Some randomness while I'm enjoying time with my family at the lake over Memorial Day weekend.....Just top 10's to me.....probably not to the world in general. Enjoy.
Top 10 Restaurants:
10. Andy's Cheesesteaks
9. Most any Mexican restaurant (all about the same)
8. Most any Chinese restaurant (all about the same)
7. Pizza Hut (altho their delivery is suspect at times)
6. Kanki
5. Wendy's
4. McDonalds (mostly for breakfast)
3. Pei Wei
2. Olive Garden
1. Chick-Fil-A
Top 10 Movies:
10. The Lion King
9. Second Chance (w/Michael W. Smith, etc.)
8. The Blind Side
7. Facing the Giants
6. Caddyshack
5. The Terminator Movies
4. Armageddon
3. Rudy
2. The Bourne Movies
1. Remember the Titans
Top 10 Favorite Cartoon Characters/Super Heroes:
10. Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy
9. Mr. Incredible
8. Elmer Fudd
7. All of the Schoolhouse Rock Segments
6. Batman & Robin
5. Tom & Jerry
4. Buzz Lightyear
3. Superman
2. Spongebob Squarepants
1. Bugs Bunny
Top 10 Places I'd Like to Visit/Events to Attend:
10. Yellowstone
9. Any ACC tournament
8. American Idol Finale
7. Pebble Beach during a golf tournament
6. Key West, FL
5. Holy Land
4. Augusta National during The Masters
3. Grand Canyon
2. European vacation w/my wife
1. All important events involving my wife & kids
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
A Message to My Students
Well, another school year is about to close, my 4th year at NRCA. God has taught me a lot personally this year. I pray that my students have learned a lot more about Pre-Algebra and Algebra than they knew before we started this journey. But I pray even more that they've learned more about Jesus Christ and His love for them.
As we enter the last full week of school, I wanted to leave a message for my students. I see some awesome potential in each of you. God has certainly gifted you richly in talents, abilities, spiritual gifts, and so much more. It's now up to you to decide how you're going to use these gifts for His glory. I certainly believe the sky is the limit for you, as long as you keep your eyes fixed on Christ. Galatians 5:16 says, "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."
I pray also that you've seen even a little bit of Christ in my life each day we've spent together. I know there have been days when my flesh got in the way of you seeing Him. I've apologized to you at times when I knew I was wrong. But I hope you've seen and heard about the one true and living God, the One who saved me and is making me more like His Son everyday. I pray you've seen that a holy, righteous life doesn't happen overnight - it's a lifetime process. I'm certainly living proof of that. But He gives more grace to those who humble themselves in His sight. That fact helps me get up every morning and face the day.
All of you can feel free to stop by to see Mr. B. anytime. I'd love to see you and hear how God is working in your life, both in school and out. Feel free to keep me updated through Facebook as well. Know that even though I will not have the pleasure of seeing you everyday in class, you'll still be in my prayers often. If I can ever do anything to help you or minister to you, please don't hesitate to come see me.
Pastor Randy (aka, Mr. B.)
As we enter the last full week of school, I wanted to leave a message for my students. I see some awesome potential in each of you. God has certainly gifted you richly in talents, abilities, spiritual gifts, and so much more. It's now up to you to decide how you're going to use these gifts for His glory. I certainly believe the sky is the limit for you, as long as you keep your eyes fixed on Christ. Galatians 5:16 says, "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."
I pray also that you've seen even a little bit of Christ in my life each day we've spent together. I know there have been days when my flesh got in the way of you seeing Him. I've apologized to you at times when I knew I was wrong. But I hope you've seen and heard about the one true and living God, the One who saved me and is making me more like His Son everyday. I pray you've seen that a holy, righteous life doesn't happen overnight - it's a lifetime process. I'm certainly living proof of that. But He gives more grace to those who humble themselves in His sight. That fact helps me get up every morning and face the day.
All of you can feel free to stop by to see Mr. B. anytime. I'd love to see you and hear how God is working in your life, both in school and out. Feel free to keep me updated through Facebook as well. Know that even though I will not have the pleasure of seeing you everyday in class, you'll still be in my prayers often. If I can ever do anything to help you or minister to you, please don't hesitate to come see me.
Pastor Randy (aka, Mr. B.)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Priority of Worship - A Ministry Vision (Part 2)
Be sure you read part 1.......now continuing......
