NorthStar Church Blog

Digging Deeper – Beautiful Feet Part 2

Chris Boggess on August 23, 2024

13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” 16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

Romans 10:13-17 (NLT)

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,^[^a^] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. ⁸And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NLT)

BEAUTIFUL FEET PART 2

In the Paris Olympics of 1924 (yes, this is the 100th anniversary), Eric Liddell was set to run the 100m and 200m races. Most people believed he would take gold in the 100m and win a medal in the 200m. But then Liddell found out that the heats for the 100m would be on a Sunday. Although Liddell said he didn’t have a problem with others competing in the Sunday heats, he felt he could not.

Eric Liddell was born to missionary parents, and his faith had been strong throughout his life. He chose his convictions when deciding whether to compromise his beliefs or achieve world renown. Many people were angry at his choice, calling him a traitor or unpatriotic, but Liddell stood firm. He switched to the 400m. The 400m race was not his specialty, and many thought he would not have the stamina for the second half of the race. Liddell, however, knew where his stamina came from and trusted God to carry him through. He said, “Well, when the gun goes, I go as fast as I can, and trust to God that I’ll have the strength to do the second half.”

The results were striking. Not only did Liddell win the gold in the 400m, but he also set a world record. He became a sports hero not just in his homeland but worldwide! But what came next was not a professional contract or lucrative endorsements. Just a short time after the Olympics, Liddell announced that he would return to China as a missionary. He spent the rest of his life teaching, writing, and preaching. Even at the end of his life, while a prisoner in a Japanese prison camp in China, he served and taught others, especially those like himself, who were separated from their families.

His last words, spoken to his friend and fellow missionary shortly before he slipped into a coma, were, “Annie, it’s complete surrender.”

While in China, he wrote a Chinese pamphlet outlining devotional thoughts and Bible readings to use throughout the year. In it, he said this about the church’s witness in the world:

“The church is His voice in the world, announcing the good news about God, calling men and women everywhere to repent, and inviting them to enter the Kingdom. Every individual in the church shares this responsibility. We are called to witness. Are we doing it? Jesus went about doing good. The church should do the same, for it is called to an active ministry of loving service. Social reform, just and better conditions, righting wrongs, lightening people’s burdens—these are all part of the work of the church, and in it, every individual has a part to play.”

Liddell lived out his part. He did what God had called him to do in the Great Commission. Have you thought about your part in that call? Notice in Liddell’s quote that everyone has a part to play.

Eric Liddell lived out the Great Commission in his life and his death. Pray today and ask God to show you where He can use you to take the good news to a dying world, whether in your neighborhood or on the other side of the globe. Then, just do it!

Chris Boggess is the Next Generation/Family Pastor at NorthStar Church. He grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and still cheers for the Mountaineers. He and his wife, Heather, have two grown children and one granddaughter.

Digging Deeper – Earning the Right Pt. 2: Living Sent

Chris Boggess on August 22, 2024

Romans 10:13-17 (NLT)

EARNING THE RIGHT PART 2: LIVING SENT

We live in a highly transactional culture. You see it every day. These transactions aren’t limited to the marketplace; even in relationships, we say things like, “I’ll owe you one.” Everyone keeps score to ensure they get what they deserve, so it stands out when we don’t live that way.

If you’ve ever been in the Commons area of the NorthStar offices, you may have seen the five sentences on the wall that serve as our guidelines for how we want to function in the community.

The first one is, “We love with no strings attached.” That means we love even the ungrateful jerks. You don’t have to love back to be loved.

The second sentence on the wall is, “We choose people before projects.” That’s a hard one for many of us. The daily call to get things done and accomplish more can be a huge motivator. But we are saying that a job well done should not leave broken people in its wake.

Next on the wall is, “We believe it’s not about us.” It is 100% about God and the people in the community and the world who do not know Him yet.

Then there is, “We strive to exceed expectations.” How often do you get more than you expected? And when you do, don’t you remember it? In the book Unreasonable Hospitality, Will Guidara talks about the difference between service and hospitality as the difference between black-and-white and color: “Black and white means that you’re doing your job with competence and efficiency; color means you make people feel great about the job you’re doing for them.”

And the final sentence on the wall is, “We always ask what’s next.” We want to look for the next place where we can serve people.

The thing about these is that they are the opposite of transactional. Do we hope that living this way will cause people to notice and become curious about the church and Jesus? Absolutely! Remember “predispositional evangelism”? We want people to see that we are different from the world in a way that changes what they think about Christians and Christ. But even if they never come to Northstar or any church, we would still live this way because that is what we are called to do. These sentences are the essence of what it means to live sent.

