Volunteer or Called?

Even in smaller churches like mine, we need all the help we can get. Often just a hand full of people end up doing all of the jobs. I remember at a former church I was at, I was the music minister, interim pastor, Sunday school teacher, and sign changer. It was exhausting work. I am also stretched too thin at my current church where I am the minister of music, Sunday school teacher, VBS director, website administrator, and I preach when given the opportunity. It does become tiresome at times but I have never regretted working for the Lord. I have a calling in my life and I am a volunteer. I'm not bragging by any means, I'm just stating the facts. Churches need willing volunteers but I believe they need to be called by God as well.

I suscribe to Paul Clark's email updates for music ministers. I always enjoy his thougtful insight and tips. Today's email contained a really great article about the difference in being a volunteer and being called by God. I thought I would share the below 10 statements with you that he quoted from Rory Noland:

1. Volunteers see their involvement at church as community service, but people called of God see it as ministry.

2. Volunteers whine about what it's going to cost to serve, but people who are called are committed to serving.

3. Volunteers shrink back from resolving relational conflict, but people called of God seek to resolve relational conflict for the sake of unity in the church.

4. Volunteers look upon rehearsal as another commitment they're obligated to fulfill, but people called of God look forward to rehearsal as another opportunity to be used by God.

5. Volunteers do no outside practicing or preparation, but people who are called of God come to rehearsals and a performance as prepared as possible.

6. Volunteers are not open to constructive criticism; they get defensive about it. But people called of God are grateful for feedback because they want to be the best they can be.

7. Volunteers feel threatened by the talent of others, but people called of God praise Him for distributing gifts and talents as he chooses.

8. Volunteers want to quit at the first sign of adversity or discouragement, but people called of God dig in and persevere.

9. Volunteers find their main source of fulfillment in their talents and abilities, but people called of God know that being used of God is the most fulfilling thing you can do with your life.

10. Volunteers can't handle being put in situations in which they're going to be stretched, but people called of God respond to God's call with humble dependence on Him

What are your thought?

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Wow, what a day!

The Lord really blessed us today in both of our church services. This morning our pastor preached a great message titled, "Do You Live What You Believe?" We had one young man come to the altar to rededicate his life to the Lord.

In our evening worship service, two former members made their way down to the altar and rejoined the church. After we finished shaking hands with them, another lady came down and joined the church. All of this happened before the preaching! Then Brother William Purvis preached an excellent message titled, "Winning the War With Words."  At the end of the service we had a special prayer and anointing service for my Aunt Barbara who has been dealing with lung cancer for the past year. This was the first time I had ever been involved in an anointing service. Most Baptist churches do not practice anointing and to my knowledge this was the first time we had had one at Highland. It was very touching and powerful. You could see the church members all pulling together as one body in Christ. It was a service I will never forget.

As I got in the car to leave I couldn't help but think about how blessed I am. I had my wonderful family in the car with me and we had just experienced one of the best Sunday's we have ever had. I felt really sorry for all of those people that decided to stay home and watch the Superbowl tonight. Most people in this area were pulling for the Colts and they lost anyway. The real losers tonight were those folks that sat at home in front of the idiot box instead of attending church and worshiping God. You know, Jesus says the following in Matthew 6:21: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." I think we know where a lot of people's treasure lies.

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One down ten to go

We had our first Easter Cantata practice this past Sunday. I thought it went fairly well, all things considered. I chose one of Brentwood's "Easy 2-part" series for us to learn, The Old Rugged Cross Made the Difference. It is a very easy arrangement if you can read music, unfortunately most of our choir can't read music. I have intended on having sight reading and shape note classes for them sometime but just haven't had time to do it. They do a great job of listening and following along with the music and always pick it up eventually. Still, it would be nice if they could read music.

Most of the songs were familiar to everyone except for, Always the Cross. It is a really beautiful song with great words but is just a little more contemporary than what we are used to. None of our youth were there for practice and I think they will probably like it the most. I think we will do alright on it and it may even become one of our favorites.

I had failed to give Barbara (our pianist) a copy of the music before our first practice so she was seeing it for the first time as well. We played the listening CD over the sound system and she played along with it. She did an outstanding job. I wish there was an accompaniment copy of the music because the books are difficult for her to turn the pages while playing. I will probably need to take a book apart, enlarge the print and place them in a notebook with plastic sleeves. We had the same problem with last year's Easter cantata too.

