Pastor Shawn Thornton's Blog

2008-07-27T07:06:00.000-04:00

During today’s sermon, I mentioned two books you ought to read or at least peruse in the coming days. One was written in the 16th century and is a Christian Classic: Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. The other is a modern daily devotional telling the stories of those who have given their lives for Jesus Christ throughout the centuries: Extreme Devotion – The Voice of the Martyrs.

Both can be ordered at a local Christian bookstore or online. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs is available in it’s entirety online or as a PDF download at Google Books. The classic by Foxe is easily accessible through the web, but Extreme Devotion is easy to read, incorporates Scriptural passages for the day, and includes stories from modern times.

When circumstances overwhelm your life, when you feel wronged, or maybe even persecuted to one or extreme or the other – remember those who actually were killed for their unwillingness to recant their faith in Jesus.

Few, if any of us, will give our lives for the Lord, but all of us will sense the pressure and maybe the persecution living as a follower of Christ includes until we are with Him.

Use one of these resources over the next couple of weeks. Read the stories. Feel what the martyrs felt. Sense the love and devotion they had for Christ. Recalibrate your perspective on your suffering to the suffering they experienced. Maybe what you are experiencing today will be more tolerable for Jesus when you realize the extreme some followers have experienced.

Our Newest Missionaries

2008-07-02T09:16:00.001-04:00

With the vote of the congregation last Sunday night We begin a new partnership with Joshua, Kristen, and Cassia Gee. Our newly expanded budget will provide $500.00 per month to support them as they send the gospel into Europe and much of the Muslim world from a base in Great Britain. Joshua is the grandson of Peggy Gee who has been part of our church family for many years. We also supported Peggy and her husband, Fred, as they served as missionaries with Child Evangelism Fellowship. The Gees join 53 other missionary families, and 6 organizations that comprise our global missionary family. Each month we contribute $30,270 to these missionaries through your giving. As the Gees begin a new chapter in their service for the Lord, let's praise our God for the opportunity to serve with them through our prayers and gifts.

Grace! (well sort of)

2008-06-23T09:30:00.002-04:00

Upgrade - A Must-Read Real Life Story!

2008-06-12T12:26:00.006-04:00

Below is an email we received from someone new to Bible Center in the last few months:

"After being in another church setting for years and being betrayed by the leadership hierarchy*, I withdrew my membership and got out of the boat so to speak. I began looking for a church that would spiritually fed me and would help me stay connected to Christ rather than being in a place of being preached at, told what was wrong with our congregation and getting no teaching or coaching on how to be Christ like in our everyday life.

I was drowning.

Since finding the Bible Center I have never been so spiritually fed, I feel like a new person, I am learning from the messages and tools I am receiving. I feel reborn! I use every opportunity to share the experiences I am having at Bible Center. My faith, life, attitude, energy level, health, finances, relationships are changing from the messages I am receiving.

The Lord is truly helping me find my next steps. The teachings I am receiving are invaluable to me. What an encouragement and help Bible Center has been for me in helping me on this journey. My up grade has begun. Thank God for the Bible Center and its teachings and resources."

*the portion in italics was adjusted slightly from the original email only to keep identities involved anonymous

Going Green!

2008-06-10T23:00:00.004-04:00

Sunday, I mentioned how the landscape around the new Southridge Campus was a bit brown when we moved. Well, now things are much greener. As the grass, trees, and plants have come in, the campus looks alive and vibrant.

The ridge lines of the beautiful West Virginia hills stand in stark contrast to the deep blue sky above. The campus is alive!

Add to this the hundreds of cars coming and going from the parking lots and a sense of fresh excitement and energy emerges. Then, consider the people - people of all ages enthusiastically entering the gathering space ready to celebrate, grow, and serve. A fresh wind of God's Spirit is gently moving among us. If green symbolizes life, then the ministry of Bible Center is going green!

Google Maps and the Bible

2008-06-09T23:25:00.004-04:00

The internet has delivered some fabulous resources for studying the Bible. BibleMap.org is a great tool to see the location of biblical events. Simply type in a book and chapter of the Bible and all of the places listed in the text show up in a Google Map based window. You can move around, zoom in and out, and change display settings.