Pray and ask God how to incorporate these five sentences into your life. Think about how you could put them to use in your neighborhood, workplace, and home. Make a list of ideas. Then live sent!

Famous Last Words

Kevin Burrell on August 21, 2024

“I am writing to Timothy, my dear son in the faith. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.”

2 Timothy 1:2

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

Have you ever thought about the influence and weight of your words? Imagine with me for a moment. If you knew exactly one week from today that you’re going to die and go out into eternity, what would you say for the next seven days? How would you talk? What would be your “famous last words?” Would your words leave a lasting mark on the lives of people that you rub shoulders with at work or do life with every day? Would your words build up or tear down? Would your words encourage or discourage? Would your words leave a ripple effect long after you’re gone? Below are some famous words:

“It is well, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go.” – George Washington, U.S. President

“Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall!”

US President, Ronald Reagan

“Happy anniversary. I love you.”

Vince Lombardi

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Yogi Berra

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” U.S. President, JFK.

In the verse above, the Apostle Paul is getting ready to die. He knew his time was imminent. So, he wrote a letter to Timothy, his beloved son in the faith. It was his “famous last words.” I encourage you to read the entire chapter when time allows. The truth is that the greatest destroyer of relationships is an uncontrolled mouth. Harsh words. Cutting words. Condescending words. Discouraging words. I read recently that the average person has 30 conversations each day. If true, that means we spend approximately one-fifth of our lives talking. At some point, our mouths will likely get us into trouble. The odds are stacked against us!

Listen closely: You have no idea the day or the hour you will die. However, death is certain. Therefore choose your words wisely. Instead of heading in a destructive direction, choose to use your words to build others up. Catch people doing something right and tell them about it. Affirm their character when they make wise choices and decisions. Lift them up with words of encouragement when you see them living a life of obedience. Offer words of hope. Building others up with your words isn’t difficult, but it is intentional. Above all else, use your words to share Jesus with others. When you do, you’re reflecting God’s glory to a dark, evil, and hopeless world all around you.

What “Famous Last Words” will you be known for?

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being,

Kevin

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 43 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Digging Deeper – Earning the Right: Predispositional Evangelism

Chris Boggess on August 21, 2024

Romans 10:13-17 (NLT)

EARNING THE RIGHT: PREDISPOSITIONAL EVANGELISM

I am pretty sure that Hollywood doesn’t understand Christianity. I know that’s not news to you, but the perception that popular culture projects makes it more challenging to share the Gospel. Whenever I see a portrayal of people of faith on TV shows, they seem to fall into a few categories: clueless comic relief, judgmental holier-than-thou antagonist, or life coaches full of pithy sayings. I’ll admit, I’ve encountered people in churches who might fit those categories, but what Hollywood rarely presents is that we have the best news ever and want to share it with the world! That’s a problem.

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about how our brains work because I find that fascinating. Think about it: everything you experience outside your body in the world around you is being processed inside your brain (mind-blowing, right?). In The Expectation Effect, the author, David Robson, presents the idea that our brains are “prediction machines.” The brain uses previous information to process current information, and in many cases, our brain will fit new information into what it is already expecting. One example the author gives is that a mixture of isovaleric and butyric acid has an acrid odor. If the substance is labeled “parmesan cheese,” it causes salivation when sniffed, but if the same substance is labeled “vomit,” it causes a retching reaction. The same smell is interpreted in different ways through the lens of expectation.

People sometimes have negative or indifferent views toward God and the church, which can create expectations of what we Christians believe. Maybe the expectation comes from the way popular culture portrays faith, or it may stem from negative experiences in the past that have left an impression that the church is not a good place. Why would someone want to come and hear the good news if they already think they know what we have to say? And with that perspective, even if they did come to church, they would look for ways to affirm what they think they know.

That’s why what we do in the community matters. Every time we run a concession stand at a football game so some parents can see their kids on the field, we change the expectations of what the church is about. Whenever we host a banquet, sponsor a club or sport, provide gift cards for teachers, take Starbucks to chemo patients, or feed families during the holidays, we show Jesus’s love and change the expectations of what a church is and does.

When Ryan Hoffer and I discussed this idea, he jokingly called it “Predispositional Evangelism.” I think that’s a great description. We are preparing the field of people’s minds and hearts to receive the seed of the Gospel by changing their negative predispositions. Their expectations of what NorthStar is as a church move past those negative assumptions. Hopefully, it also inspires curiosity about why we do what we do—enough that many even become curious enough to come on a Sunday.

