Jeff Farmer :: Feeds
September 10, 2008
Simple Living in the United States
I have been reading Christopher Heuertz's book, Simple Spirituality: Learning to See God in a Broken World. There are a number of things Heuertz wrote that I don't agree with, but one area in which God has been challenging me has to do with living a simple lifestyle while caring for the needs of the poor. As I read, I think about all of the material blessings we have been given and know in my heart that my family needs to get rid of many things. A plan has come together to sell those things we absolutely don't need, pay off all of our debts, and give more of our income to the church to be used for ministry to the poor.
September 01, 2008
I have a number of friends who are affected by the hurricane, Gustav. While watching the news this morning I am prayerfully optimistic that New Orleans will be spared the worst of the storm. However, my good friends, Steven and Missi Perry, are going to need some help after the storm.
August 26, 2008
I just finished reading a few articles dealing with family theology over at 9Marks.org. There was an article I'd like to recommend for parents because it really provided some valuable insight. Check out the article here. As the pastor of a family focused church, the article resonated with my desire to disciple families. It is always prudent to gather wisdom from those who have gone before.
August 21, 2008
While preparing for last Sunday's sermon, I thought a great deal about servant evangelism. I think at a beginner's level, Servant Evangelism is okay, but for a churchwide service strategy (or even a personal spiritual discipline) it comes up short. We should definitely show God's love in a practical way, but we should focus on meeting real needs.
I know I am being critical of servant evangelism. I just wonder whether God's love is practically shown by giving somebody a coke when they don't really need it or want it. It is a nice gesture, but it is not really necessary. I am reminded of something I read on Skip Kazmarek's website. He wrote, "There is a difference between self-righteous service and true service. Self righteous service is insensitive. It force itself in and demands the opportunity to help. True service listens with tenderness and patience before acting. Self-righteous service is temporary, mainly occasional projects and "special" acts. True service is a life-style."
The spiritual discipline of service means that we should be prayerfully attentive to the people we come into contact with each day. Just as we are to expect a divine appointment to share the gospel, we are to expect a divine appointment of meeting needs. Serving could mean helping your co-worker on a project and doing your best despite the fact that it could potentially put him in a position to be promoted ahead of you. Serving could mean coaching a baseball or softball team even when you would rather be at home relaxing after work. Serving could mean adopting your neighbor's yard as a project because her husband has deployed (or has left, or is out of town on business, etc.). Serving could mean helping someone carry groceries to their car.
The point is not what you do, it is that you do it as an act of love toward God. Servant evangelism suggests serving with no strings attached, but there is always that hope that the person will respond favorably and end up at your church. Serving is helping people as an act of worship. I love God so I tend His flock. What do you think?
August 17, 2008
The Discipline of Service
I am getting a head start on posting for my sermon a little later today. There is just so much that can be said about serving God by serving others. The big question is, "who do you serve?"
When we serve others for personal gain, then we follow the way of the world. "I'll help you, but what's in it for me?" is the predominant mindset that we see everyday. Jesus taught against this many times. Most notably was in Matthew 6.
Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
When I read these words, I think about so many times that I have been recognized for doing something for others. True, the attention did make me uncomfortable, but on deeper levels, I really liked it. Now don't misunderstand, recognizing people for good deeds isn't wrong. However, it is a dangerous thing for Christians to get comfortable with praise. We can become so enamored with the good feelings, that we begin to serve ourselves. No one can serve two masters.
When we made Christ lord of our lives, we willing entered his service. In order for us to reflect Christ, we must think as he thinks, pray as he prays, and live as he lives. Jesus is the servant of servants. He gained sustenance by doing the will of the Father. Even though it is tiring work, it is healthy work.
Last week, I read an article about Michael Phelps. It said that Phelps eats 12,000 calories a day! I come nowhere close to that amount, but I guess I can hold my own. I may eat a tenth of what Phelps does, but he and I will never be mistaken for identical twins. Why does Phelps look so trim when he eats so much? It is because he participates in healthy work. Phelps has a very intense training regimen which he practices every day. By exercising and swimming daily, he hones his body into an incredible, competitive instrument.
In the same way, we are to spiritually exercise our bodies. When we read the Bible, pray, meditate, and worship God, we are taking in loads of spiritual calories. Many of us have progressed from the milk to the meat of the word. If we do not combine service with our spiritual intake, then we will become fat, unhealthy Christians.
This week, I will post more. Specifically, I will share some practical suggestions for serving God by serving others.
The Discipline of Service
I am getting a head start on posting for my sermon a little later today. There is just so much that can be said about serving God by serving others. The big question is, "who do you serve?"
When we serve others for personal gain, then we follow the way of the world. "I'll help you, but what's in it for me?" is the predominant mindset that we see everyday. Jesus taught against this many times. Most notably was in Matthew 6.
Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
When I read these words, I think about so many times that I have been recognized for doing something for others. True, the attention did make me uncomfortable, but on deeper levels, I really liked it. Now don't misunderstand, recognizing people for good deeds isn't wrong. However, it is a dangerous thing for Christians to get comfortable with praise. We can become so enamored with the good feelings, that we begin to serve ourselves. No one can serve two masters.
When we made Christ lord of our lives, we willing entered his service. In order for us to reflect Christ, we must think as he thinks, pray as he prays, and live as he lives. Jesus is the servant of servants. He gained sustenance by doing the will of the Father. Even though it is tiring work, it is healthy work.
Last week, I read an article about Michael Phelps. It said that Phelps eats 12,000 calories a day! I come nowhere close to that amount, but I guess I can hold my own. I may eat a tenth of what Phelps does, but he and I will never be mistaken for identical twins. Why does Phelps look so trim when he eats so much? It is because he participates in healthy work. Phelps has a very intense training regimen which he practices every day. By exercising and swimming daily, he hones his body into an incredible, competitive instrument.
In the same way, we are to spiritually exercise our bodies. When we read the Bible, pray, meditate, and worship God, we are taking in loads of spiritual calories. Many of us have progressed from the milk to the meat of the word. If we do not combine service with our spiritual intake, then we will become fat, unhealthy Christians.
This week, I will post more. Specifically, I will share some practical suggestions for serving God by serving others.
July 25, 2008
Last Sunday the message at LifeTree Church's worship celebration was about prayer. I would like to expand my comments in this entry and describe some beneficial and creative ways to pray. These are by no means my own. I have gleaned many of these prayer forms over the years from friends and fellow believers. Others I came across online while researching prayer.
At any rate, I encourage you to use the following ideas to help strengthen your prayer life.
Praying Scripture
Perhaps the best way to start praying if you are new to the discipline (or if you are unsure of what to pray) is to read scripture and pray it to God. Much of King David’s Psalms were prayers using Old Testament Scripture. God answered King David straightaway and considered David His friend. If your heart’s desire is to be known of God, as David was, use the Psalms in your prayer life. Watch what God will do on your behalf!
Praying Scripture is helpful in extending one’s aloneness time with God, creating an intimate relationship with Him.
The following are examples of how to pray God’s Word:
“I command you--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" Joshua 1:9.
Thank You, Lord for being with me wherever I go. I will be strong, brave, and encouraged. I will not be afraid or dismayed. I will pray, and go, and do Your will. I thank You, Heavenly Father. Amen.
"I am leaving you with a gift -- peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid” John 14:27.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the peace that You give. I accept this peace, so my heart will not be troubled with the affairs of this world. I thank You, Heavenly Father. Amen.
Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. Then a scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Another of the disciples said to Him, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead." Matthew 8:18-22
Father, help me to be like Jesus, who when the scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever You go." Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Another of the disciples said to Him, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead." Help me to know what this focus means for me as I live my life.
