Pastors and Church Leaders, Do You Remember When…?

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November 6, 2017

I’ve just been thinkin’ about the yesterdays of ministry. I’m not arguing that they were better days—they’re just memories. Pastors and leaders, do you remember when…

social media meant the local yellow pages?
we used our telephones to actually talk to someone?
we went door-to-door telling people about Jesus, and we didn’t have to get permission to get beyond the gate?
singing praise choruses required lyrics cast on the wall via an overhead projector?
background music on a cassette tape was progress?
we knew the numbers of the hymns in the hymnbook?
having a lapel microphone required being tethered to a cord?
screens were on portable stands, and we had to set them up?
the musicians were only a pianist and an organist?
books and cassette tapes were our only access to others’ sermons?
the King James Version was the only real option to consider?
all of our small groups met on the church campus?
no one had ever heard of a “multi-site” campus?
denominational affiliations were a primary factor in choosing a church?
entire families drove one car to church?
the church library was a big deal?
the church covenant—ignored though it was—was plastered on the wall of the church?

What do you want to add to this list? Encourage others to contribute to the list as well.

This article originally appeared here.

Does Jeremiah 29:11 Apply to You?

By

Russell Moore

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November 6, 2017

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

These words are the John 3:16 of American cultural Christianity. Watch how often they show up on the Bible verse plaques sold in Bible Belt mall kiosks or posted on Facebook walls, even on tattoos. Whether as home decor or on social media posts, I see this passage claimed fervently by people I know haven’t been in a church service since the first Bush Administration. Naturally, this love for this verse has often led to more theologically-oriented Christians lamenting the out-of-context use of Jeremiah 29:11. So much so that a young Christian asked me recently, “Does Jeremiah 29:11 apply to me, or not?”

My answer: kind of.

Let me take that back. Yes, it does apply to you, but not in the way many “claim” the passage.

Many understand the text to be about God’s favor on one’s life and on one’s plans. If I just have confidence and follow my heart, someone following this line might think, God will bless me. That’s not the prophet Jeremiah; that’s Deepak Chopra. Anyone who could find that kind of moral therapeutic deism in the Book of Jeremiah hasn’t read any verse of Jeremiah above or behind this verse.

The Book of Jeremiah is all about God disrupting his people’s plans and upending his people’s dreams. This verse comes in the context of a shocking message from the prophet. Those “left behind” in Jerusalem—anchored around the temple and the throne—assume that their relative fortune is a sign that God is for them, while those carted off in captivity to Babylon are seen to be under God’s curse. It’s not just those in Jerusalem who are tempted to think this way; those in Babylon are tempted to think it too. Israel’s God seems distant to them, and they seem as though they’ve been raptured away from the promises to Abraham. Jeremiah says, though, that God’s judgment will fall on Jerusalem, and that God’s purposes will come to being through the exiles.

This isn’t actually good news for any of the hearers. The Jerusalem establishment chafes at this message, and finds prophets who will say that peace is just around the corner. For the exiles, the message isn’t a cheery one either, at least in the short-term. In Jeremiah’s letter to them, they are told that their return from exile won’t happen anytime in their generation, so they should create new lives in Babylon.

So how does this passage apply to you? Well, Jeremiah 29:11 must be read in the context of the whole Book of Jeremiah, and the Book of Jeremiah must be read in the context of Israel’s story. But all of Jeremiah and Israel’s entire story must be read in the context of God’s purposes in Jesus Christ. All the promises of God “find their yes in him” (2 Cor. 1:20). If we are in Christ, then all of the horrors of judgment warned about in the prophets have fallen on us, in the cross, where we were united to Christ as he bore the curse of the Law (Gal. 3:13). And, if we are in Christ, then all of the blessings promised to Abraham’s offspring are now ours, since we are united to the heir of all those promises (Gal. 3:14-29).

Through Jeremiah, God told the exiles that their scattering isn’t accidental. God has plans for them, plans that include even what seems chaotic and random. Moreover, these plans mean that the exile isn’t permanent. That isn’t because of their faithfulness but because of God’s promise to Abraham—a promise that was itself looking forward to Abraham’s son, the Lord Jesus (Rom. 4). And indeed, the exiles didn’t stay scattered. God restored them to their home. Why? He brought them home because through them “according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever” (Rom. 9:5).

Moreover, God tells us that since we are in Christ, we are strangers and exiles in this time between the times (Heb. 11:13; 1 Pet. 2:11). We suffer, we bleed, we die—and through all that we are tempted to think that this means that God has abandoned us. We conclude that we are “as sheep to be slaughtered” (Rom. 8:36). Not so, the gospel word tells us.

God has a plan for us, in Christ. That plan is not for our destruction but for our well-being. We are being conformed into the image of Christ—by sharing in his suffering—and our ultimate end is not as victims but as victors, as joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:12-39).

How do we know this? We know it the way the exiles of old did: not by observing our present condition but by the word of God, his oath and his covenant. That means that our plans may evaporate. Our dreams may be crushed. Our lives might be snuffed out. But the God who raised Jesus from the dead will raise us up with him.

Does Jeremiah 29:11 apply to you? If you are in Christ, you can count on it. The passage doesn’t promise you the kind of future American culture prizes, and maybe even promises a future you would tremble at it if you saw it in a crystal ball. Short-term, you may suffer. But, long-term, your future is co-signed with Christ. That’s a future for your welfare, and not for evil, a future of hope, not of despair.

This article originally appeared here.

Why Small Group Coaching Matters

By

Allen White

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November 6, 2017

In conversations with small group pastors from some of the largest small group ministries in the country, I’ve learned that many have completely given up on coaching group leaders. Others are on the other extreme and hire coaches. Whether your approach is the “phone-a-friend” method or the metachurch model, here are some reasons coaching is significant.

More Group Leaders Will Quit BEFORE a Study Begins Than After.

From the moment someone offers to be a Leader/Host/Friend and start a group, they need a coach. I have seen more potential group leaders stall between the invitation to lead and the start of the study than at any point in the process. Most groups who actually do the first study or first semester will continue on, but groups that fail to start tend to not continue.

It is mission critical for a leader to have a coach from when they say “Yes” until the end of the study. You may ask, “But, what about the rest of our group leaders?” Here’s the deal, if your other groups have survived without a coach, put that on the back burner and start coaching your new leaders now.

People Hate Meetings.

You’re probably frustrated that your group leaders don’t show up for your training. The short of it is people simply hate meetings, especially when the topics don’t affect them. How do you train your leaders if they won’t come to meetings? Coach them.

Rather than coaches being your spies or your report-takers, have the coaches train the group leaders on what the leaders actually need training on. It’s not cookie cutter. It’s customized to what the leader is currently facing. If you are answering the questions your leaders are asking, then they will become very interested in training. But, what is training?

What if training, especially on-going training, is not a note sheet and a PowerPoint presentation? Training could be a short video emailed out to your leaders. Training could be a short conversation. Training could be solving a current problem. Training should come from the coach.

But, if the coaches do the training, what do small group pastors/directors do? Train the coaches and build a small group team. By working at a higher level in your small group structure, you can have a greater impact and get much further faster.

You Can’t Successfully Coach More Than Eight Leaders Yourself.

Why eight? That’s my number. I tried to coach 30 leaders once. There’s wasn’t much coaching going on. What I discovered is eight is great. In a church under 1,000 adults, your eight might be your coaches or small group team. In a church over 1,000 adults, your eight is definitely a small group team. Just follow the pattern Jethro gave Moses in Exodus 18.

