National Fine Arts 2010!

What a trip! It was really a blessing being able to go to NFAF in Detroit this year. Not only was it a great time of ministering and developing our God given gifts. But as a group we all became a lot closer. And some much needed healing took place between friendships. It was a powerful week. And I cant wait for Phoenix next year!

At districts in 2010 I got a 39 out of 40
At Nationals with the same sermon I got 36 out of 40

A lot better then last year lol What do you think?





Galatians: How are you saved?

Galatians is the earliest letter we have from the apostle Paul.
And it holds the two most important key arguments for the entire first century church and today.

Galatians 1:6-8 &10 (New American Standard Bible)

6I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
7which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
8But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

10For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

The first important key on top of the table is simply this:
1. How are we saved?

Paul is quick to call out the Galatians on how they are saved, verse 6 says;
6I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel.

Paul asking the Galatians the same question that we need to ask today. Does the cross of Christ alone save you? Or are you saved by the cross PLUS something else.
It’s a huge question, and most churches at some point will add something else to the cross, some obligation that you have to fulfill.

Some people come from a tradition that says. You are saved by the cross, plus not using instrumental music. Some say, you are saved by the cross, plus not drinking or smoking, and going to church every Sunday and giving tithes. Some come from the tradition that says you are saved be the cross plus rosary beads.
Something always seems to be added.

See, Paul went to the regions of Galatia on his first missionary journey, and the names of the churches he’s writing to are Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derby.

We know this because Acts 13-14 tells the story of Paul planting churches in these areas, we even have recorded part of Paul’s first public sermon, you can read it yourself, but pretty much what happens was the Jews were trying to add circumcision to the cross and the people of Antioch are going crazy over how Paul was trying to correct them.

He goes in to the synagogue and says to the Jews “The Messiah has come” and they all went “YEYY!!!” And then he comes back the next week and the place is packed with people and there saying “Tell us more, tell us more” so he says “ok, last week I said the messiah has come” and all the Jews are like “YEY!!!” and then he’s say “This week I’m telling you the messiah is not just for Jews, he’s for ALL people!” and all the gentiles in the crowed went “YEY!!” and all the Jews went “Say what?!”

Whenever the church gets too big that we don’t all look alike problems begin to take place just like the controversy between the Jews and Gentiles.
So the first key argument on top of the table is “how are we saved” and the second key argument underneath the table is

2. “Who gets to run the church?”

Too many times we begin to think we are more fit to run the church then the Holy Spirit.

After Paul left, the Jewish rabies were going in and saying, we are saved by the cross plus circumcision.

Look, whenever some one starts adding something to the cross, it’s for them. So that they can maintain control.

When Paul goes back a second week to Antioch and they ran him out of town. He continues to travel around, but the political power keeps having him thrown out of the towns. At one point he even gets stoned and nursed back to health by some local Christians. One thing after another keeps happening. But he continues to reach out to these people.

When we go back to Galatians ch. 1, where later Paul gives his testimony, he sounds a little angry. He’s telling them, you know me; I was a persecutor of the church. I was heading to Damascus; I had letters of extradition in my hand. I had beat up men and women, thrown them in jail. I had killed people!
And then I took a 180. Why? Because Jesus appeared to me.
Paul says my own life is my testimony!
Have these Judaizers suffered for you? Did these Judaizers get stoned for you? Did these Judaizers risk their lives for you? I’m telling you, I gave my life for you people.

He says in chapter 6:17
“17From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.”
He had been beaten with rods, he had been thrown in prison, he had been stoned, he had all kinds of scares for these churches. He’s saying, I love you church. And the reason Paul sounds so angry here is because, he loved the church so much there and felt betrayed. And some guy coming in trying to change the gospel because it’s convenient for them. That’s not gonna fly with Paul.

He summarizes the core of the gospel as early as chapter 1 vs. 4. Starting in vs. 3 it says:
“3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
4who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”

Paul says you can lose your salvation, and if you do it will be because of your attempt to save yourself. Rather trusting in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Don’t get me wrong, its good to have goals, and try to live your life to glorify God.
But those actions are not what saves you.
You cannot pay for your sins. All the legalism, all the self-righteousness, all the earning and points to God, all that heresy will kill you.
Christ CHANGED EVERYTHING when he died on the cross for us.
Lets stop being part of the problem.
Lets grab a hold of his truths, and start letting our lives glorify Christ instead of ourselves.