Prayer with Hymns and Songs of Praise
A great way to pray is to pray the words of a hymn or song of praise to God. Let Him know how you feel towards Him by singing a prayer or praying a song to Him. This is kind of like finding a love song that expresses how you feel toward your wife or husband, boyfriend or girlfriend. A band that I really appreciate, The Swift, has a song that always speaks to me. I have prayed this song to God on many occasions. The song is called "I Need You." The lyrics are listed below:
My heart is restless in me
My wings are all worn out
I’m walking in the wilderness
And I cannot get out
I need You, oh I need You
Blessed savior come
I need You, oh I need You
Fill the every longing of my soul
Oh how I need You Lord
I need Your perfect word
With tearful eyes I see
The sin that I afford
I need to weep and pray
For all the thousand ways
That I have failed You just today
My bed is soaked with sadness
My sadness has no end
A downward spiral of despair
That I keep falling in
I need You, oh I need You
To You my soul shall fly
I need You, oh I need You
Yahweh how I love you more than life
Oh how I need You Lord
I need Your perfect word
With tearful eyes I see
The sin that I afford
I need to weep and pray
For all the thousand ways
That I have failed You just today
Your silence is like death to me
So won’t You hear my desperate plea
Today my soul is soaring
Way over mountains high
Though I can see the valleys
They are all just passing by
Its not that I am stronger
Look at my feeble wings
But I’ve been lifted higher
Yahweh’s lifted me in His own strength
Oh how I love You Lord
I love your perfect word
With tearful eyes I see
The God who always will endure
Now I will celebrate
For all the thousand ways
That you have shown me grace
And made my heart in grace to stay
You made my heart in grace to stay
Lord, make my heart in grace to stay
I need You, oh I need You .
Silence
As many of us have busier and busier schedules, I have found that a valuable form of prayer is to sit in silence and listen to God. This does not mean no action or thought. Some people call silence meditation. The danger, though, is to think of meditation the way that it is taught and perceived by the world. Transcendental Meditation, or non-Christian forms of meditation, require that the participant empty themselves in order to achieve transcendance. The process Christian meditation is to focus intently on the one transcendant One and find ourselves in Christ.
As Philippians 4:8 says, "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." We pray in silent meditation when we get away from all distractions in the world and ponder whatever attribute of God the Holy Spirit brings before us.
Prayer Notebooks
Use a notebook to keep track of prayer concerns you lift up to God. Be sure to record the date you began praying for the need, and the date and method God used to answer the prayer. This is beneficial when you enter low periods of life. You can look back through your prayer notebook and see how faithful God has been.
Prayer Journals
Similarly, you can keep a prayer journal. While a prayer notebook contains prayer concerns (usually as a list), the prayer journal is a place for you to write out your actual prayers to God. Many people benefit from this practice. Give it a try and see what you think.
Family Prayers
Praying with our family is a great way to disciple your children to grow into Christ followers. Find a time during the week for the entire family to gather and pray. Begin by asking each family member to describe their day and how to pray for them. Ask God to be a part of your family as He has made you a part of His family. Pray for your family members (be specific), that God would bless them and strengthen them.
Keep track of family prayer concerns in a family prayer notebook.
Prayer Research
Read books about prayer, and read the prayers of great Christian historical figures. Often we can pray the same prayers they prayed. The point is to incorporate their passion for Christ into our lives. It is not to become followers of Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, etc. By reading books about prayer, we are able to see prayer from another's perspective.
Prayer Walking
Take a walk around your neighborhood and pray for your neighbors. Use visual cues along with guidance from the Holy Spirit to know how to pray for them. For instance, if you see toys in the yard, you can pray for guidance for the parents as they raise their kids. Also, you can pray for the kids.
Creative Prayer
A number of people choose to paint, draw, dance, or sculpt their prayers. This type of creativity is a gift from God. Use it to express your relationship with Him.
Resources
Here are some resources on prayer:
Prayer, Does It Make a Difference, a book by Phillip Yancey.
Hearing God, a book by Peter Lord. This may be out of print, but it is an outstanding book.
http://www.namb.net/site/c.9qKILUOzEpH/b.1556013/k.9BA6/Prayer_Help.htm North American Mission Board prayer helps.
http://www.opendoorsusa.org/content/view/5/14/ Prayer website for persecuted Christians around the world.
http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ppt_homepage Presidential Prayer Team. Regardless of who is in office, we need to pray for our leaders. This website provides information to inform our prayers.
http://www.upperroom.org/prayer_center/ The Upper Room is a devotional publisher. This is their online prayer center.
Last Sunday the message at LifeTree Church's worship celebration was about prayer. I would like to expand my comments in this entry and describe some beneficial and creative ways to pray. These are by no means my own. I have gleaned many of these prayer forms over the years from friends and fellow believers. Others I came across online while researching prayer.
At any rate, I encourage you to use the following ideas to help strengthen your prayer life.
