I came across these 10 vision statements on Shannon O’dell’s blog, and just had to share them. To read more great articles from Pastor Shannon O’dell of Brand New Church check out his blog www.breakingalltherurals.com
#1 Be focused on the Anthem of God…feed the hungry, cloth the naked, defend the fatherless, meet the needs of the widow!
#2 God’s vision becomes your vision when you don’t change at every “fad” or “program” found in the church next door.
#3 Unpaid “full time staff” can be as effective as paid “full time staff”.
#4 Straying from the Father’s best always leads to Famine…just ask the Prodigal Son.
#5 When God starts a wave of momentum…get a surf board and ride it.
#6 Celebrated Vision is more powerful than Communicated Vision. (Don’t Brag, Celebrate!)
#7 No one loves everything you do…not even my wife!
#8 When you Move…God Moves!!!
#9 You cannot manufacture ENERGY…you must model it.
#10 The Right Person, will always make up for The Right Facility. Get the right leader, then worry about the Location.
Check it out, I’m even providing you the hook-up with an awesome Vision bumper video to help you communicate your vision. Now get out there and communicate your vision, and don’t forget to celebrate your vision too.
I have been reading a lot of books about Church development here lately, and a couple of the topics that many of them have mentioned is marketing and relations. After reading many of these books I have discovered that a lot of what today’s church does for the sake of tradition is not relevant to today’s consumer or what I prefer to view them as, congregant. The statistics of the Baby Boomer Generation, and those following are extremely alarming, and if we do not start to alter our strategy for reaching the lost, the church will be destined for famine and the lost for hell. I came across this video today, and felt that it went along with what God has been burdening my heart for.
Things are only getting harder at Thessalonica High as the year goes on. People all around you are caught up in drugs, alcohol, gang violence, sex, and multiple other mischievous things. You struggle just trying to fit in, because you don’t want to do anything that is going to get you in trouble, but at the same time you wonder if only a little bit would hurt. You consider experimenting with different things in order to just fit in, build your popularity status, or likability, and you wonder what the big deal is? “Everyone is doing it.” “It would be ok, because I could just ask God to forgive me.” The problem is, that is Satan’s little drug called LSD. Lies/Sin/Death. You begin to lie to yourself and others, and then you begin to commit little sins, and one thing leads to another, and your little sins become big sins, and next thing you know you are the statistic or worse a victim of carnal homicide.
TODAY: (Fill in the Blank)
3,000 teens will become pregnant.
On average that is 2 every minute.
Over 20% of them have abortions with that percent growing by the second.
1 out of 4 freshmen are Sexually Active.
That is 25% even at the age of 13-14 years old.
Seniors 3 out of 4 are Sexually Active.
At that rate less than 25% will graduate as virgins.
3 out of 10 teenagers are caught up in gangs or some form of violence.
3,000 will become addicted to an illegal substance.
8 will die in alcohol related crashes
10% will drop out of School
1 out of 5 has suicidal tendencies.
I have one key word I want you to remember. ABOUND! In 1 Thessalonians 4:1 we read that it was Paul’s will that the people at Thessalonica High “ABOUND more and more.” The word abound has many meanings, but all reflect that of overcoming. The world says the odds are against you, and you are destined to fail; however God is for you, and desires that you abound more and more, overcome the odds, and “DON’T BECOME A STATISTIC.
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in PURITY.” 1 Timothy 4:12
A-B-O-U-N-D
A-bstain from Sexual Immorality (vs.3)
Avoid being physically and emotionally intimate with others (other than family)
Refrain from putting yourself in uncomfortable situations (alone w/ opposite sex)
Stay in groups of 3 or more in mixed company
Become intimate with the Word of God and Jesus Christ through prayer
B-lock your mind and body from exposure (Control your vessel) (vs.4)
Stay away from pornography, drugs, alcohol, violence, etc.
Control your mind, body, and soul (possess your vessel)
Offer your mind, body, and soul as a living sacrifice unto the Lord
O-vercome the temptations to fit in and be popular
Be content with what you have and who you are.
Humble yourself before God, and seek His approval, not the approval of men.
U-nite your passions with God (vs.5)
Seek God’s will for your life
Discover God given talents and interest that glorify Him
Develop these talents and interest into your passion
N-eglect not others (vs. 9; 3:12)
Love and serve others
Put others first, and you will not feel the need to throw a pity party.
D-ivert your attention to leading a quiet life (vs.11)
Mind Your own business
Work Hard
Trust in Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior
WARNING!! : “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.” (4:7-8)
PRAYER!! : “Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” (3:11-13)
Start a relationship with Jesus today. “Dear God, I am a sinner, and I need your Son Jesus Christ to come into my life, and be my Lord and Savior. I believe He died and rose again for me. Forgive me of my sins. Amen” Won’t you contact me today.
The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of Isaiah Chapter 6
Who?
Isaiah / You
What?
Prophesy or in our case Evangelism.
When? (vs.9)
Now
Where? (vs. 9-13)
To the surrounding Nations / Community / sphere of influence
Why? (vs. 7-8)
Love
We should be motivated by love. Isaiah was motivated by the love that he had experienced from God.
In Luke 19:10 & John 10:10 – Christ says that He has come to seek and save the lost, and to give them life and life to the full.
We should be motivated to love because of Christ love for us. Since we have had the opportunity to experience His love, we have no excuse for not loving others.
Love is the greatest commandment.
Love is the greatest Fruit of the Spirit.
Love is what fulfills the great commission.
How? (2 Cor. 12:9)
In the power and strength of the Lord
Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians, Christ speaking “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul goes on to state “that the power of Christ may rest upon me. The two words in this letter strength and power are the Greek word dunamis (doo’-nam-is) which means miraculous force, power, strength, and ability.
In one of the first sermons I ever preached I shared an illustration about a bridge operator and his son. Today while surfing the net I discovered that someone had taken that illustration and turned it into a video. I am a very visual type person so this video really touched my heart. I thought you might enjoy it too.
