Tag Archives: john piper

Juno26

Chase

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Agape Newsletter, June 26 2009 - Special Don’t come to Agape next Wednesday edition (plus Sunday message featuring a Q and A time).

Hello everybody, and welcome in to another Agape newsletter.

I am excited about the message this Sunday, and there are a couple of reasons why. First of all, I believe the topic is not only important, but will prove to be a very interesting one to cover. I would have to work to make this message anything less than exciting! We will finish up our discussion about tongues, and enter into a discussion about the Spiritual gift of prophecy (as well as pastor/shepherd and discernment if we have time) Along the way, I intend to answer a few questions: 1. Why are we talking about the gift of tongues in a Baptist church? 2. Why spend so much time talking about tongues, when clearly Paul teaches that prophecy is more important? 3. What does New Testament prophecy look like, how is it different from Old Testament prophecy, and why does Paul consider it so important for the church? 4. What does a church look like when all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are active through all of the people?  Not only will we be addressing those questions, but my intention is to cut the message short by about 15 or so minutes and take your questions and/or comments. It may be that I am not able to answer every question that is asked, but we will write down all of them, and next week (July 5th), we will have an extended question and answer time as well, as a way of wrapping up our Spiritual gifts series.

If you are keeping track, you will note that this Sunday’s message will be the tenth in a row that I have preached on the subject of spiritual gifts - a long series by any reckoning. Why focus so long on this one topic? I hope to give a fuller, more complete answer to that question  over the next two Sundays. For now, I can tell you that these messages are very foundational for where I believe God is leading us at Agape - and they are a large part of the reason why God sent me to you, as opposed to sending somebody else. I am unusually eager to teach these next two messages, and I hope you can join us for them! After these two messages, we will have the priviledge of having our own Steve Sellers here at Agape to preach for the first time in several years. That will take place on July 12th (more info in that week’s newsletter) and then on July 19th, we will begin a brand new series of messages.

Announcement wise, I need to explain the cryptic title of this email. Next Wednesday, July 1st, being as how it is the Wednesday before July 4th, we are cancelling all Wednesday night services. Spend time with your family and friends, and be sure and set aside time for family worship and Bible study! We’ll be back to our normal schedule on Wednesday, July 8th - picking up in Matthew 18.

Finally, please allow me to push you on an issue: I believe for Agape to fully walk in the destiny and calling that our Father has for us, that we must make corporate prayer more of a priority than it currently is. As such, I invite and urge you to start making it a habit to join us for prayer in the front of the sanctuary every Sunday morning, beginning at approximately 9:15 am. It is a no frills prayer time, where we sit on the steps of the stage and simply seek God as a group. If you haven’t been before, this Sunday might be a great time for you to come! (Children are welcome)

Links worth viewing and reading:

*****     Wow - this is a great article! America is talking about Jon and Kate (plus 8), the tv show about two people who are supposedly Christians that are raising 8 kids together. Unfortunately, the reason America is talking about them right now is not because of their show, but because of some significant failings in their relationship together. I have never watched the show at all, but I have heard quite a bit about it, and what I have heard grieves me. I know a family that right now has 8 kids, and they are nothing like this family portrayed on tv. In fact, they are a fabulous family that I have learned a lot from. This article makes the very important point that not all large families are like the one’s you see on tv! CLICK HERE

*****     Ray Ortlund was a pastor in California for many years (click here to read what John Piper wrote about Ray, the man who pastored the church he used to attend), and he passed from this life in 2007. Recently, his son found a letter written by Ray to his family before he died. The letter is short, powerful, wonderfully sweet and well worth your time to read: CLICK HERE (note: link goes to a PDF file)

*****     What is superbowl quarterback Kurt Warner’s favorite thing about being an NFL football player? CLICK HERE for the answer.

*****     Of the almost 6 million jobs lost in the current recession, 80 percent of them were jobs held by men. Some eye opening statistics: CLICK HERE

I hope to see you Sunday!

Chase

Febo10

Chase

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Agape Baptist Newsletter - February 5, 2009: What about those who never hear the gospel?

Hello friends and family, and welcome in to another Agape newsletter. Here’s what’s going on in the near future: 

1. This week’s sermon: Vision Part 3: What of those who never hear the gospel? 
2. Last week’s message (by Sam Knowles - a must listen to) available online: CLICK HERE
3. Valentines FREE STEAK DINNER (details below) 
4. Food Pantry Wednesday the 11th. 
5. Angel Food orders are due Sunday, February 15: (CLICK HERE FOR MENU )
6. Alabama is number one yet again!!! (see below) 

 

This Wednesday night we had a very interesting (to me at least) and deep discussion on what constitutes blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and why that particular sin would be listed by Jesus as the unforgivable, or unpardonable sin. In the midst of that discussion, yet another very interesting issue was raised: “what happens to those who are born and die, never having heard the gospel - do they go to hell?”This Sunday (instead of next Wednesday), we are going to return to talking about the vision of our fellowship for 2009, and we are going to use this very question as a springboard to discussing what it is that God is calling us to this year. This won’t be a merely theoretical discussion of an interesting Bible theory, but hopefully a vibrant look at the character of God, and the very real importance of evangelism. Come with your Bibles and your opinions, and let us consider together what God is calling us to, and what God’s word says about this important issue. Is God fair? 


If you missed last week’s message, (by my friend Sam Knowles) then you missed a fantastic one, as well as an extremely colorful illustration that you will remember for quite a while. In completing our three part series on holiness, Sam gave us some practical instruction on how to actually walk in holiness. Dealing with holiness in a practical way is kind of a rare thing - often the church preaches the why of holiness, but not the how - this message has the how. Check it out: CLICK HERE

Coming next Saturday (Valentine’s) night, Dennis, Cindy and the missions team are going to be hosting a Valentine’s night dinner and movie for adults and kids. The adults will get a free STEAK meal (can you resist that?!) as well as be able to watch the excellent movie Fireproof. The kids will be watching Horton Hears a Who (another very good movie), and having food of their own in another room. You better believe my family will be there (who can find a baby sitter on Valentine’s night?), and I hope yours will be too! 

