attitude

Changing Your View

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Changing your view: “We must pray the promise not the problem”.     We increase in faith as we boast in our hope, as we are a testimony of things to come. Heb 3:6

Faith must find it’s true measure; it has to be unlocked, unhitched from the wagon of healing, goodies & money and  given a wider and deeper application to our time & our lives, faith is bigger than the few issues mentioned above.   Unfortunately any one looking in on the church will think there are only a few things that are impacted by what we call faith, don’t get me wrong these issues, money, healing and provision will be reorder by our faith but there is so much more to unlock in our understanding when we consider faith.    So many themes, life factors are hijack to a narrow view of our understanding when there is much more to take hold of in Gods promises.   For example healing, when your sick it’s a blessing but when the promise of God to us is full health then healing  for the world around us let’s believe for health as a covenant people, prosperity finance only when prosperity is a fullness of life in peace, even blessing for me when we are to be blessed to be a blessing.    Rediscovering the truth of “living by faith” is a call for our hour, it is a call to live beyond the immediate, beyond my need, it is a way of life, living by faith is not when I look for income its a way of live continuity not just to get my need we are to live by faith not by events of faith only.

Faith must enrich us in every way and not simply adjust the material realm.     Indeed to be in the worst kind of poverty is to have all the material wealth you could ever wish for and yet be empty, unfulfilled, frustrated, and miserable, then, you are really poor.     Poverty is not a lack of resource but a people who are dependent on others for basic resources, our dependency should be on God not on resources.

In the same way that faith has to be unhinged so too Prophecy.   Prophecy must be seen bigger that just used in the realm of signs and authenticating a man or woman and their ministry, its time to find it’s true message to our time.    Prophecy does have a predictive aspect to it but much more we are to be a people who interoperate God to our world in our daily life, this is prophecy.     Prophecy gives the people of God a voice to interpret God’s onward creative acts in society and our world telling and interpreting.       Prophecy is to confront us with a plumb line of truth, enabling us, asking us, to build in the light of it, the prophecy that is, building according to a divine pattern and foundation, this requires our faith to be applied in our daily living.

Prophecy must be elevated in the ministry, to deliver us into our world, and the Kingdom of God into us.    Prophecy takes the taste of the age to come and increases the taste, allowing the breaking in of the Kingdom of God to enfold further in this world.

Faith and Prophecy are twinned, for many prophecy is shouting out things that come to mind, but our faith is tied to that which we utter and live.   Prophecy must be a life style as well as an utterance, the people of God, the church, will become the direct manifestation of prophecy just as the prophets of old, their lives, the way in which they lived was a gift, you could see the life’s message in their life style choice and the way they lived.

Faith and prophecy twinned, Romans 12:6 says “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith” as we are told to prophecy to the measure of our faith it becomes necessary to re-asses our place, that is, what we are involved with or  what we are doing, checking that it is in line, not only with the prophecy but also with my faith, living by faith every moment of every day.

Two basic questions:

Do we feel content to continue as we are?

Do we desperately want to break through into different realms?

These twins are necessary in order that the twins of mercy and goodness can follow us all the days of our lives…There is no release from the lower sphere of this material realm, of content existence, unless we have experienced the liberating prospect of the Spirit freeing us to rise as an eagle, to climb the air to the high altitudes of living.

Faith and Prophecy unlocks us to soar free, to live out our potential in the Grace of the Father.

A Bridge its life, leadership & all that.

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Bridge building is an art!      I realised over the years how much of life is about building bridges, which we all have to do constantly.    If it’s the first meeting or one from a deeper relationship it’s still needs the ongoing art of bridge building.

I was trained as builder, a building surveyor, RICS was the professional qualifications we aimed for to achieve our skill.   I was trained  to have a grasp of many elements within the building industry, it was not about mastering one particular discipline, but being the coordinating point for many trades and professions within the industry.   I learned topography, out in cold and sunny days working a theodolite, walking across the landscape.   I studied quantities, working out the quantities and costs of erecting a structure.    I designed buildings architecturally, drew plans , drafted contracts, compiled specification, run multi-million pound construction contracts.   Even designed watery dams, and BRIDGES, working the stresses and strains, the forces that bridges have to carry.   Calculating the engineering of building concrete or steel even wooden bridges.    Building bridges,  the stresses and strains, the art involved in building these life long structures.

