Zach Zehnder's Blog, page 9
August 8, 2023
045: Joshua Brown on His Journey from a Drug Addict to a Pressure Washing Pastor, and How Business Leaders Can Do Ministry in the Marketplace Like Jesus
Joshua Brown has found that the best way for him to make disciples is by using water, literally. The Pressure Washing Pastor became not just his nickname, but his life calling. From being homeless on the streets to going through Bible college, Brown is on a mission to serve and coach others to be ministers in the marketplace.
Today’s episode is brought to you by the Red Letter Leaders Facebook Group!
Imagine a private group that encourages one another, shares resources and best practices, and genuinely cares for one another. Though it sounds too good to be true, that’s exactly what this group is! It is THE place where we are having the most personal discussions on discipleship for your church. So, get in! And invite your pastor and church leader friends to join! Find out more here.
While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks: 40 Daily Reflections on Biblical Leadership by Timothy Laniak
Key insights from the episode:
God started speaking to me through a Tupac song, “Heaven for a G.” – Joshua Brown
I gave the pastor my pot and God my heart. – Joshua Brown
Whatever you do repetitively, you’ll become an expert at it. – Joshua Brown
I didn’t need a program, I needed a person. – Joshua Brown
We have too many pastors wanting their feet washed instead of washing others’ feet. – Joshua Brown
If Jesus ran a business, he would treat people like team members, and not employees. – Joshua Brown
When a community sees people that enjoy working together and doing things, they want to be a part of it. – Joshua Brown
Joshua Brown’s Challenge: Whatever you push against the most, investigate it in the Scriptures.
Lead yourself (and your church) to find freedom in forgiveness.
Before we can truly bring reconciliation to others in the world, we need to be reconciled to God. Thankfully, He doesn’t withhold His grace of forgiveness from anyone of us. It’s time to receive the freedom that comes with the forgiveness of God because a forgiven person becomes a forgiving person!
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!
Watch the entire season for free:
We’ll be uploading every episode of season one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here
The post 045: Joshua Brown on His Journey from a Drug Addict to a Pressure Washing Pastor, and How Business Leaders Can Do Ministry in the Marketplace Like Jesus appeared first on Red Letter Living.
July 31, 2023
044: Mel Gravely on Why He Wrote Nineteen Letters About Racism to His White Friends, and How and Why Christians Need to be Intentional to Fight Racism
When Mel Gravely saw pain and confusion on both sides of racism, he began to write letters. Those nineteen letters are now a book called Dear White Friend that breaks down barriers, confusion, and misconceptions about racism. Gravely is hopeful for a common good, a faithful community, and a united nation.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Red Letter Living. Pastors and church leaders, we create 40-day challenges that have helped more than 800 churches produce greater disciples. Not only this, but our resources grow small groups by more than 40%. If you are a pastor or church leader, not only can you find out more at this link, but you can also request a FREE 40-day challenge mailed to your door there.
As you plan for the end of this Fall or even the start of the New Year, we’d love to partner with you and we have some amazing deals with our ready-to-go church packs. But, first, get a FREE copy on us.
Dear White Friend by Mel Gravely
Dear White Friend Discussion Guide
Key insights from the episode:
I sit in a privileged seat to have one foot in both worlds. – Mel Gravely
There is no excuse for people who want to know about racism not to know. – Mel Gravely
Authenticity and intentionality can be one and the same. – Mel Gravely
Sometimes the most powerful conversations about race are white people talking to white people without black people around. – Mel Gravely
You don’t need black people in the room to raise your empathy level. – Mel Gravely
There’s a deeper understanding of racism that we are all invited into. – Zach Zehnder
God didn’t create our world so white people would have 98% of all the good stuff. – Mel Gravely
When we study their story, 1) duration, 2) magnitude, and 3) what happened should all be considered. – Mel Gravely
I don’t like white privilege, I like benefitting bystander. – Mel Gravely
I want to be hopeful. – Mel Gravely
Sunday is a segregated time. – Mel Gravely
The gospel isn’t relevant if it’s easy in 2023. – Mel Gravely
Mel Gravely’s challenge: Ask the question, “Why are things the way they are?” five times.
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!
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! You will get results back immediately and be presented with the following steps 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 one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here
The post 044: Mel Gravely on Why He Wrote Nineteen Letters About Racism to His White Friends, and How and Why Christians Need to be Intentional to Fight Racism appeared first on Red Letter Living.
