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Every Sunday is filled with dozens of to-do’s. But how exactly do we get the most growth out of our weekly worship services? In this message - Pastor Tim Glende discussed Paul’s charge to Timothy that shows an answer—Scripture.
The episodes are the weekly sermons from 922 Ministries (St. Peter and The CORE) of Appleton, Wisconsin.
How To….
Wk 1 The CORE
Pastor Tim Glende
Well, good morning everybody. I got a great, amazing introduction from Pastor Mike, who calls me the older and cooler Pastor here at 922 I would not argue with the older that is true and I would not argue with the cooler. But they pay him a compliment. If you noticed we're dressed the same, he's my idol.
We could not change certs. We just dress the same. I'm so excited for today for week number one of how to, and so glad that you are here. I know for some people, we come off of a series like Esther, and it's exciting to read something new. We learn something that we never knew before and this Pastor Mike set each. And every year we come back to this in our series, we talk about roots and fruit. And some of your kayak going, it's the most boring series of the year. So what I need you to do is make me a promise I promise. That this series will not be boring to me.
Because it's definitely not the pastor's fault.
All kidding, aside. We do this each and every year when we come back to our Roots. We talked about fruit because we believe it might be the most important series of the year. Lake series about relationships, series about books, like Esther series about half-truths, and trending throughs, they grabbed our attention. But in order for those really distinct in for you to be blessed by them, we want to understand the power of roots gathering and group growth. And this is Twisted a little different. It's called how to for a reason we did a survey a few months ago, from some of our members, we got some great feedback and a lot of the feedback that we heard from you in those different areas was this very important thing that you understood how vital they were. But they're not always so easy to do. Like how many of you are handy? People raise your hand. Can you please write on your communication card your name and number and send it to Pastor Tim?
Like how it is so important when we don't know and our world is filled with amazing resources and ways that we can figure out how to look. I'm not very handy and I'm not really all that wise to figure things out on my own, but I know when we buy a gift for my granddaughter, we have to put it together. I follow the manual, the directions. Sometimes I think the Chinese might be easier to understand than the English and the tools are all over the place, but how to is right there in front of you.
And if you follow directions, you follow and put it in the right place, you'll end up with the product. Today's world the resources at our fingertips are amazing. Like, you know, most of you, if there's a, how do you want to figure out? Learn more about what you do? What? Google it. Like my wife Google's recipes and there's a Pinterest list of all the dips. You might make for a pool party, or there's Tick-Tock videos of this amazing new recipe that everyone is doing, that's trendy and it's right there for you to know how to be different when it comes to how Samos like to follow every last detail and and know them. Also must like the tinker and figure it out like Tom Plamann and others of us like to play it by ear and do it by taste when it comes to a recipe. And here's the hard thing that we know, For all of you at 922, Us as pastors we buy into this Roots produce fruit. And we add this word in front of the statements. Just do it. Like just a group, just open the book and just come to church. And we make it probably sound so simple, but what you have told us and what we need to understand, remember for all of our members, Not that easy.
So if you're a lifer in Christianity, some of these things might not be news to you but you need to hear them again. So, please don't tune out. If you're new to night due to our downtown campus, the core or St, Peter, or maybe our school early childhood, and you're just checking it out, we think some of these things can be great blessings to you, along that journey to how to in these different areas and and maximize them do them well. But we believe across the board, all five of these topics. There will be things that you can learn no matter where you are.
On that Spectrum. And we're not going to promise to give you every great Insight, every last thing because we simply can't. But we will promise to share with you some of the insights from our own experience from things that we have learned as pastors. And most importantly, along the way, some truths that God would have you here. Remember, hold onto how to in these different areas. Now, today we're going to talk about how to church The Gather route, what we're doing right now, these 70 minutes that we come into this amazing building and get to sing songs that we love and listen to God's word. And see people that were connected to, I actually went to the most popular way to cite. You know what that is? It's not Google. It's actually wikiHow anyone ever used wikiHow
Pastor Mike pointed this out to me, I thought it was great because I wanted to learn how to take good selfies.
