You Probably Shouldn’t Lead Worship Anymore If…

Purgatorio has done it again…check it out
HERE

my Favorite was…

28. The older folks in your congregation ask for more “traditional” church music;

they’re thinking

you’re thinking

One Holy Plasma

Riddleblog has reported that a local church is giving away a plasma tv for its grand re-opening…
think I will hold out for the car give away when they are bought out by another church chain…..
You can read about it HERE

Who Loves Microsoft?

So wordpress just added youtube support so i figure i would take advantage of this…

Steve Ballmer

McLaren Responds

For those keeping up with the Brian McLaren and Mark Driscoll discussion on homosexuality, McLaren has provided a response to the firestorm of comments. You can read his response HERE

Susan Disston on Beth Moore

For those interested in Beth Moore, Susan Disston has written a summary on her teaching over at Modern Reformation. You can read it HERE.

Not content with the unbelief and defeatism of Christians around her,
she decides to buck the trend and find a Christianity that works. Her
premise in the book is that the “primary reason God left us on earth
after our salvation was for our Christianity to ‘succeed’ right here on
this turf.”

Technorati Tags: beth moore, susan disston, modern reformation, living proof, believing god

Yeah THAT Matthew Smith

So I got an email saying I received a new comment on my blog from a Matthew Smith. So since that is a common name I didn’t think too much about it…but upon reading the comment I realized that it was THE Matthew Smith that is apart of the Indelible grace series. So what did he have to say?

Sandra McCracken has a site where you can listen to her new hymns record (The Builder And The Architect), and read her thoughts on each hymn. Pretty amazing stuff. http://www.igracemusic.com/sandrahymns

Now, to the normal eye this seems like just a plug for the new Sandra McCracken Cd (which by the way is friggin awesome..pick it up now!!). But, I see it that Mr. Smith has taken time to read at least one post on my blog!!! So, for that let me say “Thank You!!”..not only for the post, but for sparking an intrest in hymns that I never had before I found the igrace series.

Matthew Smith also has a cd out called “Even When My Heart is Breaking” which is a 5 song ep…
you can hear sound clips HERE and purchase it HERE

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Gaither and Friends

I know that alot of my friends like Bill Gaither and the tons of videos he puts out (same content just different packaging in my opinion), but this news floored me today. Slice of Laodicea had an article with Bill gaither openly supporting a lesbian artist. The biggest shocker (to me at least) is that fact that this artist wrote a song that I have heart thousands of time "For those tears I died". You can read the article HERE.

Here is the letter that Marsha sent Bill Gaither after the concert that night…

I am
absolutely committed to preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified,
that this is the power of God to salvation. We have testimonies, an
altar call and prayer time at every concert. When I share with them
what you said from stage on New Year's Eve (and if you have a tape
of that night I would give my high A-flat for a copy!), the reactions
are profound. Dozens of people have said things like, "Wow, I
had put away all my favorite gospel music so long ago, because every
time I played it I knew they would all consign me to hell. Now I can
listen to my Gaither songs again because he thinks I have a place
at the foot of the cross, " or "I can't believe I can walk
into a Bible bookstore now and purchase a CD by someone who actually
wants me to have one," or "I went right out and bought all
the Homecoming videos that I wouldn't let myself buy before, now that
I know they don't hate me." Those are real words from hungry
hearts. In the 100 or so concerts I have done so far this year, I
have not once heard anyone say, "Gosh, I'm so glad to hear that
Bill Gaither says it's okay that I am gay." They do not want
your approval of their sexuality, they want Jesus. The same Jesus
that you offer to so many tens of thousands. The same Jesus that you
offered so long ago to me. I know that being in ministry in this fallen world is not an easy
thing. The admonition to be "wise as serpents but gentle as doves"
falls heavily on that first half, especially for people like you who
carry enormous responsibility in the Body of Christ. ANYthing that
causes reputations to distract from the Message can give the enemy
a foothold. But I also know that we serve a Savior who brazenly let
everyone see a woman they all knew as sinful, wash His feet with her
tears and dry them with her hair. Truly walking in the Light is a
narrow path indeed and it seems to me that you do it with great grace.

I like
Mark Lowry's take on the old saying. He says, "What if we said
'Love the sinner, hate MY OWN sin?' Wouldn't that be a good thought?"
We all spend such an inordinate amount of time mote-plucking. Figuring
out EXACTLY which sin to hate, who's doing it and precisely how we "should"
react to it. Wouldn't it be great if we spent that much time and energy
looking into our own hearts and bringing our own failures and wounds
to the throne for healing?

Obviously, I disagree with those who believe homosexuality is a sin.
But it's such a small point of doctrine to divide us all so horrendously.
Like all Christians, I am often called to give a reason, an answer for
the hope that is within me. I am sure that you know the very small handful
of Scriptures that you and I would disagree on. But try reading Acts
10. When God came to Peter on the rooftop with a vision to eat unclean
food, Peter had Scripture to stand on when he said No. (Actually, he
said, "No, Lord." Now there's an oxymoron for you!) He also
had Scripture to stand on to decline the spirit of God's vision for
him, which was to preach to the Gentiles. He wasn't supposed to eat
those foods, he wasn't supposed to go into the home of a Gentile. The
Bible said so. But God did not debate the Scriptures with Peter. God
didn't say, "Let me get you a better translation of that Hebrew
word..let me get you a more ancient manuscript." God said, "What
I have called clean, you may not call unclean." And still, the
apostles who went to preach to the Gentiles at Cornelius' house had
no intention of really letting these people into the church. It wasn't
until the Holy Spirit fell on the group and they began to have the gifts
of the Spirit, that the apostles finally said, "I guess we have
to baptize them and let them in."

