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Only those leaders who act boldly in times of crisis and change are willingly followed. (Jim Kouzes)
Within the church, God has placed men and women who love to see growth. It is what keeps us to our tasks. The lack of increase can kill the joy of our calling so we lean forward looking for any type of progress we can possibly measure.
Growth however, requires change. Going from where we are presently to a place of increase requires seeing what most people are not able or willing to see. Seeing change before it happens is called a vision. Few people are capable of a vision as most would rather stay in a climate that is comfortable. Comfort however can cause one to never imagine anything better. A Pastor or congregation who is comfortable with an attendance of 90 will never see a crowd of 300 because they are not desperate enough to make the kinds of changes it would take to gather that kind of increase.
Change means leaving a place that is familiar and going to a place that is unfamiliar. Few churches are willing to follow even the most seasoned pastor into a place of unfamiliarity. Here is why so many of our churches stagnate numerically. This is why the average church in America only runs about 85 people. Even in cities with populations in the hundreds of thousands, churches often find it hard to get over the 100 person hump.
Change requires casting a vision. Within the church it requires faith in the leader who is casting a vision of a place of revival we have not yet seen. As Moses of old preached of a Promised Land that was ahead, the current day Preacher must be willing to stand in a desert of nothingness and promise something far better than the status quo. As Joshua shouted, “Let’s cross over this river!” present day church leaders must be willing to look at obstacles as opportunities for miracles instead of places of failure.
No walled city ever came down without some great leader first standing far out front of the crowd and saying it could be done. No bridge was ever built nor building raised where some imaginative mind did not first dream it. No church ever grew exponentially without first, the Man or Woman of God casting the vision for it’s growth.
Where are the End Time revivalists who would tell our generation “Jesus is Coming”. Who are the men and women who will affect the kind of change necessary for a great Later Day outpouring? Where is the Pastor who will stand in a dormant church and declare “Revival, Growth and Increase”?
Visionaries too often lose their hunger for growth and change when the congregations constant fear, doubt and resistance diminish the leaders own zeal. Are we so afraid of people that we would tell God “no”? Would we abstain from the zeal within our own hearts to sooth trepidation of the naysayer’s? Would our own passion be disquieted by those who would doubt God’s promises?
Even He who could have stayed on His throne in Heaven, stepped off of his place of being worshipped to communicate to this planet a promise of something better. His willingness to leave His place of magnificence so that we could come up a little bit higher should convey to us His desire for His church to move forward.
Courage establishes leadership. A leader without the courage to create needed change is no more than a manager. The parable of the men with the talents tells us what becomes the person who would simply manage our Lords resources. Investing people takes courage. Investing in the lives of those who take pleasure in comfort takes courage to push them to places of the extreme. Should Moses have stopped at the obstacle that was the Red Sea, all would have been lost. However, he was willing to take people from a place of relative safety to a place of extreme promise. Do or die, all would be lost or all would be saved by his visionary genius and willingness to believe God for the impossible.
Being the first to believe something can be done takes courage. Courage however establishes leadership. Without a leader who acts with courage, a congregation will lack the courage needed to follow into God’s promises. David was willing to do battle with a giant whom other more seasoned men feared and as a result he won the hearts of the nation. No Pastor would ever need fear another taking his church if he is a Pastor who leads with courage. Courage is attractive. Few have it and as a result, people want to be near it.
Simply knowing what needs to be done to create change is not enough. We must act upon our insight. Many people know what needs to be done. Few do it. As a result we fail to move into the Promised Land of Revival.
Having saved the best for last, our Lord is desirous to enable His church to have great endtime revival. Are we willing to move into it? Are we willing to move out of the ordinary? Are we eager to leave the comfort zones we have created for ourselves? The God of the miraculous is beckoning us into the realm of the impossible. He calls us into the impractical that the naysayers could be astounded. Those whom would say it cannot be done do not know the God of the impossible. They have not seen Him turn water into wine. They have not seen him open the blinded eyes. They have not witnessed for themselves His ability to turn a small boys lunch into a feast that would feed a multitude. So their faith is small. Their trust unearned. Their vision blurred by their own knowledge of what is and what is not, possible.
“But let us believe God”. Let us believe Him for what he wants to do in our churches. Let us believe him for what He is trying to do in our cities. Let us face those with doubt and say, “It can be done!”
