Ambition Conference Audio
Last week I attended an Acts 29 Conference (church planting bootcamp) at Sojourn Church in Louisville, KY. As I said in my summary of the conference the messages were amazing and well worth listening to.
The audio of the sessions is now available
If you only listen to one message then make it Matt Chandler’s wrap up session on Ministry for the Long Haul.
Acts 29 Conference in Louisville
I just returned from Louisville, KY where I attended an Acts 29 conference called Ambition at Sojourn Community Church.
I have been to a lot of ministry conferences over the years and not that those weren’t good because many of them were, but this event was simply amazing.
The theme of the conference was:
“It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ is not known.” Romans 15:20 NIV
And that’s pretty much all that was talked about…in the sessions, the workshops, and the casual conversations. It was all about Jesus, and the gospel and how to bring it to a lost world that desperately needs Him.
No one asked me how large my church is…in fact it is more likely that you’ll be asked how large your family is before you’re asked how large your church is in Acts 29 circles. The lone hero of the conference was Jesus…I only heard Mark Driscoll’s (founder and president of Acts 29) name a few times from the stage and that was only in admonition; exhorting pastors to not try to be like Mark Driscoll, Darrin Patrick, or Matt Chandler (the big dogs of the movement). Driscoll was not venerated nor was Mars Hill propped up as the prime paragon of how to do church.
In fact the only model we were told to follow was Jesus (the model missionary), Paul (the model church planter), and Scripture (our mission model)…nothing else! Just go to your city and contextualize the gospel.
What does that mean? Contextualize the gospel.
Does that mean we compromise the gospel by making it palatable to the masses? Absolutely not!
Does it mean we make the gospel cool with edgy preaching, hip music, and cutting edge graphics? Uh no…not that those things are wrong but contextualizing the gospel is much bigger than that. It’s following the example of Paul who said that he became all things to all men that he might save some (1 Cor. 9:22).
It’s about decoding your city, your “context” by understanding their idols (what they worship) so that you can bring the gospel into their world by addressing the issues that are keeping them from Jesus.
Do you know your city? Do you love your city? Do you know what the idols in your city are?
It takes work. It means that we have to build relationships with unbelievers. It means that we can’t isolate ourselves into a Christian subculture expecting the lost to flock to our buildings where they will fall down at the altar (now that happens and when it does we rejoice) because let’s face it; many of the people we are trying to reach will not step foot into our churches. It’s too big of a step for them. We must go to them. We must understand the questions they are asking, the things they are worshipping, and bring the gospel into that worldview.
The harvest is plentiful, but unfortunately we aren’t willing to put in the hard work of bringing it into God’s storehouse (Luke 10:2).
Pray for laborers…at Missio Dei we pray at 10 and 10 for just that; people to be sent into their context with the message of the gospel that we might preach Christ where He is not known.
Will you join us?
Marks of a Healthy Church
Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, preaching at the recent Advance Conference gives us 5 marks of a healthy church from Hebrews 13:1-8.
1. Consistently love one another (vs. 1)
2. Care for those in need (vv. 2-3)
3. Honor marriage (vs. 4)
4. Unshakable faith in the providence of God (vv. 5-6)
5. Respect for those in authority (vv. 7-8)
Go here for the complete manuscript of this message.
Go here for the rest of the Advance Conference messages
Gospel Coalition: Tim Keller
Tim Keller is one of the most brilliant preachers of our day. He understands the gospel…He understands our culture and he understands how to engage our culture with the gospel.
If you haven’t read his books Reason for God or Prodigal God…you are really missing out.
Tim opened the Gospel Coalition Conference in Chicago yesterday. The Resurgence blog is making all of the speakers notes available and Tim’s were so rich I wanted to share them with you.
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“The Grand Demythologizer: The Gospel and Idolatry”
Paul’s preaching was effective: it changed people’s lives to such an extent that it even changed the culture. The reason for this is that Paul confronted idols.
