Our Story : Grace Compass Church

 

The story behind, Grace Compass Church is that it is  a place for ‘real’ people on a journey to come, discover, experience, and live out an incredible faith together through Grace. Reproducing radical followers that will leave the mark of Christ wherever they are living, working, and ministering are the ultimate purpose our authentic Biblical Community. Jesus Answered Life’s greatest questions with two simple profound Faith Goals: Love God with all your heart and love others as yourself. It is our relationship with God and our relationship with others that bring identity, meaning and purpose to our life.

CLICK BOX TO WATCH WHY?

Why A New Church?

Church planting is the single most effective form of evangelism today, and a necessary method for reaching all of North America with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. New churches grow faster than established churches because new churches are focused on reaching the un-churched.  People are also more open to change in new churches and thus excited about trying new and innovative ideas which, in turn, attract other people.  New churches also encourage the raising up of new leaders that may otherwise not readily get or seek leadership opportunities in existing churches. This is an important consideration given that a church’s ability to identify, empower, and equip kingdom-minded leaders largely determines the level of its success.

Core Values

Values Form the Way and How We Live Life Our Values influences and guides how we live together at Grace Compass Church as a central part of our life together. Our Values shape our Character which is directly linked to what we believe. Values reflect what we will do at Grace Compass Church as a central part of our life together.

   Grace-wholeness: We will equip people to know who they are in Christ, their new identity In Christ; How to remove their masks of who they think they are outside of Christ and the importance of yielding to the overflowing life of Christ which will overflow from their new lives in to others in their community. Becoming such a whole person is accomplished only through the grace of God.

   Relevance: We will engage today’s culture in its context with significance without selling out or  watering down the Gospel of Grace. We will live our lives out to bring the gospel in visible form to lost people all around us. We will be part of a global network that makes a kingdom impact.

   Authentic Relationships: We will pursue being real and transparent with each other, so that we can encourage, celebrate, grow, hold accountable and mourn as a family

   Compassion: We will love all people like Jesus did and minister to them daily regardless of their social status or spiritual condition. We will grow together in Incarnate Living which is the out  of the  life of Jesus by the power of the Spirit.

    Eternal Truth: We will learn and apply the truth of Scripture to all of our life, avoiding the temptation to replace its truth for the best ideas of people.

Our Mission

Grace Compass Church will be used by God to design, launch, and grow numerous high impact churches through collaboration. Collaboration is the act of united labor to serve our city with the Gospel of Grace.

These churches working in collaboration will be used as a catalyst to launch and reproduce church planters which will impact the entire southeast area of the USA, as well as minister to people groups in many other parts of our world. Grace Compass Church is committed to MULTIPLICATION of disciples and missional servant leaders who will build people who become the church.

Core Beliefs: Church Planting Is

Our Purpose: The nature of God is multiplication and reproduction.

Our Calling: The church as the Body of Christ is called to multiply.

Our Effectiveness: Church planting is the most effective form of Evangelism.

Biblical: Church planting is the biblical strategy for increasing the Kingdom.

Central: The local church is the center from which evangelism and ministry spread.

Right: It’s and investment in the only thing Jesus said He would build – the church.

America needs God and never before has the climate for evangelism and church planting been riper for America! Three generations influenced by secular humanism have created a spiritual vacuum and over 195 million unchurched people – who are searching for hope, meaning, security, and significance. Now is the time to plant more and better churches! Historically, church planting is proven to be the most effective form of evangelism.

 

Our Strategy

The strategy of “Grace Compass Church” will be accomplished by establishing “environments” that will be implemented through the missional community groups of the church. These missional groups will create numerous ministries and community outreach which will flow from their desires which God will birth uniquely in each individual of every missional group.

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Grace Compass Church …‘real’ people on a journey

Founding Pastor: Teddy Awad

Spiritual Gifts: Entrepreneurial Spirit, Visionary Leadership, Strategic Thinking, Evangelism, Faith, Communication

Family: Wife Mary and one Child … Tiffany–8

Teddy and Mary Awad have been married for 10 years, and have spent the last 15 years in ministry, the last four years on staff with a Young Adult Crisis Hotline.

Please Watch Our YouTube Video:

What to expect if I Visit Grace Compass Church?

About the Tampa Bay Area

· Spiritually open people who are ready to respond to God when His gospel is presented through an authentic and culturally relevant community of faith. Florida has an average church attendance percentage (15.1%) lower than the national average (18.7%).

· Growing population of over 4 million people with 9% growth in population expected annually. This county has the Youngest demographic in Florida (18-40 years old) nearly 42% of Tampa Bay’s population is in the highly desirable target 18-40 age group.

We believe that we have been called by God to seek and build people who will become the church because it is the single most effective form of evangelism today, and the best method for achieving the common objective of reaching all of North America with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. New churches grow faster than established churches because new churches are formed around impacting entire communities and reaching the un-churched versus an emphasis of taking care of existing members in established churches. To accomplish our vision we have joined with Converge Southeast.

The focus of Converge Southeast is starting new and healthy churches throughout the region.

WHY START CHURCHES IN NORTH AMERICA?

· North America is the only continent where the church is not growing.

· Church planting is the most effective way to reach the un-reached and unchurched.

· In North America New churches grow faster than established churches.

· New churches help keep up with population growth.

· New churches are more likely to enlist people in Kingdom Advancement

Why A New Church?

Church planting is the single most effective form of evangelism today, and a necessary method for reaching all of North America with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. New churches grow faster than established churches because new churches are focused on reaching the un-churched. People are also more open to change in new churches and thus excited about trying new and innovative ideas which, in turn, attract other people. New churches also encourage the raising up of new leaders that may otherwise not readily get or seek leadership opportunities in existing churches. This is an important consideration given that a church’s ability to identify, empower, and equip kingdom-minded leaders largely determines the level of its success.

Grace Compass Church will be a seeker-targeted, church “with an edge” targeting young Gen X families (“20-30 somethings”) and post-moderns who live in the Greater Tampa Bay. It will probably be located in a school, Business Park, or community center and then eventually a building that will have a worship and recreation center containing numerous classrooms for the Bible institute, skate-park, performing arts center that bands can rent, dance groups and other artists can use in the Community. The church will reproduce by year five, and have as its goal the potential to start other churches.

Vision:

Grace Compass Church will be a place for ‘real’ people on a journey together discovering, experiencing, and living out an incredible faith together through Grace.

Mission:

Grace Compass Church will be used by God to design, launch, and grow numerous high impact churches over a five year period through collaboration. These churches will in turn reproduce within this five year period, and be used as a catalyst to launch and reproduce church planters which will impact the entire southeast area of the USA, as well as minister to people groups in many other parts of our world. Grace Compass Church is committed to MULTIPLICATION of disciples and missional servant leaders who will build people who become the church. Church Planting, never before has the climate for evangelism and church planting been riper for America!  People are searching for hope, meaning, security, and significance.  Now is the time to plant more and better churches!  Historically, church planting is proven to be the most effective form of evangelism.

Core Values:

Our Values influences and guides how we live together at Grace Compass Church as a central part of our life together. Our Values shape our Character which is directly linked to what we believe.

G race-wholeness:

We will equip people to know who they are in Christ, their new identity In Christ; How to remove their masks of who they think they are outside of Christ and the importance of yielding to the overflowing life of Christ which will overflow from their new lives in to others in their community. Becoming such a whole person is accomplished only through the grace of God.

R elevance:

We will engage today’s culture in its context with significance without selling out or  watering down the Gospel of Grace. We will live our lives out to bring the gospel in visible form to lost people all around us. We will be part of a global network that makes a kingdom impact.

A uthentic Relationships:

We will pursue being real and transparent with each other, so that we can encourage, celebrate, grow, hold accountable and mourn as a family

C ompassion:

We will love all people like Jesus did and minister to them daily

regardless of their social status or spiritual condition. We will grow together in Incarnate Living which is the out  of the  life of Jesus by the power of the Spirit.

E ternal Truth:

We will learn and apply the truth of Scripture to all of our life, avoiding the temptation to replace its truth for the best ideas of people.

Strategy:

The strategy of “Compass” will be accomplished by establishing “environments” that will be implemented through the missional community groups of the church. These missional groups will create numerous ministries and community outreach which will flow from their desires which God will birth uniquely in each individual of every missional group.

Reproducing disciples and individuals that will leave the mark of the Gospel of Grace wherever they are living, working, and ministering is the ultimate purpose of a Church Launch that is patterned after the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.

We intentionally want to help people transform their city and live a life of significance in Christ. The Church is not only a once WEEK event on Sunday but an everyday learning the Habits of Christ from God’s Word and the working of the Holy Spirit in a organic missional community groups. The Sunday Church service will be a celebration of our King and Master Jesus Christ. When we celebrate our King Jesus, we will sing and celebrate the highest of Worship listening actively to God’s Word of Life. The celebration of Grace will be an opportunity reach the un-churched and non Christ–Follower’s seeking for answers of life’s important questions. The main emphasis of Church on Sunday will be to connect individuals to the life of Christ and encourage the next steps of Discipleship with intentional personal development of a Christly Life.

By These Environments?

· Grace Environment: Jesus is the “Living Water of Grace” that quenches our spiritual thirst and transfigures our life from within. Hearing the Word causes our faith to grow in grace as we are transfigured internally to the image of the one whom we are called to follow Christ. GRACE is not merely “unmerited favor” that causes new birth which it is; Grace also is our living mentor who tutors us all in the character and nature of Who God is, what He has done, and what God is doing now. We want to plant this church to take a Stand for the Gospel of Grace and welcome those who have been wounded and hurt by the universal churches image problem.

· Growth Environment: Holy Spirit spreads the message of Jesus through us to others as we share our individual and collective lives with them through God’s Word’s of Life. Our missional spirit as a church, and our commitment to reach out and to share the message of Christ in concrete contemporary ways to all corners of the world will be our Collective purpose that Glorifies God our Father. This is done through missional community groups that will make learning fun and life transforming. This process of transferring rudimentary head knowledge to spiritual formation is the work of the Holy Spirit not the work of Clergy or other believers.

· Spiritual Formation Environment: It takes time for meaningful progress and a safe place where you can practically process what you are learning in your daily life with God’s people. The environment must be safe from evaluating people on the basis performance and production. Measuring success and failure into spiritual metrics only hinders an individual’s growth. Success in the business world and world system is very different from what God defines as success. The world measures success is by individualism, outward appearance, production, performance, and obvious external results. God works in the invisible and His work is in an individual. The hidden work on the inside will eventually be revealing fruit in God’s timing not by our own effort, production or individual outward works.

· Missional Environment: As God’s creation and we are called to cultivate and reproduce Spiritual life through ministry for God’s glory. At Compass, we believe the church isn’t a place you go to once a week – the church is a people who are a living organism on a glorious mission of proclaiming their King and His Kingdom. We are to be “outward looking” and “others focused” as we live out our living faith in our daily lives. Christ is constantly on mission through our lives to reach out and serve our neighbors, our communities, and our world in relevant ways each and every day with Joy. We serve because of the radical inward work of grace in our lives, and desire that others also experience the revolution of Grace personally.

· Worship Environment: God has placed a passion in our hearts and spirits for worship which is illuminated as we draw closer to Him. Our hearts set ablaze with worship, both corporately and individually, as we continually give ourselves over to Him and draw closer to His glory. To receive all that God is and what His Word teaches radically changes lives and causes internal change that is a result of progressively growing in Grace through worship.

We believe that people matter to God – in fact, they are the pinnacle of His creation. Not only that, but every person was created by God with a need to connect in authentic Missional community with others. We can establish real, encouraging, safe, and honest relationships with one another as we learn to do life together as a redeemed missional community of faith.

Blueprint plan of Vision and Mission Implementation:

This is a flexible blueprint of we will reach out to people, connect with them, and lead them into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Blueprint of the Implementation of our vision and mission of “Compass” will be as follows…

1. Building relational bridges into the community through our missional community groups inviting individuals to a celebration of Grace on Sundays or to the numerous missional community Groups events of Celebration (Three keys here: Intentionality, Unconditional Love , Acceptance, and “Telling Our Story”)

2. Living out an authentic living faith for others to see (People don’t just want you to tell them about your faith; they want to see evidence of it in the way you live your life – are you for real or a fraud? People do not care how much you know until you show them how much you really care. Has Jesus REALLY radically changed your life and given you a new set of values and desires to live your life by?)

3. Inviting and Gathering an un-churched friend to an authentic service designed for particularly them to observe the Celebration (The key is to have several relevant services and events for different age groups: adult, teen and children’s service). This also allows for the development of new emerging missional leaders and the mentoring of missional community leaders learning and growing effectively in reproducible authentic maturity. Attend, Invite, tutor and serve others!

4. Encountering the Spirit of God and teaching the Word of God through the worship experience (it needs to be real and relevant) making the complex simple and applicable in daily life for everyone, not just for seekers attending. The worship service become the template for the following weeks teachings and discussions at the missional community Groups. Making the content reproducible in daily life and practical application.

5. Making a decision to follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (You shouldn’t have to force or manipulate this – Jesus didn’t! – Just gave them an opportunity to respond to the Gospel when they came and saw) We are only a pencil in the hand of God, God will do the writing on individuals heart if we are only faithful to present Him and invite people to a decision as we celebrate our Master in relationship.

6. Connecting into the life of the church community through Christ honoring relationships, friendships, and spiritual discipleship. The organism of the church the missional community groups is where we do life together corporately and discipleship occurs.

7. Learning how to live like Jesus lived and taught from the Word of God we will develop genuine growth together. Spiritual formation and reproduction of life transformation in others (Mentoring / Teaching / Reproduction)

8. Serving others outside the church (Community Service and servant evangelism thru our Missional DNA and Missional community groups)

9. Loving God as a lifestyle (Worship – it’s not just an event you go to on Sunday, it’s a lifestyle! We will teach people what it means to live the Christian life 24/7)

10. Reproducing other believers and churches

Core Beliefs:

Our Purpose: The nature of God is multiplication and reproduction.

Our Calling: The church as the Body of Christ is called to multiply.

Our Effectiveness: Church planting is the most effective form of Evangelism.

Biblical: Church planting is the biblical strategy for increasing the Kingdom.

Central: The local church is the center from which evangelism and ministry spread.

Right: It’s an investment in the only thing Jesus said He would build – the church.

Statement of Faith

God is the creator and the ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Those three are co-equal with God and are one God.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. He was born of a virgin and lived a perfect, sinless human life. He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days, ascended into heaven, and will return again someday to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and Son. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of Salvation. He provides the believer with power for living, understanding spiritual truth, wisdom, and guidance.

The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for all Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error.

Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sins by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting Jesus Christ as God’s offer for forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-willed life and turn to Jesus in faith, we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.

Eternity – The soul of every human being was created to live forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through salvation and forgiveness. Hell is eternal separation from God. Heaven is eternal union with God. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.

More detailed Statement of faith can be provided.

Sunday Nights @ 5PM

View Grace Compass Church in a larger map

7868 Causeway Blvd South, St. Petersburg, FL 33707

Come as you are, NO Perfect People Allowed!

Casual and comfortable dress

(All Ages Welcome)

For more information Please call us at:

Website: http://www.gracecompasschurch.org/

Email: info@gracecompasschurch.org

727-399-7159

1-877-702-2GOD

Music…Snacks…Fun…Interaction

Please Watch Our YouTube Video:

What to expect if I Visit Grace Compass Church?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbFwu3TBA2w

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Knowing God Personally

What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Wait forlightning to strike? Devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Become abetter person so that God will accept you? NONE of these. God has made it very clear in the Bible how we can know Him. This will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now…

Principle One: God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.

God created you. Not only that, he loves you so much that he wants you to know him now and spend eternity with him. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”1

Jesus came so that each of us could know and understand God in a personal way. Jesus alone can bring meaning and purpose to life.

What keeps us from knowing God? …

Principle Two: All of us sin and our sin has separated us from God.

We sense that separation, that distance from God because of our sin. The Bible tells us that “All of us like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way.”2

Deep down, our attitude may be one of active rebellion or passive indifference toward God and his ways, but it’s all evidence of what the Bible calls sin.

The result of sin in our lives is death — spiritual

separation from God.3 Although we may try to get

close to God through our own effort, we inevitably fail.

This diagram shows the great gap that exists between us and God. The arrows illustrate how we might try toreach God through our own efforts. We may try to do good things in life, or earn God’s acceptance through a good life or a moral philosophy. But our good efforts are insufficient to cover up our sin.

How can we bridge this gulf?…

Principle Three: Jesus Christ is  God’s only provision for our sin.

Through him we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our life.

We deserve to pay for our own sin. The problem is, the payment is death. So that we would not have to die separated from God, out of his love for us, Jesus Christ died in our place. On the cross, Jesus took all of our sin on himself and completely, fully paid for it. “For Christ also died for sins…the just for the unjust, so that he might bring us to God.”4 “…he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”5

Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, our sin

doesn’t have to separate us from God any longer.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only

Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not

perish but have eternal life.”6

Jesus not only died for our sin, he rose from the

dead.7 When he did, he proved beyond doubt that

he can rightfully promise eternal life — that he is the

Son of God and the only means by which we can

know God. That is why Jesus said, “I am the way,

the truth and the life; no one can come to the

Father except through me.”8

Instead of trying harder to reach God, he tells us how we can begin a relationship with him right now. Jesus says, “Come to me.” “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me… out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”9 It was Jesus’ love for us that caused him to endure the cross. And he now invites us to come to him, that we might begin a personal relationship with God.

Just knowing what Jesus has done for us and what he is offering us is not enough. To have a relationship with God, we need to welcome him into our life…

Principle Four: We must individually accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

The Bible says, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”10

We accept Jesus by faith. The Bible says, “God saved you by his special favour when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”11

Accepting Jesus means believing that Jesus is the Son of God, who he claimed to be, then inviting him to guide and direct our lives.12 Jesus said, “I came that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.”13

And here is Jesus’ invitation. He said, “I’m standing at the door and I’m knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.”14

How will you respond to God’s invitation?

Consider these two circles:

Self-Directed Life

Self is on the throne

Jesus is outside the life

Decisions and actions are solely directed

by self, often resulting in frustration

Christ-Directed Life

Jesus is in the life and on the throne

Self is yielding to Jesus

The person sees Jesus’ influence and

direction in their life

Which circle best represents your life?

Which circle would you like to have represent your life?Begin a relationship with Jesus… You can receive Christ right now. Remember that Jesus says, “I’m standing at the door and I’m knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.”15 Would you like to respond to his invitation? Here’s how.

The precise words you use to commit yourself to God are not important. He knows the intentions of your heart. If you are unsure of what to pray, this

might help you put it into words:

“Jesus, I want to know you. I want you to come into my life. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin so that I could be fully accepted by you. Only you can give me the power to change and become the person you created me to be. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me eternal life with God. I give my life to you. Please do with it as you wish. Amen.”

If you sincerely asked Jesus into your life just now, then he has come into your life as he promised. You have begun a personal relationship with God.

What follows is a lifelong journey of change and growth as you get to know God better.

(1) John 3:16(9) John 7:37,38

(2) Isaiah 53:6 (10) John 1:12

(3) Romans 6:23 (11) Ephesians 2:8,9

(4) 1Peter 3:18 (12) John 3:1-8

(5) Titus 3:5 (13) John 10:10

(6) John 3:16 (14) Revelation 3:20

(7) 1 Corinthians 15:3-6 (15) Revelation 3:20

(8) John 14:6

For more information on who God is or what it might be like to know God, please see www.EveryStudent.com. If you want to email a

question, someone will email you back a personal reply.

If you have received Jesus Christ into your life, here is a site to help you grow in your relationship with him, www.StartingwithGod.com. This article is from www.EveryStudent.com

Permission is granted to

photocopy or print.

Spiritual Conversation Killers

I got this article somewhere online and love it. wanted to share it with everyone in church.

 

In April of 2003, National Public Radio aired a story about a standoff between an angry mob of Iraqi Shiites and a heavily armored patrol from the American 101^st Airborne Division. Fearing that the soldiers were preparing to desecrate their most holy shrine, hundreds of unarmed civilians pressed in toward the patrol waving their hands and shouting defiantly. Although the patrol’s intentions were peaceful, the standoff would probably have been disastrous if not for the quick thinking of US Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Hughes. Hughes, who was in command that day, picked up a loud speaker and barked out three simple commands to his men; the first was to take a knee, the second was to point their weapons toward the ground, the third and final order was to look up and give everyone in that hostile crowd a friendly smile. Astoundingly, in few brief moments after they obeyed his order, the troops saw the demeanor of the crowd begin to change. Hostility and defiance melted away as shaking fists and screaming voices were replaced with smiles and friendly pats on the back.

Though it may not be immediately apparent, this hopeful story from the war in Iraq has important implications for spiritual conversations in a world that is becoming increasingly hostile towards the traditional kinds of conversations Christians attempt to have. As Ravi Zacharias says, “We must learn to find the backdoor to people’s hearts because the front door is heavily guarded.” Many not-yet Christians react defensively much like the Shiites in the story above when the topic of conversation turns to spiritual matters. They anticipate and are amply prepared for any direct attack on the holy places and sacred shrines of their hearts. The conversations we have rarely penetrate the armor of their hearts because to them it just sounds like, “my worldview is better that your worldview, so let me tell you why I’m right and you’re wrong.” “And by the way if you don’t surrender to my point of view, I will launch the nuclear bomb called hell to bring you to repentance.” Instead of opening hearts to Jesus, many times we merely perpetuate the “us versus them” standoff. So how do we keep from becoming embroiled in these no-win, never-ending kind of spiritual conversation stalemates?

The Message version of Colossians 4:5,6 puts the answer this way: “Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.”

The first sentence of this passage perfectly describes the approach Colonel Hughes took when he acted so decisively that day in Najaf. He was wise in the way he related to those who felt and believed differently than him. We need to be equally wise engaging people if we want the quality and quantity of our spiritual conversations to increase. If you truly believe as I do that real wisdom comes from above, could I encourage you to pause and invite the Holy Spirit to grant you this kind of wisdom as you start this book. (A Prayer to Offer) God, open my eyes to the ways I maybe hindering opportunities for spiritual conversations in my daily life.

Having said that, spiritual conversation school is now in session. As previously mentioned, I earned my masters degree at the school of hard knocks. So please make every effort to turn my failures into your successes. It would ease my pain and make all my failures seem worthwhile.

Killer #1 The Heart is the Heart of the Matter

After speaking with countless Christ followers all over the world, I am convinced that the number one killer of spiritual conversation is unbelief. Could I ask you to stop and prayerfully ponder a question that penetrates to the heart of my conviction? Do you really believe the people in your Monday thru Saturday world want to talk about spiritual things? If you don’t, could I urge you to stop reading right now and invite Christ to help you with your unbelieving heart? Nothing else in this book will help you a whole lot until you change your mind about this matter. In Matthew 12:34b, Jesus informs us that our lips reflect what is on our hearts. I have found that we will miss opportunity after opportunity if we’ve pre-determined that the people who cross our path have no interest in talking about spiritual matters. For those of you who are skeptical of my assertion due to the spiritual climate of your geographic location, please give me the benefit of the doubt. I’ve had spiritual conversations with people all over the world including the supposed “tough places”. I think it’s because the Holy Spirit has given me a conviction that if God has put eternity in people’s hearts, which is what Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us, then people were made for spiritual conversations. As I’ve learned how to naturally create “God Space” in my relational encounters and avoid the nine spiritual conversation killers that you are about to read, spiritual conversations have become the norm, not the exception. Thomas Jefferson once said, “When the heart is right, the feet are swift.” Maybe he picked this idea up from Jesus who said in Matthew 9:23b “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Your heart is the heart of the matter! Unbelief hampers the Holy Spirit’s desire to advance God’s Kingdom through you,one spiritual conversation at a time.

Killer #2 Pre-Conversational History

The second greatest deterrent to having spiritual conversations occurs before most conversations have a chance to happen. Many un-believers have experienced some or all of the following eight spiritual conversation killers,

which are ranked in no particular order after numbers one and two. These experiences help to reinforce the age-old axiom that there are two things you don’t talk about in public, politics and religion. David Kinnaman in his book “UnChristian” quotes one outsider who described Christianity this way: “Most people I meet assume that Christian means very conservative, entrenched in their thinking, antigay, anti-choice, angry, violent, illogical, empire builders; they want to convert everyone, and they generally cannot live peacefully with anyone who doesn’t believe what they believe.” Like it or not our Christian jewelry, t-shirts, TV programs, tracts, and bumper stickers all serve to create a pre-conversational history that colors the perception of everyone you meet. This history greatly inhibits the possibility of having spiritual conversations with others. When you identify with Jesus, you automatically inherit all the perceptions created by His followers. Getting out of this Christian box as quickly as possible is essential if you are going to have real conversations.

