Thursday, December 29, 2005
Yes Memphis!
Being home for the holidays caused a resounding "YES" to resonate in the heart of each of the founding pastors of Grace Church! We were overwhelmed with joy and burden, desire and desperation, confirmation and reality. Thanks for all of you who are praying with us. We trust the Lord is up to more than any of us are dreaming!
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Thanks be to God!
Romans 6:17-18 'Thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.' I'm grateful for the reminders of my sin and what my flesh is capable of apart from the grace of God along with what I could be apart from the righteousness of Christ. Reminders of these things evoke thankfulness to God for delivering me from my own self. He has given us, in Christ, an obedient heart, that even thought continues the struggle with self and pride, wants to please God. As Paul said 'Who will deliver this wretched body...thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 7:24-25)
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Bible memorization
Most of us are troubled by the lack of Bible we can recite verbatim. Nathan Sawyer introduced me to a great memory tool written by the pastor of FBC Durham, N.C. This is perhaps the most helpful Scripture memory tool I've come across. To see for yourself click here. then click "writings," then "An approach to the extended memorization of Scripture."
"Thy Word, I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee." - Psalm 119:11
"Thy Word, I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee." - Psalm 119:11
Unless it all be in vain!
Psa. 127:1 - "Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."
This verse is not about physical structures (temples, houses or church buildings), but about people. Two verses later (v. 3), "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward." This is about people, lives, blood, kindred, eternal souls. God establishes a people for Himself. He does the labor. God is the great Builder (v. 1), Watchman (v.1), Servant (v. 2), Worker (v. 2), Laborer (v. 2), indeed the Painful Laborer (v. 2). In reality, we sleep...God works (v. 2)! This is oh so crucial for Christian life and for church planting. If we do the work, then we should get the glory. But if God does it ALL, then ALL glory is His! I Peter 4:11 declares that all of our "serving" is actually God serving us by supplying the strength to serve in a way that God is glorified!
God is the builder of every individual body (v. 3-5), and the builder of every corporate church body (Ephesians 1:23, 5:23, 30; Col. 1:24). Otherwise, it is all in vain!
The worst thing for Grace Church would be for her to be erected by man! Be the Builder Oh God! Be the Builder!
This verse is not about physical structures (temples, houses or church buildings), but about people. Two verses later (v. 3), "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward." This is about people, lives, blood, kindred, eternal souls. God establishes a people for Himself. He does the labor. God is the great Builder (v. 1), Watchman (v.1), Servant (v. 2), Worker (v. 2), Laborer (v. 2), indeed the Painful Laborer (v. 2). In reality, we sleep...God works (v. 2)! This is oh so crucial for Christian life and for church planting. If we do the work, then we should get the glory. But if God does it ALL, then ALL glory is His! I Peter 4:11 declares that all of our "serving" is actually God serving us by supplying the strength to serve in a way that God is glorified!
God is the builder of every individual body (v. 3-5), and the builder of every corporate church body (Ephesians 1:23, 5:23, 30; Col. 1:24). Otherwise, it is all in vain!
The worst thing for Grace Church would be for her to be erected by man! Be the Builder Oh God! Be the Builder!
Friday, December 09, 2005
Solus Christus
‘O would to my Lord that I could cause paper and ink to speak the worth and excellency, the high and loud priases of a Bother-ransomer! The Ransomer needeth not my report; but O, that He would take it and make use of it! I should be happy if I had an errand to this world but for some few years. To spread proclamations, and outcries, and love-letters of the highness, the highness for ever more, the glory, the glory for ever more of the Roansomer whose clothes were wet and dyed in blood!
“if there were ten thousand thousand millions of worlds, and as many heavens, full of men and angels, Christ would not be pinched to supply all our wants, and to fill us all. Christ is a well of life; but who knows how deep it is to the bottom? Put the beauty of 10 thousand thousand worlds of paradises , like the Garden of Eden, in one; put all trees, all flowers, all smells, all colours, all tastes, all joys, all loveliness, all sweetness in one. O what a fair and excellent thing would that be? And yet it would be less to that fair, and dearest well-beloved Christ, than one drop of rain to the whole seas, rivers, lakes, and fountains of ten thousand earths.
