Guitars and Theology

This was so good I had to share it

Tim — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:36:44 +0000

Rachel Craft shared at Cannon last week and I wanted to spread this message as far and wide as possible.

Church 101: Intro – Why?

Tim — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 04:59:44 +0000

Devo 3: Meditation on Scripture

Tim — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 21:22:11 +0000

outline

I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. (Ps 119:99 ESV)

To meditate is to intently ponder; to think something over, either quietly or aloud.

Relevant Links

YouVersion Bible reading plans (150+)
“Brothers, Let Us Query the Text,” John Piper.
Sacred Space (10 minute daily prayer and Scripture meditation).

Devo 2: A Community of Wise Counsel

Tim — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 20:07:12 +0000

Devo 1: Not By Bread Alone

Tim — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 20:40:09 +0000

And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. (Deut 8:3 ESV)

Tim — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 02:45:35 +0000

Always obey the impulse to pray.

“Sent” Part 6: Fourteen Reasons I Care about Missions

Tim — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 18:39:26 +0000

An Indian Peanut Vendor

I care about missions because…

I care about worship.
I care about people-groups.
I care about compassion for people.
Jesus instructed us to earnestly pray for more missionaries to be sent out.
I believe in hell.
I care about people’s quality of life.
I care about Jesus’ return.
I care about Jesus’ mandate to the apostles, the great commission.
I believe in and love Jesus’ Church.
I care about training disciples of Jesus to maturity.
I care about local missions.
The God of the Bible is a missionary.
The Gospel is “news” that, by definition, demands to be heralded.
I care about living a life of weight, meaning, and significance.

Relevant Links

REACH - Discipleship Training and Short Term Missions
The Joshua Project - Giving clarity and definition to the unfinished task.
Become an RMM Intercessor - Your prayers make a massive difference to our missionaries in challenging circumstances.
Read Bruchko, Bruce Olson’s incredible story about the Lord’s activity among the Motilone people.
Read Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.

Walk On

Tim — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 22:56:50 +0000

The Spirit is in the house!

“Sent” Part 4 – Show and Tell

Tim — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 04:00:35 +0000

We are considering God’s missionary character and therefore the church’s missionary calling. In part 4, we discuss that we must both show the Gospel in actions, and tell the Gospel with our words. Our unique giftings and callings will help us to find the path forward for even those of us who are more introverted to live as everyday missionaries.

On An Island

Tim — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 22:49:33 +0000

The inimitable David Gilmour. Hate to say he’s old, but if I can rock like that when I’m his age, bring it on.

“Sent” Part 2 – Incarnation: God’s Missionary Strategy

Tim — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 02:06:57 +0000

“Sent” is a series in which we explore the missionary character of God, and therefore the missionary calling of God’s people. This message focuses on the incarnation of Jesus, in which the eternal Word leaves the heavenly culture, becomes flesh, and embodies God’s love in human form. Jesus is the ultimate cross-cultural missionary, and as such becomes the model that we, as God’s people, are meant to follow as we live our daily lives, wherever we may be, as missionaries.

Questions for Groups

“We sometimes ask people to imagine they are part of a church-planting team in a cross-cultural situation in some other part of the world:

What criteria would you use to decide where to live?
How would you approach secular employment?
What standard of living would you expect as pioneer missionaries?
What would you expect to spend your time doing?
What opportunities would you be looking for?
What would your prayers be like?
What would you be trying to do with your new friends?
What kind of team would you want around you?
How would you conduct your meetings together?

“We find it easier to be radical in our thinking when we transplant ourselves outside our current situation. But we are as much missionaries here and now as we would be if we were part of a cross-cultural team in another part of the world. These are the kinds of questions we should be asking wherever we are.” — Tim Chester and Steve Timnis, Total Church, page 33.

“Sent” Part 1: Pentecost

Tim — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 13:51:23 +0000

This is part 1 of a series titled, “Sent,” in which we will consider the missionary character of God and therefore the missionary calling of God’s people. God sent His Son, the Son sent the Spirit, the Spirit sends the church. Part 1 is Pentecost.

audio
notes

Questions for groups

1.) What was wrong with the whole “tower of Babel” project? How can you tell what people’s lives center around?

2.) What was God’s intent in calling Abram and in making covenant with Israel?

3.) How did so many nationalities and languages come to be represented in Jerusalem on Pentecost?

4.) What is the relationship between Acts 1:8 and Acts 8:1?

5.) Why did Jesus tell his disciples to wait in Jerusalem? Do you think that same “waiting in Jerusalem” still applies to us today in some way?

Part III: Sin Against Us

Tim — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 02:13:57 +0000

What do you do when you or someone you love is the victim?

Fountain of Happiness

Tim — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:00:23 +0000

“Do you not still wander to and fro, seeking rest, but finding none? – pursuing happiness, but never overtaking it? And who can blame you for pursuing it? It is the very purpose of your existence. The great Creator made nothing to be miserable, but every creature to be happy in its kind…If you are now unhappy, it is because you are in an unnatural state: and shall you not sigh for deliverance from it? … I blame you only, or pity you rather, for taking a wrong way (sin) to a right aim (happiness); for seeking happiness where it never was, and never can be, found. You seek happiness in your fellow creatures instead of your Creator. But these can no more make you happy than they can make you immortal…In this alone you can find the happiness you seek; in the union of your spirit with the Father of spirits; in the knowledge and love of Him who is the fountain of happiness, sufficient for all the souls he has made.”

–John Wesley, Sermon 77, words in italics my addition

Part II: Guard Your Heart

Tim — Sun, 29 May 2011 17:28:14 +0000

David Powlison’s Heart Diagnosing Questions

What do I worry about most?
What, if I failed or lost it, would cause me to feel that I did not even want to live?
What do I use to comfort myself when things go bad or get difficult?
What do I do to cope? What are my release valves? What do I do to feel better?
What preoccupies me? What do I daydream about?
What makes me feel the most self-worth? Of what am I the proudest? For what do I want to be known?
What do I lead with in conversations?
Early on what do I want to make sure that people know about me?
What prayer, unanswered, would make me seriously think about turning away from God?
What do I really want and expect out of life? What would really make me happy?
What is my hope for the future?

Gotta Share

Tim — Mon, 23 May 2011 13:15:19 +0000

“Is anyone else here still on myspace?” No!

Part I: Scandalous Grace, Devastating Truth

Tim — Sun, 22 May 2011 22:57:36 +0000

God does not love us with opinion-less “unconditional positive regard.” Filled with emotion, God runs after the worst offender – which is scandalous grace. But He doesn’t just accept us that way. He speaks the corrective truth that turns our world on its head and can be devastating to our whole way of life. Scandalous grace, devastating truth.

Identity: Who am I, really?

Tim — Wed, 04 May 2011 18:02:34 +0000

If you are in Christ, the real you is the new you that God made by connecting you with Jesus. When we live from our true heavenly identity our perspective here on earth will be transformed and the virtues of Jesus will be more and more evidenced in us. This also guides how the community of Jesus is to relate to each other: redemptively, according to our heavenly identities.

Street

Tim — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:13:39 +0000

Run John, Run

Tim — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 18:26:47 +0000

Run, John, run, the law commands
But gives us neither feet nor hands,
Far better news the gospel brings:
It bids us fly and gives us wings.

John Bunyan

Sunbears, Little Baby Pines

Tim — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 01:41:09 +0000

My kids loved this video.

I will not be silent

Tim — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:11:43 +0000

Halfway commitments

Tim — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:23:27 +0000

Halfway commitments tend to be more burdensome than total commitments or no commitments at all. Those who trust in the Lord are the most bold, brave, and free. Whoever has abandoned themselves to God has already lost all things, and so those things once surrendered need not be objects of endless concern. There is freedom in total surrender.

