Saturday Shout-Outs: Birmingham, Special Birthdays & Ministry Links

September 15, 2012 in Uncategorized with 1 Comment

Thanks for reading the blog this week. And thanks for your comments. You can receive email updates of new blog posts by signing-up under the picture to the left.

By the way, if there is a particular subject you want to recommend for me to write on, feel free to share it with me.

Happy anniversary to the Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church of Los Angeles, which celebrates 70 years of ministry this weekend. My father served Mt. Sinai for 40 years. MSMBC was my first pastorate. I was there for almost 18 years. My friend, George Hurtt, has led the congregation to greater heights over the past 4 years. Happy Birthday Mt Sinai. May your dreams be even greater than your memories!

A big shout-out to my staff for a great staff planning retreat Monday and Tuesday. We got a lot accomplished. More importantly, we had good fellowship with one another. Thanks for all you do!

Shout-out to Dr. A.B. Sutton and the Living Stones Temple for a great time in worship and the opportunity to minister the word Thursday night.

I was encouraged by the presence of Beeson Divinity School students in worship at Living Stones. Several had just read the chapter I contributed to “Power in the Pulpit” for a preaching class this week. Way cool.

Shout-out to my friend, Pastor Lance Mann, who hit The Big-40 Monday. He is now almost old enough to run for office in the local minister’s conference. Happy birthday old man!

Ben Reed shares “10 things I wish I’d been told in seminary.”

Tripp addresses how to begin each morning in ministry.

Why focusing on a group is NOT the way to build a church.

How to conduct an effective membership interview.

What if a church isn’t following the leadership of their pastor(s)?

10 ways ecclesiology (the church) encourages me.

Can you lead them and be friends with them?

Leadership can be lonely.

A thought for when a loved-one dies.

How do you explain the Trinity to children?

Wise counsel on how to remove a volunteer.

Here are 25 ways a wife can communicate respect to her husband.

This is good advice for writers.

9 Elements of the perfect post.

If we do not show love to one another, the world has the right to question whether Christianity is true. – Francis A. Schaeffer

The Importance of Regular Church Attendance

September 11, 2012 in Church life, Corporate Worship with 4 Comments

 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. – Hebrews 10:24-25

Here are 25 reasons why you should regularly take part in the public and corporate worship assemblies of your local congregation:

1. The word of God teaches it (Heb. 10:24-25). A high and correct view of scripture demands regular church attendance.

2. Corporate worship is where the preaching and teaching of God’s word takes place (2 Tim. 4:1-5).

3. It follows the example set by the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 4:16).

4. It honors the best and brightest day of the week – Sunday, the Lord’s Day – the day on which the Lord Jesus rose from the dead.

5. It is a wise and proper use of the privilege we have to publicly and corporately worship God. There are Christians in other lands who do not have this freedom. The only way for us to express our gratitude for this liberty is to use it faithfully and thankfully.

6. Your neglect of corporate worship grieves the Holy Spirit who lives within the individual believer and the church as a whole (Eph. 4:30).

7. It brings joy to the spiritual leaders who watch over your soul and who must give account for you. Absenteeism grieves them and is unprofitably for you (Heb. 13:17).

8. It demonstrates that you share the mission and ministry of the particular church family of which you are a member.

9. Your absence from church services renders it difficult, and in some instances impossible, for you to participate in the church’s mutual ministry to itself, especially the “one another” commands of the New Testament.

10. You need the encouragement that comes from the assembling of the saints (Heb. 10:24-25). In fact, the more evil the days become, the more you need this encouragement.

11. God demands first place. We should give God the first part of our financial increase. We should have a daily quiet time to give God the first part of our day. And we should regularly attend church on Sunday to give God the first part of our week.

12. It reminds you that God has made you a part of a new community of people through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 12:5).

13. It is a way of preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3).

14. Public and corporate worship is one of the key places where you exercise your spiritual gifts. It is a strategic place to minister to other believers (1 Co. 14:12-14).

15. You regular attendance serves as a positive example and influence for others.

16. If you take part in some ministry of the church – and you should – your absence can hinder the overall effectiveness of the group and discourage other members.

17. Being involved in public and corporate worship services counteracts our self-centeredness.

18. You should take the time to stop and say “thank you” to God for bringing you through another week.

19. Absenteeism is a poor testimony to unbelievers who see your inconsistency (John 13:34-35).

20. True and saving faith will create love for that which Christ loves; namely, the church (Eph. 5:25). Regularly attending church services is a fundamental way to show your love for the bride of Christ.

21. It is the practice of good habits like regular church attendance that builds spiritual character.

22. The New Testament teaches us to recognize, to share all good things with, to submit to, and to honor the spiritual leaders who teach us the word. Attending worship is a way of doing that. (Remember, not only are we accountable to the word of God, we are also accountable to those who God uses to teach us his word.)

