s no way for a person to realize their need for grace if they don’t realize they’ve offended God.” He continued, “I am so convicted I can’t even tell you…I’m trembling inside…The American church has lost its need for repentance.”

Later in the sermon he asks, “Have you ever read Spurgeon?” White looked at the audience and around the stage dramatically, trying to show how Charles Spurgeon’s writings are impacting him, “I’ve been reading Spurgeon…he’s rocking me…[he’s] a grace preacher, but [he] preaches the truth.”

Preacher, the Time Is at Hand

By

Barry York

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July 28, 2020

The past four months my youngest daughter raised guinea fowl from keets to young adults. Over this time, we enjoyed learning about them, seeing them develop, and laughing at their odd behavior. However, the ending of our story is a sad one.

For six guineas became five (A chick died within the first week.). Then five became three (Two circles of feathers one morning make us think owls got them.). Then three became two (Another disappeared without a trace.). Finally, two become none (The police showed up because the last two were squawking loudly in the neighbor’s bushes across our busy road. We had tried to train them to stay on this side without success. Knowing that “becoming none” was only a matter of time for us one way or another, they are now safely located on a friend’s farm.).

We acquired the guineas just as the Corona lock downs were beginning. We did not realize at that time they could be an emblem of this time. For one thing we learned, first by the internet and then by observation, is what a group of guinea fowl are called. A confusion. As they walked around the yard, frantically darting their heads around, running and stopping and fluttering again and again, each one looking for the other to lead, they are indeed quite the picture of confusion.

As such, they are a fitting symbol of our day. A mascot for 2020. The Western world as we have known it is spinning out of control. A virus no one can see has wreaked havoc. Then an act of brutality everyone saw wreaked even more. Each day seems more surreal and confusing than the previous one.

Many voices have arisen offering to guide us. Politicians promise to deliver us, whether by shooting out fiery Tweets or offering mask-muffled messages. Mobs have taken to the streets toppling statues, looting stores, and calling through bullhorns for the oppressed to overthrow those in power. In the radicalized individualism of our day, I would think every person there is uses social media to pontificate, if it were not for my wife who avoids it like the plague (it is?). So many voices swirling, posturing, contradicting, arguing, trying to take us this way and that. What utter confusion.

Above this cacophony, a certain voice needs to arise above all others. Preacher, the time is at hand. You need to find your prophetic voice, raise it above the din, and declare with singular and certain tones the kingdom of God. Like Ezekiel, you must swallow God’s scroll and tell the wicked “You shall surely die!” if they remain outside Christ. Like Jonah, you must tell cities and nations they will perish unless they repent. Like Isaiah, you must warn against false worship and the mistreatment of others, for the two great commandments still stand.

How we need preaching, and how we need it now! When Paul asked, “And how will they hear without a preacher?”, he was not simply speaking of one believer sharing with another or a member evangelizing his neighbor, as important as those tasks are. Rather, when he raised that question in Romans 10 he was speaking of one thing. The church sending ordained gospel ministers to declare the Word of God to a hurting world.

Preacher, you are a herald of the kingdom of God. You must officially proclaim the message of the King with His authority. Your duty is to call the nations to obey His Word and bow to His Lordship.

Thomas Watson once said that God did not give us His Word merely to talk about, but to obey. He went on to say that if God had merely “given us His word to talk about, He’d have given it to parrots.” But instead, he gave it to preachers.

Preacher, now is not the time for your people to act like guineas or for you to behave like a parrot. The time is at hand for you to call people to faith and obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Preacher, it is time for you to preach like you have never preached before.

This article originally appeared here.

Redeeming the Meaning of God’s Blessing

By

Justin Jeppesen

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July 28, 2020

As Christians we can often overuse certain words within our various interactions with others. When this happens, the meaning of these particular words either becomes anemic to our hearts and minds, or forgotten completely. Perhaps one of these words that is most overused in our Christian vocabulary is the word “bless” or “blessing.” We use this word when we break company with others, at the end of conversation, after someone sneezes, or to sign off an email. In prayer, we can toss the word “bless” or “blessing” around with a nebulous ambiguity or use it as a catch all filler when interceding for the needs of others. Is it possible we as followers of Christ have become too casual or flippant with this word that is so rich in biblical meaning?

