By Stan Rodda: The prophet Habakkuk has much to teach us 2600 years after his life and work. Habakkuk teaches us that when it comes to seasons of waiting, we must embrace God’s promises and His people. You can read that post here.

Habakkuk shares his burdens about the people of Judah with God. He asks God questions that all of us have probably asked God ourselves at one point or another. Questions like…

How long, Lord, will I call and You don’t listen?

When will You do something about this injustice?

When will You do something about this violence and evil?

Where are You?

And part of the answer that Habakkuk receives is found in his name. Habakkuk means to embrace or wrestle. When seasons of waiting come to us in life, we wrestle with God over our questions, but we also draw near to embrace Him in His faithfulness.

Wrestle. Embrace. Wrestle. Embrace.

Habakkuk shows us how to be disciples of Jesus in times when all we seem to have are unanswered questions. And part of our answer is that even in the wrestling, don’t give up. Draw near to God. Embrace Him and His promises.

The message of chapter 2 is clear; Wait on the Lord!

There are a lot of things we can hurry in this life. God is not one of them. We can hurry our kids out the door for school, or speed through traffic to make that meeting on time. But you can’t hurry God. It seems he is never in a rush, but somehow is always on time. All of us have been there. Wanting to rush God along with His answers. We’ve all been waiting on God at different times. Things like…

An answer to prayer

A glimmer of hope

Clarity on some issue

To end a pain

To begin healing

Habakkuk 2 teaches us that we will get there someday. And if there’s one over arching principle we must develop, one lesson to learn as disciples of Jesus it would be this…

Gain An Upper Story Perspective

Habakkuk positions himself in the lookout tower. When I think about a lookout tower, I think about old war movies. You see things from the tower you can’t see from the ground. Who is approaching your town? How many people are coming? Are they friend or foe? There’s a lot you can see when you get to higher ground to gain and upper story perspective.

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Habakkuk is searching and says he will go to the lookout tower to see what God will show him. And from there, Habakkuk learns at least three things. First,

There is a Natural Delay Between Planting and Harvesting

We are like Veruka Salt. Do you remember her? “I want it now. I want it my way.” Classic character from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. She deserved what was coming to her because her attitude was so annoying. Yet, that’s how we so often approach God. We want our answers and we want it now.

Patience now!

Joy now!

Rewarding career now!

Wisdom now!

To lose 20lbs now! (Just me?)

But between the planting of the seed of a tomato plant and the harvesting of that tomato, there’s a natural delay. A natural delay when you begin to sow into your marriage and when you reap the benefits. A natural delay when you begin to sow into disciple making and harvesting the fruit. Don’t get discouraged when you don’t get answers immediately. There’s a natural delay. Second,

There is a Bigger Battle Going on Around Us

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. [Ephesians 6:12 CSB]

Satan is here to steal, kill and destroy. He hates you. He hates your marriage. He hates your children. He hates your faith. He hates your attempts at disciple making. He hates when you point people to Jesus. And he is in complete opposition to you. Just ask Daniel.

In Daniel 10 we read that the angel carrying the answer to Daniel’s prayers was caught up in a battle for 21 days over Persia. He had to call in reinforcements to get free to respond to Daniel. There’s a bigger battle going on around us. There’s so much more to the story. If you hear nothing else in this post, please hear this…

God’s delays are not necessarily denials!

If you get stuck in a lower story perspective, it can be easy to get swept up in the idea that God has denied you. That you didn’t get an answer, or at least not the one you wanted. All we see is the discouragement of the lower story; family struggles, anxiety, fear, depression, national chaos. There is a spiritual battle raging in the heavenly realms. Get to the lookout tower. Gain that upper story perspective. Third,

God is at Work Preparing You for Amazing Things

Scripture tells us that God is at work in each of His children, bringing them to maturity. He is getting you ready for the future that is ahead of you. Disciple making opportunities you don’t even know about yet. Ministry opportunities you haven’t even considered. A fulfilling marriage that today seems has no hope. God is at work bringing you to completion and maturity.

I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. [Philippians 1:6 CSB]

It doesn’t do Habakkuk any good to pour over the The Jerusalem News or The Babylon Inquirer. It doesn’t do us any good either. Being informed is different from only having a lower story perspective. Being informed is different from feeding on the garbage of this world. Everything we take in as disciples of Jesus, no matter the media, should be viewed from the lookout tower, from the upper story perspective.

God, You are at work in our day. You are doing amazing things. You are preparing us for amazing things. And until I am clear on it, I will be in the lookout tower, waiting for Your answer.

But the Lord is in HIs holy temple; let the whole earth be silent in His presence. [Habakkuk 2:20 CSB]

When it comes to seasons of waiting on God for answers, there is no place like the lookout tower. The place where we gain an upper story perspective. Habakkuk reminds us…

There is a natural delay between planting and harvesting

There is a bigger battle going on around us

God is at work preparing you for amazing things

Have you found it difficult to maintain an upper story perspective in light of our recent history? What step do you need to take to regain it?

Let’s take Kingdom territory!

Source: Someday | Part 2

The post Someday | Part 2 appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By Stan Rodda: Just like everyone else, disciple makers experience seasons of waiting in life. Times when it seems that God is distant. Maybe He isn’t hearing your prayers or He has abandoned you for some reason. We can convince ourselves of nearly anything during this times of waiting.