Welcome, welcome Jesus, in what way soever you come, if we can but get a sight of you. And sure I am that it is better to be sick, providing that Christ come to the bedside, and draw aside the curtains and say, ‘Take courage, I am your salvation’, than to enjoy health, and never to be visited by God.”
The Life of Samuel Rutherford by Andrew Thomson
“if there were ten thousand thousand millions of worlds, and as many heavens, full of men and angels, Christ would not be pinched to supply all our wants, and to fill us all. Christ is a well of life; but who knows how deep it is to the bottom? Put the beauty of 10 thousand thousand worlds of paradises , like the Garden of Eden, in one; put all trees, all flowers, all smells, all colours, all tastes, all joys, all loveliness, all sweetness in one. O what a fair and excellent thing would that be? And yet it would be less to that fair, and dearest well-beloved Christ, than one drop of rain to the whole seas, rivers, lakes, and fountains of ten thousand earths.
Welcome, welcome Jesus, in what way soever you come, if we can but get a sight of you. And sure I am that it is better to be sick, providing that Christ come to the bedside, and draw aside the curtains and say, ‘Take courage, I am your salvation’, than to enjoy health, and never to be visited by God.”
The Life of Samuel Rutherford by Andrew Thomson
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Tricks of the Trade
Should we "trick" people to Jesus? Opinions vary. Most Christians would be uncomfortable with the word, "trick," but the methodology we employ in evangelism, outreach, and church services, says a lot about the God (or, god) in which we believe.
An essential question for any follower of Christ is, "Is Christ enough?" After a cursory reading of scripture, any believer would be constrained to affirm the Bible emphatically answers, "YES!" Click the Biblegateway link to the right of this blog and search "Christ" for yourself to see the way Scripture speaks of His exhaustive sufficiency for faith, life, and ministry. Applying this great truth to the life of the church will be key for our generation. Too many unchurched people (and many churched!)are already disenchanted with the arsenal of "next great things" we've devised.
If the Church in the modern era has lacked anything, it has NOT been a limited approach to outreach methods. Agree or disagree, the terms, "Seeker sensitive, contemporary, blended, missional, and emergent" have become house-hold words for church planters, and even for many in the pew (I mean, chair. Whatever. See what I mean?).
One thing that has NOT lacked is seminars, conferences, classes, websites, companies, and arm-chair theologians who have derived their method on "the best" way to reach people.
My concern is that the same type of energy has been virtually non-existent to cause us think about how to be more Christ-exalting, more Christ-centered, more Christ-like, more Christ-saturated, and more Christ-believing!
OK, so I'm a bit disenchanted with the "tricks." I concede, no, I gladly embrace, that Christ is the King of "incarnational ministry," and the paramount model of "cultural relevance." He is the greatest missionary ever, and the most effective! Is He still around?
Wearing sandals, a robe, and growing a beard is not the way to model Christ. Being allegiant to God with all your heart, and loving people with insurmountable passion is! As Christ works in His church, of which He is the boss (Eph. 5; entire NT), the greatest "trick" to gather "outsiders" will be unconcealable - changed lives! Coming up with ways to advertise, phrases to coin, or cool web-based thingamajigs, will not suffice for "compelling reasons" for "seekers" to check out our churches.
We need God. As He changes lives, and the office jerk becomes the office intercessor and becomes the office servant, people will take note, and perhaps they will become "seekers" too! As believers, equipped in a community of faith, and possessing a real love for Christ that spills over in commending Him Whom we cherish, we will have returned to a wonderful methodology.
Christ is enough. Mailers, preview services, church-plant launch services, radio bits, commercials, etc., may have a place. But, nothing suffices for Christ working in, and working through, a warm blooded human who is being transformed by His power!
Lord, fill us with authentic love for Your Son, and authentic love for our neighbor! Be pleased to use us to commend Him to many!
Grace,
JT
An essential question for any follower of Christ is, "Is Christ enough?" After a cursory reading of scripture, any believer would be constrained to affirm the Bible emphatically answers, "YES!" Click the Biblegateway link to the right of this blog and search "Christ" for yourself to see the way Scripture speaks of His exhaustive sufficiency for faith, life, and ministry. Applying this great truth to the life of the church will be key for our generation. Too many unchurched people (and many churched!)are already disenchanted with the arsenal of "next great things" we've devised.
