Absent from the body; present with the Lord - updated

Tommy Drake went to take his place around the throne of God Sunday morning.

Funeral arrangements are pending, but will be held at Nags Head Church.

Claire, Cathy, Chris and Leslie are in need of your prayers.

Updates will be posted on this blog as they are known.

Update: see the comments about giving financially to help Claire with expenses.

Update: The service celebrating Tommy's life and faith will be at NHC on Saturday, Nov. 27 at 2PM. A viewing is planned from 1:00 until just prior to the service, but that is pending. Burial will be in the Manteo Cemetery after the service.

Update: following the burial we will return to the church for a reception. Please bring a dish of finger foods if you are able to the service and leave it in the kitchen.

Update: Although the service begins at 2PM, there will be a viewing from 1:00-1:45.

Day 40! Share your story.

If you began the 40 Days on that Sunday so loooong ago, today is day 40.

Take a moment to share with the rest of us what God taught you about Himself, yourself and others when it comes to love.

Keeping up a Daily Devotion after 40 Days

So you're just about to finish your devotional book "The Relationship Principles of Jesus". You've been consistent with it, reading a chapter every day, and you know that it has been a good growth experience for you. You wish it didn't end.

But tomorrow is Day 40. What do I do next?

Here are some suggestions to continue a daily devotional reading.

Our Daily Bread. If you like holding a devotional in your hand (like the book), try Our Daily Bread. It is published quarterly and we have free copies at the Welcome Center at NHC. You can also subscribe to it and they'll send to your house. It's free.

Get another devotional book. There are lots of them out there, so be careful that the one you choose is from a Christ-centered source. Most of the well-known evangelical Bible teachers have written them, so if you have a favorite teacher, do a bit of research (@Amazon.com for example) and see if he/she has written a devotional. There are also classics like "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.

The Purpose Driven Life. Another 40 day devotional book. It's written by Rick Warren. We have copies for sale at the Welcome Center. Or, if you've been through 40 Days of Purpose, maybe it's time to re-read it.

On-line devotionals. If you regularly spend time in front of your computer this might be a good option for you, and if you have a laptop or smart phone, it's even better. There are a number of good devotionals available. Some you can subscribe to, so they come in your email every day. Others you just put on your list of "favorites" and each day a new one is there at their site for you. On the right side of this blog's page is a list of onliners we can recommend. Just click the links and get started.

Of course, as good as any devotional is, it shouldn't replace your own time reading Scripture. And a lot of people find it encouraging and worthwhile to keep a journal of your thoughts as you read.

The church's purpose: Not either/or but both/and

Last night while on the road one of my long-time favorite Bible teachers was on the radio. I have multiple copies of his books, in fact his latest, an autographed copy, is right beside my recliner at home. I've been to his church and heard him preach; listened to him share insights at conferences. I've used his Bible studies in small groups. For me, he is one of the best and has my respect.

But on this particular program He made a statement that I believe is wrong. Here's what he said. "The church is not for assembling 'seekers' but for making disciples".

Why, I wonder, does it have to be one or the other? Shouldn't it be both?

I suspect that had this brother been a missionary or a church planter he would have a different perspective. None of us who is now on the path of discipleship (a disciple is a learner) started as a disciple. None of us are Christians from birth, but from re-birth. And before that re-birth took place, like Nicodemus in John 3, the Ethiopian in Acts 8 and Cornelius in Acts 10 we were all "seekers". That's where we all began.

Our church's vision statement says we are to be about the purpose of "evangelism" - which is sharing the Gospel with seekers - and "edification" - which is building up believers, or discipleship. A church that is one-sided will be out of balance. A church all about "seekers" will fail to see them grow into fully-devoted followers of Christ once they become disciples. A church that is all about making disciples will turn inward and will miss out on evangelizing the lost community around them.

Our goal is to accomplish both, along with the purposes of fellowship, worship and ministry. And by being balanced in them - which is a never-ending pursuit - we'll continue to be a healthy, growing congregation. In our view, NHC should be both an assembly of "seekers"- where those who don't yet know Christ can discover Him - and a disciple-making body - where believers can learn and become like Christ.

So, if that's who what we're to be about as a church, here are the questions each of us should be regularly asking ourselves.

1. Am I concerned about non-believers in my life? Do I take opportunities through my words and my actions to point them to my Savior? Do I regularly invite the unchurched to come with me to church?

2. Do I see consistent growth in my relationship with Christ and with His family? How do I measure that growth?

3. If I am a maturing believer, what younger, newer believer am I investing my life in to help him/her grow as well? That is making disciples.

Sunday Feedback November 21

God's love is never-ending for us, and his desire is for our love to copy His for others. Lots of us were challenged to love others who may not be so lovable.

