Google Helps Get Things Done

For over a year now I have been using Google Reader to help me subscribe to, organize, and constantly update the blogs I read from friends, church members, and Christian leaders. It is an amazing tool that allows me to get all the content I enjoy in one place. No more bookmarking, no more email updates, no more checking for updates. A real time saver. At a glance I can see what has been updated and make a decision about what I would like to read or star it to read later. Mark all as read and skip it.

I have also been using Google Calendar and Remember the Milk to organize appointments and to do lists. Until recently I have used Outlook to keep up with email. All of these have been excellent tools for keeping my ministry and personal life in order.

Enter smartphone and Gmail. A few weeks ago I decided to finally get a smartphone. I have had an iPod for a long time and hoped to get the iPhone so that i could combine my music, podcasts, and audio books with my phone and organizing apps. However, my current provider is Verizon. I decided to go with the Motorola Droid instead, which is based on Google's Android 2.0 platform and automatically links to your Google account. Before I got the phone I changed my email over from Outlook to Gmail in order to make the transition to the Droid smoother. When I picked up my phone last Friday, I logged into my Google account and all my email and contacts were right there. But that's not the best part.

While using Gmail has changed the way I handle email from any computer and my phone, that's small in comparison to the fact that now, using the integrated Integrated Gmail add-on, my Google Calendar, Reader and Remember the Milk are available in one place with one login on my PC or any other computer. You can do this in the browser on your phone also.

Even without a smartphone, if you want to streamline your communication, time management and news reading, then switch to Gmail. No doubt, Google has changed the way I think about a lot of things and it's all FREE.

Sorry Microsoft. I'm still a fan, couldn't live with out some of your applications, but for the things that keep me moving and on task, Google is my new solution for just about everything.

Next time, Google Maps, Navigation, and Latitude. Stay tuned.

New Website/Podcast

In my last post (June 22) I gave details about issues some were having with our sermon podcast. Well, once again, we have a new website with new podcast information.

Our previous website had many issues that caused us to seek a better provider. We launched our new site (old name) on August 31st. Here's a link.

www.firstbaptistheath.com

Here's a link to our podcast page.

www.firstbaptistheath.com/podcast

We are still rebuilding the archive for previous sermons, but all sermons are up-to-date from August 09 to present.

Hope you enjoy the new look and feel of our site. I'll post here again when the archive is up. The goal is to have a browse-able archive that will automatically import the new feed.

First Baptist Heath Podcast

A few people have mentioned they are having trouble with our sermon podcast in iTunes. I checked iTunes and the podcast is up-to-date, so here are a couple things you might try.

We did change website providers about 18 months ago and the new provider updates the iTunes podcast directly from our website. This created a new podcast and is not linked to the original, so if you aren't getting up-to-date sermons this is probably the reason. To get started you will need to unsubscribe from your current First Baptist Heath podcast.

To subscribe to the correct podcast (all sermons since September '07) you will need to do one of the following.


Option 1:

• Open iTunes. Click the "Advanced" tab on your iTunes menu.
  
• Click Subscribe to Podcast
• Copy and Paste the following URL into the window: http://www.firstbaptistheath.com/podcast
• Click the "OK" button.
• This will automatically begin downloading sermons. Depending on your settings you may need to click the "Get" button to download specific messages.
  

Option 2:

• Open iTunes
• Go to the iTunes Store
• Search the phrase "First Baptist Heath"
• The "First Baptist Church of Heath" podcast will appear.
• Click the "Subscribe" button.

You can also copy the URL above into any RSS reader such as Google Reader.

If anyone is still struggling with the podcast, please post your comments.

Pastor Shawn

• 

All I Once Held Dear

...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death... -- Philippians 3:10 NKJ

This is the key text for our main worship services this weekend. Pastor Noel is very excited about this message, and so am I. Here are the words to the third verse to a song we will be singing in worship Sunday.

Oh to know the pow'r of Your risen life
And to know You in Your sufferings
To become like You in Your death my Lord
So with You to live and never die

I'm not sure if I will ever fully "know" the power of the resurrection in this life, but I'm looking forward to the journey. One thing is certain. There is nothing more important than knowing Jesus.