July 26, 2023
11 Tips to Improve Your Church Announcements and Hosting this Weekend
If you are like me, you love the church. You love the worship service. You think about it constantly. You are a student of worship services and dwell on each aspect of the service and how to improve it. I have struggled, however, for years on how to best lead the “announcement” or “service hosting” moment. Where should this moment fall in the service? Why does it sometimes feel like it takes the energy, vibe, or spirit out of the room? How can we do this more effectively?
So, today, let’s tackle the “announcement” time at your church.
The reality is that this is a crucial moment in your weekend worship experience. Below, I’ve got 11 tips to breathe new life into this moment of worship.
1. Change your mindset from “I’m giving the announcements” to “I’m moving people to action.”Rich Birch of UnSeminary has a “Church Hosting Clinic” video series to help those doing serving hosting at their church. He makes the case that the hosting moment is not about giving the announcements, but rather, it is the time in the service to move people to action. In his studies, this hosting moment averages five minutes. Those five minutes’ primary purpose should be to drive people to action. If we have no call-to-action, we likely aren’t including the right announcements or using this moment as effectively as we should. So, our job is to provide a clear call-to-action rather than overloading information.
2. Build trust with the audience in the first 7 seconds.Author Vanessa Van Edwards has studied public speaking and analyzed thousands of Ted Talks. She claims that the biggest question people are asking of public speakers is, “Can I trust in you? Can I rely on you?” She also reminds us that first impressions are vital, and so there are strategic things we can do in the first seven seconds to build trust with those attending. She recommends that in the first seven seconds, never waste your words on “please be seated.” She also believes that positive body language is vital. Two great things you can do with your body in the first seven seconds are 1) smile and 2) make sure your hands are visible and open. This shows you are not concealing or hiding anything.
Also, according to Van Edwards, here’s a fun fact regarding body language. The most popular Ted Talks use 465 hand gestures, while the least popular use 272 hand gestures in 18 minutes.
Finally, on this point, author Steven Robertson also reminds us that Gen Z has a highly sophisticated 8-second attention span or filter. So, use those first 7 (or 8) seconds wisely!
3. Spend 20% of your time building rapport with the audience.Suppose you have 5 minutes to do service hosting. In that case, it’s entirely appropriate to spend 1 of those 5 minutes (or approximately 20% of your time) building rapport with the audience. This is the time to share some of your personality in a fun or unique way. It could be that you have a joke you want to share, a current event to talk about, or something personally happening to you that would help the audience trust you. Whenever I receive the service hosting notes for the upcoming service, I think of quick ways to engage with the audience.
4. Practice beforehand to eliminate any script.The single best practice you can do when it comes to service hosting is practice. Practicing beforehand will help you test the overall time, your transitions, etc. It also provides the benefit of knowing your material well enough to not need any prompt, card, or manuscript. Not having any card or prompt in your hand shows you know your stuff, which helps build rapport. It also keeps your hands open to develop more gestures into your moment.
5. Answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” that your audience may be thinking about.The number one question marketing agencies ask is, “What’s in it for me,” also known as the WIIFM. Marketing agencies know their customers well enough to understand how their product, event, or program will help their customers. Our churches should operate similarly. At the end of the day, we are not building our churches to make our own name or ministry great. We are building our churches for the sake of helping not only those who attend become greater followers of Jesus but also to help reach those who aren’t even a part of our churches yet. If the announcements we mention aren’t helpful to our people in some way, shape, or form, they don’t deserve stage time.
6. Focus on the benefits and not the features.Borrowing again from Rich Birch and his hosting clinic, too many service hosts focus more on the features than the benefits. It’s easy and natural to get too far into the weeds and list out the details of an event, program, or ministry. What’s better, however, is to talk about the “why” of any particular announcement. A great question to ask of any announcement is, “How will this help people grow in their faith?”
If your church is like mine, your communication team usually does a great job of displaying all of the correct information on the side screens. Usually, the event, program, or ministry details are listed, as well as the website or where to go for more information. Your job as the host is to keep things simple and help people see how this will help them grow in their faith.
