Conquering A City In 2012

Here we are fellas, a few days past Christmas and a new year on the horizon. If you're like me, your scrambling through the files of your mind trying to decide what needs to change next year and what went well this year. Most of us make New Year's resolutions at the beginning of each year and hope that we'll see them come-to-pass. There are many areas of my life that I know the Lord would like me to improve upon next year, and by His grace they will be different come December of 2012.

I'm wondering if you'd like to join me on a quest to improve the quality of life for yourself and for your family in the coming year. I know that by making my desires public, I open myself up for public inquisition at any time. Maybe that's a good thing. Men need to be challenged in all areas of their life, like the kings of Israel and the Prophets who helped guide them. The first king who didn't have his own prophet ended up allowing his passions to run wild and it led to much sin and heartache. I'm speaking of Solomon, who as and old man wrote about the meaninglessness of everything life had to offer expect obedience to God.

So if you're willing to join me in setting out to conquer the city that's known by your name, send me an email or post a comment on this blog.

Below is a list of some areas of life that I'd like to improve upon next year and some areas that I know other Men struggle with and need to conquer if they're to truly excel in their walks with the Lord and in the leadership of themselves and their families:

• Prayer life

• Study of God's word

• Family devotions with wife and children

• Finances (budgeting, debt elimination, saving, etc. I know this is a major one for many men, and if I could, I'd like to recommend a book that's easy to read, The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.)

• Marital oneness (Connecting with our wives at a heart level on a daily basis. Not sure how to, just ask your wife.)

• Sexual purity (Another big issue, if not THE issue, that has crippled the power of men in the church. Whether it's adulterous relationships, masturbation, pornography, fornication, or any other sexual sin--until we as men get control over our God-given desires and steer them in the right direction, we will lack the power to serve that comes through purity. Let's put this sin to death, men!)

• Family ministry endeavors (What can your family do as ministry to others in 2012? Whether it's serving in a homeless shelter, nursing home, soup kitchen, or caring for the elderly in your neighborhood, find something you can do together and do it!)

• Discipleship of children (I'm talking about intentional discipleship here, not just what comes by living with you.)

• Home improvements (the condition of our homes is a reflection of our lives and a message to our wives.)

• Fasting and prayer (I'm beginning the year with a 30 day season of fasting and prayer that I'd love for some men to join me on. I'll go from 1/2/12 - 1/31/12. Let me know if your interested. You can do 1 day a week, 10 days, 20, or all 40. You decide and stick to it.)

• Diet and exercise (For too many of us, the question isn't whether or not we need to lose weight, the question is, how much weight do we need to lose? I want to see my grand-kids, so I know that this is gravely important.)

• Knowledge expansion (What I mean here is how are you continually developing your mind? Did you read any good books this year? What do you plan to read next year? I would challenge you to read a minimum of 6 books next year. That's only 1 book every two months. Some of you who read well and more quickly should read 12 books, one per month. Read in diverse areas as well. If you need suggestions, let me know.)

• Church Life (The Lord opened the door for my family to team up with several other tremendous families to start a family integrated church in the Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland area, and with the basic structures put in place in 2011, we're believing 2012 will be a year of blessing and growth if we honor the Lord and follow where He leads. So I'll be praying and fasting for our new Church, New Hope Christian Fellowship, and would cherish your prayers for us as well. And, if you might be interested in visiting us, we'd be honored to have you as our guest!)

These are just some of the things that I've been thinking through for myself and for other men close to me. This is not an exhaustive list of areas that need addressing by men, it's just meant to get you thinking about next year. Consider it and send me your thoughts.

And oh yeah...Happy New Year!

Characteristics of A Qualified Church Planter

 (The following article is copied from the Acts 29 Blog, and written

by Scott Thomas, President of Acts 29)

Seventeen Characteristics of a Qualified Church Planter

by Scott Thomas, President of Acts 29

Besides sharing one Barbie-sized bathroom with 287 people for six hours, the most difficult thing about flying is keeping up with the ever-changing TSA rules. They now use Imaging Technology that can scan a person's body for exploding underwear or exploding breast implants (seriously).

The qualifications for a pastor have been the same for almost 2,000 years. (Don't tell the TSA or they might mess with it.) Jesus came as the perfect fulfillment of this list of qualifications. He is the Chief Shepherd of the Church and we are the undershepherds.

