JonathanBryant.info

-JESUS IS ALIVE!!!!!!!
-The services at FCC on both campuses today were off the chain! Hearts were changed and people stepped over the line of faith ALL – DAY – LONG! YEA BABY!
-We changed up our stage a bit this week. Drums in the middle instead of the side. Backdrops hanging off the drapes. Different colored lights, etc. I think it looked BOSS!
-Speaking of, check out the pics of today HERE. Ron Hartzog takes amazing pictures.
-I had a smoking band today! Jason, Blake, Scott, and Podge rocked my face off! I’m excited to have some of the same players on the stage with me for the next little while. Continuity is awesome.
-Set today was great: All B/C of Jesus/Fee-Happy Day/Hughes-When Love Comes to Town/U2-How He Loves/McMillan
-We butted the two first songs together. Same key and same tempo… great transition and people loved it!
-We had a sound guy come in for the weekend and he was great.
-I can’t believe how cool our volunteers are… they give time and effort, and all because they love the church and have caught the vision. They’re our secret weapon.
-The hospitality ladies added assorted teas to the snack tables this morning. This is great as I’m trying to give up caffeine and I’m on a diet, so I was in hog heaven today. Green tea w/ berry before you sing works wonders. Thanks you guys!
-Did I mention I LOVE our volunteers??
-It was good to have my parents, sister, and brother in law in church with us this morning. They visited from Virginia just for the weekend. They LOVED IT!
-I’m hoping to get my Hagstrom Guitar and Blackheart Amp sold this week so I can purchase a new acoustic. I REALLY need one pretty soon.
Need a new guitar or amp? Here’s some pics. Go to the album called “Hagstrom” and “Blackheart” $500 for a NICE LP-style guitar and case. $300 for a brand new Blackheart Amp and 1×12 cab.
-We had RECORD NUMBERS in Toccoa this morning. 83 in the first service, 118 in the second. 3 Salvations, 7 Recommitments, and 6 people wanna get baptized!
-Remember, we have a baptism service at the Seneca campus on April 26th at 6p! I’m joining Eric and David and leading worship, doing the Lord’s Supper, and BAPTISM! DON’T-MISS-IT!
-You should go to QuestionsUncensored.com and ask anything.

GREAT DAY BUT I’M BEAT… GOODNIGHT! THANK YOU JESUS FOR WHAT YOU DID FOR US!!

Casey Darnell
A Challenge for this Good Friday and Easter Sunday:

To Just Worship.
Worship without critiquing.
Without analyzing.

Become more engaged by what HE thinks of you and has done for you.
…and grow less concerned or caring about the music or style or genre.

Look at the stage, but don’t see the worship leader (V-Neck and all)…don’t see the band…or the lights or production.

Don’t talk or go home & blog about the worship leader’s style…
passion_previewjpg
…don’t be concerned if he wears a v-neck or not and his style is maybe “metro-sexual.”

Let all those things fade into the background as they create an opportunity to allow you to reflect…the same opportunity you had before you walked in the door…when you woke up this morning…all day long as you lived and breathed.

Remember your worship doesn’t start when the band cracks the 4 count and starts the first song…and it doesn’t end when they play the last chord or the last verse is read or the message ends and the house lights come up.

Let styles or worship become a thing for other people to talk about…but NOT you.
Not now in the moment when you realize Jesus was crucified for you…And all your opinions seem waisted.

So let go of opinions and a nature to criticize. Resist the temptation.
Let go of the deep rooted bitterness or hurt that causes you to use your tongue in ways that only bring YOU attention…and to critique or judge the attention others may get, realizing they are their to point the attention to Jesus.

So do that.
Give Jesus your attention.
Give Him your song and your sorrow and your hurt and bitterness and resentment and confusion and doubts…
…Give Him everything that you are holding onto and fighting to keep to yourself.

Give Him your worship.
The very thing He wants…but no one else can give for you….or sing for you…
…or create a moment in a service BIG ENOUGH to dare rival…the simple surrender of YOUR HEART.

I hope for us this will be a challenge so much bigger then this weekend.
Less talk about the worship leader. Less talk about the music style.
Less talk about your favorite song. Less of YOU and ME.

More of Him.

CASE
—————————————-
Mark Batterson
I Am Barabbas

This thought keeps going through my mind today: I am Barabbas.

