Sermon Tone Analysis

Order of service

Feb 20, 2022

Northside's 2nd birthday celebration

10:00 Slide show Matt Kimmell

10:05 Worship (celebration) Matt Kimmell

10:15 Jamey Shares

NORTHSIDE… you guys are looking better every year.

If I were to ask you… why would you say God is great in one or two words… what would you say?

Don't say it… think it… remember it for later.

Northside is two… Look at you!!

What a two years it's been!!

According to the internet… now that you're the big 2… we should be able to…

Stand on tiptoes.

Kick a ball.

Start to run.

Climb on and down from furniture without help.

Walk up and down stairs while holding on.

Throw a ball overhand.

Carry a large toy or several toys while walking.

Set up a team….

Man we’ve been doin that from day one…

A year ago… I remember coming up and standing on a Bright blue gym floor at another church… celebrating our 1st birthday… and the only thing I could say or think was… God has been so incredibly good to us.

I remember I called the staff up to share with you all… they played such a huge role in Northside's ability to pivot through all of that… stuff.

And still do to this day.

I absolutely LOVE the staff I get to work with here.

Would you guys stand… up…

The last three weeks we have been in a sermon series called abide…

Abide has to do with being firmly connected with… planted in… remaining in… this life giving relationship with Jesus in such a way that leads to Him producing lasting fruit in our lives…

And to me… a HUGE and often forgotten part of that is the idea of celebration.

And frankly it’s something most churches… and many believers don’t quite get…

There is something about knowing Him… Knowing you are forgiven and the target of his love and grace… to rest in the assurance of the promises of God… experiencing His faithfulness and leadership… that you’d think leads to a life of and a heart of celebration…

And the truth is… that is the precedent I believe God set… God wants us to know and experience this truth… that what we have in Him… is life changing… eternity changing… and if there was ever anything in life worth celebrating… here it is.

I do believe it is what God desires

Over and over… the bible talks about how God leads his people into feasts, celebrations, commemorations… as a way of reflecting on and remembering the greatness of God.

Celebration is one of the surest signs that we get it… that we understand the weight and the gift of it.

What it means to be forgiven… what it means to be the target of his love and grace, to be called His children…

If celebration is not a part of who we are, we are among the most miserable people on the face of the planet… and I can’t think of much that would be a worse witness to the true greatness of God.

It reminds me of

(NLT)

1 I will exalt you, my God and King,

and praise your name forever and ever.

2 I will praise you every day;

yes, I will praise you forever.

3 Great is the LORD!

He is most worthy of praise!

No one can measure his greatness.

4 Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;

let them proclaim your power.

5 I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor

and your wonderful miracles.

6 Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue;

I will proclaim your greatness.

7 Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness;

they will sing with joy about your righteousness.

God put Northside on our hearts about 12 years ago… we didn't completely understand it.

About 3 years ago… Suburban Christian Church agreed to partner with us to plant a Church in North Albany…

Originally it was going to be called Scenic Church… thankfully, God saved us from that.

LOL.

But it tells you about the location we felt like God was putting in front of us.

So many things had to go just right for this to happen…

God has been so incredibly Good...

No doubt, the first two years of northside looked NOTHING at all like I thought they would… but the interesting thing is… even in the face of that… God has been better… more gracious… provided more… walked with us more closely… than I ever could have prayed for.

If anyone would have told me that Northside would be where it is today after two years… I wouldn’t have believed them.

Somehow… in ways that I don’t understand… things even with covid, fires, fear, riots, protests, politics, and more cultural division than I’ve ever seen in my lifetime… we have thrived… to the point of scratching our heads… it is undeniably the Lord.

So many things happened over the last two years… miraculous things… and they are still happening.

Over this last year:

Northside came home official relaunch Sept. 12th

Small groups launched

Kids ministry started back up

13 ministry teams up and running

Nearly 100 volunteer roles filled

Stories of God working in lives and families

Staff and Management team

Relationship with the school

7 baptisms (not counting todays)

Northside began supporting the Lomilo family in Uganda.

A year of records:

Average attendance in 2021 was about 130

Our highest ever attendance was Easter 325

Christmas eve right behind it 275

over 1000 people came to our Trunk or Treat event

Around 400 came to our Luau

Three largest regular Sunday services: 181,189, 201 (last week).

Records in Kids and youth Ministry

This isn

Northside came home; Last year at this time… bright blue gym… so thankful for NACC, but man if feels good to be back.

After moving around probably 10 or more times…

Small groups launched…

5 groups with about 75 people plugged into them.

13 different ministry teams up, running, and growing … Get involved.

Nearly 100 volunteer roles are being filled at Northside.

We continue to hear over and over again… about how God is working in the lives and hearts of people.

The staff continues to be a huge blessing… courageous leaders that I am proud to call friends.

The MT… works hard to lead well… to pray well… we are so blessed to have the team we do.

Our relationship with the school is outstanding… one of the best i've seen.

This last year… was a year of records…

Covid really hit that one hard.

God’s church is growing… The 3 largest regular Sunday church attendances ever… two of them being the last two weeks… 201, 189, 181.

In fact… we have so many new folks coming that the staff now hold a dinner once every other month… to try and connect with folks that are new to Northside…

Record attendance in kids min… in youth min…