Redream the Dream

So...whaddya expect (from Your Life Group)?

2011-05-20T11:31:00.002-05:00

I have had opportunity to visit life groups/Sunday School classes of all kinds, sizes, shapes and personalities over the years. Some things just stand out in those groups that are vibrant and growing. Please allow me to share a few.
So I’m starting a list of things a person should expect from their Sunday School class or small group. My first six are eloquently stated by Bob Mayfield, one of the most brilliant minds I know.

1. Acceptance – each person is accepted for who and where they are in life. This is an expectation based on the group’s “feel”, but it can be seen in the group’s prayer request time. Prayer requests that are personal and revealing tell a lot about how accepting the group is of other people.

2. Friendship – I don’t expect to be immediate bff’s with everyone in the group, but is the potential there for me to make friends? A necessary ingredient for this to happen is “white space”. If the people in the group project how busy they are, then they don’t have time for new friends, which means they don’t have time for me. On the other hand, being asked by people in the group to join them for lunch – big win!!

3. Solid Bible study. Does the group avoid biblical cliches? Is the Bible study presented as a lecture, or is there group discussion? And, are there some practical suggestions given and received about how to apply the Scripture to my life? Better yet – does the group have a Bible reading plan, or do group members obviously study during the week?

4. Ministry. Here is the tell-tale sign of ministry: If I receive a phone call from someone in the group within a week of attending for the first time, the group is probably organized to minister to me when I need them? A second sign: During group time, do I hear them talk about who they ministered to during the week? Hearing the group organize to babysit a group member’s kids while mom is having surgery tells me that the group takes care of each other.

5. Mission. Is this group about themselves, or are they interested in extending the mission of God into their neighborhood? What do I look for? Does the group do projects, or is the group invested missionally in other people? Also, if the group has plans to start a new group, then I know they have an understanding of their mission.

6. Making disciples. I want a group that is going to help me grow in my relationship with Jesus Christ. Does this group challenge each other to take the next step in their journey? But even more basic: could a lost person get saved in this group?

I am sure there are more...but these are a good start. How about you? What do you expect? How does your life group/class measure up?

Prayer Quote

2011-02-02T08:55:00.000-06:00

Prayer therefore is one half of our Ministry and it gives to the other half all its power and success. It is the appointed medium of receiving spiritual communications for the instruction of our people. Those who walk most closely with God are most spiritually intelligent in "the secret of his covenant." Many can set their seal to Luther's testimony, that he often obtained more knowledge in a short time by prayer than by many hours of laborious and accurate study. It will also strengthen our habitual devotedness to our work as well as our natural capacities for it. Living near to the fountain-head of influence, we shall be in the constant receipt of fresh supplies of light support and consolation to assist us in our duties to enable us for our difficulties and to assure us of present acceptance and a suitable measure of ultimate success.

Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry - at least part of the quote by Joel Beeke, DG Pastors Conference 2011

Revival....Still Possible and Desired

2011-01-12T09:20:00.002-06:00

Revival is not dead in the water. Look at what Keller says:
Revival: Ways and Means

10 Jan 2011, by Tim Keller

How do seasons of revival come? One set of answers comes from Charles Finney, who turned revivals into a "science." Finney insisted that any group could have a revival any time or place, as long as they applied the right methods in the right way. Finney's distortions, I think, led to much of the weakness in modern evangelicalism today, as has been well argued by Michael Horton over the years. Especially under Finney's influence, revivalism undermined the more traditional way of doing Christian formation. That traditional way of Christian growth was gradual – whole family catechetical instruction – and church-centric. Revivalism under Finney, however, shifted the emphasis to seasons of crisis. Preaching became less oriented to long-term teaching and more directed to stirring up the affections of the heart toward decision. Not surprisingly, these emphases demoted the importance of the church in general and of careful, sound doctrine and put all the weight on an individual's personal, subjective experience. And this is one of the reasons (though not the only reason) that we have the highly individualistic, consumerist evangelicalism of today.

