What I have a blog?!

Let me start off by apologizing for not blogging in over a month. You have to understand the reason for not blogging isn't for lack of stuff to say, but rather because God is doing so much that there hasn't been time to record it all. A lot of what has been going on centers on a bible study called DCF (Downtown Christian Fellowship). This study started out as a ministry of Metro East Baptist Church in Wichita KS, and was led by a good friend of mine Matt Redmond. Matt and his wife are moving from Wichita to Birmingham to plant a church. You can see why Matt and I are good friends.

For some time now Shaina and I have been a part of this group and enjoyed the teaching and the fellowship. I was even privileged enough to get to teach a few times over the summer. With Matt preparing to move the church voted to give this ministry to Journey the Way. They are even graciously paying the rental fee on the location through the end of the year. We started leading this group last Tuesday and I couldn't be more excited.

So what does all this mean? Great question, but all I can tell you for now is that you need to stay posted. Details will be divulged as they develop. I can tell you that God is so good and His grace is amazing. He promised to build His church and that means in His timing and in His way.

In other news my life has been really busy lately with the church, Re:train, and moving into a new house. Not to mention trying to be a good husband and father. I thought I knew what it meant to be busy, but I was wrong. Pray for me that I would have the energy and the wisdom to do the things that God deems most important and that I would delegate the rest. Also please continue to pray for our core team, that they would be mature and complete not lacking in anything, and that God would continue to give us a Spirit of unity. Pray for us as we begin 4 community groups this next week. God is moving!

Chad

Notes from DCF Talk: Love God, Love People

I just wanted to post my notes from last nights talk. FYI my notes are just that, notes. I don't manuscript my sermons so I apologize in advance for my Random thought process.

Chad

Love God, Love People

Text: Matthew 22:34-40 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

Love God

- Illustration: Who or What is it in your life that you would default to…What is the one topic that you could always talk with passion about…What or who do you think most about…

- Text: V. 37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

- Translation: Jesus is referencing Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

o With all your heart: Passion and desires

§ This means that we point our passions at God, or that we relinquish our passions to Him. We desire what He desires and are burdened by what burdens Him. Ultimately he becomes our passion and the desire of our Heart.

o With all your soul: Very essence of who you are

§ We acknowledge that everything we have and everything we are is from Him and we give our all to Him, not to pay Him back, but because he loved us first. We long for our essence to line up with Him, so that we are defined not by who we were, but by who He is.

o With all your mind: Thoughts and wisdom

§ We think long and deep about our God and we pursue Him with our intellect. We read and meditate and ask questions, and seek the mind of God until we think about people like He thinks about them and we think about our sin the way He thinks about our sin.

- Application: The point here is that we are to love God in such a way as to leave no room in us for anything else. We are to Love Him with everything that we are.

Loving God is Paramount

- Illustration: I need to like the parents if I am ever going to like the kids in a family…If I don’t like the parents there is no way to like the kids…How can we love anything in creation without loving the Creator?

- Text: V. 38 This is the great and first commandment.

- Translation: Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was and He ups the bet by calling this the first as well.

- In other words Loving God is foundational. If we don’t start with loving God we have no basis for loving others, b/c God is Love (1 John 4:7-8)

- Application: We know Love b/c of God and therefore knowing and loving God is foundational.

Love People

- Text: V. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

- Translation: Jesus continues to up the bet by continuing His answer.

- The second is like it, so loving people is like loving God.

- It is like the first in that both take the proverbial hoe to the root of sin, namely “pride” in order for us to accomplish them.

- Supporting Text: Matthew 7:12 "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

- Translation: When we love others we are fleshing out the law and the prophets.

- Supporting Text: Romans 13: 8-10 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

- Translation: We fulfill the law when we love others.

- Application: How we love others is the visible expression of how we love God.

- It is literally the fleshing out of the Law.

- Supporting Text: Romans 8:3-4 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

- Illustration: My truck broke down…God is teaching me to view others as more important than myself…

- We must remember that this is only possible with the help of the Spirit. Jesus already fulfilled the law to perfection.

