David Whiting Live

Bible Reading Goals for 2012

I love fresh starts, and a new year is the ultimate fresh start!

I plan to read through the Bible in 2012 using a plan that I've used many times. You can download a PDF of the plan HERE. The plan is pretty simple. Every day of the week, you read two chapters from the OT. Every weekday you also read one chapter from the poetry books and one from the New Testament. So it is four chapters a day Monday through Friday. And two chapters on Saturday and Sunday.

With less than fifteen minutes a day, you can read through the entire Bible!

I also love the website YouVersion. On the website, there are a very large number of Bible reading plans. If you don't have a plan or goal for your Bible reading this year, check out these options.

What is your plan for Bible reading this year?

Update from Christmas Weekend @ Northridge

I wanted to share some updates from Christmas weekend @ Northridge. First of all, we set an all-time attendance record with 1855 people between the three services. And more great news... we had no parking problems! We did have a few dozen who parked off site - just in case. That is a wonderful blessing!

Also, I wanted to tell you that the offering for the Advent Conspiracy giving totaled over $42,000! I will give some more information on Sunday.

Thanks for inviting people and for giving sacrificially to those who are most needy! What a great weekend celebrating Christ's birth together!

And we are back to our normal services this Sunday: 9:15 AM & 11:00 AM. We anticipate a busy 11 AM service because of late nights on Saturday. So if you can make it to the 9:15 service, you will help our space challenges.

 

It's Christmas Weekend @ Northridge!

Merry Christmas, Northridge!

Last night we had our final practice for the Christmas weekend services and I'm so excited for you to experience them today or tomorrow! I just finished listening to the entire CD of music (from Andrew Peterson's "Behold, the Lamb of God") and was absolutely overwhelmed with the beauty, grace, and importance of the Incarnation. I truly believe if you come and pay close attention to everything you see and hear at Northridge this weekend, you will be equally overwhelmed and thankful.

Remember to bring your tickets - so that we can get an accurate count (of how many came without tickets, and how many with tickets didn't come). That will help us in future years to figure out how many tickets to give away so we don't over pack the auditorium or don't give enough away. We anticipate a very full 4:00 service (but we will have seats for everyone). At both 6:00 PM tonight and 10:00 AM tomorrow, the services will be full but not packed.

Also, don't forget to bring your Advent Conspiracy offering. We will take that offering in the early part of the program. We have more than 200 people serving to make this weekend's services happen. Thank you for giving up some family time so that together we can proclaim the beauty of the birth of Christ!

May you enjoy a Christ-filled Christmas. May you be overwhelmed sometime in the next two days as you consider the Incarnation (God becoming a man). And may you be filled with joy that He came to seek and save that which was lost!

A Few Northridge Videos for Christmas (videos)

It has been a great month already @ Northridge Church! As a review, here are some videos worth watching from this month @ Northridge. Perhaps you want to take a few minutes to enjoy these reminders. Watching all four videos will take just a few minutes:

1. Here is a sample of one of the songs you and your guests will hear and see this Christmas weekend. Send them the link so they can see the video themselves!

 

2. Here is a video we used as a bumper before a sermon for our Advent Conspiracy series. Although the script isn't original with us, Brad made some edits that made it even better!

 

3. Here are two baptisms from this month. The first video is Patrick McDonald and the second is Joe Stevens. Unless you attended both service a couple of weeks ago, you only saw one of these baptisms. Perhaps you will want to watch the one you missed.

 

 

As always, if you receive this via email - click HERE to see the videos. I'm really looking forward to this weekend!

"Relational Paraplegic..." (a quote)

A quote I read months ago that I can't get out of my mind:

"He had the theological dexterity of a gymnast, but he lived like a relational paraplegic."

- Tim Lane & Paul Tripp, "How People Change"

I Hate Living in a Fallen World (bad news)

I received some very bad news this week. One of my very closest ministry friends, Patrick McGoldrick, has been diagnosed with ALS. I have learned more about ALS in the last couple of days than I knew in the last couple of decades. The current average life expectancy from diagnosis is two to five years - although 25% of those diagnosed live longer than five years.

Patrick and Dena have been important and influential friends in our lives. When I was a youth pastor, I had no closer youth pastor friend than Patrick. Twice a year we hung out together for a week at a time through our youth ministries. We even went on the same mission trip together with our students one year (2000). I grew up with Dena and our families were close friends - so she and I have known each other most of our lives. Patrick and Dena were also our primary influencers on our view of parenting. We watched them parent their first child and told each other, "I don't know what they are doing, but we are going to parent like that!" And we asked a lot of questions and they influenced us in a huge way. Although in recent years, we no longer see each other every year - Patrick is still a close, dear friend and my heart is breaking for him and Dena. and their two great kids!

I also find myself overwhelmed by how much I hate living in a fallen world. I hate that we live in a fallen world where disease comes to those who love God. I hate that we live in a fallen world where death separates families. I hate that sin doesn't just impact the sinner. Sin that entered the world through Adam impacts all of us. And it is painful that my friends, Patrick and Dena, are living such painful consequences of living in a fallen world.

I am experiencing a lot of sorrow this week over this news, but not as one with no hope. I have a great and eternal hope! And so do my friends Patrick & Dena! But this week... I'm just sad.

 

Tickets for Christmas Services (4 PM is "sold out")

The 4:00 PM Christmas Eve service is "sold out" (not the right term since the tickets are free). Thanks so much for getting tickets. If you have tickets and the people you invited said, "no" - be sure to bring those back on Sunday. That would help us get a few more people in that service.

Please go online and reserve your tickets for 6:00 PM Christmas Eve or 10:00 AM Christmas morning. Don't miss this special service. You might just want to attend it twice!

Go here for tickets.

Rochester #2 in the nation... (sadly)...

Rochester is #2 in the nation for unmarried couples living together (33% of couples living together in Rochester are unmarried).  Number 1 is Camden, NJ (35%).

Nationwide, the 12% of couples living together are unmarried (that is a 25% increase in ten years). 

How to Provoke Your Children to Anger

How to provoke your children to anger (Ephesians 6:4):

1. A weak marriage
2. Having a child-centered home
3. Modeling sinful anger
4. Consistently dIsicpling in anger
5. Scolding / Nagging
6. Inconsistent discipline
7. Double standards
8. Being legalistic
9. Rarely admitting wrong and rarely seeking forgiveness from children/spouse
10. Quick to find fault
11. Parents reversing God-given roles
12. Not listening to child's suggestions or ideas
13. Comparing children to other children
14. Not making time for them
15. Not praising or encouraging enough
16. Not keeping promises
17. Correcting publicly
18. Controlling their lives so they make few decisions
19. Allowing too much freedom
20. Not treating them in age-appropriate ways with freedoms and choices
21. Mocking your child
22. Abusing your child physically
23. Calling your children names
24. Unrealistic expectations
25. Showing favoritism

List adapted from Lou Priolo and Paul Tautges

 

One of my favorite John Piper clips

I have deep admiration and appreciation for John Piper. This clip is one of my favorites - he talks about Richard Dawkins and evolution. If you have 4 minutes - take a look.

 

If you receive this by email, click HERE to see the video.