Not quite here...
Like many, I don't blog much anymore. From time to time a particular thought will run too long for twitter and facebook, but it's particularly rare. If you're looking for fresh content, you'd be much better off following me on Twitter and Facebook, or even checking out http://twillia.ms
(Update 4/15/2009: Many many many people have joined in the past month. I dare say I was right about Twitter reaching critical mass in the Shoals. It will be very difficult to keep up with everyone, but I will soon post an updated list of selected people, and also describe how to find others. I will link to it from here. In the meantime, please enjoy this list which was last updated in late March. Thanks!)
(Update 8/10/2009: I still haven’t compiled my selected list. I hope you’ll should check tollie.org/twitter for various accounts I maintain, like @ShoalsRT. However, my friend @AbstractRandom has begun a user-contributed list, centralized rather cleverly around a twitter account. See @ShaolsList for details.)
Back in January of 2007, when I first started using Twitter, it was what some might call – pointless. I remember the questions I got when I posted this update one night after Step Sing: “Why? What’s the point? Isn’t that dangerous telling everyone where you are all the time?” Virtually no one I knew used the service. I was essentially micro-blogging to myself.
However, with time, Twitter developed an online community and people that found my updates interesting added me and vice-versa. For the majority of these two years, that community has been overwhelmingly homogenous – early adopters in the tech world. Lately, the attention Twitter drew during the 2008 election has helped fuel its mainstreaming, and most lately, I have noticed a surge of Florence, AL area people signing up for Twitter. I believe Twitter is about to reach “critical mass” in Florence, where it will become almost as ubiquitous as Facebook has become.
So I compiled this list. If I have left you or someone or someplace that you know off the list, please add them in the comments. Thanks! Grace and Peace to you.
Tip: Organically, some topics have developed “tags” that help others quickly search for them. To add these (called hashtags), place a # in front of the keyword. For instance, when talking about the Shoals area, add the #shoals hashtag to make it easier for others in the area to find your tweet. Also, #UNA is used for tweets about The University of North Alabama.
Tip: Use the ‘More Info URL’ in your settings to link to your website, Facebook, or Myspace.
Tip: If you like someone else’s tweet and want to share it with your followers, you can “retweet” it. Just type in RT @their_user_name: Their message. For instance, if you want to share my tweet linking to this blog post you can post: “RT @tollie: Twitter is starting 2 go mainstream, so 2 keep up I put together a list of every1 on Twitter in the #Shoals. http://bit.ly/11erK8″
Tip: To add people from this list, login to Twitter first, come back to this page, then hold down Control/CTRL (Windows) or Command/CMD (Mac) while clicking the links below to open their profiles in new tabs. After you’re finished clicking, go through your tabs one by one to Follow people.
People who go to Grace Life Church of the Shoals:
- Me: @tollie
- My girlfriend: @mallorymartin
- Her mom: @almomof4 new to this list
- And her dad, Tim Martin, Director of Media: @timthevoice new to this list
- Tom Clay, Music Minister: @brotom
- Lisa Knight, Anchored in Truth staff: @lisamknight new to this list
UNA staff and faculty:
- Updates: @north_alabama
- Jeremy Britten, Webmaster: @abstractrandom
- Lisa Darnell, College of Business: @lisadarnell
- BJ Wilson: @bpluswils new to this list
Local News/Weather:
- Dan Satterfield, WHTN meteorologist: @danwhnt
- Lori Miller, WHNT Sales / PR @LoriMiller_WHNT
- Daniel from NSSTC Weather: @nsstcweather
- Drew, local weather observer, EMA employee: @drew_richards new to this list
Florence, Al area:
- @abschutt
- @albumpas new to this list
- @alexwittscheck
- @AlmostWilder new to this list
- @AmandaLTerry
- @amyinalabama
- @andrewgatlin
- @anna_lois
- @at_phillips
- @aubreywilson