There has been a withering critique of revivalism going on now for twenty years within evangelical circles. Most of it is fair, but it often goes beyond the criticism of the technique-driven revivalism of Finney to insist that even Edwards and the Puritans were badly mistaken about how people should embrace and grow in Christ. In this limited space I can't respond to that here other than to say I think that goes way too far. However, this critique trend explains why there is so much less enthusiasm for revival than when I was a young minister. It also explains why someone like D.M. Lloyd-Jones was so loathe to say that there was anything that we can do to bring about revivals (other than pray.) He knew that Finney-esque revivalism led to many spiritual pathologies.

Nevertheless, I think we can carefully talk about some factors that, when present, often become associated with revival by God's blessing. My favorite book on this (highly recommended by Lloyd-Jones) is William B. Sprague's Lectures on Revivals of Religion (1832). Sprague studied under both Timothy Dwight, Edwards' grandson, at Yale and also Archibald Alexander at Princeton. The Princetonians – the Alexanders, Samuel Miller, and Charles Hodge – did a good job of combining the basics of revivalism with a healthy emphasis on doctrine and the importance of the church. Sprague's lectures include a chapter on "General Means" for promoting revivals, and his chapters on counseling seekers and new converts are particularly helpful.

The primary means-of-revival that everyone agrees upon is extraordinary prayer. That's the clearest of all and so I won't spend time on it. The second means is a recovery of the grace-gospel. One of the main vehicles sparking the first awakening in Northampton, Massachusetts was Edwards' two sermons on Romans 4:5, "Justification by Faith Alone," in November, 1734. For both John Wesley and George Whitefield, the main leaders of the British Great Awakening, it was an understanding of salvation by grace rather than moral effort that touched off personal renewal and made them agents of revival. Lloyd-Jones taught that the gospel of justification could be lost at two levels. A church might simply become heterodox and lose the very belief in justification by faith alone. But just as deadly, it might keep the doctrine "on the shelf" as it were and not preach it publicly in such a way that connects to people's hearts and lives.

The third factor I would mention is renewed individuals. Sprague points out how certain church leaders can be characterized by the infectious marks of spiritual revival – a joyful, affectionate seriousness, and "unction" – a sense of God's presence. In addition, often several visible, dramatic life-turnarounds ("surprising conversions") may cause others to do deep self-examination and create a sense of spiritual longing and expectation in the community. The personal revivals going on in these individuals spread informally to others through conversation and relationship. More and more people begin to look at themselves and seek God.

A fourth factor I will call the use of the gospel on the heart in counseling. Sprague and John Newton in his letters do a good job of showing how the gospel must be used on both seekers, new believers, and non-growing Christians. The gospel must cut away both the moralism and the licentiousness that destroys real spiritual life and power. There must be venues and meetings and settings in which this is done, both one-on-one and in groups. See William Williams, The Experience Meeting, a leaders' manual for revival-promoting small group meetings in Wales during the first great awakening.

Finally I would add a fifth factor. Sprague rightly points out that revivals occur mainly through the ordinary, "instituted means of grace" – preaching, pastoring, worship, prayer. It is a mistake to identify some specific programmatic method (e.g. Billy Graham-like mass evangelism) too closely with revivals. Lloyd-Jones points to some sad cases where people who came through the Welsh revival of 1904-05 became wedded to particular ways of holding meetings and hymn-singing as the way God brings revival. Nevertheless, Sprague grants that sometimes God will temporarily use some new method to propagate the gospel and spark revival. For example, under Wesley and Whitefield, outdoor preaching was a new, galvanizing method. Mid-day public prayer meetings were important to the Fulton Street revival in downtown NYC in 1857-58. I'm ready to say that creativity might be one of the marks of revival, because so often some new way of communicating the gospel has been part of the mix that God used to bring a mighty revival.

Teamwork

2010-09-20T11:25:00.002-05:00

I love watching our Life Groups in action on Sunday mornings....and through the week as they minister and reach out. This is teamwork in action.

I am reminded of one of Vince Lombardi's wise quotes: " Football is an individual commitment to a group effort--that's what makes a team, a company or a society work." This applies to us, as a church, too!

I am thankful for all those who have committed themselves to God's Kingdom work.

What's He Saying?

2010-09-02T18:22:00.002-05:00

God is an awesome communicator. Will we listen?

May we learn how to effectively listen---and to act on what he's saying

vision!

