Between Two Thieves

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12594389659174747442011-11-27T01:54:43.780-05:00Between Two ThievesWelcome and blessings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I hope that this blog will serve only to glorify Him who was crucified between two thieves and rose again. It will be a chronicle of what God is doing in my life as I seek to serve Him as worship leader at Laura Chapel Baptist Church. Soli Deo Gloria!!Chris Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742922792601259708noreply@blogger.comBlogger141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259438965917474744.post-1328744972877995742011-06-28T22:03:00.003-04:002011-06-28T22:45:06.280-04:00Semper Reformanda

Hopefully my title has attracted traffic to my lowly speck of cyberspace. I'm sure I'm breaking at least a couple of the rules of Internet etiquette, but I'm in need of guidance so I'm shamelessly begging anyone who takes the time to actually read this post to help me out.I've been recently chosen to be our church's new Sunday School director and I'm in the process of researching curricula for

Chris Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742922792601259708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259438965917474744.post-72253892595482097522011-03-25T10:49:00.002-04:002011-03-25T10:52:23.120-04:00Another Sonnet

While slowly rambling through a dusty field,I stopped midway to wipe my sweaty head.My sandal struck a secret partly sealedbeneath the sun-baked ground no soul had tread.What is this buried object here amidthe rocks no one would seek? By digging herewith dirty hands a treasure I unhid.Alone, I hid again while coast was clear.As joyful heart beats strong within my chest,my current task I joyfully

Chris Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742922792601259708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259438965917474744.post-77795563738213602642011-03-11T09:48:00.001-05:002011-03-11T09:50:44.327-05:00Sweeter With Time

I once heard (probably from a country song) that love is like a fine wine; it just gets sweeter with time. That has definitely been my experience. I can honestly say that when I got married I had no idea what true love is. I thought that the warm fuzzy feeling and giddiness I felt around my high school sweetheart was love. Although I don’t have a complete understanding as to the depth of love,

Chris Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742922792601259708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259438965917474744.post-13124014725844081082011-02-25T13:41:00.002-05:002011-02-25T13:43:58.107-05:00Whom Are You Living For? - Part 2

As promised.So now we must look at ourselves in the mirror of God’s word and answer the question, “Whom am I living for? At home, at work, at school and at church, Whom am I living for?” And if the answer is anyone or anything other than Jesus, we must repent and ask God to give us a heart for Him, a desire to see His Name and His fame spread, and the strength and courage to go out and show Him

Chris Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742922792601259708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259438965917474744.post-17844117664883231222011-02-22T08:31:00.004-05:002011-02-22T08:52:18.770-05:00Whom Are You Living For? - Part 1

This post will be part 1 of my notes for a sermon I had the opportunity to preach this past Sunday at my home church. Our pastor and his family were out of town visiting their son in college, so he asked me to fill in for him. It was an honor to be entrusted with such a great responsibility as proclaiming God's Word to His people. I pray that He would be glorified in all that was said.These are

Chris Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742922792601259708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259438965917474744.post-9578497725091019742011-01-21T10:25:00.004-05:002011-01-21T10:30:04.236-05:00Why Not Here? Why Not Now?

If you gotta start somewhere why not hereIf you gotta start sometime why not nowIf we gotta start somewhere I say hereIf we gotta start sometime I say nowThrough the fog there is hope in the distanceFrom cathedrals to third world missionsLove will fall to the earth like a crashing waveTobyMac, City On Our KneesI’m going through Radical by David Platt for the second time now. This time slowly, so

Chris Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742922792601259708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259438965917474744.post-3297102122112267252010-11-19T09:08:00.006-05:002010-11-19T09:11:23.705-05:00Book Study - Pastor Dad

I spent time with my lovely wife last night studying a short book by Mark Driscoll called Pastor Dad. This book gives good biblical insight into the joy and responsibility of being a father. I can tell you that I have already been convicted by some of the things Pastor Driscoll has said and we’re only a couple chapters in. Although painful, I know that this study will be worth it’s weight in gold

Chris Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742922792601259708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259438965917474744.post-37419084903578872372010-11-18T10:10:00.011-05:002010-11-18T10:22:17.190-05:00Lessons From A Friend I Didn't Really Know

Yesterday I attended the funeral of a friend I never knew. James Holton “Holt” Rowland, 16, entered eternity on November 10, 2010. I knew of Holt, but didn’t really know him personally, only having spoken with him a handful of times. The last time I remember seeing Holt was on October 14, 2010 at a wild game supper at Bristol Baptist where I was leading worship. I wish I would have gotten to know

Chris Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742922792601259708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259438965917474744.post-79486843985020123012010-11-09T12:18:00.003-05:002010-11-09T13:05:26.206-05:00Only Trust Him

There are times in life when we feel we have made the right decision, only to see our lives begin to snowball, seemingly out of control, while we watch and wonder if we should have done something differently. A few short months ago (May to be exact), my wife resigned her position as a public school teacher and became a stay at home mom in order to home school our three children. This has always

Chris Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742922792601259708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259438965917474744.post-19852953025823699572010-10-27T08:20:00.005-04:002010-10-27T08:29:19.787-04:00Poetry for the Glory of God

I've enjoyed poetry ever since I was in high school. I think it was Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" that really got me hooked. So I started writing poetry for fun. Most of the poetry I wrote was autobiographical in nature. After I was saved, I stumbled upon John Piper's Advent poems. They completely rocked my world! From then on I've set out to write poetry that is theologically sound and

Chris Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742922792601259708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259438965917474744.post-4376410723058125852010-10-18T13:28:00.003-04:002010-10-20T08:03:55.369-04:00Far More Precious Than Jewels

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD."I've always wanted a wife. As a child I would pretend that my invisible friend was actually my wife. I wanted someone to love and protect. To trust and have fun with. To share the joys and pain of life with.My wife and I will have been married for 12 years May 2011. I can honestly say, I have experienced God's love and grace

Chris Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742922792601259708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259438965917474744.post-80014797498170324372010-10-15T09:03:00.003-04:002010-10-15T09:28:40.569-04:00Missed Opportunities

I believe the Christian life is very practical. It's not all supernatural, spiritual phenomena. It's a very nuts and bolts, everyday living type of lifestyle. Jesus was 100% man. But because He is also 100% God, we can forget that He had to deal with flatulence and halitosis just like the rest of us. We focus on the supernatural miracles He performed and resign the fact that we cannot do those

Chris Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742922792601259708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259438965917474744.post-68311201269325501662010-10-14T11:44:00.005-04:002010-10-15T13:22:23.981-04:00Toil in the Fields

"In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty."At the local church my family attends, we have been challenged over the last couple of months in regards to being a beacon of hope in our community. Our pastor has asked the question, "People in our community see the church, but do they see the Church?" Our revival speaker challenged us with the question, "What would the response

Chris Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742922792601259708noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259438965917474744.post-86187746836129254672010-04-19T21:55:00.008-04:002010-10-15T09:31:14.912-04:00Come, Now Is the Time to Worship

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. John 4:23The best definition I've ever heard for the word worship was given by Voddie Baucham. Quoting one of his professors, he said, "Worship is setting our mind's attention and heart's affection on God and praising Him for who He

Chris Tolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742922792601259708noreply@blogger.com0