The most consequential election of our time has come to an end. God has heard our cry. With the election of our new President and a more conservative house and senate, the opportunity has been given for America to return to its roots as a God-fearing nation. The possibility of ending the holocaust known as…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
Money is a topic that many people do not like to talk about. It is often thought of as a personal matter and, therefore, should be kept quiet. However, the Bible teaches us a lot about money. In fact, Jesus Himself spoke a great deal about money. Many church members do not like to hear…
One of the primary purposes of the church is evangelism. As a matter of fact, that is what the church is elected to do. We have been chosen by God to be His ambassadors to this earth. Everything we do as a church must have as its purpose to reach people with the Gospel of…
We live in a consumer based society where it is all about what I can get and how much I can get for myself. Unfortunately, this mentality has found its way in the church. We tend to think that the local church is there to serve us. However, this is not how God intended the…
Pastor Chris Noland 