Let’s face it—most small group pastors/directors wear more hats than just small group ministry. If that’s the case with you, then you certainly can’t coach all of your leaders by yourself. Consider your best and brightest leaders. Could they coach? Let them give it a try.

But, there’s a much bigger reason to invest in coaching—you won’t always have as many groups as you currently have. You’re going to have more! How are you going to serve your group leaders when you have twice as many as you have now? It happened to me in one day! Plan for where you want your groups to grow. Recruit coaches even before you recruit leaders!

Coaching will make all of the difference in both starting and supporting group leaders. No doubt building a coaching structure is the hardest work of small group ministry.

The only thing harder is not having one.

This article originally appeared here.

When Tiredness Is a Gift

By

Brooklyn Lindsey

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November 6, 2017

I am tired.

And it’s OK.

I used to think that being tired was a sign of weakness.

But now I think it’s a gift. It is the knowledge that it’s time to be still.

Together we can say, the stillness is good—it’s called for, it’s necessary.

I guess it’s why I haven’t been writing much.

Sometimes, things just need to wait.

In ministry we find ourselves invested. Bright lights leading the way.

Like an exploding firework, we are fired up and then drift down.

Loud screams of life fizzle to silence.

We hope, even as we come down from the bright moments.

Hoping our smoldering embers cause no harm in their descent.

Protect our families. Our children. Our friends.

As we land softly in the grass of grace.

Post camp. Post experience. Post “I gave it everything I had in me”.

We retreat. We die to self. We wither not in weakness. We wake up in wonder.

We are not going to lose control.

Nothing has to feel out of control.

Unplug your performance orientation and put your feet up.

Let the comfort of God’s abilities give you peace over your inabilities.

Let the stability of an unchanging ever patient all powerful loving God give you rest.

There will be a season when there is more.

But for now, this is enough.

We’re supposed to rest.

And call it good.

It’s so good.

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Is there something that can wait or be put on hold, in order for you to be able to enter into sacred rest? As I was mentoring Lexus this morning, I heard myself say to her that 100 percent commitment shouldn’t always equal 100 percent engagement. Jesus is our example as he withdrew with a few of his friends, or often by himself, to rest, to pray, to be emptied and then filled again. It’s vital for me. What does rest look like for you?

This article originally appeared here.

Dear Pastor’s Wife, You Are Not Disadvantaged

By

Megan Hill

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November 6, 2017

I’m having second thoughts about those “serving your pastor’s wife” articles. In 2011, Mark Driscoll wrote “Loving the Pastor’s Wife”; then, just a few weeks ago, a pastor named Ryan Huguley wrote a popular, and related, post called “6 Ways to Serve Your Pastor’s Wife on Sunday.” His list is very practical, especially tailored to the needs of women (like me!) who are married to the pastor of a small church and have small children. His six suggestions are: Remember that Sundays are different for her, pray for her, have realistic expectations of her, encourage her, go talk to her, and don’t forget she has kids.

These articles are valuable. Thinking about how to serve one another, even thinking about how to serve certain groups of people with specific needs, is the way of Christ. I appreciate the compassion being advocated by these posts, and, when Huguley tells church members to bring their pastor’s wife a cup of coffee on Sunday morning, well, I certainly wouldn’t turn a dark roast down.

But, as a pastor’s wife, I’m not sure these kinds of posts establish a helpful way to think about myself.

First, they can aid my temptation to feel entitled. (Hey! Why don’t people in my church give me a hospitality allowance, save me a pew, designate my parking spot?)

But I think they can also create a false impression: Pastors’ wives are disadvantaged.

Driscoll and Huguley both rightly say, “The pastor’s wife is simply to be a Christian church member like everyone else.” Agreed. But, coupled with the lists of needs and challenges, this statement seems contradictory. The pastor’s wife in their articles appears both deserving of special treatment and, at the same time, crippled in her efforts to be a Christian. True; you are not “more” because you are a pastor’s wife.

But you are not “less,” either.

I’d like to supplement Dricoll and Huguley’s well-intentioned posts with Five Precious Truths for a Pastor’s Wife on Sunday (or Any Day):

(1) You are not alone.

Do you dread worshipping without a husband beside you? Yes, says the elderly widow, three rows back, and the single woman who always slips in late. Do you struggle to be generous on a small budget? Yes, says the wife whose husband was laid off in October. Do you feel like people have unrealistic expectations of you?

Yes, says every woman everywhere.

Instead of allowing your struggles to isolate you from the body of Christ, feeling yourself to be in a unique category, you can use them to find connection with dozens of others who seek grace in the same situations.

(2) Your children are not a liability.

They squirm and squeal. They run up and down the aisles because, truly, they feel at home at church. And they have souls that will never die. Bringing them to church, paying attention to them and helping them to become worshippers is not an inconvenience. It’s ministry.

(3) Your husband is helping you.

Yes, he is up front and you are in the fourth row. But he is preaching the words of life to your soul. How many women would love to have a husband who would even read his own Bible, let alone labor in the word for the good of his wife? On Sunday morning, standing in the pulpit, your husband is teaching you to become more like Christ. He is helping.

(4) Your worship is pleasing to God.

You may have been stopped by chatty church members on your way to worship. You may have kids and responsibilities and expectations and weariness and secret burdens. But none of that makes you unable to offer acceptable worship.

When you sing, you add your voice to the never-ending heavenly anthem. When you pray, your prayers fill the bowls in front of the very throne of God. When you listen to the Word, the Spirit goes to work in your heart, cultivating holiness.

When you worship God in the assembly of the saints, you please the Lord—which is your highest aim.

(5) You are being served.

Christ came “not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Whether or not the members of your congregation bring you a gift card or a cup of dark roast, you have been served. Christ, the suffering servant, comes to you bearing eternal fellowship with Him.

It is more than enough.

Megan Hill is the author of Praying Together: The Priority and Privilege of Prayer in Our Homes, Communities, and Churches (Crossway/TGC). She is a pastor’s wife and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and four children. This article first appeared on her blog, SundayWomen, and is reprinted here with permission.

The Top Preaching Books to Read Before the End of the Year

By

Brandon Kelley

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November 6, 2017

2017. It’s a new year where many of us have set new goals to work toward in our home, our church and our life overall. My hope is that one of your goals is to grow in your gift as a preacher of God’s word. Podcasts, blogs, YouTube and Vimeo all contain great resources for us to grow as a preacher. But there remains no other better way to learn from someone else than to dive deep into their thoughts, processes, insights and wisdom inside a book.

We want to help you find some valuable books on the subject of preaching so that you can grab them, read them, underline them, highlight them and apply what you learned from them. Also, if you have grabbed some great preaching books for this year and they are not listed below, please leave a comment below this post and share those books with us.

What About You?

We’d love to see what preaching books are on your reading list for 2017.

This article originally appeared here.

What the Bible Means When It Talks About Justice

By

Megan Briggs

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November 6, 2017

A new video by the Bible project asks a question that has come to the forefront of our cultural consciousness lately: What is justice, exactly, and who gets to define it? True to their mission, the Bible Project looks to Scripture to tackle this tough question.

“This is the bedrock of the Bible’s view of justice: All humans are equal before God and have the right to be treated with dignity and fairness no matter who you are.”

Justice in a fallen world

However, due to the fact that we live in a fallen world, people don’t always live out the principles we see in the Bible. And the stories in the Bible acknowledge this reality. “We are constantly redefining good and evil to our own advantage, at the expense of others,” the video explains.

