Sermon Series | Ethos:Engaged

1. The Heart -This week, we begin a series on LifePoint’s ethos and how we are to engage in it as Christ-followers. Worship Pastor Dennis Smith challenges us to engage our hearts in worship while we study the dichotomy of a sinful woman and a prideful Pharisee. He provides four ways we can expand the gospel in our lives. (September 6, 2009)
2. The Mind. Once again we study Luke 7:36-50, but this week Pastor Lane challenges us to engage our minds with the gospel. We carefully look at the Pharisee, the problem with his mindset, and the dangers in the application of our minds. But Pastor Lane encourages us with four patterns of thinking as we embrace this challenge. (September 13, 2009)
3. The Hands. Our response to Romans 12:1-2 is to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God. Divine usefulness happens when we give ourselves to God out of divine sacrifice. In this sermon from Pastor Dennis, we study two engagements of the hands and how to make those engagements happen. (September 20, 2009)
4. The Feet. As we conclude our series on LifePoint’s ethos, Pastor Lane teaches about missions and provides five weapons from the Bible’s five instances of the Great Commission to use as missioners in our everyday lives. (September 27, 2009)

Download all four sermons (87 MB).

Ethos:Engaged – The Heart

The Heart. This week, we begin a series on LifePoint’s ethos and how we are to engage in it as Christ-followers. Worship Pastor Dennis Smith challenges us to engage our hearts in worship while we study the dichotomy of a sinful woman and a prideful Pharisee. He provides four ways we can expand the gospel in our lives.

Listen to “Ethos:Engaged – The Heart” now…

Our Intimate Relationship with Christ

In 2 Peter 1:5-7, the Apostle Peter begins the passage with a to-do list, which seems to contradict the first four verses of the chapter, but four words put this list into perspective: for this very reason. Out of our intimate relationship with Christ comes these actions. Listen to “Our Intimate Relationship with Christ” now…

The Sufficiency and Power of God

This week, Pastor Dennis takes the reins and delves into 2 Peter, a short New Testament book written by the Apostle Peter near the end of his life. His audience is the Church, who at that time is enduring intense persecution from the Roman government. Listen to “The Sufficiency and Power of God” now…

Sermon Series | Vision 2009

1. The Year of Movement. As we reflect on 2008 and set goals for 2009, we study four truths about the church and define 2009 as the Year of Movement. In 2009, we’ll move by growing our ethos in worship, serving, discipling, and missioning.
2. Servant & Missioner. To grow our ethos in 2009, we must know what it means to be servants and worshipers. In this sermon, Pastor Dennis defines these roles in our ethos and provides practical applications to incorporate them into our lives.
3. Disciple. To grow in our ethos in 2009, we must understand what it means to be disciples. In this sermon, Elder Chris Bryant provides four signposts to heighten our understanding of discipleship.

Download all three sermons (58 MB).

Thank You from Pastor Dennis

Sue and I thank you so much for your generous pastor’s appreciation gift and cards of encouragement. You are so good to us. We are extremely thankful to serve in such a loving church. We have been overwhelmed by your thoughtfulness and generosity with both the incredible baby shower you threw for us and the pastor’s appreciation gift and cards you gave us. We look forward with anticipation and excitement to what God is going to do in the years to come at LifePoint. It is an honor to be your worship pastor. We pray you have a great Thanksgiving and Christmas. We love you!

—Pastor Dennis

For the Men

I had the great privilege of eating lunch with my dad last week. I don’t use the term “privilege” loosely. I consider my father the greatest man in my life. He has influenced me in ways I will not fully grasp this side of heaven. So in this blog I honor a great man and hopeful give insight into being Godly men who lead our homes as Christ has called us to do.

1. Man of God
My father places God above all else in his life. I grew up seeing my dad in prayer. He prayed with us and for us. He prays about the smallest details in life and the greatest decisions to come. I’ve seen him pray for the lost, skip meals to pray, and thank God for blessings during some of the most difficult times. I’ve heard him say “in Your will” more times than I can count. He studies God’s Word openly in front of his family. He speaks often about God and his love for Christ. Most importantly He lives out his relationship with Christ everyday. The Gospel of Christ made alive in his life is clear for all to see. He has always shared that Gospel with those he comes into contact.