Praying Scripture
Perhaps the best way to start praying if you are new to the discipline (or if you are unsure of what to pray) is to read scripture and pray it to God. Much of King David’s Psalms were prayers using Old Testament Scripture. God answered King David straightaway and considered David His friend. If your heart’s desire is to be known of God, as David was, use the Psalms in your prayer life. Watch what God will do on your behalf!
Praying Scripture is helpful in extending one’s aloneness time with God, creating an intimate relationship with Him.
The following are examples of how to pray God’s Word:
“I command you--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" Joshua 1:9.
Thank You, Lord for being with me wherever I go. I will be strong, brave, and encouraged. I will not be afraid or dismayed. I will pray, and go, and do Your will. I thank You, Heavenly Father. Amen.
"I am leaving you with a gift -- peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid” John 14:27.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the peace that You give. I accept this peace, so my heart will not be troubled with the affairs of this world. I thank You, Heavenly Father. Amen.
Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. Then a scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Another of the disciples said to Him, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead." Matthew 8:18-22
Father, help me to be like Jesus, who when the scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever You go." Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Another of the disciples said to Him, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead." Help me to know what this focus means for me as I live my life.
Prayer with Hymns and Songs of Praise
A great way to pray is to pray the words of a hymn or song of praise to God. Let Him know how you feel towards Him by singing a prayer or praying a song to Him. This is kind of like finding a love song that expresses how you feel toward your wife or husband, boyfriend or girlfriend. A band that I really appreciate, The Swift, has a song that always speaks to me. I have prayed this song to God on many occasions. The song is called "I Need You." The lyrics are listed below:
My heart is restless in me
My wings are all worn out
I’m walking in the wilderness
And I cannot get out
I need You, oh I need You
Blessed savior come
I need You, oh I need You
Fill the every longing of my soul
Oh how I need You Lord
I need Your perfect word
With tearful eyes I see
The sin that I afford
I need to weep and pray
For all the thousand ways
That I have failed You just today
My bed is soaked with sadness
My sadness has no end
A downward spiral of despair
That I keep falling in
I need You, oh I need You
To You my soul shall fly
I need You, oh I need You
Yahweh how I love you more than life
Oh how I need You Lord
I need Your perfect word
With tearful eyes I see
The sin that I afford
I need to weep and pray
For all the thousand ways
That I have failed You just today
Your silence is like death to me
So won’t You hear my desperate plea
Today my soul is soaring
Way over mountains high
Though I can see the valleys
They are all just passing by
Its not that I am stronger
Look at my feeble wings
But I’ve been lifted higher
Yahweh’s lifted me in His own strength
Oh how I love You Lord
I love your perfect word
With tearful eyes I see
The God who always will endure
Now I will celebrate
For all the thousand ways
That you have shown me grace
And made my heart in grace to stay
You made my heart in grace to stay
Lord, make my heart in grace to stay
I need You, oh I need You .
Silence
As many of us have busier and busier schedules, I have found that a valuable form of prayer is to sit in silence and listen to God. This does not mean no action or thought. Some people call silence meditation. The danger, though, is to think of meditation the way that it is taught and perceived by the world. Transcendental Meditation, or non-Christian forms of meditation, require that the participant empty themselves in order to achieve transcendance. The process Christian meditation is to focus intently on the one transcendant One and find ourselves in Christ.
As Philippians 4:8 says, "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." We pray in silent meditation when we get away from all distractions in the world and ponder whatever attribute of God the Holy Spirit brings before us.
Prayer Notebooks
Use a notebook to keep track of prayer concerns you lift up to God. Be sure to record the date you began praying for the need, and the date and method God used to answer the prayer. This is beneficial when you enter low periods of life. You can look back through your prayer notebook and see how faithful God has been.
Prayer Journals
Similarly, you can keep a prayer journal. While a prayer notebook contains prayer concerns (usually as a list), the prayer journal is a place for you to write out your actual prayers to God. Many people benefit from this practice. Give it a try and see what you think.
Family Prayers
Praying with our family is a great way to disciple your children to grow into Christ followers. Find a time during the week for the entire family to gather and pray. Begin by asking each family member to describe their day and how to pray for them. Ask God to be a part of your family as He has made you a part of His family. Pray for your family members (be specific), that God would bless them and strengthen them.
Keep track of family prayer concerns in a family prayer notebook.
