Sowing with Servanthood.

Mark 9:34-35 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

Once there was a king who decided to set aside a special day to honor his greatest subject. When the big day arrived, a large gathering took place in the palace courtyard and four finalists were brought forward.

The first person was a wealthy philanthropist. This man was deserving of the king’s honor because of his great humanitarian efforts. He had given much of his wealth to the poor, building orphanages, schools and hospitals throughout the land. The second was a celebrated physician. This outstanding doctor was deserving of honor for rendering his faithful and dedicated service to the sick for many years and discovering medicines that saved many lives. The third was a distinguished judge. He was noted for his wisdom, his fairness and his many a brilliant decision.

The last person presented before the king was an elderly woman. Her manner was quite humble, as was her dress. She hardly looked the part of someone who would be honored as the greatest subject in the kingdom. What chance could she possibly have, when compared to the other three, who had accomplished so very much?

The king was intrigued, to say the least and was somewhat puzzled by her presence. He asked who she was. Then the answer came: “Well, my king, do you see the philanthropist, the doctor, and the judge over here? She was their teacher!”

This woman had no wealth, no fortune, and no title, but countless lives were helped, healed and changed through her giving.

We never know whose lives we’re touching. I’m sure someone prayed — someone gave — someone shared the Gospel with some of the greatest evangelists, preachers and givers we know.

Let’s serve the Lord by sowing unselfishly into the lives of the people he’s put in our path — so that they may become great in God’s Kingdom! There’s so much work to be done. So, come join us in serving, join us in giving, and join us in living out the good news of Jesus!!

Trunk Or Treat

Last night was Music City's second annual Trunk Or Treat Event. It was an awesome time where 70 kids (60 who do not normally come to our church!) came and played games, drank hot cocoa, and got lots and lots of candy!

Our church does events like these for a few reasons. First, who doesn't love handing out free candy? Second, it's tons of fun for the kids (and I think the adults had a pretty good time, too!). But most importantly, we do this events because it's a chance for our church to show the people in our area who we are and what we're about. So many people drive past our church everyday, but all they ever see is the building. This event was our opportunity for those people to put a face with our building: for them to come and meet us, see that we're just regular people, and that we care about them.

Most of these people won't come back to our church this Sunday. And that is ok. There's really nothing that we as a church can do to make them come church - that's up to the Holy Spirit. But what we can do is show them love and make them feel welcome so that when they are ready, they feel comfortable coming into our church. And I totally think that happened last night!

So a huge thank you to everyone who helped: to all the check-in and food table workers - thanks for serving with such great spirits! To all the life-group members - thanks for going all out in decorating your trunks. Your creativity was incredible! To the life-group leaders - thanks so much for your organization and leadership to make the trunks happen! And a HUGE HUGE THANK YOU to Chad & Staci for coordinating and executing this event with such excellence! Your passion for outreach inspire me and I'm so excited to see what God continues to do in our church through your leadership in this area.

Hannah Fratt
Children's Ministries Director

How do you measure up?

Servanthood is such an amazing topic and one that should be at the heart of every believer because our savior came and lived a life of service to others. If we truly want to follow Christ then we must serve. However, it's easy when we are serving to lose perspective on the various aspects of service. Here are three things about servanthood that if we can remember them we will be able to use them as a benchmark to see how we are measuring up in the area of servanthood in our own lives.

1) Excellence - A true servant serves with excellence. Colossians 3:23-24

"Whatever you do, wok at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will recieve an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Every time we serve we are serving Christ. It's an act of worship to our King. Every time we serve we are representing Christ. If we keep this perspective of excellence in service we won't become frustrated as easily when people aren't grateful for our service.

2)Position - A true servant isn't concerned with Position.

Someone once said that "greatness is a commitment to last place." Also, consider Jesus. He became last in order to serve.

3) Motive - A true servant has no other motive but to serve.

We are to be motivated by love. We are to be motivated by compassion. We are to be motivated by what Christ has done in our own lives.

If we can remember the 3 things that a true servant does we will be well on our way to becoming a servant that Jesus would be proud of.

