Over the course of this last year, I've spoken with numerous ministers whose churches are struggling. I often ask them, "What happened?" For those of us dealing with declining churches, it seems like just yesterday we were doing fine. The "what happened" question should really be "what just happened?" Indeed, most churches in America right now are struggling. Many are in decline and many are in danger of closing within the next five to seven years. Good churches struggle for many reasons. Small and large churches are battling a culture in America that is bent toward worldly and very ungodly values. The values in America have moved far away from strong Christlike values. When I was young — in the 60's and 70's — people would feel guilty if they skipped church on Sunday to do something else. Now, we are lucky if people are even considering church as an option on Sunday. And if they do not come, they feel no guilt for missing. Good churches are seeking to serve communities and reach people who are far from God with the Gospel. 

When a new pastor or staff member is hired, a church will naturally experience changes. Some of the changes are good, some are neither good or bad, and some will inevitably be bad. Changes are hard for church members. The stability of a church and its routines is something that most members rely upon. In fact, the argument could be made within the context of church development that routines create a healthy stability that families need in the midst of culture that is changing so rapidly. (I will have a future blog addressing this concern.) When something changes in the church, either a specific program or activity,  or even a change in tone by leadership, it can bring stress to regular church members. Leaders need to communicate the reasons and meanings behind the changes. New leaders need to work on relational connections. The best way to address change is to communicate, communicate, communicate and to ​visit, visit, visit. 

Whether it's tension brought on by personality differences, or specific issues, or teams upsetting one another, the internal conflict can easily grow. Sometimes groups pit themselves against one another. A ladies fellowship group may not like the way that the youth group or men's group used the "church tables." A millennial group may not like the way a senior pastor or worship leader consistently uses hymns in the service. A group of longtime attending seniors may not like the way that the stage platform has been redecorated for the sake of younger attendees. Internal conflicts are always abundant in churches of every size. Smaller churches deal with them often. In small churches, it's common for everyone to have a sense of ownership of the facilities, programs, and even the personnel. While natural ownership of the facilities can be good in some ways, encouraging it can be dangerous. Leaders and lay leaders need to communicate key important values. The value of a table or tables being worn out is not as important as the growth and excitement of the youth group that is using the tables. Everyone enjoying a good time of worship and a Christ-centered sermon is the higher value needed over the kind of decorations or lighting we have on our stages. 

Sometimes a local or national trend can impact a local church. In the last few years, cultural changes have been happening rapidly. A social media video that goes viral can now make an entire community focus on one issue. Bullying might get extreme attention in the culture for a few weeks. I've had a parent ask me what our church's policy was on "bullying." We run less than 100 folks on any given Sunday and our youth and children's groups are small, well taken care of, and well connected. We do not have an official "policy" on bullying except that we should not tolerate it for any reason. If some church in your community gets attention for doing a same-sex wedding, it will very likely bring questions and/or conversations into your church family. People may begin to take sides and form alliances around the emotional energy generated by the cultural issue. Those with spiritual gifts of mercy long for everyone to get along and those with the gifts of prophecy want to point out the dangers in drawing lines between groups. Pastors need to focus on biblical values and biblical responses to people in sin or those who have differing opinions. Teaching your people how to love one another and love the lost — while being anchored in biblical values themselves — is vital when the culture begins to pull on your church family. 

6.14 Ministries exists to help good churches stay open longer and become stronger and healthier. We exist to rescue churches and encourage pastors, and to move churches from decline to stability as the Lord leads. We long to help churches be effective within their local communities. Our goal is to bring support and encouragement to the staff and lay leaders. After 38 years of ministry, I know how it feels to be a leader in need of support and encouragement. I know specifically how it feels to not have the financial resources to get evaluation or good leaders to come alongside and advise or help. Sometimes you just want to share your story and experiences with a fellow minister who has similar battle scars. We can offer everything from prayer support to leadership training.

We long to help without bringing any additional stress, so we do our best to serve your ministry with little to no cost. Send us an e-mail or contact us through our site and let us know how we can help your church, staff, or ministry. We love serving the local church! Thanks for reading our blogs. We encourage you to share our blogs and media with others, particularly your fellow staff members and church family. We long to encourage full-time staff, lay leaders, and volunteers so that no one will get lost in the shuffle and give up. 

Guest post by Josh Givens 
Web Content Manager & Public Relations Coordinator
6.14 Ministries

As you’re undoubtedly aware by now, there’s a growing chorus of believers concerned about the so-called “dumbing down” of Christianity and the “falling away” of some prominent evangelical icons. It should be noted — particularly for the sake of blunt honesty — that by “some icons” we’re really only talking about two specific people: Joshua Harris, author of the renowned “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” and Hillsong singer-songwriter, worship leader and musician Marty Sampson. Both men released public statements to their followers essentially stating that they had become disenchanted with Christianity and were leaving the faith. The secular news media and Internet trolls have done their usual bang-up job at making the whole thing sound far more broad sweeping than it actually is. Contrary to popular belief, there is no epidemic of hoards of Christian leaders committing apostasy throughout America within the last week. And, to be fair, Sampson did subsequently walk back his statement and position, saying that “he hasn’t renounced the faith.” 

That being said, I do think it’s important to address what is happening with these popular Christian figures and to touch on a disturbingly common trend among the church culture of elevating young leaders simply because they look cool, sing well, or speak eloquently. Let’s tackle the latter first.  

To read the rest of this post, visit the original column on The Josh Givens Blog by clicking here. 

There are a handful of verses in the holy Scriptures that haunt and trouble good pastors. James 3:1 speaks of a greater judgement for those who teach the body of Christ. A pastor is teaching the Word of God and the values of God three to four times a week. See what I mean? Three to four times a week there is a greater judgment for a pastor, a greater standard resting on a pastor's shoulders. I'm also troubled by the verse in 1 Corinthians 9:27 where the great Apostle Paul worries about being put aside, "a castaway," because he needed discipline to run the race for the gospel. It's hard to imagine Paul being sidelined by God, but Paul knows it's a reality. How are you doing with your spiritual disciplines, fellow pastors? 

One of the most frightening verses in all of Scripture for me personally is found in the last book of the Old Testament. Malachi 1 is quite literally a "rant" by God who, as you can see, has become disgusted with how His people are relating to Him. Quite often when God is trying to get our attention while we're in sin, He will ask questions. The first sinners in history, Adam and Eve, dressed in the original Mossy Oak, er, "mossy fig," heard this question while they hid in a bush: "Adam, where are you?" In Malachi 1, God asks the spiritual leaders: "If I am a master, where is My respect?" The spiritual leaders were presenting defiled offering unto the Lord in the temple. Blind and sick lambs, molded grains and fruits were being brought to the priest and offered to the Lord. And sadly, the priests were offering them. God asks the priests, "Would you bring that to the local governor and if you did would he be grateful or thankful for your gifts?" 

Verse 10 is the most frightening of all for me. God the Father says, "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates...I am not pleased with you." God didn't want anyone to visit Him in the temple or offer anything to Him. Here we see God saying 'I would rather you shut the doors than pretend to worship me.' Pastors, I implore you to let those words sink in for a minute...or for a lifetime. God has no interest in fakers or pretenders. When people showed up to "worship" God without any real sacrifice, it offended the Lord of Hosts. God goes on to say that it "profanes" His name and insults Him. This makes me wonder about the thousands of services I've helped lead and wonder if any of them insulted the Lord because I did not bring my best. 

You can perhaps feel better about this Old Testament passage if you relegate it to the old style of worship. This is how Israel used to connect with God and honor Him. We don't have to do any of that today. "Stan, we meet in churches and not temples and we never have to bring lambs!" You're right. But the principle of this passage travels all through the New Testament. The people who irritated Jesus the most on planet Earth were not the demonic, the greedy tax collectors, or sinners. The so-called "religious leaders" of Jesus' day, who were pretending to follow His will, even tithing from their spice racks (Matthew 23:33) were a dangerous "brood of vipers" according to Jesus. In fact, if you keep score on name-calling in the New Testament, the Pharisees (those religious leaders) indeed win the award for Most Names Called Out By Jesus. 

The big issue that Jesus has with them is that they are all show and no substance. The religious leaders of Jesus' day look good on paper. As they walked through town to pray or sacrifice at the temple, they were quoting Scripture  and supposedly modeling righteousness. Jesus tells them that they strain at looking good and putting on a show, but neglect justice and mercy and faith. In other words, they're all show and no substance. People who worked hard to look religious and righteous, and yet did not love their neighbors, offended Jesus. Do you remember His story of the Good Samaritan? The religious men ignored the needs of a half-dead traveler dying in a ditch. The Samaritan (a despised sub-cultural group of people) had mercy and compassion. 

So what about our fellowship. Do we gather for show or substance? Is our worship all about how we look? Do we as pastors spend excessive amounts of time making sure that we look and sound good? So much is written these days about how millennial families want an entertaining music set, high-end coffee stations in the lobby, and a worship leader who can rock a stylish pair of skinny jeans. It's easy to get caught up in show and neglect the substance. As spiritual leaders, we must focus on the substance of our worship meetings and prayer meetings over the external issues. As pastors, we must make sure that the content of our messages contains strong, Bible-based truth and strong values taught through the Scriptures. We should regularly evaluate our service order and elements to be sure that it hasn't become ritualistic. As pastors, we don't want to offend the Lord to the point that He would want to close our doors. Obedience, substance, is always preferred to a show. Let's all be vigilant so that we do not offend the One who paid for the privilege to worship Him. 