Before you run a battery of tests to determine if you have the qualities of a church planter, make sure you are first qualified as an elder. I found 17 distinct qualifications for a church planter in Scripture. All elders are guilty to some degree of violating these qualifications. Examine whether this is a pattern of your behavior to fulfill the "above reproach" category.

Above Reproach
(Titus 1:6, 7; 1 Tim 3:2)

This is the overarching, summarizing characteristic. You will find similar (but not identical) lists in First Timothy and Titus. Living a life above reproach is the first requirement in both lists and Titus repeats it. The other items on the list merely explain what "above reproach" means. If we peruse the two lists, as well as First Peter, we find 17 qualifications of an elder who is above reproach.

1. A Pastor must be devoted to his wife; one-woman man (Titus 1:6; 1 Tim 3:2).

The pastor's marriage illustrates Christ's love for His church—His bride (Eph. 5:22 ff.). A Pastor must love his wife exclusively with his mind, will and emotions and not just his body.

2. A Pastor's children must be in submission, though not perfect (Titus 1:6; 1 Tim 3:4-5).

If a man does not know how to manage his own family, he will not know how to take care of God's church. The first flock for a pastor is his own family as Pastor Dad. A Pastor's qualification for the church starts in his home management as he leads them in the discipline and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).

3. A Pastor is a faithful Steward (Titus 1:7)

Here the term used is overseer (Greek episkopos). It is not another office, but a functional title of the elder. It is what he does. He is a steward, a manager of God's resources and Jesus' flock. He takes responsibility, but not ownership.

4. A Pastor must be humble - not arrogant (Titus 1:7)

A pastor must constantly demonstrate the gospel by admitting when he is wrong and assuming responsibility and restoring relationships.

5. A Pastor must be gentle - not quick-tempered (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3)

No man will be of any use in the kingdom that is quick-tempered. The difference between how Jesus demonstrated anger is that He was angry at the abuse of others in the name of religion and the dishonoring of God. We get angry at how it affects us.

6. A Pastor must be sober - not a drunkard (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3)

This is not just overindulgence in alcohol but is idiomatic for any behavior that fuels addictive responses.

7. A Pastor must be peaceful - not violent (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3)

A pastor is prone to inflict violence through his words. He is to be a peacemaker.

8. A Pastor must have financial integrity - not greedy for gain (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3; 1 Peter 5:3)

A pastor is to be upright in his financial dealings and not accused of pursuing money over the kingdom of God.

9. A pastor must be hospitable (Titus 1:8; 1 Tim 3:2)

A pastor's home is to be open for others to enjoy. A pastor's home is not a heaven on earth, but rather a place of ministry.

10. A Pastor must be a lover of good (Titus 1:8)

A pastor genuinely loves what is good. He does not just think he should love it.

11. A Pastor must be self-controlled (Titus 1:8; 1 Tim 3:2)

Self-control is a characterization of every area of a pastor's life: diet, time, mouth, exercise, relationships, sex, and money.

12. A Pastor must be upright (Titus 1:8)

He has integrity in his relationships and in how he treats others.

13. A Pastor must be holy (Titus 1:8)

His life is devoted wholeheartedly to Jesus externally and internally.

14. A Pastor must be able to teach (Titus 1:9; 1 Tim 3:2)

All of the other qualifications are character qualities. This is the only ability-based requirement. He is to be able to teach sound doctrine, not just be able to communicate in an excellent manner. His teaching can be to one or two, to twenty, to a hundred or to a thousand. Most of the churches in Crete were house churches. The elders were to defend the faith once delivered to the saints against the numerous false teachers that arose.

15. A Pastor must be spiritually Mature (1 Tim 3:6)

Positions of authority without spiritual maturity lead to the trap of pride. When pride grows in a man, sin abounds.

16. A Pastor must be respectable (1 Tim 3:7)

That does not mean that everyone must like him or even appreciate him. It means that there is no credible witness to an ongoing sinful behavior.

17. A Pastor must be an example to the flock (1 Peter 5:3)

Elders are examples of Biblical expressions sexually, time management, marriage, parenting, worship, relationships and any other way. A pastor should be someone your sons could pattern their life after and the kind of man your daughter should marry.