Perhaps this is why Abraham was chosen by God to “keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice.”

But what is righteousness and justice? These words are so important and the concepts they represent so complex, sometimes we don’t fully grasp what they mean. Plus we need to look at these words and their meaning in ancient Hebrew in order to truly understand them. “Righteousness is an ethical standard that refers to right relationships between people. It’s about treating others as the image of God—with the God-given dignity they deserve.” Justice can refer to retributive justice, such as someone paying the price for stealing, but more often it refers to restorative justice. “It means going a step further—actually seeking out vulnerable people who are being taken advantage of and helping them.”

Mentions of Justice in the Bible

The video highlights a few verses that mention justice explicitly:

Proverbs 31:8-9 talks about opening your mouth for those who can’t speak for themselves.

Jeremiah 22:3 “Rescue the disadvantaged, and don’t tolerate oppression or violence against the immigrant, the orphan, and the widow.”

Psalm 146:7-9 “The Lord God upholds justice for the oppressed, and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free. He loves the righteous.”

Everyone is guilty of injustice

While God has given us the instructions to do righteousness and justice, we don’t always obey those instructions. Everyone is guilty of injustice on some level or another. Whether it is through explicit acts of oppressing other people or through our complacency—everyone has participated in injustice at some point.

God’s response to our disobedience is the life and example of Jesus Christ. Jesus showed us a radical way of life. He offered mercy and kindness to those who didn’t deserve it. Jesus was truly righteous and showed us how to be righteous. Jesus was the word made flesh, and he lived a life of justice and righteousness as an example for us.

But even though we have the example of Jesus to follow, the work of justice is still very hard. “It’s courageously making other people’s problems my problems,” the narrators explain. “This is what Jesus meant by loving your neighbor as yourself.”

If you enjoyed this video from the Bible Project, you’ll like these as well:

Animated Explanation of ‘The Messiah’

Do You Understand the Psalms?

Understanding the Book of Proverbs

The Gospel of the Kingdom

We Are First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas

By

Thom Rainer

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November 6, 2017

According to the latest reports, at least 26 people are dead, including the pastor’s 14-year-old daughter. Many more are wounded. Families are devastated. The small community is in shock. My words are not adequate.

But these things I will do:

I will pray. I will pray for the families of those killed and wounded. I will pray for the church. I will pray for the community. I will pray for Pastor Frank Pomeroy as he leads and comforts his congregation in the midst of his own grief. I will pray for the shooter’s family.
I will trust God for His comfort, His promise, and His guidance for those affected.
I will pray for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be magnified in this tragedy.
And I will embrace in spirit the members of First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs. I will identify with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

We are First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs.

We are your brothers and sisters in Christ.

We pray for you. We care for you. We love you.

Please, readers, join me in sharing your own prayers and love for this church and all those impacted by this tragedy.

This article originally appeared here.

3 Ways the Holy Spirit Helped Spurgeon Preach

By

Neal Thornton

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November 5, 2017

Every preacher has been there, probably last Sunday. The music is playing, people are singing and the preacher, well he’s praying. Because he’s about to stand and preach. The Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, surely did the same. He was remembered as having prayed, “I believe in the Holy Ghost,” while making his weekly pulpit ascent at the 5,000-seat London Metropolitan Tabernacle.

Spurgeon prayed, and rightly so, because he understood there to be a connection—between the Holy Spirit and the preaching event. That is to say, Spurgeon saw a relationship between the operation of the Spirit and the proclamation of the Word.

In his book The Forgotten Spurgeon, Iain Murray recounts:

“The true explanation of Spurgeon’s ministry, then, is to be found in the person and power of the Holy Spirit. He was himself deeply conscious of this. It was not men’s admiration he wanted, but he was jealous that they should stand in awe of God. ‘God has come unto us, not to exalt us, but to exalt Himself.’” (Murray, The Forgotten Spurgeon, 38.)

The Prince of Preachers believed preaching to be a spiritual enterprise—a Holy Spirit endeavor. Spiritual assignments require spiritual attention. Therefore, the Spirit is the sine qua non of gospel preaching, the one ingredient to the preaching event that without which nothing else matters.

“The Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. Without Him our office is a mere name.”

The preaching task is made effective only by a spiritual means—the attention and anointing of the Holy Spirit. The preacher longs for the Spirit’s attendance, that the Spirit might engage and apprehend the souls of men. “Our hope of success, and our strength for continuing the service, lie in our belief that the Spirit of the Lord rest upon us” (Lectures, 197).

The Spirit must attend. The Spirit makes the dull minds bright. He makes the dry bones flesh. And He makes the dead men live. Only with the Spirit comes an otherworldly power to our otherwise weak and mortal preaching. “We cannot do it without power,” said Spurgeon (All-Round, 29).

In terms of sermon delivery, how might the Spirit help us in our weakness? Spurgeon suggest the following:

1. Power and Freedom – The Spirit is our Live Coal

As Isaiah’s lips were touched, so must ours be. The Spirit touches our ministry in a way and in a wonder, which no human method or means can avail. Let the Word go! Preach the Word! The preacher has Bible in hand and text in heart. The Spirit works to anoint the preacher to speak with a liberty and freedom to exalt the risen Christ.

“How gloriously a man speaks when his lips are blistered with the live coal from the altar—feeling the burning power of the truth, not only in his inmost soul, but on the very lips with which he is speaking!” (Lectures, 203).

2. Control and Restraint – The Spirit is our Bit and Bridle

May God control our tongues! May we never eclipse the cross with a misspoken word or a misplaced tone. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in the demonstration and power of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:4). May the Spirit keep us from ourselves, that we might not sin against him.

“We need the Spirit of God to put a bit and bridle upon us to keep us from saying that which would take the minds of our hearers away from Christ and eternal realities, and set them thinking upon the groveling things of the earth” (Lectures, 203).

3. Strength and Devotion – The Spirit is our Anointing Oil

The Spirit of God relates to our entire course delivery. May there be an intense desire to bring God glory through all we do behind his sacred desk. “You are conscious of a deep sympathy with the people to whom you are speaking,” said Spurgeon, “making you mourn over some of them because they know so little, and over others because they know so much, but have rejected it” (Lectures, 204-205).

“The Spirit works to maintain our mind of devotion. We continue praying while we are occupied preaching. Look to the hills whence cometh your help all the sermon through…from the first word to the last syllable, we may be looking up to the strong for strength” (Lectures, 205).

A Final Word on Pride

We all fight it. The notion that we can do this thing we call preaching—in our own strength. That’s called spiritual, ministerial pride. Seminary degrees, preaching experience and accolades from others—yes we can. No, we cannot.

Fellows preachers, do you long for a power that is otherworldly? Do you long for the supernatural to be in your midst? Then ask the Lord of Hosts to attend your preaching.

“The fact is, the secret to all ministerial success lies in prevalence at the mercy seat.”

Charles Spurgeon prepared his sermons on his knees. “The best and holiest men have ever made prayer the most important part of pulpit preparation,” he said (Lectures, 45).

Spurgeon knew men prepared sermons, but only God prepared men.

And God is looking for prepared men. Listen to the Prince of Preachers say, “None are so able to plead with men as those who have been wrestling with God on their behalf” (Lectures, 46). Preacher, your strength comes from outside or you, from on High.

May God not leave us to ourselves. May the Holy Ghost always attend our work, in power and grace. Remember, the preacher alone may stand; but the preacher to whom the Spirit attends, is never standing alone.

