5 Enemies of an Organization:
1. Poor Communication
2. Gossip-telling a person who cannot deal with the issue is gossiping
3. Unresolved Disagreement
4. Lack of Shared Purpose-Share the vision often
5. Sanctioned Incompetence Demoralizes
1/28/11
1/21/11
Be Specific
“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” -- Luke 11:9-10
So often among Christians today, prayer is too general. Some ask, “Lord, bless us. Lord, bless the church. Lord, bless the missionaries. Lord, bless and save the lost. Amen.” Now that’s safe praying because you never know if God answers it.
When you pray that way, you miss out on the joy of seeing your prayers answered. I talk to Christians all the time who can’t name one prayer that God has answered for them. And inevitably, it’s because they aren’t praying for specific things!
But when Jesus taught us to pray, he taught us to pray specifically. As we see in today’s passage, we aren’t to be timid when it comes to prayer, but to present our requests to God knowing that he is going to do something great. And when you begin to ask God to do specific things in your life, you’ll see him work in amazing ways.
So the next time you pray, make a list with specific prayer points and pray boldly. Then, write the answer down when God gives it! Doing this will not only help you see a clearer picture of God’s faithfulness, it will empower your prayer life as you continue to pray boldly!
So often among Christians today, prayer is too general. Some ask, “Lord, bless us. Lord, bless the church. Lord, bless the missionaries. Lord, bless and save the lost. Amen.” Now that’s safe praying because you never know if God answers it.
When you pray that way, you miss out on the joy of seeing your prayers answered. I talk to Christians all the time who can’t name one prayer that God has answered for them. And inevitably, it’s because they aren’t praying for specific things!
But when Jesus taught us to pray, he taught us to pray specifically. As we see in today’s passage, we aren’t to be timid when it comes to prayer, but to present our requests to God knowing that he is going to do something great. And when you begin to ask God to do specific things in your life, you’ll see him work in amazing ways.
So the next time you pray, make a list with specific prayer points and pray boldly. Then, write the answer down when God gives it! Doing this will not only help you see a clearer picture of God’s faithfulness, it will empower your prayer life as you continue to pray boldly!
12/16/10
“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it” (Psalm 37:5).
Here we find the formula for praying effectively.
1. “Commit your way to the Lord.” “Give it to God,” I once read on a bumper-sticker. That is what David is encouraging us to do in this verse. We are to make a deliberate transaction with God by which we release control of our situation, whatever it may be, and place it squarely in the hands of the Lord. “Lord, here is the issue that is bringing concern to my soul and trouble to my mind. I know You have a perfect plan for its resolution, so I give it to you with the simple pledge to cooperate with whatever You show me as being your plan in the matter. The problem is now no longer mine, but Yours, and I await your direction concerning it.”
2. “Trust also in Him.” Having given the problem to God, now leave it with Him!” When a farmer places seed in the soil, he doesn’t return to the field day after day, dig up the seed and examine it to see if it is growing. He must commit the seed to the earth and leave it there. Once we have given our problem to God in prayer, we must avoid the temptation to wrestle it back from Him so that we may worry about it for a season. We must give it to God, then leave it with Him. If worry and concern begin to filter into our mind we can simply admit it to the Lord. ” Today I am being tempted to take back my problem as my own, but by your grace I am determined to overcome that temptation and constantly remind myself that the situation is in your hands. All I need to do is await Your direction. Thank you Lord, for moving in ways that are not seen by me.”
3. “He will do it.” “He works!” the Psalmist is affirming here. If you have made the transaction, giving your problem to the Lord, then you can safely assume that God is at work bringing about a resolution that will benefit you and bring glory to Him. You may not see God at work any more than Joseph of old could see Him at work from his vantage point in an Egyptian prison. But He was! And Joseph had to constantly remind himself of that fact. Though Joseph was in chains “until the time that His word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him” (Psalm 105:18-19). That is why Joseph could later say to his fearful brothers “You meant it unto me for evil, but God meant it for good.”
“But,” you might protest, “what if I find myself worrying all over again?” The answer is simply the same as before!
Give it to God. Leave it with Him. He works!
You might find yourself actually praying more than ever before.