Also note, Food pantry will be this next Wednesday the 11th (at 6:00pm). We need your help! Whether you want to help Dennis bring down food to get ready for Food pantry, or whether you want to help John Talley’s team evangelize, or whether you simply want to help people get food to their car - come join us Wednesday night to feed the hungry, and reach the people! Also, Angel Food orders are due Sunday, February 15th. 

And finally, I would like to say, that in my annual February listing of my personal favorite states in America, the state of Alabama still ranks as #1 - my favorite state for at least two years running. (What, you thought I might be talking about something else??)    ;) 

Here’s some interesting/edifying/fun links for you to check out: 

*****     Where is the worst place in the world to be a Christian?: (hint: N.K.) CLICK HERE 

*****     What is the most religious state in the union? Did you know that Alabama is the second most religious? CLICK HERE 

*****     Free messages from the 2009 Desiring God pastor’s conference: CLICK HERE 

*****     NOT FOR SALE: a free audio book describing the efforts of 21st century anti slavery abolitionists: CLICK HERE 

*****     Randy Alcorn: Are you willing to be hated? CLICK HERE

Jano23

Chase

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Agape Newsletter - January 22, 2009 - Special Scottish Preaching edition.

Hello all, and welcome in to another info packed Agape newsletter.

Don’t forget that each of these newsletters, as well as several other posts are published weekly on our blog at Pinsonchurch.com/blog - Check it out for yourself, and tell your friends about it. Featured articles this week: The prayers of Joseph Lowery and Rick Warren at Barack Obama’s nomination, as well as a couple of amazing nature videos showing two remarkable birds.

Here’s a quick summary of all that is going on in the newsletter:
1. David McConnell preaching Sunday on holiness (see below)
2. New member’s class February 1st
3. Angel Food pick up Saturday @ 9:30am
4. PRAYER 9:15 am SHARP.
5. The Nest, homeless outreach Tuesday night
6. Kenya/Tanzania prayer
7. Food Pantry.
8. Super Bowl party. (Sunday night, February 1st - details forthcoming)
As noted above, David will be bringing the word this Sunday, and I’m looking forward to it. Here’s a preview from David to give you an idea of what to expect:

Strive for … the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 (ESV)

What a verse! Too often, modern Christianity has regulated Holiness to an incidental role in our faith. Being Holy is viewed as minor consequence of our belief in Christ, perhaps not as important as Grace. Yet, the Word tells us that without Holiness, we will never be with Jesus. That shakes me, and I hope it does us all. Sunday morning we will dive into the Word to see that Holiness, in both the OT and NT, is much more than a minor consequence of our faith. And we will take a look at a beautiful dynamic of scripture: we are commanded by God to be something that we can never be on our own.

Also, please note that the New Member’s class is coming up a week from Sunday (February 1st). If you are interested in joining Agape, please let me know, and you can be included. The class lasts a little over an hour, and a home cooked lunch will be provided (thanks Jennifer!). The class will begin shortly after church is over.
We have three missions related announcements for the week: 1. Angel Food pick up will be this Saturday at 9:30am in the foyer of the church. If you ordered Angel Food, don’t forget to come pick it up! Also, The Nest homeless ministry will take place next Tuesday (January 27). If you’d like to help serve food, or work with John Talley on the evangelism team, then you should be at the church around 6:00pm, and be ready to leave for downtown at 6:30pm. Finally, we will be doing food pantry next Wednesday (January 28), and we need volunteers to help carry food and minister to the people that come for food. The busiest time is from 6 to 7 pm, so come early if you can!
As you may have noticed last week, we are now having corporate prayer in the sanctuary before small groups meet. I invite you to come meet us at the front of the sanctuary for prayer this Sunday at 9:15 am (we will start on time this week). If we would see revival come…if we would see true evangelism happen…if we would see more missionaries sent out…if we would see the hungry fed, then we must become a people who will prioritize prayer. As J. Herbert Kane said, ““Water cannot rise any higher than its source, nor can the mission overseas be any stronger than the supporting church at home. A sick church can never save a dying world…Throughout history, revival at home and missions abroad have always gone together.” Come pray with us Sunday!!

Speaking of prayer and missions: a team from my previous church is currently in Kenya and Tanzania right now, leading medical clinics, working with an orphanage, and holding evangelistic crusades. Thus far, I understand that 900 people have made decisions for Christ, and many more have been helped medically and otherwise. Please pray for grace on that team, as well as pray for the pastor leading that group, my friend, Michael French - he has become somewhat seriously ill on the trip (as has his son Caleb), and this is limiting his ability to do much of anything. Also please pray for the family of Charles, who has been the mission liaison and driver for that church for several years now. Charles was killed in a mugging this week, right before the missions team arrived in Kenya.

Speaking of prayer, please also remember Emerald, the baby of Tamiko (not sure I’m spelling her name right) who has been visiting with us from Olivia’s house, and has expressed an interest in joining Agape. Emerald was to have major surgery this morning - please pray for her to be covered in grace!

Finally, I close with some inspiring, challenging, interesting or fun links for you to check out:

John Piper, Al Mohler, Mark Driscoll, and Chuck Colson weigh in on the inauguration Tuesday: CLICK HERE

Fireproof the movie in 60 seconds. (don’t watch this if you haven’t yet seen Fireproof. Go see it.) CLICK HERE

Tim Challies writes about sin’s effects on us via an interesting (and disturbing) clean up that he assisted in. Part 1 ….Part 2 .

