Stop reading the Bible like an instruction manual!

If you're like me, you heard this cute acronym in Sunday School:

B.I.B.L.E. stand for
Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth

That's cool and true and easy to remember, but I have a problem with that. Sometimes people fall into the trap of actually reading the Bible like it's just an instruction manual. I don't know about you, but here's how I read an instruction manual:

I read it reluctantly.
I rarely pull out the instruction manual immediately upon opening a product. I've believed my own lies that I can do it without the instructions. I also have never curled up with a cup of coffee, a Snuggie, and a nice instruction manual for some good afternoon reading. I only read the instruction manual when I absolutely have to.
Side note: I've never curled up with a Snuggie. Ever. I intend to keep it that way. No offense to you if you are a Snuggie owner.


I don't read. I skim.
When I reluctantly pull out the instruction manual, I don't read every word. I skim. I quickly look for the table of contents or the 1 page/paragraph/picture I need and flip there. I read the smallest amount of instructions possible to get the job done and get back to assembly.

I forget quickly.
I've never purposely memorized anything from an instruction manual. It's all useless information that takes up space where I could be storing other useless information like what channel/time my favorite TV show comes on or useless statistics (Did you know that only 30% of humans can flare their nostrils?! Interesting, huh? Can you?).

STOP READING THE BIBLE LIKE AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL!
It's a dangerous habit to get into.


Read it daily, not reluctantly.
It contains everything you need to live life in a godly manner (2 Timothy 3:16-17), so read it like it's true!

Don't skim. Read it. Meditate on it.
Always read with pen in hand ready to underline, circle, highlight, and take notes. Go as deep as you can and most importantly, LIVE IT (James 1:22)!

Memorize it!
How can you live a pure life? By memorizing Scripture (Psalm 119:9-11). Sure, maybe you've got John 11:35 down solid, but work on some more. Did you read a verse or a few verses that really spoke to you? Memorize them so you'll have them in the forefront of your mind!

What are your methods of Bible reading?
Have you ever read the whole Bible all the way through? HERE is a reading schedule for 2010 if you want to join us in reading the whole Bible. It only takes 15 minutes per day!

Bad words about the Bible

My dad does computer support at a big company. He once got an email from a lady whose "cup holder" on her computer wasn't working. Cup holder? Yes. She thought the CD-ROM drawer was an open-and-close cup holder for her computer. Sounds like maybe a couple things in her brain weren't working either...but that's another blog.

The idea is similar with the ways people view the Bible. People have many differing thoughts on it.

Some people have some very hostile things to say about the Bible:

"...it would be more consistent that we call it the word of a demon than the word of God.  It is a history of wickedness, that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind; and, for my part, I sincerely detest it, as I detest everything that is cruel." - Thomas Paine 

"…hardly worth reading…other than a handful of spiritual gems that can be found in virtually any religion, the Bible is irrelevant…reading the Bible can make one highly depraved…many a serial rapist and killer has also been a Bible fanatic" - Acharya S. (truthbeknown.com)

 There are plenty of other thoughts that people have about God's Word. They may sound much less harmful, but the truth is that if someone doesn't recognize it as God's actual words to us, they're playing with fire. They're trying to live life with no guidelines, no rule book, thinking they can do things on their own. Jeremiah 17:9 says that "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." In that case, who are we to think we don't need God's Word?

Here are some other ways the Bible functions for people:

- a coaster for cups (we'd much rather ruin our Bible cover than the coffee table)

- a door stop (I've literally seen people throw a Bible down to keep a door from closing)

- a way to look holy (leave it out on the coffee table at home and maybe people will think you're holy)

- a history book (it's filled with interesting historical figures but no relevant truth for today)

- a bedtime story book (nothing like a good Bible fairy tale before bed!)

- a guardian angel (Once when I worked at a car auction lot, I found a Bible on the dashboard of a car that had been siezed by the Police for DWI)

Charles Spurgeon once said, "A Bible that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't." If it's getting daily use, it will eventually look like it...and so will your life.

Does the Bible function daily in your life?

Is it a part of your morning/afternoon/evening routine?

2 Timothy 3:17 says that God's Word makes us "complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." It has a purpose. A daily purpose. God went to great lengths to provide written directions for us to live by, so take advantage of that and live God's Word!

Have you read the whole Bible all the way through? January 1 is only 2 days away and it's a great time to start reading the Bible from cover to cover. If you commit to 15 minutes a day, you can read the whole thing by December 31, 2010!

Click HERE to download some bookmarks that will keep you on track.


YouVersion.com also has 20 different reading plans that are available online or on your iPhone, BlackBerry, and more!

The best-selling least-read book of all time

According to one article, the Bible takes first place on the "Best-Selling Books of All Time" list.

Coming in at #1: The Bible: 2.5 billion sold.

Coming in at a distant #2: "(Quotations from Chairman Mao) (the Little Red Book)": 800 million sold.

As stimulating as a chapter in Quotations from Chairman Mao sounds, I'll stick with Quotations From God (a.k.a. The Bible).

Unfortunately, the number of people who have purchased one does not reflect how many people read it or apply it. I wonder what this world would be like if that many people read and applied it to their daily lives!

So here's the challenge: in 2010, read the whole Bible all the way through. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that ALL Scripture is inspired by God. ALL of it. That's right, even Leviticus and Numbers. There's a reason for it all and it is ALL profitable for us in its own special way. I'll be teaching tomorrow night on just those two verses: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 as we gear up to roll into the new year. We'll learn all about the Bible: how we got it and what it's for - should be fun.

The Bible contains 1,189 chapters and 31,103 verses. Sound like a lot, doesn't it? Let's break it down.

It's said that to read the entire Bible from cover to cover at "pulpit speed" (out loud reading speed) takes about 72 hours. Which means if you spread that out over 1 year, all you have to do is read 11.8 minutes every day and by December 31, 2010, you'll be finishing up Revelation 22!

12 minutes a day? That's NOTHING!
You could afford
12 less minutes of sleep,
12 less minutes of TV,
12 less minutes of the latest bloody shoot-each-other video game,
12 less minutes of knitting/croquet lessons/FaceBook/researching the life-cycles of snapping turtles...


It's really that simple. I pray this becomes a yearly thing. By the time we're all old and gray, maybe we'll have read the Bible through 10, 20, 40, 75 times!

Reading schedules are available on the resource table at Awaken or you can download them HERE. They're nothing special and you may have something cooler in your Bible or on your iPhone. This is just one option that we hope some find helpful.

So who's in for the challenge? 
Have you ever read the Bible all the way through? How many times?

January 1 is coming quickly, so gear up.

Never. Stop. Partying.