Here we find the formula for praying effectively.
1. “Commit your way to the Lord.” “Give it to God,” I once read on a bumper-sticker. That is what David is encouraging us to do in this verse. We are to make a deliberate transaction with God by which we release control of our situation, whatever it may be, and place it squarely in the hands of the Lord. “Lord, here is the issue that is bringing concern to my soul and trouble to my mind. I know You have a perfect plan for its resolution, so I give it to you with the simple pledge to cooperate with whatever You show me as being your plan in the matter. The problem is now no longer mine, but Yours, and I await your direction concerning it.”
2. “Trust also in Him.” Having given the problem to God, now leave it with Him!” When a farmer places seed in the soil, he doesn’t return to the field day after day, dig up the seed and examine it to see if it is growing. He must commit the seed to the earth and leave it there. Once we have given our problem to God in prayer, we must avoid the temptation to wrestle it back from Him so that we may worry about it for a season. We must give it to God, then leave it with Him. If worry and concern begin to filter into our mind we can simply admit it to the Lord. ” Today I am being tempted to take back my problem as my own, but by your grace I am determined to overcome that temptation and constantly remind myself that the situation is in your hands. All I need to do is await Your direction. Thank you Lord, for moving in ways that are not seen by me.”
3. “He will do it.” “He works!” the Psalmist is affirming here. If you have made the transaction, giving your problem to the Lord, then you can safely assume that God is at work bringing about a resolution that will benefit you and bring glory to Him. You may not see God at work any more than Joseph of old could see Him at work from his vantage point in an Egyptian prison. But He was! And Joseph had to constantly remind himself of that fact. Though Joseph was in chains “until the time that His word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him” (Psalm 105:18-19). That is why Joseph could later say to his fearful brothers “You meant it unto me for evil, but God meant it for good.”
“But,” you might protest, “what if I find myself worrying all over again?” The answer is simply the same as before!
Give it to God. Leave it with Him. He works!
You might find yourself actually praying more than ever before.
12/14/10
12/3/10
40 Days of Fasting
Why Fast?
As Jesus was about to begin his official earthly ministry, He was led by the Spirit into the desert to fast (Matt 4). For some reason, the son of God thought it worthy to begin this new venture in ministry with an intentional focus on abiding with the Father.
Years later, as the church in Antioch is fasting, the Lord tells them to send out certain men to start a new ministry. After fasting some more, the church sent out Paul and Barnabas to go plant new churches (Acts 13).
When new ministries are started, battles intensify. The enemy will work hard to discourage, deceive, and destroy these new works in their infancy. For that reason, we fast. As we experience a physical hunger and desire, it awakens our spiritual desires and reminds us that our true nourishment comes through us spending time with the Father. Our fasting helps us focus our hearts on God.
What not to do?
Don’t pick something so hard just to “see if you can do it.” This should not be war against body, but a time of focus on this new ministry and asking God for His direction and blessing upon something He’s already called us to do.
Don’t do it for the praise of men. Matthew 6 reminds us that the hypocrites would put on a gloomy face and neglect their physical appearance in order for others to notice. Jesus says of them that they have received “their reward in full.” He goes on to explain the proper way to act when fasting. “ But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:17-18)
Some practical tips
There is no official recipe for fasting. You can fast from food, or just certain foods. You can fast from certain elements in your life that seem to take up a large part of your time but ultimately are unnecessary. Either way, the goal is to give up something for a certain time period. When your body or mind craves that thing, it is a constant reminder to turn your thoughts toward God. Take some of the time that you would have spent eating or on facebook or on the phone and read some Scripture, pray for Covenant Church, tell God why you are doing this and what you long for.
40 Days
My challenge to our faith family is to fast for 40 days in preparation and expectation of GIC. Let us join together and “pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:38
Why Fast?
As Jesus was about to begin his official earthly ministry, He was led by the Spirit into the desert to fast (Matt 4). For some reason, the son of God thought it worthy to begin this new venture in ministry with an intentional focus on abiding with the Father.
Years later, as the church in Antioch is fasting, the Lord tells them to send out certain men to start a new ministry. After fasting some more, the church sent out Paul and Barnabas to go plant new churches (Acts 13).