Worship must not only be proper, it must be personal. That again relates to being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ (see Rom. 12:1-2). The word in the Romans passage for "transformed" is the word that gives us our word, "metamorphosis". This means a change from within. I like to think of this like the old TV show, "The Incredible Hulk". Bill Bixby was transformed into the Hulk because of something that changed him from within. The same must be true of believers, transformed by God's power through salvation in Christ.
Relating to worship, that means you can't rely on what I do on Sunday morning (i.e., what I say, the music I select/sing, the Scripture I read, etc.) to generate worship in you. Neither can I. Proper, personal worship requires that we are prepared ahead of time, transformed by God and ready to demonstrate outwardly what God has ALREADY DONE inwardly.
Worship must be proper, personal and lastly, purposeful. Our worship must have a purpose - to glorify God. We exist and were created to glorify God. Scripture commands it - "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37). As the song says, we were made for worship. God expects nothing less from us, worship that is pleasing to Him....and focused on Him. He is the audience of our worship. Anything in our lives or in corporate worship that takes the focus off of God will impact us and others negatively.
The one fact in the Mark 12 passage that I can't forget is this - Jesus was watching the treasury. He knew how much each person gave and knew the heart and motives of each one. He knows if we are being faithful in living a lifestyle of worship. Who is the audience of your worship? Are you living a life that demonstrates worship to God? He demands only the best from us. Let's give it to Him now and always.
Based on all of this, here are some key vision statements I use in church worship ministry.
The worship ministry of the church will be successful when:
1. Our passion for God is greater than that for performance.
2. Faithfulness is as important as talent.
3. Preparation for worship is valued more than musical styles.
4. Our ministry focus is not limited to the walls of the church.
5. We have cooperation instead of competition.
6. Lasting obedience is greater than momentary emotion.
Worshp Ministry Goals:
1. Honor the Lord in everything we do in ministry.
2. Train & equip the body for personal, family & corporate worship.
3. Implement a blended worship style that emphasizes message first, then variety.
4. Focus on organization & structure under the leadership of the Spirit.
5. Strive for significant, measurable growth numerically & spiritually in all ministries.
6. Faithfully develop the musical abilities of every ministry group.
7. Develop leadership to help grow the ministry.
May God be glorified as I grow in Him and become equipped to lead & serve others.
Pastor Randy
Worship must not only be proper, it must be personal. That again relates to being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ (see Rom. 12:1-2). The word in the Romans passage for "transformed" is the word that gives us our word, "metamorphosis". This means a change from within. I like to think of this like the old TV show, "The Incredible Hulk". Bill Bixby was transformed into the Hulk because of something that changed him from within. The same must be true of believers, transformed by God's power through salvation in Christ.
Relating to worship, that means you can't rely on what I do on Sunday morning (i.e., what I say, the music I select/sing, the Scripture I read, etc.) to generate worship in you. Neither can I. Proper, personal worship requires that we are prepared ahead of time, transformed by God and ready to demonstrate outwardly what God has ALREADY DONE inwardly.
Worship must be proper, personal and lastly, purposeful. Our worship must have a purpose - to glorify God. We exist and were created to glorify God. Scripture commands it - "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37). As the song says, we were made for worship. God expects nothing less from us, worship that is pleasing to Him....and focused on Him. He is the audience of our worship. Anything in our lives or in corporate worship that takes the focus off of God will impact us and others negatively.
The one fact in the Mark 12 passage that I can't forget is this - Jesus was watching the treasury. He knew how much each person gave and knew the heart and motives of each one. He knows if we are being faithful in living a lifestyle of worship. Who is the audience of your worship? Are you living a life that demonstrates worship to God? He demands only the best from us. Let's give it to Him now and always.
Based on all of this, here are some key vision statements I use in church worship ministry.
The worship ministry of the church will be successful when:
1. Our passion for God is greater than that for performance.
2. Faithfulness is as important as talent.
3. Preparation for worship is valued more than musical styles.
4. Our ministry focus is not limited to the walls of the church.
5. We have cooperation instead of competition.
6. Lasting obedience is greater than momentary emotion.
Worshp Ministry Goals:
1. Honor the Lord in everything we do in ministry.
2. Train & equip the body for personal, family & corporate worship.
3. Implement a blended worship style that emphasizes message first, then variety.
4. Focus on organization & structure under the leadership of the Spirit.
5. Strive for significant, measurable growth numerically & spiritually in all ministries.
6. Faithfully develop the musical abilities of every ministry group.
7. Develop leadership to help grow the ministry.
May God be glorified as I grow in Him and become equipped to lead & serve others.
