The Fields Blog https://www.thefieldschurch.net The Fields Blog. Thu, 28 Mar 2024 06:36:51 -0500 http://churchplantmedia.com/ God and Politics https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/god-and-politics https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/god-and-politics#comments Sun, 01 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0600 https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/god-and-politics As we approach the 2020 presidential election, The United States will likely become even more divided. We have seen our country become more divisive not in a matter of decades, but in a matter of years and months, and the weeks leading up to election day on November 3 will be no different. This has proven true in the last few days (written September 21, 2020) with the death or Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. As believers living in America, we are being pressed to believe that faith in Christ can only result in this or that political persuasion, perspective, or vote – but this is not so.

As Bible-believing, Jesus-following, cross-carrying Christians, how are we to live, speak, and act during these times? How are we to figure out who to vote for? How are we to treat others who believe differently? How are we to view the future? How will the results of this election change how we live out our faith?

These are just a few of the common questions we all have as considerate people of faith. It's our hope to provide you with trustworthy resources that will help you when considering how to walk by faith during this time. In the end, we hope that you will trust the Lord more than government, show love and compassion towards others, engage thoughtfully in politics by faith, and continue to share the hope you have in Jesus with those who have no hope!

Books

Devotional

Gospel Meditations for Voters by Chris Anderson at Church Works Media

Politics

How can I love church members with different politics? by Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naseli - FREE on Sundays or FREE Audio Book or Read 20 Quotes

God and Politics by Mark Dever - FREE on Sundays

Before you Vote by David Platt - Video description

Culture

How the nations rage by Jonathan Leeman or Read lessons from the book

Onward: Engaging the Culture without losing the Gospel by Russell Moore

City of God by Augustine of Hippo

A Public Disagreement between Christians

Policies, Persons, and Paths to Ruin by John Piper

A Respectful Respoonse to my Friend John Piper by Wayne Grudem

Platforms

What You Should Know About the 2020 Republican Party Platform by Joe Carter

What You Should Know About the 2020 Democratic Party Platform by Joe Carter

Articles

One Lord, One Faith, One . . . Political Opinion? by Jonathan Leeman and Any Naselli

4 things Christians can do in a divisive political time by Josh Wester

How should Christians approach election day? by Brent Leatherwood

4 ways to pray after the election is over by Phillip Bethancourt

10 things for Christians to consider during the election by ERLC

Podcast

The Briefing: Daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview by Albert Mohler or on iTunes

An Evening with Jonathan Leeman - A event hosted by Stonegate Church in Midlothian

]]>
As we approach the 2020 presidential election, The United States will likely become even more divided. We have seen our country become more divisive not in a matter of decades, but in a matter of years and months, and the weeks leading up to election day on November 3 will be no different. This has proven true in the last few days (written September 21, 2020) with the death or Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. As believers living in America, we are being pressed to believe that faith in Christ can only result in this or that political persuasion, perspective, or vote – but this is not so.

As Bible-believing, Jesus-following, cross-carrying Christians, how are we to live, speak, and act during these times? How are we to figure out who to vote for? How are we to treat others who believe differently? How are we to view the future? How will the results of this election change how we live out our faith?

These are just a few of the common questions we all have as considerate people of faith. It's our hope to provide you with trustworthy resources that will help you when considering how to walk by faith during this time. In the end, we hope that you will trust the Lord more than government, show love and compassion towards others, engage thoughtfully in politics by faith, and continue to share the hope you have in Jesus with those who have no hope!

Books

Devotional

Gospel Meditations for Voters by Chris Anderson at Church Works Media

Politics

How can I love church members with different politics? by Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naseli - FREE on Sundays or FREE Audio Book or Read 20 Quotes

God and Politics by Mark Dever - FREE on Sundays

Before you Vote by David Platt - Video description

Culture

How the nations rage by Jonathan Leeman or Read lessons from the book

Onward: Engaging the Culture without losing the Gospel by Russell Moore

City of God by Augustine of Hippo

A Public Disagreement between Christians

Policies, Persons, and Paths to Ruin by John Piper

A Respectful Respoonse to my Friend John Piper by Wayne Grudem

Platforms

What You Should Know About the 2020 Republican Party Platform by Joe Carter

What You Should Know About the 2020 Democratic Party Platform by Joe Carter

Articles

One Lord, One Faith, One . . . Political Opinion? by Jonathan Leeman and Any Naselli

4 things Christians can do in a divisive political time by Josh Wester

How should Christians approach election day? by Brent Leatherwood

4 ways to pray after the election is over by Phillip Bethancourt

10 things for Christians to consider during the election by ERLC

Podcast

The Briefing: Daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview by Albert Mohler or on iTunes

An Evening with Jonathan Leeman - A event hosted by Stonegate Church in Midlothian

]]>
DISCIPLER https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/discipler https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/discipler#comments Mon, 07 Sep 2020 11:00:00 -0500 https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/discipler When the Covid-19 pandemic hit us in March, we posted some thoughts regarding 'Church in a Pandemic'. We highlighted the importance of intentional discipleship during this season. Well, this "season" hasn't ended. And though we have been able to safely gather in person for our weekly worship gathering, we are unable to relaunch our Missional Groups at this time to meet weekly for community, fellowship, and discipleship.

Nevertheless, we still want to encourage all of us to be intentional DISCIPLERS! Our MGroups, were never meant to take the place of intentional discipleship relationships with those outside and inside the church. Instead, MGroups were a place to facilitate intentional discipleship relationships. It may take a little more thought and a little more planning, but just because we cannot meet in small groups in homes doesn't mean we can't be intentional DISCIPLERS.

As a church, we have had an intentional strategy for making disciples based off of Jesus' strategy laid out in Robert Coleman's The Master Plan of Evangelism. We call it DISCIPLER. We've made a detailed page on our website that lays out this strategy and gives you practical applications for living it out. 

Would you take some time this week to read 'Be a DISCIPLER'? Prayerfully consider who God has put in your life that you need to show and share the gospel with. In the power of the Holy Spirit, take steps to be faithfully obedient to Christ and his commission to make disciples of all nations. If you have any questions, thoughts, or simply want to talk through this, let us know! We would love to!

Bryan

]]>
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit us in March, we posted some thoughts regarding 'Church in a Pandemic'. We highlighted the importance of intentional discipleship during this season. Well, this "season" hasn't ended. And though we have been able to safely gather in person for our weekly worship gathering, we are unable to relaunch our Missional Groups at this time to meet weekly for community, fellowship, and discipleship.

Nevertheless, we still want to encourage all of us to be intentional DISCIPLERS! Our MGroups, were never meant to take the place of intentional discipleship relationships with those outside and inside the church. Instead, MGroups were a place to facilitate intentional discipleship relationships. It may take a little more thought and a little more planning, but just because we cannot meet in small groups in homes doesn't mean we can't be intentional DISCIPLERS.

As a church, we have had an intentional strategy for making disciples based off of Jesus' strategy laid out in Robert Coleman's The Master Plan of Evangelism. We call it DISCIPLER. We've made a detailed page on our website that lays out this strategy and gives you practical applications for living it out. 

Would you take some time this week to read 'Be a DISCIPLER'? Prayerfully consider who God has put in your life that you need to show and share the gospel with. In the power of the Holy Spirit, take steps to be faithfully obedient to Christ and his commission to make disciples of all nations. If you have any questions, thoughts, or simply want to talk through this, let us know! We would love to!

