Archive for April, 2011
Seven Questions To Discuss In Your Next Leadership Meeting April 28, 2011
#1 – What is the next step we need to take in order to stay in step with the vision the Lord has given us?
#2 – What is the ONE THING that we want to happen and need to happen…but it would take a move of God for it to happen? (Finding the answer to this question will definitely give your prayer life direction!)
#3 – Is there any unresolved conflict in this room? (If you don’t have a healthy culture it will eventually spread to your staff and then your entire church!)
#4 – Is there anything that we need to stop doing? (Are there any programs that no one is really excited about, that are not growing but are simply being maintained because “we’ve always had that program.” If the horse is dead…get off the horse. DO NOT form a committee to study the horse. Don’t try a different saddle on the horse…DISMOUNT!)
#5 – Are there any obvious problems that we are trying to deny that simply need to be dealt with? (There are some things you cannot “pray away!”)
#6 – Do we know the vision and values of our church and can we recite them from memory? (If you don’t know them and/or they are unclear then there is around a 100% chance that your church is not really moving forward with a unified vision!)
#7 – Who should be be learning from? (My advice…stay away from the philosophers, you know, the people who write books and have websites that tell people how to do things they’ve never actually done!!! Stick with the people who have fought the fights and paid the price…and do whatever it takes to learn from others!!! See Proverbs 4:7!)
Listen To God, Do What He Says April 27, 2011
Something the Lord taught me very clearly in 2007 was the principle that – Life And Leadership Is As Easy As Listening To God & Then Doing What He Says.
I really do believe that God still speaks…I believe He speaks clearly, loudly and often. Most people do not struggle with not knowing what to do…but rather with not doing what they already know.
I believe God’s Word and God’s Spirit work together, not in conflict with one another.
I believe that God wants us to know Him and what He wants more than most of us want to know these things! Because, His promise is that if we seek Him with all our hearts that we will find Him! (See Jeremiah 29:13 and Jeremiah 33:3!)
I also believe that MOST of the time when God speaks to us He will always call us away from convenience to the uncomfortable…it happened to me about two weeks ago.
Here at NewSpring Church we’ve always taken our Sunday services seriously…and we pray and plan several weeks (even months) ahead in order to make sure that we give every Sunday our best effort…and doing so also allows staff and volunteers to be able to put forth their best efforts as they are able to work ahead and invest time into their work.
We met about a month and a half ago and planned an incredible Easter service. Seriously, it was amazing! We had all of the elements in place, we scheduled video shoots, we had the media team building motion backgrounds for the music and we really took a lot of time to work through the specifics of the message to make sure it was both clear and understandable. Like I said…it was going to be awesome.
Then, the week before our Easter services (literally about nine days before) I started reading through the book of Genesis. When I read through Genesis 3 I really felt the Lord speak to my heart and say, “THAT is the Easter message I want you to preach!”
I naturally dismissed it as a thought brought on by the handful of teddy grahams that I had eaten the night before; however, the more I thought about it the more on fire my heart became.
So…I met with about five people on our staff who I really trust and who I knew this change would impact the most…and they LOVED IT! Seriously, the excitement level in the room went through the roof.
So…we went with it; however, something STILL did not feel right about it.
IT hit me on Tuesday morning like a flood. Literally, I really felt like the Lord showed me how we needed to begin our services. However, the change that would have to be made would have to be done so within about a 48 hour period and was literally going to impact two entire departments in our church as well as every campus. So I sent an email to the leader who is over our musicians and our video/graphic area and shared my idea with him and simply asked, him, “is this possible? Can we make this happen and pull it off with excellence?” He answered me back in less than 10 minutes with a “yes” and the next 48 hours our team worked like crazy to make it happen.
Honestly…it was THE BEST Easter we’ve ever had in the 11 year history of NewSpring Church.
At the end of the experience everyone agrees that the Lord was all over this. It wasn’t easy…it caused us to walk away from lots of work that had already been prepared and it was a powerful reminder of what the Bible says in Proverbs 21:31!
At the end of the day it’s not my job as a leader to take the easy path…I’ve been called to follow Jesus…and following Him is as easy as listening to His voice and doing what He says!
