Your Journey Blog

His Birth and Our New Birth - Oswald Chambers

’Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ’God with us’ —Matthew 1:23

His Birth in History. “. . . that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it. He did not emerge out of history; He came into history from the outside. Jesus Christ is not the best human being the human race can boast of— He is a Being for whom the human race can take no credit at all. He is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate— God coming into human flesh from outside it. His life is the highest and the holiest entering through the most humble of doors. Our Lord’s birth was an advent— the appearance of God in human form.

His Birth in Me. “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you . . .” (Galatians 4:19). Just as our Lord came into human history from outside it, He must also come into me from outside. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a “Bethlehem” for the Son of God? I cannot enter the realm of the kingdom of God unless I am born again from above by a birth totally unlike physical birth. “You must be born again” (John 3:7). This is not a command, but a fact based on the authority of God. The evidence of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that “Christ is formed” in me. And once “Christ is formed” in me, His nature immediately begins to work through me.

God Evident in the Flesh. This is what is made so profoundly possible for you and for me through the redemption of man by Jesus Christ.   HT

 

NextSteps for Leading a Missional Church - Phoenix, AZ - March 12-13

LIVE Workshop with Gary Rohrmayer

Pre-Conference Event for Ignite2012

One of the differences between a follower and a leader is that a leader knows what the next steps are for their organization. Even if they don't know what the actual next steps are they will relentlessly search for ideas, advice and counsel to get their organization to the next level. NextSteps For Leading a Missional Church is designed for any church leader who embraces the missional lifestyle. It offers ideas and tools to build healthy church systems that allow the church to actualize its values and achieve its mission.

Here are a few questions we explore:

• How will your leaders reproduce?
• What does inspiring worship look like?
• How do you sustain relational health in your church?
• How can small groups serve the mission of the church?
• Are your structures & systems functional?
• How does one raise the evangelistic temperature of the church?
• How does one handle a financial crisis?

This two day workshop is designed for any pastor seeking to lead their church toward health and global impact.

Who should attend:

• Church Planters who have just launched their church or who are ten years old 
• Pastors who desire to take their church to the next level
• Coaches who desire to know what's new in church growth and church health
• Restart Pastors who desire to lay a new foundation for a sagging ministry
• Lay Leaders who desire to just want to be a part of the harvest

Schedule:

• March12-13, 2012
• Phoenix, Arizona Hosted by Vision Arizona and Converge Southwest
• Sponsored by Converge Worldwide

Register Today

One At A TIme -Seth Godin

That's what we spend most of our time doing. The breakthrough speech that will change everything, or the giant insight that opens every door. We fret about the apocalyptic ending, the big crash, the slam climax as well.

Of course, it almost never happens that way.

Products and services succeed one person at a time, as the word slowly spreads. Customers defect one person at a time, as hearts are broken and people are disappointed. Doors open, sure, but not all at once. One at a time.

One at a time is a little anticlimactic and difficult to get in a froth over, but one at a time is how we win and how we lose.

via sethgodin.typepad.com

Move your eyes off the crowd and get focused on the individual interactions. This is where we win or lose.

Top Ten Reasons Denominations Should Stop Starting New Congregations

George Bullard a Ministry Partner with The Columbia Partnership wrote an interesting article on why demoninations should stop starting new churches.it is a must read you won't forget it.

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