So, all in all it was a great start. I think once we get comfortable with it we will really enjoy it. We only have 10 more opportunities to practice!

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To Seek and To Save

It was so wonderful to be back at church yesterday. I was on a business trip last week and I had missed 4 services. Just walking through the front doors of Highland Baptist gave me such peace. I guess it's sorta like a drug addict or a drunk when they've not had their fix. I would have stayed at church all day yesterday. The pastor preached a terrific message in the morning service and we had a really large turnout in the congregation, probably the most people we have seen since our revival services last year. On the way out the door, the pastor asked me to preach for the evening service and I was almost giddy because it had been since our New Year's Eve watch service since I had preached and I had several sermons outlined and ready... but the LORD had something else in mind...

As I was sitting on the couch studying for my sermon yesterday, my mind would not stay focused on the subject. I just knew that I was supposed to preach a hell fire and brimstone message defending the faith and calling out Sodomites and other abominations. I thought that was where the LORD was leading me until it was nearly crunch time. I was praying like crazy for Him to give me the message and time was running out. I had to be at church at 5:00 to start choir practice and it was already after 4:00, I was in a panic. Then, suddenly, that old familiar tingling set over me and I turned to Luke chapter 19. I had never preached a message on Zacchaeus and had not read that passage of Scripture in quite some time. I didn't have time to do much studying, I just read the 10 verses over and over and over and prayed that God would preach the message for me. When the time rolled around for me to stand behind the pulpit in front of another good crowd of people, I was very nervous. I knew the LORD would not let me down but couldn't help but be scared. It didn't take but a couple of minutes for me to get that comforting feeling of the Holy Spirit and the words just rolled off of my tongue. I just love it when the LORD works like that! You can click on the link below to listen if you want to:

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2010 Easter Cantata

It seems like only yesterday we were singing last year's Easter Cantata, AMEN. It was a fairly simple arrangement of songs based on 2 parts. After much careful consideration and prayer, an Easter Cantata has been chosen for this year. I placed an order for the books and listening CD today with Brentwood Music. The Cantata that has been chosen is called, "The Old Rugged Cross Made the Difference." The songs in it are:

1. Opening Medley (There's Room at the Cross / Love Divine / Christ the Lord Is Risen Today)
2. Always the Cross
3. The Old Rugged Cross Made The Difference
4. There's Room At The Cross
5. Crown Him! Medley (Crown Him With Many Crowns, Grace Greater Than Our Sin, Amazing Grace)

The title song, The Old Rugged Cross Made the Difference, is a song that our ladies trio already sings, so I plan to ask them if they will sing that selection by themselves.

This is another easy arrangement written for 2-parts. I don't think we will have any problems with it. I'm really excited about getting busy learning this cantata. We only have 12 Sundays available between now and Easter so we've got to get on it.

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I wish I had taken the time

As I was listening to the two pastor's speak about Mrs. Grisham last night at her funeral, I couldn't help but notice an underlying theme, and that was faithfulness. It was recounted of how she had been faithful to her husband, her family, her friends, her church, but most of all to her Lord.


So many things were said about Mrs. Grisham during the course of the night. Her former pastor, Jerry Copeland, had known her for 20-years. He was able to share stories of how she had taught his children in Sunday school and how they had grew up to be Sunday school teachers themselves. He shared of how she wasn't into material things like most people but rather was more interested in the things of the Lord. I wish I had known her like he did.

Then, our pastor, Dave Hutchison, stood and talked about his many visits to her home and to the hospital, where he got to know her. He spoke of how he always felt welcome when he went to visit her and how she always turned the conversation to Jesus or the church. It was said more than once of how she worried about other people more than she did herself. Although pastor Dave had only known her for about 2-years, he took the time to get to know her. He visited her faithfully and there wasn't a service or prayer meeting that he didn't mention her in prayer. I wish I had known her like he did.

