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Confronting the “Deadlies” in the Roles of Our Life

February 26, 2013 in christian character, christian culture, christian discipleship, christian discipleship training, Christian growth, christian leaders, christian leadership, christian mentoring, Christian training, christian tranining, church engagement, church leaders, church leadership, Coaching, community, Connection Culture, discileship resources, disciple, discipleship training with Comments Off

In every role that we have in life there are sin-related challenges. Sometimes these are the same sin tendencies no matter what situation or role we’re in at the moment. On the other hand, it could also be that certain sin tendencies only come into play when we are exercising particular roles in our life.

Sin is hardly a popular subject, even in Christian churches. It is not unusual to hear that someone will in fact stay away from church because the preaching was on sin, and they don’t like being made to feel guilty. Perhaps as a consequence of that, the emphasis in some churches is placed invariably on things that will affirm people and not invite them to focus on their sin tendencies.

To perceptive observers, however, the question of sin is unavoidable. A good example is a book written in the late 70s by British journalist Henry Fairlie, entitled The Seven Deadly Sins Today, in which he freely admits that he’s not a believer and yet points out all the ways in which various kinds of sin are destroying society. Merely ignoring the problem will not make it disappear any more than ignoring any other kind of threat will cause that to disappear. It must be confronted with the power of Christ crucified.

Let’s look briefly at how sin might confront us in different roles. In particular let’s look at our roles as family members, as stewards of resources, as friends, and as professional people:

  • As family members, one of the besetting sins that is so often weakening family life is wrath (vs. meekness). The records of divorce and family dysfunction are filled with stories about the explosive temper of one of its members. People who truly and sincerely love their family members and yet fail to confront this sin have been known to say or do things that have completely destroyed everything they have most deeply loved on this earth. When we feel lonely, we are also tempted to the sin of gluttony (vs. temperance). Filling the hole left by disconnected relationships we turn to food, drink or drugs. We are roughly four percent of the world’s population in America, yet we consume 50 percent of the world’s legal mood-altering pharmacological drugs and 2/3rds of the world’s illegal drugs.
  • As stewards of resources, we see many instances of sloth (vs. obedience) or greed (vs. stewardship). Sometimes we read in the newspapers about the constant wrangling over public policy, usually in the form of what the government should do or not do. Without making a political point, it is worth wondering whether the government would have to be involved in certain things at all if people at the private level were taking seriously the issue of overcoming sloth or greed. The government and other agencies can do little more than deal with those problems after their consequences have taken effect. They are the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, while it’s up to us at Christians to build the fence at the top.
  • As friends and neighbors, the sins of envy (vs. contentment) and lust (vs. chastity) come to mind. Many friendships have been destroyed by the resentment that comes from someone else’s success or prosperity. Entire revolutions have been attributed to envy as a causative factor. As for lust, society is experiencing a tsunami of relevant imagery that is having powerful effect. It is reported that among working-class white families in America, only 37 percent of children are living with both their mother and father (compared to 96% in 1960). Surely the promotion through the media of an anything-goes ethos bears major responsibility.
  • As professional people, as in many other roles, the question of pride (vs. humility) often rears its ugly head. We are trained by our world to base our identity on what we do, rather than what God does through us. Therefore, we are led away by Satan, our sinful natures, and this worldly system to achieve and accomplish things in our own strength, so that we might receive the glory. What a stark contrast to the life that God calls us to embrace, where He is guiding and empowering everything we say and do.

Let’s choose a bracing view of the tremendous power available to us as we deal with sin in all our roles in life. We have the duty and the opportunity to be dead to sin and alive to Christ and righteousness. Hear Martin Luther: “But what is God’s righteousness? It is when there is no longer any sin in us, and all our members and powers are subject to God, and used in his service that we can say with St. Paul (Galatians 2:20): ‘I live yet not I, but Christ lives in me.’ That happens when no sin reigns over us, but Jesus Christ alone with his grace.”

