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Gospel Fluency - Gospel Training Part 2 - Video

2012-01-27T17:54:02+00:00

Becoming fluent in the Gospel is vital. If we are gong to take the gospel into our everyday life we will need to learn the gospel well. Almost like learning a language. Please take the time to watch the video to learn more about what it means to become fluent in the Gospel.

What is the Gospel? - Gospel Training Part 1 - Video

2011-12-05T22:10:16+00:00

Please take the time to watch this video. This is a great training on what the gospel is and how to apply it to real life. For those of us that have been walking with Christ for a while this is an opportunity to grow more deeply into the Cross of Christ and see that the Gospel applies to our everyday life too. If you find this helpful please share it with friends. It’s my prayer that Jesus would transform you by the power of His Gospel, that you would experience and extend the gospel as a part of your daily life by the power of His Spirit alive in you.

Verge 2012

2011-11-30T16:43:09+00:00

So here’s the deal. I have a passion to see the Gospel of Jesus Christ transform me, my family, our church, our city and the ends of the earth. This can only be done by Christ. No amount of anything I do will bring about this kind of change. The simple gospel that we see in 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. It is Christ alone that is in the process of making us new creations. With this in mind I desire to connect with other like minded folks. Verge 2012 is such a gathering of people. People united around the Gospel. Learning to live it in community and on mission in this broken world. I would encourage you to check out Verge Network and Verge 2012.

The verbiage below is taken from Vergenetwork.org.

Verge 2012 is For The Gospel \ For The City \ For The Nations – an experience in Austin, Texas, on February 28 to March 2, 2012, for everyone pursing the mission of God everywhere. Featured speakers inlcude: Matt Carter, David Platt, Dr. John Perkins, Alan Hirsch, Darrin Patrick, Dave Gibbons, and many more.

VERGE is a four-day experience for anyone pursuing the mission of God, in community, whatever the context, for the sake of the Gospel – everyday leaders, students, entrepreneurs, artists, urban innovators, business leaders, community development specialists, non-profit leaders, church planters and church leaders.

Verge will resource you to make disciples who make disciples in every sphere and domain of society, advocate for the poor and oppressed, mobilize urban and global mission leaders, and champion movements of gospel-centered missional communities.

Verge 2012 is here to encourage, build up and renew all kinds of leaders engaged in the mission of God to redeem and renew. Verge is made up of pre-conferences, post-conferences, two-days of challenging main sessions, music, workshops, networking opportunities and more.”

Consumerism & It’s Affect on Disciple-Making - Video

2011-10-24T14:43:57+00:00

Alan Hirsch talks about the affect consumerism has had on disciple-making. Please take a moment to ponder this thought. How has our culture change the church and our mission? What would it look like to make disciples that make disciples?

Matthew 28:16-20

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

How to Share Your Faith - Video

2011-10-19T19:08:07+00:00

This video is brief but very powerful. Please check it out!

How does the Gospel address this?

2011-10-10T14:51:36+00:00

How does the Gospel address this? When the challenges of life come at you or you have a conversation that surfaces a problem, instead of trying to fix it, stop and ask, “How does the Gospel address this?” The Apostle Paul said in Romans 1:16 “the gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” The power of God that saves you is the same power that is making you new day by day. As a follower of Christ, He lives in you. This is truly amazing. Colossians 1:27 says “Christ in you the hope of glory.” He desires to work in you, on you and through you as you yield your life to Him. All this is for His glory!

So here’s the deal. Ephesians 4:11-16 instructs us about how the Church grows up into maturity. God has given us Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers to equip the body then each part can do their job. Paul also talks about how we are to “speak the truth in love”. Since Jesus is the truth, love and the “good news” we are to basically called to “Speak the Gospel to one another.” In your relationships here at Grace, in our families, and in our city we are to be His people on His mission bringing restoration and redemption through the finished work of Christ. As His church on His mission, by His power He will continue to change lives. Our own need for the gospel becomes evident when we are called to Love Others and Make Disciples.

In order to grow up in Christ and help others grow up in Christ we need to be Gospel Fluent and call people to live lives that both demand the power of the Gospel and reveal where we are in need of the Gospel ourselves. None of us has it all together. So we are all in need of the Gospel. It’s my prayer that God would work through the people to bring a Gospel revolution.

Forgiveness

2011-05-26T17:07:19+00:00

“When deep injury is done to us. We never recover until we forgive. Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” - These are Mary Karen Read’s last words in her journal before her death at the Virginia tech shooting. Forgiveness is the most mysterious gift of God’s. Many of us have been hurt deeply at some point in our lives. What we do with that hurt is critical. If we hold on to it it will turn to bitterness. If we ask God to help us forgive the offender it can lead to freedom and life. It takes great courage to forgive a person that has offended us. Please take some time to process past hurts with God, asking that He would allow you to forgive the offender even before to talk with them. Colossians 3:12-17 has helped many people on this journey to forgiveness. Please take a look at the follow passage, please key in on verse 13.

Colossians 3:12-17
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Forgive each other as the Lord has forgiven you. WOW!

In the book TrueFaced we find these words. “Where does God stand in relation to the sin done against us when we live in The Room of Grace? He stands with us. He has his arm around us, giving us His perspective on the sin and the one who sinned. He’s close enough for us to hear Him say, ‘If you ask - and I hope you do - you should forgive this person as my Son forgave you. Trust me with this advice, and I’ll heal you, restore you and free you with the truth it brings you.’” Please checkout the videos below. God’s gift of forgiveness is so very powerful and freeing. Trust God with this one.

He Loves You

2011-05-25T21:33:10+00:00

A friend of mine, Danen Kane, is an amazing musician and an even more passionate lover of God. The words to his song, He Loves You, get at the heart of the issue of grace. For those who feel that we don’t deserve grace. It’s true, we don’t. But that God give us His grace freely… wow. Please take a moment to read the lyrics of this powerful song.

Danen Kane - He Loves You
from the 2006 CD ‘She’
www.danenkane.com

Another morning after has come. He left before your eyes had awoken.
The smell of alcohol surrounds your head.
Your blurry vision sees your empty bed.
Your mascara runs to catch your tears.
The darkness only reminds you of your fears.
You feel you’re so filthy God can’t even look you in the face.
Beautiful little girl you’re forgotten the wonders of His grace.

He Loves You

The lies say you’re in too deep and there’s no turning back.
They say your mind is rotten and your heart is black.
Dear sister, let me tell you that’s not true, no that’s not true.
Rught now He knocks at your heart and He is there waiting for you

He loves You
He loves You

You see a defiled body, he sees a buried treasure.
Unlock the chest that has been waiting for you.
Break out that old dusty Bible, let Christ lead your soul to revival
If I can’t reach your heart with my pen then, I’ll have to sing it again.

He Loves You.

E3 is Thinking Little

2011-03-29T20:46:30+00:00

I’ve been on a few trips with E3 Partners. I’m thankful for the work they are doing for the sake of the gospel. They are acting Biblically by thinking small, planting rabbit churches and watching God transform lives through imperfect people just like you and me. Take a moment to watch this short video. I would encourage you to take a trip with them. Please visit their site. http://e3partners.org/ BUT, don’t stop at taking a trip. Think like a missionary in your everyday life. This doesn’t mean you need to become a Jesus sales man, selling something you wouldn’t buy. What I’m saying is, if you’ve been changed by the gospel and you see that it really brings life from what was once dead, if you’ve tasted of grace I’m asking you to pass it on.

The Karen People of Burma

2011-03-22T19:14:54+00:00

While I was taking a break for lunch today. Yes I did eat lunch, but I also watched a film about the Karen people of Burma and their stories. Please take a moment to pray for the Karen, share this film, and talk to other who might be able to help provide hope and a future for these people in need. Below is a brief description of this film and the four friends that took the risk to help others.

“In the summer of 2006, four friends from San Diego, California set out on a mission to expose the atrocities being done to the people of Burma, more specifically, the Karen people – one of the country’s largest ethnic groups. Burma has quietly been host to the world’s longest running civil war – waged between the country’s military dictatorship and detractors from the regime.

