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VIDEO: CAME TO MY RESCUE

FILL THIS PLACE - Ken Reynolds - mp3

To listen to the mp3 of "Fill This Place" by Ken Reynolds - click here

THIS WEEK'S PARENTAL PRAYER OF BLESSING AT VICTORY - Repentance

Weekly Scriptural Parental Prayer of Blessing For Our Children:

REPENTANCE

Prayer: "Father, when my children sin, quickly lead them to confess and repent so they might enjoy a clear conscience and unbroken fellowship with You, Amen."

Psalms 32:1-2 (HCSB) How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! 2 How joyful is the man the LORD does not charge with sin and in whose spirit is no deceit!

1 John 1:5-9 (HCSB) Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him. 6 If we say, “We have fellowship with Him” and walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

TIPS TO WORSHIPPING BETTER

I just read a great post by Pastor Robert J. Morgan on worship.  Below are some of his tips for worshipping better:

1. Make worship and praise a part of your quiet time each day.  Include the verse of a hymn and/or a period of true thanksgiving in your morning devotional routine.
2. Learn to visualize the throne of God above you, as described in Exodus 17, Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 1, and Revelation 4, 5, and 22.
3. Don’t worry about worship “styles.”  Whatever the style, keep your eyes on the Lord.  Never say, “I didn’t like that hymn,” or “I wish we wouldn’t sing those praise songs.”  It’s not about our favorite styles; it’s about forgetting our own preferences and focusing on Him .
4. Train yourself to concentrate on the words of the hymns and prayers during church services.  Don’t let yourself sing mindlessly or aimlessly.
5. Learn to say, “Thank you, Lord,” whenever you see a beautiful cloud formation, a lovely cluster of plants, or whenever something good or bad happens.  Take it right to the Lord in praise.
6. Serve the Lord with joy.  To quote Tozer again:  “We’re here to be worshippers first and workers only second.”

Click here to read the entire article and many other great posts from Rob.

LISTEN TO THE VICTORY EASTER CANTATA NOW ONLINE

I trust you enjoyed the Victory Church Easter Cantata last Sunday.  My wife, Debbie along with the entire Victory Worship Choir put many hours of planning and practice into this event.  What a great worship experience we all had! 

Many have asked if the cantata would be available on the podcast.  I have good news!I have posted the entire Easter Cantata on the Victory Worship Choir Podcast! (click here)

Now you can listen online or you can "subscribe" to the Victory Podcast (sermons and songs) and have everything directly downloaded into your iTunes library.  You then can transfer these sermons and songs in MP3 format to your iPod or any MP3 player.

Enjoy the Easter Celebration Worship Service of Victory Church on your computer!!!  Have a great day, and remember, "He is Risen!  He is risen indeed!"

CHANGED THROUGH MEDITATION

During my devotion time this morning, this Psalm really spoke to my heart:

Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. (Psalm 1:2)

Meditation means “to think deeply and continuously about something.”

For a Christian, this means remaining in the presence of God and pondering each truth He reveals about Himself until it becomes real and personal in your life. This takes time. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus accused certain would-be followers of calling Him “Lord” and yet never doing what He told them (Luke 6:46). They had the correct truth in their heads, but it had never translated into obedience. When you meditate on Scripture, the truth moves from your head to your heart and results in obedience. As the Psalmist said: “Your word have I hidden in my heart, / That I might not sin against You” (Ps. 119:11).

When you know God's Word in your mind but not in your heart, it means that you have learned the principles and concepts and doctrines of God, but you have not come to know Jesus personally.

You can reject a doctrine, or ignore a concept, or challenge a principle, but it is much more difficult to ignore a Person. You can have Scripture in your mind and still sin against God. There are those who can recite long passages of Scripture and yet live ungodly lives. However, you cannot have Scripture fill your heart and continue to sin against God. When God's truth is allowed to touch the deepest corner of your soul, the Holy Spirit will transform you into the image of Jesus Christ.

This Easter season, don't just read your Bible, meditate on God's Word and ask Him to change your heart.

NEW VICTORY WORSHIP CHOIR PODCAST

I trust you are having a great day in the Lord.  I would like to encourage you to spend some intimate devotional time "sitting before the Lord" this week focusing on all that Jesus went through this Passion week, just so we could have a relationship with God the Father and inherit eternal life.