Craig Swift

Youth/Music Pastor.

Habitat for Hope

Recently, my wife and I had to take our daughter, Madelynn, to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN due to her seizure disorder. We were there almost all week. During our stay we had the opportunity to be ministered to by the organization, Habitat for Hope.

This organization, founded by Mark and Mylissa Horrocks, provides relational support, lodging and meals to families who have short and long term hospital stays in the Memphis area. When we were there I think we only bought two meals the whole week and we always had a place to rest our head. They have created a whole network of volunteers throughout the city who will take time out of their day and money out of their pockets to hang out with families in local hospitals (like Le Bonheur and St. Judes) and bring them meals. Their volunteers served with excellence and passion. It was truly remarkable. They never just dropped food off and left like they were in a hurry. They sat with us, shared our pain and offered encouragement. Without their support it would have been a lonely week because we don't know anyone in the Memphis area.

Mark frequently reminded me that the lodging and meals are not the primary focus of the ministry. They are tools that enable them to create relationships with families during potentially difficult times in their lives. This notion continues to challenge me greatly.

For the ministries and acts of service, both inside and outside the church, in which I am involved is my focus on building meaningful relationships or on building successful organizations, tools, systems and structures? I think it is so easy to lose sight of the "point" of such ministries and in doing so lose the opportunity to truly show the love of Jesus to those the ministry intends to reach. Where is your focus?

Chad Quarles

Outreach Coordinator

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4 NASB

Does that freak anyone else out like it does me?! I'm going to go ahead and be honest and say that even as hands-on and active as I am at church I still have to grapple with my selfless, servant attitude.

Since pastor's sermon yesterday I've been thinking through this whole idea of service and what it means in my life. I would normally say that I'm a pretty giving person, a selfless person even at times and yet when I read parts of the Bible that point back to service I get a sharp reality check. There are many times that I "do service" at church but deep down I'M looking for something. It ends up being about me...my needs...my insecurities...my pain. (my inner 4 year old is back and throwing a more mature version of a tantrum).

What if I could serve others like the verse above says "with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves." What if I could serve my wife this way, my close friends, my church...even strangers?

What some practical ways that you've learned to do this in your own life? How can the church do a better job of this inside and outside of it's walls? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Justin Fratt

Adult Ministries Director

DIAKONIA

Diakonia is the Greek word of service. It is the word Paul uses to describe the activity that is going on within the church when it is functioning in the way that God intended. It is not only the way to a healthy church but also healthy individuals. Our Faith was never meant to be compartmentalized to SERVICE within in the local church. Our faith is integrated into every aspect of our life which means that our SERVICE should be as strong outside the church as it is within.

What is your DIAKONIA like inside the local church? Do you come to church to SERVE or to be SERVED?
What is your DIAKONIA like outside the local church? Do you honor Christ as you live your life in SERVICE to others? Or is your life outside of the church focused primarily on you reaching your life, career, or financial goals?
Philippians 2:7 tells us that Jesus when he walked this earth, "took on the form of a SERVANT?"
Verse 5 of that same chapter tells us, "our attitudes should be the same as Christ Jesus."
I encourage you to follow Christ example and live a life that is marked by service.

Jason Whitehurst
Lead Pastor

Don't Run Alone- Teamwork

As we are talking about teamwork this week, I encourage you to watch this inspirational video to help remind us that teamwork can make the impossible possible.



Tyra Whitehurst
Media Director

Teamwork

Teamwork is essential to the vitality and life of the church. One person cannot do it all. The pastor of the church should not attempt to do all the work in the church. When God spoke to Ezekiel, God spoke to Ezekiel only about prophesying to the dead bones. God did not give Ezekiel all the work. And even today God does not give the work to one person but gives the work of ministry to the entire body. This is also seen in the “feeding of the five thousand” . . . . When Jesus took the two fish and five loaves of bread, he didn’t hand out the fish and bread individually to each of the five thousand people. Rather, Jesus took what was little and handed it to his disciples. The disciples in turn had the people sit in groups; once the people were in groups, the disciples gave the fish and bread to the group leaders. The group leaders in turn gave the fish and bread to the group; the entire body ate and was satisfied. What this shows is effective administrative team work.