Confront Idols
You can’t preach the gospel effectively if you don’t challenge idols. Paul always challenged people’s idols in his preaching. In Acts 17, Paul went to the Agora, the marketplace, which is where the idols of that culture were formed. In our culture, the marketplace is not shops and busy streets, because that’s no longer where culture is formed. For us, challenging idols in the marketplace means going to Hollywood, Harvard, and the New York Times—the places where ideas and beliefs are shaped.
Every culture, gender, class, city, field of work, etc., has its own idols. Idolatry is anything I look at and say, “If I have that, my life has value.” Anything that is so central to your life that you feel you can’t live without it is an idol. Idolatry is making a good thing an ultimate thing. Because Paul saw idols everywhere, he was a really effective preacher. Like Paul, we need to discern, expose, and destroy idols in order to preach the gospel.
3 Kinds of Idols You Have to Expose to Preach the Gospel:
- Personal Idols
- Religious Idols
- Cultural Idols
Personal Idols
- Money can be an idol, especially in the business world. Everyone recognizes this as the idol of Wall Street. (All over New York City, child sacrifice is going on. If you want to succeed, you have to sacrifice your family. If you’re going to get the money and power, you must sacrifice your children. Jobs are set up that way.) How do you do your job without bowing down to it—how do you demythologize money? Only by living in the gospel.
- Romance is another idol. This is when you look to your lover or spouse for worth. Only they can make you feel valuable. You cannot lose this person. People who have a good marriage must constantly fight this idol, constantly looking to Jesus and finding their satisfaction in Jesus more than their spouse.
- Self-expression is an idol of the artistic community.
- Children can be idolized when you find your significance and meaning in your children. You know you’re worth something if your children turn out well.
Unless you understand personal idols, your counseling, pastoring, and mentoring is going to be superficial. You won’t really be able to help people. As Luther said, there’s a reason the first of the Ten Commandments is about idolatry. You never break commandments 2-10 without first breaking number 1. You cannot understand moral failings or psychological problems without understanding idolatry.
Religious Idols
- Those who worship religious idols think they are devoted to God, but they’re not.
- Truth can be made an idol. Are you resting in the rightness of your doctrine rather than the work of Jesus? If so, the Bible calls you a fool. In Proverbs, “the scoffer” is a person like this. The scoffer is always sure he is right, and always disrespectful, disdainful, and mocking toward his opponents. The internet breeds scoffers, because if you’re a scoffer you get more traffic to your blog.
- Gifts can be an idol. You can mistake spiritual gifts for spiritual fruit. Especially if you are successful in ministry, you can begin believing in justification by ministry: “I know I’m in God’s will because my ministry is going well.” Many of us in the Reformed world make an idol out of being a great preacher: “If I could just be a great preacher, then my life would have significance.”
- Morality is a religious idol. It’s typical for Christians to feel like that God loves them and will bless them because of their moral record.
Cultural Idols
Evangelicals love to talk about cultural idols. We look back at the idols of the Enlightenment: the elevation of human reason, the belief that reason/science will solve all the world’s problems. Today we see the idol of individualism. We attack Western individualism, but in many traditional cultures family is an idol—so you have honor killings, women treated as property, etc. In individualistic cultures like our own, the individual is an idol. No one can tell anyone else they’re wrong, no one can impose their beliefs about God on anyone else.
Any ideology can be an idol: free-market economics, communism, socialism, democracy, liberalism, etc.
Confronting Idols Is Dangerous
When idols are opposed, it’s dangerous. Idols are violent. Through idols, the powers and principalities control us. If you oppose them, you take your life in your hands. Paul risked his life to oppose them; he rested in Jesus, who had already given his life to defeat the principalities and powers. Jesus defeated the idols both objectively and subjectively through the cross:
- Objectively: Punishment for our adultery and reconciliation with God were fulfilled in Jesus.
- Subjectively: We remember that none of our idols can die for our sins. Our idols will always crumble under the weight of our expectations. Only by living in the power of the cross, exulting in the cross, and proclaiming the cross can we be fearless and free from the power of idols. You must learn how to take the gospel to the idols.
