July 15, 2011
Artwork Credit: foundationsforfreedom.net
Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general.
Psalms: God is the center of life and the central joy of life! (Book 5)
The Psalms are, in reality, the words to the praise and worship songs of the long ago nation of Israel. We are asking you to imagine these lyrics as the power point slides or the song sheets handed out to those who come to sing praise to God each weekend.
Book 5 – Psalms 107-150 wrap this collection of worship songs up with the strong vocalization of God’s worth. From a several more songs from King David (Psalm 108-110; 138-145), to a series of songs pilgrims would sing on the way up the mountain road to Jerusalem to the longest psalm about the glories of the words of the King of kings (Psalm 119), to five “Hallelujah” (Literally: Praise God!) psalms (Psalm 146-150), Book 5 leaves the reader / worshipper with little doubt that God is the center of life and the central joy of life as well.
Praise is transforming! For the people of Israel, humiliated and downcast over the conquest of their nation and their internment in a foreign land, these songs of worship sought to lift and focus them on the greatness of God’s steadfast love. As these words sank deep into the DNA of these discouraged peoples, the strong encouragement to their return to the will and words of God as a lifestyle would be felt. A turn around – literally, turning back – to an intimate, real and passionate relationship with God would be the intended result of these praise songs.
As you read, be sure not to miss …
- The call to seek God when in distress and to thank him when he delivers, as in Psalm 107.
- The certainty of the coming of Messiah (the World-Wide Ruling King, a descendant of David), as in Psalm 110.
- The futility of idols and the faithfulness of God, as expressed in Psalm 115.
- The value and practicality of a life lived in harmony with the words of God as revealed in the Law (Genesis – Deuteronomy), as in Psalm 119.
- The joy of entering into God’s presence at the Temple by singing as you traveled up the mountains to Jerusalem as expressed in Psalms 120-134.
- The mercy of God, which endures forever, as repeated after every line of the song in Psalm 136.
- The unfathomable knowledge of humanity by God concerning our every movement, thought or work, as in Psalm 139.
- The happiness of God which surrounds those who have been delivered by this all-powerful God, as in Psalm 144.
- The praise of God through every means possible so that God’s name and fame may be known by all, as in Psalm 150.
No matter the depths of despair and difficulty, this volume of praise songs causes us to understand: God is able and willing to deliver us from any and all of our most dire circumstances if we will but draw close to him and trust his steadfast love.
It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.
© 2011 Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, All rights reserved.
For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.
You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.
======
Host a Reaching Your Community In Your Generation Seminar!
The world around us changes approximately every 18 months! Such change brings great challenges to our mission. Eagles In Leadership has designed a weekend to help you energize your congregation or organization to fulfill the Great Commission in your community. You can bring this weekend to your church or organization!
The weekend revolves around four key messages:
- Help! My Community Is Changing!
- What’s Your Dream for Your Church? (And How Do You Reach It?)
- Healthy Churches Grow!
- Reaching Your Community In Your Generation! (It’s All About the Mission!)
You can learn more here.
Posted in Bible Reading, christian life, Just Read It!, Worship 
No Comments »
July 14, 2011
We are so pleased you have returned to the Transformed podcast.
In today’s episode, we explore how we can recover the message and mission of Jesus, and thus, Change the World.
Matt’s guest today is Mike Slaughter, lead pastor at Ginghamsburg Church, is the three-decade dreamer of Ginghamsburg and the spiritual entrepreneur of ministry marketplace innovations.
When Mike arrived at Ginghamsburg Church in 1979, worship attendance hovered at 90 with 118 members and an annual budget of $27,000. Now, 4000 attendees on average worship weekly at Ginghamsburg and the multi-million dollar budget helps resource a faith community committed to serving the poor, lost and disenfranchised.
Today Matt and Mike talk about the church becoming a mission outpost, living out Christ’s ideals in today’s world. As they do, they will explore Mike’s book, Change the World.
You can also learn more about Mike by clicking this link.
You can also learn more about Mike’s ministry by clicking this link.