A.W. Tozer wrote in 1962, "It is scarcely possible in most places to get anyone to attend a meeting where the only attraction was God." So the question becomes: Who are you showing off and highlighting in your worship service? Are the singers, musicians, and technicians receiving all of the praise? Let's make sure that the One whom all praise, honor, and glory should be given is the true focus of our services. (Revelation 4:11) 

People can come to church to show off. In the deep south where I serve, some people come to make sure others know that they are "good churchgoers." Some come out of a habit, but they have lost their first love. (Revelation 2:4) The gathering of the local church, whether big or small, is supposed to be a gathering focused on Jesus. Consider why you go and ask yourself about your motives for attending. Are you seeking favor with God for your own gain? Are you attending church in order to protect your reputation within the community? Are you trying to network with people who might be good for your career or job advancement? Let's get honest with ourselves. God prefers substance over show. He's offended when we show up at His place with a half-hearted purpose or sacrifice. Let's not insult the Lord week after week. Return to your first love and seek to honor Him with every part of your life. Make your offerings count. 

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." — Colossians 3:23 (NASU) 

At 6.14 Ministries, we deeply value the local church. If you need some encouragement, revitalization, support, or renewal, please reach out via the Contact Page here on my blog or by e-mailing us directly at 614rebuild@gmail.com. We can offer counsel, direction, evaluation, vision, and teaching as needed. We absorb the costs of our services whenever possible. 

There are different kinds of "tired." You know. There's "I'm tired because I didn't sleep well last night." 

There's also "I'm tired because I can't seem to find any time to rest. Something always needs to be done." 

And then there's the "I'm tired because no matter how much I work, I don't seem to be making any progress or having an effect." 

All of you ladies who read this are probably thinking, "Welcome to motherhood!" But, I feel confident that I can also say, "Welcome to longterm, real life, trench-based ministry." All three of the aforementioned "I'm tired" sentences apply every day to thousands of ministers across the country and around the world. They especially apply to those who have spent 20, 30 or 40 years ministering in a local church. And the third "I'm tired" is the most difficult one of all. It's the one that can suck the hope right out of your week! So, for all of my exhausted fellow ministers, here are four tips for the tired pastor: 

Do not fight the battle of faith and ministry alone. Paul says in 2 Timothy 4 that he has fought a good fight. Ministry is not just a job or vocation, it is trench warfare against an unrelenting Enemy named Satan and he longs to kill, steal, and destroy. He is also an Enemy who knows his days are numbered. I highly recommend that you tell two someones. First, tell a trust colleague or a close friend who knows you and can converse with you. Second, tell a key leader, deacon, or elder at your church so that your church is aware of your exhaustion. Over the years, I've learned that "pretending" for my church family that I'm not tired sends all kinds of wrong messages. Real disciples need to be vulnerable and they have to learn to trust one another. So get over yourself and tell someone. 

Are you being refreshed? Who's pouring into you in order to keep you sane and strengthened? The body of Christ is meant to build one another up. A "sho-nuff" real minister knows what it is like to build up, encourage, strengthen, and care for his fold and then long for someone to pour into him, only to come up empty. Oftentimes as pastors we must seek out colleagues and local people in our community to support us. Find a friend from a local church who you can walk with or at least contact me here at 6.14 Ministries through the contact form on our official website. You can also do so by clicking on the contact tab above or by e-mailing us directly at 614rebuild@gmail.com. I can listen and pray with you. When you're tired — really tired of the day-to-day struggle — you need someone to share your burdens. Please do not go it alone. Many good ministers wash out and become the "castaways." Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 9. Get some blogs and podcasts loaded into your smartphone and laptop. Let good preaching and truth refresh you. 

As I typed the above headline, I literally laughed out loud. The rich irony of me telling you to take a break, while I serve as a bi-vocational pastor, running a lawn care business in triple digit heat indexes this month, starting 6.14 Ministries as an official nonprofit, and struggling to keep my family a priority (especially making time for my new grand baby) is utterly laughable and absurd to say the least. It's no secret that I'm a task-oriented person. I despise sitting still. I push myself hard. I want so much for our church to grow and multiply in its discipleship efforts. I want to see a young staff serve where financial security helps them in ministry rather than worries them.

But when I get tired — tired of the push, tired of the grind, tired of the slow progress — I have learned that I need a break. The real ministers out there know exactly what I'm talking about. Some of you need a day off each week. Some of you need to arrange a week off. Most of you need time out of your pulpit so that you can refresh your mind spiritually. Find a local pastor who can cover you. Contact the nearest Bible college or seminary and see if they have a young preacher who can cover for a week or two. Reach out to the evangelical megachurch in your area with whose doctrine you align, and see if they have some pastoral interns who would be available. The potential relationships may become annual events and a chance for you to refresh each time. If you know that you need a break, take a break before you break. Broken and exhausted pastors are not good for anyone, especially the church body. If you've become so tired that depression is knocking at the door regarding your ministry, you should memorize a few verses to combat this. 

Pray for God to strengthen you as He did the apostles, prophets, and ministers of old. Pray for perseverance. Commit as you pray for perseverance to persevere. Commit to endure. To all of the pastors who are serving in difficult churches, where progress is slow and even backwards at times, please do not stop serving. Keep on serving even though you are tired. God called you to this and He knows what you can accomplish if you endure. Consider this list of verses about persevering. Find one that you like and read it daily for a while: 

• Romans 12:11-12 — "Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." (ESV)
• Psalm 16:8-9 — "I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely." (NASU) 
• Romans 5:3-4 — "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (ESV)
• James 1:12 — "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." (ESV) 
• Galatians 6:9-10 — "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." (NASU) 
• 2 Timothy 1:12-14 — "For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know who I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you." (NASU) 
• Philippians 3:14, 2 Thessalonians 3:13, 1 Timothy 6:12

When you read the inspired verses above, you can know two things for sure. God knows you are going to need strength in order to endure ministry and the Apostle Paul know that you need strength to endure. Everyone gets tired. Please know that 6.14 Ministries is here to support you when you're tired. If you're a lay person and recognize that your pastor is tired, feel free to reach out to us for encouragement. We can encourage by phone or in person depending on your needs. 

6.14 Ministries exists to rescue good churches and good minsters and to keep the vision of the local church strong. You can contact us by e-mail at 614rebuild@gmail.com. 

One of the most popular shows on television for the last several years is "The Walking Dead." My son recently informed me that there is also a commentary show that follows it called "Talking Dead." The storyline, characters, and plots of the "The Walking Dead" have stolen away many hours of American lives. I actually shared at a summer camp recently how unhealthy it was for us to  spend hours watching shows that focused so much attention on death and gruesome images. Healthy spiritual minds are to focus on things that are lovely, pure, and things of good report (Philippians 4:4-8). If you spend hours consuming unhealthy television and Netflix shows, I urge you to fill your mind with better things.  But this is not the focus of my blog post today. Rather I want to share with you a spiritual calling that is perhaps the highest calling for all of us. It is the very opposite of what we may think when it comes to being fully devoted Christ followers.
 
The call of following Jesus means we are to consider Him our Lord and Savior. His desires and wishes are to become our desires and wishes. His plans are now our plans. In every sense the one who truly follows Christ becomes consumed with the things of Christ and dies to himself. 

Luke 9:23-27  — Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God." NIV

Jesus makes it clear that if we want to save our life we must sacrifice our life.  He tells his devoted disciples that they must deny themselves, die to themselves (take up the cross) and then they will be considered those who "follow” Him.  In every sense we are to be the dead who live for Him because He died for us.  
 
Now consider what those of us who are dead are to be doing. The big three items on our to-do list as Christ-followers are: 

1. Witness to others. Tell what Jesus has done for you.  The former blind man in John 9, the former immoral, racist Samaritan at the well in John 4, and the crazy former demoniac in Mark 5 all witness to others what Jesus did for them. Witnessing is easy for anyone. Tell what happened before you knew Jesus, how you met Him and how He impacted your life, and tell how things are different now that you follow Him. Every Christ-follower is to be a witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. It requires no formal training and no seminary degree.  Mark 5:19-20 says “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." NIV (Listen to my recent message on witnessing here.) 
2. Spread the Gospel. Every sincere Christ-follower is to be one who echoes again and again the good news that Jesus Christ came to save us, while we were still sinners. He was crucified for our sins, and He died and rose again according to the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:1-3)  Have you echoed the gospel out this week in your community? It is your calling and your responsibility to the One who paid for all your sins. Romans 12 says it is our "reasonable service." 
3. Make disciples. Jesus last instructions to his devoted followers was to go and make disciples of all nations. To put it plainly, to make a disciple you have to help others follow Christ as you follow Christ.  Your cousins, co-workers, barber, chiropractor, lawn-man, next-door neighbors and Zumba partners are all good candidates for discipleship. Every Christian should be discipling someone. Who are you teaching to follow Christ? (Listen to my recent message on discipleship here.) 

So not only are we to be the DEAD who live again and follow Christ in our new life, but we are to be the "talking dead" who bring the good news. At 6.14 Ministries, we long to see every church — no matter how big or small — teach its membership how to live out this high calling. Is your church family filled with the "talking dead?" Are your church members trumpeting forth the gospel like the believers at Thessalonica? (1 Thessalonians 1:6-10) Let us help by bringing some practical steps to your church family and encourage them in spreading the good news and making disciples. Contact us at 614rebuild@gmail.com. We would love to visit your church! 

Eighty-thousand churches in America are struggling this week. Eighty-thousand churches are wrestling with bills that they need to pay, salaries that they want to pay, and — most importantly — souls that they want to impact with the message of the Gospel. When a church is in any type of decline, whether it's financial, spiritual, or numerical, there is often a tension and a tone that the fellowship itself can take on, and that the leadership can exude, which is unhealthy for the entire church family. Negative comments, excessive analysis of past issues, finger-pointing, and whispering conversations can lead to a defeated body of believers. The great Enemy, Satan, can easily control a congregation that is struggling with doubts, fears, and practicing gossip and blaming. But thankfully, there are steps that a shepherd can take in order to overcome these temptations and to lead his congregational flock back into rich, God-honoring fellowship and service. 

Questions 

A congregation's expectations of its ministry team and a minister's expectations of its congregation are central issues when a church is struggling. Is the minister doing enough? Is he carrying out his ministry correctly? Is there any unconfessed sin in his life or in the life of other staff members which might bring about this decline? Has his zeal for ministry and his devotion to God waned? These are all normal questions that a devoted church member will ponder.

But, the minister will also ponder about the flock that he is tasked with guarding. Are they devoted more to the things of the world than the things of the Kingdom of God? Do they share their faith in the marketplace? Do they really believe in the mission and value of the local church? 

While all the questions are good to use to evaluate oneself and evaluate a church, they can simultaneously become harmful and even damaging if done without a spirit of encouragement. The process of evaluating one another must be done with the clear goal of building each other up in the faith. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-22) Also, evaluation and analysis must have an ending point. Questioning and questioning can quickly become exhausting. Analysis paralysis is a real thing! You cannot move forward and improve if you're still wallowing in your past, analyzing your mistakes to death. Be sensitive to one another as staff and as congregants. Trust the Lord to work in everyone who is seeking to build your church family and move forward. 

Answers 

First, in the midst of hard trials, a church family must remain stable. The answer to stability will always be to return to the basics of the church's purpose and faith values. If you as a pastor have found yourself in this situation, I suggest preaching a series on sharing the Gospel. Teach on the basic catechisms — "the chief end of man is to glorify God." Returning to the basics helps to stabilize the issues and calls everyone, staff and flock, to simply obey. 

For our church, it is a return to witnessing and discipleship. We believe the goal of any church is to glorify God and that is best done by sharing the Gospel (evangelism) and bringing people who are far from God into a healthy relationship with Him (discipleship). Stability is easier when your foundation is strong. So, be sure to strengthen the foundation. 

Second, relationships must be nurtured and everyone must choose to care for each other. Church leadership should be sensitive to the stress of core staff and ministers. Let your speech be seasoned with grace (Colossians 4:6) and strive to be an encourager through the challenging times. Do not wait on others to step up and encourage. Take the initiative, read encouraging verses, and bring a positive spirit of hope and faith into your church family. 

Third, be open with your church in your messages about the struggle. Acknowledge the struggle and be open to questions. Let the church ask questions through text, e-mails, or in person after the service. Invite them, welcome them, and thank them for caring enough to ask. Ask them to find the positive work God is doing in the church and focus on the positives. 

Every church goes through trials and struggles. Satan longs to defeat and divide believers and to let them hurt one another and damage the testimony of Jesus in the community. At 6.14 Ministries, we want all good churches to function as light, hope, grace, and encouragement in their communities. If your church — or you as a minister — are going through a difficult time, please reach out to us at 614rebuild@gmail.com or by visiting the official contact page on our website. You can also write me directly by visiting the contact tab on this blog. We will gladly help and encourage you as you follow your calling. There is no charge for your church or for you. Prayers and help are only an e-mail away!

What happens when you put six pastors, a couple of youth leaders, 20 or so volunteers, and 50 students on the same campground for a week in the middle of rural Georgia? "It's seven o'clock in the morning! It's seven o'clock at Camp Eunice! It's seven o'clock and I'm excited!" Pastor Matt Rutland would wake our staff and campers with this glorious song each day. If you were fortunate enough to carry a camp radio (walkie-talkie), you could even hear him singing it in the afternoon or early evening whenever someone would ask: "Pastor Matt, what time is it?"

In addition to silly pastors and their whimsical songs, there's also all the fun times had each day with games, rubber chickens, swimming pool noodles, lightsabers, whipped cream on peoples' heads and hands interlaced on tables, meal time announcements, best bunk awards, clean dorm competitions, and so much more. What a blast! For over 15 years now, I have traveled to Roberta, Georgia to serve as Camp Pastor at this rural camp. Believe me when I say that it's a challenge. It's hard work. It's always exhausting. But most of all, it's always incredible to see God work there. 

