Pastors / Leadership: Tell Stories Like Life Depends on It

Pastors / Leadership www.crosswalk.com // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Tell Stories Like Life Depends on It Sep 5th 2011, 04:00 The specific, nitty-gritty, sometimes disgusting, sometimes beautiful things that God has done really matter. We're saved by faith alone, but faith needs facts. We need to believe in something particular and concrete. After Joshua and all his contemporaries died, we are told that "there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord" (Judges 2:10-11). They didn't know God, and this led them into sin. They didn't know God because they hadn't learned about the things he had done for them in the past. Their parents neglected to tell them the stories. They didn't know that God chose Abraham to be the father of his chosen people, and he gave him Isaac. Isaac had two sons--Jacob and Esau. Esau was given the hill country, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt. Later, they were enslaved, but God led them out of Egypt and saved them by drowning the Egyptians in the Red Sea. These are simple stories--nothing convoluted or arcane. But forgetting them was the downfall of Israel over and over again. Why? What difference do the stories make? The stories--the facts--give shape to the one we ought to worship. What God does shows who he is. So when these Israelites began to forget the details, God began to seem like all the other options that were out there to worship. And "they whored after other gods and bowed down to them" (Judges 2:22). There are, of course, many other ways to protect ourselves and our kids from forsaking the truth, but this one is so simple and essential that it would be foolish to neglect it: tell your kids stories. Know the facts and then pass them on—it will help them be saved. It matters that God created the heavens and the earth; that man sinned and now deserves hell; that Christ came and died; and that if we believe in him we will be saved. It also matters that Enoch didn't die, but was taken up by the Lord when he was 365 years old; that Jael hammered a tent peg through the skull of Sisera; that Elijah was fed by ravens next to a brook before he went to Zarephath and raised a widow's son from the dead; that Isaiah had to walk naked for three years as a sign against Egypt and Cush; that Hosea married a prostitute named Gomer; that Peter cut Malchus's ear off; and that Paul escaped from Damascus through a window down a wall in a basket. Clearly some biblical facts matter less than others, but let's not discard any of them. My two-year-old's favorite stories right now are David killing Goliath, Jesus dying on the cross, and "King Saul pooping in dark cave" (1 Samuel 24:3)--his words, not mine. Obviously there is a hierarchy of importance here that he doesn't understand, but that will work itself out over time. My job right now is to tell him the things the Lord has done. I don't want my wife and me to be among the parents of a generation who forgets! The stories in the Bible--from the least important to the most important--show us who God is. The less our kids know about this book, the easier it will be for them to ignore God, because they won't recognize him. And the more they know about it, the more likely they will walk with him, because they will have seen the great things that a God like him can do. Abraham Piper is the Web Content Editor for Desiring God Ministries and a regular contributor to the Desiring God Blog. Piper also blogs at 22 Words.   © Desiring God. Used with permission. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Pastors / Leadership: The Focus of Ministry is Focus

