40 posts tagged “sunday recap”
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]
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.
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]
THE MESSAGE: Watch online at http://www.truenorthchurch.com.
Other than Jesus Christ, marriage can be one of the greatest refuges there is. Statistics for successful marriages, however, are staggering. It is said that roughly 2 out of 10 couples experience marriage the way God intended. Over half of marriages end in divorce, and the ones that do last may not be the strong, loving relationships among two people they were meant to be. One out of four marriages go through affairs, thus affair proofing your marriage is vital to its survival.
Although affair proofing a marriage is not entirely possible, measures must be taken to make it last. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Guarding your heart means staying in the game and not building walls. Marriage takes active participation between a husband and wife. Spouses must be a refuge and a source of strength and encouragement for each other. Don't be the opposites of these things. A blueprint to this is Ephesians 5:25-33.
When you're not a refuge to your spouse, their ability to be themselves goes down. Numbness enters the picture, and affairs follow the pain that was experienced. Fight. You can either fight for your marriage or fight in divorce. The passage in Ephesians states that married couples are united as one. Respect each other. When disrespect enters marriage, it's gasoline on a fire.
Seek intentionally to address and heal the major wounds in your life. Do you have pain from past experiences that is leading you to wrongful behavior? Share this with someone. Seek godly counsel and work it out. These things can ruin a marriage when not dealt with properly. God gives example of His healing in 2 Kings 20:5 when this happens. You have to trust in others to make your marriage work, and you must confess (James 5:16). Don't allow these wounds to sit in darkness and lead to darkness.
The environment necessary for love to grow in marriage is one of freedom and responsibility. Don't control your spouse's every move. Love can't be experienced without giving someone freedom to love you. Control leads to escape being sought, and in marriage, that escape is often an affair. Put boundaries in place, and don't overburden your spouse. A tired spouse will fantasize about what else can be.
When you're bound in God and each other, nothing will destroy your marriage.
THE MUSIC: Click "listen" to for links to the songs from Sunday's message.
Sing, Sing, Sing by Chris Tomlin [listen]
Beautiful Jesus by Kristian Stanfill [listen]
Everything Falls by Fee [listen]
Your Grace is Enough by Chris Tomlin [listen]
THE MESSAGE: Watch online at http://www.truenorthchurch.com.
Marriage can be crazy; especially when we embrace unrealistic expectations.
Do any of these sound like you?
- If our marriage is hard work, we must not be right for each other.
- I shouldn't have to change who I am to make our marriage better.
- My spouse is responsible for my happiness.
The truth is: marriage is hard work. Because your marriage is hard does not mean you do not belong together. We are different as individuals, and families, children and careers add to those differences. Where is hard work needed in your marriage? Spouses are constantly having to change for the betterment of the marriage. This is no different than improving in your career or anything else in your life. Marriage is two people coming together, helping each other change. What is it in your marriage that needs to be changed? Although only Christ will complete you, your spouse is there to compliment you. However, your spouse is not responsible for your happiness. We need to be committed to the person, and not the expectations.
Our expectations are born as natural desires in our hearts, and when realistic are very rewarding. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12). How do spouses merge the pictures of their expectations? By being aware, reasonable and clear about what they expect, and through their willingness to listen to the Lord. Have a tender heart towards God. Nehemiah 4:14 tells us to remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and to fight for our wives and homes. Satan is the enemy to your marriage, and fighting for it is vital to its longevity.
Marriage is going to take hard work. It means giving time, energy and sacrifice. Keep these things up with your spouse.
THE MUSIC: Click listen for links to the songs that accompanied Sunday's message.
Solution by Hillsong United [listen]
Alive and Running by Kristian Stanfill [listen]
You Never Let Go by Matt Redman [listen]
Love Story by Taylor Swift [listen]
How He Loves by John Mark McMillan [listen]
As we entered in to WE UNITE: 40 Days of Community, the following mission led the movement: We will commit. We will pray. We will see God when WE UNITE. For those playing the game at home, God showed up in some major ways!
- We united in worship, and many honored a commitment to come to church every Sunday for the past 40 days. Those Sundays brought times of prayer and healing. Lives were changed and transformed. Many people let go of burdens that were holding them back. And around 22 gave their lives to Christ!
- We united in giving, and raised $210,000 for the land offering, 1,400+ pounds of food and $300+ for the Golden Harvest Food Bank.
- We united in small groups, and saw the number of J-Teams go from 30 to 71. This brought the number of people in J-Teams from 350+ to over 675; including 85% of Element students! J-Team locations range from Aiken to Fort Gordon.
- We united in acts of service, and more than 350 people showed up for Second Saturday to impact 16 locations from Aiken to South Augusta. WOW!
- We united in God's Word, and many have developed study habits to keep them growing and maturing as Christ-followers by meeting with Him daily!