The stresses and strains of the art of bridge building I have realised  is a picture of ongoing life, that my life is involved in this complex engineer of bridge building with lives and relationships continuously.     We daily build these bridge or weaken them.   I recall being advised that I better make sure that the bridge of my relationship with others is strong enough to carry the load I wish to transport across it before I take the load up with people.     It’s of no use to end up saying “…well its the way I am, blunt…”, which might be true, when the bridge of relationship cannot any longer carry any kind of load.   Its better to take several trips across the bridge of this relationship with a lesser loads until you get it all across than rushing at it while smiling and looking back having got across only to realise when you get across that the bridge is so fragile now nothing can be carried across it!

The art of bridge building we have to learn to negotiate life and people as well as in our own lives.

I am not setting myself up as an expert, far from it, just a simple commentator on life and its challenges, I am learning, I hope to negotiate and being a bridge builder, perhaps a Biblical peace maker?

So we agree in the importance of connecting with those we work, live, partner with in life, ministry, vocation, profession, work with and meet in everyday life, particularly in this culture where new relationships can be intimidating, and 15-minute lunches are common. The following are some thoughts on how to best build a connecting bridge of partnership between yourself and another person

  1. Love people until they ask “why?” what about getting to the place that the actions of you loving people speaks so loudly that people “ultimately demand an explanation for why you do what you do.   
  2. Ask more questions than others do. Discover that asking questions is much more strategic than giving answers
  3. Spend lots of time listening. “Once you’ve asked a great question, listen. And listen more. And listen more,” O boy do we need help, O boy do I need help.
  4. Find points of connection and shared interests, Be intentional!  Make a point to discover the person’s interests, hobbies, and what truly motivates them. Then build on shared interests.
  5. Follow-up. How Important this is, as you never heard from some one will not mean thy have cut or are disinterested they are like you busy.   Come on be bigger and lest grow up.   Try this take the first step and reach out, then once you have done that, do it again.   I sadly heard a comment recently “…I tried contacting them, they did not come back so I forget about it, let it go…” Let us build  a bridge and try, try again, again!

The art of bridge building, we could build the longest, the highest, the most scenic, most significant bridge in regard to relationship that people have ever seen, let’s do it let’ s have a go, don’t give up build it.   I think a film several years ago called ‘Field of Dreams’ coined a phrase once “…if you build it they will come…” Build a Bridge.

Breaking The Sound Barriers – The Barrier of a Closed Heart

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The last time we looked at what my fingers typed we considered how a closed mind could be a barrier to the sound of God’s voice. The same is true of a closed heart. What are some signs that a heart attitude might be hindering us from hearing God?

Look what will happen – “We might die!”

In contrast to Gideon, who doubted that God would speak to him, in another account the Israelites gathered around Mount Sinai.   They had been on a journey and came to a mountain that visually turned them away, smoke, clouds, and lightening – “…very, very frightening…” was line in a Queen song called Bohemian Rhapsody and the same words came to mind and hit home here.  The nation is challenged convinced that God had something to say. But they were terrified by the prospect!    As God spoke from the mountain, the people “trembled with fear” and pleaded with Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die” Ex. 20:18–19.

Sometimes we too shut out the voice of God because we fear what God might say.    We may not worry, as the Israelites did, that God’s words could kill us.    But fear shuts out what God has to say.    We may say never me but when has the fear of the situation held us up, caused us to run away and not take up the moment?   The Father as something to say and we have wince at the possibility that He could make uncomfortable demands.

What if God were to command us to change our ways?     What if God were to call us to some great sacrifice?

That’s precisely what the Father often does.    Read the word of the Lord to the believers in the seven churches of Asia, recorded in the opening chapters of Revelation.    God praised their virtues and good works, but then there was the warning to them that the sufferings ahead would require great sacrifices, the change your ways, the come up here.       The Lord punctuated each message with the same command: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says” Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22. Nevertheless, the words always concluded with words of hope and a promise of salvation “to him who overcomes” 3:21.

If what will it mean is deafening us to God’s voice, we should bear in mind that the rewards of heeding are priceless and eternal. No matter what God calls us to, we can take courage, “for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” 2 Cor. 4:17.

All that I need I have – “We’ve got horses!”

Another heart issue that hinders hearing is that God’s people sometimes have trouble hearing because of pride.    One form of pride leads us to assume that we have things under control and have no need for a conversation with God.    The Old Testament prophets often warned against this. Zephaniah, for example, rebukes those who “neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him” Zeph. 1:6.