Matt wants you to pick up a copy of Mike’s book, Change the World. This resource will rock your world and help you rethink the message and mission of Jesus as it related to reaching your community in your generation.
Posted in Becoming Like Jesus, Book Reviews, christian life, Church Health, Discipleship, faith, God's will, Interviews, Missional, Multi-ethnic / Urban, Transformed No Comments »
July 13, 2011
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:25–34, ESV)
I sometimes wonder if we really believe Jesus. I mean come on, isn’t it a bit hypocritical of me when I trust God for my eternal destiny through the substitutionary death of Jesus, but cant trust Jesus with my financial situation today?
Think about it with me for a moment, which is of more value – money or my eternal life? Of course, for many, the theological answer to this question is “my eternal life.” Yet, if we are honest, the operational answer for many of us is, “my financial life.”
Over the past weeks Melodee and I have watched as people who truly seek the kingdom of God first have sowed fresh vitality into our lives through generous gifts. While God is preparing our next full-time ministry, finances have exhausted themselves. Our prayer partners have not only prayed; they have showered us with their sacrifices to meet our financial shortfall.
In the past 16 months since our last fulltime ministry, we have learned what it means to focus Biblically on money. We use the following 5 principles, whether we have much or little.
M – Make Jesus master of our finances.
Since everything we have belongs to God, following the leadership of Jesus when it comes to the resources he has given us only makes sense. When we have had need, he has supplied through the Body of Christ. When others have had need, he had supplied their needs through our excess.
O – Only spend the money we have.
While many find this confusing, the Bible is clear that we are to “owe no one anything.” (Romans 13:8) Therefore, if we don’t have it, we don’t spend it.
N – Never use credit cards unless we have the money to pay for it now. (There are perks to using credit cards correctly.)
This is an important corollary to the previous point. We use our credit cards for the perks. However, we don’t use them if we don’t have the money to pay for the items when we buy them.
E – Exude generosity.
A woman in a dollar store this past month asked if we would buy her a bag of chips and a soda. She was hungry. She even handed us all of her money – about nine cents – which we refused. Such a small gesture could have been met with resistance, since we were about out of money ourselves. However, this kindness was met by an unexpected check in the mailbox when we returned home!
Y – Yield to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to give.
When a friend’s financial situation grew dark last year, God simply told us to give him $500 to help. We did without consideration, because we knew it was the Holy Spirit prompting us.
These simple principles have helped us in our financial troubles. While money is not what matters most in our lives, it is clear that God desires us to trust him with our financial resources.
We would love to hear from you about your financial journey with Christ in the center. Please take a few minutes and comment below!
<<<>>>
For daily insights into the Christian life, leadership and the Bible, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.
<<<>>>
Host a Reaching Your Community In Your Generation Seminar!
The world around us changes approximately every 18 months! Such change brings great challenges to our mission. Eagles In Leadership has designed a weekend to help you energize your congregation or organization to fulfill the Great Commission in your community. You can bring this weekend to your church or organization!
The weekend revolves around four key messages:
- Help! My Community Is Changing!
- What’s Your Dream for Your Church? (And How Do You Reach It?)
- Healthy Churches Grow!
- Reaching Your Community In Your Generation! (It’s All About the Mission!)
You can learn more here.
Posted in finances, Leadership Blog No Comments »
July 12, 2011
Artwork Credit: smallbiztrends.com
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV)
Have you ever wondered what on earth you are here for? Often such a thought comes when we are “in between” things. If you are unemployed, or moving to a new place or city, or looking for the right church family you may experience this kind of question.
Jesus was clear that EVERYONE is responsible for one key task – to reach our world in our generation. This means we are to make disciples where we are! How does this look, practically?
My Mission
Jesus is clear – I am an “army of one” to reach the people around me in my lifetime. If I am married, we are a team. If I have a family we are a bigger team. However I slice it, my mission is to reach my world in my generation.
My Jerusalem
But, the world is huge – where do I start? In my community – my Jerusalem! We start where we are. When we have won everyone around us, we move on!
