Sunday, October 12, 2008
musings...
The tenacity of my love for Christ is not determined by mere feelings or the flutterings of my heart…it runs deeper than that – to the very core of my being & the marrow of my bones. tiffany d smith
Catalyst 08 w/ Dave Ramsey
Dave Ramsey
There are enemies to unity.
Unity is an unbelievable power – there is no synergy where there is no unity. Unity is a spiritual happening. You have to be very intentional and proactive to create it. It doesn’t just occur. Nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.
The 5 enemies of unity:
1. Poor communication – can take many forms but when the right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing, then strife sets in. Foster good communication. Create communication. It doesn’t just happen.
2. Gossip – is degrading and will destroy a church or organization. This is the Christian sin that we don’t talk about. Nasty organizational sin. Zero tolerance policy for gossip. We are trying to do work that matters. A successful leader develops and maintains a culture in which negatives are handed up and positives are handed down. We bail our hate mail. Don’t talk to ppl about a problem that can’t fix the problem – that is gossip. By definition, gossip is when a negative is discussed with anyone who can’t help solve the problem.
3. Unresolved disagreements – unresolved disagreements happen when a leader doesn’t know they exist or when that leader avoids confrontation. You have to deal with it. Leaders have to have a back bone. A little confrontation cleanses the wound and allows the parties to go forward in a spirit of unity. We need to know we got each others back even though we have different styles and approaches. The leadership leads! There is drama and you better deal with it. Act quickly and decisively. When you are aware there are hurt feelings and/or disagreements, act quickly and decisively. Don’t act with squirrel theology! Like a squirrel in the middle of the street not knowing which way to go with oncoming traffic. You never kill anything if you say: Ready...aim, aim, aim…. Leaders make a call. It might be the wrong one, then you get to make another call..
4. Lack of shared purpose – lack of shared purpose is caused when a leader doesn’t restate the goal, the vision and mission early and often. Know where the goal is. The team better knows where they are going. Drop and do push ups for others… shared purpose. Think big picture. It is not all about me.
5. Sanctioned Incompetence – it has been said that sanctioned incompetence demoralizes. We are all incompetent at something. Do not allow someone (or self) to goof off… when you sanction that in leadership, then you damage your witness. If we are gonna be Christians should have a level of excellence that is STUNNING! Don’t shoot the wounded… have grace and mercy when people are dealing with stuff. Team members will evetnualy become demotivated if incompetence of others is not dealt with appropriately. For the sake of unity in the entire group the leader must deal with it.
When unity is valued in the culture, the team will also act to keep these enemies from the gate.
Very few things are unified. Few churches or organizations experience real unity. Only when you are on the same page can you get things done. In unity, you can pull four times the weight and work harder and smarter.
There are enemies to unity.
Unity is an unbelievable power – there is no synergy where there is no unity. Unity is a spiritual happening. You have to be very intentional and proactive to create it. It doesn’t just occur. Nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.
The 5 enemies of unity:
1. Poor communication – can take many forms but when the right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing, then strife sets in. Foster good communication. Create communication. It doesn’t just happen.
2. Gossip – is degrading and will destroy a church or organization. This is the Christian sin that we don’t talk about. Nasty organizational sin. Zero tolerance policy for gossip. We are trying to do work that matters. A successful leader develops and maintains a culture in which negatives are handed up and positives are handed down. We bail our hate mail. Don’t talk to ppl about a problem that can’t fix the problem – that is gossip. By definition, gossip is when a negative is discussed with anyone who can’t help solve the problem.
3. Unresolved disagreements – unresolved disagreements happen when a leader doesn’t know they exist or when that leader avoids confrontation. You have to deal with it. Leaders have to have a back bone. A little confrontation cleanses the wound and allows the parties to go forward in a spirit of unity. We need to know we got each others back even though we have different styles and approaches. The leadership leads! There is drama and you better deal with it. Act quickly and decisively. When you are aware there are hurt feelings and/or disagreements, act quickly and decisively. Don’t act with squirrel theology! Like a squirrel in the middle of the street not knowing which way to go with oncoming traffic. You never kill anything if you say: Ready...aim, aim, aim…. Leaders make a call. It might be the wrong one, then you get to make another call..
4. Lack of shared purpose – lack of shared purpose is caused when a leader doesn’t restate the goal, the vision and mission early and often. Know where the goal is. The team better knows where they are going. Drop and do push ups for others… shared purpose. Think big picture. It is not all about me.