2010-08-18T20:13:00.001-05:00

I see a day when there is someone passionately pursuing every people group in the Lawton-Ft. Sill region. I see a day when every person from every people group has the opportunity to hear the Gospel in his/her context, respond to it and serve through the local body of believers known as First Baptist Church of Lawton-Ft. Sill.

Facing the Future without Fear

2010-06-22T13:56:00.004-05:00

What is going to happen in the future? Should I be afraid? Should I dread what lies ahead?

I believe with all my heart that the greatest days are ahead! Perfect? No. Easy? Not necessarily. Worth it? You better believe it!

When a fear or discouragement creeps in, I am reminded of God's presence and His love and His ability to meet every need and circumstance.

I ran across the following thoughts from Joyce Moritz that sum up what I am trying to say:

I need not fear, I need not dread
The days that lie ahead.
I need not worry nor feel despair
My Savior is already there.

Have a great day...

Dennis

Making Disciples

2010-06-06T08:27:00.001-05:00

Disciple making is not about a program or an event but about relationships....sharing in the life of Christ. (The Radical Experiment)

Wisdom from a Legendary Hero

2010-06-05T09:44:00.003-05:00

Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden died last night. Here are a couple of Woodenisms that come to mind:

*Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.

*Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.

My we, as God's servants, be open to change and may we always do our best for the Master!

Passionate, Profitable, and Productive

2010-05-25T09:05:00.003-05:00

Succeeding in ministry---what does that mean? Many say that if we focus on people and amaze them with experiences that exceed their expectations, they will respond with repeat attendance, participation and loyalty. I agree to an extent, and yet I recognize that I must be careful with business-like terminology. But...what is really the measure of success?

We must focus on people. Do we really love people and strive to meet their needs? Or are people merely a way to achieve goals? Are we passionately obsessed with making people happy every day or are people a burden we bear because we want fulfillment? If we had all the money and attenders that we need and then some, would we still be energized every day by the mission to help people solve their problems, meet their needs and perhaps share Christ?

It's not about us...it's all about Him...and it's about sharing HIM with THEM. We are in the people business. We must never lose our passion to share the life-changing message of the Master...so that others are not only hearing about, but actually experiencing the transformational love of Jesus Christ.

Go for it!

2010-05-21T16:31:00.002-05:00

I never cease to be amazed at the goodness of God. He is faithful in every circumstance.

What is God asking you to do? Will you trust Him to guide you?

Go for it! God will make a way even when there seems to be no way.

Planning is Good!

2010-05-11T07:06:00.002-05:00

I ran across a definition for planning (by Dale McConkey) that pretty well hits it:

Planing involves determining what should and can be done to achieve a future that is desirable and to help avoid a future that is not desirable but would occur if we do nothing.

I think this speaks for itself. What do you and your church desire for the future? Will you be proactive in acccomplishing God's plan for you and your church?

What Can I Say?

2010-05-09T09:06:00.000-05:00

What can I say? Happy Mother's Day!

Pray for an Awakening

2010-05-07T08:08:00.002-05:00

A lot of praying took place across our nation yesterday....may we continue to pray daily with that same fervor!

We need revival...an awakening! It will not happen automatically. We must humble ourselves, pray, and turn from any wicked ways.

May we do more than talk about it. Let's do it.

I can do all things through Christ

2010-04-30T11:04:00.002-05:00

Sometimes we feel overwhelmed with the task before us. Ann Kiemel pens the following in response to that feeling:

i am going to change my world.
you watch.
you'll see.
because i have a giant of a Lord
inside of me.
and He and i with love
will push through the barriers.
i'm not afraid.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Need Life?

2010-04-30T08:28:00.003-05:00

Peter Wagner once said that prayer is too often looked upon as a by-product of doing church. Reality is that prayer must be a proactive priority if a church really wants to grow.

Prayer is the lifeline of a healthy church. Are you (and/or your church) feeling a bit anemic? Infuse prayer into the very fabric of your congregation.

Hope

2010-04-17T08:53:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I attended the funeral of a six year old grandaughter of one of my former ministry assistants. i cannot imagine the pain of the parents, brother, and grandparents.

The pastor shared a magnificent thought based on one of the Psalms. The pain is real. Grieving is necessary. Hope found only in God will carry you through.

