It’s going to get hot this summer at Awaken. We’re about to launch a brand new study through the book of Song of Solomon that we’re calling LoveJoySex.It’s an honest look at the love, joy, and sex that takes place between Solomon and his wife in their young years. People are fine with the thought of love and joy in the Bible, but Song of Solomon also includes two steamy sex scenes right in the middle (read the book for yourself – it’s in the Bible!).
Of course we will cover those chapters tastefully, but I think they’re important to talk about. Statistics say that the average age for kids’ first exposure to pornography these days is 11 year old! Parents may be hesitant at the thought of covering these topics in church, but kids are hearing about sex, talking about sex, and experimenting with sex earlier than ever before. The best place to talk about it is in God’s house from God’s Word. Plus, God has an amazing plan for dating, marriage, and sex. It’s better and far more pleasurable than how the world says it should be done.
LoveJoySex launches Mother’s Day weekend, May 11 and 12. Make sure to watch the featurette below. You can also swing by awakenchurch.org/lovejoysex to invite friends, watch the video, and (soon) download artwork to use on social media!
Today was the first day so far that I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to fit everything into our 4-hour class. In fact, what I taught today was a scaled-back version of an entire semester of teaching that I did at Calvary Albuquerque’s School of Ministry.
We began with a brief intro to the topics of hermeneutics and homiletics (studying and teaching God’s Word). Nehemiah 8 reminded us of the joy of these topics. Ezra the scribe got up and began reading from the Law, then “they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.” (Nehemiah 8:8) The result was amazing: “all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law…and all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.” (Nehemiah 8:9, 12)
There is great joy in communicating the relevance of God’s Word because there’s great joy in people’s hearts when they get it. Hermeneutics and homiletics are not designed to help us bring relevance to God’s Word – it’s already relevant! Our job is simply to lead others into a greater understanding of its relevance for their daily lives…and there is so much joy in our hearts when we get it!
As we dove into hermeneutics (studying God’s Word), we covered the 3 basic hermeneutical principles: observation, interpretation, application. We talked about each phase and what it looks like to observe what is being said in the text at first glance. The observation stage is easy to skip over because you want to go straight to application, but it’s key. In fact, as I illustrated with the video below, you can go into a text thinking it means one thing but missing something huge…
The interpretation is done with reputable Biblical sources and teachers, with the goal of arriving at solid Biblical, Godly application. The application is the whole point, but you can’t skip straight to it!
Some great resources for learning more about hermeneutics are Rightly Divided and Basic Bible Interpretation, both by Roy Zuck. Some of the content of my hermeneutics teaching came from those books (among others).
During the second half of class, we tackled homiletics (teaching the Bible). Man I love that topic. Since the class is diverse, and not full of just pastors, I used the outline in Howard Hendricks’ book, Teaching to Change Lives, to teach from. It was so much fun. We talked about being real and raw as you teach, but also stirring up and developing the teaching gift that God has given you.
Most of what we talked about was relevant to everyone in there from personal Bible study to teaching in front of a church, small group, or discipleship.
The most exciting part is what I’m watching God do in the hearts of the students. There’s a group that will begin meeting next Monday and Friday, simply to pray for direction, confirmation, and an anointing of the Spirit for ministry. I’ve been telling them throughout the week that I hope to be part of what God uses to not only equip, but empower and encourage them further in their walks with Christ and service for Christ. Thank God, I’m watching Him do that every day!
I better go now. My family is on the beach near Aliso Viejo, awaiting a reunion with me. Tomorrow and Saturday is Disney! Mickey, here I come!
A house doesn’t look pretty (or even much like a house) for the first few days or weeks of construction. There’s the concrete slab that has to be poured, the pipes and plumbing that have to be installed, the leveling of the land, and the studs for the walls. But for a house to stay standing, it needs all of those things. You can’t prop up sheet rock and put a roof on without the framework. The framework is the part that often goes unseen, but provides the structure to go higher and stronger.