Believe Part 4: Faith of Abraham

Tim — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:43:28 +0000

Faith is more than merely holding to a biblical worldview. Faith is living trust in the invisible God of the impossible promise.

Romans 4:13-25

Questions for Groups

What did God promise Abraham and how did Abraham respond?
What does Paul in Romans 4 say he promises us and how are we called to respond?
What is the meaning of Jesus death and resurrection? (Romans 4:25)
Using the metaphor of a poker tell as a giveaway to the cards you’re hiding, what are some ‘tells’ that indicate living faith is present in someone’s life?
As you listened to this message, did any areas of life you are currently facing seem highlighted? How is God calling you to walk by faith through those areas of life?
How can we as the Body of Christ encourage and strengthen each other’s faith?

He’s on His own side

Tim — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 00:06:33 +0000

Humanity has so many gods precisely due to preference for entertaining voices that cater to our diverse cravings. And in giving in to these voices, we stop listening to the voice of the Living God who is the only one with the capacity to say something redemptive – something corrective.

The Living God will not be managed. He is no personal genie or national tribal god who fights our wars. He isn’t “on our side.” He’s on the side of what the Old Testament prophets called “justice.” He’s on the side of the poor, the widows, and the orphans. He holds our pride and smug self-assurance in contempt as surely as he holds the cries of the oppressed with the utmost regard. He’s on His own side. And if we wish for Him to bless us, we need to to surrender to His will, because His will is the only place that’s already blessed.

Modern life is so convenient

Tim — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:30:43 +0000

First things

Tim — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 22:02:57 +0000

“When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased.”

C.S. Lewis

Believe Part 3: How do you spell faith?

Tim — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 19:49:41 +0000

We are called to be led by God’s Spirit. This does not mean, however, that God’s Spirit micromanages us as though we are meant to remain as spiritual toddlers. God expects us to show initiative in making wise decisions and in taking biblically informed risks.

texture, contrast

Tim — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:10:26 +0000

Terrifying Roar

Tim — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:00:03 +0000

Actually, little Zy was not happy about this creature. He kept backing up with wide eyes and it made him so nervous that I decided to simply put the fearsome beast back on the top shelf from whence it came.

Believe Part 2: How does faith grow?

Tim — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 23:43:43 +0000

Unbelief grows over time as we treat God’s light and voice as common, equal in importance to our own or other’s opinions. Faith grows as we treat God’s voice and God’s light as sacred.

Prophetic word from 1999, Lyn shares, Tim shares, and the actual ordination charge

Tim’s notes

Questions for Groups

1. Do you believe you have ever had God speak to you?

2. How did you know it was really God?

3. Did you treat God’s voice or light as sacred?

4. What happened?

5. What did you learn?

Keepin it real

Tim — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:45:27 +0000

You’re worse than you thought

Tim — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:07:05 +0000

You’re worse than you thought you were. But there’s a Savior who’s greater than we know.

–Mark Altrogge

Tim’s Ordination

Tim — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:41:50 +0000

Dad’s Perspective

Bob’s Message

Weight

Tim — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:46:05 +0000

“Sir, you are highly favored in being called to preach the gospel. I have often heard you with pleasure; but [only when] you come into my situation, and have death and eternity full in your view, will it be possible for you to conceive the vast weight and importance of the truths you declare.”

–A lady Newton visited in the hospital

Z

Tim — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 22:19:33 +0000

Believe Part 1: Come and See

Tim — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 23:35:33 +0000

Totally Normal

Tim — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 04:01:42 +0000

Just driving away from my house and saw water shooting from the ground, seemingly randomly.

Erwin McManus – Prayer: Spiritual Activism

Tim — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 21:11:08 +0000

This message by Erwin McManus is a must-listen.

Metanoia

Tim — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:23:36 +0000

Drawing Near – The Darkness and the Friendship

Tim — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 02:50:51 +0000

Charge to Joe and Shawn

Tim — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 04:07:33 +0000

Internet Speed Test

Tim — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 02:21:06 +0000

We don’t have cable tv. We use the internet for that. It works with our budget and everything is on-demand, which is nice when it’s absurdly early and you may need to put on some Go Diego Go for Zion.

I like to be able to watch netflix or hulu without having the thing freeze up or load a commercial for an extended period of time. Who wouldn’t? Since Christmas our dsl has been irritatingly slow. This slow.

It used to consistently be right above 900kbps. Not sure what happened, since dsl is a dedicated line (unlike cable broadband where users on a street share bandwidth) and therefore it shouldn’t be affected by added users on the patron end except the shared network users in house. The kids understand this, and if Netflix is stopping to load they’ll come running and looking for the bandwidth hog – “Dad! Are you downloading something?!” But that ain’t the problem lately, so I don’t know what’s dragging down our flow of precious ones and zeros.

The other day I got a Droid X (HUGE upgrade from what I had before) and one of the little features I utilize is a ten dollar app called easytether.

For this meager one-time $10 fee, I can now tether my laptop to my phone for wireless internet at exactly the bandwidth my phone is getting. At home it’s quite nice, as the Verizon 3g speeds are pretty solid. This solid.

Ahh…now when the kiddos are asnoose and Carrie wants to watch “Say Yes to the Dress,” I can take in some Hulu or ANYTHING BUT THAT! That show is to me like opera, ballet, or figure skating. These are all activities that, when filmed, are worth paying to escape. I would, however, defend the right of others, such as my lovely bride, to enjoy them.

With 3g I’m totally thrilled to get the 2.1 megs per second shown above. When 4g hits, they promise us download speeds of up to 100 megs per second. What a strange time of technological exponential progress in which I live. What would Thomas Edison have said if he could have jumped forward to today and walked around a bit?

Don’t want to sound paranoid or neurotically apocalyptic, but Isn’t there some ceiling of progress where our technological mastery undoes us?

The Basics

Tim — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 02:56:40 +0000

: Coach John Wooden

Fireside Chat – Gospel, Bible, Presence, Don’t Quit

Tim — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 02:55:10 +0000

This time Bob interviewed Tim.

The Light of Dawn

Tim — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 02:47:28 +0000

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.

(Isaiah 9:2, ESV)

Acts…continued

Tim — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 20:44:25 +0000

If our Christianity is not apostolic in power, we ourselves have no right to accept it. As long as the book of Acts remains in our authoritative Bible, we must and may find our way into that story. Let’s face honestly the distance between biblical Christianity and our own mediocrity and seek God for mercy. He will honor that humility.

Ray Ortlund

Christianity and Women

Tim — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 18:02:28 +0000

Dr. Ben

Fireside Chat

Tim — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 19:37:34 +0000

Tim and Bob share a conversation about being quick to listen, living in the smile of God’s love, and being “pastor dad.”

Have you ever loved a woman?

Tim — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:00:58 +0000

One of the blues kings. The others are Albert and BB. Sounds to me like Freddie actually blends their two distinct voices into one.

Anger and Thanks

Tim — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 21:21:55 +0000

Ray Montford

Tim — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 13:00:25 +0000

Nice.

Hide and Seek – Antoine Dufour

Tim — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:00:11 +0000

As promised.

I want to know how he gets such a sweet sounding vibrato so easily just by gently swaying his picking hand against the back of his guitar. I feel as if I’m missing something.

His overall subtlety in the use of volume dynamics is really quite wonderful to hear and see.

19) Marriage Class: Biblical Sexuality

Tim — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 22:13:56 +0000

I asked Joe B. to lead this because I like to delegate sensitive topics to people of great skill and tact.

powerpoint

Prayer Is The Greater Work

Tim — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 22:08:11 +0000

Proskartereo.