Biblically speaking, a blessing is something that is graciously given for the benefit of someone else. In Psalm 67, we have one of God’s divinely inspired songs that brings back in view the amazing reality of what it means to bless or to be blessed. In just seven short verses, this Psalm reveals at least five realities of what God’s blessing entails, and it serves to reclaim the word “bless” from flippancy to fervency.

God’s Presence

The Psalm actually begins with a benediction. In verse one the psalmist proclaims, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us” (Ps. 67:1; italics mine). No doubt this opening line is a restatement of the well known Aaronic blessing found in Numbers 6:24-26 which says,

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

What the opening line of Psalm 67 and the benediction in Numbers 6 makes clear is that God’s blessing is primarily about who he is and secondarily about what he does or gives. God’s blessing arises out of his gracious character which then extends to his merciful dealings with humanity. The emphasis here on God’s face redirects the reality of blessing from a self focus to a Godward focus.

As Christians, we often proclaim the phrase “God bless!” with great multiplicity. Yet even within that phrase the person of “God” comes before the word “bless.” In other cultures and languages, this phrase is constructed a bit differently so as to remind the speakers and hearers what is meant when one extends the saying “God bless!” From my experiences serving alongside of missionaries in Haiti, I was told once that the Haitian Creole word for “God” is actually a compound of the following two words: “bon” which means “good” and “dye” which means “God.” So in other words, when Haitians declare “God bless you,” they are essentially saying “May our God who is good, bless you” (or in Creole, ‘Bondye beni ou!’). A reminder of who is God is built into the well used phrase that gives fresh meaning to the word “bless.”

We need to be reminded daily that our greatest blessing is to know, love, cherish, and be affectionately and reverently aware of God’s gracious and shining presence in our lives.

God’s Power

Next in the psalm we are given a straightforward connection to the purpose of God’s presence amongst his chosen people. Verse two goes on to say “…that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.” The direction of God’s blessing in this Psalm is clear – it’s not meant merely for our inward enjoyment but for outward multiplication. In it’s original context, the singers and hearers of this psalm were the chosen people of the nation of Israel. Yet God’s purpose in choosing and making his presence and power known was never meant to stop with Israel, but it was meant to flow through Israel and out to all the nations of the world.

This Psalm points us back to the beginning of this blessing when God chose Abraham and said “…I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12: 2; 3b). Moreover this Psalm points us forward to the fulfillment of this blessing in Christ. In Galatians 3:7 the Apostle Paul makes the connection by declaring “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘in you shall all the nations be blessed.’”

God’s blessing of his saving power will one day be extended to “every nation, tribe, peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9), and we who are blessed to know God’s presence have been commissioned to partner with Christ in bringing the gospel of his saving power to the ends of the earth.

God’s Praise

The next facet of God’s blessing comes in verse three and is repeated in verse five. With exuberance the psalmist declares, “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” Once again we are directed back to a Godward focus. It is an immense blessing to praise and celebrate who God is, and it is a privilege we will enjoy for all eternity. This psalm has a strong missionary trajectory that redeems the term “blessing” from something we just enjoy ourselves to being extended to all peoples of the earth.

God’s Provision

If we’re honest, this is where most of our minds go to when we think about God’s blessing. We often speak of the blessing of the various ways God provides for us and our loved ones. Whether it be our homes, jobs, education, or opportunities we know that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17).

Psalm 67:6 puts it this way, “The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God shall bless us.” This can serve to remind us of our loving heavenly Father as the source of all our needs and his gracious power to meet those needs. Just as the earth is dependent upon it’s Maker to bring about its fruits and resources, we as God’s blessed people are dependent upon our Creator for everything. While God’s blessing is always about people over possessions, even the material things God provides are meant to be shared for his kingdom purposes.

God’s Protection

While there are certainly more facets regarding the reality of God’s blessing, one last aspect that clearly emerges is the blessing of God’s protection. The Psalm closes in verse 7 with the confident assertion that “God shall bless us, let all the ends of the earth fear him!” As God’s chosen and saved people, we can have strong confidence that as we walk in the fear of the Lord ourselves, God’s presence goes before us and is with us as we live life in a culture that is increasingly hostile to Christianity. When we walk in the blessing of God’s presence, power, praise and provision, we can trust him for his protection that will bring a recognition of him even among those who do not yet know Christ. Yet may we remember that the blessing of God’s protection is not intended to increase or maintain our comfort, but to guard our hearts from compromise and to walk victoriously in the spiritual battle before us.