- @BAMA_DUDE new to this list
- @billgrier new to this list
- @bjhill1318 new to this list
- @BlissBowman
- @BrandieL new to this list
- @BrandiJoO
- @bryanlmiller
- @B_i_B
- @Cannibelle
- @caseynicolec
- @cassylou
- @chadlwashington
- @ChellaBear new to this list
- @ChezloRose new to this list
- @ChristaMW new to this list
- @CindyRushton
- @ckelspacekid
- @coreyoconnor
- @CynthiaY29
- @DaynaDos
- @DeidreBerry
- @drakenoboe
- @drew_richards new to this list
- @eliasdylan
- @eriktheawful
- @ErinMuldoon
- @erinspeed
- @farneman
- @FullMetalNinja
- @GenoBrownAla
- @GMR4LFE new to this list
- @grahamkly
- @grsherrill
- @harascc
- @heathmatlock
- @helloladybird new to this list
- @himynameistyler
- @hollyelam
- @homebrew30 new to this list
- @ilai
- @jamofpearls new to this list
- @jbpounders
- @jciz4u
- @jcwallin new to this list
- @jessemardis new to this list
- @Joe_Bob new to this list
- @johnpaulwhite
- @jpgrbdylan new(er) to this list
- @judyyoung
- @KarieDY
- @ke4sfq new to this list
- @Krashenbern
- @KrissyJill
- @lbjackson84
- @Lilbit86
- @lonniethegirl
- @LowEndBass new to this list
- @luckyone
- @mikerandallteam new to this list
- @mlwilliams4
- @moody609 new to this list
- @mrbradg
- @Mrs_Counts
- @neotigZ
- @nlawrence
- @nlfrederick
- @oh_harley_quinn
- @PaulGrissom
- @pastorbriang new to this list
- @polyameruous
- @rednevednav
- @rickyisbell
- @rjoconnell
- @savthehearts
- @Sawdustpile
- @sebrown154
- @shannakery
- @sharonlovelace
- @shendrix83
- @songlee
- @staycold new to this list
- @Steve35660
- @swiftkaratechop
- @terawages
- @thesournurse
- @timelam
- @tweems66
- @walkingscarlet new to this list
- @walter25 new to this list
- @wasouthard
- @weswages
- @WilliamLenz
- @wsreaves
- @xombienationnn new to this list
- @a35mmMurder new to this list
Florence, Al Bands/Music:
- @Barrelmouth new to this list
- @helloaugust
- @TheRayBrothers
- @Rock1055BigDog
Florence, AL businesses:
- @flomainstreet new to this list
- @goosegrade
- @PetDepot
- @tntfireworks
Bonus: Some other people you might not have known were on Twitter:
- Adam from Myth Busters: @donttrythis
- Levar Burton of Star Trek, Reading Rainbow, and Roots fame: @levarburton
For a Christian, the vivacity of a song of worship is not purely in the notes, the melody, or even the lyrics. There is a certain quality of the music that is only sensed when the Holy Spirt of God is presently working to empower the elect to sing praises to the one who is alone worthy. One can not “bottle up” this quality and place it into a recording. Indeed, the presence of God among a fellowship of believers singing praise to him is an experience that can not be artificially recreated. This recording is not an attempt to re-create it.
There is no worship from music that makes you “feel tingly” inside if it purely the music alone that one pays attention to.
Instead, I’m sharing this recording from the final service of the 2009 True Church Conference at Grace Life Church of the Shoals as a way presenting the ways in which the presence of the Holy Spirit changed other aspects of the music that can be found in the recording – the unique bits of this particular moment. Even without the benefit of the Holy Spirit’s unique presence, the words speak truth, and the beauty of the music echoes the nature of God.
The songs are: Before the Throne, In Christ Alone, and [On Christ the] Solid Rock.
The entire service can be viewed and heard here.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
(A brief note on copyright: It is believed that the use of this material is covered under fair use, as its inclusion is essential to elucidate my commentary.)
For people reading this via my Facebook Notes, you must go to my blog to see the audio player. This post can be found at: http://www.tollie.org/blog/2009/02/22/medley
Where does depression hurt? It hurts everywhere. It’s like the ‘Check Engine’ light is on, and we’ve learned how to break the light. We have no sense of being crushed under our own sin. Instead, we try to remove that weight.
Unbiblical, anti-truth:
- Rob Bell: “no need for brokenness”
- The Shack (endorsed by Eugene Patterson, and Steven Curtis Chapman): “God submits to, needs people.”