Pastor Randy
The Priority of Worship - A Ministry Vision (Part 1)
I have served in worship ministry for about 15 years, either as a pastor or in lay ministry. God has taught me a lot during that time about worship. Most of His lessons have shown me that worship is a lot less about what we do on Sunday morning than what we do every day in a lifestyle of worship that is surrendered to Him. I believe that if my life is an act of worship to God, then leading worship on Sunday mornings will be much easier.
I'd like to share some thoughts on the prioirty of worship and relate them to the ministry vision God has given me in serving in the local church. I'll do this in two parts: first, show how Scripture teaches us about worship (part 1), then how that relates to application in worship ministry in the church (part 2).
There are many passages of Scripture that deal with worship, both directly and indirectly. One of the passages I like is Mark 12:41-44. This is the passage about the poor widow who gives all she has into the treasury in the temple. The basic story goes like this - a poor widow comes in and gives two mites, all she had to live on. The disciples then get a lesson directly from Jesus about how the widow had sacrificed all she had.
Here's an outline of this passage that can teach us about the priority of worship. First, we must have proper worship, which has the following characteristics:
1. Proper worship is seen privately, not publically.
2. Proper worship is given sacrifically, not sparingly.
3. Proper worship is driven by a changed life, not emotions or circumstances.
Now, some thoughts on these using the passage in Mark. Proper worship is seen privately. That doesn't mean we never worship publically (like we do in corporate worship), but it does mean it begins individually and in your own heart. There were many people lavishing gifts into the treasury (v. 41), but the widow's offering went largely undetected, except by Jesus, who had to call the disciples' attention to it (v. 43). You also see this in the context of the passage (see vv.38-40), where Jesus cautioned about our motives in worship. God isn't impressed w/outward expressions of worship that do not come from a changed heart. I believe that proper, genuine worship can only be public after it has been manifested privately.
Next, proper worship requires sacrifice and isn't offered sparingly. The widow gave all she had to live on. If you do a study on what she gave, you find it represented much less than a day's wages. The word "poor" in the original language indicates extreme poverty - she should have been given charity from others. But instead, she gave her whole livelihood to the Lord. Those who poured money into the treasury only gave what they could spare. Think about it - even the OT sacrifical system was NEVER meant to replace living an obedient life (see 1 Sam. 15). God requires all of us in proper worship, and that has a lot more to do with how we live all week, not just what we do on Sunday morning.
Finally, proper worship is driven by a changed life. God has changed us as believers (see Rom. 12:1-2). That changes compels us to become more like Christ everyday. Jesus tells the disciples that the widow gave everything, trusting in the Lord for all she needed (v. 44). We must never be driven to worship only with emotions and circumstances. Those things change constantly. Only what is true and faithful in the Lord will remain. The Romans passage says it all - "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.....do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The NIV says that this is our "spiritual act of worship" to God. Trust me - God can see us inside & out. He knows if our worship is proper and pleasing to Him.
In summary, genuine worship is always transformational. It was never meant to be a Sunday-only experience. It is a moment-by-moment relationship w/God that lasts all week long. It's personal, a one-on-one with God. If this happens, then Sunday morning corporate worship will never be the same.
Pastor Randy
I'd like to share some thoughts on the prioirty of worship and relate them to the ministry vision God has given me in serving in the local church. I'll do this in two parts: first, show how Scripture teaches us about worship (part 1), then how that relates to application in worship ministry in the church (part 2).
There are many passages of Scripture that deal with worship, both directly and indirectly. One of the passages I like is Mark 12:41-44. This is the passage about the poor widow who gives all she has into the treasury in the temple. The basic story goes like this - a poor widow comes in and gives two mites, all she had to live on. The disciples then get a lesson directly from Jesus about how the widow had sacrificed all she had.