This became quite clear to me on one of my speaking trips. I was in Columbus, Ohio speaking at the annual Summer Institute at Xenos, a church that is intentionally trying to live out much of what this book is about. I was having a problem with one of my slides in my Keynote presentation (Mac’s version of Powerpoint). So, I went to the Apple Store nearby to see if they could help me. The young lady assigned to work with me liked the challenging problem I presented to her. As she attempted to fix it, she was exposed to most of the content of my presentation on evangelism. I could not help wondering what was going through her mind. At that moment I realized that I wasn’t just in the box, “I was the box” to her. I sensed the atmosphere tighten up as she asked me to scroll through t
he clips and slides in my presentation. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit helped get me out of the box with the following question. “I was wondering if you would be willing to help me in another way. I’m here in town to speak to a large gathering of Christians who would like to learn how to talk to their friends about spiritual matters. Has anyone ever tried to do that with you?” She immediately went on n impassioned rant about the negative experiences she has had with her born again sister. As I began to reflectively listen to her, she began to calm down a little. I ask her the following question, which she was more than willing to answer. “If your sister were in the audience tomorrow when I speak, what would you like me to tell her so that your future conversations turn out a little better?” I had now climbed out of the box. She began to realize that I was not like her sister. Now that her pre-conversational history was out on the table, I was able to avoid the landmines that might blow up the opportunity to proceed talking about spiritual matters. We spent the rest of the time while she finished up my job doing just that. I walked away wishing there was some way her sister could be flown into the workshop I’d be doing the next day. I knew that was never going to happen, so I decided to share this story in hopes that someday she will read this book and connect the dots. Whether she does or not, this experience sure helped me to see that we can’t ignore ones pre-conversational history if we hope to increase the quality and quantity of our spiritual conversations.

Killer #3 Awkward Transitions

Several years ago, I found myself at home alone on a Sunday afternoon totally immersed in the last two minutes of a pro football game that would decide which team would make the playoff’s. I was annoyingly distracted from the gridiron drama by the sound of my doorbell. Somebody outside my house was obviously not in touch with what was going on inside my house. I prepared myself to quickly “stiff arm” (in Christian love of course) whoever was at the door so I could get back to my “Sunday football fix”. Unfortunately when I opened the door, two Mormons stood ready to greet me. They wanted to engage me in spiritual conversation. I found myself suspended in a spiritual time warp as they fumbled the ball early and often in there struggle to start up a conversation with me. As I listened to their awkward attempts to get a conversation started, pictures of bygone days began to flash through my mind of the times when I was the one attempting to start a spiritual conversation. All of a sudden I was filled with compassion for these two Mormons on their mission because they had reacquainted me with all those awkward feelings I had experienced when I was the one stammering through some awkward transition I had been taught to memorize. Awkward transitions create awkward feelings, which can leave people feeling pretty uptight. Most of the people I know, do not regularly sign up for conversations that leave them feeling “weirded out”. This raises the question I’m asked quite often, “So then, how do you transition into a spiritual conversation?”

As I’ve probed to better understand the nature of this question, I’ve discovered that most Christ followers are hoping for a sure fire transitional statement they can memorize which will produce great spiritual conversations every time they use it. Maybe we should take a cue from Jesus on this one. If He didn’t approach spiritual conversations this way, why should we? I am quite familiar with most of the different transitions Christian workers are taught to use. Even when practiced and delivered flawlessly, these transitions tend to create awkward feelings when the other person realizes you are trying to take the conversation somewhere. If their hearts are not prepared to go there, it might be the last spiritual conversation you will ever have with them. Later on in this book, I will discuss how we can move into spiritual conversations naturally and avoid awkward transitions.

Killer #4 Our Language – Not Theirs

While I’m on the Mormons, I have to share a funny story that I hope will make Killer #4 seem quite obvious. My brother’s job required him to move to the greater Salt Lake City, Utah area a few years ago. After they had settled into the neighborhood, one of their neighbors came over one day to welcome them. As this lady began to engage my sister-in-law in conversation, she asked her the following question; “Are you LDS?” My sister-in-law looked at my brother and replied; “Well, neither one of us our ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), so we are probably not LDS either.” I still laugh hysterically when I recall this story. However when I realize the implications for having spiritual conversations, I’m quite sobered. When we lead with questions like; “Are you saved?” or “Have you been born again?” we leave outsiders feeling like . . . outsiders. When we speak in “Christianeze” we are unknowingly saying to others; “if you want to have a spiritual conversation with me you will have to do so on my terms.” Jesus modeled something quite to the contrary. He took the language of heaven and injected into the language of the day. In Colossians 4:4, the apostle Paul asked believers to pray that he would proclaim the message clearly. When we use our language and not theirs, we end up killing conversations with confusion and which can leave folks feeling dumb or stupid. Jesus used language that built bridges and opened doors. We can do the same by learning to translate spiritual truth into the every day vernacular of the people we are having conversations with.

Killer #5 Disrespectful Conversations

How many of you know that your spiritual gift is being quick to speak and slow to listen? Unfortunately, I find myself going there real easy. James 1:19 admonishes us to flip-flop the two. We need to be quick to listen and slow to speak. If this is not happening in our conversations, it’s quite easy for the other person to feel disrespected.

There is an overabundance of ways to unknowingly demonstrate disrespect in our conversations besides not listening. Condescending, or being parental in our conversations will do it every time. When we exceed the speed limit, run the stop signs, or hi-jack the conversation (the three most common evangelistic misdemeanors), we are not treating others, the way we would like to be treated. I don’t know about you but I do not regularly show up for conversations where I know I am going to be disrespected in these ways.

Killer #6 Agenda Driven Conversations

In the movie “The Big Kahuna” (A Movie to Watch) Larry (A character played by Kevin Spacey) asks Bob (A character portrayed as an evangelical Christian) how he ended up talking to Dick Fuller (a perspective business client) about religion in the first place? As Larry continues to probe, Bob eventually admits that the conversation got started due to a lead in. Larry astutely observes that Bob was looking for the opportunity to talk about what he believed. He went on to say that, “The conversation was not allowed to have a natural course because somebody was at the helm directing it.” Later in the movie, Phil (the character played by Danny DeVito) pulls Bob aside and shares the following advice with him. “If you want to talk to somebody honestly as a human being, ask him about his kids, find out what his dreams are, just to find out for no other reason because as soon as you lay your hands on a conversation to steer it, it’s not a conversation anymore, it’s a pitch. And you’re not a human being you’re a marketing rep.”’

When I finished this movie I realized that Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito not only had some advice for Bob, but for me as well. In my early years in the ministry, I had become known as one of the chief marketing reps for Jesus. Unfortunately, I was actually affirmed for steering conversations towards my sales pitch for

Jesus
. (A Quote to Memorize) Spiritual conversations should be our ultimate motive, not our ulterior motive. For the record, if people are ready for the agenda you had in mind for the conversation, you will be warmly embraced. If they are not, you will be assigned a label that will kill most of your opportunities for spiritual conversations in the future. In the words of Forrest Gump “that’s all I have to say about that.”

Killer #7 Controlling Conversations

How long does it usually take for you to takeover a conversation and dominate it with your worldview? This is a question I wish someone had challenged me to think about early on in my spiritual journey. During the 1980’s, I started the ministry of Athletes in Action at the University of Tennessee. If you dropped in on one of my appointments with the athletes back then this is what you would have probably seen. I’d usually start by asking a couple of questions to break the ice. I rarely listened because I did not want their response to derail the direction of where I was planning to take the conversation. After I broke the ice, I usually followed with a transitional question that I had been taught to memorize to turn the conversation towards spiritual things. The rest of the hour long appointment consisted of me sharing something I believed they needed to hear. From beginning to end I was always in control of the conversation. Other ministries I’m acquainted with take this kind of control to the extreme. They teach their workers to treat questions as smoke screens. The question is deflected so the Christian worker can get back to his or her scripted presentation. Is it any wonder why more and more people are saying no thanks to these kinds of conversations? Being in control of the curriculum of a conversation is fine when someone has willingly signed up for your lecture. But when you live in a world with such diversity, it’s essential to give up control.

I’m becoming more and more convinced that many Christ followers are afraid to be in settings where they are not in control of the conversation. This is why churches and ministries die. When we insist on having conversations in settings where only are fans are present, during the times we pick, with the activities we are comfortable with, we’d better start digging a six foot hole and playing taps. It’s only a matter of time before a church or ministry that insists on playing home games begins to fade into oblivion. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 10:19-20 not to worry about what to say or how to say it because the Holy Spirit would give them what they needed when they needed it. Nothing pre-packaged or scripted about that, just an admonition to go and be in the moment under the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Recently, I overheard a pastor as they were leaving a social setting consisting of very few church goers say this, “If you’d like to talk again some time you know where to find me on Sunday mornings”. I’m not sure what the pastor intended by this parting comment, but I thought to myself how different the outcome might be if the pastor had a go-to-them (road games) versus a come-to-me (home games) kind of a mindset.

Killer #8 Reactive Conversations

To many people in our culture, Christians have become known as the “disagreement people”. We’ve worked hard to earn this label one reaction at a time. Most of the time our body language, tone of voice, and verbal responses are a dead give away to the reality that we disagree with much of what people in culture are saying and doing. When we become self-designated spiritual umpires calling balls and strikes on the culture by writing letters to the editor, calling in on talk radio shows, and staging boycotts of one kind or another, our reactions speak for themselves. Essentially we are sending the culture this message: not only do we not endorse your point of view, we don’t accept you for where you are in your spiritual journey. This lack of acceptance crushes opportunities for spiritual conversations to happen. Acceptance does not mean endorsement. When we confuse these two words we destroy the very space God wants to work in. Many times not-yet Christians will say or do something just to see if we will react. This is many times a test to determine whether or not we are safe enough to have real conversations with. Reacting to things we hear or see comes naturally for most of us. We need supernatural responses that communicate a radical acceptance if we hope to create space for spiritual conversations to naturally happen.

Killer #9 Combative Conversations

It’s exhilarating to watch two good tennis players volley back and forth. Each tries to gain an advantage by causing the other to get out of position so they can hit a decisive shot called a “winner” which scores the point. Unfortunately, I use to view spiritual conversations in the same way. I viewed the person I was talking with as my opponent who must be won to my Christian point of view. I interned with Josh McDowell. I was trained by the best when it came to apologetics. On many occasions, I started my conversations with an overpowering serve. I then prepared myself to pepper “winners” at my opponent who in many cases had walked away from the conversation the moment the contest began. Even if my opponent was up for it, most of the time these worldview challenges led to heated debates, heated debates eventually gave way to arguments, and arguments always brought about conversions to Christ. Quite to the contrary, I never argued anyone into the Kingdom of God. As Dallas Williard says “It’s very difficult to be right about something without hurting someone with it.” When a conversation starts or turns combative, very rarely does anything of redemptive value occur. Even if we win the argument, we often lose the greater war when it turns into an us versus them show down. We need to remember that not-yet Christians are not the enemy, but victims of the enemy. This truth compels me to move out into culture with compassion and check my “onward Christian soldier” mindset at the door.

Killer #10 “It’s All About Me” Conversations

Have you ever been in a conversation where you felt like you couldn’t get a word in edge wise or the spot light never seems to shift off the person who is talking. If you have, I’m betting you just can’t wait for the next conversation with that person. I’ve come to believe that Christians fall into these “it’s all about me” kinds of conversations naturally. I believe . . . or I think . . . become over used introductions to the truth we dominate our conversations with. We are convinced that we have the absolute truth, which naturally leads us to believe that what we think is all that really matters. This kind of thinking quickly turns conversations into monologues where we eventually end up talking to ourselves. We need to realize that if people are not asking us what we believe, we might be wiser to keep the spotlight on what they believe and think. The secret to being interesting in a conversation is to be interested. This seems to be a great application of Philippians 2:4 which encourages us to not only look to our own interests but to the interests of others. At the end of the day, I’m not so sure what I believe really matters all that much any way. I want people to follow Jesus. I want to keep the spotlight on Him and what he said, not on what I think or believe. This requires us to bring the bible into our conversations. I will share more on how to do this later on in the book. Just one of these ten killers has the potential to close down your opportunities for spiritual conversation in a relationship for a lifetime. If you’re saying to your self “been there, and done that”. The good news is failure is usually never fatal or final, it’s just an opportunity to begin again more intelligently. Numerous people have applied the following assignment to help rebuild the bridges they have burnt along the way with great success.
If no previous conversation has come to mind as you read through this chapter, tuck this assignment away for another day. At some point I think you’ll find it helpful.

About Grace Compass Church

Grace Compass Church …a place for ‘real’ people on a journey
Come…Discover…Experience…Live

Come as you are, NO Perfect People Allowed!

Are you living a life of Significance?
Does your life have an impact?
What is your Purpose in Life?

Grace Compass Church is a place for ‘real’ people on a journey to come, discover, experience, and live out an incredible faith together through Grace. Reproducing radical followers that will leave the mark of Christ wherever they are living, working, and ministering are the ultimate purpose our authentic Biblical Community. Jesus Answered Life’s greatest questions with two simple profound Faith Goals: Love God with all your heart and love others as yourself. It is our relationship with God and our relationship with others that bring identity, meaning and purpose to our life.

We intentionally want to help people transform their city and live a daily life of significance with the community as the church. The Church is not only a once WEEK event on Sunday, but an everyday learning the Habits of Christ from God’s Word and the working of the Holy Spirit in a organic community where our faith is lived out and has its greatest impact. The main emphasis on Sunday will be a celebration of Grace which we will provide answers for life’s important questions with relevance, encouragement, and safety. We will then connect individuals to the life of Christ and encourage the next steps of the development of a Christly Life in the midst of this fallen world that is searching for acceptance, significance, and hope.

Three generations influenced by secular humanism have created a large spiritual vacuum here in America and over 195 million people are not going to church–most are people who are searching for hope, meaning, security, and significance. Most people have left the church because it often lacked relevance, seemed too operate in Hypocrisy (duplicity), got political, were judgmental of others, and have focused on Rules and behavior instead of belief and relationship.

Therefore, we have established this authentic faith community to care about the needs of others. We are a Church where we have thrown away our masks. We realize no one is perfect and everyone is welcome to be real and authentic with whom God made them to be. We encouraged our community to accept and value people just as they are. We want to provide a safe place to become like Christ in Community. This is only a snapshot of our as a redeemed community of faith.

Therefore, we believe that people matter to God – in fact, they are the pinnacle of His creation. Not only that, but every person was created by God with a need to connect in authentic organic community with others. Together we are better than when we are alone.

WHY START CHURCHES IN NORTH AMERICA?

· North America is the only continent where the church is not growing.
· Church planting is the most effective way to reached the un-reached and unchurched.
· New churches grow faster than established churches.
· New churches help keep up with population growth.
· New churches are more likely to enlist people in Kingdom Advancement

Why A New Church?

Church planting is the single most effective form of evangelism today, and a necessary method for reaching all of North America with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. New churches grow faster than established churches because new churches are focused on reaching the un-churched. People are also more open to change in new churches and thus excited about trying new and innovative ideas which, in turn, attract other people. New churches also encourage the raising up of new leaders that may otherwise not readily get or seek leadership opportunities in existing churches. This is an important consideration given that a church’s ability to identify, empower, and equip kingdom-minded leaders largely determines the level of its success.

Our Values: Form the Way and How We Live Life
Connected To Our Beliefs the What and Why We Believe

Our Values influences and guides how we live together at Grace Compass Church as a central part of our life together. Our values shape our Character which is directly linked to what we believe.

· Authentic Relationships: We will pursue being real and transparent with each other, so that we can encourage, celebrate, grow, hold accountable and mourn as a family.
· Incarnate Living: We will grow in living out of the life of Jesus by the power of the Spirit.
· Biblical Truth: We will learn and apply the truth of Scripture to all of our life, avoiding the temptation to replace its truth for the best ideas of people.
· Compassion: We will love all people like Jesus did and minister to them daily regardless of their social status or spiritual condition.
· Missional Living: We will live our lives out to bring the gospel in visible form to lost people all around us.
· Grace-wholeness: We will equip people to know who they are in Christ, their new identity in Christ; how to remove their masks of who they think they are outside of Christ and the importance of yielding to the overflowing life of Christ which will overflow from their new lives in to others in their community. Becoming such a whole person is accomplished only through the grace of God.
· Relevance: We will engage today’s culture in its context with significance without selling out or watering down the Gospel of Grace.
· Global Impact: We will be part of a global network that makes a kingdom impact.
· Freedom to Question: We will welcome the freedom that comes with questioning things so we can seek God’s answers together without arrogance

Our Beliefs: Form the Why and What of Life
Connected To Our Values the Way and How We Live

Our Beliefs form the Spitual Content of why we Value what we value together at Grace Compass Church as a central part of our lives. Our Beliefs shape our foundation which is directly linked to what we Value. What you believe reflects the life you will live, what you value reflects how you will live your life.

• God is the creator and the ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Those three are co-equal with God and are one God.
• Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. He was born of a virgin and lived a perfect, sinless human life. He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days, ascended into heaven, and will return again someday to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
• The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and Son. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of Salvation. He provides the believer with power for living, understanding spiritual truth, wisdom, and guidance.
• The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for all Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error.
• Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sins by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting Jesus Christ as God’s offer for forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn directions in our minds about our self-willed life and turn to Jesus in faith, we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
• Eternity – The soul of every human being was created to live forever on a Spiritual Journey. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through salvation and forgiveness. Hell is eternal separation from God. Heaven is eternal union with God. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
  _____________________________________________
  Teddy and Mary Awad have been married for 10 years and both have spent the last 15 years in ministry. They have a daughter, Tiffany who is 8 years old and speaks three languages already.

  Spiritual Gifts: Entrepreneurial Spirit, Visionary Leadership, Strategic Thinking, Mercy Evangelism, Faith, Communication

  For more information Please call us at:
  410-808-6483 1-877-702-2GOD
  7868 Causeway Blvd South, St. Petersburg, FL 33707
  gracecompasschurch@gmail.com
  http://gracecompasschurch.blogspot.com/

Grace Compass Church

Grace Compass Church

Come…Discover…Experience…Live

a place for ‘real’ people on a Journey

NO PERFECT PEOPLE ALLOWED!

Sunday Nights at 5PM

For more information please call us at:

410-808-6483

or call us toll free at 1877-702-2GOD

7868 Causeway Blvd South,

St. Petersburg, FL 33707

Come as you are!

Music…Snacks…Fun…Interaction

Casual and comfortable dress

All Ages Welcome

For more information Please call us at:

410-808-6483

1-877-702-2GOD

gracecompasschurch@gmail.com
http://gracecompasschurch.blogspot.com/

Grace Compass Church will be a place for real people on a journey to come, discover, experience, and live out an incredible faith together through Grace. Reproducing disciples and individuals that will leave the mark of the Gospel of Grace wherever they are living, working, and ministering is the ultimate purpose of a Church that is patterned after the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.

We intentionally want to help people transform their city and live a life of significance in Christ through Grace of God. The Church is not only a once WEEK EVENT on Sunday but an everyday learning the Habits of Christ from Gods Word and the working of the Holy Spirit in a organic missional groups. The celebration of Grace on Sunday at 5 PM will be an opportunity to reach the un-churched and provide a safe place for those seeking the answers of life’s important questions. The main emphasis of Church on Sunday will be to connect individuals to the life of Christ and encourage the next steps of Discovery with intentional personal development of a Christly Life.

Three generations influenced by secular humanism have created a spiritual vacuum and over 195 million unreached people – people who are searching for hope, meaning, security, and significance.

We believe that people matter to God in fact, they are the pinnacle of His creation. Not only that, but every person was created by God with a need to connect in authentic organic Missional community with others. We can establish real, encouraging, safe, and honest relationships with one another as we learn to do life together as a redeemed missional community of faith.

Why Tampa Bay?

Over the past year God has given me a burden for lost people in the Southeast and a passion to reach them with the message of Jesus Christ. My goal is to be used by God to impact the Southeast for His kingdom by changing the spiritual landscape of this entire area from one that worships and idolizes nature, leisure, and individualism to a community of fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ that worship the one true God.

About the Tampa Bay Area

· Spiritually open people who are ready to respond to God when His gospel is presented through an authentic and culturally relevant community of faith. Florida has an average church attendance percentage (15.1%) lower than the national average (18.7%).

· Growing population of over 4 million people with 9% growth in population expected annually. This county has the Youngest demographic in Florida (18-40 years old) nearly 42% of Tampa Bay’s population is in the highly desirable target 18-40 age group.

· We believe that we have been called by God to seek and build people who will become the church because it is the single most effective form of evangelism today, and the best method for achieving the common objective of reaching all of North America with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

WHY START CHURCHES IN NORTH AMERICA?

· North America is the only continent where the church is not growing.

· Church planting is the most effective way to reach the un-reached and unchurched.

· New churches grow faster than established churches.

· New churches help keep up with population growth.

· New churches are more likely to enlist people in Kingdom Advancement

Why A New Church?

Church planting is the single most effective form of evangelism today, and a necessary method for reaching all of North America with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. New churches grow faster than established churches because new churches are focused on reaching the un-churched. People are also more open to change in new churches and thus excited about trying new and innovative ideas which, in turn, attract other people. New churches also encourage the raising up of new leaders that may otherwise not readily get or seek leadership opportunities in existing churches. This is an important consideration given that a church’s ability to identify, empower, and equip kingdom-minded leaders largely determines the level of its success.

Vision:

Grace Compass Church will be a place for ‘real’ people on a journey together discovering, experiencing, and living out an incredible faith together through Grace. Reproducing disciples and individuals that will leave the mark of the Gospel of Grace wherever they are living, working, and ministering is the ultimate purpose of a Church that is patterned after the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.

Mission:

Compass will be used by God to design, launch, and grow numerous churches through collaboration. These churches will in turn reproduce, and be used as a catalyst to launch and reproduce which will impact the entire southeast, as well as minister to people groups in many other parts of our world. Compass is committed to MULTIPLICATION of disciples and emerging missional servant leaders who will build people who become the church.

Church Planting Is

Our Purpose: The nature of God is multiplication and reproduction.

Our Calling: The church as the Body of Christ is called to multiply.

Our Effectiveness: Church planting is the most effective form of Evangelism.

Biblical: Church planting is the biblical strategy for increasing the Kingdom.

Central: The local church is the center from which evangelism and ministry spread.

Right: It’s an investment in the only thing Jesus said He would build – the church.

Core Values:

Values reflect what we will do at Grace Compass Church as a central part of our life together.

Authentic Relationships: We will pursue being real and transparent with each other, so that we can encourage, celebrate, grow, hold accountable and mourn as a family.

Incarnate Living: We will grow in living out of the life of Jesus by the power of the Spirit.

Biblical Truth: We will learn and apply the truth of Scripture to all of our life, avoiding the temptation to replace its truth for the best ideas of people.

Compassion: We will love all people like Jesus did and minister to them daily regardless of their social status or spiritual condition.

Missional Living: We will live our lives out to bring the gospel in visible form to lost people all around us.

Grace-wholeness: We will equip people to know who they are in Christ, their new identity in Christ; how to remove their masks of who they think they are outside of Christ and the importance of yielding to the overflowing life of Christ which will overflow from their new lives in to others in their community. Becoming such a whole person is accomplished only through the grace of God.

Relevance: We will engage today’s culture in its context with significance without selling out or watering down the Gospel of Grace.

Global Impact: We will be part of a global network that makes a kingdom impact.

Freedom to Question: We will welcome the freedom that comes with questioning things so we can seek God’s answers together without arrogance

Strategy:

The strategy of “Grace Compass Church” will be accomplished by establishing “environments” that will be implemented through the missional community groups of the church. These missional groups will create numerous ministries and community outreach which will flow from their desires which God will birth uniquely in each individual of every missional group.

Grace Environment: Jesus is the “Living Water of Grace” that quenches our spiritual thirst and transfigures our life from within. Hearing the Word causes our faith to grow in grace as we are transfigured internally to the image of the one whom we are called to follow Christ. Grace also is our living mentor who tutors us all in the character and nature of Who God Is, what He has done, and what God is doing now. We want to plant this church to take a Stand for the Gospel of Grace and welcome those who have been wounded and hurt by the universal churches image problem.