I can't say that I knew Mrs. Grisham as well as her two pastors did. Of course I knew of her faithfulness because if she wasn't sick, she was at church. Not just Sunday mornings either, she was there Sunday nights, Wednesday nights, and any additional service we would have. There was no doubt she was one of the most faithful members we had. I should have taken more time to get to know her. I have only been a member of Highland for 3-years but that's no excuse. Oh sure, I would see her at every service, shake her hand, smile, ask how she was doing, etc.. but that's about as far as it went. Most of it is my fault because I normally don't make small talk with people. I don't like to be bothersome to folks. I always assume if someone wants to talk to me that they will invoke a conversation. But, what if everyone was just like me? If they were, then no one would ever get to know anybody. We would all just be standing around waiting for the other person to strike up a conversation. There are only a few of the old-time Saints left at our church. I've gotten to know some of them pretty well but not near as well as I should.  I intend to work on that flaw in my personality. I'm praying that God will show me how.

Sympathy Extended

Frances Jean Frost Grisham, age 79 of Knoxville, went to be with the Lord Sunday, January 3, 2010. She was a member of Highland Baptist Church where she served as a Sunday School teacher for over 50 years. Survived by her husband of 62 years, Clifford W. Grisham; daughters, Debbie Cash and Laura Parker; granddaughters, Tara Cash and Melissa Karnes and husband Tony; great granddaughters, Illiana and Nora Karnes; several extended family members. Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 8 pm in the Halls Chapel of Mynatt Funeral Home with Rev. Jerry Copeland and Rev. David Hutchison officiating. Family and friends will meet Wednesday at 10:45am at Greenwood Cemetery for interment at 11am. The family will receive friends Tuesday from 6-8 pm at Mynatt Funeral Home, Halls Chapel, 4131 East Emory Road; Knoxville, TN 37938.

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Happy New Year!

Had a good time at our New Year's Eve watch service at church last night. In the past I have only lead the music for the watch service but this time I lead the music and preached one of the messages. I was both excited and nervous. Excited to be preaching on the last day of the year and getting to deliver a message that I felt God really wanted me to deliver. Nervous because I would be preaching in the presence of a seasoned preacher, A. J. Crawford. The man has been preaching for 54-years!

Our crowd was down considerably. There was bad fog, UT was playing in a bowl game, and several loyal members were sick. I didn't let that bother me though. Normally I prefer preaching in front of larger crowds, not sure why but I'm less nervous when there are more people. Things went well last night though. It sure was a great way to ring in the new year. You can listen the message I preached, "Another Jesus, Another Gospel," below:

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Fantastic time with JP Miller

Tonight we hosted Southern Gospel artist, JP Miller, at Highland Baptist church. I had heard JP a few times at various places but never been in a service where he was the only performer. There are only a handful of Gospel artists that I  really enjoy sitting and listening to them sing solo for more than 30 minutes at a time; Tony Gore, Eric Bennett, Phil Cross, Kim Hopper, to name a few. Well, now I can add JP Miller to that list. He was fantastic!

As I've mentioned before, I enjoy hearing the testimonies more than I do the actual singing, but, when both the singing and testimonies are great then it's a winning combination. JP Miller kicked things off with a lively rendition of Heaven's Jubilee which really set a great mood. Our church mainly sings from the old red back church hymnal and of course that song is one of our favorites. He followed up with two more great ones; Oh I Want to See Him and I'll Fly Away. Then he sang what was probably my very favorite song of the entire night, He Made A Cross. I had never heard it before but it didn't take long for tears to start flowing. The words were so beautiful. The chorus went something like this; He made a cross that stood between the shores of death and eternity, He stretched his arms to form a bridge, that we could have that chance to live, because when sin did all it could to keep us lost, God reached out with love and He made a cross. Wow, what a message!

For nearly an hour, JP sang and shared several personal testimonies and stories with us. With this being the Christmas season he sang several songs from his new Christmas CD, which I purchased from his product table. I heard many wonderful things being said about him after the service ended. It looked like he sold several CD's from his product table, hopefully between that and the love offering we collected it was worth his time to come out. I know I sure did enjoy every minute of it.

If you are a music minister or the person in charge of booking groups and singers at your church, I highly recommend JP Miller. For more info and contact information visit his website at: http://www.jpmiller.cc/ tell him that Bro. Byron sent ya!

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Be sure your sins will find you out, even in Vegas baby!

So, I'm stuck in Las Vegas working a tradeshow for the company I work for. I have had to do this for the past 5-years and I am literally sick to death of it. I've got to say that Vegas is in the top 5 places on earth that I hate with a passion. Everything out here is disgusting. From the minute I see the cheap glowing neon lights from the window of the airplane until I leave behind the stinking smell of Taxi cab fumes and body odor, I am miserable.

