Here’s some of the new family pictures we had taken for Winter/Christmas. There are a lot of great pictures, I just can’t post them all. Once again we had the talented Jeri Ann Dean take them for us and we did them in three locations. If you are in the Augusta area and want Jeri Ann to take your pictures as well, you can email her HERE or you can visit her blog to see more of her portfolio.
(Click on a thumbnail to enlarge it)
Popularity: 1% [?]
Here is just a little snippet of the message from Francis Chan at this year’s Catalyst Conference: (This is worth seven minutes of your time)
Where would your life as a Christian align itself in comparison to the New Testament Christians we read about in the Bible?
Where would our churches fall in with the New Testament Church as recorded in Scripture?
All great things to think about. Thoughts?
Thanks to Jeremy Ownby for pointing out this video was available on Facebook
Popularity: 1% [?]
Dear Pastor Dr. Terry Jones,
I write this letter with little hope that #1 you would read it and #2 that it would make a difference, but I feel something should be said, whether the advice is heeded or not, that sir, is your choice.
As a fellow Christian pastor, I urge you to stop your blatant disregard of the Christian faith. Your continuation of your planned burning of the Koran, not only makes you a disgraceful American it disgraces the core teachings of the faith you claim to follow and represent.
I do not make my case based on personal feelings. I base it through Scripture which is strong enough to stand alone:
I make my case through…
The honest truth sir, there is no Biblical foundation for which you can say your actions are in the name of Christianity. What you are doing is in the name of Dr. Terry Jones and the Dove World Outreach Center. Maybe its your way of getting a little fame and a little bit of news coverage, but you in no way are promoting the Savior Jesus or his teachings. You can twist Scripture all you want to make your point, people have done so for centuries, but you will be hard pressed to present grace and love through your actions. Our instructions are to go into all the world to make disciples (Matthew 28:19) as Christians we are called to represent Christ. You are not doing that and you are not paving the road for the Gospel to be preached, in fact, you are perverting the gospel, with a gospel of hate. Here’s a novel idea, arrange a massive prayer meeting not a Koran burning service, but then again, that may mean you think God is big enough to change the hearts of those you disagree with.
Sincerely,
Nick Carnes
Popularity: 5% [?]
“Everyone has hurts, habits, and hang-ups.” – Rick Warren
If the above statement is true (and it is), it means that every church is messy. I’ve heard the above statement used and abused. For some its a convenient cliche and used as false self-deprivation to give an appearance that one relates to people in their struggles when the true motivation is to create a personal empire versus the Kingdom of God. For others, this is a part of their church’s DNA. Whether the principle is presented word for word (Everyone has hurts, habits, and hang-ups) or in like meaning but using other terminology like Cross Point Church does with their view that Everyone is Welcome, Nobody is Perfect, and Anything is Possible. I want this principle to be a core principle of our DNA at New Passion, not just words.
Sunday, we showed our last One Prayer message for 2010. It was on the Unstoppable Church by Scott Hodge. Scott focuses on the fact that if we are going to be an unstoppable church we must be willing to embrace the mess. Check the video out if you have 26 minutes and then think on the questions I presented on Sunday to our congregation:
How would you answer these questions?
Join the Conversation…I’d love to know your thoughts!
Popularity: 1% [?]
Here are some of the pictures we had taken yesterday by Jeri Ann Dean in Augusta. Jeri did an amazing job, so if you are ever looking for a photographer just leave me a comment to let me know and I’ll email you her contact information, or you can find her on Facebook and her blog. Check out the pictures:
Popularity: 1% [?]
Velocity 2010 Church Planting ConferenceSession 6 Speaker: Rick Warren
If God has called you to be a church planter, do not STEP down to do anything else…not even the President of the United States. This is the greatest calling.
1,000 Years from today, if Jesus does not come back, all Kingdoms will have fallen, but the church will still be standing.
If you can grasp that God created me to love me, I should never struggle with inferiority again.
No need for posing, masks, being cool, etc. Because God chose me.
Nothing matters more than the church.
Do All for the Global Glory of God.
The more important your job, the more humble you must be.
What the church is doing will outlast anything Bill Gates, Any Country Leader, Famous Musicians, or Famous Athlete does.
We need new churches for new generations.
