December 2011
4 posts
Worship IS Theology
The theologian Gordon fee said this, “Show me a church’s songs and I’ll show you their theology.” For his sermon this week Pastor Noah asked me to tell him the top three songs that we have sung at August Gate. Thankfully we use Planning Center Online and I can track those things (we have been using it since September of ‘09). I was a little giddy when I saw the...
“God must speak to us before we have any liberty to speak to him. He must...”
– John Stott, The Contemporary Christian: Applying God’s Word to Today’s World
“Worship itself cannot lead us into God’s presence. Only Jesus himself can...”
– Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters
“The gospel is not merely one of many possible themes we can touch on as we come...”
– Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters
September 2011
6 posts
August Gate Recap/9.18.11
3 John was a practical and timely passage this week. Noah did a great job of bringing to light the importance of Jesus’ mission and how leaders should and shouldn’t act in the Church. Listen to it here. This week’s band was Juliette on vocals, Todd on cajon, Owen on electric, and me on acoustic. Our people were loud and proud praising King Jesus.
Here was this week’s set:
...
August Gate Recap/9.11.11
We had another special night as we celebrated the Gospel at August Gate this week. On top of our normal worship and teaching, last night Noah inducted Todd Genteman, Scott Koniezcka and myself as elders at August Gate. Nothing necessarily huge but a sign of progress and growth as we seek to see the hope of the Gospel change lives in our neighborhoods, city, and region. Noah presented us with two...
Approval
We all want to be loved, it’s true. Even the most despicable and despised person still wants approval. The friction of this desire often rears its ugly head in the most unusual fashion, causing us to behave in ways that cause people to say, “That’s not even the same person I once knew.” Feeding the acceptance idol can be the most tiring and fruitless thing that any of us can do. I must state that...
Jon Acuff on Redeeming Culture and the Such
I just got done reading two great posts from Jon Acuff on redeeming culture and the such. I think it may have even sparked some forthcoming posts of my own. First he wrote “Things I Shouldn’t Know Exist” , commenting on things in culture that we often hide from other Christians because of the shame they might bring if we admit to liking them. His personal touch of starting with a...
August Gate Recap/9.4.11
This past Sunday was one of the best worship experiences I have had at August Gate. Noah commented that it was a dream come true for him that we had a vilolin for the first time and I have to admit that it was a bit surreal for me, especially a violin player the caliber of Luke Lowry. It was an off week for Noah so Todd preached on the design and importance of the Church as a Gospel Community and...
2 tags
Confession Confined
Confession is an active and healthy part of a Christ follower’s life. But at times it can be a daunting, paralyzing and unwelcome part of our journey. James tells us that we are to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another and we will be healed (James 5:16). So I guess we really need to realize the fact that sin is deadly and makes us sick, confession is the purging of sin to God...
August 2011
10 posts
Happy Birthday August Gate!
Two years ago today, August Gate Church held it’s first public service. It was the culmination of over two years worth of prayer, planning and work. A sigh of relief and a nervous giggle all in one. We had 15 people on our launch team at that point and 200 of our closest friends came out for the launch. It was a rush and a thrill to see what God was setting in motion. So this is Ebenezer, my...
4 tags
August Gate Recap/8.28.11
As we continue in our series of the epistles of John I am continually convicted and encouraged by the depth of the Gospel. Catch up on it here. It was an extra special night at August Gate tonight because we celebrated our two year anniversary! Look for a post on Wednesday about that. It was a great night of worship with a full band, which only happens about once a month.
Here was...
2 tags
“Go tell the story of Jesus,
to some poor, sin-sick soul
Think of the time you...”
– Tell the Story of Jesus by Mary B. Colby and John R. Sweney
“It’s better to endure the discomfort of the truth now than suffer the discomfort...”
– Simon Sinek (via cadenceblog)
Being Less “Biblical” and more “like the Bible.” →
I fear that Donald Miller’s issue with semantics is going to confuse many and fuel the wrong fires. Thoughts?
4 tags
I Failed at Being Missional
This is from last spring…. Derek came to our door to see if we would pay him $5 to mow our tiny yard. My wife refused him per my direction. He then pleaded to mow it for $3, she told him no and he walked away dejected. Here is how I failed step-by-step. First, I should have answered the door. It was an unfamiliar man at our door. I used the excuse of not having a shirt on to not answer. I...
Everyone’s a False Teacher →
4 tags
August Gate Recap/8.21.11
We had another great night of gathering around the Gospel at August Gate. We are in the third week of our series King Jesus: the epistles of John. It was a great night as well because Noah and Heather Oldham dedicated their son Chaim Joshua tonight. Baby dedications at August Gate are great because there is a Gospel emphasis for both the parents and the church community.
Here is this week’s...
O God of Our Salvation
Ascribe unending praises to the God Who reigns on high How matchless is His power, His glory how divine Ascribe oh church the greatness and the glory due His name One God, One Being, One Essence, O Triune God proclaimed
O God of our salvation, From Whom redemption comes O Father, Son and Spirit, The blessed three in one
That is the bridge and chorus to O God of Our Salvation off of the...
Planting A Gospel>Community: Everyday Contexts →
joshreeves:
Life has a variety of contexts. Contexts are the surroundings or environments that all of us live in. We believe that Jesus is Lord over all contexts of life. To help us see how Jesus transforms each context of life, we speak of everyday contexts. Everyday contexts include a variety of…
July 2011
1 post
June 2011
1 post
“The gospel of justification by faith is such a shocker, such an explosion,...”
– Gerhard Forde
May 2011
1 post
April 2011
4 posts
“Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their...”
– R.C. Sproul
“The truth of the Gospel is the principle article of all Christian...”
– Martin Luther
“Mercy and forgiveness must be free and unmerited to the wrongdoer. If the...”
– Tim Keller in The Prodigal God
January 2011
4 posts
snowy sunday haiku
some silent snowflakes
falling slowly softly down
all is quiet here
working definition of worship
I am working on my sermon for this Sunday night at August Gate and I am preaching on worship as a part of our vision. Here is a working definition that I came up with:
“Worship is a response to God for who he is and what he does, that causes us to praise Him and drives us to action to know Him better and make Him known.”
Thoughts?
December 2010
2 posts
“You cannot truly intercede through prayer if you do not believe in the reality...”
– Oswald Chambers from My Utmost for His Highest
“We need the gospel to enter Christ’s kingdom, but we also need it to walk...”
– Bryan Chapell from Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice
November 2010
8 posts
“It is shallow nonsense to say that God forgives us because He is love. Once we...”
– “When He Has Come” from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
Art For, From, and Facing the Church – The Gospel... →
Page CXVI Blog | Hymns III--Coming out November... →
“The appropriate response to the gospel is not to speculate, debate or converse. ...”
– Darrin Patrick
Jon Foreman: Outside the Fences →
a cultural critique on all things hip
Grow Deeper | August Gate →
we started a list of some resources for personal and family bible study
“When we are tempted to wander, hedge up our way, excite in us abhorrence of sin,...”
– Valley of Vision
Battling the Mondays
Let us bless thee at all times and forget not how thou hast forgiven our iniquities, healed our diseases, redeemed our lives from destruction, crowned us with lovingkindness and tender mercies, satisfied our mouths with good things renewed our youth like the eagle’s. May thy Holy Scriptures govern every part of our lives, and regulate the discharge of all our duties, so that we...
October 2010
7 posts
Learn About Advent From Andrew Bird | Rethink... →
Dwight Howard: Magic center Dwight Howard baptized... →
“How long has it been since you looked up from the earthly details of life and...”
– Greg Gilbert from What is the Gospel?
“Christians can always get the world to think they are cool—right up to the...”
– Greg Gilbert from What is the Gospel?
“Jesus’ incarnation was much more than just a kind visit from the Creator....”
– Greg Gilbert from What is the Gospel?
The Gospel-Driven Church: Resources for Daily... →
ordinary icons
I started a new tumblr for photos and will be documenting our vacation. Check it out at ordinaryicons.tumblr.com
September 2010
2 posts
“The pain and complexity of the church should always be outweighed by the grace...”
– Jaime Munson