If the Church in the modern era has lacked anything, it has NOT been a limited approach to outreach methods. Agree or disagree, the terms, "Seeker sensitive, contemporary, blended, missional, and emergent" have become house-hold words for church planters, and even for many in the pew (I mean, chair. Whatever. See what I mean?).
One thing that has NOT lacked is seminars, conferences, classes, websites, companies, and arm-chair theologians who have derived their method on "the best" way to reach people.
My concern is that the same type of energy has been virtually non-existent to cause us think about how to be more Christ-exalting, more Christ-centered, more Christ-like, more Christ-saturated, and more Christ-believing!
OK, so I'm a bit disenchanted with the "tricks." I concede, no, I gladly embrace, that Christ is the King of "incarnational ministry," and the paramount model of "cultural relevance." He is the greatest missionary ever, and the most effective! Is He still around?
Wearing sandals, a robe, and growing a beard is not the way to model Christ. Being allegiant to God with all your heart, and loving people with insurmountable passion is! As Christ works in His church, of which He is the boss (Eph. 5; entire NT), the greatest "trick" to gather "outsiders" will be unconcealable - changed lives! Coming up with ways to advertise, phrases to coin, or cool web-based thingamajigs, will not suffice for "compelling reasons" for "seekers" to check out our churches.
We need God. As He changes lives, and the office jerk becomes the office intercessor and becomes the office servant, people will take note, and perhaps they will become "seekers" too! As believers, equipped in a community of faith, and possessing a real love for Christ that spills over in commending Him Whom we cherish, we will have returned to a wonderful methodology.
Christ is enough. Mailers, preview services, church-plant launch services, radio bits, commercials, etc., may have a place. But, nothing suffices for Christ working in, and working through, a warm blooded human who is being transformed by His power!
Lord, fill us with authentic love for Your Son, and authentic love for our neighbor! Be pleased to use us to commend Him to many!
Grace,
JT
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Dynamic Church Planters International
I just arrived in sunny San Diego, CA for a week of church planter training with Dynamic Church Planters International (DCPI). You can go online at the link above and learn a little about their ministry. Pray that God will be pleased to draw me to Himself and that I would be teachable these days. I've looked forward to this training for a while because it is totally geared toward the practical side of things. At Bethlehem, we have been exposed to wonderful visions of God, solid bible teaching, and many other spiritually edifying things. Admittedly, BBC doesn't thrive on the "how to" of alot of things. Lord willing, I will be able to take helpful things away from DCPI's practical training, and flesh them out in the culture of God-centeredness in all things! May God be glorified by this training effort. May many Mid-Southerners be reached with the gospel as a result of it! Thanks for your prayers!
Jordan
Jordan
Friday, December 02, 2005
Grace Churchs’ Object of Faith: God
Most are familiar with the story of God calling Abraham to ‘go to a land I will show you’(Gen. 12:1) and of the promises made from God that followed (Gen. 12:1-4). We see in Romans 4 how this is fleshed out in the life of Abraham and what we, Lord willing, may glean from this as church planters.
1) (v17) In hope against hope. Abraham’s hope was not in self but in God. Our hope as church planters can not be in our self.
2) (v17) He believed. Abraham believed in the God who ‘gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist’ (v17). As church planters we must believe God without conditions and without strings attached. We must believe in God!
3) (v19) Without becoming weak in faith. The reality that He and Sarah were beyond the age of child-bearing did not cause his faith to plummet, because, and only because his faith was rooted in God’s promise. Faith is weakened when it rests in the ability of man. May we as church-planters take heed to Amy Carmichael’s words ‘For every look you take to self, take ten looks to Christ’. Father help us, by your grace, to not trust and depend on each others gifts and abilities; but may our faith rest solely on You.
4) (v20) He did not waver in unbelief. Unbelief is a sin against an omniscient God and therefore paralyzes the Christian. We as church-planters must be willing, along with Job ‘to accept both good and adversity from the Lord’( Job 2:10) and realize that each circumstance and every situation is a tool in the hand of the Lord to make much of His Name and to cause His children to depend more and more on him. Father, help us, by your grace, to fight the fight of unbelief! (James 1:5-8)
5) Results: (v20) He grew in faith…giving glory to God
Hopefully what can be learned from this is that God births faith in us (Eph. 2:8-9; Philippians 1:29; Rom. 12:3) and then so orchestrates every aspect and detail of our life by His kind providence to this end; that he would receive the glory, and in so doing it also strengthens our faith, not in our own ability, but in Him.