Upon the request of so many of you, today I have created a "Victory Worship Choir Podcast!"  Just in case the link does not work, here is the web address: http://www.victorychurchonline.net/podcast.htm

Over the last several weeks many of you have asked me if the Victory Church Worship Choir specials were on the podcast.  Well, now they are!  I have created a designated podcast player especially for the Victory Worship Choir! 

You can listen online, or you can "subscribe" to the Victory Podcast (sermons and songs) and have everything directly downloaded into your iTunes library.  You then can transfer these sermons and songs in MP3 format to your iPod or any MP3 player.

Enjoy the worship service of Victory Church everyday on your computer!!!  Have a great day, and remember, "He is Risen!  He is risen indeed!"

Have a great week!

MY PRIMARY PURPOSE IN LIFE - WORSHIP

At Victory Church Sunday, our "D6 Family Theme" is worship.  Al of our Sunday school classes, from the nursery to the seniors, were studying about worship.  Our weekly goal is to "worship God more deliberately, more deeply, and to live in keeping with my worship."

In our new Fusion curriculum we discovered several things about worship:

1. Worship requires preparation (Luke 2:28-34)
2. Worship is rooted in sacrifice (Luke 19:35-38)
3. Worship is not optional (Luke 19:39-40)

At Victory we come along side our Sunday school classes and continue the "D6 Theme" in our worship service.  In other words, we are studying just one theme each Sunday!  We are finding this to be very beneficial in the spiritual development of our families.  Here is the sermon outline I used on Sunday:

Revelation 4:11b (NLT) “You (God) created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.”

Matthew 22:36-39 (HCSB) Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?     37 He said to him, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important commandment. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”

1. WORSHIP IS MY RESPONSE TO GOD'S LOVE

Romans 12:1 (HCSB) Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.

2. WORSHIP IS GIVING BACK TO GOD.

Mark 12:30 (HCSB) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

3. WORSHIP IS FOCUSING MY ATTENTION ON GOD.

Psalm 139:1-3 (HCSB) LORD, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from far away. 3 You observe my travels and my rest: You are aware of all my ways.

4. WORSHIP IS EXPRESSING MY AFFECTION TO GOD.

I John 4:19 (HCSB) We love because He first loved us. 

Hosea 6:6 (NLT)  God says, I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices.  I want you to know Me more than I want burnt offerings.

5. WORSHIP IS USING MY ABILITIES FOR GOD.

Colossians 3:23 (HCSB) Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men.
 
Romans 12:1 (The Message) Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, your eating, your going to work, your walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering.

MIGHTY IS THE POWER OF THE CROSS VIDEO - AWESOME!

GREAT JOB VICTORY! TWO THUMBS UP!

TWO THUMBS UP TO THE VICTORY WORSHIP TEAM!  Great job this morning!

At Victory Church we are in a major restructuring of our worship service and worship team.  Our worship team is now under the leadership of my wife, Debbie.  She has poured her heart into this ministry.  She has been praying and working endlessly to make this a smooth transition, and to seek the Lord's will for Victory.  Great job Debbie! Keep up the good work!

I also want to let all of you guys on the worship team know that you were awesome this morning!   There was a great presence of the Holy Spirit.

Keep up the good work and the great attitudes Victory! God is moving and working in our midst; the Lord has great things in store for us!

Kudos and blessings!

VICTORY IN CHRIST ALONE!

This week I have been reading portions of the Book of Revelation.  As you well know, there is a common theme which is found in many different chapters: "Christ is victorious!"  Christ is triumphant!

In Revelation 19:4 we read, "Then the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who is seated on the Throne, saying, 'Amen! Hallelujah!'"

In chapter 19 of Revelation, the heavenly multitude responded to God's judgment with enthusiasm and praise!  Jesus, the suffering servant of the Gospels, became the righteous Judge!  (When Jesus returns, He will complete the work He began.  He will gather His people and destroy Satan!)

Triumph is a precious thing.  We honor the triumphant!  The gallant soldier sitting proudly on his stallion.  The determined explorer returning from his discovery.  The winning athlete holding proudly his gold medals and/or trophy!