When new ministries are started, battles intensify. The enemy will work hard to discourage, deceive, and destroy these new works in their infancy. For that reason, we fast. As we experience a physical hunger and desire, it awakens our spiritual desires and reminds us that our true nourishment comes through us spending time with the Father. Our fasting helps us focus our hearts on God.
What not to do?
Don’t pick something so hard just to “see if you can do it.” This should not be war against body, but a time of focus on this new ministry and asking God for His direction and blessing upon something He’s already called us to do.
Don’t do it for the praise of men. Matthew 6 reminds us that the hypocrites would put on a gloomy face and neglect their physical appearance in order for others to notice. Jesus says of them that they have received “their reward in full.” He goes on to explain the proper way to act when fasting. “ But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:17-18)
Some practical tips
There is no official recipe for fasting. You can fast from food, or just certain foods. You can fast from certain elements in your life that seem to take up a large part of your time but ultimately are unnecessary. Either way, the goal is to give up something for a certain time period. When your body or mind craves that thing, it is a constant reminder to turn your thoughts toward God. Take some of the time that you would have spent eating or on facebook or on the phone and read some Scripture, pray for Covenant Church, tell God why you are doing this and what you long for.
40 Days
My challenge to our faith family is to fast for 40 days in preparation and expectation of GIC. Let us join together and “pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:38
11/30/10
Commitment Issues
There are commitment issues in small groups. Here’s a brief summary:
● The leader wants to meet regularly, some others in the group do—but most don’t.
● He wants to study the Word of God, some others in the group do—but most don’t.
● He wants to be intentional about doing life together, some others in the group do—but most don’t.
● The leader makes the call. The group is dissolved after two years together.
This happens. Commitment wanes over time. Kids’ schedules ramp up. Job responsibilities increase. People lives get increasingly hectic. Most of us are busy running ourselves ragged with good things. The problem is; many of us are choosing merely good things instead of better or best things.
To overcome this busyness—and make small group life a priority—requires an entire shift of people’s minds in the 21st century. Church-centric living was central to the early church, and a reality for many throughout church history—church life was their life. Today, unfortunately, participation in The Church has become just one of the many options on the smorgasbord of life.
How do you get people to commit and make your weekly small group time a priority amidst the pressures and busyness of life? Great question! Allow me to make this suggestion for your group as you head into one of the busiest times of the year.
At your next small group gathering, consider reading Acts 2:46-47 (see below) together. Then discuss what this sort of commitment might look like for your community amidst today’s challenges.
* * *
"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” -Acts 2:46-47 (NIV)
There are commitment issues in small groups. Here’s a brief summary:
● The leader wants to meet regularly, some others in the group do—but most don’t.
● He wants to study the Word of God, some others in the group do—but most don’t.
● He wants to be intentional about doing life together, some others in the group do—but most don’t.
● The leader makes the call. The group is dissolved after two years together.
This happens. Commitment wanes over time. Kids’ schedules ramp up. Job responsibilities increase. People lives get increasingly hectic. Most of us are busy running ourselves ragged with good things. The problem is; many of us are choosing merely good things instead of better or best things.
To overcome this busyness—and make small group life a priority—requires an entire shift of people’s minds in the 21st century. Church-centric living was central to the early church, and a reality for many throughout church history—church life was their life. Today, unfortunately, participation in The Church has become just one of the many options on the smorgasbord of life.
How do you get people to commit and make your weekly small group time a priority amidst the pressures and busyness of life? Great question! Allow me to make this suggestion for your group as you head into one of the busiest times of the year.
At your next small group gathering, consider reading Acts 2:46-47 (see below) together. Then discuss what this sort of commitment might look like for your community amidst today’s challenges.
* * *
"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” -Acts 2:46-47 (NIV)
11/26/10
11/16/10
Created For Community: The ‘Want-To’ Factor
Created For Community: The ‘Want-To’ Factor: "Last weekend, I was invited into another ministry area of our church to form and launch new small group communities. At the behest of this c..."
10/6/10
8/5/10
7/28/10
7/19/10
I'm forgiven
Now I have a reason for livin'
Jesus keeps givin' and givin'
Givin' till my heart over flows...
