The most important ministry qualification

Pulpit committees, church nominating committees, and pastoral staff searching for workers of every sort are looking for “qualified” servants. They consider many attributes – education, experience, specific skill sets, personality, etc. Sometimes it can be overwhelming trying to match a position with qualifications. In that struggle, leadership often loses sight of the single most indispensable qualification for ministry.

In Mark 3 we find Jesus overwhelmed with ministry needs. He pulls away from the crowds and retreats into the mountains. There He handpicks twelve followers as ministry partners “that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.” He qualified them by spending time with them. Preaching followed time alone with Jesus.

Nothing matters more for a servant of God than to spend time alone with Jesus. How can we tell people about Jesus if we are not intimate with Him? The best Sunday School teacher is the one who speaks from time spent alone with Jesus. Quarterlies do not impact people. Instead it is the person who wields the lesson after discussing it with Jesus. 

In the search for a pastor or lay leader, the most important part of the interview is learning the person’s testimony and plan for time alone with Jesus. Jesus does not require an extensive list of degrees or accomplishments for ministry – He does require time with you. Servants do not neglect your time alone with Jesus – it is your most important task. The blessing for us is that it is also the best part of serving.   

Understanding the power of True Beauty

What scripture teaches about Beauty

1 Peter 3:1-6

Proverbs 31: 29-31

Proverbs 11: 16, 22

What scripture teaches about Beauty

See Vashti:

Proud, disrespectful, fighting spirit

Esther’s beauty:  2:7

            “Beautiful in form and lovely to look at”

The power of Esther’s beauty was not outer, but…

her natural grace and charm

her submissive spirit

v     No bad response in tough moments

v     Continues to follow her spiritual mentor

v     No rejection of circumstances beyond her control

v     She influences those “over” her by character

her teachable, growth heart

v     She heeds Mordecai’s lessons

v     She receives Heagai’s teaching

v     She grows in the journey

her strength above her CIRCUMSTANCES

v     She does not fight to show strength over people

v     She is not changed by what happens

v     She influences people “over” her through her character

her faith

v     Trusts God for protection

v     Sees God’s aid when arises

v     Sees God’s opportunities when they arise

v     Fasting and prayer

Interesting Events at the Southern Baptist Covention

By all rights, this appeared to be an interesting and meaningful year at the Southern Baptist Convention. It was held in New Orleans and ran on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the Pastors' Conference taking place on Sunday evening and Monday.

There is an excellent set of articles on the Southern Baptist News website located at http://www.bpnews.net/ 

It is easy to use and has numerous articles helpfully organized in a way to go to the ones you might be interested in reading about from this week.

It was a great blessing to see Fred Luter elected as the first African-American President of the SBC. It is refreshing to see the growing diversity of the SBC reflected in his election. It is even more refreshing that he was elected because he is an excellent pastor, strong Bible preacher, and a man of God. He is the kind of pastor that all of us aspire to be. It is a wonderful momnet because this was not about "optics" as you would use that word in politics. It is about the election of a real man of God who also reflects and changing and grwoing SBC.

Take a few minutes and read about the SBC. We have a strong heritage as both Arkansas Baptists and Southern Baptists. These are important days for the SBC and we should be informed so we can be part of the future and part of the solutions.   

Why We Need More Church Plants

The following article is taken from On Mission Magazine Summer 2012.................

It's easy to look around at North America and focus on the lostness - to see the declining morals, broken families and misplaced values - and miss the root cause. The people of North American need Christ. The North American Mission Board estimates that there are 259 million people on this continent who don't have a relationship with Christ. We simply don't have enough churches to reach all of those people.

Church planting isn't the only good evangelism option. But it should be the ultimate outcome of all of our evangelism efforts. Evangelism should lead to new disciples. Disciples should lead to new churches. If we want to see a thriving Southern Baptist Convention far into the future, we need a lot more evangelism, disciple-making and church planting.

We want to see a net gain of 5,000 new Southern Baptist churches over the next 10 years. Sure, it's a big goal. It would be the biggest net gain in the history of our convention.

But it's critical, too. Why is it so important that we start more evangelistic churches in Nort America?

• It's biblical. Making disciples is at the heart of the Great Commission. Throughout the book of Acts you see that new churches were always the natural outcome of the early Chruch's evangelism.
• It will strengthen existing churches. Healthy organisms reproduce. Churches are no different. If we, as Southern Baptist, hope to see a plethora of new churches throughout North American, it'll only happen if healthy Southern Baptist churches reproduce. A big part of our Send North American strategy is to help churches get healthy so they can evenetually plant new healthy churches.
• It expands the kingdom. Not everyone will come to an existing church. The more contextually appropriate churches we start in North American the more people we'll reach with the gospel. As Southern Baptists start new churches in North America, we'll develop a stronger base to reach the nations.
• New churches baptize more people. According to Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird in their book Viral Churches, established Southern Baptist churches baptize 3.4 people per 100 resident membes. New churches average 11.7 baptisms!
• It involves more people in North American missions. As we focus on church planting, we'll give individual congregations throughout the continent an opportunity to get involved in direct, hands-on missions. Currently, only 4 percent of Southern Baptist churches are involved in church planting. As Southern Baptists focus on church planting in the years to come, we expect that number to go up. We're praying it goes up to at least 10 percent.
• It's measurable. Church planting is a measuring tool that can help us get a picture of how effective our evangelistic efforts are. If our evangelistic efforts take root in an area, we should expect the number of churches nearby to grow.

At the North American Mission Board, we want to help you be part of what God is doing through church planting. To get personally connected to a Southern Baptist church planter, visit namb.net, click on "Mobilize Me" and give us some basic information about your church. You'll be contacted by one of our expert mobilizers to start your church's journey toward serving some of the most unreached areas of North America.

No matter the size, ethnic makeup, geographical location or history of your church, you can do this. Your church can be part of penetrating lostness in North America through church planting.

I hope you'll join us!

Aaron Coe is the vice president of mobilization and equpping at the North American Mission Board and is the author of this article

Esther An Invitartion to God's Plan

God’s invitation to serve Him at work

Setting:

•         Secular job – gov’t  official

•         Pagan culture

•         Co-workers/contacts- lewd, heavy drinking

•         Haman – arrogant boss who hates him

•         Xerxes – evil leader of evil regime 

•         Backstabbing plots

•         Challenges to his integrity

3 Major Principles:

•         Spiritual Life is the foundation of his professional life

•         Spiritual Life made him do his job with excellence

•         Spiritual Life created circumstances for God’s blessings

Mordecai’s spiritual life was the foundation of his professional life

•         Loved the word

•         Loved God’s people 

•         Believed God at work in his secular life

•         Kept family a priority

Mordecai’s faith made him an excellent employee

•         Submissive to authority

•         Served God by serving well

•         Long term faithfulness 

•         Godly wisdom

God blessed Mordecai through his job.

•         Esther protected

•         Mordecai honored 

•         Given favor due to his faithfulness, enemies shamed

Promoted according to God’s plans

Esther "An Invitation to God's Plan"

Invitations

Life Choices - Esther 1-2  

Invitations

create a responsibility to choose

and an opportunity for God’s blessing

Invitations

come in various forms

•         Difficult circumstances - Esther/Vashti (1-2)

•         To be faithful - Mordecai and the plot (2:19-23)

•         Temptation – Haman’s bribe (3:8-10)

Invitations

come in various forms

•         To trust that God is at work – whether Esther will go before Xerxes (4:14)

•         To use wisdom – Esther’s invitation to Xerxes (5)

•         Revelation of your character – Xerxes’ question to Haman (6:6-10)

•         To stay true to your calling – Xerxes’ offer to Esther/Mordecai (8:7-8)

4 Important Principles: 

Invitations…

•         Arise in real life situations

•         Reveal your perspective of God

•         Reveal your true character

•         Carry consequences

Invitations arise in real life circumstances

1:10 “on the seventh day he commanded”

 2:1, 16 “After these things – in the seventh        year of his reign”

Invitations arise in real life circumstances

God inhabits moments

God uses ALL circumstances

Every situation is a classroom

You snooze you loose

Invitations reveal your perspective of God

He is at work, even in difficulty

He is gracious and benevolent to His children

His greater plan is for His people

He rewards those who are obedient

Invitations reveal your true character

“Squeeze and taste” 

“Heart is deceitful –who can know it” Jer. 17:9-10

Invitations carry consequences

Israel in bondage due to judgment

Mordecai’s faithfulness later integral to God’s plan

Haman’s pride destroyed him

Invitations carry consequences

Good choice/good things; bad choice/bad things

No “reset” button – choices create circumstances

Repeated choices create your character

June Pastor's Pick

And the Pastor pick for the month of June is……………………..

Parenting Beyond Your Capacity by Reggie Joiner and Carey Nieuwhof

"Parenting Beyond Your Capacity provides us with a practical and revoluntionary approach to the responsibility most of us find daunting - parenting. This book will equip you to be successful throughout your child's development." Andy Stanley, Pastor North Point Community Church

Spiritual Gifts bookstore will have these books available for purchase during June.  Their telephone number is 605-1775. Don't forget to let them know you are an FBC member and you are purchasing the book as a Pastor's Pick.

I look forward to our next discussion on Sunday, July 1st.

The Obesity Epidemic in America's Churches

Here is a link to an article that I found interesting reading.....................

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/06/03/obesity-epidemic-in-america-churches/

Esther "An Invitation to God's Plan"

586 B.C. – fall of Jerusalem

539 B.C. – Persia conquers Babylon

Persian kings: Cyrus, Cambysus, Darius, Xerxes 1, Artaxerxes 1

538 B.C. – 1st return of exiles under     Ezra (Cyrus)

486-465 B.C. – Xerxes becomes King

Battles of Thermopylae and Salamis

479 B.C. – Esther becomes Queen

458 B.C. – 2nd return to Jerusalem under Ezra (Temple)

445 B.C. – 3rd return to Jerusalem under Nehemiah (Wall)

The Three Feasts

Feast of the King (1-2)

Esther’s rise

Feast of Esther (7)

“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 4:14

Feast of Purim (9)

God’s victory through Esther

“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 4:14

We will learn:

God is always at work

“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place…”

Recognizing God’s invitation to join Him

“…Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Learning how to respond to God’s invitation