How very true! Hope!

What a day for a daydream...

2010-04-14T17:04:00.001-05:00

Better yet...what a day for a God-dream! God-sized-dream! Sky's the limit when God is involved!

Bright Hope for Tomorrow

2010-04-11T08:36:00.002-05:00

Thinking today of one of my favorite hymns of all time: Great is Thy Faithfulness.

Thank you, Lord, for "strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow."

Will you help?

2010-04-10T10:13:00.003-05:00

A recent study confirmed that many pastors today are suffering from physical and emotional exhaustion, overwhelming stress, painful loneliness, deep emotional scars, and spiritual burnout. Ministry is not glamorous!.

A new dream, a word of affirmation, regular respite, continuing prayer....are but a few things that we ought to provide for those who serve so faithfully. Will you help?

Because He Lives

2010-04-05T13:19:00.002-05:00

The uncertainty of life becomes more real as I experience weekends like this past one. A good friend and fellow Christ follower collapsed at his home. Heart attacks can be vicious. He is clinging to life as I write this.

Yet Sunday brought hope (in the midst of crisis) as I was reminded of Jesus' victory over death. Those who believe have nothing to fear.

Beacuse HE lives, I can face tomorrow....

He Did It!

2010-04-04T07:27:00.000-05:00

Jesus did just what He said!

What a Savior!

2010-04-03T13:45:00.001-05:00

I cannot get Him off my mind....and that's good!

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Ultimate Love

2010-04-02T10:47:00.003-05:00

I cannot fully comprehend the geometry of God's love for us--its depth, its width, its height--but I sure am thankful for it.

Could it be that our ultimate task--our vision, our dream, our mandate-- is wrapped in the command to love Him and love others with that same kind of love?

Nearsighted and Astigmatism

2010-03-29T16:20:00.004-05:00

Went to get my eyes checked recently. My optometrist says I am nearsighted and have astigmatism (main symptom: blurriness)...both can be corrected.

Seems like that might describe many churches today...we cannot see in the distance and our vision for today and the future is a bit fuzzy....but both can be corrected.

God's vision is perfect....look for it!

I Can See Clearly

2010-03-21T08:24:00.002-05:00

An indicting quote from an unknown author:
"The most pathetic person is someone who has sight, but has no vision."

Dare to dream dreams and seek God's vision for you and your church.

How's Your Vision?

2010-03-20T10:30:00.002-05:00

A recent trip to my ophthalmologist indicated less than perfect vision. But let's talk about a different kind of vision.

Joel Barker says this:

Vision without action is a dream.
Action without vision is simply passing the time.
Action with vision is making a positive difference.

Will you and your church make a difference?

Keep Dreaming

2010-03-19T21:14:00.002-05:00

Do you ever feel like you and your church are in a rut?

We all see it from time to time.

Keep God's dream/mandate at the forefront. Focus on the target not the circumstances.

Keep on dreaming.

We Don't Want Our Church to Die

2010-03-18T13:20:00.003-05:00

More than once I have visited with a church body that said in desperation, "Please help us . We do not want (our church) to die."

Good news! You and your church can make a comeback!

Easy? No, probably not. Worth it? You betcha!

Maybe you need to recharge the batteries...or maybe you need an overhaul.

I would love to help you and your church redream the dream! Let me know.

(I Can Get Mo') Satisfaction

2010-03-17T15:49:00.003-05:00

The Rolling Stones said they couldn't get it. Humanity longs for it. God provides it. Satisfaction!

True satisfaction comes in knowing God's will and passionately pursuing (and living) it for the rest of your earthly life. Then comes Heaven. Go for it!

Yearning

2010-03-16T10:05:00.002-05:00

Have you ever wanted something so much that you could almost taste it?

May we have that same passion to know God's will! Be thankful that He will grant it! Make sure that you do something with it!

Live the Dream

2010-03-15T09:56:00.003-05:00

It is no surprise to most people I know that I love Big XII football. Their TV promo videos are based on the theme "Live the Dream."

My short-term memory may not be exact, but the thoughts behind the promos are to passionately pursue the dream and to live it out.

So, too, must we as God's churches passioantely pursue the unique dreams that God has laid out for us....and we must live those dreams out!