My Neighborhood
Who am I supposed to start with? I start with my neighborhood! That is where God planted me. That is where God wants me to start!
My Neighbors
Who do I speak with? My neighbors! For me, that is Steve, Kevin, Jean Claude, Marcy, etc. God put me in proximity to these people so that I can demonstrate the love and leadership of Jesus through intentional acts of kindness. In essence, we do life together in my neighborhood! That’s the springboard for my mission – to introduce them to Jesus!
My Responsibility
The bottom line is this: God placed me in my neighborhood to touch the lives of the people who live here with the sacrificial love of Jesus. To do less would be to walk in rebellion to the command of Jesus of making disciples. I can use any and all the excuses I can think of, but, when I stand before Jesus they will all wash away and all that will be left is the solid reality of what I have done and why.
It’s your mission, your Jerusalem, your neighborhood, your neighbors, and your responsibility. Will you follow Jesus and love them to him?
That’s how I see it. I would love to hear from you and hear how you have taken responsibility for your world in your generation! Add a comment below, please!
<<<>>>
For daily insights into the Christian life, leadership and the Bible, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.
<<<>>>
Host a Reaching Your Community In Your Generation Seminar!
The world around us changes approximately every 18 months! Such change brings great challenges to our mission. Eagles In Leadership has designed a weekend to help you energize your congregation or organization to fulfill the Great Commission in your community. You can bring this weekend to your church or organization!
The weekend revolves around four key messages:
- Help! My Community Is Changing!
- What’s Your Dream for Your Church? (And How Do You Reach It?)
- Healthy Churches Grow!
- Reaching Your Community In Your Generation! (It’s All About the Mission!)
You can learn more here.
Posted in christian life, Discipleship, faith, God's will, Leadership Blog, Missional No Comments »
July 11, 2011
Artwork Credit: gracewalkministries.blogspot.com
Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general.
Psalms: God has always been on the throne and He still reigns! (Book 4)
We continue to state that the Psalms are, in reality, the words to the praise and worship songs of the long ago nation of Israel. We are asking you to imagine these lyrics as the power point slides or the song sheets handed out to those who come to sing praise to God each weekend.
Vibrant worship demonstrates our faith in the existence and involvement of our compassionate Lord God.
As we move into Book 4, Psalms 90-106 scream out the truth, “God has always been on the throne and He still reigns!” Hope begins to break forth into a blazing sunrise as the worshipper responds to this age-old truth: God is King – period. Consider this as the theme of this passage …
“Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?” (Psalm 89:5–8, ESV)
This book, Psalms 90-106, reverberates with the triumph and power of our Almighty God …
- Consider this statement by Moses expressing the eternality of God in Psalm 90:
“For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. ” (Psalm 90:4, ESV)
- Hear the strength of the Psalmist’s conviction concerning the rule of God in Psalm 93:
“The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. ” (Psalm 93:1–2, ESV)
- Listen at the Psalmist declares that there are no other gods above our God, who is King above all gods in Psalm 95:
“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. ” (Psalm 95:1–3, ESV)
- Rejoice in the reality that our God saves us from eternal destruction and real life’s situations with the Psalmist in Psalm 98:
“Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. ” (Psalm 98:1–3, ESV)
- Worship God as the Creator of the universe as described by the Psalmist in Psalm 104:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind; he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire. He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. ” (Psalm 104:1–6, ESV)
Psalm by psalm, verse by verse, these worship songs provide the reader with an inescapable conclusion: God is the mighty creator of the universe, intimately involved in the lives of his children and worthy of their praise for his protection and provision.
It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.
© 2011 Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, All rights reserved.
For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.
You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.
======
Host a Reaching Your Community In Your Generation Seminar!
The world around us changes approximately every 18 months! Such change brings great challenges to our mission. Eagles In Leadership has designed a weekend to help you energize your congregation or organization to fulfill the Great Commission in your community. You can bring this weekend to your church or organization!
The weekend revolves around four key messages:
- Help! My Community Is Changing!
- What’s Your Dream for Your Church? (And How Do You Reach It?)