Bryan

]]>
Church Re-Gathering https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/church-re-gathering https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/church-re-gathering#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2020 14:00:00 -0500 https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/church-re-gathering Fielders,

I hope this email finds you full of thanksgiving despite our current situation. No matter what happens in this life, we have much to be thankful for, and I’m thankful for that reminder and challenge from Paul’s letters this past Sunday.

For the past 2 months, we have been unable to gather together on Sunday mornings as a church or during the week in MGroups due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, we have been resourcing and equipping you with a weekly worship guide, a Bible reading plan, Praying the Bible by Don Whitney, as well as LAPS t-shirts to remind you to pray. We have even been able to connect with one another on Zoom to sing, pray, and study God’s Word together online for several weeks. We spent the first several weeks focusing on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ leading up to Easter, and have since spent the last month focusing on prayer. We hope this challenging time has proved to be fruitful in your life through studying God’s Word on your own and passing it on to others, as well as studying about prayer and being more intentional to pray.

Well, the time has come where we not only believe it would be safe to gather together again as a church, but helpful for many of us as well. Hebrews 10:24–25 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” We stopped meeting together for a season of time in hopes of loving God, loving one another, and loving our neighbor well when we were unsure about the effects and spread of the virus. However, Governor Abbott’s most recent executive order has made it clear that Texas is handling the spread of the virus effectively and reopening the state in phases. Religious services are considered an “essential service” which gives us the freedom to gather together under specific statewide guidelines.

We now believe, with certain precautions, we can seek to be obedient to the Lord and our government by starting to gather together again while being wise and safe at the same time. Please know, this decision did not come quickly or easily, but through much prayer and consideration of God’s Word, government restrictions, and you, our sheep.

We understand that not all churches feel the same way or even have the opportunity to gather under the current restrictions. However, we believe the Lord prepared us as a church before the pandemic hit to not only weather this storm well, but to come out of it even stronger on the other side. For example, we partner with the YMCA and use their facility on Sunday mornings which means we have very little monthly overhead. In addition, the Y has a really large facility and we have a smaller, oikos-size congregation that will enable us to meet under the current CDC, state, and county restrictions. Not only that, but we moved to a family-centered service last August which prepared us for a season of Sunday gatherings in which we will not be able to have kids or adult classes.

We also understand that some of you might not be able to gather yet or would like to wait a while longer until things settle down even more. We totally understand and support your decision and look forward to continuing to serve you with resources and worship with you on Zoom. Please do not feel any pressure to attend until you and your family feel ready.

So here is our plan:

We are planning on gathering together to worship this Sunday, May 17, at 10am in the gym at the Cooper St. YMCA. We will also be streaming our worship gathering on Zoom for those who would prefer or need to take advantage of that option. We will continue to have our MGroup gatherings on Zoom until further notice. This is just "Phase 1" of our own reopening plan at The Fields, but there will be other subsequent phases in the coming weeks and months.

There will be some minor and major changes to our normal gathering that are suggested by the CDC and required by the state, YMCA leadership, and church leadership. Please take some time to read through the list below to be aware before Sunday morning. While this may sound like a lot, we are excited and looking forward to our time together and believe this path ahead will enable us to continue to meet long into the future when there are even less precautions.

  • Cleaning: The YMCA has gone above and beyond local, state, and national guidelines to disinfect all their facilities. In addition, all YMCA's have been closed since March 17 and have had no community members present. Only essential staff have been present at each branch and they have still kept up their cleaning schedule. In addition, we will also be disinfecting the areas of the Y that we use on Sunday morning.
  • At-risk population: We encourage all saints over 65 and those with underlying health conditions (lung disease, severe asthma, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, or weakened immune system, etc.) to remain at home until the risk has abated. We will still be streaming our service on Zoom for you to continue to participate from home. If you decide to attend, we will have a designated area reserved for the at-risk population.
  • Symptoms: If you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two weeks or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the past two weeks, please stay at home for your own well being and safety of others. If you are not feeling well, running a fever or have chills, have a cough or shortness of breath, or show any other COVID-19 symptoms, please stay at home and seek medical attention.
  • Volunteers: We will have a smaller-than-normal setup and tear down crew, but each of them will undergo a screening on Sunday morning to ensure they have no symptoms before serving. They will also be required to wear a mask and gloves while setting up and tearing down to keep things clean and to protect themselves and others.
  • Masks and Gloves: UPDATED In response to the Tarrant County Mask Ordinance we are currently asking everyone 2 years old and older to wear a mask upon entering and exiting the Y. However, once you seated in the gym, you are welcome to take off your mask during the service.
  • Bathrooms: The Y bathrooms will be available for use throughout the morning. We simply ask you to use them on a limited basis. Please assist your children, and make sure to wash your hands thoroughly.
  • NO Field Training Classes or Childcare: To obey state protocols concerning social distancing, there will be NO Field Training classes for kids or adults at 8:45am. There will also be NO childcare provided during the worship gathering. Instead, we will have one Family Worship gathering for everyone at 10am in the gym at the Y. We will have all our kids' resources available for your kiddos to help engage them throughout the service, but please bring anything else that might be helpful!
  • RSVP: Wewill post the event, worship guide, and Zoom details on Realm in the next couple days. We ask that you RSVP on Realm so that we can do our best to have a place for you and your family to sit together for our 10am worship gathering. We will have seating for guests and unplanned attendees, as well.
  • Parents: Please explain all of these precautions to your kids as best as possible so that they know what to expect. Please keep all your kids with you at all times while you are at the Y to protect them and others and to ensure that we are able to keep meeting in the future.
  • Parking: Please park in front of the Y and leave an open space between you and the next car.
  • Entrance: Please enter through the front doors at the Y. We will have a greeter to welcome you and give you instructions on how to proceed to the gym. We will have hand sanitizer for you to use when entering and exiting the facility. As much as we would like to, please do not shake hands, hug, or greet one another with a holy kiss at this time. (Smiles, air hugs, air high-fives, shouts, and tears are all welcome!) Just make sure you maintain six feet of social distance between others who do not live in your household. Also, NO coffee or snacks will be served, but feel free to bring your own dark roast from home.
  • Seating: When entering the gym, please maintain social distancing and find a group of seats that will fit your family/household. Please stay close to your seats, but feel free to converse with those nearby!
  • Dismissal: When we send you out to be the church in the world, we will dismiss you by sections to prevent a bottleneck at the door. Please wait till your section is dismissed to get up and leave. Be sure to leave the building when you are dismissed and take advantage of the opportunity to talk with other families at a safe distance outside.
  • Fellowship: If you would like to fellowship with others after the service, we ask that you exit out the back entrance of the Y to the grassy hill where you are welcome to talk and catch up with one another. However, the same social distancing precautions still apply, including kids staying with parents at all times.

If you have any questions or concerns after reading this, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of us for clarification or help. With much prayer and discussion, we are doing our best to shepherd this flock of God well so that we might become as much like Christ as possible to be sent out into the world.

That being said, as you are out in the world, use the brokenness, hurt, despair, loneliness, and sadness that people are feeling as an opportunity to share the hope, joy, peace, and love of Christ in the gospel. If you are planning on joining us, invite them to come hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Come and sing with thanksgiving as loud as possible. Listen to and pray scripture for the nations, our community, and our church. Allow God’s spirit and God’s word alongside God’s people to transform you from the inside out! Let’s enjoy the Lord together for his glory, our good, and others' salvation.

