Month: February 2009

Disciplined Duty vs. the Lie of Legalism

Posted on February 21, 2009

Is regular prayer, Bible reading, Scripture memorization, evangelism, social service, and the like all “duty”? Well, yes kind of. Consider John Piper’s comments:

You can call it that.

  • It’s a duty the way it’s the duty of a scuba diver to put on his air tank before he goes underwater.
  • It’s a duty the way pilots listen to air traffic controllers.
  • It’s a duty the way soldiers in combat clean their rifles and load their guns.
  • It’s a duty the way hungry people eat food.
  • It’s a duty the way thirsty people drink water.
  • It’s a duty the way a deaf man puts in his hearing aid.
  • It’s a duty the way a diabetic takes his insulin.
  • It’s a duty the way Pooh Bear looks for honey.
  • It’s a duty the way pirates look for gold.

I hate the devil, and the way he is killing some of you by persuading you it is legalistic to be as regular in your prayers as you are in your eating and sleeping and Internet use. Do you not see what a sucker he his making out of you? He is laughing up his sleeve at how easy it is to deceive Christians about the importance of prayer.

God has given us means of grace. If we do not use them to their fullest advantage, our complaints against him will not stick. If we don’t eat, we starve. If we don’t drink, we get dehydrated. If we don’t exercise a muscle, it atrophies. If we don’t breathe, we suffocate. And just as there are physical means of life, there spiritual are means of grace. Resist the lies of the devil in 2009, and get a bigger breakthrough in prayer than you’ve ever had.

HT: JT

Megacities, Networks and Movements

Posted on February 21, 2009

Today I had the privilege of addressing SBC Associational Directors for megacities in the U.S. Hopefully I didn’t make a fool of myself. One of the reasons I was asked to speak was based on our experience with PlantR, a interdenominational church planting network that is seeking to catalyze a Christ-centered, context-sensitive church plant movement that renews Austin and beyond. This presentation was similar to the one I did at the recent Missional Community Leadership conference.

If our experience in PlantR can be replicated in megacities and improved upon, then I believe that networks like PlantR can play an important role in creating a church planting movements in cities across America. Ultimately movement has to be a sovereign work of the Spirit, but the Spirit consistenly used networks throughout Christian history (Jerusalem, Antioch, Celtic Mission bases, etc). I hope you’ll consider joining a local church planting network or starting one in order to see your city truly reached. After all, no one planter, denomination, or church is going to single-handedly transform an entire city. We need each other in gospel mission.

Here is my outline “From Planting to Movements: The Role of City Networks“. And props to Brandon Hatmaker who helped me think this through in the original presentation. A quote from the presentation:

We need churches with strong social ties that extend well beyond the boundaries of their buildings and families into neighborhoods and the city. In short, we need more Missional Communities not Programmed Sunday Events.

Putting the Missionary into Missional Communities

Posted on February 20, 2009

The Austin Stone Missional Community blog is putting out some good posts. This post helpfully raises missionary questions that will promote MCs that think and act more wisely, communicating the gospel with greater missional savvy. Here are some questions your MC can ask in the process of understanding your culture and mission:

  1. What are the emotional needs of the elderly, families, teens, singles, men, women, children?
  2. What are the social, economic or educational needs of the same?
  3. What are the flaws and difficulties with the systems of the community?
  4. What is their worldview?
  5. What redemptive analogies best fit this culture?
  6. What does this culture understand about the basic components of the gospel story?
  7. What questions are being asked in the culture that point to their need for the gospel?

City Ministry, Fight Club book, & Porterbrook

Posted on February 18, 2009

I’ve had a ton of stuff going on with not much time to post lately. Here are a few exciting things:

  • Austin City Life gatherings are moving from the Hideout to The Parish, a nationally acclaimed venue on historic 6th Street. Pray for us.
  • City Groups are multiplying, leaders are emerging, interns are applying, and the city is changing through our community! This morning I looked at 30 pictures from a Valentines missional event from one of our CGs. It brought tears to my eyes. The elderly population is so overlooked, sidelined in the U.S.
  • I am working on a Fight Club booklet to be epublished through Resurgence. Should finish by the end of the month.
  • Had a good chat with Steve Timmis about Austin City Life piloting the theological-missional Porterbrook program here in Austin. Porterbrook is a remarkable blend of hermeneutics, biblical and systematic theology, missiology, gospel-centered life, and missional ecclesiology for contextualized ministry. We will likely take some interns and key leaders through a module. Here is an overview of the curriculum.
  • My wife and I will be in Seattle in March for the Acts 29 Bootcamp and to assess aspiring church planters. We will also take advantage of Timmis’ traning on gospel-centered community.