It is my great desire to grow a great commission church. We are living in the greatest days in the history of the church of Jesus Christ. Millions and millions of people have yet to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ… we MUST go! Growing an Acts 1:8 church (“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”) is essential to fulfilling God’s heart for the world. This verse is a comprehensive mission strategy for reaching the nations with the gospel of Jesus Christ. God help us to not just have a Jerusalem mentality. It is the great commission, not the great suggestion.
When I read and understand the words of Acts 1:8, it is more than just an adrenaline rush. It is a cardiac response, a heart response.
This past weekend we had a Global Focus Seminar at our church. 85 people were here learning how to be mobilized and engaged with a strategic plan to reach the world for Jesus Christ. The two most embarrassing questions you can ask a Christian –
1. When is the last time you led someone to Jesus Christ?
2. When is the last time you even tried?
2010 has started off with a bang. God is certainly blessing in supernatural ways! People are getting saved, lives are being changed, and there is an incredible excitement in the air at New Season Church. We are currently in a series called “Hope Rising”. Everybody needs hope. Man can live about 50 days without food, about 7 days without water, and around 9 minutes without air, but only one second without hope. Hope changes everything.
Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I knows the plans I have for you, Declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
Not only am I excited about this series we’re in, but here are a few exciting things that are getting ready to happen-
1. Our Global Focus seminar is this weekend.
I’m very excited about our church getting strategic and organized to fulfill Acts 1:8.
2. Our mission team is leaving for El Salvador in 2 weeks.
3. We’re getting ready to celebrate the 2 year anniversary of New Season Church. (Feb. 21st)
Go to our website: www.newseasonchurch.com and check it out what we have planned, it’s going to be off the chain!
If you can’t tell that I’m pumped up, then come see us this Sunday at 9:00 or 10:45!
In the book of Numbers, chapters 13 and 14, we see the incredible story of Moses sending out the thirteen men to spy out the Promise Land for forty days. When they came back they had conflicting reports. It’s amazing how people can all see the same things, but see them differently. The key is how you see it. God had already told them that the land was theirs. It was called the Promise Land. Joshua and Caleb, those two great men of faith and vision, said it was a land flowing with milk and honey. They said let’s go for it! The land is ours! Don’t you just love being around positive people of faith? Then of course you had the negative crowd. I am scared; let’s not try it attitude. Two men believed God was able and the eleven spies talked more about themselves then they did about the Promise Land. Matter of fact, they never mentioned God… once!
Eaton Trueblood said “The chief tragedy in most lives is not dying, but making small what clearly could be made large.” The negative crowd died and never saw the Promise Land. Caleb and Joshua not only saw it, but experienced it and enjoyed it and their families were also able to experience and enjoy it. May God help us to see with eyes of faith and not fear. There is a Promise Land waiting for all of us. Do we have the courage to see it and seize it?
I am pumped up about 2010! I have been seeking the Lord about direction, clarity, and his will for my life and for New Season Church in 2010. We started the year off great, with already seeing seven people come to Christ. I’m very excited about a new series beginning this weekend called “Hope Rising”. This Sunday I’m going to be dealing with John 9 and trying to figure out why bad things happen to good people.
Yesterday we had an off-site all day with the staff. I believe we had one of the best times together than we’ve ever experienced. We had a prayer time, a time of encouragement, and a time of challenging one another. I taught a lesson yesterday on the seven core values of a healthy, winning team.
In case you’re interested, here are the seven core values:
1. A commitment that gets results.
2. A contribution that makes a difference.
3. A cooperation that creates harmony on the team.
4. A creativity that enhances the team’s potential.
5. A contagious spirit that everybody catches.
6. A communication system that is in place.
7. A community environment that naturally enhances productivity.
Isaac Burrow said “Nothing of worth or weight can be achieved with half a mind, with a faint heart and with a lame endeavor. “
I really believe that a new spirit of teamwork was born out of yesterday’s meetings. We’re all committed to seeing the best days ahead. Teamwork really does make the dream work.
2009 was a really good year. We saw God do some amazing things. We’ve seen many people saved and lives changed for the glory of God. As good as 2009 was, I’m believing for greater things in 2010. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:13 “This one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and pressing- straining for what is ahead.”
My normal ritual on New Year’s day is to really reflect, read, and spend a lot of time with God. I was able to take over six hours and do just that. I asked God for a new anointing, a new touch, a new intimacy, a new vision, a better, more clear prospective of my life and my ministry. I asked God to give me a new intensity and to really seize the moment.
In Pat Riley’s book, “Rule of the Magic Moment”, he said “In every contest, there comes a moment that defines winning from losing. The true warrior understands and seized that moment by giving an effort so intensive and so intuitive that it could only be called one from the heart.”
I’m giving my whole heart in 2010 and I am going to see and seize the opportunities that God brings my way.
One opportunity that I had last year was to help write a devotional book with authors like Dr. Johnny Hunt, Ed Young Jr., and Dr. Michael Catt.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to get one of those, check it out at: http://www.newseasonchurch.com/451178.ihtml .
I am 44 years of age and I must confess that in this age of high- tech, Wi-Fi internet, touch screen computers, and ipods I am certainly behind. I have a touch screen cell phone that finally, after a couple months I learned how to operate. I can email more than three word responses, but most of the time I do not. Then of course I have this blog, but this week I have jumped off the ledge. This week I have entered the wonderful world of Twitter. (@smflockhart)
Change is hard for all of us. There are two kinds of people regarding change… those who embrace it and those who resist. I want to be one that embraces change. I like what Andree Gide said- “One doesn’t discover new land without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.” Galations 4:4 says “When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his Son.”
God’s son entering the world certainly caused change. It caused change over 2,000 years ago to Mary, to Joseph, the shepherds, and wise men and it’s still causing change today.
I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I had an unbelievable weekend. I enjoyed myself at an incredible game between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. I had the opportunity to do chapel for the Saints. I had a full thirty minutes to share, God was gracious and three Saints gave their lives to Jesus Christ.
God loves to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things. We are all just common people who serve an uncommon God. It’s easy to lose site of the fact that God wants to use us. Many times we’re so focused on what’s wrong in our lives that we fail to see what’s right. I really needed this past weekend; it’s been a rough past three weeks. There are many responsibilities, deadlines to be met, too much to accomplish in too little time. When you’re behind schedule and out of balance, the cumulative effect is that you feel suffocated. God’s wonderful timing- giving you extraordinary, uncommon, miraculous grace in a time of need. God help us all to just be humble, common people who serve an uncommon extraordinary God.
It has been an extremely busy last 30 days. Vickie and I spent 10 days in Israel, as always it was an amazing trip! Lord willing, I’ll be going back in March of 2011. I hope many of you will get to go with me. It is indeed the trip of a lifetime. I’ve been busy trying to end the year strong, it’s truly been an amazing year at New Season Church. We’ve had our share of ups and downs, but overall it’s been an incredible year. I have realized now for the last several months that our organization and structure need a major overhaul.
Thirty minutes ago I met with Tony Morgan, the author of “Killing Cockroaches.” Tony has great wisdom about processes and strategies. We had a great ninety minutes at Starbucks, I asked him the what, the why, when, who, how, and where of everything I could think of. I took away many things from our conversation.
Here are the top 5:
1.You must clearly define expectations.
2. Every staff member needs to operate in the framework in which the pastor sets.
3. You cannot implement strategy unless you have the right person and place to implement it.
4. The big challenge of the church is to get the consumer- Sunday morning mindset—engaged in serving, leadership, ownership, and giving.
5. We need to be looking to the future and how we can offer all of what we do online.
I know it’s been a long time since I’ve blogged, I’ll try to be more consistent in the future.
The Blues Brothers trailer Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hit The Ice release I just back from Costa Rica… I had the wonderful privilege of training pastors and their wives. It was a thrilling time as God moved in amazing ways. Jesus certainly has a heart for the world. Every time I’m overseas, I get a lump in my throat as I think about the vast numbers of lost people. The harvest is certainly plentiful, but the laborers are few.
I’ m excited about being a part of God’s church. The church really is the hope of the world. Matthew 16: 18 & 19 remind us that the gates of Hell will not prevail against the church and that we’ve been given keys to the kingdom. This text reminds of that the war is over and the winner and the loser have already been determined. Praise God we win! Jesus said “Cheer up, I have overcome the world.” I love God’s church. The church is not an institution; it’s not a building, a program, a creed, or a doctrinal statement. It is God’s people being the church… the hope of the world.
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I have been a Christian for the last 24 years and it is the most exciting, thrilling life imaginable.
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We need to be kingdom Christians, doing kingdom business, on the King’s agenda and we will experience kingdom victory.
How thrilling is your life?
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Jon Pickern, a long- time friend of mine who was on staff with me at my first church in Dalton, Georgia passed away on Wednesday, the 7th. Jon’s death came as a surprise to the people around him. He had been eating healthy, working out daily, and had lost around 80 pounds. Jon suffered a heart attack on Wednesday afternoon while he was working out in Prattville, Alabama. Jon and I spent a lot of time together while we were in Dalton. His wife, Sheila and my wife, Vickie were best friends and Jon and I were best friends. Not to mention our kids were great friends. We spent 4 nights of the week at my house hanging out and the other 3 nights were spent in the Pickern home. Jon and I went on a mission trip to Russia and also went on numerous vacations together with our wives.
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This is certainly a great lesson for all of us… we must not take life for granted. It is also a reminder that life is not about accomplishments, but relationships. As the saying goes, “only one life and it will soon pass, only what’s done for Christ will last”, Jon was a man of God who was dangerous for the kingdom of God and to the kingdom of darkness. How dangerous are you?
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Heaven and Hell ought to know our names. Heaven, because our names are written down there in the Lamb’s book of Life. Hell, because we are snatching souls out of darkness.
How dangerous are you?
A Mighty Heart
