"God’s Church in Man’s City!" Course Open Enrollment!

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Eagles In Leadership and Bible Believers Christian College and Seminary Are Announcing A Summer Term 2012 Course

 

God’s Church in Man’s City

Understanding and Deploying a Biblical Church in an Urban Community

Mondays, 6.30 – 9.30 pm

June 11 – August 13, 2012

Course Description: Practical Ecclesiology introduces you to the subjects of the Universal Church and the local church; examines the biblical texts forming the basis for the creation, purpose, functions and goals of the Church and local churches; analyzes and differentiates what is biblical and what is cultural in our understanding of the local church; identifies the basic ingredients of what makes a local church; examines what the Scriptures say regarding the qualifications, functions and structures of church leadership and applies these truths to the urban context of Los Angeles County.

Registration Is Now Open

For This Class to be Offered at:

Bible Believers Christian College and Seminary

4081 W. El Segundo Blvd.
Hawthorne, CA 90250

Contact: Dr. Steven Davis, Dean or Dr. Matthew Smith, Professor

Phone: 323.779-2222

 

Biblical Training for Today’s Urban Christian Leader

These courses are designed for the serious Bible student:

Pastors, Ministers, Evangelists, Teachers, Deacons, Deaconnesses, Chaplains, Missionaries, etc.

Professor: Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Ph D, Professor

Bible Believers Christian College and Seminary

Schedule: June 11 – August 13 (10 weeks), Mondays, 6.30 – 9.30 pm

RSVP – ASAP! Space is limited!

Tuition: Full Credit Course (3 accredited, transferrable units)

At an affordable cost: $150. Includes registration fee and course.

A $20 materials fee will also be expected on the first night of class.

Take the course Urban Leadership also and

get both courses for $275 instead of $300 – a $25 discount!

For more information on: Bible Believers Christian College and Seminary


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Come Pray With Me At the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem!

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Join Melodee and I as we travel to Israel in February of 2013!

Among the many places we will see and the many things we will do, we will have an opportunity to pray at the Western Wall of the Temple site, known more popularly as “the Wailing Wall.”

On our last trip when I finished praying, an older gentleman, an Orthodox Jew, asked me if I was Jewish. When I responded, “No, I am a Gentile who believes King Solomon’s words in 2 Chronicles 6:32–33 (HCSB):

“Even for the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of Your great name and Your mighty hand and outstretched arm: when he comes and prays toward this temple, may You hear in heaven in Your dwelling place, and do all the foreigner asks You. Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name, to fear You as Your people Israel do and know that this temple I have built is called by Your name.”

The man began to weep! He thanked me for coming and asked God to grant my prayers as well!

Melodee and I want to invite you to join us on this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trip. Don’t miss this opportunity! God wants to transform your life like He has done to us!

This is a 10-day trip leaving February 18th, 2013. We have made it easy for you to join us with a choice of departures cities across the country: You can choose to leave from Los Angeles, Chicago or New York.

Details and a brochure with all the details are located at this link. We encourage you to get your deposit in while space is still available!

Melodee and I are here to answer all of your questions! You can email us at: pastormatt [@] eaglesinleadership.org

We look forward to praying with you in Israel in February!

 

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Episode 115 – Living in Forgiveness!

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Welcome to the Transformed podcast.

We cannot accomplish God’s dream for our church until we learn to forgive and forget the offenses of others.

One of the closest men to Jesus tells us today there are 7 key understandings about forgiveness and it’s linkage to fellowship. Once we apply these understandings our fellowship circle will grow and we will enjoy a depth of friendship unheard of among our neighbors.

Let’s listen in as Dr. Matthew Smith, lead pastor of Pacific Baptist Church in El Segundo, California, teaches us about forgiveness and fellowship from 1 John 1.

 

We hope you prayed that prayer to receive the forgiveness of God. If you did, congratulations! It is our sincere hope and prayer that you will take the next steps in the faith by getting into a small group of believers and digging into the Bible through group study.

You can take the thought of this message one step further by ordering a copy of Pastor Matt’s book, In His Presence.

In His Presence is a daily devotional which targets the purpose of Magnification or Worship.

It revolves around the Biblical truth, “God welcomes you into His presence with joy and pleasure.”

The devotional follows a reading schedule through the entire book of Psalms over the course of the year.

You can order a copy of In His Presence from Amazon by clicking the link on the side panel of the Eagles In Leadership website.

We are praying that you would be filled with the love of God so that you can demonstrate His love to the lost and dying in your city! God bless!

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Small Group Philosphy 101

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

We welcome good friend Mark Howell to Eagles In Leadership today. His article today is a reprint, used by his permission. Mark is a valued friend and wise leader. We know you will enjoy this installment.

What is the philosophy of your small group ministry?  Do you have one?  I think that the most fundamental step for every small group ministry is to develop a personalized philosophy of ministry.

Developing a personalized philosophy of ministry is critical because you will be the one defining priorities, determining next steps and defending actions.  Without a personalized philosophy of ministry what you do will be far more driven by the urgent and not the truly important.

Here are some of the core elements of my philosophy of small group ministry:

  • Life-on-life is the optimum environment for spiritual growth. I’ve often said that what happens in a worship service is closest in kind to a defibrillator.  A great message and inspiring worship can jump start your heart spiritually, but it’s not permanent change.  It’s temporary.  As soon as you’re in the traffic jam on the way out of the parking lot you’re heart is back to where it was.  What does bring change?  Life on life.  Surgery or therapy happens when the Holy Spirit uses relationships.
  • The best delivery system for life-on-life is a small group. Will it work for everybody every time?  No.  But the easiest way to impact the most people is a small group system that is pervasive.
  • Interaction is a key to life-change. A smaller version of the worship service (singing together followed by listening to a Bible teacher) is not the ticket.  Facilitated discussion leading to personal application combined with the support and nurture of shared lives leads to life-change.
  • Every believer is the relative shepherd to someone (and in most circumstances a group of someones).  The Small Group Connection strategy works because there is a relative shepherd in every group gathered.  The HOST strategy works because when I gather a few of my friends, I tend to be a step or two ahead of the ones I gather.  As my friend Brett says, “I don’t have to be Jesus Junior.  Only a step ahead.”
  • Whatever I want to happen at the member level in groups has to be happening in the life of the leader. This is the raison d’être for a coaching structure.  Coaching is only about technique and skill training in the very beginning.  It is almost entirely about life-on-life once a group is beyond 90 days.
  • Groups have a life span.  The normal life span of a group is about 18 to 24 meetings.  Groups can meet much longer than that but barring the infusion of new blood and a very proactive leader, groups that continue to meet become more about fellowship and less about transformation.
  • Providing life support for dying groups is counter-productive. When I proactively send new members to a dwindling group I am usually keeping alive something that needs something a few new members won’t provide.  Better to build leaders and groups that are intentionally building new relationships outside the group.
  • The easiest way to impact a community is through an ever growing network of outward looking groups. With the right curriculum and the right strategy…a church can impact the neighbors and friends of every member.  This is the essence of crowd-to-core.

These are some of the essential pieces of my small group philosophy.  Every group life discussion I have is influenced by this philosophical stance.  As I’ve often said, there is no problem-free solution to anything.  This philosophy produces the set of problems I’d rather have.

What’s your philosophy of small group ministry?  How is it different?

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Episode 114 – Moving from Guilt to Gratitude

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Welcome to the Transformed podcast.

Gary Inrig has said, “Our response to Jesus is the infallible evidence of whether or not we have understood and received forgiveness.”

In our episode today, Dr. Matthew Smith, lead pastor of Pacific Baptist Church in El Segundo, California, explores forgiveness when it becomes the theme of a dinner that Jesus is invited to by a local Pharisee.

As we open our Bibles to Luke 7, we discover that attitudes are the fragrance of life and the difference between the religiously superior person and the forgiven spirit are the attitudes you can smell … as we see at the dinner situation Jesus was in. Let’s listen is now as Jesus tells us that how we respond to the forgiveness of Jesus reflects what’s really happened inside of us.

 

 

We hope you prayed that prayer to receive the forgiveness of God. If you did, congratulations! It is our sincere hope and prayer that you will take the next steps in the faith by getting into a small group of believers and digging into the Bible through group study.

You can take the thought of this message one step further by ordering a copy of Pastor Matt’s book, In His Presence.

In His Presence is a daily devotional which targets the purpose of Magnification or Worship.

It revolves around the Biblical truth, “God welcomes you into His presence with joy and pleasure.”

The devotional follows a reading schedule through the entire book of Psalms over the course of the year.

You can order a copy of In His Presence from Amazon by clicking the link on the side panel of the Eagles In Leadership website.

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There Are No Small Pastors!

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

We welcome Brandon Cox back today with another insightful article that is sure to encourage and promote servant leadership around the globe! Thanks Brandon for sharing! You can learn more about Brandon at his website.

 

I just returned from a conference with close to 5,000 attendees, mostly pastors and church planters. The content was incredible and the people who lead it care deeply about the audience. The theme spoke to the soul and the workshops were spot on in terms of practical, helpful advice. In fact, Exponential is probably one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended and I hope to come back.