So…what’s He saying to you? (See Hebrews 4:7)
A Letter From Pastor P To NewSpring Church April 26, 2011
Howdy NewSpring Church, I’m STILL overwhelmed, amazed and thankful for all that took place in our Easter services…here are a few thoughts…
#1 – THANK YOU to everyone who went out of their way to make sure to bring people to a worship service. We saw God save over 730 people (actually, the number of people who received Christ are still coming in as we are learning of people who received Christ while watching online.) Every campus stepped up in a major way as each campus shattered previous attendance records (24,286 total). You guys OWNED the fact that found people find people, that lost people really do matter to God (see Luke 15) and we saw the results and hundreds of people crossed over from DEATH to LIFE!
#2 – I want to encourage everyone who invited someone and they did not show…or that brought someone who is far from God and they did not respond to the Gospel. Don’t give up on them! Remember, the Lord was patient with you…and He wants us to be patient with them (see II Peter 3:9). Also…remember, it is the kindness of God that led us to repentance…and it is our kindness (and not our nagging and judgmental attitudes) that will eventually win them to Christ as well (see Romans 2:4.) Just keep praying for God to open doors (John 5:17) and realize when He does that it is an opportunity for you to speak God’s truth to them (see Romans 10:14-17.)
#3 – I did this on twitter…but wanted to do it here as well and say “thank you” to the thousands of volunteers who sacrificed their time and gave literally thousands of hours to make sure that so many people were taken care of when they arrived at a NewSpring campus. You guys are making a difference…I praise God that you understand that “Saved People Serve People” (see I Peter 4:10) and you are using your gifts to make a difference!
#4 – It’s not over! God’s not done! There’s still so much to do! The people you brought with you last Sunday…get them here this Sunday too! We’re going to continue the series “More” (based on Ephesians 3:20) as we dive into what Jesus said in John 8:12 and talk about how not to just meet Christ…but how to follow Him on a daily basis!
#5 – Continue to pray for us as we look to begin two new campuses somewhere in the state of SC within the next year. We have a few different possibilities but want to make sure we are doing exactly what the Lord wants…and doing it when He wants to do it.
#6 – “Heart to Heart,” happens this Sunday at our Anderson campus at 4:30. If you are a young lady in grades 6-12…trust me, you need to be here for this. There was an amazing turnout last month and from what I have heard Lucretia (my wife!) did an amazing job teaching young ladies how to establish their identity in Christ. This month is going to be incredible. AND…you can still come this month even if you were not able to make it last month…just go to the link and sign up and we will see you on Sunday. (And..yes, you can bring a friend…even if they were not here last month!)
#7 – Parents (and students), the deadline for the early bird rate for the Gauntlet ($249) ends May 15th…after that date the price increases to $349. It’s going to be an amazing week…it always is. TRUST ME…your kid does NOT want to miss this week! And…this year will be the first year that we anticipate selling out…as in there will literally be no more room. We only have room for 1,200 students to sign up…and once those spaces are taken then anyone else who wants to go will have to be put on a waiting list. Seriously, this is one of my favorite weeks of the year EVERY YEAR! So…parents, if you want to make sure your kids have a space AND save $100…then let’s get it done before May 15! (And here’s the link once again!)
#8 – On a personal note…I would appreciate your prayers as I speak at The Orange Conference this Friday! It is such an honor to be able to speak to thousands of youth and children’s workers from all over the US…I’m so thankful for Reggie Joyner and his crew for inviting me back to speak this year.
I LOVE MY CHURCH…CAN’T WAIT ‘TILL SUNDAY!
WOW…THAT Happened! April 25, 2011
I just received an email that absolutely blew me away…
This year for our Easter services one of my opening illustrations was taken from the movie “Smokey and the Bandit.” I talked about how in 1977 that I really wanted the Trans Am that was in that movie…and thought that if I could have it then I would never want anything else again. (The message will be online and on itunes by noon tomorrow.)
Anyway, a family had been inviting a friend of theirs to NewSpring for three years and he finally came to a service last night. (Don’t EVER give up on people!!!) He did not pray to receive Christ during the service…HOWEVER…
On the way home he was listening to the radio and “East Bound & Down” by Jerry Reed (The theme song for “Smokey & the Bandit”) came on! When that happened he pulled his car over on the side of the road and surrendered his life to Christ!