23. Attending public and corporate worship services renews and strengthens us for the days ahead (Heb. 10:24-25).

24. Corporate worship helps reinforce the truth that worship is not about getting from God. Fundamentally, Christian worship is about giving to God.

25. Public and corporate worship is the officially designated place to carry out the ordinances of the church – Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. – Psalm 107:31-32

What are your thoughts about the importance of regular church attendance? Can you think of any other reasons why it is important to be marked present on the Lord’s Day? Join the conversation in the comments section. 

Notes from Sunday – 09/09/12

September 10, 2012 in Notes from Sunday 2012 with 5 Comments

What a day! What a church! What a Savior!

Thank God for the guests who joined us in worship.

Praise God for the 9 persons who were baptized.

Our Genesis Choir (children) sang for the first time since their summer break. Hailey, my 4-year-old, participated for the first time. Well, “Participated” is a strong word. She stood there and watched herself in the TV monitors, for the most part.

I prayed for our Bible Study Fellowship (Sunday School) teachers and workers. Our new semester of classes begins next week. Grateful for a strong group of volunteers. You make it happen!

Our 10:15 service was almost derailed by Albertina Walker’s song, “I Can Go to God in Prayer.” It is most encouraging to know that we can call on the Father when he need him.

I did a meditation on Philippians 4:6-7 Saturday morning during prayer meeting. I could not shake those two verses afterwards. So I preached them Sunday morning. I called the message, “God’s Answer for your Anxiety.”

What is God’s answer for your anxiety? Pray your worries away!

I plan to resume my study of 1 John next Sunday.

I am not sure the saints heard the message, because of the light gray suit I wore. BrothaRollins said I was “Baptist clean.” (I am not sure that’s a good thing.) One of the sisters told me that I must be a man of the Word, because I was sharper than a two-edged sword! Funny.

Praise God for those who made professions of faith and were added to the church.

I performed a wedding after our worship services.

Let the church say, “Football!”

So… the USC Trojans dropped to #2 last week without losing. This week, they drop to #3 without losing. For real?

BREAKING NEWS: The OK Sooners beat FAMU like they stole something, 69-13. This has to be news to the FAMU alumni on my staff, because they did not bring it up at all Sunday.

The Jaguars lost a heartbreaker to the Vikings 26-23 in overtime. But the Jags looked good. It was an encouraging loss, if there is such a thing.

I am glad Peyton Manning won his debut as the Broncos quarterback, defeating the Steelers 31-19. During this game, Manning threw his 400th career touchdown. Only two others have thrown 400 TDs – Marino and Favre. Peyton did it in the least amount of games.

5 rookie quarterbacks started. Only one won – the Redskins RGIII. How will this “rookie experiment” turn out this season?

I am glad I am not a Jets fan. Crazy preseason. But solid game today. Who is this team?

The Yankees are in a dog fight. But we will win the division.

Serena Williams defeated the #1 player in the word, Victoria Azarenka, in three sets to win her 4th US Open Championship. She has won this event at least once each of the past three decades. It was her 15th major championship. With the win, she passed $40 million in career earnings. And Serena is two weeks away from turning 31-years-old. Wow!

So how was your Sunday? How did your teams do this weekend? Join the conversation in the comments section.

 

Saturday Shout-Outs: NBC Atlanta, HBC Sr., & Ministry Links

September 8, 2012 in Uncategorized with 2 Comments

Thanks for reading my blog. And thanks for the comments, discussions, and encouragements. In order to get email updates of future posts, please sign up under the picture to the left of the page.

Shout-out to Pastor Darron Edwards and the United Believers Community Church for the warm reception as I ministered the Word there in Kansas City (MO) Tuesday night.

Shout-out to Dr. Tellis Chapman and the Late-Night Committee for giving me the opportunity to preach in the National Baptist Convention Thursday night.

During the service Thursday night, someone slipped me a note to thank me for my father’s ministry. After service, I passed him in the hallway, as he was telling a group that my father was a better preacher than I am. I smiled in agreement.

Friday morning, as I waited for the airport shuttle, a hotel security guard stopped me. He had seen my name and picture on a poster. But he did not know me. He wanted to know if I was the son of the Pastor H.B. Charles he used to follow years ago when he lived in Los Angeles. Way cool.

It was great to see so many pastor friends from around the country at the convention, especially brothers and sisters from the Los Angeles area.

I was glad to see my boyhood friend, Pastor Joe A. Carter of the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark. When we were boys, I used to get invited to sing at youth services before Joe preached. He changed his travel plans to stay to hear me preach Thursday night. Very encouraging.

BIG shout-out to the Dallas Cowboys for whipping the world-champion New York Giants, 24-17. How ’bout them Cowboys!

Michael Horton examines the attempt to summarize the gospel in 7 words.

