“We should not think of our fellowship with other Christians as a spiritual luxury, and optional addition to the exercises of private devotions. Fellowship is one of the great words of the New Testament: it denotes something that is vital to a Christian’s spiritual health, and central to the Church’s true life…The church will flourish and Christians will be strong only when there is fellowship.” ~ J.I. Packer

“It is both foolish and wicked to suppose that we will make much progress in sanctification if we isolate ourselves from the visible church. Indeed, it is commonplace to hear people declare that they don’t need to unite with a church to be a Christian. They claim that their devotion is personal and private, not institutional or corporate. This is not the testimony of the great saints of history, it is the confession of fools.” ~ R.C. Sproul

I have a passion to equip and encourage small group leadership in the church.

It seems that every church I hear about has adopted a small group strategy–so there are a lot of people doing small groups–but I fear that most of them are not doing small groups WELL. Small groups can be a bad strategy if they are not done well. Think about it for a moment, and I’m sure you will agree. Most people don’t leave the church because of the sermons, the worship, or the children’s program…they leave the church because someone hurt them, violated their trust, or even “stabbed them in the back.” And where does that hurt come from? Not from Sunday morning, but from small group environments.

In response to the need of churches everywhere, I took last summer to refine a lot of my thoughts on group leadership, to read some more books on the subject, and to package a class into notes and a PowerPoint presentation. This past Saturday, I taught the class through DTS’s Lay Institute for the second time. Now that these notes have been tested and received a good response, I want to pass them along to you as well. PLEASE–use these! I don’t want credit or fame, I just want to build up the body of Christ…and I hope you find these notes to be a key resource in your own life and ministry, to that end.

Let me leave you with one other quote that I believe sums up my thoughts on Small Groups.

There is no passage in the Bible that says, ‘You must have a small group for people to grow in their faith.’ Instead, what is in the Bible is an understanding, from beginning to end, that people need an authentic, intimate community in which to grow.

Click here for the Word Document of the notes

Click here for the PDF version of the notes

Click here for the Power Point Presentation

I am a sucker for an epic story…especially one that you can interact with to determine the conclusion. Hence my love of Mass Effect. And while I slowly work my way through the episodes of the latest release as my reward for hours spent in the study of Hebrew and Greek, I find myself with many intriguing connections between the game and the spiritual life. Here are a few of my conclusions:

One Strategy is Poor Strategy

Just as the Mass Effect universe is made up of different races of beings, our world is made up of diverse and unique cultures and languages. When the Protheans in Mass Effect attempted to enslave all the races in their time to defeat their enemies, they failed to grasp that unity is both a strength and weakness. When their enemies figured out their strategy and overcame it, the Protheans were defeated. It is the same with our church. Our world does not need one super-mega-ultra church model and strategy. There is not one form of worship that is demanded of all the world. That would be a very inspiring organization to look at, but it would also be one that Satan could easily corrupt and defeat. God, who created our world’s diversity, intends His church to reflect it. We should enjoy the unique expressions each culture gives to the teachings of Christ. Different songs, different ways of gathering, and different emphasis in the way that they appear to the outside world. Morality and belief’s should be consistent, but consistency in those areas does not demand precision in worship.In Revelation God has worshipers from every tribe, tongue, and nation. We shouldn’t think that they are all singing the same Chris Tomlin tune. Diversity is strength…diversity is beauty. Our unity is in Christ’s redemptive work, not our form of worship.

Choices Matter

Having played through three consecutive games, my choices from long ago are beginning to have HUGE consequences. Some consequences were foreseen, others were not. Some are helping me greatly, others are costing me dearly. People I chose to save are showing up after 3 years in the Mass Effect world, some trying to kill me, and some saving my life. Sexuality, traumatic events, and actions expressed out of intense anger can follow a person for ages in this life. We can’t simply let go of things we did in a moment of foolishness decades ago…they mark us like tattoos and scars. They won’t fully heal until God redeems the world in the last days. Make careful choices. Remember that God’s way is the best way for reasons you cannot yet see.

