Resting

I know that lately things have been NUTS with everything around us. Feelings of insecurity have been swallowing us (especially me) each day. We constantly feel as though we have been fighting with ALL we have to get ahead. We have to release these feelings and the things that so easily ensnare us. The things that weigh us down and hold us under as if we are trapped underwater and not able to move, gasping for air. Things that, if we let them, will eat away at our very core and will steal the joy that we have been given in Christ. Since Sunday, which feels like a month ago now b/c of the long week already, I have been living and resting in this passage. Ephesians 3:14-21:

  ¹⁴For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵from whom his whole family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 ²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

I have to remember that my first response is to kneel, on my face to Him, from whom everything derives it’s name (Genesis 1:1). I have to pray to remind myself of the POWER that is ALIVE in me! I have to truly remember and bask in the fact that the Father’s love is alive IN me, that I might be reminded that I am filled to the measure of ALL the fullness of God. And that NOTHING, NOTHING is impossible for Him. May all the glory both now and forever in my life be to Him, through Christ Jesus. My prayer is that we, in these trials (James 1:2, so much easier said than done) may truly grasp and see how wide, how long, how high and how deep is the Father’s love for us in Christ.

Can I just say as well how much I LOVE our church and Pastor?!! He is always pastoring/sheparding those whom God has brought around him. As I was thinking about this and writing this he posted this on Twitter as his weekly “Tozer Tuesdays” quotes continue: “”We please God most, not by frantically trying to make ourselves good, but by throwing ourselves into His arms”- AW TOZER”- @louiegiglio

Even when I come to the point of not even knowing where to start in praying to Him. When my hope is lost and my faith has stopped: “²⁶Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For^(A) we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but^(B) the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Romans 8:26″

I am, you are, prayed for today… not just by each other but FIRST, by the very Spirit of God that lives in us. “Christ in you, the HOPE of glory” Col 1:27

So as we pray, as we humble ourselves and let go of all control: ⁷Submit yourselves therefore to God.^(A) Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ^8(B) Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. James 4:7

CH

No words…just tears

“No mountain, no valley
No gain or loss we know
Could keep us from Your love
 
No sickness, no secret
No chain is strong enough
To keep us from Your love
To keep us from Your love
 
How high, how wide
No matter where I am
Healing is in Your hands
How deep, how strong
Now by Your grace I stand
Healing is in Your hands”

 

“Healing is in Your hands” written by Christy Nockels. This song will be on the “Passion: Awakening” record coming out 03/09/10.

 

Remember today that we are SO loved by the King! Romans 8 tells us that we are CHILDREN of the Most High God, redeemed Christ Jesus, the CREATOR of all we see and experience. Co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:12-17). We have a future glory in Him, for Him and by Him…With everything going on around us, in us and through us He has encouragement for you today. HIS will, the FATHER’S will for us, that glorifies Him is here in Romans 8:18-30. Tears are flowing from my face right now. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! As the creation, as CHILDREN of Him we know that the sufferings we face don’t even compare with the glory that is to be revealed to us (8:18-25) and that He, the Spirit of God, HELPS us in our weakness. Remember the times we come before God and have NO idea what to pray about, check this out: but the Spirit of himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the WILL of God(vs26-27). He has called us, predestined us for His will, therefore He has promised to work all things for our good according to His will…WOW! If it didn’t hit you like it just hit me, read it again…

 

I love the way this chapter resolves: vs 31: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who could be against us?” Then Paul keeps going and just lays it out for us, NOTHING, NOOOTTTHHHIINNNGGG can stand against God’s elect! Christ died, but more importantly he is RISEN…DEATH DEFEATED! And He is interceding for us (vs 32-34)…again with the tears… we are more than conquerors (vs 37)! 

 

 Face today with this confidence: the King of the universe knows your name, your struggles, your triumphs. He is RIGHT NOW interceding for you, according to His will and glory. And that is the only place I want to be…

 

Please stop what you are doing and read through Romans 8 and may the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit of Him, the One who lives in you speak this truth, love and power on you today!

Stonecreek Church- 12/13

It was the last Sunday of the year for the student services at Stonecreek Church. We ended big yesterday. We really wanted to end shouting out “You are the One, we’re living for!” Here’s how the set worked out.

Angels We Have Heard on High (Traditional Hymn, translated by James Chadwick)

My Soul Magnifies the Lord (Chris Tomlin/Daniel Carson)

Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy) (Isaac Watts, George F. Handel arr & Additional chorus Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Matt Gilder)

Sing Sing Sing (Chris Tomlin, Daniel Carson, Jesse Reeves, Travis Nunn, Matt Gilder)

Thanks to Stonecreek Church and Dustin Dozier for an amazing year with the students. Looking forward to an amazing 2010!

Chris

Been a while…

HELLO!

it’s been a while since my last blog and I just wanted to drop by and say hello to any and everyone who reads this. It’s been a busy and amazing few months. Thanks for the prayers, love and encouragement! i know it sounds so cliche to say but God has been moving in ways that only He can. James 1:17 has been so ALIVE to me recently, even in the frustrating times. I will leave you with this thought from Isaiah 66 for now…

” Has not my hand made all these things,
       and so they came into being?”
       declares the LORD.
       “This is the one I esteem:
       he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
       and trembles at my word.