God has a cure for misplaced confidence in ourselves: the allowing of difficult circumstances to overwhelm us and remind us how desperately we need God’s guidance.

During Isaiah writing his account, as the nations where bearing down, the on coming of the physical threat to Judah by Assyria.    Leadership should have been asking God for protection and direction, but they lost their bearings and made a logical and calculated decision and made an alliance with Egypt, with Egypt?    What did God think of that arrangement?    “Woe to the obstinate children…to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit. Is. 30:1

Through Isaiah, the Lord called the people to trust in God’s protection. But they responded, “No, if trouble comes we’ve got horses for a getaway!”     “So be it,” God replied. “You’ll take to your horses, and your enemies will pursue and overtake you” see vv. 16–17.

God’s mercy reaches great heights, its is great. “How gracious he will be when you cry for help!” Isaiah reminded the prideful people. “As soon as he hears, he will answer you” v 19.

And how will God show compassion once we have abandoned our self-sufficiency?   By speaking to us. “Whether you turn to the right or to the left,” He promises, “your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’” v. 21.

It should have come through Mr.& Mrs? – “I’m not listening to a donkey!”       Pride can also lead us to presumptions about the kind of messenger God should use.     We can close our hearts and ears to God’s voice if we consider the courier unfit for the job.     Remember the blind beggar Jesus healed?      When the Pharisees examined him, he tried to tell them that Jesus was a prophet sent from God to whom they should listen John 9.    But they had already concluded that Jesus was just a troublemaker, so they rejected the message and the messenger. “‘You were steeped in sin at birth,” they told the man who had been healed. “How dare you lecture us!” V 34

There seems to be a continuous way of God woven here that God speaks to us through people we might never, better said definitely would not have chosen?    An unacceptable person, different in culture, a fringe person to their society speaks out for Gods case.     A child makes a profound statement of spiritual wisdom beyond her years.      A so-called enemy, which can be physical enemy or emotional enemy, brings to us with an uncomfortable truth.     A stranger makes a passing remark that opens a door of direction for us.     God spoke through Balaam’s donkey Num. 22:21–34.      That means God can speak through anybody!

Whenever you or I have done the very thing of dismissing God due to the massagers, if it’s the style or what is said, as we have realized we have dismissed God and have become unable to hear the Father, we realize its really is the voice of God speaking through the vessel.    A vessel that in our mind perhaps we thought unworthy or not up to whom we wanted, or not who we wanted to hear from.    Stop for a moment, just tell the Father, confess our pride he will hear us although we could not hear God.    Without judgment or put down the Father hears you and me, just admit it and watch out as the Father speaks again.    Go the next step and thank the person, the one you said, “…never could be too…” the one God used.     This act of humility can help prevent future presumption.

Another way to swallow our pride is to habitually and humbly seek good counsel from.     Become a constant learner looking to learn from the youngest to oldest the most to the least, what ever lines you have drawn regarding whom you can learn from rub them out, learn from whom ever and where ever, “EVERYTHING IS SPIRIRUAL” remember, that is seeing God in all things constantly communicating to us, hearing God every where.   Don’t miss God and wait for a repeat God is ever speaking to us.

“You’re not the God of me!”

When we turn our backs on God, preferring to do things our way, our ears grow deaf to Gods voice. This is no new phenomenon. When God instructed the nation of Judah how to live righteously,

They turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit.  Zech. 7:11–12

The result? “The Lord Almighty was very angry”v.12. A hardened heart is at enmity with God, and in the end, those who oppose God will suffer calamity. “Listen!” says the Lord to rebels. “I am going to bring a disaster…that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle” Jer. 19:3. One way or another, we will end up listening.

So what do I do turn back to the Lord, seeking God’s forgiveness and recognizing His sovereignty. He can give us a new heart, so that we can say with the prophet: “The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back” Is. 50:5.

For me I have found helpful is discovering a view of God that the bible shows us not what we are told God is like but discovering God as God.   Learning that God constantly is bringing us to see God as God is, not what religious or Christian culture, sometimes paints.   I suppose we could say “…as God is so are we…” so we better discover a right view so we can “be”.   Our judgmental, no generous way will define for us what we do and what we don’t do and is harmful to us and others.  It paints an incorrect picture/view first for our selves next for the world around us.   Is this not what has happened and people don’t want anything to do with the church due to the view painted we better get a correct view here.   This view of Gods magnificence, Gods greatness reflect upon it and consider my smallness and be overwhelmed with God.

