Gary Rohrmayer's Blog, page 7

Increasing The Spiritual Conversations of Your Board Members

 

"Helping to fulfill the Great Commission is the single most important task of the Church. Therefore, developing evangelistic leadership to carry out that mission should be a top priority." - Bill Bright

Are your board meetings filled with a burning passion to see every man, women and child reached with the gospel in your community?

Three ways to call your leaders to engage in more spiritual conversations:

First, reinforce the vision of your church.  Calling your leaders to the mission of Jesus should be what permeates your every leadership meeting in the church; business meetings, elders meetings, deacon meetings. finance meetings, youth meetings, children's ministry meetings, worship practices, etc.  Everyone leading those meetings should lead them in a way that reinforces the vision to reach the community with the gospel of Jesus, not just to maintain their ministry area.

Second, create a sense of urgency.  If your leaders have no sense of urgency they will never seize the evangelistic opportunities that God gives them. 

How does one create an ongoing sense of urgency among their leaders? 

John Kotter in his book, A Sense of Urgency, describes five ways we can create a sense of true urgency every day:

Purge and Delegate – Don’t let an overcrowded calendar slow you down; purge low-priority items, don’t get distracted, and learn to delegate.
Move with Speed – Respond quickly to people’s calls, requests and emails. Never end meetings without clarity about who will do what and when.
Speak with Passion – Talk to others with feeling so others catch the urgency and passion of your message.
Match Words and Deeds – Don’t just talk about something and then not do it yourself; be real and be an example to others.
Let Them All See It – Be visible as often as possible to as many people as possible. Let them see your sense of urgency.

Third, make sure every leader can share the gospel in a compelling manner.

Assumptions kill evangelism!  Thinking a person that is in leadership knows how to share the gospel effectively is a big mistake.  Continual training and retraining of leaders is imperative.

Four Take-Aways:

Equip your leaders in how to reinforce the vision of mission through every level of the church.
Model the urgent reality of the harvest (John 4:35) in all you do.
At every leadership meeting ask the following question: Who can we pray for in your life that needs Jesus?
Schedule an evangelistic training opportunity just for your leaders & staff.

Additional Resources 

 5 Steps to Increasing Your Spiritual Conversations in Your Church

Own it As the Leader
Expand the Effectiveness of Your Staff
Continually Call Your Leaders Into the Mission
Provide Training Opportunities for Your Congregation
Create Immersion Experiences for Your Congregation

Increasing The Spiritual Conversations Of Your Pastoral Staff

I am amazed at how many pastoral staff members in local churches are woefully inactive at personally sharing their faith or even explaining the gospel. 

How does one help their staff or volunteers to increase the number of spiritual conversations they get into in a normal week of ministry?

The place for a leader to start is prayer.  Pray specifically for your team members to be active in sharing their faith.  Paul prayed for Philemon when he wrote, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ" (Philemon 1:6).

The second place would be to raise the faith level of your team by raising the expectations. One of the aspects of being a great team leader it to raise the expectations of the team.  If you are as a leader are serious in increasing the spiritual conversations throughout your ministry then you are going to have to raise the expectations of your team. 

What would happen if each of your team members engaged in at least two spiritual conversations a week? That would be over 100 spiritual conversations a year.

The third place would be to show them the opportunities right around them.  A pastor friend of my was leading a small group and after about six months he walked them through the Spiritual Journey Guide by asking everyone the simple question, "Where are you right now on your spiritual journey?"  To his amazement nearly half the group identified themselves as spiritual seekers and not followers of Jesus.  Assumptions kill evangelism!  Because a person attends church or is connected relationally to a community of faith unfortunately has little to do with that person's understanding of the gospel.

When coaching pastors in evangelism I encourage them to first look at the fringe people of their church.  They are always amazed at the receptivity of these people who have attended their church in the last year or infrequently for years, to a phone call, personal visit or an invitation to a small group designed for them.  How many receptive people are there on the fringes of your ministry?