2. Man of his marriage
I’ve never questioned the love my dad has for my mom. They have been visibly in love with each other for more than 50 years. He shows a love that is far more deep than mere emotion. It is a passion based on knowledge of my mom’s most intimate needs. He understands a Godly commitment to her for life. He understands sacrifice and selflessness in marriage.

3. Man of his children
As a pastor my father has always lived under the incredible burden of leading a church. I never felt that I was less important than his ministry, as many of my PK friends felt. Being a pastor requires a huge amount of time and emotion, but my dad kept his priorities straight – God, marriage, children, and then all the rest. Even through the most hurtful circumstances, he carried the burdens without placing it on the family. He showed me that no matter how noble or Godly the job, it means nothing if your relationship with God and family suffers.

4. Man of strength, boldness and humility
In my father I see strength and boldness to stand for what is right. I’ve witnessed this over and over in my life. He is a man of integrity wrapped in humility. He is a humble servant, but by no means a push-over. He tells it like it is not out of pride, but from a deep resolve and confidence in what is good and right.

5. Man of kindness and wisdom
My father is a truly kind and gentle man, a man of great wisdom and discernment. People enjoy being around him. He treats people with respect and gives them time and attention. He cares about their lives. His wisdom is based on the ways of God and not selfish motivation or vain conceit.

6. Man of forgiveness
My dad both gives forgiveness and seeks forgiveness. From all the things listed above you might think my view of my father is one of perfection. He is a great man not a perfect man. One of his greatest attributes is to seek forgiveness when he has been wrong. I’ve seen tears in his eyes when he has asked me to forgive him for a misstep in parenting. I’ve seen him ask forgiveness from my mom. I’ve heard him pray for forgiveness from Christ. I’ve been taken by his hand and led to ask forgiveness from someone I’ve wronged. I’ve also seen him forgive others. People who have hurt him deeply, like the drunk driver who killed his only brother or close friends who betrayed him. He didn’t allow us to harbor angry feelings toward others. I’ve learned more from watching him forgive than probably anything else.

Thanks for allowing me to honor my father with this blog. These are just a few of the ways I’ve been shaped by his life. As I look forward to my own son’s birth next month, I realize the awesome responsibility of influence as a father. As men we have been given the task of leading and molding our home. We are not just positively influencing our child. We are answering a command to lead generations to come “in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Thanks, Daddy!

—Pastor Dennis

Living Sacrifice

Last week I talked specifically about how we view music in the context of corporate worship. This week I will examine worship in broader terms. We must expand our concept of worship beyond the finite domain of a particular place, time or method. Biblical worship is so much more.

Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” It’s not a limited lease agreement or a rent-to-own contract. It’s a whole-sale sell out to our Creator. We hear this scripture used a lot on its own, but I think it becomes even more powerful when we read it in context with the scripture surrounding it. Directly preceding it is a powerful doxology:

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?

Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

In light of this incredible statement about the amazing power and character of God, Paul then says “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” It’s as if Paul is saying “Look at our God! He is worthy to be given our entire life. How can we hold anything back from him?” He urges us to give everything to God. Is there anything you’re holding on to? God is so much more than the trinkets we grasp in our hands. After this statement in Romans 12:1, Paul writes beautifully about how to live a life that is a sacrifice pleasing to God. I can’t begin to fully expound such rich text in this limited space, but I urge you to open up Romans and pour over chapters 12-15. Ask the Holy Spirit to mold your life into a living sacrifice that is pleasing to God.

Worship is not something that we walk in and out of at will. It is our life lived for something of high priority. We must constantly pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal anything that has taken the place of God. Worship is not a moment in our life. It is every moment in our life. May every moment we live be for Christ.

—Pastor Dennis

Music: Our Golden Calf?

Lately, I’ve been burdened by my need as a worship pastor to have an extremely deep understanding of gospel-centered theology. Early in my ministry my mind was focused on the practical aspects of being a worship minister. As long as I had a decent knowledge of the Bible, my lead pastor would take care of the hard questions and concepts. After all, my job was all about music, right? Sadly, in our current culture there is very little in church life that is messed up more than our concept of biblical worship. It is not acceptable for worship pastors to blindly lead their congregations into the abyss of idolatry and emotional relativism.