In Christ,

Your Elders at The Fields

]]>
Fielders,

I hope this email finds you full of thanksgiving despite our current situation. No matter what happens in this life, we have much to be thankful for, and I’m thankful for that reminder and challenge from Paul’s letters this past Sunday.

For the past 2 months, we have been unable to gather together on Sunday mornings as a church or during the week in MGroups due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, we have been resourcing and equipping you with a weekly worship guide, a Bible reading plan, Praying the Bible by Don Whitney, as well as LAPS t-shirts to remind you to pray. We have even been able to connect with one another on Zoom to sing, pray, and study God’s Word together online for several weeks. We spent the first several weeks focusing on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ leading up to Easter, and have since spent the last month focusing on prayer. We hope this challenging time has proved to be fruitful in your life through studying God’s Word on your own and passing it on to others, as well as studying about prayer and being more intentional to pray.

Well, the time has come where we not only believe it would be safe to gather together again as a church, but helpful for many of us as well. Hebrews 10:24–25 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” We stopped meeting together for a season of time in hopes of loving God, loving one another, and loving our neighbor well when we were unsure about the effects and spread of the virus. However, Governor Abbott’s most recent executive order has made it clear that Texas is handling the spread of the virus effectively and reopening the state in phases. Religious services are considered an “essential service” which gives us the freedom to gather together under specific statewide guidelines.

We now believe, with certain precautions, we can seek to be obedient to the Lord and our government by starting to gather together again while being wise and safe at the same time. Please know, this decision did not come quickly or easily, but through much prayer and consideration of God’s Word, government restrictions, and you, our sheep.

We understand that not all churches feel the same way or even have the opportunity to gather under the current restrictions. However, we believe the Lord prepared us as a church before the pandemic hit to not only weather this storm well, but to come out of it even stronger on the other side. For example, we partner with the YMCA and use their facility on Sunday mornings which means we have very little monthly overhead. In addition, the Y has a really large facility and we have a smaller, oikos-size congregation that will enable us to meet under the current CDC, state, and county restrictions. Not only that, but we moved to a family-centered service last August which prepared us for a season of Sunday gatherings in which we will not be able to have kids or adult classes.

We also understand that some of you might not be able to gather yet or would like to wait a while longer until things settle down even more. We totally understand and support your decision and look forward to continuing to serve you with resources and worship with you on Zoom. Please do not feel any pressure to attend until you and your family feel ready.

So here is our plan:

We are planning on gathering together to worship this Sunday, May 17, at 10am in the gym at the Cooper St. YMCA. We will also be streaming our worship gathering on Zoom for those who would prefer or need to take advantage of that option. We will continue to have our MGroup gatherings on Zoom until further notice. This is just "Phase 1" of our own reopening plan at The Fields, but there will be other subsequent phases in the coming weeks and months.

There will be some minor and major changes to our normal gathering that are suggested by the CDC and required by the state, YMCA leadership, and church leadership. Please take some time to read through the list below to be aware before Sunday morning. While this may sound like a lot, we are excited and looking forward to our time together and believe this path ahead will enable us to continue to meet long into the future when there are even less precautions.

  • Cleaning: The YMCA has gone above and beyond local, state, and national guidelines to disinfect all their facilities. In addition, all YMCA's have been closed since March 17 and have had no community members present. Only essential staff have been present at each branch and they have still kept up their cleaning schedule. In addition, we will also be disinfecting the areas of the Y that we use on Sunday morning.
  • At-risk population: We encourage all saints over 65 and those with underlying health conditions (lung disease, severe asthma, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, or weakened immune system, etc.) to remain at home until the risk has abated. We will still be streaming our service on Zoom for you to continue to participate from home. If you decide to attend, we will have a designated area reserved for the at-risk population.
  • Symptoms: If you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two weeks or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the past two weeks, please stay at home for your own well being and safety of others. If you are not feeling well, running a fever or have chills, have a cough or shortness of breath, or show any other COVID-19 symptoms, please stay at home and seek medical attention.
  • Volunteers: We will have a smaller-than-normal setup and tear down crew, but each of them will undergo a screening on Sunday morning to ensure they have no symptoms before serving. They will also be required to wear a mask and gloves while setting up and tearing down to keep things clean and to protect themselves and others.
  • Masks and Gloves: UPDATED In response to the Tarrant County Mask Ordinance we are currently asking everyone 2 years old and older to wear a mask upon entering and exiting the Y. However, once you seated in the gym, you are welcome to take off your mask during the service.
  • Bathrooms: The Y bathrooms will be available for use throughout the morning. We simply ask you to use them on a limited basis. Please assist your children, and make sure to wash your hands thoroughly.
  • NO Field Training Classes or Childcare: To obey state protocols concerning social distancing, there will be NO Field Training classes for kids or adults at 8:45am. There will also be NO childcare provided during the worship gathering. Instead, we will have one Family Worship gathering for everyone at 10am in the gym at the Y. We will have all our kids' resources available for your kiddos to help engage them throughout the service, but please bring anything else that might be helpful!
  • RSVP: Wewill post the event, worship guide, and Zoom details on Realm in the next couple days. We ask that you RSVP on Realm so that we can do our best to have a place for you and your family to sit together for our 10am worship gathering. We will have seating for guests and unplanned attendees, as well.
  • Parents: Please explain all of these precautions to your kids as best as possible so that they know what to expect. Please keep all your kids with you at all times while you are at the Y to protect them and others and to ensure that we are able to keep meeting in the future.
  • Parking: Please park in front of the Y and leave an open space between you and the next car.
  • Entrance: Please enter through the front doors at the Y. We will have a greeter to welcome you and give you instructions on how to proceed to the gym. We will have hand sanitizer for you to use when entering and exiting the facility. As much as we would like to, please do not shake hands, hug, or greet one another with a holy kiss at this time. (Smiles, air hugs, air high-fives, shouts, and tears are all welcome!) Just make sure you maintain six feet of social distance between others who do not live in your household. Also, NO coffee or snacks will be served, but feel free to bring your own dark roast from home.
  • Seating: When entering the gym, please maintain social distancing and find a group of seats that will fit your family/household. Please stay close to your seats, but feel free to converse with those nearby!
  • Dismissal: When we send you out to be the church in the world, we will dismiss you by sections to prevent a bottleneck at the door. Please wait till your section is dismissed to get up and leave. Be sure to leave the building when you are dismissed and take advantage of the opportunity to talk with other families at a safe distance outside.
  • Fellowship: If you would like to fellowship with others after the service, we ask that you exit out the back entrance of the Y to the grassy hill where you are welcome to talk and catch up with one another. However, the same social distancing precautions still apply, including kids staying with parents at all times.

If you have any questions or concerns after reading this, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of us for clarification or help. With much prayer and discussion, we are doing our best to shepherd this flock of God well so that we might become as much like Christ as possible to be sent out into the world.

That being said, as you are out in the world, use the brokenness, hurt, despair, loneliness, and sadness that people are feeling as an opportunity to share the hope, joy, peace, and love of Christ in the gospel. If you are planning on joining us, invite them to come hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Come and sing with thanksgiving as loud as possible. Listen to and pray scripture for the nations, our community, and our church. Allow God’s spirit and God’s word alongside God’s people to transform you from the inside out! Let’s enjoy the Lord together for his glory, our good, and others' salvation.

