LEADING WITH VISION

This is a great place.  A small church that is willing to re think and re focus to be a more biblical church.  


I think the question for me has been- "how do we describe the church?"  Or, our church.  A church that helps people.  That goes into the community.  Always looking to put serving on the calendar.  Where can we find and meet needs.  Physical, emotional and spiritual.  Spiritual is the part deep inside that wants to know God.


A church that helps people to know God through learning the Bible.  And a church that helps people do this kind of life together.  


Not just a slogan that fits the church.  I do agree that the purpose needs to be short.  But, I need a picture in my mind of where we are going.  What will it look like?  I like reading the books in the Bible that talk about how Jesus walked around talking to everyone.  The religious, the poor and always with his close friends.  The close friends were called disciples.  They share in the vision and the work.  They knew they came along to learn and eventually carry on the ways of Jesus.  


When we can see the picture, then we can work on a plan.  This will invite any who want to be part of the picture, to find their part.  


It is not all there yet.  As we ask God to show us his plan and as we keep talking about it, we will see the picture of what a biblical disciple making church looks like.  


Still thinking about this.

A CHURCH LIKE JESUS LED

Jesus' class picked up at Jacob's well.  It was there that Jesus showed love to a woman who found living water.  He took his class on a field trip and showed them how to love the world, one person at a time.


I had a pastor like that.  Bill Tweeddale took me with him almost every week.  We would go to the hospital and talk to people and pray for them.  We went to peoples houses to visit and pray.  He always offered to share how you could know for sure that you would go to heaven.  I watched him lead people to put their trust in Christ as their savior and Lord.


It just does not work inside of a building.  What would it be like if Jesus spent most of his time with his team inside a building.  He could teach information.  Rather he trained in a new way of life.


Today we call this the church.  What a great weekend as so many met at the fair grounds.  1600 people served the needs of over 5000 people.


I wonder if we were supposed to do church more like Jesus did.

Who are the disciples and who are our disciple makers?

It may be too early to tell.  


I think our students want to be part of something big.  Who is willing to follow Christ?  Who is willing to be discipled?  Are there some who can disciple others?  How will we train those who are willing to do the work of the ministry?  

What does this look like in our church?

Tonight we will talk about a regular habit of studying the Bible.  This and prayer are key ingredients for a person who wants to follow Christ.  I will pray and watch to see how God is working.  I know God is working.  I hope I will adjust my whole life to line up with Him.   

Jesus said to go and make disciples.  Should I go build a church?  Maybe churches just happen when we go and make disciples.  I have not found a command to go and make a church.  I know Satan cannot stop the mission of the church.  


What if a church stopped doing anything that the Bible does not tell it to do?  What if the main thing was to make disciples?  What if the people of the church were either being discipled or making disciples.  Every person in a relationship that is all about helping each other in how they take the next step in how they follow Christ.  


It is wrong to say make disciples away from the context of how Jesus made disciples.  To know the meaning of a verse, we must look at the context.  Context, Context, Context. That is the basics of Bible Study.


Why do I feel like I am saying two different things when I say build a biblical church or make disciples in the way of Jesus?


They are the same thing.  We have messed this up.  We call it a church and build a church building and don't do what Jesus said to do.  God forgive us.  I am a leader in the church.  God forgive me.  


Let's build a church in the discipling ways of Jesus.  

Moving Day

The truck is loaded.  After months of an unclear future, Linda and I are ready to take on a new ministry with Cornerstone.  We look forward to getting to know the people in Hagerstown.  


As we go I am overwhelmed by the kindness of so many.  In just a few hours and the truck is loaded.  We have been able to talk with many friends in the past few days.  It is hard to go.  As long as we know God is in this we are good to go.  God is with us.  


I hope that I can see the things that God sees.  I read this morning in II Kings 6:16-17.  It would be easy to be short sighted and only see temporary things.  I know the picture is much bigger than the things in front of me.  So I pray that God will help me to see.  

Gong to a new place

I am so excited about a church with a new direction.  What if a church looked to the Bible as the blueprint for everything they do?  Can churches really drop the traditions?  Can they leave behind programs that no longer work?  Do we really need to save our memories for the next generation. 


That's what I like about Cornerstone.  They are in a transition to become the most biblical and most untraditional church.  There is a high value on relationships and making disciples.  There is a high value on finding and meeting needs.  I feel like I joined a team that has great potential to make an impact for the Kingdom of God.


God has carried us through.  We will be loading a truck on August 15 and moving to our new home in Cavetown, MD.  I told Linda how I would like to live downtown.  I just thought the town would be bigger than 600 people.  We are surrounded by mountains and just 15 minutes from downtown Hagerstown. 


I cannot remember my new job title.  Something like Pastor of youth and life?  Together I will work with Pastor Harald and the elders to lead a church.  I still get to work with students.  Students are changing and will be used by God to put into place this new kind of church.  So much potential. 


Thanks for praying and please don't stop. 

I want to go where ever God leads

I did not want to go.  I have many good freinds here in Tampa.  Many good people who have served together with us to make disciples.  Many people from Gaither High and my friends at the Y.  I will miss this place because of the people.  God has given us a place in Hagerstown with extra space.  I hope people from Tampa will come to visit. 

And now after a few months in Englewood, I am leaving more new friends.  I know
God has great plans here as well.

Letter to Diognetus

In the past few months, I have probably looked at over 100 churches here at my computer.  Everyone is different.  The Bible is the standard for the church.  

One area that I notice is the relationship between the church and the community.  The church has to care about the people in the community.  The church has to know the community.  The church has to go into the community.  What are the needs?  How is the church known?  How is  the church showing the love of Christ.  

I think I heard this from Brent Crowe. I had to go find the letter.  Here is a small part from chapter 5.  This is from before or around 200 A.D. 

Christians are not distinguished from other men by country, language, nor by the customs which they observe. They do not inhabit cities of their own, use a particular way of speaking, nor lead a life marked out by any curiosity. The course of conduct they follow has not been devised by the speculation and deliberation of inquisitive men. The do not, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of merely human doctrines.

Instead, they inhabit both Greek and barbarian cities, however things have fallen to each of them. And it is while following the customs of the natives in clothing, food, and the rest of ordinary life that they display to us their wonderful and admittedly striking way of life.

http://www.christian-history.org/letter-to-diognetus.html

Still thinking on this.  

What do people do after they spend time with Jesus?

Francis Chan: "The only way a church is going to change is if you personally commit to making disciples"
 
This fits. Jesus calls out 12 men and says they will be a fisher of men. They spend time with Jesus so that they will be sent out. What did they do when they were sent out? Did they just spread out and randomly go find people to talk to? They would go out and come back.

Likely they did the same things when they were sent out, as they did when they were with Jesus.

They watched what Jesus did. Maybe they would do things together. Jesus would ask them questions. Often after the crowd was gone.

After about 15 months Jesus sends out 72 disciples. 72 people were trained in less than 1.5 years.

They went out to do the same kind of things that Jesus was doing.

I want to meet with people who are thinking about this. Let me know if you would like to meet. Maybe a week from Wednesday. I think that is January 12.