So, here I am in California teaching a seminar built around my book, Comeback Churches.
It is called the "The Comeback Challenge."
It is a great conference so far-- Nelson Searcy, Voddie Baucham, and several other pastors. You can download the PowerPoint I used at www.comebackchurches.com.
And, who shows up to teach the last session of the Comeback Challenge? Rick Warren. He steals my last session and starts talking about my stuff!!! UGH.
Can't he write his own stuff?!?!?
Last month, it was announced he was speaking at the Exponential Conference, again following me around. Sigh.
Stop stalking me Rick!
He’s OK at teaching my stuff… and he even brought a little of his own. Grin.
We are doing dinner tonight and then a panel for a smaller group.
Here are a few quotes (written on the fly, but I think they are pretty accurate) from when Rick spoke.
You want to make them doers of the word and not just hearers.----------------------------------
Jesus led people from "come and see" to "deny yourself and take up the cross" to "eat my body and drink my blood." That takes a while and it takes a plan.
Some of you are “come and see preachers” and your people need you to lead people to “eat my body and drink my blood.” They need you to lead them to harder truths. You need a plan to move people to high commitment of "denying yourself" and “eat my body and drink my blood.”
Some of you are “eat my body and drink my blood preachers” and you need a plan to help people “come and see.” Church is all about bringing people closer and closer to Christ.
----------------------------------Saddleback may be the most spiritual mature church in the nation… we have more people in small groups than we have in Sunday morning worship… we have 13842 tithers… over 14,000 people having a daily quiet time… the over 15,000 people who are serving in ministry…
----------------------------------Teaching a sermon will not disciple people… it is not enough.
----------------------------------Spiritual growth is incarnational… it’s Christ in you… it is helping people let Christ live through them… Christ in you the hope of Glory.
----------------------------------There are three dangers: hedonism, materialism, and secularism-- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
If you have been in the minsitry 10 to 20 years and kept your pants on, I honor you.
----------------------------------Prosperity gospel: don’t ever put an adjective in front of gospel: Prosperity gospel, social gospel.
The gospel is good news: Christ died and was resurrected for our sins.
----------------------------------[Referring to the temptation of Jesus] The plan was that Jesus would be worshiped because he died on a cross not because he jumped off the temple.
Comments (2)
To start with: you complained about a dearth of comments - I'm here to get the ball rolling.
I notice, Ed, you don't include some of your own pithy (and wonderful) quotes - esp. the ones about "company" churches. Or the crack about John Maxwell being "Jesse Jackson for white people." (Which, btw, made me laugh VERY hard.)
It _was_ a great conference - lots of good dialogue & encouragement to seek God & "go for it" in leading our churches to break out of destructive cycles/patterns. I esp. appreciate that you were able to set the centrality of the cross in place before you got to do the whole "here's the research" part.
You made a statistics comment - thought I'd share this quote with you from the famous theologian, Homer Simpson:
"Aw, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. Forfty percent of all people know that."
Posted by Mark Jackson | February 20, 2008 1:58 PM
Posted on February 20, 2008 13:58
Mark,
You are giving away all my best lines. Grin.
Thanks for the encouragement!
And, Homer Simpson, eh? I will hvae to add that to my list.
Posted by Ed Stetzer | February 21, 2008 9:55 PM
Posted on February 21, 2008 21:55