In Christ,

Your Elders at The Fields

]]>
Coronavirus Update - June 27, 2020 https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/coronavirus-update---june-27-2020 https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/coronavirus-update---june-27-2020#comments Sat, 27 Jun 2020 17:00:00 -0500 https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/coronavirus-update---june-27-2020 Updated health and safety policy for Sunday worship gatherings at the Fields Church, adapted from our YMCA.

Realm post - 6.27.20:

"Fielders,

We wanted to give you an update regarding Covid as things have changed in the past few days. As you have probably seen, Tarrant County has issued a mask requirement and ordered all entities offering goods and services to adopt a Health and Safety Policy. As a partner and supporter of the AMA YMCA, we are going to be adopting the Y's Health and Safety Policy (attached). It goes above and beyond the county and state restrictions and is customized to the property we use on Sunday mornings. 

Again, we are willing to take these extra steps because we love one another and want to be a good neighbor to all! We are thankful for the opportunity and freedom we have to gather together to worship Christ, but don't want to do so at the expense of someone we love. 

Specifics

Here are a couple specific actions we would like to ask of you to help us implement this Health and Safety Policy.

  • Please stay at home for the safety of yourself and others if you or anyone around you have shown signs or symptoms of Covid-19 (fever, chills, cough,  shortness of breath, etc.).  Also, please stay home if you have been around anyone showing signs or testing positive for Covid-19. 
  • Please bring and wear your own mask on Sunday mornings. This can include scarfs, bandanas, or handkerchiefs. We will have some masks available if you don't have one or forget, but bringing your own mask will help us and may be more comfortable for you! This includes children 2 and older. 
  • Upon entering, we will be following the Y Health and Safety Policy by checking temperatures of everyone with a touchless laser thermometer as a precautionary measure to protect others. This is being done at all medical facilities and many business as well.
  • Please wear you mask upon entering the Y and until you are seated in the gym. Once you have been seated for the worship gathering, feel free to take off your mask during the service since social distancing will be maintained. Please wear your mask again when we send you out until you have exited the building.

We hope this not only protects everyone who decides to gather with us in person, but also gives you assurance knowing that we are going above and beyond to make as many people comfortable and able to join us at the Y on Sunday mornings. 

We love you!

Bryan and the elders."

]]>
Updated health and safety policy for Sunday worship gatherings at the Fields Church, adapted from our YMCA.

Realm post - 6.27.20:

"Fielders,

We wanted to give you an update regarding Covid as things have changed in the past few days. As you have probably seen, Tarrant County has issued a mask requirement and ordered all entities offering goods and services to adopt a Health and Safety Policy. As a partner and supporter of the AMA YMCA, we are going to be adopting the Y's Health and Safety Policy (attached). It goes above and beyond the county and state restrictions and is customized to the property we use on Sunday mornings. 

Again, we are willing to take these extra steps because we love one another and want to be a good neighbor to all! We are thankful for the opportunity and freedom we have to gather together to worship Christ, but don't want to do so at the expense of someone we love. 

Specifics

Here are a couple specific actions we would like to ask of you to help us implement this Health and Safety Policy.

  • Please stay at home for the safety of yourself and others if you or anyone around you have shown signs or symptoms of Covid-19 (fever, chills, cough,  shortness of breath, etc.).  Also, please stay home if you have been around anyone showing signs or testing positive for Covid-19. 
  • Please bring and wear your own mask on Sunday mornings. This can include scarfs, bandanas, or handkerchiefs. We will have some masks available if you don't have one or forget, but bringing your own mask will help us and may be more comfortable for you! This includes children 2 and older. 
  • Upon entering, we will be following the Y Health and Safety Policy by checking temperatures of everyone with a touchless laser thermometer as a precautionary measure to protect others. This is being done at all medical facilities and many business as well.
  • Please wear you mask upon entering the Y and until you are seated in the gym. Once you have been seated for the worship gathering, feel free to take off your mask during the service since social distancing will be maintained. Please wear your mask again when we send you out until you have exited the building.

We hope this not only protects everyone who decides to gather with us in person, but also gives you assurance knowing that we are going above and beyond to make as many people comfortable and able to join us at the Y on Sunday mornings. 

We love you!

Bryan and the elders."

]]>
'LAPS' Launch https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/laps https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/laps#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2020 17:00:00 -0500 https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/laps LAPS

'LAPS' stands for Listening And Praying Scripture. It's our effort as a church to be more intentional in our prayers as we listen to and pray scripture while walking 'laps' around our homes, neighborhoods, work places, and YMCA. Click here to read more.

Why now?

There is never a wrong time to pray and there is never a better time to pray than now! The world was turned upside down by the coronavirus in a way many have never experienced. Everyone has been affected in one way or another. Countless people around our world have contracted the virus and have even died from the virus. Many more are doing their best to not contract the virus themselves or spread it to others by obeying shelter in place orders and practicing social distancing. Work, school, sports, events, and so much more has been closed, canceled, or moved online. Our host YMCA had to close their doors which meant that our own church gatherings had to be canceled. 

Hope

Nevertheless, that doesn't leave us without hope! During a time in our nation and world when everything seems uncertain, Christians ought to hold tightly to what we know is certain, God and his Word! God is still on his throne and he was the only one not caught off guard by the coronavirus pandemic. God is sovereign over infectious diseases (Lev 14:34) and everything else this world throws at us. He either allows it to happen or causes it to happen and only he knows his ultimate purposes. However, we know his purposes are good because he alone is good and he works all things together for good for those who love him (Rom 8:28). We need to be able to say what Job said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21)

Opportunity

This situation also leaves us with an opportunity. We have an opportunity to spend more time with God in his Word and in prayer! One area of the Christian life that people never seem to be pleased with is their prayer life and maybe it will always be that way no matter how much we grow. Nevertheless, could it be that one reason we are not satisfied with our prayer life is because we have never been taught to pray like Jesus prayed? Jesus often recited and prayed God's Word and we too ought to be listening to and praying God's Word.

What if we came out of this time of quarentine having learned to listen to and pray the scriptures? What if, for the first time, we experienced significant growth in our commitment to the Scriptures and prayer? Wouldn't every other area in our life be changed? There is not a better time than now to spend intentional focused time in the Bible and prayer, not only for our own sake, but for the sake of the lost and dying world around us that have no hope. 

Please take some time to read through our LAPS page to help us as a church become a people who listen to and pray the Scriptures.

]]>
LAPS

'LAPS' stands for Listening And Praying Scripture. It's our effort as a church to be more intentional in our prayers as we listen to and pray scripture while walking 'laps' around our homes, neighborhoods, work places, and YMCA. Click here to read more.

Why now?

There is never a wrong time to pray and there is never a better time to pray than now! The world was turned upside down by the coronavirus in a way many have never experienced. Everyone has been affected in one way or another. Countless people around our world have contracted the virus and have even died from the virus. Many more are doing their best to not contract the virus themselves or spread it to others by obeying shelter in place orders and practicing social distancing. Work, school, sports, events, and so much more has been closed, canceled, or moved online. Our host YMCA had to close their doors which meant that our own church gatherings had to be canceled. 