This past year I have had the unique privilege of following Jesus in a moment by moment ministry experience like no other. Three times daily, I get an update on His activity, as if He was really here on earth living out His final year of ministry on the earth. It is exciting to think of Him in this way, both according to the activities the Bible records and in terms of the lifestyle of a Jewish carpenter/Rabbi from Galilee.

If you need a unique experience to really make your Easter season intriguing, then I implore you to consider “Spending a Year with Jesus.” I can ensure you that the experience will be eye opening. No lies, the only thing you’ll have to consider is whether it is worth $36 for an entire year. Cash in a tiny part of that tax return you’re itching to spend, and change your life!

www.spendayearwithJesus.com is a mobile messaging and email application built by the most diligent of people, my fellow student at Dallas Theological Seminary, Dan Pfeifer. He’s worked hard to portray Jesus in a way that honors the Biblical text and inspires Jesus followers. He’s a world-class web developer that truly respects your privacy.

www.spendayearwithJesus.com

The experience starts March 17th.

Last semester I struggled and struggled over the proper selection of classes for my final months at Dallas Theological Seminary. After much deliberation, I find that this semester I will be giving three sermons in preparation for life after graduation.While I have no intention of spending hours and hours of time in preparation for speaking every Sunday morning, I know that speaking is part of my future in many respects…and I want to be able to communicate effectively at those times. I’ve come a long way already, since sermon #1, and I hope you find that this message is engaging and challenging to listen to.

As always, I have shared my outlines and manuscript below as well. This message is one I want to share, not one I wish to keep for my own exclusive purposes. Feel free to use the material without need to give me credit in any way.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GPUEqTshtg[/youtube]

The great advantage to the extensive preparation required in giving a sermon is that God gets to do some in-depth work on my heart. This sermon really hit home on my own struggles at the present time. It is given by a graduating seminary student, to graduating seminary students. It is my hope that you’ll find a way to apply it to your own life as well. As the Psalmist says, (1) to see God as your wall of protection, giving your life incredible stability, (2) to trust that God will not allow the righteous to be oppressed for long, and (3) to live in expectation that God is actively at work securing your life.

In short, “God gives us the stability to live boldly!” Live Boldly!

Click below for:

Sermon Outlines – Exegesis of the Text

Sermon Manuscript (Full text of my sermon)

Sermon Audio

It’s a new year again, and a traditional time for me to think through the things I want to accomplish this year. I find that the more I put on paper each year, the more I accomplish. These will be framed and placed on the wall soon when I finalize them, but I wanted to encourage you by passing these along. Send back yours, as you have time!

Stay in Shape:

• Exercise 2x per week (and lose weight to 140 lbs)
• 7+ Day Detox starting January 17^th
• Eat Healthier: 2 pieces of fruit/day and regulate sugar intake: DrP., Ice Cream, candy
• 2 Triathlons and 1 Half Marathon, Possible Bike Race

Lead the Home in Spiritual Growth:

• Regular Nightly Prayer with Stacy
• Regular Bible Study and Journaling
• Special Worship Opportunities, concerts
• Consistent Accountability

Travel:

• West Cost: Derrick in Seattle
• Weekend Getaways: Chicago or New York
• Israel with the Hannahs!
• Turkey? India?

DTS:

• Complete Thesis
• Graduate!!!
• Find Job

Church/Service:

• London Missions Project
• Complete Application Process with Missions Agencies
• Finish Praying through Operation World
• Regular Witnessing/Community Canvassing Trips
• Church Tech Blog

Finances:

• Sell house in Atlanta
• Continue Support of Missionary Families – Strive for Better Communication (Skype)

Personal Growth:

• Complete Personal Bible Reading through Chronological Bible, Start Book Studies
• Solitude: Periodic Days of Reflection, Personal Hiking Trip
• Read the Quran

Books:

• Fun: Bill Bryson or Riding the Blue Moth
• What the Dog Saw – Malcolm Gladwell
• Spiritual Leadership: Training 4 Trainers, Experiencing God