We need these seasons of waiting from God because it is one of the key ways that He develops and prepares us for the future. And one of the best places to learn about these times in faith is the prophet, Habakkuk.

Philosopher, Winnie the Pooh, said,

Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day. -A.A. Milne

This is the first in a 4-part series on learning to wait on God during times of suffering and silence. If you are a disciple maker in a season of waiting, I hope this series will encourage you. In this first part, we must learn from Habakkuk’s groan.

Habakkuk’s Groan

Habakkuk is confronted with a burden from God. The prophet responds to God by groaning a bit about the way things are going in life. He groans to God, “Why aren’t you doing anything about the injustice and evil? I have been telling you all about it and you’re totally silent.” (Habakkuk 1:2-4)

The nation around Habakkuk had fallen into complete rebellion. While this book was written 2600 years ago, it could have been written at the end of 2020. So much chaos, sin, injustice, pain, suffering and evil. God, where are you? Why won’t you answer me?

God, I’m doing my best to make disciples. I’m trying to reach people. Why is it that You seem to have gone silent? Don’t You care about what’s going on in the world? Don’t you want people to come to You? Where are you?

Permission Given to Ask Questions

When I was growing up, it was never okay to question God. If you were thinking about questioning God that meant you had a faith problem. That your relationship with God wasn’t good enough. No one ever told me that babies aren’t born with Paul-like relationships with Jesus. No, we have to work at it. Developing faith and making disciples comes with questions.

I believe that when God responds to Habakkuk’s questions, He is in essence saying, “I welcome your questions. I’m big enough for them. Let’s develop your faith and I’ll show you a little more of what I’m up to.”

Ask Humbly

Not all questions are created equal. Don’t pull a Job assuming you know more than God. By the time God finally responds in chapter 38 of Job, He responds out of a whirlwind. God storms His responses back at Job. Be careful Job. You don’t know nearly as much as you think you do. Be careful Stan. You aren’t nearly as clever or wise as you think you are. Be careful disciple maker. You don’t know as much as you think. Ask your questions, but ask with humility.

God’s Promise to Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:5 God responds and tells Habakkuk that He is doing amazing things. Even if Habakkuk could see clearly he wouldn’t believe it. God is at work beyond all we can ask or imagine, doing amazing things that we wouldn’t believe even if He told us. But as God is at work, it’s not all rainbows and unicorns. It’s going to come with the price of suffering.

God promises that the Chaldeans are coming and they are going to punish Israel. They will sift the people and it will not be pleasant. I’m sure Habakkuk had to have a moment of celebration that God was at work only to backtrack not wanting God to work through the Babylonians.

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God’s Way Are Not Our Ways

When the disciple making conversations have run dry. When disciples walk away from us looking for a simpler life. When we feel we are completely on our own and God doesn’t seem to be responding to the mess that is life; God’s ways are not our way.

Think Noah. God says, I’m going to purify the world and rid it of evil. Starting over with you, Noah. Awesome, sounds great. What’s next? Oh, I need you to build an ark. What’s an ark. It’s a huge boat that will float on water. That much water? Yeah, it’s going to rain. What’s rain?

God’s ways are not our ways.

Think John the Baptist. Jesus said, “There is no one greater than John.” What did that mean for him? It meant imprisonment and beheading. All because he supported God’s definition of marriage.

God’s ways are not our ways.

When God says, “I’m doing amazing things in your day. You’re not going to believe this.” Always remember that some of God’s greatest work comes through suffering. In fact, God’s greatest work in history happened through a cross. We all have heavy hearts because of what is happening in our nation. God is still doing amazing things. Even if He has to use Babylon to do it.

What To Do In The Waiting

The answer to seasons of waiting can be found in Habakkuk’s name. It means, “to wrestle, embrace.” We go back and forth with God, drawing near to Him, asking questions.

Wrestle. Embrace. Wrestle. Embrace.

Embrace God’s Promises

The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while.

[1 Peter 5:10 CSB]

Even when things are difficult, draw near to God. Stay connected in your abiding time with Christ. Don’t let go of your relationship with God. Draw near. Embrace Him and His promises. That even though you may be going through a season of suffering, He Himself will restore you.

The Lord is the One who goes before us (Deut 31:8). He turns to me and hears my cries (Ps 40:1). Gives us days of rejoicing that match the days we wept (Ps 90:15). Embraces God’s promises to restore you, to bring you through for His glory. Embrace the promise of God that He is at work.

Embrace God’s People

Gallup and the CDC both say mental health is an absolute crisis. Since the summer of 2020, 1 in 4 young people have considered suicide. Suicide rates are soaring. People considering it is higher than ever. And yet I the midst of that tragedy, one group stands out as having improved mental health; those who regularly attended church through the pandemic.

Something supernatural, mystical happens, when God’s people gather. Whether you are gathering at a modern looking church, a traditional church or you meet in a church in your living room, the gathering of God’s people is an essential for us.

God is doing something amazing in our generation. But it seems He is going to do it through Babylon. As you go through your season of waiting, remember to embrace God’s promises and His people.

What promises of God do you hold onto the most in times of suffering and waiting?

Source: Someday | Part 1

The post Someday | Part 1 appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By Stan Rodda: In what is arguably the craziest year many people have experienced in their lifetimes, 2020 is finally coming to a close. We are days away from a new year! That said: Congrats! You made it!