- Rick Warren: “You don’t have to tell people they’re sinners; they already know this.”
Psalms 51:1-19
“Blot out” – like the flood
“Wash me” – like on a washboard
“Cleanse me” – a ceremonial style
=== I ===
Ps 51:8
Brokenness is an appropriate response to sin because sin leaves behind ‘scar tissue’ – a mark on us. See Romans 7:23-24.
=== II ===
PS. 51:3
Brokenness is an appropriate response to sin so that _we_ don’t forget our sins. God can forget, but _we_ can’t. We must realize that sins create memories that stay with us. This is good because:
1. If you could forget your sins, you could never testify to the forgiveness of God!
2. If you could forget, you wouldn’t be warned against doing them again. Imagine if we could forget that fire is hot…
3. If you could forget, you couldn’t celebrate your victory over sin – our triumphs through Christ.
=== III ===
Revelation 19:11-16
Brokenness is appropriate response to sin because our sin is an affront to a holy God.
“People don’t know that they’re bad. They watch the nightly news and think that _those_ people are bad.” Compare this to Rick Warren telling preachers that people already know they’re sinners.
We need to be done with this image of Christ as a weak, needy, feeble guy. Revelation 19:11-16. He is a God capable of great wrath.
He demonstrates his own wrath when he poured it out on his own son! How dare we think that he would do that to his own son, but because we’re “not that bad” he could never be that wrathful against us!
Unbiblical: “He wants you. He needs you. He’s desperate for you. You’re breaking his heart.”
Biblical: “He’s going to break you.”
People come into church looking to be appeased, thinking they’re owed something. Preachers are guilty of “trampling [his] courts” (Isaiah 1:10-18) when they hold these services that “target” sinners, gearing them towards a man-centric goal. These people say things like “_I_ prayed a prayer. _I_ have changed my ways.” No. Preach the word!
=== IV ===
Brokenness is an appropriate response to sin because sin is a hindrance to the true worship of a holy God.
Ps. 51:7-10.
Worship is an outward expression of brokenness.
In some churches, they say brokenness is an inappropriate response to sin. They say “you’re a Christian – you’re forgiven.” May it never be that we forget the weight of our sin. Brokenness is the _only_ appropriate response to sin. It’s not to wallow and indulge in self-pitty (that would be just as wrong); it’s not to make you feel bad. It’s to get you in the place where you realize God’s grace and glorify HIM.
In an of myself, all that I can do is continue to crumble under the weight of my own sin.
Romans 3:9
=== I ===
There is no difference between ministers past and present, here or there. All are under sin. Compare Romans 3 to Genesis – a moral change took place in their beings; same today.
=== II ===
Romans 8:7 – People fall under two categories. Those whom are saved (the Spirit has fallen) and those in whom the Spirit has not worked (the unrepentant).
The unrepentant, unsaved: (a reminder) Hostile to God. Enemies of God. May be religious. May be church going people who worship a god of their own making. For example, may worship a god who doesn’t mind that they are living in sin; a god who “tickles them” in the midst of their sin. Romans 8:8 – they _cannot_ please God.
=== III ===
Romans 3:10-18 is what God says about self-righteous Israel.
Human beings are in a state of mutiny.
Anecdote: We are like individuals who are blind and arguing about whether there is a sun or not, yet the very reason we are having this discussion is because we feel the suns rays! We can not see the full glory of God’s face, but we certainly should recognize that he is there.
=== IV ===
It is to people in this state of rebellion that believers are called to preach – “repent or perish.”
IMPORTANT: Why? We just said that they _can’t_ turn from their sins. They can’t please God. They are dead in their sin, and spiritual enemies against their God.
Truth: they _can’t_ turn from their sins, this is to the glory of our God – it is his grace redeems them. So that when anyone repents and turns from sin, it can be entirely to the glory of God. This also demonstrates that God is not a passive savior of the past, but he is an active savior in the present, reaching out to sinners. It is in this goodness of God that is our hope. God knows who are his and, through the preaching of the gospel, will bring them to himself.
Related to the anecdote above: “It is in this pitch black darkness of depravity that God is saving souls.”
=== V ===
Let us fill the church with unconverted pagans. God, let them hear the Word, and God be glorified.
