What Anxiety?

I’ve been beating by head against the wall (or it feels that way) about where God wants us to plant His church. A lot of what I know of seeking God's direction I got from reading "Experiencing God" by Henry Blackaby. It's a very good book and greatsmall group study. You see God is working all around us. We have to keep our eyes on Him and He will direct us. While walking with Him in prayer and Bible reading, God will put a desire in our hearts to accomplish (that's where the Bible says, Godwill give you the desires of your heart). One thing about me is that I'm very cautious (sometimes too much) because of the failures I've had over my life. Some of my “Experiences” of failure has me walking slowly to make sure it is of God and not of me. My “Personality” is a go-getter and I tend to grab the ball and run with it; sometimes before I get instruction or direction so I come across as being flighty (which I hate because I want to be taken seriously). With all that said, my anxiety has been higher than usual lately.

Today as I was driving to work, I turned off the radio and just talked with my Heavenly Father about where He wants us to plant His church. I laid this at His feet, and walked in to work. I get to work early so I can read my Bible before I start my work day. As everyday, I log on to BibleGateway.com and do my Bible reading. This week I've been reading through 1, 2, 3 John and 1 Peter. Today, God sent me 1 Peter 5:6 - 7:
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”

This was a reminder to me that even if I don’t know yet where the church plant will be, God does. He will show me as I walk with Him.

Exercise – It Does the Body Good

I just came back from doing an hour on the stationary bike at the local Y.M.C.A. and I feel good! Every year at this time, I take 3 weeks off of going to the gym because of the crowds. Around the 3rd or 4th week, I know the crowds are smaller and by the beginning of February it’s back to normal. I miss working out so much during this time. I do the stationary bike and/or treadmill during my lunch time and hit the weights after work. I’ll start back hitting the weights next week. One of the reasons I exercise is that I want to be healthy as long as I can and to be usable to God longer.

I always get the same verse thrown at me by overweight and out of shape preachers. You know the one in 1 Timothy 4:8. In the King James Version, it says “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” I always want to tell them first to lay over the sweets, but I say instead, “It says that exercise does profit.” I like to tell them that since our bodies are God’s temples, we should have a body that is pleasing to Him.

Long story short, I like to exercise and to sweat. For me, it reduces my stress level and makes my clothes fit better. And Teresa (my wife), likes it too. ; - )

PARTY ON!

Coffeehouse Office

Yesterday I went by the local coffee house (not Starbucks). This place actually gives you a real cup if you are staying. This place also has more comfortable sitting and plays jazz music. It’s very comfortable. I call it my office and I tend to meet people there to talk about church planting stuff. I’ve been meaning to go by this place with my laptop and use their free wireless internet. You see, I received a laptop from my wife for my Christmas/Birthday gift. It has wireless options but I haven’t used it yet. I stopped by to test it out.

I bought a cappuccino and logged on the internet and settled in. It was awesome. I spent 2 hours working on John 1:19-34 study I’m leading at a Bible study on Saturday. With the jazz playing in the background, it was very nice. Toward the end of my time, a couple came in who were doing course work because they were talking economics. It was very cool. The coffeehouse makes a great office.

My desire is to use the local coffeehouses as an office instead of staying in a church’s office. Since we are in the very beginning of church planting, I don’t have a core group yet but working on it. Once God has everything in place, we will launch. With that said I’ll use the cell phone and my laptop and set up the office in the coffeehouse. I’ll buy a cup of coffee and get to know the owners and their people. It’s about meeting people where they are.

Diversity

I’ve been thinking about setting the DNA of the future church plant. One of the traits I desire to have in the DNA is diversity. In fact, I’ve put Diversity as one of the 7 core values for our church plant. I’m sure some people may wonder what my definition of diversity is. The website Encarta has Diversity defined as social inclusiveness: ethnic variety, as well as socioeconomic and gender variety, in a group, society, or institution. My definition isn’t that flowery.

I came across the SBCV Church Plant Application in my computer earlier today. There is a section that asked me to write up to one page describing the following my sense of call to church planting. Below is a small section describing my desire for this trait in the DNA way back in 2006. This is my definition of diversity.

“Having lived most of my life in Virginia, and attending and working in a multi-cultural church, I sense a call to not start a multi-cultural church but a New Testament church. The difference to me is that in the New Testament, everyone was welcomed into the body of Christ with no limitations (except no women could be pastors). To have a New Testament church, people will need to feel welcomed regardless of their race, economic background, if tattooed or clear of tattoos, with or without body piercings, etc.”