I'm forgiven - blows me away! Do you ever just stop and think about what that means?
First it means that I am accountable for my actions. Even if the world says things are acceptable that isn't the final authority. The worlds values keep changing so there has to be an absolute someplace. At some point there has to be a line between right and wrong and I would suggest that line is found in Scripture.
Next it means that when I do mess up - and I will - that there is a power greater than man that can give absolution and forgiveness. What's that verse... which is easier to say,'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? (Matthew 9:5) A physician can help a man walk again, but I have not yet met a mere mortal that could forgive sin.
The result of all this? Joy that makes the heart leap (Psalm 28:7) as it overflows in praises to Him.
Yes, I am forgiven and now I have a reason for living ...
Thank you Jesus.
Now I have a reason for livin'
Jesus keeps givin' and givin'
Givin' till my heart over flows...
I'm forgiven - blows me away! Do you ever just stop and think about what that means?
First it means that I am accountable for my actions. Even if the world says things are acceptable that isn't the final authority. The worlds values keep changing so there has to be an absolute someplace. At some point there has to be a line between right and wrong and I would suggest that line is found in Scripture.
Next it means that when I do mess up - and I will - that there is a power greater than man that can give absolution and forgiveness. What's that verse... which is easier to say,'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? (Matthew 9:5) A physician can help a man walk again, but I have not yet met a mere mortal that could forgive sin.
The result of all this? Joy that makes the heart leap (Psalm 28:7) as it overflows in praises to Him.
Yes, I am forgiven and now I have a reason for living ...
Thank you Jesus.
7/17/10
5/29/10
In a recent book, evangelical pollster George Barna describes a new type of Christian whom he (positively) calls Revolutionaries. Barna describes them as "born-again Christians who had eliminated church life from their busy schedules. " He writes that the life of a Revolutionary Christian "reflects the very ideals and principles that characterized the life and purpose of Jesus Christ and that advances the Kingdom of God-despite the fact that [a Revolutionary Christian] rarely attends church services. " Barna thinks this type of Revolutionary Christian "is typical of a new breed of disciples of Jesus Christ."
How should we respond to proposals like this? How important is the local church in the plan of God? And when we talk about "the church," what exactly do we mean--and why should we care?
How should we respond to proposals like this? How important is the local church in the plan of God? And when we talk about "the church," what exactly do we mean--and why should we care?
Casting Vision for the Women's Ministry
Much is being written these days about why churches should have Mission and Vision statements. It seems that everyone has their own slant on what these terms actually mean, and how they should apply to a local church. To me, mission and vision are quite simple to understand, at least biblically. In fact, I think churches should waste little time on mission statements. The reason is simple, Jesus gave us (the church) our mission in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age.” (Holman) It seems pretty clear: Our mission is to go worldwide and make disciples.
According to our Lord, the New Testament church is in the “disciple making” business. There is no other “mission” for the church than that one; and, if we deviate from it, we cease to be a New Testament church. Another way to say it is this: The mission statement of the church states clearly the business of the church. If you put it that way, then the logical question for all churches to ask is simply, “How’s business?” In other words, if “disciple making” is the business of the church, how are we doing in making disciples? See how simple it becomes to evaluate the progress of your church if you understand clearly what you’re supposed to be doing? That’s what a mission statement does; it gives a church (or any organization) a baseline to measure progress.
A good example of how a clear mission statement works is to look at the mission of the Allied forces in World War II. The mission was simple, clear, and concise…win the war by defeating Germany, Italy and Japan. The generals and admirals who were charged with leading our armed forces clearly understood the mission; and, because of that, they knew they could easily measure progress against the mission. I didn’t say they could easily make progress; winning wars (like making disciples) can be a very difficult task. I said they could easily measure progress. I am continually amazed at how little thought and effort goes into measuring the progress of our churches today. Sometimes, it appears that the only mission we have is to meet again next Sunday. If we can do that, we tend to think all is well. However, measured against the mission that Jesus gave us in the Great Commission, just “meeting again next Sunday” doesn’t get it done! Management guru Peter Drucker once said, “What gets measured gets done.” When it comes to the actual accomplishment of the mission, truer words were never spoken. The proper measurement tool of the New Testament church is the mission given to us by Jesus Himself.