In many churches, worship leaders inadvertently train the church to believe that music ushers in the presence of God or that the presence of God is measured by the depth of emotional response brought on by the music. Because of our passion for the arts, we have raised the level of music to such high stature that it’s revered and enjoyed more than our God to whom it is being offered. This is a serious matter. This is idolatry. I love music. It is a beautiful gift from God, but when the creation not the Creator becomes the focus, we are in sin. Think about what happened in Exodus 32. God’s people took the beautiful gold that God created and turned it into a golden calf that they gave a higher place to than the Creator. It became their idol. Music has no magical or spiritual power by itself. Remember it is only a tool. Music is a tool used to direct our hearts and minds to the character of God, not a force which directs the power of God into our presence. As Christ-followers we must always remember that it is not because of anything except the power of the blood of Jesus Christ that we live in his presence. We all must pray that the Holy Spirit will direct our worship toward God and not his creation. Enjoy music. Offer it up to God in with reckless abandon in worship, but understand it for what it is. Test yourself within corporate worship. Is the music your focus or is God?

A couple of weeks ago Jon Goings and I had the opportunity to attend the Resurgence Continuous Worship Conference at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. This was an amazing conference. I’m still trying to get my brain around everything I learned during the two short days. It was the first worship conference that I’ve gone to which dealt specifically with the theology of worship instead of the “how to” of worship programming. The lack of emphasis on theological training within the worship leading training circuit is sad. I think it is representative of what is happening regarding worship within church culture.

My frustration is that I haven’t begun to cover all I would like in this short format. I’ve only briefly talked about idolatry in corporate worship. For a much more in depth discussion of true worship, I strongly recommend that you read the book Unceasing Worship by Harold Best. This book is a must read for any Christ-follower searching for a deeper relationship with Christ.

—Pastor Dennis

Stale Fish Saran Wrap

A couple of years ago Sue gave me tickets to a motocross freestyle event in Dallas. I’ve never felt more loved. She looked deeply into my soul and found a birthday gift only a wife who is tuned into the passions of her man’s heart could find. We headed down to Dallas for the spectacle that is freestyle motocross. My expectations were high. As the live metal band kicked into its ear shattering set the energy of the stadium was crazy. Then the two hour onslaught of Nac Nacs, Lazyboys, Stale Fish Saran Wraps, Cordovas, McMetzes, and No Footed Back Flips began. It was electric. It was way beyond my expectations.

God has really been dealing in my heart about how flippantly we spend time in His presence. How can we come into His presence, whether in our daily relationship with Him or when we come to church, completely void of any awe or reverence of God’s power and holiness? I know this seems like a big leap from motofreestyle, but hang with me. I was reading accounts of different people in the Bible who came into the presence of God. Isaiah immediately was overwhelmed by his filth and unholiness before a holy, powerful God. Moses was filled with fear and hid his face when God spoke to him in a burning bush. The man whose name would be changed to Paul was blinded by God’s presence. John fell as if dead. Why is it that I can watch a guy on a motorcycle do a “Kiss of Death” across a 90 foot gap and feel like I can die a completed man, but when I open up the living breathing Word of God I give it the same respect as the sports section of the newspaper. How can I scream like a lunatic in a stadium packed with rednecks and stand in the presence of God with my church family and act like I’m in high school detention?

I believe many of our issues stem from extremely low expectations. I want to challenge us all to think honestly about how we approach God. What do you expect when you open up the Bible? Are you looking for God to speak to you from His living, breathing Word? Are you searching for the answers to your life? Do you expect to be challenged – to be changed? 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” When you pray do you really think of it as speaking to Holy God and Creator of the universe? Do you believe it makes any difference if you pray or not? James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” When you go to church what do you expect – to be entertained, see friends or do you wonder why you are even there? Read I Kings 8. How did Solomon feel about church?

We are allowed to get a glimpse of the glory of God. Think about what that means. How crazy is it that we have a relationship with immortal, omniscient, omnipresent, all powerful, all loving God and we cavalierly prance through the ritual because that’s what we do to be religious. How we approach God says so much about our relationship with Him. Empty ritual may help us feel better about ourselves because we are able to check it off the Christian “to-do” list, but it is an empty sacrifice to God – a stench in His nostrils. I’m convinced that if God would give us a small look at how we could live, we would be appalled by our current existence. Enough of empty rituals, it’s time to seek God and actually believe we will find him.

–Pastor Dennis

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