Zach Zehnder's Blog, page 13
November 7, 2022
025: Pastor Zach Zehnder on Habits, Spiritual Targets to Shoot For
Pastor Zach Zehnder provides a clear picture of habits that anyone can shoot in their journey of discipleship. In this podcast, he dives into his Being Challenge book. The five keystone habits will give anyone simple and clear Bible-based habits to incorporate into their life.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Red Letter Living. At its core, Red Letter Living creates resources to challenge all people to be greater disciples of Jesus. If you are a pastor, consider a 40-day challenge to start the New Year or Lenten season. These 40-day challenges will help your church grow their small groups, bring unity in divided times, and give a much-needed break to your staff by providing turnkey resources. Let’s partner up.
Jon Acuff’s Finish book: 92% of resolutions fail
Being Challenge: 40-day book to be like Jesus
The Bible Study by Zach Windahl
Key insights from the episode:
The systems you have to finish the goals are even more important than the goals themselves. – Zach Zehnder
A keystone habit is a habit that unintentionally carries over into other aspects of life. – Zach Zehnder
My discipleship flows out of my relationship with God. – Zach Zehnder
Keystone habits are important, but spiritual keystone habits are the best. – Zach Zehnder
We don’t have to guess how to be in relationship with God, we can look to Jesus. – Zach Zehnder
Jesus talked about or practiced being alone over forty times in the Bible. – Zach Zehnder
Studying Scripture is vital to our lives today because that is where we discover who God is. – Zach Zehnder
Prayer gives us direction. – Zach Zehnder
Church interrupts the negative message of the world. – Zach Zehnder
Zach Zehnder’s Challenge: Take one small step on one of the Five Keystone Habits from Being Challenge.
How do you grow in your relationship with God? There was only one person who has ever existed in a perfect relationship with God, and His name was Jesus. Being Challenge introduces you to the habits that Jesus practiced, which are habits we are called to practice. The more we “Be” like Jesus, the more we will see our true identity. What are you waiting for? If you want to go deeper into leading yourself (and your church) to building the habits of Jesus, we’d love to introduce you to the 40-Day Being Challenge.
Many Christians today aren’t great at maintaining the habits of Jesus.
Even the most “mature” Christians struggle with opening up in community, prioritizing prayer, and seeking regular solitude. But that doesn’t have to be your story.
The Being Challenge guides you through 40 days of practical, simple-to-understand challenges to help you learn, develop, and grow in the five keystone habits of Jesus.
You can learn more about the challenge here!
Zach Zehnder has written or co-written 10 books and doesn’t have a single ghostwriter.
Michael Phelps has gills. – Chris Johnson
Many life coaches will start with people flossing their teeth to get them on the right track.
Watch the entire season for free:We’ll be uploading every episode of season two of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 025: Pastor Zach Zehnder on Habits, Spiritual Targets to Shoot For appeared first on Red Letter Living.
October 31, 2022
024: Chestly Lunday on Virtual Reality Church, How We Can be a Presence on Metaverse
Chestly Lunday isn’t intimidated by virtual reality, atheist youth, Metaverse, or the new digital age. He embraces the challenge of finding a way to share the gospel of Jesus using new tools and strategies. Rather than feeling like you need to choose, Chestly encourages churches to get real about who they are called to reach so that discipleship can happen on a day-to-day basis.
From personal productivity, to team leadership, to leading change, and almost any other leadership challenge you’ll face, The Art of Leadership Academy has the answers to your questions—all for the fraction of what a typical conference or consultant would cost.
To learn more and to get instant access to every single course, call, and training the Academy has to offer, go to www.theartofleadershipacademy.com.
As a member of the Academy, I’d love to see and connect with you there. If you join, just search for my name on the App and send me a message!