Here's an outline of this passage that can teach us about the priority of worship. First, we must have proper worship, which has the following characteristics:
1. Proper worship is seen privately, not publically.
2. Proper worship is given sacrifically, not sparingly.
3. Proper worship is driven by a changed life, not emotions or circumstances.
Now, some thoughts on these using the passage in Mark. Proper worship is seen privately. That doesn't mean we never worship publically (like we do in corporate worship), but it does mean it begins individually and in your own heart. There were many people lavishing gifts into the treasury (v. 41), but the widow's offering went largely undetected, except by Jesus, who had to call the disciples' attention to it (v. 43). You also see this in the context of the passage (see vv.38-40), where Jesus cautioned about our motives in worship. God isn't impressed w/outward expressions of worship that do not come from a changed heart. I believe that proper, genuine worship can only be public after it has been manifested privately.
Next, proper worship requires sacrifice and isn't offered sparingly. The widow gave all she had to live on. If you do a study on what she gave, you find it represented much less than a day's wages. The word "poor" in the original language indicates extreme poverty - she should have been given charity from others. But instead, she gave her whole livelihood to the Lord. Those who poured money into the treasury only gave what they could spare. Think about it - even the OT sacrifical system was NEVER meant to replace living an obedient life (see 1 Sam. 15). God requires all of us in proper worship, and that has a lot more to do with how we live all week, not just what we do on Sunday morning.
Finally, proper worship is driven by a changed life. God has changed us as believers (see Rom. 12:1-2). That changes compels us to become more like Christ everyday. Jesus tells the disciples that the widow gave everything, trusting in the Lord for all she needed (v. 44). We must never be driven to worship only with emotions and circumstances. Those things change constantly. Only what is true and faithful in the Lord will remain. The Romans passage says it all - "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.....do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The NIV says that this is our "spiritual act of worship" to God. Trust me - God can see us inside & out. He knows if our worship is proper and pleasing to Him.
In summary, genuine worship is always transformational. It was never meant to be a Sunday-only experience. It is a moment-by-moment relationship w/God that lasts all week long. It's personal, a one-on-one with God. If this happens, then Sunday morning corporate worship will never be the same.
Pastor Randy
Friday, May 7, 2010
Mother's Day
I've already blogged about my mom before....check out the archives for more on that.
I want to also brag on my wonderful wife, who also will celebrate Mother's Day this coming weekend. I was at a wedding rehearsal tonight, helping one of our church families with their wedding this weekend. As I watched the events of the rehearsal unfold, I was reminded of my own wedding day.
It was almost 22 years ago when that day arrived. I remember well standing in front of the sanctuary at Hayes Barton Baptist Church in Raleigh, waiting for the organ to begin playing, and waiting for Felicia to walk down the aisle. I confess that when the doors were opened and I saw her, I cried. She joined me at the front, and we both began a journey in God's strength that continues to this day.
And now, almost 22 years later, we've seen God do some awesome things in our marriage and family. Felicia is a wonderful wife, and mother to our four children. She compliments me so well in both my school and church ministries. She sacrificed her own career when Megan was born to be a stay-at-home mom, and did this for 15 years or so. Then she gladly re-entered the work force when God called me to NRCA to teach, so we could help make ends meet. She is constantly filling the gap with whatever is needed at the time. Any success I have in ministry is a direct result of her support and encouragement of me.
My wife is a daily testimony to me and our family. And this blog entry is just one way to tell her how much I love her. To God be the glory for what He has done through her. But thank you, Lord, for giving her to me.
Pastor Randy
I want to also brag on my wonderful wife, who also will celebrate Mother's Day this coming weekend. I was at a wedding rehearsal tonight, helping one of our church families with their wedding this weekend. As I watched the events of the rehearsal unfold, I was reminded of my own wedding day.
It was almost 22 years ago when that day arrived. I remember well standing in front of the sanctuary at Hayes Barton Baptist Church in Raleigh, waiting for the organ to begin playing, and waiting for Felicia to walk down the aisle. I confess that when the doors were opened and I saw her, I cried. She joined me at the front, and we both began a journey in God's strength that continues to this day.
And now, almost 22 years later, we've seen God do some awesome things in our marriage and family. Felicia is a wonderful wife, and mother to our four children. She compliments me so well in both my school and church ministries. She sacrificed her own career when Megan was born to be a stay-at-home mom, and did this for 15 years or so. Then she gladly re-entered the work force when God called me to NRCA to teach, so we could help make ends meet. She is constantly filling the gap with whatever is needed at the time. Any success I have in ministry is a direct result of her support and encouragement of me.
My wife is a daily testimony to me and our family. And this blog entry is just one way to tell her how much I love her. To God be the glory for what He has done through her. But thank you, Lord, for giving her to me.
Pastor Randy
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