Everything depends on these

- Illustration: High pressure situation…1 second on the clock down by 1 you have two free throws, you need them both to win…if you miss all the other shoots in the game were made in vain…

- Text: V. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

- Translation: Everything hangs on these two commandments.

- Everything written in the entire Old Testament hangs on these two chains. Without these everything else falls apart.

- Is it possible to be religious without loving God and People? Yes, we see it all the time, religious people who love the law and pridefully think they uphold it. They neither love God nor people.

Vision & Values

Journey The Way

Vision:

Love God . Love People . Turn the World Up-side Down

Love God (Matthew 22:35-40)
It is vital for disciples to have regular encounters with God in which they worship Him, hear from Him, and respond to Him in obedience. Bible reading, prayer, private and corporate worship, baptism and communion are all part of what it means to Love God.

Love People (Matthew 22:35-40)
As we interact with God, it is vital that we not approach glorifying God on our own, but that we intentionally interact with others who Love God. These “connections” will bring about transformation in us as we authentically encourage, instruct and support one another. Jesus’ love of people was radical and unconditional and so we need to Love People with no strings attached.

Turn the World upside-down (Matthew 28:18-20)
True Disciples will use their gifts, talents, vocations, and time not only to touch our church, but also to touch the communities they live in, and the world. Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life. When we live as Jesus lived we will be a movement of servants that have the potential to turn the world upside-down, by bring the Gospel in word and deed as we go.

Core Values: To be leaders of a movement through which God can produce changed lives, we must embrace and live out these values:


Truth We live by truth, Jesus is truth


Humility We live life without taking ourselves too seriously


Community We live our lives with/for others who know the real us


Worship We live a lifestyle of worship to our God


Missional We live our life as we go, intentionally on mission


Image-bearers We live as those who resemble Jesus

Update on Planting

Friends, I wanted to take a moment and share an update on the progress of Journey the Way. God's timing is always better than ours and it has been really cool to see God open up opportunities, and create traction. We have a couple of churches that have jumped on to partner with us financially, there are at least two other churches praying about this possibility as well. We have four "official" core team members so far and about 15 people praying about the idea of coming on our core team. It seems like I meet people everyday who are interested in the church, it is almost as if God is bringing them our way (please note the sarcasm, b/c of course that is exactly what is happening).

We had a group of people over to our house on Monday and had a sweet time of prayer and continued to answer questions and clarify what we are all about. It looks like we will begin to officially meet as a core team starting the end of August. I would like to see us reach 20 core team members by that time so please pray to that end. Please also pray for discernment, and wisdom. We can't do any of this without God, pray that we would model dependence on Him.

Chad

Missional Community

Missional Community is fast becoming a buzz word among Churches.  Most churches aim at community and miss both community and mission.  But what if we aim at mission?  Will we hit mission and community.  I say yes and so do some others.  Below is a short video from Matt Carter, Pastor of Austin Stone Community Church in Austin TX.  Take a look and share your thoughts with me.

THE SHOW - for May 19, 2009 - Guest Matt Carter from Todd Rhoades on Vimeo.

For the Praise of His Glory,

Chad

Your Word is Truth Part 1

In John 17 we read Jesus' High Priestly prayer.  In the prayer Jesus prays for several things: He prays that he will glorify the Father, He prays that we would know that He (Jesus Christ) is the only true God sent from the father, He prays that he would finish his work on earth and return to the glory he had before creation.  Jesus then goes into a section where he talks about Christians and how we are saved by His name (Jesus) and how he and the Father are one, and how the Father sent Jesus.  Jesus makes a statement that He isn't praying for the entire world, but only those who are believers.  Near the end of this prayer Jesus talks in more detail about how we are to live in this world.  

John 17:14-18 

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.  ¹⁶They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

Jesus prays here that we would live by the "word" which he gave us.  He tells us that when we receive the "word" the world will hate us, b/c we aren't of this world.  A lot of Christians stop there and conclude that since we aren't of this world then we should separate ourselves from the world.  But Jesus doesn't stop there.  In verse 15 He continues by saying that he isn't praying that God the Father would take them out of the world, only that He (the Father) would keep them (us as Christians) away from the evil one (Satan).  Then Jesus prays these words: Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.  Focus here on two words, the word THE and the word IS.  Jesus says that there is one truth, and that the "word" is truth.  Jesus isn't saying that the "word" (The Bible)  holds exclusive truth, but that the "word" is truth.  Let me say it another way, Truth will not contradict the Bible, because there is one truth and, the Bible is truth.  Truth can be found in other places, but for it to actually be truth it won't contradict other truth, namely the "word" (Bible).  

So we are to live by the Truth, and we are sanctified or made more like Jesus by the Truth.  The reason we live by the Truth is so that we can live sent lives...more on that later.

It's not about you...

It's not about you...  This was the quote that my wife will probably be most remembered for at our church in Iowa.  This last Saturday night our church family honored us with a party.  It was a blessing to hear how God had worked in people's lives while we were in proximity.  As good as it was to hear people praise what God had done through me it was even better to hear what one lady had to say about my wife.  I have always said that my wife is amazing, it is just cool to hear other people agree.  

Her quote is one that proves to me that God has laid this vision for Journey the Way on both of us, because I see and hear in her the values that I want to live out.  Of all of the core values that I hope we live out, humility is by far the hardest one for me to flesh out.  Most of us I think struggle with this one because so much of our time and energy is spent on us.  We think about us, and even when we think of someone else, we usually think of them in terms of how we are affected by them.  The beauty of humility is that to achieve it all we have to do is stop thinking of ourselves.  Because after all IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!  It's about HIM!

Chad

Humility, is it in you?

Humility is one of those elusive characteristics.  If you focus too hard on being humble you are in danger of being proud about your humility.  My good friend and former student Jamie wrote an excellent piece on Humility and the Church you can read it here.  

The Apostle Paul said in the book of Philippians 2:3-8 that Humility isn't about us at all.  

Philippians 2:3-8 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,even death on a cross.

Paul challenges us to look out for the interests of others.  This was exemplified to me this week by some amazing friends of mine who dropped what they were doing to help me out.  I had three friends drop what they were doing to help me paint my garage so that we can hopefully close on our house at the end of this week.  I don't think they realized it but when they did that they were reflecting the image of Christ.  You see when we stop thinking of ourselves and start thinking of others we have the mind of Christ and model Humility.  True humility helps point people to the cross.  

Chad

Church, Re-thought...

It seems that in today’s fast paced hectic lifestyle there is tremendous opportunity for people’s faith to move from a compartment in their life to a Way of life.  This Way of life is more than just a system of beliefs that we ascribe knowledge to, but rather it is a new Way to live.  When we look at the life of Jesus we see that following Him will change everything.  Living the Way of Jesus means that our faith in Him affects every other facet of our lives.  If it doesn’t, do we really know what it means to follow Jesus?

 

I don’t know about you but that doesn’t feel like the church I see today.  It seems like Church adds more stuff to our schedule and demands that we attend this event or that conference and if we don’t then somehow we are less spiritual.  Jesus said that He came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.  Doesn’t that mean that if we are imitating Him then we will serve and give our lives for others?  Jesus also said that it isn’t the healthy who need a doctor but the sick; I have come to seek and to save the lost.  So clearly Jesus was here on earth to seek out and serve the lost and He gave His life to see that happen.  So wouldn’t a movement based on His life do the same thing?  When did the church become all about us and meeting our needs and making sure we are comfortable?  It seems to me that a Jesus movement is a movement of servants who sacrifice their comfort so that others may come to know the Love of Christ that compels us.  