REVEAL Study from Willow Creek
Key insights from the episode:
The two paradigms are 1) You have to be in a building to connect, and 2) you can connect no matter where you are. – Chestly Lunday
Everybody having the “church on internet” conversation is over 25. – Chestly Lunday
Our churches reach who they are perfectly designed to reach. – Chestly Lunday
Nobody is for everybody because everybody doesn’t show up to your church. – Chestly Lunday
If you are not clear about who you are, then you’ll get lost. – Chestly Lunday
Culture has been making disciples for decades, and it’s better at it than the church is. – Chestly Lunday
Information, experience, and relationship are the three pieces to transformation. – Chestly Lunday
In the digital age, what you are going to see is the primary product of the church is not Sunday morning any more, it’s discipleship. – Chestly Lunday
Chestly Lunday’s Weekly Challenge: For the disciple: What is God saying to you, and what are you going to do about it?
Are you following Jesus?
Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. We did an extensive study of everything that Jesus commanded of us and located 5 key targets into which Jesus invites His followers. The five targets are Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.
In partnership with LifeWay Research we created a Red Letter Challenge Assessment that will measure you according to these five targets. And the best news of all: it’s free! Not only will you get results back immediately, but you will also be presented with the next steps to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.
You can take the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment here.
Some not-so-key insights:Chestly wants Chris J’s wardrobe consultant.
Is Chestly trying to bring back four-hour sermons?
Zach never got the Taco Bell Mexican pizza.
Chestly has been waiting for Rosie, the house robot from the Jetsons, for a long time!
Watch the entire season for free:We’ll be uploading every episode of season two of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 024: Chestly Lunday on Virtual Reality Church, How We Can be a Presence on Metaverse appeared first on Red Letter Living.
October 27, 2022
10 Practical Things that Churches Should Stop Doing
It takes a lot of hard work to get new people to come to church. But, once we get someone new to attend our church, it requires even more intentionality and hard work to get someone new to return.
How do we create an environment where God is greatly glorified and visitors incredibly welcome? How do we strike a balance between not taking ourselves too seriously and relying on the Holy Spirit but also doing our best to eliminate any distractions that may get in the way of an attendee having a great experience?
While we will continue to wrestle with these questions, there are some things churches are doing that I think are no-brainers to stop. While some of these are subjective and indeed my own opinion, I don’t think I’m alone on most of these. So here’s my list…what would you add?
1. Eliminate the Pastor’s parking spot.
Unless it’s for handicapped reasons, we should reserve the best spots for our visitors.
2. Not allowing coffee in the sanctuary/worship center.
It’s time to treat our church members like they should be treated. The worst thing that could happen would be someone would spill their coffee, and then we would have to clean it later. That’s not too bad of a worst-case scenario.
3. Misspell words on screens.
I don’t care how engaged I am in service; if I notice an error, I’m always distracted. If I’m distracted, others are too.
4. Conclude your message 5 times.
The pastor should say “In conclusion” only once in a message. It’s disingenuous and feels unprepared if there are multiple endings to the same message.
5. Keep the “Free Gift” to visitors a secret.
In exchange for new visitor information, many churches will offer a free gift to the visitor. Rather than saying the generic “free gift,” I personally would like to know what I would be getting in advance. Side note, if you aren’t saying what the gift is because you don’t think it’s enticing or valuable enough, it’s probably time to rethink what you are giving away.
6. Force guests to “stand out” publicly.
While we should provide an opportunity for those who are new and want to begin making connections, forcing someone new to stand up during announcements, wear a name tag, or identify themselves in some other way will make many feel awkward.
7. Shame your visitors.
This especially happens to the CEOs (Christmas and Easter Only Crowd). Rather than shaming them for not coming, extend a heartfelt welcome to come back. Focus your services and church around being friendly, welcoming, and encouraging of your guests. If you try hard all year to get new visitors, and then they actually come, why would you shame them for coming?
8. Make visitors guess where to go.
It’s a big step for someone new to come to your church. Some of the visitors that come to your church have never been to a church before, or maybe even were prayed over for years before they stepped foot in your church. Therefore, your signage should be evident on where restrooms are located, where the children’s ministry is, where to go if it is your first time, where to get questions answered, etc.