Let’s look back on some of 4Gen’s most popular content in 2020 and look forward to what God has in store for 2021.

Looking Back | 2020

Most read blog posts:

A Simple Tool to Stop Reading the Bible like a Self-Help Book

Five Distinguishing Factors of a Kingdom Worker

Baptism and the Disciple Maker

The Core of a Disciple Maker

Disciple Making and the Person of Peace

Most popular Youtube videos:

Master Plan of Surrender

How to Tell Your Story

How to Share the Gospel

Disciple making:

15 disciples trained in reproducible tools

4 house churches started

Looking Forward | 2021

Disciple making cohorts:

Tuesdays, January 12-March 2 @ 2p EST

Thursdays, February 25-April 15 @ 2p EST

Tuesdays, May 4-June 22 @ 2p EST

Tuesdays, August 10-September 28 @ 2p EST

Tuesdays, October 5-November 23 @ 2p EST

Reserve your seat for FREE!

Reserve Your Seat

Three pastors retreats coming:

April 27-30 – Massanutten, VA (add name to waitlist)

August 4-8 – Jefferson City, MO

November 2-5 – Massanutten, VA (add name to wait list)

Learn More About Retreats

Thanks for being a part of the 4Gen family through 2020. While Christmas is over, there is one late gift you could get for me if you are in a giving mood. Share this blog and ministry with three people you know. That would be a HUGE gift to me.Thanks for helping spread the word about what God is up to at 4Gen.Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! And I will see you in 2021!Stan Rodda4Gen Executive Director

ps. What disciple making content would support your disciple making efforts the most in 2021? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Source: Look Back. Look Forward.

The post Look Back. Look Forward. appeared first on Passion for Planting.

We’ve all been there before. You’re about reading to jump into leading a new small group or lead a disciple making discussion. One of your biggest fears/concerns is simply, “How do I fill the time with meaningful content?” This is where the search for small group curriculum usually begins. And then every 6-8 weeks, your fear and dread sets back in because now you need a new book, new content, something to keep the group happy, content and coming back again next week.

All groups, especially disciple making groups, should be intentional and lead people toward obedience. If a disciple hears God’s voice and obeys, then the group’s setting and format should lead people to do exactly that. So it isn’t new content that should be taking up our time, the search for the next book study, but actually quality time meant to help people hear God’s voice in their life and to walk in obedience to Him.

That’s why I use a format called “Three Thirds” in all of my group settings.

“Three Thirds” utilizes an Up, In and Out approach to groups. We look “Up” to God for what He is doing in each person’s life. How He is at work in their fishing and following. We also look “Up” to God in worship and casting the vision for reaching lost people each week. We look “In” as we dive into a new lesson, tool or Scripture to discover what God has for us and we seek to internalize what we discover. Last we look “Out” to keep an outward focus on reaching lost people. Everything leads us to a place of reproducibility and reaching others. Groups should never become holy huddles where Christians gather but no lost people are reached.

With that said, here’s what “Three Thirds” looks like.

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Up |

Member Care/Socialize

Part of looking up to God is seeing what He is up to in each member’s life. We want to start our disciple making trainings or small groups time by asking what God is doing in each person’s life. We often ask what each person is thankful for or something they are struggling with. This helps us to know how to pray for each person.

Worship/Prayer

Then move into a time of worship and prayer. This can be meditation on Scripture or worshiping together through song. Get creative, but keep the groups focus up toward God, who He is and what He is up to. Then open your group or training with prayer.

Loving Accountability

You will develop a list of accountability for each person as they set goals for themselves (below). We hold people accountable lovingly, not with judgment or criticism. For instance, when a disciple sets a goal to read one chapter of the Bible everyday for a week, I will ask them how that went. If they say, “I was in Scripture five days this week,” I’m going to celebrate that because the work before they weren’t reading at all. But I will lovingly encourage them to aim for seven days the coming week. This accountability is done with all following (abiding in Christ) and fishing (reaching out to lost people) goals.

Vision Casting

Every time I meet with disciples, I want to remind them why we do what we do. We are meeting to hear God’s voice and obey. Maybe it’s a walk through John 10 to remind them of Jesus the Good Shepherd who is calling us to mission. Or a walk through Luke 15 to share about God’s heartbeat for lost people. Or share a great story of a life transformed as a result of Jesus to share vision for what disciple making is all about.

In |

New Lesson

This is a great place to use DBS to walk through a chapter of the Bible and discover what God is up to. Asking questions like, “What do you learn about God in Mark 9” is a great way to learn about God from Scripture. You can also ask, “What do you learn about people, humanity, from Mark 9?” Helping people to discover that sometimes we can be Pharisees or sometimes simply blind. You can also use this time to train in a new tool like three circles or three chairs. Whatever it is, this is the part where new information is coming in to the disciple and prayerfully being internalized in them.

Out |

Practice/Goal Setting

Many small groups consider it a success when someone leaves and has learned something new. Three thirds formatted groups call it a success when something is about to be reproduced by everyone in the room. So we end each gathering with practice and goal setting. If I train someone in the Three Circles, then I want to give them all a few minutes to practice. I want them to develop confidence and competence in sharing the Gospel with friends or neighbors. So we practice sharing the Gospel together and then set goals to share with people that week.

