Pastor's Blog

On yesterday afternoon, me and a few men from our church went up to visit Joseph Hyde, youth pastor here at Hope Church. (Meet Joseph by watching this video). Joseph just got back home from several days of hospitalization because of a very serious staff infection in his left foot. In addition to the staff infection, he’s is also fighting his second battle with cancer. That fight coupled with his chemo treatments reduces his own body’s ability to fight of infection and sicknesses.

So around 2pm, shortly after Joseph made it back home from his first dr’s visit since his hospitalization, we sat down with Joseph in his living room and began to talk. Once the conversation ensued, we realized that although we went there to encourage Joseph – he was the one encouraging us.

Joseph never complained about how a simple splinter in his toe could lead to a staff infection so severe that the dr’s only gave him a 60% chance of recovery. He never complained about their initial mis-diagnosis which cost him valuable treatment time that could have reduced the severity of the infection and sped up recovery time. And he never complained about how or why God would allow this to happen to him while he’s already suffering from cancer.

Instead, he talked about how God is sovereign over all things, and he thanked God for the privilege of being trusted with such a test. He expressed his gratitude to God for the things he is learning through his trials. He praised God for His sovereignty over every aspect of his current trials, including God’s providence in not allowing him to have married prematurely or of having children too soon — which would have made this season even more difficult. He praised God for blessing him with parents who are loving, kind, generous and supportive. He thanked God for a loving, God-fearing girlfriend who loves Jesus more than she loves him and who covers him in prayer.

And then, it happened… Joseph reached over to his left and opened the little brown box on the coffee table.

He sat the lid down next to the box and said, “Every night I sit in this chair and I journal my prayers. I pray for friends and relatives to come to know Christ. I pray for mother who would be hurt the worst if something were to happen to me. I pray for God to continue blessing our church, and I pray God’s continued blessing over you, pastor.”

Then Joseph reached his hand inside the box and randomly plucked out a folded up piece of paper, and he said, “Each night as I pray, I write those prayer requests on a piece of paper, and I put ‘em in this box…” And as he unfolded one of those random prayer prayers journals and showed me the paper, I saw a place where it had my name on it.

While we were there to pray for Joseph in the midst of his sickness and trials ~ Joseph has been going before God, every single night, praying for us and for gospel transformation in the lives of others.

Joseph, if you’re reading this – I want you to know that you are a huge encouragement to me, to our community of faith here at Hope Church, and to the Kingdom of God at large. Your faith inspires me. Your fidelity to Jesus in the midst of tough trials is an example to us all. And I want you to know this — there’s now a new little box sitting beside the chair at my place of prayer.

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This past Thursday seemed no different than any other Thursday, until I got back home that evening. After dropping my wife off at the ministry center for worship team rehearsal, my 2yr old son & I headed home to eat our take-out and to get some late evening rough-housing in before it was bedtime. But as soon as I stepped in my front door I immediately noticed something was wrong. When I looked across the kitchen I saw that my back door was ajar… it had been kicked in and the door itself was busted. I can’t even begin to describe the sick feeling that hit my gut at that moment, as I thought to myself, “My home has been invaded — and the intruder could still be in my house.”

Immediately I grabbed my hand gun, took my 2yr old son to safety, and swept the house, garage & attic several times to make sure no intruders were still inside.

I called Damita and told her what happened, and needless to say, she was very shaken up by this. It was one year ago this month that we moved here to plant a new church, and in that time we’ve had a church trailer stolen from the parking lot of our church offices location, and now — our house broken into. Thankfully, not many things were taken. The stuff they took were things they could walk away with on foot without drawing too much attention to themselves. All in all, I’m most grateful that we weren’t home and that my family is safe and well.

We called 911 and the police came and made their report. Several families in our church offered to allow us to stay over at their homes until we got our back door replaced the next day. I left it up to my wife see how she felt about staying home that night or not. My wife is a strong, godly woman; but at the same time, I knew she felt very violated by this situation. Ultimately she said she was fine with staying home that night.

Let me tell you, sleeping in our house on Thursday night after the home invasion – with a partially secured, “busted” back door – was very awkward. When my wife walked to the bathroom, I was right there with her. When my children left the living room to go to their rooms, I went in before them and did another security sweep under their beds and in their closets (that was probably sweep 9 or 10). I assured my family that we were safe and that by God’s grace all was well, but quite honestly, it was still a night of sleeping with one eye open.

I went through a million scenarios in my head… What if I had been home? What if I had been playing on the floor with one of my children when the intruder kicked the back door in? How would my family respond if I had been killed? How quickly could I have gotten to my hand gun to protect my myself and my family? What if I had killed the intruder, how would I have slept that night? (that answer is easy ~ I would have slept REAL good!) What if my wife was there alone? How would she respond, find safety, or protect herself?

