Sheep and Shepherds
Preparing for next Sunday's Video talk, which we're filming later today, I found a great deal of interesting detail from this source, reproduced at www.baptistbiblebelievers.com Manner And Customs of Bible Lands by Fred H. Wight Copyright @ 1953 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - Shepherd ...
Why Paul told Timothy he was so FOR women leading, and I want to be too!
Why would Paul name two men getting it wrong then apparently write ‘so the answer is don’t let women teach?’ Writing something which for 2000 years since has been used - by men - to clobber women into submission at ...
Curses and Blessings, Balaam & Barak
It's not just the strange tale of a talking donkey. Numbers 22 has a lot to tell us about blessings and curses and how words work God's way.
Don’t limit yourself by your personality.
Be and believe He’s right in what he says about you! Either he’s right or you are.
There are no limitations when we agree with who He says we are!
Discover who you are in Christ – and act like it.
‘What God gives you is his gift to you, what you do with your gifts is your gift back to him.’ Dave Holden
We are not meant to come to church and have the pastor tell us what to do.
We are to come and tell the Pastor what God is doing!
Will we have bottlenecks, or wildfire?!
The leaders are necessary if they are there to provide guidance and support and discernment- but all through the week God should be breaking out through everyone. We need the Holy Spirit most of all!
I met Daniel Ghinn properly last year at LAUNCH South. He and his wife founded and lead Worship Works from a passion to see business transforming lives and the kingdom of God going beyond an hour on Sunday. Paul wrote to the Colossians that when we work with all our hearts as though God is our boss, it’s worship! I really enjoyed finding out more about how Daniel is helping people work for God whatever they do. Listen in to the podcast here as I find out more – we discuss the theology of work as a blessing – not a curse, as a calling – not a chore and as God’s secret weapon to reveal His ecclesia to the world that everyone can be a part of! Find out more about Worship Works at worship.works Find out more and sign up to LAUNCH at https://www.launchcatalyst.org/
The commission was directly given to the apostles but indirectly given to the ecclesia in every generation. After the early apostles died, the commission remained – and so does the authority, until it is fulfilled it will remain in force.
So they had a commission and were sent to fulfil it. In their generation the church grew like crazy and changed everything, everywhere. We have the same commission and we are sent to do it. That’s the key, they went, because they were sent. That’s an apostolic church.
I am so excited that I’ll soon be able to introduce various UK leaders to my friend Pastor Dave Holden when he comes to visit and speak in various places in Manchester including at LAUNCH NORTH on 27th April, and also down in Exeter for a brunch morning LAUNCH are putting on down at the church led by my friend Mark Pugh on 29th April. I first met Dave in Dubai online when as ‘Global Master Trainer’ for Living On The Edge he mentored and helped me communicate and teach better. It turns out he’s the guy who Pastor Rick Warren used to send around the world if he got an invite and could not go – and you can tell from 5 minutes with Dave he’s the real deal who embodies the message he communicates with such warmth and passion. When I met Dave in person in Dubai I heard him teach an incredibly diverse international faculty from across the Gulf States as well as many ‘leaders of leaders’ of huge movements from various nations including many from across […]
James says “Elijah prayed prayers…” That means God gave him words to say. Don’t pray your own prayers. Wait on the Lord to hear what he will say – and you’ll see heaven’s results.
I’m delighted with how many people subscribe and listen to my “Future Church” podcast, and the last two episodes have featured a couple of people who I’d describe as ‘Local Heroes’ from Ivy Church, whose impact goes way beyond. Click on the link to listen to the latest episode featuring Steve Small, who co-leads Eden nationally (this is a church planting and revitalisation movement in some of the toughest and most deprived urban areas). He’s epitomises the servant leader like nobody else I know. I also recently interviewed Mary Thomason who leads the Manchester Hub of Westminster Theological Centre and has a really interesting life history of how God led her into this role. Have a listen here if you missed it. Why not subscribe while you’re on there so you don’t miss future Future Church episodes (see what I did there?)
‘I really believe God wants you to step up and step into being an apostolic leader in the city here. Gather with other leaders and talk with them about what it means to be the apostolic church for the twenty first century. It’s what he’s put on you for the city and beyond.’ I was meeting in Sainsbury’s café with my friend Rob White, himself one of my key models and mentors for ministry since I came to the city nearly 16 years ago. Every word resonated, I knew it was what the Lord had been saying to me for quite a few years. Now it was being verbalised by someone I knew and trusted really clearly. I wish I could say I acted on the word straight away. That must have been 5 or 6 years ago! I could of course point to various other things I have been part of during that time, churches planted, resources produced, relationships developed, LAUNCH starting and continuing – join us here.. the truth however is that I didn’t do what Rob / […]
Lots of Christians I know would say your favourite verse is going to be Jeremiah 29:11, (I have it on my keyring!) where we hear that God has a plan for our lives. But how do we find it? Are we living it? Isn’t it astonishing how some of us meticulously plan a holiday, from choosing the destination to scheduling activities, yet we often neglect planning our lives? Where do you want to be, say, ten years from now? I once heard someone say ‘Nobody ever woke up one day and found themselves on the top of Mount Everest’ so I’m not talking about drifting along, or ‘que sera sera.’ I’m not just talking about a To Do List either. They are often reactive not proactive, that’s why most of us drift through life without a clear destination in mind, only to be surprised when things don’t turn out as expected. But it doesn’t have to be this way. I’m a firm believer that EVERYONE should create a written life plan. It’s something I have done for many years and though […]