As the weekend quickly approaches, our Christmas Bash will
highlight our weekend at TNC! The Christmas party for kids from preschool to 5th
grade will be held from 2:00 – 4:00 pm on Sunday after our services in the North Augusta
High School gymnasium. Many
of our TNC leaders have put a lot of energy and effort in to making this a
special day for our kids! About 130 kids
have registered to be a part of our biggest Christmas outreach to date!
As a part of the Christmas Bash, we will have some special
friends on campus for our 11:30 am service. Many of our families and friends
from Ridgeview will be in attendance as our invited guests. We are pumped about
the opportunity to welcome them to TrueNorth Church. For many of them, this will be their first
visit to TNC! We are excited about having them with us for the service and the
Christmas Bash!
We will continue our Christmas series, “Delivered”, in Matthew as we continue to discover the profound difference that baby Jesus can make in our lives 2000 years later! I can’t wait to share Sunday’s message with you as we talk about the “freedom” we find in our Savior. I hope you plan to INVITE someone to attend with you because this will be one of those messages that could CHANGE their destiny forever!
I will see you Sunday as we put CHRIST in your Christmas!
Steve Davis,
Lead Pastor
Last Sunday, Steve announced that Element Student Ministries will have a new home in early 2010. Praise God that we have too little space in The Depot and we need more room for our students! We have made arrangements to lease the old Foxcreek High School building at 1297 W. Martintown Rd. near Exit 1 and I-20. This space will be a vast improvement over The Depot as it will expand Element’s facility almost threefold!
The remainder of the 12,000+ square foot building will be converted into TNC’s offices. This building will also serve as a gathering place for Class 101, Journey Teams, meetings, band practices, etc. We are excited about having a place where everything outside of Sunday morning ministries is under one roof!
You may wonder how this fits in our long range plans. One word: Perfectly! Why are we doing this now? First of all, Element desperately needs more space. We’ve been searching for another site for our student ministry for quite awhile. Second, by moving Element and our offices into this facility it will allow us to build more in the future on our land. As Steve explained Sunday, during our preliminary planning with our architect we have drawn 4 “boxes” to facilitate our ministries: Journey Land, KidzStuff, Worship Center, and Element/Office space. This will eliminate the need to build 4 boxes in our first building phase. We can focus on building three boxes instead of four.
How much will this cost? After initial upfitting, the lease on the new building will be less than the rent we currently pay for the Depot, offices, and storage units. We are going to try to upfit the new building for about $30,000. Therefore, our Christmas Eve offering will be dedicated to the renovations of our new Student Ministries space. We plan to tackle this project with a lot of volunteer labor so you may be called on to clean, paint, hammer, install, or anything else we can think of to get this job done!
Pray about your part in the Christmas Eve offering and how you can contribute to this exciting project! We believe this is definitely a GOD-THING! As usual, He brings the right people and right circumstances to us at just the right time! What a thrill it is to watch Him work!
Glad to be a part of the adventure with you,
Gene Jennings, Associate Pastor
]]>When Steve said another special Sunday was coming last week, we definitely saw why. One of the reasons was the announcement of the future location of Element Student Ministries and the TrueNorth Church Offices and in the old Fox Creek High School location on Martintown Road in North Augusta. God is meeting needs in a way only HE can with this building, as it is the same square footage our architect and staff have determined we will require to have these things on our land in the future! This allows for us to use these facilities in the interim while our land is being paid for and buildings for Sunday morning ministries make their way onto the property first. What a blessing from an all-providing GOD!
This past Sunday was also the beginning of our Christmas series, Delivered. Each week in this series will provide an in-depth look at Matthew's account of Jesus' birth in the Bible. This week's focus was on the physical birth of Jesus, how He was born of the Spirit, and how we are to be as well. Take a look . . .
THE MESSAGE: Born of the Spirit
Watch messages throughout the week online at http://www.truenorthchurch.com.
Matthew 1:18 recalls, "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit" (NIV). Jesus made it clear throughout His ministry that being born in the Spirit is something for all of us. Jesus explained what this means in John 3:3-8:
[...] Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!”
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (NIV).
This means a second birth and a new life with the Spirit of God living inside of us. It is the birth of God's life in you. Being a part of the Kingdom of God is to be born of the Spirit. The Spirit is our way to Heaven. This is something we may not fully understand, but we don't have to understand something to embrace it and for it to be a part of us.
