1. Is this church where God’s Word is faithfully taught? (2 Tim. 3:16)
2. Is this a church where sound doctrine matters? (Acts 2:42; 2 Tim 4:3-4)
3. Is this a church in which the gospel is cherished and clearly proclaimed?
4. Is this a church committed to reaching non-Christians with the gospel? (Matt. 28:18-20)
5. Is this a church whose leaders are characterized by humility and integrity?
(1 Tim. 3)
6. Is this a church where people strive to live by God’s Word? (James 1:22)
7. Is this a church where I can find and cultivate godly relationships?
8. Is this a church where members are challenged to serve? (Eph. 4:12)
9. Is this a church that is willing to kick me out? (1 Cor. 5; 2 Cor. 2)
10. Is this a church I’m willing to join “as is” with enthusiasm and faith in God?
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wish List For Durham Crisis Center
I dare you to buy an item on this wish list, Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill!
We need your help!
Just get these items. Ask your family to buy something. Ask your church to buy 10 or 100 of these items! Ask your boss to buy an item!
We can do this!!!!!
Wish List:
Household Supplies
Paper Towels
Non-perishable food items
Laundry Detergent
Fabric Softener
Ziploc Bags
Dishwasher Detergent
Thermometer
Laundry Baskets
Cleaning Supplies
Aluminum Foil
Trash Bags (39 gal)
Batteries (all sizes)
Toilet Paper
Soap and Sponges
Hampers
Personal Needs
Tampons
Sanitary Napkins
Deodorant
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Girls Underwear
Lotion
Pantyhose (Variety of colors and sizes)
Women’s knee-hi’s and socks
Women’s underwear
Boys underwear (for ages 12 and under
Other Needs
DATA (adult) Bus Passes
Towels
Gift Certificates (Grocery, Department and Video Stores)
Sweat Shirts (all sizes)
Sweat Pants (all sizes)
Blank Journals
Date Books/Appointment Calendars
Adult and Children Craft Items
Professional skills (Gardening, Painting, Plumbing, Electrician)
We need your help!
Just get these items. Ask your family to buy something. Ask your church to buy 10 or 100 of these items! Ask your boss to buy an item!
We can do this!!!!!
Wish List:
Household Supplies
Paper Towels
Non-perishable food items
Laundry Detergent
Fabric Softener
Ziploc Bags
Dishwasher Detergent
Thermometer
Laundry Baskets
Cleaning Supplies
Aluminum Foil
Trash Bags (39 gal)
Batteries (all sizes)
Toilet Paper
Soap and Sponges
Hampers
Personal Needs
Tampons
Sanitary Napkins
Deodorant
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Girls Underwear
Lotion
Pantyhose (Variety of colors and sizes)
Women’s knee-hi’s and socks
Women’s underwear
Boys underwear (for ages 12 and under
Other Needs
DATA (adult) Bus Passes
Towels
Gift Certificates (Grocery, Department and Video Stores)
Sweat Shirts (all sizes)
Sweat Pants (all sizes)
Blank Journals
Date Books/Appointment Calendars
Adult and Children Craft Items
Professional skills (Gardening, Painting, Plumbing, Electrician)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Becoming God's True Woman
Over the last several decades, women have been encouraged to “have it their way.” I’m so thankful that we are now seeing a deep hunger in the lives of thousands of women to “have it God’s way”—to look to the Word of God for the definition of what it means to be a “true woman.” These women, by God’s grace, seek to live God-centered lives, to trust Him, and to say “Yes, Lord.”
A “true woman” lives a God-centered life.
In a self-centered world, she lives for God’s glory and pleasure, not her own. She understands that life’s not about her—it’s all about Him!
Instead of saying, “What will make me happy?” she asks, “What will please You, Lord? What will further Your Kingdom and display Your glory?” She recognizes her life is not her own, and joyfully lives for the glory of God.
•She embraces her created purpose: to join every created thing in heaven and earth in worshiping and glorifying Him eternally.
•She “turns her eyes upon Jesus” in the midst of her problems and sees these challenges in the context of His greatness.
•She lives a life of repentance, holiness, and service; but above all, she is enthralled with Christ!