John 5:17 is true…God is ALWAYS at work!!!
Four Reasons I Have Such A HOPE For The Church April 21, 2011
(AND…in honor of Rick Warren, aka. Mr. Acrostic, I have listed my four reasons as H-O-P-E! Here we go…)
H = Hunger – I am seeing a hunger in pastors and church leaders like I’ve NEVER seen before. There seems to be a willingness to admit among many now that “if we always do what we’ve always done then we’ll always get what we’ve always got” and so, because of that, there is a desire to grow, learn and change. Denomination preferences are being put aside and people who would not even speak to one another 20 years ago are now sitting down at the table together to learn from each other. AND…church leaders are becoming more dependent on REVELATION from God and not just the IMITATION of others!
O = Optimism – There is a growing sense of optimism among church leaders unlike anything I’ve ever seen. There are more and more people reading their Bibles and beginning to see that God has WAY MORE in store for the church than we are currently experiencing (see John 14:12), that the book of Acts isn’t something we’re supposed to get back to…but rather was the launching pad that the church STARTED from! Badmouthing the church has gotten way uncool…and church leaders are now beginning to ignore the “experts” who merely want to badmouth the church on their website…but then ask the church to help them when they need to sell a book, CD or schedule a consulting gig!
P = Perseverance – When I was first introduced to work in the church world I believe the average stay for a pastor in a church was around 22 months (a youth pastor was 17 months!) Church leaders were not bought into the churches they were leading…many of them were merely using those churches as a stepping stone to further their ministry career and eventually wind up in their “dream job” at the “perfect church.” However, today I am seeing pastors and church leaders dedicate their lives to a vision, to a cause…and I’m seeing a willingness in leaders to fight through the difficult times and a desire to stay and fight the wolves rather than abandoning the flock so that they can be devoured. (See John 10:11-13) Church leaders are actually loving the people in their churches and are willing to work through the hard times so that they can see God do more than they could ever imagine.
E = Expectation – Church leaders are seemingly becoming more and more unsatisfied with unfruitful ministry! We are understanding more and more that IF the Bible is true, IF Jesus died on the cross to reconcile people to Himself (II Corinthians 5:15-21), IF He desires people to come to a knowledge of the truth (I Timothy 2:3-7), IF He has commanded us to reach the world (Acts 1:8), IF He has risen from the dead (I Corinthians 15:3-4), IF He has given us the Holy Spirit (Acts 2) and IF He has empowered us to do His work (II Timothy 1:7) then to expect NOTHING to happen is simply inconsistant with Scripture, His commands and His character! There is a building sense of expectation of NOT just a revival in our land…but a brand new awakening/reformation!!!
I honestly believe the greatest days of the church are yet to be experienced!!!
The best really is yet to come!
My Thoughts On Hell & Rob Bell April 20, 2011
Let me begin by saying I really do like Rob Bell. The Lord has used him to both teach and challenge me in my pursuit of Jesus. And although I have been unsuccessful in my attempts to contact him personally about his new book I still hope that he and I can have a conversation.
I hardly ever do a post like this on my website; however, due to the questions I have received about his new book and the concerns I have for it…and after lots of prayer and talking with others I feel like I should share my thoughts.
I first saw Rob speak at Catalyst in 2003 where he did a talk that profoundly impacted me entitled, “Grabbing the Tassels.” In Early 2005 I again saw him speak at the C3 Conference at Fellowship Church where he did a talk entitled, “Covered in the Dust of Your Rabbi” that absolutely rocked my world and challenged me to want to become more like Christ.
I had the opportunity to speak to him at that conference and mentioned to him that I would love to come to Grand Rapids and spend some time with him…and he asked me, “when are you coming?” I gave him my cell number and he said he would call and we would set something up.
He called and in April of 2005 my wife and I flew to Grand Rapids for the weekend. He met us at the airport, carried Lucretia’s luggage for her and drove us to his home…insisting that we stay with him and his family rather than getting a hotel.
Before we move on I want everyone to understand something…Rob Bell is a human being…he has a heart, a soul…and has feelings just like the rest of us. I am quite sure he has read the Internet recently that has, for the most part, been on an extreme attack against him personally. (And…keep in mind that his wife and children have probably read those things as well. One of the unfortunate aspects of the Internet is that it has caused people to become concepts and personalities rather than real people and critics forget that!)