What is odd to me is the number of people that act like the LOVE Las Vegas. I don't see how any child of God could love this place. To me it is the representation of a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. I guess if you like sex, gambling, drinking, and debauchery then it's the place for you. You can count me out on all of that. That term "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," was invented by the devil himself. Friend, I want to tell you, that what happens anywhere on the face of the earth is seen by God's eyes. Just because you are hundreds of miles away from home doesn't give you freedom to indulge in sinful activities, not if you are a Christian. You may be able to get forgiveness for sins but there are always consequences. "be sure your sins will find you out." -Numbers 32:23

I have managed to leave behind several of THESE Gospel tracts while out here. Perhaps someone will pick one up and read it. Stranger things have happened I suppose.

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First ever, men's Coffee & Christ

What a great time we had at our first ever men's Coffee & Christ fellowship this past Saturday! I had been looking forward to it for months. God has been dealing with me over the need for families to draw closer to Him, now more than ever before. The only way I see that possible is if Christian men will step up and fulfill their duties. So, what better reason to get together with a room full of men that love the Lord and spend some time together?

I was a little nervous that nobody would actually show up on the day I had planned it. I had already moved the time to accomodate some folks that didn't want to get out too early. I had 14 people sign up and out of those only 4 didn't make it. We had a great time and most of all we had some excellent roundtable discussions about issues facing Christian men today. Almost everyone there spoke out about their concerns. It was the first time I had been in a discussion like that with the men of our church.

I think I drank at least 8 large cups of coffee that day and consumed several Krispy Kreme doughnuts! We had a great time and nearly everyone there said they would like to do it again. So, looks like we will be planning more in the future. If you would like to join us, just keep checking back on the church website for announcements: http://www.hbcknox.org/

See all of the pictures from this event HERE.

Below is a video of my presentation to the men concerning "Problems Facing Christian Men."

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The making of a music minister

I've always been proud of my family. I think I was brought up in the best home a person would ever dream of being brought up in. We weren't wealthy by any means, in fact, we were always barely scraping by. If there is one thing I've learned in this old world it is that money and riches aren't worth a hill of beans if you ain't got love. We had plenty of love in my family. We weren't big on hugging or kissing or even saying I love you when I was growing up but there was never any question that we loved each other. I didn't realize it back then but I know it now, the reason we had such love was because we had Jesus in our lives.

We are "church people" through and through. I don't mean that we are religious zealots but that we are people that love God and love the things of God. We love going to His church, we love reading and preaching His Word, and we love singing songs about Him. I come from a long line of great singers. Both of my grandfathers were excellent bass singers. Both of my grandmothers could sing. Granny Spencer played the piano better than anybody you'd ever want to hear and never had a lesson in her life. Both of my parents sing and both of my sisters were blessed with great singing voices and piano playing skills. I've got aunts and uncles stretched across the entire United States and the whole bunch of us can sing or play instruments. I'm proud of that.

I was thinking today about all of the wonderful singing I grew up with. Our home was always filled with music. We had one of those big console RCA stereos with AM/FM and record player. My parents had a huge collection of 33 RPM records, everything from the Chuck Wagon Gang, The Carter Family, Naomi and the Segos, to Hank Snow, Michael Parks, and Johnny Cash. We would sit in our tiny living room and listen to those records and sing along with them. My dad would play the guitar and my sisters would play the piano. As my sisters and I grew older and developed voices that were able to sing parts, we each would learn a part and sing together. My mother had some old song books and we would sing those old Chuck Wagon Gang songs and try our best to imitate them.

Back in the mid-late 1990's, my family all got together and gathered around the piano with the old red back Church Hymnal and a tape recorder. We sang for hours and recorded some of our favorite songs. I uploaded them all today to the Internet (listen to them here) so I could share them with others. I love listening to those old songs. It makes me feel young again and makes me appreciate the great family I was blessed with. My older sister, Pam, is no longer with us and my mother no longer has a piano in her house either. I still have the old memories in my head though and no one can take them away from me.

I never intended on being a "Minister of Music," I was sorta volunteered into the position one time and it just stuck with me. I'm a bass singer and cannot sing very high at all. My aunt Barbara plays the piano for me and lowers all of the songs so I can lead them. I often have people tell me that I do a wonderful job leading. It always embarrasses me because I feel that I do terrible. I hate to hear myself sing when I'm leading. One thing I do love about leading the music though is seeing how God's Spirit moves among the people during Worship. There's not a better feeling in the world.

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If That Isn't Love

I was really proud of the choir this past Sunday when we sang, "If That Isn't Love" for our choir special. It just seemed like everyone was putting everything they had into it. The singing, the music, the Spirit, everything was just lovely. Give it a listen below:

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I've Been Thinking...

This past week at church has been trying. We have several key folks out of town. First, my Aunt Barbara, who plays the piano, is in Texas at M.D. Anderson, undergoing treatments. Of course Uncle Chester, who runs the sound room, is by her side. O.C., our head deacon, and his wife Martha went out of town to visit their son, Oliver, who is in for a couple of weeks from Afghanistan. Our pastor and his wife went on vacation in Myrtle Beach. So, that was 6-key folks that were not at church.

We have managed to push on without them. William preached Sunday night and I preached Wednesday night. Charlotte has been filling in on the piano and doing a great job. We have all pulled together and got things done. It has made me thankful in 2 different ways. First, I'm thankful for the folks that we have that are normally present at each and every service. Second, I'm thankful for folks that are willing to step up and fill the void when called upon.

The message I preached Wednesday night (you can listen from the link below) was titled, "What Moves You?" I've blogged most of the message in a 4-part series on this blog. I made the challenge to our members to not let anything move them. I've drawn a lot of encouragement from that message that God gave me. It seems a lot of times that the messages God gives me are meant for me. I, just like most people, feel overwhelmed at times. I'm not a quitter by any stretch of the means but I have entertained the thoughts of moving on and doing something else. I need encouragement every now and then. Sometimes I get the Elijah complex and start looking for a cave to hide in. But, then the Lord speaks to me and lets me know that I'm not alone.

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Part 4 - What Moves You?

"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." - Acts 20:24

In our last post we discussed how it seems that a lot of church members and Christians allow almost anything to move them. They seem to not be "rooted" in Christ. In this 4th and final post we are going to look at some ways we can obtain that unshakable faith that the Apostle Paul had that allowed him to say "none of these things move me."

First, we have to make a conscious decision that it is time we are going to make a change. We are going to hold steadfast to the faith. We are going to press toward the mark. We are going to finish our race. One of the first things necessary in order to overcome a problem or an obstacle is to admit that the problem is there. Let's take a deep long look at ourselves and honestly ask, are we being the type of Christian that God wants us to be? It's pretty safe to say that the biggest majority of us will realize that we are falling short in that area.

Second, we have to turn it over to God. We cannot do it on our own. We must approach it with a Biblical and Spiritual perspective. Let's ask ourselves before we set forth to do something, is it Scripturally sound? If we can't back it up with the Bible, it's not good for anything. Spend time in prayer. Meditate on the Scriptures. Converse with God and ask his opinion. Always remember that God will not lead you to do something that is not Scripturally sound. For example, if someone has a drinking problem, the Lord will not direct you to share the bottle with him to witness to him. If someone is going through marital problems he will not direct you to start dating them in order to counsel them. If you are a saved born-again Christian then Christ dwells in your heart and he wants you to be firmly rooted in his love. Look at Eph 3:17-19:

17:That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,



18: May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;


19: And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

So, remember to always seek counsel from God and the Bible. The Bible tells us that we have not because we ask not (James 4:2) but it also warns us if we ask for the wrong reasons (selfish, lustful reasons) that we will not receive (James 4:3). Asking for the faith of Paul in order to be a better person, Christian, disciple for Christ, would be for all the RIGHT reasons! So ask Him!

Third, we have to put into practice what we learn and what God reveals to us. You can read, hear, understand, and agree with everything but unless you put it into practice, it's all for nothing. You can follow the example of the Apostle Paul. He would not allow ANYTHING to move him. We should all strive to be more like Paul. Pray with me today: “Father, I come to you now begging for your mercy. Lord, we fail you in so many ways. We want to be a good and faithful servant. Please Lord, show us how. We ask you today to root our hearts in faith and ground us in your love. Lord we commit ourselves to you today. We are going to stand strong in our faith. We will not be moved! For its in Christ Jesus name we pray. AMEN”
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I hope you have enjoyed this sermon series, What Moves You? This was a 4-part series based on a sermon that God gave me to preach. I found that going back and looking over my outlines and notes that it helped me to break it apart and anylize it and apply it to my own heart. You can read each of the post by following the links below:
Part 1 - What Moves You?
Part 2 - What Moves You?
Part 3 - What Moves You?
Part 4 - What Moves You?

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Part 3 - What Moves You?

"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." - Acts 20:24

In our last post we discussed some of the things that Paul would not allow to move him. In this post we are going to look a few things that seems to move the average church goer.

We must realize that when we join a church we are in fact joining a family. We are all part of one big family in the name of Christ. We come here to worship together, to pray together, to share testimonies together, and through it all, we spend a lot of time together. When folks spend a lot of time together they get to know each other. Just like a family, we are going to have our differences. We are not always going to see eye to eye with each other. But, just like our family, it doesn’t mean we are going to abandon our church family. I know feelings get hurt. I understand wanting to be loved and accepted, everybody wants that. But, there comes a time in your life when you have to grow up and quit being a spiritual child.

Another thing we must all realize is that we are all human. We call ourselves Christians because we strive to live our lives as Christ would. Unfortunately there is not a single person on earth that could ever live a perfect, sinless life as Jesus did. We are human. We are going to fail. We don’t always do the things we should. We will say the wrong things. We will act the wrong way. We will unintentionally and intentionally hurt each other. But, where do you draw the line as to what moves you? Do you allow anything to move you? Or are you like that tree that’s planted by the water, “I shall not be moved!” Are you so wrapped up into yourself and thinking about yourself, and worried about yourself, that you quit focusing on Christ and the reason we are here? I think we have forgotten that it’s not about US, it’s about HIM. What moves you?

What would the Apostle Paul think about the church today? All of the pain and suffering that he went through just so we would one day have the opportunity to freely worship Christ. Peter, Paul, John, all persecuted. Was their work all in vain? Was Stephen stoned to death for nothing? Did John the Baptist have his head chopped off for the likes of me and you? Did the Apostle Paul endure 195 lashes with a whip so we could wear our feelings on our sleeves?

What moves you today? Are you deep rooted in Jesus Christ? Are you willing to endure? Are you going to be able to say “I fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith”? Is Christ going to say to you, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” “enter thou into the joy of thy lord”?

In our 4th and final post, we will look at a few things that will help us in our walk with Christ. Some things we can do to insure that nothing will move us!

You can read each of the post by following the links below:
Part 1 - What Moves You?
Part 2 - What Moves You?
Part 3 - What Moves You?
Part 4 - What Moves You?

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Part 2 - What Moves You?

"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." - Acts 20:24

Oh, how I desire Paul's passion. How I pray that God would instill in me the kind of desire that Paul had for other people and for the ministry. I find myself falling short in so many areas.

Let's look for a moment at what Paul is talking about when he makes the statement, "none of these things move me."

Turn with me please to 2 Corinthians 11:23-27

23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.


24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.


25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;


26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;


27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

Paul suffered for the cause of Christ as much as anyone mentioned in the Bible. When he says he received five times forty stripes save one, this meant that he had suffered beatings with whips. History tells us that in practice among the Hebrews, the number of blows inflicted was limited to 39, just in case there was an accident in counting, the criminal should receive more than the number prescribed in the Law, which only allowed 40 stripes (see Deuteronomy 25:3). They would use whips consisting of 3, 6, or 9 lashes with pieces of metal, bone, or glass attached to the ends that would literally rip flesh from the bodies of those being beaten. (For a good understanding of what these whips may have been like, look here.) This was the same type of beating (scourging) that the Lord Jesus Christ had to endure before he was crucified. Here Paul tells us that he had endured such beatings on 5 different occasions. That would amount to 195 brutal lashings of the worst kind. If you were to look upon the Apostle Paul's back you would be appalled at the scars that he must have had.

Not only was Paul beaten but he suffered many hardships on his journeys; shipwrecks, robbers, hunger, thirst, pain, nakedness, he suffered greatly in order to spread the Gospel. Yet, he says, "none of these things move me."

How many of us sitting in church today in our nice padded pews in a nice air conditioned building with our nice full stomachs, can honestly say we know what it is like to suffer for the cause of Christ? Sunday after Sunday we see church members enter the church with chips on their shoulders just begging for someone to knock it off. Being offended at the least little thing said to them. Somebody looked at me wrong. Somebody said something about me. Somebody thinks something about me. Anything and Everything will move them! I've seen people give up their ministries over the silliest little things. I've even seen people quit coming to church because somebody else got their feelings hurt. It reminds me of a 9-year old child getting mad at their parent’s because they made them mind. “I’ll show them, I’ll just pack up my things and run away!” We’ve got too many 9-year old adults in church today.