A “true woman” trusts God.
•She doesn’t give in to fear because she knows that God can be trusted. He understands everything about her situation, and His good and loving plan will not be thwarted.
•She leans on Him and depends on Him in times of joy, pain, hardship, uncertainty, and confusion.
•She trusts God in circumstances she cannot understand or would not have chosen.
•She resists the temptation to worry and manipulate, because she has relinquished control to Him.
A “true woman” says “Yes, Lord.”
•She believes that God’s purposes for creating male and female are good and wise.
•She considers it a privilege and a delight to serve Him as a woman, and gratefully embraces His design and roles for her life.
•The Word of God is her compass and motivates her to live intentionally and counter-culturally.
•She makes personal sacrifices with her time and resources for the Kingdom of God.
by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
A “true woman” lives a God-centered life.
In a self-centered world, she lives for God’s glory and pleasure, not her own. She understands that life’s not about her—it’s all about Him!
Instead of saying, “What will make me happy?” she asks, “What will please You, Lord? What will further Your Kingdom and display Your glory?” She recognizes her life is not her own, and joyfully lives for the glory of God.
•She embraces her created purpose: to join every created thing in heaven and earth in worshiping and glorifying Him eternally.
•She “turns her eyes upon Jesus” in the midst of her problems and sees these challenges in the context of His greatness.
•She lives a life of repentance, holiness, and service; but above all, she is enthralled with Christ!
A “true woman” trusts God.
•She doesn’t give in to fear because she knows that God can be trusted. He understands everything about her situation, and His good and loving plan will not be thwarted.
•She leans on Him and depends on Him in times of joy, pain, hardship, uncertainty, and confusion.
•She trusts God in circumstances she cannot understand or would not have chosen.
•She resists the temptation to worry and manipulate, because she has relinquished control to Him.
A “true woman” says “Yes, Lord.”
•She believes that God’s purposes for creating male and female are good and wise.
•She considers it a privilege and a delight to serve Him as a woman, and gratefully embraces His design and roles for her life.
•The Word of God is her compass and motivates her to live intentionally and counter-culturally.
•She makes personal sacrifices with her time and resources for the Kingdom of God.
by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Friday, May 14, 2010
Prayer Partners
No partner is more important than prayer partners. Planting a church is a big deal. Satan does not want you to succeed. Surrounding yourself and your team with prayer partners is the single best thing you can do to ensure success.
Many church planters underestimate the amount of spiritual warfare they will face over the six to twelve months leading up to opening day. Prayer must be a priority for the church planter. In addition to personal prayer, the Church Planter should solicit a growing prayer team.
As a top priority, the Church Planter should form an initial prayer team with at least 10 people praying regularly for him. The Church Planter should especially approach those individuals who are known to be consistent prayer warriors.
To recruit the first 10 prayer team members, consider the following:
• Brainstorm at least 10 people who would be committed to praying for you and the new church
• Contact them about being on your prayer team
• Initiate some form of weekly communication with them with specific prayer requests.
Suggested initial prayer requests:
• You - You need God's wisdom, patience and strength
• Your family - specifically balance and health in your marriage and family
• Protection - Satan will attack you, your family, and anyone who wants to join you
• Vision - that God would guide your planning and give you a clear vision for the new church
• Launch Team - that God would provide the right people to form the core of the new church
• Finances - only God can provide
Many church planters underestimate the amount of spiritual warfare they will face over the six to twelve months leading up to opening day. Prayer must be a priority for the church planter. In addition to personal prayer, the Church Planter should solicit a growing prayer team.
As a top priority, the Church Planter should form an initial prayer team with at least 10 people praying regularly for him. The Church Planter should especially approach those individuals who are known to be consistent prayer warriors.
To recruit the first 10 prayer team members, consider the following:
• Brainstorm at least 10 people who would be committed to praying for you and the new church
• Contact them about being on your prayer team
• Initiate some form of weekly communication with them with specific prayer requests.