Burma is a closed country known for strong penalties including imprisonment for people found inside its borders without the proper documentation. However, they knew that in order to capture the story they needed, they would have to sneak across the border through Thailand. With backpacks filled with borrowed film equipment they set out without a clue of how they would break inside a countryside filled with landmines, Burmese soldiers, and wet season torrential weather. They didn’t know what they would find, or if anyone would listen to their story when they returned.”

Broken is Beautiful

2011-01-27T03:36:20+00:00

We try to hide the ugly parts. Anything that might be seen as a weakness must not be seen. But maybe the most broken parts of our lives are the most beautiful. There’s more to life than perfection. There’s something deep about honesty, even if it’s not pretty. Take a look at the video on this post and ponder for a moment. Maybe what we see as the most messed up part of our lives are really more beautiful than we care to think.

The Next “Big Idea”

2011-01-20T20:05:50+00:00

So here’s the deal. Many people want to innovate, create, and hold keys to the next “big idea”. You may be dreaming of being the next Angry Birds developer, launching a company like Apple, or becoming the next ___________. Feel free to fill in the blank. We have a strong desire to be seen as successful and well liked. But where do we start. Most people find a person, organization or company they love and try to copy what they did. This may be a flaw. I say this because we then head down a path of trying to do what they did to achieve what they achieved. We measure ourselves relative to the person we idolize. This can lead to other issues down the pipe when we begin to see, we are not that person. We are each a unique creation. Please be you. One solution to this copycat dilemma is to start with a problem, lots of solitude and a blank sheet of paper, not someone else’s answers. This is a much harder road to travel. Maybe that’s why people chose to copy others. So I challenge you to dream of problems that need to be solved. Retreat, clear your head, then breakout a clean sheet of paper and see what happens.

People of The Second Chance

2011-01-07T19:12:00+00:00

“The People of the Second Chance is a community of individuals who advocate for radical grace and second chances in life and leadership.”
This is the brief description of a group I found through Facebook. If you think about it for a just few seconds we all need radical grace because we all mess up. We all need at least a second chance and sometimes many more. That leads me to the idea of learning to become a person that experiences and extends grace in my daily life. My reason for posting this is to cause you to think about grace too. Can you relate to need for a second chance. I can. I encourage you to check out the video on this blog post as well as http://www.potsc.com and http://www.facebook.com/peopleofthesecondchance.

Celebrate, Evaluate, Vision

2010-12-31T20:38:46+00:00

It’s the last day of 2010. Another year is coming to a close. This causes differing emotions and thoughts to run around in our heads. Some folks just want to celebrate, others need to evaluate and still others are already looking ahead to the New Year. All are important. During the next few days I invite you to join me in asking the following questions.

Celebrate - What do I have to be thankful for this past year?
Evaluate - What is a current honest assessment of my character, heart attitude and relationships?
Vision – What direction am I heading in and what will guide my decisions this coming year?

I hope this simple exercise encourages you to be thankful, honest and purposeful in the coming year.

Impacting the World in Small Ways

2010-12-21T16:17:34+00:00

A few days ago a friend sent me a message… “Join me in changing the world, one small task at a time! The website http://itstartswith.us/ was started by a Milwaukee native who is interested in selfless acts of kindness and I’m on board. I thought you’d be interested. It takes 15 minutes each week.” The thought of changing the world, one small task at a time is an interesting one. Many of us intend to help those around us, but for many reasons we don’t. Maybe we just forget or maybe we are in a hurry and just blow past the opportunities right in front of us. Slow down, take notice and change the world.

Because Relevant Content Matters!

2010-12-13T20:35:33+00:00

Fresh baked bread. What kind of thoughts come to mind when you hear those words? It make me feel warm, welcomed, invited in, at home, loved, cared for, like the stress of the day is lifting. Relevant web content is like fresh baked bread. When people land on a site that is current, relevant, and meaningful they have some of those same emotions. They have a positive experience and they want more. Compare that to a site that has old news and past events. When landing on such a site most people feel uncomfortable, uneasy, and unsettled. It causes distrust. Questioning begins to happen. Can I trust these people? Do they have their act together? Do I want to learn more?

People are visiting your website to learn more about you. Do they walk away with that fresh baked bread experience? Do they want more of what you have to offer?