Growth Environment: Holy Spirit spreads the message of Jesus through us to others as we share our individual and collective lives with them through God’s Word’s of Life. Our missional spirit as a church, and our commitment to reach out and to share the message of Christ in concrete contemporary ways to all corners of the world will be our Collective purpose that Glorifies God our Father. This is done through missional community groups that will make learning fun and life transforming. This process of transferring rudimentary head knowledge to spiritual formation is the work of the Holy Spirit not the work of Clergy or other believers.

Spiritual Formation Environment: It takes time for meaningful progress and a safe place where you can practically process what you are learning in your daily life with God’s people. The environment must be safe from evaluating people on the basis performance and production. Measuring success and failure into spiritual metrics only hinders an individual’s growth. Success in the business world and world system is very different from what God defines as success. The world measures success is by individualism, outward appearance, production, performance, and obvious external results. God works in the invisible and His work is in an individual. The hidden work on the inside will eventually be revealing fruit in God’s timing not by our own effort, production or individual outward works.

Missional Environment: As God’s creation and we are called to cultivate and reproduce Spiritual life through ministry for God’s glory. The church isn’t a place you go to once a week – the church is a people who are a living organism on a glorious mission of proclaiming their King and His Kingdom. We are “outward looking” and “others focused” as we live out our living faith in our daily lives. Christ is constantly on mission through our lives to reach out and serve our neighbors, our communities, and our world in relevant ways each and every day with Joy. We serve because of the radical inward work of grace in our lives, and desire that others also experience the revolution of Grace personally.

Worship Environment: God has placed a passion in our hearts and spirits for worship which is illuminated as we draw closer to Him. Our hearts set ablaze with worship, both corporately and individually, as we continually give ourselves over to Him and draw closer to His glory. To receive all that God is and what His Word teaches radically changes lives and causes internal change that is a result of progressively growing in Grace through worship.

Implementation of Our Vision and Mission

This is a flexible blueprint of we will use to reach out to people, connect with them, and lead them into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Building relational bridges into the community through our missional community groups inviting individuals to a celebration of Grace on Sundays or to the numerous missional community Groups events of Celebration (Three keys here: Intentionality, Unconditional Love , Acceptance, and “Telling Our Story”)

Living out an authentic living faith for others to see (People don’t just want you to tell them about your faith; they want to see evidence of it in the way you live your life – are you for real or a fraud? People do not care how much you know until you show them how much you really care. Has Jesus REALLY radically changed your life and given you a new set of values and desires to live your life by?)

Inviting and Gathering an un-churched friend to an authentic service designed for particularly them to observe the Celebration This also allows for the development of new emerging missional leaders and the mentoring of missional community leaders learning and growing effectively in reproducible authentic maturity. Attend, Invite, tutor and serve others!

Encountering the Spirit of God and teaching the Word of God through the worship experience (it needs to be real and relevant) making the complex simple and applicable in daily life for everyone, not just for seekers attending.

Making a decision to follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (You shouldn’t have to force or manipulate this – Jesus didn’t! – Just gave them an opportunity to respond to the Gospel when they came and saw) We are only a pencil in the hand of God, God will do the writing on individuals heart if we are only faithful to present Him and invite people to a decision as we celebrate our Master in relationship.

Connecting organically with the Body of Christ. Christ honoring relationships, friendships, and spiritual discovery. The organism of the church the missional community groups is where we do life together corporately and discovery occurs.

Learning how to live like Jesus lived and taught from the Word of God we will develop genuine growth together. Spiritual formation and reproduction of life transformation in others (Mentoring / Teaching / Reproduction)

Serving others outside the church (Community Service and servant evangelism thru our Missional DNA and Missional community groups)

Loving God as a lifestyle (Worship – it’s not just an event you go to on Sunday, it’s a lifestyle! We will teach people what it means to live the Christian life 24/7)

Reproducing other believers and churches

WHAT WE BELIEVE

ABOUT THE BIBLE

The Bible is God’s word to all men. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any mixture of error.

ABOUT GOD

God is the creator and ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.

ABOUT MAN

Man is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like him in character. He is the supreme object of God’s creation. Although man has tremendous potential for good, he is marred by an attitude of disobedience toward what God called “sin.” This attitude separates man from God.

ABOUT ETERNITY

Man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is hell. To be eternally in union with him is eternal life. Heaven and hell are places of eternal existence.

ABOUT JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to heaven’s glory and will return again to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

ABOUT SALVATION

Salvation is a gift from God to man by grace through faith. Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works – only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin’s penalty. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.

ABOUT ETERNAL SECURITY

Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian.

ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance.

____________________________

Compass Church … a fresh perspective on God’s timeless truth and amazing Grace which will reproduce the next generation of missionaries that will impact everyone, everywhere they are!

Founding Pastor: Teddy Awad

Spiritual Gifts: Entrepreneurial Spirit, Visionary Leadership, Strategic Thinking, Evangelism, Faith, Communication

Family: Wife Mary and one Child … Tiffany–8

Teddy and Mary Awad have been married for 10 years, and have spent the last 15 years in ministry, the last four years on staff with a Young Adult Crisis Hotline.

To accomplish our vision we have joined with Converge Southeast. The focus of Converge Southeast is staring new and healthy churches throughout the region. For more information about Converge south east please visit their website at:

http://convergesoutheast.net/

The focus of Converge Southeast is staring new and healthy churches throughout the region.

_______________________________________

LAUNCH TEAM RECRUITMENT AND MENTORSHIP

Catalyst Church Planting Family

God has really been deeply touching us with a vision to gather missionaries in the Tampa bay area from all over the United States. We together as a Missional community with various gifting and unique God given abilities will be able plant numerous churches together as a catalyst family. A Catalyst family stimulates movement that precipitates a response, development, and lasting change. As a Catalyst family we are more effective than on our own as just Church planters. Together we can make an impact, working alongside one another, instead of apart building our very own kingdom. Let’s work together to plant a healthy church that loves people and really cares about one another. Then we can help one another to plant other churches from a base of operations and develop a network of churches planting churches as a Catalyst family. Together in collaboration with the Gospel of Grace we will change the spiritual landscape and the culture. This takes sacrifice and a life that does not belong to you anymore. It honestly takes a poured our life that is sent out by God. We are not looking for the religious. We are looking for a few Good men and women who are really ordinary people who do not think much of themselves, however think much about our extraordinary God who builds churches through the ordinary. This is the march of the unqualified.

Over the past year God has given us a burden for lost people in the Southeast and a passion to reach them with the message of Jesus Christ by planting a network of healthy churches. Our goal is to be used by God to impact the Southeast for His kingdom by changing the spiritual landscape of this entire area from one that worships and idolizes nature, leisure, and individualism to a community of fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ that worship the one true God. We believe this is only possible through movement formation and development of Catalyst Family of church planters, launch team members, and various missionaries who through collaboration with the Gospel of Grace cross the culture and cause response, development, and lasting change.

American Missionaries Wanted

At the time of this writing there are approximately 300 million people in North America. It is estimated that at least 200 million of them are lost without Christ as their personal Savior. The easiest solution to this lostness problem is to train and require the 100 million saved people to lead two people to Christ this year. Then all of North America will be saved. Sounds too good to be true, but the math works. God desires the church to be salt and light among the nations. We all pretty much agree that healthy church plants are the most effective method of evangelism and discovery. So how do we start enough churches to reach 200 million people? Using the most common method available today, it will not be done. Training people for three years in seminary and sending them out will not be sufficient because of people, resources, and time. This method only allows us to begin a certain number of churches each year determined by the amount of resources to fund a pastor and the number of pastors available, which is limited to graduates from seminary.

Are You Living A Life Of Significance?

Most of us, at some point in our lives will ask ourselves “What is my Purpose?” or “How can I make an Impact?” I want to invite you on an exciting journey. One that will not only transform your life as you encounter the life-changing message of the Gospel of Grace, but also one that will transform a city. As you walk this journey know that you are not alone! There are others that have similar passion. Individuals share the vision of Grace Compass Church. This strategy will encourage you to ask the following questions………..

How Can I Be Equipped And Resourced To Live A Life Of Significance?

Compass will offer you individual mentorship, church launch team involvement, and available internship opportunities with our Converge Southeast in the Tampa Bay area. This will provide a realistic experience that provides face-to-face opportunities to communicate and interact with others. It will take you to exceptional places full of intrigue and growth as you consider God’s purposes for your life. Through a series of Launch team learning activities and individual mentorship, your ability to add value to your own life and make a significant impact in the lives of others will be enhanced. With each step you take, you will encounter opportunities to attend, get involved, and to mentor others in their new found faith.

How Can I Become Involved In Transforming My City?

First hand experiences at making a positive difference by connecting you with real opportunities to make an impact. Your journey never ends! To live a life of significance, the journey is continuous. A process whereby the more you become involved, the more you discover who you are, and the more you personally will grow. We will develop several key initiatives that will demonstrate the person and values of Jesus Christ while meeting the unique needs of our city together. This vision will only become possible if you and others come together and get involved. Under each initiative there are various ideas and opportunities that fall into three simple levels of involvement. These levels of involvement will help you apply what you have learned through individualized coaching, mentoring, and development of leadership abilities to enhance the overall city strategy. Intentionally being the hands of God providing moments for you to start spiritual conversations and personal development.

THE NEED: WHY START CHURCHES IN NORTH AMERICA?

THE NEED:

WHY START CHURCHES IN NORTH AMERICA?

Statistics On North America:

According to Barna, “There has been a 92% increase in the number of unchurched Americans in the last thirteen years. In 1991 there were 39 million unchurched Americans compared with 75 million currently.
(2004).”

Another study by Barna reveals, “The highest concentration of unchurched adults is in the West where 43% of adults are unchurched and the Northeast (40%), compared to 28% residents in the South and Midwest who are unchurched. (2006)”

According to Christianity Today, Every two years, an average of 1% more Americans identify themselves as having no religion. “One of the most striking 1990-2001 comparisons is the more than doubling of the adult population identifying with no religion, from 14.3 million (8%) to 29.4 million (14.1%)”

Other Important Facts:

· North America is the only continent where the church is not growing.
· Church planting is the most effective way to reached the un reached.
· New churches grow faster than established churches.
· New churches help keep up with population growth.
· New churches are more likely to enlist people in Kingdom Advancement

.

Ten Elements of a Movement

Movemental Christianity

Ed Stetzer offers a great list of the key elements of a Movemental Christianity.

Prayer

Prayer will need to be more than a habit, or a discipline. It must be a conviction that establishes its priority. Before we see movemental Christianity, we will have to be praying, asking God to change us.

Intentionality

We will also need to show the intention of being movemental (see the next 8 elements). As of now, I believe our focus is primarily defensive and incremental, not intentional and exponential.

Sacrifice

Change will not come without giving something up. No movement will happen until pressure is applied to move the church from the place of being static to a body of believers in action. This sacrifice will be paid by denominations, individual churches, and believers.

Reproducibility

Movements do not occur through large things (big budgets, big plans, big teams). They occur through small units that are readily reproducible. Those who want to see movements need to see reproducibility at every level. This is a challenge is to resist the grandiose in favor of the reproducible.

Theological Integrity

Churches wanting to be involved in transformative, movemental Christianity hold firm and passionate positions on biblical views. The Baptists and Methodists won the Western Frontier (1795-1810) because they were passionate about their beliefs. The Pentecostals are not de-emphasizing what they believe to win Central America. Movements are found among people with robust beliefs, not generic belief systems.

Incarnation

Movemental Christianity recognizes that the gospel is unchanging, but the expressions and results of the gospel will vary from culture to culture. It also recognizes that as the sent people of God we are called to appropriately identify with those to whom we have been sent. All of this means that we must understand both the gospel and culture in order to be the biblically faithful, culturally relevant, counter-cultural movement of God. Movements will look like, and be owned by, ordinary people in their setting.

Empowerment

Movements only occur when the disempowered are given the freedom, and then take up the responsibility, to lead. In our case, the clergification of the church has marginalized those God has called – all people. The disempowerment of church members simultaneously satisfies and disturbs many pastors. Frustration results from not being able to get others to do the work of ministry, but satisfaction comes from being affirmed in doing the work others should be doing. Such co-dependency is the death-knell of movemental Christianity.

Charitability

Movemental Christianity is messy. Those involved in it make mistakes, over-emphasize certain things, and even believe things different than I do. Nobody gives her or his life for a bland belief system. A movement of God cannot be contained in a single movement or theological tradition. Therefore, movemental Christianity requires charity to maintain our firmly held convictions while rejoicing for and speaking well about those with whom we differ but are being greatly blessed by God.

Scalability

Movements often are stifled within smaller communities because of the small mindedness of local believers. When God begins to move, and believers allow movement Christianity to begin to grow, structures must be able to rapidly re-size to not stifle such movements.

In many cases, movements will break out of structures. More frequently, non-scalable structures (like some training programs or denomination structures), will actually hinder the movement. These structures become bottlenecks rather than catalysts.

Wholism

The modern evangelical separation of gospel proclamation and societal transformation is an historical oddity. Movemental Christianity will practice wholistic ministry much in the way of Jesus. Current movements and historical awakenings are and were accompanied by societal transformation. (Cities of God: How Christianity Become an Urban Movement and Conquered Rome provides a helpful look at this subject.)

I am sure a true movement will involve more than this…but these would be a start.

          Clergification

 

I have no problem with paid pastors (it is biblical). My concern is the bias against the unpaid and the clergification of ministry. All believers have a ministry, mine is just to the office of pastor. God calls us to different ministries, some are paid and some are not, but all are essential.

The monetary support of pastoral leadership is a biblical model. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth that, “the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.” (1 Cor. 9:14) He presses the point again in 1 Tim. 5:17-18 when he told the young pastor, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer deserves his wages.’” There are other passages that also support this practice (Gal. 6:6; 3 Jn. 1:8) as a good model for sustaining the leadership and direction of the church.

While many understand the biblical merit of this argument, many have also bought into the clergification of Christian ministry. This is the belief that the professionals carry out the real work of the church, and everyone else simply lends a hand here and there. And “professionals” are of course those who make their living from the gospel. Therefore, bi-vocational pastors or church planters are often held in much less esteem, and the rest of the church is seen as practically unnecessary. Such a perspective misses the example of Paul, and more importantly the nature of gospel ministry and church health.

While clearly articulating the idea that pastoral leadership should be supported by their local church, Paul himself often worked outside of the church to support his church planting endeavors. More importantly, Paul clearly teaches that the church’s health is built upon the interdependent ministries that arise from the church body, and not solely from the teaching ministry of paid leaders (1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4; Rom 12:3-8). We have to guard against the tendency to depend more on man and less on Christ among his people.

In the email conversation Neil Cole added some helpful words to this discussion, and I wanted to share them here (with his permission).

1. Paul does say it is the apostles "right" to be supported, but that he and Barnabas have forgone that right for the furtherance of the gospel. I believe the idea is that in pioneering works, he doesn’t want to offer the gospel at a charge. That is my own conviction, so I never receive support from the church I am starting at the time, but will gladly receive it once I move on.

2. Jesus sent the disciples (both the 12 and the 70) off without any financial support. He said "do not take a purse." No reserves, no credit cards, no plans for sustenance. They were to believe God to provide for them and solely focus on obedience to the kingdom principles taught in Matt 10 and Luke 10. I often wonder what Christianity would look like if we all started this way. After their faith and obedience are demonstrated (tested?), Jesus later says, "Now, take a purse." (Luke 22?) The idea is that you do not know how to handle money until you know how to go forward without it. Once you prove that your heart is right and your faith is sound, then financial support is fine…as long as it is releasing you to do more of what you do already. The idea of employment is foreign to the NT. You are owned by Jesus, not any other. Job descriptions, office hours, performance reviews, raises, lay-offs, bonuses, etc…have no place in God’s kingdom. This is not a business enterprise but a Kingdom and each are agents under Christ’s command and none other. He will not place the order and then not pay the bill.

3. There were many times Paul made tents, but also times when he served "full time" while others worked to support him. He never took money from his new churches, but accepted it when he moved on (i.e. Philippians). There is not one model for how this works in the NT and not even one only for Paul himself.

We have many who are moving this direction with radical faith and God is honoring. The last chapter of my next book (Organic Leadership) is story after story of church planters who ventured off away from secure salaries to live by faith and using their entrepreneurial gifts. Each story is unique and powerful. Often additional "side-effects" occur that no one expected…like greater respect in the community and fruitfulness in transforming a city. Often they end up having much greater financial support then they would have had in "professional ministry".

Alan Hirsch had limited time to write but added,

The only thing I would add to Chris is that given that you are in an established church, it has its ‘givens’ and professionalization of ministry is one of them. But I think we do need to be very careful about being domesticated by being paid full-time. We easily get co-opted to becoming chaplains of the status quo.

Neil’s and Alan’s advice and cautions should give us all pause as we consider what are the pitfalls and pressures we face in the local church. The health of the church depends on the presence of Christ working through the whole body as his missionary activity, and not on select personalities or professionals.

EdStetzer.com

EdStetzer.com

Join Our Catalytic Team and Family

Join Our Catalytic Team and Family

God has really been deeply touching us with a vision to gather missionaries in the Tampa bay area from all over the United States. We together as a missionary community with various gifting and unique God given abilities will be able plant numerous churches together as a catalyst family. A Catalyst family stimulates movement that precipitates a response, development, and lasting change. As a Catalyst family we are more effective than on our own as just Church planters. Together we can make an impact, working alongside one another, instead of apart building our very own kingdom. Let’s work together to plant a healthy church that loves people and really cares about one another. Then we can help one another to plant other churches from a base of operations and develop a network of churches planting churches as a Catalyst family. This takes sacrifice and a life that does not belong to you anymore. It honestly takes a poured our life that is sent out by God. We are not looking for the religious. We are looking for a few Good men and women who are really ordinary people who do not think much of themselves, however think much about our extraordinary God who builds churches through the ordinary. This is the march of the unqualified.

Over the past year God has given us a burden for lost people in the Southeast and a passion to reach them with the message of Jesus Christ by planting a network of healthy churches. Our goal is to be used by God to impact the Southeast for His kingdom by changing the spiritual landscape of this entire area from one that worships and idolizes nature, leisure, and individualism to a community of fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ that worship the one true God. We believe this is only possible through movement formation and development of Catalyst Family of church planters, launch team members, and various missionaries who through collaboration with the Gospel of Grace cross the culture and cause response, development, and lasting change.

We believe that we have been called by God to church planting because is the single most effective form of evangelism today, and the best method for achieving the common objective of reaching all of North America with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. New churches grow faster than established churches because new churches are formed around impacting entire communities and reaching the un-churched versus an emphasis of taking care of existing members in established churches. People are also more open to change in new churches and thus excited about trying new and innovative ideas which, in turn, attract other people. New churches also encourage the raising up of new leaders that may otherwise not readily get or seek leadership opportunities in existing churches. This is an important consideration given that a church’s ability to identify, empower, and equip kingdom-minded leaders largely determines the level of its success. To accomplish our vision we have joined with Converge Southeast.

The focus of Converge Southeast is staring new and healthy churches throughout the region. For more information about Converge south east please visit their website at:

http://convergesoutheast.net/

The focus of Converge Southeast is staring new and healthy churches throughout the region.

Converge World Wide Affirmation of Faith

http://www.convergesoutheast.net/content/view/61/89/

Watch this Video Slideshow:

http://www.goodmanson.com/wp-content/Post-Christian-ChurchPlanting.html

At the time of this writing there are approximately 300 million people in North America. It is estimated that at least 200 million of them are lost without Christ as their personal Savior. The easiest solution to this lostness problem is to train and require the 100 million saved people to lead two people to Christ this year. Then all of North America will be saved. Sounds too good to be true, but the math works. God desires the church to be salt and light among the nations. We all pretty much agree that healthy church plants are the most effective method of evangelism and discipleship. So how do we start enough churches to reach 200 million people?

American Missionaries Wanted

We are looking for various types of people from all races and cultural backgrounds to form a team that have first given themselves to the Lord and them to one another as a Catalyst family to form a movement with Converge Southeast. This is an opportunity to get involved with a church planting team with other church planters, launch team members, and other American missionaries who are going to be testing various methodologies, processes, ideas, and using this fallen world as a laboratory. Do you want to come to a place where the sky is the limit? Every idea is cared about and we together create movement. We are looking to put together the most amazing team of missionaries and church planters from all over the United States. We together by working to collaborate through the numerous levels and stages of church planting can make a greater impact by planting not just one church, but many. Individually available help each other fulfill each others God given hopes, dreams, vision, and destines through the Body of Christ. We can Start a Movement together and change the landscape of our culture and the very culture of church planting by making it collaborative, instead of focusing all the pressure upon just the individual church planter and his family. We believe this is only possible through movement formation and development of Catalyst Family of church planters, launch team members, and various missionaries who through collaboration with the Gospel of Grace cross the culture and cause response, development, and lasting change.

Launch Team member Qualifications:

Has A “Visionizing” Capacity. Is One who

Persuasively sells the Vision to the people and Believes in God’s capacity to accomplish great things.

Intrinsically motivated is one who Has stick-to-itiveness and is persistent. Is a self starter and is willing to build from nothing.

Ability to create ownership of ministry. Is one who

Helps others to feel responsible for the growth and success of the ministry. Wins the commitment of the people to the Vision.

Ability to relate to the unchurched people. Is one who:

Communicates in a style easily understood by the unchurched. Understands the “psychology” or mentality of the unchurched.

Manages family well. Is one who:

Has a spouse who is a partner in the ministry according to her gifts. Models wholesome family life before the church and the community.

Effectively Builds Relationships. Is one who:

Makes others feel secure and comfortable in his presence. Does not respond in a judgmental or prejudicial fashion to new people.

Committed to Church Growth. Is one who:

Appreciates steady and consistent growth without looking for “quick success.” Is committed to numerical growth within the context of spiritual and relational growth.

Responsive to the Community. Is one who:

Understands the culture of the community and collaboration. Adapts the philosophy of ministry to the character of the community.
Utilizes the giftedness of others. He is one who:

Releases and equips people to do the task of ministry. Matches people with ministry needs and opportunities according to giftedness.

Flexibility and adaptability. He is one who:

Can cope effectively with ambiguity.

Copes effectively with constant and abrupt change.

Building a cohesive church body. He is one who:

Quickly includes newcomers into a network of relationships or meaningful church activities. Monitors the morale of the people.

Resilience and Determination. He is one who:

Can ride the ups and downs. Can rebound from loss, disappointments and failures.

Exercises faith. He is one who:

Believes in the power of God.
His life is marked by expectation and hope.

If this sounds like you, maybe it is time for a formal assessment.
To request information about an Assessment Interview contact:

Teddy Awad
gracecompasschurch@gmail.com
http://gracecompasschurch.blogspot.com/

410-808-6483
Or call toll free 1-877-702-2GOD
Please review our Church plant proposal and ideas at our Blog for more detailed information and vision before contacting us:

http://gracecompasschurch.blogspot.com/

Collaboration Is The Act Of Working Together With The Gospel Of Grace In United Labor With Others To Serve Our City.

These Communities Will Be “Communitas” (Community With A Cause); A Coming Together Of Christ Followers Who Are Willing To Trade Their Life To Accomplish The Dream Of God By Following Jesus!

We are not a Funding Agency we are a Collaborative Network of Missionaries who are working for one another to expand the Kingdom of God in our City with the Gospel of Grace. We do not fund or give grants to church plants or church planters looking for funding. We are churches that collaborate with one another in our city for the sake of Christ. Together we can do more than we could alone.

We do give our Friendship, Love, Care and Prayers through partnership.

del.icio.us Tags: compass,compasschapel,church planting,launch team,collaboration,church plant,church launch

Wanted: Church Plant Team Members

WANTED: AMERICAN MISSIONARIES

Wanted: Church Plant Team Members

Wanted: Church Planting Interns

compasschapel@gmail.com
http://compasschapel.blogspot.com/
410-808-6483
Or call toll free 1-877-702-2GOD

Why Tampa Bay?

Catalyst Family

God has really been deeply touching us with a vision to gather missionaries in the Tampa bay area from all over the United States. We together as a missionary community with various gifting and unique God given abilities will be able plant numerous churches together as a catalyst family. A Catalyst family stimulates movement that precipitates a response, development, and lasting change. As a Catalyst family we are more effective than on our own as just Church planters. Together we can make an impact, working alongside one another, instead of apart building our very own kingdom. Let’s work together to plant a healthy church that loves people and really cares about one another. Then we can help one another to plant other churches from a base of operations and develop a network of churches planting churches as a Catalyst family. This takes sacrifice and a life that does not belong to you anymore. It honestly takes a poured our life that is sent out by God. We are not looking for the religious. We are looking for a few Good men and women who are really ordinary people who do not think much of themselves, however think much about our extraordinary God who builds churches through the ordinary. This is the march of the unqualified.

