God desires for His church to be built His way, not ours. Therefore, as we endeavour to plant churches and to be involved with leading the Lord's sheep, we need to follow the holy example that Jesus Himself set. Ultimately, our lives need to reflect the glory and goodness of God, especially if we have been called to serve the church.
Andrew explains that it takes a unified group of people with a passionate love for God and each other in order to advance the kingdom. God's plan to build the church is not to focus on the ability of one leader but on the participation of every member of the body.
As we go out to plant, it is crucial to remember that we have been called to labour in the field, where it will not always be easy. God would want to remind us to always be filled with courageous faith and to stand firm in our conviction of the Lord Jesus, holding on to His vision for the church.
We are all called to make disciples of the nations, reaching out of our comfort zones to see lives be impacted by the love of Jesus. It is important to understand that the Kingdom of God is advanced by one step at a time and through one person at a time as the body of Christ grows together.
The Bible says in Psalm 23 that the Lord is the Good Shepherd, leading and caring for His sheep well. In our hopes of ever caring for the church in a way that honours the Lord, we have to start by taking a look at how God is a shepherd, and then imitate Him in this.
The Bible says that God disciplines those that He loves, and as we lead people in the house of God, it is vital that we don't forget about this. Church discipline is an important and life-giving element of every healthy church.
Building on what we see in the book of Acts, we know that the church has always been intended to be a community of devotion. Likewise, let us continue to fervently devote ourselves to the vision and the ways of the Lord Jesus today.
Have we lost our devotion to prayer and to the word? Throughout the bible we see that the children of God are those who are called to live from a place of conviction, having deep confidence in what they believe about the Lord.
As church planters and leaders, it is important to remember that we must always be on the watch for newcomers to the fellowship. In this session, Andrew looks at some of the practicalities of showing the love of Jesus to visitors in the church and making them feel welcome.
In order to build church effectively, it is vital that we submit to God's authority and sovereignty, being led by His Holy Spirit. Ultimately He is Lord, and He desires for His church to be built His way, not ours.
Throughout history, God has made numerous different promises. As believers and church leaders it is vitally important that we understand the specific context of each promise as well as how His promises affect the church today.
The word of God says that if we are faithful with the little, then God will grace us with the more. Faithfulness is a crucial trait for any church planter, especially if we are to properly steward the people that the Lord gives to us to lead.
A church cannot exist without people. Therefore in church planting, it is crucial to understand that in order to build God's house we need to build into the lives of His children, focusing on serving them instead of benefitting ourselves.
As we are sent out to plant, it can be overwhelming when priorities are unclear. In this session, we take a practical look at what some of the non-negotiables are for a church plant, and how to ensure that the work will be fruitful.
King David could be regarded as one of Israel's greatest kings, where Saul, on the other hand, could be regarded as among the worst of Isreal's kings. In this session, we look at where David succeeded, where Saul failed, and ultimately how we can learn from their lives in order to build church well.
As leaders in God's church, we function as under-shepherds of God's precious flock of sheep. In this session, Andrew takes a practical look at some of the everyday functional needs of any church and how to be an effective and bold shepherd of the Lord's people.
God has chosen us as His people to preach His Gospel and spread His love to all the world, and He has given us a new identity and new "DNA" in order to do this.
Since the creation of the world, God's plan for mankind has always been for us to reflect Him and partake in His nature. Furthermore, the church is God's vessel through which He executes His plan to save a lost and dying world.
Throughout history, God has always given good and holy instructions to His people. Therefore as His children, we need to listen to His voice and follow His ways, instead of choosing to do things our way.
There are visible signs that can show us the health of a particular church. In this session, we discuss what some of these signs are, as well as their implications.