Hope

Nevertheless, that doesn't leave us without hope! During a time in our nation and world when everything seems uncertain, Christians ought to hold tightly to what we know is certain, God and his Word! God is still on his throne and he was the only one not caught off guard by the coronavirus pandemic. God is sovereign over infectious diseases (Lev 14:34) and everything else this world throws at us. He either allows it to happen or causes it to happen and only he knows his ultimate purposes. However, we know his purposes are good because he alone is good and he works all things together for good for those who love him (Rom 8:28). We need to be able to say what Job said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21)

Opportunity

This situation also leaves us with an opportunity. We have an opportunity to spend more time with God in his Word and in prayer! One area of the Christian life that people never seem to be pleased with is their prayer life and maybe it will always be that way no matter how much we grow. Nevertheless, could it be that one reason we are not satisfied with our prayer life is because we have never been taught to pray like Jesus prayed? Jesus often recited and prayed God's Word and we too ought to be listening to and praying God's Word.

What if we came out of this time of quarentine having learned to listen to and pray the scriptures? What if, for the first time, we experienced significant growth in our commitment to the Scriptures and prayer? Wouldn't every other area in our life be changed? There is not a better time than now to spend intentional focused time in the Bible and prayer, not only for our own sake, but for the sake of the lost and dying world around us that have no hope. 

Please take some time to read through our LAPS page to help us as a church become a people who listen to and pray the Scriptures.

]]>
Serving in our Waiting https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/serving-in-our-waiting https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/serving-in-our-waiting#comments Thu, 09 Apr 2020 11:00:00 -0500 https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/serving-in-our-waiting Serving in our Waiting

We have all been forced to stop and wait while this coronavirus slowly fades away. Not only has it brought sickness and death to many, but it has brought pain and sorrow to many more through lost jobs or wages. At the same time, there are others of us who have not been as directly affected by the illness and are simply waiting for it to run its course. This has caused many of us to consider, "How are we spending our time? How did we spend our time before covid-19? How will we spend our time after?" 

Many of us feel stuck, unable to "do" what we did before. We can't even serve the Lord like we use to. We can't preach, shepherd, disciple, teach, evanglize, or help others like we did before. However, that doesn't mean we are helpless. We can spend our time and days well even if we can't "do" much! 

In Matthew 20:1-16 and 25:14-30, Jesus tells two parables that portray God as the master who entrusts his vineyard and resources to servants to steward while he is away. He expects them to be faithful no matter what the circumstances and will reward them when he returns. Unfortunately, some complain and make excuses for their situation and are in the end rebuked by the master. But those who remained faithful till the end are rewarded and told, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a litte; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." 

John Milton

This is what John Milton had in mind when he wrote his poem, When I consider how my light is spent. Milton lived from 1608-1674 in England. He was a Christian and a highly influential civil servant during his time. However, he went blind at the age of 44 and could not "do" what he had "done" before. In a moment, everything came to halt. However, that did not mean he couldn't spend the rest of his days serving the Lord by worshiping and waiting on the Lord. In his poem he concluded that God does not need his service. While some angels travel to and fro doing God's bidding, others stand in his presence praising. Milton spent the first half of his life worshiping through service, but would spend the second half of his life worshiping through waiting. 

What about you?

Can you worship the Lord in your waiting? Can you worship the Lord in the midst of your hardships? Can you praise God like John Milton and Job, "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Can you use this season of waiting to praise and pray? Can you spend your time reading, memorizing, and meditating on God's Word? Can you stop long enough for the silence to not feel awkward and enjoy being in the presence of God? Will Christ return to find us being faithful and say, "Well done"? Let's learn to serve the Lord in the waiting.

“When I Consider How My Light Is Spent,”

by John Milton

When I consider how my light is spent,
Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide;
“Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?”
I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed
And post o’er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait.”

]]>
Serving in our Waiting

We have all been forced to stop and wait while this coronavirus slowly fades away. Not only has it brought sickness and death to many, but it has brought pain and sorrow to many more through lost jobs or wages. At the same time, there are others of us who have not been as directly affected by the illness and are simply waiting for it to run its course. This has caused many of us to consider, "How are we spending our time? How did we spend our time before covid-19? How will we spend our time after?" 

Many of us feel stuck, unable to "do" what we did before. We can't even serve the Lord like we use to. We can't preach, shepherd, disciple, teach, evanglize, or help others like we did before. However, that doesn't mean we are helpless. We can spend our time and days well even if we can't "do" much! 

In Matthew 20:1-16 and 25:14-30, Jesus tells two parables that portray God as the master who entrusts his vineyard and resources to servants to steward while he is away. He expects them to be faithful no matter what the circumstances and will reward them when he returns. Unfortunately, some complain and make excuses for their situation and are in the end rebuked by the master. But those who remained faithful till the end are rewarded and told, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a litte; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." 

John Milton

This is what John Milton had in mind when he wrote his poem, When I consider how my light is spent. Milton lived from 1608-1674 in England. He was a Christian and a highly influential civil servant during his time. However, he went blind at the age of 44 and could not "do" what he had "done" before. In a moment, everything came to halt. However, that did not mean he couldn't spend the rest of his days serving the Lord by worshiping and waiting on the Lord. In his poem he concluded that God does not need his service. While some angels travel to and fro doing God's bidding, others stand in his presence praising. Milton spent the first half of his life worshiping through service, but would spend the second half of his life worshiping through waiting. 

What about you?

Can you worship the Lord in your waiting? Can you worship the Lord in the midst of your hardships? Can you praise God like John Milton and Job, "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Can you use this season of waiting to praise and pray? Can you spend your time reading, memorizing, and meditating on God's Word? Can you stop long enough for the silence to not feel awkward and enjoy being in the presence of God? Will Christ return to find us being faithful and say, "Well done"? Let's learn to serve the Lord in the waiting.

“When I Consider How My Light Is Spent,”

by John Milton

When I consider how my light is spent,
Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide;
“Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?”
I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed
And post o’er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait.”

]]>
Jesus' Last Words Devotional https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/first-sample-post https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/first-sample-post#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2020 15:00:00 -0500 https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/first-sample-post With Easter approaching, I wanted to give us a chance to examine the cross through the very words that Jesus spoke from it.  Collectively, the four gospels record seven unique statements from Jesus while he hung on the cross.

Andrew Peterson's song, Last Words (Tenebrae), on the crucifixion first piqued my interest in these seven words.  This song takes each phrase and weaves them all together to create an intriguing blend of melodies, highlighting each in various ways until his voice fades with, "Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit."  The simplicity of this musical tapestry inspired me to take a deeper look into these seven last words and write brief devotionals accompanying each.

My hope and prayer is that you will read through these over a week and focus on the reality of Christ's cross.  As you do, consider the tapestry of Christ's emotions, intentions, and actions observed while his life was slipping away, given expressly for the atonement of our sins by the will of the Father.

May we all see more clearly the incredible love of Jesus expressed through his dying for us, and worship him for it with our own lives.

Thanks for reading,
Graham

Click here to download, print, and read the devotionals.

]]>
With Easter approaching, I wanted to give us a chance to examine the cross through the very words that Jesus spoke from it.  Collectively, the four gospels record seven unique statements from Jesus while he hung on the cross.