Prayer Research
Read books about prayer, and read the prayers of great Christian historical figures. Often we can pray the same prayers they prayed. The point is to incorporate their passion for Christ into our lives. It is not to become followers of Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, etc. By reading books about prayer, we are able to see prayer from another's perspective.
Prayer Walking
Take a walk around your neighborhood and pray for your neighbors. Use visual cues along with guidance from the Holy Spirit to know how to pray for them. For instance, if you see toys in the yard, you can pray for guidance for the parents as they raise their kids. Also, you can pray for the kids.
Creative Prayer
A number of people choose to paint, draw, dance, or sculpt their prayers. This type of creativity is a gift from God. Use it to express your relationship with Him.
Resources
Here are some resources on prayer:
Prayer, Does It Make a Difference, a book by Phillip Yancey.
Hearing God, a book by Peter Lord. This may be out of print, but it is an outstanding book.
http://www.namb.net/site/c.9qKILUOzEpH/b.1556013/k.9BA6/Prayer_Help.htm North American Mission Board prayer helps.
http://www.opendoorsusa.org/content/view/5/14/ Prayer website for persecuted Christians around the world.
http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ppt_homepage Presidential Prayer Team. Regardless of who is in office, we need to pray for our leaders. This website provides information to inform our prayers.
http://www.upperroom.org/prayer_center/ The Upper Room is a devotional publisher. This is their online prayer center.
I read this article today http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121694247343482821.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries. It examines parallels between Bush and the newest Batman movie. While I have my own thoughts on Bush (and Batman for that matter), the author makes a valid point in describing the simplicity of morality. There are some things that are always right and other things that are always wrong. As Klavan states, "Left and right, all Americans know that freedom is better than slavery, that love is better than hate, kindness better than cruelty, tolerance better than bigotry. We don't always know how we know these things, and yet mysteriously we know them nonetheless."
While the secular world would try to convince us that there is nuance and ambiguity in morality, we must be bold in the face of relativity. As Christ followers, we are to be more than bold. We are to passionately point people to the truth.
I read this article today http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121694247343482821.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries. It examines parallels between Bush and the newest Batman movie. While I have my own thoughts on Bush (and Batman for that matter), the author makes a valid point in describing the simplicity of morality. There are some things that are always right and other things that are always wrong. As Klavan states, "Left and right, all Americans know that freedom is better than slavery, that love is better than hate, kindness better than cruelty, tolerance better than bigotry. We don't always know how we know these things, and yet mysteriously we know them nonetheless."
While the secular world would try to convince us that there is nuance and ambiguity in morality, we must be bold in the face of relativity. As Christ followers, we are to be more than bold. We are to passionately point people to the truth.
June 11, 2008
Apologetics Analogy
The other day I was talking with a friend about analogies of the existence of God. He had told of an example of faith in God as faith in a chair. We see a chair and have faith that it will support us if we sit in it. I don’t think that is a good example. Another example is to consider the wind. You can’t see it but you know it is there because you feel it and see the result of its presence. This example is a little better, but knowledge of the wind is relative to your experience of it.
I believe faith in God is more like oxygen. We need oxygen whether we know of it or not. Oxygen is mandatory for us to live. Life cannot be sustained without oxygen. When we breathe, we have faith that the air we breathe will have the necessary oxygen to support our lives. I can say that there is no oxygen, yet it exists regardless of my belief (and sustains me despite my disbelief).
Don’t believe in God? Stop breathing.
Apologetics Analogy
The other day I was talking with a friend about analogies of the existence of God. He had told of an example of faith in God as faith in a chair. We see a chair and have faith that it will support us if we sit in it. I don’t think that is a good example. Another example is to consider the wind. You can’t see it but you know it is there because you feel it and see the result of its presence. This example is a little better, but knowledge of the wind is relative to your experience of it.
I believe faith in God is more like oxygen. We need oxygen whether we know of it or not. Oxygen is mandatory for us to live. Life cannot be sustained without oxygen. When we breathe, we have faith that the air we breathe will have the necessary oxygen to support our lives. I can say that there is no oxygen, yet it exists regardless of my belief (and sustains me despite my disbelief).
Don’t believe in God? Stop breathing.