Consider God working in discipline different from often times  “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.   Heb. 12:10–11

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassion never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.  Lam. 3:21–25

When I need to recover my sense of dependency on God, I find help here:

What have you that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift? 1 Cor. 4:7, RSV

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.  Jas. 1:17

If I’m struggling with submission to God’s sovereignty, I consider God’s words to Job.

Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!…Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place?…Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. Job 38:4–5, 12, 18

Moses’ song to God in Exodus 15 is another passage that helps me adopt a submissive spirit:

Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? . . . In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.  vv. 11, 13

After reflecting on such passages that remind me of the nature of our God, I’ll find my heart opening to Gods will—and my ears opening to Gods voice.

 

Leadership while sitting Continued – lessons from a cyclists seat.

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Heralded as the greatest cycling Olympics ever, the London 2012 velodrome has become a golden event at least 7 golds and a few other silver and bronze medals for the UK, from speed trials, team sprint, omnium producing Gold medals.   Cycling lessons will be written and debated for many years in team strategies and life’s forums I am sure.   Watching the interviews of the team trainer works and how his strategies shave produced such a golden team.   His comments of breaking down each event and dealing with the little things, then all the little changes amalgamate to make big advances.  In their own right these little changes are insignificant yet together in the overall achievement great advance.  Changes such as even down to how a cyclist would wash their hands.

Even before the golden advance in the velodrome we began in the last blog to enjoy some of the benefits in lessons from a bicycle seat, looking at Lance Armstrong’s‘ advice  in building team.    We will now continue without any more introduction looking at some noteworthy thinking and how it affects the life of a Christ follower.

Lance Armstrong outlines practical insights to gain advance for our consideration.

  • No matter what the cards are that life deals you, you have to make the most of it.   

For all of Lance’s athletic prowess, one thing that he could not control was the fact that he developed testicular cancer. This cancer later spread to his brain and he developed a brain tumour. For a while, it looked as though Lance was losing the battle against cancer. Yet he kept fighting. At the same time, he kept winning. Many people would have given up in those circumstances. Yet, not only did he not give up, he triumphed against adversity, winning races while suffering from cancer.

The bible teaches us that our lives are not about amassing but much more about producing the character of the Son in our lives becoming like the Christ and being sons of God this is our goal, that He might fill all in all.   In other words life is about producing what the scriptures call ‘Overcomers’ that we are to overcome rather than duck and avoid life.   So many people duck responsibility avoid accountability and even rebuke the challenges, bind them in prayer and cast them out when they have been presented with overcoming opportunities.

We hear many say that they are a transitional generation for example they are  a  bridge to the generations or racial gaps, what ever gaps really, yet so often when we are presented with the gifts of transition we tend to think that they are evil and from satan, but they are actually gifts to bring transition and cause us to overcome.

  • Every race starts with a single rotation of the wheel.

To achieve great things, you have to first achieve the little things.  A long-distance race victory doesn’t just happen instantly, it has to begin somewhere and from those many rotations of the wheel, victory followed.    Every little press down of the foot to create another rotation of the wheel counts, or you could say every small event makes the big picture work.    Someone once said ‘the sea is made of water droplets’, for you and I we only see the sea and push aside the little drops that make it up as we only want or value the big, great, yet the small pushed aside are where life is at really.

  • Preparation.

For a race that would last days, he would spend all year round training hard and competing in other events. He was known to push himself to extremes in training, more-so than most endurance athletes.

We are encouraged through the scripture to be shrewd and wise taking a view of the culmination of Gods purpose and not to live in the shallows of now only.   Is this not the encouragement of “without a vision people are unrestrained (perish)” it is about having a view which demands a long-range.   To be expectant of the return of Christ yet plan for the long-term future, it’s the tension of living the ‘now and not yet’ making provision for the long haul and the immediate.

  •  Do not doubt yourself when others doubt you.

For a large portion of his career, Lance had to put up with doping allegations made against him, many of them made by former team-mates. Some of these allegations could perhaps be attributed to jealously.     Being accused of something, particularly by former friends, can be quite upsetting. Much speculation remains on whether or not Lance took performance enhancing drugs, and it’s likely to follow him the rest of his life.

