There is no greater issues that faces the church today than finances. Recently, my friend Casey Graham of The Change Group partnered with Joe Sangl of New Spring Church to write the book, Funded and Free. Casey and Joe offer one thing that every church needs – practical solutions to help churches grow in their finances and avoid costly mistakes in the financial side of ministry.

If you have not picked up a copy of the book, I would encourage you to do so. If you are BRAVE enough to apply it’s principles, I guarantee that it will make a difference in your ministry.

Both Joe and Casey work with churches on a regular basis. You should use them if you ever need help with developing givers, getting people out of debt or growing the giving within your ministry.

I shared the one thing that you need to gain your Pastor’s trust – Wisdom. In 1 Kings 3:7, Solomon says:

Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership. (HCSB)

Solomon goes on to ask God for wisdom. The word in the Old Testament has 5 meanings.

• Wisdom in Battle – For Solomon, he needed to lead the army. For you, there is a spiritual battle you need to be prepared for!
• Wisdom in Administration – Solomon was known for his use of resources. Build a great team and finance your pastor and staff’s vision.
• Wisdom in Spiritual Matters – XP’s should be spiritual. No matter what, lead spiritually. Make sure that your team knows that you love God more than anything else.
• Wisdom in Ethics – make right decisions.
• Shrewdness – the word means “sharp in practical matters.”

Senior Pastor’s, hire a wise Executive Pastor. Executive Pastor’s – ask God for His wisdom. It worked for Solomon!

If you would like the notes, leave a comment and I’ll email them to you.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20, NIV (emphasis added)

Why didn’t Jesus tell the guys to bring the Gospel to Jerusalem? Why not just the places that had been the most accepting of His message? Why not just the nation of Israel (they were God’s chosen people)?

Instead, He chose to overwhelm them with the task to create a sense of urgency. He said “go to all nations.” Our passion to be efficient and effective in our ministry has minimized our sense of urgency. Jesus did not say develop the best strategy, although a strategy is not bad. Jesus did not say to be the most efficient, although efficiency is great. He said “GO to ALL NATIONS” or literally, “as you are going to all nations, tell them.”

It was an expectation that the disciples had a sense of urgency wherever they were. But, our sense of urgency has been cloaked by our desire for analysis. Our sense of urgency has been cloaked by believing that numbers do not matter. Our sense of urgency has been cloaked by the size of the task.

I’m reminded of a story that I heard once of a little boy who was asked to define the word all. His answer, “All means all and that’s all all means.”

All nations means all nations and that’s all all nations means. If the church believed that people who die every day really go to hell, we would be doing more about it.

It’s easier to build a strategy, but all means all. I wonder if the people from the nations who were unreached at the judgment will be impressed with our developing, ineffective strategies that were sought after over the simple telling others about the Gospel in all nations?

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14, NIV (emphasis added)

Now, let’s change the passage a little by adding pastors for the word people. Think about it – if my pastors, who are called by my name…. What would happen if pastor’s would:

• Humble themselves – realize they need God’s help and the help of other pastors. We are not fighting each other – our fight “is not against flesh and blood.”
• Pray and seek my face – look to Him for guidance and direction and pursue Him more than anything else.
• Turn – honestly, church leaders just need to confess some sin and admit they are not perfect.

Then. Did you see that? THEN. Then God will hear, forgive and heal. My thoughts: hearing, forgiving and healing creates a movement.

If we want to see God move in our country and world, it starts in the hearts of people and specifically PASTORS.

The problem in the US is that we have individual churches sharing the Gospel instead of churches linking together to create a movement of the Gospel.

His words have been bouncing around in the void known as my mind for days!

Think about this – If the approximate 400,000 churches in the United States reached out to 750 people each, we could effectively tell each person about God’s love and create a movement for the Gospel in America. (For the math deficient, 400,000 churches * 750 people = 300,000,000 people – the approximate population of the US)

Some churches can do more – others can do less. BUT, we all can do something.

My question: How can we effectively link churches together in our country and world to create a movement for Christ?

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• Delta messed some things up and then pulled it out BIG TIME. Flew Business Class (or better) on all but 3 flights.
• Flew 22,000+ miles on 4 different airlines.
• Traveled to 5 countries and 4 different time zones including a Military Dictatorship & Communist Country.
• Rode 5 hours on a Thai bus (enough said), but drank some GREAT coffee.
• Spent 6 days in Sydney, Australia for the Hillsong Conference, where they have yet to introduce reasonably priced or free internet.
• Worshipped at the Hillsong Church City and Hills campuses – an awesome experience at each.
• Enjoy some pics and video from the conference (all taken with the iPhone 4 – simply an amazing phone)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bottom line: It’s good to be home.

Today, I begin a crazy journey around the world. I’ll be in Tokyo, Thailand and Australia before returning back to the States. Please pray for safe travel over the next 12 days. Can’t wait to see what God does.

Honestly, we are all consumers at some level. Think about this definition:

One that consumes, especially one that acquires goods or services for direct use or ownership rather than for resale or use in production and manufacturing.

Although that’s very technical, it’s a perfect picture of our culture. As a consumer, everything becomes about me and what I can get over how I can help others. So, here are some thoughts about how you know if you are a consumer.

• You always expect to receive something instead of give something.
• You just can’t find the right church – you’ve actually tried all in town and none “work” for you.
• You’re never satisfied by your income and always think others make to much.
• You feel like you need every new electronic device that comes out, even though you will never use it.

Instead of continuing to beat myself up with some of these, I will stop there.

Are you a consumer?

The life Christ calls you to is one of giving. It’s not wrong to have things, but as I have heard it said, “It’s wrong for your things to have you.” Consider this as you go throughout the day, “For God so loved the world, that He GAVE….(John 3:16, NIV)”