Conclusion
What would you do if an elder violates one of these requirements? 1 Timothy 5:19-20 warns us not to accuse an elder flippantly. Matthew 18:15-18 gives us the steps: 1) Go to the elder alone, 2) If still unsatisfied, go with another person, 3) If still unsatisfied, let the greater eldership know. If accusations are verified and the elder remains unrepentant, rebuking that elder before all is the next biblical step.

If Jack Bauer Was My Pastor

I thought this post from The Blazing Center was a great fit for The Male Domain. He wrote it, I stole it, and I give Redeeming The Time credit for sharing it. Enough said, here it is:

The other day I was thinking, what if Jack Bauer became a Christian, and then suddenly felt a call to ministry?

What would his church be like? His counseling sessions? Here’s what I think it would be like…

• Counseling sessions would be fast. Really fast. Because he only has two minutes, and you better tell him what’s going on or he’s going to mash your knee with his oversized Bible.

• He would scream the word “now” a lot. As in, “Tell me why you were impatient with your wife. NOW!”

• Every counseling session would end with a confession, because Pastor Jack can pull a confession out of anybody. Even if you didn’t do it.

• In every elders meeting Jack would inform the elders that “he did what he had to”.

• He would answer every theological question the same way: “It’s complicated…”

• He would probably fake his death several times as sermon illustrations.

• Scripture references in sermons would be called “backup”.

• The church would meet in an abandoned warehouse. The ushers would also be snipers and would establish a perimeter around the building.

• At least three times a week Jack would be misunderstood by his congregation and have to go “dark” until he could clear his name.

What else would Jack Bauer do if he were a pastor?

Brain Cancer Tests A Young Pastor's Faith

For those not familiar with Matt Chandler, he's the Pastor of The Village Church, in Dallas, TX., and sits on the board of Acts 29.

This past Thanksgiving he had a seizure that eventually led the to the discovery of a mass on his brain and current fight against brain cancer.

The story in this article talks about his faith during this trial and his optimism toward an unknown future.

Click here for the story!

(Below is a short video of Matt from Desiring God Conference last year.)

Darrin Patrick on Elders...

Church Planting with Acts 29...

This past week, my wife and I, along with some close friends packed up our bags and headed up to Deerfield, IL., on the campus of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, for a two-day church planting conference hosted by Acts 29.

This trip was kind of like a "third heaven" experience for me, because it was 10 years in the making.

Acts 29 is a church planting network co-founded by Mark Driscoll. Yes, the Mark Driscoll. (Just type his name in the search box at the top of this blog to see other postings about him and you'll know that I'm a big proponent of his, and have been for over 10 years.) I'll post about my personal thoughts, and put up a photo with him in a later post.

This church planting "bootcamp," as Acts 29 calls them, was very, very insightful, and comes highly recommended for all current Pastors, and anyone interested in possibly planting a church some time down the road. See their website for a full list of topics that are covered, doctrinal beliefs, current churches, etc., etc.. You can also subscribe to their free 'podcast' and listen to previous bootcamps from previous locations.

At this conference, on top of meeting and conversing with Mark Driscoll, I was also able to meet and converse with other Men who have taught me much about life and church planting thru the years.

Men like Darrin Patrick, who serves as VP of Acts 29, Dr. Ed Stetzer, Scott Thomas, director of Acts 29, Dr. Mark Dever, founder of 9marks ministry, and Tyler Powell, asst. director of Acts 29.

These Men were first class in all respects. Polite, courteous, intelligent, and willing to converse with people until they felt all their questions were answered.

Some topics we heard teaching on were:

• Leading the Mission
• Preaching the Mission
• Kingdom focused Church planting
• Missional and Biblical Church planting
• Church planting evangelism
• Vision for Church planting
• Q and A concerns for church planting wives

To see upcoming bootcamps, and other venues to hear these men at, visit their respective websites.

Thanks to the Acts 29 team for a first-class church planting experience. The gospel was proclaimed unashamedly!

Mark Driscoll on Denominations

Emerging Vs Emergent

Filmed during John Piper's National Desiring God Conference in 2006. Mark Driscoll (who's featured here) spoke along with Tim Keller, Voddie Baucham (who's one of my favorite speakers), and of course John Piper.