But here is the thing we must realize, "Triumph is a fleeting thing."  Hardly does one taste victory before it is gone!  No one remains a champion forever!  Perhaps this is why Paul proclaimed, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession..." (2 Cor. 2:14)

Here is the BIG difference between victory in Christ and victory in the world:

A victor in the world rejoices over something he did - swimming, climbing Mt. Everest, making a million dollars, etc...

A victor in Christ - a believer - rejoices over who he is - a child of God!

Nothing can separate us from triumph in Christ!  Nothing!  Our triumph is not based upon our feelings, but upon God's gift.  Our triumph is not based upon our perfection, but upon God's forgiveness.  How precious is this triumph!

For even though we are pressed on every side, the victory is still ours!  Nothing can altar the loyalty of God!  Triumphant in Christ - it is not something we do-it is who we are!

Therefore, no matter what you are facing in this life.  No matter what happened to you yesterday; no matter what this day holds for you; no matter what happens tomorrow - look to Christ with joy!   He has conquered sin, defeated Satan, and will one day take us home to be with Him!

Let's rejoice today because of "who we are - children of the Most High!

MARY'S CHRISTMAS SONG - by Pastor Reuben Cason

Songs of the Season from the Christmas Story – Part II

Have you been enjoying your Christmas music this year? I'm sure have! I usually buy a couple of new Christmas CD’s each year and have already done so this year. I have even been tempted to buy more, but have decided to be content with what I have for now.

I love Christmas music, especially when our Church starts singing the Christmas hymns. This past Sunday we sang “Silent Night.” I enjoy this peaceful hymn, especially when we sing it as a part of our Candlelight service.

I have been studying some of the history behind the Christmas carols and hymns we sing. This week I read the story behind “Silent Night.” May I share it with you?

Joseph Mohr was born in Salzburg, Austria, in 1792. As a boy he was an active chorister in the Cathedral of Salzburg. In 1815 Mohr was ordained to the priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church. It was Christmas Eve and Father Mohr was preparing for the midnight service. He was distraught because the church organ was broken, ruining the prospects for that evening’s carefully planned music. Father Mohr and Franz Gruber, the village schoolmaster and church organist had often talked about the fact that the perfect Christmas hymn had never been written. Father Mohr decided that he must write his own Christmas hymn, immediately, in order to have music for the Christmas Eve Mass and to avoid disappointing his faithful congregation. Hastily, he wrote the words, “Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright...” Taking the text to his organist, he explained the situation and asked him to compose a simple tune. That night, December 24, 1818, “Silent Night” was sung for the first time as a duet accompanied by guitar at the aptly named Church of St. Nicholas.

Wow, if it were not for a broken organ, there would never have been a “Silent Night.”

Music has a profound impact on us. Do you recall the story of King Saul in 1 Samuel 16? The Bible says that “an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.” So his servants asked for permission to seek out a man, “who is a cunning player on an harp,” or skillful in playing. So they found David and he was brought in to play his harp for King Saul. And the Bible says, “when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.”

I read about one Country Music artist that said:

“Once, when a bar brawl broke out, I tried something that worked so well it became my standard response when fights started. Just when things started getting out of hand, when bikers were reaching for their pool cues and rednecks were heading for the gun rack, I’d start playing Silent Night. It could be the middle of July, I didn’t care. As I played, grown men would stop everything and calm down. Sometimes they’d even start crying, standing there watching me sweat and play Christmas carols.”

Why, even my little grandson Brayden, who is almost 18 months old, starts to “move” when he hears any kind music. So music does have an effect on us.

SONGS OF THE SEASON FROM THE CHRISTMAS STORY - PASTOR REUBEN CASON

I'm honored to have Pastor Reuben Cason of White Oak Hill Free Will Baptist Church in Bailey, NC as an additional writer on my blog.  From time-to-time Pastor Cason will be posting some articles for us!  Below is his first blog entry!  Enjoy!

What would Christmas be like without music? I thoroughly enjoy the “sounds of the season.” I usually don’t like to start listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving, but this year I started listening to my Christmas CD’s two weeks before Thanksgiving. I must really be in the Christmas spirit this year!