Please pray for our team and this church that our hope will have its root in God, along with an unshakable belief in God, and an unwavering, strengthening faith in God, resulting in the glory of God and our joy in God.
For from Him and through Him and to Him are ALL things, to Him be the glory, now and forever (Rom. 11:36),
Jordan, Bryan, and Nathan
1) (v17) In hope against hope. Abraham’s hope was not in self but in God. Our hope as church planters can not be in our self.
2) (v17) He believed. Abraham believed in the God who ‘gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist’ (v17). As church planters we must believe God without conditions and without strings attached. We must believe in God!
3) (v19) Without becoming weak in faith. The reality that He and Sarah were beyond the age of child-bearing did not cause his faith to plummet, because, and only because his faith was rooted in God’s promise. Faith is weakened when it rests in the ability of man. May we as church-planters take heed to Amy Carmichael’s words ‘For every look you take to self, take ten looks to Christ’. Father help us, by your grace, to not trust and depend on each others gifts and abilities; but may our faith rest solely on You.
4) (v20) He did not waver in unbelief. Unbelief is a sin against an omniscient God and therefore paralyzes the Christian. We as church-planters must be willing, along with Job ‘to accept both good and adversity from the Lord’( Job 2:10) and realize that each circumstance and every situation is a tool in the hand of the Lord to make much of His Name and to cause His children to depend more and more on him. Father, help us, by your grace, to fight the fight of unbelief! (James 1:5-8)
5) Results: (v20) He grew in faith…giving glory to God
Hopefully what can be learned from this is that God births faith in us (Eph. 2:8-9; Philippians 1:29; Rom. 12:3) and then so orchestrates every aspect and detail of our life by His kind providence to this end; that he would receive the glory, and in so doing it also strengthens our faith, not in our own ability, but in Him.
Please pray for our team and this church that our hope will have its root in God, along with an unshakable belief in God, and an unwavering, strengthening faith in God, resulting in the glory of God and our joy in God.
For from Him and through Him and to Him are ALL things, to Him be the glory, now and forever (Rom. 11:36),
Jordan, Bryan, and Nathan
The Power of God
"The gospel is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16). So, just how powerful is the gospel? Well consider the limitless power of God that comes to bear in the gospel? Omnipotent! All-Powerful! Almighty! Indefatigable! The gospel exerts it's power in causing resurrection to take place in the spiritually dead!
Therefore when God declares that the gospel is the "power of God unto salvation," we take courage knowing that all of the strongest forces in creation, including all forces of spiritual darkness, all man-made inventions of power, all power of influence, all power of thought, all capability of technology, all forces of nature, and all other power's combined do not, can not, and will not stand in comparison to the unlimited, exhaustive, and unfathomably infinite power of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ!
Pray for God to unleash His power, through His gospel, through His church, through His people, to the end that many are powerfully changed by Him!
In Christ,
Jordan, Nathan, Bryan
Therefore when God declares that the gospel is the "power of God unto salvation," we take courage knowing that all of the strongest forces in creation, including all forces of spiritual darkness, all man-made inventions of power, all power of influence, all power of thought, all capability of technology, all forces of nature, and all other power's combined do not, can not, and will not stand in comparison to the unlimited, exhaustive, and unfathomably infinite power of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ!
Pray for God to unleash His power, through His gospel, through His church, through His people, to the end that many are powerfully changed by Him!
In Christ,
Jordan, Nathan, Bryan
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Guide, Grow, Go...Our 3-Fold Mission
As we seek to Glorify GOD by Treasuring JESUS CHRIST and spreading His eternal JOY, we are specifically focused on 3 primary desires:
GUIDE people to Christ
GROW in Biblical Maturity
GO with the gospel!
Our prayer is that this will become the heartbeat of the people of Grace Church, not simply her pastors. Thank you for joining us in this prayer!
Grace!
Bryan, Nathan, & Jordan
GUIDE people to Christ
GROW in Biblical Maturity
GO with the gospel!
Our prayer is that this will become the heartbeat of the people of Grace Church, not simply her pastors. Thank you for joining us in this prayer!
Grace!
Bryan, Nathan, & Jordan
We Exist...