Jim Elliot said, "Work where God is working. Don’t hammer at unprepared soil when there is ready ground nearby."

Three Take-Aways:

Start praying for your staff.
At every staff meeting ask the question: Who did you draw into a spiritual conversation this last week?
Start identifying and praying for those on the fringe of your ministry.

Additional Evangelism Resources

 5 Steps to Increasing Your Spiritual Conversations in Your Church

Own it As the Leader
Expand the Effectiveness of Your Staff
Continually Call Your Leaders Into the Mission
Provide Training Opportunities for Your Congregation
Create Immersion Experiences for Your Congregation

5 Steps To Increasing Spiritual Conversations In Your Church

Ed Stetzer once said, “If you want your church to be evangelistic and you yourself are not evangelistic – you are on a fools errand.” 

If you are going to see the spiritual conversations in your church increase this year you must see them increase in your life as a leader.

So the first step is to: O wn it as the leader.

Let's face it, if reaching people far from Jesus is not on the front burner of your life it will not even be on the radar screen of your church. 

Every time I get frustration with the lack of meaningful contact with people far from Jesus, I pray this simple prayer,

"Father, I'm sorry for my ineffectiveness and insensitivity to the people you are bringing into my life.  Help me today to get into a meaningful spiritual conservation with someone you love and are drawing to yourself. In Jesus Name, Amen."

Prayer is more about aligning our lives with God's purposes than with meeting our own personal needs. 

Not all of us as pastoral leaders are gifted in evangelism, but all of us are charged "to do the work of an evangelist" (2 Timothy 4:5). 

No matter where your primary calling or giftedness lies, whether it is to be a shepherd, teacher, or a leader of God's people, I believe Paul's pastoral charge applies to us all. 

If you are a shepherd then use your shepherding gift to guide your people into the work of evangelism.

If you are a teacher then use your teaching gift to inspire your people into the mission of God.

And if you are a leader then use your leadership gifts to lead your church into the great harvest that surrounds your church.

Two take aways:

Pray the prayer in this post everyday for the next 30 days. See how God will answer it!
Find a coach that will help you guide, inspire or lead your people into the work of evangelism.

Additional Resources

 5 Steps to Increasing Your Spiritual Conversations in Your Church

Own it As the Leader
Expand the Effectiveness of Your Staff
Continually Call Your Leaders Into the Mission
Provide Training Opportunities for Your Congregation
Create Immersion Experiences for Your Congregation

 

5 Steps To Increasing Spiritual Conversations in Your Church

Ed Stetzer once said, “If you want your church to be evangelistic and you yourself are not evangelistic – you are on a fools errand.” 

If you are going to see the spiritual conversations in your church increase this year you must see them increase in your life as a leader.

So the first step is to: O wn it as the leader.

Let's face it, if reaching people far from Jesus is not on the front burner of your life it will not even be on the radar screen of your church. 

Every time I get frustration with the lack of meaningful contact with people far from Jesus, I pray this simple prayer,

"Father, I'm sorry for my ineffectiveness and insensitivity to the people you are bringing into my life.  Help me today to get into a meaningful spiritual conservation with someone you love and are drawing to yourself. In Jesus Name, Amen."

Prayer is more about aligning our lives with God's purposes than with meeting our own personal needs. 

Not all of us as pastoral leaders are gifted in evangelism, but all of us are charged "to do the work of an evangelist" (2 Timothy 4:5). 

No matter where your primary calling or giftedness lies, whether it is to be a shepherd, teacher, or a leader of God's people, I believe Paul's pastoral charge applies to us all. 

If you are a shepherd then use your shepherding gift to guide your people into the work of evangelism.

If you are a teacher then use your teaching gift to inspire your people into the mission of God.

And if you are a leader then use your leadership gifts to lead your church into the great harvest that surrounds your church.

Two take aways:

Pray the prayer in this post everyday for the next 30 days. See how God will answer it!
Find a coach that will help you guide, inspire or lead your people into the work of evangelism.