This article was written by Neal Thornton and has been adapted from Southeastern Seminary’s Center for Preaching and Pastor Leadership blog.

This article originally appeared here.

Bad Math…Why Just Planting More Churches Is Not Enough

By

Greg Stier

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November 5, 2017

There is a church planting frenzy in America. It’s the thing these days. And speaking as a former church planter I can see why. It is one of the most exciting, faith-stretching and rewarding areas of ministry an entrepreneurial pastor/preacher/pioneer can tackle.

But there are over 300,000 Protestant churches in America and there are only 35,000 cities and towns. How many more new church plants do we need?

The answer is not always more, more, more! In this case I’m convinced it’s more, more, better!

Yes, we need more churches in more corners of our cities. But we need better evangelistically effective churches in every part of our cities!

We’re just doing bad math. We automatically think that we can increase one side of the equation and that is enough.

It is not!

If I’m doing a multiplication problem and I want to get a bigger end number (aka “product“) I need to increase one, and ideally, both of the factors I’m multiplying by.

To illustrate let’s say the average church leads two people to Christ per year (which, sadly, may be accurate!). Based on these factors 300,000 churches x 2 new converts per year = 600,000 believers annually.

If we accelerate the number of new churches being planted per year from 5,000 (ish) to 10,000 (and the same number of new disciples being made applies) then that’s an additonal 20,000 new believers being plugged into these churches per year.

But compared to a population of 320,000,000 in America and 2,600,000 (ish) deaths per year, 620,000 new disciples being added to the kingdom seems paltry by comparison.

I mean you got to at least beat the death rate right? And 620,000 new disciples is less than one fourth of the way there!

So, for the most part, the answer we have had is simply increasing the number of church plants. But if we are planting the same brand of purely attractional (as opposed to Gospel Advancing, disciple multiplying) churches then we are never going to close the gap.

We must increase the factors on both sides of the math equation. We must, not only increase the number of churches we are planting but, the number of disciples being made in existing and newly planted churches as well!

Let’s do the math again. But this time let’s increase the other side of the equation as well.

Let’s say we can improve the factor on the soul saving/year side of our church math equation. Let’s say that the 300,000 churches that already exist in the United States could be equipped to reach and disciples 10 (as opposed to two) new converts per year. That would be 3,000,000 new disicples made annually. Keeping with the 10,000 churches being planted per year (along with 10 new disciples being made annually) that would be an additional 100,000 new believers being plugged into these new churches per year!

All together that’s 3,100,000 new disciples plugged into churches annually! That number beats the annual death rate…always a good thing to beat the Grim Reaper in a foot race!

I’m no mathematician but this strategy seems to add up.

So the real question is how do we get both of our math factors up? And the answer is, of course, planting more churches and going back to a cutting edge strategy (that’s actually 2,000 years old) in all of our churches!

We call this philosophy of ministry Gospel Advancing. It’s based on seven values from the book of Acts that were active in many early churches and caused them to thrive.

These same Gospel Advancing values can help you with your disciple making math! Check out Gospeladvancing.com to find out more. There’s a diagnostic you can take to gauge where you are at on these values. There are 12 training videos you can watch to help you on your way to becoming a Gospel Advancing church that is exponentially growing (whether your church is 30 days or 30 years old!).

Although this website is designed for youth leaders, the values, training and best practices can be easily adapted and adopted on a church-wide level. More and more pastors are using these values to drive their ministry strategies!

Let’s do the math. Let’s start multiplying!

This article originally appeared here.

3 Easy Ways for Ministry Leaders to Stay Spiritually Fed

By

Amber Hall

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November 5, 2017

If you work in ministry, specifically children’s ministry, you have likely felt the ironic struggle of constantly “feeding” others spiritually while trying to stay spiritually nourished yourself. It’s a continuous battle that ministry leaders face, but it’s extremely important. It’s very difficult to lead others to places you have not been yourself. We must be spiritually healthy if we expect to help others be the same.

That being said, how can children’s ministry leaders stay spiritually nourished when they are always having to be out of the worship services or Bible studies because of the demands of their roles? Here are three easy ways you can do this:

Develop a personal quiet time, separate from lesson preparation.

We all know how important it is to have a quiet time. For ministry leaders however, it can become extremely tempting and easy to call our lesson preparation our quiet time. After all, we are reading the Bible and praying to get our lessons together, so why wouldn’t it be?

There’s just something about taking time to meet with God, that’s just for you and Him. You shouldn’t always be worried about creating an object lesson, craft or game with what you are reading. Having time where you can simply read, pray and reflect on how God wants to apply those verses to your life is extremely important.

Listen to messages via websites or podcasts.

This one really needs no explanation. If you aren’t able to hear a message or Bible study taught by someone else, you can listen to them on church websites or through podcasts in the iTunes store. Perhaps even your church records messages you could acquire and put in your weekly listening routine on your way to or from work.

Find someone to meet regularly with you to discuss a book and/or Scripture.

Having someone to hold you accountable in your quiet time and to discuss issues you may be dealing with is important. When we talk to others about our struggles and how God is working in us, it allows us to learn from one another and become stronger, sharper tools for His use. In fact, it’s so important that God made certain He included something about that in the Bible.

“IRON SHARPENS IRON, AND ONE MAN SHARPENS ANOTHER.” – PROVERBS 27:17 (ESV)

So how do you stay spiritually fed? Do you have a daily routine?

How to Care for Your Small Group Leaders

By

Tracey Ware

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November 5, 2017

My husband and I recently travelled from Australia to New York. While we were there, we visited the 9/11 Memorial Site. It was a very moving experience for us, however amidst the sadness I heard this story:

“A Callery pear tree became known as the “Survivor Tree” after enduring the September 11, 2001, terror attacks at the World Trade Center. In October 2001, the tree was discovered at Ground Zero severely damaged, with snapped roots and burned and broken branches. The tree was removed from the rubble and placed in the care of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. After its recovery and rehabilitation, the tree was returned to the Memorial in 2010. New, smooth limbs extended from the gnarled stumps, creating a visible demarcation between the tree’s past and present. Today, the tree stands as a living reminder of resilience, survival and rebirth” (911memorial.org).

It took nine years of tender loving care before the tree could be replanted. And now with ongoing care this tree flourishes year after year after year. It made me think about the level of initial care and ongoing care we need to give to our small group leaders if we want them to flourish in their role year after year.

As we all know in small group ministry we can experience many positive moments but we also face frustration, disappointment and discouragement which can often be detrimental and damaging. So the question is how can we care for our small group leaders? These three ideas may be of help to you, and/or be a springboard for you to come up with some ideas of your own!

Idea 1 – Develop Peer-Care

In my experience I have found grouping leaders in small groups (three to four) to meet quarterly has had real merit in establishing a sense of care. When leaders meet this way they share ideas, listen to each other’s challenges, feel cared for, recognize they are not alone and pray for each other. Over time relationships develop and care and support happen naturally. This is an absolutely great addition to the care you give leaders in your role as small group point person.

Idea 2 – Value Leadership Time Out

Creating an environment where it is seen to be ‘OK’ to have time out from small group leadership is a great gift of care we can give our leaders. For small groups to thrive and flourish we need leaders:

Who are energized and passionate
Who know that is OK to take a break if they need one (obviously there needs to be a plan and clarity around how this will happen)
Who don’t feel trapped in their role. If the current leader needs a break but there is no one within the group who will take on the leadership role, then maybe the whole group needs a ‘rethink.’