Do we, as Christ followers, TREMBLE at His word? Do we LOVE His word, His Spirit, His direction? More updates coming soon…

Chris

Wisdom

over the past few weeks the things I have been learning have really ROCKED my world and preparing me for the next season in my life. now, i’m not sure where and when the season will take place but I do know that God’s word tells me to always be ready. be ready to give an answer for the question you are asked. be ready and in all you do acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight. i once heard Louie Giglio quote someone as saying this “the Holy Spirit speaks to us through the word of God that we know”. let that marinate for a minute…

in navigating through this life there are so many choices to be made and God’s word is FULL of timeless unfailable truthes. there are two of them that have really opened my eyes recently.

Proverbs 27:12 (NIV)  “the prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it”

I love what the Message  version says, check this out: “A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks;
   a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered.”

this passage is amazing. the prudent or “wise” see danger or trouble coming and do something about it. they act, they don’t talk about their “intentions” but they do what is necessary to their direction because that alone determines your destination. But the simple minded blindly keep going and will suffer for it. Andy Stanley’s book “The Principal of the Path” defines this thought and concept.

the 2nd passage has been something God has been using to shape me over the past 3 years.

2 Corinthians 4:18  “as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

everything we see in this world that is of this world is temporary. the season you are in now, whether good or bad, is temporary. You are not going to be there forever! focus on the unseen, focus on the movement of God in your life. Proverbs tells us to lean not on our own understanding but in ALL of our ways acknowledge Him. here is a thought that has been literally ROCKIN my world. We always pray about and give God control over the things that we have no control over. Things like, traveling mercies, your kids friends, your salvation. Of course you give Him control over that stuff because we have NO control over it. However, will we give Him control over the things we do well. Our talents, jobs, the thing we do have control over. Will we TRULY give Him all control and focus on the unseen?!?!

God has also really opened my eyes to what it means to be a lead worshipper through music/song and as a true “Christ-follower” and what it means to be a steward of the talents and gifts God has given you. In the days and months to come i will be recording some videos on this topic. there is just too much information to type. THANK you for all the prayers, comments and for even reading this. I truly hope and pray that God speaks to you today and the days to come, through His word that you know!!

GREATER THINGS~!

Chris

Sunday Set List- 08/02- Stonecreek Church

Hello everyone. Well, this past Sunday was amazing!! God showed up in some HUGE ways at Stonecreek Church in Alpharetta. Here was the set list we used:

Freedom is Here- Hillsong United

Faithful- Alex Nifong (Kristian Stanfill‘s version)

Chainbreaker- Charlie Hall

Beautiful Jesus- Kristian Stanfill

Glory to God Forever- Steve Fee

Let God Arise– Chris Tomlin

We stacked the set as it was the first Sunday back after the summer. Seeing 90 high schoolers and 70 middle schoolers truly worshipping through song is an amazing sound. The song that got the most response was “Beautiful Jesus”. Before the song we took a look at 1 Timothy 2:3-7 which says this:

” This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁵For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. ⁷And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. “

The fact that Jesus came for ALL! That was the theme of the morning. Taking that message to the world and realizing that sometimes we are the only Jesus that some people will see.

Chris

Sunday Set List- 07/26- DIVE!

Had the amazing privilege of leading worship at The Well up in Catersville Ga. Here was the set we used this morning. The morning was centered around The story of Philip in Acts and diving into our relationship with Jesus. Andy Postell is the Pastor of The Well and did a FANTASTIC job teaching from God’s word this morning. In the words of my good buddy Noah Culver, “this verse will eat your lunch”; 2 Corinthians 4:4. I had the honor of having an extremely talented band. Clay Goswick and JD Myers on electric, Noah Culver on bass, Kyle Schumacher on drums. Here was the set for the morning:

You Lifted Me Out– Chris Tomlin

Glorious One– Steve Fee

Everlasting God– Brenton Brown (Tomlin’s Version)

God of This City– blutree (Tomlin’s Version)

thanks to every at The Well in Catersville and the guys for an amazing morning.

Howdy!

HEY!! It’s been another long break from blogging…and I’m back. As I am getting back into the habit of blogging I wanted to share what I have been learning and up to lately.

• Intention vs. Direction. Andy Stanley’s “The Principal of the Path” has been something that is really speaking to my heart and life. Living out Proverbs 27:12, I want and desire to be a person of wisdom and not someone who is simple…
• Music has NEVER been so alive to me. As I continue to grow and mature in every way music is literally a living thing to me. I want to live and breathe the words I sing and the notes I play. I am really wanting to get into a better musical shape. Writing new songs, adapting different arrangements to tunes that are great already but adapting them to the environment God has put me in.
• Continuing to grow as a husband and provider for my family…AMAZING growing process…I love my wife SOOO much!

There will be more to come…I PROMISE. I want to leave you with a question though…

What do you think when you hear this word… WORSHIP…

greater things, CH

Ok, so it’s been a while!

Hello there!! It has been too long I know. It has been an interesting month full of busy work, amazing songs, time examining my own heart. It’s amazing that as you get older things tend to either set in stone or become more clear as each day progresses. This morning my heart was drawn to a verse out of Psalm 91. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” vs 1. Wow, to be in the shadow of the Almighty. Just to be in His shadow is where I want to be. Right beside Him letting the Father’s light hit the Son and all the while I am standing in His shadow. Normally standing in someone’s shadow is not a good thing, in this case however it is the BEST thing.

Wow

I am sitting here at Stonecreek Church after an incredible morning. We just got done singing “Beautiful Jesus” and the words have kind of run me over right now. We have an all powerful God that created all that we can see. He paints the sunset and He calls us friend. Here is the chorus:

“Beautiful Jesus, beautiful Savior
Nothing is greater, brilliant Creator
Friend of mine
Perfect is power, matchless in Glory
Nothing is greater, brilliant Creator
Friend I mine”- Kristian Stanfill

CH