Believe that God has chosen you, empowered you equipped you don’t let others hold you back or their insecurity or control pull down what God has promised.   See through Gods view on your life.   ‘Enduring for the joy set before’ was the Jesus style of life that  is distracting challenge our wills, some times challenges makes us wonder yet there was a joy in Christ of knowing what God wanted of Him the Christ.   Don’t take on other people’s feelings, live in the inner life of God.

  • Family is important.

Winning is important. But it’s not everything. Despite his hectic training schedule, Lance Armstrong still found time to father five children.

A Family is what  God is after, the church is the family of God we must see this as important beyond anything else, to be a family and model a family at every level.    To prevent the church becoming organisational and remain as a family that the influence, leadership and stability of the community of God, the church comes from mothers, brothers, fathers and sisters.  For this is the governments of the church, there will be the functional apostles, prophets etc., reproducing the very same in a people,  yet these functions are fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers but certainly not positional but relationship in a family.   It’s a challenge in our day as we cross to business models, which there is nothing wrong with business in its sphere yet the church crosses and finds little true relationships, as we take on cooperate models and realise we are about filling the earth with a person not business strategies we are FAMILY, the FAMILY OF GOD together, the Christ like corporate body, the image and likeness of the Father.

  • The determination to succeed.

His drive to become the best was phenomenal. It is all the more incredible to have succeeded so often in an endurance sport. Unlike many other sports, endurance sports are not won with one play, or a short period of maximum effort. They require maximum effort over a long period of time.    To win one Tour de France title is incredible, to win it seven times is something else.

Jesus set his ‘face like flint’ he determined his direction, he asked can ‘this cup be taken away’ then concluded ‘not my will but yours be done’ he determined to finish.   Paul said ‘I have run the race…I have finished the race‘ determination to get to the end, the old idiom that goes ‘the measure of a person is in how they finish, finishing well’

  • Do not get complacent.

Once you have achieved your goals, there’s always the temptation to sit back, relax and enjoy your success. After the first few Tour de France wins, you would forgive Lance for slacking-off training a little. After all, he had accomplished great feats. Yet Lance wasn’t happy with just one or two wins, he wanted more. Even as he was rapidly approaching middle-age and suffering from a terrible disease, he kept going.

You could say of Lance ‘He put the same amount of determination into his last victory as he did his first one’.    Don’t let your world become small and just survive, it seems some times that life throws all at us to produce this,  but we must not be complacent.     Knowing if God who started something ‘will complete it’ as Paul put it can we join in with that same essence and life to complete what we start and not get complacent?

  • If you have succeeded at anything, there’s always more to do.

No matter what life throws at you, with the right frame of mind you can overcome. Even when life is cruel. And when all others doubt you, you can go that extra mile and become the best in the world.

We are OVERCOMERS in Christ, who can separate us from the love of God, all these are there so we know and experience that we can be those who get through and accomplish the goal of God for all creation.

Change of leading – Things are changing

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We cannot read the narrative of the life of Jesus without seeing change going on often hidden in a number of different actions, words and motives in action.   It comes down to comments  that Jesus made such as “…you say this but I say…”, outlining a change of life style, order and action in that very moment when people encountered this Jesus.   It makes me wonder how many of us bring about change in the people we meet, in their concepts, practices and lifestyles?   I say this totally believing that  this is our gospel of the Kingdom and what the gospel calls us to become and to be, those who announce change and enable change at every hand in humanity.    That my preaching is not about the performance or the rhetoric but more about it being a stage in the listener’s life of enabling transformation or simply enabling different thinking patterns.

Jesus had this knack of, “…you say this but I say…” constantly, for some it was liberating for others it produced a reaction, with some getting angry to the demands, awakening people to they lives lived by a religious scale, it’s a precious lesson for us to know asking ourselves “..at what level of a religious scale do I live at or with”?  I hear some saying as a reaction “…Listen I am not religious, I am a Christian, it’s about relationships…”  really, but where are you on your religious scale, my question still stands.   We all have some religion that we are being liberated from, when we look at our lives in the cool of day I am sure we would agree that there is religion there.   The joy is we have a way of liberation of freedom on offer as we listen to the “you say this but I  say this” directions.   It is things changing in us then around us!