- Healthy Churches Grow!
- Reaching Your Community In Your Generation! (It’s All About the Mission!)
You can learn more here.
Posted in Bible Reading, Just Read It! No Comments »
July 10, 2011
Art Work Credit: naturalhealthcarereviews.com
As many of you know, Melodee, Tabitha and I began the Daniel Plan on January 15 of this year through the ministry of our pastor, Rick Warren and Saddleback Church. On Saturday, July 9, 2011, I spoke with Pastor Rick and discovered that his weight loss and mine were about the same – he had lost 40 pounds and I have lost 41.5 pounds on the plan. Both of us had a month where we plateaued.
We have both learned several things about why we plateau and how to get losing again. Among the things I have learned are these …
I need to …
Choose Right
If I want to lose weight, I need to choose foods that will fuel my body without putting fat on my body. These foods include more vegetables that are darker in color and less processed foods. Avoiding the addictive compounds of sugar, salt and fat are necessary. (We use dark olive oil, grape seed oil and refined coconut oil for cooking – all in great moderation!) Avoiding ENTIRELY the use of High Fructose Corn Syrup is essential to effective weight loss. Bottom line: Choose foods that are good for your body!
Eat Less
Portion size is a big issue with weight loss and good health. Since the average portion size is ½ cup, almost EVERYTHING I used to eat was larger! If there is a place where the battle rages today, it is here. Portion size on vegetables is 1 cup and with red meat – which we eat about once a week – is about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of playing cards. The bottom line: Most of America is addicted to food. Get help if you need to, but you need to stop eating so much if you want to be healthy.
Move More
This may seem like an obvious one, but trying to move more in our sedentary world of vehicle travel and social media is becoming very difficult. “Anything important gets scheduled” is the old maxim I use. Each morning, after my quiet time with the Lord, I run – yes, I said run. I started walking about 6 years ago. Then as the pounds began to come off this year, I started jogging some – two block jogging, two blocks walking. Now I am up to 4 miles! We also walk “as if we are late” as a family and park farther from the entrance of the store we shop in. Bottom line: Just get moving!
Sit Less
The reverse is also true: the less you sit, the more you lose. Since I write a lot, I am at my computer desk for long periods of time. Scheduling in intentional movement, getting up and walking somewhere, moving about instead of sitting for hours are all part of my new regimen. Bottom line: Again, get moving by having fun!
Sleep More
Sleep is essential to weight loss. Studies show that you need 7-8 hours of sleep a night in order to lose weight. So, now I schedule into my day a sleep period of 8+ hours and have found the results amazing. In fact, when I was plateaued, I wasn’t sleeping 8+ hours! Who would have known? Bottom line: Which is more important, your health or the latest monologue from your favorite late night comedian? (You can record those you know.)
Drink More
Water is essential to weight loss. A gallon a day is my goal and, on those days I don’t make my goal, my weight loss is hampered or non-existent. Simply having a glass of water instead of the other things you drink – especially soda with its high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweetener – drops weight. Bottom line: If you don’t like water, get a better brand or admit you are addicted to sugar and get help.
These are the strategies at the core of my weight loss. You can learn more about the Daniel Plan here. If you have comments or questions, simply reply in the comment section below. I would love to hear from you!
(c) 2011 Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, All rights reserved.
Posted in Daniel Plan No Comments »
July 8, 2011
Artwork Credit: relationship-economy.com
The process of transition from a sick church to a healthy church is not an easy process! And when it begins, at least 5 things are true:
In Times of Transition
1) Things do not stay the same
While we all like the security of stability, changes happen when we reorient our faith community to the health regimen of the New Testament.
2) People are not what they seemed
As we evaluate everything based on spiritual health, the people around us who have been pretending feel exposed and often demonstrate their immaturity in graphic ways.
3) The Church is no longer about me
Growing up is what health is all about in the local church and the core of spiritual growth is becoming “others-centered” and setting aside our own personal agenda.
4) God can no longer be distant
In a sick church, God needs not be close, or even present, if we are to read Jesus’ words in Revelation 2-3 accurately. All that changes when we seek the health and life of Jesus in our midst!