5. Sanctioned Incompetence – it has been said that sanctioned incompetence demoralizes. We are all incompetent at something. Do not allow someone (or self) to goof off… when you sanction that in leadership, then you damage your witness. If we are gonna be Christians should have a level of excellence that is STUNNING! Don’t shoot the wounded… have grace and mercy when people are dealing with stuff. Team members will evetnualy become demotivated if incompetence of others is not dealt with appropriately. For the sake of unity in the entire group the leader must deal with it.
When unity is valued in the culture, the team will also act to keep these enemies from the gate.
Very few things are unified. Few churches or organizations experience real unity. Only when you are on the same page can you get things done. In unity, you can pull four times the weight and work harder and smarter.
Catalyst 08 w/ Craig Groeschel
Joel 2:12
Return to me with all your heart…
"It" - That thing that we seek...
I want it. I want more of it.
Something special of God that He oftens does in people and thru people.
When people are critical about church and what/how the church is functioning.... Craig says, "Please do not insult the work of God by saying something so careless…"
"It" is a special work of God….
We often say, "This place has 'it'." or "This place doesn't have 'it'!"
What are the things that contribute to “it”?
Holy SpirIT
God makes IT happen… from him, by him and for his glory.
We cannot create it or manufacture it.
It is not a model. It is not a system or a program.
It has an upside. Lives are changed forever.
People are healed. Eternity is differenct because of the presence of God.
It does have a downside. It has critics.
The most important ingredient of all others… is that you have IT. Not about location, money, the right music, etc. It is about you being overcome with the power and presence of God. It is you feeling that and believing that and being consumed with that.
Somewhere along the way… something happened… like the ministry started to beat IT out of me… the ministry actually quenches it… like a slow leak in a tire…. That something special of God leaked out… rather than measuring success b the inward promptings of God, I measured success by the outward things I could see. I wasn’t about building His church, I was about building my church.
Full time pastor, and a part time follower of Christ.
I had it and I lost it… and so have many of you.
What do you do when you are in ministry and you have lost IT?
You have to do something drastic… because if something small would have worked, you would have already done that!!!
God, stretch me. If we are not careful, then we transfer my faith into my own abilities….
You could say that I had a $5 faith…but not a $100 faith…
God, stretch me…
Did you see?? There is more in you… don’t let any board of trustees, elders, or whomever talk you out of it… stretch me, God! Obey the voice of God. Heal me. I am addict to: People pleasing. Adrenaline. Technology. Don’t care more about what people think… care more about what God thinks. Step into the authority and the anointing of God…
I will not sacrifice my children on the altar of ministry. I need to get transparent with God. Who or what will stretch you? Who or what will bring healing in your life?? Be around them. Why do we lose IT?? We care more about what others think..
Before God can stretch you.. he needs to heal you.. before he can heal you, he needs to ruin you. God, ruin me. Rip your heart before God. I return to you with weeping and fasting and mourning.
Do not seek to be above the pain. Break my heart God. I want to willingly step into it. God do whatever it takes. Ruin me for your glory.
This was Craig's ending prayer (by Sir Francis Drake) from Catalyst 07 ~ which still impacts my heart:
Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Return to me with all your heart…
"It" - That thing that we seek...
I want it. I want more of it.
Something special of God that He oftens does in people and thru people.
When people are critical about church and what/how the church is functioning.... Craig says, "Please do not insult the work of God by saying something so careless…"
"It" is a special work of God….
We often say, "This place has 'it'." or "This place doesn't have 'it'!"
What are the things that contribute to “it”?
Holy SpirIT
God makes IT happen… from him, by him and for his glory.
We cannot create it or manufacture it.
It is not a model. It is not a system or a program.
It has an upside. Lives are changed forever.
People are healed. Eternity is differenct because of the presence of God.
It does have a downside. It has critics.
The most important ingredient of all others… is that you have IT. Not about location, money, the right music, etc. It is about you being overcome with the power and presence of God. It is you feeling that and believing that and being consumed with that.
Somewhere along the way… something happened… like the ministry started to beat IT out of me… the ministry actually quenches it… like a slow leak in a tire…. That something special of God leaked out… rather than measuring success b the inward promptings of God, I measured success by the outward things I could see. I wasn’t about building His church, I was about building my church.
Full time pastor, and a part time follower of Christ.
I had it and I lost it… and so have many of you.
What do you do when you are in ministry and you have lost IT?
