Zach Zehnder's Blog, page 22
January 6, 2021
Reopening Christianity: The Single Greatest Opportunity for Pastors in 2021
As pastors, we’ve heard it countless times last year: “Every obstacle represents an opportunity.”
If that is true, then collectively, I don’t know that I’ve ever lived through a year that has presented more “opportunities,” or as I like to call them “obstatunities.”
Though, if we are honest with one another, 2020 was the year that collectively the Big “C” Capital “C” Church, with all of its collective Christians, missed. The middle of crises, obstacles, and storms ought to be the very best time to shine the light of Christ. Collectively, our lights should have never burned brighter than in 2020. Instead, 30+% of “Christians” ran for the hills, and the leadership of the Capital “C” Church collectively was decimated emotionally and mentally.
It didn’t have to be this way.
Thankfully, we have a God who gives us second chances.
And despite everything that happened in 2020, if anything, the year pointed out that the “Christianity” that had formed our nation was at best a shadow, broken-down version.
I know the intent behind the phrase that says “We are a post-Christian nation” but statistically that’s inaccurate.
Pew Research says that in 2019, 65% of Americans still claim to be Christians. That’s nearly 2 out of every 3 people. We do not have a problem identifying as a Christian. We have a problem actually living up to our calling as Christians. Many have received Jesus as their Savior, but few live as if He is really their Lord. We need a new brand of Christians that not only live with hope for the future because Jesus is Savior, but live like He is their Lord today. In other words, we need Christians to actually be greater followers — or disciples — of Jesus.
What is the single greatest opportunity before us in 2021: We have a chance to reopen Christianity!
What if we could reopen Christianity?How would we reopen? What would we look like? What would we do? Could we start by acknowledging that we have gone far away from who the God in the Bible has called us to be? Can we use this time to refocus and come out a stronger representation of who Jesus is?
In a world filled with many good and great answers, Jesus Christ is the best answer. And if we could lead our people and not only give them, but invite them into the opportunity to experience who Jesus really is, the world would truly change.
Even though 2020 has produced many obstacles, it has also brought an incredible opportunity for us to examine thoroughly what it truly means to be Christian.
I’ve written an eBook called Reopening Christianity, along with small group materials as well. This could very easily be done as a church-wide sermon series as well. it goes live January 11th and you can join the wait list by emailing us at hello@redletterchallenge.com. If you are a pastor and you would like a free copy of the eBook just email us hello@redletterchallenge.com and we’ll hook you up as well! In this study, I challenge every Christian to answer five questions that will help shape and form the brand of Christianity that we move forward with.
Here are the five questions we tackle in Reopening Christianity:Am I moving forward or backward?Am I a contributor or consumer?Am I playing offense or defense?Am I known for what I am for or against?Am I willing to follow Jesus as my Lord?While the book is primarily focused on the individuals you are serving in your churches and communities, my heart is truly to help pastors succeed in challenging their people to become greater followers of Jesus. As a result, I wanted to celebrate the launch of this material by giving away a 6-part blog series (today’s introduction with five fresh blogs coming out January 11th-15th) specifically asking pastors the same questions above. We will look at these questions as it pertains to leading the church in which you serve. To make sure you are on our e-list to have this content hit your inboxes, subscribe here.
In this time where there is still great uncertainty in our world, I am certain the world needs a far greater expression of Jesus Christ.
2020 has been a year filled with debates on reopening strategies. This has been true for businesses, schools, universities, sports programs, and even churches.
Why is now the single greatest opportunity?Simply because the mission field has never been as big as it is right now.
Our collective church numbers have been on decline for decades, but 2020 accelerated this trend at warp speed.
While it’s difficult for many of us to lead churches and compare our current numbers to what they were just one year ago, let us remember that all throughout the Bible, God shines brightest when the odds are stacked against Him.
If you need just a little bit of uplifting today, a little bit of hope, I would encourage you to read Judges chapter 7. It was in this chapter that 32000 men stood up for the Israelites to fight against the Midianite people. Yet, God had different plans. Listen to His words to Gideon:
God whittled 32000 men into a remnant of just 300 men. These 300, through the power of God inside of them, went and destroyed the rival Midianite camp. This is simply what God does: He takes a group of people that are incapable and powerless to win and invites them into a victory that they otherwise would have never experienced. God doesn’t get nervous when it appears He’s lost a little battle. God doesn’t bite His fingernails at the world’s unexpected twists and turns come at us. He remains in full control seated on His throne.
God always wins the final battle which is the ultimate renown of His name.
Elijah went 1 against 850 on Mount Carmel.The widow turned a jar of oil into a lifetime’s supply of it.David used a sling and a stone to destroy Goliath.Jesus used 5 loaves of bread and two fish to feed thousands.Jesus saved the world by becoming a baby.I believe the devil had a good laugh when Christ breathed His last after saying the word “tetelestai” (meaning “it is finished”) on the cross.
But the only thing that was finished on the cross Jesus hung on was the full payment of our sins. Death could not destroy Jesus. And not only that, but God used the weapon that was meant to kill Him to ultimately bring freedom to all of us. Our God will always have the last laugh.
2020 is “Tetelestai.” The devil probably had a pretty good laugh in 2020 watching so many so-called “Christians” give up on their faith and run to the corners of the earth to self-preserve. And while it can be deflating and discouraging to compare your current numbers to numbers of old, there is another way to look at them. And here it is: 2020 has stacked the odds against us like never before, and it’s because of that fact that we are perfectly positioned to see God move mightily.
The only thing that I see is the enemy presenting the single greatest opportunity for us to shine the light of Jesus in this world that we’ve ever had.
Pastor, collectively we may be smaller in number. Your church may be smaller in number. But we serve a God who has resurrecting power not only in Him, but in those that follow Him. You and your church are perfectly positioned for God to have maximum impact in this world. Not for our glory. But for His and His alone.
Let’s reopen Christianity and show the world how great our God truly is!
Pastor, are you ready to reopen Christianity?
While these blogs are written specifically for pastors and church leaders, we have an ebook Reopening Christianity and small group resources available for individuals at your church coming out January 11th! This will be a powerful small group or church-wide study. To inquire about using this as a sermon series and for bulk rates on the ebook, email us at hello@redletterchallenge.com.
“In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace.” https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/. 17 October 2019. Web. 6 November 2020.
The post Reopening Christianity: The Single Greatest Opportunity for Pastors in 2021 appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
The Single Greatest Opportunity for Pastors in 2021
As pastors, we’ve heard it countless times last year: “Every obstacle represents an opportunity.”
If that is true, then collectively, I don’t know that I’ve ever lived through a year that has presented more “opportunities,” or as I like to call them “obstatunities.”
Though, if we are honest with one another, 2020 was the year that collectively the Big “C” Capital “C” Church, with all of its collective Christians, missed. The middle of crises, obstacles, and storms ought to be the very best time to shine the light of Christ. Collectively, our lights should have never burned brighter than in 2020. Instead, 30+% of “Christians” ran for the hills, and the leadership of the Capital “C” Church collectively was decimated emotionally and mentally.
It didn’t have to be this way.
Thankfully, we have a God who gives us second chances.
And despite everything that happened in 2020, if anything, the year pointed out that the “Christianity” that had formed our nation was at best a shadow, broken-down version.
I know the intent behind the phrase that says “We are a post-Christian nation” but statistically that’s inaccurate.
Pew Research says that in 2019, 65% of Americans still claim to be Christians. That’s nearly 2 out of every 3 people. We do not have a problem identifying as a Christian. We have a problem actually living up to our calling as Christians. Many have received Jesus as their Savior, but few live as if He is really their Lord. We need a new brand of Christians that not only live with hope for the future because Jesus is Savior, but live like He is their Lord today. In other words, we need Christians to actually be greater followers — or disciples — of Jesus.
What is the single greatest opportunity before us in 2021: We have a chance to reopen Christianity!
What if we could reopen Christianity?
How would we reopen? What would we look like? What would we do? Could we start by acknowledging that we have gone far away from who the God in the Bible has called us to be? Can we use this time to refocus and come out a stronger representation of who Jesus is?
In a world filled with many good and great answers, Jesus Christ is the best answer. And if we could lead our people and not only give them, but invite them into the opportunity to experience who Jesus really is, the world would truly change.
Even though 2020 has produced many obstacles, it has also brought an incredible opportunity for us to examine thoroughly what it truly means to be Christian.
I’ve written an eBook called Reopening Christianity, along with small group materials as well. This could very easily be done as a church-wide sermon series as well. it goes live January 11th and you can join the wait list by emailing us at hello@redletterchallenge.com. If you are a pastor and you would like a free copy of the eBook just email us hello@redletterchallenge.com and we’ll hook you up as well! In this study, I challenge every Christian to answer five questions that will help shape and form the brand of Christianity that we move forward with.
