Monday, January 22, 2018

Monday Musings 1.22.18



This week in our study of Nehemiah, we were introduced to several men who made it their job to oppose Nehemiah at every front. I have continued to think about that for several days. It is interesting to me that, seemingly, every time we try to do something positive, there will be opposition. Sometimes this opposition comes from people, sometimes circumstance, and sometimes it is simply our own emotions and doubts that get us.

As I have given consideration to this, two things keep coming to mind. First, our battle is not against flesh and blood, regardless of who is standing in front of you. Scripture says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12). Simply put, our battle is not against the individual who may oppose us, or the situation, or even against our own feelings. The battle goes much deeper than that.

Second of all, I have been reminded that such opposition can only defeat a God given task if I allow it. Scripture says, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying around the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus also should be manifested in our body” (2 Cor. 4:8-10).

My prayer for you is that you will discover your God given calling. I pray that you will have the courage to pursue it, just as Nehemiah did. However, I also hope you will be aware that, just like Nehemiah, you will face opposition. Do not let this opposition stop you. Certainly, you can pause to pray and make sure we are on the right course, but once you have that assurance, you must press forward.

I am excited to see what God is going to do in the days ahead; in your lives as individuals, but in our church as a whole. May we continue to shine His light with great passion and focus.

Honored to be your pastor,
Darrell

Monday, January 15, 2018

Monday Musings 1.15.18



Yesterday at Northside we took time to examine how God moved in the life of Nehemiah to clear a way for him to fulfill his call. If you remember, we looked at chapter two where we saw that Nehemiah had a God given burden. This burden led Nehemiah to spend the better part of four months in fasting, prayer, and preparation.

Then, we saw how God provided a door of opportunity. In almost surprising fashion, the king asks Nehemiah what he is requesting. This allowed Nehemiah to share his heart and desires with the king.

As Nehemiah is given this opportunity, we see him exercise extraordinary wisdom. Knowing full well that the king had stopped the rebuilding of Jerusalem, Nehemiah is careful not to mention the city’s name. He speaks of Judah, the city of his fathers, and the city of his fathers’ graves, but never utters the name Jerusalem.

In the end, we see that the plan works. The king asks Nehemiah what he needs, and Nehemiah had a plan of action. Very quickly Nehemiah expresses what he needs and the king grants it.

Nehemiah is no fool. He recognizes that his success is not a result of his own brilliance or skill. He knows that he has only been successful because of God’s favor.

As this pattern unfolds in the life of Nehemiah, we get a clear picture of how God moves and works. I pray that God will move and work in a similar fashion at Northside. In the days and months ahead, look for your God given burden. What is God calling you to do? What is God calling NBC to do? As God makes Himself clear, look for that door of opportunity.

We must be careful to seek God’s wisdom when we begin to pursue His direction. Human wisdom will never get us through. Remember that James 1:5 tells us, if we ask God for wisdom, He will give it. As God grants wisdom we can develop a plan of action in order to move forward. With God’s guidance our plans will exceed what we could ever accomplish on our own.

And, as is always true, we must give praise and honor to God. Just as Nehemiah recognized God’s hand of favor, so should we. Anything good, anything exciting that happens in our midst is not our own doing, but the gracious hand of God in our lives.

Points of Praise for this week:

Both the Collective and Praise Kids Choirs kicked off yesterday. I have not heard numbers, but it looked as if we had a great turn out. We also kicked off seven Adult Journey Groups. Again, I have not heard numbers, but I know we had around 70 adults present. Remember, it is our desire to see every member in worship, in a group, and on a ministry team. Pray about where God would have you engage.

Honored to be your pastor,
Darrell

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Monday Musings 1.8.2018



Yesterday was a great day of worship and celebration. It was exciting to get a new year launched and return to “normal.” We also launched our new sermon series, “Nehemiah’s Experiment.” As I stated yesterday, I hope this will be so much more than a series. I pray that God will use this as a time to bring about revival. 

Nehemiah’s Experiment

There are several upcoming events related to “Nehemiah’s Experiment” that you will one to be aware of:

A Celebration of the Word, February 25 – March 4. During this time, we will read the entire word of God, aloud, in our worship center. We will begin on the morning of February 25 by reading the first few chapters of Genesis as part of our worship service. We will conclude on Sunday morning March 4 by reading the last few chapters of Revelation as part of our worship service. During the week, Monday-Saturday, 8 AM – 8 PM, you can sign up to do one of two things, or both: you can serve as a host or as a reader.

Host will serve in four-hour blocks. Your job will be to sign people in as well as make a reminder call to each person one-hour before their scheduled reading time. Having a host will also prevent someone being in the sanctuary alone. The host will sit in the foyer.

Readers will be in the sanctuary, reading God’s word aloud as an at of praise to Him. I trust that this will be a moving time for the reader, but also to Northside as a body, knowing that God’s word has been celebrated in the very place where we gather to worship. Readers will sign up for 30-minute blocks. However, if you feel that you would like to read longer, you may sign up for two consecutive blocks.

We will make sign ups available as the time draws near.

Fifty-Two Days in Nehemiah, February 8 – March 31. Each of these days a devotional will be made available to you via Facebook and the church website. This will be a time for us to reflect, pray, and journey together as God speaks to our hearts.

As part of the Fifty-Two Days in Nehemiah, we will have a season of prayer and fasting. This will be the week of March 18-25. Obviously, participation is optional. However, if you do choose to participate, you can do so at several levels. You can do a complete fast, eating no meals during this time, you might choose to fast one meal a day, or you may choose an alternate fast. An alternate fast would be giving up social media, television, or the like. All I ask is that you would do what God call you to do.

Groups

Last night was our GroupLife Preview. I hope you were able to attend, but if not, check out the website or call the office for information. We feel it is vitally important for each of our members to be involved in a group whether that is Sunday School or a LifeGroup. Real growth happens in smaller groups, not large groups.


We also want to encourage you to attend “Rewind,” especially during this season of Nehemiah’s Experiment. We gather each Wednesday night, at 6:00, in building D. We discuss the previous Sunday’s sermon and pray together.

Ministry Teams

In the days ahead, you will hear about a number of ministry teams that you can be involved with. Our desire is that each member of our church would be engaged at some level as it relates to participating in ministry. Three of our newest teams that will afford you an opportunity are the prayer team, missions team, and evangelism team. Allow God to lead you as to where you should engage.

I pray that God will use the next several months, and beyond, to touch your life. I pray that you will be changed as a result of His marvelous grace. As God speaks to us, let us respond with obedient hearts.

Honored to be your pastor,
Darrell