I have been reading an amazing book from our church library by Henry and Richard Blackaby called, Hearing the voice of God. There are many ways that God speaks to us. He speaks to us through the scriptures, the Holy Spirit, prayer, circumstances, people, and the church. Many times, however, we fail to…
As a Pastor I often find myself focusing on the big picture. One of my greatest passions is to cast a vision and develop plans and strategies to fulfill that vision. However, seeing the big picture means nothing without careful attention to detail. In life, there are many problems and trials that can be avoided…
Originally posted on Pastor Chris Noland:
There are many thoughts and ideas concerning what makes a healthy church. It is important that the church seeks sustained health rather than extreme growth spurts. Let me explain. Considering numbers is important. The main reason to consider numbers is that every number represents a soul. Therefore, it is…
Our text is one that is very interesting. Though it may appear that these verses are referring to the conversion of lost souls, it is not the case. This passage is referring to the need to correct believers who have erred or strayed from the truth. I believe that the ESV version has the best…
The ninth and final trait of an outward focused Christian, according to Thom Rainer, is: I will make a difference. Every Christian has a calling. There is something that God wants you to do. He is calling you to get involved and to be an active part of the life and ministry of the church.…
Prayer is an essential part of the Christian life. Prayer is our means of communication with God. Through the avenue of prayer, we can enter into the very throne of God and bring our petitions before God. This access that we have to God in prayer is made possible by the blood of Jesus. Read…
The eighth characteristic of an outward focused Christian, according to Thom Rainer, states: I will avoid the traps of churchianity. Rainer defines the term ‘churchianity’ as, “practicing our church and religious beliefs according to human standards rather than Biblical guidelines.” There are five basic symptoms of churchianity that we must all avoid. (1) Church is…
The first six verses of our text talks about the injustice of our world. Such evil injustice can weigh heavy upon followers of Christ. James specifically speaks concerning the injustice of the wealthy. There is certainly nothing wrong with being wealthy. However, there are those who are wealthy that will take advantage of those who…
In the over 15 years that I have served in full-time ministry, I have seen numbers of people who have dropped out of church. In order to be an outward focused Christian, we must declare, as Thom Rainer says, I will not be a church dropout. There are several reasons why people drop…
Psalm 64 speaks concerning those who seek to destroy us with their tongues. Words can certainly do a lot of damage. Gossip, slander, rumors; all are very destructive. How do we respond when we are the subject of such attacks? Do we intervene? Do we attempt to defend ourselves? Do we go on the offensive…
Pastor Chris Noland 