What is your favorite Christmas song, be it secular or sacred? I don’t listen to secular music, I prefer Southern Gospel, that good ‘ole four part harmony was what I was raised on and it’s hard to get far from your raising. But during the Christmas season, I do enjoy listening to some of the secular Christmas music. Now these songs bring back precious memories of my childhood days, but they have absolutely nothing do with the “reason for the season."

That’s why I want us to turn our attention to the “Songs of the Season from the Christmas Story.” You will not find such a single concentration of song, praise and exultation anywhere else in the New Testament as you find in the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke. I would encourage you during this Christmas season to spend some quite devotional time reading and meditating on these two chapters.

The “song” from the Christmas story that I would like to focus on at this time is found in Luke 1:67-79. This is Zacharias’ song of blessing. I would encourage you to read Luke 1:5-25, 57-66 to get a clear understanding about what happened to Zacharias in the temple as he was performing his priestly duty. Verse 67-68a says, “Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: Blessed is the Lord God of Israel…” Suddenly filled with the Spirit, this obscure priest took his place among the prophets.

His speaks three things about the coming Messiah.

PERFORMANCE VS. WORSHIP LEADING

I will be the first to admit there is a "fine line" between performance and true worship as we stand before our congregation on Sunday mornings.  Paul Baloche is an awesome worship leader and he explains this pretty well.

Also, Pastor Travis Penn of Calvary Free Will Baptist Church has an interesting post on his blog "The Sweetest Frame" concerning songs sung in a worship set, check it out by clicking here.

Enjoy the video on "Performance vs. Worship Leading.

LAST SUNDAY SERVICE IN MASCOUTAH

This Sunday marks the last Sunday we will be worshiping in Mascoutah.  If I can be personally honest with you, I'm somewhat torn and I have mixed emotions. 

First of all, there is a side of me that is saddened.  I have been preaching and ministering in Mascoutah since March 1999.  My family and I moved here from North Carolina to start Victory Church.  We have literally poured our lives into this community, but as Jabez prayed, God has "enlarged our boundaries" and it is time to move.

Secondly, there is a side of me that is very excited about what the Lord is doing with our ministry.  It has always been a part of my vision to impact the Metro-East of St. Louis for Christ.  Moving our worship service to Moye Elementary School in O'Fallon will position us to do just that, for which I'm am thrilled.

Therefore, if you would like to worship with us at Victory Church in Mascoutah, then this is the Sunday to come to the Mascoutah Middle School, because we are leaving!

See you Sunday!  Sunday school begins at 9:30 AM and worship is at 10:30 AM.

VICTORY IN THE PARK FOR SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE

Today we at Victory Church had our morning worship service at Rock Springs Park in O'Fallon.  The park borders the property we are purchasing for our new church.  It was a beautiful morning as we sat and looked at the tree line of our new home.

I preached a message from Joshua chapter 14 on the subject of Caleb's commitment.  Below is my sermon outline:

1.  Caleb was committed to seeking the inheritance of God (Joshua 14:6-9).

2.  Caleb was committed to facing the enemies who stood opposed to the Promised Land (Joshua 14:10-13).

3.  Caleb was committed to following the Lord with all his heart (Joshua 14:14-15). 

For us to possess the land God has for us, we must have the spirit and commitment of Caleb.

Look on the right side of the blog for a picture album of our morning service in the park.

WORSHIP SERVICE TO BE HELD AT ROCK SPRINGS PARK

On Sunday, 13 July we at Victory Church will hold our morning worship service at Rock Springs Park in O'Fallon at 9:30 AM.

Rock Springs Park is a beautiful 109 acre nature park which contains over 2 miles of nature/hiking trails, picnic areas, a pavilion, restroom facilities, and natural areas.

Therefore, mark your calendars, plan to join us, wear confortable clothing, and don't forget your walking shoes!   See you at the park!

Awesome Easter Service at Victory Church!

Easter Sunday at Victory Church was an awesome experience for me, and according to the feedback I'm getting, many were moved by the presence of the Lord in that service. (To view my message outline click here.) The message will be posted on the Victory Podcast this week for you to listen to or download and share with friends.