Descriptions of the locations pop up as you click in the biblical text or on the map icons. This is a valuable tool in understanding the geography of passages within the Scripture.

Anything we can do to grasp the real life settings of people, events, and places within God's Word will help us discover what it means and how to apply it to our lives. Give it a try. Go to www.BibleMap.org and enter in the book of 1 Samuel and chapter 17. This context tells the story of David and Goliath. Move your way around the site. Enjoy!

We Are One

2008-06-09T07:25:00.004-04:00

While attending a start up church on a Sunday afternoon in an old Soviet school building in rural Hungary, I was moved by what was being sung. The small congregation of about 30 sang a tune Lesli and I immediately recognized.

The words being sung in Hungarian were unintelligible to us, but we knew the familiar chorus: “We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord….” What a blessing to be with believers in another nation and instantly know the bond we share in the Lord!

Somehow the reality of the chorus seemed more significant to me in that setting. But, no less remarkable is the fact that a couple thousand believers who have no other connection other than Jesus gather each week at Bible Center in Charleston, West Virginia. Because of Jesus, we are one!

The Lyrics:
We are one in the Spirit
We are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit
We are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity
May one day be restored

And they’ll know we are Christians
By our love, By our love
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians
By our love

We will walk with each other
We will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other

School's Out, School's Out!!

2008-06-07T13:49:00.000-04:00

Yep, it's officially summer for kids!

My kids were so hyper yesterday - the last day!

When I was a boy, it seemed that summer lasted forever. It was its own lifetime. Every day was a new adventure. Time stood still - at least until late August when you started getting that sinking feeling that school was just around the corner.

As an adult, or at least someone who is suppose to act like an adult, summer just flies by. Lesli and I reviewed and compared our calendars a few weeks ago. When we were done, we both felt as if summer was over. It will go so quickly!

But, we should seize the day and enjoy the backyard barbecues, picnics, pool parties, fireworks, vacations, and evenings on the deck. We should also harness the season as an opportunity to share Jesus with others around us. When school is out and the long summer evenings come, we naturally gear down a bit. It is also the time for leisure contact with family, friends and others. We get new windows through which to share and show the love of God with others.

Let's leverage the summer for a time of relaxation and renewal, but also for communicating the Gospel with others.

If You Need a Good Boost!

2008-06-06T15:27:00.006-04:00

In a clip available on Youtube, Christian author and speaker Louie Giglio lifts the believer's eyes to the great God and His ability to give us a boost anytime, anywhere.

If you have eight minutes, it is worth the time. Maybe you should bookmark it in your browser so you can go back to the clip when you need to be reminded of the incredible truth Giglio describes so well.

We all need a good boost from time to time and God is there to give it.

To see the clip, CLICK HERE or on Louie Giglio's picture.

Update on the Upgrade!

2008-06-03T00:10:00.007-04:00

At the conclusion, of the sermon Sunday, each person was given the opportunity to indicate whether God had worked in a specific way in his or her life. The database upgrade card had a section for a personal upgrade response based upon the morning message.

The Upgrade Cards were sorted today. Wow! God is working in our church family!

Seven people indicated that Sunday morning they prayed to receive Jesus as their personal savior as they crossed the line of faith. We are working hard as a pastoral team to get to each of these and make sure they understand the decision they made and point them to the clarity of the promise of God's saving grace.

Over 400 people indicated that they were asking God to take them outside their comfort zone in a specific way. An email will go to these folks to encourage them along in their willingness to follow God's voice.

Pray that God will work His plan and purpose in each of these lives.

Revved Up and Ready!

2008-06-02T10:28:00.006-04:00

"There comes a moment when you have to stop revving up the car and shove it into gear.”
- David Mahoney

Many of us as Christians make a lot of noise about living all out for Jesus. We make bold decisions. We talk the talk. We get all revved up and fail to get into gear.

I don't want to be a loud engine that does nothing. I want to use all the horsepower to get and gear and go forward for God!

How about you?!

By the way, this is a picture of my dream car (this is a 1964 model - I would like a 66).

Our Spiritual Comfort Zone

2008-06-01T00:01:00.000-04:00

Below is an excerpt from John Ortberg's book "If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat." Taken from pages 83-84.