Church Planting Driscoll Style!

The link below will take you Mark Driscoll's blog where you can watch a short video he did recently on the subject of church planting. It is intended for SPIRITUALLY MATURE MEN. If you're not sure if you're spiritually mature, ask someone who is. If you're not sure if you're a Man, look for a counselor!

It was received well by most, but not all. Watch it to see why!



After viewing clip, let me know what your thoughts are on it.

• Do you think it's theologically sound?

• Should it have been banned from being given out?

• Is there a place for Women church planters?

Are You Missional?

Isn't this a great picture? A church firmly grounded in mid-air! Not connected to the vast assortment of life all around it. Having influence on only the birds capable of flying up to it's level.

Perhaps you're life is like this church...maybe your family. Just an ornament in the kingdom of God. Yikes...am I the one I'm writing to?

As I get older, and life continues to progress into the future, I have to ask myself whether or not I'm a member of that church. Am I having influence on people around me? Do I matter to more than just the birds who live with me? Do I even matter to those birds?

What would your kids say?... how 'bout your wife?
What about your co-workers? People you interact with regularly? Family members? Neighbors? Would any of these people say that, without a doubt, you're on mission with God!

That's what it means to be missional. To be on mission with God. To live your life with the same mindset of Jesus. To interact with the culture all around you. To share what you know about God with other people. To befriend people you're not suppose to be seen with. Like Jesus with the Samaritan Woman. To enjoy life with those closest to you. To become all things to all men that you might win a few, like our brother Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:22 "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

Who was the last person you became like to see them come to know Christ? Have you ever done it? What keeps us from becoming like men to see them saved? Is it our traditions... our convictions... or maybe our personalities. Is it fear of what people might say about us? What would people say if they saw us talking with a Samaritan... Drinking a beer with a tax-collector... or traveling with a motley crue of men like the apostles! Might they say what they said of Jesus - a drunkard and a glutton, and a friend of sinners (oh my!). I'm sure Zacheus and his buddies were glad Jesus chose missional over traditional.

The point is, people are gonna find something negative to say about you anyway, so don't fear what might be said of you as you live your life on mission with God. What matters is that the Lord is pleased. What matters is that your wife is loved and hugged. What matters is that your kids have a Dad who loves them and laughs often with them. What matters is that you wear the coat of Christ well as his ambassador. So go out and engage the culture God has planted you in.

As we part, I'll leave you with a quote from Mark Driscoll from his book 'Radical Reformission'

"Reformission Christians and churches exist to perpetuate the gospel
and should be swift to change their cultural forms if they are not the
most beneficial for achieving that goal. Reformission churches have to
continually examine and adjust their musical styles, websites, aesthetics,
programming, and just about everything but their Bibles in an effort to
effectively communicate the gospel to as many people as possible in the
cultures around them."

If you choose not to be missional, you'll soon find yourself detached from the world around you and influencing few to none like the birdhouse church above!

Click here to read a good article on what a missional church is.

Culture and Community

"...reformission evangelism is about seeing the many real needs of people in the culture and realizing that our kindest gift is to connect them to Jesus and his people. To do so, we must delve into the culture to understand the real needs of people..."
Mark Driscoll, from 'Radical Reformission'

How well do you know the needs of the culture? How connected are you to the culture? My guess, if you're really honest, is not to well. You're probably a lot like me. I hear that people are lonely, depressed, suicidal, etc., etc., but unless the people struggling with those emotions come to me and ask for help, they remain just a stat.

I'm not an evangelist. I don't have the gift of evangelism. I'd rather someone else tell unbelievers about Jesus and if they want to know more, then I'm very happy to step in and use my giftings. But to go to strangers, co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family members who aren't already believers and tell them that they have a problem without them admitting it, that's tough.

I know people need Jesus, but do I, or you for that matter, really believe they need Jesus. Is my belief that they need Jesus more intellectual assent, or is it heartfelt, proactive, engaging culture, life altering belief. Like seeing someone asleep in a burning building. All of us would try and wake such a person. So why don't we share our faith? Aren't people in a burning building called the human body. Isn't sin a death promoting thick smoke, that if inhaled too long, dulls the conscience and lures people into a sleep that they're unable to awaken themselves from?