Here is a quick "bullet list" of what I witnessed Sunday:

• The Mascoutah Middle School gym was packed!
• The decorations were beautiful!
• The fellowship was lovely!
• The excitement was extremely elevated!
• The presence of the Lord was unbelievable!
• The videos were right on the mark!
• The worship band/team did an outstanding job!
• The congregation connecting in worship to our Risen Lord was breath-taking!
• The invitation was precious and sweet as many made decisions for Christ! (I will know exactly who and how many when I return to the office Tuesday.)
• Oh yea, I almost forgot, everyone looked absolutely fantastic sporting their new Easter duds! :)

Thanks to all those who prayed for our Easter service at Victory, for those who "invested and invited" their friends, co-workers and family, and to all who worked so very hard to prepare for this day!  Heaven was paying attention and you will be rewarded.

How were your services on Easter Sunday? Let me hear from you! :)

 

Daily Devotions - How Do You Do It?

Pastor Travis Penn posted a good blog on "devotions."  Check it out here.  He quoted Rob Morgan, Pastor of Donelson Fellowship Church in Nashville, TN...

One of the really helpful parts of this chapter is the section on How Do I Do It?

Rob gives the following helpful instructions...

1. Have a procedure for your quiet time.  (Have a plan)
2. Use a pen.  (Take notes - or even blog about it.  :)   )
3. Have a prayer list.  (Possibly pray for different people on different days of the week)
4. Find a regular place and a regular time.  (Be consistent)
5. Exercise perseverance.  (Don't quit!)

First of all, I agree with everything both of these men said, but there is one area I struggle with and here it is:

For ALL of my bible study, devotion time, daily reading, journaling, sermon prep, etc...I use my laptop.  Even my prayer list is on my computer!  I literally take my laptop with me everywhere.

I was curious, what are your methods and what do you use for you devotion time: a computer, or an actual bible, notebook and pen?  And, how does that work for you?

Victory Men's Ministry Observe Foot Washing

Here is a picture of some of the guys washing each other's feet. This is a great time of humility, service, and appreciation. Many of our men were moved to tears! What a special evening.

Victory Men's Ministry Observe Communion and Foot Washing

Brother Paul Boyer, our men's ministry leader at Victory Church lead about 25 men in a wonderful service Thursday evening. He led us through the week leading up to the betrayal, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus.

This is an annual event for the men of Victory and once again the presence of the Holy Spirit was overwhelming.

We closed our time together washing each other's feet as Jesus did and then watching Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion." Now we are ready to celebrate the resurrection on Sunday!

Easter Celebration!

Wow!  What an exciting Easter celebration we had yesterday.  Thank you very much for all your work.  I'll tell ya, the Victory Church family is awesome!  You guys really pulled together and worked very hard to make this one of the best Easter celebrations ever!  Way to go guys!  I'm proud of you!

I'm still not sure about the actual count, because I've had a few people tell me different totals for the number we had in attendance.  Some have said 280, some said 312, and another said 327, and then the janitor at the school said we had around 350.  Therefore, I'm not exactly sure how many people we had, so we will say somewhere around 300!  But I can tell you this, according to the Connection Cards that were turned in and reviewed this morning, we had 5 people begin a relationship Christ by accepting Him as their Lord and Savior, and 4 people recommitted their lives to Him!  That makes it all worth while!  Praise the Lord!  Nine lives have been RTLed (Radically Transformed Lives) forever!

Special Guests @ Victory this Sunday

I am very excited about our special guest that will be with us this Sunday, February 25th during our 10:30 AM celebration service.  Our guest speaker this Sunday is Dennis Teague.  Dennis, Carole and family are church planters in France; they lead several teams in planting churches and seeing lives changed.  Dennis will be sharing with us this Sunday how the Lord is moving in France.  You will be blessed just listening to the "passion" that Dennis has for planting churches. 

Make plans now to attend Victory this Sunday and be sure to invite a friend!

Christmas Eve--Totally Awesome, Two Thumbs Up!

Christmas Eve Sunday services at Victory were totally awesome!  Actually, I'll give it "two thumbs up!"  Our Sunday morning worship service was standing room only.  I was completely taken back by how many people we had in our service, especially since I knew of many in our church family that had already left town for Christmas.  I really felt the presence of the Lord in our service and I believe He spoke to many hearts.  We had about 15 local visiting families at Victory, and many of them told me upon leaving that they would be back...that was an early Christmas gift for me!

