Church Planting Lesson #5 – Church Planting Takes Patience

This is part 5 of my top 5 church planting lessons. This one is all too real to me. I have had to learn this lesson the hard way. Our vision for Relevant Church came to us over 5 years ago and we are now on the starting line of our launch.

The greatest thing that I have learned is that God will do things in His time, not mine. This does not only apply to church planting, but to everything in our lives. I had to release my time table to Him and allow God to work the process. This was not an easy thing to do since I like to be the one driving, but what I have come to learn is that when He is driving, I always get to where I need to be.

Are you waiting for something? Does it feel like God is taking His sweet old time? Just know that God is never late and never early, He is always right on time.

Filed under: Church Planting, Leadership, My Journal , Church Planting, Patience, relevant church

Joyful? Did You Say Joyful?

James 1:2-4

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

First of all, many people have written and taught on being joyful in the midst of trials. Many stop on the thought of being joyful, that is where change really begins not ends. The whole purpose of being joyful is to produce a steadfastness in us. We are to be joyful because the trial will make us stronger. We are to be joyful because the trial will produce a testing of our faith (can I get an Amen to that). From the testing of our faith our patience is tried. This is the real struggle of life. Many of us are not patient. I know that I am not. We want everything yesterday and we have no time to wait. So when God puts a trial in our paths that tests our patience we sometimes freak out. But it is in this time of patience that our character is built and our walk with the Lord is strengthened.

James give a warning in this passage of scripture. He state that we are to let our patience have it’s time. He calls is “perfect work” (perfect here means “having reached the end”). Once this happens the Word says that we will be perfect and complete. Now no one is perfect in the world’s sense, but it does mean that we can endure to the end and be made whole in Him. It also means that we will not lack anything as long as our trust is in Him who makes us complete.

We are not perfect, but He is, and when we put our trust in Him, He will see to it that we reach the end.

Filed under: My Journal , Bible, Christ, complete, God, joy, Patience, perfect, Religion, scripture

Back to Reality

Now that the holidays are over, and for us the birthday season, we are now back to reality. A new year and a fresh new outlook on the new year. Our plan for the new year is to get geared up for what God has for us this year. I have been reading Visioneering by Andy Stanley and this book is really showing me some good things. The process of waiting on God is not a bad thing. I tend to get anxious and rush into things without seeking God’s timing. So as I sit on a new year I am determined to pursue patience and wait to hear God’s timing.

Currently we are finishing up the preliminary work on the Church Planters Intensive booklet and awaiting to hear when there will be a Foursquare Boot Camp for Church Planters. That is our next step. We will keep you all posted.

Filed under: Church Planting , Patience, Reality, Timing