The Gospel in the Public Square
Yesterday I was invited to participate in a panel discussion that aired on Anderson Cooper 360. The discussion was among a diverse group of Christians in Charlotte…
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10 Prayers of Repentance
In wrapping up our series this past weekend, Pastor Spence led us through a way to pray through the 10 Commandments. We’ve placed that prayer guide below for you to use in your devotional time.
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Living in the Freedom Christ Purchased for You
Our summer series on the Ten Commandments has really had me thinking. It has been both comforting and challenging to remember the God who commands our obedience tells us who he is before he tells us what to do. In Exodus 20, God reminds his people he has delivered them from slavery and oppression before he tells them who they are created to be and how to walk obediently in loving relationship to him and others. The Ten Commandments are God’s loving design for living in the freedom that Christ purchased for us on the cross.
Read NowJuneteenth
You may not know, but on June 19th many African Americans around the country will celebrate a holiday called Juneteenth. Juneteenth is typically observed over the weekend of June 19th or the weekend leading up to the holiday. It is not a national holiday, but 40 states in the US have adopted it statewide. It is known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day.
Read NowHow Kids Week Helped Me Fall In Love With Christ When I Was 35
I was not raised in a home that worshipped a powerful God. I grew up in Northern California with divorced, wanna-be hippie parents, who only used the Lord’s name out of disappointment or rage. As a child, I went to church maybe five times. My mom had migrated to America from Amsterdam with her Jewish father and Christian mother, who, at the time, were fleeing the Holocaust.
Read NowWhere is God?
As I begin to write this article, I can still hear the humming of helicopter blades as police make their rounds. They are continuing their patrol of the skies surrounding the campus of University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC). Many students are still stuck on campus, sitting in locked rooms, awaiting evacuation.
Read NowWhy We Sing Gospel Songs
This Sunday we will be learning a new gospel song, which is becoming a much more common practice for our church. In fact, 4 of the last 10 songs we have introduced at Mercy have been gospel songs (plus 4 originals and 2 contemporary worship songs). In light of this growing trend I thought it may be time to talk about why we sing gospel songs, and why we will continue to introduce new ones.
Read NowThe Cooperation of Fasting and Prayer in the Christian Life
The first time I can remember fasting was as a college sophomore. A group of guys I was in a Bible study with were feeling (pridefully) like we were ready […]
Read NowLifted: Our Vision and Prayer for the Mercy Women’s Gatherings of 2019
Women of Mercy, we invite you to join us April 11 for the first Mercy Women’s Gathering of 2019. As we prepare our hearts for a night of fellowship, worship, and teaching, we want to share with you the heart behind Lifted and our prayer for these gatherings.
Read NowA Men’s Retreat
Let me tell you about my first men’s retreat many years ago. I remember it like it was yesterday. There I was, a 29-year-old guy with a wife and three little kids, and these church guys were inviting me to spend a weekend doing church-y things. Needless to say, I had plenty of other stuff on my plate and I didn’t think it was the best use of time to go away for a weekend…I was wrong!
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