Click the play button below to hear the song. Scroll down to view all the lyrics.

Knowing You (All I Once Held Dear)
words and music by Graham Kendrick

Verse 1
All I once held dear built my life upon

All this world reveres and wars to own
All I once thought gain I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now compared to this

Chorus
Knowing You Jesus knowing You
There is no greater thing
You're my all You're the best
You're my joy my righteousness
And I love You Lord

Verse 2

Now my heart's desire is to know You more
To be found by You and known as Yours
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All surpassing gift of righteousness

Verse 3

Oh to know the pow'r of Your risen life
And to know You in Your sufferings
To become like You in Your death my Lord
So with You to live and never die

Easter Weekend Opportunities

Just about everyone in your neighborhood feels compelled in some way to go to church on Easter Sunday. Why not invite them to join you and your family for one of three worship services at First Baptist Heath?

Pastor Noel will be preaching a message in all three services entitled "Who Killed Jesus."

The 8:00 am & 10:45 services will feature the Choir and Special Music, while the 6:30 pm will be in Harman Hall with coffee and other beverages available in a more casual environment.

Don't miss this exciting opportunity.

Also

Invite your friends, neighbors and family to this special multimedia dramatic presentation of The Crucifixion and Death of a Man Called Jesus. This presentation will open your eyes to what really happened to Jesus on the day He was crucified. How was He hung on the cross? What really caused His early death. We can't know until eternity exactly what is not explained in scripture, but Dr. David Ball has done all the research and has some very
compelling answers he hopes to share with you and yours.

So, pack your vehicles with friends and family. Don't miss this fascinating event.

Confessions and "Why Theology Matters..."

I have a confession to make. My name is Shawn Gierling and I am a "blog addict." I am one of those people who subscribes to several blogs in a "reader" like Google Reader. I read most of them daily. You can tell by the column at left of this blog. These are the recent updates to blogs I read regularly.

Sometimes I am pressed for time and merely scan the titles and initial content in the "reader." If a title catches my attention but I don't have time to read it thoroughly I will star it for later review. I do this with magazine articles and emails also. I will tear the article out of the magazine and file it as "Read and Review" and move emails to a folder in Outlook called "Read and Review."

Tonight was a light night for blogging; not a lot of posts, so after I finished that I went through my "starred" items and came across this post from Bob Kauflin at Worship Matters. It was originally posted in November of last year. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.

Here is a portion of the post.

From "Why Theology Matters to Christian Musicians" at Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin:

You’re already a theologian.

Every Christian, musical or otherwise, is already a theologian. The question is, are you a good theologian or a bad one? We’re good theologians if what we say and think about God lines up with what Scripture says and affirms. We’re bad theologians if our view of God is vague, or if we think God doesn’t really mind sin, or if we see Jesus as a good example and not a Savior, or if we think our god is too small to overcome evil or too big to care about us.

Click here to read the rest of the post. Whether you are a musician or not, this applies to all followers of Jesus Christ. "Theology is literally the study of God." The "study" of anything requires more than a cursory look at the subject matter or a once weekly lecture.

We should all desire and enjoy a deeper understanding of the one who created, loved, and redeemed us.

Band on the Run

If you are part of a worship band at your church, you need to see this video. It's about an hour and 15 minutes but well worth it if you want to be an effective musician on your team.



Band on the Run from Sovereign Grace Ministries on Vimeo.

Free Copy of Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll

Bible Study Magazine and Mars Hill are giving away 20 copies of Mark Driscoll’s new book, Vintage Church. Not only that, but they are also giving away five subscriptions to Bible Study Magazine and a copy of their Bible Study Library software! Enter to win on the Bible Study Magazine Mark Driscoll page, then take a look at all the cool tools they have to take your Bible study to the next level!

Sunday Extra Worship, etc.

In a couple weeks at First Baptist Heath we are starting a new service on Sunday nights at 6:30 pm. All other 6:00 activities will move to 5:00 starting March 1st. This is a great opportunity for at least 2 reasons.

1. Our 10:45 service is frequently almost full. By adding an alternative time, with the same message and worship music (though instrumentation will vary), we are maximizing the use of our facility while increasing our potential for reaching new families with the gospel.