Over the past year God has given us a burden for lost people in the Southeast and a passion to reach them with the message of Jesus Christ by planting a network of healthy churches. Our goal is to be used by God to impact the Southeast for His kingdom by changing the spiritual landscape of this entire area from one that worships and idolizes nature, leisure, and individualism to a community of fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ that worship the one true God. We believe this is only possible through movement formation and development of Catalyst Family of church planters, launch team members, and various missionaries who through collaboration with the Gospel of Grace cross the culture and cause response, development, and lasting change.

About the Tampa Bay Area

· Spiritually open people who are ready to respond to God when His gospel is presented through an authentic and culturally relevant community of faith. Florida has an average church attendance percentage (15.1%) lower than the national average (18.7%).

· Growing population of over 4 million people with 9% growth in population expected annually. This county has the Youngest demographic in Florida (18-40 years old) nearly 42% of Tampa Bay’s population is in the highly desirable target 18-40 age group.

· We believe that we have been called by God to church planting because is the single most effective form of evangelism today, and the best method for achieving the common objective of reaching all of North America with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. New churches grow faster than established churches because new churches are formed around impacting entire communities and reaching the un-churched versus an emphasis of taking care of existing members in established churches. People are also more open to change in new churches and thus excited about trying new and innovative ideas which, in turn, attract other people. New churches also encourage the raising up of new leaders that may otherwise not readily get or seek leadership opportunities in existing churches. This is an important consideration given that a church’s ability to identify, empower, and equip kingdom-minded leaders largely determines the level of its success. To accomplish our vision we have joined with Converge Southeast.

The focus of Converge Southeast is staring new and healthy churches throughout the region. For more information about Converge south east please visit their website at:

http://convergesoutheast.net/

 

The focus of Converge Southeast is staring new and healthy churches throughout the region.

Converge World Wide Affirmation of Faith

http://www.convergesoutheast.net/content/view/61/89/

Watch this Video Slideshow:

http://www.goodmanson.com/wp-content/Post-Christian-ChurchPlanting.html

Are You Living A Life Of Significance?

Most of us, at some point in our lives will ask ourselves? What is my Purpose in Life? How can I make an Impact? We want to invite you on an exciting journey. One that will not only transform your life as you encounter the life-changing message of the Gospel of Grace, but also one that will transform a city. As you walk this journey know that you are not alone! There are others that have similar passion. Individuals share the vision of Compass Chapel. This strategy will encourage you to ask the following questions? How Can I Be Equipped  To Live A Life Of Significance and teach others to be equipped to cross the culture with the Gospel of Grace?

Compass Chapel will offer you individual mentorship, Church planting team service opportunities, partnership  and internship. This will provide a realistic experience that provides face-to-face opportunities to communicate and interact with others. It will take you to exceptional places full of intrigue and growth as you consider God’s purposes for your life. Through a series of Launch team learning activities and individual mentorship, your ability to add value to your own life and make a significant impact in the lives of others will be enhanced. With each step you take, you will encounter opportunities to attend, get involved, and to mentor others in their new found faith.

How Can I Become Involved In Transforming My City?

First hand experiences at making a positive difference by connecting you with real opportunities to make an impact. Your journey never ends! To live a life of significance, the journey is continuous. A process whereby the more you become involved, the more you discover who you are, and the more you personally will grow. We will develop several key initiatives that will demonstrate the person and values of Jesus Christ while meeting the unique needs of our city together. This vision will only become possible if you and others come together and get involved through collaboration. Under each initiative there are various ideas and opportunities that fall into simple levels of involvement. These levels will help you apply what you have learned through the training, use your God given gifts and abilities to enhance the overall city strategy, and provide moments for you to start spiritual conversations with someone.

                                                                                         

American Missionaries Wanted

At the time of this writing there are approximately 300 million people in North America. It is estimated that at least 200 million of them are lost without Christ as their personal Savior. The easiest solution to this lostness problem is to train and require the 100 million saved people to lead two people to Christ this year. Then all of North America will be saved. Sounds too good to be true, but the math works. God desires the church to be salt and light among the nations. We all pretty much agree that healthy church plants are the most effective method of evangelism and discipleship. So how do we start enough churches to reach 200 million people? Using the most common method available today, it will not be done. Training people for three years in seminary and sending them out will not be sufficient because of people, resources, and time. This method only allows us to begin a certain number of churches each year determined by the amount of resources to fund a pastor and the number of pastors available, which is limited to graduates from seminary.

Recruiting Bi-vocational Church Planters and Missionaries Tampa Bay Area

What is a Bi-vocational?

By most definitions, a bi-vocational church planter is someone who starts a church or is on the launch team who assists in the planting of churches, and gains part of his personal income from an outside source and part from the church once the church is launched. This outside income could be from work, investments, retirement, or any other sources. The income from the church could be as little or as great as plausible. It could include housing allowance, travel allowance, annuity, or any other form of income.

Usually, these agreements can be seen in one of the following arrangements:

1. The church cannot pay a livable wage at first and the pastor or launch team member works anywhere from 20 to 40 hours in a secular job to support his family.
2. The church planter or launch team member has a very adequate profession and wants to only accept a token of his worth to the church, such as travel or annuity.

3. The church plant cannot pay a livable wage, so the church planter or launch team member accepts another ministry position, such as a part-time staff member in another church.

4. The church can pay a livable salary, but the pastor or launch team member needs to help in other areas of ministry; therefore, they release him a day or two per week to hold another ministry job.
5. The church planter or launch team member desires to have some time in the workforce to meet people who do not know Christ. This is an intentional part of his church planting strategy and intention part of development of this catalyst family .
6. Sometimes a church planter or launch team member just does not want to be in financial bondage to a church body such as the apostle Paul-and desires to stay bi-vocational for this reason.

7. Finally, this could be a retired person who sees the need for a new church plant and steps up to the plate. Using his retirement as his primary source of income, he takes a small stipend from the church (such as a housing allowance, which can be a tax advantage.)
8. As you can see, there can be any mix of possibilities as God would lead.

We are looking for various types of people from all races and cultural backgrounds to form a team that have first given themselves to the Lord and them to one another as a Catalyst family to form a movement with Converge Southeast. This is an opportunity to get involved with a church planting team with other church planters, launch team members, and other American missionaries who are going to be testing various methodologies, processes, ideas, and using this fallen world as a laboratory. Do you want to come to a place where the sky is the limit? Every idea is cared about and we together create movement. We are looking to put together the most amazing team of missionaries and church planters from all over the United States. We together by working to collaborate through the numerous levels and stages of church planting can make a greater impact by planting not just one church, but many. Individually available help each other fulfill each others God given hopes, dreams, vision, and destines through the Body of Christ. We can Start a Movement together and change the landscape of our culture and the very culture of church planting by making it collaborative, instead of focusing all the pressure upon just the individual church planter and his family. We believe this is only possible through movement formation and development of Catalyst Family of church planters, launch team members, and various missionaries who through collaboration with the Gospel of Grace cross the culture and cause response, development, and lasting change.

Qualifications:

Has A "Visionizing" Capacity. Is One who

Persuasively sells the Vision to the people and Believes in God’s capacity to accomplish great things.

Intrinsically motivated is one who

Has stick-to-itiveness and is persistent. Is a self starter and is willing to build from nothing.

Ability to create ownership of ministry. Is one who

Helps others to feel responsible for the growth and success of the ministry. Wins the commitment of the people to the Vision.

Ability to relate to the unchurched people. Is one who:

Communicates in a style easily understood by the unchurched. Understands the "psychology" or mentality of the unchurched.

Manages family well. Is one who:

Has a spouse who is a partner in the ministry according to her gifts. Models wholesome family life before the church and the community.    

Effectively Builds Relationships. Is one who:

Makes others feel secure and comfortable in his presence. Does not respond in a judgmental or prejudicial fashion to new people.

Committed to Church Growth. Is one who:

Appreciates steady and consistent growth without looking for "quick success." Is committed to numerical growth within the context of spiritual and relational growth.  

Responsive to the Community. Is one who:

Understands the culture of the community and collaboration. Adapts the philosophy of ministry to the character of the community.   

Utilizes the giftedness of others. He is one who:

Releases and equips people to do the task of ministry. Matches people with ministry needs and opportunities according to giftedness.

Flexibility and adaptability. He is one who:

Can cope effectively with ambiguity. Copes effectively with constant and abrupt change.

Building a cohesive church body. He is one who:

Quickly includes newcomers into a network of relationships or meaningful church activities. Monitors the morale of the people.

Resilience and Determination. He is one who:

Can ride the ups and downs.   Can rebound from loss, disappointments and failures.

Exercises faith. He is one who:

Believes in the power of God. His life is marked by expectation and hope.

If this sounds like you, maybe it is time for an interview assessment.

To request information about an Interview contact:

We are not a Funding Agency we are a Collaborative Network of Missionaries who are working for one another. We do not fund or give grants to church plants or church planters looking for funding.

We do give our Friendship, Love, Care and Prayers through partnership.

Contact: Teddy Awad
compasschapel@gmail.com
http://compasschapel.blogspot.com/
410-808-6483
Or call toll free 1-877-702-2GOD

Please review our Church plant proposal and ideas at our Blog for more detailed information and vision before contacting us:
http://compasschapel.blogspot.com/

Launch Team Member- Development of Movemental Christianity in Tampa Bay Area

Has A “Visionizing” Capacity. Is One who

Persuasively sells the Vision to the people and Believes in God’s capacity to accomplish great things.

Intrinsically motivated is one who

Has stick-to-itiveness and is persistent. Is a self starter and is willing to build from nothing.

Ability to create ownership of ministry. Is one who

Helps others to feel responsible for the growth and success of the ministry. Wins the commitment of the people to the Vision.

Ability to relate to the unchurched people. Is one who:

Communicates in a style easily understood by the unchurched. Understands the “psychology” or mentality of the unchurched.

Manages family well. Is one who:

Has a spouse who is a partner in the ministry according to her gifts. Models wholesome family life before the church and the community.

Effectively Builds Relationships. Is one who:

Makes others feel secure and comfortable in his presence. Does not respond in a judgmental or prejudicial fashion to new people.

Committed to Church Growth. Is one who:

Appreciates steady and consistent growth without looking for “quick success.” Is committed to numerical growth within the context of spiritual and relational growth.

Responsive to the Community. Is one who:

Understands the culture of the community and collaboration. Adapts the philosophy of ministry to the character of the community.

Utilizes the giftedness of others. He is one who:

Releases and equips people to do the task of ministry. Matches people with ministry needs and opportunities according to giftedness.

Flexibility and adaptability. He is one who:

Can cope effectively with ambiguity. Copes effectively with constant and abrupt change.

Building a cohesive church body. He is one who:

Quickly includes newcomers into a network of relationships or meaningful church activities. Monitors the morale of the people.

Resilience and Determination. He is one who:

Can ride the ups and downs. Can rebound from loss, disappointments and failures.

Exercises faith. He is one who:

Believes in the power of God.

His life is marked by expectation and hope.

If a few of these characteristics sounds like you and your family, maybe it is time for an interview.

To request information about an Interview contact:

Contact: Teddy Awad

compasschapel@gmail.com

http://compasschapel.blogspot.com/

410-808-6483

Or call toll free 1-877-702-2GOD

We are not a Funding Agency we are a Collaborative Network of Missionaries who are working for one another. We do not fund or give grants to church plants or church planters looking for funding.

We do give our Friendship, Love, Care and Prayers through partnership.

Please review our Church plant proposal and ideas at our Blog for more detailed information and vision before contacting us:

http://compasschapel.blogspot.com/

Knowing our identity

Knowing our identity in Jesus Christ is crucially important – a major key – to walking in ever-increasing spiritual victory.  You will struggle to one degree or another your entire Christian life if you don’t learn and believe WHO God the Father says you are IN Jesus Christ.

Any time a believer is in disagreement with what God says about them from the scriptures below, (there are more promises than what we’ve listed, by the way) they must quit believing the devil’s lies, and start believing what God’s Word says about them, which is Truth (Godly FACT!).  In so doing, one is waging wise, effective spiritual warfare against the devouring attacks of the devil against them.

1 Peter 5:8-9 alerts Christian believers: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings (attacks to devour your joy, peace and faith, in one form or another – explanation ours) are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

Our ongoing, daily confession of what God’s WORD says about us is one of the most vital means of "resisting the devil" God has given Christian believers.  If we don’t confess the promises of God, once we know what they are, it usually means we don’t believe them either…which only gives the devil greater influence in our lives.

Remember … Satan has little influence over the Christian believer when we refuse to believe his lies.  But if we do believe his lies, that gives him increased influence over us…giving him an opening to harass (oppress – devour) us in even greater measure. 

Another important note regarding the promises listed below.  These promises are ONLY given to us because of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross.  We must never think of ourselves as so "wonderful" or so "deserving" that God gave us His promises because we are worthy to receive them.  God makes it very clear in scripture that no human is worthy to receive the unfathomable riches He has given us in Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ alone is the only One worthy to receive God the Father’s eternal blessings, and once we come to agreement with that fact, it makes the eternal salvation Jesus Christ has secured and given us even more priceless! 

God forbid that any one of us thinks we deserve this priceless gift of eternal salvation and all the blessings that come with it through eternity.  We must always remember that what we really deserve is eternal punishment in hell because we are sinners.  Yet in God’s love and mercy, He provided a way…He provided an escape from eternal damnation.  The miracle of the exchanged life is our escape.  Jesus became our sin … so we could inherit His righteousness – His holiness.  Jesus took our punishment at the cross for our sins…so we could be freed from punishment. 

Arrogance and boasting about our exchanged life in Jesus Christ has no place for God’s people.  As believers in Jesus Christ, you and I are nothing but sinners saved by God’s grace.  That’s the first truth God wants us realizing.  But God says we are also something ELSE!  He says that in Jesus Christ, we are also Godly saints who occasionally sin now…but one day in eternity will never sin again! 

God has given us His promises of our position in Jesus Christ for at least two reasons that I’m aware of:

1)  To wage more effective spiritual warfare against demonic powers — actively applying the Ephesians 6:16 "shield of faith."
2)  To help us stay motivated to daily keep striving to live up to what God desires for us to become. 

What does God the Father desire that we become?  More Christ-like, in every way.  God wills it to happen, but it’s not going to happen by our just talking about it, or wishing it to happen.  It will only happen as we make Christ-like decisions.  That requires action on our part, doesn’t it?

Therefore, let the promises from God below be the "ammunition" to fire back at demonic powers firing their poisonous bullets (fiery darts) at you … using them wisely and appropriately for that reason, and secondly, use them as catalysts in striving to be more Christ-like:

---

IN and THROUGH Jesus Christ, this is what God the Father says about me …

• In Jesus Christ, God’s child for I am born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever.  I Peter 1:23
  

• Through Jesus Christ, able to endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:3
  

• In Jesus Christ, forgiven of all my sins and washed in His shed Blood. Eph 1:7; Heb 9:14; Col 1:14; I John 2:12, I John 1:9
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have eternal life.  John 3:36
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have passed from death into life.  John 5:24
  

• Through Jesus Christ, out of my innermost being will flow rivers of living water.  John 7:38
  

• Through Jesus Christ, the truth shall set me free.  John 8:31-32
  

• Through Jesus Christ, if I ask what God has promised, in Jesus name, He will do it.  (As long as it is the Father’s will for me, of course.  What we can miss in reading John Chapters 14 & 15 is that God desires above all things that we make it our number one purpose as Christians to strive to allow the Holy Spirit to grow Christ-like fruit in our lives. [See: Galatians 5:22-24 to know what these "fruits" are]. Because God above all else is looking for Christ-like character growth in our lives, we sometimes struggle wondering WHY God doesn’t grant us whatever we ask of Him. Though many will disagree with me, wh

  ich is their right, I have yet to find one ironclad guarantee in the Bible that will motivate God to answer every prayer I pray the way I want Him to answer it.  God desires that we have confidence when we pray to Him, but He also desires that we honor Him by our acknowledging that we accept however He responds to our prayers, simply because He’s the only one who knows all things, understands all things, and knows what is BEST for each of us at any given time, and for others we pray for).  John 14:14; John 15:7-8
  

• I am in Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is in me.  John 14:20
  

• In Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ, peace is mine.  John 14:27
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I am loved by the Father.  John 16:27
  

• In Jesus Christ, I belong to God.  I am His.  John 17:9
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am protected from the evil one. John 17:15  (As I implement Ephesians 6:10-18.  This is not to assume I am exempt from demonic attacks.  The Apostle Paul wasn’t, and he is the one the Holy Spirit used to write the book of Ephesians, among other Books where Paul speaks of the persecution of Satan he faced through the religious people who opposed Jesus.  The Apostle Peter also experienced spiritual warfare, which fully qualified him to write by unction of God the Holy Spirit:  "Be sober, be alert, because your adversary, the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."  [See: 1 Peter 5:8].  Peter is not writing this to the unsaved.  He is writing it to the Body of Christ, the Church – born again believers.  As the balanced counsel goes forth from mature believers: Christians are never to fear what Satan can do them, but neither are they ever to become complacent, nor ignorant of his devices and strategies to rob them of their peace and joy and life (love for God) in Christ Jesus).
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am being sanctified by the truth of God’s Word (as I believe it and obey it).  John 17:17
  

• I am in Jesus Christ and loved by the Father.  John 17:23
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have forgiveness of sins through Christ.  Acts 13:38; 1 John 1:9
  

• In Christ, I am among the called of Jesus Christ.  Romans 1:6
  

• In Christ, I am beloved of God, called to be a saint.  Romans 1:7
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have been justified by faith, and I have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 5:1
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am saved solely by God’s grace and the faith God gives me to trust Him for my salvation.  Beyond trusting, there is absolutely nothing I could possibly do to earn that salvation, nor must I ever think that I somehow deserve this salvation. Salvation is the gift of God, from God.  Ephesians 2:8
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have perseverance, character and hope, when I purpose to glory in my tribulations, (rather than constantly complain about them, or become angry and bitter at God for allowing them to happen to me, which is what demonic spirits serving Satan delights seeing happen to you and I!)  Romans 5:3-4 

• Through Jesus Christ, the love of God has been poured out in my heart through Jesus’ death.  Romans 5:5
  

• In Jesus Christ, I will eventually reign in life through the obedience of Christ Jesus to the Father.  Romans 5:17
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have been made righteous through the obedience of Christ.  Romans 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21
  

• Through Jesus Christ, because I have been given the righteousness Christ had and has, I now am commanded of God to diligently strive daily to live up to this righteousness that Christ secured for me.  (Not giving into temptations to sin, in other words, walking in obedience to the Word of Truth).  1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22

• In Jesus Christ, I died with Christ when He died.  Romans 6:2
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, because Christ rose from the dead, I have been raised from the spiritually dead to walk in newness of spiritual life through Christ.  Romans 6:4
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I no longer need to be a slave to sin, because God has given me His power in Christ to became a vessel to holiness and obedience.   Romans 6:6
  

• In Jesus Christ and through the strength and power of Christ, I AM an overcomer.  Philippians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
  

• In my own strength and own power, I can accomplish nothing that pleases God. John 15:5

• Through Jesus Christ, what I purpose to do daily is seek the help of the Holy Spirit to help me understand when I am sinning; help me understand why God doesn’t want me committing that sin; and then help me overcome that sin(s) in my life.  Romans 8:13 
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am not under law, but under grace.  Before Christ died for sinners on the cross, I was under the law.  To be saved, I was to try to obey t

  he 10 commandments (which the Bible says no one can do, though Christ did).  After Christ died for sinners on the cross, I was under grace.  Under grace, I no longer had to try to obey the 10 commandments to become saved, but rather, trust that Christ paid full penalty for all my sins, taking my full punishment for them.  And because I’m now under grace, I realize there is nothing to lose and everything to gain by my keeping the Ten Commandments, but without the resurrection power that is imparted to us in Christ and by the help of the Holy Spirit, we won’t be able to faithfully obey the Ten Commandments anyway for very long. Yet I must always remember lest the devil try to deceive me as the book of Galatians addresses, trying to keep the 10 commandments will not, and will never, save me from my sins, nor will it save anyone else.  Neither will restoring any daily sacrifice as was practiced in Old Testament times by the Jews save me or anyone else from my or their sins.  Romans 6:14; Galatians 5:18 
  

• I once was a slave to sin before I was saved, but now that I am secure in my salvation in Christ, I desire to be a slave of righteousness (addicted to righteousness; right-relationship with God, in other words).  Romans 6:18
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have now no condemnation because of who I am in Christ,   Romans 8:1
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have been set free from the law of sin and of death.  Romans 8:2
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have spiritual life in my mortal body through His Spirit who indwells me.  Romans 8:11
  

• In Christ Jesus, I am a child of God.  (When I wasn’t in Christ Jesus, I was a child of Satan).  Romans 8:16
  

• Through Christ, I am an heir of God and fellow heir with Christ.  Romans 8:17
  

• In Jesus Christ, all things are working ultimately together for my good, as I walk in God’s purposes and His will, in love. Romans 8:28; 1 John 5:3
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have been justified and glorified in the mind of God, and I now strive to walk in obedience to the Word of Truth to glorify the One (Jesus Christ) who secured my justification and glorification.  Romans 8:30
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have a measure of faith.  Romans 12:3
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have been given gifts, though I also know that I’m to desire supernatural gifts at all times imparted by the Holy Spirit, to glorify God.  Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 14:1
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I am to desire spiritual gifts, but diligently PURSUE love, because it was love that motivated and keeps motivating God to pursue me and you.  1 Corinthians 14:1
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, whether I live or die, I am the Lord’s.  Romans 14:8
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am a sanctified saint, (but living it out daily is a different matter, though it is God’s will that I eagerly strive to do so, with the help of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word!)  I Cor. 1:2
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have been given the grace of God.  I Cor. 1:4
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have been enriched in every way.  I Cor. 1:5
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am called into fellowship with God.  I Cor. 1:9
  

• In Jesus Christ, I qualify to be given wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. I Cor. 1:30
  

• Because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and my choice to identify with Him, I have been given God’s Spirit so I can understand what God has freely given.  I Cor. 2:12
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am God’s fellow worker, I am God’s field, God’s building.  I Cor. 3:9
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am a temple of God in which the Spirit of God indwells, though I also realize that I can grieve the Spirit of God by giving place to ongoing sin…disobedience…teaching false doctrine…twisting scriptures out of context and/or proper scripture application.  I Cor. 3:16; Ephesians 4:30
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am a holy temple of God I Cor. 3:17
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am one spirit with God’s Spirit, (though my flesh begs to differ far too often!)  I Cor. 6:17
  

• In Jesus Christ, my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in me, and because God says it is His temple, I strive to make it a holy temple daily through the help of Christ’s strength in me to walk in the Spirit rather than the flesh.  However, as a word of caution, no matter how much a person conquers areas of sin in their life, this is not, nor will it ever, be what saves them from their sins.  BELIEVING what Christ accomplished for us on the cross is what saves us.  Nothing less.  Nothing more.         I Cor. 6:19
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have been bought with a price, and I desire
  to honor God with my body, (which encompasses my spirit, my soul, and my physical body). I Cor. 6:20
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am Christ’s slave (though I’m not so arrogant nor naive to believe that my selfish and fleshly carnal nature has been stripped fully of its power to keep me from being a slave to it’s sinful desires, which is why I need to daily purpose to walk in the Spirit, so I don’t fulfill the lusts of my flesh).  I Cor. 7:22; Galatians 5:16-17
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I will be raised from the dead imperishable.  I Cor. 15:52
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I will put on immortality.  I Cor. 15:53
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am comforted by God, so I can comfort others.  2 Cor. 1:4
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am delivered from the peril of spiritual death, providing I’m willing to give my ALL to God in obedience to maintain my deliverance.  2 Cor. 1:10
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, He anointed me, and put His seal of ownership on me.  2 Cor. 1:22
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am a fragrance of Christ to God among both the saved and the lost, as I behave like Christ would behave.  2 Cor. 2:15
  

• In Christ, I am a letter of Christ being written.  2 Cor. 3:3
  

• Through Christ, I am a minister of the new covenant of the Spirit of life.  2 Cor. 3:6
  