Check that I wanted to learn how to mount a projector, right. Honey, it's been sitting in the box in the basement for a year and a half. I still have not done it. And then I wikiHow how to church and on the first page, here's what came up. Some great ideas and things that some of you might want answers to: how to draw Church, how to pick a church, how to get ready for church, how to dress for church? And yes, on the first page how to flirt in church?
Married people do not do that or Google that. I'm not so sure. We want that for single people, but hey, I get it.
And all those things are good. I want to literally talk about how to maximize, how to church. Well, be 70 minutes that you have Right Here, Right Now. The Taproot that The Gatherer is, if you know a Tapper to the first route without the Taproot, the rest of the Roots, can't grow. We say, we think Gathering is so vital and important. I want to give you four truths for takeaways today. I'm going to encourage you right now to get your bolts out and have a pen in front of you. How many of you did not pick up a pen? If you didn't feel free to get up and get one? Because the real big thing about how to do it is often times when we want information, when we want answers, we need to write things down, and I'm hoping that today, you can take a take away from each one of these four areas. These four steps from how to church, that you will be blessed by maybe you're doing them now. Maybe you can take it to the next level. Well, maybe you're not doing one as well as you want. Maybe all these things together will help bless you as you go to church. But before we get into what we're doing right now because we're not talk about how to church, the 70 minutes were right here. I want to make a compelling case to you about how church begins before Sunday. It begins before the van sings the first song. It begins before the promo video of the pastor and the better looking guy pass through. Nevada, it comes up here most of the time at downtown campus How to church? I want to pitch a compelling case too. You begin long before Sunday.
Because if that was the case, King David would never have said these words. I Rejoice with those who said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord. Like when David got invited, when when David looked forward, when his friends extended the invitation, as he was wrestling with and struggling with maybe the things of Life, the the difficulties of being the king, the sins, that that weighed heavily on him, when his friends said Church. Let's go, let's gather but let's head to the temple. He rejoiced And that was in advance of what took place at church.
In order to do Church. Well how did Church those words speak to me and reinforce this step, but it comes to how to church. Step number one, is prep up. Now, I don't mean get more preppy and how you dress. I mean to prepare. Some people say, This phrase gets used. If you prep up, you're prepping completely, you're prepping thoroughly. And when it comes to how to church, I would tell you that it begins with your preparation.
There's no biblical passage that lays out the steps of how to church. Well it talks about the importance of church going to get to that talks about other things that we can take from it. And I want to make a compelling case to you as members of 922 that how to church begins before you set your rear ends down on these seats before you walk through those doors and get your cup of coffee. Prep up.
Cuz if this is the most important, our that sets, the tone for the Taproot of the week, don't you think it's worthy of some time in advance
How many of you have important business meetings this week? Meet with the boss? Got a presentation, how many to test this week, coming up at school or high school and assignment you have to get done in advance?
Like I've done this before. I've gone in blind to a test you know what happens. Nothing good.
If I go into a meeting without preparing for it with our staff and have nothing, align with, the meeting is just going to be a whole bunch of talking in circles and nothing's going to be accomplished. Like, if you have a big project, if you have a big presentation, if you have a big test you're going to do prep. Like you're going to look at your material, maybe the night before one time. You're going to want to get a good night's sleep. You're going to maybe think about what you're going to wear when you're making that presentation. You know you. You feel good when you dress well, like all those different things, go into it in our life in so many different areas. I mean, if you're going on a first date with a girl, don't do what I did. The first time I met, my wife sweatpants with a hole in them and a Buster, Douglas t-shirt not good.
Preparing for church seems to make sense. It seems to be biblical King David's words of rejoicing about the opportunity that it was and I don't know where you're at and how will you do it? But let me give you some ideas and tips that I think might benefit you when it comes to prepping up.
Bulletin right now. Take a look. There's a little section that says homework.
Like how many of you before you came to church today? Read the homework.
