Becoming Missional

Christians were never meant to sit and soak. We are meant to go and tell. That means a change in mindset and methods if we are going to be on mission. Watch and enjoy.

Missional Leadership from Ed Stetzer on Vimeo.

We Need a Barnabas!

We need a Barnabas, because we are stained by sin. The apostle Paul started as the Christian killer Saul. But God intervened. God intervention,however, was not enough for the church. The Bible says that when he came to Jerusalem, "he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple (Acts 9:26)." You cannot blame them really. His reputation preceded him. Maybe he was tricking them in order to kill more of them.

But in the crucial moment Barnabas stepped up. He put himself and his reputation on the line and "took him and brought him to the apostles (v. 27)." When everyone else was afraid of who he used to be, one man was embraced who he could be in Christ.

We need a Barnabas, because our sin makes us suspect to some. And that is when a brother or sister in Christ embraces and encourages us. We need a Barnabas, because we are not perfect.

We Need a Nathan!

We need a Nathan, because sin is powerful. Just ask King David. You remember David. He stayed home from battle, saw a woman, slept with a woman, got the woman pregnant, and murdered her husband to covered it up.

Some time later God sent Nathan. Nathan's method of confrontation is classic. He told a story about a rich man who defrauded a poor man. David was furious. He demanded to know the identity of the rich man. So Nathan told him without hesitation, "You are the man."

We need a Nathan who will get in our face to tell us we are the ones who have sinned. We need him because sin lulls us into self-deception. We cannot see our blind spots. (They are after all blind spots). So we need someone who will love us enough to tell us truth. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was right when he said, "Nothing can be more cruel than the tenderness that consigns another to his sin. Nothing can be more compassionate than the severe rebuke that calls a brother back from the path of sin. It is a ministry of mercy."

Because of Nathan, we have Psalm 51, which is a Psalm of revival. So, Lord bring us a "Nathan" and send us revival.

Sorry for the Delay

Post have been slow lately. We have had computer problems that we hope will be fixed soon. And I have been sick. This combination is bad news for blog posts, but we are getting better and more posts to come very soon.

I'm Homeless yet Happy!

O.K. homeless is an overstatement. Really I am house-less, because we closed the sell of our house today. It was a long awaited event that brings an important chapter of our lives to a close. Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Oh God, Please!

Father, my heart is often troubled. My desires run ahead of my faith, and I am tempted to want more. How often I have lived as if you are not enough. Yet, in those moments you rescue my soul with the sure knowledge that Jesus is more than enough. There is enough grace in Jesus to fill the most desperate soul with joy. Even in death, I am secure, because Jesus is enough. So give me Jesus today; give me Jesus tomorrow. This world will pass away, but Jesus endures and through Him so will I. Thank you, my precious Heavenly Father. Amen!

Fernando Ortega - "Give Me Jesus" from Adamson.TV on Vimeo.

Comeback Worship: A Special Treat

Here is an excellent discussion on the topic of leading worship. I found it convicting and challenging. If you cannot listen to the whole thing, pay attention to approximately the 38:00 mark, where these fine men discuss the connection between planning and spontaneity.

Lessons Learned from Three Decades of Leading from Sovereign Grace Ministries on Vimeo.