Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Imagining a church...
My sermon this week was on God's vision for my church. Sometimes as we try to serve the Lord we can get a little too caught up in the day to day stuff and lose track of your vision. At New Creation and maybe in your life it's time to refocus. As I was working on it, I was reminded of something I wrote in a sermon and it was also on a painting that hangs on my wall. I believe this is God's vision for the church.
Imagine a church where every single member is a minister. Not necessarily in a pulpit ministry, but every single person is using his or her unique gifts and talents and personality and time and treasure and whatever else to God’s glory.
Imagine this messy place where hurting and broken people are being helped and loved and the love of Jesus is so real that the only response is a burning desire to serve the one who saved them.
Warming a pew would seem unthinkable.
People walk into worship excited because they have no idea what will happen, the only thing they know for sure is that Jesus will show up.
It’s my dream and I think it’s God’s dream.
A church like that would be a new creation.
If you build it they will come...
If you'd like to hear the whole message, go to http://www.radicallyreal.com and click on the Running A.M.O.K. Podcast button. The message is called "Who Are We and Why Are We Here?" There is also a Bible study sheet there and arts ideas for personal devotions and study.
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(0) comments
My sermon this week was on God's vision for my church. Sometimes as we try to serve the Lord we can get a little too caught up in the day to day stuff and lose track of your vision. At New Creation and maybe in your life it's time to refocus. As I was working on it, I was reminded of something I wrote in a sermon and it was also on a painting that hangs on my wall. I believe this is God's vision for the church.
Imagine a church where every single member is a minister. Not necessarily in a pulpit ministry, but every single person is using his or her unique gifts and talents and personality and time and treasure and whatever else to God’s glory.
Imagine this messy place where hurting and broken people are being helped and loved and the love of Jesus is so real that the only response is a burning desire to serve the one who saved them.
Warming a pew would seem unthinkable.
People walk into worship excited because they have no idea what will happen, the only thing they know for sure is that Jesus will show up.
It’s my dream and I think it’s God’s dream.
A church like that would be a new creation.
If you build it they will come...
If you'd like to hear the whole message, go to http://www.radicallyreal.com and click on the Running A.M.O.K. Podcast button. The message is called "Who Are We and Why Are We Here?" There is also a Bible study sheet there and arts ideas for personal devotions and study.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
A Line in the Sand...
Somewhere along the line we have come to the conclusion that pastors are employees of churches to be hired and fired at will as soon as they don't take the church exactly where it wants to go. When did it ever become about us? Churches are not employers and pastors are not employees. Pastors are called by God to lead the church...Not where the church wants to go...Not where the pastor wants to go but where God wants to go! Anything else will result in a weak ineffective, self-serving, self-centered thing that really can't be called a church. Churches follow Jesus!
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(0) comments
Somewhere along the line we have come to the conclusion that pastors are employees of churches to be hired and fired at will as soon as they don't take the church exactly where it wants to go. When did it ever become about us? Churches are not employers and pastors are not employees. Pastors are called by God to lead the church...Not where the church wants to go...Not where the pastor wants to go but where God wants to go! Anything else will result in a weak ineffective, self-serving, self-centered thing that really can't be called a church. Churches follow Jesus!
