Thursday, October 30, 2008

Attention 18-29 year olds

You have to check out Mobilise this Year! It will truly be the best year yet. Returning as our main speaker is the passionate and motivating Tom Shaw and to lead us into incredible times of worship and celebration is none other than Simon Brading.

If you have no idea what Mobilise USA is, check out this video of Mobilise in the UK.

REGISTER TODAY at www.mobiliseusa.org!

Also, check out Mobilise on Facebook.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

November Bible Reading Plan

For those following along with Jubilee City's Bible reading plan...

Get November's reading plan.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

In Union

I'm looking forward to speaking at Life Church in Union this Sunday. Although they are outside the borders of what's considered the St. Louis region, I still feel like Life Church are partners with us to effect the St. Louis region with the gospel. Many from the Union/Washington area commute to St. Louis for work. For that reason, we are sowing into the same field.

David Herrington will be joining me and I expect that he'll be able to contribute as well. Please pray for the both of us.

Monday, October 20, 2008

More on Suffering


When you preach, there are lot that you don't say because of time. This Sunday during my message on suffering (part 3 in our series on Philippians), I had wanted to point to the most recent issue of the Newfrontiers magazine whose theme is also suffering. There is story about the sudden loss of Phil Stoddart's two daughters and how he has responded to that is particularly moving. I highly, highly recommend you get a copy of that magazine and read that article. It begins on page 14. Or you can read it online.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Daily Reading

How's your daily reading going? I thought I would blog to you how I use the SOAP method to help me with my daily devotions.

The Old Testament reading was Lev 17-19.

Scripture: Leviticus 17:14, "For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life."
Observations: God went to great lengths to make sure the Israelites did not mishandle or were casual about the blood of any creature because life is in the blood. This reminded me of the preciousness of the blood of Jesus that was spilled for my sin and gifted me righteousness.
Application: Repentance and Worship
Prayer: "Father, I thank you for the depth of your love for me. That you sent your son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin. That because of the blood of Jesus, there is the forgiveness of sins and there's new life for me and for all those who would call upon His name."

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Social Action Weekend Review

More than 75 students participated in our first Newfrontiers USA Social Action Weekend down here in Joplin, MO. Last spring, a F4 tornado ripped through the area and we rallied students together to serve this cause. I thought it was a great success. Students had great attitudes and served very well (I also think they had a lot of fun). The icing on the cake is that we got some press from a local newspaper and a local TV station.

On Sunday morning, I had the honor of speaking at CCOJ (a terrific church). You can download that message off their website.

The next Newfrontiers USA student event is Mobilise, January 16-18, 2009 in St. Louis, MO. Early Bird registration is now open.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Wall Street Blues

You are witnessing history in the making. Never before in the 120+ year history of Dow Jones Industrial Average has it ever fallen so much in a single week (more than a 1000 points!). On one level it's interesting, but mainly it's just gut wrenching. Now as I write (Monday morning) the market is rebounding, but the future remains unclear.

Now this should only remind us a firm belief we hold as Christians. Jesus said it this way, "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

The recent downturn in the economy in many ways is so helpful for all us not to get comfortable and secure in what is not ultimately comfortable and secure. Money, wealth, status, education, career, etc are a house of cards just waiting to let us down. Jesus and Jesus alone is our firm foundation, our chief cornerstone that we can confidently build our lives upon.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Students and Social Action

This weekend I'll be down in Joplin, MO to participate with Jubilee's college students in the NF Social Action Weekend. I'll miss being in St. Louis, but look forward to that time with our students and speaking at Christ's Church of Joplin on Sunday morning. Curt McCutchan will continue our series in Philippians and I expect God to do great things as the rest of Jubilee gathers together. Keep the Lanfermans and the Sweetmans in your prayers as well as they travel up to Chicago to meet with Fusion (a church pioneering effort).

I thank God for all that He is doing in and through us. I'm excited that we are making a difference in St. Louis and pleased about our influence beyond our great city.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Deacons

As the church grew in Acts, more leadership was required to handle the growing needs of the church so that the church could continue to grow (Acts 6:1-7). And it seemed fit to the apostles that the church needed two kinds of local leadership. The first group are elders who provide spiritual leadership, equip, shepherd and govern. The second group called deacons serve the church by handling some of the administrative and pastoral responsibilities to free the elders to give primary attention to prayer and ministry of the word.

As Jubilee has experienced growth over the past few years (particularly this past year), the elders have studied the office of deacon and prayed about whether or not that office should be held and recognzied at Jubilee Church. We have come to the firm conclusion that it's not only a very Biblical idea, but is also necessary step in order to see Jubilee continue to grow and bless the St. Louis region as well as the nation and nations.

On behalf of the elders, Mike Lawson put together a paper on deacons that you can download by following this link.