I envision a church that will have whites, blacks, and other races working hand in hand spreading the message of Christ along with tattoo wearing, body piercing having Christ-followers. It will be great to have people come in the front doors regardless of what they are wearing or look like and feel loved. That’s a Galatians 3:27-28 church (For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.).

Father, I humbly ask you to make this happen if it be your will.

Being Faithful

As I look back on this past weekend, I can’t help but think WOW. I’ve always believed as long as we put God and His Kingdom first, He will reveal Himself in an incredible way.

After reading some great books this past year on church planting and reaching out to the community, I felt it was time to start something. That something is a Discovery Group or Bible Study at an apartment complex in Carrollton, VA. God had planned this way in advance. You see God had put a man in our path many years ago as a co-worker with Teresa. This relationship between him and Teresa grew into brother/sister type closeness where they could talk openly about Christ and other things. Because of this relationship, he came to Common Ground Community Church last year where he knew he would find love and caring. God allowed me to build on the relation Teresa and he had. He and I have developed a good relationship now. Through our relationship, he has grown in the Lord in a great way.

Because of this growth in Christ, he wanted to do something for God. While having one our talks in my office (the local coffee house), we talked about church planting and my desire to start a Bible study. He offered to be our contact to his apartment complex and he reserved the clubhouse. This new venture is only a few weeks old but God willing it will make an impact on Carrollton. We are excited to see what God will do.

I know that whatever happens with this Bible study, Gil is a true person of peace. We have a foot hold in a complex that needs the Light of Christ. Gil is only being faithful with what God has given him. I thank God for Gil.

We are called to be faithful with what God has given us. What has God given you? Whatever it is, trust God to use it for His Kingdom. Give it back to Him and you will see something awesome happen.

Just Do It

When I think about the “Great Commission” in Matthew 28: 19, I wonder if this verse has been used some many times for missions and witnessing that it’s lost any power to encourage Christ-followers to do this task. This is a great task to do, and overwhelming at times. Who is to be doing the going, and why is it that Christ-followers aren’t doing more of it?

Let’s look at the verse:

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The King James Version of the Bible has “YE” or “YOU” after Go. The King James Version council would add words to the manuscript that they thought made passages flow better. When they did this, they put the words in italic to show this. Later versions assumed people knew who was to go so they did not add this word to this verse. So basically, as Christ-followers we are the ones who Jesus told to go.

So we are the ones who are commissioned to go and tell the good news of Christ’s gift of eternal life. Why is it that not everyone is sharing this news? I have some theories of why this is.

1. People are under the assumption that this task is for the “Pastors” or “Professional Clergy” to do.
If this was the case, Christ would have only talked with the 11 remaining disciples separate from the crowd. He told everyone that was with Him to “Go.” There were around 500 people present at this meeting.

2. People that don’t have the Spiritual gift of evangelism assume they don’t have to do this task since it’s not their thing.
Even though you may not have the Spiritual gift of evangelism, this commission is for you to do as well.

3. Some people feel that they can’t talk with strangers. They say, “I’m shy.”
The greatness of this commission is that we aren’t doing it. It’s the Holy Spiritual through us who is doing it. Acts 1:8;

“but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

As humans, we are merely the work gloves. In themself, gloves just lay around. It’s not until you put your hand in them that they are able to accomplish a task like raking the leaves or hammering a nail. The Spirit is accomplishing the task of telling the good news of Salvation. God doesn’t need us, but He wants to use us.

4. People say, “I’m not a good talking.” Or, “I wouldn’t know what to say.”
God will give us the words to use when we need them. Jesus told us that we will be put in situations that we may not know what to say. In these times, He said not to worry because the Spirit will give you the words to say. Mark 13:11;

“When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.”

You have trusted your eternal soul to Christ for salvation. Trust that He will do what He says helping you speak to others about him.
Matthew 28:19, tells us to go and tell the world about what He has done for us. Step out on faith and tell some one today.

Following The Leader


I remember as a child, playing the game “Follow the Leader.” Whoever was the leader, you had to do whatever they did. They raise their right hand; you raise your right. They jump; you jump. And so on. It was a fun game for what I remember. I was thinking today that serving Christ is actually like the game “Follow the Leader.” We are told to do what He did. The gospels show us what He said and what He did. We are called to do the same things (except for the miracles that only God can do).