 

Our hope is to start a movement of people who are on a journey together, striving to live the Way of Jesus.  Historically we call this a church, and for all practical purposes that is what this is, but hopefully a church re-thought, re-focused, and re-commissioned.  Our hope is that the structures we put in place will compliment people’s lifestyles leaving them the opportunity to live every part of their lives on mission.  The plan is that there will be large worship gatherings with teaching, and small group gatherings where true community can take place, communities that live to serve others.  There is much room for diversity within these small groups, but all groups run at core values together.  

Leaving all to follow...

So I was reading in Matthew this morning and came across a very familiar passage that hit me in a fresh way this morning.  Matthew 4:18-22 is the story of Jesus calling his first Disciples.  

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." ²⁰Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. ²²Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

There is something to be said about the commitment of those men who left everything to follow a man they knew little about.  I think the appeal for adventure and something new drew them in.  Plus the fact that this was no ordinary man who was asking them to follow.  I wonder sometimes if they had any idea what they were getting themselves into.  These were ordinary men who God would use to start an extraordinary movement that continues to this day.  

It is my belief that God is calling some of you to join us in this adventure to Journey The Way of Christ, and to see lives forever changed by the power of the gospel.  I don't know what you will have to leave behind, but I do know that the ride will be wild.  1 Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Chad

For the Ladies...

I had a request for the ladies sermon as well.  So here is the prequel to the Men and Marriage sermon.  

Chad

Attention all men...

I frequently listen to Mars Hill Church (Mark Driscoll) sermons.  Shaina and I listened to one the other night and it was impact-full.  I think that all men should watch this sermon.  If you are a guy, then please watch.  If you know a guy that should watch, send him the link.  

Chad

The move...

It has been awhile since my last post, and a lot has happened since I last posted.  We will close on our house in IA on the 20th of this month, and move right after that.  We have been pursuing funding from a variety of sources.  We spent a short couple of days in Wichita last week and made some great contacts with churches from others states looking to partner with new works in Wichita.  Please be in prayer for those contacts to develop into partnerships.  We have a place to land when we move.  We have a church that we are loosely connected with that owns a parsonage and they are willing to let us live there in exchange for 5 hours a week of youth work.  This is a big answer to prayer.  Look for more posts to come, I know this one is more on the personal side, but know that we appreciate your prayers.  

Chad

Core Team

So the cat is out of the bag so to speak.  Journey the Way has been almost 4 years in the making.  God placed the seed of a Church Plant in my heart the summer of 2005, while in Seattle on a mission trip.  A lot has happened since that summer and God has grown this seed into a full blown passion to see God's mission lived out.  We want to start a movement of people who Love God, Love People, and desire to Turn the World Up-Side Down.  It is my firm belief that God has been working on the hearts of others to join us in this mission.   We are actively looking for people to be a part of what God is going to do.  If you are interested in this we should talk.  email me at chad.theway@gmail.com.  

Why Start a New Church?

Journey The Way is a new church plant in Wichita KS.  It seems like whenever I mention to Christians in established churches that I am planting a new church in Wichita they ask me why a new church is needed.  I must admit, when I first heard about church planting I thought the same thing.  The problem with this line of thought is that it almost assumes churches are in competition with each other, rather than in partnership with each other.  The simple bottom line answer to this question (why a new church) is because new churches reach people for Jesus.  

Here are some thoughts and stats for you to consider.  Please leave me your thoughts and comments.

(Scott Thomas, “Why Start a Church,” Acts 29 Bootcamp, 2006):

·      Roughly 3,500 churches die and close each year in America. There are only enough church plants to keep up with 1/8 of the U.S. population growth.

·      There are only 100 churches planted for every 1 million people and with an average attendance of 80 to 90 people that means they will house only 8,000 to 9,000 people.

·      Nationally, the population grew 13.2% between 1990 and 2000 but new churches were only planted at a 5% rate.

·      The United States remains the fourth largest mission field in the world.  A continuous influx of people from all over the world created this phenomenon.

·      Approximately 2000 new immigrants and visitors come to the U.S. daily.  Thousands of them come to live here permanently and others stay a few years for business or for further education.  The mission field is right at out doorsteps!