A quick example of this would be if you are talking about launching a new season of small groups. Rather than just listing out a website or the details on where to sign up, mention why small groups are important. Relationships happen in small groups, and we are wired for relationships. We live in a more disconnected world than ever, and loneliness is rising. So, now, you could share about a relationship you have developed or grown in your own small group. This is far more effective, speaking of which…
7. Tell stories and testimonies.Stories and testimonies are more compelling than information. They move people to action more than anything else. Suppose you are getting ready to announce an annual event that you have done in the past. In that case, it is extremely wise stewardship to review this event from the past year and find a story or testimony to highlight. For example, if it’s a servant event, you can focus on its impact on someone else’s life or even the life of someone who served at the event.
To go along with this, ensure that after events, ministries, or programs, follow-ups or surveys go out to those who participated. It’s often in those answers that you can craft really compelling stories to share with the church.
8. Eliminate the words “we” and “us” from your service hosting moments.Nothing makes me cringe more than when a service host says, “We need you to volunteer at our upcoming _____.” Nope, sorry. That’s not compelling or engaging at all. This language doesn’t have the concerns of the ones attending the church in mind. It is only thinking of filling slots for something the church is doing.
So, a tip to help you get away from using this type of language is to try your best to avoid saying the words, “we”, “our”, and “us” from your service hosting moments. This is likely the hardest tip on this blog to put into practice. So, hear me say this. It’s more about the spirit of the law than the letter of the law. But, by trying your best to eliminate these words from your hosting moment, you will automatically be thinking about the person who attends your church.
If you take out the words “we” and “us,” then you can focus on using the most powerful word in serving hosting, which is “you.” Again, remember this moment is a call to action. This is where you get to invite someone into living for something beyond themselves. So, as you share about a servant event, for example, you can use language like, “Here’s what you can expect if you serve at this event: You can expect to see smiles. You can expect to experience fulfillment. You can expect to help change someone’s life.”
9. If you give a “Free Gift” to guests, tell people what the free gift is.Typically, in most service hosting moments, you will welcome any guests (this is highly recommended by the way). This is just a pet peeve of mine, but too many churches settle into some announcement that says, “If you fill out this card, we’ll give you a free gift.” I love that churches are generous. But nobody signs up or gives their information out anywhere else without knowing what gift they are getting in return. So, tell people what gift you are giving to them. And a side note: if you don’t think the gift is that mentionable, you probably need a different free gift you can be proud of.
10. Avoid filler words.Every public speaker has them. Whether it’s because of nerves or just out of habit, we can fall back on saying the same word, words, or utterances. Early on in my days, it was “um.” Then it was “you know.” Lately, especially in the hosting or transitional moments, I’ve noticed myself saying the word “excited” a lot. And while my excitement typically is genuine, I don’t need to say it as much.
11. Watch yourself back.The only way I even knew, or have known, what my filler words are is to watch myself back. There was a great service not long ago in which I led a baptism moment at the church for 12 baptized people. The moment felt right. It was amazing to see lives changed. When I watched it back, I saw God move, but I also noticed I said “excited” at least once every minute. It was just too much. So, not only can watching yourself back be a good exercise to locate your filler words, but it will also show you other things about yourself. You’ll be able to see your body language, how you use gestures, etc.
If we spend all of this time preparing to do the service hosting, we might as well take up the opportunity to watch it back to get better the next time.
I hope these tips were helpful to you. Here are a couple of challenges I would offer to you for this upcoming week:
Challenge 1: Don’t use the words “we,” “our,” and “us.”
Challenge 2: Don’t say, “please be seated,” or waste your first seven seconds. Show your hands and be creative with the first seven seconds.
The post 11 Tips to Improve Your Church Announcements and Hosting this Weekend appeared first on Red Letter Living.
July 24, 2023
043: Sasha Berscheid on Gaining Victory Over Alcoholism and Discovering Her Purpose through Serving Single Moms
Sasha has discovered the perfect line between providing care and preserving dignity that all non-profits need to take notice of. Project Intentional was birthed from her longing for single moms to feel seen and cared for. Her ingenious idea of Hope Lockers provides people with basic necessities while preserving their dignity.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Red Letter Living. In today’s episode, you’ll hear of an amazing servant Sasha Berscheid. She is not only serving the needs of her community, but also finding the life she is made for. Wouldn’t that be something that you would like for you and everyone at your church? If so, you’ll love our newest resource, a 40-day challenge to serve like Jesus entitled Serving Challenge. Get ready to embark on a 40–day journey that leads to more personal fulfillment than ever.
You were made for more than just believing and existing until you die. You were made to follow the way of Jesus. You were made to serve.
Right now churches are jumping into the First Wave of Serving Challenge. The resource will be ready to launch in churches worldwide on October 1, 2023. You can lock in the best pricing you’ll ever see by joining the First Wave right now at www.servingchallenge.com. Have questions? Go to this web link or email us at hello@redletterchallenge.com. But hurry, First Wave ends at the end of July 2023.
Resources mentioned in the episode: Key insights from the episode:
I can breathe in, I can breathe out, I don’t drink in-between, and therefore, I can celebrate life. – Sasha Berscheid
I wanted to become 1% better than I was yesterday. – Sasha Berscheid
It is humanly fundamental to be a part of a community. – Sasha Berscheid
The opposite of addiction is community. – Sasha Berscheid
The devil works best when we are in isolation. – Chris Johnson
Single moms are OUTSTANDING. – Sasha Berscheid
If you need help, and you are not reaching out to ask for help, you rob someone else of joy. – Sasha Berscheid
I know shame; I’ve held shame, and shame has held me. – Sasha Berscheid
Sometimes we know why, sometimes we don’t, but the answer is still obedience. – Zach Zehnder
It’s one thing to give something out; it’s another to educate and empower. – Sasha Berscheid
You were made to be you. – Sasha Berscheid
Take a step and see where it leads. – Zach Zehnder
You are the answer to someone else’s prayer. – Sasha Berscheid
Sasha Berscheid’s challenge: 1) Drink your water. 2) Practice an attitude of gratitude.
Are you following Jesus?
Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. So we extensively studied everything Jesus commanded of us and located five key targets to which Jesus invited 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! You will get results back immediately and be presented with the following steps 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 one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here
The post 043: Sasha Berscheid on Gaining Victory Over Alcoholism and Discovering Her Purpose through Serving Single Moms appeared first on Red Letter Living.
July 17, 2023
042: Mark DeYmaz on How to Discover Your Strengths, Removing Segregation in the Church, and Why Diversity is a Discipleship Matter
Mark DeYmaz is a man of action and didn’t believe that the church was a place for him. From atheist to being the founding pastor of Mosaic Church in Arkansas, he still believes that movement and action are what Christ intended for discipleship. He is passionate about fighting for a united church and removing segregation from congregations.
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.
Resources mentioned in the episode:
Mosaic Church Central Arkansas
Key insights from the episode:
We want the best ideas to win, not the person’s position to win. – Mark DeYmaz
Don’t work on your weaknesses; staff to your weaknesses. – Mark DeYmaz
The best way to find out who you are is to find out who you are not. – Mark DeYmaz
In America, we think we’ve got to be independent people and pull ourselves up by the bootstraps; that’s not the way of God. We need one another. – Mark DeYmaz
We are in a Matthew 5:26 century. It’s not so much sitting in a room and studying the Bible but getting out and doing the works of the Bible. – Mark DeYmaz
American discipleship is top-heavy with explanation and low on demonstration. – Mark DeYmaz
The collective is so much more powerful than the individual. – Mark DeYmaz
By 2042, one in every two people in America will be non-white. – Mark DeYmaz
It’s not about forcing something; it’s becoming intentional. – Mark DeYmaz
The arch of the Biblical narrative bends towards multi-ethnicity. – Mark DeYmaz
You cannot preach a message of God’s love from a segregated pulpit and expect it to be believed. – Mark DeYmaz
Mark DeYmaz’s Challenge: Read Romans 16:25-27 and ask yourself, “What is the Gospel that Paul is referring to?”
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. One of our integral FREE resources is a Red Letter Challenge Assessment. It only takes 7-10 minutes to complete.
Are you following Jesus?
Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. So we extensively studied everything Jesus commanded of us and located five key targets to which Jesus invited 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! You will get results back immediately and be presented with the following steps 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 one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here
The post 042: Mark DeYmaz on How to Discover Your Strengths, Removing Segregation in the Church, and Why Diversity is a Discipleship Matter appeared first on Red Letter Living.
July 13, 2023
The Key to Unlock a Life of Serving
The Painful Cut of Forgiveness Scissors
2012’s Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was the biggest in US history. Scarlett Lewis lost her son Jessie, but she was determined not to be swallowed by her grief. Not only did she forgive her son’s killer, but her forgiveness motivated her to make a change. Since her son’s funeral, Scarlett has urged people to change their angry thoughts into loving ones. It all started with an amputation. Here is how she described it,
“Forgiveness felt like I was given a big pair of scissors to cut the tie and regain my personal power. It started with a choice and then became a process.”
For Scarlett, forgiveness was the start of a life of service.
Another mother’s act of forgiveness and service left a judge stunned. Mother Ady Guzman-DeJesus toured with her daughter’s killer for over a year to serve others by speaking about how, without proper training, guns can be dangerous. In 2014 during the trial, she asked the judge for a shorter sentence for Jordyn Howe, the young teen who accidentally shot her daughter while showing off a gun on the bus. As she hugged the young man, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Ellen Sue Venzer was moved to tears. She said,
“In 20 years, I’ve watched human tragedy unfold in this courtroom. I could have never imagined a victim’s mother embracing her child’s killer.”
Heart-wrenching forgiveness didn’t get things back to what they were before. Instead, they propelled individuals into service they would never have been able to do.
AA’s famous Twelve Step Program follows this same order. After admitting in the first step that you are powerless over the addiction and acknowledging that you hurt others in the 5th step, the 7th step is all about accepting that forgiveness. But forgiveness gets you only halfway. In steps 8,9 and 10, there is a progressive journey of turning your own forgiveness into service. When true forgiveness happens, it creates space for incredible acts of service.
The Space Forgiveness Leaves
When happily married Christy got an email from a woman claiming she will no longer be dating Christy’s husband, Christy was stunned, shocked, and broken. “Forgiving him was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” she said. “But his honesty made it easier.” The two later went on to renew their wedding vows. “Our marriage is stronger for it. I have no regrets,” she said. Forgiveness gave Christy and her husband space to build something even better than before.
Salakh: The Ultimate Forgiveness
When God issues forgiveness, something happens that is larger than human capabilities. His forgiveness creates space for service that is far greater than any human.
Read Psalm 130:3-4 NIV. Notice the order of forgiveness and service:
If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is
forgiveness
, (translated for Hebrew word salakh)
so that we can, with reverence,
serve
you.
When the Bible was translated into English, all forms of forgiveness were lumped into one word that we use today. But the specific Hebrew term for forgiveness in this verse is salakh. It is used in the Bible only of God – never does this word refer to people forgiving each other. When God issues forgiveness, radical opportunities for service beyond our capability are created.
Biblical Examples of Forgiveness Leading to Serving
We see the same pattern of forgiveness followed by a radical act of service all over Scripture.
Job
God forgave Job for assuming he had to fully understand God’s actions and responses during suffering. This led to his story being one of the best books on understanding suffering.Rahab
Being a prostitute didn’t disqualify Rahab from being used to conquer Jericho. She had great faith as a result of God’s forgiveness of her sin. She was able to help two Israeli spies and as a result, saved her family.Moses
Moses killed an Egyptian and ran away. He was called by God in an astonishing act of forgiveness when God called him to return to Egypt and let his people go. Before Moses was able to perform that great act of service, he had to be greatly Peter
After realizing he couldn’t keep the vow to be faithful to Jesus for even 24 hours, Peter had given up on himself and returned to fishing. Jesus came to him, called him out of the boat (again), and reinstated him as a fisher of men. Without being given forgiveness first, Peter’s life of service, and leading the early church, would have never happened.Paul
Paul’s forgiveness journey was an amputation, as Scarlett Lewis described it. He had to be blinded by Jesus and left to sit alone and come to the realization of what he was doing. God’s forgiveness leads this self-righteous murderer to a life of humble service to the world. He was our first missionary and went on to write at least 13 of the books of the Bible. What This Means for Me
If you haven’t gone through our 40-day Forgiving Challenge, we strongly encourage you to do so. The salakh, the God’s-only forgiveness that is offered to you is LIFE-CHANGING. If you have gone through it, then you are primed and ready for the next season of service that God has made space for in your life. The fields are ripe!
In John 4 Jesus says, “Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” John 4:35
What was different about that point in history as opposed to every other? What made it the opportune time for people to begin serving?