Trying to do everything is not an effective method of doing ministry. God did not call us to be “Lone Ranger” ministers; rather, God has called us to be in relational ministry where God’s people work together for the building up of God’s kingdom here on earth.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan, the famous basketball player for the Chicago Bulls, knew that, though great, he could not win by himself. Michael knew it took teamwork to be effective. Michael’s acknowledgement that he needed help made him even more effective on the court, and season after season the Chicago Bulls won championship after championship. Why? Because of effective teamwork. Michael may have been the star player on the team and even the centerpiece in some people’s eyes. However, Michael understood that in order to be effective, he could not be the centerpiece of the puzzle; rather, he just wanted to be a piece of the championship puzzle. Teamwork!

Moses and Jethro

In the book of Exodus we find a perfect example of teamwork and how it can help an ineffective context become an effective context.

The next day Moses sat as judge for the people, while the people stood around him from morning until evening. When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people he said . . .“What you are doing is not good. You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. Now listen to me. I will give you counsel . . . [L]ook for able men among all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain; set such men over them as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Let them sit as judges for the people at all times; let them bring every important case to you, but decide every minor case themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. (Exodus 18: 13-14a, 17-19a, 21-22 NRSV)

This text has Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, giving advice on how to do ministry effectively as a team, not as an individual. Although Moses was a leader, his administrative skills were leading him to an early death. Administratively, Moses was not effective, nor would he have been able to sustain the ministry. “We do not know whether Moses is so concerned with control that he wants to handle all the cases himself, or if he is unreflective and has never thought about a more workable, practical system.” Think about that first statement, of Moses being concerned about control and power. This kind of attitude will always kill a church. Not only was Moses unsure of himself, “Moses seems not to have much common sense about administrative matters.”

Domineering people who have poor reflective skills and lack common sense tend not to be good administrators. They burn out quickly, far before ministry actually launches from the pad. This type of ministry is hurting and even killing thousands of churches today. From reading the text, it seems Jethro already knew what this type of ministry could do to Moses and the people of Israel. Jethro knew that Moses had to learn quickly the art of delegation.

Jethro thus proposes a judicial system, distinct from the primitive practice of one-man adjudication. The proposal includes the recruitment of good people (v. 21); their training and preparation (v. 20); a system of courts for different social units (v. 21); a “high court” over which Moses would preside (v. 22); and continued affirmation that the entire system would be referred to the will of God (vv. 12, 23). Such a system will save Moses from burnout, but more important, it will let the community go in [shalom] – i.e., in harmony and wholeness, free of conflict, enjoying a stable, shared welfare (v. 23).

Even today, the type of system Jethro advised to Moses can be a model to help noneffective, nonsustainable, and dying churches become effective and sustainable, vital, and healthy churches. Regardless of what size the church may be, when we realize that all people are a part of the body of Christ and that it is God’s Spirit that connects, guides, and empowers the church to work together as a team for the will of God, we have the great joy of knowing that all churches, no matter what size, can take little and do much.

Taken from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership

Michelle Swift/Music Pastor

Teamwork

For years, perhaps decades, “team” has been one of the most popular terms tossed around business circles. It is yet another sports metaphor meant to convey cooperation in competition. We hear about team concepts, safety teams, quality teams, maintenance teams, production teams, management teams, serve teams and others. It is so often used that most people have developed their own meaning of “team.”

Webster's online dictionary first defines teams in terms of draft animals harnessed to the same vehicle. The second definition again refers to a group of animals — in particular pigs or ducks — but indicates no common task or goal. The third definition is more modern and applicable to our experience: “A number of persons associated together in work or activity….“

Webster's has but one definition of teamwork: “Work done by several associates with each doing a part but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole.”

That's interesting. There is no reference to accomplishment of a common goal, no indication of competition, and no hint of winning or losing. But, perhaps Webster's is on to something. Let's look more closely at the definition.