Media link: Video – Starts at 3:43 mark.
My thought: today, we behold the bare cross as a sight of hope and somber remembrance. In glory, we will behold the actual countenance of God in complete satisfaction.
Speaker: Conrad Mbewe – pastor from Zambia.
Psalms 2:1-12.
Psalms chapter 1 and 2 serve as introduction to Psalms. They weren’t written first.
Psalms 1:1 starts with “Blessed.”
Psalms 2:12 ends with “Blessed.”
Because true human happiness is only found in God.
Psalms 1: Microscopic view.
Psalms 2: Macroscopic view.
Psalms 2 is divided like scenes from a play; 3 verses per scene.
* Psalms 2:1-3: (Video @ 48:59) God empowered David. David acted boldly because he knew that it was only by God’s permission that he was empowered at all.
* Psalms 2:4-6: (Video @ 56:35) God laughed. Consider: Parents walking down hallway, listening to their children in their rooms plotting an overthrow. The parents can’t help but laugh- they are plotting the overthrow of the their parents who own the house, bought the clothes, and paid the electric bill. It is laughable their desire to overthrow. The parents further realize that this behavior is wrong and sinful, and ground the children.
* Psalms 2:7-9: (Video @ 67:19) “Son” is talking. Compare these verses to Acts 13 talking about the resurrection. Don’t attempt to judge God by the church or by the weaponry of the Gospel.
* Psalms 2:10-12: (Video @ 78:31) Listening to a town crier who is decreeing the news of the King so the people can relate appropriately. Message: “stop – you are headed to destruction.”
Anecdote: The church is in trouble. Adultery and worse. Believers suing others and arguing over pastor’s pay, as a result the pastor takes no salary. Factions in the church – power struggles… Would you look to the church as a model? God did…
2 Corinthians 9:1-7
*** Principles of Giving ***
** Purpose of Offering **
* Missions (2 Corinthians 9:1)
History of the faith offering. Founder of (?) church: A.B. Simpson. Also, Dr. Oswald J. Smith of The People’s Church in Toronto, Canada.
* Motivation (2 Corinthians 9:2)
To motivation Corinthians to give, and to use them as a model for Macedonians.
2 Corinthians 3:2 commentary: “The best proof of Paul’s ministry validity.”
Acts 17:11.
** Plan for Offering **
2 Corinthians 9:3 – Sent team ahead to prepare the people for the offering.
Titus (2 Cor 8:6,16), and two others (2 Cor 8:18-19,22).
2 Thessalonians 3:7-9.
Bro Jeff: “Did Paul lose his mind here? This is a very pragmatic – I don’t even like that word in church – pragmatic approach… to getting people to give.”
The Bible allows for great flexibility in how a church supports their ministry. “Give it all to the Lord” – don’t make needs known – that’s ok too. But so is Paul’s pragmatic approach here.
** The provisions for the offering **
2 Corinthians 9:6-7.
Founded by men who faithfully tithed: Colgate, Heinz, J.C. Penny, Quaker Oats Cereal.
“If you can’t give joyfully, don’t give… Our God honors not the size of your gift, but the greatness of your sincerity.”
* Moonlighting for missions
* Lifestyle adjustments for missions
… examples: coke a day, family eating out, turning cable off, not buying a boat.
* Caution: ‘Money from nowhere’ – if you really feel led to do so, giving on complete faith.
Angels anecdote (grace).
Hebrews 13:7-8. Context: the people embraced Christ, but their culture was anti-Christ. They were asking themselves “Is this ok?”
How often have you sat down with someone who is backslidden and asked “How much time have you spent remembering?”
Jeremiah 6:16
“The chrurch should be reformed and always reforming back to the ancient paths.”
Jeff: “I don’t encourage alliteration in the outline, but this one just fell into place.”
## 1: the divine office they held
Hebrews 13:7
Role of pastor: “lead” = guide / chief / governor. Bishop and overseer – same word.
1 timothy 3:1, Ephesians 4:11 (Pastor whose job is Teacher) (Whatever they have it’s a gift given by God so they can give to the church.
The pastor is an extension of Christ’s authority and rule – the office of Christ. (My thought: “mini pope?”)