It's December 26th.
Many living rooms are filled with the remains of Christmas.
Kids bedrooms look like a Toys R Us threw up everywhere.
Dishwashers work extra hard to keep up with the constant stream of dishes.
Lines form at the customer service desks of every store in town as people make returns and exchanges.

With Christmas behind us and New Year's ahead, we find ourselves in that awkward mid-holiday stage...but what we so easily forget is that we have just as much of an excuse to party today as we had on July 4, December 25, or January 1.

Lamentations 3:22-24
Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!"

As followers of Christ, we never have a reason to stop partying - every new day and every new breath should serve as a reminder that God has given us new opportunities to be used by Him and rejoice in Him.

In preparation for 2010, the Times Square Alliance is hosting the 3rd annual "Good Riddance Day." Here's how they describe it on their website:

The co-organizers of New Year’s Eve in Times Square (Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment) invite the public to say goodbye, once and for all, to those bad memories of 2009 at the Third Annual Good Riddance Day. On Monday, December 28, 2009 from 12pm - 1pm, a dumpster,shredder and sledge hammer will be stationed on the Broadway Plaza between 46th and 47th Streets to discard any distasteful, embarrassing and downright depressing memories from 2009.

It's time to line to up to say goodbye to everything from disappointing report cards to CDs with a song you never wanted to hear again to fattening foods you've sworn to renounce – anything with a bad memory from the previous year. A dumpster will be available for those un-shreddable items, and a sledgehammer will be on-hand to pulverize all those bad memories away.

That's the unfortunate way that the world has to celebrate. There's only one "Good Riddance Day" per year and people line up on that one day to put things in the past. As a Christian, every single day is Good Riddance Day. When I wake up, I can say "good riddance" to:

- tempation (1 Corinthians 10:13)

- the power of sin & sting of death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

- condemnation (Romans 8:1)

- my sin (Psalm 103:12)

- worries (Matthew 6:25-34)

- anything that has held me back or slowed me down (Philippians 3:13-14)

...and much more!

The only reason we would ever have to stop partying would be if God quit being compassionate and merciful. Lamentations 3:22 says the opposite, however. It tells us that His compassions "fail not."

So, PARTY ON!

Every day can have the freshness of January 1st, the remembrance of December 25, and the freedom of July 4.

Never.

Stop.

Partying.

No One Cancels Jesus' Party

Satan tried to cancel Jesus' birthday party last night at Awaken. Some of his lame ideas included:

A severe windstorm. FAIL. Jesus has a habit of controlling the wind.

A power outage. FAIL. We had luminarias ready to roll.

Street closed because of a downed tree. FAIL. It's called a detour.

Blow our banners off the sign and down the street and let a car roll over them. FAIL. I run fast. I caught it. I'll bet we got that driver's attention!

We arrived at the church yesterday 2 1/2 hours before service began to sound check and do some last-minute set-up. I took luminarias outside and set up the banners on the street as everyone inside sound checked. I ran back inside to grab something and went back to the street right in time to see our banner get whisked away like a kite. It introduced itself to a car's windshield and the underside of someone's tires before I finally caught up to it. It was just fine. Very sturdy banner. We brought it inside right in time for the power outage. Never fear, the luminarias are here! We lined the sanctuary with luminarias and lit the place up. At that point, we were kind of hoping the power didn't come back on!

The power did come on 10 minutes before service began. We powered up the projector, turned the sound system back on, and turned the lights OFF. It was a fun night as we had different people come up and read portions of the Christmas story intermittently between Christmas songs. What a great night. After songs, the Christmas story, and a short message about the simplicity of Christmas and the Gospel, we had all the kids come up to the front and sang happy birthday to Jesus. They blew all the candles out, then the feasting began!

One thing I love about Awaken is that normally we have to kick people out - nobody wants to leave! That's good fellowship! Make sure to swing by the website and check out the pictures of the night.

Merry Christmas to all. We hope your day is blessed and you experience the simplicity of God's love and the sacrifice He made to prove that love to us. Christmas can get busy, but remember what it's really all about: THE SAVIOR WAS BORN!

The Christmas Jollies

Unless your name is "Scrooge" or "Angry cashier at Walmart," you're probably excited about Christmas. Most people are. I'm especially excited about Christmas this year for a couple reasons.

1. It's our first Southern Christmas.

There will be no green chile ornaments given this year and no biscochitos to snack on. I'm ok with that. Instead, I got Jenn an ornament that commemorates our first (of many) Southern Christmases together and we'll be snacking on...well, I don't know, but it won't be biscochitos.

2. There will still be some Southwest flavor (or "flava" if you will).

Although it is our first Southern Christmas, we know our roots: the Southwest. Although I don't get into wearing turquoise and we've never owned a nativity set made of adobe (not the software program), I do enjoy some of what New Mexico had to offer. One of which is the luminarias (NOT "luminaries"). Candles, seated in sand, placed in a brown paper bag (not a milk jug - the Southern way), lighting up the night are a beautiful sight. We're bringing a little of that Southwest flavor to the South tonight. As you drive up to Awaken, you'll see the luminarias on the sidewalk by our sign as well as lining the walkway by the church. Hopefully you won't like them so much that you'll want to move to the Southwest. If you like them that much, hang with us - there will be more occasions to bring them out!

3. It's Awaken's first-ever Christmas Eve service.

Firsts only happen once - your first dead Christmas tree, your first frostbite, the first time you burned your curtains because you got a little too candle happy - you know all those grand memories. Today, many memories will be made as we celebrate Christmas as a church body for the first time together. Most of us had never met this time last year, and now, we will bring our families and friends together and celebrate together for the first time. Love it. Oh, and we'll be jamming on our brand new sound system for the first time as well, compliments of Mile High Calvary. Our one ghetto speaker served us well for 3 months, but I'd be lying if I said I was sad to see it go.

We hope you, your friends, and your family will join us tonight for a very special family-style Christmas Eve service. It goes from 6:00-7:00pm tonight at the church. It will be a very interactive, fun, festive service, so make sure to be there.

Oh, and rumor has it, the pastor might actually pull out a nice button-up shirt for the occasion. What?! I guess you'll have to come to see for yourself.

Not a boring mattress commercial

We've all heard those commercials:

"104% of adults don't get enough sleep, so you need our mattress."

"If a hockey fight breaks out on the other side of the bed from you, our mattress is so stable, you'll never feel a thing."

"All the cool kids are buying our mattresses."

Blah blah blah.

