Morning and Evening: May 31st

That henceforth we should not serve sin.'-Romans 6:6

Christian, what hast thou to do with sin? Hath it not cost thee enough already? Burnt child, wilt thou play with the fire? What! when thou hast already been between the jaws of the lion, wilt thou step a second time into his den? Hast thou not had enough of the old serpent? Did he not poison all thy veins once, and wilt thou play upon the hole of the asp, and put thy hand upon the cockatrice's den a second time? Oh, be not so mad! so foolish! Did sin ever yield thee real pleasure? Didst thou find solid satisfaction in it?

If so, go back to thine old drudgery, and wear the chain again, if it delight thee. But inasmuch as sin did never give thee what it promised to bestow, but deluded thee with lies, be not a second time snared by the old fowler-be free, and let the remembrance of thy ancient bondage forbid thee to enter the net again! It is contrary to the designs of eternal love, which all have an eye to thy purity and holiness; therefore run not counter to the purposes of thy Lord. Another thought should restrain thee from sin. Christians can never sin cheaply; they pay a heavy price for iniquity. Transgression destroys peace of mind, obscures fellowship with Jesus, hinders prayer, brings darkness over the soul; therefore be not the serf and bondman of sin. There is yet a higher argument: each time you 'serve sin' you have 'Crucified the Lord afresh, and put Him to an open shame.' Can you bear that thought? Oh! if you have fallen into any special sin during this day, it may be my Master has sent this admonition this evening, to bring you back before you have backslidden very far. Turn thee to Jesus anew; He has not forgotten His love to thee; His grace is still the same. With weeping and repentance, come thou to His footstool, and thou shalt be once more received into His heart; thou shalt be set upon a rock again, and thy goings shall be established.

A Transgender Pastor, Obesity, and the Shrink

What a title huh? But they are actually shout-outs to some very good blogs out in the blog world today...all of which are very heavy topics and worthwhile reads.


A Transgender Pastor
Things seem to be getting crazier and crazier these days. A Maryland United Methodist Church pastor has just been reinstated after having a sex change operation. Pastor Ann Gordon is now the new...Pastor Drew Phoenix. I'm sorry but this seems a little ridiculous and even sad to me. Anyways, here are a few blogs and articles about this story. Definitely read Al Mohler's blog.

A Transgender Pastor in the Pulpit? - Al Mohler's blog
Transgender Minister Gets Church's Blessing - Maryland newspaper
Transgender minister is reappointed - Baltimore news article
Identity Crisis: A Transgender Minister Reappointed to Lead Church - Christian Report article

Obesity
Perry Noble had a great post today that I'm sure will tick off a lot of fat pastors if the read it, but it is a very insightful post about the problem of obesity and treats it as a sin on the same level as alcohol abuse or smoking. Heres a great quote:

"They [pastors] would never have a beer with a church member–but they don’t mind hitting the buffet. They will YELL at a church member about smoking while all the while pounding cheeseburger after cheeseburger. It’s hypocrisy in its worse form."

Read the post: I Was Fat, Now I'm Not-Part 1


The Shrink
Steven Furtick wrote a great blog today on why he's visits a professional counselor on a regular basis. He recommends that every pastor should consider seeing a counselor regularly. I know I'm a little crazy so it makes me want to take a visit to the Shrink myself...not to mention Tony Soprano visits one all the time and he's a Mob Boss.

Why I See a Counselor - Steven Furtick

5-27 Worship Gathering Audio

Now available: two new podcasts from Sunday's Worship Gathering. One podcast is the acoustic worship set and the other is Webb's sermon audio.

Direct Download Links:

Compassion and Obedience. Sermon Audio. Justin Webb.
Acoustic Worship Set. Aaron & Ross Simmons. 3 Songs(How Great Thou Art, Cannot Hide My Love, Open the Eyes of My Heart).

3M Club Tomorrow

The 3M Club is meeting Wednesday at 7pm over at Chance and Ian's place. We will be grilling out once more...so bring your own meat or we can sell you a steak for $5. If you need directions contact us or click here. Those reading the book need to read Chapters 2-3 for the discussion.

