Healthy Church Attitudes

Artwork Credit: southsidenazarene.ca

Yesterday we spoke of four common attitudes in the sick church. However, we also said that healthy churches grow, according to the New Testament:

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:11–16, ESV)

In other words, healthy churches grow because the people who make up those churches are growing. What does this look like, practically?

Healthy churches exhibit certain attitudes

  • The people are Humble

Healthy people serve others and the community they live in. In other words, they refuse to be the center of their universe. Paul says that they do the “work of the ministry.” In a healthy, growing church, you will always see a large percentage of the people serving. (In a sick church about 10% of the people serve the remaining 90%.)

  • The people are Evangelistic

When someone begins to understand the amazing gift of grace that Jesus has given them, they have to tell their friends about it. Those words of God’s love are received well because the healthy Christ-follower is already serving their neighbors and friend, coworkers and fellow students – the people they are sharing Christ with. (Again, in a sick church, evangelism is either the pastor’s job or for those with the gift of evangelism.)

  • The people are Adaptable

Things change. The healthy church moves on because the mission is more important than the method. People’s lives are more important than the traditions and tools of the past. In their adaptation, the baptistery finds use often. People are reached for Christ on a regular basis. This opens new avenues for the demonstration of the love and leadership of Jesus.

  • The people are Loving

People care in the healthy church. They are not superficial or just friendly with one another. When someone new comes along, they welcome and genuinely are interested in them. They connect. When a need arises, they simply meet it, or involve their small group to take care of it. They don’t need to get the pastoral staff involved because they ARE the church!

  • The people are Transparent

Beyond the superficiality of a quick “Hello” as we pass by, these people grow deep together, doing life together through small groups, in mission and in community outreach. They spend enough time together to see past the veneer and look into the real heart of one another. Foibles and failures show up, are dealt with and loved through in the healthy church.

  • The people are Helpful

You will seldom hear of a project or need that wasn’t met in the healthy church. Why? Because healthy people serve and give – generosity is their signature trademark. Whether it is a comment heard on the patio on the weekend or a need shared in small group, God’s people rise to the occasion and care for it quickly because they are family, and that’s what family does.

  • The people are Yielded

Agendas don’t find their way to the community of faith in a healthy church unless it is the agenda of Jesus. These people understand that just like Jesus, they are not here to be served, but to serve and give their lives as ransom for others. (See Matthew 20.20-28) This affords them the lifestyle of putting others first on a consistent and powerful basis.

This is the church of health, and it grows! Healthy churches grow because every member is a minister.

Those are my thoughts. I would love to hear yours! Please comment below.

Posted in Church Health, Leadership Blog, Multi-ethnic / Urban | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sick Church Attitudes

According to the New Testament, when a church is healthy is grows.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:11–16, ESV)

So, when a church doesn’t grow, it may be sick. Consider the church that resides in a metropolis of several hundred thousand. All around it are people dying without Jesus and, as we are told all the time, the average church in America is under 100.

Having consulted in churches for decades, I have noted 4 key attitudes in a church that hasn’t grown in years …

Sick churches exhibit certain attitudes

  • The people are Selfish

This is the church that refuses to change anything so that others may be attracted. While I agree that the message and the Bible should NEVER change, the methods can and should when they are no longer effective. (A great place to change is to imitate the actions of Jesus while he was on earth.)

  • The people are Ingrown

We are told that after just a few years of knowing Christ, the average American Christ-follower knows less that 7 unsaved friends. This withdrawal and abandonment of the community is the reason for a lack of growth. (Again, consider Jesus who was so often “out and about” the communities of the Galilee.)

  • The people are Critical

The redundant refrain from people outside the church is, “Why are Christians so judgmental?” Perhaps we have forgotten Jesus’ striking pronouncement: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ” (John 3:17, ESV)

  • The people are Kill-joys

So many churches believe that “joy” is a synonym for “sin.” Yet the fruit of the Spirit start with “love, JOY,” etc. (Galatians 5). The church that is sick doesn’t like little kids running in the worship facility; complains when the facility is dirty because of use, and laments the “good old days” when children “knew their place” and “didn’t speak until spoken to.” They would rather have the order of the tomb than the raucous noise of the crowd.

There is a better way, and we will discuss it tomorrow.

Those are my thoughts. I would love to hear yours! Please comment below.

Posted in Church Health, Leadership Blog, Multi-ethnic / Urban | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Psalms: Understanding Hebrew Poetry!

Artwork Credit: web.cn.edu

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general.

Psalms: Understanding Hebrew Poetry!

We continue to move deeper into the books of Psalms, noting as we do that Hebrew poetry is much different from what we may be familiar with.  Understanding the mechanics and methods of such poetry helps us gain more of the “hidden” meaning behind the words. Hebrew poetry uses three key mechanisms to convey the emotion of the message:

  • Parallelism

Think of parallelism like railroad tracks. No train can deliver its cargo without both tracks. Likewise, the message in Hebrew poetry cannot be delivered of one of the tracks of the meaning are missed. Essentially, the second line in such poetry deepens, expands or explains the meaning of the first line. In Hebrew poetry, you will find two main types of parallelism …

1. Synonymous Parallelism

When the second line means the same thing as the first (albeit with further illustration, explanation or definition), you have synonymous parallelism. An example of such parallelism is …

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

(Psalm 27:1, ESV)

In our example the Lord is referred to as, “my light and my salvation” in the first line. The second line deepens the reason for this reality when it says, “The Lord is the stronghold of my life.” In other words, the Lord is the stronghold of David’s life, a place of great security. There, in that stronghold, David says is his salvation, which is the light of his life.

Thus, being secure in the Lord and safe in the light of God’s presence he can say twice, “whom shall I fear?” “… of whom shall I be afraid?” Fear flees when we realize that in God’s presence there is nothing that can separate you from that love and protection.


2. Antithetic Parallelism

Antithetic parallelism reverses the meaning and gives you the opposite meaning of the first line in the second. The classic example of this is Psalm 1.

Thesis:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

Antithesis:

“… but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Thesis:

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

Antithesis:

“The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

Thesis:

“… for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

Antithesis:

“… but the way of the wicked will perish. ” (Psalm 1:1–6, ESV)

Understanding this powerful method of expression can bring deeper understanding as one slows down and seeks to glean all they can from the lines of these songs. Like those of us who sing our favorite songs over and over, deeper meaning and applications come with time as our experiences change and model those expressed in these songs of praise and worship. (Hint: since these are Hebrew methods of literary expression, you can find them in other Bible passages written by God’s people, including the New Testament!)

A second devise used by the psalmists is the …

  • Strophe

“A strophe is a logical unit determined by either the subject matter or structure of the poem (Bullock, 2008, 41).” Think stanza in a song from today. In most of the psalms you will not find a clear cue for the change of stanzas or strophes apart from the content itself. The differences in emphasis inside the psalm are usually enough to break the song into stanzas.

As David expresses the wonders of God’s Word in Psalm 19, we find two strophes, or stanzas. The first, Psalm 19:1-6, express how we can see God’s glory in the works of his hands in creation. Then he moves to the glories of God from the words of God in the second strophe in Psalm 19:7-14.

  • Chiastic Structure

One of the more complicated mechanisms found in Hebrew writing in general and its poetry in specific is the chiastic structure of the passage. Chiasm “comes from the Greek word chiazein, meaning to place crosswise or in the shape of the Greek letter chi (c).

Using Psalm 8 as an example, Dr. Robert L. Alden cites the following to explain chiasm:

A Benediction (v.1)

B God’s rule (vv. 2-3)

C Human meanness (v. 4)

C’ Human greatness (v. 5)

B’ Humanity’s rule (vv. 6-8)

A’ Benediction (v.9) (Bullock, 2008, 43).

As we contemplate the complexity of the psalms themselves, we begin to see this truth: God designed these timeless messages to help us put words to our pain, pressures and problems. He wanted us to be able to extol his greatness, steadfast love and constant intervention. Psalms are a gift to help us express our hearts and souls to a God who loves us and never forsakes us in the midst of an assembly of his like-minded children.

Source: Bullock, C. H.. (2008). Encountering The Book Of Psalms. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

======

Host a Reaching Your Community In Your Generation Seminar!

The world around us changes approximately every 18 months! Such change brings great challenges to our mission. Eagles In Leadership has designed a weekend to help you energize your congregation or organization to fulfill the Great Commission in your community. You can bring this weekend to your church or organization!

The weekend revolves around four key messages:

  • Help! My Community Is Changing!
  • What’s Your Dream for Your Church? (And How Do You Reach It?)
  • Healthy Churches Grow!
  • Reaching Your Community In Your Generation! (It’s All About the Mission!)

You can learn more here.

Posted in Bible Reading, Just Read It! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Is Jesus’ Dream for Your Church?

Artwork credit: sundayschoolleader.com

As a leader, you know what its like to want to see God move in a powerful way through your community. Many times we ask the wrong questions and fail to work with God towards his dream for our church.

So, what is Jesus’ dream for your church? We know what it is, because he told us before his return to Heaven. Here’s what he said …

Jesus came and told his disciples,

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone in the authority of [my] name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.

“And be sure of this: I am with you always,

even to the end of the age.”[1]

In other words,

  • Jesus’ dream is to bring every person in our world into a personal, intimate, surrendered relationship with Himself.
  • That means, Jesus’ dream for your church is to bring every person in your world into a personal, intimate, surrendered relationship with Himself.

Are you working with Jesus on his dream? Or, are you working on your dream and asking Jesus to work with you?

That’s my thought for the day. I would love to hear yours! Please comment below.


[1] Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16: 15; Luke 24.47; John 20:21; Acts 1:8 combined by the author.

Posted in Leadership Blog | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Psalms: Intense Personal Intimacy With God! (Book 2)

Artwork Credit: houseoftitus.wordpress.com

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general.

Psalms: Intense Personal Intimacy With God!

By now, if you are reading along on our reading schedule, you have sensed the amazing intimacy David and the other writers have with God. They take everything to God – joys and heartaches, triumphs and tragedies, friends and fiends.

As we step into book 2, we remember the focus of this section of the worship manual for Israel:

Book 2 – Psalms 42-72 include a mixture of several authors including David, Asaph and even Solomon. As the reader journeys along with Israel we gain a deeper appreciation for the intense personal intimacy the psalm writer feels with God. Truly one can share everything with God through a range of emotions and feel that the Great Creator is listening and somehow suffering with His child.

As you delve deeper into the ethos of the people of God, we hope you will see that it is alright to bring it all to God – every raw emotion, every deep pain, every bleeding wound to your soul and body are all ingredients for your ongoing friendship with God. As you read Book 2, consider some of these examples:

  • Consider how you could emulate the longings of the lambasted as the sons of Korah reach out to God in Psalm 42.
  • Contemplate how you could imitate the abundance of the overwhelmed the sons of Korah seek to express the glories of Messiah in Psalm 45.
  • Weigh how you would express the shame and failure of your evil and wickedness as David attempts to gain forgiveness from God in Psalm 51.
  • Work out how you would relate the pain and torture from the hatred and terrors from your enemies as David expresses his trust in God in Psalm 55.
  • Imagine how you would verbalize the passionate pursuit of God as David gives voice to his joy and thirst for God in Psalm 63.
  • Envision how you would give voice to the watch care and compassion of an unfailing Lord of love as David seeks to capture His majesty in Psalm 68.
  • Conceive of how you would frame the desperateness of your situation when attacked without cause as David pleads with God in Psalm 69.
  • Reckon how you would proceed in the presence of the King of Glory as you enter His unreserved presence as Solomon does in Psalm 72.

In reading these psalms slowly, we come to a huge reality: God cares and longs for us to enter His presence no matter our condition and emotion. As we do, He longs for us to be honest, forthright and even raw when in that condition, for He is a Father who cares and longs to love and care for us as we are, not as we might pretend to be!

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

Host a Reaching Your Community In Your Generation Seminar!

The world around us changes approximately every 18 months! Such change brings great challenges to our mission. Eagles In Leadership has designed a weekend to help you energize your congregation or organization to fulfill the Great Commission in your community. You can bring this weekend to your church or organization!

The weekend revolves around four key messages:

  • Help! My Community Is Changing!
  • What’s Your Dream for Your Church? (And How Do You Reach It?)
  • Healthy Churches Grow!
  • It’s All About the Mission!

You can learn more here.

Posted in Bible Reading, Just Read It! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Evidences A Person Really Cares

Photo Credit: lagrange.edu

Recently I have considering the question: “What drew 100s and 1000s of people to Jesus type of holiness?” It’s a question from Alan and Deb Hirsch’s book, Untamed! As I continue to think about the question, I have come to the following list of “evidences that  a person really cares for you.” This is what I believe drew so many people to Jesus. Here’s my list:

  • The other person thinks of you when you are not in contact.
  • The other person empathizes with you when you’re in pain.
  • The other person comforts you when you’re miserable.
  • The other person supports you when you’re in need.
  • The other person confronts you when you’re in error.
  • The other person defends you when you are attacked.

That’s my list. I would love to hear yours!

Posted in Leadership Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Transformed Interviews Steve Gladen About Small Groups With Purpose!

Steve and Matt

Photo Credit: Melodee Smith

In today’s episode, we return to the world of the 1st century and try to discover how the early church exploded upon the Roman Empire so quickly.

Matt’s guest today is Steve Gladen, who is currently the Pastor of Small Groups at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, where he oversees over the development and expansion of over 3,500 small groups.

Gladen, a quick, energetic, and passionate personality, loves working with people in small groups and teaching individuals and churches the foundations of growing relationships within those same groups.

Today Matt and Steve talk about how to create healthy small group communities in your church and launch people into vibrant, balanced ministry. They will explore Steve’s new book, Small Groups with Purpose.

We know you are going to enjoy today’s interview.

You can also learn more about Steve’s ministry by clicking this link.

We are giving away TWO copies of Steve’s book. Here’s how you can get your copy:

1. Tweet or Post on Facebook the following:

Win a free copy of “Small Groups On Purpose.” Details: http://EaglesInLeadership.org

2.Sign up for the Eagles In Leadership blog (so you can be notified of winning) at http://EaglesInLeadership.org.

3. Comment at http://EaglesInLeadership.org, expressing your desire to have the book.

That’s it! Winners will be selected on July 20 and will be notified via EaglesInLeadership’s blog – on July 21st.

Matt encourages you to pick up a copy of Steve’s book, Small Groups with Purpose. This is a great resource from a great man of God. You can find more about the book and how to purchase a copy here.


Posted in Book Reviews, Interviews, Small Groups, Transformed | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Do You Have a Dream for Your Church?

Artwork Credit: facebook.com

Within the heart of most of the leaders of your church is a dream they long to see God fulfill in their midst. In reality, those dreams can fall into one of three categories.

3 Types of Dreams …

  • Selfish dreams – I want something to happen in my church for my own benefit, to please and thrill me.
  • Worldly dreams – I want something to happen in my church to make me look good in the eyes of the people around me.
  • Spiritual dreams – I want something that will please and glorify God through my life.

As a leader of leaders, it is your responsibility to draw the spiritual dreams out of your people and help them “dream the dream of the Lord” for your ministry. When that happens, dangerous things begin to brew!

All people dream, but not equally.  Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their mind wake in the day to find that it was vanity.

But the dreamers of the day are dangerous people, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.

T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935)

Explorer and writer

That’s my take. I’d love to hear yours! Take a moment and comment below.

Posted in Leadership Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Psalms: Worship Manual for Life!

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general.

Psalms: Worship Manual for Life!

Psalms are, in reality, the words to the praise and worship songs of the nation of Israel long ago. Imagine these as the power point slides or the song sheets handed out to those who come to sing praise to God.

Like what the Spirit of God is doing today, fresh music and songs from the past were interwoven to express the heart and desire appropriate to the times God’s people lived in.

The book of psalms consists of 150 psalms or “songs” written by many different worship artists and authors. Some date from the time of Moses, others are written by King David. You will find written by a team (like the sons of Korah) and still others that drifted onto the scene without anyone remembering who wrote the song. (Obviously there were no copyright or royalty issues back then!)

Psalms is broken into 5 volumes, sometimes called books. In each section, we notice certain features that help us understand their grouping better. As we read through these worship songs, we will note …

Book 1 – Psalms 1-41 are predominately written by David, king of Israel. You will note in many of David’s songs his characteristic complaints about his situation followed by his assurance of God’s watch care and provision.

Book 2 – Psalms 42-72 include a mixture of several authors including David, Asaph and even Solomon. As the reader journies along with Israel we gain a deeper appreciation for the intense personal intimacy the psalm writer feels with God. Truly one can share everything with God through a range of emotions and feel that the Great Creator is listening and somehow suffering with His child.

Book 3 – Psalms 73-89 take us into the dark recesses of real life and the injustice so many of God’s people face on a daily basis. In these gritty expressions of agony and woe, men like Asaph and the sons of Korah reveal the pain and hope one must express when life grows dark and grim.

Book 4 – Psalms 90-106 scream our the truth, “God has always been on the throne and He still reigns!” Hope begins to break forth into a blazing sunrise as the worshipper responds to this age-old truth: God is King – period.

Book 5 – Psalms 107-150 wrap this collection of worship songs up with the strong vocalization of God’s worth. From a several more songs from King David(Psalm 108-110; 138-145), to a series of songs pilgrims would sing on the way up the mountain road to Jerusalem to the longest psalm about the glories of the words of the King of kings (Psalm 119), to five “Hallelujah” (Literally: Praise God!) psalms (Psalm 146-150), Book 5 leaves the reader / worshipper with little doubt that God is the center of life and the central joy of life as well.

When we drink deeply from the 5-volume set of worship songs, we are left to admit: God welcomes us into His presence with joy and pleasure (Psalm 16.11), no matter our present situation or how frazzled our nerves. He simply wishes us to run to our Father in Heaven and trust in His unfailing love.

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

Host a Reaching Your Community In Your Generation Seminar!

The world around us changes approximately every 18 months! Such change brings great challenges to our mission. Eagles In Leadership has designed a weekend to help you energize your congregation or organization to fulfill the Great Commission in your community. You can bring this weekend to your church or organization!

Read more here.


Posted in Bible Reading, Just Read It! | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Job: God Does What He Does (Job 38-42)

Artwork Credit: cwlinc.com

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general.

Job: God Does What He Does (Job 38-42)

As Elihu wraps up his explanation of Job’s pain and suffering, God steps in and speaks directly to Job. Reading the exchange between God and Job, note that …

  • God doesn’t explain the reasons for Job’s difficulties.
  • God does explain that he is beyond comprehension. (Job 38-39)
  • God does call Job’s complaints into question. (Job 40-41)
  • Job acknowledges God’s ability to do anything he wants to. (Job 42.1-6)
  • God rebukes Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar calling them to repent and request Job’s prayers on their behalf. (Job 42.7-9)
  • God restores all of Job’s losses two-fold and blesses him with long life. (Job 42.10-17)

Wrapping up the ordeal in Job’s life, we should keep in mind a couple of realities: First, God does what he wants to do without explaining himself. Second, while we may not specifically know why God allows suffering in our lives, we do know that God has a purpose – even if that purpose is to silence the ranting of Satan!

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

Join Dr. Smith in Bell Gardens, CA Tomorrow!


Posted in Bible Reading, Just Read It! | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment