Digging Deeper – All of Us Giving All of Us

Avatar photo C.A. Phillips on August 8, 2025

 

42 All the believers devoted themselves…

Acts 2:42a (NLT)

 

ALL OF US GIVING ALL OF US

 

Have you ever played tug-of-war? You know, where two teams pull on opposite ends of a rope, trying to drag the other team across a marked center line. I’ve been on some winning teams, as well as some losing teams. Do you know what the one common denominator has been on those winning occasions? It wasn’t because we had one incredibly strong ox on the team; it was because every team member was pulling the rope with all his or her might.

So it was in the early church, as each man and woman was “all in” when it came to learning about Jesus, worship, fellowship, prayer, serving others, and giving as much as was needed to support those who couldn’t support themselves. Not only that, but Luke also makes a point to say they experienced joy as a result!

For 25 years I have watched the reality show Survivor (it debuted in 2000—crazy, I know). The goal of the game is to Outwit, Outplay, and Outlast all your fellow competitors to be the last one standing and win the $1 million prize. It’s always so interesting to see how certain tribes respond when they face adversity. In the earlier years of the show, tribes would almost always eliminate the weakest players early—the ones who didn’t contribute, couldn’t pull their weight, or were social liabilities.

This was truly a Darwinian mindset—“survival of the fittest.” Couldn’t solve the puzzle? Didn’t help build the shelter? Didn’t catch a fish? Didn’t swallow that disgusting bug in the challenge? You’re gone. The tribe recognized that, at least for a time, they were only as strong as their weakest members. And winning challenges was key to advancing in the game and avoiding Tribal Council!

Strangely, this is almost the antithesis of the early church. They showed compassion for the weak. They provided for those who had nothing to eat. They shared everything and looked for ways to help others. They also understood they could only be as strong as their weakest link. But instead of voting them off the island, they built them up, strengthened them, and encouraged them.

But it took ALL of them—not just the strongest, wealthiest, or most influential. ALL.

When we all begin to pull the rope, it’s amazing what we can accomplish, and who we can reach with the love of Jesus.

 

C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.

Digging Deeper – Why You Matter

Avatar photo C.A. Phillips on August 7, 2025

 

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

1 Corinthians 12:18-27 (NLT)

 

WHY YOU MATTER

 

If you attend a local church, this Scripture in 1 Corinthians applies to you: you are a part of the body. And Paul takes it a step further—he says you and I are integral parts of this body, whether we realize it or not.

Can you imagine arriving at church on a Sunday morning and finding no volunteers? No one directing traffic in the parking lots. No one opening doors for guests. No one teaching children about Jesus. No musicians on stage using their talents to lead worship.

If you’re a parent, you know just how meaningful it is to have those special people who serve in classrooms on Sunday mornings, pouring into young lives. Both of my sons came to know Jesus at age seven. Sure, they were being raised by a mom and dad who love Jesus, but they also learned Bible stories, made crafts, sang songs, and attended VBS and countless other events—where adults made it a priority to give their time to invest in their spiritual growth.

In fact, two volunteers—Miss Lynn and Miss Camellia—served in the first-grade classroom and continued to follow my boys’ lives even through high school graduation. They each sent them cards and a gift! They understood the meaning of influence, and they took it seriously.

Another volunteer, Mr. Rick, taught both of my boys in third grade at NorthStar. Many years later, his company generously sponsored their youth baseball teams. And Mr. Daniel was a mentor and group leader for one of my sons in high school. Every time I see him at church, he still asks how Chandler is doing. That’s influence.

You probably have your own examples—men and women who made a lasting impression on your life, or your kids’ lives. They’re precious. And we couldn’t “do church” without them.

How about you? Have you found your place? Whether it’s at NorthStar Church or another local church, there’s someone who needs you.

Maybe you’ve never considered yourself valuable enough to positively influence another life. But that’s not God’s voice telling you that. He wants you to know that just like Miss Lynn, Miss Camellia, Mr. Rick, and Mr. Daniel—you have something incredible to offer… if you’re willing to give it a try.

 

C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.

Digging Deeper – Giving to God What’s Already His

Avatar photo C.A. Phillips on August 6, 2025

 

They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.
Acts 2:45 (NLT)

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Matthew 6:21 (NLT)

 

GIVING TO GOD WHAT’S ALREADY HIS

 

There are many people who call themselves Christians and attend Sunday worship services, yet their relationship with Jesus—and engagement with their church family—stops there. They don’t serve. They don’t give. I used to be one of them.

Yesterday, I shared that I had attended NorthStar Church for nearly five years before I began volunteering. Well, it was almost seven years before my wife and I began tithing (you’ll be glad to know this was before I joined the staff). Serving and giving of your time is one thing. But handing over your hard-earned money? That’s another level of investment—one that kept us from experiencing even more joy and more of God’s blessings early in our marriage.

The early church went to far greater lengths than simply tithing to care for their brothers and sisters—their community, their neighbors. They literally sold whatever was necessary, even their own possessions, to ensure that those less fortunate had food, clothing, and shelter. This was the purest expression of love and generosity.

If we don’t give at all, why not start by giving something? If we give a little, why not give more? Ultimately, it comes down to three reasons:

  1. We haven’t structured our financial lives in a way that allows us to give generously.

  2. We struggle with trust—we don’t fully believe God will provide for us if we give “X” amount.

  3. We think of “our money” as ours and fail to recognize that everything we have comes from the Lord.

If the desire of your heart is to “give back to the Lord what is already His,” let Him know—and then begin somewhere. Whether it’s $10 a week or $500, you’ll find yourself looking forward to the opportunity to invest in the mission of the Church: introducing people to Jesus, making disciples, and living SENT.

There’s no better investment you can make.

 

C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.

Digging Deeper – From Sidelines to Between the Lines

Avatar photo C.A. Phillips on August 5, 2025

 

10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

1 Peter 4:10-11 (NLT)

 

FROM SIDELINES TO BETWEEN THE LINES

 

My wife, Amy, and I began attending NorthStar Church in March 1997, just three months after we were married and two months after the church’s launch. We officially joined in June of that year, but during our first five years at NorthStar, we knew only a handful of people and weren’t plugged in anywhere.

Sometime around 2002, an announcement was made from the stage one Sunday morning—a moment that would change my life. Someone shared that there would be a meeting later that week for people interested in serving on the Hospitality Team (ushers, greeters, parking lot attendants, etc.). I had been looking for a way to get involved, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

I went to the meeting with one thought: find the lowest-hanging fruit. In other words, look for a role that required the least commitment—maybe serving once or twice a month. I wasn’t planning to go all in; I just wanted to dip my toe in the shallow end. But God had different plans.

That night, I remember hearing from DeWitt James and Brian Dodd, two men I would grow to love and serve alongside in the years to come. Brian shared an illustration that has stuck with me for more than 20 years. It was the week of the Super Bowl, and he talked about the thousands of fans who would fill the stands, paying top dollar to attend.

“But they’re just spectators,” he said. “The ones who reap the rewards are the players on the field—between the lines—in the game.”

Then, almost as if he had read my mind, he added, “Some of you came here tonight planning to do the bare minimum—to serve here and there. But, just like those football players, you’ll only experience the true rewards when you give your all and get in the game.”

That evening changed the trajectory of my life. I started serving as a door greeter at the 9:00 a.m. service, and over the next two years, I missed only two or three Sundays. I loved serving, and I loved getting to know the people on my team. It was a game-changer.

Are you on the fence about serving? Don’t wait. Don’t hesitate. Jump in and see what God has in store for you—and for the people He will place in your path.

C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.

Digging Deeper – Missing Out on the Joy of Community

Avatar photo C.A. Phillips on August 4, 2025

 

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

Acts 2:42 (NLT)

 

MISSING OUT ON THE JOY OF COMMUNITY

 

Years ago, there was a guy in my couples’ small group who invited me to his house to talk, saying he had some questions about “church.” However, I quickly realized he wasn’t really interested in asking questions—he wanted to challenge me.

This young man, as it turned out, was trying to justify not attending church on Sunday mornings or being part of the body of believers. He said something along the lines of, “I’ve got most of it figured out. I can watch church services online (not NorthStar’s, but another church in the South). I’m in a small group. I can serve others. I’ve got prayer covered. I’m just kind of hung up on baptism. I’m not sure how I could do baptism on my own.”

I spent the next two hours passionately explaining why his approach was flawed, but he simply couldn’t see it. He was missing the point—and the power—of being part of the local church the way Jesus intended. Faith in Jesus isn’t meant to be a solo endeavor; it’s meant to be lived out in partnership with others.

A Gallup Poll released in 2024 revealed that roughly 44 percent of Christians attend services regularly—though today “regular attendance” is defined as once or twice per month. Honestly, that number was higher than I expected, but it still raises the question: what about the other 56 percent? Why are they disengaged from the life of a local church?

There are countless reasons, but most can likely be summed up this way: they don’t fully understand the true purpose of the Church, nor have they experienced the joy of serving others.

Rick Warren opens his best-selling book The Purpose-Driven Life with these four simple words: “It’s not about you.”

When we accept that truth—and begin to embrace it—we start to see both our lives and the lives of others differently. Not only that, we begin to crave community with those who share the same longing to worship the Lord and serve others in His name.

C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.

Digging Deeper – The Way Back to God

Avatar photo C.A. Phillips on May 23, 2025

 

17 Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.

Jonah 1:17 (NLT)

 

THE WAY BACK TO GOD

 

I can guarantee that when Jonah bought his one-way ticket on the ship to Tarshish, he had no clue he would be swallowed by a huge fish and spend three days and nights there. To my knowledge, no one before Jonah—or since—has ever endured this experience and lived to talk about it. As we know, God works in miraculous—and mysterious—ways.

I can only imagine how foul it must have been inside that fish. After all, fish already smell a bit “fishy” when they’re expertly cleaned and prepared for my dinner plate at Red Lobster. But can you imagine living inside a fish for three days? As my dad would say, “Peeee-shew!”

For Jonah, this fish wasn’t just a smelly, slimy form of punishment. It was a means of transportation—an unforgettable one—to get Jonah back where God wanted to use him. It isn’t likely to appear in the form of an aquatic beast, but the Lord does the same for you and me when we have disobeyed Him: He provides a way back—to Him and to our divine assignment.

Typically, our response to the Lord’s correction is one of two extremes: we wallow in shame, or, in further defiance, we sever our relationship with Him. The Lord does not want us to pursue either of those options. Instead, He wants us to do three things:

  1. Confess – Honestly share where we missed the mark.

  2. Repent – A “churchy” word for simply going in the opposite direction of our sinful actions.

  3. Walk with Him!

The next time you find yourself as an outcast, bobbing up and down among the waves of your disobedience, know that God has provided a way back to Him! And be thankful it’s not in the belly of a whale!

 

C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.

Digging Deeper – God Uses Our Storms to Save Others

Avatar photo C.A. Phillips on May 22, 2025

 

15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! 16 The sailors were awestruck by the LORD’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.

Jonah 1:15-16 (NLT)

 

GOD USES OUR STORMS TO SAVE OTHERS

 

This is an often-overlooked part of the story: the sailors on the ship headed to Tarshish came to know the Lord! These men believed in “little g gods.” But despite Jonah’s selfishness and blatant disregard for their safety, God still showed up—not just to claim Jonah, but to reveal Himself to them!

You’ve heard the phrase, “God doesn’t waste anything.” This is proof! In the middle of Jonah’s disobedience, we find a ship full of pagan sailors—men who didn’t know God but were so absolutely amazed by His might that they abandoned their gods and turned to Him.

This should be a sobering wake-up call for us. There are people everywhere—all around us, every day—who don’t believe in God. Or if they do believe there is a God, they certainly don’t have a relationship with Jesus. And get this: He loves them too! So much so that He will reveal Himself to them through someone else’s trials—perhaps even yours!

Let’s be mindful of this! When you are disobedient, you put others in harm’s way. But that also opens the door for the Lord to do His masterful, saving work! And as we see in Jonah’s story, that might just mean you’re thrown overboard in the process.

 

C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.

Digging Deeper – The Unseen Cost of Sin

Avatar photo C.A. Phillips on May 21, 2025

 

5 Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold. 6 So the captain went down after him. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives.” 7 Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit. 8 “Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?” 9 Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” 10 The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the LORD. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned. 11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?” 12 “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.” 13 Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it. 14 Then they cried out to the LORD, Jonah’s God. “O LORD,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O LORD, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.” 15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once!

Jonah 1:5-15 (NLT)

 

THE UNSEEN COST OF SIN


It’s one thing to face the consequences of your sin; it’s far worse when others in your wake must endure hardship as a result of your decisions. This is where we find Jonah at this point in the story. Interestingly, he doesn’t seem distressed at all—he’s sleeping like a baby while the sailors aboard the ship are fighting for their lives!

This is, unfortunately, something we all tend to overlook when we choose the path of sinful disobedience. We may rationalize our actions and behaviors, even planning ahead for the time when it catches up with us. However, we don’t have a contingency plan for the havoc we cause in others’ lives. This is nearly always the most painful repercussion we face—seeing others suffer for our wrongdoing.

Amazingly, these sailors—despite knowing Jonah’s defiance is causing their immediate peril—try to find a way to avoid having to throw Jonah overboard! They put themselves in further danger by attempting to row toward land. “But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it.” (v. 13)

Realizing the futility of their efforts to row ashore, they begin to plead with the Lord for their lives! Not only that, but they also ask God not to hold it against them if Jonah dies when they toss him off the boat.