With looking to start a new church, it would be overwhelming if it was on my shoulders. From the outside, looking in it appears to be on my shoulders. By building a group of people by talking with them and encouraging them to come to the Bible study. By getting money by talking with churches and pastors and encourage them that they can trust me with God’s money. It’s not on my small shoulders; it’s on the massive shoulders of Christ.

If you have asked me 5 years ago, “What would it take to start a new church?” I would have given an answer that was based on me. I would need to do this and that. I would need to formulate this plan or that plan. It would come from a business background and business mindset. I was trained in a church (good, bad, or indifferent) that taught and trained me with a mindset that we need to build the ministry. If a class wasn’t growing, we aren’t working hard enough. It was based on what we had to do or not do. It left you stressed out at times.

I’ve learned over the past 3 years through reading the Bible and walking with different ministry people that it has nothing to do with us; it’s everything to do with God. It’s what God wants us to do and say and go; not what we want to do or say or go. Once I read Ephesians 2:10 (“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”) it felt like chains were taken off of me. Every work we do, we don’t do it. God does it through us. I say this a lot, and it’s very applicable, “We are the work gloves and God is the hand.”

The work glove illustration is taken from a Bill Hybels’ book. Without the working of the Holy Spirit, we are just empty gloves lying on the table. Empty gloves can’t pick up anything or go anywhere. It’s not until the Holy Spirit fills us that we are useable. It’s not until I put my gloves on that the gloves can pick up a screwdriver and use it. We are dependent on God to do anything that is of any type of Kingdom work.

I use the “Follow the Leader” game as a way to show people that we need to do and go what and where we feel God is showing us to do and go through His Spirit. Rick Warren calls it riding the wave God created. Just follow the lead of the One who saved you. The task He has placed in your life has already been completed by Him. Just follow His lead to the end of the task. It’s about bringing glory to God and His kingdom. It’s not about making a name for ourselves.

It’s About Multiplication and Not Addition

The below content taken from The Present Future By Reggie McNeal.

Shifting from Church Growth to Kingdom Growth

The church growth movement introduced a concern for growth and a missiological approach to church.
Unfortunately, it fell victim to the belief that we are the architects of the work of God.
As a result, we have the best churches men can build, but are still waiting for the church that only God can get credit for.
Wrong question:
How do we grow the church? (How do we get them to come to us?)
Missional question:
How do we transform our community? (How do we hit the streets with the gospel?)
A shift from church activity to community transformation.
What the people in our communities need is God in their lives.
The North American Church is not spiritual enough to reach our culture with their greatest need.
Missional spirituality requires that God’s people be captured by His heart for people, that our hearts be broken for what breaks His, and that we rejoice in what brings Him joy. (See the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin and the lost son in Luke 15).

Kingdom Thinking

Kingdom theology requires that we reexamine our strategy for penetrating the culture with the presence of the church.
In the church age, cultural presence largely depended on church real estate.
Jesus’ strategy was to go where the people were already hanging out: weddings, parties, feast day celebrations, etc.
We need churches where people are already hanging out – inside of every Wal-Mart, Barnes and Nobles, Starbucks, etc.
McDonalds is leading the way – placing its new stores where people already are.
Bottom line: we’ve got to take the gospel to the streets – incarnating the gospel throughout the community.

Let It Shine

“This little light of mind, I’m going to let it shine. This little light of mind, I’m going to let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. Hide it under a bush, oh no! I’m going to let it shine. Hide it under a bush, oh no! I’m going to let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine” These words are to a song I learned way back when I was a little boy in Sunday school.

According to John 1, Jesus is the Light of the world. Since we are His children through adoption, we are His light bearers. We are called to shine His light in a darkness of this world. I know that a lot of Christians feel unable to bear this light or to share Christ to their loved ones and community out of fear; the fear that someone will ask them a question that they can’t answer. Since we are His children, we shouldn’t fear these types of questions. Matthew 10: 19 – 20 says, “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” As Jesus’ light bearer, we are to tell others only what we know. We are to tell others our testimonies; how we were lost, God drew us to Himself, because of what Chris did on the cross we are made complete and whole, and how our lives are different now. It’s that simple.

Our job is to be like Philip in John 1, when he said “come and see” to Nathanael about Jesus. We are to say to our family members, friends, co-works, and our community “come and see.” Make a decision to make 2008 the year you start telling people about the Light of the world. Tell them about Jesus Christ.