All The Single Ladies (And Guys)

I love me some Perry Noble. Agree or disagree (and I have done both), he is passionate and speaks with conviction about the things he believes God has called him to do and say.

I read his blog. You can read his blog here.

Perry's church, NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina, is doing a series on singles. You can watch or listen to the messages here.

And you can read Perry's latest blog post right here, because I thought this was good enough information to copy and pass on to you.

If you're not single, I bet this would spark a great conversation with somebody who is.

And if you are single?

Think about it.

I/We Should Break Up Because…
Perry Noble

So…we’re in a singles series now (which, by the way, the married people are loving!) This past Sunday I challenged the guys…and this coming Sunday I will be speaking to the girls…and the following Sunday my wife Lucretia will be joining me on the stage for a live Q & A in every service.

One of the questions I often get by guys/girls is how do I know whether or not we should stay together or break up…so…let me throw a few things out there that I hope may be helpful…

I SHOULD BREAK UP WHEN/IF…
#1 – The other person (usually the guy) ceases to pursue me and make me feel special/valuable. (If he is a slacker before marriage…it will be HORRIBLE after marriage!)

#2 – If our relationship is based on sex. (If you are having sex then you are not experiencing true intimacy. SO…when you get married you are going to discover that you have nothing to talk about because you built your relationship with the hay and straw of sexual experiences and not the bricks of self control and discipline.)

#3 – If they are not fun then they’re not the one! (Seriously…if you do not enjoy being with him/her and/ore spending time with them before the marriage…why in the heck would you ever think that you will after marriage? Don’t marry someone that you don’t like–DUH!!!)

#4 – The Holy Spirit is pressing you to end the relationship. (There are SO many people I’ve spoken with that KNOW the Lord is pressing into them to end the dating relationship…but because of their insecurities they just won’t do it. If God is commanding you to give something up that means He has something greater in store. Even though you can’t see it…He can!!! I Corinthians 2:9)

#5 – You KNOW you aren’t going to marry the person you are dating. (Dating was not created to be some sort of hobby/sport. So…when you KNOW that the relationship is NOT heading beyond its current condition…you KNOW that he or she is NOT the person God has for you…END IT! Don’t date someone just so you won’t be alone…this situation ALWAYS goes bad because so many people get married “just because we thought it was the next step!”)

#6 – He/she is always flirting with other people…and/or he/she isn’t faithful to you before marriage. (If they AREN’T being faithful before marriage…they won’t be after marriage either!!!)

#7 – You think, “he/she isn’t who I want them to be…but I can change them.” (PLEASE READ THIS…YOU ARE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT, YOU CAN’T CHANGE ANYONE!!! God is the ONLY ONE who can change someone…and reality is the reason God may not be changing the person you are with is because you are in the way…and your compromise does not bring that person closer to Christ…it drives him/her away!)

Getting Things Done!

It sure was nice to pull up to the PCC property today and see things moving again! Dennis Green and Charlie Towler spent some time surveying the job site as the electricians ratcheted things up and the dump trucks moved dirt for a parking lot.
We're so grateful for the leadership of Dennis, Chris Ashman, Chauncey Starkey and others who have managed this process so that we can move forward once again.

There is much going on in the life of our church as people grow and change and dig deeper into their relationship with God and with others. Seeing some tangible progress on the construction site is another exciting development.

We are grateful!

My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long. Psalm 35.28

Colors

I’m thanking you, God, from a full heart, I’m writing the book on your wonders. - Psalm 9.1, The Message

Today, I am thankful for color.

The way the sun dances on the front of the storage building in the back yard.

(Which was built by my friend Andy, for whom I am also grateful.)

A carpet of leaves layers the ground outside my kitchen window, covering up the lack of landscaping attention so sorely needed. Now it just looks leafy. Kind of like throwing a nice quilt over a sofa that's seen better days.

Autumn is my favorite time of year; at least that is so in October and November, when the colors are passionate and full of the demonstrative glory of change. For most of my life, I've been all about the changing; rearranging the furniture, finding a new job, starting a new hobby.

I'm settling down in my old age, I suppose. I am more reluctant to change, more aware of the toll and time it takes. I'm a good bit more comfortable.

But the colors of fall remind me that there is glory in death and beauty in transition.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Brawley

Sunday Setlist 11.8.09

I've been getting some grief from folks who are unhappy with my lack of blogging consistency. I'll try to rectify that in coming weeks, starting with a recap of today's service and our new series at PCC.

After finishing our WIRED series, which focused on our individual relationship with God and spiritual discipleship, we are intentionally leaning towards a discussion of the character of God and who he is during these next few weeks. We've chosen a few adjectives for the messages, but they are by no means exhaustive. Our goal is to prompt thinking and generate your own exploration of who God is through the Bible, small group studies and prayer.

Our graphics team came up with a cool image. (One trivial tidbit of info concerns the blackboard in the series graphic image. That's a REAL blackboard from the VCU campus in the image...)