You have to do something drastic… because if something small would have worked, you would have already done that!!!
God, stretch me. If we are not careful, then we transfer my faith into my own abilities….
You could say that I had a $5 faith…but not a $100 faith…
God, stretch me…
Did you see?? There is more in you… don’t let any board of trustees, elders, or whomever talk you out of it… stretch me, God! Obey the voice of God. Heal me. I am addict to: People pleasing. Adrenaline. Technology. Don’t care more about what people think… care more about what God thinks. Step into the authority and the anointing of God…
I will not sacrifice my children on the altar of ministry. I need to get transparent with God. Who or what will stretch you? Who or what will bring healing in your life?? Be around them. Why do we lose IT?? We care more about what others think..
Before God can stretch you.. he needs to heal you.. before he can heal you, he needs to ruin you. God, ruin me. Rip your heart before God. I return to you with weeping and fasting and mourning.
Do not seek to be above the pain. Break my heart God. I want to willingly step into it. God do whatever it takes. Ruin me for your glory.
This was Craig's ending prayer (by Sir Francis Drake) from Catalyst 07 ~ which still impacts my heart:
Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Catalyst 08 w/ Seth Godin
Seth Godin – (Seth gave every one in the Catalyst audiece his new book, Tribes!)
More people to touch, more interaction, more goodness, more growth…
Not a lot of tactics, but a lot of strategy.
How do we grow?
Marketers used to grow by advertising…
Marketers figured that interrupting people and poking… the model of cramming it down their throats doesn’t work any more… something that is better, more organic, more reliable… people talk to each other… who else is going to be there?? And who is going to lead us??
The idea of tribes… people like to tdo things with eachother. There used to be only 3 tribes: church, community and work tribes.
To be part of a tribe… makes people feel good. Connection… the internet has allowed the pockets of differences to stick together…. Tells people what we stand for , who we are… people like being w people they like being with…
Tribes at work – part of our identity…
A crowd is not the same is the tribe – a grop of people, self selected, always with a leader, connected… tribes have insiders and outsiders. We definie ourselves by who isn’t there as well. Crowds don’t matter. What matters is how connected people are. The more powerful your connections are… the more valuable…. Having leverage… connect those fans to eachother…. Tribes work within organizations. Build a platform where people can connect.
You lead a tribe…. Used to be a one directional leadership motion
Tribes want a cultural movement… if you want to grow, then a cultural movement is what you want!
When you work with a tribe, and understand the strategies behind what you are doing, then there is more growth. It is not a top down thing. It is a side to side thing.
It is important to them. The idea that there is somthg vital to who you are and who you connect to when it really matters. You can make the tribe tighter. You can make the tribe bigger. – marketing management is now tribal leadership.
The idea that everyone wants to join your tribe is naive…
Tactics for building a tribe…
There are a million tools to choose from…
Find someone who is naturally leading and give them a platform.
Start with 1000 true fans. Or maybe 10. Who can be persuaded and led and inspired?
The first thing that works is that you have to do something that people can criticize.
Things that tribes do to grow:
Find people that thought they were alone in the world
Find people that always knew there were people like them
It is about leading, not controlling…
Sheepwalking is another giant problem – no one follows those people.
No one follows who is mediocre. If you are in the middle of the bell curve, then you won’t grow.
I am begging you to become heretics - Someone whose faith is so deep that they are willing to deal with critics b/c they believe that they are right. Doing something that they believe in and something that matters. There is a giant distinction between faith and religion. Heretics challenge the religion and embraces the faith. Controlling through a series of rules squelches the growth. The rules get piled on… sometimes heretics seek out a rule and break it on purpose. Acknowledge their faith but not let the rules stand in the way. Push against the boundaries.
You can lead
Leadership is the same thing as marketing and marketing is the same thing a as leadership
Challenge the tribe
Intentionally create a culture for the tribe
They have curiosity – always pushing probing finding out what is next
Charisma – you get charisma b/c you are a ldr.
Communicate – they figure out how and when and where to talk WITH, not TO the tribe
Connect – how to connect the tribe… let the people talk to eachother
Leaders commit – they do things that are often uncomfortable
The tribe wants to connect and create meaning.. they want to make a difference in the world. They want to be noticed. They want to matter and they want to be missed.
I want to inspire you to be inspiring.. it doesn’t have to be something right out of a movie…
"4V2" – Is the decision you got to make every day …
Are you do something 4 the tribe or 2 the tribe?? - "4V2"
More people to touch, more interaction, more goodness, more growth…
Not a lot of tactics, but a lot of strategy.