Like Saturday night before you go to bed the sections for usually really small, you can probably do it in less than three minutes for the most part, just read what we're going to focus on to get our hearts. Ready to rejoice. When we enter the house of the Lord,
Maybe, for some of you, it's really hard to go to church. Because you have so much going on in your house. I want to respect that. I get that of all people. A pastor who had a wife, would deal with the kids in the morning. It's hard.
But maybe the night before you set out the clothes, maybe the night before you get the coffee ready before fill up, the Keurig with the water so that you don't have to do it the next day, like take a few little minutes a night before to make the next morning. A little less cat. I can busy.
Or how about this? Maybe what you want to do is clear the Clutter on Sunday morning.
When I was a pastor at a small church, when I was a pastor at st. Peter, we didn't have all the services that we do and all the pastors that we have. I preach more often than, than not never once in a while, I get a Sunday off and I'd stay home and I get to sleep in which is really fun for a pastor, by the way. And I wake up and I get my coffee and I go to the TV set and I turn it on. How many do you do? Like the first time I did that my wife said we don't do that here. I'm like we don't do what we do here.
She's like, no, we leave the TV off on Sunday, like we eat our breakfast, we have Christian music on, we focus our attention on those things. We get rid of the Clutter.
Like SportsCenter doesn't matter on Sunday morning even though football games are coming later like Jesus matters. Like that's what prepping up is all about. Like what small thing can you do the night before? What, what steps can you take like, reading the homework to clear the Clutter? And then they could give you a little advice before you leave the house? Can I encourage you to pray before you come Pray that God will speak, ask God to work. Get your heart in the right place with an expectation that God can do greater things through his word than you could even imagine.
Pray for the church and the musicians and the pastor's prep up to do church and do Church. Well, arrived a little bit earlier, get your seat a little bit earlier. Pray, before you come in at, I love the rush of seeing people at our two campuses at 9:00 and 10:00 come in, but it gets chaotic when you're searching for a seat. Isn't your heart in the right place? If you could just get your two minutes earlier,
Michael is a little better. You might be a little in a better place to find that joy that King David described. And here's my last one. Because it's going to affect the other ones. In prepping up. Can I convince you and sell you on? Leaving your phone in your car before you come in? Try it. Like check in from there before you come in check-in. Before you come in, I know we don't have notes that you can write on anymore on your phone. You don't need it when you're in here. Maybe some of you are police officers, I'll give you a pass. Maybe there's some other reason to bring it, but put it on silent and turn it off. Don't pull it out. Like eliminating distractions. A way to church and church. Well, begin with everything you do before you come.
And I want to make that case because Sometimes all those distractions cause us not to come.
And I know, I'm so glad that all of you are here today, but step number two, seems so simple and so important, but it's so very biblical don't just prep up. But when we do prep up, when we get our hearts in the right place and we understand what's taking place here. When we Rejoice that we get to go to the house of the Lord, then we're more likely to do step. Number two, which is found. In these words, the writer of the Hebrews said all scripture. Let's sorry about that and let us consider how we may spur one. Another on toward love and Good Deeds. Not giving up meetings as some are in the habit of doing but encouraging one, another and all the more as you see.
See the day approaching. You know, Step 2. Show up. Show up.
We have two options so that you can not get out of the habit of meeting together as some are in the habit of doing. We have multiple campuses with multiple service times so you can find one that fits where the weekly series is talked about so that you can show up. Because we want to offer you those opportunities that meet your needs and meet you, where you're at.
And I know I'm speaking to the audience who has today,
But I'll stop being annoying. Also speaking to an audience that if your
An average. And if you're considering what the world calls regular, You show up twice a month.
And I think there's a part of our heart that gets drawn into this idea that my faith is good, because I love Jesus. I believe in Jesus, Jesus lived, Jesus died, Jesus rose. And if I miss a week, I'm not going to lose that, right?
So, once every other week is okay to show up. Or maybe just skipping this week because I had a long week, it's okay to miss.
And I just want to put on your hearts with, What God Says is so vital and important. Let us not, give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing. Like showing up matters.