9. Pray in the “King James Version.”
There is incredible beauty in the words of the most popular version of the Bible. While it is perfectly acceptable to read and translate this version of the Bible, our speech should resemble the language we would use today, not the one that was used 400+ years ago. Unless your day-to-day dialogue is filled with King James Version, your prayers shouldn’t be either. Switching from one conversation mode to this “old” style feels inauthentic.
10. Run out of time in your message.
When a preacher regularly plans a multi-point sermon but only gets through one point and then rushes through the other points, it smacks of being unprepared. If preaching is your craft, work on it, practice, and don’t let Sunday morning be the first time you’ve spoken the sermon aloud.
Trust me. I understand how hard it is to be in ministry. Pastors and church leaders do so many things right that I would hate for one of these small things to turn into a reason for someone not wanting to come back to your church.
So what can you do to help your church grow? If you’d like an assist, I’ve created an ebook called “10 Ways to Grow Your Church for Little to No Money.” You can find it here, and as my gift to you, enter the code “pastorgift” at checkout, and it’s yours for FREE. Thanks, pastors, for what you do!
The post 10 Practical Things that Churches Should Stop Doing appeared first on Red Letter Living.
October 24, 2022
023: Eric Bramlett on Comedy from the Pulpit
The world’s greatest parody writer Eric Bramlett discusses the rift between the church and the theater community. He breaks down comedy, it’s place in the church, and why artists are our modern-day prophets.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Forgiving Challenge.
Lead yourself (and your church) to find freedom in forgiveness.
As Eric was talking in this interview, it showed me the power of God’s freedom that comes through forgiveness.
We’d love to help you and your church discover what freedom in forgiveness feels like by exploring the powerful forgiveness that Jesus offers to each and every one of us.
We’d love to introduce you to the 40-Day Forgiving Challenge.
The Forgiving Challenge takes you on a life-changing journey to experience the gift of God’s grace so that you can share it with others. It also helps you identify and walk through the five phases leading to freedom.
You can learn more about the challenge here!
Resources mentioned in the episode:Community Christian Church Naperville, IL
Key insights from the episode:
If you can make fun of yourself, it makes you relatable. – Eric Bramlett
Theater artists are actively participating in creation every day. They are so close to the creative work of God; they are just missing the source. – Eric Bramlett
Any churches that align themselves with a political party put walls around themselves. – Eric Bramlett
Historically the church has been pro-art, but in America, we just don’t see that anymore. – Eric Bramlett
The artists are our modern-day prophets if they are allowed the chance to speak. – Eric Bramlett
Eric Bramlett’s challenge: in the small stuff, extend and receive forgiveness.
Lead yourself (and your church) to find freedom in forgiveness.
As Eric was talking in this interview, it showed me the power of God’s freedom that comes through forgiveness.
We’d love to help you and your church discover what freedom in forgiveness feels like by exploring the powerful forgiveness that Jesus offers to each and every one of us.
We’d love to introduce you to the 40-Day Forgiving Challenge.
The Forgiving Challenge takes you on a life-changing journey to experience the gift of God’s grace so that you can share it with others. It also helps you identify and walk through the five phases leading to freedom.
You can learn more about the challenge here!
Some not-so-key insights:Eric measured all his parodies to Weird AL Yankovich, the king of parody.
Red Letter Living is #29 on the Christianity charts in Kenya.
Watch the entire season for free:We’ll be uploading every episode of season two of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 023: Eric Bramlett on Comedy from the Pulpit appeared first on Red Letter Living.
October 18, 2022
022: Grief Counselor Sharon Zehnder on the Two Best Ways to Respond to Grief
Pastor’s wives wear many hats. Sharon Zehnder’s hats are wife, mother, grief counselor, speaker, and author. Going back for her master’s degree after becoming empty nesters, Sharon proves that no matter what stage in life you are in, God’s always got more for you to do.
How do you distribute the amazing Jesus-centered content that you are creating? Carey Nieuwhof, through the Influence Kickstarter, helped my organization clarify who its target is, and this has been a game-changer for our business. Carey Nieuwhof and The Art of Leadership Academy are offering this free mastermind that will help you amplify your reach and impact online by:
Identifying your dream audienceLearning how to get them to notice you and connect with you; and Figuring out which platforms are worth your time and effort and which aren’tTo register for free, visit influencekickstarter.com. Building online influence doesn’t have to be intimidating or complicated. And it also doesn’t have to be gimmicky or ruin your integrity.
