Black Friday

Posted on: December 1, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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I am sick to my stomach. It is not because I ate too much on Thanksgiving. It is because I am reading the news about Black Friday.

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Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on: November 27, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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With the holiday upon us, I’m taking a few days off from posting. Here are a few things for you to consider today.

thanksgiving –noun
1.     the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, esp. to God.
2.     an expression of thanks, esp. to God.
3.     a public celebration in acknowledgment of divine favor or kindness.
4.     a day set apart for giving thanks to God.

Psalm 42:4
These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

Psalm 69:30
I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 95:2
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Psalm 147:7
Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.

‘Bailout’ Is Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year

Posted on: November 26, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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Fox News —  Everyone seems to want one, but apparently a lot of Americans aren’t sure exactly what a “bailout” is.

People looked it up so often on Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary that the Springfield-based publisher says “bailout” was an easy choice for its annual Word of the Year honor.

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Thanksgiving history

Posted on: November 25, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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I poked around a little bit in search of Thanksgiving history. The Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth, MA provides information of the original Thanksgiving and history of what we celebrate today.
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The outsider

Posted on: November 24, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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We’ve been reading a book where one of the chapters discussed church outsiders. One thing they offered for consideration is to view your church through the eyes of an outsider or as if you had a friend visiting. I actually got to sit in the service yesterday with my wife. So, I thought I would try and view things as an outsider. Here is what I observed.

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Christmas confessions

Posted on: November 20, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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My family thinks that I am a Scrooge that doesn’t like Christmas. That doesn’t sound very good, does it? An elder of a church that doesn’t like Christmas.

Is it true?

Do I really not like Christmas?

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Focusing on the plank in my eye

Posted on: November 18, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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Have you ever heard this saying? “When you point a finger, four fingers are pointing back at you.” I have to admit that I am really good at identifying the four fingers pointing back at me. Whenever something causes me to be upset with someone, I can usually find the same fault in myself.
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Untitled

Posted on: November 17, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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I have nothing to write. I couldn’t even come up with a title.

-but-

I just read a great post from Perry Noble. Check it out. Do I Want Jesus…OR What I Think He Can Give Me?.

Happy Birthday Jon

Posted on: November 17, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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Jon’s birthday is today. Be sure to let him know how old he looks.

Pastor issuing 7-day sex challenge

Posted on: November 14, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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Not True North’s pastor, unfortunately. I found this headline under the strange news section of WRAL.com. Read full article.

Create in me a clean heart

Posted on: November 13, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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The My Own Worst Enemy series got me thinking today.

Time has a way of slowly making things dirty. We probably don’t even notice it at first. Take my car for example. It looked great when I bought it. I drive it daily and do not notice the small blemishes that occur. After months or years, I look at the car and realize one day how bad it looks. Scratches, dings, bugs, tar and dirt cover my once beautiful car. So it is with my heart.

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This is the gift of God

Posted on: November 12, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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I had one of those moments last night while standing on my back deck grilling dinner. The sun was setting, I could hear my kids playing in the driveway and I could see my beautiful wife in the kitchen.

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Forward this email or someone will die

Posted on: November 11, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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I get a lot of well intentioned emails forwarded to me. Sometimes they are sappy or corny. Sometimes they are just plain weird. Sometimes they have a really good message. Most all of the time, they have the thing that makes me delete them 100% of the time.

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God’s favorite location for a church

Posted on: November 10, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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I just read the Holding Church in Odd Locations post at Stuff Christians Like. Since we are mobile and in a theater, do we get some sort of combined score?

My own worst enemy

Posted on: November 6, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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This one is for the guy’s. If you have gone into a men’s room in the Garner area this week, you may see a flyer attached to the mirror promoting the start of this week’s series at TNC. One of our newest regular attenders has come up with what I think is a very clever and cool idea. The flyer asks the question, “Is the person in the mirror your worst enemy?” It also has the series logo seen here and the church logo with service information. Very cool. If a men’s room flyer helped you arrive on this site, I hope to see you Sunday at 10am.

TNC Halloween History

Posted on: November 5, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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Handing out candy last Friday reminded me of something that happened in the beginning of True North Church. My Halloween tradition is to get a lawn chair, sit on the sidewalk with my laptop and favorite beverage and hand out candy. The McClarnon clan was staying with us in 2006 so Jon joined me outside.

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Is Jesus offensive and distracting?

Posted on: November 4, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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Apparently, Jesus is offensive and distracting to some students and administration at West Brook Middle School in Paramus New Jersey. A student was sent home on Halloween for refusing to alter the costume of Jesus Christ he was wearing. Read the full CBS News article.

A jerk who desperately needs Jesus

Posted on: November 3, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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My son Nick played in his end of season soccer tournament Saturday. They won the tournament and Nick played great with 3 assists on the 4 goals scored. The tournament is not what this post is about. Instead, it is about a strange interaction I had with an opposing assistant coach.

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Daylight Savings Time

Posted on: October 31, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour this Saturday evening.

Those of you without small children, enjoy your extra hour of sleep!

Love Dare

Posted on: October 30, 2008 · Print This Post Print This Post
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I wrote about the movie Fireproof in a previous post. Something interesting about the movie is that it spawned a book. The father in the movie challenges his son to take The Love Dare.  It is a book that spans 40 days of dares to help you with your marriage. During early screening of the movie, people started asking if this was a real book and where they could get a copy. So, the creators of the movie wrote the book. Check it out. I dare you.

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