“Thy kingdom come”

November 12, 2012 in christian character, christian discipleship, christian discipleship training, Christian growth, christian leaders, christian leadership, christian mentoring, Christian training, christian tranining, church leaders, Coaching, disciple, Discipleship, Uncategorized with Comments Off

We continue looking at this devotional series looking at the Lord’s Prayer together. Again, our goal is to recalibrate our lives with the values that God wants us to pray into our lives.

The first value we did was Glorifying God in our lives. That was the first phrase, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name.”

“Your Kingdom Come”
Matthew 6:10 (3:11)

The next phrase, “your kingdom come,” is a very important phrase to understand. We’re praying that we would live under the lordship of Jesus (He’s our King), in his community, within his Kingdom we call the church. So it’s basically saying that “I will live in Biblically functioning community with other brothers and sisters in Christ. I will live as a Kingdom citizen in this world.”

 

Unfortunately many churches aren’t operating as covenant communities with each other, really living out the commands of Christ together in covenant community as brothers and sisters in Christ. Most churches define churches as “you attend and you give once in a while.” God really didn’t have that vision in mind.

 

He had this deeper recalibration with him in mind for us. He wants us to see ourselves as part of a community. He wants us to stop trying to see ourselves as  individuals and start seeing ourselves as part of a whole: the body of Christ. And I will play whatever role within that whole that He’s calling me to play, but this phrase “Thy kingdom come” is focused more on the relational dynamics. Thy Kingdom come, in and through me.

 

So, we’re asking God to give us the wisdom and strength and guidance we’re going to need to build healthy, biblical relationships in this world. The value that this particular phrase gets at is the value of Group. In the Seven Values of Abundant Living, this Group value is defined as “groups of Biblically functioning community provide the optimal environment for life-change.” The Kingdom of God is all about life change. As we commit one to another in covenant community, to be brothers and sisters truly committed to the lordship of Christ, and living out our faith together in community, He transforms our world. We become this transformational community that impacts our culture for good, rather than the culture impacting us and weakening us.

 

So, let’s make a commitment today: “Your kingdom come, Lord.”

 

Let’s pray:

“Father, God, it’s our prayer that you would teach us to be your kingdom citizens, your servants, submitted to your lordship. Father, I pray for all the relationships in our lives that might be coming to mind right now that are strained, people that we have to confess sin to, Father that you would give us the strength to do just that, that we would repair and heal the brokenness that we are experiencing. Father, don’t let the evil one separate us. Give us the humility to confess our sin, to walk in your strength, the way you command us to in Scripture. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen

The Christian Calling to Rescue Cultures: Strength, Courage, Wisdom and Guidance

August 28, 2012 in christian character, christian culture, christian discipleship, Christian growth, christian leaders, christian leadership, christian mentoring, Christian training, Uncategorized with Comments Off

By: Rev. Jason Pankau and Michael Lee Stallard

This is the fourth installment in a series of articles about Christians who rescue cultures that Jason and Mike have written for Crosswalk.com. The first installment was The Servant; the second, The Courageous Coach; the third, Saving Our Kids. We hope that through this series you will be persuaded of God’s call for you to rescue the cultures you are in, that you will get ideas from the examples of others and that you will be encouraged to take action in rescuing the cultures around you.

If you have found these, or any other devotionals or articles we have shared with you, meaningful or if they have had an impact in your life in any way – we would love to hear from you!  Please send your story or thoughts to our office at mswank@lifespringnetwork.org.

Christians who rescue cultures take risks. Just think of John Wooden, the legendary college basketball coach we wrote about earlier in this series. Wooden stood up against prejudice at a time when it was the norm.  As head coach of the Indiana State Teachers College men’s basketball team, Wooden refused a post-season tournament bid in 1947 because the tournament wouldn’t allow young men of color to participate and Coach Wooden’s team included an African-American player named Clarence Walker.  Wooden’s refusal to participate in the tournament occurred 20 years before the Civil Rights Act was passed in America.  His actions in 1947 and again in 1948 helped open up post-season college basketball to all young men of color in 1949.  You can bet Wooden faced considerable opposition and ridicule.  This had to be anxiety producing and stressful.  Some people probably shunned Wooden for it.  His wife Nell likely felt pressure, too.  What gave John and Nell Wooden the strength to persevere?   We know the Woodens were Christians.  While we don’t specifically know how they coped, it’s likely that they turned to the Bible for strength, courage, wisdom and guidance.

Following are three ways the Lord provides help to Christians who rescue cultures and take risks for the Kingdom:

Be Prepared to Expect Adversity. The Bible prepares Christians to expect adversity so they’re not surprised. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12 that “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

Stay Connected with God. Christians who rescue cultures stay connected with God.  He’s a lifeline to them. The Bible gives us an up close view of this.  Read through the Psalms written by David and you will see that he consistently shared his pain and struggles with the Lord as he cried out to Him for strength, courage, wisdom and guidance.  In Psalm 5 David prayed:  ”Oh Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning.  Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you.  Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.  Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.” Later in the same prayer, David praised the Lord and continued his plea for guidance: “Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; I will worship at your temple with deepest awe.  Lead me in the right path, O Lord or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow.”

Jesus frequently emphasized the importance of staying connected with Him to produce fruit. In John 15:5-8 Jesus said, “I am the vine and you are the branches.  Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from me you can do nothing… when you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”

In John 17 beginning in verse 20, we read that Jesus prayed to God the Father that all disciples will stay connected to the Trinity: “just as you and I are one… may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” Notice that Jesus said “may they be one in us (italics ours).”  We are invited to be one with the Trinity, a community of three in one: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This unity of the Trinity points to a third way to gain strength and courage: stay connected to other believers who are part of the Body of Christ.

Stay Connected with Christian Community. Throughout the Bible we see the Trinity loving one another (e.g. John 3:35  14:31, 16:14, 17:1, 22-24).  In Scripture, we also see Christians loving and encouraging one another.  For example, David knew the bond of brotherly love in his friendship with Jonathan.  We see this in John Wooden’s life, especially in his relationship with his wife. Nell was his high school sweetheart, the only girl he ever dated, and they were married for 53 years before she died in 1985.  When UCLA dedicated its basketball court to Wooden he insisted that Nell be included and that her name appear before his. UCLA agreed and today its basketball teams play in the “Nell and John Wooden Court.”

We also need each other for guidance and to grow in Christlikeness. Several verses in Proverbs remind us of the wisdom in seeking the counsel of others.  When others speak truth in love to us, it helps us see our character flaws so that we can pray about overcoming them and ask others to encourage us and hold us accountable in the process. This is key to developing Christlike character.

Is God calling you to be a rescuer of the cultures you are in — your home, neighborhood, church, local schools, workplace, or other places? Pray about it, won’t you?  To follow your calling, be prepared to face adversity, and stay ever connected with the Lord and with Christian community. If you do, God, who David described as his refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble, will comfort and guide you, and provide you with the strength and courage you need to persevere and prevail.

Hope and Power in Uncertain Times

April 19, 2012 in christian character, christian culture, christian discipleship, Christian growth, christian leadership, christian mentoring with Comments Off

Rev. Jason K. Pankau and Michael Lee Stallard

Acts chapter 8, says that Saul agreed to and witnessed Stephen’s stoning. This began a great wave of persecution that scattered believers from Jerusalem. Saul traveled from house to house to find Christian men and women and throw them into prison.

From the perspective of a Christian living during the persecution of the early church, the future could have looked bleak. The Roman Empire had all the Earthly power and used it effectively to crush any and every threat. Praise God, that’s not where the story ended. The Bible tells us that scattered believers preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Then the Lord confronted Saul on the Damascus road and he was transformed into the Apostle Paul who went on to help lead the fast growing church. What an unlikely event! Who could ever have guessed that would happen?

Pondering this remarkable history gives us hope and makes us wonder: how might God use us during these dark days when news reports can make us feel our future is bleak?

To conquer an attitude of helplessness and hopelessness we need to stay close to the Lord, and to pray for and encourage one another like the members of the early church did. Together, we are a nation of priests with God-given power to transform the world. With the Holy Spirit comforting and counseling us, the body of Christ can transform every sector of society in every nation so that all glorify God. May it be so!

What part will you play in God’s plan for our future? Pray that He will guide your every step. Ask for the power of the Holy Spirit. Be in the Word to renew your mind. Obey His commands to maximize God’s transforming power in your life. Reject the temptation to love money, power and fame. Instead, put on the full armor of God, be strong and courageous and go into the world to transform it with the power of God’s love.

Jason and Mike would like to thank Ben Valentine of Trinity Church in Greenwich, CT, for a devotional he led that provided the inspiration for this edition of Devotional Thoughts.

Eliminating Pastor Burnout

January 20, 2012 in christian culture, christian discipleship, Christian growth, christian leaders, christian leadership, christian mentoring, Christian training, christian training resources, church engagement, church leaders, church leadership, Uncategorized with Comments Off

Jason Pankau and Michael Lee Stallard

Studies have shown that many pastors and church staff are burning out. They feel the pressure to preach and create programs and events that entertain and inspire congregants, many of whom hardly serve in their church.   This means added work for church staff and the faithful volunteers who shoulder most of the weight.

The current state is taking its toll. Pastors and church staff are working long hours to keep up, and as a result are spending less time connecting with the Lord, their families and friends. It’s no surprise, then, that they become spiritually and relationally disconnected.   This often leads to feelings of loneliness, emptiness and depression, exactly what Satan wants.   Disconnected individuals are more susceptible to temptations such as sexual sin, over eating or substance abuse, each illegitimate ways to treat emotional pain. Clearly, this is a problem. What can be done?

Eliminating pastor and church staff burnout requires a change of thinking and behavior. Job one is to teach the members of a local Christian body what a healthy Christian community looks like and how it contrasts with communities that are inconsistent with Christianity.

In helping people develop a vision for the Christian life, we like to begin with Jesus’ prayer in John 17 that describes Christians as being connected supernaturally, united as one body with the Trinity. Ask people to imagine what this might look like to have a local “church family” that is one with the Trinity. Show them Scripture verses that help them see that a Christian community is a church family that is marked by Christian love and humility, and where people serve one another, consider others as better than themselves, and seek the opinions of others. When we live submitted to the guidance and power of God and intentionally build a “Connection Culture” with one another, God produces much fruit through our lives and extends His Kingdom in a reproductive way. All truth is God’s truth so we like to show people the research from a variety of fields including psychology, neuroscience and history that proves connection helps us flourish in life from the time we are infants to our twilight years. By engaging the members into the mission, pastors can focus on their primary roles of equipping the body for works of ministry and they will discover the power of the body of Christ moving towards full strength. This is a very engaging place for pastors as well as congregants. It is an awesome thing to witness the Holy Spirit uniting/connecting a local body of believers who together are learning practically what is means to be “in Christ.”

If people are going to understand the need for such movement toward connection they need to first see that connection is waning in most churches today as people try to self-help their way to become disciples, even though it isn’t possible. Many people have been deceived into accepting the following myths which are obstacles to developing Chrsitlikeness and connection:

  • Myth 1: “God helps those who help themselves” (according to Barna Research, the most quoted “Bible” verse in America among adult and teen believers); therefore we can self-help our way to Christlikeness. Problem: It is indicative that most Christians have not been trained well enough in how to submit to God and abide in Christ to know that this quote does not come from the Bible. Too many are living in and through their own guidance and power. As a result, their experience of the abundant life and their witness to the watching world are diminished and they don’t experience the power of the Holy Spirit moving in and through them.

 

  • Myth 2: My relationship with God is a private matter, including my sins, so I will stay out of your business and I expect you to stay out of mine. Problem: There is a reluctance by many Christians to enter into Biblically functioning covenant community and make a commitment that they perceive may interfere or limit their lifestyle or plans.

 

  • Myth 3: I will mature as a Christian by going to worship services, praying and reading my Bible once in a while. Problem: Biblical truth is often presented in isolated (topical) form without a good understanding of how it fits into the Christian life as a whole, promoting the compartmentalizing of the Christian’s life. Also, there is an assumption that the appropriation of Biblical knowledge by itself will lead to spiritual maturity.

 

  • Myth 4: Jesus is our savior but doesn’t really require us to relate to Him as the Lord of our lives. We are all just doing the best we can to be good people. Problem: The church community typically focuses on making converts rather than making disciples.

 

  • Myth 5: It is the job of professional clergy to do the work of ministry and the “priesthood of all believers” is not practical or a good thing to encourage at our church. Problem: To influence many people simultaneously is generally considered the method of choice. Personal one-on-one discipleship appears to be too time-consuming, energy consuming, and inefficient.

 

As a result of these myths and problems, 70 percent of church-going Christians are disconnected. They show up on Sunday for inspiration or out of a sense of obligation but they hardly serve, give, seek the Lord or cooperate with the Holy Spirit to grow in Christlikeness. And they will not come to know the joy that surpasses understanding until they connect with the body of Christ.

Research clearly shows why the church in North America is dying: disconnected congregants stop giving and eventually leave. A 2008 survey by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University found that of the 38 percent of people in the survey who ended their support to at least one non-profit organization in the prior year, nearly 60 percent said they did so because they felt disconnected from the group. An online survey by Crosswalk.com recently concluded that 34 percent of people who attend church leave because of a lack of personal connections there and 53 percent agree that the primary reason they currently attend a place of worship is because of the friendships (i.e. connection) they’ve established.

From our research and experience as leadership and engagement experts who work with churches, businesses and government organizations, we know that the solution to struggling churches is both spiritual and systemic in nature. Churches flourish when people connect with God through Jesus Christ, with one another in Christian community, and with their calling of servanthood. A simple way to remember this is connection with Christ, community and calling. This creates what we’ve referred to as a “Connection Culture.” When these connections are in place it develops a holistic, transformational, disciple-making church community that mobilizes people to serve in the Spirit. It creates the church that Jesus said “all the powers of hell would not overcome” (Matthew 16:18). A church that develops a Connection Culture will find its staff fired up, not burned out, because people in the community are praying, growing, serving and giving.

Last year, I (Michael) went to visit one of the world’s leading churches and it was evident that connection is everywhere. Holy Trinity Brompton (“HTB” for short), an Anglican parish in London, is flourishing. As I observed the congregation and attended services, spoke with past and current congregants, and met with church leaders, it was clear that at the core of HTB you will find that people connect with Christ, community and calling. HTB is expanding into satellite church buildings owned by the Church of England in the greater London area that would otherwise be in danger of closing or have already been shuttered due to dwindling congregations. In addition to multi-site growth, HTB plants a new church nearly every month and aims to ramp up to planting 20 new churches a year. To train pastors, church leaders, and laypeople, HTB established a theological college, St. Paul’s Theological Centre. To train worship leaders, HTB launched Worship Central Academy last September.

Outside of the UK, HTB is perhaps best known as the church that developed Alpha, a 10-week course that introduces participants to the core beliefs of the Christian faith. To say that the Alpha course has been successful would be an understatement. The global reach of Alpha is breathtaking.   Since its launch in the late 1970s, more than 16 million individuals have completed the course. It is supported by all the major Christian denominations. At present, approximately 50,000 Alpha courses are being taught in 169 countries and in 112 languages.

To learn more about HTB and connection, read the case study found at this link: Alpha Church: The Church Flourishes When People Connect. At the conclusion of the case study, you’ll find 12 questions designed for pastors and church leaders to examine their own church culture and help them strengthen it. We encourage you to share the case study with others, too.

To start thinking about how a Connection Culture can transform your church, we invite you to sign up to attend a free webinar we are doing entitled “Protecting Pastors from Burnout.” It will take place next Tuesday, January 24, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. (Central Standard Time).

In summary, when pastors and church leaders develop Spirit-led cultures that connect people to Christ, community and their calling, pastor and church staff burnout becomes obsolete as vibrant members of the body of Christ actively pray, grow, serve and give. If the movement to connect and unite the body of Christ continues to grow, all the world’s present church buildings will be insufficient to hold the billions who see the Spirit of unity in love present in our churches and seek to know its Source.

The “One Anothers” – Put Them into Practice

November 9, 2011 in christian character, christian culture, christian discipleship, christian discipleship training, Christian growth, christian leaders, christian leadership, christian mentoring, Christian training, christian training resources, christian tranining, church engagement, church leaders, healing, Mentoring, Ministry, Omega Course, pastors, Uncategorized with Comments Off

Jason Pankau and John B. Donovan

A friend of mine who was adept at handling theological concepts was prone to remark that he found that much easier than relationships. In fact he said he wished sometimes that the Christian life were just a matter of understanding theology.

Underscoring our need to focus on relationships are the 58 “one-anothers” in the New Testament, the exhortations that spell out how this critically challenging yet critically important part of our lives should work.

For our meditation now, let’s focus on several key “one-anothers” and apply them with the power of the Holy Spirit to our relationships with individuals we will encounter today or in the near future.

Step one: Review the following eight “one-anothers:”

  • “… Love one another…” John 13:34
  • “Live in harmony with one another…” Romans 12:16
  • “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you…” Romans 15:7
  • “Be patient, bearing with one another in love” Ephesians 4:2
  • “…Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another” Colossians 3:13
  • “Encourage one another daily…” Hebrews 10:25
  • “…Spur one another on toward love and good deeds” Hebrews 10:24
  • “…Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another…” 1 Peter 5:5

 

Step two: Think of several individuals who you’ll be dealing with very soon, whether in person or on the phone

Step three: Consider how each of the “one anothers” applies in connection with each of these individuals, regardless of whether any relational problem is expected. One or more of them should be applicable.

It might be said that all 58 of the “one-anothers” could be summarized in four simple words: “Make love your aim.” (1 Cor 14:1– RSV).

Life on the Kingdom Plane

October 27, 2011 in christian character, christian culture, christian discipleship, christian discipleship training, Christian growth, christian leaders, christian leadership, christian mentoring, Christian training, christian training resources, christian tranining, disciple, Discipleship, discipleship class, discipleship course with Comments Off

Jason Pankau and John B. Donovan

God’s perspective is from higher than 30,000 feet, and he wants us to share the breadth of his vision. The late Roland Brown, a prominent retreat leader, was asked how he managed to maintain his composure while continuing what appeared to be a punishing schedule of speaking and organizing. His reply was that he lived life on “the kingdom plane.”

Do you have a big vision of how God sees you and your life?  Have you thought about setting aside your own perspective and trying to see things from God’s perspective?

Consider thinking of this in terms of two words: one, ability and two, availability.

First, ability. From God’s perspective, you have the ability to do things by abiding in Him. Abide in Him as your guidance and power as you move forward doing things.  For example, if you find it difficult to forgive someone, then abide in Christ as your power to do that, and you’ll find you in fact will have the ability to do it. He is faithful and will work powerfully in you if you let Him.

Next, availability.  He is Lord; meditate on His Lordship.  God’s Lordship means, of course, obedience. But it also means that since He abides in us, we can draw on His authority to gain mastery over anything oppressing us or distracting us from whatever we’re called to do.  It means, for example, gaining control over wayward thoughts.

God’s perspective is unlimited. He is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” (Eph 3:20).  Meditate today on letting your vision be expanded; don’t settle for a little help or daily uplift when He yearns to give you so much more.

God’s Big Vision for You

October 11, 2011 in christian character, christian culture, christian discipleship, christian discipleship training, Christian growth, christian leaders, christian leadership, christian mentoring, Christian training, christian training resources, christian tranining, church engagement, church leaders, church leadership, Coaching, community, Connection Culture, discileship resources, disciple, Discipleship, discipleship class, discipleship course, discipleship materials, discipleship program, discipleship programs, discipleship resources, discipleship seminar, discipleship speaker, discipleship teaching, discipleship training, discipleship training resources, discipleship traning, discipleship. discipleship resources, discipleship. discipleship teaching, Ministry, Omega Course, pastors, Uncategorized with Comments Off

Jason Pankau and John B. Donovan

Most people have supposed at one time or another that they could create an ideal life for themselves, if only they had the money or certain other resources. The quest for Shangri-La or some other utopia has existed from time immemorial, from the nobles’ sages among the ancients up to such popular entertainments as “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” Few things are more publicly known, however, thanks to the tabloids, than what might be called “the miseries of the rich and famous,” as their tinsel fantasies turn to dust.

Standing in contrast to these illusions, however, is a big vision that God is holding out to those who trust in Him and seek Him. It is known as the abundant life (John 10:10) or the “life that is truly life” (1 Tim 6:19). It cannot be described in material terms, but we know from the word of God and those who have experienced it that it is a life of joy and peace.

It is, moreover, a life of greatness. In the writings of Peter we read that God has given us his promises so that we can partake of the divine nature. We can exercise character strengths that go far above and beyond what is possible by mere human self-effort.

In addition, following the Lord brings about a miracle of connectedness, you might call it. This occurs when people come together to share one another’s lives in mentoring relationships and in groups where “the body of Christ” is made manifest. In such situations, the mission of a group is often revealed, and it can be far more than merely the aggregated efforts of the individuals composing it.   Group members can begin to hear God about what their personal contribution ought to be, what the contribution of others in the group ought to be, and what the group as a whole ought to be thinking and doing.

Let’s, each of us, have a time of deep quietness today, and every day going forward, a time when we are allowing God to impress on us more deeply His great plans for us, His divine design. We have to know that He desires to communicate His will to us, and not just His general will as revealed in Scripture but His particular will as it pertains to the specifics of our lives. His plans reflect His love for us and are, consequently, far beyond all that we can ask or imagine.

Praise God for all the opportunities Life Spring Network has to share the good news. Jason is frequently speaking at churches and para-church organizations, and Life Spring Network is partnering (to speak, teach and/or provide written content) with organizations including the New Canaan Society and the American Bible Society. On July 15, we will hold our Christian Leadership and Discipleship Conference in suburban Chicago.  In July and August, we will be advertising in Pastor Resources magazine.  Our ad will offer a free download of our book Fired Up or Burned Out to help pastors and church leaders fire up their church staff and congregation.  In addition to the free book download, we will send pastors and church leaders a link to see a video of Jason teaching “Creating a Connection Culture” along with our new case study on creating a Connection Culture in Churches.  The case study is entitled Alpha Church: The Church Flourishes When People Connect.  We are also presently making plans to begin exhibiting later this year at Catalyst Conferences in Atlanta, Chicago and Houston.

In addition to the work of Life Spring Network, we are seeing unprecedented opportunities to speak about developing virtuous leadership and unity in business, government and social sector organizations through our leadership training and coaching firm E Pluribus Partners.  These events often open the door to share our faith with some individuals in attendance.  Jason recently returned from speaking at the largest leadership conference in Asia.  Last week Mike taught a one-day workshop in New York City where leaders were present from a wide variety of business and government organizations.  Recently Jason and Mike were hired to teach workshops for the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and for the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, one of the largest and most well-respected cancer centers in the world.  On July 29, Mike will speak alongside CNO Admiral Vern Clark (Ret.) at breakfast and lunch meetings sponsored by the Harvard and Wharton Alumni Clubs of D.C. Admiral Clark was chief of the U.S. Navy from 2000-2005.  He is a committed Christian, his father was a pastor, and he met his wife Connie when they were both students at Evangel College.   Admiral Clark and Mike will be speaking about virtuous leadership and how it unites people in an organization to give their best efforts and pull together.  (Read what Jason and Mike wrote about Admiral Clark’s leadership in an article that was published in the Leader to Leader Journal.)

We are grateful to the Lord and to those faithful individuals who support the ministry of Life Spring Network. There are several ways people support Life Spring Network including praying by joining our prayer support email list, making a financial donation, recommending our Omega Course and/or seminars to their pastor and/or church leaders, and/or recommending to their employer our book Fired Up or Burned Out, keynote leadership speeches and workshops through E Pluribus Partners

See additional Life Spring Network blog posts.

Sharing the Good News

link June 11, 2011 in christian character, christian culture, christian discipleship, christian discipleship training, Christian growth, christian leaders, christian leadership, christian mentoring, Christian training, christian tranining, church engagement, church leaders, church leadership, Coaching, Connection Culture, Uncategorized with Comments Off