That's
where I aspire to be. Letting the Holy Spirit fall on me, use me, work
through me. Hopefully letting my light so shine that others will see
it and glorify God who is at work in me.

Thank you for your work on this website. I hope it brings all of us
closer to one another and more at one in Christ.

Yours in Christ's Service…still!
Marsha Stevens

One line to think about while you read this article…

Obviously, I disagree with those who believe homosexuality is a sin.
But it's such a small point of doctrine to divide us all so horrendously.

Technorati Tags: bill gaither, mark lowry, homecoming, marsha stevens

Stat Update

I thought I would post my hit count on here and say thank you for those that stop by and pretend to care about what I post! 😉

A rant by Mark Driscoll

Mark Driscoll has written a great article in response to McLaren’s view (or lack there of) on homosexuality. You can read it at..

Brian McLaren on the Homosexual Question 3: A Rant by Mark Driscoll

Technorati Tags: mark driscoll, brian mclaren, leadership magazine, emergent, mars hill

Hymn of the Week 1-26-06

Whate’er My God Ordains Is Right

1. Whate’er my God ordains is right,
Holy His will abideth.
I will be still whate’er He does,
And follow where He guideth.
He is my God,
Though dark my road.
He holds me that I shall not fall
Wherefore to Him I leave it all

2. Whate’er my God ordains is right,
He never will deceive me
He leads me by the proper path,
I know He will not leave me
I take, content,
What He hath sent
His hand can turn my griefs away
And patiently I wait His day

3. Whate’er my God ordains is right,
Though now this cup in drinking
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it all unshrinking
My God is true,
Each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart
And pain and sorrow shall depart

4. Whate’er my God ordains is right,
Here shall my stand be taken
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken
My Father’s care
Is round me there
He holds me that I shall not fall
And so to Him I leave it all

Technorati Tags: hymn, whate’er my God ordains, hymn of the week

A Voracious Appetite

…I couldn’t agree more about the priority of reading
for a pastor and the prioritizing of reading (“the important and
substantial”). I have yet to meet a leader who is growing in personal
passion for God and godliness, and effectiveness in pastoral ministry
and preaching, who doesn’t have a voracious appetite for reading…

– C.J Mahaney

Technorati Tags: mahaney, together for the gospel, preachers, minister, theology

Lyric Discussion

I have been thinking about this song a couple of days and wanted to get some feedback on it…..

do you think we as Christians make a new “law” to govern our loves by instead of studying the Word and seeing what it has to say? is this “law” an idol since it may take the place of living by God’s word?

A New Law
By Derek Webb
off of:  Mockingbird

and don’t teach me about politics and government
just tell me who to vote for
and don’t teach me about truth and beauty
no, just label my music
and don’t teach me how to live like a free man
no, just give me a new law

I don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
so just bring it down from the mountain to me

i want a new law
i want a new law
just give me that new law

and don’t teach me about moderation and liberty
i prefer a shot of grape juice
and don’t teach me about Loving my enemies
and don’t teach me how to listen to The Spirit
no, just give me a new law

i don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
so just bring it down from the mountain to me

i want a new law
i want a new law
just give me that new law

’cause what’s the use in trading a law you can never keep
for one you can that cannot get you anything
so do not be afraid

do not be afraid

‘In Sweet Communion”

In Sweet Communion

capo 3

C         C/B      Am         F
In sweet com-mu-nion, Lord, with Thee
C        C/B   F
I con-stant-ly a-bide;
C         C/B      Am       F
My hand Thou hold-est in Thine own
C       G        C
To keep me near Thy side.

Am         G        C       F
My hand Thou hold-est in Thine own
C       G        C
To keep me near Thy side.

Thy coun-sel through my earth-ly way
Shall guide me and con-trol,
And then to glo-ry af-ter-ward
Thou wilt re-ceive my soul.

Whom have I, Lord, in heaven but Thee,
To whom my thoughts as-pire?
And hav-ing Thee, on earth is naught
That I can yet en-dure.

Though flesh and heart should faint and fail,
The Lord will ev-er be
The strength and por-tion of my heart,
My God e-ter-nal-ly.

To live a-part from God is death,
'Tis good His face to seek;
My ref-uge is the liv-ing God,
His praise I long to speak.

Please Pray

Well I write this post with a very heavy heart. I want to be as honest as I can so please bear with me and my thoughts.

Tonight was a very bad night. As much as I want to hope for the best, the reality says otherwise.

I got a call tonight saying something was wrong with mom and they were doing an MRI on her (this was at 5:30). Lane and I rushed down there and found out that mom was unable to talk very well and could not use her legs very well either.The doctor thinks it is either the blood transfusion reaction, a stroke, or somehow the cancer has entered her brain.

We will find out tomm what the neurologist sees in the MRI, but tonight that doesn’s help. Tonight I feel like an ass cause today i decided that home would be better than going to the hospital. I justified it by puffing myself up cause we had been down there everynight, I mean I deserve a break. And Alaina I mean…she has given up so much for this, the least I could do is give her a night to relax. So of course now I am kicking myself to actually think I had it worse than mom and dad.
Please keep my mom and dad in your prayers..especially tomm and the rest of the week.

Hello and Welcome

I was looking over my blog stats today and noticed that there has been an increse in the visitors coming to this site. So, I just want to say welcome and thanks for browsing my site!

I also want to encourage you to leave comments as often as you would like! I love discussion and debate so that is always welcomed!

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