I saw Rob that weekend as a husband, a father and as a pastor. We shared meals together, had conversations in his living room. I attended his church and watched him teach on how to confront someone that had sinned against you the way Jesus taught in Matthew 18…and it was one of the best sermons on that passage I have ever heard.
We were able to ask each other some questions and, needless to say, the Lord used the experience to stretch me. I left that weekend in Grand Rapids knowing that Rob and I probably didn’t agree on everything theologically; however, I could still love and appreciate the guy. I saw him in environments that haters have never seen him in…and I believe in my heart that the guy really does love Jesus and is trying his best to follow him.
Now…please understand that out of this experience Rob and I didn’t become best friends and agree to exchange Christmas cards every year. In fact, I’ve only chatted with him twice since that weekend.
So…before I move on let me say once again that I know, love and appreciate Rob Bell.
“Love Wins” has caused quite a stir. And, for the record I have read it from cover to cover. (I honestly think it is a bit ridiculous for people to begin to share their opinions on things they haven’t actually read for themselves. AND PLEASE don’t hand me the LAME excuse that you aren’t going to “waste your money on that book” when everyone knows its true that all of us have “wasted money” on other things!) And, I have also read reviews, both positive and negative, and seen Rob in television interviews as well both explaining and defending his work.
Some people on the Internet have gotten quite cruel…and, unfortunately, the attacks against him have gotten quite personal, which is unfortunate for the church as we, once again, proves to the world that we are the only “army” on the planet that seems to take delight in shooting our wounded!
However, some people have gone to the opposite extreme and said that they refuse to speak out against Rob and what he is teaching in this book because he is such a good guy.
Here is my issue with the whole thing. Rob Bell denies the existence of hell…which is a grave theological error–period. (OK…he is now saying he believes in hell, but after reading the book it is clear that he believes in his view of hell…which is not in agreement with the totality of the Scriptures.) Yes, he did use Scripture in the book; however, I feel that his use of the Bible was, in most cases, taken way out of context to try to prove something he desperately wants to be true rather than matching up with the totality of God’s Word.
One of the things that Christians have got to get past is that we cannot disagree with someone! We live in a nation that exalts the “value” of tolerance…which is, in some cases, quite unfortunate.
Disagreement where we speak the truth in love is both godly and necessary for us to sharpen one another. But…the way those disagreements take place is what matters! We cannot (and should not) listen to everyone who has a website and an opinion…but we must be willing to engage in “iron sharpening iron” dialogue with people who genuinely love Jesus and have a heart for His church and a mutual love and respect for each other.
There were times that the Apostle Paul even called people out BY NAME for being wrong (see I Timothy 1:18-20, keeping in mind that he did so under the direct instruction of The Holy Spirit!) However, please notice that Paul called them out one time and then moved on…he did not establish a “ministry” that attacked and ripped people apart…his instructions and actions were quite opposite (see Titus 3:10).
I do think it is essential to weigh in on this issue because of the influence Rob has. Because, if a younger generation of church leaders buy into the belief that there is no hell (a place of eternal suffering and torment for those who reject Jesus) then the theological tsunami that hits the next generation of church leaders could be devastating. The theological error must be called out and corrected. There is an eternal heaven…and there is an eternal hell…and people really do spend eternity in one place or another. (Mark Driscoll recently preached one of the best messages on the subject of hell that I’ve ever heard…I highly recommend you listen to it, here is a link.)
But…I also believe that the viciousness of the attacks needs to stop. (AND…I also think it is quite sad that so many “Christians” seem to be so excited about the existence of hell when, in actuality, it should break our hearts that people are going to actually spend eternity there! If some of the people I have seen on the net that say they believe in hell would actually get out and reach the world with the same passion they have been attacking Rob with I think the entire world could be converted by this time tomorrow!!!)
However, let me say once again, to deny that hell is not a literal place of eternal suffering and torment is wrong…and I can say that even if Rob is a nice guy.
Jesus said that the world would be able to tell we are His followers by the love we have for one another (John 13:34-35). Love means we speak truth (Proverbs 27:5), wounds from a friend can be trusted (Proverbs 27:6) and the attitude in which we speak to each other matters (Ephesians 4:29-32!) So…let me say this clearly say this once again…I really do love Rob Bell and yet I really believe that on this particular issue he is wrong.
