Our Blog

November 2016 Worship

Church Family,

It’s cold!  Being from Alabama and Mississippi, I am constantly looking for my jacket.  And I hear from most of you that it’s not even “cold” yet.  The coming winter months frighten me because of the weather, however the coming months are exciting to me because of the great things happening throughout our Church.

During our next installment of The Growth Initiative, one of our focus areas will be on worship and theology.  Amongst other areas, I am excited to dive into this topic together as we see through scripture that Gospel-Worship happens when our worship is
Gospel-Centered.  In the Church, our worship is formed by our theology.  What we think about God determines the manner in which we worship. And we want to do our best to know the Word of God the best that we can so that we can worship with Jesus at the center.  Every song we sing and every word we sing, comes from the Gospel-truth of what God has done for us through His son Jesus.  Our aim is not to sing and worship about what we will do for God, but it is a response to what God has done for us.  Our worship will only have value when Jesus is at the center.  Sound theology fuels our doxology.  And proper doxology only comes from sound theology.

So let’s all strive to know the Word of God better every day, so that when we come together to worship on Sunday’s, we can be truly informed by the truth we are singing about, which is that Jesus came to save sinners like us.  This is why we sing.  And when we are truly informed of this truth, we can become transformed by this truth.  I am looking forward to diving into this truth more together at our next Growth Initiative.  I would invite you to make every effort to be there, I promise it will be worth your time!

Lastly, the Christmas season is quickly approaching and I could not be more excited.  Our Christmas Program will be Sunday night, December 18th.  Our Choir, Band, and Drama team have already been rehearsing for weeks and we are so excited to share this experience with you.  Plan to be there, and invite a friend!  I love worshiping with you all and I am so thankful to be your worship pastor.

In Christ,

Jared

November 2016 Spiritual Development

One of the best tools for personal discipleship that I use and that can be taken on the go wherever is podcasts.  Podcasts are essentially digital radio programs that you can subscribe to that address a variety of topics based on the theme of the podcast.  They can be downloaded on any smartphone or accessed on any computer and listened to as you drive to work, clean the house, take a shower, fix a meal, or simply set aside time to concentrate on listening.  Some are as short as five minutes and others can be over an hour.  For me, listening to podcasts is a way to make use of the “dead” time during my day.  That is why I want to recommend to you some of my favorite podcasts that have helped me grow in my knowledge and understanding of how to more faithfully live for Christ.

Apologetics

Reasonable Faith - William Lane Craig’s weekly podcast features conversations about timely apologetics topics and frequently brings on other apologists.  Set up in an interview style, each one ranges from 15 to about 25 minutes in length.

RZIM - Ravi Zacharias’ ministry offers two different apologetics podcasts.  Just Thinking is 15-minutes long and comes out each weekday, while Let My People Think is a half hour podcast which comes out once a week.  Each one features Ravi and his team
discussing life’s most important questions.

Christian Living

Truth in Love - This podcast put out by the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) helps address everyday questions that Christians have about life and how to grow in holiness by the application of God’s Word to everyday life.

Adventures in Odyssey - These fictional, character-building dramas are created to teach biblical truth to children.  Sure, its for the kids but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it while they listen.

Signposts with Russell Moore - Listen in as Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, talks about the latest books, cultural conversations and pressing ethical questions that point us toward the kingdom of Christ.

Current Events & Politics

The Briefing - Put out each weekday by Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Briefing is an intelligent look at the top news stories as analyzed through the Christian worldview.  This is an excellent way to stay informed of current events and maintain a biblical outlook regarding our culture.

Breakpoint this Week - As you may have guessed, this is a weekly podcast put out by Breakpoint.  These 25-minute episodes hosted by John Stonestreet feature discussions of faith, politics, and culture.

Theology

Doctrine and Devotion - Doctrine and Devotion is a weekly podcast exploring Christian faith and practice from an experiential
perspective marked by the fun and humor that characterize real friendship.

Renewing Your Mind - Though many of these broadcasts are the sermons of R.C. Sproul, they provide enough deeply theological content to be put in the theology category vs. the list of preachers.

Short But Worthwhile

Ask Pastor John - Out each weekday, this podcast features daily interviews with John Piper where he answers tough theological and pastoral questions.

5 Minutes in Church History - 5 Minutes in Church History, hosted by Dr. Stephen Nichols, is a weekly podcast that provides an
informal and informative look at church history.  As you may have guessed, each one lasts 5 minutes.

For a more comprehensive list of other great Christian podcasts, check out this website: http://reasonabletheology.org/big-list-christian-podcasts/