April 23, 2008
Exponential Day Two
Today was a great day to be in Orlando. I was able to interact with several people I hoped to meet with as well as met some new people. Perhaps the best session I attended was Alan Hirsch talking about the mission Dei, or mission of God. More accurately, it is God's mission. The one that Jesus told the church to join in. I really appreciated his blunt approach to sharing the mission and applying it to the church.
This being my last day at the conference, I am going to make one astute observation and then pack to go home and get in bed.
There seems to be two main strategy camps present at this Exponential. The first camp, represented by people like Alan Hirsch and Neil Cole, is focused on the organic nature of the church. Call it house church, simple church, or organic church if you like. The primary focus is on simple rapidly reproducible church structures. The second camp, represented by people like Dave Ferguson and Bill Easum, is focused on launching as big as you can and then moving quickly to establish satellite campuses. To be fair, Ferguson did suggest going to multiple services before going to satellites, but the point is that these two camps are basically opposites. Organic churches are relatively small, loosely networked communities of believers. Satellite campus churches are essentially decentralized mega churches.
My thoughts on this observation are that I feel sorry for the church planter who is uniquely called to plant a church of about 100 to 300 people, and I wonder at the wisdom of the satellite strategy. It seems prone to pastor ego inflating.
Exponential Day Two
Today was a great day to be in Orlando. I was able to interact with several people I hoped to meet with as well as met some new people. Perhaps the best session I attended was Alan Hirsch talking about the mission Dei, or mission of God. More accurately, it is God's mission. The one that Jesus told the church to join in. I really appreciated his blunt approach to sharing the mission and applying it to the church.
This being my last day at the conference, I am going to make one astute observation and then pack to go home and get in bed.
There seems to be two main strategy camps present at this Exponential. The first camp, represented by people like Alan Hirsch and Neil Cole, is focused on the organic nature of the church. Call it house church, simple church, or organic church if you like. The primary focus is on simple rapidly reproducible church structures. The second camp, represented by people like Dave Ferguson and Bill Easum, is focused on launching as big as you can and then moving quickly to establish satellite campuses. To be fair, Ferguson did suggest going to multiple services before going to satellites, but the point is that these two camps are basically opposites. Organic churches are relatively small, loosely networked communities of believers. Satellite campus churches are essentially decentralized mega churches.
My thoughts on this observation are that I feel sorry for the church planter who is uniquely called to plant a church of about 100 to 300 people, and I wonder at the wisdom of the satellite strategy. It seems prone to pastor ego inflating.
Exponential Day One
This first day of Exponential in Orlando Florida has been very productive. Ed Stetzer gave some great insights for church planting based on research. You can find that research here. He then moderated a panel discussion among pastors effective at church multiplication. I had an opportunity to speak with Neil Cole and the strategy guru – Jack Allen.
Andy Stanley taught a good lesson on communicating the vision. I am going to review the LifeTree Church vision and see if it needs tweaking.
I am staying with my good friends, Ron and Stacey. They have been gracious enough to let me stay in their home for the next couple of nights. Tonight, we laid sod in their front yard. I volunteered to help because (a) I enjoy doing that kind of work, and (b) I think that this is what the church should be about. A fellow brother has work that needs to be done and not enough time to do it. Another brother is perfectly capable of helping and so he does.
I am looking forward to a great day tomorrow. More on that later.
Exponential Day One
This first day of Exponential in Orlando Florida has been very productive. Ed Stetzer gave some great insights for church planting based on research. You can find that research here. He then moderated a panel discussion among pastors effective at church multiplication. I had an opportunity to speak with Neil Cole and the strategy guru – Jack Allen.
Andy Stanley taught a good lesson on communicating the vision. I am going to review the LifeTree Church vision and see if it needs tweaking.
I am staying with my good friends, Ron and Stacey. They have been gracious enough to let me stay in their home for the next couple of nights. Tonight, we laid sod in their front yard. I volunteered to help because (a) I enjoy doing that kind of work, and (b) I think that this is what the church should be about. A fellow brother has work that needs to be done and not enough time to do it. Another brother is perfectly capable of helping and so he does.
I am looking forward to a great day tomorrow. More on that later.