Crosswords for Grief by Sharon Zehnder
Key insights from the episode:
Pastors’ wives often feel overlooked. – Sharon Zehnder
Grief is the unexpected loss of a dream. – Sharon Zehnder
All of that loss is stacking up, and we are left unable to grieve. – Zach Zehnder
‘Companion-ing,’ or walking alongside someone, is how you help someone grieve. – Sharon Zehnder
Sometimes the less said is better. – Sharon Zehnder
You’ve got to be real, to feel, to heal. – Sharon Zehnder
The grief waits for you to deal with it. – Sharon Zehnder
Sharon Zehnder’s Challenge: Make someone feel important today.
Are you following Jesus?
Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. We did an extensive study of everything that Jesus commanded of us and located 5 key targets into which Jesus invites His followers. The five targets are Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.
In partnership with LifeWay Research we created a Red Letter Challenge Assessment that will measure you according to these five targets. And the best news of all: it’s free! Not only will you get results back immediately, but you will also be presented with the next steps to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.
You can take the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment here.
Some not-so-key insights:Chris’s jacket screams, “Make me feel important!”
Watch the entire season for free:We’ll be uploading every episode of season two of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 022: Grief Counselor Sharon Zehnder on the Two Best Ways to Respond to Grief appeared first on Red Letter Living.
October 10, 2022
021: David Douglas on How He Went From Mailman to Addiction Recovery Director
David Douglas has had more than one radical 180 degree change in his life. From living as a mailman and choosing to be an addiction recovery director to DNA testing revealing an entire family and seven siblings to this adopted child. Through all of the changes, Jesus has been faithful.
Every pastor knows small groups are important, yet a lot aren’t too happy with where their small groups are right now. You can grow your small groups right now. That’s right. We have helped more than 800 churches grow their small groups, and it’s not as hard as you think. Our super-simple, easily-doable 5-step guide to grow your small group strategy is found by clicking on this link.
Hand in Hand, Lake Country, FL
GRIT 4 LIFE: God, Relationships, Integrity, and Truth by David Douglas
Key insights from the episode:
Most people look at the symptoms, but they are just symptoms of an underlying problem. – David Douglas
What the devil meant to destroy, God is using for good in your life. – Zach Zehnder
Each addiction has an underlying problem. – David Douglas
There is a high amount of addition is found in postal workers, firefighters, policemen, and EMTs. – Dave Douglas
Let’s not be so worried about all the things an addict did. Let’s talk about what they are going to do. –David Douglas
When you start your search into your past [as an adopted child], make sure you know who you are. – David Douglas
David Douglas’s Challenge: Tackle an issue you don’t like in your life by self-reflecting instead of self-condemnation. (Bonus challenge: treat your postal worker!)
Lead yourself (and your church) to find freedom in forgiveness.
As David was talking in this interview, it showed me the power of God’s freedom that comes through forgiveness.
We’d love to help you and your church discover what freedom in forgiveness feels like by exploring the powerful forgiveness that Jesus offers to each and every one of us.
We’d love to introduce you to the 40-Day Forgiving Challenge.
The Forgiving Challenge takes you on a life-changing journey to experience the gift of God’s grace so that you can share it with others. It also helps you identify and walk through the five phases leading to freedom.
You can learn more about the challenge here!
Not-so-key insights:Dave absolutely did not deliver someone’s mail because of a dog.
The greatest gift David ever received as a mailman was chocolate chip cookies.
Watch the entire season for free:We’ll be uploading every episode of season two of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 021: David Douglas on How He Went From Mailman to Addiction Recovery Director appeared first on Red Letter Living.