FBC Dallas, tx: “a benevolent dictator”
Matthew 20:25-28, 1 Peter 5:2, 2 timothy 4:2.
** “The pastor has no legislative power. The church doesn’t even have a legislative branch. The legislation has been laid down… in the Bible… Someone should tell the Catholic church this.”
Hebrews 13:7
Honor them not for their person but for their position – it’s the office of power that God has ordained.
## 2: the doctrine doctrine they preached.
“Remember those who ‘spoke’ the word.” the great business of the church is the speaking of the word of God.
2 Cor 4:2.
Some people piece together the Bible in a man centered way – this is adulterating the word.
Should be proper historical and grammatical context.
“The church shouldn’t develop and appetite for clever, seasoned speech that is only sprinkled with the word of God.”
1 Cor 2:1
## 3: Remember the discipleship they preached.
Acts 6:11-14, Acts 7:54-60
My thoughts: Proof that the office of pastor isn’t, however, inerrant – Jeff: “More pastors read Spurgeon than any other book ever written.”
Bro Jeff also says that a lot of the modern biographers skew the doctrinal beliefs of prominent calvinists because of the market favors non-calvinistic books right now.
Translated to Glory
Revelation 12:5-13
Revelation 7:14-17
## 4: Divine presence they possessed.
Immutability of God. Martyrs and heroes of the church’s past had the power of Christ, and he’s the same Christ today that he was then.
Jeff: “People say funny things about us. No, they say mean things about us, let’s be honest.” (because of the church’s commitment to historical Baptist doctrines and uniqueness apart from others)
—-
random Tollie thought:
What is the purpose served by the “audience cam”?
Is it to provide relevance, so that viewers can relate to and connect subconsciously with others in the church? If so, is this biblical? I don’t know. The gathering of believers is certainly black-and-white ordained. The question is “why” is it ordained. Perhaps part of the reason for gathering together is that there is a tangible rationale – sociological reinforcement that others are also participating, which leads to greater participation and involvement. If so, digitally, the audience cam may be a way to help augment the subconscious sociological influences, thus digitally providing more of the “nutrition” provided by attending a biblical church than would be provided by preaching alone.
On the other hand, is it for aesthetics alone? If so, then this is biblical as God is certainly pleased by Christ honoring art (like the art of music used in musical worship), but I would contend that perhaps this aesthetic worship is better provided for by the artful portion of worship (the singing/music), and not necessary during the preaching/teaching portion of worship.
I decided to cut back on the number of podcasts I subscribe and listen to. So I went from this (MindNode image of the OPML file):
To this (iTunes screen shot):
Podcasts I listen to / watch
Anchored in Truth: recorded sermons from the ministry of Jeff Noblit.
Best of YouTube: particularly entertaining and amazing clips selected from YouTube.
Buzz Out Loud: CNET’s premier technology news’tainment podcast.
Geeks and God: Podcast about ministry utilizing technology.
Harry Potter Prognostications, MuggleCast, and Pottercast:: Harry Potter fandom podcasts.
The Naked Scientists: British (hence the humor in the title) science radio podcast. (No nudity. Very G rated.)
NPR: This I Believe: I listen to not for entertainment (it’s not very entertaining), but as a window into non-Christian culture.
Radio Leo (iTunes Link): Most of the TWiT network podcasts – technology news’tainment.
Starkville’s House of El Smallville Podcast: fandom cast about Superman and Smallville.
Tekzilla: Veronica Belmont and Patrick Norton using The Screen Savers model for tech news reporting.
This week in Science: Second in my mind to The Naked Scientists, another science weekly podcast – this one American. I feel like they inject their worldview and political opinions into the science too often, however.
The 10th Wonder: The best Heroes (NBC drama) podcast, IMHO. Also, these guys do the most interactive mass audience live show on the ‘net Monday night’s after Heroes airs (more listening/reposnding to viewers than TWiT, or any other live show I’ve watched).
60 Second Science: So so weekly science podcast in one minute chunks.
Rick Warren anecdote, c. 20 years ago. Rick: “people know they’re sinners, you don’t have to tell them that.”
my thoughts: why do we count attendance numbers?
