September 17, 2009

Matt Chandler - The Enduring Gospel.

I had a great time at the Acts29 church planters boot camp here in Houston, TX. One thing that I love about this network (even though I'm not in the network as a church planter), is that in every session, the speaker pointed out your sin and then pointed you to Jesus.
That is amazing to me.

Without the help of an instrument or of the speaker's attempts to cry in his conclusion of the message to draw you to repent, there were men in there that were convicted by the Holy Spirit to change their ways and Endure for the long haul in ministry.. I sure felt it.

Starting with Matt Chandler - "The Enduring Gospel"
He walked us from Genesis 1, through Joshua 4, through 1 Kings 8, through Psalms 8, Isaiah, Acts 15, where the whole idea that God has was to reconcile all things to Himself.
God tells Abraham in Genesis that all the nations were going to be blessed.
In Psalms, he says, "Let the nations be glad."
In Isaiah, he says, "Turn to me and be saved... all the ends of the earth."
In Matthew 28, Jesus tells us, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..."

Matt Chandler told us to be careful of elevating ourselves.
"The Kingdom does not need you."
"You are not the answer to America's Christianity problem."
"You are just a blip on the radar."
This speaks to to church planters big time...
Even if you want to appear humble and meek, please, man.

Church planters have egos... Lets face it. I have faced it and will always face it.
At times, you can ask some people close to me, I have said, "I can do it better than that pastor."
I'm being honest.
And at those times that I've said that, I've been sinful.

I want to be surrounded with men that, with christian love, can hold my heart in check and help me.
Matt Chandler closed it with this.
Hebrew 12:1-2, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus..."

Read it closely.
I am not the next big anything.
I am not the next Mark Driscoll or the next Steven Furtick .
God has set MY race for ME.
I cannot race somebody else's race.
I gotta run my own race.

I will make it.
I will finish my race.... when I look to Jesus. (Hebrew2 12:2)

I was called out to repentance and thanks be to Jesus that when he laid down his life, I was forgiven.

I love Jesus, man.

September 14, 2009

College of Biblical Studies and Church planting Boot Camp.

It has been a while that I don't post on my blog... I need to start being more consistent with this (not that many people read this anyway).

I have started my classes at the College of Biblical Studies again. It is frustrating to think that if I would have continued, I should have been done with my Baccalaureate degree. I came to CBS in 2005 for 1 year, accumulated some credits and quit. Not a wise thing to do.

But I'm back.. I actually started last week with my classes. I'm loving it, man. Here is my schedule:
-Monday night: English 1
-Tuesday night: The Gospels
-5 Saturdays of this semester: Theological Foundations of Biblical Counseling.
and 1 class of Christian Ministry.

I have been doing a lot of required reading and I am enjoying it. I don't want to get behind, so I have already figured out when can I read and do "homework".
I'm a student again.

In other news:
Last year in November, I went over to Dallas, TX and attended a Church planting Conference at The Village Church. The Acts29 network puts out several of these a year across the nation and also overseas.
This week will be an exciting week for me.
I am taking off Tuesday and Wednesday from work to go to this conference.
It will be held in Houston, TX and I will be there!
Here is some info.
This conference will mark history in my life and I am anticipating it.
Not only do I want to start a church, but I also want to endure in ministry.
What does it matter if you don't endure... if you don't persevere?

I will be posting articles, recapping the conference here on my blog.

There is a dream inside of my heart that I know will be coming to reality in the coming months and years...
I will be psting more of that as the days go by.

I hope that you pray for me.

Stay tuned.