Urban Reformation

Name: Jason

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Total Church – Gospel Communities

February 23rd, 2010

I’m still in the process of digesting these videos, they are definitely a shift in ministry mindsets which affect everything labeled ministry.  Please consider spending the time in watching them if at all possible.  I would love to hear feedback – either via email or post below!

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Steve Timmis and Tim Chester wrote a series of blogs for the Resurgence based on Total Church.

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Rules Without Relationship = Rebellion (Trust)

February 17th, 2010

Over the past several months as we have actually moved out from our local home church and are seeking to establish a work in the North East are of Kansas City, I have found that the issue of Trust is an amazing factor is beginning a church plant.

You can call it trust, you can call it faith, we must have faith in God and trust other believers and all of these things take place in the context of “Relationship.”

Relationship would probably be one of my soap boxes, it’s something that I believe has been lost with our self-serving culture.  What I don’t mean is relationships in searching out felt needs, but something little payed attention to, yet often something that is defining in everyone’s life.  All of the media, and institutionalization of education, organizations ie the local ‘church’ often has people wondering if there is more to gathering with a group of people that simply the gathering itself.   Is there something missing in what’s described in God’s word as the Body & Bride of Christ when there is little true deeply held relationships.

One thing we can know for certain is the fact that men’s hearts are often wicked and although we seem, and attempt to have good motives, God motives, the motives of men’s hearts tend toward idolatry often in so many ways.  It has been here that we find our greatest need in relationship with others.  So many times our own personal pride blinds us from our weak moments, from our most frail or self-exalting times and it is only others who can see these exhalations.  Thank goodness for our wives!!! What a needed partner to cultivate humility in ones life.

These past few months have been great opportunities for motive checking along the way, idolatry checks.  During the past few weeks there has been a kind of coming together and friendship between brothers that I see just starting to form at a level that often is only known through hardship.  There is plenty more to learn and to grow in, and from with these brothers, yet at the same time I see a transparency coming, and a new love forming that I believe is indicative of what it really means to love your brother, and for others to know we are disciples or followers of Jesus by the way we are loving one another.

It is here in relationship that you see men more closely following the commands of Christ and fulfilling scripture in a way that most people who often simply attend Church never know.  There is a deep abiding love which moves beyond the natural and enters the supernatural because it’s a love that is God’s love and not the love of man.  We have only begun I believe to see the infancy stages of this kind of brotherly love but has been refreshing, authentic, and real for me at least.

I think people often long for a sort of ‘real’ experience in Christianity, that brings their faith beyond words and from the pages of God’s word into the lives they are living.  This is only done in the context of community & relationship and it seems to be one of those things that you don’t know you’re missing until you begin to experience it.

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

-Matthew 22:37-39

Does anyone see “relationship” in this?  This indicates the  relationship between both God and Men are inter-linked! Loving God and Loving your neighbor! When I was a new Christian several years back I watch a parenting video I believe by Gary Smalley which had this phrase when considering the raising up of children; “Rules without relationship = Rebellion“..

You see this is biblical, our relationship with God was severed in the garden, and it was Christ the GOD/Man who paid for our relationship to God to be reconciled.

In this small saying there’s something though  very subtle makes all the difference in the world.  We see that relationships, and genuine caring for your children, over mere rules laid out for them, has with in it sincerity and love as an assumed context.

This sincerity in relationship comes from Christ who in the ultimate way of sincerity and truth poured out His life for ours.  Christ authentic sacrifice paid the penalty for our sins and therefore we, in our dying to self in relationship with others demonstrate this sort of Christ like love to those who are in need.
This isn’t something that’s merely said however, “I love you,”  with words, but this is something demonstrated in coming along side of someone else in their time of trial, grief, pain, heartache.  This coming along side of people is lost in our time management.  We have knelt down at the alter of our day-timers.  We have but forsaken the needy, the poor, the spiritually thirsty for, our schedules.   The good Samaritan is often our story but we not being the Samaritan nor good.  We pass by those who need, or keep relationships at such a distance as not to find out, therefore not having to deal with them.  If we get to know people intimately we see the vast overwhelming cavern of need in the lives of men and women and we forget we must die to our selves so that Christ may live in us.