TEAM BY ANY OTHER NAME

First, teamwork requires work. There is activity. The word assumes some productivity takes place. Most people leave home to go to work; those who work from home often have a special place set aside only for work. Most people leave work to return home (or to some alternate destination). Work is what is done at your place of business.

Second, this work is done by several associates; this is an interesting choice of terms. One person cannot make up a team. Webster's defines this work as being done by associates — not persons and not individuals, but associates. Associates have something in common that disconnected individuals do not possess. That something may be a common goal, common attributes, or common interests. These people have something in common with each other that makes them teammates.

Third, each of the associates does only a part of the work. It is either impossible or impractical for one team member to accomplish all of the work. There is reliance among the associates (let's call them teammates). There is a trust that each teammate will do his or her part of the work.

Fourth, each teammate understands the contributions of each team member. If one teammate fails, the entire team will fail, or the slack must be picked up by the remaining teammates. Success is shared; failure is shared. All participants are equally important. No team member feels valued above another.

Fifth, Webster's definition reveals that the objective is the success of the whole. This is where we would expect to see a phrase like “to accomplish a common goal.” Perhaps Webster's was trying to avoid the finality of reaching the goal. Once the goal is achieved, teamwork may no longer be necessary. However, if the objective is efficiency, the implication is that the process is continuous, as is teamwork.

Here at MCAG we invite you to join the team, jump in get involved. We can't do it without you. If we all do a little bit we can accomplish a lot for the kingdom of God.

Pick ME!!

I still shudder when I think of picking teams in elementary school. There were the two captains, usually the most athletic in gym class picked by the teacher, and then...us. Us being the outsiders.

Everyone waited in anticipation to see how they were valued as a potential teammate. The first drafts would begin. You start sweating a little bit as you wonder...do I have what it takes? I really want to be on their team but what if they don't like me or don't think I can do it? What if I can't do it? Insecurities start bombarding your mind...

Luckily, church is not like gym class sports teams - even though insecurities can be just as rampant. Some of us are waiting to be chosen by the "most holy" member of the congregation to be on their team, some of us are upset that we weren't chosen to be part of a specific ministry, some us want to crawl in a corner at the thought of stepping outside our comfort zone.

But all of us have been created and asked to be part of this "team." The great thing is that all of us are qualified - no one else can bring the talents and abilities that you possess to the table - each of us are unique. Sometimes the hardest part is believing that your contribution DOES make a difference.

So, what is the easiest way to starting stepping up and joining the team at MCAG? Begin with Serve Teams - it's a great way to explore various areas of the church and determine which might be the best fit for you. Signing up for serve teams is quick and easy - just go to www.musiccityag.com and click on the ministries tab. When you fill out the form someone will be in touch to get you connected to a team.

So put on your jersey, pull on your shoes and run to the field - the team needs you.

Justin Fratt

Adult Ministries Director

BENCH vs. THE GAME

ADVANTAGES OF SITTING ON THE BENCH
There is NO risk of getting hurt
There is NO risk of failure
You DO NOT have to over extend yourself
You DO NOT have to stay focused
You DO NOT have to give any attention to your opponent as they are not threatened by anyone sitting on the sidelines

DISADVANTAGES OF GETTING IN THE GAME
You could very well get hurt
You might fail
You will be over extended at times
It requires extreme focus.
You have to pay attention to your opponent because they want to take you out.

WHY WOULD ANY ONE WANT TO GET IN THE GAME IF THESE THINGS ARE TRUE?
Playing it safe requires no risk but it also offers no reward.
True fulfillment is found only in participation in the plan and purpose to which God has called you.
When you choose not to play your part the team suffers.

Jason Whitehurst
Lead Pastor

We are Blessed!!

I love our Pastors and the journey we are on together.  My family and I have been under their leadership now for about 5 years and it has been amazing just seeing the growth and changes our church has gone through.  I am excited to be a part of Music City Assembly of God and ready to see the next step God has for our church.  I choose to stand, like Hur, with our pastors and help them accomplish the vision God has placed within their hearts. Will you commit to do the same?  I appreciate when our Pastors have stood with my family during the trials of our life or just call to see how things are going.  Let’s return their kindness and compassion.  Let’s commit to pray for our pastors and at times just call to see how they are doing!!  We are truly blessed with wonderful pastors!!  Thank you, Pastors Jason, Tyra, Craig and Michelle!!