Idea 3 – Prioritize Shared Leadership

I am a very enthusiastic believer that a healthy group shares the leadership.

I recognize that it is important to have a designated leader who has oversight and accountability for the group, but that does not mean that the leader does everything. In fact, I would say that is not very caring!

If we want to care for our small group leaders we must develop a philosophy/structure in our small group ministry, which encourages group members to share responsibilities. A great way for a group member to mature and grow as a leader is to lead a group session. This process can begin slowly by assigning them the discussion time, leading the prayer or organizing social gatherings. There are many ways for a member to become a leader—they simply need to be given an opportunity.

I recognize that most small group leaders do not experience the harsh damage that the Callery pear tree underwent in the events of 9/11 and certainly do not need the level of care it needed. However, they do need to be cared for and we have the privilege and honor of making sure this care happens.

Questions to reflect on:

How does the idea of ‘Peer Care’ fit into your small group ministry system/structure?
How well does your philosophy/structure embrace a leader who may need ‘Time Out’?
What steps could you take to develop a culture of shared leadership in your groups?
Is there one idea in this article which you could share with your small group leadership team?

This article originally appeared here.

3 Things You Don’t Know About Your Children and Sex

By

Anne Marie Miller

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November 5, 2017

Dear Parents, Please allow me a quick moment to introduce myself before we go much further. My name is Anne Marie Miller. I’m 33 years old. I’m newly married to a wonderful man named Tim. We don’t have any children yet, but we plan to.

For the purpose of this letter, you need to know I’m a recovering addict. Pornography was my drug of choice.

I grew up in the church—the daughter of a Southern Baptist preacher man with a passion for learning the Bible. I was the honors student; the athlete; the girl who got along with everyone from the weird kids to the popular ones.

It was a good life. I was raised in a good home.

It was 1996, I was 16 and the Internet was new. After my family moved from a sheltered, conservative life in west Texas to the ethnically and sexually diverse culture of Dallas/Fort Worth, I found myself lonely, curious and confused.

Because of the volatile combination of life circumstances—the drastic change of scenery when we moved, my dad’s depression, and a youth pastor who sexually abused me during my junior year of high school—I turned to the Internet for education. I didn’t know what certain words meant or if what the youth pastor was doing to me was good or bad, and I was too afraid to ask.

What started as an innocent pursuit of knowledge quickly escalated into a coping mechanism.

When I looked at pornography, I felt a feeling of love and safety—at least for a brief moment. But those brief moments of relief disappeared and I was left even more ashamed and confused than when I started. Pornography provided me both an emotional and a sexual release.

For five years I carried this secret. I was 21 when I finally opened up to a friend only because she opened up to me first about her struggle with sexual sin.

We began a path of healing in 2001, and for the last 12 years, although not a perfect journey, I can say with great confidence that God has set me free from that addiction and from the shame that followed. I returned to school to study the science behind addiction and family dynamics.

Over the last six years, I’ve had the opportunity to share my story in a variety of venues: thousands of college students, men, women and teens. This summer, I was invited to speak at several camps to both junior high and high school students, and it’s without exaggeration that I tell you with each year I counsel students, the numbers and the stories shock me more and more.

There are more students compulsively looking at pornography at younger ages and with greater frequency than ever before.

3 Reasons You Should Not Pursue Full-Time Ministry

By

Dan Reiland

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November 5, 2017

It is wonderful to be called into full time ministry, but be careful of being hasty about your decision to pursue that path.

The mission of the church is amazing. It’s all about transformation. We are all separated from God until we are redeemed by the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.

We are saved by grace, but we are also changed by grace.

What is that transformation intended to accomplish? Certainly to worship God and live a life of biblical values, but to what end?

We are all called to ministry (Ephesians 4:11-13). So that the whole body of Christ becomes mature attaining the fullness of Christ. (Transformed!)

A great question is: Are you called to full time vocational ministry or marketplace ministry? Both are equally valid and powerful.

There is nothing larger or more significant than the Kingdom of God and our privilege to serve and advance the mission. Whether you represent Jesus on staff at a church or as someone in the marketplace, we’re all on the same team.

One of my great personal passions is to see sharp young teens and adults called to vocational ministry, but I’m also aware that those numbers will always be small compared to the gigantic army of Christians who are out in business and the nonprofit sectors of society. It is this “army” that will be counted amongst the greatest force ever to change the world.

What to Beware of with Full Time Ministry

With that context in mind, here are three things that are not good reasons to pursue full time vocational ministry.

1) You think God is calling you to full time ministry but you are not sure.

The truth is, if there is anything other than a full time ministry that you can do and be fulfilled, happy and productive, you should do it. Only follow a path to full time ministry if God’s call gives you no other option. Don’t experiment with full time ministry. If you are unsure, serve as a leader in your church first. Test your call by looking for:

“Fruit” (very productive results) and joy (deep meaning and satisfaction)
Confirmation from church leadership
Doors opening with opportunities for you to serve at a church

How to Find Your Fit: 3 Clues to Your Calling

By

Gabe Kolstad

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November 5, 2017

One key skill separates effective leaders from ineffective ones: the ability to find their fit. According to the American Institute of Stress, “job-fit” is a leading factor in workplace satisfaction and performance, it stands to reason that your leadership impact can multiply by making sure you’re doing the things you should be.

How can you do it? By finding the intersection of these three clues to your calling…

Clue #1: God’s Heart. This may seem painfully obvious, but the place to begin finding your fit is with the One who created you. This is all about practicing intentional acts; not just random ones. The question to ask is not just “What does God care deeply about?” Go one step further and ask, “What does God care deeply about that strikes a chord in my heart?” Finding that overlap puts you on the fast track to discovering what God designed you to do. A few years ago we experienced this on our own staff team at the church I lead. We had been stalled out for a number of reasons, but when we took the time to discover our own unique strengths and align our responsibilities accordingly, momentum and morale picked up quickly.

Clue #2: Your Strengths. These days there are endless resources on this topic to help you find your way. One of my favorites is the Leading From Your Strengths profile. This team-friendly tool highlights your “natural” versus “adapted” style. This report helped our team make the necessary adjustments to get moving again. As a Lead Pastor, I found that since I was serving outside of my strengths, our whole team was being negatively impacted. Getting that right brought all of us relief and energy. To get thinking about your strengths, try asking these three questions: (1) What comes naturally to you? (2) What do you enjoy? and (3) What do other people recognize in you? For me, being in front of a room full of curious people who want to learn is one of the things that lights me on fire. I love the challenge of presenting and navigating new ideas with people. Do you know what your unique ability is?

Clue #3: People’s Needs. Wherever you live, I’m sure you’ve noticed some things that are still not done. Some things aren’t right. You naturally see the gap between how it is and how it should be. And that’s a good thing, because if you didn’t see it, things might just stay the same. One of my favorite books of all time is Bill Hybels’ Holy Discontent, where I learned that it is OK to focus my attention on what bothers me, and find out why. Locking in on that big need or opportunity can be the motivating force that puts you over the top and gets you moving in the right direction.

When Joseph emerged as a leader in Egypt (see Genesis 39-50) he discovered the intersection of these three clues. God’s heart was to save people from disaster. Joseph’s strengths were administration, planning and leadership. And the people’s need was food. Joseph found his sweet spot when he took his place as second in command in all of Egypt. Finding his fit allowed him to plan and carry out one of the most brilliant schemes in history, providing food and making a difference for millions of people.

Have you found your fit yet?

This article originally appeared here.