 
Thanks to a very generous anonymous donation to the church, we were able to snag a great deal on a week of year-end radio advertising. I recorded a spot today that will air on all of the top 5 secular radio stations across Clarksville next Monday-Friday. The ad starts with the ticking of a clock and a loud alarm clock. One of the lines in the spot says, "This is not another boring mattress commercial and I'm not going to tell you how sleep-deprived you are..." I went on to say that although we need plenty more physical sleep, it's the opposite spiritually - we don't need any! Unfortunately, that's where most people spend the majority of their lives - asleep to the things of God.
Awaken is out to change that.


One person asked me, "Why advertise on secular stations instead of the Christian station?" Simple answer: target audience. We love Christians and want to pack the church with Christians, but our main target is not Christians - it's the rest of Clarksville - the unChristians, if you will. They're probably not listening to "Christian" music, so we're tuning into their channel. One day we may advertise on a Christian station, but we're not there yet.

Pray that the ads reach the right people and that people who normally don't want anything to do with church want to come check it out.

If you want to listen to the ad, you could listen to 94.3, 97.5, 100.3, 107.9FM or 540AM here in Clarksville simultaneously on 5 different radios for hours on end next Monday through Friday and hope to hear it. Or for a much easier approach, go to our website and click play on the link in the bottom right corner. Enjoy and let us know what you think!

On a side note, I asked them to air the ad right after a boring mattress commercial. I don't think they'll be doing that.

Inside the Mind of a Church Planter: Chris Edmondson - One Church

It's been great hearing from such great guys this week as we looked Inside the Mind of a Church Planter. We heard from Ron here in Clarksville, Jason in Spartanburg, SC, and Nate out in Missoula, MT. We're going to wrap it up this week with another Clarksville local.

Chris is a guy that I met a few weeks before we started Awaken. I attended a service at his church right after we moved into town and we loved the worship. I'm serious. LOVED it! We also went to a worship night that they had about a week later. Incredible night. I knew right away that I was really looking forward to partnering with such a great church in reaching the city. I ended up grabbing a drink with Chris a few weeks before Awaken's first service and he was a huge encouragement to me. He's helped me scout out for a sound system, offered to help us with things at the church, and always been just a phone call and email away. He's a super cool guy with a great heart who's doing a great thing here in the city.

Here are a couple important facts about Chris:

- He is related to Ron - they're cousins. Edmondsons are taking over Clarksville, apparently! I love it.

- I drove Chris' son to school the other day on a bus that I was subbing on. I don't think he saw me.


Check out One Church's website HERE.

Check out my interview with Chris here:

1. Who are you?
My name is Chris Edmondson, and I am the lead pastor of oneChurch.

2. What is your church & what's the vision behind it?
Our vision is to reach the unchurched (those who have never been to church before) and the dechurched (those who have been to church and said, "I ain't never going back!") in North Clarksville. Our goal is to create an environment where unchurched people like to attend.

3. How long have you been meeting and where did you start?
I was born here in Clarksville but left to go to seminary back in 1993. In 2006, my wife and our children moved back to Clarksville to start a church. We both got jobs to help pay the bills and started casting the vision and talking a lot about the 'what if's' to anyone who would listen: What if there was a church that was more interested in people than buildings, programs, and keeping the insiders happy? What if we created a church unchurched people could actually engage with their heavenly Father? What if we followed Jesus' example and left the 1 for the 99? We started meeting in a coffee house downtown every Wednesday nights starting in January 2007. We had two preview services that summer, and then started meeting in a movie theatre.

4. Why plant a church in your city?
Clarksville-Montgomery County is in the midst of tremendous growth. Clarksville was named the 17th fastest growing city in the United States and Montgomery County is one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. Clarksville-Montgomery County is expected to continue outpacing even the impressive 29% population growth rate that Tennessee is expected to post through 2030. All conservative census reports predict Montgomery County is projected to swell to a population of 227,300 by the year 2025, which would be a 117% increase from the 2000 Census. More than 5,000 families a year relocate to the Clarksville area.

Even though Clarksville-Montgomery County in the midst of a vast growth boom, a recent study has found that 86% of the people already in Clarksville are unchurched (never been to church before) or dechurched (have attended church and decided not to go back). That figure is astounding: almost 9 out of 10 people in Clarksville don’t go to church anywhere! Every Sunday in Clarksville, 115,663 people stay at home and do not attend church. God has given us a burden for people who aren’t being reached by the typical church.

To put that 86% in perspective, here is the broader picture: 70% of Americans are not connected to any local church in any significant way. To put it another way, there are 210 million people who don’t go to church in America. That figure is staggering. If you combined all of the people who don’t go to church in a people group, they would make the 11th largest people group in the World. That, coupled with the fact that 80-85% of the churches in America have either plateaued or declining, and the need is HUGE!!
God also gave us a specific area. Just at exit #1 off of I-24, house construction is expected to increase by 137% in the next two years. Between exit #1 and exit #8, there are 4,395 approved residential lots that either have houses on them or will have houses on them in the near future. Since the average home has 2.5 residents, this means that north Clarksville has almost 11,000 residents! 80% of that growth comes from those under the age of 45, with the median age being 30.1 years. If we are going to reach the next generation, we must act now by taking the Gospel to them and planting a church where they live.

5. How can people get plugged into your church?
Our strategy doesn't revolve around programs that don't lead anywhere. Our strategy involves intentional steps. Borrowing from North Point Community Church, We have created three environments that will help people take steps toward a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Our ministry environments are designed to function like the rooms in a home. We invite guests to the foyer, develop friendships in the living room and grow as a family around the kitchen table.

Our Sunday morning worship services are foyer environments. We want our guests to come back, so we do everything with them in mind.

Living room environments are  medium-sized environments designed to change people’s minds about connecting. Getting involved in serving, our membership class, and our Essentials open small group on Tuesdays are designed to move people from the foyer and ultimately to...
The kitchen table. Our kitchen table environments are small group environments designed to change people’s minds about their priorities. We believe at oneChurch that lifechange takes place best in small groups.

6. What advice do you give to others wanting to plant a church?
Pray, pray, pray. If you don't have a burden for the people you're trying to reach--if their faces don't keep you up at night--then don't plant. As many of you know, it's a lot of hard work. Many people plant a church because they can't get along with people, have authority issues, or plant a church as a reaction to the traditional church (you can always spot these folks--they can tell you all day what they're not, but can't tell you what they're for).

7. What/who have been some of your most important resources so far?
Reading books. Listening to people's stories. Talking to people. And I know this may not be what you're looking for, but the most important resource/help has been my wife. Without Kim, I would have been a clock tower sniper through this entire process.