Suggested initial prayer requests:
• You - You need God's wisdom, patience and strength
• Your family - specifically balance and health in your marriage and family
• Protection - Satan will attack you, your family, and anyone who wants to join you
• Vision - that God would guide your planning and give you a clear vision for the new church
• Launch Team - that God would provide the right people to form the core of the new church
• Finances - only God can provide
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
1. Don’t apologize for preaching God’s Word about money.
You don’t apologize when you preach on prayer or grace or marriage. The only reason we preach on any of this is to help people.
Preach it with confidence!
Luke 16: 9-15
Jesus mentions “mammon” three times here.
If we don’t teach about money, who will?
Mammon is the spirit that rests on money. It promises what only God can give: security, peace, joy. All money has a spirit on it; either mammon or the spirit of God. The way we get the spirit of God is to redeem it by giving the first 10% to God.
It’s either cursed or consecrated. We need to teach our people there are consequences for disobedience to God.
2. Don’t apologize for preaching God’s Word about tithing.
I’m amazed when people say they’re not sure this is biblical. If I get mad at you, I can shoot you. I’m a Christian, and “thou shalt not kill” was under the law, so I don’t have to follow it.
NO!
The righteousness of grace always exceeds the righteousness of the law. Law says don’t kill, grace says don’t even be angry.
And tithing was around 2500 years before the law. It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden (you can have all the trees except that one).
Its about your heart. Exodus 23:19, Proverbs 3:9-10, Exodus 13:1-13
Jesus was both firstborn and first fruits. He is the clean animal for our uncleanness, sent to redeem us. Jesus is God’s tithe. He gave Jesus in faith that we would believe. Tithing is all about giving in faith.
Galatians 4:3-5: Cain didn’t bring first fruits.
God is not legalistic and neither am I. It’s about your heart.
3. Don’t apologize for preaching God’s Word about giving.
Tithing is not giving, it’s returning. You can’t give a tithe because it doesn’t belong to you.
(By the way it goes to the church where you’re being fed. And you can’t designate it, because it’s not yours.)
Tithing is returning to God what’s already his–it’s the training wheels of giving.
Matthew 7: the main topic is judging, not money “for with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Luke 6:37-38: the main topic is judging; the word money isn’t here, either. But when people preach on this it’s on money. Can it apply to money? Secondarily. Primarily it’s about the attitude of your heart.
My pet peeve is not that we don’t know Greek, it’s that we don’t know English!
If you judge, you’ll get judgment back….pressed down and running over.
Luke 6:38 is not the motive for giving: we don’t give so we’ll get. It’s the reward for giving with the right heart.
Jesus is the noun of the Bible. Giving is the verb.
John 3:16…….you’re here today because Jesus gave his life for you. You’re here today because you gave your life to Jesus.
Exodus 13: giving your firstborn. When your son questions this, you remind him we weren’t always ranchers; we used to be slaves. But God delivered us, so we gladly give God the first of everything.
You don’t apologize when you preach on prayer or grace or marriage. The only reason we preach on any of this is to help people.
Preach it with confidence!
Luke 16: 9-15
Jesus mentions “mammon” three times here.
If we don’t teach about money, who will?
Mammon is the spirit that rests on money. It promises what only God can give: security, peace, joy. All money has a spirit on it; either mammon or the spirit of God. The way we get the spirit of God is to redeem it by giving the first 10% to God.
It’s either cursed or consecrated. We need to teach our people there are consequences for disobedience to God.
2. Don’t apologize for preaching God’s Word about tithing.
I’m amazed when people say they’re not sure this is biblical. If I get mad at you, I can shoot you. I’m a Christian, and “thou shalt not kill” was under the law, so I don’t have to follow it.
NO!
The righteousness of grace always exceeds the righteousness of the law. Law says don’t kill, grace says don’t even be angry.
And tithing was around 2500 years before the law. It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden (you can have all the trees except that one).
Its about your heart. Exodus 23:19, Proverbs 3:9-10, Exodus 13:1-13
Jesus was both firstborn and first fruits. He is the clean animal for our uncleanness, sent to redeem us. Jesus is God’s tithe. He gave Jesus in faith that we would believe. Tithing is all about giving in faith.
Galatians 4:3-5: Cain didn’t bring first fruits.