Purpose Statement: God’s will for any church in any generation.
Grace Life’s wording: “To glorify God, by obediently making and equipping disciples of Christ, in the Shoals and throughout the world, by the power of the Spirit.”
“If you focus on glorifying God, you meet men’s needs more than if you focus on meeting men’s needs.”
II: “obediently”
my thoughts: do we *really* not need to “learn anything” about modern culture? I think we do. It’s how we apply it that makes it a moral issue.
“Our goal should be obedience, not success” – Consider how many followers _left_ Jesus as he announced he was going to Israel to *die*.
John 14:15, Acts 5:23, Romans 16:19
III: “making and equipping disciples”
Matt 28:18-20
Does not say “get decisions” or “get responses” or “mark cards” by “make disciples” (which is beyond just baptism).
Gospel is in the message, not the method.
Anecdotes about fire-truck baptisms (lights, sirens go off when kids are baptized), and magician evangelists. “If it takes a magician to get them to accept Christ, what does it take to keep them serving Christ? Barnum and Bailey?”
III-a: Difference between “using the Bible” and “preaching the word”
Example of “the difference between using the Bible to reach a conclusion of their own, and those who preach the word and let the word be the conclusion? The difference between Rick Warren and John MacArthur.”
Romans 10:14-15
“Usually when you go multimedia and drama the preaching goes down… and the entertainment quotient goes up.”
III-b: Small Groups
“There is no place for a spectator in the church” – ever member a ministry.
- Moses organized the OT Jewish nation, – The way Jesus organized his followers – The way Paul organized the NT church (Acts)
Promise Keepers anecdote: “If the church would be the church, you wouldn’t need Promise Keepers.”
III-c: Family Discipleship
me: Judging a kid based on pink hair and piercings, etc is wrong. As a general rule, I agree with Bro Jeff’s idea that it’s a cry of insecurity, but I say that’s not an absolute truth, and that when it is a cry for help, it’s not always prideful/sinful – some people do not know how to ask for help in a non-self-centered way, just like a baby is not sinful for crying when it’s hungry.
IV: In the Shoals and throughout the World
The church has a global calling. It’s the only command given in 5 books of the NT.
John 8:12, 4:42, 3:16
1 John 2:2
“Get the gospel right, or don’t do missions.”
Acts 13:1-4
V: By the power of the Spirit
Matt 28:20
“This gospel will not sell to the modern generation, but it will save them, if God’s in it.”
Col 1:28-29
Learned: when people at GLiCoS are baptized, they don’t have to read what they share (as all I’ve seen have), they just normally choose to do so. What they’re reading is the testimony they submitted to their counselors to demonstrate that their regeneration is real. (Meaningful membership.)
The glory of God is everything. He is most glorified through his church. Churches need revival and reformation (in that order). This means suffering for God’s shepherds and God’s people.
Matt 16:13-18, 21-23
Peter: “home run” on getting right who Jesus is.
Upon the rock of the _truth_ that Peter recognized, God would build his church.
Peter: “strike out” on trying to override God’s interests with man’s.
Many churches have only the form of Godliness but not the power of: The prominent pattern of those who walk by the spirit is God worshiping, treasuring, humble, self-denying, sacrificial people.
“Just when we need the church the most, it has become just like us.”
How do you think the disciples felt when Jesus told them “I’m going to leave you to go die?”
16.4 million people labeled “Southern Baptist” because they marked a card, one-third of them go to church, and most of those don’t behave like Christians.
I disagree: “We need to repent of freudian, atheistic psychology. We need to repent of our esteem of the studies of sociology…”
I agree: “We don’t need psychology and sociology and the study of community demographics to design His church.”
Purpose Statement: God’s will for any church in any generation.
Grace Life’s wording: “To glorify God, by obediently making and equipping disciples of Christ, in the Shoals and throughout the world, by the power of the Spirit.”
* To Glorify God
Ephesians 3:21.
Be bought the church with his own blood. Acts 20:28
The church is the body, Christ is the head. Consider: does a report ask the legs how they accomplished the task when they’ve run a race? The head gets the attention.
The church is his bride. Ephesians 5. This is not our church – it is his church. Everyone is expendable to the end of the glory of God.
