Worship Minimovie: Confession

Here's the video we attempted to show Sunday.

August 30, 2015 | Galatians 5:26-6:5 - The Gospel is Restoration

Here is the sermon from Sunday morning taken from Galatians 5:26-6:5.

²⁶ Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. ² Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. ⁵ For each one will bear his own load.

Audio
Notes


For more:
April 26, 2015 | Galatians 1:1-5: The Gospel is Freedom
May 3, 2015 | Galatians 1:6-10: The Gospel is Primary
May 17, 2015 | Galatians 1:11-24: The Gospel is Real
May 24, 2015 | Galatians 2:1-10: The Gospel is Apostolic PDF 
May 31, 2015 | Galatians 2:11-16: The Gospel is Alive
June 7, 2015 | Galatians 2:17-21: The Gospel is Authentic
June 14, 2015 | Galatians 3:1: The Gospel is Wise - Part 1
July 5, 2015 | Galatians 3:1-14: The Gospel is Wise - Part 2
July 12, 2015 | Galatians 3:15-29: The Gospel is Promise
July 19, 2015 | Galatians 4:1-11: The Gospel is Adoption
July 26, 2015 | Galatians 4:12-20 - The Gospel is Love 
August 2, 2015 | Galatians 4:21-51 - The Gospel is New Life
August 9, 2015 | Galatians 5:1-12 - The Gospel is Liberty
August 23, 2015 | Galatians 5:16-25 - The Gospel is New Life  
August 30, 2015 | Galatians 5:26-6:5 - The Gospel is Restoration
May 24, 2015 | Some Things Never Change: The Immutability of God & Why That Matters
July 26, 2015 | 1 Kings 19:1-18
August 2, 2015 | John 3:1-21
August 9, 2015 | Romans 12:1-2 

What is Christianity?

In Sunday's State Journal, the following opinion piece of mine was published. You can access it online here but subscription is required.


She was a young student sitting at my kitchen table crying uncontrollably. The tears increased as she sobbed her way through her life story of victimhood from men who claimed to love her. She could no longer pretend everything was OK.

Days later I rushed to comfort parents who had just lost their child. There is nothing more tragic in this world than that.

What do you say in moments like these?

I am a pastor and find myself in similar situations frequently always asking the same question. The answer continues to be: nothing brings greater hope and comfort than the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But what is the gospel of Christianity? In the midst of endless culture wars many have opinions but few have the truth. I would like to briefly explain what Christianity is here.

Christianity is not primarily a political ideology, an ethical philosophy, or legalistic ritualism. Christianity, in its essence, is a message of freedom and hope rooted in the person and work of Jesus who, through the cross and empty tomb, liberates us from what enslaves us – fear, guilt, and sin – which begins in this life only to conclude in the next.

The promise of heaven, therefore, becomes a reality for us now. This means our joy is not based on our circumstances but on the victory of our Savior. We have found peace, love, and contentment because Christ is our everything. Regardless of life’s troubles the gospel remains good news. Whether we are at rock bottom, haunted by our past, or burdened with guilt too great to carry, Jesus is our freedom and hope. This personal transformation is the key to bringing communal change. Given the free gift of God’s love, I am now free to love others.

Jesus, then, is joy to the hopeless, love to the forgotten, and grace to the guilty. This is Christianity.

Worship Minimovie: How to Pack a Shoebox

EFBC in the Western Recorder

At the end of last month our church hosted a panel discussion featuring Drs. Paul Chitwood, Steve Wever, and Bryan Beauman. The topic was religious liberty and was predicated by the recent Supreme Court ruling which legalized same-sex marriage across the country.

We were blessed with the presence of the Western Recorder who have published a story on the discussion. You can read the article by clicking here (subscription required). Below is the opening paragraphs:

Kentucky Baptist Convention Executive Director Paul Chitwood; senior council with the Alliance Defending Freedom, Bryan Beauman; and pastor of Farmdale Baptist Church, Steve Weaver, participated in a panel discussion with East Frankfort Baptist Church's pastor Kyle McDanell.

"It's been my experience that previous generations could safely assume religious liberty, but now we must again defend it and promote it. That is why we are here," McDanell explained.

The primary questions before the panel were: "Are we overreacting to the SCOTUS decision? Is religious liberty really under assault?"

"Is this a watershed moment? Is this important? Are we making too much of a big deal about this?" responded Beauman.

"Were there celebrations in the street? Were there hundreds of people in front of the Supreme Court when the ruling came down and they liked it? Did corporate America and practically every member of a Fortune 500 react with some type of rainbow colored ad? Did you see Twitter and Facebook and all your friends on social media change their pictures, paint rainbows across them? With all the support, did you see media glorify it?" he answered.

"If this opinion meant nothing, if it wasn't a watershed moment, would there have been that nationwide a response of joy and celebration?" he reasoned. "We all know that answer. The question is where do we go from here and what's next?"

"Is it over; was that the end of it? Was it just about marriage and now those advocacy groups fighting for that have stopped? No," Beauman replied.

You can read the rest here. I want to thank the Western Recorder for covering the event.

August 23, 2015 | Galatians 5:16-25 - The Gospel is New Life

Here is the sermon from Sunday morning taken from Galatians 5:16-25.

¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. ¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, ²¹ envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Audio
Notes


For more:
April 26, 2015 | Galatians 1:1-5: The Gospel is Freedom
May 3, 2015 | Galatians 1:6-10: The Gospel is Primary
May 17, 2015 | Galatians 1:11-24: The Gospel is Real
May 24, 2015 | Galatians 2:1-10: The Gospel is Apostolic PDF 
May 31, 2015 | Galatians 2:11-16: The Gospel is Alive
June 7, 2015 | Galatians 2:17-21: The Gospel is Authentic
June 14, 2015 | Galatians 3:1: The Gospel is Wise - Part 1
July 5, 2015 | Galatians 3:1-14: The Gospel is Wise - Part 2
July 12, 2015 | Galatians 3:15-29: The Gospel is Promise
July 19, 2015 | Galatians 4:1-11: The Gospel is Adoption
July 26, 2015 | Galatians 4:12-20 - The Gospel is Love 
August 2, 2015 | Galatians 4:21-51 - The Gospel is New Life
August 9, 2015 | Galatians 5:1-12 - The Gospel is Liberty
August 23, 2015 | Galatians 5:16-25 - The Gospel is New Life  
May 24, 2015 | Some Things Never Change: The Immutability of God & Why That Matters
July 26, 2015 | 1 Kings 19:1-18
August 2, 2015 | John 3:1-21
August 9, 2015 | Romans 12:1-2 

Worship Minimovie: This Love

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday evening: