Posts (page 2)
Hey TNC, can you believe school is back in session for almost all of the Decatur area? Where has the summer gone? But school does means football season is here and GREAT fall weather! (Atleast I hope) What a great message this past Sunday as we continued our "T.R.U.E.N.O.R.T.H." series, by hearing small groups Pastor Jay Knotts speak about "Opportunities to Serve". We were designed to serve, not to be a spectator! At TrueNorth, everyone is a minister in meeting the needs of others. God saves us to serve. He has wired each of us with a passion, style, and gifts to use. Find your place, get involved, and make a difference!
Hey TrueNorth Gang,
We are over half way through the "T.R.U.E.N.O.R.T.H." series, a look at the values of our church. I hope you have not only enjoyed looking at the DNA of TrueNorth, but I hope you are learning how to infuse these values in your own life! God has a great purpose for TrueNorth and YOU are an important part of HIS plan!
This past Sunday, Tommy, Youth Pastor at TNC NA, gave us great insight into being Non-Judgmental! He reminded us that being non-judgmental towards others does not mean to overlook sin, but to look beyond it. In the Body of Christ, there has to be some degree of judgment, but not verdict. As a church, we need to hold each other accountable when we're doing wrong. However, it is not our place to downplay someone's worth, but rather to encourage them to reach their potential. If we let sin go in the Church, there is spiritual indifference, and spiritual indifference is the earmark of a church that is soon to be full of idolatry and decaying souls. If we close ourselves off from judgment, we make our life our idol. Overlooking sin causes the entire Church to beinfected.
Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast–as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).
August is here and it looks like that means we finally get 90 degree temps! It also means school and football will soon be starting! I hope you're gearing up for a great fall at TNC! Let's keep investing and inviting our fish! We won't keep growing as a church unless we keep personally inviting people to come check out the environment at TrueNorth! It's great to be part of family like TrueNorth!
We continued the "T.R.U.E.N.O.R.T.H." series this past Sunday with E-Excellence! Excellence in God's sight isn't being the best. It's doing your best. Does God only care about where are heart is in the things we do? Yes, and that is why we are to strive for excellence. How we do things is an expression of our hearts. God gave us His best in His son, Jesus, and He deserves our best in return. Salvation is a gift we cannot earn or repay, but excelling is something we should do because of God's amazing grace He has for us.
Whatever you do, work at it with all you heart, as working for the Lord, not for man, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving (Colossians 3:23-24).
Be here this Sunday, as we talk about "Nonjudgemental"! It's going to be a great Sunday!
Have a great week and stay cool! Maybe I'll see you at the Decatur Celebration! Wear your TrueNorth T-shirt!
Love each of you!
Shane
LIFT UP, LOVE IN, LIVE OUT
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-27 NIV).
Hey gang, it's great to be back, I missed TrueNorth! We had a great vacation with plenty of sunshine! I love the ocean, it always reminds me of how big the Earth really is and how AWESOME our God really is!
#1 - God’s Word - I’ve said it a million times–NO ONE has ever came to me claiming to have screwed up their lives by reading the Bible and then doing what is says. In church world this is true as well…if our THEOLOGY isn’t driving our METHODOLOGY then we are screwed! (I would say correct theology!!!) And right doctrine comes from a right discipline of spending time with Him in His Word!
#2 - God’s People - Let me be clear…I do not make decisions without the godly input of others. Once again to borrow from Andy Stanley…I heard him say once that the wisest person who has ever lived (Solomon) had tons to say about listening to the advice/counsel of others. If he needed it…we do as well!
Let me be clear before moving on…we need to seek the advice of people who LOVE JESUS and we know will tell us what we NEED to hear rather than what we WANT to hear. We can always find a group of idiots that will affirm our sin and dysfunction because doing so will allow them to justify their lifestyle. BUT…that would be the WRONG approach.
#3 - God’s Church - When you attend a church weekly and walk in with a prepared heart…you will often find that God WILL speak to you in very direct ways! I can’t tell you the number of times people have said to me, “Pastor P…I felt like you were talking to me and only me today.” Which is funny because I didn’t have that particular person in mind when I prepared the message!!!
I could list some other ways…but my question to you is WHO or WHAT has the most influence in your life…because “who or what you listen to will ultimately determine what you do.”
It's great to be back from down South! Had a great week of camp at TrueNorth North Augusta! It was hot, in the middle 90's everyday, great to be back in central Illinois!
What a great kickoff to our new Series, One Prayer, last week! Craig Groeschel's message rocked the house! You don't want to miss this week, as Andy Stanley, Pastor at North Point Church, brings a great message entitled, God is...Certain! This series is outstanding with some awesome message, don't miss a week, and invite a fish to come to service with you! You might even pay for their lunch afterwards, that might give them an extra push to come!
See ya on Sunday!
Shane
LIFT UP, LOVE IN, LIVE OUT
Last year the Lord used Craig Groeschel, Senior Pastor of Lifechurch.tv, to initiate something that had never been done in church world before…the idea of hundreds of churches coming together and rallying around a series of messages that promoted unity and attempted to unleash the potential that each church has to make a significant Kingdom impact...It was called “One Prayer.” And this year it is happening again…and the theme of the series is, “God Is…” I’m excited for TrueNorth to hear some of the nation’s leading voices this June. I’m more excited to be a part of a generation of believers who are coming together to lift Jesus high through the power of unity. You don't want to miss this Sunday's message, perhaps the best message I have heard about "God's Love". If you have an unchurched friend they NEED to hear this message. I can't wait to see what God is going to do!! Don't forget put our first ever Class 101 membership class will be Sunday, June 28, 6 - 8:30 pm at Ling's Landing. We will provide a FREE light dinner, however NO childcare is provided! If you have some friends that want to know what TrueNorth is all about, invite them to this event. Each person will have an opportunity to sign a covenant that night to become a member of TrueNorth, you DO NOT become a member by just attending the class, so invite anyone! We will be posting a sign-up sheet at Guest Services THIS Sunday! We will be getting NEW short sleeve t-shirts in ALL sizes in a couple of weeks, thank you for your patience! Have a great week! Shane LIFT UP, LOVE IN, LIVE OUT
