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12 Indicators Your Leadership Is Lacking

May 10, 2010 - Leave a Response

1. I wait for someone to tell me what to do rather than taking the initiative myself.

2. I spend too much time talking about how things should be different.

3. I blame the context, surrounding, or other people for my current situation.

4. I am more concerned about being cool or accepted than doing the right thing.

5. I seek consensus rather than casting vision for a preferable future.

6. I am not taking any significant risks.

7. I accept the status quo as the way it’s always been and always will be.

8. I start protecting my reputation instead of opening myself up to opposition.

9. I procrastinate to avoid making a tough call.

10. I talk to others about the problem rather than taking it to the person responsible.

11. I don’t feel like my butt is on the line for anything significant.

12. I ask for way too many opinions before taking action.

Dave and Jon Fergusson – Exponential (pg. 59)

Categorized in Leadership and Uncategorized

Chandler at Together For The Gospel

April 29, 2010 - Leave a Response

Last week I heard Matt Chandler share at Exponential. I have been listening to him for a couple years. He’s solid, theological, and isn’t a fundamentalist. That’s a good combination!

He’s had his own battle the last six months with cancer. He took some time to share at Together For The Gospel with CJ Mahaney a couple weeks ago. Chandler is an example of someone who is suffering well. Watching this helps put everything into perspective.

Categorized in video

Shane Claiborne at Exponential

April 27, 2010 - Leave a Response

I still have lots of notes from Exponential last week that I haven’t posted. There was a lot to process.

What I enjoyed about the conference was the diversity of content and speakers. You had guys sharing from mega-churches to house church movements, to anywhere in between.

Shane Claiborne shared one of the afternoons on community transformation.

I had read bits and pieces of his book but never heard him live. His talk was fantastic and easily one of the best presentations at the conference.

Here’s a little recap and some notes and quotes.

Shane Claborne

”Transformation takes more than a doctrinal statement”

”Doctrines are important things and we need to have that right but it is love that draws people to community”

”Discipleship is more about than just what we believe”

“The final judgment will not require you to submit your doctrinal statement”

Listen to what Jesus says about us standing before him…

Matthew 25: ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“What do your doctrines look like? What are you practicing?”

Transformation is more than:

1. Transformation takes more than ideologies.

How are you proactive?

2. Transformation takes more than just a good vision

“The person who is just in love with the vision of community will destroy community”

”You can be obsessed with social justice and still be mean towards each other”

I’ll pipe in here and say BAM! I’ve run into a lot of people who are Claiborne groupies and heavily opinionated about social justice yet treat people like crap.

3. Transformation takes a neighborhood

“Move in… Learn… Listen…”

“It takes patience”

“One of my greatest temptations has been to come a church planter”

What he means by this is that it could be easy for him to start a church in Philly where he is because of the need. His philosophy is that he wants to join God in what he is doing and help the churches that are established in the area.

“In my neighborhood we don’t need more churches, we need the church.”

”There’s a whole lot of counterfeit community” – talking about virtual community

”Do something crazy. Go face to face to someone and ask them to be your friend!”

What Does Transformation Take?

1. Transformation takes imagination

”We’re all addicted to something. We are all recovering from something.”

He shared a powerful story of gun violence in Philly and how the community came together to not just transform the problem but transform the root of the problem (gun shops selling guns illegally).

2. Transformation takes humility

“It isn’t about the donkey. It’s about who (Jesus) rode the donkey. We are just the asses that get to bring Jesus in.”

For more on Shane check out the Simple Way.

Categorized in Community, Messages, Mission and Uncategorized

Nehemiah: A Model For Prayer

April 23, 2010 - Leave a Response

In our series Fifty To 50 at RVC we have been walking through the book of Nehemiah. In chapter 1 we see an outline in verses 5-11 of Nehemiah praying to God because his city is in ruins. What is amazing about these verses is that we see Nehemiah model how to effectively pray when communicating with God.

So often prayer consists of us coming before God with our laundry list of things we need Him to do for us. We see through the example of Nehemiah that what he prayed went much deeper than a “to do” list of requests.

Look at what Nehemiah did:

1. Nehemiah acknowledged the greatness of God (vs 5)

And I said, “O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,

2. Nehemiah confessed Israel’s sin (vs 6-7)

Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.

3. Nehemiah proclaimed the promises of God (vs 8-9)

Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples,but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’

4. Nehemiah brought his petition before the Lord (vs 11)

O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

To watch week 2 of our series Fifty To 50 click HERE.

Categorized in Community and Message Notes

Exponential Day 1: Matt Chandler

April 20, 2010 - Leave a Response

Matt Chandler

“Paul continually preaches the gospel to people who have already heard it.”

Romans 1:13-15

1 Corinthians 15:1-6 – past tense, present tense, future tense

“The gospel should not be assumed.”

Galatians 1:6-9

Ephesians 2:1-10 – the gospel

“The gospel isn’t something that just saves you, it’s something you walk in.”

The Gospel Defined

Colossians 1:13-23

1. The Gospel On The Ground

Colossians 1 Verses 13-14, 21-23

GOD – MAN – CHRIST – RESPONSE

GOD – creator/perfect

MAN – sinful and wretched

CHRIST – paid the price

RESPONSE – Christ’s work generates a response

2. The Gospel In The Air

Colossians 1 Verses 15-19

CREATION – FALL – REDEMPTION – CONCEMNATION

CREATION – loving creator created everything good

FALL – fractures shalom, sin enters the world, the ground will war against you

REDEMPTION – Jesus becomes our righteousness, takes on our wickedness

CONSUMMATION – rescued from our sin and used as an agent of reconciliation

“Often the gospel on the ground and the gospel in the air play ‘textual tennis’. They both might be true.”

“You and loving your city without the gospel is crap.”

Luke 24:13

Implications Of The Resurrection

In the cross we are being saved from SIN

In the resurrection we are saved to MISSION

We’ve been saved from SIN to the job of RECONCILIATION

Categorized in Church Planting, Leadership, Message Notes and Mission

Exponential Day 1: Mark Batterson (Right Now Pre-Conference)

April 20, 2010 - Leave a Response

Mark Batterson – Right Now

Session 1

“God doesn’t do what He does because of us. He does what He does in spite of us.”

Matthew 10:1

“A lot of people want Jesus to follow them. It should be the other way around.”

“Ministry is not a career. It’s a calling.”

“I don’t get paid to preach. I’m called to preach.”

Ezekiel – the priests were appointed to minister to the Lord. My version would be for the Lord not to the Lord.

“Chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”

“How are you doing in ministering to the Lord?”

“I’m not worried about church growth. I’m worried about personal growth.”

“How a person thinks about God is the most important thing about them.” - AW Tozer

“Insecurity is the curse of our pastoral tribe. Find your identity and security in Christ.”

“Irrelevance is irreverent.”

“God took on our language. Incarnate.”

“Our church is 14 years old and we don’t know what we’re going to be when we grow up.”

“The movie screen – postmodern stained glass”

Writing -100 bits per second. Motion picture -10 million bits per second. “A picture is work 10 million words”

“We need to come to terms with who we are and who we are not”

Mark Batterson – God Sized Vision

Session 2

“Early on in ministry your influence will have to do with your competency. When you get older it is all about the people that you bring around you.”

“Early on in ministry I wanted a guest speaker that was good, but not that good.”

2 Things He Does With His Staff

Play and Pray Together

2. Create A Positive Atmosphere

Share wins – ministry is hard

Matthew 10

Vs. 9 – goes against everything your mother taught you

“This plan depends on dependency on God.”

You need to have a VISION BEYOND RESOURCES.

Financial Principles

“Don’t let your budget define your vision, let your vision define your budget.”

“You don’t need a God sized vision to do something great. You need a God sized vision to keep you on your needs and dependant on God.”

“Some of us are as innocent as snakes and shrewd as doves.”

“Good leaders need to have a curve ball.”

Shrewd As Snakes

mix it up, be creative
free market small groups (give people room to dream)
redeem technology (digital discipleship)

Innocent As Dove

You need to ask the question: why are you doing this?
“Your dream can become an idol. God can become a means to an end”
“Blessings need to be turned into praise. If not it will turn into pride.”

Categorized in Leadership and Message Notes

Exponential

April 19, 2010 - Leave a Response

For the next few days I’m at the Exponential Conference in Orlando. The focus of the conference is mission and multiplication.

Excited to hear from some guys like Francis Chan, Mark Batterson, Matt Chandler, Dave Gibbons, Ed Stetzer and more.

I’m hoping to blog my notes and thoughts throughout the week.

Categorized in Church Planting

We’re All Theologians

April 18, 2010 - Leave a Response

I forgot to mention that I’m spending significant time updating the Royal View Blog for our Fifty To 50 campaign and message series. We are trying to update almost everyday throughout the 50 days.

We showed this video tonight. I suggest reading Josh Harris’ book Dug Down Deep.

Categorized in Uncategorized

Clarification Of The Gospel

April 16, 2010 - Leave a Response

I am thankful for groups like The Resurgence and The Gospel Coalition that continue to help articulate what the Gospel is. Daniel Montgomery is pastor of Sojourn Community Church in Louisville and he does a good job at articulating what the Gospel is.

One of the things that we believe at Royal View is exactly what he says in the video. All theology is practical and practice is rooted in theology.

Categorized in Videos and Media