I'm at the Innovate Church Conference in Lynchburg, VA this week. So, I want to share some notes from yesterday as today's devotion. Also got a few other items that mean much to me (maybe not to you). Hope you are blessed by some of the take away.
People I've rubbed elbows with that have blessed me:
Danny Broyles, one of the 1st youth pastor's I hired at Higgston Baptist Church in the mid 1990's. Great dude now serving in Lexington, SC.
Billy Hornsby, president of Association of Related Churches whose sole mission is to plant churches (this dude walks with Jesus)
Greg Surratt, pastor of the one and only Seacoast Church (I've admired him for a long time and have been with him 2 times this month)
And many more but those mean much to me along with several church planters who have encouraged me the last few years.
Eric Geiger NOTES (Eric is coauthor of Simple Church with Thom Rainer and executive pastor of Christ Fellowship, Miami, FL)
- The church has drifted and what we've added has made us drift. A drift never corrects itself.
- Have we started to just manage programs or are we doing what we are called to do in ministry?
- The Pharisees added complexity to God's commands (lots of illustrations in the law).
- We cope with drifting by multitasking (which lowers our effectiveness) and by out sourcing (leaving the mission of God to others take)
- Matthew 13:31-32 "birds perching in our branches" means that those on the outside will benefit because of our existence.
- Ensure mission is deeply embedded in the discipleship process.
- often the tool for worship have has become the object of our worship. See 2 Kings 18:1-5. God gave Moses the serpent for the people to look on to be healed, but Hezekiah broke the serpent into pieces knowing what he was doing since the people began to worship the thing rather than God.
Kerry Shook NOTES (Kerry is author of One Month to Live and pastor of Church of the Woodlands near Houston, TX)
- It's not the size of your church but the life that is in it that matters.
- what would you do it you had only one month to live? What can I do to impact my community for eternity?
- Psalm 90:12 --- We often have the someday syndrome saying that when this happens or when that is gone we will do
- Great illustration of helping the homeless shelters in Houston by having church members give their shoes during worship services.
- Jesus invested in relationships
- Sometimes we get distracted; Learn how to say NO!, The little things make the biggest difference, Great illustrations of taking time with your kids. Make the moments count.
- Are we building sandcastle lives? Ones that will wash away with the storm.
Jonathan Falwell NOTES (Jonathan is pastor of Church Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA)
- The ends of the earth, our mission field, is not found inside the church.
- See Joshua 1, everywhere you foot touches I'm giving to you.
- Read DANIEL 10, KEEP OUR VISION FROM BECOMING A VICTIM
- Vision can become a victim of pride. Our drive to be successful or considered successful is the first step to failure.
- Vision can become a victim of jealousy. Our jealousy of someone else's success will lead to our failure and losing our vision.
- Vision can become a victim of begin stagnant. We have no right to come before our people when we are empty and not growing Christ.
- Vision can become a victim of what other people think. When you discover your purpose, you discover your enemies. I only have to please God!
- Vision can become a victim of being insecure. When you think you've got it together or have what it takes, you fail. Daniel 10:10-12,17-19
- When God gives you a vision, He also gives you what it takes to pull it off. Read Joshua 21:43-45
- What's the vision that God gave you and what's stopping you from fulfilling it?
ALL OF THESE NOTES & more are here on the blog in previous posts!
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