8. Have you learned any lessons the hard way? What was one?
I'll give you two. I heard so many church planters talk about the people of the launch team/core group may start with you, but they probably won't stay with you. I would say 80% of our launch team (around 35 people) are still with us today. But the 15% who are no longer with us, I grieved over their leaving and tried not to take it personal (one of the cons about my personality!). We have always said that we're not about keeping people but reaching people, and God made me put my money where my mouth is with a few couples I loved a lot but could not compromise the vision in order for them to stay.

The second mistake was after we launched. We are firm believers in a closed-group small group system. We has trained 4 to 5 small group leaders during the pre-launch phase. But when we launched publicly,  we didn't have enough small group leaders for all the people. We should have went to a turbo-group phase and shortened the closed time frame to around 4 to 6 months.

9. If you did it all again, what is one thing would you do differently?
Not to worry. I know preachers shouldn't worry and should always have faith, but God is still teaching this preacher to have faith in Him. To live the results in His hands. A verse that took me through pre to post launch was Psalms 127:1...

Inside the Mind of a Church Planter: Nathan Wise - Remedy Church

We've already heard from a couple great guys in our blog series, Inside the Mind of a Church Planter, this week: Ron Edmondson and Jason Mills.

For today's interview, we head almost 2,000 miles west to Missoula, Montana to meet up with Nate Wise. He and I go back a ways in ministry. Our wives knew each other for quite a few years before Nate & Lindsey moved to Albuquerque so that Nate could attend the School of Ministry at our church. He served as a volunteer in the middle school youth group that I pastored and also ended up going to Shepherd School (a church-planting, pastor-training school that our church offered). Within a week or 2 of Shepherd School graduation, Nate headed back to the town he'd grown up in to start Remedy Church. It's been a journey and it's been cool to watch the fellowship grow out there.

Check out Remedy's website HERE.

Here's my interview with Nate:

1. Who are you?
Nathan Wise

2. What is your church & what's the vision behind it?
Remedy Church Missoula. Our vision is to create a community of believers being used by God to bring Him glory.

3. How long have you been meeting and where did you start?
May 30th 2009 official launch. We started in a downstairs office building.

4. Why plant a church in your city?
Because God told me to. Missoula has over 10 church plants going on right now and the area already has a ton of churches. But still 9 out of 10 are unsaved. The church at large has missed the mission in my mind and needs to get out of the four walls and get involved in the community. We want to bring Jesus to the community. We don't expect non-Christians to want to come to church on their own.

5. How can people get plugged into your church?
Our website has great resources for staying up to date with what's going on at Remedy. We are continually growing and looking for ways to involve those who desire to serve. Greeting, church clean up, event set up/tear down are all ways to be involved. We look forward to launching community groups in the future.

6. What advice do you give to others wanting to plant a church?
Pray hard, let your gifts become evident over time. Don't rush based upon emotion. Become socially connected to other church planters (facebook, Twitter, blogs, relationships). Don't compare yourself and your church plant to anybody else. God is doing something very specific with you unlike any other.

7. What/who have been some of your most important resources so far?
Fellow church planters are good to network with. Ed Stetzer's material (books, Twitter, blog) - He is the leading missiologist. Blogs: Church planting for the Rest of Us (cp4us.org). And having close friends to share burdens and victories with. If you try to do it all alone, you will kill yourself.

8. Have you learned any lessons the hard way? What was one?
God doesn't want you to plant someone else's church, or be like any other pastor. He is forming you into the pastor that He has designed you to be in a church that He is building. Don't stick yourself into a mold that isn't you and your city. God has called you to a certain city to reach a specific people. Find that and you are on your way to seeing God do amazing things.

9. If you did it all again, what is one thing would you do differently?
Taken more time to grow in my giftings and working knowledge of how to "run" a church. And built a team and trained them up prior to an actual launch.

Inside the Mind of a Church Planter: Jason Mills - Calvary Spartanburg

As we continue our series about peeking Inside the Mind of a Church Planter this week, we head 400 miles east to Spartanburg, South Carolina to hear from a buddy of mine, Jason Mills. He's a super cool guy that I've known for years from Calvary Albuquerque. He served in many ways there then headed out to Montreal, Canada where he helped with a church plant out there. He started services at his new church right around the same time that our services started. It's been really cool to be able to bounce ideas off of each other and pray for each other as we go through some of the same things 400 miles apart!

Check out Calvary Spartanburg's website HERE.

Check out Jason's blog HERE.

And of course here's my interview with him:

1. Who are you?

I’m Jason Mills. I’m from Campobello, a town of about 400 people near Spartanburg, in the upstate of South Carolina. My wife, Andrea, and I have been married for over 6 years and we have 2 kids Jake (3 ½) and Sophie (2). Also, I’ve always secretly wanted to be a super hero and I am left handed.



2. What is your church & what's the vision behind it?

Calvary Spartanburg. Our vision is three-fold;




Know.

Our vision is for people to Know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.


Grow.

Our vision is for Christians to Grow through verse by verse teaching of the Bible and through one-on-one discipleship.


Go.

Our vision is for disciples to Go into the whole world to tell others of Christ’s redeeming love.


3. How long have you been meeting and where did you start?

We started November 8, 2009 at the YMCA in Spartanburg, South Carolina (so we started about month ago.)  My wife and I started praying about God’s vision for this church plant in March of 2008.


4. Why plant a church in your city?

I’ve had a heart for my people, Southerners, for a long time. But it wasn’t until 2008 that I realized God wanted to use me to reach the people of the South. As I prayed for God to give me vision for the South, He made two things clear, plant a church and do it in Spartanburg.

I’m thrilled that I get to minister to the community I grew up in and understand, but I’m also acutely aware of the problems I face. Cultural Christianity, mistrust of non-denominational churches, and church burnout are prevalent. Familiarity cuts both ways, I guess.


5. How can people get plugged into your church?

In our current space we only get 15 minutes to setup before our service starts. Anyone is welcome to come early to set up chairs, the coffee table, or the sound system. We are also looking for volunteers to be accountability assistants in our children’s ministry. 


6. What advice do you give to others wanting to plant a church?

Don’t strive and don’t stress. The church you are planting is God’s church; let Him build it. That doesn’t mean you won’t be very busy or have to do the hard work of planting a church. Rather, don’t try to build it in your strength or by your own clever plans, and don’t freak out when things are not going the way you had envisioned.  The problems that arise are His, and so are the successes, not yours. Do the work and trust God.


7. What/who have been some of your most important resources so far?

Kevin Miller of course! No really, but I’ve also gotten a lot out of the blog posts at The Calvary Church Planting Network. A good place to start is the article Ten Things I Wish Someone Told Me. The CCP Network also has a website www.calvarychurchplanting.org with some more resources that aren’t on the blog.