How Teenagers Changed the Church

If you are like me, and around my same age, at some point in your life you have been influenced by some form of youth ministry. It may have been a Wednesday night youth meeting, summer camp, 5th quarter, mission trip, scavenger hunt or the notorious "Lock-In,"but needless to say, youth ministry affects the vast majority of teenagers at some point along the adolescent journey. But that hasn't always been the case. There hasn't always been 23 year old extroverted, cool guys with a goatee leading youth groups. Youth Ministry as we know it today hasn't always been around. It wasn't too long ago that most churches either had the Pastor's wife leading the children and youth department or some other older couple in the church trying to put something relevant to eat on the teen's spiritual plate. Recently, within the last 50 years, we have seen the professionalizing of the Youth Worker, and as a result we have seen a dramatic change in teenagers, resulting in a trickle-down or rather trickle-up effect that has ultimately transformed the church. One researcher believes "that the larger church lags youth ministry trends by approximately 15-20 years." So what will the church look like in the future? Well, if the research is correct, all one must do is look at youth ministry today and you'll have a glimpse of church life in the year 2025.

So if you are interested to see how the whole "youth" thing got started, check out these three posts over on Out of Ur that cover everything from the history of youth ministry(Parts 1 and 2), to the future trends we'll see in the church(Part 3).

How Teenagers Transformed the Church (Part 1)
How Teenagers Transformed the Church (Part 2)
How Teenagers Transformed the Church (Part 3)

Quail Hollow Concert Part 2

New Podcast! Live recording of Jonny's House. Quail Hollow Camp Concert Part 2 of 3. Songs: (My Suprise, Kryptonite, Down on the Corner)

Direct Download Link: Quail Hollow Concert: Part 2 of 3

3M Club-May 26th

The 3M Club meeting this week will be held over at Ross & Aaron's house. Those guys who are reading "Wild at Heart" need to read chapter 1 by Saturday. If you still need a book let me know. Everyone who is not reading the book and not coming for the discussion meet at Ross's at 6pm.


Agenda:
5:00pm: Book discussion of "Wild at Heart." Feel free to come even if you aren't reading the book.
6:00pm: Go out to eat somewhere. We'll decide Saturday
8:30pm: Pirates of the Caribbean III.

We will go pick up tickets early on Saturday. If you want tickets for PIRATES 3 let us know ASAP. Contact Us

Even if you can't come to all of the meeting...still come on out for whatever part you are able.

Worship Gathering Sunday

Just a reminder that there is a Worship Gathering this Sunday @ 2pm in the Blue Room over at Christ Covenant Church. Justin Webb will be preaching and Aaron & Ross will be leading acoustic worship. As always, we will be going out to eat after the service so invite some friends and come worship with us on Sunday.

Click here for directions.
Questions? Contact Us.

Pastors are the Happiest People on Earth

True or False? Are Pastors the happiest people on earth? According to this Chicago Tribune article they are. The article reports:

" Eighty-seven percent of clergy said they were "very satisfied" with their work, compared with an average 47 percent for all workers. Sixty-seven percent reported being "very happy," compared with an average 33 percent for all workers."


But what about these statistics from Journey Church pastor, Darrin Patrick:

• Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
• Fifty percent of pastors' marriages will end in divorce.
• Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
• Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
• Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
• Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.
• Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
• Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.

.........................

It doesn't sound like the pastors in these statistics would be the happiest or most satisfied people on earth. In fact, it sounds quite the contrary. So what's the dealio? Evidently someone's statistics are incorrect or pastors just lied on their happiness survey. I would hope that a lot of Darrin's statistics are wrong, because otherwise the church has a huge problem on its hands in dealing with pastors. But I, from personal experience, would also believe that many pastors would lie about their happiness and satisfaction, because they know they are supposed to feel satisfied and fulfilled in their ministry calling and continue to tell themselves they are happy, even if it's not the way they feel.

So what do you think? Do you think pastors are the happiest and most fulfilled professionals? Should they be? Or should all Christian professionals be the happiest and most fulfilled? What does Darrin Patrick's stats, if true, mean for the church in general? Share your thoughts.

Common Sayings Not Found in Scripture

I ran across some common sayings on BlueLetterBible that are not found in scripture. See if you recognize any of these. Click each saying to read more info on its history.

Sayings
Moderation in all things.
Once saved, always saved.
Better to cast your seed....
Spare the rod, spoil the child.
To thine ownself be true.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
God helps those who help themselves.
Money is the root of all evil.
Cleanliness is next to godliness.
This too shall pass.
God works in mysterious ways.
The eye is the window to the soul.

Miscellaneous
The Three Wisemen
The Sinner's Prayer
Wedding Vows
The Seven Deadly Sins



See the Blue Letter Bible original post.