Hide and Seek

Tim — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 13:00:34 +0000

Classic emotional tale of a child’s perspective on the divorce.

I LOVE Imogen Heap’s music. So many layers of interesting melodies, harmonies, and details that can’t be so easily memorized that the songs wear out too quickly. Rather, they grow on you over time.

Next post should be the solo guitar version of this song.

Only a Country and Western Guitar

Tim — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:00:32 +0000

Influence.

Stefano Barone

Tim — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 13:00:36 +0000

Brilliant.

Can we just play our part well?

Tim — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 02:59:26 +0000

18) Marriage Class: Sabbath

Tim — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 02:58:43 +0000

Shifts of Attention

Tim — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 13:00:08 +0000

Sweden gets some love.

Gareth Pearson – Billie Jean

Tim — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:00:23 +0000

This is actually one of my favorite Michael Jackson songs.

Charge to Members

Tim — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 03:36:36 +0000

Scripture over Tradition
Discipleship over Denomination
Commitment to These People
Priesthood of All Believers
Commitment to Leaders
Pursue Worship and Mission
Serve Others with your Unique Gifts

17) Marriage Class: Male/Female Roles in Marriage

Tim — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 03:35:54 +0000

Andy McKee – Nakagawa-San

Tim — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:00:24 +0000

Reminds my wife of our honeymoon.

“I’m All In!”

Tim — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 04:51:58 +0000

Rob Martino

Tim — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 13:00:44 +0000

His instrument is the Chapman Stick.

Things You Don’t Say to Your Wife

Tim — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:00:16 +0000

…unless you want to get killed with a knife.

Boast in the Lord

Tim — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 20:37:55 +0000

16) Marriage Class: Marriage and Parenting (2)

Tim — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 20:36:58 +0000

The first half of the class was not recorded. Perhaps a providential benefit!

15) Marriage Class: Commitment – Joe and Gloria

Tim — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 20:35:13 +0000

Damage Control

Tim — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 13:00:28 +0000

Petrucci manages to play adeptly without losing a sense of groove. It doesn’t feel like some shredding – just scales played with blurry fingers. And how, seriously, how do you remember that complex of an arrangement without sheet music?

What Love Fears

Tim — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 13:00:43 +0000

“One of my biggest fears was always that I would die before Olive. I couldn’t bear the thought of her alone in a nursing home…wondering who would love for her and care for her like I could. That fear gripped my heart more than anything else. Maybe God heard that prayer that night I cried myself to sleep worrying. My hope was that He would answer my prayer by healing her little body, but He answered it in another way, a more painful way.” – Lynette Polinder

Anyone see any Gospel implications in this paragraph?

“Who will love her like I do? Who will care for her and look after her like I can?” Nobody on earth.

I wonder if the strong emotions God expressed about his people’s idolatry through many of the Hebrew prophets has this kind of anguish at it’s root. ”No! Turn back! These other master’s can’t possibly love you as I do!”

I’m also struck by the way in which Lynette thought primarily about Olive and only secondarily of the staggering sacrifices that loving and caring for Olive would entail. When Gabriel was born I was jarred by how my heart needed no prior knowledge of him to immediately love him with a powerful feeling I didn’t expect. And then it hit me as it never had before. God gave us His Son. O, how He loves us!

Thank you Lynette, for showing me a bit more of what love really looks like.

Assurance of Salvation

Tim — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 01:57:24 +0000

14) Marriage Class: Marriage and Parenting

Tim — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:22:20 +0000

Chapel Talk: Embedded Convictions

Tim — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 21:19:32 +0000

OR “Why we do the redonkulus stuff we do even though it hurts us, hurts the people we love, and we know better AND how we can begin to move toward a better way.” But for the sake of brevity, “Embedded Convictions” will do.

Dominic Frasca

Tim — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:00:20 +0000

Clearly, it is possible.

The Bread of Life

Tim — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 20:17:11 +0000

Kristi Crossgrove: God’s Love

Tim — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 20:12:41 +0000

What a great message. I cried throughout.

Lester Smith Testimony

Tim — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 20:10:01 +0000

13) Marriage Class: Marriage and Money

Tim — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 20:08:14 +0000

1:19p Sep 24, 2010

Tim — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:20:35 +0000

Shouldn’t it be a bit cooler this time of year?

Cicada in the Sandbox

Tim — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:00:38 +0000

Zion is a violent little renegade.

Unless you are less than .09 percent of the guitar playing population…

Tim — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 03:37:00 +0000

…then Steffen Schackinger is better than you.

So it starts out sounding like shades of Wes Montgomery. Then I thought I heard Larry Carlton. Then it sounded way more like prog rock after that. Then back to the jazz hook.

Gibson should use this video as a demonstration of the 335′s versatility.

Chapel Talk: Significance and a Brief History of Pants

Tim — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:41:17 +0000

What is the church?

Tim — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:00:41 +0000

“I love that, just so you know.”

Your Grace, O Lord!

Tim — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:12:42 +0000

The farsi translates as, “Your grace, O Lord!”

I love the eastern semitones. Trucks’ playing is so soulful.

New Hearts

Tim — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 20:50:11 +0000

12) Marriage Class: Fate, Happiness, Remarriage

Tim — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 20:46:26 +0000

1.) Is your spouse the only one with whom you could be happy?
2.) Will you remarry if your spouse dies?
3.) Is your spouse responsible for your happiness?
4.) What, if anything, needs to change in your spouse?

One of my very favorite things

Tim — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:00:35 +0000

Israel requested it…

…but baby was eagerly waiting with his bowl the entire time.

Zack Kim – Super Mario

Tim — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:00:55 +0000

This guy plays a mean Legend of Zelda theme too.

Cupcake at Camp

Tim — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 00:44:33 +0000

Anthony trying not to smile.

What I Know about Olive

Tim — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:00:42 +0000

“See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” –Matthew 18:10

If the angels who are of lesser priority in God’s kingdom always get to see the face of Jesus’ Father then I gather the following. Olive is right in the arms of the Father. The VIP backstage pass. The inner circle. Leaned upon his chest. Beholding the face of God. The beatific vision. The blessing of Numbers 6:24-26 in all it’s fullness.

The LORD bless you
and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.

Doggy Door

Tim — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 02:35:03 +0000

The Mark of True Conversion

Tim — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:36:30 +0000

Da Vinci's Mona Lisa

2 Corinthians 4:1-7

Tim’s notes.

11) Marriage Class: Meek and Vulnerable

Tim — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:11:55 +0000

Earl on Delmarva

Tim — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:34:08 +0000

As of 1:30p Friday afternoon, Sep 3, 2010.

They downgraded it to a category 1 hurricane. Outside it’s relatively calm and gray.

The Narrow Door

Tim — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:53:28 +0000

Luke 13:22-30

10) Marriage Class: Lies We Believe 2

Tim — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:37:45 +0000

The Hidden Curriculum

Tim — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:53:43 +0000

My message to the faculty of GMS at the 2010 Teacher Dedication prayer service. What a great time!

To the faculty – I appreciate you greatly!

Part 3: Not Too Much, Not Too Little

Tim — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:50:06 +0000

Proverbs 30:8-9

9) Marriage Class: Lies We Believe

Tim — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:49:14 +0000

Underemphasized?

Tim — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:29:37 +0000

Excellent answer.

Treasure in Heaven -or- Taste Buds of the Soul

Tim — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:48:03 +0000

Luke 12:32-34 32″Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

8) Marriage Class: Entitlement

Tim — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:41:49 +0000

Watch out for Greed!