Here are the five questions we tackle in Reopening Christianity:
Am I moving forward or backward?
Am I a contributor or consumer?
Am I playing offense or defense?
Am I known for what I am for or against?
Am I willing to follow Jesus as my Lord?
While the book is primarily focused on the individuals you are serving in your churches and communities, my heart is truly to help pastors succeed in challenging their people to become greater followers of Jesus. As a result, I wanted to celebrate the launch of this material by giving away a 6-part blog series (today’s introduction with five fresh blogs coming out January 11th-15th) specifically asking pastors the same questions above. We will look at these questions as it pertains to leading the church in which you serve. To make sure you are on our e-list to have this content hit your inboxes, subscribe here.
In this time where there is still great uncertainty in our world, I am certain the world needs a far greater expression of Jesus Christ.
2020 has been a year filled with debates on reopening strategies. This has been true for businesses, schools, universities, sports programs, and even churches.
Why is now the single greatest opportunity?
Simply because the mission field has never been as big as it is right now.
Our collective church numbers have been on decline for decades, but 2020 accelerated this trend at warp speed.
While it’s difficult for many of us to lead churches and compare our current numbers to what they were just one year ago, let us remember that all throughout the Bible, God shines brightest when the odds are stacked against Him.
If you need just a little bit of uplifting today, a little bit of hope, I would encourage you to read Judges chapter 7. It was in this chapter that 32000 men stood up for the Israelites to fight against the Midianite people. Yet, God had different plans. Listen to His words to Gideon:
God whittled 32000 men into a remnant of just 300 men. These 300, through the power of God inside of them, went and destroyed the rival Midianite camp. This is simply what God does: He takes a group of people that are incapable and powerless to win and invites them into a victory that they otherwise would have never experienced. God doesn’t get nervous when it appears He’s lost a little battle. God doesn’t bite His fingernails at the world’s unexpected twists and turns come at us. He remains in full control seated on His throne.
God always wins the final battle which is the ultimate renown of His name.
Elijah went 1 against 850 on Mount Carmel.
The widow turned a jar of oil into a lifetime’s supply of it.
David used a sling and a stone to destroy Goliath.
Jesus used 5 loaves of bread and two fish to feed thousands.
Jesus saved the world by becoming a baby.
I believe the devil had a good laugh when Christ breathed His last after saying the word “tetelestai” (meaning “it is finished”) on the cross.
But the only thing that was finished on the cross Jesus hung on was the full payment of our sins. Death could not destroy Jesus. And not only that, but God used the weapon that was meant to kill Him to ultimately bring freedom to all of us. Our God will always have the last laugh.
2020 is “Tetelestai.” The devil probably had a pretty good laugh in 2020 watching so many so-called “Christians” give up on their faith and run to the corners of the earth to self-preserve. And while it can be deflating and discouraging to compare your current numbers to numbers of old, there is another way to look at them. And here it is: 2020 has stacked the odds against us like never before, and it’s because of that fact that we are perfectly positioned to see God move mightily.
The only thing that I see is the enemy presenting the single greatest opportunity for us to shine the light of Jesus in this world that we’ve ever had.
Pastor, collectively we may be smaller in number. Your church may be smaller in number. But we serve a God who has resurrecting power not only in Him, but in those that follow Him. You and your church are perfectly positioned for God to have maximum impact in this world. Not for our glory. But for His and His alone.
Let’s reopen Christianity and show the world how great our God truly is!
Pastor, are you ready to reopen Christianity?
While these blogs are written specifically for pastors and church leaders, we have an ebook Reopening Christianity and small group resources available for individuals at your church coming out January 11th! This will be a powerful small group or church-wide study. To inquire about using this as a sermon series and for bulk rates on the ebook, email us at hello@redletterchallenge.com.
“In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace.” https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/. 17 October 2019. Web. 6 November 2020.
The post The Single Greatest Opportunity for Pastors in 2021 appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
January 5, 2021
How Making a Resolution to Stop Making Resolutions Changed My Life!
Happy New Year! 2020 was in many respects a difficult year. As the New Year rolls around, many people are clinging to change and using their New Year’s Resolutions to spur that change on. Through tracking the resolutions that people made this year, research tells us most resolutions revolve around these three things: physical health, financial health, and relational health. I love the heart in which resolutions typically come from. People are interested in their health and growth, and many times, resolutions come from the fact that people have noted something in their life needs to change.
Personally, I still want to grow, I still need to change, and I still desire to step more greatly into the calling that God has placed on my life.
Two years ago, I made a resolution to stop making resolutions. Why?
Resolutions aren’t effective.
According to Jon Acuff’s book Finish, 92% of New Year’s resolutions fail. Only 8% succeed. From a guy that loves numbers and statistics, this is simply not an effective strategy to life change.
I then went on a search to find what is more effective than resolutions. It’s important if I ditched resolutions that I pick up something else.
I then decided to pick up goals. love setting goals. It gives me something to shoot for and helps me focus on what’s important in becoming the person God has called me to be. I followed the S.M.A.R.T. (Smart, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) method and found some success. And even goals that I didn’t fully accomplish, I would typically make some progress. Some would say not achieving a goal is failure, but making progress towards most goals is still a net win.
But still, there were pieces of my life that I was desiring change in that by just having a goal on paper didn’t help me get to the place I wanted to. I found that willpower, hard work, and grit is helpful at times in accomplishing goals, but not the long-term answer. In my search for how to bring upon life change I stumbled upon something that truly helped change my life.
Are you ready?
Habits.
Habits help us accomplish goals or resolutions in life. The 8% of those that find success in resolutions or those that accomplish their goals in life go beyond willpower and grit, they go beyond writing it on paper, they go beyond finding an accountability partner, they have found a way to instill a habit in their life that helps them become the person God has called them to be.
Research from Duke University shows us 40% of the decisions that we make every day aren’t actually decisions we make, but rather habits that we’ve formed. If that’s the case, that means for about half of what we do in life, we are just on auto-pilot. I have spent many years as a pastor trying to help people make great decisions (and that’s important), but what’s just as important is to help everyone instill the right habits because that puts us intentionally in a place where we automatically make the right decisions.
2020 was a year that changed our habits. When major disruption arrives new habits and rhythms come shortly after. What habits did you create?
A new year represents a great time to start new habits.
Here are two imperative truths around habits that you need to know:
Keystone habits are real.
Keystone habits were introduced to us by Charles Duhigg in his book The Power of Habit. Keystone habits are habits that unintentionally spill over into other areas of our lives. They are no harder to form than any other habits. Physical examples of keystone habits are making your bed, flossing your teeth, and exercising regularly. I’ve written more on that here.
Over the past three years I have become physically healthier (dropped 30 pounds), far more productive (even with more sleep), and most importantly, have grown in my relationship with Jesus. It all started with a single keystone habit: exercise daily.
As I began to exercise daily it made me realize other areas of my life that I could grow in, especially spiritually.
Not all keystone habits are created equal.
I believe that no habits create a greater domino effect in our lives than spiritual habits. Ultimately all of our doing in this world should effectively come out of our being in relationship with God. If that’s true, then our major focus in life should always be in growing in our relationship with God.
If everything in our lives flows from our spirit, we need to be very careful what spiritual habits we are performing, or not performing.
How do we grow in our relationship with God? Look to Jesus. He is the only perfect person who has ever existed in perfect relationship with God. He is the perfect person we look to as our example in this world.
Even Jesus tells us this: Matthew 11:29: Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
Jesus is inviting us into a way of life where He leads and we follow Him. The more we sit at his feet and learn from Him, the more we become like Him. The more His habits become our habits. And the more these habits will begin to feel like unforced rhythms of grace in our lives.
Listen to how Eugene Peterson summarizes Paul’s word to Timothy in 1 Peter 4:7-8: Exercise daily in God – no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever.
So what habits did Jesus have in his life?
After thorough study of the Gospels, noting anytime that Jesus either practiced or taught on certain spiritual habits, I found what I believe are the five keystone habits of Jesus. Here they are:
Commit to Community
You can’t read any of the 4 Gospels in the New Testament without seeing that one of the very first things that Jesus does is chooses His disciples. He committed to a community of like-minded people from the very beginning of His ministry.
The stories of Jesus choosing His disciples are found in Matthew 4, Mark 1, Luke 6, and John 1.
4, 1, 6, and 1. In other words, very early on in the accounts of His ministry. I think if anyone could have gone alone and had great results in this world, it’s Jesus. Sometimes I even think community held him back. But Jesus commits to community. Why?
Because of this truth. You are not meant to be alone.
As we think about and explore the different keystone habits of Jesus, this one may not come to the top of many lists. In fact, many spiritual discipline lists will be more personal/individual things you can do, but I would argue that this habit of committing to community could just be one of the most important things to help you in your relationship with God. Because who your friends are, what they do, it matters in your life.
Dr. David McClelland, a social psychologist from Harvard, says the people you habitually associate with determine as much as 95% of your success or failure in life. 95%. That’s crazy!
Who you do life with typically dictates the type of person you are.
2. Study Scripture
In the Gospels alone, there are about 80 instances of Jesus quoting Old Testament Scripture, so it’s clear that Jesus had a thorough understanding of the Scriptures. Listening to a Tim Keller sermon, he said that there are 1800 Bible verses where Jesus is speaking…those red letters in your Bible. 1800 verses. And 180 of them are Him quoting Scripture. 10%.
As we talk about habits, so many of the habits in our lives flow out of our identity. I’ve heard before this phrase: “Identity determines biography.” The greatest place to not only discover about who our God is but also who you are is through the Scriptures.
Studying Scriptures allows us to see our true identity and then to form other keystone spiritual habits that will help us be the people that God calls us in the Scriptures.
3. Prioritize Prayer
The success of any relationship has to start with communication. Prayer is the way in which we communicate with God.
As I studied the life of Jesus in the 4 Gospels of our New Testament, I found nearly 50 times that Jesus either practiced prayer or taught on the importance of prayer. Jesus is shown praying alone, praying in public, praying first-thing in the morning, praying in the evening, praying before meals, before important decisions, before and after healings. In fact, in one place where Jesus was praying, there must have been some way in which Jesus was praying different than the disciples, for they asked Jesus, “Teach us how to pray.” The disciples had certainly prayed before but there was something about the way in which Jesus communicated with God that was different.
James, the brother of Jesus, declares that if we are ever in need of wisdom, all we need to do is simply ask God, and He will give it to us.
2020 was a hard and confusing year. What if you could any time and any place receive the direction and wisdom of God? Prayer is a powerful tool that allows us to cry out to a God that will answer us.
4. Seek Solitude
Jesus sought or taught on solitude nearly 40 times in the Gospels. He would seek solitude before making decisions and beginning hard work, and he would even seek solitude in the middle of his work, and to recharge after the work was completed. He spent 40 days in the wilderness before He began His 3-year ministry that would lead Him to the cross to be alone with God.
Not only is the world confusing, but it’s also very noisy. Solitude with God allows us to quiet the noise of the world down and listen to His voice. It’s one thing in this world to receive direction from God, but with all of the noise and distractions, it’s hard to stay on the right path. Isn’t that why we need to do things like resolutions, goals, and habits in the first place?
When you spend time with God, He gives you a focus that can cut through all of the noise and chaos of this world.
5. Choose Church
Even though church looks very different today than it did in the day in which Jesus lived, there are several verses, including Luke 21:37, that tell us Jesus gathered with those that would make up the church every single day. He not only attended church, but He used His gifts for the benefit of the church.
Though our church looks very different from the day in which Jesus lived, and though our churches today may look very different from one another, let us not give up the habit of meeting together. Our world is filled with bad news and depressing statistics all the time. When the church is done right, even though churches even today look very different from one another, it is the consistent place where the Good News of Jesus is proclaimed. Whether you are gathering online or in person in these crazy times, consistently surrounding yourself with the Good News of Jesus is simply one of the best choices you can make.
These 5 keystone habits of Jesus are the habits that we are called to put in our lives. Which keystone habit will you improve this year?
I’ve written a full 40-day challenge around these 5 keystone habits called Being Challenge.
If you are a pastor and wanting to help your people instill these habits in their lives, now is the time. Here’s a post on why the beginning of the year is a great time for a challenge like this!
Included with the challenge are FREE sermon manuscripts and videos, small group materials, kids curriculum, graphics package, etc. In addition, there are kid’s workbooks available to help kids learn how to BE with God. We’ve even created training videos for FREE for you to help you learn how to implement a 40-day challenge in your setting. Click here to view those videos.
Our team is happy to help you implement this well.
And we have some incentive right now!
At this link, you can select how many books you’ll need and you’ll already see discounts of 10-40% off there. But for those churches that place their order by January 15, 2021, for orders of 100 or more books, we are ready to give an additional $100-$500 off.
Also, there’s a ton of SWAG (Shirts, Bracelets, Decals) that can go along with your orders to make your 40-day experience that much better at your church. Here’s the link, and again, the more you order, the greater the discount will be!
If you have any questions, our team would be happy to serve you! Email us at hello@redletterchallenge.com and we’ll get back to you! God bless you as you lead God’s church courageously in 2021!
The post How Making a Resolution to Stop Making Resolutions Changed My Life! appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
December 14, 2020
7 Quick Tips to Help You Create Your 2021 Preaching Calendar
Uh-oh! A new year is coming soon! Many churches have pushed their annual planning back as far as they possibly can due to the craziness that has been 2020. But in just a couple of weeks, 2021 will be upon us. If you are running behind, here’s 7 quick tips that may be helpful as you plan your 2021 Preaching Calendar.
Plan the whole year out, but do it in pencil.
This was the year collectively where pastors made more plans than ever. And yet, because of circumstances happening in our world, many plans could not be executed properly. Some plans that were talked about, prayed through, and strategized upon on Monday were already forgotten by Tuesday. This year was dominated by pandemic, racial, and political news and the church wisely shifted our previously made plans in order to bring God’s perspective into real world issues.
We learned the truth of Proverbs 16:9 this year: The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
It is wise to have the full perspective of 2021 in mind, but the flexibility in our schedules to address real world issues.
Identify the Needs of Your People
When it comes to planning which topics or themes are relevant, we should look no further than what our people are searching for in the midst of these turbulent times. At the heart of what we are doing as pastors we are called to shepherd and lead our people. Acts 20:28 tells us: Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
One sermon series our church has done (originally borrowed from “Church of the Highlands”) the past few years is simply called “You Asked for It.” We come up with a series of about 20-25 questions that we feel like our people are asking us. We then survey our congregation and have them vote on which questions they would like us to preach on. Not only are we ensuring that we give relative sermons, but it also gives us an opportunity to have our people engage with us. We typically have done this sermon series in some of our higher attendance seasons, following Easter or to begin the Fall “Back to School” season.
Interestingly, this data also gives us which questions are the least requested. Amazingly, nearly every year questions about sexual brokenness are found at the bottom. This goes to show me that some of the questions that are least requested may be things we don’t want to discuss, but we need to discuss.
Share what God is Placing on Your Heart
What a privilege it is to be the mouthpiece of God in this world. When we preach God’s Word, we have His assurances that it will never return empty. Effective preaching comes out of the overflow of our heart. Matthew 12:34 declares: For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
As we dive into our own personal devotions and Scripture readings, pay careful attention to those passages or topics that God stirs in your heart. For me, usually in the course of a calendar year, I’ll have 2-3 major ideas that God just continues to put strongly into my heart. Leave room in the calendar for these moments, whether it is a single standalone sermon, or a complete series. When we speak from our heart, knowing that God’s Spirit is already at work within His Word going out, it creates opportunities for God to move mightily.
Preach the Values of your Church
Likely your church has core values that are important to accomplishing your mission and vision. It is wise to revisit these core values every year in a message or even a series of messages on each core value. For vision to stick it must continue to be reinforced over and over and over again. Andy Stanley says, “Vision doesn’t stick without constant care and attention.”
And the wise King Solomon would once say in Proverbs 29:18: “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained.” A great way to help your vision stick is to preach through your values and teach how those help accomplish your church’s vision.
Utilize the Strengths of Your Preaching Team
God has wired each person differently. I truly believe that none of us can be experts in all things, but each of us is and likely should be experts in a few things. Play to the strengths of your preaching team.
Romans 12:6 reminds us: “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.”
I mean this from the standpoint of not only topics, but also style. What is most important in preaching is the proclamation of the Gospel. Each sermon should be based on God’s Word. But how you bring in God’s Word could vary. You may be more on the expository (verse-by-verse) side or you may thrive by telling story and illustration using the Bible as your anchor text. Whatever it may be, play to your strengths. If you have the advantage of a preaching team, use variety in how you bring God’s Word into the lives of your church.
Plan All-In Church Series or Challenges 1-2 Times Per Year
I’m amazed at the energy that an all-in church series can bring. Using materials or resources that can tie the whole church in not just on Sunday’s but during the week as well, likely may never be more important. Overnight, many of our churches became split into an in-person, digital, and hybrid model. Finding resources that tie us together during the week as well as on the weekend will be paramount.
Over the course of the last 3 years, prior even to the pandemic, there have been countless conversations I’ve been in with other pastors that intentionally put 1 or 2 all-in church series in their calendar every year. Not only can this bring unity to the whole church in a distanced time, increases engagement during the week in biblical habits and small groups, but it also allows a couple of nice months of breathing room to use materials where you do not have to start from scratch.
Our team at RLC has had the privilege to work with hundreds of churches and if you are on the lookout for a resource that can tie into your preaching calendar, we’d love to work with you with either of our 40-day studies: our original work Red Letter Challenge or our newest work Being Challenge. The most strategic times in the calendar year for an all-in series are New Year, 40 Days Prior to Easter, 40 Days After Easter, and the Fall.
Stretch Yourself by Preaching Something New
Earlier I mentioned playing to your strengths and preaching/teaching on topics that you excel in. It is also wise to stretch yourself every year with a series or two of messages on things that you’ve never preached on. We are continual learners and God gives us new insight as we dive into new waters. The entirety of Scripture is important as Paul reminds Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Those are 7 quick tips to help you plan your 2021 preaching calendar. Are there any other tips that you would add? What sermon series are you planning to preach this year?
The post 7 Quick Tips to Help You Create Your 2021 Preaching Calendar appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
November 30, 2020
92% of People Who Practice this Habit Experience Peace!
Anxiety is at an all-time high with never before documented levels. Not only this, but it feels as if we are experiencing division and polarization like I’ve never seen before! People are drawing sides on just about anything.
Did you know that the root word for anxiety in Greek, “merizo” means “to divide?” Do you wonder why it feels like there is so much division in our world? Anxiety causes division.
We are not at peace with one another on the outside because we are not being driven by peace on the inside.
On the inside, the opposite of peace is anxiety.
On the outside, the opposite of peace is war.
The more anxiety we have on the inside will produce more more division on the outside.
Not only is God’s peace available to us, but the apostle Paul says that Christians already have it. It’s one of the fruits of the Spirit that is mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. These fruits are not things you need to attain to, but if God’s Spirit lives inside of you, you already have them.
If God’s peace is not only available, but already inside of us, then why doesn’t it feel like we are at peace today? And what can we do to experience the peace of God today?
The answer, believe it or not, is not all that complicated.
New research from over 1200 participants in our FREE RLC Assessment tell us that 92% of people somewhat to strongly agree that a particular habit in their lives brings more peace into their lives.
What is this habit?
Prayer
This data shouldn’t surprise us. If we didn’t take the “peace that passes understanding” verse out of context (like I did earlier), we would see in the verse directly before it these incredible instructions to combat anxiety:
Paul is reminding us that to combat anxiety there is a tool called prayer that Christians have and can exercise at any time at any place.
If you are not feeling at peace right now, or you feel major unrest in your church right now, rather than doubling down on your own strength, what if you spent time praying to God? When is the last time you connected with God in prayer? Do you have a daily set aside time? If peace comes so easily through this habit, it would be a very wise investment of our time to not only include daily prayer in our lives, but to encourage this practice in the churches that we lead.
The fact is that if we are not regularly talking and listening to God, then we will be listening to the world. And with the world comes all sorts of ways the enemy can speak to you. And the more you listen to the enemy, the more anxiety you will experience. The devil’s language is anxiety and God’s language is peace. Never have I spent time with God and been more anxious. Never have I spent time in the devil’s playground and been more at peace.
And what’s amazing about this particular habit for me is it’s not one that I ultimately feel victorious in. Prayer has been, and still is, one of the hardest habits for me to stay disciplined in. One of the best things I’ve learned when it comes to prayer is not how I pray, but simply that I pray. Like in the gym, the more I put in the reps, the stronger I become. Even on days I don’t feel it, just showing up is the win. The more I put in the prayer reps, the more peace I have.
We all need to be reminded that the reason that prayer is so peace-giving is because of who we are praying to. We are not praying to a distant, lifeless God who is not all that powerful. We are praying to a God who can do something about what we are praying about. He can remove our anxiety and give us His peace.
Don’t believe me? Check out these two verses:
1 Peter 5:7 says: Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
This is Peter speaking. Peter’s a fisherman. I like this language. Cast it on Him. Throw it out in there. Don’t hold back.
But this isn’t the only time casting anxiety is mentioned. King David mentions this in Psalm 55:22: Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.
Peter tells us to cast our anxiety onto God because He cares for us. He loves us.
David tells us to cast our anxiety onto God because He’ll sustain us. He’s powerful enough to take care of me.
We cast our anxiety on Him because He cares for me and He will take care of me.
2020 has been nothing but disruptive on the outside. But outside disruption doesn’t have to equate to inner disruption. As much as everything else has changed on the outside, God hasn’t changed. He still loves you. He still can take care of you.
As much as we want to make changes in this world on the outside, I’m convinced that the greatest difference we can make in this world isn’t by things that we do, but by prayers that we pray. We are limited in our power in what we can do. God’s power is unlimited. Rather than continuing to rely only on our own strength, what if we cast the burdens and anxiety in this world into the hands of the one who can truly do something!
Don’t hear me wrong: I believe it’s vitally important for churches to have solutions that help people with anxiety. I believe this is one of the great opportunities that has arisen in church. The more anxiety that comes, the more our answer of Jesus Christ is relevant to this world. And as important as ministries, programs, and strategies are to help combat anxiety and division, let’s not forget to teach on the biblical principle of prayer.
It’s smart not only from a spiritual perspective, but from merely an earthly perspective as well. If 92% of people experience more peace from this simple habit, prayer is the low-hanging fruit that can bring more peace to our world.
As a leader in your church, ask yourself these questions:
Do I feel peace or anxiety?
Am I praying regularly to God?
Am I leading my church to a more consistent habit of prayer?
Here are two things you can do in the New Year to help your church practice this habit:
21 Days of Prayer
The last few years at our church we have led the year with 21 Days of Prayer. I highly encourage this practice which we modeled after The Church of the Highlands. It’s an intentional time to start the year by spending time in prayer to God. We give the year over to Him, ask for His wisdom and direction, and try to instill this habit into our lives by doing it every day for 21 days.
Being Challenge
Not only does Paul teach on the importance of prayer, but prioritizing prayer was one of the 5 keystone habits of Jesus highlighted in our newest work Being Challenge. Keystone habits are habits that unintentionally spill over into other areas of our lives. With the peace that prayer brings, it’s clear why this would be a keystone habit. When we live by peace, and not by anxiety, of course it would have incredible benefits in the other aspects of our lives. Consider leading your church through this powerful 40-day experience where they will learn and practice the 5 keystone habits of Jesus, including prioritizing prayer.
I’m cheering for you. May the peace of God go with you!
The post 92% of People Who Practice this Habit Experience Peace! appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
November 24, 2020
The Surprising Benefits of Daily Confession
As 2021 rolls around the corner, habit formation will be a vital topic that many churches will address. Coming after a year in which, sadly, many new habits were formed that pushed people further away from relationship with God, it is imperative we teach people how to form new habits that will help them grow in their relationship with God.
Research tells us that 40% of our actions every day are not well thought out decisions, but habits in our lives. Think about that. We are on autopilot for about half of what we do. I have spent significant time in ministry trying to help people make good decisions. Lately, I’m spending far more of my time and energy going deeper trying to help people instill the habits that will automatically put them in a better position to make the right decisions.
John Dryden said, “First we make our habits, then our habits make us.” We become what we do repeatedly.
A few years ago, I discovered Charles Duhigg’s book The Power of Habit. This game-changing book introduced me to the idea of keystone habits.
What is a Keystone Habit?
A keystone habit is a habit that people introduce into their lives that unintentionally carry over into other aspects of their lives.
Keystone habits create a domino effect that can change every area of your life. One keystone habit can lead to multiple other good habits. A keystone habit is no more difficult to form than any other habit, but provides the most benefits. Here are a few examples of physical keystone habits:
People who exercise regularly for some reason spend less on credit cards.
People who make the bed are more likely to like their jobs and own their own home.
People who floss their teeth are more confident and disciplined in life.
After studying the power of physical keystone habits, I began thinking about the potential power of spiritual keystone habits. Paul says in Romans 8:5: For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. If we are truly spiritual beings, that means that our lives are being led by our spirit. The spiritual habits we form and develop in our lives have the ability to influence a multitude of other habits in our lives.
So what spiritual habits ought we form?
My answer is always “Look to Jesus.” What habits did Jesus have in His life?
Jesus was the only person who has ever lived in this world that has been in perfect relationship with God. Because of this, my premise is that if we are going to attempt to form new keystone habits, why not try to form the keystone habits of Jesus in our lives? Interested in what the five keystone habits of Jesus are?
I have spent the better part of the last two years organizing a 40-day-church-wide-challenge called Being Challenge which teaches and encourages everyone to practice the 5 keystone habits of Jesus. Thousands have gone through it already and tens of thousands more are gearing up to go through it as we start 2021. If you are interested in starting 2021 with a turnkey 40-day challenge for your church to BE like Jesus, email us at hello@redletterchallenge.com or get more info here.
At the heart of it, Jesus is an incredible model and teacher for us when it comes to how we should live. We should put it into practice what He put into practice. But Jesus is more than just a teacher and model; He is a Savior and Lord. And it’s because He is Savior and Lord that there is one keystone habit that Jesus never needed to practice.
Confession: The Keystone Habit Jesus Never Needed to Practice
The difference between Jesus and every single human being is that we are sinners and He is not. The reason that Jesus’ death on the cross was so powerful is because He was the only sinless man to ever live. To pay for and atone for the sins of the world, in God’s justice system, it required a perfect, spotless sacrifice.
Hebrews 9:22 tells us: In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Jesus, a sinless man, substituted His life for ours, and shed His blood, and by doing so, satisfied the consequence of sin.
Unfortunately, we still live in a sinful world, and each of us contributes to this. Romans 3:10 reminds us that “There is no one righteous, not even one.”
We live in a world that likes to affirm and accept everyone for who they are. The problem with this is we should not fully affirm anyone for who they are. Christians should not want to be fully affirmed and accepted. I don’t want or need you to tell me that I should stay the way that I am. I want to continually grow in my relationship with God, become more holy, flee from sin, and draw near to God. Under no circumstances in a right relationship with God should you ever feel like you’ve made it, or cease to become more holy. I’d rather be challenged in my sin from my brothers and sisters than have them act like I have no sin in my life.
Rather than thinking we are perfect, what if, instead, we admitted that we are sinful and we have in fact missed the mark.
Every one of us sins. It’s what we do after sin that makes all the difference.
Before we explore the benefits to confession, let’s first ask the BIG question:
What’s the alternative to Confession?
The alternatives to confession are all things we’ve tried before:
Deny it
Minimize it
Try to cover it up
Blame someone else
Any of the above options will further imprison you. And here’s why: Deep down, you know you are guilty. Any pursuit of denying it, minimizing, covering it up, or blaming someone else will ultimately keep you in bondage. And your guilt will eventually turn into shame.
Contrary to popular belief, it is appropriate to experience sorrow after committing a sin. It is appropriate for us to feel guilty, because, in fact, we are guilty.
The devil wants to take your guilt, which is natural, and turn it into lifelong shame.
Guilt is “I did something wrong.” Shame is the feeling of “I am something wrong.”
Shame hits more at your core identity and leaves you with constant feelings of inadequacy. The devil wants you to carry that shame with you wherever you go. Jesus wants to give you grace that removes the guilt before it ever turns into shame. At His core, Jesus never wants you to doubt your core identity.
Rather than denying, minimizing, covering up, and blaming someone else, there is another option. You can be forgiven. And it starts by confessing your sin to Jesus.
The admission price to freedom is the admission of guilt.
This is what the apostle John reminds us: 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
Why is Confession a Keystone Habit: 3 Benefits of Regular Confession of Sin
1. You Gain Freedom for Yourself
King David is one of the most prominent characters in all of the Bible. He is described as a “man after God’s own heart,” but he committed some horrendous mistakes along the way. His guilt for these mistakes was tremendous. Read about his experience of confession in Psalm 32:3-5 (NLT):
When I refused to confess my sin,
my body wasted away,
and I groaned all day long.
Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
The first benefit of confession is the freedom that you experience. You can see in the words above that if you do not confess your sins you will live in bondage. Keystone habits are all about helping you not just succeed in one area, but carry over into other areas as well. Quite simply, you will not be a successful, productive, capable person in bondage. The reason that confession is so important, then, is it frees you up to be the person God has made you to be.
Are you going to let the devil win and turn your guilt into shame? Or are you going to bring your sorrow, your guilt, and whatever level of shame you are experiencing to Jesus to experience His freedom?
2. You Become a Greater Evangelist to Others
When you regularly confess your sin, it allows you the opportunity to hear and receive words of forgiveness over your life. The end goal of confession is not for you to remember your sin, it is to remove your sin. Your brokenness leads you to God’s kindness, and God’s kindness, leads and compels you to change.
A few years ago, a Christian research company found that those who were most likely to spread the Good News of Jesus had a regular practice of daily confession in their lives. Those most willing to talk about and spread the Good News of Jesus started with an understanding that they are most in need of God’s grace.
When you regularly receive God’s grace and mercy it puts you in a better place to tell others about His grace and mercy. The greatest evangelists are the ones who have the greatest understanding of God’s kindness. Perhaps the key to inviting people not only into a life in Christ, but to attend the local church, is to help people instill this habit of daily confession.
3. You Move Towards Humility and Away from Hypocrisy
Sadly, non-Christians label Christians as “hypocrites.” We are labeled this way because many of us project on the outside that because we are Christian, we no longer have serious sin struggles in this world. The world sees us for what we really are though, and sees right through those lies.
The way to avoid being a hypocrite is to confess to others that you are sinful. People may still be able to label you a “sinner” but they cannot label you a “hypocrite” if you regularly confess your sins and talk of your shortcomings.
Another lie that the enemy sends our way is that if you are stuck in a sin pattern that you are the only one in the world who is stuck in that sin pattern. This simply isn’t true. Every one of us is broken, we all have faults, and it’s time we talk about those not only to God, but James, the brother of Jesus also, urges us to:
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
If I’m honest, confessing my sins to someone else is not only humbling, it’s also scary. But what I have found is that while people will often celebrate you for your strengths, they will also resonate with you in your weaknesses. We live in a nation that celebrates strength, and so any admittance of weakness is perceived as exactly that, weak. But truthfully, it’s when we admit that we are weak where God is most powerful. Our weaknesses only give God a greater chance to shine.
As you move into a New Year and attempt to form spiritual habits that draw you close to God, why not start today with an honest assessment of where you are today, and confess your shortcomings to a God who loves you so much!
Humble yourself. Draw near to God. Admit your faults. And let the freedom begin.
The post The Surprising Benefits of Daily Confession appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
November 17, 2020
Hearing God’s Truth in the 5 Lies the Devil Has Been Shouting at Pastors
Ministry is hard without a pandemic. It’s even more complex in a pandemic. Sadly, there are no signs of ministry becoming less complicated anytime soon. As coronavirus cases are still on the rise, our initial hopes were that a vaccine would quickly end the pandemic. Amazingly, in the last 8 days, we’ve heard reports that two vaccines have now been approved! But, because of the lack of trust in the medical community, or the politics behind it, half of Americans aren’t even willing to take a vaccine. On top of that, it will take months, maybe a year or longer, to have enough vaccines available to widely distribute to the general population.
When will the pandemic end is no longer a helpful question.
The right question is how can I be a pastor, or church leader, in the midst of the pandemic.
The devil is the father of lies and he’s had a busy year. I believe much of the problems in this world is because people listen far more to the lies of the enemy than the truth of the Gospel. It’s easy to hear the lies because the enemy is shouting at us. Sometimes it’s hard to hear the truth because God whispers to us. The enemy shouts because he’s not interested in a relationship. He just wants to get you off course quickly, and move on to the next person. God whispers to remind us that He’s close.
There have been a lot of shouts, specifically at pastors and church leaders, from the enemy this year.
This is my attempt to combat five lies that I know I’ve experienced personally or that I’ve heard from other pastors.
Lie Number 1: This isn’t what I signed up for.
Yes it is!
All throughout Scripture, those who follow after God are not invited into an easy, convenient, and comfortable life. They are invited into a life filled with burdens, hardship, and great cost. Don’t believe me? Read through Paul’s incredibly long, painful, brutal and impressive list of sufferings because He followed after Jesus well.
Why are we surprised that the disruption that has happened in this world has disrupted our church and our profession? Being a church leader, or pastor, requires sacrifice. You have been called into it by the grace of God. It’s not an easy calling, but it’s a fulfilling life. It’s difficult, but it matters.
And the church needs you pastor. Maybe you don’t believe you have what it takes to lead in a time like this. But you do. Just because the world has changed and methods may need adjustment, large or small, does not mean that you are not the person to do it. I get it. You may not be a movie star, and technology may not be your strong suit, but your people need you to be strong. They are sheep, and they need a shepherd.
And while the methods may have changed, or been disrupted, or, still being figured out, gifts that you have inside of you like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are needed now more than ever.
If you are concerned about your own gifts and how they can be utilized in a time such as this, do yourself a favor and double down on the gifts God has put inside of you.
Lie Number 2: Church will go back to the way it was.
No they won’t. And that’s okay.
Collectively, what the church in America had become was a broken-down, mediocre, shadow-at-best representation of Jesus. Statistically speaking, despite what you have heard, we are not a post-Christian nation. 65% of Americans self-identify as Christian. And yet, as high as that number is, our numbers and influence have been on decline for decades now.
To be fair, there have been some really great individual and collective witnesses of Jesus in the past. But our overall collective actions are driven by what we have decided. And what American Christians have decided in the past, no matter what pastoral leadership has taught, is they want to follow both Jesus and the American Dream. These two ideals lead to different places, and it has led to a very flawed and confusing representation of Jesus.
Since crisis is an accelerator, we are now seeing the results from resting on the status quo, or accepting a slow death for the church. All of a sudden, 30+% of “practicing Christians” are running away from any church experience.
Habit formation is a real thing, and for months now, tens of millions of “practicing Christians” have formed new Sunday habits. It doesn’t mean they can’t be retrained, and in fact, the opportunity the church has is to preach and teach on the importance of habits.
My latest work centers on teaching your entire church the 5 keystone habits of Jesus and we are happy to send a pastor a free copy of our book.
Thinking that everyone will just come back and church will return to what it was is not helpful or correct thinking.
And we should be grateful for that.
Through what many see as the great obstacle of 2020, I see one great opportunity: to reopen Christianity. We have an opportunity to come out a stronger and greater representation of Jesus.
To join the wait list for a new project to be completed in January 2021 called “Reopening Christianity” email us at hello@redletterchallenge.com.
Now, here’s the truth: that stronger, greater representation will absolutely be smaller in number than before. But the great news we see all throughout the Bible is that God does great work when the odds are stacked against Him:
He can move a mountain with a mustard seed.
He can turn five loaves and two fish into food for thousands.
He can save the world through a little baby boy born in a manger in a stable in a little unknown town like Bethlehem.
Though we may be smaller, through the power of God, we can be mightier!
Lie Number 3: Let’s just get to 2021 or ______ date.
Life happens no matter what is going on in the world. While there is something psychological about a calendar flip into a new year, ministry must not delay any longer. I have continually thought, or heard, from pastors, “Well, I’m waiting to do x, y, and z until _____ date or until we have our people back.”
I said in the beginning of the global pandemic that it felt like the world hit a collective pause. Everyone was quarantined, schools were cancelled, and calendar items were wiped out. I’ve never seen anything like it before. And though it may have felt like the world hit a pause, the truth is the world never hits pause. If the world paused, then:
Why am I in a state of emotional and mental unhealth like never before?
Why does church feel so much more complex than it ever was?
Why am I working as hard as I ever have but seeing fewer results?
Why are the “devoted, practicing pre-Covid” Christian parents not coming to my church out of safety for their children, and yet they have resumed in-person sports, activities, clubs, eating in restaurants in public, and not even wearing a mask in public?
Like Red says in Shawshank Redemption, “You can either get busy living or get busy dying.”
This past Sunday I preached a sermon called “I’m Flipping Out.” The message was urging people to flip out of a “Because of Covid” mindset into a “Because of Christ” mindset by viewing God’s mercy. God’s mercies are new every day. This pandemic that we are in has caused many circumstantial changes, and maybe even some permanent changes in our lives. We are not immune from the changes that it has caused. We are not immune from the losses we have experienced because of Covid.
But, there is something else that happened in all of our lives that didn’t just change things circumstantially, but eternally. When Jesus Christ came into your life, He completely wiped out the old, and made you into a new creation.
Here’s the truth. When it looks like the story is over, this is when God does His best work and writes a new chapter. Remember, God is the Alpha and Omega, the author and the finisher. His story is not over. Don’t count Him out.
Because of Christ, do not let your life or your 2020 be defined any longer because of outside circumstances. Do not let your life and identity be hijacked by something that does not have the power to run your life and tell you who you are and how you are to live.
As of writing this, there are exactly 45 more days in 2020. That’s 45 new chances to view God’s mercy. As we move forward, I urge you to do your best ministry now and not delay any longer. The days of hoping to get to _____ date, or waiting for things to return to normalcy, are a lie from the enemy. The devil wants to keep you delayed, and down. Pray, strategize, and talk about how to bring Christ in the middle of crisis to a community, nation, and world that so desperately needs Jesus.
Statistically, 2020 won’t be our best collective year as a church, but what if we used the next 45 days to take 45 great steps to set up 2021 to be the godliest year in our personal life and in our church’s history?
To use the old preacher slogan: “What if 2020 was just the setback we needed to setup our comeback?”
Lie Number 4: My church depends on my success.
I know you wouldn’t say this out loud, but many pastors think this, or we act this out in the way that we work. I know this, because I’ve thought it and I’ve believed it.
Sadly, pastors mental and emotional health has been decimated in 2020. According to Barna Research and Church Pulse Weekly Podcast, pastor’s emotional and mental health levels are 10x worse than ever before recorded. That’s not okay. Coronavirus doesn’t have to obliterate our overall emotional and mental health, because our mental and emotional health is driven by our spiritual health. And as much as the world and our churches have changed, God hasn’t.
Perhaps in the midst of this pandemic what you need more than anything else is to spend more time and energy building your relationship with God rather than building the church. After all, it’s out of the overflow of our hearts that ministry happens.
Why, then, if God hasn’t changed, are so many pastors struggling?
Sadly, I believe if we are not personally investing, developing, and growing in our relationship with God, it becomes easier to lose our identity. As much as pastors have preached to others about not finding their identity in their work and career, we need this message for ourselves. Many of us find our identity in our job. And when attendance is close to 30% across the nation of what it was, when finances are moving in the wrong direction in the majority of our churches, and when more and more of our “devoted” families are choosing Mickey Mouse, or football, over church, it makes us feel like we are not good pastors. And if your main identity is in being a pastor, this year would have crushed you.
But before you are a pastor, you are a child of God. Before you are a shepherd, you are a sheep. Your identity hasn’t changed.
Pastor, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to lead and run God’s church.
Remember the promise of Jesus: “I will build my church.”
You are so important to God and to His church, but remember, it is not your church. It is God’s church. He has a history of using broken, messy, unqualified people and turning it into something beautiful.
You are one of those broken, messy, unqualified people.
No matter what has gone down, and even if you feel like you’ve failed in 2020, know that God is calling you to move forward. In his amazing conversation with Peter in John 21 Jesus brings Peter back into a charcoal fire moment not to make Peter relive his worst moment, but to relieve Him of it. Not to bring shame into his life for failing Jesus, but to bring the shame out of him.
How do I know this? Because in the conversation that ensued, Jesus never looked backward, but always pointed forward for Peter. Three times He declared to Peter, “Feed my sheep.”
Even after we’ve failed and even after we’ve missed the mark, Jesus points forward for us: “There’s a job to do, and you are the person for it.”
God loves you so much. God is so proud of you. God still chooses you. God still calls you. God understands how hard this year has been for you and how complex ministry still is. He offers you the incredible opportunity through it all to be in relationship with Him.
Lie Number 5: Nobody knows what I’m going through.
The devil will attempt to isolate you and make it feel like you are alone in this fight. But you are not.
Not only can you talk to God about what you are experiencing, but there are pastors all over the world, and even in your community that understand what you are going through. Perhaps the best thing you could do would be to open up, to confess your heart, and to hear God’s words of absolution and restoration over your soul.
This isn’t the time to keep plowing forward on your own strength. This is the time to lean into Christ, and to lean into a brother or sister in Christ and talk about all that you are experiencing.
It is hard for pastors to admit weakness because we live in a world that expects perfection out of the pastoral office. But you are not perfect. And you need help. God has all that you need.
Talk to God. Talk to another pastor. Open up.
I’m cheering for you. You are so valuable and so loved.
The post Hearing God’s Truth in the 5 Lies the Devil Has Been Shouting at Pastors appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
November 3, 2020
5 Reasons January 2021 is the Perfect Time for a Church-Wide Challenge!
Many pastors are already planning what their 2021 calendar looks like, and we believe that there is no greater way to start the year than to challenge your entire church!
2020 has been a disruptive year to say the least. There are a lot of people in our churches who are ready to flip the calendar and see what 2021 brings!
Below are 5 great reasons that our newest study Being Challenge is perfect for the start of 2021!
(By the way, if you haven’t seen a FREE 100-page sample of Being Challenge yet, you can download a FREE sample here.