Virtual Church

I ran across some cool technology stuff today that I had not seen before...LifeChurch, known for its amazing use of technology and online church campus has recently gained some attention from MSNBC with its online virtual 3D world campus on Second Life. Second Life (a newbie to me) is a 3D virtual world with millions of users who wander around and...yeah I don't know much about it but the best I understand it...it is similar to a RPG game like EverQuest, but it's not a game. Anyways it seems cool...people attend their "virtual" church on Sunday's and are participating in the services with their "virtual identity," even if they never step foot into a church building. I'm not sure how effective this type of ministry is, but as long as the gospel is being proclaimed in a Christ-centered way, it can't be bad...right?

Want to know more? Why don't you just check out the article on MSNBC or the video segment on the story. Leave your opinion in the comments.


LifeChurch speaks on the virtual evangelism issue: "Why Second Life?"

Dose of Chambers- 5/21

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33

Immediately we look at these words of Jesus, we find them the most revolutionary statement human ears ever listened to. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God." We argue in exactly the opposite way, even the most spiritually-minded of us - "But I must live; I must make so much money; I must be clothed; I must be fed." The great concern of our lives is not the kingdom of God, but how we are to fit ourselves to live. Jesus reverses the order: Get rightly related to God first, maintain that as the great care of your life, and never put the concern of your care on the other things.

"Take no thought for your life. . . ." Our Lord points out the utter unreasonableness from His standpoint of being so anxious over the means of living. Jesus is not saying that the man who takes thought for nothing is blessed - that man is a fool. Jesus taught that a disciple has to make his relationship to God the dominating concentration of his life, and to be carefully careless about every thing else in comparison to that. Jesus is saying - "Don't make the ruling factor of your life what you shall eat and what you shall drink, but be concentrated absolutely on God." Some people are careless over what they eat and drink, and they suffer for it; they are careless about what they wear, and they look as they have no business to look; they are careless about their earthly affairs, and God holds them responsible. Jesus is saying that the great care of the life is to put the relationship to God first, and everything else second.

It is one of the severest disciplines of the Christian life to allow the Holy Spirit to bring us into harmony with the teaching of Jesus in these verses.

Quail Hollow Concert Part 1

New Podcast! Live recording of Jonny's House. Quail Hollow Camp Concert Part 1 of 3. 3 Songs. (Tuesday's Gone, Comfortably Numb, Jesus Lead On)

Direct Download: Quail Hollow Concert: Part 1

Foundation Mission Trip

So here's some exciting news- We have the opportunity to go to New Orleans this summer!! The Foundation Outreach/Missions team is in contact with Vieux Carre' Baptist Church, located in the French Quarter, which is in the heart of New Orleans. There are some
exciting ministry opportunities in this area, including construction/deconstruction and homeless outreach.

Being strategically placed in the French Quarter to minister to the
homeless and just a couple streets away from Bourbon Street, Vieux
Carre' Baptist Church has some unique opportunities to magnify the
Lord by serving people in a practical way, people who are searching
for something…anything to fill their souls.

There is going to be an information/interest meeting next Wednesday, May 23rd. We'll be meeting at Aaron & Ross's house at 7pm. (Contact Us if you have questions or need directions to the meeting.)

Come on Wednesday to find out more about the trip and please be in
prayer about what the Lord may lead you to do!

If you want to check out some blogs/pics about the trip I took to New Orleans last year visit here and here.

Blessings,
Stephanie K.

Morning and Evening: May 18th

'All that believe are justified.'-Acts 13:39

The believer in Christ receives a present justification. Faith does not produce this fruit by-and-by, but now. So far as justification is the result of faith, it is given to the soul in the moment when it closes with Christ, and accepts Him as its all in all.

Are they who stand before the throne of God justified now?-so are we, as truly and as clearly justified as they who walk in white and sing melodious praises to celestial harps. The thief upon the cross was justified the moment that he turned the eye of faith to Jesus; and Paul, the aged, after years of service, was not more justified than was the thief with no service at all. We are to-day accepted in the Beloved, to-day absolved from sin, to-day acquitted at the bar of God. Oh! soul-transporting thought! There are some clusters of Eshcol's vine which we shall not be able to gather till we enter heaven; but this is a bough which runneth over the wall. This is not as the corn of the land, which we can never eat till we cross the Jordan; but this is part of the manna in the wilderness, a portion of our daily nutriment with which God supplies us in our journeying to and fro. We are now-even now pardoned; even now are our sins put away; even now we stand in the sight of God accepted, as though we had never been guilty.

'There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.' There is not a sin in the Book of God, even now, against one of His people. Who dareth to lay anything to their charge? There is neither speck, nor spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing remaining upon any one believer in the matter of justification in the sight of the Judge of all the earth. Let present privilege awaken us to present duty, and now, while life lasts, let us spend and be spent for our sweet Lord Jesus..