Transformed Episode #092 – It's Time to Share the Good News!

Posted on December 5, 2010 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

We’re starting a new series this week called “It’s Time for Christmas.” I know those are words that speak panic in some of your hearts and lives.  It’s about shopping.  It’s about things that need to be done and haven’t gotten done.  I just want to say as we begin and admit together that sometimes this time of the year is the time we realize we’ve got a big month in front of us and often times it doesn’t work out like we want it to.  Let’s just be honest about that at the beginning.

But oftentimes we face this month of the year and think, “How’s it going to go?  What kind of month is it going to be?”

Let me tell you the goal of this series the next few weeks. The goal is a better December, a better December than you’ve ever had before.  You may have had some great Decembers but it could be better.  You may have had some rotten Decembers and you may be thinking it’s going to be a rotten one this year.  It does not have to be that way.  It can be a better December because the true news about Christmas is the good news about what God has done.  This is different than any other season.  Why not make it the best season?  This month we’re going to talk together about some choices I can make – you can make – that we can make to enjoy this December like never before.

You can follow along by getting the message notes here.

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Will McGinnis (Audio Adrenaline) Talks About the Know Hope Collective Tour!

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

After a three-year departure, Audio Adrenaline lead singer Mark Stuart and bassist Will McGinniss return with some of their favorite emerging voices of worship as the Know Hope Collective, a ground-breaking initiative that combines worship music with stories of hope and inspiration.

According to Stuart and McGinniss, the Know Hope Collective will be an ever-changing group of musicians from a variety of backgrounds who come together to create worship music and share their unique experiences and testimonies.

“The Know Hope Collective is driven from an emerging style of worship and a place of vulnerability,” explains Stuart. “We go on a journey together through the good, bad and ugly to the redemptive side.”

Stuart says the Know Hope Collective grew out their own cathartic experience of sharing life stories with friends and church members. “We’d meet at Will’s horse farm around a campfire and talk vulnerably with each other about our successes as well as hardships. It was a time of healing and redemption as we discovered the evidence of God’s hand in our lives like never before and the importance of telling one’s story.”

So the duo’s pastor urged them to take their story-telling on the road, creating an intimate and hope-filled night of music, testimony and worship with friends. And the Know Hope Collective was born.

The Know Hope Collective Tour launches today, June 3, as the group appears with the Newsboys in Kingston, Ontario. It continues through the year with dates across the country including stops in California, Washington, Texas, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, etc. (Additional information and an updated tour schedule is available at http://knowhopecollective.com/.)

The Collective’s first album, Know Hope, is slated to release this fall. It is an intimate pairing of songs and spoken word that plumbs the depths of McGinniss and Stuart’s chart-topping heyday and post-band revelations.

“This first project was birthed out of the failure I went through being a singer who lost his voice,” Stuart says. “But the next one might be on missional living, orphan care or clean water, whatever God is leading us to.”

For Know Hope, Stuart speaks far more than he sings now, and shares the microphone with Julia Ross (of popular Disney group Everlife), David Leonard (former Jackson Waters vocalist and current touring member of NEEDTOBREATHE), and 2010 BMI Christian Music Award-winning Songwriter of the Year Jason Walker. The group introduces new cuts, including “Attention” and “Jealous God,” and reworks some Audio A hits like “Ocean Floor,” “The Good Life,” and “Hands and Feet” into fresh meditative expressions of worship.

“All of the spoken portions also have background music, and one story itself is over 14 minutes long,” says McGinniss. “So, it’s a very unique, content-rich experience.”

“Music and testimony have always been an integral part of how the Church worships,” adds John Coleman, Integrity Music’s vice president/general manager. “So, we are excited to partner with Will and Mark to develop Know Hope, which we believe will change lives and help people connect to God in a new and fresh way.”

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Pre-Order Special Edition of “Growing Missional Leaders”

Posted on November 25, 2010 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith
  • Preorder your very own autographed copy of “Growing Missional Leaders”, signed by the author (Matthew Lee Smith)!

  • This special edition will only be available for a short time, so order now!

  • Product Description

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. Readers will appreciate the enthusiastic and Spirit-filled hope God provides as Matthew tells stories – of lost opportunities and successes with friends – that give powerful, encouragement of personal and corporate outreach; opens Bible passages – again and again – showing God’s heart is to bring his lost children home; and 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.

Matthew Smith, pastor of multi-ethnic and multi-generational churches in urban, suburban and rural communities from Miami to Los Angeles, presents twenty-four Biblical strategies to invigorate and facilitate Christianity’s marching orders  – the Great Commission – in your community.

  • Forward by Dave Ferguson, author of The Big Idea and Exponential: How You & Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement, http://DaveFerguson.org
  • What Others Are Saying About “Growing Missional Leaders”

Missional has become a buzzword stamped almost everywhere and anywhere but in his most recent book Growing Missional Leaders Dr. Matthew Smith takes us on a journey to rediscover just what it means to be “MISSIONAL”! Dr. Smith helps the reader understand how to BE missional and to LEAD missional with stories that inspire and questions that challenge. I’ve seen first hand that what Dr. Smith espouses with his pen he lives with his life. Growing Missional Leaders is a great place to start for any leader who has a desire and passion to make a kingdom impact!
~ Troy Gramling, Lead Pastor, Flamingo Road Church (Cooper City, FL) http://www.flamingoroadchurch.com
#32 in Outreach’s 100 Largest Churches in America

Practical, biblically centered, and encouraging … Growing Missional Leaders fits the bill on all three. If you want to become better at fulfilling God’s call in your life, then read this book. Dr. Smith packs 24 helpful principles into short, easy-to-read chapters easily used with groups or for personal reading.
~ Charles Stone, Senior Pastor, Ginger Creek Community Church (Aurora, IL) http://www.gingercreek.org
Author, 5 Ministry Killers and How to Defeat Them

“If you are a pastor, youth minister, missionary, parent, teacher, coach…or in general a CHRISTIAN…then you honestly need to read this book by Matthew Smith. It is Biblical, building on leadership principles from scripture. It is practical, offering common-sense ideas and strategies. It is readable, using illustrations, stories, and applications in easy-to-read chapters. Most importantly, it calls us back to living life on mission with God and then tells us how to go about it. Get one for you, and go ahead and get one for all your friends that you love and respect. It really is that good and that helpful.”
~ Clayton King, http://www.claytonking.com/
Founder of Crossroads Ministries (Shelby, NC) http://www.crossroadsworldwide.com/
Teaching Pastor Newspring Church (Anderson, SC) http://www.newspring.cc
Author, Dying to Live, Abandoning Yourself to God’s Bold Paradox

  • Product Details
    Softcover: 162 pages
    Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 inches

    • $15 + $5 Shipping [wp_cart:Autographed Copy of “Growing Missional Leaders”:price:15:end]
      Click “add to cart” then scroll down to finish your order through Paypal.
      Please allow up to 4 weeks for shipping.
    • If you’d like a special autograph (i.e. signed to you or someone else) please add that to the notes on your PayPal payment. Otherwise you’ll just get a signature.
    • SORRY THIS IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR SHIPPING WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.
    • If you have any problems with this please contact Matthew at pastormatt-at-EaglesInLeadership.org

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    Amy Grant Talks About Her 2010 Christmas Tour!

    Posted on November 22, 2010 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

    Our own Mike Powers caught up with Amy Grant as she shared that she will once again bring fans some musical holiday cheer this Christmas season. The festive couple (Vince Gill and Amy) are planning a 12 Days of Christmas tour, hitting 11 cities this December.

    Vince and Amy launched their first holiday tour together back in 2001, when they were newlyweds. It’s become a tradition Vince looks forward to each year.

    “The job of spreading Christmas cheer has simply gotten too big for Santa and Rudolph to do alone. So Amy and I are pitching in,” he joked before their 2008 holiday shows. “Besides, these holiday tours have become our favorites.”

    The tour’s set-list is certain to be robust, as Vince and Amy have recorded ten holiday albums between the two of them.

    As they prep for their Christmas trek, both husband and wife have a lot on their plates during this second half of the year. Vince is sitting in the producer’s chair for LeAnn Rimes’ new CD of love songs popularized by male singers, while Amy spends some time on the road this fall as part of her Pieces Of Our Lives acoustic tour.

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    We Encourage Pastors to Listen Friday to Pastors.com Friday Chat!

    Posted on November 18, 2010 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

    Pastors.com Friday Chat

    9:30 AM – 10:00 AM PT

    Brandon Cox, friend of EaglesInLeadership.org says, “We’ll gather every Friday for an exchange of ideas, encouragement, and prayer. We want to know what you’ll be preaching on, what big events you have going on, what you’re learning right now, etc.”

    We encourage you to join in Friday by using this link!

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    Register Now (and get a DISCOUNT) for MBI Pastors Conference!

    Posted on November 11, 2010 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith


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    The Challenge of Unity (Part 3)

    Posted on November 9, 2010 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

    Ministry can be a tug of war … often local churches struggle with different factions pulling against one another for the leadership of the agenda of their church. Sometimes it looks like this …

    1) First, there is the pastor pulling in the direction that he believes God is calling them to;

    2) Then there is the leadership board that thinks their job is to tell the pastor what to do;

    3) Often there is a small but powerful group of people trying to control the church;

    4) And then, sometimes, there is something wrong with the congregation and simply don’t want to do anything.

    What happens when all of this is going on at once? Yes, that’s it – nothing happens! There is a lot of energy being expended, but nothing good happens – and, in fact, people get injured and tired and simply drop out!

    As we have said, unity is impossible when everyone has to have their own way! In essence, this is one of the biggest challenges of the church! We have to pull together if we want to get something incredible done!

    So, what causes different people within the congregation to pull in different directions? We have already talked about:

    Challenge #1: Selfishness

    • We have said in part 1 that unity happens when we point people to their calling, Ephesians 4:1-8.

    Challenge #2: Immaturity

    • In part 2, we noted that unity happens when we grow people into Christ-likeness, Ephesians 4:11-16.

    And now …

    Challenge #3:WORLDLINESS

    Worldliness connects with immaturity (Challenge #2) so closely! Look at the evidences of worldliness that are listed in this chapter…

    1)   We think like the people on the television (Ephesians 4:17-18)

    2)   We enjoy sensual programming – especially sitcoms and Hollywood update shows (Ephesians 4:19)

    3)   We are excited when invited to party (Ephesians 4:19)

    • Ephesians 4:17-24 teaches us that unity happens when we move people out of the world.

    There are four specific ways we can help move people out of the world. Paul tells us …

    “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.” Ephesians 4:17

    In other words,

    1)   We must help them change the way they think.

    How do we help people change the way they think? Understanding their condition helps us understand the method we will need to undertake. Paul says,

    “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” Ephesians 4:18-19

    Because of their condition listed in these verses …

    2)   We must help them change their distance from God.

    But how do we help them do this?

    3)   We must help them put off the old self.

    But that is not the way you learned Christ! — assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires … Ephesians 4:20-22

    What you ‘wear’ indicates what you think. Where you look is where you go. Our task is to help them put away those old patterns of life that are damaging and detrimental to a walk with God.

    What else do they need to do to be moved out of the world? We are told that they are …

    “… to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:23-24

    4)   We must help them put on the new self.

    This ‘new self is made up of (1) Right living (we find that in the Bible) and (2) Holiness (which indicates an absence of being dirty – to stay clean you have to stay out of the dirt and filth of this world and take frequent cleansings – 1 John 1.9). We help people by moving them out of the world and into the spiritual world.

    Unity is all about being on the same team, pulling in the same direction. In order for this to happen, we must all be in the same world … with an intimate spiritual connection to Jesus Christ. These are lifestyle changes born out of a life with God and his family and its the leader’s responsibility to help others move into these changes.

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

    Bob Moeller Shares on Marriage and the Recession!

    Posted on November 3, 2010 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

    We are excited to have Bob Moeller share with us today on marriage and the recession. As Mike Powers caught up with Bob, they discussed the current stresses and strains a marriage undergoes in times like these.

    Bob Moeller is a pastor who cares deeply about marriages and helping couples connect their hearts, for a lifetime. Bob and Cheryl are the Co-founders of For Better For Worse For Keeps Ministries.  Bob is currently the syndicated television host of the weekly call-in program, “Marriage: For Better, For Worse” on the Total Living Network. The TV show is in it’s sixth year.  He has authored ten books, two of those books were nominated for Gold Medallion Awards.  Three of those books are on marriage, written with Cheryl, including The Marriage Miracle, Keep Courting:  100 Ways to Keep Courting After Marriage, and For Better For Worse For Keeps.

    Bob is an in-demand conference and weekend retreat speaker, author, television host, radio personality, and someone who works with couples to help them connect their hearts in marriage. Bob and Cheryl publish Marriage Minutes E-Devotionals, FREE to your email inbox, 5 days a week.  You can sign up for Marriage Minutes E-Devotionals, by writing to office@bobandcherylmoeller.com. He is not a licensed or professional counselor, but rather a pastor to couples. He earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  Write Bob: forkeepsministries@gmail.com


    Want to keep up to date with TV and radio topics, notes, events, conferences, and news?  Join For Better For Worse For Keeps Ministries Fanpage on Facebook.

    Bob and Cheryl, have been married 31 years and are the parents of six amazing children (ages 11 to 27), one awesome son-in-law, one grandbaby-to-be, and three lively dogs with large appetites.

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    What God is Doing in Multi-Ethnic Churches Can Be Found in Outreach’s 2010 Top 100 Largest & Fastest Growing Churches In America

    Posted on November 1, 2010 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

    By Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Ph D

    “We want to know how God is at work in His church and celebrate what He is doing.

    All of our churches long for the same thing: to give the Gospel to those in need of redemption and deliver care to those in need”

    ~ Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research

    God loves people – people from every race across the planet. Eleven o’clock Sunday morning continues to be the most segregated hour in America. However, evidence from Outreach’s 2010 Top 100 surveys reveals that multi-ethnic churches are making up a significant portion of both the largest and fastest growing churches in America, and that is good news.

    Among the 100 Largest Churches in America, at least eleven on the list are multi-ethnic. While it can be difficult to ascertain their ethnic makeup through their web presence, these churches make a visible presence as to their intentionality:

    #1             Lakewood Church, Houston, TX. Lakewood.cc

    #13            Crossroads, Cincinnati, OH. Crossroads.net

    #19            The Rock Church and Worldwide Outreach Center, San Bernardino, CA. RockChurch.com

    #23            The Rock Church, San Diego, CA. TheRockSanDiego.org

    #34            New Hope Oahu, Honolulu, HI. eNewHope.org

    #38            Abundant Living Faith Center, El Paso, TX. ALFC.com

    #43            The Church on the Way, Van Nuys, CA. TCOTW.org

    #45            Faith Fellowship Ministries World Outreach Center, Sayreville, NJ. FFMWOC.org

    #57            Victory World Outreach, Norcross, GA. VictoryAtl.com

    #98            Eastlake Church, Chula Vista, CA. EastlakeChurch.com

    #100            Christ Fellowship, Miami, FL. CFMiami.org

    A search of the 100 Fastest Growing Churches in America websites reveals ten churches that obviously seek to reach out across racial lines. These include:

    #3            The Rock Church and World Outreach Center, San Bernardino, CA. RockChurch.com

    #4            People’s Church, Oklahoma City, OK. PeoplesChurch.tv

    #7            Cornerstone Church of San Diego, National City, CA. TurningtheHearts.com

    #10            Newhope Church, Durham, NC. NewhopeNC.org

    #23            Oasis Church, Nashville, TN. OasisChurch.tv

    #25            New Hope Oahu, Honolulu, HI. eNewHope.org

    #52            New Hope Leeward, Waipahu, HI. NewHopeLeeward.org

    #69            New Life Community Church, Chicago, IL. NewLifeChicago.org

    #72            Christ Fellowship, Miami, FL. CFMiami.org

    #100            Westover Hills Assembly of God, San Antonio, TX. WHAG.net

    Two of the above churches are listed on both lists! These two churches are located in the Western United States. The 3rd fastest growing church in America is also the 19th largest church: The Rock Church and World Outreach Center, San Bernardino, CA. The second multi-ethnic church on both lists is New Hope Oahu, Honolulu, HI. It is #25 on the 100 Fastest list and #34 on the 100 Largest roll.

    Commenting on this trend for this article, Stetzer responded …

    “I think it is fair to say that most of the largest and fastest growing churches are more monocultural than we would all prefer.  Part of that is because it takes more work to be multicultural — and many churches lack the commitment to learn from other cultures and communities.  But, since multicultural churches reflect the Kingdom of God where every tongue, tribe, and nation gather, it is worth the effort.”

    Truly, multi-ethnic ministry reflects the heart of God and the hope of Heaven as depicted by that future praise and worship service where “every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9, ESV) will sing God’s glory!  These surveys indicate American Christ-followers are contributing to that.

    You can read the article and see much more at Unity in Christ Magazine.

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

    Anne Jackson Gives Us "Permission to Speak Freely!"

    Posted on October 20, 2010 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

    What a joy to welcome Anne Jackson to the Transformed podcast today! Anne Jackson wants you to confess – and she’ll go first in her new book, Permission to Speak Freely.

    This book flows from the responses to the blog post question: What is the one thing you feel you can’t say in the church? Anne began to work on Permission to Speak Freely as a way to show other followers of Christ that they are not alone in their battles with fear and secrets.

    Anne’s current book, “Permission to Speak Freely” will help you and your friends find hope and healing from the pain of addiction, adultery, loneliness, lost faith and so much more!

    The book “Permission to Speak Freely” is available today on Amazon here.

    You can learn more about Anne, read her blog and so much more by clicking here.

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