Archive for March, 2011

  1. HONORING THE PERSECUTED // FOOLED

    Posted on March 31st, 2011 by admin

    Tomorrow is April Fools Day. Jokesters from all over have been plotting practical jokes for days, weeks, and maybe even months. Hopefully, no one takes this made up holiday that seriously. The challenge this week is to be authentic with yourself and how you worship. Don’t be fooled by going through the motions this Sunday and just mouthing the words being sung. Research the songs you sing in your services this weekend. Understand their meaning and the story behind what was written. You may already know this but Amazing Grace has an amazing history. John (Continue reading…)

  2. THE PERSECUTED CHURCH // UZBEKISTAN

    Posted on March 30th, 2011 by admin

    Uzbekistan is in Central Asia formerly apart of communism. The tern Uzbek means “master of himself.” Some 67 people groups make up nearly 28 million people in Uzbekistan where less than 2% claim to be Christians. Anyone seeking to worship must have a registered congregation. Those who try to organize face a grueling process. Often community leaders put pressure on proposed churches cutting of utilities forcing believers out of villages. The goal is to get believers to renounce their faith. Praises: God is placing bold believers fighting to establish churches. Requests: Influences of the occult (Continue reading…)

  3. SECRET CHURCH // CROSS OF CHRIST

    Posted on March 29th, 2011 by admin

    TRUTH TO BANK YOUR LIFE ON By David Platt Muslims see the crucifixion as a preposterous idea. One Sunni Muslim scholar even wrote, “We honor Jesus more than you Christians do. We refuse to believe that God would permit Him to suffer death on the cross.” Muslims would say that what we were talking about tonight is a low view of Jesus. So, at this point, when we realize, especially in our pluralistic day when there are all kinds of religions and religion is looked at as a matter of preference and people all across (Continue reading…)

  4. RADICAL HINDRANCES TO THE GOSPEL

    Posted on March 28th, 2011 by admin

    By Dr. Thom Rainer (This post ran on Dr. Rainer’s blog March 7, 2011 HERE.) I am immensely indebted to the preaching and ministry of David Platt. David’s candor in preaching has exposed the idolatrous meandering of American culture into the pit of mammon worship. My deep sense of personal gratitude is why LifeWay has chosen to partner with David Platt to simulcast Secret Church simulcast Secret Church to churches and homes all over the nation. For more on Secret Church, see my previous post. David’s challenge to the church in America is to be (Continue reading…)

  5. PERSECUTED COMMUNITY // FIRST BAPTIST OCALA

    Posted on March 25th, 2011 by admin

    Today’s interview is with the Mission’s Pastor Kevin Kite at First Baptist Ocala in Ocala, Floriday. Kevin has been at FBC Ocala for the last 10 years. He and his wife Jeanna have been married for 16 years and have 5 children. First Baptist Ocala recently contacted Secret Church because their church has already had an overwhelming response to Secret Church. They have moved from showing Secret Church to a small group of 14 to close to 30 people. SECRET CHURCH (SC) :: What interested your church to participate in Secret Church? KEVIN KITE (KK) (Continue reading…)

  6. HONORING THE PERSECUTED // GIVE IT ALL AWAY

    Posted on March 24th, 2011 by admin

    What are you giving away for the sake of the Gospel? This week you have been challenged by Mark Morris to give away your dignity, your friends and your freedom. Most likely if you are able to give away your dignity and your friends your freedom will easily come shortly after. Giving it all away begins with our dignity. Our dignity or our pride is what prevents us from following Christ. We can’t give it all away because we want to hang on to who we are, what we have and what we can do. (Continue reading…)

  7. THE PERSECUTED CHURCH // AFGHANISTAN

    Posted on March 23rd, 2011 by admin

    NY Times Article about 2 Prisoners of Faith in Afghanistan By Mark Morris The link at the end of this post takes you to a NY Times article about the imprisonment of two Afghan followers of Jesus. Both remain imprisoned solely for Faith in Jesus Christ. In Feb 5, 2011’s NY Times, RAY RIVERA published a straightforward article about the predicament of Afghanistan’s dependence upon the West for its own freedom from the oppression of the Taliban, while remaining ambiguous on religious freedom for Afghan citizens. Currently at least two Afghan Christians remain in prison with no (Continue reading…)

  8. SECRET CHURCH // THE GOSPEL PROSPERITY & POSSESSIONS

    Posted on March 22nd, 2011 by admin

    OBEY IT By David Platt Psalm 19 says, “The law of the Lord is perfect. It revives the soul, it makes wise the simple. It rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes. It endures forever.” It’s good. There’s great reward in the Word of God. So it will comfort us. God’s Word will comfort us, God’s Word will free us. Sometimes we think – when it comes to money we think I would just rather not deal with these issues in my life. The reality is if that were so, you should not have come to (Continue reading…)

  9. NAKED & FRIENDLESS : A PROFILE IN RADICAL LIVING

    Posted on March 21st, 2011 by admin

    By Mark Morris Football in January results in objectionable videos of half-naked, obese men in zero degree weather with their team’s logo painted on their bare chests. Those men are radically committed to a team and to a game, which they obviously cannot play; yet, they stand out in the cold – naked and friendless, screaming wildly toward a meaningless end. I seriously wonder about those guys. In 1784 Thomas Coke said he would choose to be naked and friendless, not for a game, but for God’s mission to Sri Lanka. Coke began as a (Continue reading…)

  10. SECRET CHURCH // WHO IS GOD?

    Posted on March 18th, 2011 by admin

    ADONAI By David Platt He is Elohim, God. He is Yahweh. He is the Lord. Next, He is Adonai. Now, I mentioned this, this also means He is the Lord or Master. And the picture that you’ve got here is when you see it capital L lower case o-r-d. And the picture is God having ownership, Lordship over all things,really emphasizes his sovereignty, which we’ll unpack in depth later on tonight. But Adonai emphasizes, well, two main things. Number one, Adonai emphasizes complete sovereignty in God. Now, I wanna show you this. Turn with me (Continue reading…)