Grace Church exists... To glorify GOD by Treasuring JESUS CHRIST and spreading His Eternal JOY!
1) God is the most joyful of all beings (Zephaniah 3:17; John 15:11)!
2) Jesus Christ is the most valuable Treasure in existence (Matthew 13:44-45)
3) Christians have the great honor of spreading His excellence to all people (Matthew 28-18-20; John 20:21)
Pray that we will glorify our Joyfully Valuable Excellent God through this church plant!
Grace!
Jordan, Bryan, & Nathan
1) God is the most joyful of all beings (Zephaniah 3:17; John 15:11)!
2) Jesus Christ is the most valuable Treasure in existence (Matthew 13:44-45)
3) Christians have the great honor of spreading His excellence to all people (Matthew 28-18-20; John 20:21)
Pray that we will glorify our Joyfully Valuable Excellent God through this church plant!
Grace!
Jordan, Bryan, & Nathan
Grace Church - Memphis, TN
Our hearts rejoice to share with you that the Lord has confirmed to us in many ways that we are to plant Grace Church in Downtown Memphis, TN! We covet your prayers as God continues to prepare us to begin the efforts in the fall of 2006.
Here are a few encouraging websites that detail life in downtown Memphis:
www.downtownmemphis.com
www.memphisdowntowner.com
A fascinating research study on downtown's booming residential and business market can be found here.
Every church currenltly listed in Memphis’ downtown district is listed here.
Grace!
Jordan, Nathan, & Bryan
Here are a few encouraging websites that detail life in downtown Memphis:
www.downtownmemphis.com
www.memphisdowntowner.com
A fascinating research study on downtown's booming residential and business market can be found here.
Every church currenltly listed in Memphis’ downtown district is listed here.
Grace!
Jordan, Nathan, & Bryan
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
A Thankful Prayer
Phil. 4:6 - do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Thanksgiving is a wonderful season of year.
Pray with us...
Father in heaven, with inexpressible thankfulness, we bring these requests before You... Show us Your glory! Dazzle our hearts with Your Son! Make us as fascintaed with Christ as You are! By Your Spirit, enliven our spirits to delight in You! Incline our hearts toward Your Word! Unfold to us the majesty of Your Person! Cause Your staggering beauty to consume our every fiber!
Father in heaven, with great thankfulness, we pray that You would raise an army of saints, through this church plant, who Treasure Jesus Christ supremely and who are passionate about spreading His joy throughout the nations...and all of this, for Your well-deserved glory!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jordan & Tracy
Thanksgiving is a wonderful season of year.
Pray with us...
Father in heaven, with inexpressible thankfulness, we bring these requests before You... Show us Your glory! Dazzle our hearts with Your Son! Make us as fascintaed with Christ as You are! By Your Spirit, enliven our spirits to delight in You! Incline our hearts toward Your Word! Unfold to us the majesty of Your Person! Cause Your staggering beauty to consume our every fiber!
Father in heaven, with great thankfulness, we pray that You would raise an army of saints, through this church plant, who Treasure Jesus Christ supremely and who are passionate about spreading His joy throughout the nations...and all of this, for Your well-deserved glory!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jordan & Tracy
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Through The Prayers of Many
"...you also joining in helping us through your prayers, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed upon us through the prayers of many" (II Corinthians 1:11).
The more who pray, the more who will give thanks because of what the Lord does through His people! My, how many people there are who are praying for us, and for this future church plant! With great thankfulness to God for you, our prayer for you is two-fold:
1) May God answer every God-centered & Christ-exalting prayer you pray for this church plant! Pray more of them!
2) We pray that the Lord will bless every one of our intercessors by "filling them with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects..." (Colossians 1:9-10).
"...that thanks may be given by many persons...for the favor bestowed upon us (by God)...through the prayers of many" (II Corinthians 1:11).
Grace,
Nathan, Bryan, & Jordan
The more who pray, the more who will give thanks because of what the Lord does through His people! My, how many people there are who are praying for us, and for this future church plant! With great thankfulness to God for you, our prayer for you is two-fold:
1) May God answer every God-centered & Christ-exalting prayer you pray for this church plant! Pray more of them!
2) We pray that the Lord will bless every one of our intercessors by "filling them with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects..." (Colossians 1:9-10).