Vision, simply put, is about a preferred future. It’s about taking the mission, personalizing it, putting it into the proper context, and then looking ahead and seeing things the way you would like them to be. That’s why vision is so critical to a local church. If your city has several churches, and every church has the same mission (to make disciples), then what sets each church apart from the others? It is its vision, because it is in the vision (not the mission) that a church will find its uniqueness and, out of that, its marching orders for the future.
Let’s look to the Apostle Paul for help in better understanding mission and vision. Notice his words in Romans 1:13-15, “Now I want you to know, brothers, that I have often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry among you, just as among the rest of the Gentiles. For I am obligated both to the Greeks and Barbarians, both wise and the foolish. So I am eager to preach the good news to you who are in Rome.” (Holman) Here we see that Paul’s mission was to preach the gospel (disciple making); but we also see that his vision (preferred future) was to go to Rome and have a fruitful ministry among the Romans. Look at it this way, every apostle was charged with preaching the gospel and making disciples, but they didn’t all have the vision to do it in Rome. Said simply, vision gives the “who, what, where, when and how” to the mission.
Much is being written these days about why churches should have Mission and Vision statements. It seems that everyone has their own slant on what these terms actually mean, and how they should apply to a local church. To me, mission and vision are quite simple to understand, at least biblically. In fact, I think churches should waste little time on mission statements. The reason is simple, Jesus gave us (the church) our mission in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age.” (Holman) It seems pretty clear: Our mission is to go worldwide and make disciples.
According to our Lord, the New Testament church is in the “disciple making” business. There is no other “mission” for the church than that one; and, if we deviate from it, we cease to be a New Testament church. Another way to say it is this: The mission statement of the church states clearly the business of the church. If you put it that way, then the logical question for all churches to ask is simply, “How’s business?” In other words, if “disciple making” is the business of the church, how are we doing in making disciples? See how simple it becomes to evaluate the progress of your church if you understand clearly what you’re supposed to be doing? That’s what a mission statement does; it gives a church (or any organization) a baseline to measure progress.
A good example of how a clear mission statement works is to look at the mission of the Allied forces in World War II. The mission was simple, clear, and concise…win the war by defeating Germany, Italy and Japan. The generals and admirals who were charged with leading our armed forces clearly understood the mission; and, because of that, they knew they could easily measure progress against the mission. I didn’t say they could easily make progress; winning wars (like making disciples) can be a very difficult task. I said they could easily measure progress. I am continually amazed at how little thought and effort goes into measuring the progress of our churches today. Sometimes, it appears that the only mission we have is to meet again next Sunday. If we can do that, we tend to think all is well. However, measured against the mission that Jesus gave us in the Great Commission, just “meeting again next Sunday” doesn’t get it done! Management guru Peter Drucker once said, “What gets measured gets done.” When it comes to the actual accomplishment of the mission, truer words were never spoken. The proper measurement tool of the New Testament church is the mission given to us by Jesus Himself.
Vision, simply put, is about a preferred future. It’s about taking the mission, personalizing it, putting it into the proper context, and then looking ahead and seeing things the way you would like them to be. That’s why vision is so critical to a local church. If your city has several churches, and every church has the same mission (to make disciples), then what sets each church apart from the others? It is its vision, because it is in the vision (not the mission) that a church will find its uniqueness and, out of that, its marching orders for the future.
Let’s look to the Apostle Paul for help in better understanding mission and vision. Notice his words in Romans 1:13-15, “Now I want you to know, brothers, that I have often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry among you, just as among the rest of the Gentiles. For I am obligated both to the Greeks and Barbarians, both wise and the foolish. So I am eager to preach the good news to you who are in Rome.” (Holman) Here we see that Paul’s mission was to preach the gospel (disciple making); but we also see that his vision (preferred future) was to go to Rome and have a fruitful ministry among the Romans. Look at it this way, every apostle was charged with preaching the gospel and making disciples, but they didn’t all have the vision to do it in Rome. Said simply, vision gives the “who, what, where, when and how” to the mission.
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