Understanding & Handling Spiritual Gifts

Last Sunday I had the privilege of preaching from 1 Corinthians 14 at my home church on understanding and handling spiritual gifts.

My focus was on what spiritual gifts are for, how they should operate in a public meeting and clearing up some particular misconceptions around prophecy and tongues such as -

The fear of uninterpreted tongues
Is Paul forbidding the whole church singing or praying out in tongues?
How do you know your prophecy is from God?
Should we speak in tongues if unbelievers are present?


You can download the free mp3 from the Grace Church 'Church and the City' page

Related Posts: The Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Three Sermons)

The Guitar (and other percussion instruments)

Lead guitar is easy.
Watch the amazing Gabriela put the rhythm back into rhythm guitar.

Brenton Brown saw it first

Chris Spring - Still Under The Radar

Chris Spring strikes again!

He has songs featured on two episodes of 'gourmet music' podcast Under The Radar.

The Title track of his FREE ALBUM The Universe Is Flat is featured on Episode 25
along with songs from

Caedmon's Call, Jennifer Knapp, Starfield, JJ Heller & others

and Become Part Of The Crowd on Episode 28 with

Mute Math, Andrew Peterson, Michael W. Smith & others

Download the shows,

subscribe to the podcast,

download The Universe Is Flat,

go crazy.

Isn't this why you got broadband?

Related Posts: Under the Radar

Mute Math

Andrew Peterson

The Gifts Of The Holy Spirit - Three Sermons

Well you wait all year for a sermon on Spiritual Gifts and then three come along at once. 

All three come at the subject from a different angle. I'll try to post more about the content soon, but for now here are the links...

Adrian Warnock The Gifts Of The Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12)

Stef Liston: Charismatic Worship (1 Corinthian 14:26) 

Stef Liston: Q&A

Matt Blick: Understanding & Handling Spiritual Gifts (1 Corinthians 14)

A Narrative of (Three) Surprising Conversions (pt 2)

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Read about the other two here

Novelist and biographer A.N. Wilson gave a recent interview in New Statesman where he explained his return to faith from atheism. What exact kind of faith he has returned to is debatable - it sounds like theism or liberal Christianity - but the reasons for his disenchantment are fascinating.

Even though He say he struggled with the fact that “religious people aren't cool” and felt “embarrassment at being in the same gang as people whose views sound...absurd” it was the example of believers (in the broadest sense) that was one of the principle things that led him to abandon atheism as a way of life.

“I was drawn, over and over again, to the disconcerting recognition that so very many of the people I had most admired and loved, either in life or in books, had been believers...a life like Gandhi’s, which was focused on God so deeply, reminded me of all the human qualities that have to be denied if you embrace the bleak, muddled creed of a materialist atheist. It is a bit like trying to assert that music is an aberration, and that although Bach and Beethoven are very impressive, one is better off without a musical sense...When I think about atheist friends, including my father, they seem to me like people who have no ear for music, or who have never been in love”.

The example of believers stood out in more profound ways too “one thing that finally put the tin hat on any aspirations to be an unbeliever was writing a book about the Wagner family and Nazi Germany, and realising how utterly incoherent were Hitler’s neo-Darwinian ravings, and how potent was the opposition, much of it from Christians; paid for, not with clear intellectual victory, but in blood. Read Pastor Bonhoeffer’s book Ethics, and ask yourself what sort of mad world is created by those who think that ethics are a purely human construct. Think of Bonhoeffer’s serenity before he was hanged, even though he was in love and had everything to look forward to”.

I guess some Christians are cool after all.

Dawkins and Hitchens have issued a response...



Read the whole interview

Related posts: A Narrative of (Three) Surprising Conversions (pt 1)

UnApologetics

I don't know if this is the best way to deal with a heretic but it sure is fun to watch!

Stephen Colbert interviewing Bart Ehrman

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Bart Ehrman
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor

Related Posts: John MacArthur

Wonderwall

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Related Post: Sir Duke

Poster by paulchilds @ Empire magazine

A Narrative of (Three) Surprising Conversions

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(These are the first 2. Read about the 3rd here).

Heavy Metal bassists aren't know for their literary prowess but Reginald 'Fieldy' Arvizu of Korn has recently published his autobiography Got the Life: My Journey of Addiction, Faith, Recovery, and "Korn" chronicling among other things his conversion to Christ which took place as a “slow process” over three-and-a-half years. This remarkable event follows on the heels of the conversion of Korn guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch in 2005.


Whereas Head left the band primarily to be a full time single parent to his 6 year old daughter, Fieldy is remaining in the band. Here in an interview on beliefnet.com he explains his strategies for avoiding temptation on the tour...

When I first made my change, I was thrown right back out on tour into that dark circle of partying and all that, and I didn't have a problem with it. I would just change my schedule to working out in the daytime and going out and seeing the city—just flipping my schedule around so I'm not just sitting around. Things tend to get more negative and dark at night. It's a waste for me to be out there sober and hanging out with a bunch of people partying.

Asked for advice to those struggling with addictions...

Remove yourself from wherever the craving is. If you're in the kitchen and you're craving some chocolate cake, go outside and go on a run or go on a walk...I've found one of the most powerful things for me that I turned to for a lot of years is in Corinthians 10, verse 11.

"The temptations in your life are no different than what others experience, and God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."

Read More about Fieldy and Head

Check out the Book - Got the Life: My Journey of Addiction, Faith, Recovery, and "Korn"

Related Posts: A narrative of three surprising conversions (pt 2)

J - O - Y down in my heart, deep deep down in my heart!

If you enjoy leading, tell your face

Scott Longyear. Worship Leading Essentials.

Songs in the Key of Z

Not Only Is Zach Nielsen a great blogger but he's also an amazing jazz pianist. Here's Z improvising. JUST improvising. As you do. (sigh)...

Wonderful Weekend Groove

A great live-in-the-studio version of Sir Duke.

Have a great weekend





Link from Words4Eva

The Fear of the Lord

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One of my beefs/pet peeves/bugbears with your average western Christian music is the relentless major key usage. Even when the subject is the wrath of God or the suffering of Christ on the cross the words are often grafted onto a tune (and harmony) that would be more suited to singing about how absolutely delightful your summer holiday was.

Did I miss a church council somewhere that declared minor keys are from the pit?

All that by way of saying when I hear someone singing about the fear of God – real Hebrews 10:31/12:29 type fear - over some music that actually sounds scary, I rejoice (in a minor key of course).

Props to the bizarrely named I Am Terrified for flying the minor flag and for having the courage to switch to swingtime in the middle of the song (but I'll have to deduct a few points for the synchronized headbanging, sorry) .

Download it here

I Am Terrified "To The Service" from Gotee Records on Vimeo.

Related Posts: More Than I Could Say
Son of God/God the Son

In Car Entertainment

Here's a great song and video from Mute Math. The song appears in the Mormon Teenage Vampire Flick 'Twilight' (but we'll forgive them for that). The video was shot in one take at 60% slower speed. Very creative. (Look out for the singer running to get back in the van!)

MUTEMATH - Spotlight




Courtesy of Vitamin Z TV

Related Posts: Solving the energy crisis

Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen...

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sacredsandwich.com