I don’t know if this post actually helped anyone…but it assisted me in processing my ideas about the issue. I will not be posting a complete review of the book on this site because I wanted to hit what I thought about it and move on. As I stated earlier I would love to personally sit down with Rob and ask him some questions about the book. I don’t think that will happen as I am quite sure he has way more important things to do other than meet with me. But…I do hope that he has godly influences in his life who love Jesus and love him that will step in and help him what he has gotten wrong.
I will conclude by saying that love does win! Jesus Christ poured out His life for us on a cross so that we could be forgiven of our sins and spend eternity with Him (and heaven is an eternal place!) He doesn’t turn anyone away who comes to Him and is patient and kind with us as He pursues our hearts. He loved me before I ever loved Him! He redeemed me and is constantly refining me to become more like Him…and, in the end His love for me and the work He did for me makes me a winner…love does win!!!
A Letter From Pastor P To NewSpring Church April 19, 2011
Howdy NewSpring Church…eight things I wanted to share today…
#1 – This is EASTER WEEK! The TOMB IS EMPTY! It is a reminder that WE WIN because HE WON! We’re not fighting FOR victory…we’re fighting FROM victory! Let’s CELEBRATE who HE is all week long and ANTICIPATE what He is going to do this week on all of our campuses as we gather for our Easter services. (Here is a list of the service times for each campus and a link to get tickets if you have not yet done so.)
#2 – As we said this past Sunday Revelation = Responsibility! If God has put someone on your heart that does not know Christ OR that once walked with Christ but has “strayed off the path” then you are responsible to have a conversation with that person. You are NOT responsible for their reaction…but you are responsible to be obedience to what God has said. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 14:23 (go and MAKE them come in) and what James, the brother of Jesus said in James 5:19-20!
#3 – I am SO thankful that God is a God of second chances. As we talked about Sunday Mark quit, he walked away…but Barnabas believed in him enough to not just pray for him…but to pursue him and bring him back to the faith. AND…God used Mark in an incredible way…and his impact is even being felt across the world even today (as we have the Gospel of Mark!) Who needs you to be Barnabas for them today? Who needs someone to step into their lives and TELL THEM that God wants them to come home? (See Luke 15:11-32)
#4 – I want to acknowledge that sharing Christ with someone and/or inviting them to church is uncomfortable. AND…the better we are acquainted with someone the more difficult it seems to be; however, we cannot say we love someone if we are willing to sit back and be passive as they destroy their lives and continue down a road that is paved with destruction that ultimately leads to a place of ultimate destruction. I’m praying that all of us will have the courage this week to step up and dive into uncomfortable situations so that other people may ultimately be reconciled to God. JESUS wasn’t concerned with His comfort…that’s why He went to the cross. As His followers we cannot be obsessed with our comfort!
#5 – Please keep our Easter services in your prayers this week! We had been working on an incredibly creative Gospel presentation unlike anything we had ever attempted and it was going awesome…until this past Wednesday I really felt the Lord pressing me in a different direction in regards to the message He wanted me to share on Easter. After sharing this with our creative team here at NewSpring everyone was in agreement that this was the direction we needed to go in…and so there is a TON of excitement around here as we KNOW that God is going to do something amazing!!! (For Pastors and church leaders…please see Proverbs 21:31–He has brought that verse to my mind all throughout this process!)
#6 – This series we are beginning on Easter is entitled, “MORE!” In this series we will dive into the fact that God has so much more in mind for us that we are experiencing!
#7 – The “Night of Worship” at each campus was simply amazing as we gathered together to BEG GOD to do something SO amazing on our campuses in this Easter season that only He could get credit for it! Let’s keep BEGGING HIM to do this ALL WEEK LONG! How awesome would it be if He chose to save at least 1,000 people this Easter season???
#8 – This May I will be traveling to Israel for the first time in my life…I’m excited. The reason for this trip is because next year (2012) NewSpring Church will be doing a trip over there where I will be teaching and we will get to experience that amazing place together. More trip details and information will be forthcoming…just wanted you guys to know so that you can be praying for our trip that will be taking place in mid-May.