Opening video…Wow!!! Makes you proud to be a part of the “Church”
Steve Fee – Loved the new song!
Sue Miller
- After last year’s conference she was challenged in a new way, she was told she had cancer.
- After arguing with God, she was compelled that God asked her, “Who’s driving?”
- Challenge to ask God to show us what investment/impact we’ve made.
- God started to reveal to her how he had used her. – God told her she did exactly what He told her to do.
- Challenge to realize that you do not need a cancer diagnosis to give your all to God.
- A note to volunteers…Sue usually hears people say things like, “I just hold babies” “I just lead a small group” “I just greet people”
- Don’t ever say I just anymore.
- You get to be Jesus with Skin on to people who are walking through the doors of the church, who needs someone to hug them, to relate to them.
- This is a very important responsibility!
Reggie Joyner – “Uncensored” Reaching a Prodigal Generation
- There is one thing that is important in our ministries.
- Its not truth or message – It’s not family – It’s not leadership.
- Without this one thing, you do not have a basis for genuine community.
- Going through a paraphrase of the Prodigal Son
- This is definitely the Message version of the Prodigal son!
- Only two people were unhappy about the younger son returning, Older and the fatted calf.
- What if the older brother got to the prodigal son before the loving father? How would the story be different?
- Reggie grew up in an “older brother” church! (Me Too!) – This produced a mindset that it took time to unravel.
- Luke 15:1-2 – “But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” – Jesus hears them and tells them 3 stories; the final story was the Prodigal. He showed them 2 different perspectives to the Prodigal.
- There are 2 different approaches to sinners: 1. The Pharisee way (The older brother) or 2. Jesus’ way (The loving father)
- Challenge: Treat every prodigal in the way a loving father would treat his own son!
- Loving Fathers: 1. Preoccupied by who’s missing (Using Bill Hybels as an example as a youth pastor) (Andy Stanley “I don’t want this church to become about who we keep, but about who we reach!”) 2. Operate from the context of forgiveness. 3. Throw parties. 4. Confront Older Brother Thinking (The father knew that the solution to the older brother’s problem was the party…he urged the older brother to come to the party.) 5. Loving Father’s leave the lights on and the door open as long as it takes.
- Older Brothers: 1. Preoccupied with Themselves (If you are not pre-occupied with who is missing…you will be preoccupied with something, it will become about yourself.) 2. Operate from shame. 3. Older brother’s throw fits. 4. Older brothers shut and lock the door.
- We need a new breed of church where people who are broken and hurting can go to get help. It should be their first stop.
- Because we don’t understand how to move people from loving to do bad to living to do good, we guilt them into feeling bad about doing bad (shame and guilt).
- Why do we think that shaming people who are already trapped in the darkness of their life is going to be productive in leading them to do good?
- The two most effective characteristics for the home and the church: 1. Forgiveness 2. Joy
- Challenge: Learn how to love every prodigal like a Loving Father would his son.
- If you are traditional – This has been around for 2,000 years…
If you are innovative – A lot of people are not doing this yet… - If you model this to children, middle school, and high school…maybe the future church will act this way! (Yep!)
Thanks for sharing those bits of wisdom!
“If you model this to children, middle school, and high school…maybe the future church will act this way! (Yep!)”
Such an important thing to keep in mind!