The Holy Spirit is the Comforter. He comes to comfort you and provides an unexplainable peace. He is a Counselor. He is always with you, guiding you in the truth. He convicts. He speaks to your heart and tells you what should and should not be. The Holy Spirit is God (John 14:16-18). He is equal to Jesus, and according to Jesus is the best thing we could have. The Holy Spirit, the breath of God, is living in believers (John 16:7).
You are born of the Spirit if you step over the line of faith, and are missing out if you're not living in the Spirit after that. It is the life God wants us all to have.
THE MUSIC: Here are the songs that accompanied Sunday's message.
All Creation Sing (Joy to the World) by Fee [listen]
Let God Arise by Chris Tomlin [listen]
Sing, Sing, Sing by Chris Tomlin [listen]
O Holy Night
Everlasting God by Chris Tomlin [listen]
]]>We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and “Dunk’d” services last weekend! We baptized 27 people and God’s presence was apparent in the worship, cheers and tears. Before I look forward to another exciting WEEKEND, I want to give a BIG SHOUT OUT to each of you that participated in BUYING and BLESSING others with turkeys for THANKSGIVING. The final numbers are in and we were able to BLESS over 150 families with turkey and we raised over $10,000 for our TNC LAND!!!! Incredible Job TNCers and thanks a lot “BIG DADDY” for all your hard work!
Our “DUNK’D” services jumpstarted the Holiday season as we now look forward to the CHRISTMAS SEASON! This Sunday we begin a powerful series entitled, DELIVERED. We invite you to wrap your hearts around the precious and practical truths found in the Christmas story as recorded by Matthew. I can’t tell you how excited that I am to share these messages with YOU and THOSE YOU INVITE to join us! This three week series will lead us to conclude the Christmas season at our special TNC CHRISTMAS EVE service, “THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS!” We will have 3 service times at 4:00, 5:30 and 7:00 pm. The last service childcare will not be available. INVITE cards can be picked up at Guest Services for you to invite family, friends and co-workers as culminate our CELEBRATION of the NEW-BORN KING!
Sunday, I will also be making another SPECIAL and EXCITING ANNOUNCMENT concerning God’s leading of TrueNorth Church! You don’t want to miss the good news as our Father continues to open doors of opportunity for the ministry of TNC to grow and expand!!!
Finally, please be in prayer for another TNC mission team that leaves in the morning to minister and serve in Guatemala next week. We have another strong team that is excited about taking the love of Jesus to those who haven’t heard! Please keep them in your prayers all week!
Can’t wait to see you Sunday as we begin a season of Celebrating that Christ has come!
I Love You,
Steve Davis
Laad Pastor
]]>
As we prepare to celebrate a Holiday focused on giving thanks, my prayer for you and your family is that you would stop and give thanks. Carve some time in your schedule this weekend to pause and share the things you are most thankful for. Before you finish have a family member close in prayer thanking God for your many blessings!
Just a Reminder….Gobble! Gobble!
Gobble!
TOMORROW - Wednesday, November 25th we will distribute our TNC turkeys at North Augusta High School between 11am & 1pm. For those who have pre-ordered, well come and get-em! (all proceeds go to the TNC land fund.)
If you either forgot or just didn’t have time to pre-order, I’ve been told we will have Turkeys for sale. Just come by the High School and pick one up. You can get one for a family member or better yet, bring them with you so they can get their own. The Turkeys are between 12-14 lbs. and cost $25.00. They are AWESOME! So why cook if you don’t have to.
No calls to the church office please…. first come, first get-em! I will see you guys there it’s gonna be lot’s of fun!
DUNK’D this Sunday, November 29. Finish off your Holiday by attending our Dunk’d services on Sunday at one of our three services at 8:30, 10:00 or 11:30 am. Over 30 folks will be baptized as we celebrate men, women, boys and girls going public with their faith in Jesus Christ! It’s going to be a HUGE CELEBRATION so don’t miss it!
Enjoy the Holiday and I will see you Sunday!
Steve Davis, Lead Pastor
THE MESSAGE: Hide Your Heart
Watch messages online throughout the week at http://www.truenorthchurch.com.