Spread the major mistakes around. Challenge staff to make 1 major mistake a week J
Rick’s Rules for Church Planting:
1. Don’t take early losses seriously – They don’t determine the outcome of your church.
-Ignore your early losses…Rome was not built in a day, neither is a church.
A mushroom takes 6 hours to build; an oak tree takes 60 years. Do you want a mushroom or an oak tree as a church?
Legitimate growth is conversion growth.
Focus on membership & discipleship, not on the crowd or the numbers.
The measure of a church is not its seating capacity, but its sending capacity.
It’s not a sin to be a small church, it is disobedient to be a small minded church.
If you want the anointing of God in your life & his blessings; your life must be built on humility, integrity, and generosity.
These are the antidote to the three Greatest Traps of Ministry and Leadership:
The Kingdom of God needs us to FINISH WELL. It does not need us to flame out.
Satan is entirely predictable. His main 3 temptations are:
1. Lust of the Flesh is the temptation to Feel – Anything that makes you feel good. (Hedonism) (Pleasure) [Sex]
2. Lust of the Eyes is the temptation to Have -
(Possessions) [Salary]
3. Pride of Life is the temptation to Be – Desire to be worshipped, envied
(Position) [Status]
Never confuse your self-worth with your net-worth
Jesus was tempted to use what was given for ministry to feed him-self.
Satan wants to tempt us to use our gifts on ourselves, verses for the ministry and what God has called us to.
Jesus was tempted to be spectacular with the gift he was given.
Satan will tempt us to be spectacular.
Glory comes from suffering, not showing off.
You don’t have to be original in everything that you do.
Church planters need to study a lot of the first 1500 years of the church for deep roots.
Jesus was tempted with things.
Satan will tempt us to develop a spirit of expectation that we deserve things because of what we’ve done.
Antidotes to these 3 Temptations:
1. Integrity - From Integer “A unit of one” – Our life is one, we are not separated into sects, we are one.
“Titanic Trap” – - You cannot compartmentalize your life. If you try, you lack integrity.
A hole in your life is a hole in your life and it will sink
You never sin privately, you are affecting your family, your church, and others you influence.
You don’t have to be perfect to have integrity, you have to be authentic.
2. Generosity (antidote to the lust of the eyes) -
The way you spend your money shows what you value.
The more I give the more I become like Jesus.
You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.
Every time you give you break the hold of materialism in your life.
3. Humility – (antidote to
It means you don’t give yourself the title “Apostle”
If you have to have a big title you’re not humble.
Titles mean nothing, what matters is do you love people?
Don’t give in to false humility:
God created you, Jesus died for you, the Holy Spirit lives in you. You are not junk.
Humility is not denying your strengths, but being honest about your weaknesses.
We grow fastest and best through models.
It’s better to have someone following a person who is trying to do right versus someone who isn’t trying at all.
Someone who is not teachable is not humble.
Be humble or you will stumble.
Lesson from the whale – When you get to the top and get ready to blow, that’s when they harpoon you.
How do you bring people through the front door and out the back to get involved in missions? You better have an intentional process.
It’s not about looking cool, it’s about meeting needs.
If you are going to last and make it to the end…you must understand the 6 phases of faith:
When God does any miracle…he takes it through 6 phases of faith:
God…
1. Gives a Dream
2. Decision (choose to go after it) – Dreams are unimportant if they are not moved on.
3. Delay – Always a delay (New Passion 3 years) – God is not a vending machine. God is more interested in the individual than the dream.
4. Difficulty – You will face all types of problems (Critics, Lack of Resources)
5. Dead-End – The death of a vision
6. Deliverance - God likes to turn difficulties into possibilities; He then gets the glory, not us.
Every time we hit a dead-end, God does not want to help us, he wants to do a miracle.
Velocity Conference: Main Session 1 Highlights – - Main Session 2 Highlights – - Main Session 3 Highlights – - Breakout Session 2 with Pete Wilson Highlights – - Main Session 4 Highlights – - Breakout Session 3 with Tony Morgan Highlights
Popularity: 6% [?]
Velocity 2010 Church Planters ConferenceSpeaker: Alan Hirsch
More of the same will not bring fundamental change.
Our decisions make a difference in the world.
Why do we need to be Missional?
It’s not a cute new term. Not another cool buzz word.