Today, pray and ask God if He is calling you to serve. Our community has many opportunities to serve and change how people view the church and, by extension, God.

Digging Deeper – Beautiful Feet

Chris Boggess on August 20, 2024

Romans 10:13-17 (NLT)

BEAUTIFUL FEET

“How beautiful are the feet of the messengers who bring good news!” As Paul’s audience read or heard these words, they would likely have recognized the reference to the book of Isaiah: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7). The prophet wrote these words over 700 years earlier, in a passage pointing to the coming Messiah of Israel. Paul’s audience had waited a long time for this Messiah, and when they heard that the Messiah had come and His name was Jesus, it was music to their ears! This good news was something to celebrate!

Remember Christmas when you were a child? It seemed like you waited and waited for the day to come. Sometimes, it felt like forever. When Christmas Day dawned—or maybe even before dawn for the Boggess kids—you tore into the carefully wrapped gifts with fervor! Each unwrapping brought new delight. All that waiting made the unwrapping sweeter! By the time New Year’s Day rolled around, most of the things that were so exciting were in a closet or a toy box. The excitement faded as the items became more familiar.

We live in a time where the Gospel has always been. All our lives are lived in the “after” of Jesus’ coming. It is easy for us to take the Gospel for granted. Not only do we take it for granted in our own lives, but we also assume that others already know about Jesus. But for those first-century Jews and Gentiles, this was more exciting than getting a new bicycle at Christmas. Imagine how thrilling it was to hear that the waiting was over and that the gift of life brought by the Messiah was finally there to give them new life. How utterly excited they must have been! Christmas morning excitement would look tame compared to how they must have felt! Let’s try to recapture some of that excitement in our lives!

Take a moment and pray. Ask God to restore in you a Christmas-morning excitement about the Gospel. Ask Him to remind you of the beauty of the gift of life that Jesus has offered us. Ask God to show you the people in your life who need that gift.

And if you have never asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, why are you leaving the gift unopened? Ask Him to come into your life today!

Digging Deeper – The Gospel

Chris Boggess on August 19, 2024

Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. ²It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.

³I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. ⁴He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (NLT)

THE GOSPEL

In the verses above, Paul says, “Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the good news…” I think it’s good for us to remind ourselves of the Gospel (good news). For some of you, the good news is as familiar as your name, but I don’t want to take for granted that everyone reading this is on the same page. So, if it’s all the same to you, let’s take a minute to review and resync our understanding of the Gospel.

First, we are all sinners: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). Because of our sin, we deserve death—that is the paycheck our sin earns for us: “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23).

Second, we need a Savior because we can’t save ourselves: “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). Jesus was the only sinless sacrifice that could save us: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:8-9). He didn’t save us because we are good; He saved us because He is.

Third, once we know that Jesus died for us, we acknowledge what He’s done: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved” (Romans 10:9-10).

Finally, we become a new creation and live out our faith as the Bible shows us: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10).

If all of that is too much to remember, recall the answer given by the great preacher C.H. Spurgeon. When asked to sum up the Gospel in a few words, he replied, “I will put it in four words for you: Christ died for me.”

Pray and ask God to put people in your path today who need to hear the good news of Jesus. And pray that God will give you the courage to share it.

Digging Deeper – A Place of Discipleship

Courtney Miller on August 16, 2024

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19 (NLT)

A PLACE OF DISCIPLESHIP

Jesus tells the disciples that the Good News will be spread to the whole world. Later, after His crucifixion and resurrection, He tells them again in Matthew 28:19, in the Great Commission, “Go and make disciples of all nations…” This was His very first message to them after His resurrection, holding great significance for what we are called to do as believers.

So how do we become disciple-makers? At the heart of a disciple is a desire to be more like Christ. To be more like Christ, we must grow in our knowledge of Him and spend time in His Word, digging deeper. Small groups are an incredible place to do this. At NorthStar, you can find groups for almost anything—Grief Share, men’s and women’s book studies or Scripture studies, couples’ groups, and more. Whatever small group you join, you will be growing in your knowledge and understanding of our faith, becoming a disciple, and molding yourself to be more like Christ. Small groups prepare us to go out into the world and live sent—making Christ’s name known to all.

Courtney Miller is the Special Needs ministry Director at NorthStar Church. She was born a Texas girl, but has lived in Georgia the majority of her life (Go Dawgs!). She married her husband, Chris, in 2012. They have two children with a third on the way.