So may we as followers of Christ redeem our use of the word “blessing” from a self-focus to a Godward focus, from a flippant phrase to a fervent declaration, and from an ambiguous statement to a specific proclamation rooted in the deep truth of the Scriptures.

May the Lord bless you today with a tangible awareness of his presence, with a humble expression of his power, with a fresh song of praise upon your lips, with a renewed dependence for his provision, and with the peace of his promised protection from the evil one.

This article originally appeared here.

MLB Giants Pitcher: ‘I Can’t Kneel Before Anything Besides God’

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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July 27, 2020

The Major League Baseball season started this week but not without controversy. Many players took a knee during the playing of the National Anthem to silently protest police brutality against black lives in America. This protest was made famous by NFL quarterback Colin Kapernick in 2016, after retired Green Beret Nate Boyer suggested that kneeling (instead of sitting on the bench while the anthem was playing) was more respectful to former and current U.S. military members.

While it was frowned upon by the MLB in seasons past, due to the recent events this year regarding a police incident that led to the killing of George Floyd, professional sports have changed their stances on allowing players to demonstrate peacefully by kneeling during the National Anthem. Not only is it allowed, it is encouraged and praised. MLB has gone so far as to provide players with social justice patches to wear on their jerseys in support of Black Lives Matter.

Giants Pitcher Sam Coonrod Doesn’t Kneel

The season opener featuring the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers saw the entire Giants team, including coaches, take a knee during the anthem—with the exception of one player. Pitcher Sam Coonrod stood alone while holding the unity ribbon provided by the league while all his other teammates knelt.

When asked why the relief pitcher didn’t kneel, he responded, “I’m a Christian. So I just believe that I can’t kneel before anything besides God.” The relief pitcher also added that he, “can’t get on board with a couple of things I’ve read about Black Lives Matter, how they lean towards Marxism and… they said some negative things about the nuclear family. I just can’t get on board with that.” Coonrod said he doesn’t have any “ill will” for those that have knelt or decide to do so.

Coonrod expressed that he wished he could have addressed his teammates prior to the moment of team unity, but only learned about it minutes before it happened.

Giants’ manager Gabe Kapler said, “The one thing that we said is we were going to let people express themselves…we’re going to give them a choice to stand, kneel, or do something else.” Manager Kapler said that he respected Coonrod’s decision to stand. Coonrod said, “[Kapler’s] not going to get mad if I disagree with him…that’s part of the problem nowadays. People get mad whenever someone disagrees.”

The Giants’ pitcher was asked ‘Why Jesus?’ during a fellowship day last year, “If Christianity is true, it would be the single most important thing in the entire universe. Meaning that we are guilty of sin, and we all deserve to go to hell because God is perfect. The Bible says that if you repent of your sins and trust in Jesus, God will save you. It also says that verily, verily I say unto thee that unless you repent you will all perish. Ten out of ten people die. You’re dead a lot longer than you’re alive, so you really need to know where you are going when you die.”

Millennials Have Stopped Attending Online Church

By

Dale Hudson

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July 27, 2020

We are definitely living in challenging times right now. In the midst of this national and international crisis, we must help parents keep their eyes on Jesus and His love.

And it is vital that we provide them with clear steps for staying connected to a local church.

It is extremely important to track how Millennials are responding spiritually to COVID-19. The reason – it’s not just for their own personal spiritual health, but for their children’s (Gen Z) as well.

Barna recently released a report that reveals that…

50% of Millennial (young parents) churchgoers are not attending online services.
35% of Gen Xers
26% of Boomers have also stopped attending online services.

When Millennial parents have stopped attending services, it means in all likelihood their Gen Z children are not either.

Yes, I know that attending church in person has been all over the board as churches try to navigate starting in person services back. Many churches are also providing great online programming for kids and students. But the truth is, at least half of parents are not watching the online services and I would say the same holds true with their children as well.

Barna has identified 3 groups during this COVID-19 world:

People who have continued to engage by watching their home church.
People who have started watching the online services of another church.
People who are not watching anything online.

One big thing to note is this – the younger people are, the more likely it is that they stopped attending church during this lockdown.

Contrast that with this. People who have stopped attending church online during this time, report higher levels of anxiety and stress. While those who are staying in church (online or in person), report having a higher level of security.

We must remember that as parents, our children are watching us.