Tim — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:50:39 +0000

Luke 12:13-21

7) Marriage Class: Conflict Styles

Tim — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:49:31 +0000

Pleading for the Wicked City

Tim — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 01:11:26 +0000

Scripture

Wrestling with God

Tim — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:21:09 +0000

6) Marriage Class: Love Languages

Tim — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:17:46 +0000

5) Marriage Class: Communication [3]

Tim — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:16:46 +0000

I actually wasn’t here for this. It’s Joe and Gloria/Bob and Diane.

As your heavenly Father is merciful

Tim — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 02:45:44 +0000

‘We have no morally persuasive authority with someone who can feel our underlying contempt.’ We persuade only when we stay anchored in our integrity, our grace, our class, our kindness, our dignity, and our compassion, no matter the temptation to do otherwise.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Love Came Down

Tim — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:41:18 +0000

Brian Johnson and the folks at Bethel Church…

Encourage Yourself in the Lord

Tim — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:39:17 +0000

4) Marriage Class: Communication [2]

Tim — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:37:48 +0000

3) Marriage Class: Communication

Tim — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:56:39 +0000

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/rayortlund/2010/06/15/not-primarily-ethics/

10 Second Q and A

Tim — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:03:05 +0000

Last night at vacation Bible School a short person ran up to me shouting, “Pastor Tim! Pastor Tim!”

“Yeah?”

“Can you dig down in the earth and find hell?”

Zero hesitation: “Nope.”

Turns to friend triumphantly, “I TOLD you so.”

I love how kids think.

Passion and Discipline

Tim — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:25:27 +0000

What God said to me yesterday:

If I have to choose between your passion and your self-discipline, I’ll choose your passion every time. But it takes self-discipline to sustain your passion over time.

Ethics or Faith?

Tim — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:04:50 +0000

Stop and Wait

Tim — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:01:07 +0000

2) Marriage Class: Personality Differences

Tim — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:00:40 +0000

identity

Tim — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:35:55 +0000

overhead

This teaching relies heavily on Graham Cooke’s insights.

1) Marriage Class – Intro

Tim — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:12:28 +0000

Be Disciples 1 – Beginners

Tim — Sun, 30 May 2010 20:46:24 +0000

Complete Handout

With special guest testimony from Carrie Miller!

There was such a wonderful ministry time of people praying with each other at the end of our service. I’m so excited about what God is doing!

No Fear in Love

Tim — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:18:17 +0000

The Offense of the Regressive Bible

Tim — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:16:52 +0000

Christ Supreme 3

Tim — Sun, 16 May 2010 20:57:55 +0000

6 Objections – Divine Anger

Tim — Sun, 16 May 2010 20:51:10 +0000

6 Objections Week 7 – Bad Christians/Good Pagans

Tim — Mon, 03 May 2010 03:04:25 +0000

Christ Supreme 2: A God-Centered View of All Things

Tim — Mon, 03 May 2010 03:01:58 +0000

6 Objections Week 6 – The Moral Straight Jacket

Tim — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 01:06:03 +0000

Christ Supreme 1: Life and Death

Tim — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 23:21:00 +0000

Scripture

6 Objections Week 5

Tim — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:41:01 +0000

Havel

Tim — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:18:28 +0000

The tragedy of modern man is not that he knows less and less about the meaning of his own life, but that it bothers him less and less.

Vaclav Havel, “Letters to Olga,” written in a communist prison.

Fiscal Annoyance

Tim — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:03:31 +0000

“U.S. banks are projected to collect over $38.5 billion in overdraft fees for 2009, nearly double compared to 2000.”

How is it that in this time of recession when we’re all pinching pennies, the banks are making more money than ever on fees and penalties? Didn’t we just bail out these same banks?

Tim is annoyed today.

[update - if you want to get more annoyed just read this]

The Best Part

Tim — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 22:16:38 +0000

download audio

John 20:1-18

Palm Sunday 2010 – That’s my King!

Tim — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:07:16 +0000

sermon audio

Protected: 6 Objections Week 4

Tim — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:53:30 +0000

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Politic

Tim — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:01:15 +0000

Many of the great achievements in social advance have come because men recognized that present conditions could not be endured by men who professed to follow Christ: slavery, for example, and gladiatorial combats, and the penalty of branding or of crucifixion—as Constantine is said to have abolished these because it was not proper so to treat a human being, even a criminal, who is “made in the likeness of God.”

-Frederick Clifton Grant

Protected: 6 Objections Week 3

Tim — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:24:45 +0000

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Football (Soccer)

Tim — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:07:13 +0000

Path to the Cross IV – Lost and Found

Tim — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:23:40 +0000

download audio

Luke 15

Protected: 6 Objections Week 2

Tim — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:42:27 +0000

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As Long As You Are Glorified

Tim — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:28:02 +0000

Listen

By Mark Alrogge

Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings,
yet not welcome any pain?
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine,
yet grumble in days of rain?
Shall I love You in times of plenty,
then leave You in days of drought?
Shall I trust when I reap the harvest,
but when winter winds blow, then doubt?

Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified

Are You good only when I prosper,
and true only when I’m filled?
Are You King only when I’m carefree,
and God only when I’m well?
You are good when I’m poor and needy;
You are true when I’m parched and dry.
You still reign in the deepest valley;
You’re still God in the darkest night.

So quiet my restless heart,
quiet my restless heart,
quiet my restless heart…in You

Out of Context

Tim — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:33:32 +0000

It is kind of ridiculous to blog as I am a musician and anything I say here just gets reprinted at some point out of context. I say NOT FAIR but it doesn’t matter what I say anymore or what is fair anymore really, does it? The 21st century media has its own rules about what is true and what is not.

–Ryan Adams

Counterattack

Tim — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:30:41 +0000

Every advance in the Kingdom, whether in character or in the excercise of faith, will be met with a counterattack…Whether it is prayer for the sick or a devotional Bible study, when we make a commitment to the Lord to act on our beliefs, we can expect the enemy to challenge them. What happens when you decide to start a spiritual discipline such as reading your Bible daily? All hell breaks loose when you begin! The enemy will supply you with a million reasons not to do it. That’s his job, and you have to admit he’s pretty good at it. But if you will accept that challenge, and go forward anyway, you’ll find that you’re progressing with more and more insight. From there you will continue to gain momentum and skill. The enemy of our souls will challenge our commitment; perseverance produces growth.

John Wimber, The Way In Is The Way On, p.157.

Protected: 6 Objections Week 1

Tim — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:11:56 +0000

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Path to the Cross III – Karma, Repentance, and Grace

Tim — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:33:16 +0000

Luke 13:1-9

Questions

How did Jesus’ answer challenge his original audience?
How might Jesus’ answer challenge us?
What does Jesus mean by the word “perish”?
Who does Jesus call to repentance?
Why put the story about the fig tree here? How does it relate to the twin disaster teaching?
Is the call to repent bad news?
How is the whole of the Christian life one of repentance?
Tim, you keep saying, “Jesus is the model.” How can he be the model if the Christian life is a life of repentance, but Jesus never needed to repent since he was sinless?

Repent Like This (adapted from Dr. Tim Keller)

1.) Deep Humility vs. Pride: Have I looked down on anyone? Have I been too stung by criticism? Have I felt snubbed and ignored?

Repent Like This: Consider the free grace of Jesus until I sense decreasing disdain (since I am a sinner too), and decreasing pain over criticism (since I should not value human approval over God’s love). In light of His grace, I can let go of the need to keep up a good image –it’s too great and burden now anyway, and it’s unnecessary. Consider free grace until I experience grateful, restful, joy.