2. There are people in our community (even members of our church) who are simply unable to attend Sunday morning worship. This will provide an opportunity to receive the same Bible message at a time that fits their schedule.

We are having a special pre-launch service on March 1st, but the actual launch is March 8th.


Come join us.


____________________________________________________



2 more Sundays in the Marriage Puzzle series. If you missed the first two pieces, Diligence and Foundation, you can listen to them by clicking here.

____________________________________________________

John Piper - Be Couragous, President Barack Obama

Here is an excellent response to President Obama's abortion agenda.

This Sunday

tonight, heaven touches earth
A Musical Drama for Christmas

Each year our choir presents a Christmas musical that we pray will reach the hearts of the lost and change the hearts of all believers as we're reminded of why God chose to send His only Son to be born of a virgin in the humblest of circumstances. This year is no exception. Invite your friends, neighbors, and coworkers to join us this Sunday night as our Celebration Choir presents:

tonight, heaven touches earth
Date: December 14th
Time: 6:00 pm
Location: Family Life Center of First Baptist Heath

Below is the forward written by the lyricist, Randy Vader.

The silence since the astounding proclamations of the prophets centuries before has been deafening. The Children of God have relied more on the ritual of the Law than the reality of the Lord. The Messiah seems more like a myth than a coming Conqueror. The Glory of God has been hidden from mankind since the Fall. Even Moses could not look upon the Glory of God and live. He was placed in the cleft of a rock and could only observe the Almighty from the back as He passed by. The world is waiting in a solemn stillness - but Heaven is as distant as ancient promises.
All of that is about to change...

Tonight - God will fulfill His promise in ways beyond imagination. Tonight - the eternal and the temporal will intertwine in a way that can never be unwoven. Tonight - God will show His love in the most miraculous way - through the gift of His Son. Tonight will be the birth of Jesus, the Christ. Tonight - we will once again be allowed to see God's glory. Tonight - Heavenly music and earthly rejoicing will be in concert. Tonight - all creation sings! Tonight - Heaven Touches Earth!

Family Update

So, what's been going on in the Gierling household lately? Well, lots. Zac & Brianna are both doing great in school. Brianna was recommended and accepted to the PAT program, an advanced learning group. She enjoys it and seems to be keeping up with the extra work. I'm amazed at how bright she is. Definitely gets it from her mother. She turned nine last Friday and had a 10 girl sleepover. What fun!?! I think I slept about 2 hours Friday night and got about an 1 1/2 hour nap Saturday afternoon. She finished up her soccer season the weekend before. Her team (U10) was undefeated for both the season and the tournament. Go Mariners (or Marinara Sauce as the girls cheered before each game)! Not sure what that means, but there a lot of things about 9 year old girls that fall into that category.

Zac made the Merit Roll this term in 6th grade. He had one B. Good job Zac. He has to write these stories. He is always so creative and funny. He's growing up fast and learning to be more helpful and respectful to his sister. He's maturing spiritually too. I love it when he comes home from church ready to discuss Pastor Troy's message.

Both are taking piano lessons and doing very well. Both are playing Upward Basketball this winter too.

Penny is as beautiful as ever. She has been such a blessing to me recently. I'm thankful for a loving, godly wife. Penny's a L&D nurse at a Columbus hospital. Pray for her as she has a long drive three days a week and weather is starting to get dicey.

I'm busy with the Christmas musical and Upward Basketball and Cheerleading preparations.

If you are interested in coaching one or more teams, call me at 740-258-4602. If I don't answer please leave a message. I don't get the best cell signal out here in the sticks, but I do receive voice and text messages. You may also send an email to shawn@fbcho.com. There are 2 coaches training sessions this week at Northside Baptist. Thursday, Nov 20 from 6:30 - 8:30 and Saturday, Nov 22 from 9:00 - 11:00 am. This is a great opportunity to share Jesus and some life skills with some great kids. Never coached before, don't worry. We'll provide all the tools you'll need.

We also need referees. There will be a referee training session to be announced at a later date. If nothing else, pray that Christ would be shared, received, and glorified in this Upward season. Practices start in Dec and games start in January.