Where are we going for encouragement and Biblical teaching?
Are we modeling what it means to be faithful to our church, either online or in person?
Are we using the children’s discipleship tools and resources that our church is providing for us?
Are we taking time to pray with and for our children?
Are we showing our children what it means to trust in God and let Him be our peace?

Encourage the parents in your ministry to be the spiritual leaders God is calling them to be. Our kids will look back one day and remember how we handled this crisis. Let’s leave a legacy of faith and trust in God.

This article originally appeared here.

Free Video Download: “Praise You in This Storm”

By

Daniel So

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July 27, 2020

Free Video Download

Download this five-minute animated video set to the song, Praise You in This Storm, by Casting Crowns.

Use this video to introduce a sermon about trusting God through hardship, or as an entrance video to a worship service.

Get Download Now

Resource provided by Grace in Cranberry

Download Instructions: You can view this video for free on Vimeo. To download this video, log into your free Vimeo account, then download the video by using the download link in the right sidebar.

Free Kids’ Lesson Package: “Cooking With Jesus”

By

Daniel So

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July 26, 2020

Free Kids’ Lesson Package

From CMD, “When we look to Jesus and follow his recipe for success, we are sure to cook up something amazing. Kids will have fun making these simple treats while learning this Bible lesson.”

This lesson package includes:

Make It Stick! Parent Sheet
Memory Verse
Skit
Object Lesson or Kids Sermon
Large Group Lesson
Small Group Discussion
Large Group Game
Take Home Activity

Get Download Now

Resource provided by Children’s Ministry Deals

Download Instructions: Follow the on-screen directions at the download site.

Covenant Worship – “There Is a Name”

By

Megan Briggs

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July 26, 2020

Evaluate Your ChMS With These 3 Killer Questions

By

Ernesto Alaniz

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July 26, 2020

I have been in full-time church work for almost 20 years. In that time I have sat front row to at least four different church management solutions. A church management solution is simply a database holding the information of your church members: their phone numbers, emails, giving history, membership status, and anything else you may need to know. Some of these four solutions weren’t really solutions at all. I have seen everything from a massive Excel spreadsheet to a top-of-the-line on-site server costing us tens of thousands every year. After countless migrations and even an attempt at no database (a true nightmare), I’ve realized there are three questions to ask when evaluating your current solution.

Question #1: Is it usable?

Does the software do what you want it to do? I remember using a very costly software at a 1,000 member church—and it wasn’t even able to handle online giving. So we went out and paid another vendor to handle our online portion. Neither of those did nursery check-in, so we had a separate software for that. Before we knew it, we had four different databases with names and information. It became a secretary’s full-time headache to update any change in all four databases!

What do you want your database to do? What problems do you need to solve? There is a basic retrieval of information. If you cannot look up a church member’s phone number while on the road, your database is essentially worthless. I remember calling the office while on the road asking for addresses and phone numbers. We are in a new world of smartphones and the internet. Our database should, at a minimum, give us mobile access of our data. Make a list of things you need help with. Attendance in groups? Nursery check-in? Event sign-ups? Online giving? Keeping track of people’s giving? Does your current solution solve any of the needs your church currently has, or could it be improved?

Question #2: Is it user-friendly?

One of my favorite church management solutions was also one of the worst my team ever had to use. When we migrated over to their software our entire team had to undergo more than 10 hours of video training on how to use it. I remember in our weekly staff meeting persuading everyone to get their video training done. I spent months using my influence and leadership to make people watch boring training videos! I finished all my videos in the first week and was so excited to implement it among our teams. But it was never fully integrated because our pastors had more important things to do than becoming Ph.D. students of yet another church database solution.

How hard is it to train someone to use your database software? Does only one person in the church know how to use it? How difficult is it to run a report? To enter data? It is very possible for your software solution to become another problem.

As a church planter, I am currently in a high-volunteer environment with no other paid staff. There is no way to onramp people onto software like the one described above. It didn’t work with a large (paid) team; it is going to be disastrous for a volunteer team. You need a solution that is easy to use, easy to be taught, and easy to adopt.

Question #3: Is it used?

Does anyone in your church actually use your database? Once upon a time, we used an old server-based database. It was actually pretty powerful. It had many useful features and had at one time been a leader in the field. But it was ugly. Like old-school website ugly. It was ugly and clunky and required you to be on a certain computer to use it. So every single team just created their own solution. The nursery team had their own database. I was the youth pastor, and we had our own. The groups guy had an impressive Excel layout. It was the wild west, and no one used the actual central database. Over time it became a really expensive accounting software because all it was doing was tracking giving.