• Through Christ, I am being transformed into the likeness of the Lord Jesus ever increasingly with glory from God the Father by the help of the Holy Spirit as I walk in obedience to His Word of Truth.  2 Cor. 3:18
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have received mercy, and do not lose heart through Christ who strengthens me and by the help of the Holy Spirit.  2 Cor. 4:1
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have the Holy Spirit in my body.  2 Cor. 4:7
  

• Through Jesus Christ, the life of Jesus is manifested in my body, as I diligently work in cooperation with the Holy Spirit to help me.    2 Cor. 4:10 See: Romans 8:13
  

• Through Jesus Christ, my inner man is being renewed day by day.  2 Cor. 4:16
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  2 Cor. 5:1
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I live by faith, not by sight.  (That is, I live by faith in God’s wisely applied promises in His Word, and any rhema word(s) God has imparted to me.  Otherwise I may be living by presumption and/or assumption without even knowing, which can give demons an open door to trip me up). 2 Cor. 5:7
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am a new spiritual creation; old things have passed away, and all things have become new.  2 Cor. 5:17
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am reconciled to God, and I have been given the ministry of reconciliation.  2 Cor. 5:18
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am an ambassador for Christ, imploring people to be reconciled to God.  2 Cor. 5:20
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am the righteousness of God.  2 Cor. 5:21
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have grace from God so I can abound in every good work.  2 Cor. 9:8
  

• In the love of God, I am Christ’s.  2 Cor. 10:7
  

• Through God’s love and mercy and grace, Jesus Christ is in me.  2 Cor. 13:5
  

• I am crucified with Jesus Christ, as the Apostle Paul was qualified to state, so I too in Christ want to be able to confidently proclaim this.  I no longer live but Christ lives in me, and the life that I live now, I live by faith in Christ."  Gal. 2:20 
  

• I am a son of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  Gal. 3:26
  

• I am one in Christ Jesus with all believers.  Gal. 3:28
  

• I belong to Jesus Christ.  I am an heir through Christ according to the promise.  Gal. 3:29
  

• In Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ, I am a son of God.  Gal. 4:6
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.  Gal. 4:7
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have grace and peace.  Eph. 1:2
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.  No matter how difficult life may have been for me up to this point, or how difficult it might get in the future … nothing changes the fact that I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.  Once I’m in "heavenly places," my faith will become sight – halleluiah!  Eph. 1:3
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am chosen in Him.  Eph. 1:4
  

• In and through Christ Jesus, I am holy and blameless in God’s sight.  Eph. 1:4
  

• I am a son through Jesus Christ.  Eph. 1:5
  

• In the beloved (Christ) I am accepted by God the Father unconditionally, which also means that I am loved unconditionally by God the Father in the beloved (Christ).  Eph. 1:6
  

• Through Jesus Christ I have redemption and forgiveness. Eph. 1:7
  

• Through Jesus Christ I have obtained an inheritance. Eph. 1:11
  

• I have been sealed in Jesus Christ with the promised Holy Spirit.  Eph. 1:13
  

• I am seated positionally with Jesus Christ in the heavenlies because of all that Christ accomplished for me by His going to the cross; fully realizing how secure I am in my relationship with God, but again, in and through Christ.  Eph. 1:20
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am loved by God, and because I am loved by God, I demonstrate my love for Him and others by earnestly striving to keep His New Testament (New Covenant) commandments.  Yet keeping God’s commandments does not motivate God to love me more.  In Christ, I have all of God the Father’s unconditional love.  Obeying God’s New Testament commandments will bring God’s increased favor one way or the other, not His love.  Eph. 2:4; 1 John 5:3
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have been made alive together with Christ.  Eph. 2:5
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have every right to feel confidently secure that I have been raised with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places.  Eph. 2:6
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have been saved from my sins by grace through faith — this salvation of His forgiveness for my sins is a gift of God.  Eph. 2:8
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I am God’s workmanship created for good works.  Eph. 2:10
  

• I have been brought near to God by the (shed) blood of Christ.  Eph. 2:13
  

• Jesus Christ is my peace because He is at peace with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and He IS peace personified.  Eph. 2:14
  

• Through Jesus Christ I have access in one Spirit to the Father.  Eph. 2:18
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am no longer a stranger and alien, but I am a fellow citizen with the saints.  Eph. 2:19
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am a fellow heir and fellow member of the body of Christ.  Eph. 3:6
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I am a fellow partaker of the promises of God.  Eph. 3:6
  

• In Jesus Christ and through faith in Him, we have boldness and confident access to God the Father.  Eph. 3:12
  

• Through Christ Jesus, I am strengthened with power through His Spirit in my inner man.  Eph. 3:16
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have a power source within me which is able to do abundantly beyond all that I ask or think.  Eph. 3:20
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have been given grace.  Eph. 4:7
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have been forgiven, so I forgive others through the strength (ability) Christ provides when I need it.  Eph. 4:32; Phil. 4:13
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am confident that He who began a good work in me will perfect it until the day (return) of Christ Jesus.  Phil. 1:6
  

• Through Jesus Christ, God is at work within me both to will and to work for His good pleasure.  Phil. 2:13
  

• Through Christ Jesus my Savior and Lord, I am a spiritual light in the world.  Phil. 2:15
  

• In Jesus Christ, the peace of God guards my heart and mind as I pray with thanksgiving in everything.  Phil. 4:6,7
  

• In Jesus Christ, I can do all things through Jesus Christ who
  strengthens me. (In accordance with the Father’s will, of course) Phil. 4:13
  

• In Jesus Christ, God shall supply all my needs (not necessarily all my wants) according to His riches in glory.  Phil. 4:19
  

• In Jesus Christ, the Father has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.  Col. 1:12
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of His beloved Son.  Col. 1:13
  

• In and through Christ Jesus, I have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.  Col. 1:14
  

• Jesus Christ is in me, the hope of glory.  Col. 1:27
  

• In Jesus Christ I have already been made complete, yet until I reach heaven, I’m to live UP to that completeness! Col. 2:10 
  

• In Jesus Christ I have been buried with Him in baptism.  In and through Christ I have been raised up with Him through faith.  Col. 2:12
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have been made spiritually alive together with Him.  Col. 2:13
  

• Through Jesus Christ, all my sin debt was paid in full at the cross.  Col. 2:14
  

• I have been raised with Jesus Christ, and I set my heart on things above (things that are most important to God).  I have died (to my carnal, fleshly sinful nature), and my life (whatever pleases the Father) is hidden with Christ in God. Col. 3:1-3
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of the Creator.  Col. 3:10
  

• I am rescued by Jesus Christ from the coming wrath of God that will be poured out upon Earth.  I Thess. 1:10
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am taught by God to love others (treat others the way I want to be treated, in other words).  I Thess. 4:9
  

• I will meet the Lord Jesus in the air and be with Him forever.  I Thess. 4:17
  

• I am loved by the Lord.  God has chosen me in Christ from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.  2 Thess. 2:13
  

• The faithful Lord will strengthen and protect me from the evil one because of who I am in Jesus Christ (but I must also use my Ephesians 6:10-18 weapons of warfare that God has given me to use…not to let them sit in some dark corner of a closet to collect dust.)  2 Thess. 3:3
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have been called to eternal life.  I Tim. 6:12
  

• Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind — which happens to be nothing less than the very mind of Christ.  2 Tim. 1:7; 1 Cor. 2:16
  

• The Lord has saved me and called me to a holy life, not according to my works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted me in Christ Jesus for all eternity.  2 Tim. 1:9
  

• I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day (He returns to earth) because of what God secured for me in and through Christ Jesus the Word.  2 Tim. 1:12
  

• Because of what Jesus Christ accomplished for me at the cross, The Holy Spirit dwells in me.  2 Tim. 1:14
  

• In His love for me, He has purposed to redeem me from every lawless deed and purified me for His own possession as I purpose to walk in obedience to His commandments, yet knowing full well I may fall short of doing that from time to time.  Titus 2:14
  

• The Holy Spirit has been poured out upon me richly through Jesus Christ my Savior.  Titus 3:6
  

• I have been justified by His grace in Christ and made an heir through Christ in having the hope of eternal life.  Titus 3:7
  

• Through the help of the Holy Spirit, I fix my thoughts on Jesus (what is important to Him), the apostle and high priest who I confess.  Heb. 3:1
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am a house of Jesus Christ.  Heb. 3:6
  

• I have become a partaker of Christ through the divine will of the Father.  Heb. 3:14
  

• As God has rested from His work, I have rested from my works (not trying to somehow be "good enough" to earn salvation (forgiveness for my sins), in other words, or be "worthy enough" to receive salvation), knowing that in Christ,

  I can feel secure that all the work necessary was accomplished by Christ on the cross to qualify me to stand in the presence of my Holy God this very moment without fear of eternal condemnation.  Heb. 4:10
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens.  Heb. 4:14
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have a high priest who can sympathize with my weaknesses.  Heb. 4:15
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I can approach the throne of grace with confidence, so I may receive mercy and find grace to help me in my time of need.  Heb. 4:16
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Although I realize that as long as I’m on this planet prior to Christ’s physical return, the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit will be ongoing in my life). Heb. 10:10
  

• Through Jesus Christ, my heart has been sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and my body washed with pure water.  Heb. 10:22
  

• Because of Jesus Christ, I have a great cloud of witnesses surrounding me who are also in Christ.  Heb. 12:1

• Because I belong to Christ Jesus, God disciplines me for my good that I may share His holiness (this is referred to as the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit).  Positionally, in Christ, I have already been made holy and righteous.  Because of that truth, I am now to pursue holiness and righteousness, seeking to imitate the character of Jesus Christ in every way – daily.  Heb. 12:10; 2 Cor. 5:21
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have received a kingdom which cannot be shaken, and I am thankful and worship God.  Heb. 12:28
  

• Because of the security I have in and through Jesus Christ, God will never desert me nor forsake me.  Heb. 13:5   (Although I realize I’m not exempt from God’s testing, and the test of feeling forsaken is perhaps the most difficult test to go through, though God strongly desires that we pass it.)  Heb 13:5
  

• Through the sacrifice Jesus Christ gave for my sins on the cross, I am made holy through Jesus’ own blood shed on the cross.  (Although I have not obtained a state of sinlessness either; until I receive my glorified body, I’m still fully capable of sinning). Heb. 13:12
  

• Jesus has equipped me in every good thing to do His will, working in me that which is pleasing in His sight because I have chosen to identify with Him.  Heb. 13:21
  

• In Jesus Christ, God generously and without reproach gives to me wisdom if I ask Him, but I must be patient to get it sometimes, and I must be willing to seek Godly counsel from others at times or it may not be given to me.  James 1:5
  

• In Jesus Christ, God has promised to me the crown of life when I persevere under trial.  James 1:12
  

• In His great mercy, I have been born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  I Peter 1:3
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have obtained an inheritance which can never perish, spoil, or fade away, reserved in heaven for me.  I Peter 1:4
  

• I am protected by the power of God through faith until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time because of who I am in Christ. I Peter 1:5
  

• Because He is holy, I am holy. (Positionally speaking, I am holy in Jesus Christ, which was given me as part of the eternal gift of salvation, accomplished on the cross for me by Christ.  Experientially, I  daily yield with the Holy Spirit to not give in to sinful temptation and believe lies about myself in Christ). 1 Peter 1:16
  

• I was not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  I Peter 1:18-19
  

• I have been born again in and through Jesus Christ, not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding Word of God.  I Peter 1:23
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a person for God’s own possession, that I may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called me out of (spiritual) darkness into His marvelous light.  I Peter 2:9

• In Jesus Christ, I am part of the family of God, and I have received mercy.  I Peter 2:10
  

• Through Christ Jesus, and by His wounds I am healed (the day He went to the cross for you and I and received the punishment for our sins), and have every right to trust Him for healing. This promise first addresses my Spiritual relationship with God, because our spirit man is what God is more concerned about than anything else – where we will spend eternity. 

• In Jesus Christ, I have been made alive in the Spirit.  I Peter 3:18
  

• The Spirit of glory and of God rests upon me because of who I am in Christ.  I Peter 4:14
  

• Through Jesus Christ, His divine power has granted to me everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.  2 Peter 1:3
  

• Through Jesus Christ, He has granted to me His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them I might become a partaker of the divine nature, purposing to escape the corruption that is in the world by lust.  2 Peter 1:4
  

• In and through Christ Jesus, I have been purified from my former sins.  (Any future sins I commit, I appropriate 1 John 1:9 and strive diligently to obey Romans 8:13 as I am temped to sin after that, yet fully realize that no one living on this planet obtains a state of perfect sinlessness – for any length of time that is – prior to receiving their glorified bodies at the resurrection of the just). 2 Peter 1:9
  

• If I confess my sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive me and purify me from all unrighteousness, but I realize that I’m also to repent of my sin(s), which means to diligently strive to stop committing that same sin(s) in the future.   I John 1:9
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am now a child of God.  I John 3:2
  

• Because I keep His commandments through the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, for the glory of God, and do the things that are pleasing in His sight, whatever I ask, I receive from Him. 
  As Christians, you and I have the privilege of claiming this promise. God wants us to be confident when we pray to Him 1 John 3:22

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Grace

Of Grace

 

"The believer is now, by faith in the Lord Jesus, shrouded under so perfect and blessed a righteousness, that this thundering law of Mount Sinai cannot find the least fault or diminution therein. This is called the righteousness of God without the law."

…As sound old Bunyan said

Romans 3:21-25

21But now the righteousness of God (1)apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22even the righteousness of God, (2)through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on (3)all who believe. For there is no difference; 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 (4)being justified (5)freely by His Grace (6) through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God set forth(7) [as] a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).
The most obvious and striking division of the Word of Truth is that between Law
and Grace…. It is vital to observe that Scripture never mingles these two principles.

Law is God prohibiting and requiring;
Grace is God beseeching and bestowing.

Law is a ministry of condemnation;
Grace is of forgiveness.

Law curses;
Grace redeems from that curse.

Law kills;
Grace makes alive.

Law shuts every mouth before God;
Grace opens every mouth to praise Him.

Law puts a great and guilty distance between man and God;
Grace makes guilty man nigh to God.

Law says "do and live";
Grace, "believe and live."

Law never had a missionary;
Grace is to be preached to every creature.

Law utterly condemns the best man;
Grace freely justifies the worst.

Law is a system of probation;
Grace, of favour.

Law stones an adulteress;
Grace says, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

Under law the sheep dies at the hand of the shepherd;

Under grace the Shepherd dies for the sheep.

Everywhere the Scriptures present law and grace in sharply contrasted spheres. The mingling of them in much of the current teaching of the day spoils both, for law is robbed of its terror, and grace of its freeness.

THE BELIEVER IS NOT UNDER THE LAW

Romans 6, after declaring the doctrine of the believer’s identification with Christ in
His death, of which baptism is the symbol (verses 1-10), begins, with verse 11, the declarations of the principles which should govern the walk of the believer-his rule of life. This is the subject of the remaining twelve verses. Verse 14 gives the great principle of his deliverance, not from the guilt of sin that is met by Christ’s blood, but from the dominion of sin-his bondage* under it. "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."

Lest this should lead to the monstrous Antinomianism of saying that therefore a godly life was not important, the Spirit immediately adds: "What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid" (Rom. 6:15). Surely every renewed heart answers "Amen" to this.

Then Romans 7 introduces another principle of deliverance from law. "Wherefore,
my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye
should he married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we
should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter" (Rom. 7:4-6). (This does not refer to the ceremonial law; see verse 7.)

A beautiful illustration of this principle is seen in a mother’s love for her child. The
law requires parents to care for their offspring and pronounces penalties for the willful neglect of them; but the land is full of happy mothers who tenderly care for their children in perfect ignorance of the existence of such a statute. The law is in their hearts.
It is instructive, in this connection, to remember that God’s appointed place for the tables of the law was within the ark of the testimony. With them were "the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded" (Types: the one of Christ our wilderness bread, the other of resurrection, and both speaking of grace), while they were covered from sight by the golden mercy seat upon which was sprinkled the blood of atonement. The eye of God could see His broken law only through the blood that completely vindicated His justice and propitiated His wrath (Heb. 9:4-5).

It was reserved to modernists to wrench these holy and just but deathful tables from underneath the mercy seat and the atoning blood and erect them in Christian churches as the rule of Christian life.

Should this meet the eye of an unbeliever, he is affectionate

ly exhorted to accept the true sentence of that holy and just law which he has violated: "For there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:22-23).
In Christ such will find a perfect and eternal salvation, as it is written: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom. 10:9); for Christ is "the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" (Rom. 10:4).

Christ Incarnate in the Culture?

Are we Going to engage our Culture?

In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and He was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make. Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it”. So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.” (John 1:1-5; 14 NLT)
…”having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim 3:5).

ARE WE STUCK ON LIVING Christian PRINCIPLES?

God never called us to to live by Christian principles. He calls us to live in relationship with the Living God, Jesus Christ. We are to literally live an incarnate life moment by moment. Asking God to help us when we fail to get up quicker than the last time we have failed. Incarnation living is to live life from not our own self or our own desires. Incarnation living is to represent in a bodily form Christ who is supplying our life from within as our source. When we embody Christ to those around us we are representing the pierced hands, feet, and speared side of Christ. We are helping people to the heart of God through in living form being who Christ is and all that he has done by Grace not representing oneself, we represent a Kingdom here on earth because Christ who is our King reigning and ruling from our hearts as a channel of His kingship to those of another kingdom. We make the subjective,objective and through having God’s interests, thoughts and feelings live them through our Human spirit that has been regenerated inwardly to outward representation of the Throne of God that is with in us now. When we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, who is our Source that has internally transfigured us from within. We are by every moment the reality of Christ to the world by manifesting the Glory from within our very lives demonstrate plainly, relevantly, and practically the bodily form of God upon this earth from our new hearts and new nature. Our new nature with in us was birthed from above and from within ourselves so it does not depend upon our own effort to have God be channeled or flows out from us. God the Holy Spirit is the Living Water that will flow through us to make obvious and apparent who God is and what He has already performed and accomplished. The unfinished work of God is to emerge the Finished work of God to the Lost and depraved world around us through our lives as we are the manifestation of the invisible God. We are the visible and external embodied truth of God for God’s Truth lives within us we can be the personification of Christ who has preeminence of our lives. This means that we live the personal qualities of God’s nature that lives within our new hearts and by our new Christly minds.

What is Incarnational Living ?

Incarnational living finds its source in the love and concern of God for His creation. God proved, in a real way, His care for humankind by becoming human being. It must be this love of God that embraces us and motivates us, in turn, to care for others.

Without giving up His divine character, Jesus became fully immersed within the culture of the people to whom He brought the excellent News. He was part of the culture, yet transcended it. He lived contentedly surrounded by the culture, yet was a representative of transformation. The incarnation is a difficult to comprehend and exist within the world of the un-churched culture. We must make the Great News culturally relevant to them, and take it into their world.

Outreach to the un-churched must consider the issues of incarnation by going where people go, and living in their world. The methods we use to reach them must be based upon developing authentic relationships that are living. We must model a lifestyle of Christ-likeness in the context of friendship and serving people as Christ has served us. The church must meet the needs of the un-churched within the world in which they live, instead of confrontational evangelism, practicing servant evangelism and living an incarnate life as living epistles that can be easily read, overflowing with the life of Christ from within as a follower of Christ.

Because Jesus is love incarnate, He chose to leave the glory of heaven and dwell among men. Think about this… God the eternal Son became man to dwell side by side with each of us that he created! Now we must prove through our lives that man can still dwell eternally side by side with God.

Incarnational living is not just about remembering an event in the past but the events of the future as well. We must come to realize that the best days are ahead of us, not behind. The Kingdom of God is just around the corner. We must stop yearning for the good old days and begin to look forward with joyous anticipation and excitement that the best is yet to come. God is yearning to be incarnate in your life…today and in all your tomorrows. The Kingdom of God is just ahead of us. It is time for us to look farther down the road. The fullness of His Glory is still yet to be revealed !!

Jesus, the God who became man, is our example. Without giving up His divine qualities, He nevertheless became fully immersed within the culture of the people to whom He brought the Great News. He was part of the culture, yet transcended it. He lived happily within the culture, yet was an agent of transformation. Are willing to be also agents of transformation today with our lives and engage culture.

Incarnate Defined:

Incarnate can be defined as:

To represent in or as if in bodily form; to embody: To represent in bodily or material form to include; to integrate: represent; materialize; externalize: make external or objective, to turn outward; To direct interest, thoughts, or feelings into a channel leading outside himself or herself. make external or objective, or give reality to, make manifest: To show or demonstrate plainly; reveal, exhibit, make plain, clear, obvious To make manifest or apparent to represent in or as if in bodily form: body forth Readily seen, perceived, or understood materialize : emerge To take physical form or shape. To cause to become real or actual , objectify: To make objective, external, or concrete, make external or objective, or give reality to, personalize: To take (a general remark or characterization) in a personal manner. To attribute human or personal qualities is to personify Make personal or more personal, personify: To think of or represent as having personality or the qualities, thoughts, or movements of a living being from within

One of the weaknesses of the Church today is that we preach and teach people principles without the relationship. We teach so much head knowledge and bible doctrine on one extreme or on another extreme share stories that contain little or no biblical truth nor how to apply it relevantly in practical Christian living through the Word of God. These extremes are so prevalent in the American or Western church that we have disengaged from the culture and put bars on our churches to keep the sick or those that don’t dress like us, act like us, talk like us, behave like us, or who really doubt and are just as skeptical as Apostle Thomas, which Christ came to seek and save out of the religion to bring them into a relationship. The church mostly has become institutionalized or become so established in organization it has lost its organic nature. The church is Christ’s Bride and is living we can try through religion t

o over program, make it consumer friendly, or become a movement of together through the organism of the Body of Christ here on earth. Instead it has become a refuge from the World, as an alternative to Changing the world by turning the World upside down by operating within the world but not of the world through living Christ incarnate to the lost and dying world.

The western church is big on ten step programs, “how-to” methods and acrostics to illustrate memorable ideas. There is a place for establishing principles to change negative behavior. However, we are not called to have a relationship with principles, but a living God. Living by principles is the equivalent to living by the law in the Old Testament. It is rooted in the Greek system of learning and is dependent upon our strength instead of being led and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Principle-based living is powerless living. This makes our Christian experience a religion instead of a relationship. “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law” (Gal 5:18).

We read about principle-based followers in the book of Acts, “The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people” (Acts 5:12-14). There was a group of followers who liked being taught but never entered the game. The prophet Jeremiah tells us about the nature of God and His desire for every believer.

This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

When are we Going to Engaging our Culture?

When the church embraces this mandate, how does it engage the culture around it? On the one hand, everyone within the church interacts daily with the culture in which they live. On the other hand, the church exists as a subculture that is out of step with larger Western society. We as the Church have tended to be reactionary rather than missional. We are known for building high walls around our churches and doing in-reach really well with programing our people like prisoners are programmed in institutions. We have our unspoken rules in the church, that sound like prison programing instead of freedom and Grace. This lack of missionary spirit has contributed to the churches mass marketing approach and consumerist culture. Every culture that has no missionary presence will eventually become a secular society. We are loosing ground every day with thousands of churches closing or declining in attendance rapidly. If we do not wake up and sound the alarm we will look around ten years from now and wonder what has happened to the CHURCH.

Instead of engaging the culture in which we exist, we have been prone to long for the return of 1954. Rather than incarnate the body of Christ within our present culture, we tend to stand against the culture and chastise the deterioration of society.

Should the church seek to be relevant to the culture in which it exists? On the one hand, the Church must always be distinct from the world in which it exists. We must, for instance, be distinct in the way that we treat one another, as our love for one another is a witness to the power of Christ within our community. On the other hand, we can not be the body of Christ incarnate to this culture if we do not become part of this culture. Christ came into our world and entered a particular time and place. So we as the church becomes Incarnational, the body of Christ manifested within the culture of our missionfield which is everywhere we are in the culture.

One might argue that the church should be wholly distinct from culture, that the culture within the church should be formed only by scripture. This argument would be stronger if it were possible for any church to remain distinct from its culture.

Friend, have you been guilty of living a life based on principles instead of knowing the One who authored the principles? Invite Jesus to be Lord over your life and begin to spend time with Him every day. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you through every moment of your day.

In His Grace Forever,
Pastor Teddy Awad, CMHP
Young Adult Crisis Hotline
and Biblical Counseling Center
410-808-6483
theodoreawadjr@comcast.net
http://yacrisishotline.tripod.com/
http://youngadultcrisishotline.blogspot.com/
youngadultcrisishotline@comcast.net

People are not perfect and neither is the Church!