How do we grow?
Marketers used to grow by advertising…
Marketers figured that interrupting people and poking… the model of cramming it down their throats doesn’t work any more… something that is better, more organic, more reliable… people talk to each other… who else is going to be there?? And who is going to lead us??
The idea of tribes… people like to tdo things with eachother. There used to be only 3 tribes: church, community and work tribes.
To be part of a tribe… makes people feel good. Connection… the internet has allowed the pockets of differences to stick together…. Tells people what we stand for , who we are… people like being w people they like being with…
Tribes at work – part of our identity…
A crowd is not the same is the tribe – a grop of people, self selected, always with a leader, connected… tribes have insiders and outsiders. We definie ourselves by who isn’t there as well. Crowds don’t matter. What matters is how connected people are. The more powerful your connections are… the more valuable…. Having leverage… connect those fans to eachother…. Tribes work within organizations. Build a platform where people can connect.
You lead a tribe…. Used to be a one directional leadership motion
Tribes want a cultural movement… if you want to grow, then a cultural movement is what you want!
When you work with a tribe, and understand the strategies behind what you are doing, then there is more growth. It is not a top down thing. It is a side to side thing.
It is important to them. The idea that there is somthg vital to who you are and who you connect to when it really matters. You can make the tribe tighter. You can make the tribe bigger. – marketing management is now tribal leadership.
The idea that everyone wants to join your tribe is naive…
Tactics for building a tribe…
There are a million tools to choose from…
Find someone who is naturally leading and give them a platform.
Start with 1000 true fans. Or maybe 10. Who can be persuaded and led and inspired?
The first thing that works is that you have to do something that people can criticize.
Things that tribes do to grow:
Find people that thought they were alone in the world
Find people that always knew there were people like them
It is about leading, not controlling…
Sheepwalking is another giant problem – no one follows those people.
No one follows who is mediocre. If you are in the middle of the bell curve, then you won’t grow.
I am begging you to become heretics - Someone whose faith is so deep that they are willing to deal with critics b/c they believe that they are right. Doing something that they believe in and something that matters. There is a giant distinction between faith and religion. Heretics challenge the religion and embraces the faith. Controlling through a series of rules squelches the growth. The rules get piled on… sometimes heretics seek out a rule and break it on purpose. Acknowledge their faith but not let the rules stand in the way. Push against the boundaries.
You can lead
Leadership is the same thing as marketing and marketing is the same thing a as leadership
Challenge the tribe
Intentionally create a culture for the tribe
They have curiosity – always pushing probing finding out what is next
Charisma – you get charisma b/c you are a ldr.
Communicate – they figure out how and when and where to talk WITH, not TO the tribe
Connect – how to connect the tribe… let the people talk to eachother
Leaders commit – they do things that are often uncomfortable
The tribe wants to connect and create meaning.. they want to make a difference in the world. They want to be noticed. They want to matter and they want to be missed.
I want to inspire you to be inspiring.. it doesn’t have to be something right out of a movie…
"4V2" – Is the decision you got to make every day …
Are you do something 4 the tribe or 2 the tribe?? - "4V2"
Catalyst 08 w/ Jim Collins
Jim Collins –
The greatest chief executives most signature characteristic is humility – defined as a passionate burning ambition of the values, not themselves.
You cannot build a successful church based on you. It cannot be about you.
Think about the difference between the flywheel of the church and the flywheel of the faith –
Those who understand how to build an organization, know that the success is really measured when you are not there. If it goes on without you. It endures.
What is the direction on the flywheel? The hedgehog concept. The hedgehog knows opne big thing and really focus on the one big thing. You want to push the flywheel in the intersection of three circles: what you are passionate about, what you contribute uniquely, and the resources (ppl, $, and brand reputation)
The WHO is more impt than the what.
Part of being a great leader is disciplined action:
The critical thing is not wking more hours… the critical question is not what to do, but what to NOT do. Focus. Focus on priorities. If you have too many priorities... then, you really have none.
There is always a duality about A or B. Is about leadership OR followship. It is about leadership AND followship. It is about financial strength or serving the needy? AND. There is a lovely symbiotic tension. AND. Preserve the core and stimulate progress.
What is the core are the values. What must never change is the core values. But where we get in trouble is confusing values with practices. How is this up and coming generation of church ldrship different than before… it is not about the set of denominational practices, it is about the values. Every generation needs to create its own practices to passionately exemplify the eternal values that cut across all generations.