Your database is made more powerful by how much it is used. If you are not using it, then why throw away the money and the effort to keep it up-to-date? But if every team is using the same database, then all of a sudden you have real actionable intel. If I see that one family’s kids have not been in the nursery in 5 weeks, and they have stopped attending their weekly small group, then I have some real knowledge that they are drifting away. As a shepherd, you can step into that moment and be what you were called to be. But if that information is spread across multiple walled gardens, you may not know that story until a family has fallen off the edge.

Ask these three questions about your current database. If yours is useful, user-friendly, and used, then way to go. But if your answers are of a more pessimistic note, then maybe it’s time to think about finding an actual solution.

This article originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Jesus You’re My Superhero

By

Megan Briggs

-

July 25, 2020

The Insanity Of Envy

By

Mark Altrogge

-

July 25, 2020

God is a satisfying portion. This world may fill a man, but can never satisfy him. Most have too much, but no one has enough. — Swinnock

Sometimes I struggle with envy. What’s insane about that is I have so much – a great wife, children and grandchildren. I get to preach God’s word to a wonderful, responsive church and work with the best pastoral team that exists. God has allowed me to write some songs that have blessed others. He’s granted me years of health.

Despite all this, I’ve envied the gifts and success of others. Once when I shared with some pastors that I’d envied another man’s preaching one guy said, “But Mark, you probably receive more encouragement than anyone else I know.” Owwww.

In Psalm 73, Asaph confesses how envy almost undid him:

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. (2-3)

The wicked appeared to enjoy unadulterated, problem-free bliss.

They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. (5)

Asaph saw them arrogantly strut about mocking God yet growing richer. As he envied, he spiraled downward. Until he considered things from God’s perspective.

Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end. (17)

“I discerned their end.” This world’s riches vanish at death. All we enjoy here is a wisp, a breeze, soon gone. In God’s mercy, the Psalmist realized the secret of contentment:

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (25-26)

Envy springs from seeking satisfaction in anything but Christ. Contentment grows when God is our portion. So contemplate the end of the wicked. Confess your envy. Ask Jesus to be your satisfying portion. And thank God for saving, forgiving, and adopting you and making you a joint-heir with Christ, crowned with every spiritual blessing.

Would I Be Gathering If I Weren’t the Pastor?

By

Mike Leake

-

July 25, 2020

Most churches across the US (which are open) are running anywhere from 40-60% of the Sunday AM gathering attendance that they were six months ago. We’ve been gutted. What has surprised us pastors the most, I think, are not the pockets of elderly and vulnerable who have not returned. What has caught us off-guard is that for every person who hasn’t yet returned there is likely a unique reason for not yet returning. This has given me pause, and inspired me to ask a question for myself.

If I were not a pastor, would I be attending an in-person service on Sunday AM? Why would I come?

To hear the preaching of the Word? I can do that online.

To join in corporate worship? I can sing along with the band and my family. Does that count?

To be around other believers? Six feet of social distancing makes it difficult to do much more than a wave and a “how you doing?” shout. I can just as easily engage through a text message.

To exercise my spiritual gift? I can teach my Sunday school class on Zoom. I can send encouraging messages through Facebook. Do I need a Sunday AM to exercise that gift? Can’t I serve and do missions without being physically present on a Sunday AM?

What is there at the physical gathering that I cannot do at home? Corporate worship isn’t the same, I’ll give you that. But why do I need to show up whenever it’s a hotbed of controversy? For some people, wearing a mask is a symbol of being a leftist or a fraidy-cat who doesn’t have faith. For others, not wearing a mask is a symbol of being a right-wing conspiracy theorist who cares more about themselves than other people. I’d argue few people fit either description, but still, the question remains. Why bother coming when your mere presence will offend somebody?

Because there is no such thing as mere presence.

There is something which the generations preceding me understood that I believe has been lost upon my generation. And that is the power of showing up.

There are two areas here where our generation has swung the pendulum too far in an opposite direction. First, in regards to the importance of a gathered body. I think there was an overemphasis in the past on the church building. One of my greatest pet peeves was when someone would here a teen say one of those banned words and the response would be, “hey, you cannot say that here in God’s house”. I think that’s a misunderstanding of the nature of the temple and the new covenant community. BUT, we responded with a complete deemphasis of the sacred gathering. There is something special about the local gathering of the body of Christ. There is something to sacred space where God’s Word is opened and the gospel is preached.

