Category Archives: Spiritual Thoughts

Stumbling Block.

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I was reading in 1 Corinthians 8 this morning about food sacrificed to idols. Yeah…it was one of those kind of readings. But I’ve learned that there’s always some sort of application in texts like this, even if it’s something that provides more insight to biblical culture rather than my personal life.

I got down to verse 9 and found the familiar term in Christian circles of “stumbling block”. Here’s the passage:

9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

I love this passage. He talks about how a guy can go and eat food sacrificed to idols. This would’ve been a bad thing to do because it was “defiled”. However, Paul says earlier in this passage that food doesn’t necessarily bring us closer to God or further from him. So this guy can technically eat food sacrificed to idols and in the new covenant, it’s not really that big of a deal. UNLESS, someone sees you eating that food and has a weaker conscience (which isn’t a problem). This weaker conscience guy is now led to believe it’s ok to do, but his conscience betrays him and consequently, he has stumbled. Paul says that when we cause them to stumble and sin against other believers in this way, we’ve sinned against Christ. If what we eat causes a brother (or sister) to stumble, don’t eat it so he won’t fall!

I think this applies to so much more too. We can put a couple of blanks in that last sentence and apply it to just about anything in the Christian walk.

If what I _____________ causes a believer to stumble, don’t ____________ it so he won’t fall!

This has been a big passage for me and I hope you can find some practical application for it as well!

Ty Faulk .:. Suffering From Chronological Snobbery

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I like to honor my friends and their accomplishments. So…

Let me introduce you to Ty Faulk.

He’s one of the funniest people I know.

He played keys for Six Piece Suit and the Chris Orr Band with me.

We were in each other’s wedding.

He’s also a great teacher and writer.

He just got a job teaching next year at NCCS with me.

Ty just wrote his second article in Relevant Magazine. It’s entitled, “Suffering from Chronological Snobbery” based on a C.S. Lewis quote.

Check it out and be challenged.

St. Patrick’s Breastplate

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This was shared at our church’s worship team meeting this past week. Although St. Patty’s Day has now passed, it really blew me away and I had to share. It’s called St. Patrick’s Breastplate and it’s a hymn attributed to St. Patrick.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.
I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

Church-Hoppers

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I am about to get up on my soap box. Heads up.

I can remember growing up in church. I went to the same church for the first eighteen years of my life. When I left, my family found a church quickly and I liked it there, but felt like I was supposed to be at another church. I began going from my parents’ church’s service to the church service where I thought I needed to be.

Shortly after, I started college and began a season of “church-hopping.” I would still attend that church that I considered mine, but dropped going to my parents. I also began going to other local churches, trying to find which I “liked best”. Of all that I attended, I still liked the church I was already at most. However, then I started playing at churches, started an internship at a church, and began a job at another church.

After I quit that church job, I was left without a church. I started playing music again, so I was in church, but didn’t have a “church home.” This was now harder because Hannah and I were now together and knew our relationship was heading towards marriage. It was (and is) hard for her to get to travel with me to churches on Sundays and we knew she needed a place to be weekly and growing, as well as somewhere that I could be growing in as well. We didn’t feel like the church I had worked at was where we needed to remain I had no idea where to go or what to do. We started praying about it. A few months later, Passion City Church opened its doors for the first time. Neither of us had really thought about it before, but after the service, we talked the entire way home about how we knew where God was calling us. It was so unexpected, but yet so clear. We were on board with the mission of the church more than we had ever been with any other church we’d been a part of in our lives. We decided to be a part of the church, rather than just attenders.

Since then, we started volunteering and giving back our time and finances. I learned while working at churches, how crucial it is that the church “members” are to be the church by serving and giving. We were on board with the mission and wanted to back up our calling by our actions. I don’t say that to boast or anything, but to share as a challange, as it’s been an important lesson for us.

Since then, I’ve noticed how many people are in that same position that I found myself in three years ago: church-hopping. And while there is nothing wrong with going to different churches’ services, I’ve realized some important truths about church from my experiences with them and from classes on the Early Church. One of the primary parts of the church is that God designed it for community. Community is a big relevant and hip church word right now, but it’s Biblical.  When we aren’t in a church body on a regular basis, then we are missing out on this community!

Yeah, the worship may be amazing at that church and the pastor or speaker at that church may be really deep or communicates really well and all your friends may go to this church. But that’s not what it’s about. It’s about connecting into a body of believers with the same purpose and mission. Even going to a church because of the worship or pastor isn’t even right. If you aren’t worshiping or being encouraged/challenged at a church, that’s a problem, but you shouldn’t just go to a church because of those reasons. You should go to a church to connect with the mission of the church and the body of believers…the worship and talks are just a small part under that.

I’m not saying it’s bad to visit other churches, but rather that it’s incredibly important to connect regularly in a body of believers that you feel called to be a part of.

So there’s my soap box. I hope it connects with at least one person.

