Life Lessons
Being Yourself or Being Outward
Like most people, I’m an introvert by nature. The ironic truth is, I struggle with the notion of doing an outreach every time it comes to going out to serve others. The consistent thought that goes through my mind is, “Isn’t there a book I need to read?” Or, “Don’t I need to study something…
Read MoreTalk Up The Gospel 2
There are a couple of caveats regarding the new openness isolation has created to the conversation: As you approach people rely on the Holy Spirit for success. Without Him we will not succeed in evangelism. We need His insights as we share, but at the same time realize we already know it’s His will that…
Read MoreTalk Up The Gospel
I have heard a lot of speculation about the utter demise of spontaneous evangelistic conversations such as verbalizing the Gospel to strangers. I understand the observations of these prognosticators but I disagree with them. It’s true that people are more isolated than ever as they burrow more and more deeply into their self-made digital worlds, but…
Read MoreAre You In A Tribe?
Have you heard the term, Tribe? A tribe is a group of enthusiastic people who are excited about going in a common direction. Martin guitar owners are a tribe. IPad users are a large tribe, but most tribes are a lot smaller. Seth Godin wrote of tribes in his book of that title. His insight…
Read MoreThere’s Nothing Like A Good Explosion On July 4th!
The Fourth of July harkens to mind images of flags, picnics, family time and fireworks. For some, it is the fireworks that stand out as the best part. Growing up in Kansas (and at a time when you could still buy the good stuff) I looked forward to this time of the year from the…
Read MoreA Walk of Obedience
Janie and I did an internship at a large Vineyard church on the west side of Los Angeles some years ago. One outstanding fact about that amazing congregation was the many Hollywood personalities and those who were trying to make it on the music scene. Most of those present were new to following Jesus so…
Read MoreWas Osama Bin Laden Saved?
The cover of Time magazine recently featured Pastor Rob Bell and his controversial new book that hones in on the weighty issue of eternity. In spite of Bell’s interview sidestepping since the book came out, the book flatly endorses Universalism – the notion that all will get a chance to come to Christ after death…
Read MoreDon’t Take Yourself Too Seriously.
When God is up to something exciting we naturally get excited. That thrill can go in an odd direction if we take our results too seriously. There is a thin line of difference between us rejoicing in the great things God is up to and us owning the responsibility for what He is up to.…
Read MoreKeep It Simple.
Even though we have a dozen points here about starting vital outreach the basic idea behind Servant Evangelism is quite simple. My tendency is to jump into something I find exciting and to stir things up as much as possible. Sometimes stirring things up creates complexity. Life just flows that direction. As others catch the…
Read More#4. Follow The Lead Dog — Your Senior Leader.
Your senior leader is the Senior Instigator of what goes on with evangelism and outreach at your church. He may not be naturally gifted at evangelism, but he can learn to reach out just the same. At the bottom of it, all this is more about one’s willingness to reach out. God will provide all…
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