Staci Quarles

Outreach Director

Last week, the leadership team at MCAG attended a two-day conference in Atlanta called "Catalyst". This is the second time Justin & I have been able to go, and every year we are blown away with what an amazing event it is. The line-up of speakers was incredible - Rob Bell, Malcolm Gladwell, Dave Ramsey, Louie Giglio and many others. But one speaker who always impresses me is Andy Stanley. I think one of the key things that make him such a great speaker and leader is that he asks profound and insightful questions. This year he asked a question that I've been turning over in my head since I left the conference. The question was - "whose mark are you trying to make?" His point was this - we all want to leave our mark, our legacy. We all want something that makes us feel like our lives are meaningful and significant. That's our human nature. But God is asking us to turn those desires over to him, and to give ourselves and our lives to be used for His purposes. Instead of trying to leave our mark, allowing God to use us to leave his mark.

Maybe you've heard some version of this before. Maybe it sounds a little cliche. But I challenge you to spend some time really exploring what that means. It means dying to ourselves. It means letting go of our own wants and desires. It means it's not about me.

Would you take some time to think and pray about how God wants to use you in this next year? How does God want to use you to leave His mark? What are the things you need to let go of so that God can use you for His greater purposes? What are the things that God wants us as a church to turn over to Him so we can truly advance His Kingdom?

I pray that as we explore these questions, God will begin to use our church for new and exciting purposes - and that we would see Him glorified.

Hannah Fratt
Children's Ministries Director

Thanks

With the NFL in full swing I've noticed one thing and it's that every coach is only as good as the team that surrounds him. A good coach can motivate, encourage, and challenge, but ultimately it's up to the team to respond.

I write to you today as a member of a "coaching" staff that is surrounded by a great team. There is so much that we could not do if you did not respond to the call. You all encourage us with your hard work and inspire us with your amazing dreams and creative ideas. Please keep standing beside us, please keep praying for us, and please keep dreaming with us. Thank you for all you do.

From a pastor who appreciates his people.

Craig Swift

Worship/Youth Pastor

Join the Ranks

Leadership is a lonely job. Sure, everybody may say they want it, but when it comes down to it few are willing to make the sacrifice, make the cut, make the changes necessary to really be effective leaders.

The story of Nehemiah showcases an appropriate overview of the victories as well as the battles of a leader's life - so often we see a leader who has succeeded without hearing about his years of struggle and fighting to get there.

When I read the story looking at it from Nehemiah's perspective I get frustrated for the guy - it's a little like Moses in the dessert for 40 years with the whiny people. Here is a guy with a vision from God - an idea this crazy could only come from God - and yet he has to enlist the help of many others in order to get it done. I bet he wished many times that God had give him a task he could complete on his own. But God doesn't like us to work in isolation - we get so much more accomplished when we work together.

So Nehemiah, a cup servant to the king is now in charge of "rallying the troops" around this crazy, God-breathed idea of rebuilding the walls - and he does it but not without many battles along the way. Opposition comes from everywhere - within his own "troop" and from outsiders who don't get the vision. But I think the key character strength of Nehemiah shines best in these situations and each time he stands with conviction on what God asked him to do - he is faithful to the vision.

We at MCAG have the incredible opportunity to support our local "Nehemiahs" in the form of our pastors. Pastor's Appreciation is only one week out of the year, but I would encourage you to catch the vision and truly understand what dreams God has given our leaders. These "crazy" dreams, the "audacious" visions that they have aren't selfishly inspired - they can only be from God and I want to be one of the faithful troops that helps get the wall, the dream, the vision for MCAG built. I invite you to join the ranks.