Thoughts For the Christmas Season

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I know it’s still early in the season, but while Louie was preaching the other night, he said something that led me to realize this first thought. Then later that night, my friend Rachel posted the second thought on Twitter…and probably got it from the same thing Louie said. If this doesn’t inspire you to worship throughout the entire Christmas season, I don’t know what will!

“The One who made everything made Himself to be nothing.”

“He became a man and I became a saint.”

What’s More Important Than Tone

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Sometimes it’s easy for me to get caught up in tone, making cool noises and having cool gear. I know I’m not alone in this and chances are that if you regularly read my blog as a resource for guitar tone and gear, you probably struggle with it too. It’s an easy thing to do and, while it’s very important, it’s not the most important thing.

When we’re leading others in worship, that is the most important thing. Why is it that we can spend hours looking up people’s gear and new pedals online, but don’t have any time to sit down and get in the Word or talk to God? Even as important as practicing is, we can play for hours without even acknowledging who gave us our gifts and without taking time to seek Him.

I’m guilty of this as well, but it shouldn’t be so. We’ve got to keep this in mind. Nothing is as important as our relationship with God and truly worshiping ourselves when we’re playing and taking part in leading worship. This isn’t anything deep. We’ve all heard it before. So why is it that we’re not striving for any change?

I encourage you to make sure you spend time getting the in the Word and talking to the Lord before you hit up my blog or any other site or plug in to play.

We Must Go

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This is my friend James.

james

James is from Kenya. Growing up, he was sponsored by someone through Compassion International. Now he is 25, a college graduate, and is working with Compassion and Student Life Camps this summer.

James has told me story after story about growing up being sponsored by someone through Compassion. After grew up in the slums of Kenya and now being over in the US, he has a very interesting perspective. My friendship with James has been one that has changed my life. It’s one thing to hear about Compassion, but it’s another to see Compassion in action and see someone whose life has been completely changed by some folks like you and me through Compassion and is now sharing his story in efforts to have the lives of others changed as his was.

Tonight I became a sponsor for a boy through Compassion. His name is Richard Tawiah Teye from Ghana, Africa and today is his 7th birthday.

Photo 184

I am very excited about this. God has been putting this on my heart for a month or so now, especially within the past week that I’ve been at camp. So much of Paul’s epistles call us to go, to do. Particularly with widows and orphans…yet how much do we actually do that? Personally, I’m so guilty of doing, but not going and being the hands and feet of Jesus. And in all honesty, I’ve been listening to a lot of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” Although it’s one of my favorite songs, God’s been nailing me with it lately and being the change the world needs. Letting change start with me.

It’s time for me to give back. It’s time for me to be. It’s time for me to go.

We Must Go. Live to Feed the Hungry. Stand Beside the Broken.

We Must Go.

Stepping Forward. Keep Us from just Singing. Move Us into Action.

We Must Go.

_________ Church Vs. _________ Church

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Lately it seems like I hear so much negativity about churches. While some of this is valid and some churches are to be called out on issues, the way they’ve been talked about around me is just not right. “That church is…”; “our church is…”; “I can’t believe that ______ church did…”.

I’m tired of this. I hear some churches that are “cutting edge” continually make themselves victims of other churches’ judgment, while passing judgment on those same churches for their traditions or not being “hip and modern.” I’ve heard churches build themselves up more than they lift up the name of Christ…it’s as if they worship church rather than the Lord and Founder of the Church.

Since when did churches start competing? Why should we focus more on what cool things we’re doing or traditions we’re keeping and comparing ourselves to other churches, rather than building up the body of Christ? The people of God are more concerned about being relevant, or doing things “the way they’ve always been,” than they are doing God’s work in world! The body of Christ is tearing itself to pieces. A hand is trying to cut off a foot or an eye is trying to make an ear feel insignificant and not-needed.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Being relevant or consistent is not a bad thing, and can cause many people to come into the church. However, when it causes a church (its staff or attenders) to boast in a way that puts other churches down, that’s not the point of church! Jesus can’t look down on his people cutting each other down and be happy. It’s one thing to share what God’s doing in your church and be excited about it, but it’s another to talk about other churches in a way that puts them down (unless it’s privately confronting an issue for accountability purposes or warning against false teaching with adequate evidence).

As the people of God, we are the universal church…we are on the same team! Stop cutting other churches down because their music isn’t as good, or their pastor preaches with an older form of sermon outline and way of communicating. We all have certain methods and forms that connect with us or reach us better and we have opinions on these things (I know that I definitely have my opinions about everything in the church). But those opinions might not be the same ways and same things that reach other people…and that is alright. You don’t have to agree, but you do need to respect and let that church do what they do to reach people (even if they’re not reaching people) and not be outspoken about how awful it is to be a part of some other tradition or denomination or church.

We are one in Christ. Let’s start acting like it and living it out. There’s a lot of work to be done…