October 6, 2022
3 Things Pastors Should Stop Apologizing For
October is Pastor Appreciation Month. And pastors, I want you to know that I genuinely appreciate you. What brings me the most fulfillment in my career as a pastor is when I can help other pastors. So, pastors, I’ve got three FREE gifts for you at the bottom of this blog.
There is no career quite like being a pastor. It is both a very rewarding and challenging career. Knowing that you are making such a tangible difference in the Kingdom of God is a great blessing. It’s a blessing to be on the front lines. Seeing God move powerfully despite our weaknesses will never get old.
But it’s also difficult. Pastoring a group of Christians that are largely fickle in their faith and dealing with the reality and consequence of sin all around is no simple task. Barna’s latest study shows that 38% of pastors have considered quitting full-time ministry in the past year. 46% of those are under the age of 45. 51% of mainline denomination pastors have considered leaving in the last year. Additionally, their research shows that only 35% of America’s pastors rated themselves healthy in their overall well-being.
One of the saddest things I’ve found in ministry is when we fire at one another. It’s already a difficult enough job fighting off the evil supernatural powers and those who don’t believe in Jesus. But, when the harsh words, criticisms, and hurtful musings of those in the church come at pastors, it’s even more difficult.
Even worse is when pastors fire at one another.
I know firsthand from my own experience that way too many pastors have to spend way too much time defending how they lead the church that God called them to and entrusted them with. Some conversations about how to lead God’s church are helpful and fruitful, but not all are. Sadly, I’ve seen way too many pastors, including myself, that can waste time in pointless conversations that deter them from the true mission of Jesus.
In this blog, I want to share 3 things pastors should stop apologizing for. In doing so, I hope this frees up a little bit more time for you to do the work God has called you to do.
But before I give you the three, here’s the assumption I’m going to make about you:
You love Jesus.You believe in the Bible.You pray.You are educated and trained to become a pastor.You are doing your best to bring heaven to earth.You care about the people you serve.You have been called to pastor a church.You have been gifted by the Holy Spirit.You deeply care about the collective church.You teach sound doctrine.You have sought God for the vision of your church.You trust that Jesus is in control and that the gates of Hell will not prevail against His church.You are living above reproach.
That’s a lot of assumptions, but if those things are true, stop wasting time apologizing for these things:
The Size of Your Church
There is no one-size-fits-all regarding the size of a particular church. Therefore, I struggle when I read authors or hear pastors say that a church is supposed to look like this, be like this, or act like this. The goal of the church is to glorify God.
God has created both pastors and every person in our church uniquely. He’s also called each pastor and church to a particular community. The community in which a pastor serves often has a direct impact on the size that the church will become.
We glorify God when the Church becomes the fullest and greatest representation of Jesus that we can be in this world. We need churches of all sizes, shapes, and colors. Every size has advantages and disadvantages.
We need megachurches. We need large churches. We need medium churches. We need small churches. We need house churches. We need coffeehouse churches. We need micro-sites. We need new churches.
We. Need. Them. All.
More importantly, the world in which we serve needs them all.
Nowhere in the Bible will you see the size that the church should be. Shy away from discussions that seek to compare church size or tell you what size you should try to attain. Simply be the expression of Jesus God has called you to be in the community you serve. Focus more on being faithful to your unique calling and gifting to your unique context, and let everyone else waste their time discussing the proper size that a church should be.
The Style of Your Church
For decades the church, especially along denominational lines, has argued about how to appropriately worship. We have called these arguments “worship wars.” Traditional vs. Contemporary? Maybe we combine them and create a Blended service?
Which style is right for you and your church? Is one better than the other?
One of the best things I did when I planted theCross in 2011 was I gave my core group a survey asking them about the future church we would start. I asked them to tell me what style of church they would prefer. But then I flipped the questions and asked them what style would be best to reach our target of young, unchurched families. Many times, the answers were different. Looking back, having them process this was very helpful in creating buy-in for creating a style of church that was likely outside of their comfort zone.
I’ll repeat it: God has uniquely made you and wired you. And God has put you in a unique context. Ask these two questions.
How has God gifted me? What gifts are unique to our church?What is the style of church that would best serve the community we have been called to?