"...that thanks may be given by many persons...for the favor bestowed upon us (by God)...through the prayers of many" (II Corinthians 1:11).
Grace,
Nathan, Bryan, & Jordan
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Never claimed to be...
I never claimed to be a poet, and this is a shoddy attempt, but the prayer of my heart for the future flock of Grace Church...
(read with much poetic grace)
For years I have plead.
For years I have prayed.
GOD knows all I've said.
Each supplicaiton made!
To see Christ formed,
In you're heart's recesesses,
All His glories adorned,
Is what each prayer possesses!
His bride, my honor!
Our joy, His glory!
Oh to ponder!
Oh what a story!
Grace Church our name.
Christ Jesus our banner!
Promoting His fame,
In a passionate manner!
You will come along,
Albeit, without the notion,
I've been singing your song,
In each day's devotion!
Though we are small,
We are here by His hand!
Oh, Grace, Christ is our All!
You are God's eternal plan!
Rise and praise Him!
Give Him all glory!
Rise and tell them...
God's been writing their story!
(read with much poetic grace)
For years I have plead.
For years I have prayed.
GOD knows all I've said.
Each supplicaiton made!
To see Christ formed,
In you're heart's recesesses,
All His glories adorned,
Is what each prayer possesses!
His bride, my honor!
Our joy, His glory!
Oh to ponder!
Oh what a story!
Grace Church our name.
Christ Jesus our banner!
Promoting His fame,
In a passionate manner!
You will come along,
Albeit, without the notion,
I've been singing your song,
In each day's devotion!
Though we are small,
We are here by His hand!
Oh, Grace, Christ is our All!
You are God's eternal plan!
Rise and praise Him!
Give Him all glory!
Rise and tell them...
God's been writing their story!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
"OH"
"OH, that Thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at Thy presence." (Isaiah 64:1)
"I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here am I, here am I,' to a nation which did not call on My name." (Isaiah 65:1)
The drawing near of God, in a manifest way, always comes upon two groups of people. One group is the "OH" group. The other group is the "Non-OH" group. In Isaiah 64:1, Isaiah is begging for the nearness of God in a manifest way. He is part of the "OH" group. His vocabulary takes a back seat to his heart's passion. He wants God to draw near! Instead of eloquence, he retreats (or ascends!) to passionate pleading! Isaiah is longing for God to express the reality of His nearness by causing the mountains (sin) to quake! God answered his prayer! Isaiah 65 opens with the God of the universe "permitting Himself to be found" which means He drew near!
The catch is that God "permitted" Himself to be found by a multitude of people who were not even looking for hIm,
(65:1) much less crying out in desperate desire with an "OH" to God. Therein lies the beauty! This is exactly the type of prayers we are praying, and call you to pray with us, for this new church plant!
Yes, there are dozens of people praying for God to use us, for the lost to be saved, for missionaries to be sent out, for new churches to emerge...but those who will be affected by God through this new church don't have a clue. Apart from those who are already believers that the Lord will send to be part of this new plant, many of the ones who will be touched by it are probably coasting through life with little thought of God. Until...God shows up in answer to our prayers! There will be a day, Lord willing, when we can sing the song of Isaiah and say, "God has answered our prayers! God has ripped open the heavens and manifest His presence among us! God is permitting people to seek Him who we previously indifferent to Him!"
This, we invite you to pray with us!
Jordan, Nathan, Bryan
"I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here am I, here am I,' to a nation which did not call on My name." (Isaiah 65:1)
The drawing near of God, in a manifest way, always comes upon two groups of people. One group is the "OH" group. The other group is the "Non-OH" group. In Isaiah 64:1, Isaiah is begging for the nearness of God in a manifest way. He is part of the "OH" group. His vocabulary takes a back seat to his heart's passion. He wants God to draw near! Instead of eloquence, he retreats (or ascends!) to passionate pleading! Isaiah is longing for God to express the reality of His nearness by causing the mountains (sin) to quake! God answered his prayer! Isaiah 65 opens with the God of the universe "permitting Himself to be found" which means He drew near!
The catch is that God "permitted" Himself to be found by a multitude of people who were not even looking for hIm,
(65:1) much less crying out in desperate desire with an "OH" to God. Therein lies the beauty! This is exactly the type of prayers we are praying, and call you to pray with us, for this new church plant!