Most of us have an area that might be called our "spiritual comfort zone," which is the area where we feel most comfortable trusting God. When God calls us to go beyond our spiritual comfort zone, we begin to feel nervous or uncomfortable. We would prefer not to go outside the zone until we feel better about it.

For example, we might be comfortable talking about God with church friends, but nervous about explaining our faith to someone who does not believe. We might be comfortable in our current job, but anxious about the possibility that God wants to do some vocational realignment. We might feel enough faith to pray for people we are in relationship with, but actually confronting someone who has been behaving badly toward us would make us cringe. We might discuss past problems smoothly enough, but the idea of honestly naming our current struggles to a trusted friend would send us running.

There is only one way to increase your spiritual comfort zone, and acquiring more information alone will not do it. You will have to follow the Path of God, which requires taking a leap of faith.

You need to get out of the boat a little every day. Begin the day by asking God for wisdom about where you need to get your feet wet that day.

Call someone whom you have been avoiding out of fear. Express your faith to a person who does not know about your beliefs. Make a gesture of friendship toward someone when you are tempted to hold back. Risk speaking the truth to a spouse, parent, or friend when your normal course would be to hesitate.

It does not matter whether all these steps turn out the way you hoped. Of course, things will end in failure sometimes, but you are giving your faith a chance to grow.

You have to get out of the boat a little every day. As you do, your faith will deepen and your spiritual comfort zone will widen.

Where is God calling you to walk on the water?

Where we stand

2008-04-28T07:48:00.002-04:00

Last week I shared a report to the congregation about our current financial situation (video below) please pray that God will enable us to meet the challange his blessing of growth has produced.

The Wise Foundation

2008-03-30T06:51:00.001-04:00

As I mentioned in today's sermon, here are the lyrics to the Sunday School song about having the right foundation. Click the link at the bottom of the lyrics to listen to a midi music file of the song.

The wise man built his house upon the rock

The wise man built his house upon the rock,
The wise man built his house upon the rock,
The wise man built his house upon the rock,
And the rains came tumbling down!

The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
And the house on the rock stood firm.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
And the rains came tumbling down!

The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
And the house on the sand went SPLAT!

So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ,
So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ,
Build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ
and the Blessings will come down.

The blessings will come down as your prayers go up,
The blessings will come down as your prayers go up,
The blessings will come down as your prayers go up,
So build your house on the Lord!

the-wiseman-built-his-house.mid

To Our Neighbors and The Nations

2008-03-26T19:10:00.001-04:00

The new Southridge Campus has given us wonderful new tools to reach out to the Greater Kanawha Valley with the Good News of Jesus Christ. We pray that God will use His people to share the hope of Christ with our neighbors throughout the area. As we invite folks to join us for worship services, Bible studies, and community events, we want God to use us to reach our neighbors.

This expansion in ministry will also enhance our position to reach the nations for Christ. Over the last several years, we have increased our giving to world missions to nearly half a million dollars. Some would suggest reaching your neighbors and the nations cannot be done at the same time.

Jesus told us to do both. We are commanded by our Savior in Acts 1:8 to start with our own Jerusalem of Charleston and then focus on the nations which spread to the ends of the earth. Bible Center is committed to reaching its neighbors and the nations with the Good News of the Risen Savior!

Behind the Scenes

2008-03-25T23:58:00.003-04:00

Much work has been done by our staff to get everything ready for the new building. Pastors, administrators, office staff, custodians and volunteers have worked tirelessly to get it all done. Thank you to all!!

One of the advances in the building has to do with technology. The audio, video, and lighting system will keep us on the forefront of using modern tools to communicate the ancient message of hope found in Jesus.

Please be patient as our network administrator, service production coordinator, sound, lighting and video staff work to get all the wrinkles out. Our architects, consultants, and installers all told us that we had one of, if not, the most error-free first Sundays they had seen. We had a list of dozens of things to work on after the first and second Sundays in the building, but they did commend us for our efforts.

We want the technology to compliment and communicate the message. We do not want the methodology to distract from the message.

I am so thankful to all who work behind the scenes to get everything working efficiently so we can communicate the Truth of God's Word effectively in this generation!

Nearly 2,800! Twice!