Secondly, there were families wrecked years ago by ministers of the gospel who felt they (and their entire family) had to be physically in the church building every time the doors were opened. There developed a somewhat legalistic checking of boxes on church attendance. BUT, we responded with a complete deemphasis of the power of personal presence. There is something powerful about you being there.

I can’t seem to keep Bonhoeffer’s Life Together on my shelves during this season. I keep pulling it down and reading it. The longer we find ourselves with our communities ever transforming due to COVID-19, the more I’m finding depth in his words. Consider this:

The prisoner, the sick person, the Christian in exile sees in the companionship of a fellow Christian a physical sign of the gracious presence of the triune God. Visitor and visited in loneliness recognize in each other the Christ who is present in the body; they receive and meet each other as one meets the Lord, in reverence, humility, and joy. They receive each other’s benedictions as the benediction of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Bonhoeffer, 10)

What Bonhoeffer is alluding to here is the fact that each believer is in union with Christ and has the Spirit of God residing within. There is power—Christ within you—by you just showing up.

My Answer

So this is my answer as to why, even if I weren’t a pastor and didn’t have any particular job to do, I would still show up on Sunday morning as long as I was able. It is because I believe that Christ is within me and I believe my brothers and sisters in Christ need that Christ within me. There is power in my presence—because it’s a symbol of the very real presence of Jesus Christ among us.

And so, and please hear me well, I want to show up because to not do so would be to diminish Christ. I know some could read that and say, “what about those who cannot attend?!?!? You are making them feel horrible for something which they cannot control.” This is my response. Whether it be because of conscience or health concerns, my aim here is to give words to the very pain which you feel. I’m sharing why we mourn with you that you cannot gather with us. Fellowship with other believers is a precious gift. You know this deeply and it’s why you ache, and toss and turn, and feel as if something deeply important is missing in your life. It’s because it is.

As Bonhoeffer said it is “an unspeakable gift of God” but also one which is “easily trodden under foot by those who have the gift every day.” COVID-19 has given all of us an opportunity to mourn with our shut-ins. It has widened that number and opened our eyes to the value of in-person gathering. And the deep mourning which accompanies no longer being able to gather.

But this is also why I feel a deep conviction, as long as I am able, to gather with the body of Christ. To not gather, to treat it as some insignificant thing, to consider it an option to my walk with Christ, would be to trample under foot the gift of the presence of Christ in the life of another believer. I’ll admit it was wonderful for a few weeks to wake up on a Sunday morning, smelly breath, wild hair, still in my pj’s and “gather” online with other Christians. But for me to continue to do this by choice when the church is gathering, would be to value the comfort of my Wal-Mart bought Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle jammies over the blood-bought community of the living God.

This article originally appeared here.

5 Ways to Get People to Pay Attention to Your Sermons

By

Charles Stone

-

July 25, 2020

One of the most disconcerting feelings we pastors experience is when we prepare a sermon and pour our heart into it, yet feel that it didn’t make a difference in people’s lives. It’s equally frustrating when we preach to see somebody tuning us out. What can we do to help people pay more attention to our sermons? For when they do, there’s a greater chance what we say will stick in their minds to give the Holy Spirit time to ultimately change their hearts. Here are some neuroscience-based tips.

Neuroscience is teaching us a lot about how people remember things. Two mental processes related to attention simultaneously activate in the minds of those sitting in the pews on Sundays.

Focus: the ability to attend to what you are saying.
Inhibiting distractions: the ability to tune out competing information. Those distractions can be external like a baby crying or internal like self-talk or mulling over memories of what happened on the way to church.

So what can we do when we preach to help increase attention? I’ve listed 5 neuroscience insights to keep in mind as you prepare your sermons to get people’s attention.

1. Mood matters. Scientists have discovered that when people are in a good mood they pay better attention. We can’t change what happened to a family on the way to church (ie-a fight), but we can take some steps to help put them in a good mood. Humor is a great tool that does that. Don’t begin your sermon with something heavy. Rather, try to interject some humor. Smile and put people at ease.