This is so essential, not only for children, but for adults, for churches and church discipline.  There is something to bringing down church discipline in the context of relationships vs. bringing down church discipline in the context of being ultimate strangers to one another.  In relationship because of a dotted line on an org chart vs. in relationship because someone is and has truly been caring for my soul.  There is something to a reproof and a rebuke in the context of loving relationships, it’s quite another thing to be reproved by someone whom you know very little about and trust very little.  Trust is something that is gained over time and in real relationship, not something gained over time as a real acquaintance. Though our relationships with one another should never be elevated over our relationship with God our father, nor should we bend the knee to please men in this way, we can never get beyond the fact that these relationships are vital, and important, and just one of the many tools God uses to conform us to the Image of Christ.

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The Trellis and the Vine

January 27th, 2010

I’ve been reading this book!  As we are considering planting again in the northeast kc, this is the best book I’ve read on such things.  Don’t take my word for it, Mark Dever does a short review below which you will find helpful to give you an idea.  Enjoy and I look forward to hearing feedback!

Ministry Mind-shifts

1. From running programs to building people
2. From running events to training people
3. From using people to growing people
4. From filling gaps to training new workers
5. From solving problems to helping people make progress
6. From clinging to ordained ministry to developing team leadership
7. From focusing on church polity to forging ministry partnerships
8. From relying on training institutions to establishing local training
9. From focusing on immediate pressures to aiming for long-term expansion
10. From engaging in management to engaging in ministry
11. From seeking church growth to desiring gospel growth

Summary Propositions

1. Our goal is to make disciples
2. Churches tend towards institutionalism as sparks fly upwards
3. The heart of disciple-making is prayerful teaching
4. The goal of all ministry—not just one-to-one work—is to nurture disciples
5. To be a disciple is to be a disciple-maker
6. Disciple-makers need to be trained and equipped in conviction, character, and competence
7. There is only one class of disciples, regardless of different roles or responsibilities
8. The Great Commission, and its disciple-making imperative, needs to drive fresh thinking about our Sunday meetings and the place of training in congregational life
9. Training almost always starts small and grows by multiplying workers
10. We need to challenge and recruit the next generation of pastors, teachers, and evangelists

Steps to Making a Start

1. Set the agenda on Sundays
2. Work closely with your elders or parish council
3. Start building a new team of co-workers
4. Work out with you co-workers how disciple-making is going to grow in your context
5. Run some training programs
6. Keep an eye out for “people worth watching”

Enjoy http://www.matthiasmedia.com.au/catalogsearch/result/?q=trellis+and+the+vine

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Helpful Video about Repentance by Paul Washer

December 24th, 2009

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Some Christmas Ideas To Consider!

December 17th, 2009

Some Christmas Ideas to consider!

We have been blessed this year that in the business of the season we were able to have a group of ladies come over one day last week and bring baked goods.  And although we were able to taste test the goodies this was an effort to consider others & reach out to those whom need encouragement and whom need Christ this Christmas Season.

The ladies pre-baked their goodies and brought them over and were able to divvy up all of the cookies to make a combination platter for 5 neighbors each.

The next effort was husband and wife taking these treats to the neighbors, and I can say that we had several neighbors who were seemingly shocked by the gesture.  We pray that this simply had an impact for Christ, that it is out of the overflow of our love for Christ love men and women.  There was no bible verse painted on each cookie, or even a card with a verse yet we had our phone number in hopes that if there is a need that we might be called.  We will follow up as ‘Evangelism’ is in the air for so many in the North East and we are hopeful that these are just relational building blocks for Kingdom conversations in the future.  To give goodies and not give the gospel is not the Great C omission, thus we continue to pray for everyone here and in each of our neighborhoods that they may know Christ, and that we may be used.  We were not the only ones to participate in this and thus the ladies were able to fellowship and have a good time contemplating their neighbors and neighborhoods and how to be intentional about sharing Jesus.  Each one will present these things differently in their own way, yet with the common goal in mind to tell others about the good news.

These are not the only ideas this Christmas, that we’ve discussed either.  There have been discussions of making phone calls to people whom you haven’t had time to communicate with, or people whom you’ve had conflict with in the past for the explicit purpose to share Christ, and seek reconciliation.