God is not legalistic and neither am I. It’s about your heart.
3. Don’t apologize for preaching God’s Word about giving.
Tithing is not giving, it’s returning. You can’t give a tithe because it doesn’t belong to you.
(By the way it goes to the church where you’re being fed. And you can’t designate it, because it’s not yours.)
Tithing is returning to God what’s already his–it’s the training wheels of giving.
Matthew 7: the main topic is judging, not money “for with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Luke 6:37-38: the main topic is judging; the word money isn’t here, either. But when people preach on this it’s on money. Can it apply to money? Secondarily. Primarily it’s about the attitude of your heart.
My pet peeve is not that we don’t know Greek, it’s that we don’t know English!
If you judge, you’ll get judgment back….pressed down and running over.
Luke 6:38 is not the motive for giving: we don’t give so we’ll get. It’s the reward for giving with the right heart.
Jesus is the noun of the Bible. Giving is the verb.
John 3:16…….you’re here today because Jesus gave his life for you. You’re here today because you gave your life to Jesus.
Exodus 13: giving your firstborn. When your son questions this, you remind him we weren’t always ranchers; we used to be slaves. But God delivered us, so we gladly give God the first of everything.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Grow
Acts 2
1. Grow yourself first
This brings the balance. If you’re not growing yourself, you will get it out of whack. But if God is working in your life and you get away from numbers for their own sake and ministry is an overflow of the work God is doing, now you have something good.
2. Grow for the right reasons
Church growth has gotten a bad rap, because mixed in has been the egos and logos. But if we keep our hearts pure, the job our master has given us is to grow.
Luke 17:7-10: we are unworthy servants. The growth isn’t for us.
No one is more astonished about what’s going on at my church than me….because I know me. And I think that’s why God likes it–he’s looking for someone doing what they’re told to do.
3. Grow!
God needs us as his workers. This is not a game–we’re on assignment to make the biggest difference we can for eternity’s sake.
So how do we get it back in balance?
—-refocus on the Great Commission.
The social justice flow has gotten off kilter; we’re feeding bellies that are going to go to Hell. If you help someone, even in Jesus’s name, and we never win them to Christ, we lose! It is a tool to bring people to Christ.
—-keep score.
If people matter and people are numbers, then count everything. Measure it. Your team needs to know what matters and how to win.
—-if it’s not working, change it.
We cannot be committed to style, tradition, culture–we must be focused on results. I’m not saying results for us. It’s because Heaven and Hell are realities.
Here are three ways to change it:
1. Get rid of sacred cows
2. Learn from working models
3. Focus on the environment
You have to make sure you change the right thing. You can use methods and say it didn’t work; but without the right environment, nothing grows.
1. Grow yourself first
This brings the balance. If you’re not growing yourself, you will get it out of whack. But if God is working in your life and you get away from numbers for their own sake and ministry is an overflow of the work God is doing, now you have something good.
2. Grow for the right reasons
Church growth has gotten a bad rap, because mixed in has been the egos and logos. But if we keep our hearts pure, the job our master has given us is to grow.
Luke 17:7-10: we are unworthy servants. The growth isn’t for us.
No one is more astonished about what’s going on at my church than me….because I know me. And I think that’s why God likes it–he’s looking for someone doing what they’re told to do.
3. Grow!
God needs us as his workers. This is not a game–we’re on assignment to make the biggest difference we can for eternity’s sake.
So how do we get it back in balance?
—-refocus on the Great Commission.
The social justice flow has gotten off kilter; we’re feeding bellies that are going to go to Hell. If you help someone, even in Jesus’s name, and we never win them to Christ, we lose! It is a tool to bring people to Christ.
—-keep score.
If people matter and people are numbers, then count everything. Measure it. Your team needs to know what matters and how to win.
—-if it’s not working, change it.
We cannot be committed to style, tradition, culture–we must be focused on results. I’m not saying results for us. It’s because Heaven and Hell are realities.
Here are three ways to change it:
1. Get rid of sacred cows
2. Learn from working models
3. Focus on the environment
You have to make sure you change the right thing. You can use methods and say it didn’t work; but without the right environment, nothing grows.
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