Additional Resources

 5 Steps to Increasing Your Spiritual Conversations in Your Church

Own it As the Leader
Expand the Effectiveness of Your Staff
Continually Call Your Leaders Into the Mission
Provide Training Opportunities for Your Congregation
Create Immersion Experiences for Your Congregation

 

We Do Not Trust In Presidents We Pray For Them

Seven years ago I was speaking at one of our historic churches in Detroit that is primarily an African America congregation. I attended the early morning prayer meeting with several older leaders of the church. After the meeting one of the men asked me a question that I believe is relevant for today, “Why do white Christians hate our president?” I paused and thought for a moment, as I was honored that they felt comfortable enough to ask me the question, and then replied, “First, he is my president too, not just yours. Second, I am instructed through the scriptures to pray for him whether I agree with all his policies or not (I Timothy 2:1-8). Third, I believe he is a Christian as he made it very clear in an interview with Christianity Today and I personally know trusted Christian leaders, black and white, who have heard him verbally, testify to his faith in Jesus Christ and confirm it.

Friends, as followers of Jesus we do not trust in presidents, we pray for them. Presidents will not make or break our country. The lack of God’s people praying for our President is what will make or break our country. The lack of God’s people praying for the gospel to go forward in our country is what will make or break our country.

This election has generated a lot of pain, fear and anger. May we as followers of Jesus live holy, humbly and prayerfully as the scripture calls us:

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,  who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.  And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.  Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.  (I Timothy 2:1-8)

How Do Leaders Slow Down Their RPM's

Many years ago I heard a leader once say that, “Christian leaders usually travel at 20,000 RPMs. Always on the run, running to the next appointment, running to beat a deadline, running to intervene in a crisis, running … running … running.  The problem is that God only speaks to us at 500 RPMs.” 

This is the challenge for every leader. 

So how do we slow down enough to hear God’s voice, hear His heart and His affirming word of guidance and wisdom?

The Spiritual Discipline Funnel:

One thing we have learned over the years is that, when we practice spiritual disciplines, they force us to slow down the RPMs in our spirit and get us into a better position to hear God’s voice.

When we practice the discipline of studying God’s word (Ezra 7:10, Acts 17:11), it forces us to stop, focus and think. 
When we practice the discipline of meditating on God’s word (Psalm 1:1-3), it forces us to go to another level of quietness.  As we ponder God’s truth and as we delight in all He says, we experience stability, comfort and refreshment in our inner beings. 
When we practice the discipline of prayer (Philippians 4:4-7), it helps us change gears and moves us to a level of serenity that only God can produce.  It is a supernatural level that Paul describes as “… the peace of God, which transcends all understanding…” (Philippians 4:7 NIV)  
When I practice the discipline of fasting (Psalm 35:13), it reduces my RPMs to another level because it has a humbling effect on my life.  We consider fasting as breaking a normal routine to focus our attention on God and His desires, thus expressing our dependence on God. 
When I practice the discipline of solitude (Luke 5:16) it slows me down even more because it frees me from the endless number of distractions that keep my RPMs elevated.  
All these disciplines lead us to the discipline of stillness or silence (Psalm 131:1-2), which leads us to a place of safety, rest and comfort.  “Like a weaned child with its mother…” (Psalm 131:2 NIV)  Weaned children come to their mothers not to eat but to rest.  Solitude leads us to outward silence, but stillness leads us to an inward silence so that we might hear God’s voice more clearly.

 Journaling

One spiritual discipline that helps wrap all these other disciplines together is the discipline of journaling.  “Journaling is a place where you write down and record the works and ways of God in your life.” 

Yet, journaling is also a way to reduce the RPMs to an appropriate level to hear God speak.  Bill Hybels made this confession: “I decided to try it.  My first journal entry says this: Yesterday I said I hated the concept of journals and I still do.  But if this is what it takes to rid myself of inauthentic spirituality, I’ll do it.  If this is what it takes to reduce my RPMs enough to talk and walk with Christ, I’ll do it. I’ll journal.” 