One of the discussions we had with our children in regards to Christmas was to encourage them to consider Jesus and what God our father gave by giving His son.   It is from this sense of God’s courageous giving of His own son that we find in Acts 20:35, the verse regarding Jesus saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”   This is a giving we have no context to understand entirely, those closest we get is to imagine giving up our children.  This spectacular giving

Some other ideas were:

• * Sending Individual Christmas Cards with hand written notes telling the other party about God’s grace you see in their life, leaving a door open for prayer if they are ever in need.
• * It sounds old fashioned but consider Christmas Caroling. It only takes three or four people; a bass, tenor, alto, and soprano, to go Christmas caroling, and most carols draw attention to Christ. This can be an outreach in and of itself. Be intentional about who’s homes you go to etc and bring a gift for each house.
• * Write old friends who knew you before you were saved, and write to them your testimony.  Tell them about what Jesus has done, but know that this also needs to ask the question about them, and where they are at spiritually.  It’s not until you go from first person to second person in your testimony, that the Gospel question is being put to them in a personal way.
• * Invite someone who is spending Christmas alone to celebrate it with your family. Include him or her in family traditions and activities centered on Christ.

There are many other things one could do but the objective here more than any other time of year is to combat the inate selfishness which comes with this season of the year, in which our culture has made this about receiving, and replace this me receiving attitude with one of giving to others, and especially giving the gift of the Gospel to others!

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Radical Christianity – Keith Green

December 10th, 2009

Keith Green was introduced to me several years ago, many people before couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of Keith Green.  When I did, although I have no musical inclination whatsoever, I very much appreciate those whom God gifts with the ability to be used by God through their music.  Although at this time in my life I would not agree with Keith’s Theology 100% I can’t deny his passionate zeal and full life living sacrifice for Jesus.  He was seemingly more concerned about God than men and God blessed his life although took him home early.

This video is an hour long but if you long for a more real, radical Christian life, this is a biography that will inspire you, as you see Keith go from lost to new birth, to radical lover of God.  He walked outside of normal convention which had an amazing impact on many and is still having an impact today.

Enjoy !

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Humility Genuine Care and Correction

November 25th, 2009

As I watched this video I was amazed at the Grace, and the genuine care and correction that can only be accomplished through Christ centered, cross centered relationships, and true humility.  Enjoy

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

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Doctrine and Love

November 25th, 2009

A friend of mine at work gave me a sermon to listen to this week.  Another friend of mine told me that he visited a church with teaching that was decent but possibly light on doctrine.  These things had the wheels spinning this week.  The friend form work, gave me a sermon from a guy I wouldn’t normally listen to, and I will leave names out for fear of side tracking the thoughts and discussion.

This simplistic church, what I mean by that is they stay with the very basics doctrinally. They are a bit more charismatic in nature than the ones I am more accustomed to, and yet in this sermon I heard the pulling down of high doctrine. The example he gave is someone approached him about going deeper theologically in his messages, the guy asking considered himself a student of theology. This pastor’s answer was if you don’t have the basics down yet how can you go deeper in theology? So his reply was, “How many people have you shared Christ within the past week or two?” Needless to say the pastor made it sound like the gentleman left like a puppy dog with his tail between his legs. He unfortunately never directly addressed the question but pointed at the shortcomings of those who go deep as his response to the question. This happens both ways, both parties point at the shortcoming of the other rather than point at their own short comings and strive to attain that as their goal in sanctification!

We unfortunately must all agree that there are shards of truth in the pastor’s thoughts although I believe that this is a false argument. I don’t believe the two things have to be mutually exclusive, in the sense that I believe that there can be high doctrine / theology and passionate evangelistic fervor for the lost and a love for men.

The gospel message which needs to be brought to all men, in all socio and economic classes demands there be a simplistic explanation of the Gospel. If this were not the case we would still be reading scripture in latin and the Word as we know it today would not exist. Yet man likes to pervert a good thing and make it something for which it was not intended, which in many cases, is lowering the bar for those who need to see that the bar doesn’t move for anyone, there are only differing intellectual entry points and the standard in God’s word toward sanctification never changes.

