Ben Pettit

I use the word bleep because I’d rather not repeat the word used over on Church Marketing Sucks. I’m not going to summarize the post for you but I’ll let you read it here.

I’m not sure I understand the point of all four posts. This is my response:

Our American churches are in an identity crisis because we do not operate on scripture. I found little relevancy in these series of posts. The church is the body of Christ, it’s not a Fortune Company like Apple.

We are in a crisis because someone for got what the great commission actually said. Go in to all nations making “disciples“. Not, “build the biggest churches possible”. I’m not saying numbers aren’t important. Pastor P has shown us incredibly well that numbers are important. Every time I see the lost become saved at NewSpring Church I am brought to tears of joy. I’m saying, care about people, not just the number of people.

I LOVE to see people experience life change. That’s 120% of what I am about. LIFE CHANGE. Not “I prayed a prayer at this thing one time.” Paul Washer had a very good story about this. His thought goes a little like this. You do not run out on the interstate, get hit by a logging truck going 70 miles an hour and NOT have your life changed forever. Therefore, you do not meet (make a contact, just like the truck) the God of the Universe, the author and perfector of our faith, the author of love, grace, peace and mercy and not expereince your LIFE CHANGED, turned up-side down in the most amazing way possible.

All that to say, when the people of the Lord are seeking HIS heart. HIS thoughts. HIS plans. HIS vision for your church! Great things will happen. STOP trying to be NewSpring, Saddleback, Mosaic, Willow Creek, or Morning Star. Reach the people in YOUR community. Have ministries that are effective for YOUR area. Seek the heart of Jesus. Not the heart of Rick Warren. When the people of the Lord seek their Father first… the door will be opened to them.

Reading through various post today and I thought I would respond to Grant’s question about success.

I think success can be defined by your closeness to the Lord. At the end of the day nothing else truly matters. So here is my list of the TOP 5 things I consider as success.

1. Success is sitting in the shadow of the almighty. Just as in Psalm 91:1 where David is describing himself sitting in the shadow created by the translucent tent and the ark of the covenant. Because he couldn’t touch the ark he would sit as close as possible.
2. Success is saying “Here I am, Send Me” found in Isaiah 6:8. It’s laying everything down and saying Lord I will become nothing so you can become everything.
3. When the waters become deep and the waves become rough. Success is anchoring deep by saying Jesus you are my refuge and my strength (Psalm 91:2).
4. Success is, as I learned through my fast, understanding that you were never created, designed, perfectly crafted to live by bread alone. You are sustained by truth from the mouth of the father.
5. And finally, success is Hebrews 12.

• “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [2] looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Come back tomorrow for my top 5 list of what success is not.