Commission

Last but not least, we want to pray with and commission each person in the group to go out and share. Did someone set a goal to share the Gospel with their co-worker? Then take time to pray for the co-worker by name. Ask God to go before you. Commission your group member in a way that reminds them that God is at work in their lives and is going to use them to reach people. End on a high note that we all have work to do in reaching the lost. This is how we want to end our gatherings.

And that’s it. The “Three Thirds” format for our groups. This is how we are working to get groups of disciples of Jesus more focused on obedience to the voice of God than simply learning something new each week in group. We want to move toward obedience, action and reproducible tools that all followers of Jesus can use in their own lives as they seek to hear God’s voice and obey. I love watching everyone get in the game for disciple making and “Three Thirds” is a great format to help move your groups, disciples, toward obedience.

What do you think about this format?

There are a couple different ways to do all of the above. Seek creative ways to get this info to your groups as you pursue obedience to the voice of God.

Let’s take Kingdom territory!

Source: How to Format Groups for Obedience

The post How to Format Groups for Obedience appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By: Carey Nieuwhof

You’ve probably learned a lot about yourself in the last year.

Crisis does that to you. Crisis isn’t just an accelerator, it’s a revealer, showing you some surprising things about yourself—some good, some not so good.

Since COVID struck, church leaders have seen more than a few addictions, wants and preferences revealed.

At this point, with only half of churches re-opened, and with most re-opened churches experiencing low attendance numbers compared to pre-COVID, it may be wise to take stock of what we’ve learned so far.

You never know how much you love something until it’s taken away. And for church leaders, some of our most dearly held ways of doing church were snatched away overnight.

Despite the fact that church leaders claim that the church never closed, many behaved like it did, bemoaning what was lost and racing to get back.

Despite the fact that church leaders claim that the church never closed, many behaved like it did, bemoaning what was lost and racing to get back.

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As the culture becomes more and more digital, mobile and home-centered (think work, school, shopping and more), the church needs to respond to keep reaching people.

If the people you’re trying to reach change, your strategy needs to change with them. Otherwise, you lose touch and become irrelevant. And while the Gospel is never irrelevant in a fast-moving culture, outdated models of church get old, fast.

If the church is going to thrive in the future, here are 5 addictions church leaders need to overcome.

While the Gospel is never irrelevant in a fast-moving culture, outdated models of church get old, fast.

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1. Buildings

Probably the first dependency to be revealed by the crisis is how facility-centric most approaches to ministry have been.

For a lot of pastors, losing access to a building felt like losing access to their ministry.

If you look at the filter through which almost all ministry has been run for decades (or centuries) it’s this: ministry happens in a central facility where people gather.

A very good question to ask is ‘why’?

For a lot of pastors, losing access to a building felt like losing access to their ministry. You have to ask why.

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While I completely agree the church needs to gather in person as well as online, gathering can happen in homes, smaller venues and a whole variety of places. The emerging idea that a church can be a church with hundreds or thousands of locations (i.e. peoples’ homes) is a really liberating idea.

While we’ll need facilities in the future, the idea that for ministry to happen it needs to take place in a public building officiated by church staff feels increasingly restrictive and anachronistic.

I’m not suggesting we should move to the house church movement as it’s existed in North American, which are disproportionately filled with insider-focused, disgruntled Christians who actively resist affiliating with others, but I do think it’s worth rethinking a more distributed and released church that can be more effective at reaching friends, neighbors, co-workers and communities.

In 2020, if coming to Christ means coming to your church in a set location and a set hour, you need a new strategy.

In 2020, if coming to Christ means coming to your church in a set location and a set hour, you need a new strategy.

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2. Packed Rooms

Look, I’ll lead with a confession here. I love packed rooms. Packed rooms at church. Packed rooms when I’m speaking somewhere.

I’ve spoken to empty rooms and to full rooms, and I’ll take a full room any time.

There’s a bit of a thrill when you run out of seats and people are standing at the back or sitting on the floor.

And, yes, those of us who love that kind of thing know exactly where you need to take the picture (from the back of the room) to make the room look even fuller than it is in real life.

And you know what the ugly underbelly of that is? Ego. (See point 3 below).

Look, I get it. Communicating without a crowd is a different art and science than communicating in front of a crowd. And there’s something about a sermon that gets richer when you’re interacting with real people. Sermons are more than just content drops.

But packed rooms don’t always mean full impact.

What if God’s plan for your church is bigger than the size of your room? What if the number of people you’re called to reach don’t fit in a room, no matter what size room you build?

If the size of your vision shrinks to the size of a room you can fill, you’ve missed the church’s mission.

If the size of your vision shrinks to the size of a room you can fill, you’ve missed the mission.

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3. Our Own Egos

Okay so I guess this is turning into a confession post.

Ego is a real struggle for most of us in leadership.

Some leader’s pride springs from narcissism. Far more leaders grow proud because of insecurity than by narcissism.

I know…you’re thinking…but I’m insecure. I feel bad about myself.

How can that be pride?

Well, if pride is an obsession with self, then (surprisingly) insecure people qualify as proud. After all, insecurity makes you think about you all the time.

So let’s play that into this moment. The future is so uncertain, and so foreign. And you’re asking yourself

Do I have what it takes to lead into tomorrow?

All my gifts and skills have been honed to work for what was, not for the future that’s emerging.

If I can get us back to where we were, I’ll feel good about myself again. 

You know what that is, right? Sure. It’s your ego. That’s all about you, not the mission.

As a Christian leader, you know that self is something you need to die to.