Andrew Peterson's song, Last Words (Tenebrae), on the crucifixion first piqued my interest in these seven words.  This song takes each phrase and weaves them all together to create an intriguing blend of melodies, highlighting each in various ways until his voice fades with, "Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit."  The simplicity of this musical tapestry inspired me to take a deeper look into these seven last words and write brief devotionals accompanying each.

My hope and prayer is that you will read through these over a week and focus on the reality of Christ's cross.  As you do, consider the tapestry of Christ's emotions, intentions, and actions observed while his life was slipping away, given expressly for the atonement of our sins by the will of the Father.

May we all see more clearly the incredible love of Jesus expressed through his dying for us, and worship him for it with our own lives.

Thanks for reading,
Graham

Click here to download, print, and read the devotionals.

]]>
Coronavirus Update - March 17, 2020 https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/coronavirus-update---march-17-2020 https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/coronavirus-update---march-17-2020#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2020 15:00:00 -0500 https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/coronavirus-update---march-17-2020
For the health and safety of our community, all Sunday morning gatherings and MGroups have been cancelled for the rest of March 2020.

Realm post from 3.17.20:

"Fielders,

I’m am thankful for the time we had together last Sunday, March 15, during our worship gathering and our members’ meeting at the Y. Unfortunately, because of the spread of the coronavirus, we are canceling our Sunday morning worship gatherings at the Y and MGroups in homes through the end of March. With the new recommendations by the CDC and narrower restrictions at our county, state, and national leaders, everyone needs to enact a more cautious plan, even smaller churches like The Fields. The YMCA officially closed its facilities Monday night through the end of March which forces us to match their closure as well. This brings great sorrow to our hearts and reminds us that things are not as they ought to be in this world. However, it should also remind us of a time when Christ will return and make all things new!

In response to our sermon on Sunday from Acts 6:1-7, the elders committed to fast and pray on Monday before our conference call meeting on Monday afternoon. We read and prayed James 1:2-6 where James, the brother of Jesus, opens his letter to the early church like this

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
(James 1:2–6 ESV)

Together we sought God’s wisdom for our church, our families, our missionaries, our YMCA, our community, our nation, and our world. The Lord gave us unity in our conversation and in the decisions we had to make.

In Acts, we’ve been seeing how in the midst of persecution we ought to obey God rather than men to glorify him and be faithful to the great commission! However, the coronavirus and these restrictions are not persecution against the church for speaking Jesus’ name. The virus is a pandemic and the government does not care not whether you are a Christian or not in this situation. So we, as the church, ought to do our best to obey both God AND man through these trials. This is our best attempt to love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as ourself as opposed to giving into fear.

The truth is, this virus will likely hit our community, our YMCA, and even our church. It’s in those moments that we need to trust the Lord even more and persevere in faith and wisdom from above. The challenge by the writer of Hebrews to the early church is an especially important challenge for us today.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23–25 ESV)

The “Day” is definitely drawing nearer and we must hold fast to Christ. Until we can meet together again to encourage one another in person, let us consider how stir up one another to love and good works from a distance. As elders, we will be following up with you over the next couple of weeks, but please do not hesitate to reach out to us if any needs arise. Our plan is to provide you with an Order of Service for a Home/Family Worship Gathering to use together on Sunday morning! It will include scripture readings, prayers, a prayer for the nations, songs, and a family devotional. We also hope to send you resources to continue your Field Training classes and to teach your kids what they would have learned in their classes as well!

We encourage everyone to continue to set aside time on Sunday morning to participate in this time of worship. But let’s be honest. It’s not going to be the same! It shouldn’t feel normal and in fact, should cause us too long for the time when we can gather together again. At the same time let us remember, this is the reality for many of our missionaries and believers around the world who don’t get to gather with their home church every week. They too long for the day when they get to meet with their friends and family and worship Christ together, but until then they faithfully worship and serve the Lord where they are at.

When we commissioned you last Sunday and sent you out to be the church in the world in response to Acts 6:1-7, we never knew it might look like this. Nevertheless, until we can gather together again, let us prioritize the ministry of prayer and the word in our lives in new and fresh ways. Let us commit to serving one another as needs arise. And let us consider how we might use this time to serve the world in the name of Jesus in hopes of them being made new and becoming one with us. 

In love for God and love for neighbor,

Bryan and the elders"

]]>
For the health and safety of our community, all Sunday morning gatherings and MGroups have been cancelled for the rest of March 2020.

Realm post from 3.17.20:

"Fielders,

I’m am thankful for the time we had together last Sunday, March 15, during our worship gathering and our members’ meeting at the Y. Unfortunately, because of the spread of the coronavirus, we are canceling our Sunday morning worship gatherings at the Y and MGroups in homes through the end of March. With the new recommendations by the CDC and narrower restrictions at our county, state, and national leaders, everyone needs to enact a more cautious plan, even smaller churches like The Fields. The YMCA officially closed its facilities Monday night through the end of March which forces us to match their closure as well. This brings great sorrow to our hearts and reminds us that things are not as they ought to be in this world. However, it should also remind us of a time when Christ will return and make all things new!

In response to our sermon on Sunday from Acts 6:1-7, the elders committed to fast and pray on Monday before our conference call meeting on Monday afternoon. We read and prayed James 1:2-6 where James, the brother of Jesus, opens his letter to the early church like this

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
(James 1:2–6 ESV)

Together we sought God’s wisdom for our church, our families, our missionaries, our YMCA, our community, our nation, and our world. The Lord gave us unity in our conversation and in the decisions we had to make.

In Acts, we’ve been seeing how in the midst of persecution we ought to obey God rather than men to glorify him and be faithful to the great commission! However, the coronavirus and these restrictions are not persecution against the church for speaking Jesus’ name. The virus is a pandemic and the government does not care not whether you are a Christian or not in this situation. So we, as the church, ought to do our best to obey both God AND man through these trials. This is our best attempt to love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as ourself as opposed to giving into fear.

The truth is, this virus will likely hit our community, our YMCA, and even our church. It’s in those moments that we need to trust the Lord even more and persevere in faith and wisdom from above. The challenge by the writer of Hebrews to the early church is an especially important challenge for us today.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23–25 ESV)

The “Day” is definitely drawing nearer and we must hold fast to Christ. Until we can meet together again to encourage one another in person, let us consider how stir up one another to love and good works from a distance. As elders, we will be following up with you over the next couple of weeks, but please do not hesitate to reach out to us if any needs arise. Our plan is to provide you with an Order of Service for a Home/Family Worship Gathering to use together on Sunday morning! It will include scripture readings, prayers, a prayer for the nations, songs, and a family devotional. We also hope to send you resources to continue your Field Training classes and to teach your kids what they would have learned in their classes as well!

We encourage everyone to continue to set aside time on Sunday morning to participate in this time of worship. But let’s be honest. It’s not going to be the same! It shouldn’t feel normal and in fact, should cause us too long for the time when we can gather together again. At the same time let us remember, this is the reality for many of our missionaries and believers around the world who don’t get to gather with their home church every week. They too long for the day when they get to meet with their friends and family and worship Christ together, but until then they faithfully worship and serve the Lord where they are at.