Yes, there are dozens of people praying for God to use us, for the lost to be saved, for missionaries to be sent out, for new churches to emerge...but those who will be affected by God through this new church don't have a clue. Apart from those who are already believers that the Lord will send to be part of this new plant, many of the ones who will be touched by it are probably coasting through life with little thought of God. Until...God shows up in answer to our prayers! There will be a day, Lord willing, when we can sing the song of Isaiah and say, "God has answered our prayers! God has ripped open the heavens and manifest His presence among us! God is permitting people to seek Him who we previously indifferent to Him!"
This, we invite you to pray with us!
Jordan, Nathan, Bryan
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Unhindered
The last word in the Greek New Testament in the book of Acts is "unhindered."
The book of Acts is a radical account of God's passion to glorify His Name through the establishment of new Christ-exalting churches. In spite of gospel-proclaimers being nearly stoned to death, imprisoned, demonically confronted, "over traveled," "over worked," chased out of town, shipwrecked and a plethora of other difficulties, the gospel could not be contained! Although the book ends with Paul in prison, the stress of the last word is clear...the gospel was free! Our unhindered, all-powerful, life-giving, and God-glorifying gospel will not be stopped! Those who carry the gospel may be decapitated (Paul), but the gospel will not be hindered. Thankfully, this is the gospel we will preach in our new plant. The "gospel of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (II Cor. 4:4). Come what may, pray for us to preach the unhinderable gospel boldly!
The book of Acts is a radical account of God's passion to glorify His Name through the establishment of new Christ-exalting churches. In spite of gospel-proclaimers being nearly stoned to death, imprisoned, demonically confronted, "over traveled," "over worked," chased out of town, shipwrecked and a plethora of other difficulties, the gospel could not be contained! Although the book ends with Paul in prison, the stress of the last word is clear...the gospel was free! Our unhindered, all-powerful, life-giving, and God-glorifying gospel will not be stopped! Those who carry the gospel may be decapitated (Paul), but the gospel will not be hindered. Thankfully, this is the gospel we will preach in our new plant. The "gospel of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (II Cor. 4:4). Come what may, pray for us to preach the unhinderable gospel boldly!
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Worship Pastor
Would you please join us as we pray for a worship pastor for our church planting team.
Blessings,
Jordan, Bryan, & Nathan
Blessings,
Jordan, Bryan, & Nathan
Sunday, October 30, 2005
October 2005 - Update
October 26, 2005
Dear Friends and Family,
“…The church…while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:1-3)
The Lord has blessed us tremendously in these last 2½ months! One of the greatest blessings has come from the overwhelming encouragement of our home local church! I am so grateful to the Lord for the way First Baptist Church in West Memphis, AR has come behind Tracy and I in this church planting preparation effort! We are living in an Acts 13:1-3 type of blessing because of FBC’s love and support. To some, these days of preparation may seem unnecessary, but Oh how helpful they are! Here’s a snapshot of what the Lord has been doing in our life to prepare us to plant a new Bible-believing, Christ-exalting, church-planting church:
Preparation through travels: I’ve already been on four trips that have broadened my horizon and love for the church and church planting. First I was able to attend the Bethlehem Baptist Pastor’s Pray and Plan weekend in August where the Pastors of BBC spent time seeking the Lord and discussing relevant church matters. My desire for Pastoring was fueled by joining these men as we sought the Lord. Then, along with several other church planters from Bethlehem, I was able to attend the Acts 29 Church Planter’s Bootcamp in Dallas, TX. This event opened my eyes to a broader picture of what the Lord is doing across the nation through a church planting movement, and my passion to be part of a new movement of church-planting churches was increased. Also, I was invited on a brief trip to Chicago to visit with a Hispanic church planter and gleaned so many helpful insights. Seeing a model of a “multi-congregational” church drove me to pray more fervently for God to use me in a multicultural way for His glory! Finally, Tracy and I both attended a week of assessment in Wisconsin with the TeAmerica Church Planters Assessment Center. We were both so helped by the insights of these godly counselors as they showed us some of our specific strengths and weaknesses. Now, we can see more clearly the areas where the Lord has blessed us, and pray for grace to continue to improve in both our weak and strong areas. The Lord confirmed our calling through these assessors as they strongly encouraged us to continue pursuing and preparing for our church planting dreams!