Plan On It

2010-03-14T09:00:00.002-05:00

Ed Stetzer, in his book Comeback Churches, has found in his research that churches that do not plan for growth invariably do not grow.

Are you and your church planning for growth?

It's Good for You

2010-03-13T09:17:00.002-06:00

Much secular research has been done concerning dreaming. An article I read today concludes with this statement: Dreaming is a necessity and helps to recharge the mind and revitalize the body.

The same could be said concerning the church and dreaming. Dreaming (and re-dreaming) God's unique vision and mandate for the church is a necessity. It helps to recharge the thinking of the church concerning God's direction for the days to come. The ultimate result of obeying (following) that mandate is new life (revitalization) for the Body of Christ.

Keep dreaming. It's good for you and your church!

Dreaming Big Dreams

2010-03-12T11:09:00.002-06:00

I like what one pastor (whose church had made a big turnaround in attendance and growth) shared as a major factor in their comeback: there was an ongoing declaration of what God could do--in the past (there was) no big dream.

How long has it been since you and your church declared what God could do? Are you dreaming big (God-sized) dreams?

Does It Count?

2010-03-11T12:11:00.002-06:00

"That goal doesn't count! You were..." Bring back childhood memories?

I am at a point in my life that I want everything I do to count for the cause of Christ. To do this I must seek Him, know Him, grow in Him....and to literally take on His mind.

Peter Drucker said that "There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all." Let's seek God for the things that really count!

Revitalization

2010-03-10T15:29:00.002-06:00

I met with some of my DOM peers today for discussion and fellowship. We talked about a lot of things: Great Commission Resurgence, assisting pastor search committees, etc. One of the major take-aways from the meeting was the need to work together to develop a coordinated plan for church revitalization.

Great posssibilities for a definite need.

Lord, We Can't Do That!

2010-03-09T09:48:00.003-06:00

Have you ever questioned God about your ability to do something He has asked you to do? "But I am just one person!" "We're just a small church!" "We haven't ever done that before!"

You were right...to a degree. You and your church cannot accomplish God's mandate by yourself!

But let me answer in another way: (J. Hudson Taylor, first missionary to the interior of China said) "God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supplies."

When God calls you to do something, He will provide the way to accomplish it.

What Do Others See?

2010-03-08T09:45:00.002-06:00

I've heard it said that persons and organizations are largely explained by their dreams. What do others see when they look at your life and the life of your church?

Of course, we would hope that others would see Jesus in us. (Remember that great old hymn "Let Others See Jesus in You"?) What will we do with Jesus?

Jesus has great plans for you and your church. Seek Him and His plans! You'll be glad you did.

Keep Your Eyes on the Target

2010-03-07T07:35:00.003-06:00

"Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal." (Vince Lombardi)

Satan will do his best to distract you and your church as you seek to achieve God's unique mandate for your congregation. He will try to deceive, divert and disillusion you and your fellow believers.

Focus on the vision that God has given you. If you do not know what it is, find out and then follow. If your present dream seems dated and lethargic, if it has been awhile since you revisited it, re-dream the dream.

When you find it and you know it, keep your eyes on the target and determine that nothing or nobody will keep you from it.

Get It Together

2010-03-05T11:02:00.002-06:00

Henry Blackaby once said, "the potential of each church is enormous, far greater still when they work together."

Are you and your church reaching your potential? Get it together!

Museum or Missional?

2010-03-04T12:22:00.002-06:00

I have often visited the oldest church in the United States located in the heart of Santa Fe. Most spiritual activity there is a thing of the past...but they do have tours and a gift shop!

Would you describe your church as missional or museum in practice? Do you dwell on the glory days or are you proactively reaching folks in the 21st Century?

We should honor our past; but meeting needs in our present and future should take precedence over maintaining institutions.

Proactive or Reactive?

2010-03-03T11:35:00.002-06:00

What do you and your church spend most of your time doing? Planning and implementing or reacting and problem-solving?

Healthy churches are proactive...less healthy churches are reactive.

Don't skate toward the puck...anticipate where the puck is going and skate there.

Don't Just Dream...Live It!

2010-03-02T08:51:00.002-06:00

I saw a nice saying on a paper weight while waiting for my 8:00 appointment this morning at Cracker Barrel. I cannot remember the exact wording, but here is the essence: Don't just dream...live it!

How true for the church as well as for you and me! It is of little use for us to discover God's unique mandate for our churches if we do not live out that dream.

It is What it Is,,,Really?

2010-03-01T08:04:00.002-06:00

I have heard the statement "it is what it is" a quadrillion times in the last few months. This may be justified in certain situations, but is it always the final word?

Can we have an effect on the future in our churches and our world? Or must we accept what it is?

Len sweet says we can "hunker in the bunker" (wait until the latest changes blow over) or we can "stick our head in the sand" (pretend our world isn't changing) ...or we can ride the surf of exponential change (proactively seek to have an effect on the future).

I say "surf's up!" Let's make a difference! Redream the dream!

Great Expectations

2010-02-28T08:23:00.001-06:00

What we expect from life is what we usually get!

Dare to have great expectations--for your life and your church-- as you serve a great God.

Be Healthy!

2010-02-27T12:03:00.002-06:00

Want to be a healthy church?

Build your church upon its God-given mandate. Renew yourself as a church by regularly revisiting and redreaming that dream!

What (and Who) Do You Know?

2010-02-26T08:04:00.002-06:00

What does God really want us to do?

Know the Person (Jesus Christ)
Know your purpose (God has a purpose for your life)
Know His power (Resurrection power)
Know His plan (the local church)

Check it out (Eph. 1:15ff)! Dream it! Live it!

Whose dream is it anyway?

2010-02-25T13:16:00.003-06:00

Henry Blackaby tells us that we don't dream our dreams for what we want to do for God; He (God) sets the directions that He is going and reveals them to us.

Proverbs 29:18 talks of perishing without vision. I recently heard that verse paraphrased this way: "When God's people don't have a clear word from Him, they do what is right in their own eyes!"

Wow! We, as God's people, need a clear word from Him. Dare to dream God-sized and God-breathed dreams!

Dream vs. Doubt

2010-02-24T08:22:00.002-06:00

Would you rather dream or doubt?

If we really believe that God is able (and He is), we will dream God-sized dreams and then live them out.

Dreaming churches plan and take action; doubting churches solve problems.

Your church can be a dreaming church!

Why?

2010-02-23T13:09:00.003-06:00

Contrary to the popular belief, the answer to "Why?" is not "just because."

Why should we dare to dream new dreams for our churches? One friend put it this way:"The future is not what it used to be. The thinking that got us to where we are today will not take us to where we need to be tomorrow. Effective ministry now and in the future must change; we must move to a different mindset."

Why? Because people need the Lord.

Your Unique Ministry Dream

2010-02-22T16:23:00.003-06:00

Where are you as a church headed?Dunno!

Sound familiar?

Dare to dream!

No church can effectively minister until it identifies its unique ministry dream/ mandate from God...and lives it out.

Where is God working in your ministry context? Will you join Him?

Are You Ready?

2010-02-21T08:23:00.001-06:00

Is your church ready to dream again?

Change or Die

2010-02-20T08:24:00.000-06:00

Our world is changing exponentially. Our message does not change, but often our methods must.

A simple (yet impacting) statement: to sit still is to die!

How Big is Your Dream?

2010-02-19T08:29:00.000-06:00

I heard a church growth consultant once say that a healthy church lives out of a healthy dream. How true!

God's health plan is for his church to grow spiritually and numerically. Small expectations yield small results. However, God's plan for churches (when actualized) produce magnificent results.

What are you and your church dreaming?

God has a Plan

2010-02-18T09:15:00.000-06:00

Revitalization. New life. New energy. Renewal.

Sounds good, doesn't it? But....how?

How can this happen in your church? Some would say change your policies--change the way you do things. Others might say change your personnel. Still others might say change your organization.

I would say that the better approach would be to revisit and define (or redefine) your purpose. Redream the dream. Dare to dream God-sized dreams. Seeking God and His mandate for your church for 2010 and beyond will yield great benefits. Implementing action plans to reach that mandate will produce results beyond your wildest imagination.

Easy? No. But when God reveals His plan, He stands ready with the tools to accomplish it.