Processing these two questions will create many different answers as to what style of church is best.
We need traditional. We need liturgical. We need hymnals. We need organs. We need modern. We need contemporary. We need blended. We need guitars. We need drums. We need skinny jeans. We need robes.
We. Need. Them. All.
For the church to be the greatest and fullest expression of Jesus, there is no one-style-fits-all.
My plea is simple, no matter your church style: do it to the best of your ability.
The Strategy of Your Church
Sadly, I foresee many arguments and debates over the coming years between pastors about the strategy of their churches. When coronavirus forced a global shutdown in our world, it gave us an excellent opportunity to look at the strategy we employed at our churches. For many of us, to be a church moving forward would require a new strategy. If I mentioned worship wars in the style of your church earlier, the more extensive debate right now is the strategy of an online church. Many pastors are still asking if online church really is church?
In the last several years, we’ve debated what to make of the church online. Is it really a church, or does it not count as church? We’ve seen some churches go all-in digitally while others completely ignore that the Internet is real.
I have some convictions about online church, namely these two:
The old “normal” way wasn’t working nearly as well as many wanted to think it was.As you look at the trajectory of our world, I’m very convinced the answer for the church moving forward is “more online, not less.”
Smartphones, Amazon, and social media aren’t going away. Not having any online answer will make you more like Blockbuster in a Netflix world. I’d rather be putting more energy, time, staff, and budget into being on the innovative side of this than playing defense and hoping that things go back to the broken way that they were. If you are married to your methods, you could soon be divorced from having a church. The strategy of your church can and likely, should change over time.
Having said that, I still genuinely believe in the in-person gathering. I think it is vital to the health of the future church. I don’t have all the answers, and no one does, about the long-term effects of online church and how to appropriately steward it best. But to reject it, or even worse, to call out others seeking to glorify God by using this avenue, is not helpful.
We need churches that thrive in worship. We need churches that thrive in outreach. We need churches that thrive in preaching. We need churches that thrive in women’s ministry. We need churches that thrive in men’s ministry. We need churches that thrive in student ministry. We need churches that thrive in children’s ministry. We need online church. We need online worship. We need in-person church. We need in-person worship.
We. Need. Them. All.
Here’s something I’m convinced of: our nation, and likely our world, has never needed more church strategies employed than now. The mission field in our backyards has dramatically increased over the past couple of years. Unfortunately, many self-identifying “practicing Christians’ have run for the hills and are nowhere to be found.
Estimates are anywhere between 30-50%. I have personally seen the most affected generation are the families with young children. Not only does this mean that the amount of “unchurched” has never been as high as it is right now, but the future of the church (youth and children) is also in great jeopardy.
My one plea to you regarding strategy is to play offense, not defense. The churches that will “win” in the end are not the ones who are playing prevent defense, but rather, they are pulling the goalie and living with a sense of urgency. For more on this, check out this blog centered around the question: Pastor, Is Your Church Playing Offense or Defense.
I know enough pastors to know that, based on the above assumptions, it’s not our goal to “steal sheep” from another church. Yet, this is the narrative often said of those whose churches are growing. Pastors, if you are playing offense, reject that label and keep chasing the lost sheep and employing the unique strategy that God has given to your church.
The Answer: Continue to Be Faithful Stewards
In a recent blog post, I wrote about 4 uncelebrated traits of highly effective pastors. My final trait was the word “stewardship.” This is not a word that gets tossed around too much outside of the annual “stewardship series” at churches. But stewardship is much more than giving. It’s bigger than a yearly sermon series.
Pastors, all God asks of us is simply to steward what He puts in front of us.
I love the way Peter says in 1 Peter 4:10: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
Being a pastor is about stewarding your unique skills and talents, the gifts and resources of those in your church, and also the needs of those in your community.
Because of these things, no church will look the same. Stop apologizing for the size, style, and strategy of your church. When God looks down on you, He says, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Being a pastor is hard enough. I know, and you know, that we stumble, fall, and sin.