This is only a glimpse of what God did during these 40 days of community, but also a glimpse at what can still be accomplished when we are concentrating on His vision. This coming Sunday, a new series will begin. In a couple of weeks, another Second Saturday will take place. Day 40 has been reached in the devotional books. The question is whether or not we are going to let packaging end what God has started, or are we going to build on it? WE UNITE is something that needs to continue. Will we continue uniting in these ways? These are the highlights of what God can do. Let's keep it going, TNC!
THE MUSIC: Here are the songs that were a part of Celebration Sunday.
We Unite by Elevation Worship [listen]
Came to My Rescue by Hillsong United [listen]
Pride (In the Name of Love) by U2 [listen]
Revelation Song by Gateway Worship [listen]
THE MESSAGE: Worshipping Together [watch]
God created us to be the center of His love. When we respond to God's love for us, we are worshipping Him. Jesus emphasized the importance of worship in the first and greatest commandment, which is: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37). A beautiful picture of worshipping together is found in Revelation 5:11-13:
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”
Not just thousands, but millions, were gathered around the throne of God worshipping Him together!
You may ask how it is, exactly, we express our love to God in worship. The first of three ways of doing this is by singing to Him. There have been more love songs written to Jesus than any other on this planet. Psalm 95:1 says, Sing out your thanks to Him. Sing praises to our God. When we sing praises to Him--from our hearts to God's--we are reminded of how much He loves us. It's nothing to be embarrassed about, but should rather be embraced in our times of corporate worship and when we're alone.
We also express our love to God by communicating with Him. This includes talking and listening to Him. How do you talk to God? The same way you would talk to your best friend. Share with Him the bad and good; the struggles and the triumphs. I love the Lord because He hears me and answers my prayer, because He bends down and listens. I will pray as long as I have breath (Psalm 116:1,2). WOW! God is listening; He's bending down to hear you and answer you! Are you listening to Him, too? When you listen to somebody, you say, You have value to me. To listen to God, stop. Pause from all the noise.
God goes further and instructs us to pause for a whole day to listen to Him: You have six days to do your work, but the seventh day of each week is holy because it belongs to me (Leviticus 23:3). By not devoting the Sabbath day to God and by not gathering for corporate worship to listen to Him, you and your children are missing hearing God.
How does God speak to you? There are several ways. Through the Bible when it is open and being read. Through the experiences in your life. He leaves impressions from His Spirit on our hearts. He also speaks to us through other godly friends around us. Hearing God's voice is a great test to know you are His.
Finally, we express our love to God by committing all to Him. Commitment is one of the greatest ways of we worship. In Joshua 24:20-25, we see futures are determined by the commitments we make. You experience God because of your commitment. It is HUGE in being what God has invited us to be, and is not a one-day act (see Romans 12:1 MSG).
THE MUSIC: Here are the songs that accompanied Sunday's message.
Everlasting God by Chris Tomlin [listen]
Savior in Me by Joseph Christie Band [listen]
Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) by Chris Tomlin [listen]
How Can I Keep from Singing by Chris Tomlin [listen]
From the Inside Out by Hillsong [listen]
THE MESSAGE: Serving Together [watch]
Not only were we made for a mission, we were made to fulfill our life's purposes with each other. That is when we need to serve together. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 3:8 that the one who plans and the one who waters work as a team with the same purpose. This is an excellent example of how we should do things as a team. If you take each letter in T.E.A.M. and break it down, you will find fundamental truths and benefits of serving together.
It starts with Trust. Many people claim to be loyal, but it's hard to find a trustworthy person (Proverbs 20:6). Trust means being consistent in the little things and keeping secrets. Trust takes time to build, but its benefits shape the foundation of a good team.
Next, there is Empathy. When we have empathy for our teammates, we understand the other person and validate how they feel. Notice the details of other's lives rather than just skimming them. Live in harmony with one another; and be sympathetic (1 Peter 3:8). To be sympathetic or to have empathy, we need to slow down.
From there, we need to be Accommodating. This requires selflessness on our part. Be faithful, loving and easy to get along with (2 Timothy 2:22). We accommodate each other's needs (Romans 15:2), ideas and personalities (Proverbs 18:15), and each other's faults (Ephesians 4:2).
Finally, we need to be on Mission together. Philippians 2:2 says to be of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intend on one purpose. If we're going to serve together, these things are essential to making an impact as a team.
THE MUSIC: Here are the songs that accompanied Sunday's message.