Pastors / Leadership www.crosswalk.com // via fulltextrssfeed.com

The Focus of Ministry is Focus Sep 2nd 2011, 04:00 fo-cus (fo-kus) noun, [Latin, hearth] 1. A focal point. 2. To concentrate. 3. A center of interest or activity. 4. To sharpen or clearly define. 5. The point at which an object is most clearly seen. To the casual observer it might appear that Jesus was nomadic, wandering the dusty roads from village to village, dispensing his humanitarian miracles and pithy sayings. A first century Johnny Appleseed who scattered goodness seeds and golden rules like confetti. A kind of half-Houdini, half-Gandhi. A utilitarian genie who attracted disciples like stray cats. But nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus was the most focused leader and strategic planner of all time. He was a genius in organizational development and human resources. He specialized in visionary management. The world has never known a better synergist, the church being exhibit A. His methods, though ministerial, have been the model for industry and commerce for hundreds of years. His focus was constantly challenged, but he never wavered. He was harassed by the religious: "The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him." His disciples volunteered new ideas: "...Command fire to come down from heaven to consume them." Even His family questioned his actions: "Why have you treated us this way?" His hometown friends, the ones who had watched Him grow up, "took offense at Him." Satan, too, took his best shot. "All the kingdoms of the world, and their glory, will I give you if you fall down and worship me." But Jesus was resolute with focus. Though simple, Jesus' ministerial focus was profound and permanent. It has served as the template for every true disciple since. First, Jesus focused His mission in doing God's will. Nothing was more important to Him. "My priority is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work." John Stott, in The Preacher's Portrait wrote, "I can't help wondering if this is why there are so few preachers God is using today. There are plenty of popular preachers but not many who preach in the power of the Holy Spirit." Stott wonders if preaching God's will is too costly for the preacher. It was costly for Jesus, too. But He remained focused. Second, Jesus focused His topics of conversations. Every dialogue was deliberate. No words were wasted or lost; they were customized for each audience. "The words which you gave to me, I have given to them." His material was fresh and applicable. To the hurting, He spoke of hope. At a funeral, He spoke of life. To the blind, he spoke of light. To the leper, He offered His touch. To the theologians, He spoke theology. To normal people, He sounded normal. For everyone he put the cookies on the bottom shelf. And they loved Him for it. Third, Jesus focused His message to a target audience. "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." He gravitated to the needy and the growing. He did not seek out the comfortable or stagnant. His ministry was one of depth, not breadth. He would hideaway with His students for in-depth training. He commanded others to "tell no one." He was unshaken when thousands walked out during His message claiming "this is too difficult." On the night before the crucifixion, Jesus had an audience with numerous Jewish and Roman power brokers "yet He opened not His mouth." Finally, Jesus focused His energies toward His replacements. "As you have sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world." He chose an even-dozen from hundreds of candidates. For three years they stopped, looked, and listened. They heard it all, saw it all, and were involved in dozens of miraculous works. Jesus held nothing back from them. He schooled them in every phase of ministry. They saw him laugh, weep, teach, pray, challenge, rest, serve, heal, answer, and lead. When it was their turn they never asked "How?" They were focused. Our work is demanding but the model of our Teacher is simple: Focus. Ron Walters Vice President of Church Relations P.S. If you're looking for great preaching tools, don't forget Preaching Magazine. It's my favorite. Check it out at Preaching.com. Do your congregation a favor by subscribing. Copyright 2007 by Ron Walters Subscribe to The Pastor's Corner devotional by clicking here and checking the box in the top left corner.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Pastors / Leadership: Is the Church the Hope of the World?

Pastors / Leadership www.crosswalk.com // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Is the Church the Hope of the World? Sep 1st 2011, 04:00 We had a volunteer celebration this past Sunday night for children's ministry volunteers.  One of the challenges brought by our children's ministry staff to the volunteers was to take time during their devotions, at some point, and write a reflection on why they believed the church was the hope of the world - and specifically, in a child's life. The goal was to have them spend time reflecting on why their investment of time and energy matters so very much.  To know it deeply, viscerally, and not just on a surface level. One of the volunteers wrote the following words.  As I read them, I couldn't help wondering: is the church really the hope of the world? This was her answer: So this morning, I asked God to speak to me and answer for me; Is the church the hope of the world? I was immediately a mess. CS Lewis writes, "The church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs.  If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply, a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose. It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any other purpose." God is saving the lost through Meck, I know because I was lost, very lost. Ephesians 2: 3-10 spoke to my heart on this, this morning.... "All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of our flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God- not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." How do I know the church is the hope of the world? I see it in my own life, in my own testimony and in the living testimony of my family. When I came to Meck, I came alone, as a single parent, unchurched, a non-believer, invited by a friend of my mother's, never married, living in a mess of life…Slowly God moved in my life as I sat, week in, week out at Meck just listening and just thinking. God first came into my heart and then radically changed it. [My child's father] and I began to attend together, really date, and then were married within the year. The first time I ever read the bible was in response to a "take home" from MecKidz. The first time [my husband] and I prayed together was in response to a prompting from [my husband], brought on by a message we heard at Meck. The first time we served together was in response to a message we heard at Meck. The first time we committed our lives together to Christ as a family, and agreed to truly let him be leader was in a response to a message we heard at Meck. More recently, the decision to give, what in reality is our entire weekend, to the cause of Christ, through the building of his church at [Meck's Lake Norman campus] was in response to a message at Meck. We started a small group this way, I was baptized this way, invite our friends this way, and the list could go on, and on.....God works through the church, … How do I know, I live it! Is the church the hope of the world? She reminded me of the answer. James Emery White Editor's Note To enjoy a free subscription to the Church and Culture blog, log-on to www.churchandculture.org, where you can post your comments on this blog, view past blogs in our archive and read the latest church and culture news from around the world.  Follow Dr. White on twitter @JamesEmeryWhite.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Devotionals: Active Word - Sept. 1, 2011