2. The head cannot take more than the seat can endure is true. Our brains need downtime. They can’t concentrate for long periods of time. In fact, the brain will make downtime for itself when it gets tired. So, build ebb and flow into your sermons. Alternate intensity (something that may require intensive concentration) with points or stories that don’t take much concentration.

3. See your sermons like firing a gun. Three distinct processes take place in the brain for attention to occur. It’s firing a gun: load, aim, fire. To load is when the brain is alerted to take notice. Aim is when it looks for more information. Fire is when it actually acts. So develop your sermon with this in mind. Build each point around the load—aim—fire process.

4. Include novelty in your sermons. Attention increases with something novel or new. Include a couple of surprises. Perhaps you pull out a “show and tell” item unexpectedly to illustrate a point. Maybe you move to a different location from where you usually preach (ie-off the stage and into an aisle).

5. Make it relevant. Preaching is connecting the then and there to the here and now. We must try to help people apply the message to their lives. The brain pays much more attention when it senses relevance. Don’t just wait until the end for application. Provide application points throughout the sermon.

This article originally appeared here.

Is Your Youth Ministry Physically Healthy?

By

Chris Wesley

-

July 25, 2020

I took a deep breath and said a little prayer, “God, Don’t Let This Button Snap Off My Pants.” As much as I hated to admit it, my ice cream making and bread baking habit were causing trouble. Like many of us, eating has been a sense of comfort during the quarantine. Food has been a source of comfort for me many times, and the result hasn’t been a tighter waistline, but lower energy and less productivity. While not everyone who works in ministry has a weight problem, a healthy diet is something we overlook quite a bit.

When we teach our students about taking care of the temple that God has given them, we tell them to avoid pleasures of the flesh, to stay away from drugs and alcohol; however, food is rarely apart of the conversation. Not only do we avoid talking about a healthy diet, but we also encourage poor physical health by offering some of the worst (Even Though It’s Delicious) food options on the planet.

I’m not here to lay guilt, but I believe a healthy ministry contains people who are not only spiritually and emotionally healthy but physically as well. If we’re going to grow healthy disciples, we need to talk about their spiritual, emotional, and physical well being and it starts with:

EMBRACING HEALTHY HABITS IN OUR OWN LIFE

There are natural wear and tear that takes place in youth ministry. When I was in my 20’s, I could keep up for the most part, but today I don’t bounce back quite quickly. While I don’t always need to be the guy throwing a frisbee or playing dodgeball with teens, I do need to make sure my energy levels to do what I do best are protected. That means focusing on these three areas in my physical life:

SLEEP
EXERCISE
DIET

They are all critical, and they are tied together. When it comes to sleep, exercise, and food, the question you have to ask yourself is, “What Do I Know About Them?” and “Where Do I Get My Information?”

I’m not an expert, and what you do to be physically healthy is going to be unique to you, but to educate yourself, it’s essential to:

Talk to Your Primary Care Physician: Your doctor will either have plans to help you address these issues or at least refer you to an expert.

Go to a Local Gym or Sign Up For a Class: Gym memberships can be pricey, but it’s a great place to meet a trainer who can give you insights into diet and exercises to keep you sharp. Check your insurance because sometimes there are discounts or wellness benefits that can cut the costs.

Connect With Someone Who Has Healthy Habits: If you can’t afford the gym, find someone in your parish who loves fitness and health. Sit with them, pick their brain, and find out what helps them care for their physique.

By learning more about physical health, you are going to be able to set up habits that will keep you healthy and in ministry for a while. You’ll also model for your teens what it looks like to care for your body.

INCORPORATING HEALTHY HABITS INTO MINISTRY

I get it if you put a bowl of kale chips out for your teens to snack on; they’ll think you’ve gone crazy. The way to incorporate healthy habits into your ministry isn’t switching pizza for tilapia. While you do need to look at the food you offer on retreats and at programs, it’s essential to talk about it. We need to make sure we are teaching our teens:

Healthy Self-Image: There are a lot of images and ideas on how they should look and behave, and some of those voices are damaging. We have to remind teens that God created them in His image, and all the FLAWS the world says they should eliminate are a beautiful part of God’s design.

Where to Find Comfort: Porn and drugs aren’t the only ways teens find an escape. Cutting isn’t the only way they inflict self-harm. Food is a source of comfort, and it’s how some of us address our emotions. We have to remind them that real peace comes with putting our faith in the Lord.