This thought reminds me of the saying that, “God meets you where ever you are but doesn’t leave you where you are at…” God will meet you in the pig pen etc, but He doesn’t leave you there in the pig pen, he puts a robe on your and a ring on your finger and you now have a higher calling.

The tension is to press forward to reach forward to the high calling of our Christian life here on this earth as we work out our salvation in fear and trembling, yet pressing on toward the goal.

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Phillipians 3:13-14

The bar is never lowered in sanctification for either seeking God with our whole heart or having a relationship with Jesus, and a passionately practiced life in Christ, not by which earns us any merit or a righteousness of our own but out of the gratitude of our justification. In other words the highest understanding of doctrine and who Christ is, should only compel us to live out this doctrine in theological living. It should be a conforming factor in our lives which we are ever seeking to be molded by and transformed into the image of Christ.

On the other hand I have heard also many a sermon that discusses the dumbing down of America, no one can read the reformers and look at the educational system in the united states and see the quality of people we’re putting out into the world and not be amazed at how far down the intellect scale we have seemed to come. People can read my own blog and see that there is either a lack in the educational system or in me, or a combination of both.

There has been many a sermon which takes the dumbing down of Christianity and runs with it disdaining vernacular jargon. Some make snide remarks or comments about churches who don’t have much of a message, or who in their attempt to contextualize the message in the vernacular language weaken the message by weakening the vocabulary. And many times there is a thread of truth in these accusations. Some churches have made much of loving people contextualizing or seeking felt needs to the point of gutting the gospel message.

The problem is that neither of these two things need to be pinned one against the other yet for whatever reason this happens: Intellect vs. plainly speaking, high doctrine vs. loving men and the lost. The problem is these things MUST co-exist and yet we in our short sightedness do not always see it. We must have Intellectual high expectations and yet speak plainly, and we must never lower the bar of preaching and doctrine, and still yet love men.

How many of us as believers began in the churches which perhaps were more seeker oriented and held less emphasis on doctrine. Someone demonstrated the love of Christ to us in one of these churches where doctrine wasn’t their highest priority yet God used it for our benefit. This is not to say that the gospel message must not be understood from Gospel truth. Somewhere along the way we must have heard the true gospel message and regeneration must have taken place, and as we grew in relationship with Christ He showed us a deeper and deeper walk, and deeper and deeper theology and doctrine, and a deeper and deeper love. None which come without trial and experience in the faith as we walk out the doctrine He’s using to shape our lives.

So it is in these tensions we must seek after truth, once again danger on both sides of the extremes. We must also be careful not to step on one side to polish the other; both extremes lose the heart and the point of the intention.

What I am most thankful for is Christ who demonstrated both of these things for us in the person and work of Jesus Christ, marrying the two things together, faith, and the byproduct or fruit of faith which are the works He prepared for us from the foundations of the world.   Jesus gives us both giving us amazing doctrine, and yet living practically among men, demonstrating these truths as He lived and gave us in the new testament an example of this:

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” -Matthew 22:36-40

So as you are considering Thanksgiving, read scripture, meditate upon its meaning, drink it in as it is the true bread of life which we can not live with out, and tell someone about the good news of Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross!
Happy Thanksgiving!

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I’ll Be Honest – Paul Washer Preaching in Peru

November 19th, 2009

This is for my friends who speak Spanish, este video lo pongo por los amigos que hablan espanol, espero que les gusta

Paul Washer Open Air Preaching in Lima (English Subtitles) from I’ll Be Honest on Vimeo.

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Shocking Youth Message Explained – Paul Washer

November 7th, 2009

This message has been so profound for me personally. For years I have seen the games we play as professing Christians with Christianity. Cultural Christianity and the lukewarmness that God will someday spew out of His mouth. Someone said one time, and I can’t remember who at the moment, but they said “if God is worth anything, then he is worth everything.” This was the first sermon I’ve heard with my own ears that demonstrated that God is really everything, and in His being everything to us, we ought live whole heartedly and passionately for Him and not the things of this world. So I share with you Paul Washer’s explanation.

The Background of the Shocking Youth Message – Paul Washer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

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