However, the best resource I’ve had so far has been experience. For the last 5 years I was a part of a church planting team in Montreal, Quebec. Those 5 years were absolutely the best training ground I could have asked for. If you have a chance to come alongside someone to help them plant, before you take the plunge, do it.


8. Have you learned any lessons the hard way? What was one?

Oh Yeah, wait for the Lord’s leading. Every time a have disobeyed, finessed, or nudged the line with this lesson I have regretted it. I’ve planned ill-fated ministries, looked the fool, and cause pain in the lives of others as a result of ignoring this simple principle. My advise, is don’t get in a hurry to get into new things or ministry because you feel like nothing is happening, be patient and wait for the Lord. Waiting for a God sparked ministry will always produce more fruit than one that is born sooner but out of a feeling of urgency. Like the old saying goes “A fool in a hurry drinks tea with a fork”.


9. If you did it all again, what is one thing would you do differently?

Calvary Spartanburg is so new that I don’t think enough time has elapsed to see some of the more long-term mistakes I’ve already made or will make. However, I will say this, there are 2 things I could always do more of: pray more and study more.

Inside the Mind of a Church Planter: Ron Edmondson - Grace Community Church

As I mentioned in a previous blog, this week I'll be letting you peek inside the mind of a few church planter friends of mine.


We're going to start local for this first one. Ron Edmondson is a guy I met when I was out here back in February scouting the place out. He planted Grace Community Church here in Clarksville just a few years ago and it exploded with growth! God is using Grace to reach this city and it's a privilege to partner with him and with such a great church as we attempt to reach this city for Christ.

Check out Grace Community Church's website HERE.

Check out Ron's blog HERE.

Check out my interview with him here:

1. Who are you?
Ron Edmondson

2. What is your church & what's the vision behind it?
Grace Community Church, Clarksville, TN....we exist to encourage growing followers of Jesus Christ.  Our motto is “Everyone needs a place to start over...that place is Grace.” 

3. How long have you been meeting and where did you start?
We are 4 years and 2 months old.  We started meeting at St Mary’s Catholic School and now meet at Rossview High School in Clarksville

4. Why plant a church in your city?
Our city has over 80% unchurched.  We launched to reach those no one else was reaching. 

5. How can people get plugged into your church?
We plug people in quickly. The easiest way is to know people is by joining a small group that meets in the homes during the week.  We allow people to serve as soon as they are ready.  It takes over 150 volunteers each week, so there is always a need. 

6. What advice do you give to others wanting to plant a church?
It’s harder than it looks. Seek wisdom, surround yourself with an awesome core, be willing to grow slowly at first, and don’t be afraid to say “no, we aren’t ready to do that yet.”

7. What/who have been some of your most important resources so far?
Other planters have helped us tremendously.  Our original core and the people who started with Grace from the beginning are still involved today and brought their friends with them.  People are definitely our greatest resource. 

8. Have you learned any lessons the hard way? What was one?
Time of services is important.  We tried  an early service after we went to two services, but it didn’t work until we made it later.  We weren’t mature enough yet to have an early morning service.  To build an early service takes very committed people.  We have one now and it’s working. 

9. If you did it all again, what is one thing would you do differently?
We would not shy away from churched people who are looking for something that better meets their needs for spiritual growth. We did at first and that made us tremendously lacking in leadership as we grew.

Inside the Mind of a Church Planter

Church Planters are their own breed. Or at least that's what some people think. I've questioned myself before: "Kevin, why leave when you have it so good to start something that you don't know if it will work?" Great question, Kevin. Glad you asked...yourself. The answer: every church plant is different and every church planter is different.

Over the last few weeks, I've been on contact with some other guys who have recently planted churches. Some very recently, others, a couple years ago. I asked them all the same 9 questions. Over the next few days, you'll have a chance to peer inside the mind and hearts of some church planters. You'll see their vision for their church, heart for the Lord and the people of the city they live in, as well as hear their different takes on lessons they've learned so far, how people can get plugged in to their church, and more.

I've enjoyed reading their thoughts and I'm really looking forward to sharing them with you. Stay tuned here this week for some great insight into the mind of a church planter. Also, if you know of someone interested in planting a church or just a person that would be interested in reading about it, make sure they know to swing by here for some food for thought. Hope you enjoy it.

Are You A '1:21er' or a '2:21er'?

There are many categories you could place yourself in these days:

Mac or PC

Tall or short

Owner or renter

iPhone or Blackberry

Pepsi or Coke

Sweet n Low or Sugar

...and the list goes on. I want to add 2 categories that not many people think of. I believe they're the most important categories you will ever ponder. Where you fall in 1 of these 2 categories could determine where you spend eternity. They're that important. Here they are:

1:21er or 2:21er

Let me explain.

1:21ers live life based on Philippians 1:21:

"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

2:21ers live life based on Philippians 2:21:

"For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus."

A 1:21er's life is wrapped around the life of Christ. They're not perfect, but they strive for perfection. Their daily activities are planned with purpose and in light of eternity. They see every day as a new opportunity to serve the Lord and share their faith with others. To live IS Christ.

A 2:21er's life revolves around themselves. They are the center of their own universe. They're always on a quest for more friends, more pleasure, more stuff. You might catch them with a bumper sticker on their car that reads "He who dies with the most stuff wins." That's their motto: get more stuff. If what they're doing doesn't make them happy, don't expect them to stick around long. Life is about their comfort.

As you can tell, there's a huge contrast between the two. Not only do these categories effect life on Earth, but most importantly, they effect life after Earth. For a 1:21er, ...to die is gain. The same thing can't be said about a 2:21er.

So which one are you? When you die, will it be to your benefit?

A Nice Addition

Just a normal corner of the nursery, right? WRONG. It used to be a normal corner of the nursery, now it's been given a nice addition: speakers. They're small, but they work. Not just to listen to music, but most importantly, they're wired with a live-feed of the service going on in the next room!
Although whoever is watching the kids won't be able to open their Bibles and take notes, they'll at least be able to track with whatever is being taught next door.

So, if your excuse for getting involved in helping with the kids was that you didn't want to miss a service, consider your excuse busted. And as always, we have each service available online at awakenchurch.org or on CD at the back table. Hope you enjoy it and are blesssed!



By the way, this is my 100th blog. I didn't picture myself blogging about computer speakers in the nursery, but I am glad that the message is able to reach a few more people.
100 blogs. Ahhhh. What an accomplishment.

7 Words That Rocked My World

"Do ALL things without complaining or disputing." - Philippians 2:14

I taught on those words last night in addition to quite a few others in Philippians 2. These were by far the easiest to understand (compared to human responsibility & God's sovereignty in vs. 12-13), but definitely some of the most challenging to put into practice.