When Jonah high-tailed it as far west as he could get from Nineveh, he was only thinking of himself. He never, for a moment, thought that he would put dozens of innocent people at death’s door because of his disobedience. But that’s what sin does. It only shows us the part of the outcome that appeals to us in the moment. We don’t get a glimpse of the wreckage it causes.

The greatest deterrent to sin is the realization that we create separation from God; we break community with Him. Perhaps the next-best preventative measure is to consider the pain we will cause others when we don’t choose God’s best.

Ultimately, if we live in such a way that we are putting God and others first (the two Greatest Commandments), we win—and we have peace of mind knowing God’s hand will be on us along the way.

 

C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.

Digging Deeper – You Can’t Outrun the Storm of Disobedience

Avatar photo C.A. Phillips on May 20, 2025

 

But the LORD hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart.

Jonah 1:4 (NLT)

 

YOU CAN’T OUTRUN THE STORM OF DISOBEDIENCE

 

So, Jonah hops on a boat headed in the opposite direction from where God had instructed him to go. Instead of taking a camel to Nineveh, he purchases a one-way ticket to Tarshish. Honestly, we don’t know for sure where Tarshish was located—many historians believe it was in the western Mediterranean. But we do know he was “moving away from the Lord” (or at least he thought he was). And a powerful storm was brewing.

Let’s pause for a moment here. You know, there’s always that interlude between the disobedient act and the punishment being doled out. Many times, we don’t realize we are in for a hurting—we’re just enjoying sowing our wild oats, as they used to say.

I remember one day as a nine- or ten-year-old kid doing something really stupid. My friend and I found a couple of old gallons of paint lying around his house. We had nothing better to do, so we decided to take the paint with us into the wooded lot next door—an area where we would often ride our bikes and hike. But on this day, we decided to add some color to the landscape. We began to paint the trunks of the trees—orange and blue. We didn’t just do one or two; we did dozens of them!

When his mom came home, she didn’t take kindly to this. And she felt obliged to share this with my mom (tattletale).

When I got home, my mom had some choice words for me. She then said she would discuss it with my dad. When he got home from work, she informed him of my artwork and asked what my punishment should be. He said he would have a talk with me and hand down the sentence. So, my dad came into my room to have a chat. He made sure I understood that what I had done was unacceptable. Then he said, “Your mom wants me to punish you. So, you have to stop smoking for a month.”

While the Lord was ultimately loving and compassionate with Jonah, he wasn’t getting away that easily. He sent a violent storm—one so intense that it seemed as though the ship was going to break apart! And as we’ll discuss tomorrow, he wasn’t just bringing these circumstances on himself—others’ lives were now at risk!

Jonah was about to learn an important lesson: when it comes to obedience, God means business!

 

C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.

Digging Deeper – The Painful Consequences of Ignoring Instructions

Avatar photo C.A. Phillips on May 19, 2025

 

The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”

3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.

Jonah 1:1-3 (NLT)

 

THE PAINFUL CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORING INSTRUCTIONS

 

Exasperation and frustration—that is what I felt, and that is what I caused my wife early in our marriage. Long before IKEA, other retail establishments offered the good old DIY furniture assembly. I can recall purchasing desks, side tables, and chairs from a variety of stores—the kind that also happened to sell groceries, household cleaners, and school supplies.

I’d get home from the store, tear open the box, and begin tackling the project. But no matter what the item was or where it was purchased, it always seemed to end the same way: me, angry and sweaty, with extra washers or bolts in my hand that hadn’t been used. “Why?” you ask. Because I failed to read the instructions!

It’s one thing to ignore the instructions included in a box filled with particleboard, hex screws, and wing nuts. It’s altogether different when God Himself tells you to do something, and you defiantly go in the opposite direction. This is precisely what Jonah did after God told him to go to Nineveh.

Jonah served as “God’s man”—His messenger. As a prophet, he certainly would have known the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament). He also would have known that you can’t hide from God (remember Adam and Eve?). But fear and uncertainty drive us to do some outrageous things, clouding our ability to see and think clearly.

Sometimes I think to myself, They had it much easier back in the Old Testament. God spoke directly to them, and He was present with them much of the time. But clearly, it wasn’t easy. Time and again, we see God’s chosen leaders making grave errors in judgment—or completely disregarding His instructions.

Because we all have doubts. We all get a bit anxious over the unknown. We all like to be comfortable. But, as we’ll see throughout the week, God’s plan will come to fruition. And we’ll have to face the painful consequences of our decisions when we defy Him.

 

C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.