I have to die to self daily, hourly. Minute by minute.

But on the other side is a trust that is the only thing that can supplant the fear of the deep unknown.

When you die to yourself, something greater rises.

When you die to yourself, something greater rises.

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4. Budgets and Staffing Centered in the Last Era

If you want to see someone’s idols, just look at their bank account and calendar. Regardless of what you say publicly, your bank account and calendar reveal what you really value (and what you don’t).

The same is true for churches.

Look at most church budgets though, and try to find some line items related to digital ministry. You’ll come up empty-handed.

The vast majority of churches spend 99% of their staffing dollars on in-person gatherings.

Outreach and ministry online is usually tagged onto someone’s job description as an afterthought (if it’s listed at all), and the budget for digital ministry usually has to be scrounged from other line items.

The point here is that’s probably not a wise 21st-century strategy.

Increasingly, this will be the year many churches realize you can’t have a massive impact online when you spend 1% of your staffing resources on it.

The internet is the venue in which the entire community you are trying to reach lives. If you want to reach them there, spending 1% of your resources on it is likely not the smartest strategy.

Do you know of any church near you that’s spending 30% of its resources to reach people online?

Didn’t think so.

And we wonder why we don’t see more direct results from online outreach.

Mystery solved.

It’s hard to have a massive impact online when you spend 1% of your staffing and budget on it.

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5. Creating Your Own Truth

So many leaders have started spinning their own truth.

As a former President of the United States once said, “In my presidency, people were entitled to their own opinion. They were not entitled to their own facts.”

It seems pastors are increasingly falling for creating their own facts in this post-truth era. It’s so strange that church leaders who profess adherence to truth try to create their own truth when they don’t like the facts they’re facing.

It’s so strange that church leaders who profess adherence to truth try to create their own truth when they don’t like the facts they’re facing.

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You can’t make up truth, but we try.

I’ve had so many pastors tell me “Well, the coronavirus just isn’t an issue here” when thousands of people in their state are hospitalized.

I’ve had others tell me that people will return to church in droves, when the evidence points in the other direction. (Look, I hope they’re correct. I’m just not holding my breath. Here’s why.)

Truth is hard.

But wise leaders don’t deny the truth. The smartest leaders realize their approach isn’t working and adapt.

The more you deny reality, the crueler reality is to you.

Just ask anyone who went bankrupt or whose spouse walked on them because she just couldn’t handle being treated that way anymore.

The truth is your friend. Even the truth you don’t like. Especially the truth you don’t like.

The truth is your friend. Even the truth you don’t like. Especially the truth you don’t like.

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You Don’t Go As Far As Your Dream. You Go As Far As Your Team.

It’s never been more important for your organization to hit your goals. It’s also never been more difficult.

As Dharius Daniels says, you don’t go as far as your dream, you go as far as your team.

Lead a Better Team is my brand new, online, on-demand course that gives you a step-by-step strategy to:

Get far better results with the same team
Create a system of accountability so you can actually achieve the goals you set; and
Boost the performance of your staff so you can stop micromanaging

All the while freeing up time for you to do what you do best.

The best part? You’ll learn how you can do this even if you’re leading a virtual team.

Get instant access to Lead a Better Team here, and take your team to the next level.

Any Other Addictions? 

As hard as all this is, there’s a brighter future ahead if we embrace it.

What do you see?

Any other addictions you see or you’re weaning yourself off?

The post 5 Addictions Pastors Need To Overcome (To Grow Their Church In the Future) appeared first on CareyNieuwhof.com.

Source: 5 Addictions Pastors Need To Overcome (To Grow Their Church In the Future)

The post 5 Addictions Pastors Need To Overcome (To Grow Their Church In the Future) appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By: Stan Rodda

Over the years, much has been written on the topic of baptism. Churches have split over the topic. Commentaries have been written. The purpose of this post is not to clear up 2000 years of controversy surrounding baptism. It is to simply say that if we want to see a disciple making movement, then we must train and equip disciples of Jesus to baptize people when the opportunity arises.

Let’s face it, many pastors and church leaders are a bottleneck for their church’s growth. Everyone has to come to them for next steps, advice, counsel, church info and even baptism. Many people want to be baptized by the pastor, but the reality is that this slows down the movement of the church. It slows it down because now we can only get to as many people as the pastor can counsel and baptize. That doesn’t seem to be how it is in the book of Acts.

When 3000+ were baptized, it seems the 12 multiplied their efforts. They would baptize one and that person would help baptize the next. The number of baptizers went from 12 to 24 to 48 to 96 and so on. It’s why one of my metrics is not simply numbers of people baptized, but is to actually track unique baptizers. How many new disciples are baptizing someone else? I believe that’s how we will get to a disciple making movement.

So let’s make baptism simple. Let’s make it reproducible to the everyday disciple of Jesus. For the most part, we will use Romans 6 as our backdrop.

Baptism is Surrender to King Jesus

The book of Acts records that when 3000+ gave their lives to Jesus at Pentecost, that their primary wrestling match was with the identity of Jesus. Acts 2:36 records that Peter says, “…this Jesus whom you crucified is both Lord and Messiah.” Jesus is actually the King of all things and you crucified Him.

The people were convicted and asked what they should do. The answer was first to repent. Repentance is a change of mind. And what was it they were having to change their minds about? The identity of Jesus. They crucified a guy they thought was crazy, a drunk, a rebel. Yet He wasn’t. He was Lord and Messiah. He was and is the King.