In part 3 we will look closer at things that move people today and what the Apostle Paul may think of our modern church.

You can read each of the post by following the links below:
Part 1 - What Moves You?
Part 2 - What Moves You?
Part 3 - What Moves You?
Part 4 - What Moves You?

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Part 1 - What Moves You?

"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." - Acts 20:24

Our opening text sums up the character and purpose of Paul. If you took this one passage of Scripture without knowing a single thing of his life, you may not be impressed. But, study the life of this man and you will be astounded.

I've spent many hours studying the Apostle Paul. I have bookshelves filled with books of his life and ministry. I've often wondered what it would have been like to know him personally. What would it have been like to sit in on one of his sermons?

Paul was addressing the elders of the church at Ephesus. He had been with them for 3-years, preaching in the Synagogue, going from house to house teaching about Jesus Christ. The Ephesians had come to know and love Paul. If you read this entire chapter you will find a very touching goodbye. As Paul is poised to board a ship they all join together to pray and weep as they bid him farewell. They thought they would never see their beloved preacher ever again.

As I look at this event I can't help but be stricken with how much passion the Apostle Paul had for people. A man that once had a deep seeded hatred for these same types of people. A man that chapter 9 of the book of Acts says was so full of rage that he was breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. He was once eat up with hate! But, here in chapter 20 we see a completely different man. A man that was totally given over to Christ. A man who's heart had done a 180 degree turn. This same man that once was causing others to cry in fear at his presence is now causing men to cry in sadness of his departure. My friend, this is a testimony to the power of Jesus!

Paul, not knowing what the future held for him assumed that this would be the last time he would see his friends. He tells them that he leaves not knowing the things that will befall him. He assumes that he will be killed for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He wanted to make sure that the church would be able to carry on without him. He warns them of false teachers that would slip into their church, trying to sway them from their beliefs. He tells them to hold fast to the faith. He is more worried about the church than he is his own life. He says that he doesn't count his life dear but his only desire is to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

In Part 2 we will look at Paul's passion and what he is talking about when he says, "none of these things move me."

You can read each of the post by following the links below:
Part 1 - What Moves You?
Part 2 - What Moves You?
Part 3 - What Moves You?
Part 4 - What Moves You?

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Great night of Southern Gospel with 3 4 THEE

It was the first time I had been in Graveston Baptist church since they built the new church. I had visited there a few times in the old building several years ago. I brought my wife and son along with me to spend an evening of Southern Gospel music at 3 4THEE's 3rd annual Fall Gathering.

We arrived 30 minutes early to insure that I would get a good seat close to the stage so I could take photos. The sanctuary was very nice and the individual seats were very comfortable. The host group, 3 4THEE, started things off at 6:30 with a lively rendition of Cast Your Bread Upon the Water, which I really enjoyed. Then they asked soloist, Kelly Henderson, to come out and sing. She sang a 6-song set with my very favorite being Through the Fire, which she said was her testimony song.

After Kelly sang, 3 4THEE came back out and sang 5-songs and said they were trying to get out of the way to allow the other groups to sing. It was the first time I had ever heard this trio sing. I had made acquaintance with the group's baritone, Greg Davis, through email correspondence a couple of years ago. I've been keeping up with the group over the Internet but had never had the chance to hear them sing in person. They did a great job and harmonized well. Lead singer, Jackie Painter, has a very strong and outstanding voice which gives the group sort of a country sounding edge. Tenor, Warren Beeler, and baritone, Greg Davis, also have nice vocals and complimented the sound very well. I didn't ask, but I believe Warren and I may have went to elementary school together at Gibbs way back in the day. My favorite song that they sang was one called, Let's Have Revival. It was very uptempo and the words reminded me of my own experiences growing up in many old-time church revival services.

After 3 4THEE exited the stage, Mike Southerland, stepped up to the mic. He did a good job. His sound is reminiscent of Michael Combs. In fact, he mentioned Combs during his set and sang one of his songs. He sang 6 songs all together with my favorite being the Crabb Family hit, The Lamb, the Lion, and the King. Mike also proudly introduced his toddler grandaughter, who later took to the stage with Michael & Delilah Kitts (see slideshow at end of this post).