WITHOUT STUFF

Camp Eunice is a small, anointed camp nestled just outside of Fort Valley, Georgia, south of Macon. I first went there to cover for a summer camp speaker who had fallen ill at the last minute. That was 17 years ago and now I look forward to the invitation to return each year as the speaker for Senior Camp. As I sit here pondering how to best describe the camp, I find myself somewhat at a loss for words. I usually begin by telling folks that the zip code there is E-I-E-I-O and that it's not really "near anything" other than God and a bunch of trees. I have mistakenly described it as a "no frills" camp. After all, the amenities include really fancy things like two outdoor pingpong tables, an outdoor basketball goal, a volleyball net, and a recently added above-ground pool (special thanks to Curt Bode). Along with this award-winning set up though, you also get all things south Georgia, like killer heat waves and killer mosquitos. But, in truth, it's a camp with incredible "frills" if you know how to count and define frills.

Relationships run deep at this little camp. Some of the friendships go back for generations. In fact, the "friendship frill" is evident in every age demographic there. And then there are the "frills" from the Holy Spirit and from God. An amazing hunger and thirst for His Word is always present at the camp, mingled with a near-insatiable longing to see Him show up and show off in a mighty way. There is humble leadership and sacrificial servanthood. And, of course, there's a deep love for the campers and a strong desire to see them fall crazy-in-love with Jesus. This love permeates every aspect of the activities, from the games and Bible classes to the teaching and worship sessions. What we lack in fancy campgrounds or "gimmicks" or "stuff," God has more than made up for in abundance with His presence. 

This year, we saw 40 or more students seriously rededicate their lives to follow Christ and die to themselves. The call of our chapel services and my lessons were two-fold: 1) Fully surrender and 2) identify with what God says about you and not what you say about yourself. We are His children and have been adopted by Him. (Romans 8:15-17) He's our Friend. (Colossians 1:21-22) And even though God is all-knowing and all-powerful, immeasurable and infinite (Romans 11:33-36; Psalms 139; Jeremiah 32:17-18), He chose to love, save, and help us. We also learned that God is in charge and that's a good thing. We learned that our unique personalities and abilities do not make us significant, but that our relationship with Christ is what makes us truly significant. Jesus is the most significant one in the entire universe and, if He is your Savior and Helper, then you are significant as well. 

All of this should lead us to live differently. We are commanded to live separated from the things of this world. If you are who God says you are, and He is who He says He is, and if we believe that, then we must change. Our choices, our purposes, and our values must be from Him and not from our peers or from our culture. We must live holy and fully surrendered. To follow Christ, we must deny ourselves, get out of His way, and then die to ourselves. It's a serious calling, but it's also an amazing thing to watch as the Spirit of God moves among youth who have their entire lives in front of them. How precious to see one teen after another let go of the "stuff" they were clinging to — the things of this earth — and choose to become who Christ died for: "fully devoted followers." How exciting to imagine what God can do through this generation as they walk with Him and seek Him first in all things. The Big Frill of Camp Eunice is this: The way in which God works among the staff, volunteers, and students in order to accomplish incredible things deep within students' hearts, a place where only God and His Spirit can work. 

A REMINDER

To all my beloved campers from Senior Camp 2019: Here is a verse that I wish I had shared. In fact, my best buddy Phillip Snodgrass preached this very passage on Sunday at Northside and when I heard it, I realized that it was the perfect verse to close out our week: 

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure." — 1 John 3:1-3 (ESV) 

Look closely at the love that God has for you: A love so strong that He calls you His child. And notice that the world doesn't "get it" (we are separated from them), but as His children we have a hope of His appearing and this hope means we purify ourselves. The Greek word here is the same word we studied at camp in 1 Peter 1:15 for "holy." So, behold God's amazing love to adopt you as His own and let it motivate you to put Him first and to purify yourselves. 

I love the Thessalonian church. This church plant, which was started by the dream team of the Apostle Paul, Timothy, Silas and Dr. Luke is an impressive model of a church that can get it done. In a city of 200,000 dominated by Greeks and Romans, this church has a great reputation. It is not a large church and, more importantly, it is not a seasoned church filled with lots of mature saints and a dozen seminary grads. Most of the people in Thessalonica were blue-collar ship builders working in the naval station at the port. [1 Thessalonians 4:11] 
 
When Paul and the team brought the message of the gospel to this great city on the Egnatian Road, which was a strong military highway, the message was heard and received with joy by a small group who became the base for the church at Thessalonica (1:6). It was a dangerous time in history for anyone to profess Christ as Lord and Savior. Rome was torturing and killing devout Christ-followers and the old-line devout Jews who rejected Jesus were serving as bounty hunters, exposing Christians so they could be arrested.  In the midst of this persecution a group of 20 to 30 believers fell in love with the message of grace that resonates from the cross of Jesus Christ. Having trusted Christ's sacrifice to be only means of their salvation, they wasted no time starting an effective ministry.  
 
PROCLAIMING THE MESSAGE

What kind of ministry can a spiritually young, small, new church start?  According to Paul's letter to the church they "proclaimed the word of God throughout the region." Paul says the word has "sounded forth". This means it literally trumpeted out from the little church. How effective was their trumpeting proclamation of the gospel? Paul says he has no need to go into the surrounding cities. The great church planter and missionary says, “You guys have done such a great job of proclaiming the message of Christ to the neighbors I am not needed here.” I wonder if Paul could say that about you and your church family?  What message did they proclaim? This is a good question. I'm sure that no one taught "Evangelism Explosion"  or "Contagious Christianity"  or the "Walk Across the Room" curriculum to these believers. Their faith and enthusiasm meant they just shared what they knew. They knew they were sinners and that Jesus loved them enough to die for them and pay for their sins. They knew Jesus rose from the grave to conquer sin and death. They knew the freedom that they experienced in their heart. They knew the peace they had found in a relationship with Jesus. Could they quote five Bible verses? I would think not! Could they explain the theological issues of Calvinism, Armenianism, or the reformed teachings?  They could not! But they could testify! They could testify and proclaim the message effectively. 
 
SAVED TO SERVE

The sincere Christ-followers in Thessalonica did four important things that made their ministry effective. 
 
First, they turned to the one true God as their source of help and life. 
 
Secondly, they turned from idolatry. They left their past sinful life choices behind. Life change was evident to all who met this group. They did not try to live with one foot in the faith life and one foot in their sinful past. 
 
Thirdly, they believed Jesus was coming back and lived with a hope and zeal that let everyone know they were waiting for Him to come and rescue them from the wrath to come. 
 
Fourthly, the turned to God and served God. How they served him was to proclaim Him. They trumpeted the truth and message of Jesus to all the neighbors. This is exactly the Great Commandment and Great Commission lived out by this small but mighty church. 

"…how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come."  — 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 
 
HOW ABOUT YOU?
 
Are you proclaiming the message of grace to your neighbors? Are you telling those whom you can influence about what Jesus did for you? Sadly, in our American culture, we often sit quietly, even as Christ-followers, and hope that someone else will tell the Good News. What can you do to fire up your church to share the message? The best thing to do is start sharing your testimony and then let those in your church hear of your adventures. Reaching the lost with the message of grace is exhilarating. It is contagious. Once you get the ball rolling, the excitement will grow. But someone has to start. Pray now for God to give you divine appointments this week so you can share your testimony. Start the fire in your church so that it can be like the Thessalonian church. Small groups of believers can be very effective and mighty witnesses in the community. 
 
6.14 Ministries is designed to help small churches — and all churches — become more effective at reaching the lost and raising up a biblical community for the glory of God. We want to come alongside churches and encourage the leadership and core members to serve with joy.

If you're in need of such encouragement, renewal, or revitalization, please contact us at 614rebuild@gmail.com or visit our website and we can support or visit your ministry at no charge.  You can also follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/614rebuild and on Twitter at Twitter.com/614rebuild.

Have you ever noticed when you are standing with a group of friends or associates talking and one person walks away, the rest of the group may often comment on that person? "She's a really good co-worker." "He's got a lot of problems at home." "She's not a morning person." The group will often comment behind our backs with some thoughts on how they view our character or behavior. So how can I get better ratings? Well, take a moment and consider what it means to be filled with God's Spirit and how it can help your reputation and ratings. 

A Little Background
 
I was raised in conservative, fundamental, evangelical churches (even though in all those years I had no real idea what any of those words meant). My mother's family was mostly holiness and full gospel. In my years of speaking in different venues I've encountered many forms of worship and many aspects of praise and celebration. Some of them I am more familiar with and more comfortable with than others. But I appreciate all forms of worship that are sincere and meant to bring glory to God. I remember the first time I was leading worship in a faith-based rehabilitation center and while singing and playing guitar a gentleman on the front row started a "praise train" and took a good group of worshippers with him on a trip around the chairs in the chapel. Not understanding exactly what was happening, I ended the song long before the worshippers were ready to end the train. They were still rolling down the tracks of joy and worship, stepping lively to the beat and I stopped the music! Awkward! We all have learning curves. In the body of Christ, we must be willing to dwell in unity through these differences. Country conservative boy was not "jiving" well with the holiness crowd. They had to be patient with me, and I had to be understanding of them.  
 
A Simple Truth
 
Following the Holy Spirit's leading can appear in many different ways for growing believers. The Bible is very clear that the Holy Spirit indwells all who truly believe on Jesus as the means of their salvation. If you are saved by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-10) then the Bible says you also have the Spirit of God dwelling in you (John 14:17; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16). This is not a controversial issue. This is simple and powerful truth. I have taught it many times. I believe and know the very Spirit of God lives within me. In fact each Sunday that I preach the word of God is great evidence of the Spirit's indwelling for me, since I am an introvert and prefer not to be the one everyone is looking to for instruction. The Scriptures teach us to walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), to be taught by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14) and to be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:9).

All of this I have woven into dozens of sermons. I have also taught on the passage of being "filled by the Spirit” from Ephesians 5:18-20. You remember this passage, the one that says you shouldn't get drunk. "Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." 

We emphasize lots of truth from this passage. We tell all the "good-ole-boys" in church this is why you shouldn't drink heavy every weekend. Some churches say that even partaking of wine is not acceptable based on this verse.  They struggle with Jesus making 3,000 cups of wine as His first miracle and Paul telling Timothy to take some wine for his aching stomach. 

At times we let these controversial and trite things blind us to what the passage is trying to offer as great life advice. As Christ followers, we are to live our lives filled with the Spirit of God. Some teachers equate filling of the Spirit with indwelling of the Spirit. This may be because they are afraid of being labeled something that does not align with their core denominational values. Regardless of the fears, the filling of Christ followers with the Spirit of God is important. 
 
A Closer Look 
 
But here the Apostle Paul is telling the true Christ followers in Ephesus, who already are indwelt by the Spirit of God to make a definitive effort to be "filled by the Holy Spirit." He knows the Ephesians believers are indwelt.  Indwelling and filling are different. If you are a Baptist, indwelling and filling are different. If you are a Pentecostal, indwelling and filling are different.  All Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, but not all Christians are filled by Spirit of God.  In fact, many Christians never seek or try to be filled, they are satisfied with the indwelling. The indwelling gets you safely home to heaven. But don't you want more? Be sure you do not equate the filling as you would think of filling a container here. Many teachers use this "word picture" but it is not at all implied by the original text. The word filling used by Paul means "controlled by," as when someone intoxicated is controlled by the substance. The same word is used when Ananias in Acts 5 is "filled by Satan" or controlled by Satan and lies to spiritual leaders. 
 
Look closely at the text and you will see the results of the filling. There are four behaviors that happen when we are filled.  The Bible says we will be continually:

• speaking to others in spiritually uplifting ways (psalm, hymns, spiritual songs)
• singing with a light heart
• giving thanks - Always giving thanks for all things (for and in all things)
• submitting to one another in the fear of Christ

Do your co-workers describe you in any of these terms? Does your core family and extended family describe you as a light-hearted person? Do they see you as an uplifting person? Do they find you to be continually thankful? Does your family talk about you with these attributes as your most common behavior?  I know it’s a hard question. It’s something that, as Christ-followers, we must wrestle with in our daily lives. We need to grow up in all aspects as unto Christ and become more Christ like.
 
So, rather than be a Christian who speaks discouragingly, we should instead speak encouragingly to and about others. Rather than murmuring and carrying a heavy heart, we should sing to the Lord continually. Rather than complain about what we don't have, and demand or expect more, we should be continually expressing thanks. We should submit to others in our workplace and home rather than be combative or resistant or bossy! This is the filling of the Spirit of God ALIVE in us. And if you know your Scripture, it is also evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, which is Christ-like love. This would be the fifth behavior that is evidenced in someone being filled with the Spirit. The Spirit's filling will bring about the Spirit's fruit. My new friend, Dr. Tom Dooley (pathclearer.com), shared with me at breakfast recently that "manifesting any of the gifts of the Spirit or all of them must be accompanied by the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, or it is of no value in the work of the Kingdom.” May God help us all seek the filling and fruit of the Spirit in our daily lives. 
 
How do I get filled if I am indwelt? Here are some good verses to help you. 

• Ask for the filling: Luke 11:13
• Believe in the promises of the Holy Spirit's indwelling: Galatians 3:2
• Surrender yourself daily to God's will and service: Romans 12:1-2
• Obey the instructions of Jesus to enjoy the fullness of the Holy Spirit's work: Acts 5:32

 
For more study on this you can access the sermon audio library at Northside Bible Church and listen to "The Not So Secret, Secret to the Christian Life." You can also subscribe to Northside's podcast on iTunes. You can also listen to this message on Northside's BuzzSprout profile here.

Stay tuned to 6.14 Ministries at our official website 614ministries.org and be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.