Justin Fratt

Adult Ministries Director

Pastor Appreciation

Today we celebrated Pastor Appreciation Sunday. I am so excited to be a part of the Music City Assembly of God Story with Pastors Jason, Tyra, Craig and Michelle! Our Pastors are truly a gift and we need to do all we can to take care of God's gift to us as the congregation. We are called to create an environment where it is a joy for them to lead us and not a burden. Our Pastors need to know that we are WITH them, that we are FOR them and that we are praying for them. I want to challenge you with a few questions:

1) Are you doing all you can to help accomplish the vision our Pastors' have for this church?

2) Do you find yourself a spectator in our church critiquing the Pastors more than you offer encouragement?

3) Are you daily lifting our Pastors up in prayer and sharing in their struggles?

Remember, we are in this together. As part of congregation we share in the responsibility to accomplish the purposes of God in this community.

Thank you Jason, Tyra, Craig and Michelle for all you do. You are truly a blessing to us!

Chad Quarles

Outreach Coordinator

Experiencing God In Culture

I've been thinking a lot about this phrase and the more I think about it the more I wonder if we are missing our opportunity to affect culture and for culture to experience God. What good does it do if we as believers isolate our selves in a bubble of Christianity all the while neglecting the culture that we live in. We can learn such a great lesson from Paul in terms of letting culture experience God.

Paul met the culture where it was, he did not wait for it to come to his terms. He found a common ground that enabled him to begin a dialog about his faith that was truthful, straight forward, but respectful.

Peter said "always be ready to give an answer for your faith in Christ, but do so with gentleness and respect." I wonder if culture would hear what we would have to say if we stopped shaking our fists and began holding out a hand.

Craig Swift

Music/Youth Pastor

Truth is Everywhere

In the book Velvet Elvis, Rob Bell says the following, “Truth is everywhere, and it is available to everyone.” As Pastor pointed out on Sunday, God’s movement and actions in this world are not limited inside the box or realm we call Christianity. In the book of Romans Paul says, “Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves.” In reference to this verse Bell notes, “Without having any instructions from God or the Bible, these people are still able, from time to time, to live as God created us to live.” Throughout scripture Paul uses and affirms truth in the cultures he finds himself in. In this chapter Bell continues, “So as a Christian, I am free to claim the good, the true, the holy, wherever and whenever I find it. I live with the understanding that truth is bigger than any religion and the world is God’s and everything in it”

When I first heard this notion it was completely liberating and inspiring to me. Prior to realizing this I had lived under the impression that only Christians had “access” to truth. At times I viewed the world as “us” versus “them”. I really feel this is an unintended consequence (no one directly instructed me to believe this way) of the way the gospel is presented in many evangelical churches. The turmoil this "us" versus "them" mentality created in my mind and between my non-Christian friends and myself was anything but Godly. I felt like I could breath again when I realized that I did not need to disregard truth when it showed up in what Christianity typically defined as secular.

“If you come across truth in any form, it isn’t outside your faith as a Christian. Your faith just got bigger. To be a Christian is to claim truth wherever your find it. Its not truth over here and Jesus over there as if they were two different things. If Jesus shows us what God is really, truly like, and God is truth and all truth is God’s truth, then Jesus takes us into the truth, not away from it. He frees us to embrace whatever is true and good and beautiful wherever we find it. To live this way then, we have to believe in a big Jesus.” (yes more text from Velvet Elvis – read it!)

Chad Quarles

Outreach Coordinator

God's Heart

As Pastor spoke Sunday about seeing God in our culture several memories came to mind.  There have been several non-Christian organizations that have hugely blessed our special needs daughter, Madelynn, out of the goodness of their heart.  One Christmas the Nashville Easter Seals Organization recruited local companies to donate gifts to children participating in their child care center. Madelynn received a lot of therapeutic equipment that year!   Also, this past summer I was totally blessed by the Williamson County Parks and Recreation Center who had a Camp for children with special needs from age 6 to 21.  The organization is not Christian based, but the way they reach out to the needs of the community is clearly consistent with the heart of God.