Next up, Michael & Delilah Kitts, came out and sang a 7-song set. They were clearly a big crowd favorite. I have always enjoyed hearing them myself and they did an outstanding job as usual. They even invited their daughter, Lauren, to the stage and she did a wonderful job singing lead on, Oh Happy Day. My favorite song of theirs was without a doubt, God Sent His Best.

Up next was one of my all-time favorite groups, the Berry Family. I've been a fan of theirs for many, many years. Ever since I heard them sing at House Mountain Baptist way back when I was just a young boy. I heard them sing, My House Is Full, with a little girl singing lead. I immediately bought their cassette tape and wore that thing completely out listening to that song over and over. I was amazed to see that the same little girl was still singing but was now a grown woman with a family. She still has a very beautiful voice. The whole family is very talented and there is nothing better than that rich family sound. They sang 6-songs with my very favorite being one which I believe is titled, Somebody Prayed. I guess what I liked the most about them was their very obvious sincerity and heart-felt testimonies from the stage. I was happy to also briefly meet and speak with the Berry Family at their product table as I was heading out the door. We swapped business cards and I hope to have them come out to Highland to sing for us next year.

Last on the schedule was a group called, Still Waters. They had a very good sound and sang several songs that were widely known to everyone. I enjoyed singing along with them on nearly every song. This group also had some good testimonies and did a great job. My favorite song of theirs was probably, My Home. I also enjoyed the last song that lead singer, Jason Allen, sang by himself called, Your Cries Have Awakened the Master. It was mentioned by his father that Jason is pursuing a solo career and asked for prayers for him.

The night ended with 3 4THEE coming back to the stage to sing an invitation song. During the invitation a young lady came to the altar for prayer and then a man came up to share his testimony of how God had healed him from a brain stroke. We then ended with everyone singing together on, Lord Prepare Me to Be a Sanctuary. It was a long but great night of Southern Gospel music. I appreciate 3 4THEE inviting me to come. I wish I could have hung around longer afterwards but we had to get home and relieve the babysitter. I wish the group great future success.

Enjoy all of the pictures from tonight's event:

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To have the passion of Paul

If you know me in the least then you know my favorite Bible hero (besides Jesus) is the Apostle Paul. I have very rarely preached a sermon or taught a Sunday school class without mentioning Paul in some way. Just a glance at my bookshelf will reveal over a dozen books written about this great Apostle.

Yesterday during my lunch break I was sitting outside in my Pathfinder studying the Bible. I was reading Acts chapter 20:16-38, where Paul is bidding a tearful goodbye to the church at Ephesus. I couldn't help but get a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye as I read those passages of Scripture. I could just see the scene unfold before my eyes. My, how the people loved Paul and how he loved them. There was so much passion in his words. Not only was his passion for the people apparent but his passion for the Lord Jesus Christ was dominant in the conversation. Chills ran down my spine as I read his words in verse 24: "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." I know all of the labor and strife was going through his mind as he testified of his love for Jesus but yet none of those things moved him.

I re-read the above Scripture last night during our family altar time and once again my eyes misted over. I can't get the thought out of my head that Paul must have had twice the amount of passion in his heart for Jesus than I do. I began to wonder if I could have withstood all of the perils that Paul did in his time? It seems that nowadays people make any excuse in the world to stop following Jesus. We wear our feelings on our sleeves just waiting for someone to hurt them. I see so many church members with a chip on their shoulder sitting there just dying for someone to knock it off. Lately I've seen several church members leave the church over getting their feelings hurt. Unlike the Apostle Paul, we let everything move us. Oh, if we only knew what it was like to really have a desire and passion to follow Jesus the way Paul did. I want that passion in my life. I am making a resolution today to push all of my selfish desires out of my heart and try to have more love for other people and for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I'm not going to let anything move me.

Listen to a wonderful sermon by Curtis Hutson - None of these things move me.

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Individual responsibility

I love this quote from a fellow East, Tennessean:

"I have yet to see the first church that remained empty for long where each person entered heartily into the singing of hymns. In order to maintain this equality [between preaching and singing], every individual must be made to feel his responsibility in the singing part of the worship." - Charles Alexander

Read more about this East, Tennessee born music minister here.

Wikipedia page for Charles Alexander here.

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