BHAG – Big Harry Audacious Goal -
Ten things Jim Collins would like you to consider doing and not doing:
1. Go to website. Good to Great diagnostic tool with your team to self assess how are we doing?
2. How many key seats are on your bus? How many are filled with the right ppl? How close are you filling them 100%?
3. Build a personal board of directors. Of true leaders and people you look up to.
4. Get young people in your face. Have them pushing you and challenging you. There is something very special about this upcoming generation of leaders. Get them in the keys of leadership asap. You want the right young people in your face.
5. Asking what job, what career, etc. The question is WHO. Who will you allow to be your mentors. That is far more impt than what organization, career, etc.
6. Build a counsel. Use your counsel as disciplined thought.
7. What is your questions to statement ratio??? Don’t give answers. Ask them questions. Can you double your ratio in the next year? You spend way too much of your life trying to be interesting… why don’t you invest more time being interested.
8. In the age of great electronics, then you need to turn off the gadgets. Take white space days. Nothing can be scheduled. Quiet days. NO gadgets! Work is infinite and time is finite.
9. How do you become level 5? The level 5's always began with how do I commit myself that I have the passion that I can endure the pain of level 5 decisions. They engage themselves in a worthy cause that they have such passion that they can endure the pain of level 5 leadership.
10. Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Of conscious choice and to discipline. WE are not imprisoned by our environment our setbacks our mistakes, staggering defeats… we are freed by our choices. It is the choices that no on can see.
Peter Drucker: Pay your mentors back by mentoring others. We are put here for a reason and that is to be useful.
The greatest chief executives most signature characteristic is humility – defined as a passionate burning ambition of the values, not themselves.
You cannot build a successful church based on you. It cannot be about you.
Think about the difference between the flywheel of the church and the flywheel of the faith –
Those who understand how to build an organization, know that the success is really measured when you are not there. If it goes on without you. It endures.
What is the direction on the flywheel? The hedgehog concept. The hedgehog knows opne big thing and really focus on the one big thing. You want to push the flywheel in the intersection of three circles: what you are passionate about, what you contribute uniquely, and the resources (ppl, $, and brand reputation)
The WHO is more impt than the what.
Part of being a great leader is disciplined action:
The critical thing is not wking more hours… the critical question is not what to do, but what to NOT do. Focus. Focus on priorities. If you have too many priorities... then, you really have none.
There is always a duality about A or B. Is about leadership OR followship. It is about leadership AND followship. It is about financial strength or serving the needy? AND. There is a lovely symbiotic tension. AND. Preserve the core and stimulate progress.
What is the core are the values. What must never change is the core values. But where we get in trouble is confusing values with practices. How is this up and coming generation of church ldrship different than before… it is not about the set of denominational practices, it is about the values. Every generation needs to create its own practices to passionately exemplify the eternal values that cut across all generations.
BHAG – Big Harry Audacious Goal -
Ten things Jim Collins would like you to consider doing and not doing:
1. Go to website. Good to Great diagnostic tool with your team to self assess how are we doing?
2. How many key seats are on your bus? How many are filled with the right ppl? How close are you filling them 100%?
3. Build a personal board of directors. Of true leaders and people you look up to.
4. Get young people in your face. Have them pushing you and challenging you. There is something very special about this upcoming generation of leaders. Get them in the keys of leadership asap. You want the right young people in your face.
5. Asking what job, what career, etc. The question is WHO. Who will you allow to be your mentors. That is far more impt than what organization, career, etc.
6. Build a counsel. Use your counsel as disciplined thought.
7. What is your questions to statement ratio??? Don’t give answers. Ask them questions. Can you double your ratio in the next year? You spend way too much of your life trying to be interesting… why don’t you invest more time being interested.
8. In the age of great electronics, then you need to turn off the gadgets. Take white space days. Nothing can be scheduled. Quiet days. NO gadgets! Work is infinite and time is finite.
9. How do you become level 5? The level 5's always began with how do I commit myself that I have the passion that I can endure the pain of level 5 decisions. They engage themselves in a worthy cause that they have such passion that they can endure the pain of level 5 leadership.
10. Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Of conscious choice and to discipline. WE are not imprisoned by our environment our setbacks our mistakes, staggering defeats… we are freed by our choices. It is the choices that no on can see.
Peter Drucker: Pay your mentors back by mentoring others. We are put here for a reason and that is to be useful.