Past The Popcorn (Christian movie review site) has a nice interview with Kirk Cameron up: CLICK HERE

How to hack (or mod) your Bible to add extra ribbon bookmarks! (I am not skilled enough to do this myself…) CLICK HERE

Ron Jones types a passionate letter to Barack Obama on abortion. CLICK HERE

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday!

Chase

Jano16

Chase

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Agape Baptist Newsletter….Special we now have a blog edition! (Also: Holiness, a call to prayer, and Julio Jones)

Hello, and welcome to another edition of the Agape newsletter - now available online as well as via email! Yes, that’s right - we have now entered the twenty first century with a blog! Rejoice! I’ve already posted all of the past Agape newsletters online, so you can relive them should you have a need to. More on the blog in a moment, but first let’s get to our super fast summary: 

1. Sunday message: The wonderful/terrible fire of God’s holiness. 
2. A CALL TO PRAYER (Sunday morning at 9:15) 
3. A special baby shower…
4. More on the blog Pinsonchurch.com/blog 
5. Wednesday night fellowship dinner
6. The Nest, January 27th

This Sunday (January 18) at Agape, I will be bringing a message that concerns God’s call to His church: “Be Holy as I am Holy”. The Holiness of God is both a wonderful and terrible thing, and His call to the modern American church to be Holy is often either ignored or phariseeized by us. Sunday, as God gives grace, I hope to bring a message out of the unchanging word of God that will call us to challenge our ways, our habits and our words, while at the same time avoiding any sort of ungodly, liberty killing response. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty” vs. “Be Holy as I am Holy.” Both are scripture, yet the church tends towards one or the other “extreme”, though we are called to both liberty and holiness. I hope you join us Sunday to find out how we can be both free and holy! 

God is calling us at Agape to make prayer a priority like never before. I believe that to be true with all of my heart. After last week’s 9:15 am prayer time, David challenged us to move prayer from a side section of the sanctuary to front and center. We heard his challenge, and believe it to be from God, so beginning this Sunday, the entire sanctuary will be devoted to prayer from roughly 9:15am up until small groups begin. The Bridge (our coffee and cookies hospitality center) will be moved to the foyer, and also function as a welcome center for guests. I implore and challenge you to come and pray with us at the front of the sanctuary this Sunday, beginning at 9:15. 

This Sunday, we will be having a surprise baby shower for Tameka, one of the Olivia’s house ladies, that has been joining us for worship lately. The shower will take place during Ann Talley’s small group (upstairs, near the sound room), and I encourage all of us to bring items that would be fit for a mom with a newborn. Let’s wrap our arms around Tameka and show her the love of Jesus!

As noted above, we now have a blog. All of these newsletters will be posted there, as well as other thoughts and musings, videos and random things. When you see something interesting there, please forward the link to your friends! The blog can be found at http://www.pinsonchurch.com/blog . It is not currently hosted on Agapepinson.com due to that server not being able to support blogging software. Late last week, while I was setting up the blog, I got a call from my mom, who had been at the hospital with my aunt for her knee replacement surgery. It turned out that Alabama receiver Julio Jones had surgery the same day that my aunt had surgery, and Julio’s room was right next door! My mom spent quite a bit of time talking with Julio and his mom, she told me about it, and I wrote a blog post about it on our new site. One week later, that blog post has been linked to by at least 15 websites, and our site has been visited by almost 2000 people from 8 different countries (including Djibouti and Kuwait). How funny is that? 

 

A more pertinent blog post however is one I posted earlier today that includes a great theology by email discussion that I had with David, Greg, John Talley, Michael Fargarson, Sam Knowles and others. You should read it (though it is very long!) Click here to read it…Theology by email.

This Wednesday night (January 21), beginning at 6:00pm we will be having a family dinner and worship night. Come, and bring your friends and appetites - we should have lots of fun! 

Finally, don’t forget about The Nest homeless outreach which will be happening Tuesday, January 27th. Also, pray for Hal - founder of The Nest. I received a text message from Cindy today that said he was in the hospital. 

I close with some interesting links for those of you that are into that sort of thing:  

*****     Sam sent me this article by John Piper on John 15 (Abiding in Jesus) and scripture memory. It seems quite appropriate given last Sunday’s message. (CLICK HERE)  

*****     Ten Shekels and A Shirt - One of the most powerful messages ever preached. (CLICK HERE) 

*****     Prosperity gospel is suffering with the economy. (CLICK HERE) 

*****     How to have a Family worship time (CLICK HERE)  

*****     Tim Tebow on his faith. (CLICK HERE)  

*****     Could Jack the Ripper have been a Jill? (CLICK HERE)  

*****     Practical tips on saving money: (CLICK HERE)  

*****     Interesting facts on Global Warming and the climate: (CLICK HERE) 

Well, that should be enough for now. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday! 

Chase

Jano07

Chase

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Agape Newsletter, 12-19-2008: Merry Christmas Edition!

Hello everybody and welcome to the penultimate* Agape newsletter of 2008!


Ultra-quick summary of this week at Agape:

1. Agape Christmas breakfast celebration and special worship time: This Sunday at 10:00am (covered dish)
2. Angel Food Pick up Saturday at 9:30 am
3. Tuesday night homeless ministry, the Nest. Be at Agape at 6

4. No Crossroads this week, no Wednesday night Bible Study/Food Pantry.

This Sunday morning, at Agape, we will be celebrating the birth of the Messiah by eating breakfast together, fellowshipping, and then worshiping. I am looking forward to celebrating this Sunday with you all, and if I can be candid - I’m looking forward to the covered dish breakfast as well - my favorite meal! Eating in the morning is a Biblical practice that dates back to at least the Israelite Exodus from Egypt, and possibly earlier. (that is my theological justification for our breakfast)  ;)   (Don’t forget to bring a covered dish or two to share with everybody!!!)