Because forgiveness had been supplied.
Jesus had the authority to say the fields are ripe because He was the forgiveness offering that was given to the world. Forgiveness has to come first, and it did in Jesus. That’s why He could say your service is waiting. Forgiveness propels you toward service. You can take some next steps toward serving by checking our Serving Challenge.
Even now the harvest workers are receiving their reward by gathering a harvest that brings eternal life. Then everyone who planted the seed and everyone who harvests the crop will celebrate together. John 4:36
Challenge: Since forgiveness propels serving, take the freedom that God has given to you through His forgiveness, and now, out of that freedom, serve someone else.
The post The Key to Unlock a Life of Serving appeared first on Red Letter Living.
July 11, 2023
041: Patrick O’Connell on The Movement of the Church, Changing the Scorecard for Disciples, and What American Disciples Can Learn from Disciples Overseas
Patrick O’Connell believes the church needs to be on the move. In this episode, Patrick will share his journey of being baptized in his 30s which led him to pastoring a small church, and now serving as Global Director of New Thing. In this episode, Patrick will share what American disciples can learn from those overseas and how the scorecard for what disciples shoot for needs to change.
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. One of our integral FREE resources is a Red Letter Challenge Assessment. It only takes 7-10 minutes to complete.
Are you following Jesus?
Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. So we extensively studied everything Jesus commanded of us and located five key targets to which Jesus invited 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! You will get results back immediately and be presented with the following steps to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.
You can take the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment here.
Patrick O’Connell on Missional Imagination
FREE Ebook Together, written by Dave Ferguson and Patrick O’Connell
The church started as a movement, and it works best as a movement. – Patrick O’Connell
I get stoked about movement, and I want to see motion in the church. – Patrick O’Connell
During my season of despair, I had women and men who showed me the love of Jesus. – Patrick O’Connell
It takes other committed faith-filled people to get people out of their own despair. – Zach Zehnder
I see a generation who are open to following but in an authentic and honest way. – Patrick O’Connell
We have to recapture the ethos that we are part of a movement. – Patrick O’Connell
We need to be more about the kingdom than the castles. – Patrick O’Connell
Let’s admit that the scorecard needs to be tweaked. – Patrick O’Connell
Discipleship is the win of the current century. – Patrick O’Connell
Discipleship is a relationship, not just cognitive. – Patrick O’Connell
The simple question in our discipleship path is, “Are you committed to following Jesus?”. – Zach Zehnder
Sunday is the only place on earth left where you can experience the gifts of God. – Chris Johnson
We’ve turned discipleship transactional, but it’s a relationship. – Patrick O’Connell
Discipleship is not a destination, it’s a journey. – Patrick O’Connell
A church is just the outpost of the kingdom. – Patrick O’Connell
New churches have a missional edge, they can cross boundaries that older churches can’t cross. – Patrick O’Connell
What the 20-somethings struggle with is all the systems. – Patrick O’Connell
Jesus said, “Go make disciples,” not “Go plant churches.” – Patrick O’Connell
Patrick O’Connell’s Challenge: Pray and ask someone to share their story.
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!
Watch the entire season for free:
We’ll be uploading every episode of season one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 041: Patrick O’Connell on The Movement of the Church, Changing the Scorecard for Disciples, and What American Disciples Can Learn from Disciples Overseas appeared first on Red Letter Living.
July 3, 2023
040: Sam Black on What Age Parents Should Talk to Their Kids about Pornography, The Reason Churches Don’t Talk about It, and How To Fight Against Pornography
Sam Black has spent decades helping people find freedom from pornography. From early exposure to repetition through adolescence and finally using pornography as escapism, Sam believes that healing from any stage of pornography is possible. He offers the church tools to lead their people to freedom.
Lead yourself (and your church) to find freedom in forgiveness.
We talk about the power of freedom in today’s episode with Sam Black. And we’d now love for you to go on the journey to not only forgive others, but to receive God’s forgiveness for your life. Before we can truly bring reconciliation to others in the world, we need to be reconciled to God. Thankfully, He doesn’t withhold His grace of forgiveness from any of us. It’s time to receive the freedom that comes with the forgiveness of God because a forgiven person becomes a forgiving person!
We’d love to introduce you to the 40-Day Forgiving Challenge.
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:The Healing Church: What Churches Get Wrong About Pornography And How To Fix It by Sam Black
Good Pictures Bad Pictures Jr.: A Simple Plan to Protect Young Minds by Kristen A Jenson M.A.
Good Pictures Bad Pictures Porn-proofing Today’s Young Kids by Kristen A Jenson M.A.
Key insights from the episode:
Early exposure to pornography, repetition through adolescence, and the use of escapism as an adult create a pattern of addiction. – Sam Black
The church falsely claims that men will struggle with pornography their whole lives. – Sam Black
We need mind, body, and spirit healing to escape the grips of pornography. – Sam Black
Parents are afraid to say anything about pornography because they are afraid that it will make them curious. – Sam Black
If you want to teach a kid to hide, shame them about pornography. – Sam Black
You should begin having conversations about pornography when your child is 5,6 years old. – Sam Black
We need to equip our kids, not if they get exposed, but when they get exposed to pornography. – Sam Black
Knowledge proceeds to understand, and understanding proceeds to change. – Sam Black
Anger is a common trigger for pornography. – Sam Black
93% of churches do nothing to address pornography. – Sam Black
Food addiction and porn addiction are shockingly similar. – Sam Black
Sam Black’s Challenge: Be the friend you would like to have.
Lead yourself (and your church) to find freedom in forgiveness.
Before we can truly bring reconciliation to others in the world, we need to be reconciled to God. Thankfully, He doesn’t withhold His grace of forgiveness from anyone of us. It’s time to receive the freedom that comes with the forgiveness of God because a forgiven person becomes a forgiving person!
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!
Watch the entire season for free:
We’ll be uploading every episode of season one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 040: Sam Black on What Age Parents Should Talk to Their Kids about Pornography, The Reason Churches Don’t Talk about It, and How To Fight Against Pornography appeared first on Red Letter Living.
June 26, 2023
039: Zach Zehnder on The Best Question to Ask about Church Discipleship Strategy and the Discipleship Targets He Personally Struggles With The Most.
Whether you are new to Christianity or a lifelong Christian, having discipleship targets is essential to your journey of following Jesus. Zach Zehnder’s latest project, The Disciple Making Playbook, is a must-have tool designed for pastors and church leaders to help them create a discipleship strategy for their church.
Want to elevate both the quality and quantity of disciples at your church? Enroll today in The Disciple Making Playbook. In this online course, you’ll get lifetime access to 10-power packed video modules that will help you with all of the following:
It’ll help you develop discipleship targets you can measure at your church. Because in life we measure what’s important.
It’ll help you maximize what you are already doing to grow your church by utilizing some of the practical tools along the way.
It’ll elevate both the quality and quantity of disciples that are a part of your ministry.
Though the world is constantly changing, it’ll give you the confidence to communicate your plan, knowing that it will help people be greater disciples of Jesus!
Plus, enroll today and get tons of bonuses. But hurry, registration ends this week. Go to www.disciplemakingplaybook.com for more information.
Key insights from the episode:
There is no real end to discipleship, it’s a journey. – Zach Zehnder
Discipleship is not as complicated as we’ve made it out to be. – Zach Zehnder
The five targets of a disciple are: Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going. – Zach Zehnder
If you don’t have targets you are shooting for, how do you know? – Zach Zehnder
The greatest of all time is Jesus, so we are going to look at what He did. – Zach Zehnder
The right first question is whether you are committed to following Jesus? – Zach Zehnder
More than 63% of people in America admit that Jesus is their Savior, but less than 20% of them are practicing Christians. – Zach Zehnder
We’ve created a nation of believers but very few followers. – Zach Zehnder
Pastors need to be committed to creating targets for discipleship and then seeing how their congregation is measuring up. – Zach Zehnder
Zach Zehnder’s Challenge: Identify and commit to measure discipleship targets.
Don’t forget, this is registration week for The Disciple Making Playbook. To access the best pricing, insane bonuses, and a coaching opportunity with Zach Zehnder, get in now at www.disciplemakingplaybook.com.
Want to elevate both the quality and quantity of disciples at your church? In this online course, you’ll get lifetime access to 10-power packed video modules that will help you with all of the following:
It’ll help you develop discipleship targets you can measure at your church. Because in life we measure what’s important.
It’ll help you maximize what you are already doing to grow your church by utilizing some of the practical tools along the way.
It’ll elevate both the quality and quantity of disciples that are a part of your ministry.
Though the world is constantly changing, it’ll give you the confidence to communicate your plan, knowing that it will help people be greater disciples of Jesus!
Plus, enroll today and get tons of bonuses. But hurry, registration ends this week. Go to www.disciplemakingplaybook.com for more information.
Watch the entire season for free:
We’ll be uploading every episode of season one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 039: Zach Zehnder on The Best Question to Ask about Church Discipleship Strategy and the Discipleship Targets He Personally Struggles With The Most. appeared first on Red Letter Living.
June 19, 2023
038: Davey Blackburn on Facing His Wife’s Murderer, How to Take Your Story Back, and How He Turned His Pain into His Purpose
Davey Blackburn was struck down after the tragedy of his wife Amanda’s murder in 2015. But he was not destroyed. Davey even came back to face the murderer himself at the trial seven years later. Everyone carries pain, but Davey is committed to helping every person he meets find redemption.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Red Letter Living. This week we are launching a FREE-3 part video series called The Disciple Making for Churches Masterclass.
Hey, I’m Zach Zehnder, and for more than ten years, I’ve challenged and helped more than 1000 churches make greater disciples of Jesus! I’ve taken the best of everything I’ve learned and created a FREE masterclass to help your church make greater disciples.
In this three-part FREE video series, you’ll learn:
Video 1: The Problem with Disciple Making in Churches and the Best First Question to Ask
Video 2: The Number One Mistake to Avoid in Making Disciples
Video 3: The Top FAQs to Help Churches Make Disciples
Ultimately, by participating in this FREE video series, you’ll be well on your way to learning how to make greater disciples at your church. So register today and share the link with your pastor and church leader friends about it!
www.redletterchallenge.com/masterclass
Resources mentioned in the episode: Key insights from the episode:
Grief is a long journey of untangling rage and bitterness to believe that I can trust God. – Davey Blackburn
What I’ve had to resolve to do is take that battle back up into the spiritual. – Davey Blackburn
I can’t say that God gave me an explanation as to why, but He gave me restoration. – Davey Blackburn
“God said, “This is not going to turn out the way you want, but I am going to use this.” – Davey Blackburn
One of the advantages was all of Christendom wrapped around me. – Davey Blackburn
My healing journey gave other people permission to talk about their pain. – Davey Blackburn
The only way for me to fight this battle was to proclaim the gospel. – Davey Blackburn
While I couldn’t protect Amanda, I could step into the spiritual realm and protect others. – Davey Blackburn
I have been stewarded an incredible healing journey. – Davey Blackburn
Senseless things are done to us; we have to tap into meaning and purpose. – Davey Blackburn
The two years recovering from my wife’s death were the sweetest years of my life because I was closest to Jesus. – Davey Blackburn
Heaven becomes very real when you go through something horrific and tragic. – Davey Blackburn
I borrowed people’s faith along my healing journey – Davey Blackburn
It’s a beautiful thing, a difficult thing, but a beautiful thing to blend a family. – Davey Blackburn
Tragedy robs us of control, and we get paralyzed. God reminds us that He has given us some agency. – Davey Blackburn
Davey Blackburn’s Challenge: Don’t run away from the pain you are experiencing. Lean into it and invite God into it.
Remember, this week we are launching a FREE-3 part video series called The Disciple Making for Churches Masterclass.
Hey, I’m Zach Zehnder, and for more than ten years, I’ve challenged and helped more than 1000 churches make greater disciples of Jesus! I’ve taken the best of everything I’ve learned and created a FREE masterclass to help your church make greater disciples.
In this three-part FREE video series, you’ll learn:
Video 1: The Problem with Disciple Making in Churches and the Best First Question to Ask
Video 2: The Number One Mistake to Avoid in Making Disciples
Video 3: The Top FAQs to Help Churches Make Disciples
Ultimately, by participating in this FREE video series, you’ll be well on your way to learning how to make greater disciples at your church. So register today and share the link with your pastor and church leader friends about it!
www.redletterchallenge.com/masterclass
Watch the entire season for free:We’ll be uploading every episode of season one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 038: Davey Blackburn on Facing His Wife’s Murderer, How to Take Your Story Back, and How He Turned His Pain into His Purpose appeared first on Red Letter Living.
