Category: Leadership

On Church Discipline

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Church Life, Leadership, Pastoral, Practical, QuotesLeave a comment

Discipline is not the “final straw” where judgment is pronounced.

Biblical church discipline is a culture of accountability, growth, forgiveness, and grace that should permeate our churches.

Each member of the church has a responsibility to help others as they struggle with sin – not through judgment and criticism, but rather with gentleness and an eye toward restoration, knowing that he too is subject to temptation (Gal. 6:1).

Matthew 18 does not describe some kind of alternative to litigation; it is a primer on how we lovingly engage one another, patiently exhausting lesser steps (for example, going in person) before moving to greater ones (for example, taking it to the church).

Questions for Reflection

  1. How do you think of Church Discipline? Does it have a negative connotation to you?
  2. Do you have a culture of accountability, growth, forgiveness, and grace in your church?

Resources

Table Talk Magazine, August 2013, pg 25.

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Resources for Growing Christians

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Leadership, Pastoral6 Comments

Increase Faith

I recently put a list of resources together for my church members. It is a list to encourage Christian growth.

Books

Gospel

  • Gospel by JD Greear | Designed to introduce you to a gospel-centered perspective.
  • What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert | Short yet informative. Answers the question posed in the title.
  • Stop asking Jesus into your heart by JD Greear | Weird title but great book about salvation, repentance, and growth.
  • The Transforming Power of the Gospel  by Jerry Bridges | How the gospel, not trying harder, changes us.
  • Counterfeit God’s by Timothy Keller | Dealing with idolatry from a gospel-centered perspective.

Christian Living

  • Living the Cross Centered Life by CJ Mahaney | A short yet challenging read about living for Christ.
  • Hard to Believe by John Macarthur | A hard hitting book on following Jesus.
  • Who do you think you are? by Mark Driscoll | Deals with identity.
  • Work Matters by Tom Nelson | He shows us how to connect Sunday to the rest of the week by answering the question: How can we be a Christian the rest of the week, especially at work?
  • Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller | A book that connects Christianity to the work place. It is thought provoking and deep, really good.
  • I Am A Church Member by Thom Rainer | A short informative book discussing what it means to be a church member.
  • What is a Healthy Church Member? by Thabiti Anyabwile | A short informative book from 9 Marks on church membership.

Evangelism and Apologetics

  • Show me how to share the gospel by Larry Moyer | A short informative and practical book on evangelism. Walks you through different gospel presentations.
  • Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman | Shows you how to do evangelism through everyday conversation by asking the right questions.
  • The Reason for God by Timothy Keller | An apologetic resource helpful when talking to post-modern or modern people.
  • Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer | Deals more with the theology of evangelism, but has some practical advice.
  • The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever | A short informative book on evangelism.

Family and Marriage

  • Shepherding A Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp | How to discipline your kids from a gospel-centered perspective.
  • The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller | An excellent book on marriage. Written for both married couples and singles.
  • The Shepherd Leader at Home by Timothy Witmer | Information on how to lead your family well.

Theology

  • Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware | An easy to read and informative systematic theology.
  • God’s Big Picture by Vaughn Roberts | A easy to follow overview of Scripture. It answers the question: What is the story of the Bible?
  • Basic Christianity by John Stott | A classic book on the Christian faith.

Studying the Bible (Interpretation)

  • Living by the book by Howard Hendricks | Provides Bible Study techniques.
  • 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible by Robert Plummer | Answers question about biblical interpretation.

Preachers

  • Timothy Keller – Redeemer Church | New York City
  • John MacArthur – Grace Community Church | California
  • Mark Driscoll – Mars Hill | Seattle
  • John Piper – Retired recently DesiringGod.org
  • Alistair Begg – Truthforlife.org
  • Matt Chandler – The Village Church | Flower Mound, TX
  • Kent Hughes – Preachingtheword.com 

Radio Program/News 

  • The Briefing – It’s a daily podcast of news from a Christian perspective. You can find it on the iTunes Store or through the Podcast app on your iPhone.
  • KCBI 90.9 – Christian radio station out of Dallas, TX.

Blogs

Magazines

  • Table Talk Magazine by Ligonier Ministries | A devotional magazine exploring important Christian topics and Scripture. It is designed to help you grow in your knowledge of God’s Word.