Concepts:
1. Cultural Distance:
m0…….m1………..m2…………m3………..m4
Each ‘M’ signifies one significant cultural barrier to the effective communication of the gospel
(M0 is easier – M4 is more difficult)
Significant Cultural Barrier to Communicate the Gospel Meaningfully:
Culture is heading in the direction of becoming more difficult. Closer or at m4, not at m0.
Church must become cross-cultural missionaries again. (This is HUGE for Grovetown)
“Attractional” Church works well in sector m0, however it doesn’t work as well in sectors further out.
When people plug into church, they have less connection in the sectors outside of m0. This is a problem.
“Extractional” Church – It extracts people from their networks of people outside the church.
We are asking the disconnected from Christ to do the cross-cultural work and move from their sector to the m0 sector.
Christians are all missionaries, we are obligated to take the gospel message to other sectors.
*Research in Australia, what non-churched people thought of: God, Jesus, Spirituality, Church
Results: God; positive, Jesus; positive, Spirituality; positive, Church; negative*
The Church can work with the fact that the “basic message” of the church is viewed as positive.
What has to change? The Church. – It must adapt itself to deliver the message.
(My note 1 Cor 9:19-23)
The contemporary church is carrying the load.
America: 40% of Americans would be attracted to the contemporary model of the church.
Strategic Problem… 95% of churches are trying to become what will only reach 40% of the population.
2000+ Churches have over 2,000 people in attendance. There are over 400,000 churches in America!!! Big strategic problem.
Missionary Problem:
60% of Americans will not go to the contemporary style church.
Plus…the 40% is not increasing, its decreasing.
**More of the same will not get fundamentally different results**
More of the Same?
(The church of Christ was built for ADVANCE, not Defense)
(A message makes you a MESSENGER)
Solution – The church will have to look different than the contemporary model of the church.
The in Western Culture battle will be won at the level of imagination…or it will be lost at that level.
Einstein – “I value imagination more than I value knowledge.”
Missionary has to go amongst the people. “You know nothing about church”
Ask 2 basic questions:
1. What is church to these people? – You cannot assume the answer to this.
(Churches have to be much more diverse – A thinking of the church vs. a model of the church)
2. What is gospel to these people? – You cannot assume the answer to this.
(The church does not have a mission, the mission has a church)
If the only thing you have is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail.
Will the reformation model work? It was formed from a culture where people felt guilty for their sin. Do people now feel guilty for their sin?
The church is supposed to be the Good News people, not the guilt bearing people. That makes us become the Pharisees, which Jesus reserved his harshest criticisms for.
You plant the gospel, not churches.
People are enslaved to idols: work, money, sex, etc…that offer everything and give nothing.
The churches decisions matter!
Church planters should be missionaries first before we are planters.
Velocity Conference: Main Session 1 Highlights – - Main Session 3 Highlights – - Breakout Session 2 with Pete Wilson Highlights – - Main Session 4 Highlights – - Breakout Session 3 with Tony Morgan Highlights – - Main Session 6 Highlights
Popularity: 4% [?]
Velocity 2010 Church Planters ConferenceSpeaker Shawn Lovejoy (Twitter)
Satan knows if he can get the leader to doubt themselves, he has them on a slippery slope.
When leaders get insecure in their own skin:
1. We start comparing ourselves to other leaders –
The Challenge is, with technology, we can look all around the country and see what is happening everywhere else and start comparing our church to others and ourselves to other leaders. This brings a great deal of negativity.
2. We start copying other leaders -
We’ll use their logos, their sermon series, etc.
We become afraid of becoming or being the leader God’s called us to be.
Copying leads to envying other ministries and leaders.
3. We Condemn other Leaders -
When condemning others does not make us feel better, we start getting down on ourselves.
(Either God called you, or he didn’t…If he called you…don’t quit, don’t give up!)
[Francis Chan] “I can build a church bigger than Jesus with enough money and slick marketing. (Large crowds are not always attracted to the commitment Jesus calls us to)
Pastors try to wear someone else’s armor:
(God wants to use MY personality in MY community)
Someone else’s armor could be someone else’s testimony
A lot of churches look good and look the way they do, because they reflect the testimonies of the leaders of that church.
(We cannot duplicate the testimonies of other churches)
**God wants to use OUR testimonies in OUR community!**
Could God be limiting our voice in our community because we are trying to duplicate everyone else in our church?