Whenever I preach something, I get many chances to live it. Sometimes I do well with the tests that come my way, and other times, not so well. You know how it goes. Today, I was tested.


I went Christmas dress shopping.

With 5 girls.

For 4 hours.



I kept this verse in the forefront of my mind, quoting it to myself over and over throughout the day. I was determined. I certainly was not perfect. I complained a few times. But, for the most part, keeping this verse on hand rocked my world today. I realized today what a whiner I can be. Whether it's waiting for someone to get done in a store, feeling hungry, wondering when we're leaving, or any other "whine-worthy" reason, I could have whined, but (for the most part), I dodged the whining.

My take on it: I like it. It felt good to be positive and not bummed out. I should try this more often, like maybe every day?!

Have you tried fasting for a day from whining? I heard about a pastor who challenged his church to fast for a week from it. Whenever they whined, they had to contribute $1 to their "ugly jar", then turn in that money the following weekend at church. In one week, just from whining, they raised $11,000 that they gave to local charities. I guess that's good?

Stop complaining and start cooperating. It's such a better life.


You can donwload Saturday's message on Philippians 2:12-18 called "A Well-Oiled Machine" from our podcast in iTunes by clicking HERE. Hope you're blessed by it.

Uncharted Territory

That was the title of a message from Philippians 1:12-18 that I taught a little over a month ago. One thing I love about plunging the depths of the Scriptures and only covering a couple verses at a time is that you get to go deeper and see new things you've never seen.

It's like scuba diving versus snorkeling. They're both cool, don't get me wrong, but when you merely skim the surface with a tube sticking out of your mouth and some funny-looking goggles, you miss a lot. Thankfully, since you don't even know what you missed out on, you still walk away from snorkeling happy. However, I wonder how many scuba divers go back to snorkeling. It must be challenging after knowing what is really out there in the depths of the ocean.

Same with Scripture. I've settled for "snorkel preaching" where we skim the surface. I enjoyed it. But I think I enjoyed it because I'd never heard any "scuba preaching". I had never plunged the depths of the Scripture. Eventually, I did, though, and I can't go back to snorkeling.

Here's where I'm going with all of this...
As I plunged into the depths of Philippians 1:12-18, I ran across one word in verse 12 that rocked my world (I think you'll be able to tell which word):

Philippians 1:12-13 - But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident ​to the whole ​palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;

Furtherance, in the Greek, is a super cool word. In Greek, it means "to cut before" and it refers to a group of men who went in front of an army cutting through vines and branches in an impenetrable forest. As these men cut back the trees, the army could advance into areas that they could have never gone to before - uncharted territory. How cool that Paul could have that outlook on his prison chains. Instead of viewing them as something that held him down, he viewed them as something that broke down barriers and enabled further ministry! Before prison, Paul might have seen Roman soldiers on the streets, but he would have never had years of uninterrupted ministry with them like he did now. A Roman soldier's shift was usually 6 or 8 hours long and Paul was chained to one at all times - 24/7 (actually, I think the soldiers were chained to Paul). Paul would have cycled through 3 or 4 Roman soldiers every day. You know they didn't stand a chance at not hearing the Gospel! That week, I challenged us all to take that view into our daily lives. However, as the teacher, I often get to learn these lessons even more hands-on than the rest. That's where my bus driver job comes in.

Thankfully, driving a bus is nothing like prison. No chains, no sentence, no starvation, no Roman soldiers following me to the bathroom. I really enjoy my job and I'm very thankful for it. However, after thinking through this word, I realized that I had an opportunity for the FURTHERANCE of the Gospel right at my fingertips: my school bus! You see, as a trainee, I have to either ride along with someone or they have to ride with me. In the 6 hours a day that I'm in a bus with someone, inevitably, there's plenty of time to talk. I always pray for the person that I know I'll be riding with and ask God to give me an open door to share my faith with them. With that mindset, it's hard NOT to find an opportunity! Sometimes, they bring it up, or sometimes, through conversation, I use something they said to bring up their beliefs and the Gospel. Whichever way it happens, I recently realized, God is writing His own version of Philippians 1 through my life:

Philippians 1:12-13 [Kevin Miller Version (KMV)] - But I want you to know, brethren, that the job that I have has actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident ​​to the whole Montgomery County Transportation Department, and to all the rest, that my bus driving is in Christ...

 That's right - the whole transportation department...at least that's my goal. I've only been driving for a month or so now, but I'm already known as "the preacher." I try to give everyone I ride with a little dose of some Gospel medicine. I've already gotten to pray for reconciliation with people, give Biblical counsel, marriage counsel, talk about the struggles of cancer and how God is in control, talk about the coming of Christ and what I believe happens when this life is over, and much more. Super cool opportunities.

One of the ladies from work has started coming to the church and has been inviting others. I actually walked in after lunch the other day as she had a group of bus drivers around her, telling them about Awaken!

One lady rode with me, and since she had the map, she told me which turns to take. On our way back, we got a chance to talk about her beliefs on the afterlife. After our route, I told her, "Thanks for steering me in the right direction (referring to the map)," and she said, "No, thank you for steering me in the right direction!" I walked out of there smiling, realizing she had taken to heart the things I said.

Every day is a chance for the furtherance of the Gospel, so what if we started viewing our circumstances through that lens?

What if we viewed our circumstances, detours, and jobs, as opportunities for the furtherance of the Gospel?

What if every day was used to take the Gospel into uncharted territory?

If we lived this way, it would revolutionize our life, our view on the Gospel, and change more lives than we ever imagined!


By the way, if you want to hear that message from Philippians 1:12-18, check out our newly re-vamped service archive page, or download our audio podcast from iTunes.

What you have in common with Pocahontas and flat tires

"Emery, wanna help me fix the bike tires? They're flat."
"Yes! Lemme get my tools."

Moments later, she emerged from her room with a bucket full of Disney princesses and bouncy balls. I pulled out the wrenches, the tire flat fixing kit, and pulled off the bike wheels. Meanwhile, Emery was at work "fixing fings". She had Pocahontas out and all the other 9 wrenches that I hadn't used, and she was working on that bike.

Same thing happens when she wants to "help" one of us cook. All that involves is her standing on a chair and taste-testing everything before AND after it goes into the mixing bowl. Once, she even managed to grab a stick of butter mid-air as I attempted to drop it into a pot. She took a bite out of that bad boy like it was a juicy peach.

That's her definition of "help".
I would define "help" much differently.
If we're honest, we'd all agree that getting things done is a lot easier and a lot less messy when the little ones aren't around and have their hands in everything. That's why we get babysitters. Although that's the truth, there's something great about involving them. They love it, we love it, and although it takes a little longer and things may end up a little messy, it's always great when they want to "help".