After a few hours of running scenario after scenario through my mind, I found myself boiling with anger. I thought to myself, “Next week I’m gonna take a few days off, park my vehicle in the garage and silently sit in my house — gun in hand — praying that they come back.” Thankfully, God’s prevailing grace overtook me and I banished that thought from my mind.

Ultimately, Damita and I knew this was an opportunity for us to practice the gospel. Our faith is rooted in Jesus Christ, not in the accumulation of possessions. Our joy is sustained through the love & faithfulness of our great God and King, not by the absence of adverse circumstances. And so with pure hearts we pray for those who broke into our home, and we continue to pray for gospel renewal of our city, not because our home was invaded, but because our great desire is to see God glorified throughout Clayton and Henry counties — and beyond.

Soli Deo Gloria.

On this past Sunday, 27 June 2010, it was my proud privilege to officiate the marriage ceremony of Jason & Lakaii Johnson. Conducting their ceremony on Sunday morning during our worship gathering was a beautiful demonstration of the gospel, and our entire community of faith was overjoyed to share that moment with them. Jason and Lakaii are both deeply in love with Jesus and I’m very confident that through God’s grace they will enjoy a strong, healthy marriage.

Congratulations Jason & Lakaii!

• Mother’s Day at Hope Church was absolutely incredible!
• Our worship set: Mighty to Save, How Great Is Our God, Hosanna by Hillsong, and Revelation Song.
• We playing 2 short Mother’s Day videos at different points during the service; both video clips were hilarious! People loved them and they really encouraged all of our moms.
• One of my favorite moments was when we gave out a few special gifts in honor of our oldest moms present (oldest mom present was 86, second oldest was 83).
• I took a break from our series through Galatians to preach a special Mother’s Day message (2 Kings 4:8-37). The title of the message was, “Take Him to Momma ~ She Knows What to Do!” You can listen to it HERE.
• We had a beautiful time of altar prayer for all moms near the end of the service, which culminated with Communion. I’m still receiving reports from so many different mothers whose hearts were healed and mended by God during on Sunday.
• We set up a free photo station for folks who wanted to take pictures as a parting gift on Mother’s Day…Thanks Kayla!
• Feel free to click the comments button near the top to share your thoughts…enjoy!

Joseph Hyde Introduction Video from Maurice Stargell on Vimeo.

An introductory note from Joseph Hyde, HC’s new youth pastor…

Hello everyone!

I’m so excited to come on board as Hope Church’s new youth pastor! Here’s a little bit about me… I’m 33 yrs old, I’m a native Georgian, and I love GA Tech sports, the Atlanta Braves, Hawks, and Thrashers (sorry Falcons…I’m a NY Jets fan!). I have a BA in Christian Ministries and a minor in History from Palm Beach Atlantic University, an MA in Christian Education from Columbia School of Theology, and an MA in Political Science from Georgia State University. But most importantly, I’m a laid back, goofy guy who loves Jesus and who has a huge heart to reach, teach, and serve youth!

I’m so excited about the opportunity God has given me to partner with parents in ministering to your teens, and I look forward to all that God is preparing to do in our midst!

Joseph Hyde

Click the comments button near the top of this post to welcome Joseph or to comment on this post!

• This was our 4th week at the Morrow Center, our new Sunday worship venue, and we’re loving every minute of it!
• This Sunday was also the first week that we adjusted the arrival times for various teams within our service ministries. Band & tech teams, children’s workers, and coffee bar crew still arrived at 8:15am, while ushers, greeters, and parking lot teams didn’t arrive until 9:00am. The set-up of all environments didn’t miss a beat and the folks who got to arrive a little later really seemed to appreciate it.
• Technical problem. The Morrow Center director took the day off and his assistant worked with us. She was unable to get the grand ballroom projector to power up so we were unable to use it to display words during worship or during the message. She was really upset that she wasn’t able to power it up for us (she was actually crying, and she called her boss and asked him to come and assist her) but we were just fine. In fact, Sunday turned out to be one of the most powerful worship gatherings we’ve ever experienced in the life of our new church.
• Sunday’s set list: Lord You Are Awesome, Better Than Life, Glorify Your Name, and In This Place.
• At the end of worship, we prayed for Joseph Calhoun, our 17 yr old acoustic guitar player, and his family. Joseph’s mom passed away last Friday night. His dad, brothers, and a few other family members came down front as the Holy Spirit ministered to them powerfully during that time of prayer.
• The message I preached was part 3 of our exegetical journey through the Book of Galatians. We walked through the first 25 verses of Galatians 3, Paul’s defense of Justification by Faith Alone (sola fide).
• We closed the service with Communion and altar prayer, while the band and worship team sang Everything.
• This upcoming Sunday we move into part 4 of our “Free at Last!” series, Galatians 3:26-4:7.
• …Hope to see you Sunday!

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Hope Churchers,

This video speaks to our core value that lost people matter to God, therefore, they matter to us. Let it inspire you, as it does me, to fill it this Sunday… Who will you invite?

I am a chair from buckheadchurch on Vimeo.