This Sunday at Awaken, we begin a new series called Framework. It comes right on the heels of our 38 weeks in the book of Revelation. After dealing with the Antichrist, the Tribulation, the Second Coming of Christ, and heaven and hell, we’re going back to our foundations. Framework is a 10-week series that will help us learn and develop the infrastructure of our faith, without which, we won’t be able to go higher or stronger.
I can’t wait.
We’ve been working hard on the planning and preparation for this series, and I can’t wait to begin it this Sunday. The all-new stage setup looks amazing, and the topics will be so great each week: salvation, God, prayer, church, etc. I figured we’d start off real simple with salvation and discuss God’s sovereignty vs. man’s responsibility. No big deal.
The series and the stage are great, but the point is to get as many people there as possible to hear it, so we’ve set up a few ways to help you get the word out. Next time you’re at Awaken, you can grab the new invite cards in the foyer and the Connect Kiosk. Also, for the first time ever, we’ve added a new page on our website that enables you to invite, post, and tweet about the event from there. All you have to do is go to awakenchurch.org/framework, then click the links. Spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, or by email.
And as you’re studying along with us (in Clarksville, Charlotte, or wherever), make sure to tell us and the world what you’re learning. Email us at info@awakenchurch.org or use the hashtag #SetTheFramework on Twitter or Instagram!
As Jenn and I geared up over the last week for our trip to Albuquerque, it seemed like we were facing so many obstacles. My 5-year old got sick, then I caught what she had, then my 3-year old got the flu which led to an ear infection, then we got in a car accident the night before we were going to leave. On top of that, I was beginning to lose my voice…which is a problem when you’re talking as much as I did this weekend! Turns out I have a sinus infection and bronchitis.
Friday-Sunday of last weekend, I had the privilege of teaching 4 different messages in 5 locations 11 different times (either in person or by video). I’ve never had an opportunity like this, and God moved in an amazing way…which must be why we faced such opposition in getting to ABQ and teaching! Satan wanted to shut me up.
Jenn led worship and I taught at Calvary Albuquerque’s “Keep Calm And Marry On” marriage retreat in Santa Fe, NM on Friday night and Saturday morning. After that, we packed up, drove back to Albuquerque, where Jenn sang and I taught at Calvary on Saturday night and 3 Sunday services! They also played the message at their other campuses in downtown Albuquerque and in Santa Fe. Meanwhile in Clarksville, we launched our “Family Tree” Christmas series with a message I had pre-preached last Tuesday. All of the teachings went great, despite my sore throat.
Throughout the weekend, I was simultaneously taking cough drops and lozenges, while drinking herbal teas, Airborne, and Emergen-C to boost my immune system. Somehow, despite waking up Saturday morning without a voice, I lasted for all 6 messages. Praise God! I know there were teams of people praying for me – and God answered!
Not only did He save my voice, but He used it in a powerful way as well. At all the weekend services at the multiple campuses, I got to lead about 133 people in a prayer to give their lives to Jesus! The final service on Sunday at Calvary had the biggest response: about 75 people came forward! From across the campus, they streamed in the doors and down the aisles: families, old and young, many in tears. And speaking of tears, many of us (including me) cried as we watched God exceed our expectations.
Praying with people at the 11:15am service at Calvary ABQ
The team at Calvary is top notch and it’s always a joy to return there and see so many people that are like family to us. We’re so thankful for the ways God has used Skip & Lenya and the ministry of Calvary Albuquerque to change our lives and the lives of so many others.
Of course I can’t leave Awaken out either. I heard reports of a packed house and heard great feedback from the message. The great thing about teaching by video is that it takes the focus off of the individual and puts it even more on the actual message.
It was truly an honor to be a part of what God did this weekend in multiple states and cities!