Elijah’s Story  

The story about Elijah is the story of a frustrated leader struggling deeply with insecurity, who finds himself alone with God. God says to him, “‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.'  Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind.  After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.  And after the fire came a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.  Then the voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” (I Kings 19:11-13 NIV) 

For this tired and frustrated leader, God did not speak in the wind, earthquake or fire, but He spoke to him in a gentle whisper. 

How many gentle whispers do we miss because we are traveling too fast to hear them?

My Story

It was the summer of 1988, and my family and I had just moved to a small town called Oconomowoc, WI to a pioneer church plant, bi-vocationally and sometimes tri-vocationally.  We had started a Bible study, started seeing individuals come to Christ and others coming back to Christ.

And then we hit December.  We were too small a group to have weekly worship services.  I soon realized that no one wants to talk to a church planter in December, so my efforts to set up meetings with individuals were fruitless. 

After about two weeks of constant rejection, I decided that I was going to just pray and fast for the rest of the month and get a fresh start in the New Year.  Towards the end of that time, as I was praying in the early hours of the morning, I was prostrate on the floor. I was lying on a map of our city praying that God would show me how to build the church He called us to start, when a deep sense of peace flooded my soul, and I heard God’s gentle whisper deep in my spirit saying, “Gary, I am going to do it! Just trust me. I am going to do it!”

My heart starts to pound just remembering that moment!  Even though there have been other times that I’ve heard God’s gentle whisper in my life, this was significant in my church planting experience. 

In December 1988 we had 7 adults; by February 1989 we had 25. On September 10, 1989 we had 110 people at our first public worship service.  Ten years later we had a million dollar facility, built on 55 acres of prime property, three full-time staff, three part-time staff, two daughter churches and over 400 people attending our services, of which approximately 70% were people who had not been attending church.

God did it!  And He is still doing it!  Last year we celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of that ministry.  After the celebration service a man came up and gave my wife Mary and me a big bear hug saying, “Thank you for starting this church, it has saved my life, marriage, and family!”  Only God can change a human heart and we were glad just to be a part of it.

As I look back over my 30 years of ministry in good times and bad, God has strengthened my spirit, given me wisdom, and guided my steps as I have worked the Spiritual Disciplines Funnel.

Excerpt from Gary’s Newly Update and Expanded Version FirstSteps for Planting a Missional Church

How Directness Helps Relationships

Relationships among people quite often suffer because of a lack of directness.

The bible tells we should...

“…instruct one another …” Romans 15:14

“…teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom” Colossians 3:16

It is interesting that the meaning behind the words “instruct” and “admonish” are the same: that is “to caution, reprove or warn gently.” The values of love, responsibility and respect call us to address one another directly, kindly and fairly.

Directness involves speaking to a person, not about a person. Gossip is speaking about a person and not to a person. If gossip persists in the life of the church it will embed the dysfunctional habit of triangulation, which is extremely painful to break.

Here are four observations why a person would talk about a person rather than to a person.

Fear: Not sure how the person will respond or that we are overreacting.
Insecurity: Lack of confidence emotionally or in the situation.
Uncomfortable: No one likes these situations; if they do they need therapy.
Help or advice: Genuinely seeking confidential counsel before approaching the person.

Speaking directly to people finds its roots in the Law of Moses, “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD. You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.” (Leviticus 19:16-17).