Read the new 9-Marks newsletter on discipling in the church.

22 Ways to Humble Ourselves

Does our physical posture in worship matter?

Here is good advice for preaching a funeral for someone you do not know.

What the Puritans can teach us about counseling.

Bookends on the Shelf of Answered Prayer 

What to do when you’re struggling with your worship leader

5 ways to help the church when you struggle to support the pastor.

Consider the things the Lord opens.

The top 5 things pastors think, but can never say.

Don’t base  your identity on your Twitter follower count.

Is bigger really better?

11 smart tips for brilliant writing. 

You should download Shai Linne’s rap song about Charles Spurgeon.

Have you read something this week? Share it with us in the comment section. 

Celebration is at the heart of the way of Christ. – Richard J. Foster

True Worship vs. Mere Entertainment

September 7, 2012 in Preaching, Quotations with 7 Comments

Why? Why do we do what we do? What is our ultimate goal? Why do we dress as we dress? Why do we allot time as we do in our services? Why do we preach as we preach? Why do we sing, and why do we sing it the way we do? Do we care about what the world will think of our activities? Where is God in all this? Do we seek to meet Him in His truth, begging the Spirit to use the word to reveal to us the depths of our on hearts so that we may be changed and made better servants of His? Do we think He is lucky to have us around, or do we tremble at the thought of approaching Him, not out of fear of retribution or wrath (being in Christ), but because we stand in awe of his glory, His power, His condescension, His grace? Are we more concerned about making a misstep in our performance for the audience, or about the purity of the motives of our hearts before the God with whom we have to do? These are the questions that separate worship from entertainment? – James R. White, Pulpit Crimes: The Criminal Mishandling of God’s Word, pp. 93-94

Get “Things” Out of Your Sermons!

September 5, 2012 in Preaching with 2 Comments

The preacher reads a text. He states his title. He gives the introduction. He states the point. He then prepares to move to the main body of the sermon.

He announces this transition to the congregation by saying, “Let me say three things about this text.”

Not good.

You have chosen a specific text. You have worked to craft the point of the message in a clear sentence. You have chosen an attention-grabbing title. You have crafted a compelling introduction. You have a powerful message to deliver.

  • Don’t stumble into the text by tripping over “things.”
  • Don’t get into an accident at the intersection between the first and second points of the sermon because you ran into “things.”
  • Don’t land the plane awkwardly on the runway of “things.”

Work hard on your transitional sentences. Move smoothly from one idea to the next. Give a clear signal and get the right-of way before you change lanes.

“Things” don’t make good transitions. Try other key words instead.

Give four reasons why believers should pray.

State three requirements for Christian discipleship.

Share five benefits of forgiving people who wrong you.

Describe the dynamics of a healthy church body.

Explain the signs of true conversion.

Get it?

Reasons, requirements, benefits, dynamics, and signs are better than “things.” They make transitional sentences concrete, lively, and powerful.

There are many effective words you can use to make your transitional sentences come alive. Hunt them down. Practice using them.

Work hard to get “things” out of your sermons.

Death and Life are in the Power of the Tongue

September 4, 2012 in Uncategorized with 13 Comments

I shared a funny experience with several friends. They thought it was funny, too. I knew they would.

“I almost died laughing,” I concluded the story.

Then it happened.

One of them stopped me. “Pastor, don’t say that,” he insisted with alarm. “You don’t want to speak that into existence.”

I was confused. Where was this coming from? What was he talking about? Why was it a crisis that I used a figure of speech?

He cited Proverbs 18:21. Actually, he only quoted half of the verse.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

What does this verse mean?

It means words have consequences. It does not mean words create reality.

Let me be more specific. Your words do not create reality. God’s words do.

The Bible is clear and consistent about this. God’s words have creative power. God speaks and men live. God speaks and men die. Literally.

The Bible does not teach that our words have creative power. This is a Word of Faith teaching that has gone mainstream. It is called “Positive Confession.” Proponents teach that faith is a force that is activated by the words you say.

This false doctrine is the result of hermeneutical gymnastics. It is also the result of not reading the verses before and after the one you are building your theology on.

For instance, it is common to hear some preachers and Gospel singers refer to speaking those things that are not as though they were. These words are found in Romans 4:17. But read the entire passage. And read it clearly. Abraham believed in God, “who gives life to the dead and speaks into existence the things that do not exist.”

God speaks things into existence. We do not. To believe our words create reality is to believe that we are “little gods,” which is another Word of Faith heresy.

Without a doubt, our words have consequences. Ephesians 4:28 instructs…

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

The words we say can either help or hurt. They can build up or tear down. Affirm or condemn. Words are like nitroglycerin. They can either blow up bridges or heal hearts.

Your words also have personal consequences. This is what Proverbs 18:21b when it says, “and those who love it will eat its fruit.” In a real sense, you will eat your words.