It's the same way with us and God.

Let's continue this honesty trend by recognizing that if God chose to do ministry without us, things would be a lot easier and a lot less messy. There would be no need for clean-up, no pastors falling out of ministry, no church splits. Everything would happen efficiently and effectively. After all, toward the end of the Tribulation, in Revelation 14:6, as one last attempt at getting people to accept Him, God deploys an angel to fly through the sky proclaiming "the everlasting Gospel" to whole Earth in every language. Hold on, didn't Jesus give us the task of sharing the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20)? Yeah, He did. And He gave us a good run at it. Then, toward the end of the Tribulation, He'll come show us how it's done.

Just like how I knew a bunch of tricks that Emery and Pocahontas weren't aware of when it came to fixing bike tires, God has a few tricks up His sleeve as well. Not only are we not aware of some (most) of His tricks, we're also incapable of performing them. And yet, although He could do the job far more effectively and efficiently than He could, He lets us "help". I like it that way.

So, be honest about yourself. View yourself as a little kid standing on a chair in the kitchen, apron tied around your waste, munching sticks of butter as they fall into the pan. Or, for the more hands-on fix-it types, see yourself using a Disney princess to fix a bike tire. In reality, that's what our attempts at doing God's job look like compared to His techniques and abilities. You're not the Master Chef and you haven't conquered bike tires. If anything productive actually comes from the ministry you're a part of, all the credit goes to the One who actually caused it to happen.


What ministry are you a part of and how have you seen God move through it?


What are some evidences you've seen that remind you it's not you doing it - it's God?


What are some practical ways to keep the right perspective about God's plan and your tiny contribution to it?

"Hey everybody, look at me!"

That's what our new billboard is screaming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the next month. Maybe not audibly, but hopefully graphically.

I've been eying this billboard location since we moved here, but it's been taken...until this weekend. It's in a prime location: exactly 1 mile from the church (according to Google maps), across the street from the college campus, in a very busy part of downtown, plus, it's in a school zone, which means that for a large portion of each week day, people have to drive 20 mph past our billboard. Nice.

I've done a lot of design over the last 5 or 6 years of my life. I've designed websites, fliers, business cards, t-shirts, sickers, buttons, logos, but this is my first billboard. I like it. It's fun designing something on the computer then seeing it on display for the whole city to see in a very large format.

It seems weird at first thought to pray for a billboard, but that's what I've been doing. As simple as a large piece of vinyl plastered to a big metal sign is, it's also an opportunity to spark an interest in the hearts of passers-by. I love that God can use something simple like this to grab their attention. Ultimately, though, the goal is to get them to come to the church and from there, we pray that God rocks their world. Join us in prayer that God would use this simple form of media to change people for eternity.

Wanna see some more pics? Of course you do. Click HERE.

What all bulletin boards long for...

By special request, we ordered new Awaken cards that just rolled into town about a week ago. They're super fresh and updated with all our church info: name, mission, website, phone #, address, service times, Twitter, Facebook, and paint splatters (just for fun). They're also equipped with rounded corners so that you don't slice your fingers as you handle these sharp-looking things.

Get creative and find some good places to leave these cards. Bulletin boards, shop windows, windshield wipers, and the sleeping pill section at Wal-Mart are all begging for them - these cards are so cool they make their surroundings look good. So, do the city a favor, and spread the word by grabbing some cards and getting creative. Don't be scared. You don't have to just leave them anonymously. Research tells us that

"More than nine out of 10 of the unchurched said they would come to church if they were invited."

Wow! These cards are a great way to invite your co-workers and friends to come with you to church, but they may also open the doors for some full-on Gospel-sharing opportunities!

Check our photo gallery on our website or our Facebook for some creative places that Awaken cards have been left throughout the city, then get to it.

Also, if you're able to pull it off without being creepy/stalker-esque, take a pic and send it to awakenpics@awakenchurch.org. We'll post it on our website and Facebook to give others some creative ideas.

Problem, Meet the Solution.

I've been struggling with a lot of doubt and discouragement lately. It
happens to everyone at times and sometimes we respond the wrong way.
Here's a quick tip for hitting your problems head-on with its
solution. Ready? It's very simple: define your problem in a word or 2
("doubt" or "ruined plans"), then grab an attribute of God to meet
that problem. Instead of spending your prayer time whining to God
about your problems, spend it rejoicing with God for victory.
Here are some examples of how you can pair up your problems with God's
solutions:

DOUBT, meet 2 Corinthians 1:20.
"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the
glory of God through us."

UNFAITHFULNESS, meet 2 Timothy 2:13.
"If we are faithless, He remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself."

WORRY, meet John 6:25-34.
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
its own things..."

UNKNOWN FUTURE, meet Revelation 1:8.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the
Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

TEMPTATION, meet 1 Corinthians 10:13.
"...God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what
you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of
escape, that you may be ble to bear it."

SUFFERING/PERSECUTION, meet 1 Peter 4:12-13.
"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is
to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice
to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His
glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."

What are your problem/solution pairs? Reply to this blog so others can
share in the victory you've found through God's faithfulness.
We are more than conquerors through Christ (Romans 8:37), so don't let
your problems conquer you, you conquer them!

-Kevin
Sent from my iPhone

How We Do Things (Part 3): KIDS MINISTRY

Part 3 of how we do things at Awaken.

Part 1 was on Bible teaching. Check it here.
Part 2 was on Giving. You can read it here.


Kids Ministry.

Kids are a big part of what we do at Awaken. We have plenty of them and we have plenty of room for them. In fact, half of our building is dedicated to just the kids - 1,200 square feet for the adults and 1,200 square feet for the kids!

One thing you'll notice about us is that we don't use the word "babysitting." It's not a bad word or anything, but that just doesn't accurately describe what we do. We call it "Awaken Kids Ministry" because that's exactly what it is - a ministry for kids. We believe that kids can experience God on their own level, so we go out of our way to help them do that. We have 3 age groups available: 8 weeks to 24 months, 2 years to 5 years, and 6 years to 10 years. Each group has something targeted toward them. Our kids curriculum is called "Generations of Grace" and it comes from John MacArthur's church, Grace Community Church, in Sun Valley, CA. If you know anything about John MacArthur, you know he is a solid Biblical teacher and his kids' curriculum reflects that! It's designed around the truth of God's Word and takes kids systematically through the Scripture at their own level. Each week there are hands-on crafts for them to do that relate to that week's lesson as well as some nutrition in the form of sugar (Kool-Aid, and some snacks)! You gotta have some sugar!

