Ten Practical Ways To Take Your Ministry To The Next Level

This is a very good post by Tim Price.

Ten Practical Ways To Take Your Ministry To The Next Level – Click here

Does look toward taking it to the next level, but also about building foundations, intentionality, and sustainability.

Under Document Your Ministry he has a good list:

Vision; Culture; Process; Main Thing; Fully Involved; What To Delegate

Throughout he emphasizes leadership and community.

The Story of the Other Wise Man

The Story of the Other Wise Man has brought joy and meaning to myself and my family for many years.

I highly recommend reading this small book.

It is a legend of a fourth wise man (a scholar as the three wise men), who also studied the prophesies and the stars and set out to find and honor the new king.

The book and audio reading of the book (by Henry van Dyke) are available online.

Links and more information HERE.

Hope, Race, and Power

A top-ten sermon by Timothy Keller.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-race-and-power/id352660924?i=1000372508617&mt=2

based on Romans 14:1-3 14- 15:7.  (released 7/14/16)

 

Pastor Joke

A pastor had a habit, each time he stepped into the pulpit, of saying, “The Lord Be With You.” The congregation would always respond each Sunday, “And also with you.”

One Sunday morning they were having technical difficulties with the microphone and it wasn’t working.

The pastor he stepped into the pulpit and said, “There seems to be something wrong with the microphone.”

The congregation responded, “And also with you.”

My Prayer this Advent

My prayer this advent is that I better learn to understand and grasp the following by AW Tozer* on the reason Christ came to earth.

[This is taken from Day 1 of From Heaven: A 28-Day Advent Devotional]


Dwell With

Unite To

Dwell In

[*This was written at a time when the term ‘men’ was used for humankind. I believe Tozer meant this in a gender-neutral manner.]

Pax Romana

Notes taken while listening to espisode 3 of Romans video series on RightWay Media (by Mart De Haan [with Jimmy DeYoung]).

Ceaseria Phillipi (named in honor of Caesar Augustus) was the administrative center (for the Romans) of Palestine.

Herod was put in by the romans as the ‘King of the Jews’. He had a palace in Jerusalem. He also built up Ceaseria and had a palace there.  (Herod, of course killed all the babies at the time of Jesus’ birth.)

Roman tax in Jesus time was lower than US tax in America (today).

The Romans had lots of gods (to who laid the rail), but they didn’t have an answer for mortality and what happens after death.  This was a big flaw, a gaping hole, in fact, in the system of gods the Romans had.

The book of Romans (by Paul) was circulated throughout the Romans Empire and had widespread affect.

Much (most) of the New Testement is counter-cultural.

In chapters 3 and 5 of Romans explains how we ‘get right’ with God. This would have been welcomed by many at the time.

A Letter From Fred: Sweet Lorraine Song

Here’s a great story and song.

Fred Stobaugh charmed the globe as a 96 year-old songwriter, but his legacy might be as a marriage healer.

YouTube documentary, which tells the main story (#1 video), and 5 more videos that tell the followup story of the song (appearing on the View, going to a middle school, and more.).

#4 (below) tells of a middle school teacher who connected her 7th grade students to Fred’s story, an ultimately Fred himself. This lady has made a big difference in her students!

#1

#2

 #3

#4 – A middle school teacher, and Fred, have a impact on students.

#5 – A second song: Took Her Home

#6

This is a great Illinois story. I hope it can teach us the importance of relationships, marriage, and family.

A W Tozer

A. W. Tozer, a modern day prophet, was a key figure in The Christian and Missionary Alliance. His legacy reaches through time and has impacted countless millions. A prolific author and pastor, Tozer was known for his emphasis on the deeper life movement. His message, informed as it was by A.B. Simpson the founder of The Alliance, brought the missionary call to a massive audience.

Devotionals from C & MA. Includes daily devotions  and audio sermons. http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/

8 Words: Your Life–Is His–With Christ–In God (Col 3:1-3)

From Heaven: A 28-Day Advent Devotional book ($.99 Kindle version also) (2016) by Tozer

Well-known book: The Pursuit of God.

From amazon.com

A. W. TOZER (1897–1963) began his lifelong pursuit of God after hearing a street preacher in Akron, Ohio, at the age of seventeen. The self-taught theologian committed his life to the ministry of God’s Word as a pastor, teacher, and writer. For his flowing prose, Spirit-filled words, and deep conviction, many have called him a modern-day prophet. He is the author of the beloved classic The Pursuit of God and dozens of other works.

Twitter

Websites

Dr. A. B. Simpson who founded C&MA (Christian and Missionary Alliance) and influenced A W Tozer, described the Fourfold Gospel

4-foldchrist-simpson

Prevenient, Justifying, and Sanctifying Grace

Good, not to long, article on Wesley’s view of Prevenient, Justifying, and Sanctifying Grace.

http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/our-wesleyan-heritage 

To sanctify means to set apart as or declare holy; consecrate. To consecrate means to make or declare (something, typically a church) sacred; dedicate formally to a religious or divine purpose.

Through God’s sanctifying grace, we grow and mature in our ability to live as Jesus lived. – and grow in our ability to love as Jesus loved.

My prayer is that I may grow and mature in my ability to love as Jesus loved.

Treasured Truths – Adoption

Notes from the Treasured Truth podcast (Pastor James Ford, Jr.) [5 parts (podcasts) in Moody Radio app]

Gal 4

God ‘removed’ slave or free, male or female, etc. (In Gal 3 he removes barriers.) However, this was on a spiritual level. He did not remove the physical/practical differences – e.g. Males and females are physically and practically (inherently) different)

When he gave everyone sonship. Sons, in that culture, received an inheritance. Girls did not receive an inheritance. So everyone (including girls) rec’d sonship. This mean everyone gets inheritance. Back then, women did not have rights.

We are adopted as a child of God (and you are sons).

Pastor Ford’s FAITH: Forsaking All, I Trust Him.

Word: anachronistically: to see from a parent perspective.

God sent Jesus at the perfect time.

  • Pax Romano – time of peace
  • Garrisons
  • Roads
  • Rome: Domination without assimilation. The did NOT require a change in culture, language, and god.
  • Greek language was widespread (NT in Greek)
  • Synagogues dotted everywhere

*Disclaimer: These notes are in random order. There is a lot of meet here. (Needs to be sorted/organized)

Eph 1: 3-14 is an amazing summary of the Gospel. (And strongly related here to Gal 4)

Security of Christ

Sufficiency of through Christ

Strength is from Christ.

Parental incorporation – adopted into the family of God.

  • The Father (back then) had the right of adoption. [We are chosen (not ‘had’ as a natural child)] We are adopted because he wanted to. [podcast part 2 begins roughly here]
  • Given the family name. Identity/Identify Christians
  • Severs all legal (and social) ties to the natural family. In this case, we are no longer tied to Adam (with a sin nature). We are tied to Christ.
  • Placed permanently in the new family.
  • All debts and obligations are settled — like they never existed.

God (Christ) is our peace. He does not ‘give us’ peace. By his internal dwelling we have peace. The indwelling of Christ.

God has chosen us. We are going to do things which will bring glory to God.

5 rolls given to a man for the household  Pastor, provider, protector, priest, and  patriarch.