Words have consequences in this life. And words have consequences beyond this life. Jesus said,

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak” (Matt. 12:36).

There is no greater reason to watch your words than this. God is listening. And God will hold you accountable for what you say.

So be slow to speak. Tell the truth. Speak it in love. Use wholesome words. Be a good steward of the gift of speech.

But do not attribute more authority to your words than they have.

God’s words create reality. Our words don’t.

Happy Labor Day!

September 3, 2012 in Hebrews, Holidays with 0 Comments

Whatever you do, work hardily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. – Colossians 2:23-24 (ESV)

Have a happy, safe, and blessed Labor Day!

 

Notes from Sunday – 09/02/12

September 2, 2012 in Notes from Sunday 2012, Uncategorized with 2 Comments

It’s September already. Wow.

We have a blessed day of corporate worship at Shiloh today.

Thanks to all our Bible Study Fellowship (Sunday School) workers for making yourself available to serve the congregation today. You make it happen!

I am grateful for all the guests who were in worship with us today.

Even though my voice is gone, I enjoyed leading the congregation in corporate singing today.

The choir sang one of my favorite Richard Smallwood numbers, “I Will Sing Praises.”

I continued my study of 1 John with a message entitled, “What it Means to be a Child of God” (John 3:1-3)

Sermon point: True children of God should bear the family resemblance.

Outline:

I. What we are (3:1)

II. What we shall be (3:2)

III. What we ought to be (3:3)

Here is a great John MacArthur quote about the love of God that t I did not get to use in the sermon:

“God loves believers with a love that is impossible to articulate in any human language and that is utterly foreign to normal human understanding.”

Praise God for those who made professions of faith today and were added to the church.

Next Sunday’s sermon: “Stop Sinning!” (1 John 3:4-10).

The #1 USC Trojans thrashed Hawaii yesterday 49-10. Feel free to give us the BCS Championship now, if you want to just get it out of way.

While you’re at it, you can also give Matt Barkley the Heisman Trophy now, if you want to just get it out of way.

The Crimson Tide rolled over Michigan. Penn State is in for a long season. Urban Meyer is back.

My Dallas Cowboys better defeat the New York Giants in the NFL season opener Wednesday night. Yeah, I said it. They better do it.

I wish I was confident enough to predict that the Cowboys will go to the Super Bowl this season. I believe; help my unbelief.

Maurice Jones-Drew reported to the Jaguars today, ending a 38-day holdout. Without a new contract. The Jags held the ground. MJD accomplished nothing. Will this hurt his season or not?

I saw two great fights on HBO last night. I did not know any of the fighters. But the matches were great nonetheless.

Boxing fans, there will be 3 (count them, 3) big fights next weekend! The reports of the death of boxing are highly exaggerated.

Andy Roddick is putting off retirement by pressing his way into the found round of the US Open. I hope AR goes out with one more championship. That would be way cool.

While you’re at it, you can give Serena Williams the US Open Championship now, if you just want to get it out of way.

I saw Sloane Stephens play for the first time this week. We may have a new American tennis star on the rise.

Have a happy and safe Labor Day! All the best.

Saturday Shout-Outs: Turkey Creek, Rapping Parents, & Ministry Links

August 31, 2012 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

Praying for all who have suffered loss and have been displaced by Hurricane Isaac.

This week would have been my father’s birthday. I miss him. But I am grateful for the time I had him and the continuing influence he has on my life and ministry.

Shout-out to Pastor Frederick Williams and the Turkey Creek Baptist Church of Dublin, GA. I have the privilege of preaching to this wonderful congregation Monday-Wednesday. And I am encouraged by their love for Jesus and their community.

A big shout-out to my staff for helping me not to make a big mess of things while I am between Administrative Assistants!

Happy wedding anniversary to Pastor Brodes & Dannielle Perry!!!

Both Kim Clijsters and Andy Roddick will retire after this year’s US Open. They will be missed by tennis fans.

Ray Pritchard has released four of his great books for download FREE! Did is say FREE?!?!

If you have to choose between public worship and private worship, which would you choose? Here are 12 reasons public worship is better than private worship.

Paul Tripp gives helpful counsel about the craft of life-changing preaching.

Pastor, consider these 9 ideas for better church business meetings.

5 Reasons Why We Should Still Read the Book of Leviticus today

Learn about and read the sermons of a Ray Stedman here.

Dan Phillips shares 25 things he’s learned. Good stuff.

8 tips for telling a great story.

Matthew Henry classic book on prayer is now an free online project.

I stumbled over this list of 70 Most Influential Black Christian History-Makers. Very. Interesting. List.

Say it don’t spray it: 5 reasons to avoid exclamations points.

Do you have a reading strategy?

Have you seen THE PARENT RAP? Hilarious.

God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply. – Hudson Taylor

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