Digging Deeper – A Place of Healing

Courtney Miller on August 15, 2024

¹²After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? ¹³You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. ¹⁴And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. ¹⁵I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.

John 13:12-15 (NLT)

A PLACE OF HEALING

Some of my most spiritually significant healing and growth has come from small groups. Back when my husband and I first started at NorthStar, we were in the throes of infertility. We had been praying and waiting for three years to have a child. It was by far one of the most difficult seasons of life I have walked through. Up to that point, we were walking the journey of infertility alone. We did not have any friends in our circle who understood.

One of the first things we did when moving to NorthStar was to find a small group. At our previous church, we had found our greatest and deepest friendships through small groups. We knew it was important. The Lord was so gracious to us as He led us to a very specific group that felt handpicked for us. In the group we joined, every couple was currently experiencing some form of infertility. Even our group leaders had gone through it on their journey to children. We felt so surrounded and understood. Throughout the months of being in that group, I moved from a hardened, strained heart to one that was prepared to wait in peace for what the Lord had in store. Walking through life together, learning from others’ experiences, mourning with each other, and dreaming with each other—these are all things we found in our small group.

In small groups, we share each other’s burdens, as my husband and I did. We can connect on a more meaningful level. We encourage one another and pray with one another. Sharing our burdens and allowing others to bear them with us is one of the many ways that the Church grows. It draws us closer to each other by growing our love for each other, just as Jesus called us to do in John 13. We were created to be interdependent. We see this from the very beginning in Genesis when God created Adam; it was very good, but it was not good that he was alone. We were not made to hold our burdens alone. We were made to be with others. This is why we see Jesus throughout the Gospels with an inner circle. He needed others to share His burdens, just as we do, and He modeled it for us perfectly.

Live the Life

Kevin Burrell on August 14, 2024

Preach the word. Be ready to do it whether it is convenient or inconvenient. Correct, confront, and encourage with patience and instruction.

2 Timothy 4:2

LIVE THE LIFE

The 2024 Summer Olympics just wrapped up this past weekend. After a damp start during the opening ceremonies, the Paris Olympic games recovered nicely and were an incredible hit among worldwide viewers. For most spectators, the Olympics is a display of the highest level of athletic skill and competition. For many Christian athletes, they also provide an opportunity to express their faith to each other and to the world. One such athlete is Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who has made her Christian testimony widely known through numerous interviews and in her book, Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith.

“I credit all that I do to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He’s given me a gift, a drive, and a platform to glorify Him, so whenever I step on the track, I pray that God will allow me to be the vessel through which He is glorified, no matter the result. It’s about how I conduct myself and how I carry myself, not just how I perform. There is freedom in knowing that regardless of what happens, the Lord is going to get the praise through me. That’s why I do what I do.”

Sydney gets it! She clearly understands her “Why.” We get one shot in our life on earth to live in a way that brings honor and glory to Jesus Christ. As Rick Warren famously said, “It’s not about you!”

If you’re a coach, then you’re a minister in disguise as a coach. If you’re a scout, then you’re a minister in disguise as a scout. If you’re an athlete, then you’re a minister in disguise as an athlete. Whatever you do, whatever profession you work in, never forget: you’re a minister in disguise as a (fill in your blank) _________!

Paul admonished Timothy, and he is admonishing you and me as well: “Preach the word! Be ready to do it whether it is convenient or inconvenient. Correct, confront, and encourage with patience and instruction.”

Live the life! Let your life shine for Christ. But even more importantly, step up, speak up, and tell your story about how Jesus intersected your life for eternity. Know your “Why.”

Remember:

“You’re a minister in disguise as a ________!”

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being,

Kevin

Digging Deeper – A Respite for the Soul

Courtney Miller on August 14, 2024

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

Psalm 133 (ESV)

A RESPITE FOR THE SOUL

When we dwell with others, we find rest. God created us to be with others. He created us to seek relationships, which recharge our souls. In Mark 6:30-31, Jesus takes the disciples to a quiet place to rest together, away from the many people coming and going. He seeks a quiet place with His small circle, needing to recharge, and this is how He does it—a place away from the hustle of life.

Small groups provide us the opportunity to surrender our busy week, focusing on Scripture and faith with like-minded friends. When we are with our friends, we can surrender our need for control or the need to perform. We can relax, knowing that we are loved and accepted by those who surround us, as we walk through life together, supporting one another. We can share our burdens, pains, and frustrations. We can truly rest together as we grow deeper in our understanding of grace and truth.