But like any good conference, there are side effects. Pastors are intriguing creatures who have a tendency to be some of the best at acting and projecting. I conclude this partly out of observation and experience and partly out of empirical data collected from DISC profiles that demonstrates that we have a tendency to adjust to the expectations around us to an extent that becomes difficult to sustain over time, often leading to burnout and emotional wreckage.

I also share it out of my own personal experience. I’m an introvert by nature and I find it easy to retreat into a shell, projecting confidence but feeling on the inside that I’m surrounded by people who couldn’t possibly find me valuable. I’ve learned to combat that lie with the truth of Scripture, basing my self-worth on the assessment Jesus made of me in the garden of Gethsemane. He purposefully went to the cross for me even knowing my faults and failures in advance. He did the same for you.

I want to speak a word of encouragement to Pastors about your value. Listen loudly to these two truths:

1. There are no LARGE churches. Some are smaller than others, but “large” is a relative word we should measure in terms of our actual cultural impact. Until we’ve saturated a community with the gospel and are seeing 90% or more of the population living life in a proper relationship with Jesus, we’ll just assume all churches are still small. I was on staff at Saddleback, a church that saw about 40,000 people this past Easter Sunday, but Orange County has a population of 3 million. Saddleback is small. There are too many people without Jesus and on their way to hell for any of us to boast in our numbers. We’re way behind.

2. There are no SMALL pastors. Stop sizing yourself up according to the relative size of your church. We tend to assume that large churches are led by large pastors, and small churches by small pastors. That’s a lie, from the devil, from the pit of hell. It smells like smoke. It takes a big leader to step before a congregation and shepherd them. A small church absolutely does not equal a small pastor!

I’m not concluding that all pastors are healthy. Yes, there are church leaders who are ego-driven, bigoted, dictatorial, and hypocritical. But assuming you’re in a right relationship with Jesus, you’re not small. Your impact is impossible to calculate and only eternity will show the full extent of the investment you’ve made into people.

You are valuable enough to God to move Him to send His Son Jesus to the cross for you. You are, as Paul put it in 1 Timothy 1:12, “counted worthy” being put into the ministry. You were chosen for the greatest task on the planet – telling others the good news, and your choosing is based entirely on grace so that neither you nor any other pastor on the face of the earth can ever boast in being bigger. In God’s eyes, there are just no small pastors!

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Episode 113 – Wiping the Slate Clean

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

As hard as it is to imagine at times, God wants to forgive you!

  • I know, there are things you can’t imagine God forgiving in your life.
  • I know, some of the things you have done are just too embarrassing to even consider asking for forgiveness about!
  • I know, after reading what you have read in the Bible or hearing what you have heard from “Christians” you know God’s opinion of what you’ve done.

And, as a result, you know God wouldn’t want to forgive you.

I would agree with you – if I didn’t understand the road to forgiveness!

In our episode today, Dr. Matthew Smith, lead pastor of Pacific Baptist Church in El Segundo, California, explains the three phases on the road to forgiveness with God.

Let’s open our Bible now to Romans 3 and listen in as he teaches God’s Word …

 

At the end of the podcast Pastor Matt led you in a prayer to receive God’s forgiveness. We hope you prayed that prayer to receive His forgiveness. If you did, congratulations! It is our sincere hope and prayer that you will take the next steps in the faith by getting into a small group of believers and digging into the Bible through group study.

You can take the thought of this message one step further by ordering a copy of Pastor Matt’s book, In His Presence.

In His Presence is a daily devotional which targets the purpose of Magnification or Worship.

It revolves around the Biblical truth, “God welcomes you into His presence with joy and pleasure.”

The devotional follows a reading schedule through the entire book of Psalms over the course of the year.

You can order a copy of In His Presence from Amazon by clicking the link on the side panel of the Eagles In Leadership website.

And now, until next time, we are praying that you would be filled with the love of God so that you can demonstrate His love to the lost and dying in your city! God bless!

 

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Walking by Faith or by Sight?

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

As you may know, Melodee and I are leading a tour of Israel in February of 2013. (That’s 10 months from now.) Here’s the link for details: https://www.eaglesinleadership.org/israel-trip-2013/

As I have been inviting people, a most curious pattern has occurred that recently I took notice of. Let me explain. My initiation goes like this:

“Would love to invite you to Israel with me in 2013! This will be an amazing trip! I know you would be SO transformed. There are hardly words to explain what happens inside when you go. You will NEVER be the same after you go to Israel. (And I am teaching all along the way!) I will be glad to answer ALL your questions.”

“Would you at least pray and ask God this question: ‘Why shouldn’t I go to Israel with Doc?’ and let him answer. I’ll be praying with you! I also have a sample fund raising letter if you would like help there too. Details here: https://www.eaglesinleadership.org/israel-trip-2013/. Message me with any questions.”

Reponses Reveal the Soul

As I post these via email or Facebook, one group of people, after a period of reflection and consideration reply, “Doc, I’ll pray about that.” The other group, almost immediately, reply, “Sorry Doc, I couldn’t afford that.”

At first I simply took no notice of it. And then, upon further reflection, I realized something: How many times do I simply discount a thing without ever consulting God? I mean, seriously, how did I know I should go on this trip at this time? I did it by faith. You see, I don’t have the money for this trip either yet!

But what if God wanted you to go and you never asked him? We tout pious platitudes like, “Where God guides, God provides!” However, what if God did allow you this [or some other] opportunity and you or I simply dismissed it because, we don’t have money.

A Changed Perspective

“Where God guides, God provides!” Do I believe it? Yes, I do! So, through this process I have come to a fresh approach. When God allows an opportunity to come my way, I say this to Him; Since you have allowed this to come my way, I believe you want me to consider and pray about it. I will plan to go until you say, “No.”

And so, now I take every opportunity as direction for prayer and for work. So, Israel is a go. And I am working to fund this trip because God has given me the opportunity to go. (I even wrote a fund raising letter and will mail those soon as well!) Why? Because I believe that, “Where God guides, God provides!”

What do your actions show you really believe?

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Episode 112 – A Costly Forgiveness!

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Easter is all about forgiveness!

It’s about the proof that God forgives us …

  • Despite what we have done
  • Despite whom we’ve hurt
  • Despite how we’ve treated others
  • Despite … ourselves!

Our episode today is from the transcript of God’s own conversation about his “forgiveness plan,” Pastor Matt shares 5 facts about God’s forgiveness as seen from the eternal plan of God.

We hope you enjoy today’s episode as you listen as Dr. Matthew Smith, lead pastor of the Pacific Baptist Church in El Segundo, California, lifts our hearts and spirits concerning the intentionality and compassion of God’s love for us.

As the episode concludes we hope you pray the prayer to receive the forgiveness of God and develop a deep and abiding relationship with God.

 

You can take the thought of this message one step further by ordering a copy of Pastor Matt’s book, In His Presence.

In His Presence is a daily devotional which targets the purpose of Magnification or Worship.

It revolves around the Biblical truth, “God welcomes you into His presence with joy and pleasure.”

The devotional follows a reading schedule through the entire book of Psalms over the course of the year.

You can order a copy of In His Presence from Amazon by clicking the link on the side panel of the Eagles In Leadership website.

And now, until next time, we are praying that you would be filled with the love of God so that you can demonstrate His love to the lost and dying in your city! God bless!

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Episode 111 – Decade of Destiny!

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Welcome to a very special edition of the Transformed podcast.

Solomon tells us that, “Where there is no vision, the people perish!”

In our episode today, Dr. Matthew Smith, lead pastor in El Segundo, California, shares from his heart the vision he believes God is calling the people of Pacific Baptist Church to embrace.

In this emotional and powerful message, Pastor Matt shares how through months of prayer and fasting, God has been and continues to reveal his heart and soul for God’s people there in Pacific.

As we listen in to today’s message, we know you will find the Spirit of God tugging on these same three themes in your life, for they are birthed from the Word of God and the commands of Jesus. So, without further delay, let’s listen as Pastor Matt shares The Decade of Destiny vision with his flock …

 

Today’s question is, will you accept God’s challenge for your future as well? We hope so!

 

You can take the thought of this message one step further by ordering a copy of Pastor Matt’s book, Growing Missional Leaders.

 

Growing Missional Leaders is a practical, passionate, Biblical mentoring journey for individuals, small groups, leadership teams and congregations who desire to win their world for Christ.

 

Growing Missional Leaders …

 

* Tells stories – of lost opportunities and successes with friends – that give powerful, encouragement for personal and corporate outreach …

 

* It opens Bible passages – again and again – showing that God’s heart is to bring his lost children home …

 

* And it provides stimulating discussion questions – at the end of each chapter -providing the stepping-stones to launching fresh ministry into your community …

 

Believers hungering to reach their world for Christ will be energized by this passionate call to fulfill Christ’s Gospel and the invigorating manner in which their thought processes will be stretched to God-sized proportions.

 

You can order a copy of Growing Missional Leaders from Amazon by clicking the link on the side panel of the Eagles In Leadership website.

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