When we commissioned you last Sunday and sent you out to be the church in the world in response to Acts 6:1-7, we never knew it might look like this. Nevertheless, until we can gather together again, let us prioritize the ministry of prayer and the word in our lives in new and fresh ways. Let us commit to serving one another as needs arise. And let us consider how we might use this time to serve the world in the name of Jesus in hopes of them being made new and becoming one with us. 

In love for God and love for neighbor,

Bryan and the elders"

]]>
Family Worship https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/family-worship https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/family-worship#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2020 15:00:00 -0500 https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/family-worship Parenting

What's the point?

When I first became a parent 13 years ago, I really had no idea what I was doing or what I was in for.  I had never had a parenting class or ever read a parenting book.  To say I was in over my head was an understatement.  At the same time, I didn't have any grand plans for why I wanted kids and had no biblical framework on how to raise them.  

Thanks be to God for his grace in opening my eyes to my own lack of understanding and ability in this area.  Not to mention his grace in giving me a wife who was more knowledgable and able than I could have imagined.  We began watching other parents whom we respected to learn from them.  We started reading to see what God's Word and others said about parenting.  Slowly, but surely, our hearts and minds began transforming.  We no longer saw parenting as simply the next stage in life and an opportunity to have miniature versions of ourselves running around.  Parenting was a blessing from God and one of the foremost ways we would glorify him by making disciples in this life!  

Why?

Worship

When God created the heavens and the earth in Genesis 1, he made man in his own image at the pinnacle of creation.  Man and woman were different from all the other creatures.  They were eternal beings with the ability to know and worship God.  In fact, Genesis 1:28 says, "And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”  God blessed them with the opportunity and responsibility of having children to better worship Him throughout the earth.  

This is why we ought to want kids in our life.  It's an opportunity to be faithful to God's first command in all of the Bible and the foremost way we will glorify Him in all the world!  Unfortunately, when Adam and Eve sinned, their relationship with God was broken and their ability to worship God in this way was hindered.  Not only that, but their sinful nature was passed down to all of us, which made worshiping God through parenting not only hard, but impossible!  Thankfully, Jesus made a way for us to be able to glorify God again through his death and resurrection.  By grace through faith Jesus Christ we can be forgiven and begin living and parenting as an act of worship.  

How?

Discipleship

But how?  How do we raise our kids according to God's Word in hopes of glorifying him?  Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is one of the most important scriptures addressing this question.  

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 

Again, they couldn't do this perfectly, which is why they needed to be forgiven by God. But by grace through faith in the coming messiah and savior, they could glorify and worship God by loving him and teaching their children to love him.  

But notice who is responsible our kids discipleship.  Parents!  We are responsible for teaching our kids to love God as we sit at the house, walk by the way, lie down at night, and rise in the morning.  No one else is told to do this and no one else would have a better opportunity to accomplish this.  In fact, we would be hard pressed to find any scripture that encourages parents to find a church, a school, a class, or a teacher to do this for them.  It's the parents responsibility.  This is family worship!  

Family Worship

At home

Family worship is parents taking the responsibility to glorify God seriously by loving him and teaching our children to love him.  If we don't joyfully worship God at home, then it's unlikely our kids will.  God has made parents the primary disciplers of their children.  This doesn't happen simply during a prayer before a meal or bedtime, as good as those things are. It happens all day everyday!  Teaching our kids to love and worship Jesus is just as much caught as it is taught.  This is why we need to spend as much time as possible with our kids modeling this for them, especially during the early years.  

At the same time, if parents aren't teaching their kids to love and worship God at home, it's unlikely that they will want to worship God with the church.  If we aren't excited about gathering with the church to serve and worship God, then it's unlikely that our kids will want to gather with the church for worship.  We must model a willingness to sacrifice our time and a desire to worship the Lord in hopes of them being willing and desiring to do the same by God's grace.  

One of the ways we can do this at home is by setting aside time in our personal life and family life to pray, read the bible, ask questions, apply the gospel, and sing songs together.  By cutting out other things in our life to make this a priority in our life, we are showing our kids the importance of God in our life.  This alone won't cause our kids to love Jesus, but it creates opportunities for God and the Gospel to open up the eyes, ears, and hearts of our kids to repent and believe, then to worship and follow Jesus. 

At Church

We can also do this by gathering together weekly with our church to worship Christ through singing, praying, reading, and listenting to God's word being taught.  As we do this regularly with our kids they will learn about God through song lyrics and sermons.  They will ask questions about Jesus from the reading and preaching.  They will see others repent and believe, then be baptized and take the Lord's supper.  They will watch the church give sacrificially of their tithes and offerings to support the work of the ministry.  They will watch members follow Jesus by giving up their home and career to go to the mission fields.  All the while thinking, "Why shouldn't I repent and believe, worship and obey, give and go?"  (For more on Family Worship)

It's worth it!

Worship!  This is the point of parenting!  Worshiping God by making disciples who worship God!  In doing so, we will realize that we are getting more out of it than we thought.  We will become more like Christ and less like ourselves.  He will increase and we will decrease!  Our kids will have an authentic intentional follower and worshiper of Jesus in front of them to hear and see the gospel before them.  They will be invited to repent and believe, then worship and follow Jesus themselves.  By God's grace they will and then they will be sent out to do the same for their own kids one day.  Thus making your 18 years with them not just impact their lives, but the lives of your grandchildren, great grandchildren, and so on.  Not to mention those people you and your family impact along the way outside of your home.  

I can't think of another thing worth giving your life to more than parenting and worshiping God by making disciples.  It's more than worth it!

]]>
Parenting

What's the point?

When I first became a parent 13 years ago, I really had no idea what I was doing or what I was in for.  I had never had a parenting class or ever read a parenting book.  To say I was in over my head was an understatement.  At the same time, I didn't have any grand plans for why I wanted kids and had no biblical framework on how to raise them.  

Thanks be to God for his grace in opening my eyes to my own lack of understanding and ability in this area.  Not to mention his grace in giving me a wife who was more knowledgable and able than I could have imagined.  We began watching other parents whom we respected to learn from them.  We started reading to see what God's Word and others said about parenting.  Slowly, but surely, our hearts and minds began transforming.  We no longer saw parenting as simply the next stage in life and an opportunity to have miniature versions of ourselves running around.  Parenting was a blessing from God and one of the foremost ways we would glorify him by making disciples in this life!  

Why?

Worship

When God created the heavens and the earth in Genesis 1, he made man in his own image at the pinnacle of creation.  Man and woman were different from all the other creatures.  They were eternal beings with the ability to know and worship God.  In fact, Genesis 1:28 says, "And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”  God blessed them with the opportunity and responsibility of having children to better worship Him throughout the earth.  

This is why we ought to want kids in our life.  It's an opportunity to be faithful to God's first command in all of the Bible and the foremost way we will glorify Him in all the world!  Unfortunately, when Adam and Eve sinned, their relationship with God was broken and their ability to worship God in this way was hindered.  Not only that, but their sinful nature was passed down to all of us, which made worshiping God through parenting not only hard, but impossible!  Thankfully, Jesus made a way for us to be able to glorify God again through his death and resurrection.  By grace through faith Jesus Christ we can be forgiven and begin living and parenting as an act of worship.  

How?

Discipleship

But how?  How do we raise our kids according to God's Word in hopes of glorifying him?  Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is one of the most important scriptures addressing this question.  

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 

Again, they couldn't do this perfectly, which is why they needed to be forgiven by God. But by grace through faith in the coming messiah and savior, they could glorify and worship God by loving him and teaching their children to love him.  