Catalyst 08 Lab w/ Tim Stevens -
Tim Stevens – Pop Goes the Church
Two realities that are true in our culture today.
In so many communities, churches are not making an impact. As a matter of fact, in some places, churches are actually in the way of communicating the gospel.
Barna: attendance is in decline b/c ch is irrelevant, or bad personal experiences, etc.
We are not getting the job done as far as connecting with the unchurched.
Spiritual interest is growing. People want to develop their inner life, but they do not know where to seek. People love the jesus, but not the church.
Publically talking about spiritual issues, but the church is not in that dialogue.
Church is answering questions people are not asking. The church is not typically a safe place to ask the questions that they want to ask.
John 1:14 – Christ became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. He moved to where the people were. He immersed himself into the culture to communicate the gospel.
Two realities that are true in our culture today.
In so many communities, churches are not making an impact. As a matter of fact, in some places, churches are actually in the way of communicating the gospel.
Barna: attendance is in decline b/c ch is irrelevant, or bad personal experiences, etc.
We are not getting the job done as far as connecting with the unchurched.
Spiritual interest is growing. People want to develop their inner life, but they do not know where to seek. People love the jesus, but not the church.
Publically talking about spiritual issues, but the church is not in that dialogue.
Church is answering questions people are not asking. The church is not typically a safe place to ask the questions that they want to ask.
John 1:14 – Christ became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. He moved to where the people were. He immersed himself into the culture to communicate the gospel.
Catalyst 08 Lab w/ Ed Stetzer
Ed Stetzer:
Jesus – Who do you say that I am?
God has chosen the church to make known his manifold wisdom.
The more talented and gifted you are, the more likely you are to depend upon those gifts rather than the Lord Jesus Christ! Surrender your gifts to Christ for the Kingdom of Christ.
Make sure Jesus is the hero of the church, not your creativity. The message should be: “what a great God.” - Not “what a great church.”
Alan Hirsch – we’ve got to “re-Jesus” the church… church planting… our lives.
As much as it is your church,
Grab hold of it… be "mean about the vision" to reach the unchurched!
Jesus says: I will build my church – not you!
There are more verses in the bible that justify you having a concubine than forming a denomination…
If the kingdom of God is advanced,
Do not denigrate our bros and sisters in Christ – who are doing the work of the King.
Plant because the Kingdom has birthed the church. At the end of the day, the keys of the kingdom are given to the church.
Jesus – Who do you say that I am?
God has chosen the church to make known his manifold wisdom.
The more talented and gifted you are, the more likely you are to depend upon those gifts rather than the Lord Jesus Christ! Surrender your gifts to Christ for the Kingdom of Christ.
Make sure Jesus is the hero of the church, not your creativity. The message should be: “what a great God.” - Not “what a great church.”
Alan Hirsch – we’ve got to “re-Jesus” the church… church planting… our lives.
As much as it is your church,
Grab hold of it… be "mean about the vision" to reach the unchurched!
Jesus says: I will build my church – not you!
There are more verses in the bible that justify you having a concubine than forming a denomination…
If the kingdom of God is advanced,
Do not denigrate our bros and sisters in Christ – who are doing the work of the King.
Plant because the Kingdom has birthed the church. At the end of the day, the keys of the kingdom are given to the church.
Catalyst Lab w/ Jim Henderson & Matt Casper
Henderson: Interview w an atheist.
Taking an atheist to church would be a good experience for all of us.
Casper: The music is too contrived. Too much polish and you lose the soul in music.
What was one of the most offensive things that you experienced?
Casper: The incessant demands for money. Jesus was anything but an enterprising capitalist. Wished churches were more like AA. They just barely cover expenses. There is no excessive demands for money.
How can pastors communicate better?
Casper: Promises of heaven and threats of hell do not work as they have in the past. Talking about the difference in peoples lives. Not just bringing them into belief. That is a means, not an end.
Taking an atheist to church would be a good experience for all of us.
Casper: The music is too contrived. Too much polish and you lose the soul in music.
What was one of the most offensive things that you experienced?
Casper: The incessant demands for money. Jesus was anything but an enterprising capitalist. Wished churches were more like AA. They just barely cover expenses. There is no excessive demands for money.
How can pastors communicate better?
Casper: Promises of heaven and threats of hell do not work as they have in the past. Talking about the difference in peoples lives. Not just bringing them into belief. That is a means, not an end.
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