Devotionals www.crosswalk.com // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Active Word - Sept. 1, 2011 Sep 1st 2011, 04:00 September 1 Mind your business Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."…He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" Luke 12:13-14 (NKJV) One day a man approached Jesus and asked him to settle a domestic dispute. This man had an inheritance coming to him, but he and his brother were fighting about how the inheritance should be divided. So the man decided to go to Jesus—the man who seemed to have all the answers. But Jesus does something interesting. He basically tells the man, "No, I'm not getting involved with that because it's really not my business. Let the proper courts take care of it." As God, Jesus possesses authority over all things. But as a man, He understood there were certain things that just weren't His business, and this was one of them. There's a great lesson here for us. Some things in life aren't our business, and it's not our place to meddle. It can be very tempting to try to solve other people's problems. The Bible describes a person with this tendency as a "busybody" (1 Timothy 5:13). Literally, that word means to "work all around," and it describes a person constantly over-stepping healthy boundaries. Of course, balance is important. As Christians, we are called to proactively reach out and help others. But our outreach needs to be led by God's Spirit, not by a "busybody spirit." In many instances, God wants us to steer clear and not interfere with what's going on. Rather, we ought to entrust its resolution to the appropriate people, just as Jesus does here. He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a dog by the ears. Proverbs 26:17 (NKJV) Think About It… What does this passage reveal to me about God? What does this passage reveal to me about myself? Based on this, what changes do I need to make? What is my prayer for today? SPECIAL OFFER New 365 Devotional Volume 2 God's mercy is new every day. That's because it's needed daily. So to help you walk through a fresh new day, the Active Word has put together this second volume of the 365 Devotional.  Our hope in creating this series of devotionals, is to help you connect with God's Word 365 days a year. And the best thing is, you can start any day of the year. Stay in step with God's Word, His will, and learn to live out your faith, daily.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Devotionals: A Daily Word - September 1, 2011

Devotionals www.crosswalk.com // via fulltextrssfeed.com

A Daily Word - September 1, 2011 Sep 1st 2011, 04:00   September 1 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe. - Proverbs 18:10 All people know titles for God—the "Great Spirit," "Ground of All Being," "the Man Upstairs"— but only those in covenant know His name. Each biblical name of God reflects some blessing or favor available to those who know His name. "The Lord Is My Peace," The Lord Is My Righteousness," "The Lord Is My Healer," "The Lord Is My Provider" all reveal what God is in interaction and engagement with people. All together, the names of God revealed in the Bible are the stones comprising the "strong tower." No wonder His people are safe and secure when they run into it for sanctuary. Click here to sign up for your free Winning Walk newsletter! OUR THANK YOU TO YOU Healing Broken America CD Series

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Devotionals: A Good Thing - September 1, 2011