Jesus builds on this principle in teaching, "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. (Matthew 18:15)

When we reason frankly and speak gently with those in our lives we do so according to the following guidelines:

Make sure the offense is an offense: We have experienced an offense or injury, or have been the object of sinful behavior, not just an innocent mistake.
We go to them: The offended is the one responsible for initiating with the offender.
We express our own concerns: We need to speak only for ourselves. Phrases such as: “Many feel that…”, “A lot of people think…”, or “Some have told me…” should not be used.
We do it face to face: This is to protect the person and ourselves in case it is only a misunderstanding or they readily repent of the offense. We only bring in another person if they are unwilling or unresponsive to our first encounter. Do not do it via email or text.
We do it believing they will listen: Going in to the conversation believing for the best outcome is the first step of reconciliation.
We do it hoping that the relationship will go to a deeper level: Helping people become aware of their behavior and assisting them to embrace how it affects those around them can have a profound positive impact on our relationship.

Directness does not justify recklessness. The Apostle Paul warns us, “But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another” (Galatians 5:15). Directness involves choosing our words appropriately. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).

Directness is critical to healthy worship and healthy relationships (Matthew 5:23-24).

The following questions are designed to help you guard yourself, each other and the church corporately. The Apostle Paul calls the church leaders to, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock” (Acts 20:28).

Reflective Questions for Individuals:

What are some of the fears I wrestle with in regards to directness?
Have I fully grasped my part of the problem in the relationship?
In what case would I not go directly to a person with a concern?
Have I ever been a victim of triangulation?
Do I know how to ask for forgiveness correctly?

Reflective Questions for Small Groups or Teams

What types of speech or humor could be deemed as reckless?
How do we protect our group or team from the sin of gossip?
How do we handle reckless speech in our group or team?
How do we promote this principle of directness in and through our group?
How is confidentiality protected in our group or team?

For more information on building health relationships download Gary's free ebook: Ten Biblical Principles for Healthy Relating

Three Steps Towards Being A Generous Church

Do you pray for generosity to invade your heart?  When was the last time you prayed for a spirit of generosity to fall upon your church? 

One of the prayers of missional leaders that will enlarge their hearts for God's mission is "Father, pour out a generous spirit in my life and church."

You'll notice that the prayer was not, "Father, let generosity be lavished on me and my church," but, “Let me reflect a generous spirit.”

One of the prevailing marks of every strong leader is that of a generous spirit.

In Paul’s farewell message to the elders in Ephesus, he said these words, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive'" (Acts 20:35 NIV).

Paul lived a generous life and appealed to others to be generous with the resources entrusted to them, both with financial and personnel resources.  His appeal was based on the words of Jesus himself who was the supreme model of generosity.

Barnabas was another leader whose life was marked by a generous spirit. He was not only generous with his financial resources (Acts 4:36-37), but also with his investment in young leaders – first Paul (Acts 9) and then John Mark (Acts 13).

But what can you do practically to you lead your church toward a spirit of generosity?

Here are three basic realities for seeing a generous spirit released through your church.

1. Put God first by giving away a minimum 10% of your offerings.

As leaders we all teach church members the principles of tithing and first-fruits giving. 

All too often, when the budget gets tight or challenging, leaders reduce their giving and begin robbing God. 

One pastor told me the following story.  The financial person in the church came to him and said, “If we pay our tithe this month, we will not have enough money to cover the postage costs for our Easter mailing...which one do you want to pay?”

The pastor did not hesitate, “Pay our tithe! I fear God more than I do the post office! We will just have to trust God to provide!” 

That Friday he asked his assistant if she had checked their PO Box for mail that week. She responded, “No.” He asked her to check it to see if any checks had come in. 

Well, guess want happened?

You guessed it!  There was a check for $2500.00. (The postage for the mailing was $2,200.00!)

Generous leaders are leaders of principle and faith. They understand that God must be placed first in the finances.

2. Expand your giving over time.

Excelling is a natural attribute of a leader. 

They are always looking for ways to grow and strengthen themselves personally as well as professionally.  They seek ways to improve and move their organizations to the next level. 

Paul wrote to the church inCorinth, acknowledging their excellent growth in every level and appealing to them to excel in their giving. 

“But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving” (II Corinthians 8:7 NIV). 

As individuals and organizations, we are called to excel in our giving. Ten percent is always just the starting place. 