Chris Jolly encased in plexiglass. Where's the love in that?

Just so you know, NHC have at least 124 shoeboxes to Operation Christmas Child.

Remember to pray for Tommy Drake.

Share with the rest of us how today's worship was used by God in your life.

Week 6 of 40 Days of Love

Sunday begins the final days of our 40 day journey studying together Jesus' principles of relating to one another in love and the Bible's great love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. What a fantastic study it has been! Thanks to Tom Holladay and Rick Warren for writing the materials for us.

This week our youth, who have also been focused on practicing godly love, are distributing Thanksgiving turkeys to a limited number of families. They already have all the recipients lined up.

Sunday night is our annual church conference. Important, because it casts the vision for 2011, we hope our partners will come out and hear what we believe God is leading us to do in the next year.

Wednesday night is our annual Thanksgiving Worship Gathering at 7PM. Lots of worship, music, Scripture and a report from Larry and Sheila Benson, our missionaries in Honduras.

Sunday, November 28 we'll begin a series on how to make Christmas more about giving and less about spending through the Advent Conspiracy. (It's not a theory!)

Have a great Thanksgiving! Give thanks to the Lord...His love endures forever!

Why do you use different Bible translations when you teach?

One of our questions was, “Why do you use different translations (versions) of the Bible when you teach?” Good question. I use different Bible translations for several reasons.

First, because I can! Computer programs have made it so copy and paste is simple. My Bible program allows me to look at numerous translations at the same time.

Second, because sometimes one translation says the verse in a clearer way than others. That doesn’t mean the meaning or interpretation is changed, but the words are easier to understand. One of the great things about a church that is reaching out is that there are always very young believers. Good communication means the communicator is reaching every level if possible. That doesn’t “water down” the Scripture. It simply makes it easier to grasp for some.

Third, with the plethora of translations available (most of which are well done and faithful to the original languages) and knowing that any number of them might be in the laps of the congregation, sticking to one isn’t an issue.

When I teach from a particular passage, as I did recently in Romans, I’ll primarily use one version as my base. Currently my two favorites to use are the New Living Translation and the Holman Christian Study Bible. There are versions I will not use (the Good News Bible and the Revised Standard Version, for example) because their scholarship and/or choices are not close enough to the original manuscripts meaning.

I also steer clear of using paraphrases, such as the Living Bible and The Message. But on the rare occasion I do refer to one I point out that it is a paraphrase. A paraphrase, by the way, isn’t a bad thing. But neither is it a translation from the original languages. Instead, a paraphrase asks, “How would I say that in my own words?”. So a paraphrase is subjective. But then, really, what is a sermon? It’s an explanation of a text in the preacher’s own words.

In the notes we give out on Sundays we always include the references for each Scripture verse used and I encourage everyone to go home and look them up as a follow up to the sermons. God’s Word needs to dwell within us, and that takes study.

Be like the Bereans. Luke noted in Acts 11:17 that they were “more noble than the Thessalonicans because they searched the scriptures daily to see if the things [Paul had taught them] were so.” Check that verse out, by the way.

Rick

Buy a ham and support missions!

Again this year, Brad and Rebecca Meyers will be taking orders for both Thanksgiving and Christmas Boars Head brand hams.

With every ham purchased $10 will be given to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for Foreign Missions. The cost per ham is $35. Last year $750 was raised just through the hams. Let's shoot for $1000 this year!

Think your gift to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® won't make a difference? Every penny given to Lottie Moon is used to help support more than 5,000 Southern Baptist missionaries (including one of our own NHC families) serving overseas. Last year, those missionaries reported 506,019 baptisms and 24,650 new churches. The lost are believing because you give!

Orders will be taken on Sundays in the church lobby Nov. 21 for Thanksgiving, and December 5 and 12 for Christmas. You can also order by emailing brad@obxdeli.com or calling 449-2627. Hams will be ready for pick up at NHC at our Thanksgiving Eve gathering and on Sunday, December 19.

Project Turkey in a Box

Coming into this week we had one family to deliver a meal to. As of today we are looking at 13!! Thanks to those who have helped find families who can benefit from a Thanksgiving dinner kit delivered to their home.

We now need 13 boxes to package the meals up in. If you have access to boxes please let me know.

This will be a great event for the youth group as we have been learning about loving others. We will be sharing Christ's love in a practical way on Sunday.

andy

Sunday Feedback November 14

Marathon Sunday.

One gathering.

Shoebox Sunday.

Love is not easily angered.

You were there. What did you see God doing?

Don't forget that if you were serving in children's ministries and missed the worship gathering the message is up on our pod cast at nagsheadchurch.org.