Rather than casting stones and doubts, let’s work towards healthy conversations with one another. Let’s have grace for one another. Let’s trust one another. Let’s pray for one another. And finally, let’s be grateful for the opportunity to be a part of something bigger and remember the promise of Jesus in Matthew 16:18b: I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Okay, time for some FREE gifts! I’ve got three for you today.
1) A FREE 40-day challenge of your choice. Check it out here.
2) A FREE 5-Step Simple Guide to Grow Your Small Groups.
3) A FREE ebook, “10 Ways to Grow Your Church for Little to No Money.” Enter code “pastorgift” at checkout to receive.
If I can be helpful to you, please email me at hello@redletterchallenge.com.
The post 3 Things Pastors Should Stop Apologizing For appeared first on Red Letter Living.
October 4, 2022
020: Bill Woolsey on the #1 Reason Why Ventures Fail
Bill Woolsey is excited about seeing other people’s creative ideas come to life. After serving as a pastor, Bill started Five Two, an organization which helps entrepreneurs start things! Their proven approach clarifies, equips, and activates the unique callings of others.
Creating content is one thing. Distributing it is another. Carey Nieuwhof, through the Influence Kickstarter, helped my organization clarify who its target is, and this has been a game-changer for our business. Carey Nieuwhof and The Art of Leadership Academy are offering this free mastermind that will help you amplify your reach and impact online by:
Identifying your dream audienceLearning how to get them to notice you and connect with you; and Figuring out which platforms are worth your time and effort and which aren’tTo register for free, visit influencekickstarter.com. Building online influence doesn’t have to be intimidating or complicated. And it also doesn’t have to be gimmicky or ruin your integrity.
Faith at Work Devotional from Five Two
Key insights from the episode:
Billions of people don’t think the way you do, and many of them live right next door to you. – Bill Woolsey
87% of the people in our churches don’t know their spiritual gifting. – Zach Zehnder
Five Two wants to help you clarify, equip, and activate your calling. –Bill Woolsey
The number one reason the young people from my church didn’t come back was that there were no other young people there. – Chris Johnson
The number one reason ventures fail is that they have something nobody wants. – Bill Woolsey
If you can get “Who is this for?” right…you’re there. – Bill Woolsey
Encourage means to literally “pour in courage.” – Bill Woolsey
Five Two: 111 new ventures since 2015 99,505 introductions to Jesus
What’s the platter you are going to serve Jesus on? – Bill Woolsey
Bill Woolsey’s Challenge: If God only allowed me to minister to just one type of person, who would that person be, and what would they be like?
Are you following Jesus?
Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. So we did an extensive study on everything that Jesus commanded of us and located key targets. The five targets are Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.
In partnership with LifeWay Research, we created the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment that will measure you according to these five targets. You will get results back immediately and be presented with practical steps and challenges to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.
You can take the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment here.
Not-so-key insights from the episode:Mother Theresa and a friendly Mark Cuban would definitely not have dated. – Chris Johnson
Zach is starting a competitor ministry to Five Two called Seven and a Few.
Watch the entire season for free:We’ll be uploading every episode of season two of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 020: Bill Woolsey on the #1 Reason Why Ventures Fail appeared first on Red Letter Living.
September 27, 2022
019: Nona Jones Discusses Her Battle with Insecurity and Why She is Killing Comparison
Nona Jones is the Head of Global Faith Partnerships for Facebook/Meta and is a world-renowned author, pastor, and speaker. You wouldn’t think someone with her resume would ever worry about insecurity or compare herself to others. Hear her journey of how she is killing comparison, celebrating others, and using her social media as a ministry to others.
As an author, podcaster, blogger, communicator, or content creator, do you ever feel like you put in the same amount of effort as others, but don’t see the same results? Carey Nieuwhof and The Art of Leadership Academy have a free mastermind that will help you amplify your reach and impact online by:
Identifying your dream audienceLearning how to get them to notice you and connect with you; and Figuring out which platforms are worth your time and effort and which aren’tFrom personal productivity, to team leadership, to leading change, and almost any other leadership challenge you’ll face, The Art of Leadership Academy has the answers to your questions—all for the fraction of what a typical conference or consultant would cost.
