Lessons from 15 years of planting, preaching, and pastoring.

Church Planting Lesson #16: Inflatables are stupid

2021-07-04T18:13:34+00:00By |Church Plant Lessons 101|

LESSON #16:  INFLATABLES ARE STUPID On Saturday, I happened upon yet another "Mega-Church" in the area that has inflatable castles, slides, and Wiis set up for their kid's ministry.  The last church like took it just a step further and dressed their volunteers in black/white striped referee outfits.  Granted, I haven't attended either churches on a Sunday morning, but I'm fairly confident they don't shove all the electronic and air-filled goodies into the closet and whip out the hymnbooks and felt boards. But, in addition to skin-burns from sliding down the inflatable slide at Mach 3, what will they leave with?  I'm not some kind of killjoy who doesn't think kids should have "fun" at church.  And I'm sure there are all kinds of stories about parents whose kids enjoy this , in contrast to their own terrible upbringing.  I don't doubt that the kids enjoy going to church  because [...]

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Calvinism is new again a.k.a. people are Biblical again

2021-07-04T18:13:47+00:00By |Church Plant Lessons 101, Theology 101|

“And I have my own private opinion, that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and him crucified, unless you preach what now-a-days is called Calvinism. I have my own ideas, and those I always state boldly. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism. Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else." Charles Spurgeon There is a teacher at a local High School, both of which will remain nameless, that recently told some of kids our church that "No one really believes in Calvinism anymore."  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Below are a few articles that speak to the renewal of what is called "New Calvinism".  It is not in fact "new", it's as old as Habakkuk's conversation with God, older actually.  And, it's not just a few wackos that believe it. 100 Ideas Changing the World Right Now, TIME magazine Christian faith: Calvinism is back, Christian [...]

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100 BEST blogs

2010-03-28T16:31:51+00:00By |Church Plant Lessons 101, Random Thoughts|

Do you read blogs?  I often wonder how people find so much time to sit and surf the web for random thoughts.  But, I figure if they have time to update their facebook status every time the make a sandwich, go to the bathroom, or have a pleasant thought about someone, then there is plenty of time to read some good musing.  So, if you haven't read blogs before, don't START searching--someone has already done it for you. Check out some of the 100 top blogs to read.  Of course, everyone has their personal preferences, but these 100+ represent some of the best. http://churchrelevance.com/resources/top-church-blogs/

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Church Planting #15: What’s Next?

2021-07-04T18:14:18+00:00By |Church Plant Lessons 101, Random Thoughts|

LESSON #15:  YOU'LL ALWAYS BE ASKING WHAT'S NEXT?The "seven year itch" was the title of a 1955 play, made into a movie.  You know the one that made Marylin Monroe famous for walking over a vent that blew up her skirt.  It has been used by Psycho-babbling fools to describe what happens after seven years of marriage--namely, the relationship becomes stagnate and unexciting. As a church planter, I think it is fair to call my relationship with Jesus' bride as unique.  Though it seems that church planting has become somewhat "sexy" in recent years, it is still probably not on many people's bucket lists. We are only in year three, but I have felt the "itch" since year 1.  What will happen at year seven?  The itch I am referring to is not one to go and sleep with some other "bride."  Spiritually speaking, there is only one that I [...]

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Church Planting Lesson #14: No one is ever bitter.

2021-07-04T18:14:37+00:00By |Church Plant Lessons 101|

LESSSON #14:  No one is ever bitter.When you become a pastor, it will only be a matter of time before you make a decision or statement that will be unpopular with someone.  As pastor, you have the wonderfully horrible privilege of speaking the hard truth, making the hard call, and doing the hard things that won't please everyone (not even sinless Jesus could do that). AND, when you "get" to make those hard choices, there is a guarantee that someone will not like it. As Dan Allendar writes in Leading with a Limp, when you DE-CIDE something, you KILL the alternative.  When you say something is right, the antithesis is wrong, when you go left, you don't go right.  You get the picture.  And because "killing" is so personal (even if it is the death of an idea), people take a difference of opinion or direction personally.Invariably, this leads to [...]

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Speaking vs. Preaching

2021-07-04T18:14:46+00:00By |Church Plant Lessons 101, Note to Self...and Others|

SPEAKING: "Jesus loves you." PREACHING: " Jesus loves you; and you wouldn't love Him unless He did.  Jesus is King and Lord and Savior. He created this world and everyone on it. Though the world owes him allegiance, obedience, and worship, the world has chosen to sinfully rebel, seeking after their own desires, finding meaning, hope and security in all created things, practicing and affirming all kinds of perversion as proof of their darkened heart's conviction that they can be God... Yet, while we were sinners, Jesus demonstrated His gracious love for us, he willingly died. On the cross, God pours out all his wrath on His Son, a death deserved by me a sinner. He dies for the most heinous sins of his people, that we won't despair. And he dies for the subtlest of disobedience that we might become prideful and cheapen the grace. He frees people from [...]

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Church Planting Lesson #13: It’s not hard to kill a church

2021-07-04T18:15:15+00:00By |Church Plant Lessons 101, Note to Self...and Others, Re:Sermon, Theology 101|

LESSON #13:  IT'S NOT HARD TO KILL A CHURCHThis lesson is very sobering, not mine to write, and hopefully to never experience.  Originally posted by Ray Ortlund's Christ is Deeper Still blog  'How to wreck your church in three weeks'Week One:  Walk into church today and think about how long you’ve been a member, how much you’ve sacrificed, how under-appreciated you are.  Take note of every way you’re dissatisfied with your church now.  Take note of every person who displeases you.Meet for coffee this week with another member and “share your heart.”  Discuss how your church is changing, how you are being left out.  Ask your friend who else in the church has “concerns.”  Agree together that you must “pray about it.”Week Two:  Send an email to a few other “concerned” members.  Inform them that a groundswell of grievance is surfacing in your church.  Problems have gone unaddressed for too [...]

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Church Planting Lesson #12: Everyone has to eat

2021-07-04T18:16:09+00:00By |Church Plant Lessons 101|

LESSON #12: EVERYONE HAS TO EAT FEASTThere is a saying that goes, 'You are what you eat'.  Upon reviewing a curriculum on addictions, I came across a concept that struck me as important--feasting.  As the book explained, feasting is a biblical principle "expressing the nourishing of our souls" in something.  We are supposed to feast on Jesus, the very glory of God.  Instead, we often find ourselves "feasting" at the buffet of the world.  And though the food looks good, especially the meat under those red lights, it is the very food that will kill us.  In truth, a pastor, or any Christian, must feast regularly.  They will feast, the question is what on.  Feasting is what fills us and what we are filled with will naturally overflow into others.  If a pastor is feasting on anything but the glory of God, he will end up leading a church full [...]

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