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Goodbye Blogger.. Hello Wordpress!

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See you there!!!

Worship at Turning Point Church

Cardboard Testimonies - How He Loves

Yesterday was a very special day at Turning Point Church. Thanks to all who shared and helped.

I was blessed to be a small part of it. God is so good!

drastic times call for drastic measures

Today, I'm just curious.
I'm curious to hear about your story.
What is the most drastic thing you've done for God?
Was it a big move across the country?
Was it witnessing to someone?
Was it a career change?
A break up?
I'd love to know.

What is the most drastic thing you've been called to do while following God?

9/27/09 Set List

You're Worthy Of My Praise

Blessed Be Your Name

I Will Boast

How Great Thou Art

How Great Is Our God

9/20/09 Set List

Let God Arise

Glory to God, Forever

Lead Me to the Cross

Give Us Clean Hands

Come Thou Fount

Bless His Holy Name

The Word... Do It Yourself

I'm studying Isaiah.

Inductively.

Inductive - of, pertaining to, or employing logical induction....

Basically it means to figure it out for yourself.

In the past I have been very guilty of proclaiming to be doing a bible study for my quiet time when it wasn't really an actual study.

It was more like a... quick read that fit my schedule the best.

I got nothing from it. I didn't grow spiritually at all because of it.

This morning while doing my study I realized how far I have come in my study habits and I thanked God for it.

I love the studies that leave it up to you.

They don't tell you answers.

They ask questions.

For instance: My study today was about Egypt in Is. 19.

The question was, "What do you learn about God in Isaiah 19?"

I had to pour over the scripture and figure it out, inductively, for myself.

My answer:

God is:

Fast (v1)

Evokes fear in the lost (v1)

smarter than mere humans (v2)

true to His judgement (v4)

all knowing (v4)

wanting ALL to come to know Him (v19)

the Savior/Reinforcement-sender (v20)

made known throughout the earth (v21)

worthy of worship and offerings (v21)

a fierce, yet healing God (v22)

responsive (v22)

Healer (v22)

a God who blesses obedience (v25)

I learned this morning.

Learning is a great thing.

God, Thank You so much for Your Word.

In your quiet time, don't read answers - answer questions.

Your heart will thank you for it.

How rad is God...?

this rad...

If you're ever wondering how rad our Creator is...

Job 12:7 - "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you..."

9/13/09 Set List

Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble

Mighty To Save

Your Great Love

Let It Rain

How He Loves

Come and Listen (invitation song)

On a side note...

Thank you Lord for bringing us Pastor Mike Rippy and his wife Jenifer! God has provided for us and for that we are very grateful. Exciting things are on the horizon at Turning Point Church!

What or who has God blessed you with lately?

Why is differentiating between evangelism and missions important?

John Piper is the man. Just sayin'...

beards are awesome...

For some unexplainable reason, I have always wanted a beard. Don't know why. Maybe it's because the men in my family have a rather difficult time growing facial hair, so that makes me want it even more, I guess. I have a friend named Perry Beaver. (Yes, that is his real name). He has the most incredible beard ever. I love it. I want it. It is pictured below.

I have seen Perry's beard longer than this too, and the longer it gets the awesome-er it gets.

Me? Facial hair...? not so much....

You may have noticed the small patch of hair under my lip. I usually refer to that as, "my beard."

I want a real one.

My current "beard-forming regimine" is as follows:

"If you shave it... it will come."

One day...

Today's Set (8/30/09)

He Is Exalted

Maker Of Heaven And Earth

Rain Down

Grace Like Rain

I Lift My Eyes Up

More Love, Morer Power

The Truth Project

This study has completely revolutionized my walk with God. I firmly believe that every person who consides themself a believer needs to go through this study. Check it out.

www.thetruthproject.org

It will stretch you... in a very, very good way.