2.) Burning Love vs. Indifference: Have I spoken or thought unkindly of anyone? Am I justifying myself by caricaturing (in my mind) someone else? Have I been impatient or irritable? Have I been self-absorbed and indifferent and inattentive to people?

Repent Like This: Consider the free grace of Jesus until there is no coldness or unkindness (think of the sacrificial love of Christ for you), no impatience (think of His patience with you), no indifference. Consider free grace until I show warmth and affection. God was infinitely patient and attentive to me, out of grace.

3.) Wise Courage vs. Anxiety: Have I avoided people or tasks I know I should face? Have I been anxious and worried? Have I failed to be circumspect (careful)? Have I been rash and impulsive?

Repent Like This: Consider the free grace of Jesus until there is no cowardly avoidance of hard things (since Jesus faced evil for me), and no anxious or rash behavior (since Jesus’ death proves God cares and will watch over me). It takes pride to be anxious. In reality, I am not wise enough to know how my life should go. Consider free grace until I experience calm thoughtfulness and strategic boldness.

4.) Godly Motives (A “single eye”): Am I doing what I am doing for God’s glory and the good of others? Or am I being driven by fears, need for approval, love of comfort and ease, need for control, hunger for acclaim and power, or the fear of man? Am I looking at anyone with envy? Am I giving in to any of even the first motions of lust or gluttony? Am I spending my time on urgent things rather than important things because of these inordinate desires?

Repent Like This: How does Jesus provide for me what I am looking for in these other things? Pray, “O Lord Jesus, make me happy enough in you to avoid sin and wise enough in you to avoid danger, that I may always to what is right in your sight, in your Name I pray, Amen.”

Not Much Shorter

Tim — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:02:06 +0000

Apart from a colossal tsunami, here’s another effect of the 66.6 exajoules liberated by this weekend’s earthquake in Chile: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory says that days will now be shorter because the quake shifted Earth’s axis by three inches.

The change—which can only be measured thanks to computer models—will result in days that are 1.26 microseconds shorter than before. That’s 0.00000126 seconds shorter. There may have been more visible changes, like islands changing its position. One of them, Santa María, may have raised two meters after the shattering land move.

Hmm.

When my phone rings…

Tim — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:51:30 +0000

The pastor is called. The pastor is called because the pastor is “the Friday person” even in a secularized community, the one with the text and its candid cadences of loss that go clear to the bottom. It needs to be said and acknowledged, too many times, “the glory has departed.” Such a truth that needs to be voiced, moreover, could not be made up on the spot. It is too heavy and too dangerous, too much beyond our management to be made up on the spot. That loss is to be lined out, rather, from mothers and fathers who have always known that truth since that Friday in Ashdod, when the truth was lined out five unflinching times. It is a lining out nobody wants to hear and nobody wants to say. Except that the integrity of faith and the candor lived life, not to say the integrity of the book, require it to be said: “The ark of God has been captured”… five times… “The glory has departed.”

Walter Brueggeman, Ichabod Toward Home: The Journey of God’s Glory, 21.

But Friday isn’t the end of the story.

Path to the Cross II – We Stone Prophets

Tim — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:16:49 +0000

Luke 13:31-35

Again…?

Tim — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:32:12 +0000

In case you forgot

Tim — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:31:26 +0000

When God Acts

Tim — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:00:31 +0000

“When God acts, he can do more in a minute than man with his organizing can do in fifty years.”

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Revival, pp. 121-122.

Path to the Cross I – Wilderness Temptation

Tim — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:34:19 +0000

download

Luke 4:1-13

The Glory Departed

Tim — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:17:57 +0000

A sermon on suffering and hope.

download

For Carrie

Tim — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:12:18 +0000

Ray Orltund writes:

God made Adam first and put him in the Garden with a job to do, a mission to fulfill. In the heart of every fallen man is the self-doubt that wonders, “Am I man enough to climb this mountain God has called me to? Can I fulfill my destiny?” A wise wife will understand that question at the center of her husband’s heart. And she will spend her life answering it, communicating to him in various ways, “Honey, I believe in your call. I know you can do this, by God’s power. Go for it.” In this way, she will breathe life into her man.

My wife consistently and kindly does this believably and without flattery. My affection and respect for her as a wife and mother seem to keep growing with time.

Thanks, Love.

Jeff Beck, Tal Wilkenfeld

Tim — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:00:11 +0000

If you have any doubts that this girl can play the bass, study her solo around 1:20.

Why have I never seen shirt sleeves on Sir Jeff Beck?

Musically, I just love how he uses his pinky to adjust the tone control for a sort of vocal effect, the volume knob for a subtle swell, and keeps his palm on the trem bar for a sort of middle eastern semitone sound. Right away you just know it’s Jeff Beck. That and the way he always plays with his strat totally horizontal. A sort of masculine guitar-as-heavy-machinery contrast to the detail and precision of his technique.

And the song has such a beautifully sad melody.

Random factoid? His strat has one of these:

LSR roller nut.

Loud

Tim — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:21:36 +0000

“…when I play I like to play loud. I like my arm hairs to move and I like my body to vibrate ’cause I like the feel of it; I’m still a teenager at heart.”

Eddie Van Halen, at age 54.

Advertising Is Apparently Effective

Tim — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:27:02 +0000

Five year old Gabriel just informed us that boys who have Skechers shoes can play football better and run faster. So he wants a pair of Skecher cleats. Also Israel thinks that Mario wears Skechers. Ah. That explains the portly Italian plumber’s superior athleticism.

Be Courageous

Tim — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 04:16:59 +0000

“Be courageous – Biblically. Erase what you’ve seen everywhere else – and just go to the Bible. Don’t just go around to other patterns – to tweak what other people are doing. Have the courage to read the Bible and do what it says.” – Francis Chan

Thanks Josh K.

Gospel Despair

Tim — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:55:49 +0000

“It is certain the man must utterly despair of his own ability before he is prepared to receive the grace of Christ.” – Martin Luther

The Central Problem

Tim — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:58:51 +0000

The central problem of our age is not liberalism or modernism … nor the threat of communism, nor even the threat of rationalism and the monolithic consensus which surrounds us. All these are dangerous but not the primary threat.

The real problem is this: the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, individually or corporately, tending to do the Lord’s work in the power of the flesh rather than of the Spirit. The central problem is always in the midst of the people of God, not in the circumstances surrounding them.

[Francis Shaeffer, "The Lord's Work in the Lord's Way," No Little People (p.66).]

Hope

Tim — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:03:22 +0000

Inez Embleton, Olive Hope Polinder, Matt Chandler, and a host of other myriad sufferings in the world, like the recent Haiti earthquake, have all combined to present before my fragile heart a theme that has become well-worn and always welcome: What is the nature of Christian hope? More on this later.

Over the last several years I’ve benefitted from Matt Chandler’s preaching – probably I’ve benefited from his heart of passion and his mind of clarity. Here’s Scott Thomas’ post. I appreciated it very much.

Carolyn Biggs sent me Pastor John Piper’s message, “Don’t Waste Your Cancer,” which also has added comments by Dr. David Powlison. I commend it for reflection and prayer.

Love and Pain are Inextricable

Tim — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:44:41 +0000

“Pain is inextricably woven into the fabric of love. Can’t you see its threads, thin and delicate, lying just beneath the surface? To isolate ourselves from pain is to isolate ourselves from true love, true happiness. It hurts so much when someone you love dies, because that person brought you so much happiness.”

Ken Gire, Windows of the Soul (p. 122).

Olive Hope Polinder

Tim — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:30:42 +0000

Lynette posted several videos recently that I thought some of you may find meaningful.

The first video was shown at the memorial service.

The second is Lynette’s letter that she read to Olive at the service.