2008-03-24T11:40:00.001-04:00

On Easter Sunday 2008, just 14 people fewer than the week before attended Bible Center's morning services. Both weeks were right around 2,800 in attendance. These are unique weeks. It is hard to make a lot of judgments about attendance trends.

As a matter of fact, this next Sunday, March 30th, does not help much either. Two Sundays ago was a first Sunday in the new building. We had friends and family members of the Bible Center congregation join us who do not even live in Charleston. We had folks who came just to see our new building and will return to their local church. Easter is always our largest Sunday in terms of attendance. It is no wonder that each of these weeks fell just shy of 2,800 people.

This next Sunday will throw any evaluation of attendance trends as well. Just as Easter Sunday is the largest crowd of the year, the following Sunday is always the lowest attended Sunday. The timing of Spring Break and everybody going to church for Easter causes the Sunday after Easter to be the weakest Sunday in terms of attendance. Last year we had about 2,200 on Easter and not quite 1600 the following Sunday. This is normal for us and for most churches. But, it further complicates our attempts to see attendance patterns emerging.

So what do numbers mean anyway? First and foremost, they represent lives of real people. Numbers help with future planning, but that is secondary to people themselves. Numbers are people with whom we have the opportunity to share the Gospel and show the love of Jesus. Thank God for that opportunity over the last few weeks!

Kids!

2008-03-23T17:12:00.000-04:00

Well after two weeks in the new building, kids seem very excited. They love the new children's area - designed and themed just for them. Having these two big Sundays (move in day and Easter) back to back caused some slow down in checking kids in to the Children's ministry, but the kids love it.

As pastor and as a parent, I am thrilled that children want to come to church. They look forward to the fun, the singing, the puppets, and the lesson. Seeing kids excited about the Bible and learning more about Jesus should bring fresh hope to all adults in a world where kids are bombarded with images and sounds that are far too often less than God honoring.

My prayer has been that the youngest of our congregation have a safe, clean, warm, caring, fun environment to learn about Jesus and grow in Him. Praise the Lord! He has provided!

What About Tomorrow?

2008-03-22T16:10:00.001-04:00

Today I stopped by a funeral home to express my sympathies to one of our church members whose father stepped into eternity this week. After that, I stopped by the hospital to visit some hurting people, made a stop at a gas station, and ran in to Kroger for a few things. Each place I went, Bible Center folks asked me "So, what about tomorrow? How big do you think it will be - it is Easter?"

While tomorrow is Easter Sunday (normally our biggest Sunday of the year), my guess is that it won't be quite as big as last week. We had many out of town guests last week. Family members joined our church family for this special day. So, while tomorrow will probably be well attended, I doubt it will be as large as last Sunday.

We will however have a great opportunity to share the wonderful news of the resurrected Savior with many guests. We will also be able as God's children to be refocussed in the hope that is ours in the Risen Christ!

What about tomorrow? Undoubtedly, it will be a great day in Jesus!!

Great Coverage!

2008-03-22T00:16:00.000-04:00

The media coverage regarding the opening of our Southridge Campus has been great. Folks from the local news organizations have been gracious, thoughtful, and professional. Both newspapers in Charleston did a good job of capturing differing perspectives on the new building and our ministry. The television stations each captured a slightly different angle than the others. Even news on the local talk radio station gave a quick, but clear snapshot of what God is doing at Bible Center.

What a joy to share the goodness of our God! It was humbling to talk about the journey that has brought us to this point. Generally just sharing the story generated more questions. More questions gave more opportunities to talk about Jesus!

One station even came right at the time I was taking one of our Charter Members around the building. When they heard that Alice Hill was about ten years of age when Bible Center started, they took the micorphone from me and put it on Alice. They wanted her reactions as I took her on a tour of the building. At several points, Alice simply cried and/or said "Well, Praise the Lord!" They loved her and she did a great job of honoring our God.

Praise the Lord for good coverage!

Click here to view some of the media coverage (look at the bottom of the page to which you will be directed).

Powerful Words

2008-03-20T19:12:00.000-04:00

This week I have received many notes, letters, and emails from other pastors and congregations from our area and around the world. Many of our missionaries have emailed words of encouragement and congratulations.