You can watch or listen to the messages I taught this weekend here:
At Awaken, we’ve been in the book of Revelation for 33 weeks now! So far we’ve covered everything from the 7 churches to the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Second Coming, and last weekend, the Millennial reign of Christ and final judgment of sin and Satan. It’s not over, but it is over for the year. In December, we’re taking a break from Revelation to make room for a special Christmas series called “Family Tree.”
Family Tree is a look at the curious cast of characters that make up the family of Christ. It’s a look at the people whose entrance into the world led to Jesus’ entrance into the world. And the good news is, they’re not all really holy, hyper-spiritual people, like you might think. God chooses the common, every day people to use for His glory, and the names in Matthew 1 are proof!
If you’re in the Clarksville area and are looking for a church to attend, make sure to come to Awaken beginning this Sunday for this Christmas series. It might just change your life!
Today is the day around the United States that people set aside a special day to give thanks. Estimates say that 14% of the US population is traveling over 50 miles this holiday (that’s almost 40 million people on the highways!). It’s great to have family over, eat together, and hang out. The festivities (and time to sleep in) are great, but don’t forget that even when Monday rolls around, you have plenty to be thankful for.
In fact, periodically, throughout the year, I try to take a few days and just thank God for how good He is. There’s nothing wrong with sharing your needs with God, in fact, it’s Biblical (Philippians 4:6-7). However, sometimes in the middle of a long list of our problems, our praise gets drowned out.
A few weeks ago, we took a day at Awaken to do just that: say thanks. We looked at the story of the 10 lepers in Luke 17, when they were healed, but 90% of them never returned to say thanks. Unthankfulness wasn’t our main focus though. What stood out to me was how they asked for help, then when Jesus answered their request and healed their disease, the one who came back made a big, loud display of it!
Like that ex-leper, let’s use today as a reminder to let our praise be louder than our problems.
Instead of drowning your pain in alcohol or relationships or money, drown it in praise. If you have Jesus, you have a reason to be thankful!
If you want, you can listen to my message called “ThanksLiving” HERE or watch it below:
A few weeks ago in Revelation 15, we took a look at how heaven worships. One thing that stood out were all of the direct mentions of God in just a couple verses. Heaven seems to be overly pre-occupied with God. There’s no mention of the people’s past suffering on earth, their questions, or even their good accomplishments while on earth – everything is directed back at how beautiful and righteous God is. If heaven worship that way, why don’t we?
I think one of the main issues that plagues our “worship” today is that it’s centered on us, not on Jesus. We need to very intentionally re-center our worship on Jesus. After all, Jesus isn’t a commodity and church is not a product. Take a couple minutes and watch this clip…
What are some ways that we center our worship on ourselves, instead of God?
Last Sunday was week #21 of our study through the book of Revelation called The Reckoning. Almost every Sunday since February 19, we’ve been in the book of Revelation, and we’re loving it! There are many great things about expositional, verse-by-verse teaching, but one of my favorites is the variety of topics I end up teaching on. Expositional teaching forces me to teach things that I might naturally want to skip over.
Case in point: a message I called “Under the Knife” from Joshua 5, where Joshua circumcised a bunch of guys on a hill that became known as “the hill of the foreskins.” Yeah. You read that right. Imagine showing up to a church for the first time and repeatedly hearing about foreskins and circumcision!
Last Sunday, I taught on the Antichrist and his Satanic worldwide domination at the end of the world. Not exactly an easy text, or one that’s filled with tons of uplifting, encouraging verses.
Before we started Revelation, I spent 2 weeks doing an overview of the entire Bible – a series I called “The Book.” It was so fun and a great review for everyone before we dove into the final book of the Bible. Week 1 was on the Old Testament, and week 2 was on the New Testament.
One thing that all 3 of those messages had in common (among a few things) was that God used all of them to bring people to repentance and make public professions of faith!
Only God could use a review of 39 Old Testament books, a message about foreskins and circumcision, and a message about Satanic world domination through the Antichrist to bring new life in Jesus! Of course those are just 3 of many messages that God has used that way at Awaken, but those are a few of the most memorable ones.
