Tag Archives: marriage

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

Jano07

Chase

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Pastor’s Thoughts: Leading Your Heart (by J. David McConnell)

Leading Your Heart

YouTube Preview Image

A few weeks ago my wife and I went to see the movie Fireproof. Many of our friends had seen it and highly recommended that we go. Overall, the movie was fantastic. I must say that the acting…well, no one in it will win an academy award. But…it was well put together, with a good script and a cast of people that you were fond of by the time it was over.

The story, of course, made the movie. I don’t cry at movies, actually I don’t cry a lot ever…but I will say that I came close. The guy in front of us was dishing out napkins to his wife in huge quantities, and then turned around and gave my wife some as well. Thankfully, I didn’t have to take any from him (which would have required that I surrender my manhood card immediately). Interestingly enough, it wasn’t so much the scripted words that made me emotional. As I sat there and watched this movie, and the deep love being portrayed from a man to his wife – I realized how much God really loves us. I know, you are thinking ‘wow, what a deep thought: God loves us.’ But just seeing someone love someone else so much that it physically hurts them and to realize the only way we can have that capacity is because God gives it to us, and then to realize how imperfect we are and that we are not capable of loving anyone even a fraction of how much God loves…well, I was overcome. Oh, How He Loves Us.

Anyway, let me get to the point of this blog. A friend of mine had told me about a particular line in the movie that really impacted him and when I heard it, I was equally struck. The line went something like this: ‘we don’t follow our hearts, we lead our hearts’. I was thinking about how often we make decisions based on emotion, or how we feel. It might be a relationship decision, a financial decision, a decision on where we should worship or whether we should go to worship at all. We decide whether or not we should forgive someone, or whether we should serve God or tell others about Christ. This list goes on and on…but I can’t tell you how many times I have seen someone making what I felt like was a bad decision, while saying ‘I feel like this is the right thing to do’.

My own life is the same, as I have often based decisions on how I feel. As a matter of fact, a lot of my sin is based on doing what I feel like doing, instead of what is right by God. In the past year and a half, I can’t tell you how many times I ‘knew’ what I wanted to do in ministry and what I felt like God wanted me to do. Only to find out that it wasn’t God’s plan. I am so thankful for doors God has shut, that I would have walked through based on how I felt at the time. The problem is our hearts are born corrupt and with an inclination to evil (see Genesis 8:21), so sometimes following our hearts is not the right thing. Even with good intentions (wanting to follow God is a good thing) feelings can be deceptive. Our hearts, our feelings, are susceptible to deceit and temptation. We have to be aware of that fact.

So, this would lead to a question of how do we live out our lives? How do we make decisions, both big and small and trust that we are doing the right things? How can we know God’s will for our lives and what he wants us to do? Well, I think we can find a lot of direction on that in Philippians 2 (v. 12-13): work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Within these verses, Paul is not teaching us that salvation comes from works, but rather he is encouraging the readers to put their salvation into action. In other words we are to ‘work it out’ referring to living out what we are taught and what we know to be true. We are to do this ‘with fear and trembling’ meaning that we are to live our lives understanding we are totally and completely dependent upon God; we can accomplish nothing for Christ apart from the power of God within us. And that is the beauty of what Paul reveals to us, that it is God who works within us (our hearts and minds) to mold our desires (will) into His desires for our lives. At the same time He empowers us to accomplish what He gives us to do.

We really want God to e-mail us, or write in the sky what His plans for us are; what it is that He wants us to do in life. But, the picture we see most often is that we get up day by day by day and we do our best to live out our salvation. We pursue God through prayer, His word and by our actions (putting His word into practice in our lives). And as we do this – step by step and day by day – we trust that God is working in us to lead us where He wants us to go and that He will not let us make a mistake. If we are totally dependent upon Him for everything and we pray for direction and wisdom, God is faithful to lead us and bring us to the places and the tasks He has planned for us.

This is a far cry from decision-making that is based on how we feel. The life that Paul implores us to live is a life desperate for God, desperate for Him to mold and change our hearts to match His will for us. And we are kept from bad decisions or incorrect choices, by the power of our Savior. He is more than capable of bringing us where we need to be, the safest place in the world, directly in the middle of God’s will.

For HIS Glory

David McConnell
Family Pastor
families@agapepinson.com

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

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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