God Bless

Pastor Shawn

A Little Perspective

I received the following email from my mother today. The source is unknown, but the message should be known to all of us.

For months now our email Inboxes has been besieged by nearly hysterical warnings about what will happen if Barack Obama becomes President. We have been encouraged to be worried, afraid, concerned, prepared for disaster, and a
whole host of other maladies if this happens. I do not deny the importance of this election, but it seems to me that we need a dose of perspective. So now, after the election, let's start an email concerning this election. It's a "True/False" test. I'd like for all of us to take it. Feel free to email it on to whomever:

True/False: The days after the election, regardless of who won, Jesus will still be King.

True/False: The days after the election, regardless of who won, our responsibilities as Christians will not have changed one iota.

True/False: The days after the election, regardless of who won, the greatest agent for social change in America will still be winning the hearts and minds of men and women through the gospel, not legislation.

True/False: The days after the election, regardless of who won, my primary citizenship will still be in this order - (1) the Kingdom of God, (2) America, not vice-versa.

True/False: The days after the election, regardless of who won, the tomb will still be empty.

True/False: The days after the election, regardless of who won, the cross, not the government, will still be our salvation.

True/False: The days after the election, regardless of who won, our children will still be more concerned with whether or not we spend time with them than with who is President.

True/False: The days after the election, regardless of who won, my neighbor will still be my neighbor, and loving him/her will still be the second greatest commandment. (Do you know the first?)

True/False: The days after the election, regardless of who won, the only way to see abortion ultimately overturned will still be winning men and women to a high view of life through the gospel of Christ.

True/False: The days after the election, regardless of who won, the only way to see gay marriage ultimately defeated will still be winning men and women to a biblical view of marriage through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

True/False: The days after the election, regardless of who won, my retirement will still not match my treasure in Heaven.

True/False: The days after the election, regardless of who won,"Jesus Is Lord" will still be the greatest truth in the Universe.

True/False: The days after the election, regardless of who won, we will still know that God is in control!

It's All About Who You Know

Our current message series "It's All About Who You Know" focuses on Hebrews 4-10, Jesus as our High Priest. Outlines and audio are now available on our website by clicking here.

Psalm 145

This passage was recited at the worship conference Penny and I attended this summer. This is completely from memory, and the piano played under it is completely spontaneous.

Amazing.

Michael W. Smith - Ancient words

We will be learning this song this Sunday at First Baptist Heath. Worship Team members should listen to and learn the words. We will learn it in choir tomorrow night.

I haven't come across a better song to honor the Word our Lord has handed down to us.

Why Are They Leaving? Part 2

I know in my last post I said I would comment on the reasons Worship Leader magazine article claims teens are leaving the church after high school. It has taken a few days to get there but here goes.

The article mentions an ex-gang member who is saved and baptized. After attending church for several months, he slips through the cracks. When a youth worker runs into him later his statement is revealing. "I had the wrong idea about what going to church would be like... You see, in the gang we weren't just nice to each other once a week. We were a family."

This isn't just convicting to youth ministries but churches in general, regardless of age. We tend to entertain each other with music, preaching and the occassional "fellowship." Is that what a family looks like? I don't want my family to look like that or my church.

That's definitely not what the New Testament church looked like.

"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. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved."

Act 2:42-47 NLT

That's a long way from 4 songs, a prayer, and a sermon.

Why Are They Leaving?

I regularly read a magazine called Worship Leader. Its full of album and book reviews, articles about the latest trends in worship, both modern and traditional, insights into leading others to encounter Christ in worship, etc.

The September issue is entitled, "Why Are They Leaving?" The article by the same name caught my attention. It's about the mass Exodus of teenagers from Evangelical churches. A Southern Baptist Convention report says that 88% of youth will leave the church after leaving home.

We've heard similar statistics in recent years, and there's no question, youth leave the church after graduation, even those who attend local colleges and live at home during their college years.

In fact, I just met a young man in our community who attends the local branch of OSU. He attended our church all through Middle and High School. His exact words were, "After graduation there was nothing for us."