Baptism is first and foremost a surrender to King Jesus.

Baptism is a Death

When I surrender to King Jesus, I must die to my old self. I let go of my old way of living. If Jesus is King, then I must live a different kind of way. My way of living isn’t good enough. So in baptism I identify with King Jesus in His death. Jesus died on a cross and I am laying down my old way of living.

As your disciples are leading others, this must be understood. Baptism is not a feel-good moment where I just keep doing what I want. It is the moment I am dying to my own way of living and thinking. My mind and actions are completely changing to what King Jesus would have for me.

Baptism is a Burial

Everyone who dies is buried. No one dies and is laid on top of the ground with a little dirt sprinkled on their forehead. They are put under the ground. When I die to my old way of living in surrender to Jesus, I am symbolically buried in the water. I go under the water as if my old life was being put in the ground. I leave the old me buried in the waters of baptism.

Baptism is a Resurrection to New Life

When I come up out of the water, I am a new person. I have identified with Jesus in His death, burial and now resurrection. There is now a new life that I am called to as I pursue King Jesus. I am not who I was. I am who God says I am now.

Disciples of Jesus need to be trained and empowered to walk one of their disciples through baptism. To be able to help them see what decision they are making and to baptize them. Baptism at it’s simplest is surrender to King Jesus, a death, a burial and a new life. Here are a couple of practical questions you can ask yourself in regards to baptism and disciple making?

Who can you train this week to baptize others?

Who are you discipling now who needs to be trained to baptize those they are discipling?

How can you empower and equip your disciples to baptize others this week?

If we are going to take spiritual ground, we must unleash an army of disciple makers who are confident and competent to baptize others. To lead them to follow Jesus and walk them through the process of surrendering their lives to Christ. This is how we will get to movement in our time.

Let’s take Kingdom territory!

Source: Baptism and the Disciple Maker

The post Baptism and the Disciple Maker appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By: Stan Rodda

It’s amazing the places you can learn truths about disciple making when you are aware enough to pay attention. I was reminded of a disciple making truth recently when I was watching my 15 year old son workout. He has been wanting to get bigger, faster, stronger. He’s a high school boy and made JV lacrosse at his high school. He wants to grow as an athlete and I’m sure wants to look good for the girls at his school as an ulterior motive. We don’t have a lot of weights at our house and I don’t have a gym membership anywhere, so I encouraged my son to get creative. And creative he got.

He has been making weight plates out of concrete mix and five gallon buckets. He is using zip ties and small dumbbells to tie to a barbell for shoulder and bench press. He’s watching everything on YouTube he can to learn about getting stronger and faster. He implements everything he sees and gives it a try. Over the last year or so of watching him do this, I am beginning to see the signs. He is a little bigger. He’s gotten a lot stronger. He’s definitely faster. The results are starting to show up. But it has taken a year to even begin to see.

That’s where the disciple making truth comes in…

When it comes to disciple making, you must think marathon, not sprint!

Hebrews gives us a glimpse into this truth.

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer an perfecter of our faith. [Hebrews 12:1, 2 CSB]

I get it. You want results…TODAY! You’re direct. You’re hard charging. You have goals and a vision for your church or ministry. You want to take your neighborhood, city, state and globe for God by tomorrow afternoon. I want results too. Results show you that you’re headed in the right direction and that you’re doing right things. I’m with you.

Unfortunately, like many things, disciple making doesn’t work that way. When I want to lose weight and get in shape, I must plan for the long haul. I can’t eat right for one day, do a few pushups, run around the block and expect my body to respond the next morning. I won’t wake up with chiseled pecs, six-pack abs and rippling biceps. I’ll wake up sore and hangry. I must get after it again that day, and then the next day, and the next day, and…you see where this is going.

You won’t have a disciple making movement tomorrow after one day of talking about it. You aren’t necessarily going to win your city to Jesus by this afternoon just because you talk about making disciples one time. As with most things, results simply don’t show up that way. You have to push again today, and then the next day, and then the next day, and…you see where this is going.

After six months, a year or five years of this constant pushing toward movement, you will start seeing results. It might take time, but the effort expended to get to this level of spiritual maturity and depth will make a much healthier disciple making movement in the long run. In order to get there, I must constantly be asking God, “What’s my next step? What step of obedience can I take today?”

Obey Today

When you spend time with God in your secret place, in the quiet, early morning hours (or whenever you spend your time with God), ask the question, “God, what step of obedience would you have me take today?”

What sin do I need to confess?

What attitude do I need to change?

What in my life must I change to walk in better alignment with You?

When God gives you the answer…obey! Confess your sin. Change your attitude. Make amends where needed. Love your spouse differently. Love your kids well. Change how you lead. Whatever it is that God is asking you to do in your own discipleship, take the step of obedience.

You can only lead a disciple making movement as far as you are willing to obey God in your own personal life!

Help Your Disciples Obey Today

Share with your disciples what God is telling you to do. Share your plans for obedience and ask for accountability. Then ask them how God is speaking to them.

What next step is God calling them to reach?

Who is God asking them to share with?

When is God asking them to do it?

Help them hear God’s voice and obey in their own life. As you are moving toward obedience, growing spiritually and reaching people with the Gospel of Jesus in your own life and as God does the same in the life of your disciples, you will see depth and growth. You will see the movement beginning to form and grow. It will take some time, but it will absolutely be worth it.