Our Christmas Eve communion/candlelight service was great also.  There was such a sweet spirit as we all slowed down from the hustle and bustle of Christmas to just focus on the Lord.  We had an awesome time of worship by singing, taking communion, and then closed with everyone lighting their candles and singing Silent Night.  It was totally awesome...I loved it!

I trust you had great Christmas services at your church also.   

Catch Saturday Night Fever at Victory Church

Beginning Saturday, November 25th at 7:00 PM you will be able to catch "Saturday Night Fever" here at Victory Church!  No, I'm not talking about John Travolta; I'm talking about adding an additional weekend celebration service at Victory during the Christmas season. 

We will be trying this Saturday evening service through Christmas and if it goes well we will consider continuing the service into 2007.  Therefore, put forth every effort to bring a guest!  Help me spread the word about our additional service.  See you on "Saturday Night Live" at Victory! 

Building Oneness in Marriage Series

Last Sunday I finished up my series on "Building Oneness in Marriage" with the message titled Spiritual Oneness...Building a Firm Foundation.  You can go to our podcast page and listen online and/or download this message along with many other lessons.  You may also subscribe (free!) to our podcast via iTunes and receive every message preached from the pulpit of Victory Church.

Jesus spoke these words: "At the beginning the Creator made them male and female.  For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Unfortunately, many couples never get to the place where they experience true "oneness."  I encourage you to listen to all of the messages in this series and my prayer is that you will begin to experience in your marriage what God has planned for all of our marriages and that is ONENESS!

Celebration Service in Scheve Park!

Tonight at 6:00 PM we are kicking off the Victory fall schedule with an outdoors celebration service in Scheve Park!  We will be center stage at the Depot with the Victory Praise Team leading us in worship and myself bringing a message from the Book of James titled: "FAITH...Do You Have the Real Thing?" 

Be sure to bring your lawn chairs and blankets.  You may even want to have a family or small group picnic before the service.  The weather is going to be beautiful, so invite a friend and bring the entire family for this very exciting event.  Let's fill the park with the sounds of praise and worship!  I can hardly wait!

Harvest Crusade with Greg Laurie

Tonight I just finished watching and listening to Greg Laurie as he faithfully presented the gospel of Jesus Christ in a very practical and modern way.  He has been conducting the Harvest Crusades for the past 17 years and literally 1000's of people have given their lives to Christ.  Thank God for men like Greg that have such a burden to share Christ.  For more about Greg Laurie and the Harvest Crusade click here.

1st Edition of the Painfully Practical Podcast

We have just posted our very first edition of the "Painfully Practical Podcast" which is a new Internet ministry of Victory Church.  Be sure to check it out today then tell a friend!  WARNING...this podcast will be painfully practical!

Interview with Worship Pastor Wayne Kunde

Today we are recording and introducing a new element of our podcast ministry called "Ministry Moments from Victory." Each podcast will feature me sharing a leadership lesson or an interview with one of our staff members.

Today I will be featuring an interview I had with Wayne Kunde our Worship Pastor here at Victory Church.  We will be discussing many of the aspects that are involved in preparing for a weekend worship service.  I trust you will find this portion of our podcast ministry beneficial to you.  Please pass this information along to your friends, especially if they are in the ministry.  Just click here to be directed to our podcast page.  Be sure to "bookmark" the page!  Enjoy!

Worship Service in Scheve Park

Its final!  On Wednesday, September 6th at 7:00 P.M. Victory Church will be starting our Wednesday evening service back up with a big worship service at Scheve Park in Mascoutah!

We have reserved the depot and park for that evening, therefore, let's do everything in our strength to pack out the park!  The entire praise band and singers will be leading us in worship and then I will be bringing the message from God's Word.

Help me pass the word out to everyone and be sure to invite your neighbors.  Just remember to bring your lawn chairs and/or blankets.  It's going to be a great evening...I can hardly wait!

Worship & Water Sports!