The next Sunday morning, December 28th, we will be having a time of baptism. If you are interested in participating, or if your children are, then please be sure and let us know!!
Don’t forget that this Tuesday we will be going to the Nest to minister to the homeless, and celebrate Christmas with them as well. We leave Agape at 6:30, so try to be there early so you can help load chairs, tables and food for everybody.

David sends this note for the newsletter:  We want to thank everyone who joined us for our Crossroads’ study that was focused on The Gospel. If interested, the entire series is available to download from our website. We are currently seeking the Lord’s guidance on our next Crossroads series and if He is willing, we anticipate that this will start sometime in early 2009. Again, thank you to everyone!!


Two weeks ago in a message on our Vision for 2009, I talked about how our National Visitor’s Center in Washington DC has a plaque at the entrance which says, “We have built no temple but the Capitol. We consult no common oracle but the Constitution.” In addition, in the visitor’s center, our national anthem was incorrectly identified as “E Pluribus Unum” when in fact it is, “In God We Trust”. In a follow up to that, I’d like to tell you some things about our National Cathedral in Washington D.C. This is a “church” in name only, but it is often the “church” that presidents and dignitaries go to in Washington. It is far from Christian, instead embracing people of “all faiths and no faith”.

This week, I read a mind-blowing article by the faith/religion writer at the Washington Post, one of our nation’s most prominent newspapers. In this article, she discusses where President Obama should go to church. She suggests the National Cathedral, because it is so pluralistic. The National Cathedral is a nominally Episcopalian church that celebrated it’s 100th anniversary last year. With a “One Spirit among many Nations Festival.” This is how the Post described the celebration,  ”With a background of sound and lights, the festival drew believers and nonbelievers from all over the country. “We wanted them to experience their humanity,” says Lloyd, [the Dean/pastor of the church] “to have the sense that they shared a common life with each other.”

Later in the article, the writer admiringly mentions that Deepak Chopra, a Hindu/New Age guru spoke at a recent packed out National Cathedral service. Chopra, when asked about Obama, said that he believes the president elect has “transcended spiritual identity.” I don’t know about you, but I read this article, and I see the foundation for a coming one world religion. It might be closer than we’ve imagined. All it might take is some sort of global crisis to get the ball rolling. Oh wait. We’re in the middle of one right now! (article source: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/sally_quinn/2008/11/obamas_should_choose_national.html)

Watch and Pray, saints of God - we are living in interesting times. May we be a light to the nations and may we abide in Jesus Christ - the one Way, Truth and Life!

This Week’s Schedule:  (This month’s schedule online at: http://agapepinson.com/calendar_of_events.htm)

Saturday, December 20, 9:30 am - Angel Food pick up (for real this time)

Sunday, December 21, 9:15 am - Prayer

Sunday 10:00 - Christmas Breakfast Fellowship - bring a covered dish or two.

Sunday 10:50: Special Christmas celebration and worship

Sunday night: There will be no Crossroads this Sunday night, but there is a youth Christmas party at 5 pm.


Tuesday, December 23 - The Nest homeless ministry Christmas party.

Wednesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) - No Wednesday night service or food pantry.

Thursday, December 25 - Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 28 - Baptism Service. (if you want to participate, please email me and let me know)

This Week’s Links:

*****     Family quarrels and tension can unfortunately be a big part of the Christmas season for some. Here’s an article that will cause you to think twice about forgiveness and unity: http://www.thinkchristian.net/index.php/2008/12/17/who-owns-jesus-more/

*****     John Piper - 12 reasons for Christmas: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2002/1222_Twelve_Reasons_for_Christmas/

*****     Speaking of Piper, here’s him discussing a very practical question, “how should a husband and wife manage opposite sex drives?” http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/AskPastorJohn/ByTopic/12/3459/

*****     Rick Warren to give the invocation at Obama’s inauguration: http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/503643.aspx
*****     Al Mohler on how to use a study Bible: http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=2930

*****     When we discipline our children, we are teaching them about the end times, and other deep truths: http://www.russellmoore.com/index.php/2008/12/10/the-eschatology-of-parenting/

*****     Carolyn Mcculley on the Mommy Wars: http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001917.cfm
Jesus was born to push against the fall, as far as the curse is found, and I am glad of that!

Chase

*(penultimate is a word learned while watching a Monty Python sketch several years ago),

Jano07

Chase

0

Agape Newsletter, 12-4-2008 Vision Casting and Bruce Lee ping-pong.

Brothers and Sisters,

Welcome to another Agape newsletter - a very important one, I believe.

Ultra-quick summary of this week at Agape:

1. Vision Sunday, Part 1:
2. Budget vote moved from December 7 to December 14 plus: review the proposed budget online!
3. Crossroads Sunday night begins again this Sunday (plus Crossroads Christmas party next week)
4. Angel Food orders due this Sunday (December 7 - see Cindy Underwood)
5. Angel food Pick up will be on Saturday, December 13 at Agape.
6. Bruce Lee playing ping-pong   :)   See This week’s links, below:

This week at Agape we will begin our most significant message series since I have arrived at the church. If you are an inactive member, or if it has been a long time since you have come - I want to urge and implore you to come to Agape at least this week and next week (December 14th) to hear more about our direction for 2009. If you are an active member, and you have the email address of somebody who hasn’t been in a long time - please allow me to encourage you to forward this newsletter onto them along with a personal invitation from you.

