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2008 Orange Conference Session 2

2008 Orange Conference by ReThink Group

Session 2

Francis Chan:

  • Is the success in churches from God and the Holy Spirit moving, or is it good marketing?
  • With the right team, Francis can build a Mormon church, a Jehovah’s church, maybe even a Baptist Church
  • Francis doesn’t want to preach another message, he wants to experience something supernatural…something God! – Acts was of God.
  • Does it bother us that we walk into our neighborhoods and the lost have more evidences of the fruits of the spirit than those in the church? Shouldn’t there be a difference between someone without the Spirit and the one who is the Temple of the Holy Spirit?
  • We can create church attenders and some disciplined people, but we cannot create Christ lovers, people filled with God’s spirit.
  • Is it God that we are experiencing in our ministries? Are we sure? Are we experiencing God because we know its God, or are we just excited because “we” pulled something off.
  • There is a huge difference in what the Bible says and what we see in the church – yet we are crippled to say anything because everyone seems so happy. So we do not even try to hold our churches to the Biblical standard. (Yep!)
  • **Francis: If Jesus planted a church in Semi Valley California, Francis’ church would be bigger, because people do not want to follow the standard that Jesus calls us to. (Lose our life for his sake, deny father and mother, sacrifice, death) Continue reading “2008 Orange Conference Session 2”
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Unleash 2008 Session 2 Highlights

Session 2 of the 2008 Unleash Conference was probably one of the best messages I have ever heard from Perry. Last years closing session was close, but I think this one topped it. I didn’t take too many notes, as I was fully engaged in what he was saying, plus Shane and Hank and I were all agreeing every time Perry said something. I did find out however, that Perry used to come to Augusta a lot to meet his now wife for dinner on the weekends when she was studying at the MCG hospital. I knew Perry didn’t get all of his anointing from Anderson, SC, but God used my hometown of Augusta, GA to help!

Session 2:
Perry used an example of Moses from Exodus 4:1-7

  •  Main Thought: Encouragement to Senior Pastors with a challenge to their staff

5 Things Senior Pastors MUST Do:

1. Deal with your pride & insecurities – (This is good for any pastor) (Vs. 1) One of the most dangerous things for a pastor can be success, many people let a little bit of success make them prideful. – YET, God accomplished a lot through a Donkey, we should not forget this!
In verse 1 Moses dealt with his insecurities (“What If”) – Pastor are you a Prophet of God or a Prostitute of your church? If God puts something on your heart to say, then say it…don’t say what you feel will be acceptable to the congregation!
(1 Corinthians 1:26-31) To help overcome insecurities we must go back to where God called us. God doesn’t change his mind. – Pastors did not sign up or volunteer for this, God called them.

2. Use Your Staff – (Vs. 2) (Perry used the illustration of Moses literal staff to paint a picture of a church staff – Brilliant!) God gave Moses his staff so he could lean on it, he did not give the staff Moses, so the staff could lean on him. Staff should stand with their pastor, get his back. Pastors should take care of their staff, their personal needs, financial needs (Pay your staff what it would cost to replace them, not the bargain you think you got them at), and make sure they don’t allow the ministry to come before their homes! (I wish I would have had that kind of pastor when I was full time – oh well)  (Hebrews 13:17)

3.  Take God Directed Risks (Vs. 3) Many pastors run from God directed risks versus embracing them.
(Vs. 4) God wanted Moses to take a risk, one where if God did not intervene, he would get bit (He told Moses to pick the snake up by the tail) – God wants pastors to take         risks where if God does not come through it will be a total failure.

4. Understand at times its going to hurt (Vs. 6) – Criticism, Dealing with People’s hurts and Problems, Pressure, Stress, Worry, People taking advantage of you, etc.

5. Follow God’s Leadership (Vs. 7)

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Unleash 2008 Session 1 Highlights

Perry Noble kicked off the Unleash Conference in Perry fashion. God always speaks through this man…my prayer is that He would do the same in my life.

Session 1:
Perry used  the story of the Prodigal son as a foundation for his message to the church leaders: Luke 15:25-32

3 Questions Every Church Needs to Ask:

1. What is it the God wants to do in our church?

  • Main Thought: The older brother was so busy being faithful to his work; he didn’t know what his father’s heart was. The older brother was doing his own thing!
    (Vs 26) God can be doing something all around us (our churches) & we can be clueless about it because we are too busy doing our own things.

    2 Things that will help us understand our Father’s heart for our ministries:

  • Time – Vision comes by spending passionate time with God – – The problem with conferences is, many times you get inspiration not revelation, that comes by spending time with God.
  • Effort – God wants our very best effort. – – If you are going to reach the world for Christ, you have to spend money – – The world gives excellence, why does the church give God any less?

2. What are the Barriers that Stand in our way?

  •  Refusal to Change – Personal Preferences (Deuteronomy 34:5-6 & Joshua 1:1-2) God had to kill what was old (Moses) to bring about something that was brand new (Joshua)
  • Jealousy – Some people get jealous of what God does in other churches while ignoring what he does in our own churches. – – 1 person getting saved deserves the same celebration as if 300 got saved in one service, the 1 salvation took as much of God’s power as the 300! (WOW!!! Great thought!)
  • Lack of Understanding – (Vs. 31) “Everything I have is yours” – The older brother complained about not getting a celebration, yet the father pointed out that everything he had has always been his…he could have had a fatted calf anytime he wanted!
    Jesus said He would build His church – We have to realize what the Father has promised us.

    3. What do we want to celebrate? (Vs. 32) – In the Bible, every time someone who was lost was found, there was a celebration.
Jesus and Heaven does not celebrate when we recycle (Perry commented on the disgrace of the Southern Baptists’ recent embrace of going green), Jesus and Heaven celebrate when a lost person gets saved. What is our focus as a church?