Pastor Porn: 5 Ways the Internet Is Reshaping a Church Leader’s Soul

By

Carey Nieuwhof

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November 3, 2017

If you’re a pastor or preacher of any kind, you probably feel the pressure more than you ever have. I was having lunch with another conference speaker last week at an event I was speaking at, and we were talking about the pressure of communicating well.

We both commiserated that we felt incredible and unhealthy pressure to make an audience laugh and tell amusing stories because it seems that’s what almost everyone else does these days.

He asked me whether I’ve always felt that pressure and suddenly, for me, the light went on.

Actually, no. I never used to feel that pressure.

My mind went back to 1995 when I first started preaching regularly. I don’t ever remember thinking I needed to be funny or engaging.

I know this sounds altruistic (and it will be hard to understand if you’re under 35 and have only really known a connected world), but I just wanted to do a good job bringing God’s word to life in a relevant way that would help reach more people.

The more I thought about it, the more I wondered whether I ever thought about telling funny stories in the first decade of ministry. I actually don’t think it was ever a conscious thought.

I wondered why, and then it hit me.

There was no Internet. Or at least not the Internet we know today.

Sure, I and about 20 percent of the population had dial-up access, but the Internet in those days was like hunting for food with clubs in the caveman era. There was pretty much no audio, and definitely no video. Only the rich had cell phones, and they were dumb phones, not smart phones. You used them to make phone calls and that was it.

To listen to another speaker or preacher, you had to order the cassette or CD by mail (remember those?) and you had to pay for them. Which means, practically speaking, few ever did.

As a result, there was just you and your congregation. And maybe the churches within a 20-mile radius, which you had to visit to see what was going on. Which means, again, practically speaking few ever did.

All I wanted to do was to speak to our church in a way that was accurate to the Scriptures and in a way that helped them as much as possible.

And I did. We saw incredible growth and life change.

And Then the Internet Happened

My goodness, how things have changed.

We still see growth and life-change at our church, for which I’m exceptionally grateful, and I still preach regularly. But I now feel a pressure I never used to feel when I’m preaching. An unhealthy pressure.

My friend diagnosed the problem as pastor porn. As soon as he said it, I knew what he meant.

The explosion of the Internet and availability of instant media anytime, anywhere, in any field means we now have the ability to instantly compare ourselves, grade ourselves and measure ourselves against the best communicators and preachers on planet earth. Or forget other preachers—you can find TED talks, comedians or other professional communicators any day, all day.

And not only do we do that, hundreds or thousands of the people we lead have exactly the same access. And many use it.

Which means us locals are being compared against the greatest speakers and leaders on the planet. Not just by ourselves, but by everyone.

In the same way porn is killing intimacy in marriage, pastor porn is killing health in congregations.

And consequently, you and I feel a pressure we never used to.

I’m not claiming any of these are good things.

I’m just saying they’re real things. And we aren’t 100 percent sure how to navigate the tension.

Here are five ways the Internet is reshaping the lives and souls of church leaders and ministry.

1. Good Preaching Brings Less Reward Than It Used To

Before we became so connected, good preaching was adequate to help grow a church.

After all, most people only knew the preaching of any other church they’d attended, whether that’s the church they grew up in or a church in another town, or the church down the road they used to go to.

Even unchurched people had almost no sense of what good preaching was because they had nothing to compare it to.

As long as you were a decent preacher who could bridge the biblical world with our world, you were effective. If you were a terrible communicator, sure your church would pay a price. But if you could hold your own, things were usually OK.

Now it’s just more complicated.

Almost everyone who visits your church has at least checked you out online, and has either heard you or watched you via podcast, your online service or your website.

They’ve also likely heard and watched other preachers, in the same way you check out the menu and reviews of different restaurants before you go there.

Now, because of a host of online options, the expectation is that every pastor will be a good or great communicator.

Which means that if you’re not as good as most, your church pays a significant price. And if you’re just as good as most others, it won’t necessarily have the same positive impact as it used to when there was little to compare it to.

Simply put, here’s the net effect: Good preaching doesn’t necessarily grow a church anymore, but bad preaching can kill it.

I’m not arguing that this is right or good. I’m just saying it’s probably true.

Yes, Christ is present in all preaching.

And even if your congregation doesn’t actually have the attention span of a goldfish, something’s changed.

Continue

6 Truths About Weak Faith And Little Prayers

By

Paul David Tripp

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November 3, 2017

The 12th chapter of Acts depicts terrible and violent times for the Christians of the early church. If you live in the peaceful West, you’ll find it hard to relate to what it was like to live under constant threat and in constant fear simply because of what you believe. Sadly, there are millions of our brothers and sisters around the world who reside in regions where violence is a regular response to biblical faith.

Herod, the king at the time, wasn’t much of a theologian; he didn’t oppose the followers of Christ because of their specific beliefs. What he was concerned about more than anything was retaining his position of political power. If the Jewish leaders began to cause conflict in his territory, it would bring on him the negative attention of Caesar. Because the Sadducees and Pharisees saw those who followed Jesus as a threat, Herod set out to crush this ‘insurgent sect’ of Christians.

Herod began to lay violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter and put him in prison (v. 1-3). It wasn’t hard for Peter’s brothers and sisters in Christ to guess what would happen next. Herod was going to make a public spectacle out of Peter’s execution and gain even more support from the Jewish leaders that was critical for retaining control.

THE POWER OF PRAYER

The early church at that time had no political power, and therefore no way of convincing Herod to release Peter. Yet they were not without influence! Jesus had modeled for his followers the most powerful tool that any group of people could ever use: prayer. So, in faith, “earnest prayer for him (Peter) was made to God by the church” (v. 5, parentheses mine).

As the church prayed, God answered. An angel appeared in Peter’s cell, his chains fell off, and the angel told him to get dressed and to follow. Even Peter wasn’t prepared for God to answer in this way! Put yourself in his sandals. Just like Peter (see verse 9), we would have probably asked, “Is this a dream? Am I having a vision? Will I wake up from an optimistic sleep walk to the miserable reality that I’m still in chains and facing death?”

It wasn’t until Peter had passed all the guards and was out on the street that he came to himself and realized that this was, in fact, real life! He had been freed by a power infinitely greater than Herod or Caesar would ever possess: the power of the Lord Almighty. Probably still in some disbelief, he proclaimed, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting” (v. 11). And what were the Jewish people expecting? His public execution, which would have been a horrifying blow to the fledgling band of Jesus followers.

THE BIBLE CAN BE AMUSING

It’s important as we read these stories of faith to immerse ourselves in the narrative. We should feel the terror and discouragement of the early church as Herod was out on a violent quest for Christian blood. We should relate with Peter when he had doubts or confusion about God’s ability to perform rescuing wonders. And, we should laugh at the humor that this story took on next.

Once freed from prison, Peter headed to the house of Mary, where he was certain the prayer meeting for his deliverance would be held. He arrived while his brothers and sisters were still praying and started knocking. Rhoda, the servant on call, recognized Peter’s voice and was so overcome with joy that in her haste to report back to the others that their prayers had been answered, she forgot to open the gate and let him in. How funny! In a miraculous act, Peter was no longer locked up by chains, soldiers and prison bars, but he was now locked out of the house by those whom were praying fervently for his release!