According to research conducted by Lifeway and North American Mission Board, people seem to like Jesus, but not His church…

• Seventy-two percent of the people interviewed said they think the church is full of hypocrites.
• Seventy-one percent of the respondents said they believe Jesus makes a positive difference in a person’s life.
• Seventy-eight percent said they would ‘be willing to listen’ to someone who wanted

Here’s the church, and here’s the steeple, open the door and see all the people.

 
Is that what people actually think of the Church?

Is it a building with a bunch of people who use big words and have crazy doctrines?

The people are boring, the worship service is blah.

The sermon is condemning and you leave church feeling the same way you came, now condemned and a little confused.

Why do I even bother going in the first place?

Is this why people stay away from church?

All of these are vital questions for us together to honestly address our poor image as the church. Our image to the world around us. Our job is to bring the Bride home. We have been a great task, that is, a passionate love for the Bride of Christ, and the working with all our heart to bring her home and present her spotless and chaste. To this we give our lives, that Jesus Christ might be pleased with the one upon whom he has pledged His love. I believe we must work with the church of Jesus Christ, because the only way to do biblical missions is to through a biblical church. We must do everything according to Scriptures. It is true. The door is open more than ever before. I think about the countries that have not been reached, but if we are going to walked through the door, we must do it biblically. We must return to Scripture, not the methodologies of men. First, I want to talk about finding the church, in other words, stopping the slander. If you want to be endeared to me, then treat my wife with the greatest respect. If you want to be on my bad side, then slander my wife.

These references and stories below are not to slander the Bride of God. They are to Awaken us to the Gideon call to let God use you. The least expected person and filling it with the power of God as instruments of His Glory. We are just ordinary men and women who can lead the Revolution. The Cross-cultural revolution is burning in a few places. Let us find these places and become ablaze by the Word of Grace. The Grace Revival always begins when we look at ourselves with honesty and then repent when we are made aware where Grace is not working in our life. Look to Grace to do the work in our lives which will overflow to others. The revival will only come if the Bible is the explanation not human performance or man made solutions. Our Part is not to be critical abut God’s Bride, we are to make the changes necessary that we think need to be changed. I ask God is this just my opinion or is this your opinion Lord. If it is the Lord Jesus’s Opinion then I champion the cause of Christ. I place myself in the Flow of God and allow him to use me to make a impact in the church I attend.

I believe the church has a responsibility to be a shining light for the world to see, reaching out to those people who are lost (Philippians 2:15). The church should be the first source for those that need the love of God in their lives. But what is the driving force behind most young people’s attitude against the traditional church? Is it fear? Do they believe in God less now a days? Are they looking for answers instead of just  behavior modification?

It’s all too much when all God wants is just you.

I have talked to friends who don’t think they need to go to church to be a “Christian”. Many have been hurt by Pastors; they feel that they don’t know how to preach to their situations and problems or having to dealing with pre-marital sex, dating, drugs and peer pressure. Or they’re concerned with pastor’s begging for money, believing every time they come to church they’ll be badgered to open their wallets and give them something that folds not jiggles. Although this maybe true for some churches–meaning that it’s not the church for you–every church is different.

The one thing that is abundantly obvious to me is that church should be a place of worship. It should be a place that every one will experience the presence of God whether they realize it or not. It should be a place where you feel welcome. It should be a place where you feel at home. It should be a place where the refreshing Word of God is taught–not what the preacher saw happening in the hallway or some manmade doctrine, prohibiting makeup or pants. It should be a place where God is always present. It doesn’t matter what you wear. God wants your heart. Now if all of these things embody your church than you have a great church, if this is not the case, especially teaching the Word of God, then run, and run fast.

What does the bible say about going to church? Is this a must for “Christians” to attend a local church? I believe that it is essential as a believer to fellowship with others in a setting that allows you to grow in Christ (Hebrews 10:24-25) to be in an environment that is suitable for your personal growth. People are not perfect and neither is the Church. I think people forget that as children of God. We too have problems and situations that frustrate us, disappoint and even sadden us. The church needs to reestablish itself as place to build people up and not tear them down, there needs to be a new paradigm within the Church. Many churches have realized this, but many have not as well. They continue playing church and only reaching those that are in arms length, sitting in their pews.

Times have changed and the Church has to change right along with it, based wholly on God’s word.
I remember having this conversation while in college, concerning the problems with churches.  I learned about God, I learned His word, but I never learned to love this place called church. I learned that it was very ritualistic and some people believed in order to go to heaven you needed to go to church. Or in order to be a good “Christian” you had to be there every time the doors opened.

Now as a Father, I am overcome with the responsibility of teaching my children the value of being a “child of God” and not someone who goes to church every week. I want them to have a personal relationship with God that transcends the ideal of church and its doctrine and all that it entails. I want them to see the imperfection as well as the Godly attributes that people have. I want them to learn to study and read God’s word for themselves and not to wait for Sunday morning to hear the word.

For me, the Church is a place of fellowship, experiencing corporate worship in unity with other believers (Psalm 133:1). I don’t know about you, but I feel going to church is an important part of my walk and I don’t ever want to miss hearing a fresh new word, but I don’t feel guilty if I don’t make it every Sunday morning or Wednesday night, because the idea of church is not about the building, it’s the body of Christ as a whole, expanding His kingdom.

Do you want to expand HIS KINGDOM?????

Effective Biblical Counseling

 

1-877-702-2GOD

Everyone needs spiritual direction and Godly Counsel at some time in their lives. God did not make us to live totally isolated, independent lives one from another. God uses the analogy of sheep to describe us. Sheep are animals that need a lot of care. God is the Chief Shepherd, but He also appoints others under Himself to aid in the care of the flock.

There are specific situations where getting Godly Counsel is appropriate:

· When you face major decisions such as marriage, career choice, and spiritual direction.

· When you face crisis issues such as divorce, job loss, major or long-term illness, financial loss, the death of someone near, and physical, mental, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse.

· When you face unresolved conflicts such as in family relations, employer-employee relations, other social relations, church relations, and civil relations.

· When you face addictions such as substance abuse (drug, alcohol, nicotine, and food), sexual addictions, work, ministry, or entertainment addictions, and fantasy addictions.

· When you face uncontrolled negative emotions and thoughts such as fear, anger, jealousy, bitterness, hate, suicide, depression, doubt, and guilt.

· When you have difficulties with sleep such as needing excessive amount of sleep, getting too little sleep, or having nightmares and excessive daydreams.

· When you experience physical problems without a known physical cause.

· When you become spiritually unsure or confused about your salvation from sin, your relationship with God, your spiritual future, or living a proper spiritual life.

Which Counselor?

We should begin by understanding that there are various levels of counseling:

First, there is the friendship level. If you have a minor problem, you may go to a close friend for advice.

Second, there is the authority level. In certain situations you may seek the counsel of your parents, the boss, a pastor, a minister, civil or governmental authorities.

Third level is that of trained counselors. A trained counselor is someone who has specific training in the area of the problem that you are experiencing. God may work through all three of these levels.

There are also different general approaches to counseling. The sociologist will emphasize the importance of the influence of society as it molds the character of your life. The psychologist will emphasize the importance of "self" and the factors which influence "self-esteem". The psychiatrist will emphasize the importance of physical and chemical factors which influence your mental and emotional states. The biblical / pastoral counselor will emphasize importance of both the Living and the written Word of God and their influence upon your nature, character, and your inner life.

Effective Counseling

First, effective counseling is to be Jesus-centered. David declared, "Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory" (Psalms 73:24). He also stated, "There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD" (Proverbs 21:30). Therefore, in a general sense, all good Godly counseling must come from the LORD. Furthermore, the life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus must be the grounds for counsel. His life is our example. His death is our victory over sin. His resurrection is our assurance of new life. His ascension is our basis for victory over the enemy. The counselor’s only hope in counseling is for the Spirit to intervene in the life of the counselee. When the Spirit of God intervenes, miracles occur, and God changes our lives.

Second, effective counseling is to be Scriptural. Paul tells us that the Word is the basis for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in right living (II Timothy 3:16). David said, "Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors" (Psalms 119:24). The Bible is our instruction manual. It is our guide for life. Things go wrong when we fail to follow the manual. James declares that we are to receive the engrafted Word that is able to save our souls (mind, will, and emotions) (James 1:21).

Third, effective counseling is to be spiritually inspired. Solomon, in a dream, asked for wisdom, and God gave it to him (I Kings 3:9, 12). God also promises to give us wisdom. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5). Wisdom is the ability to see from God’s perspective. However, one must not only see from God’s perspective, one also must be able to communicate what God wants communicated. Therefore, one must be filled with the Holy Spirit. The counselor needs to be like Stephen. "And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake" (Acts 6:10). Good counseling should have Isaiah 11:2 as a motto.

Fourth, effective counseling should be discerning. The enemy may appear as an angel of light (II Corinthians 11:14). Therefore, the counselor should test the spirits (I John 4:1). 

Fifth, effective counseling should be judged for accuracy. Th

e Word says, "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14). There should be no "Lone Rangers" in counseling. Most counselors have some blind spots that are seen by others, but not by themselves. The enemy also is more likely to attack the lone sheep. Those in counseling should be willing to submit to counseling themselves if needed.

Sixth, effective counseling is mature. We should heed the warning from Scripture. Rehoboam turned the people of Israel against him because " . . . he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him" (II Chronicles 10:8). Mature counsel also knows when to feed milk and when to feed meat (I Corinthians 3:2 and Hebrews 5:12). Mature counsel has learned to discern between good and bad (Hebrews 5:14). Mature counsel is stable (Ephesians 4:13-14) and exemplifies the counsel of Christ. The result of spiritually mature counsel is that you learn the difference between what is right and what is wrong, repent, and receive freedom.

Seventh, effective counseling is progressive. God does not always answer us when we ask. "And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day" (I Samuel 14:37). Sin blocks the receiving of God-inspired counsel. Sin in your life also may block you from making progress. The counselor always desires that you make spiritual progress. However, when the counselor discovers a wall of resistance in your life, he may be unable to give the counsel that he would like to give until that wall is torn down. God may say, "Do what I have told you to do before I give you any more instructions." Christian counseling is to address the wall of resistance in love and with the authority of Grace.

Eighth, effective counseling is to be conviction based not naturally opinionated. My opinion is to be what God says in His Word, this takes time and maturity for an individual to have his opinions processed through the Cross of Christ and through God’s Word.  Paul said, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" (II Timothy 4:2). The primary reason that most people need counsel is that they, in some way, have not obeyed God or have not been taught to follow the Spirit. These are usually from independent effort to live by our own abilities in self-sufficiency and reject the grace of God, this to live off the mark and path of God’s will. Therefore, one must come to see the roots of sin before he can get very far on the road to recovery.

Ninth, effective counseling needs to speak the truth in love. The truth will convince individuals in their minds  and then cause a turning of their mind from one direction to another about the direction they are on. "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death" (II Corinthians 7:10). Paul declared that he had a clear conscience before God and man (Acts 24:16). Once one receives a clear conscience, he can see clearly to make a stand. David said, "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD" (Psalm 112:7). Paul declared, ". . . for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (II Timothy 1:12). He also exhorts us, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" (I Corinthians 15:58).

Tenth, effective counseling must be prayer-centered. The Christian counselor will begin the session with prayer. When Christian counselors pray, God often brings to the surface the real issues. When Christian counselors pray, you receive deliverance, healing, and direction for your life. When you pray you may receive forgiveness for your sins, eternal life, and confidence that God will continue to work in your life.

Eleventh, effective counseling must deal with the whole person (spirit, soul, and body). We need to realize that each of these areas is interrelated. Moreover, when spiritual issues are dealt with, the other areas are dramatically effected. John wrote, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" (III John 1:2). When you confess bitterness as sin and forgive the offender, then depression may leave and the symptoms of arthritis may also disappear. When you turn worry over to the Lord, then the confusion leaves and stomach trouble leaves.

The Whole Person Approach

Where does Whole Person Counseling get its name? The Bible speaks of the whole person as being spirit, soul, and body (I Thessalonians 5:23). The spirit pertains to the spiritual part of man and involves a relationship with God and other spiritual beings. The soul pertains to the psychological and social aspects and involves the mind, will, and emotions. The body pertains to the physical part and involves the senses of hearing, seeing, smelling,, and tasting, and feeling. Whole Person Counseling is based upon the concept that these three parts of man (spirit, soul, and body) have a profound influence, one upon the other. What we believe and what we think has an enormous effect upon our mental and emotional stability, our physical health, our relationships with others, and our overall degree of success in life. Therefore, Whole Person Counseling looks at the relationship between each of the parts of man, recognizing that counseling must deal with the Whole Person in order to have a positive, lasting effect upon one’s life. By God’s grace you may set each part (spirit, soul, and body) in its proper order and achieve victory over many of life’s most difficult problems.

CHOOSING A BIBLICAL COUNSELOR:

These suggestions can help you make wise decisions in choosing a biblical counselor:

A counselor should be someone who:

1. loves people, perseveres through tough times, and is confident that Jesus works in his needy people

2. believes that God’s Word is designed and provided by God to provide sufficient counsel for all of life’s issues (2 Pet. 1:2-4; Heb. 4:12; 2 Tim. 3:16-17)

3. gives clear evidence of a vital personal relationship with Jesus Christ

4. your pastor (or trusted Christian friend) believes would provide wise, biblical, loving, and faithful counsel

Steps you should take

1. Pray. Ask God for wisdom as you seek a Christian counselor. God promises to give you wisdom if you ask for it in faith (James 1:5-8). As you step out in faith, he will direct your steps to the right counselor. (See also Psalm 23, Proverbs 16:3 and Philippians 4:6-9.)

2. Seek counsel from your church. If you belong to a church, seek the counsel of your pastor (Heb. 13:17) and other church leaders, as well as wise, trustworthy Christian friends. Will they help you? Can they recommend someone who can? The Bible says there is wisdom in a multitude of counselors (Prov. 11:14; 15:22; and 24:6). If you do not belong to a church, seek the counsel of godly, Bible-believing Christians. They may be able to recommend wise and godly pastors who can help shepherd you.

3. Seek outside counsel, if necessary. In some cases, wise, biblical counsel might not be found in the leadership of a church. Or you may not belong to a church, so you are trying to find biblical counsel outside the church context. In these cases, the "Questions to Ask" in the next section can help you make a wise decision.

Questions to Ask
The questions below will help you get a clearer picture of what a counselor believes and how he or she conducts the counseling sessions. If possible, ask the prospective counselor these questions on the phone before any appointment. Otherwise, discuss them during your first meeting. The kind of counselor you will want is one who is humble and committed to the Scripture. He or she should have no problem helping you in this way.

Write down the counselor’s answers and explain that you would like to consider them before continuing with counseling. Then talk to your pastor, elder, or wise Christian friend about the counselor’s answers in light of God’s Word.

Ask your prospective counselor

1. How would you describe your approach to counseling? How do you understand people’s problems? How do you help them grow and change through counseling? Please describe the process.

2. What books or other resources do you recommend on a regular basis? What books have most influenced your approach to counseling?

3. Are you a Christian? How does your faith affect your view and practice of counseling?

4. Do you bring Christian truth into your counseling practice? How? What role does Scripture play?

5. Do you pray with those you counsel?

6. Do you attend church? If so, where? How long have you been a member?

7. What is your educational and professional background? What role does it play?

8. Are you married? Do you have children? Have you ever been divorced? How does your marriage and family situation affect how you counsel people?

Remember…
Counseling is an interactive process. It is established and maintained on the basis of trust. Open and honest dialogue between a counselor and a counselee is the most important component of building trust. If you cannot establish this foundation early on, so that you are confident that the counselor will be wise, biblical, loving, and faithful in your interaction, you may need to look elsewhere. If you find a wise counselor who uses God’s Word to help you grow in your Christian walk, your marriage and your family, Scripture says you will be blessed!

This page draws from material developed by CCEF’s David Powlison and Family Life Today of Little Rock, AR.

Relapse Prevention

 

Four emotions that cue relapse:

1. Resentments
   Repeatedly, we are reminded that holding onto resentments will lead us back into addiction. Resentments keep us focused on the negative and let others live in our heads rent-free. When we hold onto resentments, we eventually feel like others are controlling us. Our immediate response is that we then need to control others. Holding onto resentments is a loss of freedom, a loss of justice, a loss of self-will, and an act of self-destruction. Therefore it becomes bitterness which is a frozen resentment in or subconscious and unconscious mind in a form of a scar (unhealed wound).
2. Anger
   There is a difference between anger and rage. Anger is one of the four basic emotions that emerge from within us from infancy. The other three basic emotions are sadness, happiness and fear. Each of these basic emotions will be covered individually below.
   Anger is the feeling that comes from not having our basic needs met, being cornered or attacked, being violated, or unjustly having something taken from us.
   One of the big problems with anger is that many of us have never learned how to express healthy anger. Many of us were raised in alcoholic or abusive homes, where rage was a weapon of control. It was an emotion meant to impose control and engender fear in others. It was an emotion that was meant to inflict hurt, to create chaos, to start arguments that became the rationalization to continue to drink, gamble, or use drugs. Anger was used as a cover whenever more vulnerable feelings surfaced. The inappropriate use of anger is a classic example of the damage inflicted on children who grow up in an alcoholic home. Many of us experience tightened stomachs, get sweaty hands and underarms, start developing headaches, or feel a sense of insecurity whenever we hear voices raised, or hear individuals loudly disagreeing with each other. The immediate thought and reaction in such situations is that something bad is going to happen and someone is going to get hurt, quite possibly us.
   We feel insecure, we get headaches, we have an anxious feeling that runs throughout our bodies and we start thinking again about how unsafe we are. This vulnerability is similar to the vulnerability we felt as children, when we witnessed violence, or bore the brunt of violence (either verbal or physical). The all-or-nothing reaction kicks in automatically and we find ourselves filled with the same rage that, growing up, we hated in others.
   Today, we can change our experience with anger. Sharing with others in recovery allows us to experience the freedom of expression, followed by the capacity to leave things there or be propelled into positive and appropriate action. Compulsive people (alcoholics, gamblers, and drug addicts) tend to be thin-skinned, touchy, rebellious and suspicious. Think of how you respond yourself when someone comes on too strong. We all prefer the extended hand rather than the upraised fist.

1. Fear
   Fear is the second of the four primary feelings. It is a healthy feeling because it serves as a warning device when something is wrong or we are in some danger. But what happens when this warning device fails?
   Unfortunately, many of us were either physically and/or verbally abused in childhood. This experience of abuse results in either a hyper-vigilant screening of the world around us, or in a shutting down of healthy fear. This all-or-nothing approach to self-protection either leaves us totally isolated and guarded, or involved in risky situations and behaviors. We can see that this type of black and white approach to fear is not healthy and is one of the dynamics that lead to relapse.

We are tempted to back off from going to Fellowship, to stop sharing, to isolate from our friends. We start to believe we are safe only when we are alone. This aloneness is a trigger for relapse because, by definition, it leaves us with only our own isolated thoughts. It eliminates the “we” part of the program. On the other hand, we may suddenly find ourselves hanging around “old friends” with whom we used to drink or get high. We might find ourselves going to bars again, thinking, “I haven’t drunk in quite some time and, now that football season is here, I need a distraction from all this stuff”. We might find ourselves in relationships that are abusive or unhealthy for some other reason. Again, the flip side of the hyper-vigilance coin is to fail to protect ourselves at all.

We are taught to maintain “constant vigilance” in areas related to our recovery. This means going back to the basics with such things as avoiding HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) because we are likely to lose sleep over the tragedy, isolate, carry anger, and go without eating because we are preoccupied with worry. We need to accept being more vulnerable at this time. Each of us has times of the year when we are more vulnerable than others–anniversary of a death, a pending divorce, loss of a job. This disaster is also a time of vulnerability, and we may need to double up on meetings to take care of ourselves.
In recovery, we have the choice of how we deal with FEAR.

To F— Everything And Run or Face Everything And Recover.

1. Sadness
   We will undoubtedly feel deep sadness from the pain of loss and suffering from tragedy. What do we do with the tears? Will the sadness ever go away? What do I do if the sadness brings up other losses I have experienced in my life? These are all questions that surface when allowing sadness to emerge. Let’s look at them.
   What do we do with the tears? First it is important to remind ourselves that tears are healthy. Tears are healing. Tears are an expression of sadness that allows both us and others to know the depth of pain we are in at this moment. Some people are comfortable sharing tears in the company of others. Others are more private about their crying. There is no right or wrong–what ever you are comfortable with is fine.
   Will the sadness ever go away? When we are in the middle of crying it seems that the tears will never stop. However, they do not go on forever. We do not stay sad forever. The wisdom of the program comes into play here, in the teaching, “and this too shall pass”. All feelings are like waves that come onto a beach. They come in waves and then subside. The program teaches us not to run from our feelings. Many of us are not used to the intensity of a feeling, particularly when we’re early on in recovery. Remember, recovery is about change. If nothing changes, “nothing changes.”

What do I do if the sadness brings up other losses I have experienced in my life? It is c

ommon for many of us to have unresolved losses. We may have been using when a parent died and have never gone through the grieving process. We may have not grieved the loss of marriage? We may be cut off from our children due to our irresponsible behavior while in active addiction. It can re-stimulate a sense of confusion and despair about going on in life. It is important to remember that Jesus Christ does not give us anything we are not ready to handle. We don’t always get what we want, but we do get what we need. This sadness and re-stimulation of unresolved grief can be a gift and a stimulus to go to that next level in recovery. Perhaps you have noticed that you have “plateaued” or are “treading water,” and have been avoiding certain topics with your mentor. Taking this next step of addressing unresolved losses could open up many new avenues for a healthy recovery.

If you have significant sadness and/or re-stimulated unresolved grief there are some basic actions that will help. Here are a few:

• Put words to what you are experiencing, both on the inside and physically
• Take first things first, so that you counter feeling overwhelmed by doing the next clean and sober thing
• Restore hope and faith in whatever ways work for you
• Work to achieve balance in your responses, don’t catastrophize or minimize
• Pray and meditate on God’s Word
• Exercise, eat well and get extra rest

Look into all four domains of relapse prevention: spiritual, mental, social, biological.

Am I meeting my spiritual needs through prayer, meditation, worship, and reading?

Am I meeting my mental needs through reading, writing, learning, and exploring meaningful ideas?

Am I meeting my social needs by having family and friends who support, encourage, and exhort me on a regular basis?

Am I meeting my biological needs by eating live foods, sleeping soundly, exercising regularly, etc.?

Mental Relapse

Different behaviors that cause

Irrational Thought and Mental Relapse:

1) CLOSED-MINDED:

Also called selective editing, selective attention, selective perception, selective abstracting, specific abstracting, mental filtering, mental editing, preferential selection, a cognitive bias, impaired abstract reasoning, ignoring, tunnel vision, being in a closed system, being closed to investigation or examination, "taking things out of context," "having blinders on," "seeing through rose colored glasses," "tailoring the facts to fit," "hearing only what you want to hear," and "seeing only what you want to see." This is the choosing of only some of your cognition’s for conscious processing, and, usually, just the good or just the bad. It can be basing the whole on only one or a few details while ignoring more important or other existing facts. For example, you may have a negative bias. Thus, you find the negative, the fault, the error to focus on, so that you can maintain your negative evaluations. Twenty good things may have happened, but you consciously notice only the one or two negative things. Or you may be Pollyannaish and notice only the few good things while ignoring the many bad.

2) DISCREDITING:

Also known as discounting, disqualifying, disconfirming, minimizing, undergeneralizing, the "binocular trick," being myopic or shortsighted, "missing the big picture," and "missing the forest for the trees." This is the error of reducing a lot of evidence to a little. For example, we can do this when we deny our compliments, achievements, and good qualities. Or, when we deny our faults, failings, and frailties. It is the error of under regarding the relative significance of events. Its opposite is dramatizing. Instead, consider other views.

3) DRAMATIZING:

Also known as magnifying, exaggerating, awfulizing, catastrophizing, sensationalizing, "making the news newsworthy," "taking things too seriously," "making a federal case out of it," "blowing things out of proportion," and "making mountains out of mole hills." It is "missing the trees for the forest," "seeing only the big picture," or being presbyopic or hypermetropic. Catastrophizing occurs when you make too much of an event, and imagine doom and gloom as the result of it. For example, you may believe that some insignificant error of yours will cause you to be fired. We can also sensationalize events to be good omens, harbingers of good fortune when they are no more than ordinary events. For example, you may believe that some small thing you did well will get you promoted. It is the error of over regarding the relative importance or meaning of evidence or events. Its opposite is discrediting. Instead, reality test the predictions. Keep track of their accuracy.

4) JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS:

Also known as mind reading, fortune telling, assuming, just guessing, making arbitrary conclusions, making an invalid extrapolation, and making an arbitrary inference. It is the making of an inference about something that has little or no evidence to support it. We may assume that something is going to occur only to find out later that it had little or no chance to. It is making conclusions without much data to support them, and even in the face of greater contrary evidence. Instead, try other perspectives.

5) ONE-WAY-OR-THE-OTHER:

Also called absolutistic, extremist, dichotomous, polarized, dualistic, judgmental, linear, one-dimensional, pigeonhole, either-or, all-or-nothing, and black-or-white thinking. It is thinking in categorical extremes, placing all of experience into one of two categories. Extremist thinking can be characterized as the intolerance of ambiguity. It leads to the narrowing and constricting of thought pathways, and is the insistence of categorizing everything into extremes, into opposites, into one end of some continuum. The middle ground and-or the majority of
instances are not recognized. Instead of percentages it believes only in absolutes. Absolutes do occur, but not nearly as often as combinations of them or variations on them. Instead use both-and thinking. Often both ends of a continuum can be applied to the same event, and also additional information. Things can be good, neutral, bad, or mixes of each. Rarely is something a total loss, a total failure. Stop pigeonholing and instead note or use the following: gradations in between, moderate, intermediate, middle ground, intermediate range, some of the time, most of the time, but not all of the time, often, a few times, sometimes, a few times, partially, continuous dimensions, shades of gray, not discrete categories, on a continuum, relative rather than absolute standards, complexity, variability, diversity, bell curve, normal curve.

6) OVERGENERALIZING:

Also called global, broad, nonspecific, diffused, vague, and all-inclusive thinking. This is the error of taking a little evidence to be the proof of a lot of things: all-izing. It is the making of a general rule based only on isolated incidents, only on limited personal experience. For example, you may judge your or another’s behavior as always being inadequate if it was only a few times or even just once in the past. The classic examples are racism and sexism, for example, "All men are unfeeling brutes." Overgeneralizations are general conclusions about all situations based on a limited and unrepresentative sampling or polling. Instead, recognize the individuality and uniqueness of people, places, and things. Your experience alone is too little and too narrow to use to make rules, laws, standards, and definitions for most things. Walk a mile is someone else’s shoes.

7) PERSONALIZING:

Also known as being overly subjective, self-centered, the egocentric error, "taking things too personally," "can’t see past your nose," and having false ideas of reference. This is the self-centered activity of taking events to have personal meaning when they do not. It is the self-referencing of events, the connecting of events to yourself when there are no real connections. For example, you may overhear a conversation and assume it is about you. Or you may think the weather is plotting against you. Instead, learn to take ego out of the picture. People are reacting to a lot more in life than just you! Get out of yourself and into action.

Inward Transformation

 

Stages of  Inward

Transformation

It is important to remember that you can be at different points in Inward Transformation for different issues. That is, you may be further along with one problem than another. Also, please remember not to let one problem that you are either not ready to deal with or are discouraged about stop you from receiving help for others you are willing to face.

 

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise."–Proverbs 12:15

Releasing feelings only reinforces feelings.

1. Unaware of need for Inward Transformation

2. Aware of need for Inward Transformation

3. Consider Inward Transformation

4. Decide against Inward Transformation

5. Decide for Inward Transformation

6. Motivated to seek Inward Transformation

7. Seek Inward Transformation information precisely in God ‘s Word

8. Seek Inward Transformation resources

9. Discouraged about seeking

10. Stop seeking: Inward Transformation is short-circuited

11. Motivated to persevere with Inward Transformation

12. Make plan for Inward Transformation

13. Mentally motivated to work plan for Inward Transformation

14. Work at Inward Transformation plan mentally

15. Discouraged about working mentally

16. Motivated let God to finish plan of his Work of Inward Transformation

18. Inward Transformation occurs

19. Motivated to let God maintain Inward Transformation

22. Motivated to prevent relapse with God’s Word

23. Seek relapse information precisely in God’s Word

24. Make relapse prevention plan

25. Rethink with rational thoughts a maintenance plan

26. Discouraged about working rationally

27. Stop thinking rationally: Inward Transformation is short-circuited

28. Relapse: temporarily halt Inward Transformation

29. Motivated to recover Inward Transformation

30. Apply relapse plan

31. Recover Inward Transformation

32. Motivated to maintain Inward Transformation

33. Revise maintenance plan (e.g., include more motivation)

34. Revise relapse plan if needed (e.g., add new resources)

35. Work at revised maintenance plan

 

Discouragement

I Got this devotion from a Rick Warren Devotional.

Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, ‘The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!’ So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. Neh. 4:19-21 (NIV)

Discouragement is a disease unique to human beings, and it’s universal – eventually everyone gets it, including those in ministry. I have no doubt you’ve experienced discouragement at times, maybe many times. You might even be discouraged at this very moment.

So here’s what I’ve learned about battling discouragement:

WHAT CAUSES DISCOURAGEMENT?

#1 Cause – FATIGUE

When you’re physically or emotionally exhausted, you’re a prime candidate to be infected with discouragement.  Your defenses are lowered and things can seem bleaker than they really are.  This often occurs when you’re halfway through a major project and you get tired. This also can occur after great accomplishments where you know that God used you individually.

#2 Cause – FRUSTRATION

When unfinished tasks pile up, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed.  And when trivial matters or the unexpected interrupt you and prevent you from accomplishing what you really need to do, your frustration can easily produce discouragement. Frustration root because is fear, when we are living in fear we are not living in Faith. Only faith pleases God so we feel overwellmed and discouraged from our own fears that has slowly replaced our faith.

#3 Cause – FAILURE

Sometimes, your best laid plans fall apart – the project collapses – the deal falls through – no one shows up to the event.  How do you react?  Do you give in to self-pity?  Do you blame others?  As one man said, Just when I think I can makes ends meet – somebody moves the ends! That’s discouraging!

#4 Cause – FEAR

Fear is behind more discouragement than we’d like to admit.  The fear of criticism (What will they think?); the fear of responsibility (What if I can’t handle this?); and the fear of failure (What if I blow it?) can cause a major onset of the blues. when we are living in fear we are not living in Faith. Only faith pleases God so we feel overwhelmed and discouraged from our own fears that has slowly replaced our faith.

WHAT’S THE CURE FOR DISCOURAGEMENT?

There’s a fascinating story in the Bible about how a guy named Nehemiah mobilized the residents of Jerusalem to build a wall around the entire city.  Half way through the project, the citizens became discouraged and wanted to give up – because of the FOUR causes I’ve given. 

Here’s what Nehemiah taught about defeating discouragement (Nehemiah 4):

REST YOUR BODY

If you need a break – take one!  You’ll be more effective when you return to work.  If you’re burning the candle at both ends, you’re not as bright as you think!

REORGANIZE YOUR LIFE

Discouragement doesn’t necessarily mean you are doing the wrong thing.  It may just be that you are doing the right thing in the wrong way.  Try a new approach.  Shake things up a little.

REMEMBER GOD WILL HELP YOU

Just ask Him.  He can give you new energy.  There’s incredible motivating power in faith.

RESIST THE DISCOURAGEMENT

Fight back! Discouragement is a choice.  If you feel discouraged, it’s because you’ve chosen to feel that way.  No one is forcing you to feel bad.  Hang on!  Do what’s right in spite of your feelings.  No feeling lasts forever.

Recommended Site :

http://www.gracewalk.org/

Addictions Are About Behavior

Addictions Are About Behavior, Not Disease

When it comes to thinking about addiction, opinions converge. Having bought into the addiction industry’s mantra, so-called social progressives But perhaps the greatest error made in the attempt at humane formulations about addiction is to cast as a disease what is essentially a problem of behavior.

The dangers of gathering more and more behaviors under the disease label is not something pharmacology moguls, politicians or health care professionals ruminate about, despite the ramifications for a society already committed to a morality lite and to diminished personal responsibility. In his book Diseasing of America, addiction researcher Stanton Peele breaks with this tradition. Disease conceptions of misbehavior are bad science and morally and intellectually sloppy, argues Peele. "Once we treat alcoholism and addiction as diseases, we cannot rule out that anything people do but shouldn’t is a disease, from crime to excessive sexuality to procrastination."

While the application of the medical disease model to addictions was developed to "remove the stigma from these behaviors", there is NO genetic marker for alcoholism or drug addiction. Still, the misconception that these behaviors are linked to a genetic vulnerability is aired repeatedly by the media, in the absence of evidence. The rationale for using the disease model to describe addiction even though it is intellectually dishonest is that medical treatment is effective.

Yet another deception. An overview of controlled studies indicates that "treated patients do not fare better than untreated people with the same problems." Of note is a 4500-subject-strong 1996 US epidemiological study conducted by the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiological Survey. Treated alcoholics, it was found, were more heavily alcohol dependent on average than untreated alcoholics. Clearly a behavioral problem cannot be remedied by medical intervention. Addicts are cured when they decide to give up the habit.

The disease conception of addiction acts to isolate the noxious behavior from the person. Thus when we claim that drugs, much like the flu, "get a hold" of you, we conveniently deflect from that which mediates behavior: personality, values, character or lack thereof. Once someone becomes involved with drugs, we explain everything they do by saying it was due to the drugs, forgetting, in the process of this circular argument, that the source of the addiction is the person and not the drug. An honest look at drug-use means we cannot separate it from the person.

As Peele explains, addictive disorders are known only by the behaviors they describe. In the absence of the ongoing behavior there is no way of telling whether the person is, or will be addicted. "By claiming that alcoholics are alcoholics even if they haven’t drunk for fifteen years, alcoholism is made to seem less tied to drinking behavior and more like cancer," but "a person does not get over cancer by stopping a … behavior"… while "the sole and essential indicator of successful remission of alcoholism is that a person ceases to drink".

Any overdue blitz of the disease theory of addiction owes a great deal to Stanton Peele. So, here is an interview conducted with the author of Diseasing of America (1989). A psychologist and an attorney, Peele is an addiction expert with an international reputation. The author of 120 articles and eight books about chemical and relational addiction, Peele is a recipient of the Mark Keller Award from the Rutgers Center for Alcohol Studies, and the Lindesmith Award for Career Achievement in Scholarship from the American Drug Policy Foundation.

Q: Dr. Peele, do you believe addiction is a disease?

A: No. Most emphatically not. It has become the style to call negative behaviors, which people often experience as compelling motivation, "diseases." As though nail biting, overeating, and wife beating were like the malignant growth of cancer cells. Many self-defeating and anti-social behaviors have a common thread. People engage in them because they feel degraded and disapproved of, which feeds into their motivation to continue the negative behavior. But how ultimately do people stop drinking too much, overeating, and biting their nails? They feel, internally, that the balance of their desires and rewards is not to act this way; people make positive choices when they feel they have the opportunity to engage -and are supported – in more positive choices. The toughest addiction to quit is smoking. Right now about 50 million Americans have quit smoking, over 90% without a patch or formal therapy.

Q: How have we progressed to thinking about addiction as a disease?

A: We have developed a faith in medical advances that is steeped in the legend of the "microbe hunters", the generation of researchers and physicians who identified the bugs that cause many of the major killers of humans. This worship of medicine has become a fetish in North America.  If we can describe a malady in medical terms, we feel we have somehow conquered it. Yet with psychological disorders and problems of behavior, namely addictions – such labeling and accompanying medical mumbo jumbo have not led to improvement in treatment outcomes. In many ways, turning our sense of ourselves over to medicine seems to be making things worse. Surveys repeatedly confirm that a generation of education about addiction has led to people’s spiraling out of control now more than ever.

Q: What is the science on which the disease proponents of addiction base their demand for considering addiction a disease?

A: There is no inherited mechanism that leads a person to be unable to control their substance use, to go on tremendous binges, or to leave off their connection to people and environments in order to consume a substance. Genetic theories, being the modest things they are, can never explain the experience of loss of control. An overview of the research on alcohol and drugs NEVER supports the wild claims made by some proponents of the disease model. These claims reflect fundamentally antiscientific attitudes and a lack of understanding of the confluence of human motivation in response to experience, biology and external stimuli.

Consider this example: A 1996 headline in The New York Times, declared that brain images of addiction in action show its neural basis. The article reviewed research showing that many different drugs — namely heroin, alcohol, amphetamines or nicotine — activate common neural pathways.  Its author surmised that these drugs bathe the neurons at these sites so as to reduce natural supplies of dopamine, and thus stimulate a craving for more of the drugs to compensate for this depleted supply of the neurotransmitter. And this was taken to mean that addiction is purely brain driven.

In my critique of this folly I explain that a wide range of activities stimulate the same pleasure centers in the brain — including sex, eating, working, consuming chocolate. This should alert us to the fact t

hat these brain theories tell us nothing about differences in behavior, let alone addiction. Apparently, stimulation of a pleasure center is only one small component in the entire addiction syndrome. Moreover, if any activity can be pleasurable — from work, to sex, to parenting and so on — identifying activities as stimulating the pleasure center fails to explain why people find different things pleasurable and why different people react in destructive, addictive ways to some of these things, while others incorporate them into a balanced overall lifestyle.

Peele’s position is at odds within the drug reform movement. He is a proponent of harm reduction policies such as needle exchange, but is a strong opponent of a treatment industry that relies, for the most, on coercing addicts into rehabilitation.

Goals

 

Goals provide direction in your life and nurture your motivation

1. The purpose toward which an endeavor is directed.

2. The specific target towards which is an objective

3. An objective or desired outcome

DEFINE YOUR GOALS

Develop a written plan of your purpose in life. If an individual has no purpose in life they will lack the significance of motivation and when they lack motivation hopelessness is the result. When God created us, he created us with purpose, destiny, significance, and a sense of belonging. Then why do I feel empty, like there is a huge void that I am attempting to fill with other things, but God. This is because we were created to belong to God. We also were created to have a free volition or will, we have chosen to walk in independence from our source of life. Living naturally instead of spiritually is a choice. Independence comes from self-sufficiency and self- reliance. Our source thereby becomes our own self instead of God. This is what I Call the God shaped soul in our soul.

 

Joshua a five-point strategy

God gave Joshua a five-point strategy

1. Be clear in your direction.

In the first four verses of Joshua 1, God specifically outlines when and where Joshua is going. He knew exactly what God wanted him to do. If you’re going to be a leader that God can use, you must first be clear in your direction. We all need a goal, a dream. But those goals must be clear and specific. Nothing becomes dynamic until it becomes specific. And the more specific you are in your direction, the more you’ll find a magnetic pull that’ll take you along.

2. Be confident in your desires.

Once you know the direction that God wants you to take, you must have the confidence to move ahead. You can’t doubt what God’s called you to do. Doubt is the opposite of faith. The Bible says, “Whatever is not of faith is sin.”

Once you’ve set your goal the devil will get you to start questioning it. Is this really God’s will? What if I’m wrong? Do I really deserve this? Am I just being selfish or prideful?

Evidently this was a real problem for Joshua. He lacked confidence. He felt inadequate in his leadership. Sound familiar? I’ve identified with Joshua many times. God had to keep giving Joshua a pep talk. Four times in Joshua 1, God says, “Be determined and confident.”

Why? It isn’t the obstacles that keep you in the desert. It’s fear. Fear keeps you from being all that God wants you to be. It’s fear that keeps your church from growing how God wants it to grow. You must be confident in your desires.

3. Be committed to your decisions.

Once you’ve started, don’t look back. Joshua 1:9 says “Do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” God says stick with it. To be a success in life, you must outlast your critics. An oak tree is a little nut that refused to give its ground. Commitment is a key to accomplishment. If you don’t have commitment to your ministry, you’ll never finish anything.

What are you committed to? What are you willing to die for? Many people in your church are afraid to commit to anything. They begin one job and when it gets tough, they switch to something else.

When high achievers make a decision, they die by it. You can’t just jump across a canyon with several baby steps. You have to commit yourself to your goal. If you’re going to cross a canyon, you’ve got to go for it with gusto. It won’t work until you commit to making it work.

4. Be corrected by your defeats.

1. In chapter 1, verse 7, God tells Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Be careful to obey all the law. Don’t turn from it to the right or to the left that you may be successful wherever you go.” He tells Joshua not to get sidetracked. When you have a failure, get back on track. Let God’s Word help you reorganize your ministry and your priorities. Mistakes are a part of life. You’re not perfect. The pencil eraser industry was built on your mistakes. If there weren’t such things as mistakes, we wouldn’

t have any need for erasers.

The difference between successful and non-successful people is not that successful people don’t fail. They do. It’s just that successful people learn from their failures. Corrections after defeats are the key to the future. Thomas Edison once said, “Don’t call it a failure; call it an education.” At Saddleback, our staff is highly educated! We’ve done more things that didn’t work than did. We’re not afraid to admit it when we’ve made a mistake and to learn from it. The road to success is paved with failure. But we’ve learned from those failures.

Joshua did too. Remember the story of Ai, the little dinky town that the Israelites came upon after their great victory at Jericho. They’d just taken on the greatest, most fortified city in the land (Jericho) and God had given a tremendous victory. They were getting a little confident and cocky. Then they began to presume upon God’s grace. When they had to take the little city of Ai, Joshua said, “Go out with a small battalion of troops.” They went out and were absolutely wiped out. When the news came back to Joshua, he threw himself onto the ground and prayed. He asked God what happened.

God tells him to get up, dust himself off, and get the sin out of the camp. Don’t just pray – do something. They later discovered that Achan had stolen three things even though God had said not to take plunder. Because he hid those things, his sin was causing the entire camp to suffer.

But Joshua had to discover the problem and take appropriate action. He learned by his defeats.

5. Be conscious of God’s dependability.

God promises enormous benefits in his Word as we trust him and follow him. Joshua 1 is full of God’s promises. He specifically promises Joshua four things:

a. Power: In verse 5 God says, “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses so I will be with you. I will never leave you or forsake you.” God tells Joshua to trust him and he’ll provide all of the power he could ever need.

b. Protection: He tells Joshua that nothing can harm him. In verse 5 he says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” He’ll be with him always and protect him.

c. Prosperity: God says in verse 8 “Don’t let the book of the law depart from your mouth. Meditate on it day and night. Be careful to obey everything written in it. Then you’ll be prosperous and successful.” Prosperity is being everything God wants you to be, having God’s blessing your life, and using the talents he has given you. God guarantees that you’ll have more than you need if you trust in him.

d. Presence: That’s the best promise of all. In Joshua 1:9 God says, “I will be with you wherever you go.” Many times I’ve felt lonely in ministry, but God always gives me a new sense of his presence when I trust him.

Quotes on Goals

George Shinn: Goals Quotes
There is no such thing as a self-made man. You will reach your goals only with the help of others.

Scott Reed: Goals Quotes
This one step – choosing a goal and sticking to it – changes everything.

Orison Swett Marden: Goals Quotes
We advance on our journey only when we face our goal, when we are confident and believe we are going to win out.

Maxwell Maltz: Goals Quotes
We are built to conquer environment, solve problems, achieve goals, and we find no real satisfaction or happiness in life without obstacles to conquer and goals to achieve.

Henry David Thoreau: Goals Quotes
We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal and then leap in the dark to our success.

Zig Ziglar: Goals Quotes
What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.

Nido Qubein: Goals Quotes
When a goal matters enough to a person, that person will find a way to accomplish what at first seemed impossible.

Napoleon Hill: Goals Quotes
When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.

Greg Anderson: Goals Quotes
When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing — then we truly live life.

Denis Waitley: Goals Quotes
When you are in the valley, keep your goal firmly in view and you will get the renewed energy to continue the climb.

Les Brown: Goals: Motivation Quotes
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

Edgar A. Guest: Goals: Motivation Quotes
You are the person who has to decide. Whether you’ll do it or toss it aside; you are the person who makes up your mind. Whether you’ll lead or will linger behind. Whether you’ll try for the goal that’s afar. Or just be contented to stay where you are.

Les Brown: Goals: Motivation Quotes
You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change.

Mark Victor Hansen: Goals: Motivation Quotes
You control your future, your destiny. What you think about comes about. By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be. Put your future in good hands – your own.

Tracy Brinkmann: Goals: Motivation Quotes
You must have an aim, a vision, a goal. For the man sailing through life with no destination or "port-of- call’, every wind is the wrong wind.

Les Brown: Goals: Motivation Quotes
Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life.

Ralph Marston: Goals: Motivation Quotes
Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality.

Bo Jackson: Quotes about Goals
Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.

Tom Landry: Quotes about Goals
Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.

Herodotus: Quotes about Goals
Some men give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal; while others, on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than ever before.

Paul J. Meyer: Quotes about Goals
Success is the progressive realization of predetermined, worthwhile goals.

Mack R. Douglas: Quotes about Goals
The achievement of your goal is assured the moment you commit yourself to it.

Brian Tracy: Quotes about Goals
The most important key to achieving great success is to decide upon your goal and launch, get started, take action, move.

Francie Larrieu Smith: Quotes about Goals
The most important thing about motivation is goal setting. You should always have a goal.

Cecil B. De Mille: Quotes about Goals
The person who makes a success of living is the one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly. That is dedication.

Denis Waitley: Quotes about Goals
The secret to productive goal setting is in establishing clearly defined goals, writing them down and then focusing on them several times a day with words, pictures and emotions as if we’ve already achieved them.

Edgar A. Guest: Quotes about Goals
The timid and fearful first failures dismay/ but the stout heart stays trying by night and by day/ He values his failures as lessons that teach/ The one way to get to the goal he would reach.

Richard Bach: Quotes on Goals
Here is a test to find out whether your mission in life is complete. If you’re alive, it isn’t.

Jim Valvano: Quotes on Goals
How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal and you have to be willing to work for it.

Og Mandino: Quotes on Goals
I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.

Robert Townsend: Quotes on Goals
If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it’s ok. But you’ve got to shoot for something. A lot of people don’t even shoot.

Alberto Salazar: Quotes on Goals
If you want to achieve a high goal, you’re going to have to take some chances.

Mary Lou Retton: Quotes on Goals
I’m very determined and stubborn. There’s a desire in me that makes me want to do more and more, and to do it right. Each one of us has a fire in our heart for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and to keep it.

Norman Vincent Peale: Quotes on Goals
It takes struggle, a goal and enthusiasm to make a champion.

Mary O’Connor: Quotes on Goals
It’s not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted.

Unknown Author: Quotes on Goals
Knowing your destination is half the journey.

Vince Lombardi: Quotes on Goals
Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.

Dechurched?

There are 12 million Dechurched people in America right now.

I wanted none of the language to or Labels to stereotype anyone who may be reading this article who is either unchurched or de-churched. This is absolutely  not US verse THEM mentality, the purpose for discussing this matter is my personal burden and passion for young adults in crisis. Discovering the systemic causes of their needs and to discover practical methods to help them effectively. I am simply using these descriptors for the purpose of clarity and amplify the topics. Furthermore, these both topics have been researched in a more in depth way than I could ever give it justice and encourage you to research these both topics more fully on your own time.

I briefly will introduce the topic of the unchurched to clarify they are not the DE-cHURCHED. The latest statistics report 12 million dechurched people in America right now. I have researched this topic and have listed numerous sources for your own private study and research.

BARNA ARTICLE on The term “unchurched” has become quite popular in missional efforts to re-evangelize and re-church North America. To be sure, there are a lot of unchurched people in the U.S. In fact, no county in the US has registered a greater percentage of church persons over the past decade. Church attendance has declined over the past few years by 10%, and the US is the only continent where Christianity is not growing! With these kinds of statistics, I wonder if “unchurched” language and perspectives are falling short of adequately describing the challenges facing the American church (more Barna stats). Perhaps we should pick up the language of missiologists who have used the term “resistant.”

The resistant are those who have or are receiving an adequate opportunity to hear the gospel but over some time have not responded positively (Pocock, “Raising Questions about the Resistant”). The resistant are NOT unreached, though they are often unchurched. What constitutes “some time”? More importantly, should we shift our strategies and discourse to approach unchurched Americans as resistant peoples?

Not unlike the term unchurched, defining the resistant is has its problems; however, Timothy Tennent has helpfully pointed out that peoples can be resistant in at least four ways: culturally, theologically, ethnically or politically (Tennent, “Equipping Missionaries for the Resistant”). Depending on what area or peoples of the U.S we are considering, any one or combination of the four areas may apply.

