Yesterday I posted that the first goal that Jesus accomplished when He set out to develop catalytic leaders was for them to connect relationally with himself and one another. His second goal was to provide opportunities for spiritual growth. As the disciples lived in the shadow of Jesus for three years they heard Jesus teach…
Month: June 2011
Your Best Avenue for Growth (part 2)
“Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, giving them authority to cast out demons. These…
Your Best Avenue for Growth
There’s something about a big crowd that is impressive. Take sporting events for example. Can you think of a professional sport that doesn’t announce “tonight’s attendance?” Or a newspaper report on a political event that doesn’t include the number of people who attended the $1,000 per plate black tie dinner? We like to count people,…
How God Answers Prayer
Last night I was teaching from 1 John 5:14-15 and shared the following about how God answers our prayers. Since it seemed helpful I thought I’d post it this morning. I first saw this Bill Hybels book Too Busy Not to Pray and have used it for years. It helped me understand the nature of…
Finding Potential Leaders
Every day we make difficult decisions that involve trusting others with the things and the people we value the most. We select banks based on our trust that our deposits will be secure. We select preschools and daycare centers that we trust will keep our children as safe as possible. We select doctors and medical…
The Apostle Paul on Developing Leaders
I think its unfortunate that many churches have turned to business models to find the “best practices” for developing leaders. I’m not against business or the practice of business. But I firmly believe that when church leaders start adopting business models instead of biblical models they become misguided and off point. If our churches are…
Developing Leaders
What is church supposed to be about anyway? That question has fostered everything from constructive dialogue to fistfights in church parking lots. An ocean of ink has been spilled on books published with the intent to provide “the” angle that resolves all debate and ends all discussion. Some would say the purpose of the church…
Leading Effective Meetings
No one likes to attend a meeting that is a huge waste of time. If you’re like me, you’ve sat through plenty of those. Good meetings are generally those which conclude with something definite accomplished. Everyone feels like the ball has been advanced down the field and that the team is pointed in the same…
What Happens in Worship (part 4)
So what happens when God reveals himself to us and we see ourselves as we really are? Isaiah experienced two things that each one of us can experience when we worship. The first thing he experienced was transformation. Reading on in the text, the Bible says, “Then one of the seraphim flew to me with…
What Happens in Worship (part 3)
Whenever God reveals himself in worship we catch a glimpse of what God is really like. When we see God as He is we then see ourselves as we really are. We become self aware with HD clarity. That was Isaiah’s experience when he saw the Lord. Check the next verse in the story: “Then…