Meanwhile, the believers inside didn’t believe that God had actually delivered what they were praying for, telling the servant that she’s out of her mind (v. 15). Rhoda kept insisting, but they kept retorting that it wasn’t actually Peter outside, but his angel (I didn’t know that each of us had an angel!) After who knows how long, it was Peter’s incessant knocking, bless his heart, that convinced them that either this was a very persistent angel, or that Rhoda was telling the truth. Finally, they went to the door and upon opening it, were amazed to see that God had answered their prayer in such a miraculous way.

DON’T DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM THE STORY

Whenever we read biblical stories like this, it’s natural for us to distance ourselves. Maybe it’s because of the differences in historical and cultural context, but when we do, these stories of faith lose their transformative power. Remember, the purpose of Scripture is not just to inform us of what happened, but to transform us through what happened.

Put yourself in the middle of this frightened and confused band of believers. They had seen Jesus suffer and die, but then he rose and appeared to them, demonstrating his power. He commissioned them to carry the message of eternal and abundant life before ascending into heaven, leaving them with marching orders.

Suddenly, the same opposition that led to the death of their Messiah was now targeted toward them. James had been murdered, and then Peter, probably their principle leader, had been imprisoned and was surely facing execution. They gathered to pray, but all things considered, prayer probably didn’t feel like much of a weapon. Yes, their prayers were earnest, but their expectations were low.

Isn’t that true of all of us? If you were walking in their sandals, what would you have been thinking and feeling? Would you have had questions about God, questions about his power, his presence, his goodness and his grace? Would you have found it easy to believe that the Lord would deliver Peter from chains? Would you have been riddled with doubt or plagued by fear? Would you have wondered if being a follower of Christ was worth it? Would you have wondered if the message you had staked your life on was really true after all?

6 TRUTHS ABOUT WEAK FAITH AND LITTLE PRAYERS

I love this story of faith because it encourages us to be honest about our faith and prayers as we face the realities of life in a fallen world. Six things stick out to me in the narrative:

1. There Are No Heroes of Faith

I’m heartened by the fact that that night in Mary’s house, there were no grand exemplary heroes of faith. No one was brimming with courage, no one seemed to be free from doubt, and no one seemed to be assured of what God would do. Even though they prayed, they found the power and compassion of the God to whom they were praying to be surprising.

By reminding us that there is only One hero of the faith—that is, the Lord Almighty—this story invites us to be honest about our weak faith and little prayers.

2. We Are Never Alone

No matter what we face, we never face it alone. It’s amazing enough that God is near and hears us, but ultimately what matters is that the One who is near and who does hear is in absolute control of every situation, location and relationship we pray about.

Even more amazingly, Ephesians 1:22 tells us that Jesus, sitting at the right hand of the Father, rules over all things for the sake of the church. He exercises his sovereign power over everything, not just for his own glory, but also for our redemptive good. When we remember this truth, our faith in prayer will grow stronger and replace our worry.

3. Divine Power Is Greater Than Political Power

The hope of the church is not the power of the church, but the Lord of the church! I fear how political the church has become in our day, and I fear that its desire for political power is the result of bad theology. We mistakenly think that to be a force of power, we must acquire and wield political power, because that’s the forum where the big boys make the big decisions.

This bad theology causes the church to forsake its core message, to strike questionable alliances, and to do things to get power that are unbecoming to the followers of Jesus Christ. This story of faith reminds us that the grand transformative power of the church of Jesus Christ is not political power, but spiritual power.

It’s this divine power that the gates of hell cannot stand against, and this divine power that has the ability to cast down strongholds. Herod was unable to hold Peter, not because the church had put political pressure on him, but because they had pressed their case to the King of Kings, who has the power to defeat any earthly ruler with the flick of his finger.

4. Weak Faith Is Productive, and Little Prayers Are Answered

God’s response to prayer is not directly proportional to the size and strength of the faith of the person who prayed. If that were so, most of my prayers would not be heard, and I would imagine the same is true with you! This story illustrates just the opposite, and Matthew 17:20 tells us that faith even the size of the smallest seed has the power to cast mountains into the sea.

I’m concerned about a prayer legalism that regularly affects the church. It tells us that we’re not getting answers to our prayers because we haven’t exercised enough faith. That not only leaves us feeling guilty, but also wondering what in the world we have to do to generate more faith. The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that the littlest of faith is a radical submission of yourself to the Lord, and that even the weakest of prayers is an act of worship that honors the One to whom we pray.

5. Doubt Is The Normal Experience of Every Believer

No matter how theologically astute or biblically literate you are, you’ll still have mysteries in your life. Between the ‘already’ and the ‘not yet’ there will be moments when God confuses you, when it seems like he isn’t answering, and when he feels distant and uncaring.

In other words, there will be moments when life just doesn’t make any sense! What sense does it make to commission the church to take the gospel to the world and then allow one of its principle leaders (James) to be killed and another (Peter) to be captured?

All of us will face situations like these believers when doubt, confusion and fear is more natural than confidence in God. The question is: What will you do with your doubt? Will you get mad and walk away from God, or in the pain of doubt will you cry out to God for help, exercising weak faith and little prayers?

6. God Doesn’t Mock Weak Faith or Little Prayers

This little story preaches grace to us. God didn’t ridicule the Christians gathered at Mary’s house for their weak faith and little prayers. No, he met them with comfort, encouragement and power.

You and I didn’t purchase our salvation through personal righteousness, nor do we purchase God’s answers by the strength and size of our faith and prayers. The Lord knows we’re weak, and that why he has promised to be our strength and to exercise his authority on our behalf.

Your brothers and sisters in Acts 12 teach you to quit hiding your doubt, quit denying your weakness, and quit sanitizing your struggles of faith. Confess that you’re feeble and then run to the only source of strength who will meet you where you are and do for you what you could never do for yourself.

The One to whom you pray is tender, slow to anger and abounding in love. He has promised that he’ll never turn a deaf ear to the little prayers of his children, no matter how weak.

Now that’s good news!

This resource is from Paul Tripp Ministries. For additional resources, visit www.paultripp.com. Used with permission.

3 Ways Pastors and Church Leaders Undermine Themselves on Social Media

By

Ed Stetzer

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November 2, 2017

Social media use is pervasive in American culture today. The various social media platforms we use are the 21st-century version of the town square—they are modern-day spaces to exchange ideas, learn the news and more.

Once upon a time, it was trendy to think that social media was a trend—a cultural oddity of the new millennium that would pass as quickly as it burst onto the scene.

Social media is not going away anytime soon, for better or worse. According to Pew Research Center in 2016, about 79 percent of adults who use the Internet use Facebook, 32 percent use Instagram, and 24 percent use Twitter. Of the 68 percent of all Americans who use Facebook, 76 percent of them use it daily.

Pastors and church leaders need to be in social media spaces. Here are three basic ways I see pastors and church leaders undermine themselves on social media, and some ideas about how to avoid these missteps:

1. Trying to Become Famous

It makes me sad when I see Christian leaders vying for the attention of people on social media when all they really want to do is make themselves look important. All of us can be guilty of this sort of prideful pursuit from time to time, but some pastors and church leaders do nothing on social media but try to make themselves look more influential than they actually are.

The most common way pastors and church leaders try to make themselves look more influential than they actually are is by purchasing Twitter followers or Facebook likes. Rather than spending the time to build a following of people who are interested in their content, they spend money to pad their stats and build hollow “influence.”

The ways in which trying to become famous on social media undermines the leadership of local church leaders are many.

Trying to become famous on social media takes a lot of time and effort, which causes the pastor to spend less time focusing on shepherding the flock and tending to the needs of the sheep. Trying to become famous on social media often causes church leaders to spend their own money or the church’s money in ways it shouldn’t be spent, pursuing vanity instead of ministry effectiveness.