April 16, 2008
Meating of the body
Tonight the Farmer family enjoyed an evening meal with our friends. We met at a great Brazilian restaurant on Delk Rd. It is called Carne no Espeto. I don't know what that means but it sure was good. The family we with whom we ate dinner have been attending LifeTree Church for about a month now. They truly are wonderful people. We enjoyed a great meal and several hours of conversation. On our drive home, I was thinking how a meal cements relationships. There is something about sitting around a table in a relaxed atmosphere that drops defenses and builds cohesion. I think we will try to have a meal with LifeTree Church families at least once per month.
Next week I will be in Orlando for the Exponential Conference. I am praying that I will learn a lot while there.
Meating of the body
Tonight the Farmer family enjoyed an evening meal with our friends. We met at a great Brazilian restaurant on Delk Rd. It is called Carne no Espeto. I don't know what that means but it sure was good. The family we with whom we ate dinner have been attending LifeTree Church for about a month now. They truly are wonderful people. We enjoyed a great meal and several hours of conversation. On our drive home, I was thinking how a meal cements relationships. There is something about sitting around a table in a relaxed atmosphere that drops defenses and builds cohesion. I think we will try to have a meal with LifeTree Church families at least once per month.
Next week I will be in Orlando for the Exponential Conference. I am praying that I will learn a lot while there.
March 25, 2008
I am always amazed at what people think the church should be. By the same token, I am sure that there are people who are pretty amazed at my understanding of the church. What LifeTree Church looks like today is not what I expected the church to look like, but it is a pretty authentic representation of those in the church.
We are an extended family related only through Christ. That is definitely enough, but we need to be more open to the community around us. I am sometimes frustrated that the only ones who participate in the community outreach events is the Farmers and the Perrys. I really would like for everyone in the church to participate, but it just hasn't happened. This is depressing when a part of our core values (the DNA of LifeTree Church) is to be missional.
I am always amazed at what people think the church should be. By the same token, I am sure that there are people who are pretty amazed at my understanding of the church. What LifeTree Church looks like today is not what I expected the church to look like, but it is a pretty authentic representation of those in the church.
We are an extended family related only through Christ. That is definitely enough, but we need to be more open to the community around us. I am sometimes frustrated that the only ones who participate in the community outreach events is the Farmers and the Perrys. I really would like for everyone in the church to participate, but it just hasn't happened. This is depressing when a part of our core values (the DNA of LifeTree Church) is to be missional.
January 20, 2008
Pray for Prayer
I have been reading an excellent book on prayer called The Kneeling Christian by an Unknown Christian. I am barely into chapter 3 and I realize that I do not have the prayer life that I could or should have. The author refers to a man named John Hyde, whom everyone referred to as Praying Hyde. Hyde was a missionary in
The point that drives home in me is that he was already serving in
My desire is to become the prayer warrior I should be. If you are reading this blog, please pray for me to be fervently devoted to prayer. I tend to value action and interaction as a means of obedience. I pray that God would foster in me the discipline of fighting on my knees!
Pray for Prayer
I have been reading an excellent book on prayer called The Kneeling Christian by an Unknown Christian. I am barely into chapter 3 and I realize that I do not have the prayer life that I could or should have. The author refers to a man named John Hyde, whom everyone referred to as Praying Hyde. Hyde was a missionary in
The point that drives home in me is that he was already serving in
My desire is to become the prayer warrior I should be. If you are reading this blog, please pray for me to be fervently devoted to prayer. I tend to value action and interaction as a means of obedience. I pray that God would foster in me the discipline of fighting on my knees!
Pray for Prayer
I have been reading an excellent book on prayer called The Kneeling Christian by an Unknown Christian. I am barely into chapter 3 and I realize that I do not have the prayer life that I could or should have. The author refers to a man named John Hyde, whom everyone referred to as Praying Hyde. Hyde was a missionary in
The point that drives home in me is that he was already serving in
My desire is to become the prayer warrior I should be. If you are reading this blog, please pray for me to be fervently devoted to prayer. I tend to value action and interaction as a means of obedience. I pray that God would foster in me the discipline of fighting on my knees!
January 13, 2008
Our First Worship Celebration!
Today was the very first worship service for
I had a couple of things that I felt I could improve, but on the whole I really feel like God was glorified today. We are now working towards the second Sunday in February. Keep us in your prayers.
Our First Worship Celebration!
Today was the very first worship service for
I had a couple of things that I felt I could improve, but on the whole I really feel like God was glorified today. We are now working towards the second Sunday in February. Keep us in your prayers.
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