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I am a Christian, a Husband and a father of two. I am an Elder at LaGrange Baptist Church and teach a Life (Sunday School) class of Senior High boys. I am a graduate of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Purdue University. My greatest desire is to see the Church of my Father and His Son, my Lord grow and flourish in Grace.
My Interests are: Reading, Theology, Fishing, Movies and Music
If you were following me here on Posterous, my blog has moved. Please go to the following link and subscribe there. http://takingheaven.blogspot.com/ Thanks, Mark
I have been thinking about the question of a Multi-site Church vs. Church planting for a while. So, when this panel occurred, my interest was peaked. I found the dynamics interesting in that four of the five men were in favor of the Multi-site church model. I also found it interesting that the appeal for Church planting instead of a multi-site church model was, in my opinion, more compelling and more focused on the question of biblical warrant and the principle of congregationalism.
Give it a listen and let me know what you think.
Pastors should listen to this in order to reset their expectations for their ministries. Christians should listen to this in order to better understand the expectations they should have of their pastors and themselves. Both pastors and Christians put non-biblical expectations on pastors.
I think it is clear that subversive behavior in the church is unacceptable as is self-serving behavior. Jesus' response to this hypocrisy is to deny subversive and self serving people before God. If you talk about others in the church behind their backs plotting or wishing their fall, if you secretly hope that they will be caught in an embarrassing or damaging error or sin, then you are a subversive. If your actions in the church are designed to promote you and/or your agenda or to secure you with the things you want, then you are self serving.
I just finished reading "John Calvin and His Passion for the Majesty of God" by John Piper. I wanted to share some thoughts from the book.
Do you ever wonder how to go about "overcoming sin"? We are told in Romans that we are to "not let sin reign" in our mortal body so that we "obey its lusts." (Romans 6:12). But, how do you do that. How do you stop sin from reigning supreme in you?
Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead is never to die again; death no longer is master over him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:6-11)Notice that our belief about who we are is influenced by what we know. We believe we are alive in Christ, because we know we were crucified with Him. We also believe or consider that we are dead to sin because with Christ we died to sin, and sin no longer has mastery over us. Knowledge of who you are in Christ is the key to overcoming sin. The more you understand who you are in Christ, the more you will live like that person. In other words if you know you are dead to sin, you can believe that sin is no longer your master, and therefore, you are empowered by your knowledge to flee temptation and thus overcome sin.
I wanted to share this article with you because it points to some very important concepts about leadership. I found the 1st and 3rd principles influential for me.
Leadership is developed in others through relationships, and a good leader develops relationships. A good leader will also seek to develop others in leadership who don't necessarily show the initiative to becoming leaders.
Enjoy!
Influence: Connecting with PeopleBy Dr. John C. Maxwell
As a train's source of energy and direction, the locomotive plays a vital role. However, unless a locomotive connects to other cars on the track, it is relatively useless. A train's value comes from its ability to transport massive amounts of cargo, and doing so requires the locomotive to link up with dozens of freight cars. Traveling by itself, a locomotive would arrive at its destination empty-handed. In that case, its journey would be nothing more than a waste of fuel.
Leaders are like locomotives in that they're blessed with drive, energy, and vision. However, until leaders learn the art of connection, their influence remains minimal. In isolation, their talents accomplish little, and their efforts are squandered.
Let's look at practical ways whereby leaders can make meaningful connections with others.
8 Steps for Connecting with People
#1 Don't Take People for Granted
Weak leaders get so caught up in the vision of where they're going that they forget whom they're trying to lead. Instead, leaders would be wise realize that connecting to people and developing them are the surest ways to gain influence. Results happen through relationships.
#2 Possess a Difference-Maker Mindset
A hesitant and indecisive leader doesn't enliven the hearts or imaginations of people. On the contrary, leaders who influence and inspire have a difference-maker mindset. They connect with others by passing along an infectious confidence in their ability to succeed.
#3 Initiate Movement Toward People
Freight cars sitting on the railroad tracks won't go anywhere by themselves. They will rust and collect dust unless a locomotive makes contact and connects to them. Similarly, most people stay parked due to self-doubt, fear, or absence of vision. It takes the connection of a leader to tap into their potential and rouse them to action.
#4 Search for Common Ground
Anytime you want to connect with a person, the starting point should be shared interests. If you're attentive to the hobbies, histories, and habits of those you lead, then you will find ample areas of common ground. Launch out from these areas of agreement to build rapport.
#5 Recognize and Respect Differences
We are capable of finding common ground with others, but at the same time we need to acknowledge that we're all different. The greatest influencers realize that differences ought to complement rather than clash. When you demonstrate regard for diverse personalities and meet people on their terms, they will appreciate your sensitivity and connect with the understanding you've shown.
#6 Learn the Key to Others' Lives
People have core motivations that vary drastically, and a leader has to discern them to forge a connection with others. Generally, the key can be unearthed by examining what a person has already done in life and by discovering what he or she aspires to do in the future. Once you've found the key, do not exploit it. Turn the key only when you have the person's permission, and always use it for his or her benefit - not your own.
#7 Communicate from the Heart
Nothing repels people like a phony leader. Be authentic when you speak, and align your actions and words. People respond to passion, and they will latch onto a vision when it's communicated directly from the heart.
#8 Share Common Experiences
Shared experiences cement a relationship. For this reason, it's wise to be intentional about eating out with teammates, inviting them to join you on an errand, or taking in a play or ballgame together. The more time you invest in those you lead, the greater the connection you will forge with them.
Summary
One is too small of a number to achieve greatness. No one ever accomplishes alone what he can do in partnership with others. If you're looking to grow as an influencer, start by strengthening your connections with the people around you.
Link to orginal article: http://www.giantimpact.com/articles/read/article_influence_connecting_with_pe...
Are you looking for a reason to praise God this day? Sometimes our minds just stop thinking clearly, and we find that, because we don't feel an affinity to God at the time, we also don't know how to praise Him. I find that at these times the Bible is, as always, our best guide.
1 Peter 1:3-5 gives us a few of the very best reasons to praise or bless God. Peter writes,
This book tells of a man whose life transformed from meaningless to meaningful. There are two ways to approach life. The way of stagnation is the way of most. Donald found meaning in life when he began to write a story with his life that involved risk. He talks about the need to react to “inciting” events in life by taking risks to enter those events and seek one's desires through conflict.
I found this book helpful. Put in a Christian context, it confirms that the Christian life is one of conflict. The most fulfilled Christian is the one who seeks his greatest desire, God, through great conflict. Thus, he tells an amazing story with his life. The least fulfilled Christian avoids conflict even when such avoidance keeps him from great fellowship with God. Donald's book only disappoints me in that when he has the opportunity to point people to the gospel of Jesus Christ, he stops short. God, Jesus and prayer are in the book. But, a clear evangelical gospel message is missing. The book can easily be read and the message of the greatest pursuit in life, God through Christ, can still be missed.A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life
