The Truth Convicts
When we come to church, we come for several reasons. In addition to worshipping God and fellowshipping with other believers, we come to hear God’s word. We don’t gather to hear self-help, pop psychology, stand-up comedy, or moralistic therapy talks. We come to hear what God has to say. We come to hear HIM in his word. To encounter his truth and be shaped by it. This is the greatest need of our souls. When this healthy encounter with the life-changing word of God truly takes place there are several obvious things it produces in us such as joy, comfort, encouragement, insight, etc.
While all of these will surely take place at one time or another, there is another effect of encountering God’s word which does not always seem as popular. Conviction. In Acts 2:37-38, after Peter preached the first Christian sermon, the text says
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ”
In other words, the preached word of God produced an intense inner conviction and the only appropriate response was to completely turn from sin and turn to Christ in faith. If we are going to grow into mature believers, conformed to the image of Christ, we can expect that his word will continually confront various discrepancies in our lives between how we are living and how he is calling us to live. This is obvious because we all are a work-in-progress with a long way to go in our spiritual development.
We shouldn’t think it strange then, when we experience conviction in church. In fact, I would suggest that if we never experience conviction in church, we might not be hearing the truth. I also suggest that one sign of the faithful preaching of God’s word is the presence of genuine biblical conviction. If you experience genuine conviction while in church (I’m not talking about being guilt tripped) you can have confidence that you are hearing truth.
Genuine biblical conviction is something that we should all long for and desire because sin and deception is destructive to us. Becoming aware of destructive sinfulness in our lives is something we should be grateful for. If we never experience conviction, it could be that we’re not hearing the truth at all because sometimes the truth hurts. But the painful truth is often the way to the deepest healing.
So, experiencing genuine conviction from time to time in church is good, healthy, and necessary. We should be careful to welcome conviction rather than run from it as some will do in the last days. Check out what Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:3-4:
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
Its a scary day when we start rejecting the convicting, reforming, healing truth of God’s word. If you experience genuine conviction in church, thank God for it. If not, you may not really be hearing the truth. Yes God’s word brings joy, encouragement, peace, etc. But it also brings conviction. At the end of the day, I don’t want to be lulled into justifying compromise and complacency by finding teachers who make me feel good about my sin. I want to be confronted with the truth no matter how painful because God’s truth is what I need and I have a lot of growing to do.
Check out the MCM Ministry School
I’m excited to help promote the MCM Ministry School based out of our mother church. I’ve had the privilege of teaching a few sessions and loved the dynamic of the school. They are preparing to enroll new students for the new school year beginning in September. Here’s some more info:
“The MCM Ministry School is designed to provide a prospective student not only with classroom training but with real life experiences in ministry. Every day we involve students in our PRAYER SCHOOL. Once a week, we engage in PRACTICAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH in connection with one of eight churches that have been planted in Pittsburgh. Once a year, the students participate in an INTERNATIONAL TRIP to work in partnership with Mission SOS in a Signs and Wonders Festival among UNREACHED PEOPLE’S GROUPS.
The passion of the MCM Ministry School is to raise up faith-filled adventurers who are committed to living out the supernatural lifestyle of the book of Acts. The practical experiences come in the context of a growing church that is actively planting churches and sending teams to reach unreached people groups.
All the information about detials is on the NEW MCM Ministry School Website. We are hosting an OPEN CLASS DAY on May 8th from 9am to noon for anyone who is interested.”
LINKS:
http://www.mcmministryschool.com/
http://www.missionsos.org/en/home/
http://mcmnetwork.org/
http://www.allisonparkchurch.com
Teacher Day
Yesterday we had fun celebrating our local educators with Teacher Appreciation Sunday. Gave away a bunch of gift cards and had a blast!
Really enjoyed changing things up and doing something to honor our teachers who are on the front lines of shaping our society.
Thanks or all you do! We value your effort and commitment!
Struggling with hope in this ecomomy?
Really enjoyed being a host location for Dave Ramsey’s simulcast last night! It was a historic moment, being the single largest simulcast event in history with over 6,000 locations nationwide.
Dave’s content was amazing as he filled us with hope for the future. The Q&A time was particularly helpful. As he closed the evening, Dave left us with 3 things to do if we are struggling with hope. They are:
1. GET UP- We need to take action and get moving. While God is sovereign, we are also responsible to get out and do what we can.
2. DON’T PARTICIPATE IN LOSER TALK- We need to hang around people who inspire us and build us up. Dave said, “If you hang out with losers, you’re gonna be one.”
3. LEARN TO GIVE AGAIN- Giving takes our eyes off of ourselves. You will always have more hope when you get your eyes off of yourself.
I’m really grateful for Dave’s leadership in the media and the positive message he is spreading. Check out the updated content on the Town Hall for Hope website. If you missed it, they will be airing the event on Fox Business network throughout next week.
Tendency To Drift
I noticed a recurring theme this morning as I was reading in Deuteronomy. Moses repeated exhorts the people of Israel to “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life” (Deut. 4:9; also 4:15; 6:12; 8:11).
