Volume 3 Post/Email 5 – Proverbs 15:15
The cheerful heart has a continual feast.
I love this observation and statement of truth from Solomon!
We can excuse a sour attitude because of the negative events of life.
However, the choice is truly ours as to how we will live.
We do not have to be sour and miserable!
Neither do we have to be empty.
We can decide to be full of God and spiritual joy.
It is very possible to overcome the difficult people and negative circumstances that cross our path.
A cheerful heart has a continual feast, including days of discouragement and disappointment!
A cheerful heart has a continual feast, even when dealing with petty and unnecesary issues!
A cheerful heart has a continual feast, so choose to be glad and free in Christ!
-Brian
Volume 3 Post/Email 4 – Hebrews 7:25
Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
Isn't this a tremendous truth? Jesus is able to save "completely"!
You and I are 1000% saved by the interceding blood of Jesus Christ!
We do not earn even a fraction of a percent of our salvation!
Anything good or religious that we do is a result of the merciful work of God. We do not worship and serve to be saved, nor to remain saved. We are always completely redeemed by Jesus. We worship and serve out of love and joy because we are redeemed!
Another way we can think about and apply this verse is with regard to religious differences.
I have Christian brothers and sisters who I consider to be considerably more liberal than I am on some of their religious views. Likewise, I have Christian brothers and sisters who I consider to be considerably more conservative than I am on their religious views. Who is in right standing with God? Am I for my more conservative views than some, or for my more progressive views than others?
As we all seek truth, wisdom and growth in Christ, we are still always saved completely by Jesus! For all of our misunderstandings and misapplications along the way, trust in the grace of Jesus is what continues to cleanse me of my sins.
God loves us, even in our moments of misunderstanding, mediocrity, incompetency, and inconsistency!
Praise God! Jesus always lives to intercede for us!
-Brian
Volume 3 Post/Email 3 – John 13:34-35
34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
Jesus makes this statement after demonstrating love through washing the disciples' feet in the upper room before sharing a meal.
Jesus' mark of authentic discipleship is not Bible knowledge, though knowledge can be helpful to our faith, spiritual insight, and understanding of God and kingdom life.
Jesus' mark of authentic discipleship is not theoretical.
Jesus' mark of genuine discipleship is relational!
How do we treat people?
Are we washing feet? Are we listening? Are we feeding? Are we visiting? Are we teaching? Are we encouraging?
Do I wash my spouse's feet? Do I wash my family's feet? Do I wash my co-workers feet? Do I wash my church family's feet?
Jesus' calls us to model his life! Jesus calls us to discipleship! Jesus calls us to be radically different!
Jesus calls us to be slaves who are thrilled serving others in love!
-Brian
“Pastoral ‘Free Agency’ Hurts Churches” – Rick Warren
Below is the latest Rick Warren article from his internet ministry, dated 7-08-2010. I am including it as an email and also as an ongoing accessible article on our "Ministry Articles" page. What he writes is consistent with church growth research. I have read approximately 40-50 books, plus other sources, on the matter. Furthermore, observing churches, such as the one I grew up in, for which my dad has ministered since 1984, is a good example that confirms Warren's conclusions. A graduate course I took at Lipscomb, for which 3 books were assigned, also taught what Warren says. The point is that this is more than one man's opinion. It is consistent with churches of all sizes across America.
I know there are readers of this site from various congregations, and hope this article will encourage each church represented to pursue church health, including the end of any "patterns" of changing preachers every few years.
Furthermore, while his article is intended to specifically encourage preachers, I would hope to influence all readers by his final statement. "Want to see your church grow? Don't leave."
Every church needs dedicated members! Every church needs members who will positively and persistently be there to worship and work and build up the body, even and especially in times of frustration or discouragement.
Here is the article:
You don’t need to be a fan of professional basketball to have heard talk this week about free agents. Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, among others, are all contemplating changing teams in a quest for championship rings (and dollars).
Building short-term dream teams to win championships may be an effective strategy for winning championships in the NBA, but churches rarely become more effective when pastors keep changing, moving in and out like free agents of the church.
The truth is pastoral longevity is one of the untold secrets of church health. My experience is this –
A long pastorate does not guarantee a church will grow, but changing pastors every few years guarantees a church won’t grow.
Can you imagine what the kids would be like in a family where they got a new daddy every two or three years? They would most likely have serious emotional problems. In the same way, the longevity of the leadership is a critical factor for the health and growth of a church family. Long pastorates make deep, trusting, and caring relationships possible. Without those kinds of relationships, a pastor won’t accomplish much of lasting value.
Churches that rotate pastors every few years will never experience consistent growth. Few people want to follow a leader who they think won’t be around a year from now. The pastor may want to start all sorts of new projects, but the members will be reticent because they will be the ones having to live with the consequences long after the pastor has been moved to another church.
Knowing the importance of longevity in growing a healthy church I prayed at the beginning of my ministry, “Father, I’m willing to go anyplace in the world you want to send me. But I ask for the privilege of investing my entire life in just one location. I don’t care where you put me but I’d like to stay wherever it is for the rest of my life.”
I’ve now been at Saddleback for more than 30 years. I’m convinced that’s been a factor in Saddleback’s growth. Want to see your church grow?
Don’t leave.
This can also be found and read at http://www.pastors.com/blogs/ministrytoolbox/archive/2010/07/08/pastoral-free-agency-hurts-churches.aspx
Volume 3 Post/Email 2 – Psalm 139:1-10
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise, you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.