People are ready for new habits at the beginning of the year.
Let’s face it! Many people set new goals and resolutions as a new year begins. The success behind accomplishing these goals and resolutions (which Jon Acuff, author of Finish, says is only 8%) is those that can have just enough discipline to create new habits. Being Challenge is a book centered on discipling its readers through the 5 keystone habits of Jesus. As people are thinking about the new year and bolstering their faith, there is no one greater to learn habits from than Jesus Himself. The habits that we learn from Jesus are:
Committing to Community
Studying Scripture
Prioritizing Prayer
Seeking Solitude
Choosing Church
Being in relationship with God is the primary target of a follower of Jesus, and so why not invest 40 days into helping give people real answers for how to grow in their relationship with God?
Nothing brings unity like Jesus!
2020 has been ripe with racial tension, deep oppression, and political battles. On top of that we’ve all had to learn how to cope and live in the midst of a global pandemic. It’s easy to say that 2020 has been the most divisive, polarizing year that many of us have ever experienced. The answer for how to cut through division is Jesus. Being Challenge is a study that will dive deep into the life and habits of Jesus. In fact, the number one word we have heard from pastors that have completed a 40-day challenge in Covid times is “unity.” As we study the life of Jesus, people will find themselves immersed into not only a great model and teacher, but a great Savior and Lord. The more people experience Jesus, the more unified our community, nation, and world will be.
Bring the energy back into the room (and into the Zoom)
Church has gotten more complicated with many pastors learning the art of not just creating a great atmosphere to worship God in their buildings, but also creating some form of a powerful online worship experience as well. Being Challenge is meant to not only make your Sunday services great, but also will tie your physically divided churches together during the week with ready-made small group materials. In addition, each day your church family will be reading the same devotions and attempting to complete the same challenges. Forward-thinking churches will be looking for resources to not only help them have a great experience on a Sunday, but that can live with their people Monday-Saturday as well.
A Turnkey Resource for the Whole Church
That’s right! At my core, I am a pastor and I understand pastors. The resources I create are meant to be as turnkey as possible so that pastors can continue to give their all in other matters. Right now many pastors and church leaders are focused on creating their first ever hybrid Christmas celebration (in-person and digital). What if you could have the confidence to spend all of the necessary time to plan your Christmas services, because you knew that in the New Year you had 40 exciting “done-for-you” days of ministry.
Included with Being Challenge for free are sermon manuscripts and videos, small group materials, kids curriculum, graphics package, etc. In addition, there are kid’s workbooks available to help kids learn how to BE with God. We’ve even created training videos for FREE for you to help you learn how to implement a 40-day challenge in your setting. Click here to view those videos.
These 40 days will produce results all year long!
Being Challenge will teach and challenge its readers to grow in their relationship with God by instilling the 5 keystone habits of Jesus. We’ve heard countless stories of people who have completed a challenge in our workbooks that will then go on and continue the practices they learned through the 40-day challenge. So what can you expect? There will be people in your church as a result of this challenge that will:
Commit to community (they’ll join a small group for the first time)
Study Scripture (they will commit to reading a Bible plan)
Prioritize prayer (they will start their day by praying)
Seek solitude (they’ll plan intentional time to spend with God)
Choose church (they’ll make it a regular practice to attend the assembly of God and serve the local church).
These practices will not only help each individual grow in their relationship with God, but they will transform your church.
Remember that all of our doing flows from our being! Let’s get so transformed on the inside that it spills over into everything we do on the outside.
Our team is happy to help you implement this well.
And we have some incentive right now!
At this link, you can select how many books you’ll need and you’ll already see discounts of 10-40% off there. But for those churches that place their order by end of November, for orders of 100 or more books, we are ready to give an additional $100-$500 off. Email hello@redletterchallenge.com for more info!
Also, there’s a ton of SWAG (Shirts, Bracelets, Decals) that can go along with your orders to make your 40-day experience that much better at your church. Here’s the link, and again, the more you order, the greater the discount will be!
Let’s start the year 2021 bringing people back into relationship with the incredible God that we serve!
If you have any questions, our team would be happy to serve you! Email us at hello@redletterchallenge.com and we’ll get back to you! God bless you as you make your plans for 2021!
The post 5 Reasons January 2021 is the Perfect Time for a Church-Wide Challenge! appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
October 16, 2020
Stop Leading with Intention and Start Leading with Precision
In the midst of a disruptive year, one company that has really taken off is Zoom! Additionally, those that have invested in Zoom can celebrate an incredible return on their investment. If you were to have invested $1 in Zoom at the beginning of 2020, you would have more than $8 at the time of this blog. An over 800% return in less than a year is incredible!
In the wake of the early days of the pandemic there were many who had the foresight and the good intentions to own stock in the company Zoom. They believed it would be important to buy the stock at a bargain price and so they bought the stock symbol ZOOM. The only problem was the stock symbol ZOOM wasn’t for the Zoom Video Conferencing we all know, but for a little-known company that goes by the name Zoom Technologies. Zoom Video Conferencing actually trades by the symbol ZM.
Many intended to buy Zoom Video Conferencing but instead bought into a little-known penny stock. Amazingly, this “Other Zoom” stock started the year at just over $1/per share and in the wake of the confusion it spiked all the way up to $60/per share. The Securities and Exchange Commission noted that there was mass confusion amongst many investors and so they suspending trading on the symbol ZOOM. When when trading ensued many found out they put money in the wrong company, and took their money back. As of this writing, the stock has plummeted all the way to two dimes a share.
It is important to note at this time that I am not a financial advisor and cannot take your trades!
So why am I sharing this example?
This scenario tells me how important it is to not just have good intentions, but better than intention is precision. If these people would have done some research and looked into this more, they would have avoided some serious consequences. Having intentions is not enough. Just having good intentions often times can lead us to wrong destinations.
As 2020 has brought loads of headlines and obstacles, it’s also brought a great opportunity. It’s been easier to look at things from a 30,000 foot-view. And this is one of my key takeaways. Intentions haven’t made great disciples of Jesus. As much as we celebrate having good intentions, stopping at intention alone is dangerous.
Every day I wake up with good intentions to love my wife. I never wake up willingly wanting to sin and hurt our marriage, and yet there are times I hurt her.
The bride and groom have good intentions on their wedding day to love and care for one another the rest of their lives. Half of marriages end in divorce, even among Christians.
People set New Year’s Resolutions with good intentions, many of them focused around improving their personal health, diet and exercise. 92% of those resolutions fail and the rates of obesity in our nation are the highest ever documented.
Many intend to save their finances and put themselves in a good spot. Pre-Covid, despite having the greatest economy in the history of the world, debt has been rising and nearly 80% live paycheck to paycheck.
Collectively, Christians have intended to follow Jesus. Somehow, words that non-Christians describe us are the exact opposite of what Jesus is known for.
He’s known for grace, we are known for judgment.
He’s known for unity, we are known for division.
He’s known for good works, we are known for hypocrisy.
He’s known for reconciliation, we are known for segregation.
Even today, 65% of Americans say they are a Christian. We are not a post-Christian nation, at least according to those statistics. We need less self-identifying Christians, and we need a new brand of Christianity that actually embodies Jesus.
(My newest project is taking this theme further and coming in January 2021. It’s called Reopening Christianity: 5 Questions Every Christian Must Answer. To join the wait list for this series, just email us at hello@redletterchallenge.com.)
Intending to hit the bullseye and actually hitting the bullseye are two different things.
So here’s my plea to pastors and those in church leadership: Go beyond intention. Lead with precision.
Intention without precision always leads to confusion. Intention without precision leads to the wrong destination.
Believing in Jesus is great.
Following Him is greater.
Intending to live a life of holiness is great.
Living a life of holiness is greater.
I believe the church of the past has done an admirable job at getting people to raise a hand at the end of a service. It’s done well at presenting the Gospel and allowing for people to receive God’s grace. It has moved people into the baptismal waters. And yet, despite many people added to our number that come in with good intentions, why is that collectively Christians have been a shadow, mediocre, watered-down broken representation of Jesus?
After how good God has been in our lives, we cannot settle for this any longer.
You see, the actual call that Jesus offered far more than “Believe in Me” was “Come, Follow Me.”
He said “Believe in me” a few times, but far more often Jesus said, “Follow me.” What’s amazing about this call is that people can already step into following Jesus before they even believe. Or while they are wrestling. And what will happen? As they follow Jesus, they will find, He really is the way, the truth, and the life.
Rather than stopping at “Believe in Jesus” which comes with really good intentions, let’s invite people to follow Jesus, and point them precisely to Jesus for direction in how to follow Him.
And when I say precisely at Jesus, I mean precisely at Jesus. Jesus is the bullseye. Because being just a little bit off can lead to devastating consequences.
In football, a quarterback can intend to throw a pass to his receiver and if it’s an inch off it can mean mean the difference between a touchdown or an interception. In baseball, an inch here or there could mean the difference between a home run and a strike out.
In the church, when we point people anywhere other than Jesus, even when we point people to good or great people, good or great information, but it’s not Jesus, it will lead to devastating consequences. The best way to follow Jesus is simply to follow Jesus. We will have to continue to find ways to be creative and innovative in our churches, but we do not need to be innovative when it comes to discipleship strategies.
Hebrews 12:1-3: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
2020’s been hard…it’s easy to grow weary and lose heart. The way we continue to run with endurance and stay strong on the inside is simply by being with Jesus. Keeping our eyes fixed on Him.
He is the bullseye and what we are attaining to be in this world. 2020 has shown us a new opportunity to come out stronger and greater, but it will happen when we stop settling for intention, and when we precisely follow the one who is worthy of total commitment.
So, practically what does this mean?
Issue the challenge to follow Jesus more than you do to believe in Jesus.
The most growth I’ve had in my life is when I’ve not just heard about someone living out their faith, but when I’ve actually lived out mine. The greatest spiritual growth will come from your people when they live as disciples.
Give people clear targets in their pursuit to follow Jesus that aim precisely at Jesus.
What targets are important to Jesus? What does a disciple look like? I’ve written a lot on this concept before in my books Red Letter Challenge and Being Challenge.
(Many churches have found these studies helpful. Learn more here).
In my study of Jesus and all that He commanded, I’ve found 5 targets: Be, Forgive, Serve, Give, Go that I’m shooting for that I believe are directly from Jesus.
Challenge people to follow Jesus.
Give them clear targets straight from the mouth and life of Jesus.
Let’s change the story and perception of who Jesus is. If we could just for a moment or a glimpse give people an opportunity to see the real Jesus, think of how the world might change.
The post Stop Leading with Intention and Start Leading with Precision appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
October 8, 2020
5 Tips to Help Pastors Create Engaging Video Content not Filmed on a Stage
Let’s be real. Seminary didn’t teach us how to speak in front of a camera or to learn the art of creating video content.
One of my favorite things to do is preach God’s Word. I love to preach God’s Word because I know that every time His Word goes out, it always accomplishes what God wants it to accomplish. (See Isaiah 55:11)
I’ve had the privilege to preach in many different church settings. I believe we may be on the cusp of the single greatest shift in preaching over the course of the last century. Preaching has been primarily done in the past from a stage to an audience. With the online revolution of the past couple of decades, an incredible opportunity now exists to remove yourself from the stage and record sermons and messages onsite at different locations.
In the past, when wanting to bring in a visual to make a point, pastors would bring a prop onto the stage. Now, the preacher can physically put himself/herself on location to help bring the point home. I would argue this can be that much more powerful. If you are preaching about fishing for men, what would it look like to film your sermon on a boat or even in a fish market?
I’ve been very successful in creating video content at different locations to help people grow as disciples of Jesus. Right now, I am fresh in the middle of doing another round of 5 new videos around a new small group series that will be ready in January 2021 called Reopening Christianity: 5 Questions Every Christian Must Answer. To join the wait list for this series, just email us at hello@redletterchallenge.com.
In light of what I have learned and am presently learning, here are 5 tips to help pastors who are interested in creating content that’s not filmed on a stage.
Think Shorter (Not Easier)
In general, when delivering a sermon from a stage, it wasn’t uncommon for me to produce 30-40-minute sermons. When I’m creating video content, I shoot for no more than 10 minutes. Rather than 4500-5000 word counts, I strive to be in the 1200-1800 range. Just because it’s only 20-30% of the time and content doesn’t make the overall process any easier. In fact, I would say the total time investment for me in creating a quality 8-10-minute video is equal to, or slightly more, than a 30-40-minute message from a stage. The reason it takes longer is because filming a video requires more collaboration, more people, more schedules, time constraints, logistics, etc. (as evidenced in the following tips). Also, for me personally, it’s easier to throw words into a manuscript often times than to cut words from a manuscript.
Plan Ahead
When I was in my regular rhythms of preaching from a stage every Sunday, my rhythm would be to do the lion’s share of the work on only one message each week. I’d likely have a general idea and a series synopsis written out, but in creating video content, I find it helpful to plan out even further ahead.
When we do the majority of the work for a series up front, I believe it offers a better chance for each message to build momentum from the last one. When we are preaching week-to-week the messages can sometimes feel disjointed. Because of the amount of people involved, the logistics of pulling everything together, the post-filming editing, etc., I have found it wise to write the video scripts not for a single message at a time, but an entire series.
Collaborate Often
Unless intentional steps or rhythms are taken, most times when a Sunday sermon is preached on stage, it is the very first time anyone else besides the preacher has heard the material.
When creating video content at different locations, I have found it wise to bring in a team of people to help collaborate in crafting the message. It’s one thing to have an idea for a message, it’s another to match the theme of the message to a powerful visual. In my process, I’ll come up with the original vision and theme, but bring in a couple other strong visionaries to solidify or strengthen the vision.
Creating new, fresh, creative visual content is not simple, and can often feel overwhelming. At times I am overwhelmed, I have found that bringing in a couple of people to help me brainstorm my ideas has given me the energy or endurance I needed.
As you collaborate, it’s also very wise to ensure that your video team, whether that is one person or a group of people is comfortable with your arrangements and able to speak into your vision.
Have a Backup and Another Backup and Another Backup
I have found the single most difficult part of creating video content is not in coming up with the actual content, but the logistics behind scheduling the shots. There are budget constraints, time constraints (especially if bringing in public places/facilities), people constraints, audio and visual constraints, weather constraints, etc.
It may be that you have a great idea paired with a great visual but often times it won’t work. I’ve had a few really good ideas that just didn’t pan out. One time I wanted to do something that I thought would cost about $100-$200 total and found out it would cost $15,000 to pull off. As good as my idea was, it wasn’t $15000 good!
Currently, I’m trying to film a video that talks about how important each person in the church is. To be the greatest and fullest expression of who Jesus has called us to be requires every person. Using the analogy from the Apostle Paul of the importance of each body part, my team had the brilliant idea to do this video shoot in a production facility with a working assembly line. There we would highlight how each person plays a role in the beautiful finished product. What was even better was we had a strong connection and relationship with a person there. It was a shoe-in. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 and some pre-existing conditions of the owner, we could not find a way to make it work.
Onto the second idea. Now we are hoping to pivot to a local coffeeshop and talk about the process of how many people, pieces, and parts go into making one single beautiful cup of coffee.
It is important when thinking of a visual that will connect with your church that you not only have one idea, but I would suggest 2-3 alternatives as well. Just because an idea didn’t work out this time doesn’t mean you couldn’t use it in the future in a different way.
Look for Holy Spirit Moments
One of the blessings of creating video content at different locations is the unique bonding experiences you get to have not only with your team, but those you meet along the way. Our ideas have led to some pretty crazy interactions with people that we otherwise never would have had.
In my task-oriented mindset, especially when it comes to getting things scheduled, I can often times miss the fact that the Holy Spirit is actively at work. Not only will a well-produced quality video produce an opportunity for God to move in someone’s life, but there are opportunities along the way that God can use as well.
Just today, as I was looking to schedule a shot at a local bee farm, I cold-called the farmer and started telling him my video idea. Not only were they open to me coming (Yay!) and excited to help in any way, but we struck a good conversation and he opened up about how he had left the church. He started asking questions about our church and I got to invite him to check out our website. Pretty cool!
As we are filming this new content in creative new ways, let us never forget that we are the lights in this world. I believe that with the technological advances we are seeing today, there may be no greater opportunity to shine the light of Christ brighter than we can right now through engaging video. Go, shine your light.
It’s not easy to create new engaging video content. It is a lot of hard work but work that has a great payoff. In addition to creating new content, there’s also value in curating engaging video content as well. An incredible ministry that has curated tons of video content is RightNow Media. You can learn about them here.
Our team at Red Letter Challenge has created two very powerful church-wide challenges that come with small group videos already done for you. Both of these small group studies are not only featured on RightNow Media, but included for FREE in our 40-day challenges. The start of a calendar year is a great time for a church-wide study that is done for you. You can check out Red Letter Challenge here and Being Challenge here.
So, pastor, I challenge you. Give it a shot. Film a message, sermon, or content to help your people and see how God uses His word to accomplish His will!
The post 5 Tips to Help Pastors Create Engaging Video Content not Filmed on a Stage appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