I remember a friend of mine saying that his church was giving 30% of their offering away into missional endeavors and that his goal was to become a 50/50 church in that they would give 50% of their income into kingdom building ventures!

On a personal level, Rick Warren practices "reverse tithing," meaning that he gives 90% of his income away and lives on 10%. 

God blesses generous hearts. God wants us to understand that we cannot out-give Him. 

In my experience, generous people are usually entrusted with more resources to give away. They understand the giving cycle always ends with giving.

Our culture looks at the "giving to get" model, but the biblical perspective is "giving to get to give more!" (II Corinthians 9:10)

The biblical cycle always ends with giving.

3. Hold leaders and staff lightly.

Remember the church is to be in the sending business, and you can’t send those you hold onto tightly. 

In Acts 13:1-3, the leaders gave their two top leaders in Barnabas and Saul to God’s missional purposes, along with sending out an up-and-coming leader named John Mark. 

I’ve worked with too many churches who grudgingly give up those leaders who sense God’s missional call to church planting.  These churches miss a huge opportunity to be a blessing to those being sent and to receive a blessing from God for their generosity. 

I think that this was a big part of Paul’s message to the elders atEphesus. “Don’t hold on to me so tightly that you miss God’s blessing in my departure. 

“Remember what Jesus said, 'It is more blessed to give that to receive.'”  

As a leader, would you dare to ask God for a generous spirit and then take steps to see it happen?
It is a prayer that will lead you on a soul stretching adventure .

Adapted from Gary's book: NextSteps for Leading a Missional Church

8 Rewards of a Renewed Mind

In ministry leadership, there is not a week that goes by without having some type of difficult conversation.

Some days you just get mentally weary and emotionally drained. 

You say to yourself, “Here we go again!”  So you compose yourself, gather your thoughts and try your best to speak the truth in love.

Honestly, some days I am not in the right mindset.  I am physically exhausted, emotionally frazzled, mentally cluttered, and spiritually unfocused.

I was sitting in my office the other day having one of those moments. 

You know, making a list of the 15 other jobs I could be doing besides this one.  Feeling sorry for myself, dreaming of other opportunities instead of focusing on the responsibilities right in front of me.

When we are in those moments, we reveal our desperate need for a renewed mind.

God says when our minds are renewed, “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

A renewed mind changes our perspective.

A renewed mind is the ability to see God, the world around you, your circumstances, and yourself from God’s viewpoint.

When we put in the work to renew our minds, we experience the reward of God’s perspective.

Here are eight rewards of a renewed mind.

Eight Rewards of a Renewed Mind
1. A Renewed Mind Sees God and His Will as Holy (Romans 12:2)

When my mind is renewed, I see God as He is, not how I wish He could be.  I see the perfection of His plan and accept the reality of it.

2. A Renewed Mind Sees People as Possibilities (I Samuel 16:7)

A renewed mind sees people from God’s perspective. It does not judge their potential from the standards of our culture but by God’s standards.

3. A Renewed Mind Sees Enemies as Victims (Matthew 5:44)

It is only through a spiritual mind that we can see our worst enemies through the lens of compassion.

4. A Renewed Mind Sees Problems as Opportunities (James 1:2-4)

When my mind is renewed, I can find joy in the midst of the trials and temptations because they produce something inside of me that could not be produced without them - maturity.

5. A Renewed Mind Sees Pain as Stretching Points (Romans 5:3-5)

A spiritually renewed mind sees the pain we experience from a different vantage point.  It reminds us that this physical world is not our home and our hope is not in the comfort we experience but in the God who saved us.

6. A Renewed Mind Sees Failure as Life Lessons (Psalm 51:13)

It was through a renewed mind that King David saw his personal failures as forgiven and learned life lessons to teach others who desired to follow God.

7. A Renewed Mind Sees Life as Precious Moments (Psalm 39:4-5)

When my mind is renewed I see life as temporary and fleeting, driving me to treasure every moment and make the most of every opportunity.