We Shine by Fee [listen]
Glorious One by Fee [listen]
Mighty to Save by Hillsong [listen]
Lead Me to the Cross by Hillsong United [listen]
Glory to God Forever by Fee [listen]
THE MESSAGE: How to Help Each Other Grow [watch]
What is God's greatest desire for you? Some may say eternity or to be a good spouse or to succeed in a vocation or academic achievement. In Romans 8:29, we are told that from the very beginning God decided that those who come to Him--and all along He knew who would--should become like His Son. God's greatest desire for Christ followers is for us to become like Jesus. Therefore, as we unite to do this life together, we should help each other grow to become more like Christ. But how?
One part of helping each other grow to become more like Christ is to affirm each other's worth. We should accept (Romans 15:7), appreciate (1 Thessalonians 5:12) and encourage one another. Instead, we can have the tendency to put each other down. In order to feel good about where we are in our relationships with God, we will one-up others' areas where they are not as strong as us. Instead of doing this, we need to be encouraging one another and building each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Not only do we need to affirm others, but we also need to admit our own mistakes. This involves telling each other the truth as the Bible says in Ephesians 4:25. Being honest with each other has several benefits, and among them are emotional healing (James 5:16), new beginnings (Proverbs 28:13) and deeper fellowship (1 John 1:7). When we own up to God, we will receive forgiveness, and when we admit our faults to one another, we will receive healing. When nothing's in the dark and we are being real with one another, we are then living in the light.
Finally, we need to pray for each other's growth (Colossians 4:12; Hebrews 13:21; 2 Thessalonians 3:5; Ephesians 3:18,19). What better way is there to help each other grow than to ask God to work in our midst. Pray with someone in your small group or family about something they are struggling with; let them do the same for you. When we pray for each other, real community and fellowship will take place.
THE MUSIC: Here are the songs that accompanied Sunday's message.
Salvation is Here by Hillsong United [listen]
We Unite by Elevation Worship [listen]
Beautiful Jesus by Kristian Stanfill [listen]
Everybody by Keith Urban [listen]
How Can I Keep from Singing by Chris Tomlin [listen]
THE MESSAGE: What Kills Relationships and What Builds Them? [watch] This question spells out the successes and failures of any relationship; be it with spouses, friends, family, colleagues, etc. There are four things that kill relationships that Scripture points out: selfishness, pride, insecurity and resentment. Building relationships takes selflessness, humility, love and forgiveness. As you read through this, ask yourself which of the four relationship killers you struggle with, and look at the adjacent relationship builder as something God has given us to keep connections with others healthy.
Selfishness is addressed in James 4:1-2, which says, What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. Because of the sinful nature we were born with, our relationships may start off unselfish, but can slowly migrate towards selfishness the more we are in it for our own desires. The way to combat this is to have a selfless attitude. Galatians 6:8 tells us selflessness--or obeying the Spirit of God--will produce life. Our relationships with others need to have a "less of myself and more of you" perspective. Selfless people can even transform selfish people.
The second relationship killer, pride, not only harms our relationships with others, but Scriptures tell us is opposed by God. How do you know if you have a prideful attitude? One identifier is if you never find yourself apologizing to people you have relationships with. This is a dangerous way to be as Proverbs 16:18 says, Pride leads to destruction;a proud attitude brings ruin (NCV). The opposite of a proud attitude is humility. Live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble (1 Peter 3:8 GW). We can become more humble by looking at Jesus and His acts of humility for all of us.
Insecurity is the third relationship killer. Adam said in Genesis 3:10, I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid. Proverbs 29:25 tells us the fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. As insecurities came upon us with the fall of man in Genesis, they continue in many today as desires to please everyone, which cannot be done. Not even God can please everybody, so it is foolish to think we can. Insecurity also comes from rejection. What builds relationships is not insecurity, but love. God has perfect love for us, and He wants us to put our trust in Him and not be afraid or insecure (1 John 4:15-18 NLT).
The fourth and final relationship killer is resentment. To worry yourself to death with resentment is a foolish, senseless thing to do (Job 5:2 TEV). Resentment will only hurt you, and it will hurt you over and over. Hebrews 12:15 tells us to look out for each other. We are meant to live in joyous community, not in bitterness caused by resentment. What counters resentment is forgiveness. You must make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others (Colossians 3:13 NLT). Forgiveness is the healing agent--it's the hope of marriages. Forgiveness does not mean you will have to trust someone again or that the thing you are forgiving them for was not wrong; it's letting you of the pain and the thought that you need to get even and give it to God.
Maybe you are having a hard time with one of these relationship killers and can't easily find a way to start building again. You are always welcome to contact info@truenorthchurch.com to have someone pray for you.
THE MUSIC: Here are the songs that accompanied Sunday's message.
Alive and Running by Kristian Stanfill [listen]
Happy Day by Fee [listen]
Great is the Lord by Elevation Worship [listen]
The Borken and the Tired by Elevation Worship [listen]
We Unite by Elevation Worship [listen]
Neighborhood
Explore friends, family, friends & family, or entire neighborhood.