God thinks marriage is beautiful, and we need to realize what can wreck it. In the conclusion of How to Wreck Your Marriage, Jay Knotts shared what happens when you hide your heart. Your heart is the most authentic "you." It is where your identity is found. Having "yes, dear" or "if Mama ain't happy . . ." mentalities are not helpful, but very destructible to a marriage and to the individual. They mean your heart (or identity) is being lost in other things.
Uncover your heart. Your identity matters! You have to have a voice, and you have to have a choice. This can't be done when you pile on the problems of those around you to the point they define you. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that God made each of us as his masterpieces. We're all unique, and it would be a tragedy if you're hidden. Don't take on everything. What you say yes to and what you say no to defines who you are. This is why dominating spouses can hide your identity.
You marriage needs a pressure release valve, like what is found in Ephesians 4:15-16:
Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. (NLT)
Marriage is two identities, and it does not work when hearts are hidden. Don't hide your heart behind aggression and defensiveness. Christian research has proven, through case studies followed for 10 years, with 95% accuracy, that you need five positive interactions for every one negative to spiral your marriage back up (The Gottman Ratio). This does not coincide with being aggressive or defensive. Dropping communicative "atomic bombs" only leads to massive explosions. Interactions out of the fruits of the Spirit--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control--are positive and beneficial to your marriage (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV).
Beware of the marital "four horsemen of the Apocalypse." These are criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling. Criticism lies in finding fault and attacking it. Rather than criticize, empathize. Sarcasm, humiliation and insults are all forms of contempt. Not listening to anyone else and relying on your own reasoning alone is a symptom of defensiveness. When you withdraw, lay distance and have a smug, "I'm done," attitude, you are stonewalling your spouse. Don't put these four things into practice, but rather live out Philippians 4:8-9:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (NIV)
Surrender your heart to healing and restoration. When you do this, some amazing things can happen. Look at Ezekiel 36:22-27. In it, we see where God first healed and restored Ezekiel, and then led him to the land of bones. Through Ezekiel, God rode the dry bones, put flesh back on them, and breathed wind into them to bring them back to life. God wants to heal and restore us, and reveal His glory through us; through our marriages. Will we let him?
THE MUSIC: Click "listen" to hear the songs that accompanied the message.
]]>This Sunday is our final message in our “How to Wreck Your Marriage” series. God has blessed hearts BIG TIME in this series and you don’t want to miss the closing message on Sunday! Let’s keep praying and fighting for our marriages at TNC so that God might allow our homes to be bright lights in a dark world.
THANKSGIVING is next week, have you purchased a TURKEY yet? Remember Sunday is the final day to turn in your orders for TURKEYS!!! All money raised goes to the TNC LAND OFFERING!!! Your 12-14 lb smoked turkey may be picked up on Wednesday (Nov. 25) from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm at North Augusta High School. Call some friends and family members and invite them to purchase a turkey for $25.00. I also encourage you to BLESS ONE this Thanksgiving by purchasing a turkey for a family at Ridgeview. All you have to do is purchase it and we will take the turkey to them. We need over 80 turkeys to provide for every family at Ridgeview!!! Buy One and Bless One this Sunday! All orders and forms need to be turned in to Guest Services on Sunday.
DUNK’D is coming next Sunday, November 29!!!! We will be having a huge DUNK’D (Baptism) service for all those who want to GO PUBLIC with their faith in Jesus Christ! We are having a BAPTISM CLASS this Sunday at 10:00 am for all those interested in following Christ in baptism. The class meets above the gym, just follow the signs on campus. Dunk’d Sunday is always a huge celebration at TNC invite your friends and family members to join us for this SPECIAL DAY!
God is alive and well at TNC! I’m praying that you will open your heart to all that He is doing in our lives and our church. I love you and thank God for you!
In His Love,
Steve Davis, Lead Pastor
THE MESSAGE: Watch online at http://www.truenorthchurch.com.