8. A Renewed Mind Sees Yourself as God Sees You.  (Romans 12:3)

The spiritually minded views oneself from a sober perspective, not too lowly (self-effacing), and not too highly (self-congratulatory), but just right -- a vessel of God’s grace.

A renewed mind is a strong mind.

Sports psychologists use the term ‘mental toughness’ to explain the edge some athletes have over others. 

Vince Lombardi referred to the qualities of mental toughness as “sacrifice and self-denial.” 

Knowing he was being an avid bible reader, I have to wonder if he got this from Romans 12:1-2!

Which reward of a renewed mind is missing in your life?

 

Related Articles:

3 Essentials for Daily Renewal

How to Find Mental Strength in the Chaos of Ministry 

Three Strategies to Fight Destructive Thinking 

22 Amazing Quotes from George Whitefield

 

Over 30 years ago I was given a profound gift of Arnold A. Dallimore's classic work, George Whitefield, the Life and Times of the Great Evangelist of the Eighteenth-Century Revival.  George Whitefield was not a man of great physical stature but he was a powerful servant of God.  He experienced a deep and dramatic spiritual conversion. He was a man who loved the word of God, whose dependence on God was seen through his rigorous exercise of spiritual disciplines. He preached often, sometimes two to three times a day, offering powerful extemporaneous sermons. His belief in God's sovereignty fuel his passion to share the message of Jesus and drove him to preach anywhere at any time, often drawing larger crowds estimated up to 30,000 people at a time. He labored tirelessly preaching over 18,000 times to an estimated 10 millions hearers on two continents.   He had big heart and started an orphanage in Georgia which he funded personally and carried its debts throughout his life time.  Whitefield's preaching tours sparked a revival that resulted in the first Great Awakening in America. He was America’s first celebrity. About 80 percent of all American colonists heard him preach at least once.

Quotes

"The true believer can no more live without prayer, than without food day by day."― George Whitefield

"What! Get to heaven on your own strength? Why, you might as well try to climb to the moon on a rope of sand!" ― George Whitefield

"No, the religion of Jesus is a social religion." ― George Whitefield

"The harvest is very great. I am ashamed I can do no more for him who has done so much for me." ― George Whitefield

"There is not a thing on the face of the earth that I abhor so much as idleness or idle people." ― George Whitefield

"Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you." ― George Whitefield

"Fight the good fight of faith, and God will give you spiritual mercies."  ― George Whitefield

“I got more true knowledge from reading the Book of God in one month, than I could ever have acquired from all the writings of men." ― George Whitefield

“One taste of Christ’s love in the heart will make amends for all.” ― George Whitefield

“Set apart this day for humiliation (fasting) and intercession... and found my heart greatly enlarged in that Divine exercise." ― George Whitefield

"Intercession is a glorious means to sweeten the heart.” ― George Whitefield

“Lord, if I can but be made instrumental to save one soul, I care not if I am tossed on the ocean through my whole life” ― George Whitefield

"Jesus was God and man in one person, that God and man might be happy together again." ― George Whitefield

"I was honored today with having a few stones, dirt, rotten eggs, and pieces of dead cat thrown at me" ― George Whitefield

"Christ is worth all, or he is worth nothing." ― George Whitefield 

"Be humble, talk little, think and pray much." ― George Whitefield

"God forbid that I should travel with anybody a quarter of an hour without speaking of Christ to them." ― George Whitefield

"God, give me a deep humility, a well-guided zeal, a burning love and a single eye, and then let men or devils do their worst!  ― George Whitefield

"I would rather wear out than rust out." ― George Whitefield

"We can preach the Gospel of Christ no further than we have experienced the power of it in our own hearts. " ― George Whitefield

"My prayer today is that God would make me an extraordinary Christian." ― George Whitefield

"Pray that I may be very little in my own eyes, and not rob my dear Master of any part of his glory." ― George Whitefield

 

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