You can watch or listen to the sessions from the Gospel Coalition the next day here. You can also watch today’s sessions live here.
Gospel Coalition
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The 2009 Gospel Coalition Conference begins today in Chicago.
The line up of speakers is crazy good…guys like Tim Keller, DA Carson, John Piper, and Mark Driscoll.
If you are interested you can watch the sessions live here.
Jesus Wants the Rose
Matt Chandler is the lead pastor of Village Church in Dallas, TX. He is one of the hottest pastors going right now…not hot as in good looking (well maybe he is but that isn’t for me to say because that would be weird) but hot as in everybody and their brother is podcasting his sermons. His church is blowing up and he has a lot to offer the Church at large.
This video is a snippet from a larger message he gave at the most recent Desiring God Conference.
You can also blog about it here at the Phoenix Preacher.
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Oregon Pastor's Retreat
Andrea and I just returned from a three day pastor’s retreat at Lake Bradley Christian Camp in Bandon, OR. I was asked by Steve Hopkins (CC Salem) to help plan the retreat and to teach one of the sessions; both of which were an absolute pleasure and privilege to do.
We had about 20 couples from around Oregon attend the retreat, and I don’t think any of them were disappointed in the slightest. In fact I’m not sure the retreat could have gone any better. From the teaching (through the book of Ruth), to the sweet times of worship, to the great fellowship, and of course the amazing food put out by the staff of Lake Bradley it was a beautiful retreat that lived up to its name…Refresh!
It’s sad…really sad but most of the time I go home from pastor’s gatherings, bummed and discouraged. But this wasn’t the case here. Because this retreat wasn’t about who has the biggest church, nor was it about worshiping some “big gun” speaker, it was about Jesus. In fact this retreat passed my ultimate test for Calvary Chapel pastor’s events…whose name did I hear more; Chuck Smith or Jesus and there is no question that the name of Jesus was exalted and He was absolutely the focus of our time together!
Andrea and I with Steve and Debbie Hopkins.
Understanding Your Bible with Dr. Art Azurdia
I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to have Dr. Art Azurdia from Western Seminary here with us this weekend.
I have been privileged to attend 3 preaching practicums with Dr. Azurdia and they have really helped me in my quest to be the best Bible teacher and preacher that I can be. Art is a rare combination of both brilliance and humility and his focus on Christocentricity and the gospel has been a tremendous blessing to me.
Art will be teaching a free one day seminar here at the church called Understanding Your Bible from 9am-3pm on Saturday Feb. 7th and then preaching both services here at Calvary on Sunday.
If you live in the NW and have some time this weekend I encourage you to make the drive and attend this seminar it will change how you read and study the Bible.
If you live in Central Oregon then come on it’s a no brainer! Oh and if you live in Prineville then it might qualify as sin if you don’t get yourself out of bed to attend this class. 
Click here for address and contact information for our church.
Conference with Gayle Erwin (Day 2)
I know I promised to post about day 2 of the private conference my wife and I attended at Calvary Chapel Olympia
But we didn’t make it the second day so I don’t have anything specific to add…sorry!
I will however post some thoughts that Gayle made regarding preaching during the conference. These highlights were actually written by my friend Jim Jacobson on another blog.
Here are five points that Gayle made:
1. Look for walls that separate you from the people and get rid of them. He used the huge pulpit as an example. He even brought up the way we sometimes bring up “the greek” and how that separates us from the “uneducated” people.
2. Preach confessionally, be open about your own failings. Instead of showing the people how they sin, use your own life failings etc.
3. Throw away your “illustration books” and use your own life experience for illustrations.
4. Make the bible your story. Put yourself into the text. Point out things the obvious things that many people miss.
5. Make sure you are an invitation to receive grace.
According to Jim, Gayle had some great insight about ministry and marriage on Saturday as well. This was kind of the theme of this conference and there was some great discussion on Friday afternoon about this subject.
Some of the points that were brought up.
1. Men…your ministry begins when you walk into your house after all day of ministering to others.
2. Women…remember that the sacrifice of your husband and his time is an opportunity for you to minister to others.
3. Men…put dates with your wife and “buying flowers” into your calendar.
4. Women…don’t feel pressured by the church to be anything other than who you are.
In the little time that I was able to spend at this conference there was some great stuff shared that I definitely need to hear.
blessings…ryan
Conference with Gayle Erwin (Day 1)
I am currently attending a private conference hosted by Pastor Chuck Lind and CC Olympia
The speaker is well known author and teacher Gayle Erwin
The conference is very casual…almost like sitting around a living room listening to your grandpa tell stories from long ago.
Gayle has been pretty candid about his opinions regarding worship, preaching, and the direction of Calvary Chapel as a movement.
In Session #1 of Day 1 Gayle spent a great deal of time dealing with worship. He believes that worship has become too slick and professional. Too many lights, loud sound systems, and songs no one but the leader knows. Some of this is opinion based upon his age and background. But we would be wise to evaluate our corporate worship to ensure that we aren’t losing the simplicity of adoring Jesus in the midst of our techy show. He also pontificated about plants and pulpits in the sancturary. He believes that we should remove any barriers between us (the preacher) and the congregation. Apparently that includes the cheesy fake greenery that is as much a fixture in evangelical churches as a cross. Personally I like to use a pulpit. We are in the process of having a new one made out of metal that will be much more modern than our current wood model so I think I will just agree to disagree with Gayle on this one. As to the plastic plants…yeah those should be burned along with any and all Left Behind movies.
In session #2 Gayle shared about preaching. He believes pastors should employ humor but only humor that doesn’t make anyone besides yourself the brunt of the joke. This pretty much puts my humor out of business.
He recommended puns and slap stick. Hmmm. I don’t think I am willing to stoop to that level to get people to laugh. I will just stick to my sarcasm and self-deprication.
He made some great points about connecting with people; making the Bible come alive by placing yourself in the story, using personal illustrations instead of canned stories from a book, and keeping things simple so that even children can track with you. Gayle has always modeled these principles well in his teaching and it was a good reminder for me in my desire to make the Word come alive for each and every person listening to me.
In the last part of the second session Gayle talked at great length about the Calvary Chapel movement and his desire to see us return to simply loving Jesus and pointing others to Him. He doesn’t understand why our movement is so infatuated with the Emerging/Emergent Church.
“If it wasn’t for Calvary Chapel their 15 minutes of fame would have been up a long time ago…we’re keeping that thing going by talking about it all the time.”
I couldn’t agree more. Just preach Jesus and Him crucified. Let Jesus take care of His Church.
He also warned against being content with what has happened in the past and not pursuing our own move of God in the present. Amen Gayle! I don’t know about you but I wasn’t even born during the Jesus Movement. And while I praise God for the heritage I’ve been given, my desire is to see God do something amazing and fresh in my own generation.
Stay tuned…Conference Day 2 tomorrow.
NW Pastors Conference
I just returned from Washington where myself and 7 others from our church attended the annual NW Pastors and Leaders Conference hosted by Pastor Wayne Taylor and Calvary Fellowship in Mt. Lake Terrace, WA.
Of all the Calvary Chapel conferences that are offered this is my favorite. Maybe it’s because I grew up in Olympia and therefore I know many people that attend the conference but I think it’s more than that. It’s the fresh speakers that Wayne invites, it’s the awesome times of worship and prayer, the Spirit led afterglow on Tuesday evening, and most of all it’s the fact that I don’t sense that the NW pastors are there trying to impress anyone.
No one is walking around like they’re a big shot or with that look on their face that says, “hey look at me I’m really important.” Not one pastor asked me that famous conference question, “so how many ya running these days.” I don’t think anyone cared because many of these guys, like me, are pastoring small churches in small towns and they understand that success rarely has anything to do with numbers.
I like that about this conference. No big shots. Just Jesus and a real heart to see pastors and leaders built up and refreshed by the Holy Spirit.