Expecting your spouse to be like you is an unrealistic outlook of marriage. Your spouse is not like you because men and women are not alike. A man's brain is like an arrangement of boxes--it sectionalizes activities, emotions, deep thoughts, free time, etc. A woman's brain is like a ball of wire with all of these things running together; each can easily segue to one another. This creates a need to be intentional about meeting each other's needs, as the deepest needs of a wife and husband vary. "A man should fulfill his duty as a husband and a woman should fulfill her duty as a wife, and each should satisfy the other's needs" (1 Corinthians 7:3 GN)
Husbands, your wife needs your affection: "Husbands, give your wives much love; never treat them harshly" (Colossians 3:19). They need to feel like they are No. 1 in your life. Four ways to show your affection to your wife are by your words, by your actions, by the way you touch her and by focused attention.
Your wife needs conversation with you: "Reliable communication permits progress . . ." (Proverbs 13:17). Your wife is less interested in you telling her the answer to her issues and more interested in your listening and communicating with her. Intentionally hear her heart. This is one of your wife's biggest emotional needs.
Your wife needs your honesty and openness: "Insincere talk hides what you are really thinkin . . . It brings nothing but ruin" (Proverbs 26:23, 28). Always be sincere. Be your wife's friend. Be there for her with financial security and support, and commitment to the family as well.
Wives, your husband needs your affection, too, including sexual fulfillment. This is one of the biggest crossroads in wives understanding husbands. It comes from men trusting their wives to be the only one to fulfill this need for them (1 Corinthians 7:4-5). It is also the one need only a wife can meet unless the husband goes outside of the marriage.
Your husband needs admiration. The emotional need is huge, and the absence of admiration is often what a husband looks for outside of marriage when he is not adequately receiving it. From doing the laundry to sharing about his career, husbands what to know they are appreciated in this regard. (See Ephesians 5:33.)
Your husband needs an attractive spouse. This doesn't mean you need to feel like you're supposed to measure up to women in store window displays. What it does mean is to take care of yourself. Men are visual, but should not compare their wives (Ephesians 5:21-25). Your husband also needs your domestic support and recreational companisionship. How that looks needs to be determined among a husband and wife, as it varies.
Knowing your spouse's deepest needs will help you connect with each other on a powerful level. This is a fleshed-out way of living out Ephesians 5. Love your spouse the way Christ loved the Church. He did so be sacrificing His all. Give up yourself. It is a constant thing for us to be who God wants us to be, and the only way to do it is to be ultimately committed to Jesus.
THE MUSIC: Click "listen" to hear the songs that accompanied the message.
Rise and Sing by Fee [listen]
Awesome is the Lord Most High by Chris Tomlin [listen]
Savior in Me by Joseph Christie Band [listen]
How Great is Our God/How Great Thou Art by Chris Tomlin [listen]
Everything Falls by Fee [listen]
]]>About the team from TNC that recently helped with disaster relief after the September SE Asia earthquake...
http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31625
We’ve been encouraging you to invite your friends, family members and co-workers this month for our series, ‘’How To Wreck Your Marriage’’ and you have responded! The past two Sundays our attendance has spiked to an all time high at TNC! The 10 am & 11:30 am services this Sunday were full! We had over 1,500 on campus, a non-holiday record for TrueNorth Church! Our services have been powerful, moving and convicting; you can sense God’s Spirit working in hearts and minds!
We want to thank you for your patience in the parking lots as our parking team handles the crowds particularly between the second and third services. They are working hard to maintain the madness and excitement! We are praying and expecting even bigger crowds the next two Sundays of this series as you to continue to invite friends and co-workers who want to take their marriage to the next level.
On that note, I am strongly encouraging every regular TNCer that could attend the 8:30 service the next two weeks to do so. We need your seat in the 10 & 11:30 service for all of the newcomers that our coming. We’ve always been a church that’s been willing to do whatever it takes to ‘’REACH OTHERS’’, let’s keep doing it TNC! God is doing some big things in the hearts of people! Let’s keep making room for them and let God work! Thanks for your Kingdom Heart ahead of time.
This Sunday in our MARRIAGE SERIES, I will be joined by a special guest on the stage as I share the third message in this series. My wife, Cheryl, will join me for a portion of the message as we share some info, that has made A MAJOR DIFFERENCE in our marriage. I can’t wait and you don’t want to miss it!
TNC, I am so pumped about what God is doing in us as we continue to UNITE together to be a people that LOVE JESUS and OTHERS! May we continue to LIFT UP, LOVE IN and LIVE OUT! See YOU and a FRIEND Sunday!
Steve Davis, Lead Pastor