Not so easily satisfied

Tim — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:15:17 +0000

Filled with the Spirit, Like Jesus

Tim — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:27:47 +0000

Happy are the spiritually impoverished

Tim — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:31:44 +0000

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Solzhenitsyn on Art and Literature

Tim — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:21:26 +0000

In his “Nobel lecture on literature,” Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said that art and literature “both hold the key to a miracle: to overcome man’s ruinous habit of learning only from his own experience, so that the experience of others passes him by without profit. Making up for man’s scant time on earth, art transmits between men the entire accumulated load of another being’s life experiences with all its hardships, colors, and juices. It recreates—lifelike—the experience of other men, so that we can assimilate it as our own.” [Quoted in Ken Gire’s, Windows of the Soul (p.121)]

What are some broader applications of what Solzhenitsyn is saying here?

Not Quite the Speed of Light

Tim — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:23:15 +0000

Hur Snabbt?

Concealed Weapons? Dress Code to the Rescue

Tim — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:01:49 +0000

Really? Really? A shotgun?

Status Update

Tim — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:43:07 +0000

Remember What God Has Done

Tim — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:20:36 +0000

notes, audio

I want to heighten my expectations for what God can do, but I want to lessen my demands on what He must do if I’m to serve Him joyfully.

Bring it into the light

Tim — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:39:45 +0000

pulpit notes

Thankful and Repentant

Tim — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:47:29 +0000

“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.” (Luke 3:8 NIV)

Did you know? 4.0

Tim — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:49:36 +0000

Be patient; the word is working.

Tim — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:24:55 +0000

How and When

Tim — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:49:20 +0000

Paying close attention to the effect certain activities are having on one’s passion for God…and making the adjustments.

The Presence

Tim — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:31:28 +0000

Below: Making Tamahagane for a samurai sword.

Scriptures and Elder Prayer

Tim — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:16:23 +0000

Donuts

Tim — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:35:10 +0000

Take my hand, O God!

Tim — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:37:07 +0000

Thou didst reach forth Thy hand and mine enfold
I walked and sank not on the storm-vexed sea
‘Twas not so much that I on Thee took hold
as Thou, dear Lord, on me

–Menno Red Hymnal #228, verse 2

Carrie’s Prayer for Olive Hope

Tim — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:21:06 +0000

Olive Hope, The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

May the power and the blood of Jesus wash over your little body. Lord Jesus, I pray that you would surround Olive with the protective cushion of Your Spirit. I pray that you would wash healing all over her body, around her cells, through her organs, through her brain cells, renewing and restoring. Lord, restore the damage that has been happened with bleeding. Take it away and replace it with cells that are new, that are uninjured. Protect her body from bleeding – keep her cells tight and whole and immune to damage. Keep her from infection. Keep her vital signs stable. Protect her eyes. Protect her vision. I pray that her vision would be restored, and she will be able to look into the eyes of her mommy and see her. Wrap this little being in your presence, around and around with protection, comfort, and healing. Let the power of your kingdom be evident in her tiny body. Jesus. Mend Olive. Make her whole. Restore and protect her. Let her hear her mommy and daddy’s voice even when they are not with her. Let her rest and heal. Give Lynette and Rusty the strength and endurance they need. Give them words to pray, songs to sing. Hear the cries of our heart, Lord. Turn our tears into tears of rejoicing. Give Lynette and Rusty restorative sleep.

In the name of Jesus who died for us and brought us life and the light of your kingdom here on earth,

Amen.

Abba – Slaves or Sons?

Tim — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:36:51 +0000

listen

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Gal 4:6-7 ESV)

*Update: Mahaney on adoption.

Mercy not Sacrifice

Tim — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:00:41 +0000

sermon audio

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

(Matthew 9:12-13 NIV)

The Center

Tim — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:55:30 +0000

He’s Jealous, Are You?

Tim — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:53:52 +0000

“Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously “? (James 4:5 NKJ)

Mission Mpossible

Tim — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:55:39 +0000

Matt 10:8-10 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. 9 Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food.

• Jesus didn’t give the disciples an assignment they could handle with human resources and human resourcefulness.

Read the notes.

Whatever

Tim — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:07:44 +0000

Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for WHATEVER the Father does, the Son does likewise.” (John 5:19)

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

“You can carry the measure of His Presence that you’re willing to jealously guard.” - Bill Johnson

A Few Practical Tips on Hearing

Stop and Listen: We hear God speak to me most frequently when we take time to stop and listen. In times of practicing His Presence: worship, prayer…Maybe pray Samuel’s boyhood prayer – “Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening.” (1 Sam 3:10)
Journal: I find it helpful to journal what I think God is saying. It becomes very precious and like a compass later on – often moreso than right at first.
Test it (in trusted community).
- Is it biblical? (Does it fit with Scriptural teaching?)
- Does it have the ring of truth? (Does it smell right?)
- Is it apt? (Does it apply some biblical truth to this situation in a fitting way?)

All Consuming Fire

Tim — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:53:45 +0000

GMS School Cleaning ’09

Tim — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:07:34 +0000

Gotcha Merle.

For Bob

Tim — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:34:06 +0000

TechLust

Tim — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:08:00 +0000

Consumer or Worshiper?

Tim — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:54:58 +0000

Most all consumers feel like they have the right to be a critic. No one is dying to be a part of any group of people where there’s a lot of criticism going on.

-Christy Wimber

Read the whole article here.

David’s Legacy (4) Anatomy of a Sin

Tim — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:33:51 +0000

We ended the message with The O.C. Supertones’ “Away from You.”

Lemme See

Tim — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:19:54 +0000

The Stuff

Tim — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 04:21:21 +0000

Expect a lot of videos from me in the future.

Marry Younger

Tim — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:50:59 +0000

I wish everybody would read this article.

Just One

Tim — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:07:59 +0000

http://www.tightsarenotpants.com/manifesto

[I want to give a hat tip to Kris Vallotton for a recent sermon he shared that was apparently inspired by Malcolm Gadwell's book, The Tipping Point. In that message he spoke about Roger Bannister and as I listened to that particular point (while driving from Ohio to Virginia) my spirit was stirred and I knew what I was going to preach come Sunday.]