This year’s speakers were Britt Merrick, Tom Stipe, and Ricky Ryan.
Britt Merrick of Reality in Carpentaria, CA. spoke about staying close to Jesus and that true ministry always flows from intimacy. He spoke twice and I had heard the first message previously but I was still deeply impacted by his exhortation toward a real relationship with Jesus. It is so easy to put the ministry between us and Jesus and Britt’s call was to never allow yourself to fall into that trap. Always keep Jesus between you and the ministry. Great messages Britt! The stories about your kids really brought your points home.
However I do question your interpretations and how you arrived at some of your conclusions. For me it was the classic Jon Courson school of hermeneutics…as long as the end result is Biblical then it’s all good. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way and your interpretation of Exodus 29 was both really cool and seriously lacking in good Bible interpretation.
Tom Stipe of Crossroads Church in Denver, CO. gave some great messages on practical ministry. One of the most profound things Tom said was, “Judas wasn’t any different than the other disciples…they all blew it. Peter turned his back on Jesus as well but the difference between Peter and Judas was that Peter allowed Jesus to deal with his sin.” Tom’s point was that as long as we allow Jesus to deal with our sin we will be just fine in the ministry.
I have a great deal of respect for Tom because of all the “big boys” in the Calvary movement he gets it. He’s not drinking the kool-aide and he’s willing to admit that their are some issues in our movement that need to be addressed. He spoke candidly about the elitist mentality that exists in Calvary circles. This arrogance that gives some pastors the notion that Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel churches are the only ones who are actually teaching the Bible and loving Jesus. I’m stoked that guys like Tom are fighting against this mindset and challenging Calvary guys to be free thinkers. Tom challenged the pastors to find out where God is blessing others and to glean from those people and movements for the benefit of our churches and people.
Ricky Ryan from Calvary Chapel in Santa Barbara, CA. was true to form. He only spoke once but we heard from him during the entire conference as he would give each speaker a rousing introduction and periodic “black gospel church” style encouragement during their messages. Ricky is by far the most charismatic, both in personality and theology, of all the Calvary Chapel pastors. It’s not really my style and his constant outbursts during conferences kind of bugs me but I respect him and think he’s a great assest to our movement. Like Tom Stipe, Ricky is not afraid to challenge our movement and to learn from others that God is blessing. Ricky did a wonderful job of leading the afterglow on Tuesday evening. He is truly in his element in those situations and both my wife and I were extremely edified through the time of worship, prayer, and operation of the gifts that he led.
Wayne…thank you for putting this conference on year after year. You and your staff do a wonderful job and I know that many including our group were blessed big time!
CC Boise Leadership Conference
I’m writing this post from a Best Western in Burns, OR. My wife and I are heading over to a leadership conference at CC Boise in Boise, ID.
Before the conference Pastor Bob hosts an overnight retreat, for senior pastors, at their retreat house in Garden Valley. After the pastor’s retreat we will meet a few of our elders and thier wives in Boise for the weekend conference.
The speakers are…
Bob Caldwell – CC Boise
Greg Opean – CC Redlands (formerly a missionary to Hungary)
Rick Brown – CC Idaho Falls
I’ve been to this conference a few other times and it is always really good. I’m expecting Jesus to speak to me and the other leaders from our church.
Well it’s late and I’ve got to get up super early and drive the remainder of the way to Boise.
Have a great weekend!
Interesting
I recieved my “CC Senior Pastor’s Conference” packet in the mail the other day. Each year at this time I begin to get excited about heading down to Murrieta to…hear great teaching, fellowship with like-minded men, worship the Lord with 800 other pastors, and hang out with some really close friends.
This year’s topic is “Pastoring in the Last Days”. Seems like an interesting topic that could really go anywhere and hopefully it won’t go where I think it will and that is into a 4 day diatribe about pretribulational eschatology.
Now before you cut me in little pieces and send my body parts out to all the CC affiliates let me add a disclaimer…”I am pre-millenial and pre-tribulational”
There now we can all let out a collective sigh…see doesn’t that feel good.