Here’s the point: I make a concerted effort,every time we gather, to always take it back to the common theme of Scripture (and Awaken Church): the cross of Jesus Christ. Like Paul said…
1 Corinthians 2:2 - For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
When Paul left a city, church, or group of people, he wasn’t content with knowing that they thought he was a good speaker or that he had persuaded them into a new line of thinking. He had a special gift and made a conscious effort to take every conversation, topic, and witnessing opportunity back to the common theme of the cross. He lived for that. He would do anything necessary and make any sacrifice he needed to when it came to the Gospel. He wasn’t about winning arguments or debates; he was all about winning souls.
That’s what I want my ministry and life to be focused on as well. Whether I’m teaching about circumcision, Satanic domination, the Old Testament, or any other topic, when people come to Awaken, I want them to know this: they WILL hear about their need to be saved and Jesus’ ability and desire to save them. In other words, they WILL hear the Gospel. I refuse to waste an opportunity.
As Christians, we carry the name “Christ” within the title of our beliefs. Our lives should also be lived with a common theme in mind: pointing people to the cross!
Have you ever had a friend that seemed stuck on the same topic whenever you got together? Somehow, he was able to steer almost every conversation back to that one topic. For some, it’s a skill, for others, it’s a rut. For me, I like to call it focus.
Every Sunday, I have one goal: to preach Christ and Him crucified. Those are the words of the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth:
“For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” – 1 Corinthians 2:2
His idea was simple. He didn’t want to show up and try to argue people into heaven. After all, if I can argue someone in, someone else much more eloquent than I can argue them out! He didn’t want people’s faith to rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. So, although he addressed many different topics – some encouraging and some very confrontational – he always took it back to the cross.
At Awaken, I mainly teach expositionally – verse by verse through a book of the Bible. But God’s Word has a way of constantly realigning itself with the cross. That would make sense since the cross of Jesus Christ is the central need of all mankind!
I’m not just preaching to non-believers when I preach about the cross, though. The cross is a vital message for me to hear daily too. I can never get enough of the fact that Jesus took my place and paid the price for my sin! Amazing!
Many people at Awaken take risks each week to invite friends to join them for church. I want Awaken to know that their risk is worth it. I can’t promise how people will respond to the Gospel – that’s not my job. However, I can promise that they’ll hear the Gospel. What they decide to do with it is between them and the Lord!
You can trace the evolution of the English language each year by which words were added to and subtracted from the dictionary. For instance, in 1997, “Macarena” was added, then in 1998, it was subtracted (like they wanted to pretend it never happened!); in 2001, “retail therapy” and “street cred” were added; in 2006, “google” became a verb in addition to being a proper noun; and in 2011, words like “social media,” “tweet,” and “fist bump” were added.
However, there’s a phrase that I hear often that I’m tired of hearing. I want to put it out there as a plea to quit saying it and most importantly, to stop doing it. Here’s the phrase I don’t want to hear anymore: “I’m following my heart.”
Almost every person I sit down with in counseling is suffering from the results of following their heart.
You probably read the headlines recently of the teacher who left his wife, children, and teaching career in order to move in with a former 18-year old student. Their reasoning was “We’re following our hearts.”
He’s in prison now. Why? Because he followed his heart…and that’s where your heart will lead you.
The Bible says our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked – no one can know it (except the One who made it, of course). The Bible also says that without Jesus, we’re dead in our sins.
So I say to stop following your heart because without Jesus, your heart isn’t beating!
What you really need to do is follow Jesus – the One who breathes life into dead and dying hearts. He’s the One who will never let you down or lead you astray. And although following Jesus often goes directly against the feelings and direction that your heart says to go, His way is the right way, and the one way that you’ll never regret following.
Stop following your heart and follow Jesus.
Make sure to listen to or watch this message about the church in Sardis who suffered the consequences of following their dead hearts into the grave.
The temporary pleasure is not worth the lasting pain.
