Three Thoughts After the Sermon

Three Thoughts After the Sermon
By Vermon Pierre, Lead Pastor
 
Here are three things that I'd like to further highlight from last Sunday's sermon, "Confidence As You Wake Up" (Ps 5):

1. God hates sin and also hates those who sin. That's probably one of the more severe statements I've made in a sermon. But Ps 5:4-6 couldn't be clearer on this point. This is a hard point to grapple with for many people because, as J. Mack Stiles writes in Marks of a Messenger, we tend to think of ourselves as people who commit sins as opposed to being a people who are sin. The problem is that in our very condition. We don't just do some rebellious things against God – we are fully rebels against God. In all that we say, think, do, and feel, we are systematically defying God's good, perfect, and righteous rule. In view of that, we should expect God to react strongly!

2. All of us have committed an abundance of sins for which we deserve to be judged and cast down into fiery punishment (v.10). Thank God, however, that he has overcome the abundance of our sins through the abundance of his love expressed to us through Jesus Christ. (v.7 cf Rom 8:38-39).

3. Assurance, joy, hope, confidence – all things people would like more of in their lives. And all things that are impossible to secure from within ourselves. It's only when we develop a life lived in the presence of the Lord, where we obey him and submit to his righteous, leading, that we experience all the elements of life that make it a blessed life. 

Why Can't We Just Read the Bible- An Interview with D A Carson

Why Can't We Just Read the Bible - An Interview with D A Carson
by Dennae Pierre 

Check out this great interview with Carson! Carson does a great job of explaining our need to understand theology and God's word.

However, I am hesitant to post this article because I disagree with what he says about not being able to read when you have young children (I never thought I would disagree with Carson!). It is true that being a mother of 3 will zap you, but I think it is only through reading large amounts of Scripture (and growing in our understanding of biblical theology through other reading) that you can survive it and have the fruit of the Spirit necessary to teach your children about Jesus and love them like Jesus.

I guess that is where mothers need to rely on their husbands and Christian community for help so that they can find the time to read. If we really take seriously our call of mothering--then there is no other time quite like now, while our children are young, that we need our sword sharp, ready to battle. We can't just "survive" our children, but we must be spiritually fit as we lead them into the battle that is waging against their soul. One of the greatest ways to be fit is through regular, consistent reading of the word.

So moms, please read this as an encouragement to further and deepen your knowledge and love of scripture. And ignore the few sentences that might tempt you to excuse this season as an "off" season...and if you want to drop your kids off at my house so you can go read for a few hours at the Sbux across the street...just holla. :)

Five Thoughts After the Sermon

Five Thoughts After the Sermon
By Vermon Pierre, Lead Pastor

Here are five things that I'd like to further highlight from last Sunday's sermon, "Salvation Belongs to the Lord" (Ps 3):

1. How can you increase your trust in the Lord? By focusing your attention more on the Lord and understanding more of his attributes. Increased trust is directly correlated to increased understanding and appreciation of God.

2. Many think glory comes when you come out on top in certain situations. Glory goes to the "winner." However, this true only from a secular perspective. From the eternal divine perspective, glory comes when our trust is put in God. Trust in God brings with it eternal glory and honor and praise (cf Ps 3:3). This is true even if in the world's eyes you are a clear "loser." And fortunately, eternal glory is obviously of much greater value than any temporary glory we might gain during our earthly lives.

3. Crisis provides a one of kind opportunity to really hear from God. It's an occasion for us to see a fuller and richer picture of God and begin to connect the dots between his sovereignty and the events of our lives. Or, on the other hand, crisis is an occasion for us to sink into despair and begin doubting and struggling with things we've never doubted or struggled with before. Our picture of God will become steadily dimmer and unclear and may even fade away altogether.

4. Prayer really is absolutely vital to the life of the persevering believer. Prayer is the means by which you can rise above your circumstances, see them from God's perspective, and then jump back into those circumstances with confidence and assurance because you have seen things from God's eternal vantage point.

5. "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) Salvation belongs exclusively to the Lord, and that salvation is only experienced in relationship to God through Jesus Christ. We must never dismiss, dilute, avoid, or forget this truth. 

"All to Jesus" rap version lyrics

Today, during worship, Roosevelt's homegrown emcee - VESSEL - spit some uplifting raps. It reminded me that last month I did the same thing in our "All to Jesus" hip hop update. So, it seems like a good idea to post some of the rap lyrics we use in our songs every now and then. With that in mind, were are the rap lyrics we use when we sing "All to Jesus".

Verse 1
We give up our lives into Your hands
No more plans, no more demands
Expect for Yours cause we’re all Yours
Your will is our food - John 4:34

We’re done with the lump sum rut and the run
Chasing after funds till we’re numb for fun
That’s dumb we’re done we wanna be Your sons
And daughters Living Water can’t taste with a tongue

Still it’s real now Your will be done
Through Your church every day, Holy Spirit, please come
Kill our will, make us behave
Fulfilled it’s ill, make us a slave!

verse 2
Surrender surrender surrender surrender no pretender
No pretender I surrender my life burn like cinder
I claim no rights on my own life like winner
In the winter my Mentor surrender enter from on hither

So now I’m [dead no more]
So now I’m [Yours oh Lord]
So now I’m [dead no more]
So now I’m [Yours oh Lord]

He’s dripping the blood, sipping the cup
Giving it up, living it up
Dripping the blood, sipping the cup
Giving it up, living it up

Surrender surrender surrender no pretender
No pretender I surrender my life burn like cinder

Praise be to Christ whose back split the splinter
Praise be to Christ the Door through we enter!
Praise be to Christ whose back split the splinter
Praise be to Christ the Door through we enter!

Five Thoughts After the Sermon

Five Thoughts After the Sermon
by Vermon Pierre, Lead Pastor


Here are five things that I'd like to further highlight from last Sunday's sermon:
 
1. God gives leadership, teaching, and preaching gifts to all kinds of people in the church. He gives them to both men and women. At the same time, there is a specific calling for certain men to be the elders of a local church. We might call them "the guys" – the ones who the church will look ultimately to for direction and leadership, the ones who the church can count on to lead the church forward (and even carry the church forward if necessary!) towards what God wants to do next.
 
2. Character is everything. Let me repeat. Character, who a guy is, means everything for determining who the Lord is raising up to be an elder.
 
3. Take note of the qualification listed in 1 Tim 3:4 – "He must manage his own household well." If you want to know if a guy will really care for his church as an elder, check to see how well cared for are his wife and kids.

 
4. Take note of the qualification listed in 1 Tim 3:7 – "He must be well thought of by outsiders." I've often wondered – how often do churches ask non Christians their opinion concerning their elder candidates? It seems to me that this should be a regular part of the process.
 
5. Remember, at the head of every leadership chart in the church is Jesus. He is the Chief Shepherd, the Senior Elder-Pastor of the church. All elder-pastors, and indeed all leaders, should lead out of an underlying spirit of submission and obedience to him.