Pastors and church leaders ought to be on social media—without a doubt—but using social media to serve yourself instead of to serve others is a slippery slope to sinful pride and a pursuit of vanishing glory.

2. Causing Unnecessary Division

Unfortunately, this pitfall often goes hand-in-hand with the first. One of the common ways pastors and church leaders try to make a name for themselves on social media is by creating unnecessary conflict or division, whether that be in Twitter fights or Facebook comment sections.

To be sure, having a social media presence of any kind means that you will likely encounter unavoidable conflict at some point. Someone will talk poorly about a friend or family member, a guest will leave a bad comment about your church, or something else. Every potential conflict on social media ought to be approached in its proper context.

Pastors and church leaders, you must understand: Engaging in unnecessary conflict on social media, regardless of the subject or how important you think it is, ultimately damages your witness and clouds people from receiving the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Stop it.

No matter how passionate you are about defending the Second Amendment, the urgency of climate change, or whatever other issue you may prefer, engaging in unnecessary conflict on social media does more damage to the church and its proclamation of the gospel than anything else.

Remember, as the saying goes, “Arguing with a fool on the Internet is like wrestling a pig—you both get dirty, and the pig likes it.”

3. Sharing Fake News

I have written about this issue at length (here, here, here and here), so I don’t need to spend a lot of virtual ink on it here. But I’ll reiterate the main point I have communicated before. We are people of truth. When people of truth participate in sharing false information, we do not just do injury to the other person and the process, but we also injure our personal reputation and testimony.

Pastors and church leaders undermine themselves on social media when they share fake news. It hurts the gospel witness of the leader and ultimately makes people wonder about the integrity of anything the leader says or does.

Social media can be a minefield for pastors and church leaders, but it doesn’t have to be. Two of my former blog managers from LifeWay (Chris Martin and Jonathan Howe) are launching a service this month called LifeWay Social. The purpose of LifeWay Social is to help pastors, church leaders and other Christian leaders steward social media wisely with an eye toward serving others people rather than ourselves. They can help you avoid the pitfalls mentioned here. I trust those guys, and they want to serve you. Head over to lifewaysocial.com for more information.

This article originally appeared here.

How to Grow in Your Prayer Life

By

Michael Guyer

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November 2, 2017

I can’t think of a year that I haven’t desired to grow more in my prayer life. This year is no different. As I listen to others, it seems this is a shared desire among many in the church. For some it is a lack of consistency. For others it is a lack of desire. Still others feel overwhelmed and distracted when they pray. What is it for you?

I was recently reminded of a sermon my pastor preached a few years ago on prayer. He gave this encouragement: Pray until you pray. Huh? That was my first reaction. What exactly does that mean?

In A Call to Spiritual Reformation, D.A. Carson explains:

Pray until you pray. That is Puritan advice. It is does not simply mean that persistence should mark much of our praying—though admittedly that is a point the Scriptures repeatedly make. … What they meant is that Christians should pray long enough and honestly enough, at a single session, to get past the feeling of formalism and unreality that attends not a little praying. We are especially prone to such feelings when we pray for only a few minutes, rushing to be done with a mere duty. … If we ‘pray until we pray,’ eventually we come to delight in God’s presence, to rest in His love, to cherish His will. … Such advice is not to become an excuse for a new legalism: there are startling examples of very short, rapid prayers in the Bible (e.g., Neh. 2:4). But in the Western world we urgently need this advice, for many of us in our praying are like nasty little boys who ring front door bells and run away before anyone answers. Pray until you pray.

This is how I will pursue growing in my prayer life this year. I want to slow down a bit, focus my mind on the Lord, and pray a little longer. I want to pray until I pray.

Pray until the pretense fades.

Pray until sin loses its appeal.

Pray until the burden is lifted.

Pray until I delight in God’s presence.

Pray until I’m seeking first the kingdom.

Pray until my heart is ready to sing His praise.

Pray until I’m emboldened to share.

Pray until I’m eager to love.

Pray until I’m resolved to do His will.

Pray until I’m at rest in his sovereign grace.

I’m not sure how you’re planning on growing in prayer, but I hope you’ll join me in praying until you pray.

This article originally appeared here.

How Open Should You Be About Your Story?

By

Kristen Gilles

-

November 2, 2017

I learned to be honest with myself and others by writing and singing my story. This is also how I came to relate to the “secular” world around me after living much of my life in “sacred” seclusion. These sacred and secular lines began to cross, then blend, before disappearing as I discovered that secular (worldly, unspiritual, irreligious and temporal) venues contain sacred (entitled to religious respect by association with divinity), spiritual, eternal human beings made in God’s image to know and worship Him. And every sacred person has an eternal story unfolding.

So, whether spoken or sung in New York City on a bustling street corner or in a packed-out pub, or in the buckle of the Bible Belt in a quiet café, noisy bar, small town church, cozy living room or around a campfire—wherever you find yourself sharing your story of redemption, you will find someone who gets what you’re singing about. Even if they still haven’t found what they’re looking for.

On the first day of 2009 I started a year-long tour from New York City to Dallas, Texas, and back to my hometown near Louisville, Kentucky, with stops along the way at the various venues mentioned above. I sang my heart out wherever there was even just one person listening (and that might have only been the barista!). As much as I was singing for people, I was singing TO them. I was sharing something I hoped they could relate to: my story, as unfinished and messy as it was (and still is).

I had no idea if anyone was really listening, or if they cared about or could relate to what I was singing. I didn’t know if they shared my beliefs or despised them. But my prayer with every opportunity, whether in a bar, coffee house or church, was that anyone listening would see and hear God’s story of redemption unfolding in broken humanity, for the glory of His beautiful name.

We were all longing for the same things: to be known, loved and accepted. To have peace and rest from life’s trials and troubles. To be free of our sinfulness and its guilt and shame. To find meaning and purpose in our messed up lives. And I wasn’t afraid to lend my voice and sing the questions burning inside of all of us. Nor was I afraid to share the answering Hope that I’d found in Christ.

I was surprised and encouraged to find warm welcomes in every venue I visited from the Big Apple to the Big Bible Belt. People I’d never met greeted me with thanks for singing to them and bravely sharing my story because they could relate to the songs. They were hungry and thirsty too. Their lives were wasting away as they searched for a beautiful, perfect place to settle in peace (Psalm 107).

In my year of life on the road as a singing storyteller, I discovered that most everyone, most everywhere, is eager to hear genuine songs about real life stories. And most often if you genuinely sing about your real life and times (yes, even walking with Jesus), ears will perk up. If it’s good music and melody, they’ll listen even if they don’t know at first what you’re singing about.

I wasn’t singing “worship songs” for the church, but my songs featured God even if I didn’t say His name directly. I was singing about:

Someone bigger than myself who was listening to my cry and acquainted with my grief and trials.
Wanting to be loved and struggling to live and love like Jesus lived and loves.
Grappling with and desperately wanting to know and believe truth.
Battling an eating disorder and all its lies and messiness.
Longing for everything broken in my life and this beautiful, broken world to be made new.

People can relate to that whether they are Christians or not, and whether they hear it in a “secular” or “sacred” venue. All of human life is sacred—every person has a spirit and soul that is searching for something greater. We all have eternity written in our hearts while we wrestle with temporary trials and troubles. We share questions and prayers and reflections on life. We have much in common as we all long for everything broken to be made whole and new.

This article originally appeared here.

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