Besides the fact that kids learn about God on their own level, we also see the benefit of providing a way for the parents to drop off their kids and be able to fully focus on the teaching of God's Word in the main service. It's always a bit challenging to stay focused with a little one next to you!

Jennifer Witiuk is our Kids Ministy coordinator. She's a nurse at Gateway Hospital and she loves kids. You can read all about her on our About Us page, but make sure to also meet her next time you're at Awaken!

On a personal note, my 3-year old, Emery, has learned a lot of great Bible stories from Awaken Kids Ministry. She loves to tell us about Adam & Eve and the snake. She also memorized her very first verse in her kids class - Genesis 1:1. Watch her recite it here!

If you have any questions about Kids Ministry, feel free to email Jennifer Witiuk. Also, if you attend Awaken and you're looking for a way to serve, Awaken Kids may be just the place for you. Talk to me or one of the other pastors about getting involved!

How We Do Things (Part 2): GIVING

Here's Part 2 of this little mini-blog series on how we do things at Awaken. If you missed Part 1 on Bible teaching, check it here.
Here's today's - a touchy topic for many, but not for God!


Giving.

Did you know that the church of Satan uses tithing in the Christian church to draw people to Satanism? Yeah. Sounds crazy right? Well, to get involved as a member of the church of Satan (not that any of you are considering this...hopefully), there's a $200 membership fee. Sound steep? They'll tell you it's cheap compared to Christianity, which requires 10% of each paycheck! The problem is, they have it all backward. To them, it's money that's due - it's an obligation. For Christians, giving to the work of the ministry is an opportunity, a joyful form of worship. At least, it should be.

If you attend a service at Awaken, one thing you'll notice is that we won't pass an offering plate. In fact, we don't own offering plates. The only plates we own are paper ones that we use for putting a burger on at a BBQ! Don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with an offering plate...or bag...or bucket, I just don't prefer it. I grew up in churches that passed the offering plate and took up a formal offering each service. My dad was often an usher - one of the dudes that got up during worship and passed the plates around. It's a very valid way of collecting the cash, we just don't do it.

Instead, we provide 2 ways to give at Awaken:
1) in the wonderful brown wooden boxes (thanks, Hobby Lobby) located in the church building for people to drop cash, checks, money orders, coins, $1000 bills...or whatever you choose to give, and
2) online giving (available for one-time or recurring gifts). It's really simple.

You see, giving financially to the ministry was never designed to be a burden, like the church of Satan makes it out to be. In fact, God’s Word gives the opposite idea in 2 Corinthians 9:7. It says

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

In other words, God loves when we love to give! In fact, it’s an extension of worship. Worship through song, worship through studying the Bible, and worship with your wallet!

Biblically, we are told to give cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7), generously (Romans 12:8), and in proportion to what we have been given (Mark 12:41-44). After all, when you think about the fact that all that you have has been given to you by the Lord, giving a portion of it back just makes sense - it’s not yours in the first place!

Many people get caught up with how much you should give and point to the Old Testament principle of tithing, which means 10%. That is a great place to start and a good guideline to go by, but don’t let it hold you down. Remember that God loves when we give cheerfully and is honored when you give back what He has given to you. Ministry is not free - it must be funded somehow. The church relies on God’s provision and sovereignty to take care of its needs and one way that God chooses to provide is through the generous giving of those who are blessed by the church’s ministry.

So, next time you're at Awaken (or whatever church you end up at next), whether there's an offering plate going around or not, remember that God loves when you love to give. Have a good time doing it and support the work of God in the local church.

While we're on the topic, if you feel like showing Awaken some financial love, go here.

How We Do Things (Part 1): BIBLE TEACHING

Awaken isn't exactly a "traditional" church and we like it that way. We've had plenty of people ask questions about why we do certain things the way we do them, so this week, I hope to answer some of those questions. If you have a question of your own, let us know. These blogs won't be exhaustive, but they should at least give you a peek into why we do church the way we do. I'll hit on a few broad topics such as Bible Teaching (today), Giving, Kids Ministry, Outreach, etc.


Bible Teaching.


I doubt you can attend an Awaken service without realizing at least one important thing about us: we love God's Word and we fully believe that it is 100% relevant to our lives today. Believe me, if it were only a history book, I'd find something better to do with my life. You should be able to recognize our love for the Scripture just from our tag line (mission statement, vision statement, motto, slogan, whatever you want to call it):

AWAKENing people to the relevance of God's Word and equipping them for His service.

I teach expositionally. If you're wondering what that is, it could be quickly defined like this:

Exposing the truth of God's Word by allowing the text to determine the content of the sermon. 

In other words, what I preach isn't designed around what I think you need to hear. It's centered on what the text of the Scripture says. I fully believe the Bible when it says that it ...is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires (Hebrews 4:12, NLT). Normally, I pick a book of the Bible and teach the whole thing, no matter how long it takes me. I've taught smaller books like Philemon & Jonah in 1 sitting, or larger books like Genesis over a period of 2 years.

Here's 3 beauties of teaching this way:

1) It clears the airwaves for God. It allows Him to speak to us on exactly the topics we need to hear at the exact moment we need to hear them. I don't have to try to be all edgy and figure out what it is that you need to hear - I'm pretty confident in the Holy Spirit's ability to do that (refer to Hebrews 4:12 above).

2) It forces me to teach texts and topics that I may normally be tempted to steer clear of. For example, when I taught through Revelation, I was forced to teach on topics I had never taught on. Good example: Revelation 17 - a vision of a drunk prostitute riding on the back of a scarlet beast. What?! That's in the Bible? Yeah...and it's awesome. The idea behind the passage is the fall of the world system. The world system is represented by the prostitute (lust, fornication) drunk on the blood of the saints. It's a very graphic description of the appeal of the world despite its final destination (violent destruction). Let me be honest - I would have NEVER chosen that passage to teach. But, since I was teaching through the book, it was next in line. I can tell you it was hard-hitting and extremely relevant. We needed to peek behind the curtains of the world system and see what fuels it and where it's headed. It ended up being one of my favorite teachings in Revelation!

3) It helps me to be true to the text. Taking Scripture out of context happens FAR too often...and it's actually really easy to do. We get a topic or an idea in our mind, then try to find a passage of Scripture to back it up. That's all backwards. That's not the way it should be done. Approaching it from the other angle helps me to say what the text is meant to say. I'm able to take into consideration the historical and literary context and expose the truth behind the passage.


Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with a good "series," - I'll do those here and now. I taught a series called Be Transformed when we started our Wednesday night home Bible study during the summer. Even a series can be taught expositionally.

So, when you come to Awaken, bring your Bible! We use them a lot. Bible teaching is the central part of the ministry of Awaken. It should be a part of your daily life as well.