Preparation through partners. I am so thankful that the Lord is not sending me out alone! We have prayed for a number of years with Bryan Smith and Nathan Sawyer about planting a church together. Thankfully the Lord has heard our prayers and confirmed to us that we are to partner together in this new work! The Smith’s and the Sawyer’s came and stayed with us for an entire week in early October. Our week together was visited by the Lord with His abundant grace and mercy as He fused our hearts together even more, and allowed us to make significant progress on the vision for the new church plant. Bryan will guide us more in the areas of administration, missions, and urban ministries. Nathan will guide us more in the areas of small group community, and leadership development. My role will primarily be preaching, vision for the work, and church-planter development. We are praying for the Lord to add a worship pastor to our leadership team. Join us by adding these men and their families to your prayer list!
A new way to stay updated! For those of you who would like to track our progress more frequently, and enjoy occasional devotional thoughts from our pastoral team, visit our web log (“Blog”) at http://solus-christus.blogspot.com
In Christ, John 3:30
Jordan Thomas
TCT Church Planting Resident - Bethlehem Baptist Church
720 13th Ave S. - Minneapolis, MN 55415
jordan.thomas@bbcmpls.org - (612)-338-7653 ext. 428
Dear Friends and Family,
“…The church…while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:1-3)
The Lord has blessed us tremendously in these last 2½ months! One of the greatest blessings has come from the overwhelming encouragement of our home local church! I am so grateful to the Lord for the way First Baptist Church in West Memphis, AR has come behind Tracy and I in this church planting preparation effort! We are living in an Acts 13:1-3 type of blessing because of FBC’s love and support. To some, these days of preparation may seem unnecessary, but Oh how helpful they are! Here’s a snapshot of what the Lord has been doing in our life to prepare us to plant a new Bible-believing, Christ-exalting, church-planting church:
Preparation through travels: I’ve already been on four trips that have broadened my horizon and love for the church and church planting. First I was able to attend the Bethlehem Baptist Pastor’s Pray and Plan weekend in August where the Pastors of BBC spent time seeking the Lord and discussing relevant church matters. My desire for Pastoring was fueled by joining these men as we sought the Lord. Then, along with several other church planters from Bethlehem, I was able to attend the Acts 29 Church Planter’s Bootcamp in Dallas, TX. This event opened my eyes to a broader picture of what the Lord is doing across the nation through a church planting movement, and my passion to be part of a new movement of church-planting churches was increased. Also, I was invited on a brief trip to Chicago to visit with a Hispanic church planter and gleaned so many helpful insights. Seeing a model of a “multi-congregational” church drove me to pray more fervently for God to use me in a multicultural way for His glory! Finally, Tracy and I both attended a week of assessment in Wisconsin with the TeAmerica Church Planters Assessment Center. We were both so helped by the insights of these godly counselors as they showed us some of our specific strengths and weaknesses. Now, we can see more clearly the areas where the Lord has blessed us, and pray for grace to continue to improve in both our weak and strong areas. The Lord confirmed our calling through these assessors as they strongly encouraged us to continue pursuing and preparing for our church planting dreams!
Preparation through partners. I am so thankful that the Lord is not sending me out alone! We have prayed for a number of years with Bryan Smith and Nathan Sawyer about planting a church together. Thankfully the Lord has heard our prayers and confirmed to us that we are to partner together in this new work! The Smith’s and the Sawyer’s came and stayed with us for an entire week in early October. Our week together was visited by the Lord with His abundant grace and mercy as He fused our hearts together even more, and allowed us to make significant progress on the vision for the new church plant. Bryan will guide us more in the areas of administration, missions, and urban ministries. Nathan will guide us more in the areas of small group community, and leadership development. My role will primarily be preaching, vision for the work, and church-planter development. We are praying for the Lord to add a worship pastor to our leadership team. Join us by adding these men and their families to your prayer list!
A new way to stay updated! For those of you who would like to track our progress more frequently, and enjoy occasional devotional thoughts from our pastoral team, visit our web log (“Blog”) at http://solus-christus.blogspot.com
In Christ, John 3:30
Jordan Thomas
TCT Church Planting Resident - Bethlehem Baptist Church
720 13th Ave S. - Minneapolis, MN 55415
jordan.thomas@bbcmpls.org - (612)-338-7653 ext. 428
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