I enjoy seeing people change their lives based on the word of God and coming to know Jesus. I love teaching the word of God, and helping those interested, and sometimes those not so interested, come to see the blueprint for our lives when it comes to issues of marriage, parenting, family life, masculinity, chivalry, etc. But I know God wants me to do more for those are His, but don't know it yet.

I recently listened to a message from a Pastor speaking to church leaders and potential church planters about how the mission of the church is to continue the work that Jesus began during His earthly ministry. In Mark ch.1 wee see Jesus proclaiming to all people that the time was fulfilled and the kingdom of God was at hand. He then urged people to repent and believe in the gospel. What he does next directly relates to us. While walking along the sea shore He sees Simon and Andrew casting their nets in the sea of Galilee for their daily bread. Jesus walks up to them, without knowing them, and tells them to follow Him, and He would make them become fishers of men.

If Jesus is a King, and he said the kingdom of heaven was at hand, I wonder, did Jesus leave the kingdom here on earth, or did He take it back with Him when He ascended back to heaven? If it's still here, what are we suppose to be doing with it?

Paul answers the question about the kingdom in Colossians 1:13 when he says of God; "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:." So we see that the kingdom is still here. What about us? What are to do with this kingdom? We are to populate the kingdom. A King reigns over a kingdom. And the more powerful the king, the bigger the kingdom. Well how do we populate the kingdom? The Gospel! The way we populate the kingdom is by dragging the net of the gospel in the sea of culture in an effort to catch the fish that belong to God.

Remember what happened when Jesus told Simon to cast his nets in the same waters that had yielded him very little fish in all day fishing expo. When Simon finally did what Jesus had asked, he caught so many fish that he couldn't retrieve them all. When Jesus says to cast the net, don't worry about the catch!

So maybe the people around us that are sick and dying are in fact just waiting to be caught. You and I were caught weren't we? Thank God the fishermen around us weren't afraid to cast their nets. The best fishermen are the ones who don't mind getting wet and smelly. If you're expecting a large catch, expect to smell fishy. And the only way to smell fishy is by handling a lot of fish.

We all need Jesus.

We need Jesus in our homes, our marriages, our singleness, our parenting, our jobs, our hearts, our minds, our education, our ministries, our lives. We need him to define to us what life really is. Then we need to tell that to the culture. We need to live that in our homes. We need to live that in our relationships. We need to raise our kids to become that. We need to arrange our families to reflect that. We need to let our lifestyles proclaim that.

If Jesus is going to be attractive to unbelievers, shouldn't he be proactive in us? Or do we just play church on Sundays? His Lordship must rule and reign in every area of our lives. When it does, we begin to experience life as God intended. And when we begin to experience that, we can then begin to have an effect on our culture.

So go ahead and delve into culture like Driscoll says to. The culture of loneliness all around you needs the message that you have!

Book Review: Confessions of a Reformission Rev.

In this book, Mark Driscoll, who Pastors Mars Hill Church in Seattle, chronicles the journey he has taken overseeing the fastest growing church in Seattle's history.

From 3 families who totaled 12 people meeting in his living room, to hundreds of families who total over 5000 people meeting weekly, Driscoll gives us an inside glimpse into the growth of one of the 50 most influential churches in America.
From planting just over 10 years ago, to growing around 150% a year, its been a whirlwind for Mars Hill and the leadership team there.

This book is a great read. If church planting interests you, or if you're already in some form of church leadership, you'll do good to read Driscoll's book. This book is also good for gaining an inside view on how Pastors view people in their churches and how to best serve their Pastors in their roles as spiritual leaders. Understanding the dynamics of how a church plant functions, or how any church functions for that matter, will make you a much desired commodity in the church you attend.

Driscoll's approach to teaching doesn't appeal to everyone, but from someone who's grown under his sermons now for almost 10 years, I can assure you that what he says in this book is worth knowing. I especially like his emphasis on reaching the Men in his church. Driscoll understands that by reaching the Men you reach the culture, and by growing the Men you strengthen your church.

Driscoll is also the President of Acts 29, a church planting network that he founded to train Men who have a desire to plant missional churches.

If you've read it, post a comment and let us know what you thought!

To purchase off amazon or to view the chapter titles, which are hilarious, click here.