1. Intro – 4 Minute Mile and Roger Bannister
Burning Bushes: Exodus 3 – My friend (AMS). Father-in-law.
Jesus Christ is Perfect Theology – He’s the pattern of human life we’re meant to follow. He takes us into His relationship with the Father and the Spirit. He saved us from something, but also to something. You want to know what He saved us to? Read the Gospels! He’s the pattern! He’s the Roger Bannister par excellence of humanity. He said we’d do greater things than he did since he returned to the Father and poured out God’s Spirit on his people.
The Impossible Mission – Matt 10, The Harsh Rebuke Matt 17
Resurrection DNA – What part of the Christian life is even possible? We can’t even be saved apart from a miracle. Eph 2 says we were dead in transgressions…not weak and sick. Dead.
Pre-Pentecost Disciples Live at a Higher Level than Us? How can this be? My answer – wrong thinking. Limitations we put on ourselves so that we don’t walk in the authority Jesus gave us, and expects us to use.
Bad Theology – When we alleviate the tension between what Scriptures says and what we experience by arguments crafted to help leave us comfortably where we are rather than motivating us to find what’s missing in order to close that gap.
It’s time to grow up into childlike faith
John Wimber – Marriage trouble, home group, healing, read bible, asked pastor a question: “When are we going to do the stuff?” Didn’t like the answer. Pressed in. 100 prayers before he finally saw Jesus do a healing by his own hands.
Heidi Baker – Prayed for 20 blind people before one was healed.
Big idea: We can live at a whole different level than what is “normal.” Jesus demonstrates a new normal. Jesus lived it, the early church followed him, saints from all walks of life and all times have grasped God … and so can we. Whole generations can forget who God is – as happened so many times in OT history. The thinking goes wrong – we begin to believe lies and that gets us corporately stuck far below the level that God has already told us is His version of normal. But in such times where the knowledge of God is just embers often all it takes is one person to be a living demonstration of what God can do to reveal the lies that keep the many bound. One person’s private victory with God can serve as the catalyst to release whole communities into a higher gear of relationship with God.
Personal Victory – Corporate Blessing: Let’s go back to David again. The lions and bears were private victories, but they led the way to Goliath, which was a corporate victory. We’ve got to be seeking God in private, developing a personal history with God and seeking our private victory.
The Mess creates the Message, Your Weakness becomes your Ministry – The thing that is your greatest struggle – when you solve that, when you press into God in such a way that you find His grace breaking you free – then that’s going to be a little piece of land on which you plant your feet and believe God for others. God wants us to minister out of our hearts, not just our heads. And so do people.
The coattails of another’s win. Crows drop nuts into traffic to let the cars do the hard work of breaking the shells. All it takes is one crow to try it – others see, and then it’s off to the races. Ideally, they teach their young…All it takes is one person to find a breakthrough in God – a win in joy, mastery of some plaguing sin, healing of some deep wound, a new understanding of who you are because of Jesus – all it takes is one person to so carry the Presence of God that they become a burning bush.
Nazareth Principle – And then anyone who is willing to receive it for what it really is – is off to the races. If I can receive the treasure in the clay jar then your victory becomes my victory – I get what you prayed for. And if we have a grace culture, one person’s private victory can activate a seachange in all of our thinking and praying and living.
It only takes one – this is my conclusion – I thought that this message is probably going to miss most folks at cannon – but decided to preach it anyway, because not preaching it for these reasons would mean I don’t believe that a move of God can be catalyzed by just one…that Marty Miller’s Ford Mustang 5 Liter engine can be awakened by a spark. Jesus said mustard seed sized faith will awaken the Almighty’s power. All it takes is one person who will believe God. One person who will pray when no prayer meeting is called, and nobody is watching. One person who will respond to Jesus by rejecting bitterness and opting for forgiveness and kindness. One person who will say, “This ends here” to despair or sin or some pattern that’s kept them stuck for years…One person to rise up in faith that God really has given me everything I need to do his will. One person to live beyond the limitations of family history – to be the anomaly – the counter-example, the burning bush that should be destroyed, but instead becomes the contact point between heaven and earth.

Is this serious or a joke? Just the same, I like it.

Tim — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:35:39 +0000

Tights are not pants…

7 Points for New Members

Tim — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:38:10 +0000

pdf full notes

Be active, not passive
Support the leadership
Own it
Be real
Move through the stages of maturation
Remember, the church is not an institution – it’s people
Time, Treasure, Talent

Cannon Youth – City Challenge 09

Tim — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 02:33:48 +0000

Our young people shared this morning their very impacting experience at the Send House in Columbus last week. Regina Yutzy posted some pics of the whole shindig.

Virgin Birth

Tim — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:29:38 +0000

Buy it here.

David’s Legacy (3) – I will not lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed

Tim — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:11:56 +0000

Piper on TV

Tim — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:14:03 +0000

I heard a crazy stat recently: The average American somehow finds time to watch 35 hours of tv per week. That can’t be! If that’s an average…somebody is not doing much else.

I’m not opposed to television or movies. I love stories! I think we all do. But I found Dr. Piper’s views interesting and challenging. I definitely agree about the danger of viewing sexually provocative material – especially for men who seem to be so visuallywired sexually. One pushback is this: Critiquing film is like critiquing talking or print – the message is the critical issue, not the medium. With that in mind…

Give it a read and tell me what you think.

Here’s the link.

David’s Legacy (2) – Courage

Tim — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:23:00 +0000

1.) We all have to face our fears to become the person Christ made us to be.
2.) Our Goliath is unique to us, and so is our God-given weaponry.
3.) Momentum is Socially Transferred, for good or bad. We can en-courage or dis-courage others by strengthening their faith or unbelief.
4.) Lions and Bears come before the Giants…We build courage on the foundation of previous obedience to do the scary but right thing.
5.) Three Agents of Dis-Couragement: I.) Threats – Goliath II.) Criticism: Eliab III.) Naysaying: Saul
6.) The Spirit, Faith, and Courage are Connected.
7.) Faith moves mountains…and makes martyrs (Hebrews 11).
8.) The Lord Saves. Yeshua. Jesus. The Battle Belongs to the Lord.
9.) The Ultimate Courage: The Courage to Love.

David’s Legacy (1) – The School of Suffering

Tim — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:41:06 +0000

The reason I want to be careful about the question at the end of the message is that my question may imply that God did a better job fathering David than Saul. This implies that Saul’s unfaithfulness may somehow be God’s fault – which is clearly wrong. Upon further reflection, it actually seems like the tests that Saul failed were probably his God-ordained trials intended to shape and incline his heart Godward.

Also, David’s faith and heart for God weren’t necessarily born in the places of pain (he had them at an early age!), but they were surely strengthened and matured in those times because of his responsiveness to God in and through them. And it wasn’t a youthful arrogance that needed to be broken – his bold faith didn’t need subtraction, but rather addition. Perhaps God was adding a kind of softness and mercy. This reminds me of what Peter exhorts…

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

(2Pe 1:3-7 NIV)

Final point: David repents well. He trembles at God’s word. He’s able to see God’s mercy and thus fall in love with God even more deeply after he’s sinned. This is helpful for me in my New Covenant vantage point where mercy shines so much more brightly. I fail so often, but in the mercy of God it gives me a new vantage point to receive the forgiveness Christ purchased with his blood, and to experience afresh my total dependence on Jesus’ surprising love for me…

Thoughts?

Honor the Treasure in the Clay Jar

Tim — Sun, 24 May 2009 21:29:47 +0000

pdf

I am greatly indebted to Pastor Mark Driscoll for the categories of Positive, Negative, and Neutral that appear in this message. I also leaned on Pastor Bill Johnson and John Bevere for insights into the biblical principle of honor.

Danger

Tim — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:07:42 +0000

“We have somehow got hold of the idea that error is only that which is outrageously wrong; and we do not seem to understand that the most dangerous person of all is the one who does not emphasize the right things.”

–D. M. Lloyd-Jones

The love you had at first

Tim — Mon, 18 May 2009 02:50:45 +0000

1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands:

2 “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. 3 I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary.

4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

5 Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

6 Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.”

(Rev 2:1-7 NRSV)

The Bullseye

Tim — Sun, 10 May 2009 22:34:58 +0000

The Apostolic Perspective

The death and resurrection of Jesus is the interpretive key to understanding the incarnation, life and ministry of Jesus.
The story of Jesus understood as cross-centered (Cruciform) is the interpretive key to understanding the whole OT story of the cosmos, and especially, the covenantal history of Israel.
All other questions and concerns on secondary or tertiary issues ought to be understood in proper relationship to this Gospel core.

Thanks to Dr. Lester Ruth, of Asbury Theological Seminary, for the kernel of thought that forms the basis of this message. His class on worship was one of the brightest spots of my time in seminary. Thank you sir for your rich teaching.

At the end of the message, the team did this drama for us. Thank you so very much! I wanted to get up and shout “That’s my Jesus! He did that for me!”