Not only do we need to teach our teens about the power of food, but we also have to make sure we set them up for success. That means:

Planning Physical Activities: Whether it’s taking them on a hike or setting up a kickball tournament, a ministry that provides physical fun is one that stresses the importance of physical health.

Offering Alternatives to Pizza: Get rid of the unhealthy stuff, but leave some of the food that isn’t horrible. While teens will still go for the pizza, seeing fruit and granola bars will give them options.

Incorporating Times of Rest and Reflection: Teens need time to rest, and the Church can provide that through silent Adoration, quiet time journaling, and retreats.

Granted, teens don’t think your ministry as the source of their physical wellness, but it can promote healthy habits.

This topic is a difficult area of ministry because it’s something many of us struggle to embrace ourselves. It’s also hard because we live in a world that obsesses over sports, body image, and health, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore it. If anything, a society that sometimes worships fitness and physique needs the Church’s guidance, and if we’re about forming missionary disciples, we should be ready to address it.

Do you agree or disagree that diet, exercise, and physical wellness is a topic youth ministry should address?

This article about healthy habits originally appeared here.

Free eBook: "Till He Comes," by Spurgeon

By

Daniel So

-

July 25, 2020

Free eBook

Download this eBook in PDF format of “sermonettes” by C.H. Spurgeon about the Lord’s Supper.

Charles Spurgeon, an English preacher in the late nineteenth century, is still influential today.

Get Download Now

Resource provided by NTS Library

Free Memory Matching Game: Creation

By

Daniel So

-

July 25, 2020

Free Memory Matching Game

Download and print this memory matching game to help your children learn the creation story from Genesis 1.

From Christian Preschool Printables, “Children can play by matching picture to picture (print 2) or by matching picture to the written day.”

Get Download Now

Resource provided by Christian Preschool Printables

Download Instructions: To download these resources, right-click on the appropriate link (e.g., “Creation Memory MatchPage 1” or “Creation Memory Match Page 2”) and choose “Save As.”

4 Reasons to Thank God for the Small Church

By

Ronnie Floyd

-

July 25, 2020

My spiritual roots are in a very small church in Texas.

How small? For one solid year, I was the only student—taught by the same teacher in Sunday School and Training Union.

We had 30 to 40 people each week, and if we ever hit 50, we felt revival had come. To my knowledge, we never had a full-time pastor; therefore, I was raised on the preaching and teaching of bivocational pastors.

Today, I want to take a few moments to share four reasons I am grateful God let me be raised in a small church.

1. Our small church was very committed to the Bible being the Word of God.

Our pastors taught the Bible. Our people believed the Bible. I was raised carrying my Bible to church every time we met. We participated in the teaching and preaching of God’s Word by opening our Bibles and following as our pastors taught us the Word of God.

In fact, our church was formed in the living room of our home. My parents were part of a group of people who left a church over biblical convictions.

I was way too young to remember the details, but I do remember how exciting it was when all these people began to worship and meet in our living room. Eventually, a church was formed: The Faith Baptist Church.

My parents were not graduates of high school or college, but they were lovers of the Word of God, and Mom taught it faithfully.

I remember when I left for college, their number one fear was that I would not come back believing the Bible was the Word of God. Therefore, my commitment to biblical inerrancy came from a very small membership church in Texas.

2. Our small church believed in the local church of Jesus Christ.

At Faith Baptist Church, if you were a member, you came to church. You were involved in a Sunday School class. You were probably a part of Training Union. You were involved on Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night.

If you were not there, you were missed and checked on. If you began to fall away, you were approached. Therefore, we had a strong commitment to the local church.

As a child or a teenager, I never entertained the idea of not going to church. This was unheard of in our family and in our church. My parents would not have tolerated it and, quite honestly, nor would my church.

Therefore, I struggle continually with the lack of commitment I witness toward the local church of Jesus Christ. The main reason I have such a high passion for and a deep commitment to the local church is because of what I learned in my small church growing up.

Failure #1: When accountability is only about sincerity and confession.

Failure #2: When accountability is only about improving moral performance.

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EMBRACING HEALTHY HABITS IN OUR OWN LIFE

INCORPORATING HEALTHY HABITS INTO MINISTRY

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Today, I want to take a few moments to share four reasons I am grateful God let me be raised in a small church.

1. Our small church was very committed to the Bible being the Word of God.

2. Our small church believed in the local church of Jesus Christ.

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