A Call to America - Lou Engle & the Call DC

Today, hundreds of thousands of young people across the nation will be calling out to God and repenting for the sins of our nations. Tens of thousands will be gathering at the mall in Washington DC to attend the Call DC founded by Lou Engle. I have met Lou, and he carries a zeal for prayer and a love for our nation that in unmatched by any one I know. He is sounding a prophetic call, "Can I nation be changed?" Watch this video to hear the word's of prophetic father calling a nation to repentance and a people to prayer and join them online at iworship...

"God break the rebellion and raise up a revolution."

Luke 10 - podcast

To listen click here.

Luke 10 is Jesus' instructions to his disciples on how to minister to lost communities. This message was born out of God speaking to me as I struggled with the lack of effectiveness in my own evangelistic efforts back in June. You can read about it here: "Evangelism = no great results, why?"

The model I see Jesus laying out contains six steps:
1) Pray out of heart of compassion (Mat. 9:36-38)
2) Go to lost communities
3) Enter into the social life of those communities
4) Stay there developing relationships
5) Heal the sick you meet
6) Tell them the "kingdom of God is near"

If you read Jesus' teaching in Luke 10:1-10 with his similiar teaching in Matthew 10:5-8, you get a fuller picturer of what a true disciple on mission should look like. It is more than a person making friends and sharing his story (although that is a key part) but a person filled with the very power and presence of God - healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead.

Jesus restore our understanding of how to be missional within our culture, empower us to be witnesses to the ends of the earth!

A Missional Church - my first podcast

This message was recorded on a hand-held device at Fenway Church's first community night as we prepare to launch our first Sunday Service this fall at Church, a local bar/restaurant/club (http://www.churchofboston.com/).
Several of our church planting team member are gone for the summer so I decided to create my first podacst.

Topics in the this message include:
- Brief discussion on renting Church
- Holiness is Missional
- The Essence of the Church is Missional
- The Evolution & Progression of Paul's Church Planting Strategy

Haha, sounds like a lot. Hope somebody can benefit from it; I did in preparing it!

"The Pursuit of God"

The Pursuit of God

Or, in .pdf

Over vacation, I read most of A.W. Tozer's book, "The Pursuit of God." I just finished reading it yesterday on the steps of Marsh Chapel at Boston University and found it deeply challenging and moving.

The book begins by talking about grace. When the Spirit of Jesus Christ enters the lives of those who believe by faith they are regenerated by the grace of God. This renegeration opens up a relationship with and ability to communicate with God that was not possible apart from the grace of God.

The rest of the book, Tozer urges the reader to pursue this amazing opportunity to know God. Tozer brilliantly teaches on truthes of who God is including his "universal presence" which means he is constantly speaking to us if we would but turn the "gaze of our souls" to Jesus. He poignantly points out many of our corrupt inner desires (pride, materialism, etc.) that keep us from experiencing the wonder of constant contact with the "God who is near." Tozer reminds us that an important part of Christianity is the individual experiencing and interacting with the presence of God. Like an Old Testament prophet, he laments the complecency and lethargy of the church (btw, the book was written 50-60 years ago)but more than that he laments their lack of understanding and desire to know and experience the God who created and saved them.

Tozer concludes by breaking down the distinction of sacred/secular work and actions. Everything we do unto God is sacred. May we start our days on our faces before him and continue with him throughout our day uttering "a thousand silent prayers."

You can read this book online now for free. I highly recommend it. May God stir in us a desire to know and pursue HIM.

Parables & Seeds

Got back from vacation tonight (a great time with the family at the beach). I am preaching tomorrow on Mark 4:20-34. Betsy, my wife, summarized it very well.

"1) If I gave you understanding (into sowing the seed of the kingdom,the parable immediately before it) and you do not use it, then it's like you have no understanding at all and you will perish. What is hidden is meant to be disclosed.

2) Yet the power lies not in you, but in the seed, lest you be confused about who/what is doing the work.

3) And don't be afraid that small seeds won't bear big fruit. They will. It's how it works. That's the confidence I leave with you."

Newfrontiers Together On a Mission

Returned from England later Friday night. Left more convinced then ever that working in relationship with both a local church and apostolic movement of churches is extremely valuable and Biblical. I personally felt that it has the potential to be a historic conference for our movement (Newfrontiers). Here are some amazing and free resources from the conference if you are interested in learning (some of the audio files are not yet up yet but keep checking back it is worth it!).

http://adrianwarnock.com/ (written recaps, says it way better than me!)

http://www.newfrontiers.xtn.org/resources/talks-and-preaches/select-event/leadership-international-08/main-sessions/

Mark Driscoll was the guest speaker, and I went to his training track also. He was an amazing communicator. I left completely strengthened and envisioned for church planting. Convinced again that church planting is the Biblical model of evangelism. Still learning how to church plant though!

A Couple Notes

I am heading out to England on Saturday for our Newfrontiers world-wide leadership conference, but I wanted to share a couple thoughts before I go.

I am reading Shane Claiborne's book, "The Irresistible Revolution," which contains a challenging look at what it means to follow Jesus in our culture. It is especially impacting for me at this time because our church has been spending this week hosting an outdoor Vacation Bible School, concert, and ministry times in a local, urban housing development where many of the youth are coming from very broken backgrounds.

Along the same lines, my friend, Kelsey, has started a blog this summer. Her latest entry hits on the same themes as Shane does and is definetely worth reading (as well as the rest of her blog). Check it out: http://thefractallife.blogspot.com/2008/06/living-beyond-hype.html

I will be back on July 13. More to come then as we prepare for 300,000 college students coming back into the Boston area in September!

Jesus may we learn how to follow you each day. Clear the hype and speak to us through your Spirit of Truth.

DW