Archive for April, 2008
“How Often Do You Repeat Yourself?” April 22, 2008
One of the questions I have always wrestled with as a communicator is how often should I reteach a message or reemphasize a point? AND…that seems to be a question I get very often is, “How often do you repeat yourself/reteach a message?”
Pastors…let me try to relieve some pressure. If you think you are going to have to say something original every Sunday from now until you die…you might just go flippin crazy!!!
I believe that as a pastor I often make two false assumptions when it comes to communicating God’s Word…
#1 – People remember everything that I said the last time I taught on this.
One of THE most humbling things that has ever happened to me was once when I was getting ready for a creative meeting and assembled the notes based on a message I had put together 17 months previous. I really felt like God wanted me to preach a lot of the same stuff again…so, I sent out the notes and was ready for the meeting the next day…thinking I would hear, “We’ve done this before!”
When I got to the meeting the next day everyone thought the message was incredible & thought it should be taught as is with no changes. I then reminded them that the reason it was so good as that everyone in the room had put that exact message together 17 months prior.
NO ONE REMEMBERED IT until I began to talk about it a little more! It was SO humbling.
Pastors, we give ourselves WAY too much credit…we think people remember every word we said, when, in actuality, on Monday morning when we are still thinking about the message…the people who attended our church the previous day are actually thinking about how to get their kids to school in time and things of that nature. Most of them aren’t thinking about everything we said the day before.
#2 – People Need To Be Reminded Of Previous Truths They Have Been Taught.
I know I need to be! Pastors–we cannot teach a spiritual truth one time and then assume everyone in the church will remember it and continually apply it! We’ve got to teach new things…but also remind of previous truths that have been taught.
We see Peter in II Peter 1:12-15 and II Peter 3:1 flat out say that he is all about reminding people of the timeless truths he has already taught.
Don’t be afraid to continually teach…
- Jesus is the ONLY way for us to make things right with God.
- The Bible is God’s Word and God’s Will…going against it always produces regret.
- Church was God’s idea.
- God has a purpose for everyone’s life!
- Marriage was God’s idea and should be valued.
- Giving is a tangible way to tell God, “I love you.” Anyone can say it…
- The tithe is the starting blocks when it comes to giving…NOT the finish line.
- Sex before marriage is wrong.
- Hell is a real place…and people really do go there without Jesus.
I could go on and on…but you get the picture…we need to teach AND repeat truths.
Say it–even though they’ve heard it!
Say it again–even though they know it!
Q & A With Pastor P–Part Two April 22, 2008
Jerry writes…
“I’d love to hear you speak to the nationwide trend of video campuses. I know why this methodology is gaining momentum. What I’d like to hear you address is what you have identified as the inherent dangers associated with this popular church growth strategy.”
Jerry…excellent question. For the sake of time and space I will identify three dangers I see that potentially be a dangerous thing for a multi-site campus.
#1 – The Focus Is On Technology And Not Jesus.
It’s sad…but in some cases the technological tail wags the dog…and things in churches are done not because they are led by God…but because they would be “cool” and “hip.”
I think technology is a tool that God has allowed us to have to reach the world…but it should never be the focus of a church or a ministry. The church should never “dumb down” what we are called to do so that technology can be the center of our attention.
(BTY…this isn’t just a danger for a multi-site church…but ANY church. When a church focuses on ANYONE or ANYTHING other than Jesus Christ…it is in serious trouble.)
#2 – Poor Leadership
One of THE KEYS, in my opinion, to a successful multi-site venue is having a well equipped and competent senior pastor.
We have the privilege of having Howard in Greenville and Michael in Florence…and I am 100% bought into these guys and believe that they are THE LEADERS to carry out what God has called us to do.
Whenever you begin a church (or a multi-site) you will have what I call vision vandals who try their best to hijack the vision…and that CAN happen when the campus pastor is a coward and/or isn’t fully bought into the vision in the first place.
NewSpring Greenville and NewSpring Florence aren’t going to just have the NewSpring name…they will have our DNA and will be pressing towards the same goal…to see people meet Jesus and grow up in Him!
#3 – People Resisting Attending B/C They Say They Don’t Want To Go To Church And Watch A Video.
I’ve heard this…you have to…and it makes me laugh every time because…
When I teach live at NewSpring and try to make eye contact with the crowd–I can’t because…NO ONE IS LOOKING AT ME…they are all looking at the screen! Seriously, it’s crazy! I am standing RIGHT THERE and no one sees me!
I was very skeptical of this movement until I visited several campuses who do it well and had forgotten it was a video within the first three minutes of the presentation.
However, there are just some people who will probably say they prefer a live speaker. (Which is silly because I would bet that none of them would say, “We don’t go to movies because they aren’t live–nope, we only enjoy plays.”)
Those are the first three that popped into my mind…hope that helps.
My Bible Journey… April 21, 2008
Continues…
- II Peter 1:5-8, IF I possess these qualities then the Bible says I will not live an unfruitful life…this is quite a list! :-)
- II Peter 1:12-15, As a pastor I don’t need to fear the thought, “But people have heard this before.” (More on this later this week.)
- II Peter 1:21, God’s Word is reliable!
- II Peter 2:4-10, God doesn’t play games…He will not be mocked.
- II Peter 3:1, Peter was obsessed with reminding people about the things he had already taught them…something I believe every pastor should focus on.
- II Peter 3:9, For those who have people they are praying that Jesus will save…I would memorize this verse!
- II Peter 3:14, How I live really does matter to God.
Sunday Night Reflections April 20, 2008
I thought today was great…here are a few thoughts before I head off to bed…
- ANYTIME I teach on the subject of sex it gets really tense…but the fact is I fully believe that God wants married couples to have healthy & consistent sex lives! (Did I hear an amen?)
- Teaching through the Song of Solomon from the womans point of view was…uh…interesting, especially the gazelle reference. (You will have to watch the message online to see what I am talking about!)
- ANYTIME we tackle the subject of sex and sexual purity at NewSpring we see marriages that were almost dead come back to life…and…we see men full of brokenness and repentance who are set free from the slavery of sexual addiction.
- Sex, Money & Power will conclude next week with, “The Other Thing Men Think About.” Can’t wait!
- Mother’s Day this year (May 11th) is going to be incredible…last year we gave away a house…this year we will give away…well…I guess you’ll just need to be here! :-)
- I really would LOVE your participation in, “You Asked For It,” a series we are going to begin on July 13th that YOU will provide the direction for. What is it that you would love to see me preach on? What question do you have that you would love to see answered–go here and ask away.
- The Greenville campus event this past Saturday night was electric! I can’t wait to launch in Greenville!
- Last Tuesday I had the privilege of mentoring some of our staff here at NewSpring–we went out to lunch and they simply asked questions for almost two hours. I will be doing this just about on a weekly basis for a while and am very excited about it.
- Several posts ago I mentioned that I will be at youth this Wednesday night…well…oops, I made a mistake. I thought date night was going to be moved…it’s not! And so, while I LOVE our youth group–date night rules! :-)
- I have an off site with our SMT this Thursday…it will be HUGE.
I love what I get to do…seriously, I was driving to work this morning thinking, “I can’t believe I get to do this!” Thank You Jesus that I am privileged to serve in YOUR Church!
How Do You Know If Your Vision Is From God? April 18, 2008
Great question…here are a few suggestions…
- If you feel confident that you can accomplish what is in front of you with no problem at all…then you didn’t hear from God.
- If no one is angry at you…then you didn’t hear from God.
- If you don’t have to ask anyone to sacrifice to make the vision come true…then you didn’t hear from God.
- If religious people are not steaming at you, blogging about you and/or leaving your church…then you didn’t hear from God.
- If you have the money in the bank to do what God has asked you church to do…then you didn’t hear from God.
- If every step is perfectly designed and nothing happens to totally throw you off along the way…then you didn’t hear from God.
- If someone doesn’t try to talk you out of what you are about to attempt…then you didn’t hear from God.
- If you don’t stay up at night thinking about the vision…then you didn’t hear from God.
- If your vision is in contradiction to God’s Word…then you didn’t hear from God. (And no, you didn’t get a “special revelation” that gave you permission to trump His Word!)
- If you know all of the answers…then you didn’t hear from God.
Those are just a few things that came to mind. :-)
Fearless April 17, 2008
One of my prayers is that Charisse makes it to her first birthday because…well…she’s FEARLESS.
If I am holding her there is absolutely nothing she seems to be afraid of. She will dive off the bed into the floor as long as I am there. She will try to walk across the room if I am holding her hands. She will just about do anything because, well, she’s in the presence of her father…and that causes her to be FEARLESS. She sleeps in the dark. She loves the water…
I’ve read that babies are born with basically two fears, #1 – The fear of loud noises (she definitely doesn’t like it when I blow the horn) and, #2 – The fear of falling. Every other fear a child develops is a learned fear. My prayer is that I always keep an eye on her because, with me, there is nothing she won’t try.
And to be honest…I WANT that for myself and my relationship with my heavenly Father. I want to be FEARLESS…to go all out, for there to be nothing that I won’t try.
I began to thing about why she is so fearless…and I came up with two reasons…
#1 – She Knows Me
Since day one of her being on this planet I’ve been involved in her life. In the early days the effort was all me reaching out to her…but over the past few months she’s reached her arms out for me on more than one occasion because I have become a familiar sight to her.
I want to know God…intimately, passionately…on a level in which I’ve never experienced before. As I look back I understand that I am His because of the effort He put forth to draw me to Himself…but now I also understand that I need to constantly be reaching out my hands to Him and reading His Word, trying my best to know Him…which leads to…
#2 – She Trusts Me
I’ve thrown her up in the air…and I’ve always caught her. I’ve held her hands when she walked…and I’ve never let go. I’ve heard her cry out so many times…and I’ve always paid attention to her. She knows that she can trust me.
In my head I know that about God…but there are times when my actions don’t back up that I fully trust Him. He’s never let me fall beyond His reach. I need to believe God is exactly who He says He is and can do exactly what He says He can do in His Word. I want to trust Him the way my little girl trusts me.
I want to be fearless…which will lead to me being RECKLESS…which is exactly how the men and women God has used the most throughout history to change the world.
I will be controlled by fear (or committees) or God…
I want to be FEARLESS.
MORE SEX! :-) April 16, 2008
Last Sunday was incredibly uncomfortable for all of us. (If you think you were uncomfortable listening to the talk…you should have had to deliver it four times in a row!!!)
The bottom line of that talk was that we will face sexual temptation…and that sex with anyone other the person we are married to is wrong…a SIN in the sight of God.
BUT THIS WEEK…well, we will be addressing the positive side of sex. :-)
I’ve said so many times–God created sex…and He created to be ENJOYED between a husband and a wife. He shows us what a healthy sexual relationship looks like in a book called “The Song of Solomon.”
This Sunday we will be dealing with “What She Really Wants You To Know About Sex,” and will be taking a look at what the female in Song of Solomon communicated to her husband.
Men…I can promise if you will listen and apply what will be taught on Sunday that things at home will improve. :-) Seriously! God wants husbands and wives to have a healthy sexual relationship…and this Sunday we will talk about that a lot more…
See you then!!!