The journey toward a disciple making movement looks so much more like a marathon than a sprint! May you hear God’s voice today and obey. May you help someone you are leading do the same.

Let’s take Kingdom territory!

Source: Think Marathon, Not Sprint!

The post Think Marathon, Not Sprint! appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Stan Rodda: There are moment when I feel like my belief and faith are stronger than ever. Then tragedy strikes, chaos, a fight with a family member, a global pandemic. Something terrible shakes everything. How quickly I jump to, “God, are you really there? Why is this happening?” I amaze myself sometimes how quickly I ask these types of questions.

John the Baptist did the same. Jesus’ cousin and the man who paved the way for Jesus. He went before Him and preached repentance, that the Kingdom was near, that people should turn from their sin and he baptized them. John even said, “I’m not worthy to tie His sandals.” This man had serious faith in Jesus.

And then tragedy hit. He speaks out against Herod’s new marriage to Herodias after divorcing his own wife. Herod is furious that John would speak out against him and so has him thrown in prison. While in prison, John begins to question. Matthew 11 records him asking his own followers to investigate Jesus. He says to them, “Are you really the One we have been waiting for?” He questions in his despair the identity of Jesus.

And Jesus responds to John and says…

the blind see

the lame walk

the deaf hear

lepers are cleansed

the dead are raised

good news is preached to the poor

Great stuff is happening, John. Jesus goes so far as to tell those listening that of all men born, no one is a great as John. In the face of his doubt and questions, Jesus shares great news, confirms His identity to John and then offers John amazing grace. There’s no one like John. Even at his worst.

Maybe you’ve been there before.

Maybe you’re there now.

You’re in your own prison. Your own place of questioning, pain and doubt. Jesus, are you really who You say You are? Why is all of this bad stuff happening? I’m nervous and afraid. Are you really the One?

May you hear the good news of Jesus afresh today. That the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and good news is preached to the poor. Great stuff is happening in our time. And beyond that, Jesus is so gracious toward us. Knowing that our spirit is so willing, but our flesh often fails us. Jesus offers us grace and mercy when we doubt. I am so grateful for His grace.

What are some practical ways to work through your doubts?

Abide in Christ Daily

In John 10, Jesus invites us to abide with Him. I would encourage you to continue drawing near to the Father through Scripture reading and prayer daily. those who are abiding in Jesus are the ones who bear fruit. Stay faithful in your abiding.

Don’t Trust Your Feelings

This one is difficult for me personally. I’m an emotional person who feels all my feels. But our feelings are so deceiving. How we feel about something is not always how it is in reality. Especially when it comes to Jesus. We may feel like He is distant, but Scripture says He is close to the broken-hearted.

Connect in Community

Sometimes one of the best steps we can take is to walk through our doubt with others. We can hear stories of those who have been there before us and how God has lead them through. Having people to share your feelings with who can speak truth and say those feelings may not be reality. It can be a difficult step, but I encourage you to be vulnerable enough to share your true feelings with others around you and allow them to guide and lead you through this season.

No doubt there are more ways to walk through seasons of doubt well. What would you add to the list?

Source: Grace In The Face Of Doubt

The post Grace In The Face Of Doubt appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Stan Rodda: Something really interesting jumped out at me as I was reading Matthew 10 the other day. The first four verses of that chapter stood out to me unlike ever before and God showed me something I need to think more about. He drew my attention to finishing well in life and ministry through one name, Judas Iscariot.

Summoning His twelve disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: First, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas an dMatthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. [Matthew 10:1-4 CSB]

This is super cool. The disciples were given authority and power, to cast out demons, to heal every affliction, sickness and disease. How powerful is that? What would it have been like to experience that? And those that were chosen to bear this authority and power, are listed by name. And the very last name listed struck me; Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

Maybe I’ve never thought about this before. Maybe I’ve just forgotten. Judas was given the power and authority to cast out demons, cleanse lepers and heal the sick. He was a part of the miraculous alongside the other disciples and Jesus Himself. For years he walked in this circle. And I thought to myself, “How did it get to the place where he kills himself?” How does a guy like that with power and authority end up betraying Jesus and hanging himself in a field, dying alone.

The thought occurred to me that Judas simply didn’t finish well. Maybe it was the pride of a man that made him feel that he could never fall. Maybe there was more to it than that. But the reality is that Judas was a man, just like me. He was human, just like all of us. And it can be very easy to look down on him for what he did, but there is a certain reality to all of this.

Father, may I never become so prideful that I think I’m above Judas. That I’m above finishing well.

I’m no better than Judas. I have the same capacity of Judas to come up short in the end. To not show up when I should have. I have the same capacity to not end well in my parenting. I have the same capacity to not end well in my marriage if I don’t pay attention. I’m not above the sin of pride and not finishing my life and ministry well. I’m not above ending poorly in my finances.

Maybe you find yourself in a place like that right now.

1. Your Marriage

Maybe your marriage has been lifeless for decades. Finishing well is the humility to admit you need a counselor. That professional help may be the only thing that saves your marriage.

2. Your Parenting

Maybe you only have a couple months left with a Senior who is graduating soon. But this year you don’t get to finish the way you thought because graduation parties and prom are cancelled. Finishing well with them may look like confronting past mistakes before they leave the house and head to college. How do you finish well as a mom or dad in the last couple months before your child leaves the house.