This Sunday, we will begin talking about the future at Agape - our vision, our calling, our purpose. What exactly does that mean? Maybe I can answer that question by listing a few things that you won’t be hearing this Sunday:

1. You won’t be hearing a big push to give towards a building project or anything like that.

2. You won’t be hearing MY vision - the goal is to articulate OUR vision as a church - that unique thing that God is calling us as a family to do.

3. You won’t be hearing a vision that only a few people can participate in. As I’ve said several times, the role of the pastors and leaders in the church is to build up the church and equip people to be who they are called to be. (See Ephesians 4:11).

The fact is that God has a purpose for our congregation. It can’t be fulfilled by any one person or leader - it can’t be fulfilled by just a few families. God has a purpose and calling (and vision) for our entire congregation - i.e., those things that we are unable to do separately, but that we are uniquely equipped to do together. In this day and age of individualism, it is somewhat foreign to us to think in terms of things that we can’t do without each other. Perhaps we can picture it by way of a football analogy: Saturday, Alabama will play Florida for the SEC championship. As I write this, Florida is favored by approximately 10 points. Think about what would happen if they tried to play the game with just one player on Alabama’s side! Florida could score an almost infinite amount of points.  Think about what would happen if Alabama played with only a few players? Florida would still win by hundreds. How about if only one or two Alabama players were missing? It seems like that wouldn’t make that big of a difference, but I guarantee you that being down two players would hurt Alabama a great deal this weekend.

So then is the church - we are like a team, in essence, capable of doing amazing things together, but hobbled when we don’t come together.  Sunday we’re exploring what God is calling our team to do. I am looking forward to it, and I certainly hope that you’ll make plans to join us!

Also note that we will be voting on our 2009 budget next Sunday, December 14th, right after our morning worship and word. We had originally announced December 7 as budget Sunday last week, but we decided to move it to the 14th so that we could get a copy of the budget into everybody’s hands to look over. If you would like to look at our budget, we’ve posted it on our website:http://agapepinson.com/online_resources.htm Please note that you will need Microsoft Excel to view the budget proposal. We should have copies available this Sunday morning for your perusal.


David sends this information about the Crossroads Christmas Party in December: December 14th after Crossroads service we are going to have a Christmas fellowship dinner at Mary and David Ledbetter’s house in Pinson. Everyone is welcome. Mary and David ask that everyone who comes bring some kind of a dish, that way we have plenty of food. We are going to have Crossroads on Dec 7th, and the 14th. The 14th will kind of be our end of the year service so to speak. We will take the 21st and the 28th off and come back on Jan 4th.

This Week’s Schedule:  (This month’s schedule online at: http://agapepinson.com/calendar_of_events.htm)

Saturday, December 6 9:00 am - Church wide workday - our main focus this Saturday will be on decorating the sanctuary, so please come and join us!

Sunday, December 7, 9:15 am - Please remember that we’ve changed corporate prayer time from 8:30 to 9:15am
Sunday 9:45 - Small groups
Sunday 10:45 - Corporate worship, prayer and word. This Sunday: Vision 2009 - God’s call for US

Sunday night: 5 pm Sunday night at Crossroads, David will be teaching on: ::

Baptized!

Tonight we will be shifting into what it means to proclaim the gospel with our lives and we will begin with a study on the Biblical picture of how all new Christians first proclaim the gospel: Baptism. There may be no other church ordinance that is so debated among Christians and Christian denominations. Even among Baptists, we often declare baptism to simply be symbolic of an inward change. But, is that all there is to it? Is baptism simply a ‘good thing to do’ if you are a Christian? Join us tonight at 7pm as we attempt to uncover in the word: proclaiming the gospel through baptism.


Wednesday night, December 10 - Advent Part 3 - Join us for Wednesday nights in December as we celebrate Advent together and study/discuss things related to the birth of Jesus. We also have Food Pantry this Wednesday.


Saturday, December 13th: Angel food pick up.

Finally, Christmas this year has been scheduled for December 25 (a Thursday).


This Week’s Links:

*****    This past Sunday, we discussed Advent, and how enriching it can be for a family to celebrate Advent together. Here’s a very easy to use devotional for every night of Advent: http://scriptureunion.gospelcom.net/Advent.pdf

*****     Here is a collection of solid resources on Advent, gathered by Christianity Today: http://www.christianitytoday.com/holidays/christmas/features/advent.htm


*****     Here it is, as promised, Bruce Lee playing ping-pong with Nunchucks (or Nunchaku if you want to be technical): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QHslHpK4-Q Now what other church newsletter gives you treats like this one?!


*****    Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, is fast on it’s way to becoming the next Harry Potter. A well written, engaging love story between a teen girl, and a vampire that abstains from drinking human blood, the story is a runaway best seller, and a very popular movie as well. Some abstinence advocates have encouraged reading of the book because the main characters do not ultimately engage in sex until they are married. On the surface, this seems like a good thing, of course, but the level of sensuality in the Twilight series is something that parents and Christians need to be aware of. Tim Challies offers an objective review here: http://www.challies.com/archives/book-reviews/book-review—twilight.php

*****     A bit on John Piper’s new book, Finally Alive: http://adrianwarnock.com/2008/12/john-pipers-most-important-book-finally.html Sounds quite challenging!

*****     Liberty University’s kicker this year (on their division 1 football team) does not have arms http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/men/11596238/

Please be praying for each other, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday! ! 

Chase

Jano07

Chase

0

Agape Newsletter, November 7, 2008 Special Presidential Election Edition.

Hello again everybody and welcome to yet another Agape newsletter. Wow - what a historic week! Is everybody ok out there? 