5) Life’s purpose is no longer a theory
Singing a few songs and giving a few bucks in the offering was all right when I just had to say I believed. Now, I need to discover why I am alive and present and what my part in God’s bigger plan is … and that takes some honest soul searching and practical changing.
In other words, when things begin to change from sick to healthy in our church, change reveals a lot about what we thought was true, but was just a façade. We need to be prepared for that.
Those are my thoughts. I would love to hear yours! Please comment below.
Posted in christian life, Church Health, Leadership Blog, Multi-ethnic / Urban 1 Comment »
July 7, 2011
Artwork Credit: thespiritualcoach.com
Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general.
Psalms: Gritty Expressions of Agony and Woe! (Book 3)
We have said that Psalms are, in reality, the words to the praise and worship songs of the long ago nation of Israel. Imagine these lyrics as the power point slides or the song sheets handed out to those who come to sing praise to God each weekend.
As we move into the third volume or book of Psalms, we get into some deep and dark waters. The lives of the psalmists reflect troublesome and despairing times. Remembering that we are reading the lyrics to these worship songs, we are to feel the message in a way that allows us to relate and communicate with God from our soul and not just with our mind. We have said the following about this volume:
Book 3 – Psalms 73-89 take us into the dark recesses of real life and the injustice so many of God’s people face on a daily basis. In these gritty expressions of agony and woe, men like Asaph and the sons of Korah reveal the pain and hope one must express when life grows grim and hopeless.
Reading these song lyrics reminds us …
- The wicked appear to have everything going for them, until we step into the worship center and realize their eternal end as Psalm 73 encourages us to do.
- Oppression happens to the righteous from the enemies of God and it often feels as if God has forgotten his people until we remember that our hope and help comes only from God, who is the Judge of all the earth, which is Asaph’s contention in Psalms 74-75.
- People who love God often have to live with the consequences of other’s sin, just as Asaph explains in Psalm 78, feeling the failures of past generations in the present.
- In those times of horrific distress, the pleas of God’s people for restoration are often resisted by the simple need for repentance among the current generation who are following the ways of their predecessors, as Asaph outlines in Psalms 80-81.
- Blessing comes from corporate worship, as the sons of Korah tell us in Psalm 84, which many may feel is unnecessary for they misunderstand that our faith is about the public expression of God’s wonderful glory and grace, love and faithfulness.
- Despondency is not a foreign emotion to the God-follower who finds themselves in a small minority of the population or in a struggling worship community that is laughed at and derided daily for “out-dated” beliefs, as Heman the Ezahite cries out about in Psalm 88.
- Sorrowing over the blessings lost as described in God’s Word and the present reality’s hardships can take a deep toll on one’s faith, which needs a fresh infusion of God’s presence and response, grace and glory according to Ethan the Ezrahite in Psalm 89.
Slogging through the despair and distress of this volume of songs – these dirges of God’s people – causes us to understand: Our failures today impact our children in multiplied ways we cannot begin to comprehend. Our legacy of faith will be found in the exponential fruit of our lives lived – either passionately with and for God or apathetically against him. Those who enjoy that fruit will be our children and grandchildren.
It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.
For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.
You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.
======
Host a Reaching Your Community In Your Generation Seminar!
The world around us changes approximately every 18 months! Such change brings great challenges to our mission. Eagles In Leadership has designed a weekend to help you energize your congregation or organization to fulfill the Great Commission in your community. You can bring this weekend to your church or organization!
The weekend revolves around four key messages:
- Help! My Community Is Changing!
- What’s Your Dream for Your Church? (And How Do You Reach It?)
- Healthy Churches Grow!
- Reaching Your Community In Your Generation! (It’s All About the Mission!)
You can learn more here.
Posted in Bible Reading, Just Read It! No Comments »
July 6, 2011
Artwork Credit: southsidenazarene.ca
Yesterday we spoke of four common attitudes in the sick church. However, we also said that healthy churches grow, according to the New Testament:
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”
“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:11–16, ESV)
In other words, healthy churches grow because the people who make up those churches are growing. What does this look like, practically?
