Change is inevitable…it is going to take place…and we can either embrace it or fight it.
One of the questions I often get in leadership circles are in regards to what kind of changes have taken place in me personally since the ministry of NewSpring Church has grown. I reflected on this for quite a while and came up with eight…
#1 - I Have Become More Aware Of The Cross & The Grace That Was Poured Out On Me.
Every single time I preach the Gospel I am filled with passion because I can’t quit thinking about what Jesus has done for me! Every time I see someone respond to the Gospel I get so fired up because of the internal change that happens inside of them the moment they meet Christ…and I am reminded that the change they are going through is THE SAME thing that happened to me.
I’ve NEVER gotten over the cross and how Christ changed me when I called out to Him. Even when I see people who have walked down the path of horrendous sin I remind myself that if it were not for HIS grace poured out on me…I would be the very person that I am tempted to despise! (This is why many churches are legalistic and feel like they are morally superior to those outside the walls…they don’t understand the cross!)
#2 - I Have Become More Aware Of His Power And Ability
I made a 790 on my S.A.T. I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer. I dropped out of seminary. I do not have any sort of religious pedigree. I still wrestle with sin on a daily basis. AND…as I look back on what has happened at NewSpring Church over the past 10 years I know that I cannot personally take any credit for this. We are seeing Zechariah 4:6 come to life right in front of our eyes. AND…the more we grow and the more our influence increases the more desperate I am for HIM to work through me. Left on my own I am screwed…He’s not just a good idea…HE’S ESSENTIAL and I need Him more today than I have ever needed Him before.
#3 - I Have Become More Desperate For His Revelation & Direction Through The Scriptures.
Of all the books on “How to do church” there is none better than the Bible. (I would say the same for “How to do life” as well.)
However, I must say that one of the dangers in reading the Bible is doing so just to see what God wants rather than really diving into WHO He is! We will never discover what He wants until we see who He is…because doing so fills us with a faith that will attempt the “impossible.” The reason so many people back down from God’s obvious calling on their lives is because they fail to see what the Scriptures so clearly portray about Him.
AND…in regards to how to do church…I am realizing more and more that correct theology MUST drive my methodology…and consistant time in the Word is the BEST thing I can do as a leader so that I can be shaped and transformed…then and only then can I lead others through that.