Sunday Set Rewind -- 8/9/09

Sometimes human words seem so bland when trying to describe God. That's how I feel about yesterday. To say things like "amazing" and "awesome" just seems so empty compared to what He does inside of a worshiper. Yesterday God made some people free. Some events transpired that truly revealed that He is in control, and that His will will indeed always be done. Looking back on yesterday's set, that may have been the most "in tune with God" we've ever been. I'm so thankful that He hears and answers our prayers to use us as vessels to create an atmosphere for Him to move. Here's how it went:

Here Is Our King

Maybe the most popular Crowder song. It's a very freeing song to sing in a corporate worship setting. There's something really powerful about singing "Here is our God Who's come to bring us back to Him!" It basically opens up the door for God to move, and recognizing that He is, in fact, there being faithful to you as you worship Him in faith.

Draw Me Close

Next we went into this classic song. This song has very pointed, unmistakable lyrics. It's a life change song. "You're all I want. You're all I ever needed!" It's really a declaration. Coming before the Lord and telling Him, that it is all about Him!

Center

This Charlie Hall song's lyrics ring a bit like Draw Me Close but the difference is, in this song we're telling God we want Him to reign supreme in our lives because of who He is and not because of what He has done for us. We end the song with an anthem of sorts. So powerful... "We lift our eyes to Heaven. We wrap our lives around Your life. We lift our eyes to heaven; to You." I wonder what would happen if we truly wrapped our lives around His?

All Creatures Of Our God And King

A classic hymn, re-done by the David Crowder*Band. At the end of this song we sing "Alleluia" over and over and over. I wonder if that's what we'll say in Heaven. "Alleluia!" The alleluia-anthem continues to grow and grow until it seems it's going to burst. God truly moves when He is pleased. I could really feel His pleasure as our praise was rising.

One Thing

We ended the set with this Charlie Hall tune. In it we sing, "All of life comes down to just one thing, that's to know You, oh Jesus, and make you known."

Lord, please let these words not be idle. Please strengthen me, and help me to live a life that makes You known. Thank you God for having faith in me. I pray I am always faithful to you. Today my prayer is Hebrews 11:6:

And without faith it is impossible to please You, Lord

For I know that if I come to You I must believe that You are God

and that You are the Rewarder of those who seek You.

Sunday Set Rewind -- 8/2/09 Set

Yesterday was a big day for us at Turning Point Church. Big Day. God really was with us yesterday during the worship service. I am so thankful for his faithfulness to our team. We did a new song, a new-ish song, and then 3 others that we've done many times before. God is so good. Here's how yesterday went:

Your Grace Is Enough

A classic Chris Tomlin song. I love this song because, yes, we as believers talk about God's grace a lot. But do we talk about it being enough. It is enough. The grace of our Lord is enough to pull us out of our sorrow, pain, strife, doubtful state, or depression. Lord, Your Grace is Enough for me!

Glory To God, Forever

This was our new song. It was just released by Fee. Written by Steve Fee and Vicky Beeching, this powerful song with a simple chorus just echoed though our church and echoed in so many hearts. There was something very powerful happening when we were all united singing, "Glory to God, Glory to God, Glory to God FOREVER!!!!" Just Awesome!

How He Loves

This was the second time we'd done this song. A few weeks ago we when we did this song for the first time in our church we played the video of John Mark McMillan telling the story of where this song came from. There wasn't a dry eye in our church. I think this song truly does have wings. God moves so very mightily through it. "If His grace is an ocean.. we're all sinking." Powerful.

Glory

This is an original song. It came from a study of Hebrews one morning on my back patio. I fully believe that God gave me this song for our former pastor and his wife as they moved to Singapore. The chorus rings out, "Lead us on to Glory oh, King of magnificent salvation..." The premise of this song is a bit like the title of this blog. This song is all about greater things ahead and following God toward those greater things.

Agnus Dei

We finished up with this classic Michael W. Smith song. The Spirit was moving so rapidly through this song while April, one of our female vocalists, lead us through the first verse. Breathtaking! He was especially moving at the end when we dropped all instruments and just cried out, "Holy! Holy! Are You Lord God, Almighty! Worthy is the Lamb, Worthy is the Lamb! Amen!"