3. Your Ministry

Maybe you are in a ministry that makes you feel like you’re drowning. I have been there and it’s not easy. Maybe God is beginning to release you from that place, but you still have to finish. Finishing well looks a lot like humility, to let pains and hurts go that need to be let go. Forgiving when it’s difficult. Your biggest call and act of obedience right now in ministry may simply be, “Finish well.”

May I encourage you as you strive to finish well in your season of life.

Pursue Humility Like Your Life Depended On It

Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus…He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death. [Philippians 2:5, 8 CSB]

Jesus, may I become more like you. Obedient to death. Finishing well. Have the humility to admit that I don’t have all the answers. I’m no better than Judas. I’m no better than Thomas who doubted. I’m no better than Peter who denied. I’m not above them. I have the same capacity to sin and for pride to keep me from finishing well as any other believer in history. Father, give me humility to realize I have the same capacity as these people.

The humility to admit I need counseling.

The humility to admit I need accountability.

The humility to admit I need coaching.

Pursue Jesus Like Your Life Depended On It

I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. [John 15:5 CSB]

Are you caring for your time with Christ? Are you daily connecting with Him in Scripture and prayer? Not the kind where you’re really trying to finish a sermon, training or class. Not that kind. The kind where you are completely open and truthful with King Jesus! Where you open yourself up to obedience and transformation. Jesus, what do you have for me in Scripture today? How may I obey you today?

King Jesus, draw near to me as I draw near to You! I am desperate without You. I can do NOTHING without you. You are my entire life!

If you’re struggling to finish well in a season of life and don’t have anyone to talk to, please reach out. We all need community and accountability to finish well in life. May God grant each of us the humility to finish well.

Let’s take Kingdom territory!

Source: What Judas Taught Me About Life & Ministry

The post What Judas Taught Me About Life & Ministry appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Stan Rodda: We are getting to that point in the summer where I start to worry for my friends in ministry. It’s late in the summer and we are not okay.

If you have been in ministry for about six or seven seconds, you know how depressing that dashboard can be on Monday morning. So many families away enjoying vacation. You’re home, hard at work, trying to maintain through the summer. It can be one of the most discouraging seasons of the entire year for someone in full-time ministry.

This is about the time we could all use some encouragement to finish the summer strong and head into the Fall.1) STOP LOOKING AT YOUR NUMBERS!Okay, you aren’t going to do this exactly. Who am I kidding? But let’s make a deal. When you look at those numbers, instead of thinking about how more should have been there, think this…”What an honor. God has given me the opportunity to be faithful with ____ of His children. God, thank you for those You have blessed and allowed me to lead.”2) Slow Down And Pray More!Honestly, summer provides an opportunity for all of us to slow down a little bit. I’m not talking about slamming on the brakes and then giving yourself whiplash trying to start back up in the Fall. Keep going, but slow down enough to pull over to the side of the road and enjoy the view.You’ve got more time in the summer with more people gone and a little less people strain on your time. Use that time to pray more leading toward September. Pray more and rest. Beg God to be sufficient enough for your weakness. Like me you probably carry weight to, “make it happen,” that you aren’t created to carry. God will still be God in July, August and September.

3) Look For Little Wins!

One of the most encouraging things for me is remembering when the summer seems to drag on, God is still faithful. There is always someone, a story, a family, somewhere that God is using. Find their story and share it with others. Motivate your staff that God is still working even in July.

If you struggle to find those kinds of stories reach out to small group leaders, team leaders, staff and ask them to share what they know. The stories are there, but we need to find them. These stories can be incredibly encouraging and a great reminder that God is still at work in His people.

4) Give In To A Hobby!

There is so much to say here. The short and sweet is simply, “Find something you enjoy doing and go do that thing.”

A hobby should be fun and energizing for you. To some degree it doesn’t really matter what the hobby is, but you need to give in to it a little bit and re-energize yourself.

Ride a bike

Go swimming

Hiking

Walking

Whatever your hobby…just do it!

5) Encourage Another Pastor!

Whether it’s the pastor at the other church down the street or you have a friend in ministry in another state, take a few minutes and encourage them. Reach out in an email or give them a phone call. Ask them how you can pray for them and sincerely ask about how things are going in their ministry. For me it seems that when I give some of my energy to encourage someone else, I somehow end up being encouraged. I think God is good to us that way.

This is not a manipulation thing. We aren’t being fake about our encouragement to another. I’m saying you should be sincere in encouraging someone else in ministry. I believe God honors that and His power and strength energize us for the work we are facing. But don’t play manipulation games with God as if you can trick Him into blessing you or something. That’s not a good idea. It’s also a terrible idea. Basically, don’t do that.

Be genuinely encouraging to another pastor who may be struggling this summer also.

To be honest, I don’t think any of this is rocket science. My guess is you all know this. Maybe as you read through this you’re nodding your head in agreement, or silently in your mind saying, “Stan, you’re such a simpleton. I already know all this.”

Well, there’s a huge difference between knowing and doing. So I’m trying to focus on the latter. Go do these things. Knowing them intellectually literally changes nothing. But if you want to see a change in you and your ministry in the long days of summer, then you should go out and actually do them.

Be encouraged this summer!

God is good.

God is faithful.

He is working.

Source: Five Encouragements For When You Hit The Dog Days of Summer in Ministry!

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