Sometimes, what is not said speaks more loudly than actual words. The silence, as we say, is deafening. In the opening verses of his letter to the churches of Galatia, the apostle Paul employs this communication technique to underscore the seriousness of the subject at hand. As he does in all of his letters, Paul begins by identifying himself as the author, naming the intended recipients, and pronouncing a blessing on them (Gal. 1:1–5).

It is what comes next that is so uncharacteristic for him. Immediately after his introductory comments, and before launching into the body of the letter, Paul writes…nothing. He offers no expression of gratitude to God for them or words of encouragement about their spiritual vitality.

When compared to his other warm greetings (for example, Rom. 1:8; 1 Cor. 1:1–5; Eph. 1:15–23; Phil. 1:3–11), what Paul does not say to the Galatians speaks volumes.

He leaves no doubt about the seriousness and urgency of the topic of his letter. His burden is to explain and defend the true gospel of God’s grace. He launches into the subject early and writes with a fiery tone, employing sarcasm, threats, warnings, and rebukes to get his points across.

Like a soldier rushing into battle with guns blazing, Paul immediately begins contending for the truth of the gospel. His purpose is not simply to win a theological argument. Rather, he is determined to fight for the spiritual lives of the Galatian believers.

Getting the gospel right is crucial. It is a matter of spiritual life and death. If you miss this, it does not matter what you get because you will miss God.

Paul understands this and therefore strongly refutes the false teaching of those who have begun to undermine the Galatians’ confidence in the simple gospel that he had preached to them.

That message is all about the finished work of Jesus Christ “who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Gal. 1:4).

The gospel that Paul preached to them proclaimed salvation by grace alone received through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

This message is great news for sinners because it reveals that salvation, from first to last, is God’s work and not dependent on anything in us. It eliminates any basis for pride as well as any cause to despair. Those whom God saves are made right with Him not because of anything they have done or not done, but because they have been “called…in the grace of Christ” (v. 6).

On the one hand, the worst of people are genuine candidates for salvation because the only way that God saves is by grace. On the other hand, if the most respectable people are to be saved, it will not be because of any goodness in them but, again, only by the grace of God.

No wonder Paul was “astonished” to learn that the Galatians were so quickly and easily being led away from the gospel of God’s grace (v. 6). The false teachers insisted that trusting Christ was not enough — to be right with God, a person must also keep certain Old Testament ceremonies. But adding to the gospel is just as disastrous as subtracting from it. Both “distort the gospel of Christ” (v. 7).

Any change in the message of Jesus Christ turns it into “a different gospel” (v. 6) that keeps people from knowing God. This is why Paul writes with such passion, warning the Galatians never to tolerate anyone — not even an apostle or an angel — who would dare to preach as the gospel any other message than salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, plus nothing. 

Twice Paul says that any creature who distorts the gospel should be “accursed.” He literally pronounces “anathema” on such a person (v. 9). Those who spread false gospels are worthy of God’s damnation.

Paul intends that his use of such strong language should have a sobering affect on us. Misrepresenting the gospel is serious business. Those who believe false gospels will wind up in hell. Those who teach false gospels deserve nothing less.

The churches of Galatia were very young when Paul sent them this letter. Yet, he expected that they — all of the members and not just the leaders — would be doctrinally alert enough to discern the true gospel from counterfeits.

This is the responsibility of every Christian. Like sheep who will follow only the voice of their shepherd, we must learn to recognize the simplicity and fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and refuse to tolerate any teaching that deviates from it.

Our very lives depend on it.

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On his blog, John Pethel wrote…

What comes to your mind when you think of the glory of God? His great works? His excellencies and perfections? His revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ? Certainly, God’s glory is displayed in these ways. But that is not all that the Bible means when it speaks of the glory of God.

The Old Testament word for “glory” comes from the Hebrew word for weight, or heaviness. The idea behind it suggests substance and importance. For example, when Joseph finally revealed himself to his brothers in Egypt, he instructed them, “So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.” In other words, he wanted his greatness, his privileged position and exalted status and power, to be reported to Jacob.

In the New Testament, the word “glory” conveys the same idea. A man’s glory is his good reputation. It is that about him which is praiseworthy. Jesus uses the word this way in Matthew 6:2, “Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” These people made a production of their giving so that the greatness of their generosity would be observed by many people.

So when the Bible speaks of the glory of God it is referring to His worth, his and honor and greatness. Or, when this word is used of God, we could say that His majesty or supremacy is in view.

All of creation has as its goal and purpose the glory of God. He created everything for His own glory. Everything that exists has its existence from God and for God. Romans 11:36 says, “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

John Calvin was correct when he said that creation is the theater of God’s glory. Because this is true, we exist for the glory of God. And just as the inanimate creation has been called to glorify God, so have we. The inanimate creation and the lower animate creatures, bring glory to God simply by being what God created them to be.

As Psalm 19:1 teaches, by virtue of their mere existence the heavens declare the glory of God.

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