Father, You are Almighty. You're so faithful. Help us, God, to always look to You alone for our strength and our joy. May Your praise be ever-present in our mouths. Thanks God.

I love this guy...

white people are crazy...

Here's a perfect example of why white people are crazy.

But I am slightly jealous, and I wish we would have done that at my wedding. That's all. As you were.

Sunday Set Rewind -- 7/26/09 Set

First of all, let me begin by apologizing for not posting this yesterday as previously promised. I will try from now on to post the Sunday Set Rewind every Monday. However, I highly doubt any of you care.

Sunday was a great, up-beat set accompanied by transitions of prayer and thanks and reflection. VBS was last week so the kiddies sang 3 songs that they learned during the week before worship began. Kids are so dang cute when they sing... (or just when they do the motions, because the track blaring through the speakers has a bunch of kids singing the words... no need to sing... just the motions). Anyway, God showed up mightily on Sunday. Our set was as follows:

Trading My Sorrows

Although this is quite a dated song it's only like the 3rd time we've done it since I came to Turning Point in 2007. Sometimes, because of the quick tempo of this song, the words get lost. The verse of the song quotes 2Corinthians 4:8-9. Powerful stuff. "I am blessed but not crushed; persecuted, not abandoned..." Love it. We went right into..

O Praise Him

Classic David Crowder*Band. One of my all-time favorite worship songs. It's simple yet deep; quick yet reflective. "Oh how infinitely sweet, this great love that has redeemed. As one, we sing O Praise Him!"

Mighty To Save

After a prayer we went into Mighty To Save. This is one that we do often. It seems to always get a rise out of the congregation. God really moves at our church during this song. I know He moves through every song, but you just those songs sometimes... this is one of those songs. During the first chorus we drop everything except the strings and just sing out, "Savior. He can move the mountains. Our God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save! Forever. Author of salvation. He rose and conquered the grave. Jesus conquered the grave!" That's always my favorite part. Man, that song is so anointed.

God Of This City

We've been singing this song for awhile now, but it never gets old. In March, following God's calling, our pastor and his wife (our piano player) moved to Singapore. God of This City has become a song that they sing and worship to often over there, because yes, God is the God of this city, of that city and of every city. It's such a big song and it takes such deep root in those who open themselves up completely while worshiping.

Your Love, Oh Lord

We ended the set with this song as a bit of a benediction. We didn't have any drums. Just soft with strings and guitar. Singing Psalm 36 to the Lord is a very powerful thing. "Your love, Oh Lord, reaches to the heavens. Your faithfulness stretches to the sky." A great way to end a worship service.

Father, I pray that you would continue to show your faithfulness to our church and every church for that matter. I pray that we would worship You faithfully and expectantly, knowing that You are a great, mighty, and loving God, who is capable of breaking any stronghold. Thanks for a great week, God.

Peace from a Prince?

So lately I've been in Isaiah. The first eight chapters of Isaiah are pretty bleak. Tones of judgement and wrath upon a disobedient, uninterested nation. Sound familiar?

Is. 1:4 "...They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him."

Is. 1:15 "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood;"

Is. 5:13 "Therefore my people will go into exile for their lack of knowledge; those of high rank will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst."

Is. 8:5-7 "The Lord spoke to me again: 'Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoices over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates...'"

Is. 8:22 "Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom..."

...Maybe "bleak" was an understatement. The tension just continues to mount and mount, and it seems as God's wrath is just growing and getting bigger until it is overwhelming and about to explode then all of the sudden...

Is. 9:1, 6-7 "But, there will be no more gloom for those who are in distress..." "... For unto us a Child is born to us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

We've heard and read this passage tons of times, but in context with the rest of the book, it sheds a whole new light on just why we are in desperate need of a Savior. Jesus, our Prince of Peace.

Is He where you find your peace?