Resurrection Sunday 2012

Resurrection Sunday.

It's been called the greatest day in history.

The Sunday of all Sundays.

The day that changed everything.

Join us to find out why.

This Sunday 10am @ NNSH

click here for directions

Conference Sermons

The messages from the More Precious Than Gold conference are now available over at the Mount Hermon Baptist Church website. Click on the "Launch Media Player" button and you will see them listed by title and speaker.

Are my friendships wise?

Good friends... bad friends. We all have them. But who are your closest friends? Who do you go to when you are in need of counsel or help?

"The problem is not conversation or acquaintance or even the occasional hang-out. The problem arises when bad friends replace our inner circle of godly, wise friends. The real problem happens when they replace Scripture and Jesus-loving friends... when they become our inner circle, our wise counsel, or our support during trial, we will be overcome by their foolishness and become fools ourselves." -James Pruch

Ears To Hear - Wrapped Up

This Sunday we will wrap up our Summer Series on Revelation 1-3 called Ears To Hear. I'll be concluding with 3 lessons that we can learn from examining all of these messages from Jesus to the seven churches in chapter 2-3. One thing has stood out each week as I preached through this series - Jesus is both obviously and openly passionate about His Church. Join us as we review these letters and rejoice again in His great love for His own.

Preparing For Sunday

Sunday, July 18 @ Servant's Heart Fellowship

Songs we will sing:
O Worship The King
Everlasting God
Sweetly Broken
In Christ Alone
Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

Sermon:
Revelation 2:12-17. Week four of our Ears to Hear series. Some in the church at Pergamum had compromised with the culture of this city. We have much to learn from this message to this church about church and culture. Join us this Sunday as we read what Jesus had to say about it.

Sunday Quotes!

Today I preached on Christ's message to the Ephesian church (Revelation 2:1-7). Here are the sermon quotes:

“They had yielded to the temptation, ever present to Christians, to put all their emphasis on sound teaching. In the process they lost love, without which all else is nothing.” Leon Morris

“Christ’s warning to Ephesus is just as appropriate to us today. Our own church’s light will be extinguished if we stubbornly persevere in our refusal to love Christ. The church has no light without love. Only when its love burns can its light shine. Many churches today have ceased truly to exist. Their building may remain intact, their ministers minister and their congregations congregate, but their lamp-stand has been removed. No glimmer of light radiates from it. It has not light because it has no love. Let us heed this warning before it is too late.” John Stott

“The cross is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled, but we have to get near enough to it for its sparks to fall on us.” John Stott

Preparing For Sunday

Sunday, July 4 @ Servant's Heart Fellowship

Songs we will sing:
Here I Am To Worship
Oh For A Thousand Tongues To Sing
Join All The Glorious Names
You Are Everlasting God
Jesus Paid It All
There You Were (Communion Song)

Sermon:
Revelation 2:1-7. This is week two in our series Ears To Hear - seven churches, seven messages, one Lord. We will examine our Savior's message to the church at Ephesus, a commendable church with one major flaw - they had lost their love. Join us to find out what Jesus thinks about this (hint - He's not OK with it)!

Ears To Hear - Summer Sermon Series

Ears To Hear - Seven churches, seven messages, one Lord.

Our Summer Sermon Series from Revelation 1-3
June 27 -Series Intro: Christ’s Message to Seven Churches (chapter 1)
July 4 - The Message to Ephesus (2:1-7)
July 11 - The Message to Smyrna (2:8-11)
July 18 - The Message to Pergamum (2:12-17)
July 25 - The Message to Thyatira (2:18-29)
August 1 - The Message to Sardis (3:1-6)
August 22 - The Message to Philadelphia (3:7-13)
August 29 - The Message to Laodicea (3:14-22)

Preparing For Sunday

Sunday, June 20 @ Servant's Heart Fellowship

Songs we will sing
Cannons
Indescribable
Mighty To Save
Grace Flows Down
Before The Throne Of God Above
Sermon
Ephesians 6:1-4. A Father's Day message. If you're thinking that it won't apply to you because you aren't a father, guess again, this sermon is really about our Father in heaven!

Introducing Jim Upchurch

Our church has graciously arranged for Autumn and I to spend a long weekend in Myrtle Beach. We are so grateful, and eager to enjoy this gift! And while I'll certainly miss preaching at our church, I'm very excited about the guy who will take my place behind the pulpit of Servant's Heart Fellowship this Sunday: my good friend Jim Upchurch (seen above with his son Isaiah).

Jim is married to Rachel and they have two young children, Isaiah and Jana. I've known Jim for a couple of years, and have been honored to partner with him in several local events including a marriage conference, a parenting conference, and the recent God Revealed conference. He is a very encouraging friend, a humble man, and his passion for God is both obvious and contagious.

The Prodigal Son

This Sunday at SHF we will look at a parable that has been called "a flawless piece of art" and "the finest short story in literature." This parable even inspired the masterpiece painting (seen above) by the famous artist Rembrandt. But, even more importantly, the parable of the "Prodigal Son" contains the most astonishing message of sheer mercy and forgiveness to be found in any of the parables of Jesus Christ. I can hardly wait to preach it!

Repent Or You Will Perish!

What does the title of this post make you think of? An angry white haired Bible-thumping preacher with a scowl upon his face as he slams his fist on the pulpit? Or maybe a tie-dyed street preacher with long hair holding a cardboard sign with these words written on it? Perhaps an uptight and obnoxiously clean cut Bible college student who seems to know a lot more about "original languages" than he does about loving his neighbors?

All good guesses, but not who I'm thinking about! This Sunday we will take at look at the famous guy in Scripture who really said this, and we'll consider what he meant by it.

Want a hint? Luke 13:1-5.

Sunday Quotes!