Ultra-quick summary of this week at Agape: 

1. New sermon series begins this week - The Great Romance.
1A - Coming December 7 and 14 - Agape’s Vision for 2009
2. Don’t forget to bring spaghetti sauce or noodles this Sunday to give to the food pantry. 
3. Crossroads Sunday night at 5:00 pm - Subject: Jesus’ call to follow.
4. Angel Food money is due by Sunday morning, but Cindy will be at church Saturday morning from 9-12 so you can pay then.
5. Christmas Shoe boxes are due November 22 (for more details, see display in the back of the sanctuary) 

This Sunday morning, we will begin a three part series that will lay the foundation for something critically important to Agape that will begin in December. The message series is entitled “The Great Romance” and is an examination of the Love of God for His people, and how we are to experience it, enjoy it, return it and reflect it. This week the primary focus will be on God’s Love for His people. I can hear you thinking now - “well, I know God loves us - and I’ve heard plenty of sermons that have told me that.” I can assure you that you’ve not heard many messages on God’s love from the perspective you will hear Sunday. I believe Sunday will bring a fresh understanding and experience of God’s love for all of us. It will be a message partly presented via multimedia, and I believe it will be quite emotional, encouraging and life impacting. This is a good series to invite a friend who has been wounded in church in the past to come and hear. So, please let me encourage you to invite your wounded and discouraged friends to come and be refreshed! Week two of this series will look at how God’s love for us should be reflected to each other in the family of faith. Week three will examine how God’s love for us should compel us to love those outside the walls of the church. 

I mentioned earlier that this three part series will be foundational for something very important at Agape. I am referring to December 7th and 14th - the first two Sundays of December. On those days, and probably the first week or two in January, I will begin a series on Agape’s call and vision for 2009. The word vision has always been a powerful word to me, especially in the context of the church. When I was ten or so, I went to a large church that began a 12 million dollar building program. The cornerstone verse used for raising money for that program was Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish”. This verse has been (mis)used in many hundreds (thousands?) of churches over the years to inspire the people to all join in a vision - a vision that usually centered around either the expansion of the facilities or a new building entirely. I believe that to be a misuse of that particular passage - but the passage itself is important and certainly true - the people of God wander aimlessly, ultimately perishing when there is no God centered, God inspired, God breathed vision put in front of them. When I say vision, I really just mean that which God is uniquely calling the people of Agape Baptist to do. I believe that we each have a powerful and unique calling from God on an individual level, and I believe also that we have a corporate calling as well - one that can only be fulfilled by us moving together under the leadership of God. 

Since Cary left Agape in 2007, it seems that we have been without an overall specific vision. Please don’t misunderstand me - I’m not saying that as an insult in any way, shape or form. The fact is that for a church of our size - Agape has a very strong community impact, and is very active in so many areas. In the eight months that I have been at Agape, I have been waiting on God, and asking Him to reveal His vision for us - His call, His specific purpose for Agape in this specific time. I believe that now is the time for us to hear and understand God’s vision and call for us at Agape on a new level - a specific level for this next year. I would ask you to join me in fasting and prayer over the next month as we all seek God and ask Him to reveal His will to us for this next year. I will write and speak much more on this issue in the coming weeks. I invite your input - especially your input gained after personally praying for God to reveal His calling to Agape. 

One other thing - if you missed the expert’s round table discussion on the economy this Sunday, David has posted the audio file on our website: http://agapepinson.com/sermons_online.htm (you can also download David’s Crossroads sermon from last week there as well) 

This Week’s Schedule:  (This month’s schedule online at: http://agapepinson.com/calendar_of_events.htm)
Saturday, November 8 - Food Pantry (from 9-12) Although Angel Food money can be turned in Sunday morning to Cindy, she tells me that it would be helpful for people to turn their orders in on Saturday morning if at all possible. Angel food menu and other information is online at: http://agapepinson.com/angel_food_ministries.htm

Sunday, November 9, 9:15 am - ALERT ALERT ALERT. Corporate Prayer has been changed from 8:30 to 9:15. You no longer have to wake up early to come and pray together!!! 
Sunday 9:45 - Small groups
Sunday 10:45 - Corporate worship, prayer and word. This Sunday: The Great Romance, part 1. 

Sunday night: 5 pm Sunday night at Crossroads, David will be teaching on what it really means to FOLLOW JESUS. Here’s his summary:  A Call to Follow

Jesus offers to everyone this invitation: ‘Come to me and I will give you rest’. And while this certainly is a call to receive forgiveness for our sins, we must realize that is also a call to responsibility. To be born again is to accept Christ as Savior and Lord. We are to trust Him, not just for redemption, but also for total direction in life. Therefore, His words are not just a call to receive, but also a call to follow. Join us on November 9th as we continue our study of what it means to experience the gospel.


Wednesday night, November 12 7:00 pm- This Wednesday night, we should be finally wrapping up Matthew 10, and going into Matthew 11. I said that last week as well, but our discussion this past Wednesday night on certain elements of Matthew 10 was so good and lively that we didn’t get as far as I thought we might. We will also have food pantry this Wednesday night from 6-8. 

A few other scheduling notes: Sunday, November 19th will be our last Fellowship Wednesday night of the year, so be sure and join us for great fun, fellowship and food. Also, we will not be having our normal Wednesday night services the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, but I believe we will still have food pantry that night. I will find out for sure and let you know in the next newsletter. 

This Week’s Links:

*****     What if Starbucks marketed itself like the church did? A parable: http://www.thinkchristian.net/index.php/2008/11/06/what-if-starbucks-used-church-marketing/

*****     Wednesday the sun came up and I was happy. It is still morning in America. The candidate I voted for did not win, but I got to vote in a free and fair election. Power will be passed peacefully and the Constitution is intact. http://www.crosswalk.com/news/commentary/11595333/

*****     Were you disappointed by the results of this week’s election? Here’s John Piper on how to cope: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFvlfc2VkN0  (He also addresses the current economic situation). I love John Piper. 

*****    Oswald Chambers on intimacy and having a now faith vs. a future faith: http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/my-utmost-for-his-highest/11/06/devotion.aspx

*****    Zondervan Publishing has bought one of my favorite and most used websites, www,Biblegateway.com. All I’ve got to say is that they had better not mess it up! http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/novemberweb-only/145-41.0.html

*****     Finally, from the practical, if not spiritual department: Did you know that stretching before exercise isn’t a great idea after all (at least not the way most of us stretch!) Read on:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/sports/playmagazine/112pewarm.html?_r=3&em&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday! 

Chase

Jano07

Chase

0

Agape Newsletter 10-31-2008

Hello friends and family, and welcome to another Agape newsletter. I’ve promised myself a fresh chocolate chip as a reward for finishing this newsletter, so I’d better get started!

(I added a few people to the newsletter list this week - if you’re one of those people, and don’t want to get this amazingly awesome weekly newsletter, please let me know, and I’ll take you off my list!)

First up: Here’s an ultra-quick summary of what’s inside:

1A. DON’T FORGET about Daylight Savings Time ending this Sunday morning - set your clocks BACK 1 hour before you go to bed Saturday night! 
1. Send in your questions for our economy panel this Sunday!
2. PLEASE invite a friend to come join you at worship this week!
3. Crossroads Sunday Night at 5:00pm (topic: can I lose my salvation, and how do I know if I’m really saved?)
4, Special Prayer Time for the 2008 election Monday night (November 3rd) at 8:00pm. 
5. The children’s Christmas program practice begins Wednesday night, November 5
6. Don’t forget to turn in deacon nominations this week.

Sunday morning we will be having our expert panel on the economy, and addressing all of your questions. Our panel consists of 2 attorneys, an accountant and a banker. In addition to the extended Q and A time, I will be bringing a very brief (10-15 minute) message on how we, as God’s people, should respond to the economic crisis. IF YOU HAVEN’T SENT IN YOUR QUESTIONS YET, please do so! There is still time for you to send in any questions that you might have, and the sooner we get your questions, the better we’ll be able to answer them. Thus far I have about 11 or so questions that have been sent in, and we still have room for a few more. Act Now! Operators are standing by. Free questions to the first twenty callers!

Also - I would like to urge you to invite friends, neighbors and family members to come visit Agape Sunday. The economy is something that is on a lot of people’s minds, and to my knowledge, not many churches are addressing it in a practical and spiritual way - this week would be an awesome time to encourage somebody to visit with you!

This Monday night, beginning at 8:00 pm we will be having a time of corporate prayer in the sanctuary,  focused on the 2008 election, which will be happening Tuesday. This is a critically important election for our country, and we need to join with millions of believers across the nation who will be crying out to God for His will and His wisdom for Tuesday.

Finally, on a bit of a personal note, please allow me to encourage you to go see the movie Fireproof if you haven’t seen it yet. Janet and I watched it tonight, and both of us found it to be a great movie. Let me be very clear: I don’t have a lot of patience for most Christian movies - I appreciate their message, but let’s be frank: most of them stink! Fireproof, however, stinketh not one jot or tiddle, to use King James English. It was an enjoyable movie with a powerful message, and it can certainly be a life changer for a lot of couples. Let me say it one more time: this movie doesn’t stink! I wasn’t actually looking forward to seeing it all that much, having plenty of experience in the past with Christian clunkers like Megiddo,Thief in the Night,  and some of the Left Behind movies (the books are better than the movies) - but this is a really good movie, with an even better message. Guys - take your wives!

My Top Christian Movies:

1. Amazing Grace
2. Fireproof
3. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (I haven’t seen Prince Caspian yet)
4. Luther
5. The one I’m forgetting right now.



This Week’s Schedule:
Sunday, November 2, 9:15 am - ALERT ALERT ALERT. Corporate Prayer has been changed from 8:30 to 9:15. The reason for the change is so that people (like me) who might not be all that fired up about waking up early, can wake up just a shade early, and come pray together. It is a critical time in the life of our country and our fellowship at Agape, so I urge you to come a few minutes early, and pray with us in the back of the sanctuary.
Sunday 9:45 - Small groups
Sunday 10:45 - This Sunday, as noted above, we will be addressing the crumbling economic situation in America. What does it mean for us individually, and what does it mean for the church?

Sunday night: 5 pm Sunday night at Crossroads, David will be teaching on the Gospel again, specifically focused on two important issues of salvation. Here’s his summary: When it comes to the issue of salvation, more than one Christian has dealt with the question of ‘Am I really saved’ or ‘Can I lose my salvation?’ And while it is critical for us to know the condition of our heart, Christ does not want us to walk in confusion or fear over the issue of being born again. Which is why we can and should have the assurance of salvation. Join us November 2nd at 5pm as we seek truth from the word on how we know we are saved.
Monday Night, November 3rd, 8:00 pm - Corporate prayer for the 2008 Presidential election - in the sancutary.

Wednesday night, November 5 7:00 pm- This Wednesday night we’ll be finishing up Matthew 10 - should ministry today look like it did when Jesus sent the twelve out? Was Jesus the Prince of Peace, or did He not come to bring peace but a sword? And why in the world is He telling us to hate our wives, mothers andf fathers in this passage? Could this be the same Jesus that we used to see on the flannelgraphs in Sunday school? Come join us!