Here's the way the service ran today. For you local PCC folks, I encourage you to follow the links on the songs and add these tunes to your playlist. Worshiping throughout the week to songs that connect to your Sunday experience can provide some powerful moments for you to praise God and for him to speak to you. Click on any song to find it on iTunes.

God Is Great - Hillsong - This is an older tune that we did for the first time today because of the obvious connection to the series title. Easy to learn, lots of energy - it worked and was a lot of fun to lead.

Your Love Never Fails - Chris Quilala - The students have led this song at FOCUS and found it to be a powerful worship song. We were excited to "steal" it this morning. It was great to have Joseph and Samara lead with us; they are regular members of the FOCUS band, and it was cool to have them leading in the Big Room today!

We had a great 'Man On the Street' video that was shot by Rachel, a PCC student. A quick visit to Cary Street generated some interesting responses.

So Great - Michael W Smith, Israel Houghton, etc. - Bob Pino sent this song to me and strongly encouraged us to add it to the mix. It was more powerful than we ever imagined when we finally arrived at today's service. More than anything, it was awesome to look out over the crowd and see people responding physically; I saw a woman standing, hands open, eyes closed, simply worshiping God. Sarah said she saw a man standing in the upper section with his hands raised, looking like an angel worshiping God. Those are the most powerful moments for the musicians and production team - when we are prompted to interact with God in the middle of a service. When we witness it in the crowd, it's incredibly moving. I want to do this song again, soon.

Brian's message focused on the idea that God is safe. He taught about sheep and the imagery of Jesus as our shepherd. You can hear the message on the PCC website (www.powhatancc.org). Click on the 'TELL ME MORE" tab and find the message date - you can listen live or download it to your computer or iPod.

Safe - Natalie Grant - Our closing song was an intense reminder of the promise of God - when we are willing to trust him, he will meet us where we are. One particular line in the chorus has stuck with me all day: "Your love has mended my blisters and bruising shame/here with you I am safe".

The unique aspect to today's service - and something we'll keep out for the next four weeks - were two large boards painted with chalkboard paint, set at either side of the stage. As he began the message, Brian invited folks to come at any time - even while he was talking - and react to the statement "God is..." by writing their response on the chalkboard. We provided sidewalk chalk of various colors. People moved - during his message, during the closing song and then after the service ended. It was really cool - almost a holy moment - to read what people had written.

It was a good day. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks!

If you were there, we'd love to hear your thoughts about the service! Leave them in the comment section below.

This post is part of the Sunday Setlist blog carnival at www.fredmckinnon.com. Check it out for more updates about Sunday services around North America!

A Smaller Solution

I'm having a rough time right now.

Lots of things swirling together to make a recipe for the autumn blues.

Family and relational challenges. Kids growing up, stretching their wings and breaking things in the process.

A friend's illness.

Another friend who is processing his wife's illness.

Life changes that bring about anxiety, stress, regrets and concern.

The consistent lack of time to accomplish all that needs to be done.

sounds like. a cup of soup, a good workout, some comfy socks, and a long-distance hug may seem like temporary fixes. but we live life in days and moments, so it sometimes makes sense that when a bigger solution is not to be found, a smaller one is held out. and it fits.

These words of wisdom came today from a friend, via a Facebook chat. I think she's got a great point.

It's the little things that get us through the day.

100.1 Degrees

I did something very unusual today; I called in sick to work.

On a Sunday.

A friend called this afternoon and told me that she didn't really notice that I wasn't there.

That's good.

Seriously.

David's been sick since Friday afternoon with a fever and congestion; some variance of the mess that's going around this county like crazy. I'm not sure whether it's H1N1 or a virus or a cold or what - but he's sick. Last night he woke me up around 3:00 AM with crazy jibberish and tears and cold sweats. It scared me; I had read up on H1N1 last night just to be sure I knew what to look for - just in case - and they made mention of possible neurological issues along with the respiratory challenges of this illness to children.

At that point, I knew I would stay with him, although I had already made plans for somebody else to cover for me this morning so that I could lead worship while David stayed home. I changed my mind.

I called some key folks at 6:00 AM to let them know that adjustments would have to be made.

They adjusted, I stayed home and watched David sleep until noon and was at complete peace with my decision.

The more I let go, the more I learn. Life goes on without me.

Church goes on without me.

There are days when I appreciate that. Today was one, when my son was snuggled against me, sleeping off his illness and feeling safe.

We Have A Relationship Now

I got one of these today.

I feel so incredibly blessed.

And inspired to create.

It's interesting that a piece of machinery can evoke such a response; but this one does.

There are musical and photographic and film projects lurking in my head that I intend to coax out, with the help of this lovely little glowworm.

I've wanted a Mac laptop for a long time.

Seems like the older I get, the more I am inclined to appreciate quality. Maybe that happens naturally as you mature.

I'm learning to value - and invest in - the best of the best.

Applications abound.

Tonight, let's limit it to the MacBook Pro.

Woo hoo!