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Signs You Need A Church Administrator
Here are five symptoms that indicate you need a church administrator to help with the load:
[ read more...]1. More than 25% of your time is spent on church administration. Pastors often find themselves attending to administrative needs that are beyond the scope of a secretary’s authority. This may include tasks such as directing the volunteers who clean the church, reviewing the accounts payable and managing the building maintenance......
Signs You Need A Church Administrator
Here are five symptoms that indicate you need a church administrator to help with the load:
[ read more...]1. More than 25% of your time is spent on church administration. Pastors often find themselves attending to administrative needs that are beyond the scope of a secretary’s authority. This may include tasks such as directing the volunteers who clean the church, reviewing the accounts payable and managing the building maintenance......
I am on a quest!
I am on a quest!
I have been living for God for over 20 years now and have seen God do incredible things. In my own ministry, God has used my faith to heal many people of incredible sickness or injury. From comas, tumors, to deadly accidents, I have laid hands on folks and seen them recover. However it has not happened in the measure in which Jesus promised it would nor that of the early Apostolics.
I feel that we are often stuck where the disciples were when they could not heal the little boy, and Christ reprimanded them for their unbelief. He told them that "This Kind" cometh out not but by prayer and fasting. I have set myself to Pray and Fast this year. I want to see the Power of God revealed in this generation. I believe God would want to give it to this generation a greater move of His Spirit than any other generation. With 6 billion plus people on this planet, I can't help but believe that we are sitting on a powder keg of revival. I am Praying, Give me "THIS KIND"! I am after the spirits who have held us back for so long. I am sick of hearing of ministers dieing of Cancer. We have become ashamed and afraid to lay hands on folks for fear that they won't be healed.
I am praying "Lord either give me apostolic power or kill me." I know that sounds radical, but I mean it! I don't care if I ever obtain my personal goals in ministry. I am after that which was promised to the Church. Not that I might boast of having such a ministry. For in that, I believe I would become proud and lose the anointing God has given. But I believe the Lord would desire for the Church to have Power.
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I am on a quest!
I am on a quest!
I have been living for God for over 20 years now and have seen God do incredible things. In my own ministry, God has used my faith to heal many people of incredible sickness or injury. From comas, tumors, to deadly accidents, I have laid hands on folks and seen them recover. However it has not happened in the measure in which Jesus promised it would nor that of the early Apostolics.
I feel that we are often stuck where the disciples were when they could not heal the little boy, and Christ reprimanded them for their unbelief. He told them that "This Kind" cometh out not but by prayer and fasting. I have set myself to Pray and Fast this year. I want to see the Power of God revealed in this generation. I believe God would want to give it to this generation a greater move of His Spirit than any other generation. With 6 billion plus people on this planet, I can't help but believe that we are sitting on a powder keg of revival. I am Praying, Give me "THIS KIND"! I am after the spirits who have held us back for so long. I am sick of hearing of ministers dieing of Cancer. We have become ashamed and afraid to lay hands on folks for fear that they won't be healed.
I am praying "Lord either give me apostolic power or kill me." I know that sounds radical, but I mean it! I don't care if I ever obtain my personal goals in ministry. I am after that which was promised to the Church. Not that I might boast of having such a ministry. For in that, I believe I would become proud and lose the anointing God has given. But I believe the Lord would desire for the Church to have Power.
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Seven Signs of a Growing Church
Acts 2:42-47 KJV 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
1. A Praying Church.
The first century church continued in prayer. The fact that it continued means that it had previously started. These people had been praying long before the outpouring of the Holy Ghost in the book of Acts.
Acts 1:14 KJV14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
Before the church ever experienced growth there was prayer. Corporate and unified prayer. This was the foundation of what happened in Acts chapter two. Prayer is the most basic and necessary requirement of any church. Prayer is the foundation upon which everything else is built. A praying church is a church that is ready and waiting to do whatever God desires to do amongst them.....
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Seven Signs of a Growing Church
Acts 2:42-47 KJV 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
1. A Praying Church.
The first century church continued in prayer. The fact that it continued means that it had previously started. These people had been praying long before the outpouring of the Holy Ghost in the book of Acts.
Acts 1:14 KJV14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
Before the church ever experienced growth there was prayer. Corporate and unified prayer. This was the foundation of what happened in Acts chapter two. Prayer is the most basic and necessary requirement of any church. Prayer is the foundation upon which everything else is built. A praying church is a church that is ready and waiting to do whatever God desires to do amongst them.....