Showing up matters because it's here where the word of God Is Spoken. Showing up matters is because here is where we get the chance to celebrate what we did today. The great amazing blessing that baptism is it's the place where the means of Grace, the the word of God that the truths of God are shared and taut so that we can take them with us, in a light in our life. See, I would tell you that you can argue
That might be my Jesus Roots. What I believe is not affected by showing up or not, but I would tell you evaluate for me the weeks when you don't. How's the fruit? How's the patients? Little better. A little worse.
Maybe, how's the anxiety? Little higher.
Are you able to handle it? How about your marriage, how about your relationships, the joy that the piece, the words, the things that
Like The Gather route. How did the Church show up? That step is so important because this is what I know about God in his word. He promises that he will produce the fruit.
take place in your home
And you know why you need to show up?
Because of this motion above all God tells us his word is god-breathed. It comes from him. It's useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. So that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Like prepping up is huge, showing up is so important, but then when you're here, when you walk through the doors, when you get here, Listen up. Listen up.
This last year, I got this email from my uncle. He's the smarter of my relatives, way smarter than all of us maybe put together. And in his retirement, he took the time and effort to bring together all the letters that my grandfather wrote to my grandmother when he was fighting in World War 2.
But the only way they could connect back, then, was on the island of Hawaii than on a boat. He was fighting in the Pacific, like mail took a long time to get there. He never had seen his son. Now been born, he didn't know if he was going to get home. Like I was mesmerized by reading the word, he wrote, Like the love that he had for my grandmother, the things that he asked and the broken heart that he had because he was gone, like I almost couldn't put it down.
How I kept asking myself? What are you reading? Like, my grandpa wrote. He's like, so, what? I'm like, it's my grandpa. I want to hear his words. I can no longer talk to him. I get insight on something. I never really learned about what it was like,
And how many of you haven't said to us? I just wish. God could have a conversation with God. God would speak to me.
Scripture is god-breathed, useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. So that the man of God, that you might be thoroughly equipped for every good work. God is speaking right here. In his house, through his powerful words. The words, you heard Pastor Mike read before that baptism, the powerful words of Peter on Pentecost Sunday. The amazing truths that we get to hear about on Christmas and Easter and every Sunday in between the truth that God would have us apply to our lives. That are useful for teaching about what relationships look like correcting to address sin and and bad behavior and uproot the idols that are in our heart to help us deal with the lies that we believe in the devil's temptation.
In order to do that, I need you to listen up. I want you to listen up, how to church requires listening up. Like the coffee is great. The fellowship time is amazing.
But here, when we Church the 70 minutes, it's so easy to get distracted, isn't it?
Like the ones who are right there, who are sitting right behind that cute little girl who get distracted by her.
Sometimes it's distractions of her own heart, like we walk in and
Like all.
Not my favorite person in the band is singing today.
They're all. That message doesn't sound that expiring.
Like, showing up and listening up are so vitally important because because in here in God's house, amazing things happen. The holy spirit is at work, but you know who is also in the room Who's attacking you and wants to put a weed in your heart as you're listening up. The devil
And listen to it. Well, it's really hard. I know listening for 30 plus minutes to a sermon can sometimes be hard. In fact, the research tells you that listening up is a great thing to do, but I pray that maybe you consider this, if you write it down in your notes, I didn't give you an extra blank, but maybe the way to listen up and do it. Well, is to up your engagement.
Like, bring a journal. And grab a pen. And write down some notes of what you take away from the sermons. You can revisit it later next week. Did you know that, when you listen to someone speak, you remember about 10% experts say give or take of what you've heard 10% Like you might be the best listener in this room right now and I've heard a hundred percent of the words that I have said and you might walk away with only ten percent.
But, you know, they say that if you up your engagement, if you take notes during a presentation, if you write things down, if you're interactive and you apply other senses, it can go up to as high as 80%.