Clearly, Moses was keenly aware of the human predilection to drift. As humans, we have a tendency to stray off in the wrong direction. As a result, Scripture continually encourages us to renew our minds, receive new hearts, and carefully watch ourselves.
If you’ve ever been to the beach, you know how easy it is to drift down the coast. Without even realizing it, you can find yourself swimming on a totally different beach from where you started. That is also our tendency spiritually. We may not feel like we’re going backward, but if we are not careful, we can easily end up in a a damaging place.
Spiritual growth must be intentional. If we are haphazard or accidental, we will surely drift in the wrong direction. Moses’ simple but direct words carry good advice for us: “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently.”
Teacher Appreciation
This Sunday is Teacher Appreciation at Bridgeway Church. Our local educators do so much to shape our society. They are often not thanked enough for all the lives they impact day by day. As a church we just want to give a little back and thank them for all they do. Be sure to invite any teachers you know. All teachers in attendance will receive a free appreciation gift (you’ll just have to show up to find out what it is 
.
Town Hall For Hope Promo
We showed this video promo for the event on Sunday. Town Hall For Hope with Dave Ramsey. The economy. Your money. Real Answers. Mark your calendars for 8:00pm this Thursday, April 23 at the Bridgeway Ministry Center (424 Duss Ave. Ambridge, PA 15003). You will not be disappointed!
Join us for Dave Ramsey’s “Town Hall For Hope”
At the last minute we decided to host Dave Ramsey’s live simulcast event “Town Hall For Hope”. The even will be broadcast on the big screen live at 8:00pm on Thursday, April 23 at the Bridgeway Ministry Center (424 Duss Ave. Ambridge, PA 15003). Here’s a short description from their website:
“Dave will offer straight talk about the economy, recession, foreclosures and more. He’ll carefully explain where we’ve come from, where we are now, and what we should be doing with our money during this time. Then, Dave will spend an hour answering your questions live!”
Don’t miss out! It’s going to be amazing, childcare will be provided, and the cost is free! If you are in the area we would love to have you join us!
Family Emphasis Sunday
Our grand opening month continues this weekend with Family Emphasis Sunday. Following the service we will have a free pizza lunch, family games, and prizes (including a goldfish toss… oh yeah). Be sure to bring your kids if you have any and invite some more to come with you this week!
Strong families are very important to us as a church. Families truly make up the fabric of our society, and children are shaped by their home environment more than any other. Therefore we want to partner with parents by helping them develop and enrich their kid’s spiritual development.
Easter Reflections
What an amazing Easter weekend! For me, the highlight of our Easter celebration service was the cardboard testimonies. I did not count, but I would guess there were probably 25-30 people who participated by displaying on cardboard a testimony of God’s transforming grace in their lives. Jesus is alive and still changes lives today! No matter how far we’ve fallen, we are never out of the reach of God’s grace! I am so thankful to be a part of a church where God is moving so powerfully. There’s nothing like seeing real life examples of how Jesus changes real people’s lives!
Easter 2009 at Bridgeway
Make sure you don’t miss Easter Sunday this weekend at Bridgeway. We’ve got some great things planned for the service as we celebrate our Lord’s resurrection. We will continue our Alive sermon series and see testimonies of changed lives in our community. Come early and bring some friends with you! I’m believing God for great things this weekend!
Weekend Reflections
We had a phenomenal kick-off to our Grand Opening month! Here are a few random thoughts as I reflect on the service:
- It was wonderful to see and meet so many first-time guests! We are SO HONORED that you chose to join us this past Sunday!
- Matt and the worship team did an incredible job leading us in worship. I appreciate their hearts for God which are so apparent!
- I was incredibly impressed by the passion, teamwork, and effort of all of our volunteer teams. Everyone from setup to tech, to greeters and ushers – I am so proud of everyone’s dedication and effort!
- Most of all I am thankful for the Lord’s presence at work among us. Bridgeway Church will always be totally, fully, and unashamedly 100% about Jesus! It is a privilege to proclaim him as the true “Bridge” and “Way” for humanity to be reconciled to God.
Grand Opening Month begins tomorrow!
Tomorrow morning begins the grand opening month of Bridgeway Church at Ambridge Area High School. I’m amazed by all that God is doing in our community and filled with anticipation for the future! This month we are launching with
a new name
a new location
and a new season of ministry.
Be sure to join us in the morning at 10:30. We are also kicking off a new sermon series called “Alive” taking a fresh look at the power of Christ in our lives. So much thanks to all the volunteers who put so much into this grand opening!
MCM Ministry School
This morning I enjoyed the privilege of teaching at the MCM Ministry School. Awesome to connect with such a great group of students passionate about God’s calling on their lives! I enjoyed teaching two sessions on spiritual gifts and their operation in our lives and ministries.
The MCM Ministry School was born out of a partnership between the MCM Church Planting Network (of which Bridgeway is a part) and Mission SOS, a ministry based out of Sweden which holds evangelistic crusades for unreached people groups and plants churches all over the world. So awesome to be connected to what God is doing through MCM!