It's astonishing to me that Bishop JC Ryle, who died 110 years ago, wrote these words. When I read them, they sound like they could have been written yesterday. What insights this man had about the Church!

“There is a generation of professing Christians now-a-days, who seem to know nothing of caring for their neighbors, and are completely swallowed up in the concerns of number one--that is, their own and their family's. They eat, and drink, and sleep, and dress, and work, and earn money, and spend money, year after year; and whether others are happy or miserable, well or ill, converted or unconverted, traveling towards heaven or toward hell, appear to be questions about which they are supremely indifferent. Can this be right?”

“The vast majority of professing Christians, whether rich or poor, seem possessed with a devil of detestable selfishness, and do not know the luxury of doing good. They can argue by the hour about baptism, and the Lord's supper, and the forms of worship, and the union of Church and State, and such-like dry-bone questions. But all this time they seem to care nothing for their neighbors.”

Generous Christianity

Generosity should be an attribute of every Christian. And I'm not just talking about money here. I'm talking about a generous way of life. Why should we be generous? It's rather simple. God has been very generous to us. Think about it, the gospel is the most generous news you'll ever hear! God graciously and generously crushed His Son for us so that we could be forgiven. And that is not all. He also graciously and generously gave us His Spirit to be our Helper in this life. Furthermore, He has graciously and generously secured our future where we will forever be in His Presence. Perhaps "generous" might be an understatement.

This Sunday at SHF we will begin to explore Generous Christianity together. Join us!

Sunday Quotes!

Last Sunday we celebrated one of the most important verses in Mark's gospel: "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." -Mark 10:45.

As usual, my old friend JC Ryle was helpful:

"By that death Jesus made a full and complete satisfaction for man's countless transgressions. He bore our sins in His own body on the tree. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. When He died, He died for us. When He suffered, He suffered in our stead. When He hung on the cross, He hung there as our Substitute. When His blood flowed, it was the price of our souls."

"It is true that we are sinners, but Christ has borne our sins. It is true that we are poor helpless debtors, but Christ has paid our debts. It is true that we deserve to be shut up forever in the prison of hell. But thanks be to God, Christ has paid a full and complete ransom for us. The door is wide open. The prisoners may go free. May we all know this privilege by heartfelt experience, and walk in the blessed liberty of the children of God."

Maybe I need to add Ryle's name as co-pastor of SHF...?

"With Man It Is Impossible, But Not With God."

The late great CS Lewis once said, "It was not until I tried to clean up my life that I finally realized how truly sinful I was."

Too bad this was not the experience of the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-27. Instead of realizing his own sinfulness, he actually thinks he is good enough to save himself. Even after Jesus lovingly exposes this young man's sinful heart, he still ends up walking away unchanged... and still unable to save himself. This encounter prompts our Lord to inform his disciples that it is impossible for people to save themselves. Only God can do this.

This Sunday we will apply this passage and celebrate His saving grace!

"Sermons You Need To Hear"

No surprise to those who know me well, but I listen to a lot of sermons. So I decided that one new way I could serve you better is to pass some of these along to you! I'll call it "Sermons You Need To Hear" (creative, huh?).

Just finished listening to my friend Jim Upchurch's sermon about serving. In it he mentions that he uses the word "great" way too much and subsequently, if everything is great... then nothing really is. His point was obvious: Jesus defines "greatness" very different than our culture does. It is an excellent sermon and I recommend you go listen to it. He has a one-two punch combo near the end that should cause you to repent of serving out of selfishness... I know I did.

You can find this sermon here.

"What Is This?"

Today's title is taken right out of Mark 1:27. It's the question that people ask after their (otherwise) ordinary worship service is turned upside down by two unusual events, of which Jesus is responsible for both. First, he teaches with such authority that the people are blown away. They obviously weren't prepared for this kind of teaching when they arrived at the synagogue that morning. And second, he casts a demon out of one of the people who was actually there attending the service - and it doesn't go out quietly! I doubt that the Order of Service included that. Imagine how that would look in a bulletin...

Opening Prayer
Psalm Reading
Hymn of Praise
Welcoming Guests
Sermon
Demonic Interruption
Loud Exorcism, complete with convulsions and screams
Benediction

No, I think it is pretty accurate to say that the members of that synagogue had a service that they would not soon forget. This is what we will look at this Sunday as we continue our walk with the Savior through the gospel according to Mark.

"Stretch Out Your Hand To Heal..."

This Sunday we will wrap up our series "We Believe In The Holy Spirit" by looking at an early church prayer meeting and asking some very important questions: What did they pray for (big hint - the title of this post!)? What was their expectation that God would really hear their prayer and act? Did they believe that God moved in mighty power? How does this compare with our prayers? Do we believe that God not only did great things, but that he still does amazing things?

We will consider all of these questions as we examine Acts 4:23-31 together.

Sunday Quotes!

Last Sunday we examined the gracious work of the Holy Spirit called "regeneration" - aka: "born of the Spirit", "born again", or "new birth". Whichever name you prefer, it is still an incredible and mysterious work of God that causes our dead spirits to become alive so that we may see our need for the Savior.

"Exactly what happens in regeneration is mysterious to us. We know that somehow we who were spiritually dead have been made alive to God and in a very real sense we have been born again. But we don’t understand how this happens or what exactly God does to us to give us spiritual life." -Wayne Grudem

"One thing is very clear—we cannot work this mighty change ourselves. It is not in us. We have no strength or power to do it. We may change our sins—but we cannot change our hearts. We may take up a new way—but not a new nature. We may make considerable reforms and alterations. We may lay aside many outward bad habits, and begin to do many outward duties. But we cannot create a new principle within us. We cannot bring something out of nothing… Who then can make a dead soul alive? No one can do it but God." -JC Ryle