When Jesus arrived, the book of Hebrews summed it up, there was a change of priesthood happening, with laws and practices moving from shadows and pictures into reality in the life of Christ.   The message becomes “…better…” as the Hebrews write declare many times, better covenant, better priesthood, better…  So when God came to earth when mankind embraced the divine and Jesus arrived in Nazareth religious vessels broke, patterns of old ways had to change, rules came undone and a new kind of life broke in and the “…Kingdom of God came amongst men…” 

For instance if you were a  Rabbi you were not supposed to talk to Samaritans, heal on the Sabbath, challenge the Religious, hang out with fishermen, get your feet washed by ladies of unknown origin, go to dinner with tax collectors , travel with women and the list continues on and on – Things Changed, things are changing!

Jesus did all that and more, it did not bother him to challenge the status quo or what others thought, in our day, I believe a of restoration and as a restorer that we are here to restore society it still means I don’t need to fit in and I do need to be a catalyst of change to a Jesus way.   I should not simply fit in as  a matter of fact I should bring about change and be the incarnation of God in my daily life in my society,  showing grace and bringing the demand for Justice and righteousness in what ever way the situation and circumstance demands.

Our cultures are changing at breakneck speed, it is hard to keep up, the church, that is, you and I, are to be the cause of change and not just reactors to the changes.    This is restoration, causing cultural change, causing the Kingdom of God to come to our worlds with in worlds is it not?

Here are some of the things in dealing with the people of God and in dealing with what we call ministry that are changing; but first I want to list some of the older patters that need to change and are being transformed for us by a new priesthood.

Be loyal to your denominations – do what they say it is for the best – yet in our world where the relationship word is strong and has a growing influence and vocabulary use and relationships and covenant is becoming more demanding making sure that relationship/covenant does not to reinvent control or incorrect demanding loyalty but to be like God in our relationship and keep faithful

Be slow to change so people don’t get uncomfortable, its been focus on who you have and done reach out

Do all you can to keep money people in the congregations – bills need paying

Make doctrinal correctness your top priority – quickly correct, judge and separate deviants.

Love people who fit in your church vision and are like you.  tolerate others the best you can

Lots of programs so everyone has something to do all the time, more is better, keep them looking in on the programs.

Your style of preaching/teaching is to tell people what to do as you know better.  Talking down to people.

Do everything decently and in order – be predictable 

I would say that all these above are under the scrutiny of change in some way or another, they are all on a journey of being  discovers and restored correctly or done away with in a new culture though a reformation that is happening all around us.    Each one of the above could and should be discussed in their own right to see the change look at its implication but this is not my aim today. 

Now lets turn a page and look at some new ways that may be in your street right now.

Care, Care, Care really care for people.  people know if you don’t.   Society around cannot deal with real, authentic loving relationships when centered on Christ.   Be a careful we still get caught in judging quicker than loving.

Enhance Life.   Do something in your community to enhance life being socially minded, it gives people something to take to others and helps to give a point of conversation.

Teach accurately – help people to hear God for themselves in a world with so many voices and opportunities in hearing the word.   Making teaching simple by the teaching through relevant topics.

Speak bluntly DONT OFFEND PEOPLE FOR NO REASON.   sometimes we must say things to help people in the complexity of life, most will appreciate your courage of conviction as long as you don’t judge.   here is an old one don’t use the teaching and preaching to vent frustration what you don’t like, BE CHRIST TO PEOPLE reach, accept and love while changing.

Involve in mission all people

Media – use it but not over kill.   People want people not celluloid, authenticity means life touching life not film, video, media saying it all, there is nothing fleshed out, there is no message.   Use it to enhance life and not instead of life, easier said than done some times for techies.

Change quickly when it’s not working, no method is in stone, find better ways all the time, bring people to change and be sure of change – ITS THE GOSPEL!   help people’s emotion to be able to change.

Authentic – BE IT people see and recognize emptiness a long way off, or some one full of words and no authenticity, be honest about your failures but don’t use them or live from  or on them, don’t use them for emotional currency it will not build, just be authentically in love with God and his people and be authentic yourself..

Practical what you say or teach either works or it does not, if it does not you will lose friends and eventually all but if your practical works you will gain friends.

Be a little crazy shake up, adventure, take a step, break through Peoples tipping point, give people a reason to be out there and of course give opportunity while you model adventure.

In all these see if you can adopt and try changing,  let the something changing be you?