This Week’s Links:

*****     Here’s a fantastic new song from Hillsong - Stronger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZBPD-T20t0

*****     A great holiday is set to be celebrated today, so I’d like to take this opportunity to say “Happy Reformation Day!” To everybody: http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/worship/11583552/

*****    Abortion is one of the greatest tragedies and horrors of my generation. This article demands a response of intercession and a crying out to God for mercy and justice. http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/viewarticle.php?selectedarticle=2008.10.28_Hendershott_Anne_A%20Dangerous%20Time%20to%20be%20a%20Black%20Baby_.xml I honestly had no idea it was this bad.

*****    Thoughtful and short: Three ways we can spoil the gospel. http://andynaselli.com/theology/three-ways-to-spoil-the-gospel

*****    John Piper on meekness vs. laziness: http://adrianwarnock.com/2008/10/piper-friday-meekness-not-laziness.html

*****     Visualizing the debt of the United States in a clear and easy to understand way (as credit card debt). Who knew we owe Luxembourg so much? http://blog.mint.com/blog/finance-core/visualizing-uncle-sams-debt/

Come and join us Sunday morning as we worship together and encourage each other in Jesus!

Chase

p.s. I ate my chocolate chip cookie about one paragraph into this newsletter. Guess it’s time to work up a message on self discipline…and time to go make some more chocolate chip cookies!    :)

Jano07

Chase

0

Agape Newsletter #3 - September 13, 2008

Hello friends and family, and welcome to another Agape e-newsletter, chocked full of announcements, interesting links, and vain attempts at humorous writing. We’ve got a lot of announcements to cover this week, so we’ll start there.

Announcements:
This Wednesday, September 17 - Beginning at 5:45, we’ll be having a family meeting and fellowship meal together. Come and join us for some great eats and hang out time. At one of our last family meetings, I spent an entire action packed hour answering a question from the floor in regards to the issue of ordination of women, so if you missed our last family meeting - you missed that!! And if you miss this family meeting, you could miss something equally exciting, or even more exciting! Okay okay,  - actually I won’t be doing that anytime soon. So if you come this week, you will not be subjected to that again - I promise. (To be clear, I’m poking fun at myself for being long winded in the answering of the question, not the question itself, which I consider a good one)

September 21 - Leadership Team meeting 4:00pm in the church office.

September 26, 27 - Men’s Golf Outing.  For more information, see Brian Perkins or Andy Gray - there is a sign-up sheet on back table. Alright men, listen up: I’m going on this golf outing, and I absolutely stink at golf - I haven’t played in about 3-4 years, and even when I was playing regularly (3-5 times a year) to call me a duffer would be an insult to duffers everywhere. The whole point of the golf outing isn’t really to play golf - it’s to hang out, to fellowship with each other, to be men, etc. YOU SHOULD COME!

September 28 - J. David Mcconnell will be preaching, as well as filling us in on the rebirth of Crossroads on October 5th. I know that David’s message will be timely, anointed and powerful. I also imagine that he will take the opportunity to throw in a few jabs at Alabama football, since I myself have taken the opportunity to do the same to his beloved Auburn Tigers. Fair is Fair, I suppose. :)

Oct. 3,4 Youth Trip to Stewart Center in Atlanta, Georgia- see John Clayton King for more details.

October 5 Sunday Night: Crossroads, the Sunday night teaching and worship time led by David Mcconnell (teaching) and John Talley (worship), will begin again - this time on a more permanent basis. I’ll write more about this next week, but go ahead and mark it on your calenders. Crossroads is always a great teaching and fellowship time, and a perfect way to go deeper in the word, as well as build deeper relationships with other people at Agape. After Crossroads that night we’ll have a food and fun get together at the parsonage.

Oct 11 - Youth Quake - Cullman - see John King. Here’s the website http://youthquake.org/cullman/index.html 1000 ft Crutch, Kutless, Fireflight, Pillar and KJ-52 (what could possible be cooler than a white rapper?) will be there, as well as Matt Pitt from The Basement.
Sunday morning: 8:30-Corporate prayer…meet in the right hand corner of the sanctuary.
Sunday morning 9:45 - Small groups
Sunday morning 10:45- Corporate worship.
And now for a very special interruption: -
This Sunday, we will continue talking about worship and warfare - specifically how our committing to a lifestyle of worship changes things spiritually, and wages war on the Kingdom of darkness. Last Saturday evening, as I was preparing the message for the next two weeks, I felt like God simply downloaded some deep truths into me to share with you all. This communication, if I can call it that, lasted about 10 minutes or so, and it was almost like I felt a direct line to heaven. It was very unusual for me to say the least. I was typing as fast as I could to keep up with what was being received.
I don’t believe I’ve said anything like this in the 5 months that I’ve been at Agape, but I urge and encourage you to come this Sunday morning, at least partially to hear this message. I believe it is truly from God, and is a very timely message for our body. If I don’t somehow get in the way, then I believe this message will be very beneficial and encouraging for you. I hope this isn’t coming across as arrogant or self promoting, because that is the very opposite of what I am intending to convey. If the message Sunday morning is good in some way - it will be only because of the grace and enabling of God.
Some links, freebies and other things worth checking out:
****     Everybody likes free music, right? Here’s a link to an entire worship album available for free and legitimate download. The music is very beautiful, Christ centered and scriptural. You can download the whole album (look for the link) or you can download each individual song by right clicking on them and saving them. My favorite songs on the cd are: Resurrection Song, Psalm 103, and Beatitudes. Resurrection Song is on of the most powerful and hopeful worship songs that I have ever heard. Here’s the link: http://www.christourlife.ca/new_worship_cd.html
*****     The mainstream media often portrays pro-life people as violent, and it is rare to hear the other side, but this week a pro life person was assaulted at a clinic.
*****     Focus on the Family: Married people should laugh more with each other . (and perhaps less AT each other)
There’s so many other links I can include this week, but I’d better stop here, so that most of you can get this in your inbox before 5:00 Friday.
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday,
Chase