This trend is taking place around the country, but why? What can we do to keep them engaged? What are they looking for? What does the youth ministry provide that the "church" does not?

The article I mentioned seeks to answer some of those questions. I will comment on those answers tomorrow. But first, what do you think? Post your comments.

Random update

Since I enjoy being on Jeff's blog list, better update.

Summer's long, evenings are cool. Kids are growing up too fast.

There.

What If Church Was Like an NBA Game?

I came across this on blog.worship.com. The second time you watch it, check the stats bottom left. Hilarious!

Sold, Sold, Sold

Our house in Illinois has finally sold. Thank you to everyone who has prayed over the last several months. As you know, this is a great financial burden lifted.

Thank you Lord for anwering our prayers. You always know what's best.

Pastor Shawn

News on the Homefront!

I have two big pieces of news. First, we finally have a contract to sell our house in Illinois. We put the house on the market in May of last year, soon after accepting the call to come to First Baptist as Worship Pastor. The contract is contingent upon buyer financing, but we are very excited at the possibilities.

Second, we have found a house to rent outside of town that is large enough to have company and fellowships at our house. Few people have been to our house in town, simply because it's too small. Penny's mom has been with us this week, and someone has to sit on the piano bench for everone to sit in the same room. Plus, we will be able to keep our dog. We have shuffled her back and forth for so long she almost forgot who we are.

I know many have been praying over this. Thank you. Keep praying. We still have to close, have about a month left on our lease and a lot of work to do on the other house before we can move in.

Just a reminder, we are in the midst of our mission conference. Tomorrow there is a Senior Adult Luncheon, and all connect groups have plans to visit with their assigned missionaries. Our group is meeting at the Andrew's home. If you are unsure of your Connect Group plans, contact your Connect Group leader or the church office. You won't want to miss the time with your missionary.

HeartSong (AKA NewSong)

We had a great Sunday. A traveling worship team from Cedarville University led our morning service and did a phenomenal job. Not only were the songs Christ-honoring and edifying to this body of believers, they were well-dressed, well-prepared, and well-received. It was also nice to have an opportunity to worship alongside Penny. As you can imagine, we don't get too many of those opportunities in a corporate setting.

Went golfing on Monday with the other pastors. We all had fun and noone was playing terribly well, although I played worse than they. Probably won't get a lot of golf in this year, but that's okay. That's not what He created me for anyway, but I do look forward to the opportunity to challenge myself and fellowship with my brothers.

Special thanks to Sean and Sam for reminding me to update my blog; since their kettles were no longer black, only charcoal gray, having updated only days earlier than this post. I'll be sure to return the favor.

See you Sunday.

Pastor Shawn

A First Time for Everything

For the first time in my life I have stayed home on a Sunday and shoveled snow and played with my kids. We had to cancel our worship gatherings today due to the condition of the roads from the "Blizzard of '08." I'm not sure if we were actually in the blizzard area, but that's what some are calling the snow storm that happened Saturday morning.

I usually take a nap on Sunday afternoon to fuel up for Sunday evening worship, but that wasn't necessary today. I must admit, it really feels strange.

I've suffered from a bit of Snowblower Envy today. Many of my neighbors were dug out last night. It took me hours today to dig out (with several breaks). This stuff is tough.

I dug out just enough yesterday afternoon to get my car out of the garage and take the kids to Gellar Park to sled. That was a lot of fun. I don't think they have ever used there sleds on a real hill in that much snow.

Unfortunately, it snowed more, and the plows covered the end of our driveway. By the time Penny got home last night, she got stuck turning into our driveway. I was pretty embarrassed. She had driven to Columbus on I-70 West during the "Blizzard" and made it there and back only to get stuck in our driveway. To make it worse, our neighbor (whose snowblower had cleared his driveway in less than an hour) was out and came over to help get her out. He was really nice, and I appreciated his help; but I felt like a slob for letting my wife get stuck in our own driveway.

Sorry, Penn. You didn't deserve that. Thanks for keeping your cool.

Brett Favre?

Yes, Brett Favre. I read a blogger fairly regularly named Todd Rhoades. His blog can be found at MondayMorningInsight.com. He usually doesn't write about football, nor would any of my 7 readers expect me to write about football. But this article is worth reading.