But notice who is responsible our kids discipleship.  Parents!  We are responsible for teaching our kids to love God as we sit at the house, walk by the way, lie down at night, and rise in the morning.  No one else is told to do this and no one else would have a better opportunity to accomplish this.  In fact, we would be hard pressed to find any scripture that encourages parents to find a church, a school, a class, or a teacher to do this for them.  It's the parents responsibility.  This is family worship!  

Family Worship

At home

Family worship is parents taking the responsibility to glorify God seriously by loving him and teaching our children to love him.  If we don't joyfully worship God at home, then it's unlikely our kids will.  God has made parents the primary disciplers of their children.  This doesn't happen simply during a prayer before a meal or bedtime, as good as those things are. It happens all day everyday!  Teaching our kids to love and worship Jesus is just as much caught as it is taught.  This is why we need to spend as much time as possible with our kids modeling this for them, especially during the early years.  

At the same time, if parents aren't teaching their kids to love and worship God at home, it's unlikely that they will want to worship God with the church.  If we aren't excited about gathering with the church to serve and worship God, then it's unlikely that our kids will want to gather with the church for worship.  We must model a willingness to sacrifice our time and a desire to worship the Lord in hopes of them being willing and desiring to do the same by God's grace.  

One of the ways we can do this at home is by setting aside time in our personal life and family life to pray, read the bible, ask questions, apply the gospel, and sing songs together.  By cutting out other things in our life to make this a priority in our life, we are showing our kids the importance of God in our life.  This alone won't cause our kids to love Jesus, but it creates opportunities for God and the Gospel to open up the eyes, ears, and hearts of our kids to repent and believe, then to worship and follow Jesus. 

At Church

We can also do this by gathering together weekly with our church to worship Christ through singing, praying, reading, and listenting to God's word being taught.  As we do this regularly with our kids they will learn about God through song lyrics and sermons.  They will ask questions about Jesus from the reading and preaching.  They will see others repent and believe, then be baptized and take the Lord's supper.  They will watch the church give sacrificially of their tithes and offerings to support the work of the ministry.  They will watch members follow Jesus by giving up their home and career to go to the mission fields.  All the while thinking, "Why shouldn't I repent and believe, worship and obey, give and go?"  (For more on Family Worship)

It's worth it!

Worship!  This is the point of parenting!  Worshiping God by making disciples who worship God!  In doing so, we will realize that we are getting more out of it than we thought.  We will become more like Christ and less like ourselves.  He will increase and we will decrease!  Our kids will have an authentic intentional follower and worshiper of Jesus in front of them to hear and see the gospel before them.  They will be invited to repent and believe, then worship and follow Jesus themselves.  By God's grace they will and then they will be sent out to do the same for their own kids one day.  Thus making your 18 years with them not just impact their lives, but the lives of your grandchildren, great grandchildren, and so on.  Not to mention those people you and your family impact along the way outside of your home.  

I can't think of another thing worth giving your life to more than parenting and worshiping God by making disciples.  It's more than worth it!

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Church in a Pandemic https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/church-in-a-pandemic https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/church-in-a-pandemic#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2020 15:00:00 -0500 https://www.thefieldschurch.net/blog/post/church-in-a-pandemic I was reminded of the ending of a book I read nearly 10 years ago when we planted The Fields and thought it would be good for us to consider during the growing pandemic we call Covid 19! The book is The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. And no, it's NOT about gardening!

The book addresses the fact that many churches have HUGE trellises, but very small vines in comparison. They have huge buildings, budgets, staff, programs, etc., but not as much spiritual life, growth, or fruit. The challenge of the book was to focus more on vine work than trellis work. In other words, focus more on making disciples with the gospel of Jesus rather than building buildings and programs. This is obviously very pertinent as all church buildings are empty and all of the programs are canceled. This book was pretty impactful on me and our early leaders at The Fields. We have strived to spend our time, resources, and money on vine work, rather than trellis if at all possible. 

Well, the book ended with a "made up" scenario about a potential world wide pandemic which would shut down large gatherings all around the world, including churches. I'm serious! Read quickly here. They asked, "How would you continue to do ministry?" Many churches are now moving to online church services and online classes to weather the storm. That's all fine and dandy and can be really helpful, but what if there was another way? What if we all took up the call to make disciples seriously instead of relying upon the "called" to do it. If we were regularly trained and challenged to make disciples before the pandemic, couldn't we all just be sent out into the world to faithfully make disciples of our family in our home and those we are able to have contact with? We wouldn't need pastors trying to figure out all this online church stuff, but instead spend their time reminding, equipping, and encouraging the disciple makers to keep making disciples. 

Well, this is the time to put Jesus' strategy into action. This is the time for you to take responsibility for growing in Christlikeness, discipling your family, and loving one another! This is the time for you to share the gospel with the lost and needy nearest you in creative ways rather than waiting for the church to do it! This is the time to focus on vine work rather than building a different trellis. If we all did this individually, we may actually bear more fruit during this pandemic and comeback together healthier and larger in the end! We may even need to do a bit more trellis work when we get back!

Please take a few minutes to read the short 3 page ending of The Trellis and the Vine and consider how you might better focus on the task of vine work and disciple making in your home and oikos during this pandemic!

Bryan

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I was reminded of the ending of a book I read nearly 10 years ago when we planted The Fields and thought it would be good for us to consider during the growing pandemic we call Covid 19! The book is The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. And no, it's NOT about gardening!

The book addresses the fact that many churches have HUGE trellises, but very small vines in comparison. They have huge buildings, budgets, staff, programs, etc., but not as much spiritual life, growth, or fruit. The challenge of the book was to focus more on vine work than trellis work. In other words, focus more on making disciples with the gospel of Jesus rather than building buildings and programs. This is obviously very pertinent as all church buildings are empty and all of the programs are canceled. This book was pretty impactful on me and our early leaders at The Fields. We have strived to spend our time, resources, and money on vine work, rather than trellis if at all possible. 

Well, the book ended with a "made up" scenario about a potential world wide pandemic which would shut down large gatherings all around the world, including churches. I'm serious! Read quickly here. They asked, "How would you continue to do ministry?" Many churches are now moving to online church services and online classes to weather the storm. That's all fine and dandy and can be really helpful, but what if there was another way? What if we all took up the call to make disciples seriously instead of relying upon the "called" to do it. If we were regularly trained and challenged to make disciples before the pandemic, couldn't we all just be sent out into the world to faithfully make disciples of our family in our home and those we are able to have contact with? We wouldn't need pastors trying to figure out all this online church stuff, but instead spend their time reminding, equipping, and encouraging the disciple makers to keep making disciples. 

Well, this is the time to put Jesus' strategy into action. This is the time for you to take responsibility for growing in Christlikeness, discipling your family, and loving one another! This is the time for you to share the gospel with the lost and needy nearest you in creative ways rather than waiting for the church to do it! This is the time to focus on vine work rather than building a different trellis. If we all did this individually, we may actually bear more fruit during this pandemic and comeback together healthier and larger in the end! We may even need to do a bit more trellis work when we get back!

Please take a few minutes to read the short 3 page ending of The Trellis and the Vine and consider how you might better focus on the task of vine work and disciple making in your home and oikos during this pandemic!

Bryan

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