I have been reminded that words are a powerful thing. Each communication has been a blessing.

Perhaps the greatest words shared were "your passion for getting the Gospel out is a blessing to us." Two reasons these words jumped out at me: 1) getting the Gospel out is our passion and 2) being a blessing to other churches, pastors, and to missionaries is one of our highest priorities.

I am grateful that others have captured the heart of our passion and are blessed by our priority to encourage them!

What I Never Saw

2008-03-19T15:35:00.000-04:00

Generally on Sundays I see little of what happens during the worship services. My perspective is from the platform. It is not always the accurate or complete perspective.

Things are happening all over the building. Stuff goes on in the parking areas, classrooms, and nurseries that I may not know about for a day or two.

Our first Sunday in the building was not exception. I never made it past the Worship Center, the Gathering Space, or my Study.

My snapshot was fairly limited. Others tried to put into words what the congregation looked like from the broader perspective.

This photo captures the opportunity we have as a congregation to touch many lives with the Good News of Jesus Christ and the power of His Word!

"The State Police Had to Come!"

2008-03-19T00:22:00.000-04:00

Since Sunday, I have hear from a number of people that the traffic became such a problem for our first Sunday at Southridge that the State Police had to show up to deal with it. Actually, this is both true and untrue.

The Deacon Board approved the pursuit of a contract with the State Police to help us monitor the traffic flow on the Corridor. They are helping to ensure both the safety of those coming and going to church at Bible Center as well as the safety of those simply traveling on the corridor.

They showed up at the exact time we had prearranged. They did provide a great deal of assistance and we plan to use their services for an extended period. We pay the Police for their traffic control for the morning services - so they were there, but they did not show up because of a "problem."

You're Torturing Me Here!

2008-03-17T17:56:00.000-04:00

Today a person who is a part of the Bible Center family brought his sister, his niece and his niece's three boys to the Southridge Campus. He was excited to show them our new building.

While his sister and niece loved the Gathering Space, Third Level, and Worship Center, the boys (ages 11, 6, and 2) loved the Children's level. They wanted to touch, use, and explore everything they saw. With respect for the rooms, the equipment, and the toys, their great-uncle simply held their hands and told them they could come back some Sunday and enjoy it all. He did a great job of balancing their interest to experience it all and demonstrating proper respect for their being in the facility without children's ministry staff.

The six-year-old looked up and said: "You're torturing me here, uncle - torturing me!" It was cute. The eleven-year-old shouted several times: "I want to go to church here!"

Wow! As kids enjoy the experience of this wonderful space, they will hear about the Savior Who loves them and the Word of God which can guide them throughout life. Let's pray for Pastor Thompson (pictured here) and all who serve with him in the Children's Ministry!

To God Be The Glory!

2008-03-16T22:11:00.000-04:00

We had 24 hours of prayer with 7-10 people per hour in the last 24 hours leading up to the first service on our new Southridge Campus. Wow! Did God answer!

We had 2800 people in two morning services (mind you we averaged about 1850-1950 in three services lately). The contemporary service had about 1300 people and the traditional about 1500 people in attendance.

Between the two services we ministered to over 500 children from birth to twelve years of age on our new children's level.

Compared to our Oakhurst Campus, we more than doubled our parking from 310 spaces to 675 and during our second service we had over 750 cars on our property (see the aerial photo taken at 11:15 a.m. – note the number of cars up on the upper road/down by the 911 building in the top left of center).

About 800 people attended the 2:30 p.m. dedication service. That service included comments from Senator Jay Rockefellor, Congresswoman Shelly Moore Capito and Charleston Mayor Danny Jones. What a great service!!

While we know there were a lot of people just looking at the new digs, we also know we have been given the privilege to touch many lives for Jesus! I am humbled by what God is doing!

Beyond this, I have received over 130 emails since the services - very encouraging. About two dozen of these relate mini revivals going on in lives--everything from folks finding hope when they thought there was no hope left anywhere to hurting marriages finding fresh healing. Our staff members have heard from many others.

The move is giving a fresh opportunity for folks to restart their spiritual journey. For some, it was the first time to hear the clear Gospel of Christ!

God is at work among our people! He is at work in me!

To God Be the Glory!!