Todd makes several good points.

1) He Showed up to Play Every Sunday.

2) He Played Through the Hurts.

3) He Took Risks and Made Plenty of Mistakes.

4) After He Blew It, He Shook it Off.

5) He Inspired the Team.

Click the link below to read the whole article. You may have to scroll down to read the article. Let me know what you think.

What Church Leaders Can Learn from Brett Favre

Email Newsletter

In my last post I mentioned an email newsletter we would being using at FBC Heath. Jeff commented that the signup link was not working. If anyone else has had that issue the link is now fixed. Just go to http://www.firstbaptistheath.com and signup. This will open a signup form. Fill out the required information and click submit.

Thanks for your comment, Jeff. If anyone has problems signing up, please email me. I will do my best to get you fixed up.

Okay, Okay!

It has obviously been months since my last update. Thanks to those persistent reminders and not-so-subtle hints. For those who are wondering, our house in IL still has not sold, but we're still hopeful. Interest rates are down again and weather will improve soon, hopefully creating a bit more of a seller's market. That's good news, especially since we are unable to lower the price any further. We are going to have to replace the water heater soon. Maybe that will help us get an offer.

Life in Ohio is going well. Upward Basketball season is coming to a close. What an exciting ministry. I look forward to the Awards night where 100's of unchurched families will hear the Gospel from a seasoned athlete.

We are working diligently on our Easter Music, so pray for the choir over the next few weeks. The songs and narrations are very powerful, focusing on the appearances of Christ after the Resurrection. Very exciting.

Email Newsletter.

We will be starting a new email newsletter soon. If you are interested in being on that mailing list, go to www.firstbaptistheath.com to sign-up on the home page. You will get a confirmation email soon after signing up. Be sure to follow the verification instructions and add us to your address book to ensure receipt of the newsletter. You will be able to unsubscribe at any time. Just follow the link at the bottom of each newsletter.

Super Mario

Check this out. I'm trying really hard not to covet. This guy is awesome. Imagine if he was playing for the Lord.

Christmas Time Is Here - Part 2

My last post was a short rant concerning the exploitations of the Christmas theme by Hollywood and Television corporations. This sparked a comment that led me to the question what, in your estimation, qualifies a film as a "Christmas Movie?"

For me a film must not only take place or partially take place in winter. If so films like Fargo and Spies Like Us would qualify. Nor does the fact that a film premiered during the Christmas season. However, if a film directly and positively references or is thematically centered around Christmas (not winter) that is a "Christmas Movie."

Examples not mentioned in previous post:

A Christmas Vacation
A Christmas Story
Jingle All the Way
A Christmas Carol
The Santa Clause
Polar Express
Gremlins
Narnia

Examples of non-Christmas movies touted as such:

Mary Poppins
The Cat in the Hat
The Sound of Music (Sorry Donna)
Harry Potter (any of them)
Dr. Zhivago

What are your thoughts? What qualifies as a "Christmas Movie" and why? What are your favorite Christmas movies (based on your qualifications)?

Christmas Time Is Here

It's officially Christmas time. There's snow on the ground, decorations on the tree, and tinsel all over the living room. There are new Christmas stations on Sirius and XM. Some of the local stations have begun playing Christmas music around the clock. There are cable television channels that will be dedicating prime time to Christmas programming, some good, some not so good.

Among the "25 Days of Christmas" lineup on ABC Family are programs like "Rudolph's Shiny New Year," "The Little Drummer Boy," and "Harry Potter: Prisoner of Askaban." Yes, Harry Potter. Why? Who knows. Other non-Christmas titles include "Mary Poppins," "Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat," and "The Incredible's," which is being shown twice in a row on Christmas Eve.

The token reference to the Christ of Christmas is in "The Little Drummer Boy." Nearly all of the programming is about Santa, shopping, and Christmas romance.

Granted, some of these films are classics that have become tradition in many homes. Still, I hope that families like mine will find more appropriate ways to celebrate the advent of the Savior of the world than watching Harry Potter get knocked off of his broom or Jim Carrey dressed up in a green Grinch costume.