Are you willing to take off someone else’s armor?
Velocity Conference: Main Session 2 Highlights – - Main Session 3 Highlights – - Breakout Session 2 with Pete Wilson Highlights – - Main Session 4 Highlights – - Breakout Session 3 with Tony Morgan Highlights – - Main Session 6 Highlights
Popularity: 1% [?]
There are many feelings on both sides of the isle about New Year’s Resolutions. There are some who think they are stupid. I’ve found most of the time, those people cannot keep a resolution themselves, so they criticize the whole thing. I don’t blame people for not being able to keep a resolution, most of the time people get caught up in the emotion of things and they desire change so they ramble off a resolution. (Weight loss, home improvements, more charitable giving, etc.) Who can blame them? I’ve had people get caught up in the emotion of our launching New Passion, promise assistance, but they failed to deliver. I remember when I was younger seeing one of those videos of the children in desperate need of support for only $31 per month, I was all excited to sponsor a child, only to lose the packet when I got home. Who hasn’t made commitments or resolutions they haven’t kept? Then there are those who can’t wait until December 31 so they can present their list of things they want to resolve in their life. Some of them hold to it, while others do not. I don’t think resolutions are a bad thing. Scripture constantly reminds us to make things new. (God’s promise of a “new” covenant, David: “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.“, Jesus: “Look, I am making all things new”
Several years ago, I made a resolution not to make resolutions any more. Guess what? I’ve held to my resolution. I do however like to set goals for the coming year. I was looking back on my 2009 goals and I can comfortably say that I feel like I’ve achieved the goals that I set out. So here are my goals for 2010:
Join the Conversation…What are your 2010 goals or resolutions?
Popularity: 1% [?]
I heard on the radio this morning that people had a shredding party to end 2009 and this decade. Since I am headed out of town for a few days, I thought I would go ahead and list some of the things I am thankful for in 2009. It’s been an interesting year, but I still have plenty to be thankful for:
1. My amazing wife Nicki. I, along with the rest of the world, am thankful that she is definitely not me. God knew what he was doing when he put us together. We couldn’t be any more different from each other, but that is not a bad thing. We help balance each other out. Nicki is full of mercy…I try to be, but its not my strength. I’m the type that calls it like it is, and I’m okay with that. Nicki has been a huge help to me in our new endeavors this past year. She is a great mother to our children, I couldn’t ask for a better woman to live my life with.
2. My amazing children: Gavin, Tristan and Hailey…yes they are still more amazing than your children 
Each have their own personalities and characteristics. I love the way they make me smile. They are definitely a gift from God!
3. New Passion Church – Wow! I cannot believe it actually happened. There were days I just didn’t believe it was going to launch. There were so many thoughts and ideas that I had about launching this church that when they didn’t happen, I thought I had made a mistake. On September 13, we launched with 109 people and averaged 91 in our first month. We’ve now settled in the upper 60′s to low 70′s every week including our volunteers, children, and adults. We’ve already lost families to deployment, some of which jumped in and assisted from day one…I hated to see them go; and we’ve lost others because we didn’t fit their idea of church, it’s funny, I’m definitely at peace about that. We purposely started with our series “Rediscover Church” because we know we will not be for everyone. I am blown away by these numbers because we started with Nicki, our three kids, and myself, so yes, I am amazed at what God has done so far! I can look back over the first three months and see answered prayers and life change, and I know New Passion is definitely a movement of God and its definitely been worth it. I am thankful for the amazing team that God has assembled, they have huge hearts, have sacrificed greatly, and love Jesus with a Passion. They were definitely gifted to be church planters. I am thankful to everyone who has selflessly invested financial and material resources to help New Passion be successful in living out its vision to “lead people to a passionate relationship with Jesus.” I can’t wait to see how God uses us in 2010.
4. True Friends – “Best” friends is an overrated and overused term. “True” friends are what matter in life. I’ve come to realize in 2009 that “people’s actions are rarely as big as how they promote themselves…” A true friend is someone who you can rely on and who is honest. I think those two characteristics and qualities go a long way.
5. Jesus
Of course there is plenty more I could list, but this should be sufficient. I hope you all have an awesome send off to 2009 and a Happy New Year!!!
Popularity: 1% [?]