Healthy churches exhibit certain attitudes
Healthy people serve others and the community they live in. In other words, they refuse to be the center of their universe. Paul says that they do the “work of the ministry.” In a healthy, growing church, you will always see a large percentage of the people serving. (In a sick church about 10% of the people serve the remaining 90%.)
- The people are Evangelistic
When someone begins to understand the amazing gift of grace that Jesus has given them, they have to tell their friends about it. Those words of God’s love are received well because the healthy Christ-follower is already serving their neighbors and friend, coworkers and fellow students – the people they are sharing Christ with. (Again, in a sick church, evangelism is either the pastor’s job or for those with the gift of evangelism.)
Things change. The healthy church moves on because the mission is more important than the method. People’s lives are more important than the traditions and tools of the past. In their adaptation, the baptistery finds use often. People are reached for Christ on a regular basis. This opens new avenues for the demonstration of the love and leadership of Jesus.
People care in the healthy church. They are not superficial or just friendly with one another. When someone new comes along, they welcome and genuinely are interested in them. They connect. When a need arises, they simply meet it, or involve their small group to take care of it. They don’t need to get the pastoral staff involved because they ARE the church!
- The people are Transparent
Beyond the superficiality of a quick “Hello” as we pass by, these people grow deep together, doing life together through small groups, in mission and in community outreach. They spend enough time together to see past the veneer and look into the real heart of one another. Foibles and failures show up, are dealt with and loved through in the healthy church.
You will seldom hear of a project or need that wasn’t met in the healthy church. Why? Because healthy people serve and give – generosity is their signature trademark. Whether it is a comment heard on the patio on the weekend or a need shared in small group, God’s people rise to the occasion and care for it quickly because they are family, and that’s what family does.
Agendas don’t find their way to the community of faith in a healthy church unless it is the agenda of Jesus. These people understand that just like Jesus, they are not here to be served, but to serve and give their lives as ransom for others. (See Matthew 20.20-28) This affords them the lifestyle of putting others first on a consistent and powerful basis.
This is the church of health, and it grows! Healthy churches grow because every member is a minister.
Those are my thoughts. I would love to hear yours! Please comment below.
Posted in Church Health, Leadership Blog, Multi-ethnic / Urban 2 Comments »
July 5, 2011
According to the New Testament, when a church is healthy is grows.
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”
“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:11–16, ESV)
So, when a church doesn’t grow, it may be sick. Consider the church that resides in a metropolis of several hundred thousand. All around it are people dying without Jesus and, as we are told all the time, the average church in America is under 100.
Having consulted in churches for decades, I have noted 4 key attitudes in a church that hasn’t grown in years …
Sick churches exhibit certain attitudes
This is the church that refuses to change anything so that others may be attracted. While I agree that the message and the Bible should NEVER change, the methods can and should when they are no longer effective. (A great place to change is to imitate the actions of Jesus while he was on earth.)
We are told that after just a few years of knowing Christ, the average American Christ-follower knows less that 7 unsaved friends. This withdrawal and abandonment of the community is the reason for a lack of growth. (Again, consider Jesus who was so often “out and about” the communities of the Galilee.)
The redundant refrain from people outside the church is, “Why are Christians so judgmental?” Perhaps we have forgotten Jesus’ striking pronouncement: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ” (John 3:17, ESV)
So many churches believe that “joy” is a synonym for “sin.” Yet the fruit of the Spirit start with “love, JOY,” etc. (Galatians 5). The church that is sick doesn’t like little kids running in the worship facility; complains when the facility is dirty because of use, and laments the “good old days” when children “knew their place” and “didn’t speak until spoken to.” They would rather have the order of the tomb than the raucous noise of the crowd.
There is a better way, and we will discuss it tomorrow.
Those are my thoughts. I would love to hear yours! Please comment below.
Posted in Church Health, Leadership Blog, Multi-ethnic / Urban No Comments »
content rss