We’ve moved to www.jordanpfowler.com. We’ll leave worshiptrench up for some time so you can continue to grab the free tools and peruse other pertinent articles and posts. We won’t be allowing or managing comments. Stop by the new jordanpfowler.com to continue to get thoughts, leadership tips and other stuff that clangs around in my brain (I know, a scary thought).

On January 1 my role at NorthWood will be changing to become Teaching Pastor from my current Worship/Communications role. This will bring a change to my focus as my two main responsibilities will be:

• 1. Teaching. Preaching, curriculum, doctrinal stuff, etc.
• 2. Strategic Systems and Process. Helping NorthWood’s systems be  user friendly, efficient and effective in a God glorifying way.

With this change in focus will come a change in what I write about.  I will leave up worshiptrench  as a monument of God’s faithfulness and grace to allow me to serve in a worship leader role over the past 11 years at NorthWood and for 21 years in total.  The dispensation of grace given still amazes me. If you know me personally, you know that I have received much grace to be able to serve in this role. Worshiptrench’s  free tools and tips will remain for WL’s to grab. As for my writing, something new will be coming that focuses on teaching, theology, leadership and systems, and whatever else clangs around in my brain.

The new site name is still to be determined…suggestions?

• We can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a…. #
• ….lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell. CS Lewis #

How much should we incorporate stylization and how much should we  not?

Puritan preaching, though profound in its content, was popular in its style. Thomas Goodwin complained in other preacher of ‘the eminentist farrago of all sorts of flowers of wit that are found in any of the Fathers, poets, histories, similitudes, or whatever has the elegancy of wit in it’. But the Puritans eschewed ‘witty’ and clever preaching, which exalts the preacher rather than the Saviour. Weighty matters demand plain words. In Ryle’s autobiographical words, they ‘crucified their style’, and preached with dignified simplicity.  Source is here.

God has wired us how yet also gives us the ability to crucify some elements (humor, seriousness, etc). Love to hear your thoughts on how much of our personality should make it into our messages and/or worship leading. Thoughts?

• What are your strangest Christmas traditions? #

• Grab your free daily family or individual Advent Devotional here….called The Cost http://bit.ly/6wIjZe #

• Willpower is a notoriously sputtering engine on which to rely for the power for holiness. Thank for you for the Holy Spirit. #
• I think they just read hebrews 12:12 for Tebow, but I think his eye markings are Hebrews 12:1-2, Lundquist didn’t see the dash. Am i wrong? #

• Thanks erupts most from the hearts of those who realize where they would be without God and His gracious providence in their lives. #

Wow. Way less sarcasm or complaining than normal. Even my family has noticed. Piper commented that I seemed more apt to just do something while we went camping that I normally wouldn’t enjoy without any griping or complaining for the sake of the kids and her. We shot a b.b. gun waaaaay longer than I normally would have. Corbin was having a blast doing it.  Thank you, Jesus.

• T-week experiment: Live out Ephesians 5:4 and ONLY speak out gratitude and next week (no complaints or other speech but thanksgiving). #

Ephesians 5:4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

What would it look like if I ONLY spoke words of gratitude the Sunday through Saturday (one week) of Thanksgiving. If I went so far as to look at a pile of laundered clothes that awaits my folding and putting up, a job I normally hate, and instead think and speak out loud, “God, thank you for these clothes, for providing covering.”  When my kids are arguing with one another, “God thank you that they have voices that work and you are shaping them towards independence of Piper and me, give them reliance on you.”  If every time next week I see a person, I tell them why I am thankful to God they are in my life.

What would that week look like and feel like. I am going to try my best. I will post my successes (by God’s grace) and failures (by my own flesh) next week as time allows.

Care to join me?

If I bought only one series of New Testament commentaries, I would buy NICNT series. However, I recommend buying individual commentaries based upon author. I would also buy Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology book as a primary reference work. Please note that some of the commentaries below are Greek based, but you can follow them without knowing Greek.

• Matthew—Expositors Bible Commentary D.A. Carson includes Mark(Wessel) Luke Liefeld
• Mark—New American Commentary James Brooks
• Luke –
• John – New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT) series The Gospel According To John** Leon Morris | NIV Application Gary M. Burge** (This particular one is greatness for setting context. Do not discount it simply because it is in a “lay series.”)
• Acts—The Acts of the Apostles A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary Ben Witherington III
• Romans—The Epistle to the Romans (not part of series) John Murray; Romans 1-8 Wycliffe New Testament Series Moo;
• I Corinthians– NICNT Gordon Fee**
• II Corinthians–
• Galatians–
• Ephesians– Pillar New Testament Commentary O’Brien; Ephesians Harold W. Hoehner, NIV Application Klyne Snodgrass
• Philippians– NIGCT, Peter. T O’Brien**
• Colossians–
• I Thessalonians— NICNT, Leon Morris
• II Thessalonians— NICNT, Leon Morris (1 and 2 Epistles in one commentary)
• I Timothy—The Pastoral Epistles, New International Greek Testament Commentary George Knight III
• II Timothy— The Pastoral Epistles, New International Greek Testament Commentary George Knight III
• Titus— The Pastoral Epistles, New International Greek Testament Commentary George Knight III
• Philemon—
• Hebrews—Tyndale New Testament Commentary, Guthrie
• James—
• I Peter-Tyndale New Testament Commentary, Wayne Grudem**
• II Peter
• I John –Anchor Bible Commentary, Raymond Brown.
• II John– Anchor Bible Commentary, Raymond Brown.
• III John– Anchor Bible Commentary, Raymond Brown.
• Jude—
• Revelation—NIGTC, G.K. Beale | Tyndale New Testament Commentary, Leon Morris

I have commentaries on the other books, but haven’t spent enough time working through the whole commentary, only using it for certain passages,  to give it value to make my fave list.

• Re-read a journal from 2001. Interesting experience as I see radical changes and yet am reminded of seeing some things that haven’t changed. #