And when we get into the word of God tells us things like blessed, are they who hear the word of God? And Obey it if you want to, Have that word be of value and benefit and blessing be on Sunday. Writing it down. Might end up in the engagement. Might might bless you in your roots throughout the week as you long to experience the fruit. Like, I give you that challenge for the next four weeks after this one, and how can you grab a bullet and maybe bring a journal? Can you save those bulletins? Can you write down one or two tips? Like maybe for you today? The ultimate tip is I want to prepare better, maybe the reinforcement to you. I've fallen off a little bit and I don't show up as regularly or table for online after the fact, or sometimes choose it, and I get distracted there, maybe it's when you're here, you want to listen up better?
Maybe she wanted to last one but in order to do them better in order to really take advantage of this. How to go from A to B, to grow in your knowledge, to maximize your roots and these how-to's. Can I challenge you to grab a pen and a bulletin and promise not to get bored during the series too, I believe you'll be blessed.
Because the Apostle Paul knew the power of listening up. In fact, that's why I said to Timothy, a pastor, to do this until I come to devote yourself to the public reading of scripture to preaching. And to teaching, like, invest your time, Focus, your attention young man. As you serve God's people in your congregation in that City, devote yourself. To those things that take place in that house of God, devote yourself to the reading of script, the public reading of scripture preaching, and teaching Church.
Fink. To do it. Well, how did Church prep up? Show up. Listen up.
And I believe when you do, you'll be blessed. You'll hear the amazing things that God has done for you and your savior Jesus Christ. I believe that during your week when you feel the guilt for sin when when there's shame that that's real, the amazing love of God. That covers a multitude of sins will rush to your heart and will impact your life. I believe, when you want to live a, you first life for your spouse, for your neighbors, at your church?
The amazing reminder of who Jesus is and is you first heart? Will swell up inside of you as you seek to carry it out.
Prepping up showing up and listening up that vital route, The Gather route, all that it is that when you are here that powerful word of God will inspire you and encourage you. Throughout each and every phase of your life. And even to the last breath,
Because if you listen up, You'll hear what Jesus promises. Whoever lives and believes in him, even though they die will live.
All of which is great.
But you know what? The gatherer it is.
About 70 minutes of your week.
Like you get in, you can get inspired. Hearing music can fill your heart. Hearing the words that you see on the screen, you can take away your engagement, while you're here with your notes, get involved with the singing. Like give your whole heart to it, take it all in. But if it's true that you need to prep up before you come, how did Church end when you leave?
That's biblical. Look at these words to the apostle that the Apostle James said do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves do what it says. Listen to the word but does not do what it says. Is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. That'd be foolish. Whatever looks intently into the perfect law, the word of God that gives Freedom. Jesus said my word, the truth will set you free and continue in it, not forgetting what they have heard but doing it, they will be blessed in what they do. Perhaps the area that that each and every one of us, whether you're a newbie Christian or a lifer, whether you your new 2922 or you've been around a long time and heard about the roots, it's probably not the two in the middle of the sandwich showing up and listening up, we encourage you in that. A lot of you are good in that you found skills in that, but it's the prep up and this one step for the follow-up. James would tell you if you hear the word. But it goes way in one ear and out the other. If you don't apply it of, what good is it to you?
Do what it says.
The step to how to church to take it to the next level to how to do Church. Well to maximize it is to follow it up. Do what it says. Like if 80% power of remembering comes from taking notes so that you can follow up during the week ahead, do it. And you'll be blessed. James says, Like ones. Wouldn't what's one truth in the message that you hear on a weekly basis? If you just write down one thing that you want to apply this week to your marriage that you want to take to heart in wrestling with a liar. And idle, if it's something that you want to hold onto about dealing with shame, or guilt or anxiety, or grief. If it's something that you want to hold onto the remind you about heaven and God's amazing love. Like, write it down. Come back to it. Revisit it. Follow up with it. Put it into practice. I guess an amazing thing is that if something you came away with today from church, gets to play out in your life. A truth that you can apply in your relationship with God, follow-up. And they're all sorts of tools that that we believe that we can put at your fingertips that can help you do that. Like, open your bullets again. And look at those amazing things that are on the bottom of the page of the notes called the planting Jesus roots.