 

If your town is average, thousands of recently dechurched people live near your church.1

Craig Bird, in a recent article at www.faithworks.com, called these dechurched “postcongregational” Christians.

Jamieson, who studies the quest of these post-congregational Christians, compares them to “travelers who abandon a luxury liner in mid-cruise. They grow tired of the endless buffets and entertainment, the carefully designed activities, or the captain who makes all the decisions about the ship’s speed and direction. They are longing to experience what is not on the itinerary. They sell all they have to buy a small boat and leave the welltraveled sea lanes for uncharted waters.”2

“George Barna noted two years ago that large numbers of American adults regularly participate in faith activities – prayer, Bible reading, use of the religious media – even though they haven’t attended a church service in six months. They are ignoring church, not faith, he said. Relatively few unchurched people are atheists. Most of them call themselves Christians and have had a serious dose of the church life in the past.”3

Is your church designed to
reach the “leavers”? Michael Johnson, in an article titled “If We Can’t Reach the Dechurched, Can We Really Reach the Unchurched?” suggests the following:

· Would it make more sense to first become the kind of church that is highly

effective in reaching the dechurched?

· What we can learn from the dechurched may be more important than what they

can learn from us.

· Collaboration, rather than assimilation, may be a more appropriate goal to set with regard to the dechurched.

· Understand that dechurched people are probably closest to the solutions needed to reach and transform your city.4

· It is important to take a second look at those people leaving the institutional church. Rob McAlpine, in his article “Detoxing from Church,” reminds us, “…these are people who are in love with Jesus, and who want to be a part of the healthy functioning Body of Christ. If they didn’t care, there would be no issues. They wouldn’t be upset. They would either leave altogether and never again seek out fellowship with other believers, or they would passively go through the motions week after week and never give their spiritual status second thought. It is far too easy for the church to make these people the enemy when in fact they are not.”5

When people leave our church fellowship, it is easy to write them off and never seek to find out “Why?”

The trouble with the Church today?

A perception of irrelevancy. There is a vast number of "unchurched" people in the World who see the Church as irrelevant. Some of the people are Christian believers who once attended an institutional church, but no longer attend; some are Christian believers who attended, but infrequently; and some are unbelievers.

Their reasons for abandoning the institutional church vary, but behind those reasons is one commonality: They believe the institutional church is irrelevant. It is perceived as irrelevant to their life, in that it cares little for them, or their situation, except for wanting to add another name to the church roles; and it is perceived as irrelevant to their community, in that churches only care about those people who are "like us."

That is not a new revelation, but it is one that the Church must meet head-on if it is to meet the mandate of the Great Commission — that of going into the world and making disciples of Christ, for the sake of Christ. Churches who make the gospel relevant to the hungry, to the hurting, and to the disenfranchised will meet the mandate; those who do not, will not.
Think of this: A church can grow in membership, launch building programs and increase the budget exponentially and still be irrelevant.

How? By focusing on membership, building programs and the budget, while neglecting the hungry, the sick, the naked, the imprisoned, the disenfranchised … Jesus Christ among us.

A reality of immobility. While the focus of the past decade has been on establishing new worship services — first targeting baby boomers, then targeting twentysomethings, Millenniums, or whatever is the demographic of the moment — the Church seems unable to move what appears to be a vast army beyond the sanctuary doors.

Why is that?

If you believe that what we call discipleship has its roots in worship, then the fruit of discipleship is correlative to the degree in which we worship in spirit and in truth. Superficial attempts at worship (whether in contemporary or traditional settings) will result in little or no fruit — an immobile congregation. Those engaging in true worship — worship in spirit and truth — will naturally produce a bumper crop of discipleship. They will look for ways to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned and sick, and focus on being disciples of Christ, for the sake of Christ and others.

Finally, the Church is in trouble because of …
A resistance to change. Again, that is not a new revelation, but this is the most dangerous foe of all in postmodern Christianity.

Much has been written and said in recent years concerning the "emerging church" and "postmodern" faith, but if you find someone who claims to be an expert, keep looking. Still, one constant component in what is being said and written is that doing things the way we’ve always done them because that’s the way it’s always been done will no longer get it — if it ever did. Another component is that those working the field of the emerging church are uncovering what some might find as an unexpected surprise: Therein lies a fertile field of faith.

But, to mix a metaphor, the field of faith today is as fluid as the ocean. The Church has to catch the wave, and for some of us there’s some hard paddling to do.

The bad news: Some believers are already worshipping outside of our doors, because they believe the institutional church will remain irrelevant, immobile, and unable to change.

Jesus says that he "was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Likewise, when he sent out his apostles he said: "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." This restriction is a very important consideration because it tells us that his primary mission was to reclaim those who were by birth included in the promise to Abraham. But they were lost, he said. Why did he call them lost? Anyone who has read through one of the gospels knows that Jesus went to the sick and afflicted. He himself went to Samaria where descendants of Abraham lived cut off from the Temple of the Jews. His detractors accused him of associating with those they considered beneath their piousness to even acknowledge on the road. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them. I tell you that this Jesus would be unwelcome in some of today’s churches.

This is the way that Mary Tuomi Hammond defin

es unchurched.

The word dechurched is hardly adequate in describing the variety of individuals in question. Any term that utilizes "church" as its root can easily be misunderstood due to the myriad of popular conceptions and definitions applied to it. Does the word dechurched include those who simply neglect to make time for public worship or those who drift away from Christianity out of disinterest and distraction? Does the term primarily refer to individuals who have left mainstream denominations due to serious concerns? Can one be considered dechurched by virtue of simply attending a church and leaving it, regardless of whether that person ever made a genuine commitment to a life of Christian discipleship?

With these very valid questions in mind, I wish to clarify my use of the word dechurched for the purposes of this article. I use this term to describe those who have lost a faith that they once valued or have left a body of believers with whom they were once deeply engaged. I limit my exploration further by focusing on those who have felt damaged and alienated amid this process. I cannot judge the authenticity or a person’s prior experience with the Christian faith; I can only listen to the pain and disappointment, the questioning and confusion, the anger and even rage that the stories of the dechurched often embody.

With the risk of sounding melodramatic, I must say that the last sentence above affects me deeply; it breaks my heart. And that’s why my own anger and even rage sometimes bubble over when I read the attacks of one professing Christian against another. These dechurched are the collateral damage of these battles for power. They, and those attacked, are the ones who suffer when church leaders fight among themselves and when they abuse their positions and pompous titles.

But who will stand and speak out for the unchurched and dechurched? Who will go beyond theological and denominational squabbles and continue the job that Jesus began? Who will lay aside their pride, put their trust in God rather than doctrine and dogma, and humble themselves for the good of others? And who will give up their human notions of worthiness and give up their pride for the unworthy? Who?

IDEAS:
1. Dispel the stereotypes. Research points out that the growing portion of this group, are not weak in faith, but in fact are strong Christians. Many are former church leaders, many have years of ministry experience, and some are even former pastors. They are not disillusioned with God, just the organized church they’ve known; and many are experimenting with the house church movement or pursuing other creative formats like marketplace or community missions. In fact, for the most part it is because of their strong faith, not the lack of faith, that they have the courage to step beyond the known comfort zones of their traditions and face the misunderstanding of other Christians.

2. Avoid Simplistic Definitions. If someone is part of a house church, mission group, marketplace fellowship, or  even on a temporary sabbatical, they are still part of THE Church. We say the church is not a building or an organization, it’s the Body of Christ, but we tend to forget this when we attach labels.

3. Listen to the Dechurched. Seek them out, know who they are, listen to their perspective. Focus groups and one-on-one interviews with the Unchurched are good to get a broad, uninitiated, community perspective so important. But the recently Dechurched will have the most informed and intuitive perspective, the kind that can uncover great insights and ideas for change.

 

4. Partner With The Dechurched. Sound strange? But think about it. The Dechurched are probably the closest   people to the creative solutions needed to really reach and transform your city. But, you say, isn’t that like reward-ing independence? Would that not legitimize them? What if all my people took their path? Stop for a minute and unpack that line of thinking. Don’t we want all of our people to be independent, to stand confident in their gifts and calling, follow the call of God, to meet the needs in the community they are uniquely meant to fill? They should not have to leave the fellowship to do that, only if we’ve made it necessary. We may have to admit that if people have to leave to follow their calling, or for that matter if they are that easily drawn away by outside influence, there is something inherently wrong with the way we’ve wired our organization. Could it be that the reason they are disconnected from much of the Body the result of church institutions that fail to provide a wide birth for creativity, imagination, risk, and missional ideas? We also must admit that God may have these people where they are for a reason, to experiment, venture into new areas, cross-pollinate with different cultures, or take a sabbatical to      process or work through something important with God in a way which a high level of church activity would be a major distraction. But they still might be open to collaborate or partner for specific reasons. Whatever relationship that might be, can you see the mutual benefit?

5. Create Community Idea Factories. In almost every case, the reason people leave the church, is not a relational problem in and of itself. At its base it’s a failure to channel inspiration and imagination. If dreams and ideas keep bumping up against walls and internal obstacles, sooner or later they will find their way outside the enclosure. A    better way would be to take the proactive position and actually stimulate ideas. But, facilitating ideas is not the     same as endorsing or funding ideas. Read some of Tommy Barnett and his son Matthew Barnett’s experience       with the Dream Centers (The Church That Never Sleeps) for effective ways to create and channel an idea    movement. Remember, the path to transformation goes through dreams.

There are 12 million Dechurched people in America right now. That means if your town is average there are thousands of recently dechurched people living near your church. With a little openness and creativity put into it,    what could an intelligent outreach strategy that effectively connected with them mean to your church, and in turn, what impact it could have on your city?

Yet in these deep longings of the urban youth, the voices of the streets seem louder than the faint cry of a church stuck in institutional patterns of the past. A growing "non-church Christianity" is growing up where God-talk is hip but church is out.

Hood Kids

hood kids
but good kids
not bad kids
just misunderstood kids
watch mom shoot up
and dad shoot bullets
and combat the words
that scream that I’m useless
I’m not
just hot
and mad at dad who split
and mom who took him back
even though he split
her lip the third time
I watch from the s
idelines
and grow full of hate
from parents’ guidelines
and you, pastor
push me faster
to hate
taking our crumbs to fill
your already full plate
your frock is stained
you mock the name
of He who commissioned
cuz you’re more concerned
with titles and pensions
than the mission to save me
don’t forget the babies
don’t be so lazy
cuz I need you greatly
it’s not about parking spots
and who pays a lot
but who gives a lot
and who prays a lot
for me
the lost sheep
but nobody’s looked for me
don’t you know God made
the Good Book for me?
but I need direction
some protection
much affection
not rejection
I…NEED…YOU
man of God
woman of God
be of God
and keep your eyes peeled
for real
we’re crying
and dying
but still trying
though momma ignores us
and daddy abuses us
I’m sure that God still
wants to use us
when momma doesn’t hug us
and daddy slugs us
I’m confident that God
still loves us
cuz I’m a hood kid
but a good kid
not a bad kid
just misunderstood kid
and I need your help
before it’s too late
and I walk the same path
that my parents made
look at us
behind the chain linked fence
pain wrenched kids
such tainted kids
who were struck
but never fainted kids
we live hellish lives
but can be saintly kids
if you just try TRY!
until then
we’ll continue to die
continue to cry
the hood kids
that no one really cares about
it’s so obvious that no one
really cares about ‘em…

mms://media.kybaptist.org/Man on the street256k.wmv

1 Mindstorm Idealetter, June 7, 2005, breakthroughchurch.com

2 A churchless faith, Craig Bird, June 7, 2005: www.faithworks.com

3 Ibid

4 Mindstorm Idealetter, p.1 breakthroughchurch.com

5 Detoxing From Church, Rob McAlpine: www.robbymak.org

Why Does God Allow Evil?

"If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand" (Psalm 130:3).

Traditionally, there are three main categories of evil: metaphysical, moral, and physical or natural. Blindness, deafness, and lameness are examples of metaphysical evil; cruelty and malevolence are examples of moral evil; and earthquakes, droughts, and tornados are examples of physical evil. All moral evil is the direct or indirect result of moral agents’ free wills or ability to choose. Physical and metaphysical evil may or may not be the result of moral agents’ choices.

One of the most common questions every person wrestles with in life is this: "God, if You are loving, just, and all-powerful, why do You allow good people to suffer?" Many choose not to believe in God because they cannot adequately explain this question. Evangelist Billy Graham addressed this question in his book Answers to Life’s Problems:

We do not know all the reasons why God permits evil. We need to remember, however, that he is not the cause of evil in this world and we should therefore not blame Him for it. Remember that God did not create evil, as some believe. God created the world perfect. Man chose to defy God and go his own way, and it is man’s fault that evil entered the world. Even so, God has provided the ultimate triumph of good over evil in Jesus Christ, who on the cross, defeated Satan and those who follow him. Christ is coming back and when He does, all evil will be ended forever and righteousness and justice will prevail.

Have you ever thought about what would happen if God suddenly eliminated all the evil in this world? Not one person would be left, because we are all guilty of sin.

Whenever we suffer, we should remember that the Son of God went before us, drinking the cup of suffering and death to the dregs. Because Christ is fully man and fully God, we know that God understands our fears, sorrows and suffering. He identifies with us. Most important of all, the Father has given us the gift of His Son so that we don’t have to die and suffer forever in eternity.

Because Jesus suffered and died for us, our suffering can be made like His -purposeful and meaningful. Evil, suffering and death came into the world when the first man and woman listened to Satan and committed the first sin. Evil was never part of the Garden of Eden. The moment Adam and Eve crossed the boundary of God’s command, evil became the terrible reality of this world.

There are some questions that will remain unresolved until we are able to meet face to face with our Creator in Heaven.

The answer lies in both our greatest blessing and our worst curse: our capacity to make choices. God has given us a free will. Made in God’s image, he has given us the freedom to decide how we will act and the ability to make moral choices. This is one asset that sets us apart from animals, but it also is the source of so much pain in our world. People, and that includes all of us, often make selfish, self-centered and evil choices. Whenever that happens, people get hurt.

Sin is ultimately selfishness. I want to do what I want, not what God tells me to do. Unfortunately, sin always hurts others, not just ourselves.

God could have eliminated all evil from our world by simply removing our ability to choose it. He could have made us puppets, or marionettes on strings that he pulls. By taking away our ability to choose it, evil would vanish. But God doesn’t want us to be puppets. He wants to be loved and obeyed by creatures who voluntarily choose to do so. Love is not genuine if there is no other option.

Yes, God could have kept the terrorists from completing their suicidal missions by removing their ability to choose their own will instead of his. But to be fair, God also would have to do that to all of us. You and I are not terrorists, but we do harm and hurt others with our own selfish decisions and actions.

You may hear misguided minds say, "This must have been God’s will." Nonsense!

In a world of free choices, God’s will is rarely done! Doing our own will is much more common. Don’t blame God for this tragedy. Blame people who ignored what God has told us to do: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

In heaven, God’s will is done perfectly. That’s why there is no sorrow, pain or evil there. But this is earth, a fallen, imperfect place. We must choose to do God’s will everyday. It isn’t automatic. This is why Jesus told us to pray, "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."

The Bible explains the root of evil: "This is the crisis we’re in: God’s light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness … because they were not really interested in pleasing God" (John 3:19, Message Translation). We’re far more interested in pleasing ourselves.

There are many other questions that race through our minds during dark days. But the answers will not come from pollsters, pundits or politicians. We must look to God and his Word. We must humble ourselves and admit that each of us often choose to ignore what God wants us to do.

We were made for a relationship with God, but he waits for us to choose him. He is ready to comfort, guide and direct us through our grief. But it’s your choice.

Energy-Sappers: Smoldered Wick

 

 

These statistics below are for pastors and their wives. However the energy-sappers are for everyone.

 

STATISTICS ABOUT PASTORS

Pastors today are faced with more work, more problems, and more stress than any other time in the history of the church. This is taking a frightening toll on the ministry, shown by the (North American) statistics below:

Pastors:

· Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout or contention in their churches.

· Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.

· Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.

· Eighty-five percent of pastors said their greatest problem is they are sick and tired of dealing with problem people, such as disgruntled elders, deacons, worship leaders, worship teams, board members, and associate pastors. Ninety percent said the hardest thing about ministry is dealing with uncooperative people.

Pastors’ Wives:

· Eighty percent of pastors’ spouses feel their spouse is overworked.

· Eighty percent of pastor’ wives feel left out and unappreciated by the church members.

· Eighty percent of pastors’ spouses wish their spouse would choose another profession.

· Eighty percent of pastors’ wives feel pressured to do things and be something in the church that they are really not.

Pastors’ Relationship With the Lord:

· Seventy percent of pastors do not have a close friend, confidant, or mentor.

· Ninety-five percent of pastors do not regularly pray with their spouses.

· Eighty percent of pastors surveyed spend less than fifteen minutes a day in prayer.

· Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.

Now… take a moment and give us your energy-for-God sappers. What have you found that depletes your desire to get up and serve the Lord?

Here are ten energy-sappers:

10. Compromise.

You’re doing something displeasing to the Lord and you know it. The guilt lingers and weighs you down. When you try to read your Bible, pray, or worship, the fog is so thick you could cut it. God seems far away, and you know without being told it’s because you moved. You’re being torn down the middle and it’s a miserable feeling. The greatest compromise, I have found is not only in doing obviously sinful deeds. It is when we are operating in our own goodness and works based on our own performance. This births a cycle of defeat, frustration and utter failure. We must come to end of ourselves and stop trying to operate in self-salvation. We can never save ourselves, ever be good enough or do good enough deeds to please God. Only our Faith Pleases GOD.

Isaiah 59:1-2 comes to mind. "Your sins have separated you." Confess them and move back closer.

9. Nay-sayers.

The discouragers around you are constantly pointing out that you cannot do this, you are not the Christian you ought to be, the Bible cannot be understood, your prayers never go beyond the ceiling, and your pitiful offering amounts to nothing. To make matters worse, sometimes that negative voice hounding us is our own. You lose heart and want to give up. I listen to words very carefully to make sure that they are coming from the proper source. The source of Grace and Truth. I stop listening of speaking when I am sensitive to recognize that the Word’s of Grace and truth are not present. This takes years of Practice and development by the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 103:1-5 comes to mind. "Bless the Lord, O my soul." Speak to yourself words of faith. Believe your faith and doubt your doubts.

8. Nit-pickers.

A family member, a colleague in the office, or a so-called friend has taken it as their personal calling to remind you of your failures in living up to the standards you claim. Your clothes do not match, you need a haircut, why do you waste your time on those books or that writer or that church, why aren’t you exercising more, you’re putting on weight, and I don’t think you’re right for this. Of course, he tells you this for your own good. You leave your friend’s presence feeling worthless and hopeless. I have been o

n both sides like many who have been the unkind friend to the Hurting and not deeply caring enough to take time to be a hope-bringer of God’s wonderful Peace and grace. I have been on the receiving end of harsh criticism when I was sick for an extended period of time. Either has changed my personal character for the better and changed the words I chose to use. If my words will not edify and build an individual I keep them to my self. Words are very powerful and need to be used carefully. Even when words of Correction are sometimes needed, I take the opportunity to have the word’s be of encouragement that help an individual be able to be convinced of the Word of God in their personal capacity.

Philippians 4:8 comes to mind. "Whatsoever things are true, think on these things." Choose where your mind will land and come to rest and what it will feed upon.

7. Time-wasters or Bloodsuckers.

A few years ago, we would have named television as the biggest time-waster. It still is for many, but these days, the tube has lots of competition: the computer, computer games, the telephone, worthless reading materials, shopping, mall-crawling, and such. Each person has his own battlefield in this regard. But it’s not just the time; the problem is that it robs you of your energy for God or service to His will for your life. It weakens your discernment in relating to other people. Be AWARE that their are many bloodsuckers in the Church who will sap the strength out of you if you let them. I always want to remain tender to weak individuals in the church and make my self available to loving them where they are in life. This is ultimately Christly time management and requires being lead by the Holy Spirit. Some pastors that I have spoken to who are extremely successful church planters Have stated that they do not do any counseling anymore nor do any thing but invest in this future generation’s leaders. They focus on building the next generation of leaders in the Church so they can in turn invest in weaker individuals. I personally have done both and not been overwhelmed by caring for those who are poor in spirit and weaker members of the Body of Christ. I never want to become a man who forgets where he came from, I was once one of those weaker individuals who was definitely poor in Spirit. God sent a Man of God to me to teach me to walk with Christ moment by moment. I needed plenty of Biblical Counseling, Nurturing, Grace and practical love when I came off the streets homeless at 19 years old.

Luke 18:1 comes to mind. "We ought always to pray and not to lose heart." The old hymn told us to "Take Time to Be Holy." It takes time.

6. Starvation.

When you’re really hungry, instead of pausing for dinner, you gulp down a soft drink and a bag of chips. Now, you have stopped the hunger but you’re starving your body. A few minutes later, your wife or mother calls you to dinner. You beg off; you’re not hungry. You dare not admit what you just did. That foolish scenario happens spiritually, too.

Try this experiment. After watching two hours of television–especially sitcoms of the type the networks are running these nights–get up and go get your Bible and read a couple of chapters. You’ll have to make yourself do it. After a steady diet of mental junk food, you have no appetite for real nourishment. I also am carefully monitor what I am allowing to stimulate my mind. Plenty of things and images bombard our mind in billions of parts per second that we are not conscious or aware of the stimulation. These stimulations seem to dull  the ability for us to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit through the Word of Life the Word of God.

Matthew 4:4 comes to mind. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." And Psalm 34:8 "O taste and see that the Lord is good." You need to feed your soul if you expect to have any energy for God.

5. Fatigue.

You’re doing good work; you’re just doing so much of it that you’re exhausted. When tired, you get irritable and are no fun to be around. You end up having to force yourself to do your spiritual activities. It’s not an admission of weakness to confess you have physical limitations, that you need 8 hours of sleep at night and maybe a little rest in the daytime and a vacation once in a while. Many of men have burned out because they failed to spiritually disciple themselves to take a Sabbath day per week to renews and be strengthened by God. This is not a mandatory for we are under Grace. I believe in strong work ethics and long Hours. What is the use of working hard and not being sharp. What is the use if God decides to use you for a task and you are so exhausted you fail to hear the whisper of His Voice. We can Work Hard by Working Smart. Working Smart is to take any day of the week to be our Sabbath day for renewal. I also have counseled numerous burned out pastors who in over thirty years of ministry never took a single day off, not even a well deserved biblical sabbatical. They are not walking with God today nor are they finishing the race well. They started very well and even impacted my life personally when I first became a Christ-Follower, they are now left the ministry and are drifting daily farther away from God.

Mark 6:31 comes to mind. "Come ye apart and rest for a while." And Matthew 11:28-30: "Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden."

4. Depression.

You are a Christian, one who believes your Bible and has the Holy Spirit, so how could you be depressed? Ever say that to yourself? The roots of depression (mental, emotional, whatever) are many and complex. You might need to remind yourself that some of the finest Christians ever to walk the planet have battled depression. You have good company. Those believers made the same discovery you have made, that sometimes you just have to get up and go on with your day while depressed, that you don’t dare give in to it. Missionary leader and inspirational writer Elisabeth Elliot has said that when she’s depressed, her method for dealing with it is: "Do the next thing." She does not make a long list of tasks to accomplish that day, but does the next thing before her, then she looks around and decides what is next, and so forth.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 comes to mind. "Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines… yet I will exult in the Lord." Praise Him anyway.

3. Rebellion.

Compromise is one thing; you rationalize a sin and turn a blind eye toward a practice you know is not wise and is hindering your spiritual life. But rebellion is another matter altogether. In rebellion, you drop all pretense about wanting to do the right thing. You enthrone your self and devote your life to pleasing only you. This really gets scary when you’re in the Lord’s service and draw a paycheck from a church or religious organization and yet are in rebellion against the Lord. I’ve been there; I know. People are looking to you for spiritual direction and expecting to hear God’s voice through you, but what they are receiving is shallowness and staleness, negativism and putdowns, all bubbling up from the acid eating away at your soul.

Revelation 3:4-5 comes to mind. "I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember… and repent." The prodigal son story of Luke 15 applies.

2. Laziness.

Sloth. Idleness. Lethargy. Listlessness. Dullness. Slackness. Find yourself in any of these? You just can’t make yourself get up and do anything spiritual such as reading the Bible or praying meaningfully