We Are Living in Exponential Times

Tim — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:47:38 +0000

Four Handles – The Whole Bible in a Sermon

Tim — Mon, 04 May 2009 02:22:48 +0000

Scriptures

Blindness by Familiarity

Tim — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:37:49 +0000

my notes

Change and New Wineskins

Tim — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:23:51 +0000

Tim’s Preaching Notes

Outline

Routines: we’ve all got em’.
Change is a fact of life. It’s also value-neutral, neither good nor bad in itself.
What happens in the brain when we face change?
What happens emotionally in times of change?
What often happens during pastoral transitions?
Two tendencies amidst change: push for what I want/grasp for what I don’t want to lose.
What’s Satan’s agenda in churches during times of change?
Even good changes create stress.
Exegesis of Matthew 9:14-17
Three areas for new wineskins
- Self-care
- Extra Grace for others
- Don’t lose focus on what matters most
Let go of what’s in your hand
Jesus’ agenda: John 13:35 ”By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The Greatest Champagne Victory Moment Ever…

Tim — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:14:15 +0000

Nightline Face-off: Does Satan Exist?

This Nascar race wasn’t it. The greatest champagne spraying, shouting, dancing moment of victory in the history of the universe was the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Christ is risen!

Jesus rose victorious (and shared his victory with us) over:

Satan
Sin
Hell
Death
The Wrath of God

Because Christ is risen we get to enjoy every good and perfect gift and every spiritual blessing…

Alleluia! What a glorious Savior!

Ha!

Tim — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:25:24 +0000

Don’t Resist the Climb

Tim — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:40:16 +0000

sermon audio

congregational sharing

Tim’s preaching notes

This season’s fruit is from last season’s struggle. This season’s struggle is for next season’s fruit.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.”

Maybe the hammer and the anvil (life’s difficulties) are providential friends, and the Holy Spirit is the fire – the presence of Christ in us – that makes us malleable to what the Father is trying to do in us to make us reliable instruments in the Redeemer’s hands…

But most of all, He’s the goal. We have a job to do, but the main point of all of this is knowing Him.

Wired for War

Tim — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:31:06 +0000

Kauflin – “I hate that song”

Tim — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 02:42:34 +0000

How many times have you heard the first few bars of a worship song on Sunday and thought, “Oh no…I can’t stand this song.” Or maybe you’re talking with a group of friends at lunch on Sunday, and you’re letting them know which songs you really didn’t like. In either case, we’re giving more value to our musical preferences than God’s command to sing his praise and to love him with all our hearts. Do we really want to let our musical opinions keep us from worshiping the God who gave us music in the first place?

Read the whole article.

Does Satan Exist?

Tim — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 02:02:27 +0000

This was great.

Better to marry than to burn with lust

Tim — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:15:01 +0000

This one really is PG-13.

Being ‘off-task’ can sometimes be productive

Tim — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:40:17 +0000

I find David Powlison’s perspective on time-management and productivity rings very true for me. Here’s just a snippet:

Our dominant cultural ideal is that of the busy, efficient executive who is always on task and getting projects done. But that doesn’t fit the neighborly housewife who takes time for relationships and helping in the need of the moment, or the artist who takes the time for trial and error and experimentation, crafting and re-crafting. I operate more like a neighbor and artist than like an executive.

I take comfort in the oddity of Jesus’ example of time management. He was certainly on task, but his way of going about his calling was to wander around and interact with whoever he happened to run into that day. He engaged whatever happened to be going on in those people’s lives right then. He took “little” people just as seriously as “big” people, and gave himself to both. His work life was more like Francis of Assisi than like a life structured around the Blackberry, strategic plan, project list, and meeting schedule. God’s kingdom embraces and uses many kinds of people, and we don’t all operate the same way.

Read C.J. Mahaney’s full post.

In terms of what I’ve experienced in this regard, my work is primarily social and mental. Many of the tasks are often creative in nature and can’t simply be “done.” Some of what I do is more like writing a novel than doing math homework. And it isn’t punching a clock with the guarantee that if I put x amount of time in I get y amount of results. I cannot afford to have an uninspired brain attempt to do creative work. I’ve learned that I cannot afford to be consumed by work and not take time to engage in the discipline of play because my creativity and mental clarity isn’t rewarded by over-diligence. It’s actually punished. I work best when I’m refreshed and inspired.

7 things off the top of my head that I’ve noticed are important to me staying productive and fresh:

Write it down NOW! Nothing can be used unless it’s retained. I wish I had a photographic memory. I emphatically do not. One weird way I try to compensate for this is to email myself constantly. Another is to have a file of sermon ideas so that every time I get an idea I can just type it up and forget it. It’ll still be there later. I’m usually backlogged anywhere from three to six months with sermon ideas from this kind of thing.
Don’t be a starving cook. I do my best when I’m constantly enjoying the fruits of other people’s insights, stories, and perspectives via blogs, sermon podcasts, lectures, books, and conversations of all kinds (phone calls, lunch meetings, etc). And I learn about things I find interesting even if they’re off-topic. ”He shines in all that’s fair,” so really the idea of something being off-topic is a bit too restrictive.
Make something that “doesn’t matter” – i.e. turn on my amp, my looping pedal, my electric guitar, and leave my troubles and responsibilities behind for a while. I’ve noticed that I still am thinking about them even while I play, but in a more detached manner.
Sing. Turn it up, and sing it out, LOUD! Something with a good melody, like Coldplay or Keane. Hold the baby, dance around and let it all out.
Sleep. No one’s brain can stay inspired for very many weeks with sleep deprivation. (I’m currently on a “get off of caffeine cold turkey” kick because I’ve grown too accustomed to using coffee to put the mojo back on when sleep hasn’t been abundant).
Social Self-Care. Temporarily avoid social interactions that I know will leave me so low that whole days will be wasted in recovery. Conversely, seek social interactions during those times that will lead to refreshment, clarity, and a Gospel-centered perspective. And sometimes just a good cry helps.
A certain kind of prayer. I haven’t yet pinpointed this enough to explain it, but sometimes the burdens lift, and sometimes they don’t. I don’t know.

Really, this is my way of feeding my soul, remembering that “play” is a vital spiritual discipline, staying close to Jesus in prayer, monitoring my emotions and occasionally setting up temporary boundaries, and so critical is letting other Christians in my life hear my heart and help me…

Lamb of God

Tim — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:00:13 +0000

That picture is moving. I often think of Jesus as Lamb of God not being very gripping. It sounds cute. I guess because of the word “lamb.” Having been present to slaughter a goat with an African student at Rosedale – this image does a bit more for me in recognizing Jesus’ path and what it was…

John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Parents are People

Tim — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:43:15 +0000

Marriage, and This Life, are Temporary

Tim — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:33:25 +0000

Hmmmm

Tim — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 03:37:38 +0000

Is it I, Lord?

Israel Rocks!

Tim — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 02:18:43 +0000

That’s my boy!

Mahaney on Evaluating Requests

Tim — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:31:21 +0000

1) Fit my role? 2) Fit my goals? 3) Do Now or Put on Calendar?

Read C.J. Mahaney’s full post here.

Dave Martone Tapfest

Tim — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 05:21:02 +0000

Puttin’ the “Guitars” back in “Guitars and Theology.”

Free and Frequent Sex

Tim — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 03:30:52 +0000

Distortions Counteracted, Longings Fulfilled [Love and Respect]

Tim — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 22:16:33 +0000

Cruciformity 3 – Marriage

Tim — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:13:10 +0000

notes/outline

Cruciformity 2 – Lord’s Supper

Tim — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 01:20:15 +0000

Cruciformity 1: Baptism

Tim — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 01:51:08 +0000

Missional Theology 3

Tim — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:49:46 +0000

mp3 (poor quality)

wma (good quality)