Devotionals www.crosswalk.com // via fulltextrssfeed.com

A Good Thing - September 1, 2011 Sep 1st 2011, 04:00 Day 1 Theme: God & His Attributes Thou art good, and doest good– Psalm 119:68 God is good. He is not just partially good, or occasionally good, but He is goodness itself. As John reminds us, "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). God's perfect character does not have even the slightest shade of imperfection or sinfulness about it. He is so good that His own character is the standard by which He will righteously judge the world. His goodness is not merely an internal attribute, however. God is good and so He does good! When He created the world, he made it "very good" (Genesis 1:31). And even now the sin-cursed earth benefits daily from the sheer goodness of God to send the rain and sun and food that we need. God is working all things together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28), and the sanctifying work He performs in us by His Spirit is "according to his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). So, what should our response be, as creatures of such a good God? The psalmist justifiably cries, "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness!" (Psalm 107:8). Our worship and devotion are the only reasonable response to the purity and goodness of our God. Not only that, but we should also pray to God, as the psalmist, "Thou art good, and does good; teach me thy statutes" (119:68). If you truly admire the goodness of God, you will wish to learn and emulate His ways in your own life. To explore more Bible-based resources visit our website, that "your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ" and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Listen to the Baptist Bible Hour (BBH) broadcast on OnePlace.com.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Spiritual Life: How Paul Worked to Overcome Slavery

Spiritual Life www.crosswalk.com // via fulltextrssfeed.com

How Paul Worked to Overcome Slavery Aug 31st 2011, 04:00 The historic and contemporary reality of slavery is never far away from how we think about the Bible. Instead of a frontal attack on the culturally pervasive institution of slavery in his day, Paul took another approach, for example, in his letter to Philemon. Onesimus was a slave. His master Philemon was a Christian. Onesimus had evidently run away from Colossae (Colossians 4:9) to Rome where Paul, in prison, had led him to faith in Jesus. Now he was sending Onesimus back to Philemon. This letter tells Philemon how to receive Onesimus. In the process, Paul does at least 11 things that work together to undermine slavery. 1. Paul draws attention to Philemon's love for all the saints. "I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints" (1:5). This puts Philemon's relation with Onesimus (now one of the saints) under the banner of love, not just commerce. 2. Paul models for Philemon the superiority of appeals over commands when it comes to relationships governed by love. "Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you" (1:8-9). This points Philemon to the new dynamics that will hold sway between him and Onesimus. Acting out of freedom from a heart of love is the goal in the relationship. 3. Paul heightens the sense of Onesimus being in the family of God by calling him his child. "I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment" (1:10). Remember, Philemon, however you deal with him, you are dealing with my child. 4. Paul raises the stakes again by saying that Onesimus has become entwined around his own deep affections. "I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart" (1:12). The word for "heart" is "bowels." This means, "I am deeply bound emotionally to this man." Treat him that way. 5. Paul again emphasizes that he wants to avoid force or coercion in his relationship with Philemon. "I would have been glad to keep him with me...but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord" (1:13-14). This is pointing Philemon how to deal with Onesimus so that he too will act "of his own accord." 6. Paul raises the intensity of the relationship again with the wordforever. "For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever" (1:15). In other words, Onesimus is not coming back into any ordinary, secular relationship. It is forever. 7. Paul says that Philemon's relationship can no longer be the usual master-slave relationship. "[You have him back] no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother" (1:16). Whether he lets Onesimus go back free to serve Paul, or keeps him in his service, things cannot remain as they were. "No longer as a slave" does not lose its force when Paul adds, "more than a slave." 8. In that same verse (1:16), Paul refers to Onesimus as Philemon's beloved brother.This is the relationship that takes the place of slave. "No longer as a slave...but as a beloved brother." Onesimus now gets the "holy kiss" (1 Thessalonians 5:26) from Philemon and eats at his side at the Lord's Table. 9. Paul makes clear that Onesimus is with Philemon in the Lord. "[He is] a beloved brother...in the Lord" (1:16). Onesimus's identity is now the same as Philemon's. He is "in the Lord."

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions