Doing Missions Like Jesus Did Missions

I believe Jesus was the greatest church planter that ever lived. He came to earth and started a church that would become a movement of multiplying disciples. He did it with none of the things we think are essential for starting a church. He simply took a handful of people, gave them a mission, trained them for it, and then turned them loose to accomplish it. I am amazed at times how complicated we have made it.

This past week I have been blessed by being a witness to seeing missions done the way Jesus did it. It started with me spending two days with a pastor (Ray Parascondo) who planted a church in Staten Island New York. This man has two campuses meeting on the island with over 200 people in attendance in one of the hardest places in the nation to plant a church. Ray is committed to leading a church that makes disciples of all nations.

On Sunday morning of this past week I attended the one year anniversary service of a new church lead by Pastor Dwight Boone in South Fulton County. Dwight has developed a core group of believers that have joined him in a commitment to making disciples of all nations.

Sunday night I attended a Global Missions service at Crossroads Church in Newnan that highlighted dozens of mission opportunities designed to help make disciples of all nations. During that service we had prayer times for missionaries and locations that our church will have opportunity to connect with.

Needless to say, I have had an amazing week. I've actually been in awe of the way God allows us to join him in reaching the world for Christ. The process is really not very complicated. Reach Out, Lift Up, Plug In, Build Up, Send Out. It worked for Jesus, now we simply need to work the work!

Some Weeks you just can't Win

This week I've made the final call on two different occasions to cancel services due to weather situations that did not turn out to be nearly as bad as predicted. I wish I had the time and the space to tell you all the anguish that goes along with making such a call. There are dozens of variables that figure into the decision to cancel a service at our church. Every time a decision is made to cancel a service you have those who disagree and those who do agree. Each person sees the decision from a different perspective. The one thing I can tell you is this. The bottom line on making a decision about canceling a service at Crossroads Church is safety! If the information we are working with indicates the possibility of an unsafe situation occurring we will err on the side of caution. Even if the information turns out to be different than anticipated we will err on the side of safety. If we ignored the information we had and someone was hurt we would regret that decision. If we heed the information given and it turns out to be different, our regret will be far less. Thanks to everyone for your understanding, patience and support as we make decisions that affect so many people. We never make these decisions lightly.

iresolve reflections and recommendations

This weekend I will have completed teaching a series of messages called iresolve. It's been very exciting to see how God's Word has helped people learn to walk as Jesus walked in the areas of emotional health, relational health, and physical health. I am praying that those who have listened to these messages will see great things happen in their lives in 2008.

In an effort to come along side of you and help you be successful in the coming year I want to recommend some additional reading to go with the iresolve series. Here are some good reads to take you further:

Honest to God by Bill Hybels (relational, emotional, physical and spiritual health)

Love and Respect by Emmerson Eggerichs (relational health)

The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Swhartz (emotional & physical

health)

What the Bible Says about Healthy Living by Rex Russell

In addition to the recommending reading I also want to encourage you to think about joining a support group, a men's or women's discipleship group, or a Community Group. There is no way I can overestimate the power of a small group in your life. Meeting in Biblical community on a weekly basis will have incredible dividends in your life in 2008. If you attend our monthly Connection Class we can help you connect to the right group.

I'd like to share one additional thought in regrads to the iresolve series. The Lord has used this series to bring some additional people into Crossroads Church. The increase of people means we need more people than ever to commit to worshipping on Saturday nights and in our Hangar facility on Sunday morning. Thank you for resolving to make room for others in 2008. I have a feeling 2008 is going to be a really good year!

Get ready for the next series..."OUR SPACE"

Bring Your Bible to Your Funeral

This week I had the opportunity to speak with another pastor at the funeral of a dear woman who walked as Jesus walked. The clearest indicator of this was when the other pastor stood up with this woman's bible in his hand. As he began to turn to verses she had marked over the years it was clear that she had been a doer of the word and not just a hearer.

As I drove to the cemetary one question penetrated my mind. How many people can have their bible brought to their funeral? My guess is that some people would have their bible laying on the dashboard of the car. Some people would have bibles with pages that still crack (like new) when you open them. Some people have a bible that is still in the lost and found at church. Some people have a bible that is falling apart!

If someone does bring my bible to my funeral I hope it is falling apart. I hope it is that well read and well lived. Somewhere I heard someone say, "A bible that is falling apart is usually owned by someone who isn't." When we walk as Jesus walked we carry bibles that are falling apart, but we live lives that are not.

I hope someone can bring your bible to your funeral and I hope the life you lived matches up with what that bible says. A life that matches the Word is a life that is walking as Jesus walked.

Blogging as Jesus Blogged

Sometimes I wonder if Jesus would have a blog if he lived on earth these days. I don't really know, but my hunch is he would. I have to think that his message was so important that he would go to every means possible to communicate it. Even creating a blog if necessary.

So that brings me to the creation of a blog. I made some commitments some years ago that give me no other option than to join the world of bloggers. One of those commitments was to live my life as an authentic disciple of Jesus Christ. That meant "walking as Jesus did" (I John 2:6). With that commitment came another commitment to link up with others and help them be and build disciples of all nations. I guess to do that one has no other option but to take advantage of the Internet as a way to champion the Great Commandment and Great Commission of Jesus Christ.

I reluctantly but optimistically post my first blog today. Reluctantly, because I'm really not looking for one more thing to do. Optimistically, however, because it will be worth the effort if someone reading my blog gets a passion for "walking as Jesus did".

The purpose of my blog will be clear. I will champion being and building disciples of Jesus Christ!

I want to encourage and help everybody I can to learn how to walk as Jesus walked. If that means I must blog as Jesus blogged then count me in!