Category Archives: Uncategorized

To be called or not to be called…the essential requirement for leadership in the church?

This morning we continued a brief series I’m calling New Years Resolutions for Faith Church.  We’re looking at two facets of the church that figure to be a significant focus for us in 2013: leadership and discipleship.  Over the next month or so, we’ll unveil a proposal for changing our church governance structure.  To prepareContinue reading “To be called or not to be called…the essential requirement for leadership in the church?”

Guest Post: Responding to Jesus’ Name

((This weekend we welcome Phil Bartelt once again to Faith Church.  Here’s some thoughts that Phil shared to help prepare for worship tomorrow.)) Philippians 2:9-11 tells us there is an appropriate response to Jesus’ name. Here is a poem that may help us as we prepare to explore our response. Let not my humble presence affrontContinue reading “Guest Post: Responding to Jesus’ Name”

Why our church prayer meeting tripled in attendance this week

We normally have 8-10 faithful pray-ers at the Faith Church prayer meeting each Wednesday evening.  This week we had 27. On Sunday night, a lady in our church family, who lives just a few doors down the road from the church building, was walking to a Bible study Christmas party, and she was struck byContinue reading “Why our church prayer meeting tripled in attendance this week”

Prophecies That Were Actually Fulfilled

As we get closer to 12-21, the date the world will end based on a Mayan calendar (I know…they might have misinterpreted it…), we’re going to hear more and more about prophecies.  Last year it was Harold Camping’s rapture date, and then the other one too.  Or was that two years ago?  I really don’tContinue reading “Prophecies That Were Actually Fulfilled”

Secession

Have you been hearing the talk about secession? Since President Obama won reelection people have been petitioning the White House to allow their states to secede from the Union. One report I heard said this is standard fare after just about every presidential election. Remember the last time we had secession? I mean real secession.Continue reading “Secession”

Micah and horror movies

I’ve just about completed preparing for my sermon on Sunday. I thought I was familiar with Micah because we’ve talked about Micah 6:8 a lot in recent years. I even have an International Justice Mission t-shirt that says “seek justice”, which is an integral component of that verse. “Seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly withContinue reading “Micah and horror movies”

If God hated their worship, could he hate ours too? (Check out the podcast!)

So God hates worship services.  The quotes affirming this in my previous post are from the prophecy of Amos.  God isn’t mixing any words.  It was a rather wealthy era in Israel’s history, and they were living it up.  To be specific, this was during the years when Israel was split north (Israel) and southContinue reading “If God hated their worship, could he hate ours too? (Check out the podcast!)”

How to have worship services that God doesn’t hate.

It’s true. He says so. God hates worship services. Don’t believe me? Here’s the proof: “I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies.” But then, almost as if he wants to really injure us, he says he hates the music too. I’m serious: “Away with the noise of your songs! IContinue reading “How to have worship services that God doesn’t hate.”