To learn more and to get instant access to every single course, call, and training the Academy has to offer, go to theartofleadershipacademy.com.
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Killing Comparison: Reject that You Aren’t Good Enough by Nona Jones
Key insights from the episode:
We get lost in the transactional nature of social media. – Nona Jones
Social technology gives us access to sides of people we don’t normally see. – Nona Jones
As believers, everything we post is an opportunity to bring others closer to Jesus. – Nona Jones
“It doesn’t matter how many followers you have if they are not following God too.” – Nona Jones
“Insecurity isn’t caused by social media, it is revealed by it. The real cause of insecurity is ‘What is your identity tied to?’” – Nona Jones
Physical appearance is an insecure foundation: 1) you will age and 2) standards change. – Nona Jones
The biblical character Jonathan proves to us that God’s favor on someone else’s life is not a threat to the purpose on our own. – Nona Jones
Humility is fully occupying your lane of life. – Nona Jones
Where insecurity sees someone as a competitor, humility sees someone to celebrate. – Nona Jones
Nona Jones’s Challenge: Think about who is the person who triggered your insecurity. Reach out to that person, encourage them, and pray for them.
Are you following Jesus?
Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. So we did an extensive study on everything that Jesus commanded of us and located key targets. The five targets are Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.
In partnership with LifeWay Research, we created the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment that will measure you according to these five targets. You will get results back immediately and be presented with practical steps and challenges to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.
You can take the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment here.
Watch the entire season for free:We’ll be uploading every episode of season two of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
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September 19, 2022
018: Tony Morgan from Unstuck Group, On Good and Bad Trends in the Church Right Now
There is no better time for Tony Morgan’s The Unstuck Group ministry than now. He believes that healthy churches are often stuck in a hard season. His advice for balancing discipleship and evangelism is relevant to every church and every disciple; just walk across the street.
As an author, podcaster, blogger, communicator, or content creator, do you ever feel like you put in the same amount of effort as others, but don’t see the same results? Carey Nieuwhof and The Art of Leadership Academy have a free mastermind that will help you amplify your reach and impact online by:
Identifying your dream audienceLearning how to get them to notice you and connect with you; and Figuring out which platforms are worth your time and effort and which aren’tTo register for free, visit influencekickstarter.com. Building online influence doesn’t have to be intimidating or complicated. And it also doesn’t have to be gimmicky or ruin your integrity.
In most cases, it’s not that churches are unhealthy; they are healthy churches that are just stuck. – Tony Morgan
In-person attendance still seems to be a good barometer for engagement in many other areas of a church’s ministry. – Tony Morgan
For those that only engage online, are we actually going to be their church in a moment of crisis? – Tony Morgan
Is your online service going to be your front door or just another door? – Zach Zehnder
Traditional church pastors are starting to act like church planters. – Tony Morgan
Healthy churches need both a reach strategy and a healthy spiritual formation strategy. – Tony Morgan
A reach strategy should be a part of the life of every person who calls themselves a Christ follower. – Tony Morgan
Because of social media, we have more relationship connections than ever, but we don’t know how to do relationships. – Tony Morgan
When there’s an interruption, we lean in. –Tony Morgan
Rather than going across the globe, the biggest challenge I have is going across the street. – Tony Morgan
Tony Morgan’s Challenge: Be intentional about engaging with someone who you know but don’t really know.
Lead yourself (and your church) to be more like Jesus.
For so many Christians, the discipleship process isn’t very clear.
They know they need to go to church, pray, not sin, and maybe attend a small group. While these are great things, they don’t outline a clear path leading people to live more like Jesus.
We’d love to introduce you to the 40-Day Red Letter Challenge.
When you and your church take the challenge, you’ll have a clear 40-day discipleship path that will help you master five key areas of discipleship.
You can learn more about the challenge here!
We’ll be uploading every episode of season two of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 018: Tony Morgan from Unstuck Group, On Good and Bad Trends in the Church Right Now appeared first on Red Letter Living.
