This was a good weekend. I had a sense that it was an important talk in moving our church forward. I’m not sure I’ve ever done a talk on “witnessing” since I’ve been at Journey. But that’s just the point. I really wanted us to AVOID the weird baggage that this topic has taken on. This is from someone who has bled outreach mind you. We’ve made it unnatural, similar to sales, about a presentation, individualistic. I think that there is an “invite temp” that is the norm at Journey. If we start loading people down with should-s & ought-s we could kill it. YET, there is an ought, a should an intensity of heart for the lost that is hard to miss in the New Testament (See 2 Corinthians 5 for example) What I’ve seen is a tendency that the churches that talk a lot about how we should be “sharing our faith” (make no mistake, I think so too) aren’t really reaching actual far from God type people. When a church has “bring” as a core value, invite as an integral part of the DNA & camps on the positive, it seems like people who are actually far from God get brought in. It also seems like it is much more likely that they become actual disciples.
Anyway, I hope I did this happened this weekend.
Here’s some “blogized”, edited stuff from my journal about the weekend.
– Thanks for the ways that You use preaching that are so clearly from You that there is not even a temptation to think it’s about my skill.
– In using John 3:16 I said something like, “in this one line is enough to change people’s life, to change their destiny” – something along those lines. Afterward someone came up to me & told me that when her unbelieving sister was dying, in her last moments she said, “tell me everything about Jesus.” All she could think of was John 3:16. Her sis said. “I believe that”, dying shortly after that. She said it has always troubled her whether that was enough. She felt guilty that she didn’t say more. Tonight she heard God saying that it was enough & freeing her from doubt. I love the “accidental” ways that You use us.
– It was great to have Jason back. The people who stepped in have done great. But J has a pretty special ability to LEAD us.
– MOM – I drove up to the OC to visit my mom. a good trip for the most part. Thanks for the generosity of spirit L & Beth show in going up to see my mom.
– I totally ran out of time on the Sunday morn services
– I liked handling Acts 8 & having it read is a bonus. There is something good about the simple reading of Scripture especially narrative parts that is wonderful. I absolutely adore the book of Acts.
– The Glass-board is fun – I don’t think that point about relational webs could be made very well w/o something like that.
– Lots of conversations afterward & between – X, “do you wake up on Monday and ask yourself, what does X need to hear?” Every week this is exactly what I need to hear – Dennis.
– I did too many plugs
– But 155 SIGNED UP for the QUIET TIME WORKSHOP
o There is a cool responsiveness amongst our peeps right now – keep it going
o Marriage class is packed, all 21 days have had multiple people fasting on that day, we are selling our featured books like hotcakes (do hotcakes sell rapidly? I have other similes for “selling like…” from my growing up around vacuum cleaner sales, but they are all filthy… but very funny)
– I felt like the point about being ashamed & used in my web were the 2 key most anointed moments of the message
– The VIDEO – it’s a pretty amazing reality & hard for me to actualize that so many have had to lay down their lives as the cost of following You. The use of all the paintings by Caravaggio – WOW!
– I was quite sad to hear that A has received bad news about his cancer. Thanks for John’s partnership in praying for him.
– I have come to believe that Rod may have an death wish or an unclean spirit
As for me, I’m totally on the AZ CARDINALS bandwagon. I love Kurt Warner. Larry Fitzgerald is an absolute BEAST, Lynn Swan with a more speed & the body of a greek god.
I’m enjoying the challenge of this series. I can’t help but think there is something extra in the room in light of all the people fasting & praying.