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Borrowing Comfort From The Past
So many times we are told to step out of our past when it seems to hold us hostage with details of failure, mistakes, and setbacks. I have often had to challenge my past with various Truths and dismantle the Structure Of Defeat it had erected in my heart and mind. It is so easy to look back to whatever you see and feel, and build our future out of those things. Today, I want to do something much better with our past: Look deeply at it and Borrow Comfort And Help.
When David had to face the man Goliath, he had to reach into yesterday and vividly recall just how good God had been to him regarding a lion and bear. Knowing in himself it was not his ability alone that won the victory, but the Lord had been with him. The God who had worked in and for him would show Himself the very same now, showing us he had received comfort and strength from his past. Getting the good from our past, I think, requires a greater deal of effort than recalling bad things, for the negative just seems to show up, but good has to be reached for. Of course our enemy loves to flash our past errors on the screen of our soul, but the Holy Ghost delights to use our past to bring honor to God.
Samson also used the past to get some help from when he had killed a lion and, after awhile, Bees had used the animal to build a place for some fresh honey. By taking time to taste honey from a past victory, he, too, had been helped by his past. I just wonder how many dead lions and honey spots are all over our yesterdays just waiting for us to both visit and extract help from?
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Borrowing Comfort From The Past
So many times we are told to step out of our past when it seems to hold us hostage with details of failure, mistakes, and setbacks. I have often had to challenge my past with various Truths and dismantle the Structure Of Defeat it had erected in my heart and mind. It is so easy to look back to whatever you see and feel, and build our future out of those things. Today, I want to do something much better with our past: Look deeply at it and Borrow Comfort And Help.
When David had to face the man Goliath, he had to reach into yesterday and vividly recall just how good God had been to him regarding a lion and bear. Knowing in himself it was not his ability alone that won the victory, but the Lord had been with him. The God who had worked in and for him would show Himself the very same now, showing us he had received comfort and strength from his past. Getting the good from our past, I think, requires a greater deal of effort than recalling bad things, for the negative just seems to show up, but good has to be reached for. Of course our enemy loves to flash our past errors on the screen of our soul, but the Holy Ghost delights to use our past to bring honor to God.
Samson also used the past to get some help from when he had killed a lion and, after awhile, Bees had used the animal to build a place for some fresh honey. By taking time to taste honey from a past victory, he, too, had been helped by his past. I just wonder how many dead lions and honey spots are all over our yesterdays just waiting for us to both visit and extract help from?
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Don't Interrupt!
Most people react badly to being interrupted. They often feel disrespected and small when you talk over them. People who tend to interrupt others generally do so for one of these reasons:
- They don't place enough value on what the other person has to say.
- They want to impress others by showing how smart or intuitive they are.
- They're too excited by the conversation to let the other person finish talking.
Don't Interrupt!
Most people react badly to being interrupted. They often feel disrespected and small when you talk over them. People who tend to interrupt others generally do so for one of these reasons:
- They don't place enough value on what the other person has to say.
- They want to impress others by showing how smart or intuitive they are.
- They're too excited by the conversation to let the other person finish talking.
100 Pounds Of Myrrh
"And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury." (John 19:38- 40 KJV)
Upon His death, Nicodemus came to Jesus’ tomb and he and Joseph of Arimathaea, wound the body of Jesus with linen clothes and 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes. This amount of burial myrrh and aloes would have been an extreme amount even for a wealthy person. The usual custom was to use 20 pounds.
Think of this with me. If any of you have ever bailed hay on a farm, you know that a bail of hay weighs around 60-70 pounds. This bail being compacted and compressed into some sort of shape by a bailer. In Jesus’ day, there were no such machine. They would have had to carry this in a sack of sorts. Imagine the scene of Joseph carrying the roughly 175 pound body of Jesus and Nicodemus carrying the huge sack with 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes for the burial.
Putting myself into this text, I find two men who loved Jesus. Enough that they would risk their own life to see that the Lord would receive the very best burial they could give. So, Joseph donates his very expensive tomb and Nicodemos, not wanting anyone to smell the decomposing body of Jesus, brings 100 pounds of costly burial aloes. When people walked by the tomb, he wanted them to only notice the beautiful smell of the myrrh and not the rotting flesh of a dead God....
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100 Pounds Of Myrrh
"And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury." (John 19:38- 40 KJV)
Upon His death, Nicodemus came to Jesus’ tomb and he and Joseph of Arimathaea, wound the body of Jesus with linen clothes and 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes. This amount of burial myrrh and aloes would have been an extreme amount even for a wealthy person. The usual custom was to use 20 pounds.