 

We can all think of examples in our lives and in our culture where non-Christian groups are doing the work of God by taking care of those in need. Rather than using the Christian “label” to separate us and church-based ministries from “secular” activities perhaps we can celebrate and be unified with non-Christians in their efforts to assist those in need. I think we can be challenged by the idea that God gets all the glory when individuals, believers and unbelievers, show kindness towards one another even if they do not acknowledge the source of their compassion. Our role is to rejoice with them and help them to identify the Source that is already working within their hearts. 

Staci Quarles

Outreach Director

SACRED SPACES: Experiencing God in Culture

When I was growing up there was this huge debate going on in many churches about sacred and secular music. The thought was that any thing by an artist that was not a professing Christian could not be healthy or uplifting. This debate was so vigorous there were literally entire seminars devoted to the subject. People even told us that there were spirits attached to different chords that were played on certain instruments. I have admit that as a kid this kind of teaching led me to believe I would split hell wide open if my ears fell prey to the trapping of Secular Music.
As I have gotten older I have learned that just because a song was not written or performed by a Christian artist does not mean that I can't find God in the Music of our culture. Like Paul in Acts 17 as he stood talking with idol worshipping philosophers of his day in Athens and found there was a sincere heart in these men even if their practice of idol worship did not direct their passions in the right direction. Paul did not condone idol worship but he used this cultural reality to build a platform on which he could share his faith. I think that there is an awesome opportunity in our culture to find and share Christ in places once looked at as secular. Whether it is a U2 song or a movie can we not like Paul use these expressions of our culture to experience and share Christ!
Jason Whitehurst
Lead Pastor

Get Alone

Luke 9:10

"He took them with him and they withdrew by themselves."

In order to grow in grace, we must spend time in solitude. Contact with other is not what causes our soul to grow. Yes, we might be encouraged and uplifted but true growth comes from time spent with God. In fact, one quiet hour of prayer will yield greater results than many days spent with the company of others.

Let me encourage you to Get Alone. Spend some quiet time with God. Turn off the TV, turn down the radio, put the kids to bed, and just sit still. You don't have to say anything. Just rest in Him, quiet yourself before Him. You'll find such strength in those few moments with God.

It is in the desert that the dew is freshest and the air is the most pure.

Michelle Swift

Worship Leader

Instruments of God

Reading Isaiah 53 this morning, verse two stuck in my mind: “He had no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.” The more that verse played in my mind, the more Hebrews 11 came to mind. God has a history of taking regular, ordinary people and doing some extraordinary things through them.

Joseph was a regular teenager who’s brothers were jealous and sold him into slavery, but God used all that was wrongly done to him for good when he became second in charge in Egypt. Moses was a normal Hebrew boy God used to deliver the people from crushing hand of Pharaoh. Joshua was an ordinary man with faith in God, so he led the people of God to defeat Jericho. Rahab was a common prostitute, yet she believed God and saved the Joshua’s spies. There are many more examples through out the Bible. The point is God used all these ordinary people, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to fight the armies of the aliens (Hebrews 11:33-34).

If Christ Himself was ordinary being a lowly carpenter’s son, why would we expect God to use only special people for His purposes? The fact is He doesn’t. “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;” 1 Corinthians 1:27 declares. Why just look at who Jesus chose for His disciples? A tax collector named Levi (Matthew) and simple fishermen (Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John). These uneducated men went on to turn the world upside down because they had been found to have been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).

What did all these ordinary people have in common? They believed God in faith. Hebrews 11:6 says “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”. From the Old Testament examples to the New Testament examples, the people believed God against all odds. They willingly submitted to His will in their life, even when it meant giving up their livelihood to follow Him. Some left family and friends, some left their countries to live in a foreign land and still others gave up their jobs to follow God’s leading. Their faith was real and it was demonstrated with action. They were obedient to God’s commands. When God said go, they went.

Think God can’t or won’t use you? Think again. His glory shines the greatest through the weakest of vessels. When it seems impossible that good can come from a highly dysfunctional life, that’s just when God shows up to make everyone gasp at the wonderful of His mercy and love. If you believe God, submit to His will and are obedient to His Word, stand back and watch the work of the Lord. Be an giver of love, be a vessel of mercy, a well of grace, be an instrument of God.