Now this is the way to do church in the summer!  As I drove onto the church campus last Sunday, this was one of many vehicles in the parking lot...it definitely caught my eye.  When I saw it there was a BIG smile that came across my face and I then told my family, "Whose ever truck and boat that is, I'm very proud of them!"  I mean just think about it...they could have gone on to the lake and missed our Celebration Service all together...but they didn't, they came to church first and then went to the lake.  I think that is great! 

I went inside, grabbed my camera, and then starting asking who had the boat; when I found the family, I asked them for permission to post it on my blog, to which they agreed.  Therefore, thanks Mike and Dawn Kunde for having your priorities in order.  Now that's doing church right in the summer! 

What Makes a Great Worship Leader?

I just read a great article by Dan Wilt on "What Makes a Great Worship Leader?"  Dan trains worship leaders and is an accomplished worship leader himself.  He also teaches at many conferences, and teaches many courses to soon-to-be worship leaders.  Dan gives the answer to this question, "What Makes a Great Worship Leader?" in this article...to read the article click here.  Enjoy! 

Spiritual Health Assessment

Seacoast Church is a purpose-driven church that has developed a great online Spiritual Health Assessment.  Just click here to be directed to their web page; once there, just click on the Take Assessment link on the bottom of the page.  There are about 55 questions for you to answer and once completed it will let you know where you are in each of the five purposes.

Also, once you have made an assessment you can then click on the "x" in the circle and it will let you know where you are in each individual "purpose" and it will also give you resources to help you grow in that area.

This is great...check it out and me know what you think!   

Secular Music in Celebration Service?

Here is the question, "Would you use secular music in a worship service?"  This is the question that was posed to our leadership team here at Victory Church.  Needless to say, it created some interesting dialog.  After thinking over this for several week, I decided to post my view on the subject.

Here is a quote from Madeleine L'engle, Walking On Water: "To look at a work of art and then to make a judgment as to...whether or not it is Christian, is presumptuous.  It is something we cannot know in any conclusive way.  We can know only if it speaks within our own hearts and leads us to living more deeply with Christ in God."

Well, let me state my position and then give some reasons for my view.  Here it is...I think it is permissible to use music in our services that have been written by non-Christians and music that does not have an obvious Christian message.  Whew!   That's it...I said it! :)

Now let me explain.  You may be asking, "How can I make such a statement?  how can I encourage someone to pull music from the world into our church service?  How can I suggest that a song that was not written for the purpose of pointing anyone toward God could be used to accomplish God's purposes on Sunday morning?" 

It all has to do with how and what you want your people to experience.  For instance, just a couple of weeks ago (Memorial Day weekend) we used a secular country/pop song that spoke about missing our loved ones that have gone on and longing for the day that we will be able to see them again.  We used this song to create an experience for our people to remember those that have influenced our lives and make it a point to prepare to see them again in Heaven.

As people listened (to a secular song during Sunday morning worship) their hearts were moved and they experienced exactly what were hoping for.  We also created a video of loved ones and those that have influenced our lives and had their faces flash across the screen.  It was a very emotional time.

Now, when our people hear that song on the radio, their minds will instantly return to our service and they will be reminded of the preparation it takes here on earth in order to see our loved ones again.  Maybe they even contemplated a decision they made in that service.

There is power in a music.  There is life-changing power in a song.  Therefore, a song can get people thinking about the pain in their relationships, the longing in their souls, or the beauty of a flower--and can be the perfect vehicle to prepare a congregation to hear the message.

Get this also: many pastors who have never allowed a secular song in their services have quoted secular authors, poets, and historical figures.  They do that to make a point.  To get people thinking.  To open their hearts.  I would like to challenge you to stretch that philosophy to cover your entire worship experience.  Look at the entire service as one seamless message comprising different elements, all of which are focused on helping people take their next step toward Christ.

The Apostle Paul did this when he quoted from a famous poet of the day (Acts 17:28).  He wasn't saying, "I agree with everything this poet wrote."  He wasn't saying, "Read all of his poems."  He was just using a well-known poem to connect with his listeners in order to effect change in their lives.

Remember, it's not about you...it's all about reaching the unchurched and helping them find their way to Christ.  Remember...it's all about RTL's (Radically Transformed Lives!) 

Any thoughts? Any comments?  Please click the comments link below and share your views on this.