Imagine what that Friday must have been like for him. He was sitting in a jail cell awaiting his execution. He knew it was the last day of his life. It was the end. There was no hope. Then he hears the crowd chanting his name and the next thing he knows he’s a free man. The charges are dropped. His life that was almost over starts over. And a sinless man named Jesus literally takes his place. He expected to die. He deserved to die. But his execution, in the sovereign plan of God, was scheduled on the same day Jesus was arrested.

If ever there was a picture of II Corinthians 5:21 this is it: “God made him who knew no sin to become sin for us.”

—————————————-
John Piper
A Conversation with Death on Good Friday

CHRISTIAN:

Hello, Death, my old enemy. My old slave-master. Have you come to talk to me again? To frighten me?

I am not the person you think I am. I am not the one you used to talk to. Something has happened. Let me ask you a question, Death.

Where is your sting?

DEATH, sneeringly:

My sting is your sin.

CHRISTIAN:

I know that, Death. But that’s not what I asked you. I asked, where is your sting? I know what it is. But tell me where it is.

Why are you fidgeting, Death? Why are you looking away? Why are you turning to go? Wait, Death, you have not answered my question. Where is your sting?

Where is, my sin?

What? You have no answer? But, Death, why do you have no answer? How will you terrify me, if you have no answer?

O Death, I will tell you the answer. Where is your sting? Where is my sin? It is hanging on that tree. God made Christ to be sin—my sin. When he died, the penalty of my sin was paid. The power of it was broken. I bear it no more.

Farewell, Death. You need not show up here again to frighten me. God will tell you when to come next time. And when you come, you will be his servant. For me, you will have no sting.

O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

So here the last 8… be sure to read the beginning of this post http://jonathanbryant.info/?p=181

What if I was:

-NOT KEEPING RECORDS OF WRONGS? – what if I forgave everyone, always, no matter what? What if the church put the past in the past and moved in unity?

-NOT DELIGHTED IN EVIL? – what if I never told a lie, a fib, a white lie, or ommited anything… Nothing but the whole truth? What if a ministry never compromised, even it was the easiest, most logical way?

-REJOICING IN TRUTH? – what if I listened to the Word of God more than the words of men? What if the church started preaching the Gospel every time the doors were open?

-ALWAYS PROTECTIVE OF OTHERS? – what if I protected others, even when it put me in danger? What if the church stopped gossipping?

-ALWAYS TRUSTING? – what if a church opened its doors to the “bad” people, instead of just the “good” people? What if I always took people at their word, even if they’ve lied to me before?

-LIVED IN HOPE? – what if I could practically evaluate my present circumstances without letting my world fall if I didn’t like what I saw? What if a church could look at their situation, all the while knowing that there is something greater coming?

-ALWAYS PERSEVERED? – what if a church never stopped pushing the vision, even if it meant making people uncomfortable? What if, when I got a word from God, did not stop until it was done, every time?

-REALIZED THAT LOVE NEVER FAILS? – what if I stopped acting like an orphan and started resting in the promise that God has a plan for me? What if a church never stopped loving on people, realizing that they need it more than anything?

There it is. God is rocking my world with this, and I hope you’ve gotten something out of it too. Like I said in the last post, this was what God is speaking to me… not meant to be negative and certainly not directed at anyone except myself.

Jesus, it’s tough to say this, but mold me until I look more like you. And if I ask you to stop, please don’t… For my good and for Your glory.

God, break my heart with what breaks Yours. Give me a burden for these people and this city… and surround us with the resources and drive to change this place in Your name.

We love You and want to do your will. Let us be a part of this. In Your name, amen.

A bunch of friends have been asking lately how we are and what’s on my mind… so I’ll tell you…

Revolution Church

This was our second week at Revolution Church in Canton, GA. I have an old college buddy who leads worship there, Thad Wood, and he’s been so supportive about getting us plugged in. I played on the worship team this week and had a great time.

Here’s why I’m so excited about Revolution Church:

-They LOVE Jesus

-They LOVE people more than they love being comfortable

-They are honest people, maybe a bit too much (if there is such a thing), but they don’t believe in beating around the bush or sugar coating things… INCLUDING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS.

-They are launching a new campus about 10 minutes from their main campus… and if you ask them why, they say, “So there are more seats for people who don’t know Jesus to sit in, hear the Gospel, and be transformed.”

I can dig that.

…details coming.