Like we put time into coming up with some questions so that you can take what you heard and discuss it. Think about it. Revisit it, follow up. How many of you are members of our 922 Church online? Our group.
Sign up. It's a private Facebook page. I know some of you aren't on Facebook and you don't want to be with you can create an identity on there and do nothing else. We can help you with that. But on there, there are reminders each and every week, they ask questions about the songs that you saying what lyric meant to eat? What lyrics stood out to you at song, spoke to your heart. What throughs did you find in the words from the message? Like fellow Christians are sharing and speaking and talking only there's a way that you can follow up during the week by part of our church online. Next week, Pastor Michael's going to talk about group and the power of that, there's groups that actually discussed the sermon and the message, there's a way to follow up by attaching another route to it. Like follow up by may be listening to this song, that spoke to you most like, write down or Circle at each and every week. And I mean, if you got Spotify, I've got Apple music. I don't know how many of you still have Pandora. I think that's outdated, but maybe some of you have that or whatever your favorite song is like listen to it. Every day, every morning, when you drink your coffee cup, it'll take you back to church and might spark a thought follow up.
Like the cow did church and how to church. Well, if all you do is church for 70 minutes but there's no prep up or no, follow-up, you are missing out on so much more fruit. The God bless you. I know we will God is amazing. He does amazing things.
But I believe you'll be more blessed if In that gather route, you allowed to be on Sunday.
So what's your next step? How to treat well.
Elements are aspect you want to consider or wrestle with from, from prepping up to showing up to listening up to the following up that that can bless you and your relationship with God, that can help strengthen your Jesus Roots. Because at the end of the day, at the end of this series, you know what we want for you? What God wants for you, but I believe churching, well will do for you. It'll cause you to feel. David. Next Saturday.
Like Saturday, when you start prepping up.
Your heart will be filled with that same emotion. I pray that David had And you could say, like, hey Emma, I was glad I am glad I rejoice. That I get to go to the house of the Lord.
Or do those things for us.
We consider how to church and do it well because in here in your house we get to listen up and be reminded of all the amazing things you do. Let's pray about that.
Heavenly father, thank you for this day for church and I love this place. The songs that we sing are filled with reminders of you. So let us up our engagement. Not just let those words be on the screen and things that go in one ear and out the other. But Be a great opportunity to Rejoice for who you are, what you've done. When I pray for everyone here, it's hard. Like I pray for parents who bring their kids here. I love that, but it's hard to church and listen up. Solar just help them and be with them and encourage them to to not lose heart, but to know the power of showing up for them and for their kids and the blessing, it can be But I pray for those who are here who are dealing with the challenges and difficulties because it's so easy. To walk through the door, but maybe be distracted.
Girls hearts Lord, that they give you our full attention. I pray Lord for some hoo hoo for showing up. It feels like a have to But lord, it's more than that to get to and need to This here in your house or reminded of all the things that you've done for us, your love, your grace, your forgiveness. It's the word that turns us from sin and directs us to the Cross Lord, when we show up
Give us hearts. Up and are blessed by the powerful word. And then Lord, we leave this place in a few minutes. Let us leave with the truths that you long for us to know, but not to leave. The truth behind give us hearts, Lord, that are willing later tonight to just revisit and look again at follow-up that apply these powerful truths because your word tells us that we bless them, we do Lord. I pray this for our church, that how to church, Can become a powerful tool to strengthen their Jesus roots and experience amazing fruits. I pray this in his name. Amen. Hey, before we get to our next song, I want to make one last compelling pitch about a difference. How to Community. Pastor Mike was going to preach on that next week. You got another nine days to sign up for Life groups, if you haven't done so. So yet, there are still some that are open, Now's the Time, take the opportunity, but instead of me making a compelling pitch to you and saying just Do It. Here's a little video to help encourage you in the powerful, why? And to remind you to do it.