Spirit – John Markum

Question: “Is it true that there are spirits among us?” Answer: Yes: Angels. Both good and bad (demons). Are there actually dead people’s ghosts walking among us? No. At best, they are demonic impersonations of people who once lived. The Bible refers to people with “familiar spirits” (meaning the demon) and “mediums” who would do this. No, I’m not crazy. Yes, the Bible does talk about it (Leviticus 19:31).
Question: “Exorcism?” Answer: Like, is it a real thing? Oh, yes. I know people who’ve been part of casting a demon from a woman. Horror movies don’t do justice from what eye witnesses tell me. Just know that as a follower of Christ, we are already possessed by the Holy Spirit of God (1 John 4:4). According to Matthew 7:21-23, just because a person casts out a demon from someone in the name of Jesus, doesn’t mean they have a relationship with Jesus.
Question: “Why are there so many religions?” Answer: Because religion is man’s attempt to reach God. It is based on man’s attempts to please deity/deities. Because of that, there are more religious perspectives than there are people on the planet. Jesus did not come to start a religion – He came to replace religion with Himself.
Question: “Why can I not always hear from God?” Answer: Because the teacher is always silent during the test. Your relationship with God is not based on how you feel. Feelings are fickle. Our faith is not in ourselves. Our faith is not even in our faith! Our faith is in the faithfulness of God to love us and guide us even when it feels as though He’s absent.
Question: “What race was Jesus” Answer: Jewish. Thanks for an easy one.
Question: “Where does our sin nature come from?” Answer: James 1:13-15. The real “enemy” is “in-me”. All sin can be narrowed down to one word: “selfishness.” In other words, I sin when I am more interested in what I want rather than what is right, what is good, or what God wants.
Question: “Why do some people struggle with things that others do not (stealing, addictions, homosexuality…)?” Answer: Great question. I suppose the easiest answer is that we are all different. So we all have different strengths and weaknesses. What I struggle with might be no big deal to you, and vice-versa. Notably, most of us struggle over the same 2 or 3 things over and over again. Satan is not extremely creative, he’s just persistent.
Question: “Who was your favorite Power Ranger?” Answer: Green Ranger! He was like this rogue ranger that the other rangers sort of ran into. His Zord was the coolest! It reminded me of Godzilla. Yes, I was a nerd as a kid too…
Question: “How old is the earth?” Answer: By extrapolating the ages of the first humans recorded in the Bible to the point of a known point in time, we estimate the actual age of the earth to be as young as 6,000 years old up to approximately 10,000 years old. “What about carbon dating and stuff?!?” So what? God made a mature earth. He didn’t plant seeds and wait 200 years for it to grow into a massive Sequoia, He just created big, awesome trees. Science strongly favors a young earth concept of creation.
Question: “What happens to your body during the rapture?” Answer: According to 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, we shall be changed into an immortal body like that of Jesus after He rose from the dead.

I’ve talked a lot lately about a momentum I feel here at Edgewood. As we experience God’s hand of favor we have seen more and more people getting connected to our church family, more individuals giving their lives to Christ in faith, going public with their faith through baptism, inviting friends to church with them, watching their friend’s life get changed by the Gospel, plugging into a ministry and serving, and on we could go. Regardless of how you slice it, there is something powerful taking place in our church!

Some critic out there is thinking, “It’s not all about the numbers, you know!” And they would be right (kinda). So why do we make such a big deal about the numbers? Why do we geek out over 1,880 people coming to our Easter weekend services, and a baptism rate that is on pace for 100+ new baptisms in 2011? Because they are not just numbers. Each number represents a life that is being changed. A marriage being restored. A teenager coming back home. A person far from God being awakened with life in Christ. A casual attender becoming a committed member. A shy, insecure woman boldly proclaiming to the world her faith in Jesus through baptism. And when we look at those statistics, make no mistake: we are all about the numbers!

And it’s when I look at the way God has been blessing us and moving in our people, that I’m overwhelmed with the thought that this is just the beginning. It is time for each of us to get serious about the calling that God has placed on our lives and on our church. This is not the time for the church to grow complacent about the impact God is bringing us. This is not the time to back down. We can not take this for granted! Instead, this is the time for each of us to rise into the holy anointing God has for all of His people, and for this church specifically.

If you are a committed member, stay faithful! Your commitment to the ministry of this church is producing a great impact for the Kingdom of God. Thank you for your faithfulness!
If you have been observing Edgewood from the sidelines, it’s time to get in the game! You were created to have a part in this move of God. Join us in turning the QC upside down with the Gospel!
If you have never shared what God is doing here with anyone else, step out of your comfort zone and invite someone to see it for themselves. We have 4 services every weekend, so there’s room for everyone!
If you are far from God, out of church, or burnt-out on church, I’m not saying we’re perfect, or even that we are the only thing God is doing in our city. What I am saying, is that God is doing some amazing things here and you have GOT to see this for yourself! We happen to be a little excited about it…

Blessings,

John

Leadership Podcast

6 Decisions BEFORE becoming a Lead Pastor

00:00 / 27:10

6 Decisions BEFORE becoming a Lead Pastor

Jan 13, 2017 • 27:10

Most of being a first-time lead pastor is learning as you go. While this was (and is) definitely true of me, there were six decisions I had made prior to stepping into this role, that I think other pastors and leaders could benefit from.
Creating Church Culture

Jan 19, 2017 • 25:36

In this podcast, John talks about branding, values, language, and celebrating as pieces to creating a healthy church culture.
Separation of Church and State

Feb 10, 2017 • 29:52

In this podcast, I talk about the Immigration Ban, and how the church should be approaching such issues regarding our response to government, and proclamation of the gospel.
Advice to those in Bible College

Feb 24, 2017 • 22:45

Here I give advice on what students preparing for vocational ministry should be doing now to get the most of what is waiting for them after graduation.
Live the Word

Mar 8, 2017 • 15:48

Not going to lie. I smell fake from a mile away. My guess is, you probably do to. And people who know the Bible, but don’t actually want to live it cuts me the deepest. In this podcast, I talk about the difference between knowing God’s Word and actually living…
Preaching, episode 1: What is Preaching

Aug 28, 2017 • 31:33

In this podcast, Pastor John unpacks the first of a handful of episodes intended to coach you in your growth as a preacher. Download the Handout for this episode.
Preaching, episode 2: Writing a sermon

Sep 2, 2017 • 17:50

How does one go about writing a sermon? In this podcast episode, Pastor John gets into the cadence of a good sermon, and how to lead people toward a compelling application. Click here for the outline
Preaching, episode 3: Sermon Delivery

Nov 29, 2017 • 41:45

In episode three, we look at HOW we preach and deliver our sermons. A “must listen” for the new preacher, and a great fresh perspective for the seasoned preaching veterans.
Bivocational Ministry

Jun 3, 2019 • 26:49

Bivocational Ministry is becoming more valuable than ever. Enjoy this episode as we been to discuss the needs, challenges, and advantages of being in bivocational ministry. To support this podcast and other resources from Pastor John, visit www.patreon.com/johnmarkum – thank you for your support.