Think of this with me. If any of you have ever bailed hay on a farm, you know that a bail of hay weighs around 60-70 pounds. This bail being compacted and compressed into some sort of shape by a bailer. In Jesus’ day, there were no such machine. They would have had to carry this in a sack of sorts. Imagine the scene of Joseph carrying the roughly 175 pound body of Jesus and Nicodemus carrying the huge sack with 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes for the burial.
Putting myself into this text, I find two men who loved Jesus. Enough that they would risk their own life to see that the Lord would receive the very best burial they could give. So, Joseph donates his very expensive tomb and Nicodemos, not wanting anyone to smell the decomposing body of Jesus, brings 100 pounds of costly burial aloes. When people walked by the tomb, he wanted them to only notice the beautiful smell of the myrrh and not the rotting flesh of a dead God....
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The Need For True Friendship
It is so important that we recognize our need for close friends.During His ministry, Jesus had many friends and many people that He was friendly to. Yet Jesus was only very close to a few people. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were three of Jesus' closest friends on this earth. This family of brother and sisters lived just outside of Jerusalem in the town of Bethany. Jesus would often stay with them on His journeys into the city. He became very close to them. You may all remember the story in this scripture...Mary and Martha heard that Jesus was coming. Martha immediately dropped everything that she was doing and began to prepare the house and the food and all of the things that are necessary to host a guest. Instead of helping her sister, Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus to hear His word and to fellowship with Him. This so upset Martha that she went to Jesus and vented her feelings on Him. Jesus responded and said, "Martha, you are so upset about this, don't you understand that what your sister has chosen to do is a needful thing!" What was this needful thing that Jesus was referring to? It was the communing together of close friends.....
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The Need For True Friendship
It is so important that we recognize our need for close friends.During His ministry, Jesus had many friends and many people that He was friendly to. Yet Jesus was only very close to a few people. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were three of Jesus' closest friends on this earth. This family of brother and sisters lived just outside of Jerusalem in the town of Bethany. Jesus would often stay with them on His journeys into the city. He became very close to them. You may all remember the story in this scripture...Mary and Martha heard that Jesus was coming. Martha immediately dropped everything that she was doing and began to prepare the house and the food and all of the things that are necessary to host a guest. Instead of helping her sister, Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus to hear His word and to fellowship with Him. This so upset Martha that she went to Jesus and vented her feelings on Him. Jesus responded and said, "Martha, you are so upset about this, don't you understand that what your sister has chosen to do is a needful thing!" What was this needful thing that Jesus was referring to? It was the communing together of close friends.....
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How To Outline A Sermon
INTRODUCTION:
Every sermon needs an introduction. A good introduction will make or break your sermon. My homiletics teacher always said it this way, "Start a fire, then build a bridge."
A good introduction will:
- Tell your listeners what you intend to preach about.
- Set the mood, tone, and atmosphere of the sermon.
- Grab the congregation’s attention and make them eager to hear more.
- Catch the basics of the sermon without giving anything away.
- Give the listeners a sense of tension and create anticipation.....
How To Outline A Sermon
INTRODUCTION:
Every sermon needs an introduction. A good introduction will make or break your sermon. My homiletics teacher always said it this way, "Start a fire, then build a bridge."
A good introduction will:
- Tell your listeners what you intend to preach about.
- Set the mood, tone, and atmosphere of the sermon.
- Grab the congregation’s attention and make them eager to hear more.
- Catch the basics of the sermon without giving anything away.
- Give the listeners a sense of tension and create anticipation.....
Mentor Somebody
Your life is not measured by your accomplishments, but rather by the people you’ve touched and the lives you changed.
Mentoring someone allows you the opportunity to affirm their ministry and change the direction of their life.
You don’t have to wait for someone to ask you to mentor them. Pull them aside and explain to them that you see potential in them and you believe they are ready to be mentored. You may be amazed to find that they have been waiting on SOMEONE to notice them.....
[ read more...]
Mentor Somebody
Your life is not measured by your accomplishments, but rather by the people you’ve touched and the lives you changed.
Mentoring someone allows you the opportunity to affirm their ministry and change the direction of their life.
You don’t have to wait for someone to ask you to mentor them. Pull them aside and explain to them that you see potential in them and you believe they are ready to be mentored. You may be amazed to find that they have been waiting on SOMEONE to notice them.....
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