Question for Reflection

  1. What resources would you add?

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6 Marks of A Missional Church

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Evangelism, Leadership, Pastoral2 Comments

Missional Church

To be “Missional” is all the rage these days. I am not knocking it. I believe it is a good thing. I would even identify as “Missional” I believe we need to live as missionaries in our own communities, recognizing we live in a Post-Christendom society.

What, however, does a “Missional” church do? Timothy Keller sketches an idea for us in Center Church.

6 Marks of a Missional Church

(1) A Missional Church must confront societies idols

Missional churches recognize those in our society are searching for happiness and self-actualization. Everything is about fulfilling our talents and our dreams. Others do not matter.

A Missional Church must be able to confront this idol. As well as they must be able to diagnose and confront other societal idols, if they want to free those in the community from bondage and make an impact for Christ.

(2) A Missional Church must contextualize skillfully and communicate in the vernacular

Missional churches recognize the need to understand their context so they spend time learning the cultural narrative. They know the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of their culture. As well as they understand the nuanced meanings certain concepts have in their culture.

Not only that, but they recognize concepts such as God, sin, and redemption may not mean what they think they mean to those they are trying to reach.

As a result, they spend time examining their cultures understanding of these concepts and gaining a deeper understanding of the gospel, so they might accurately present it to those they are trying to reach.

Since those in Post-Christendom usually have different ideas of God, sin, and redemption than those in Christendom, our most popular gospel presentations need to be adapted to the context and vernacular of the people. That is not to say, the gospel needs to be changed to match the cultural ideas. No matter the culture, the gospel must remain the gospel.

(3) A Missional Church must equip people in mission in every area of their lives.

Missional churches recognize the laity needs to be equipped to:

1. Be a verbal witness to those they know.

2. Love their neighbors and do justice within their neighborhoods and city.

3. Integrate their faith with their work in order to engage culture through their vocations.

As a result, a Missional Church finds ways to support its people outside its walls, whether that is at work, home, abroad, or in leisure activities.

(4) A Missional Church must be a servant community and counterculture for the common good.

Missional Churches present a strong alternative society in which sex and family, wealth and possessions, racial identity and power, are all used and practiced in godly and distinct ways.

Missional Churches also pour out their resources sacrificially for the common good of the city.

While they exist as a distinct counterculture, they situate themselves within society, so their neighbors can observe a separate but servant community.

(5) A Missional Church must itself be contextualized and should expect nonbelievers, inquirers, and seekers to be involved in most aspects of the church’s life and ministry.

Missional Churches know how to welcome doubters and graciously include them as much as possible in community so they can see the gospel fleshed out in life and process the gospel message through numerous personal interactions.

In order to make that happen, believers in the church must be contextual – that is, culturally like yet spiritually unlike the people in the surrounding neighborhood and culture.

A missional church, then, doesn’t depend on an evangelism program or department for outreach. Almost all parts of the church’s life are ready to respond to the presence of people who do not yet believe.

(6) A Missional Church must practice unity.

Missional Churches define themselves more by contrasting themselves with the world instead of other denominations. They seek unity across denominational lines when appropriate, showing the surrounding community Christ unifies instead of divides.

Question for Reflection

  1. What other marks of a Missional Church would you include?

Resources

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Post adapted from Timothy Keller’s, Center Church, 271-74.

How I Plan To Train My Child

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Family, Leadership, Practical16 Comments

Casey and Camden

Introducing the newest addition to our family of two. Camden James was born April 20th at 9:16 pm. He weighted 7lbs 2oz. and was 19 1/4in. We have had a few sleepless nights, but I think we are getting the hang of it.

Train Him

Now that I have a son, the scriptural commands to train him in the Word is even more of a reality. Reading Proverbs and Deuteronomy you come across the following verses:

Proverbs 22:6 

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

What’s the Plan?

I have given the “how of training” a bit of thought over the last nine months and even more so now that he is here. My wife and I have been collecting a few resources to assist us. While these do not encompass my entire plan, they are the part I want to share with you.

Resources

Over the last nine months we have had time to review these resources and we have found them all to be excellent. If you are looking for something to help you, check one of these out.

Question for Reflection

  1. What resources would you recommend?

How Should We Motivate Those We Lead?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Leadership, Pastoral5 Comments

Old Brick Church

How should godly leaders motivate those they lead? The first king of Israel, Saul, provides a good case study.

Why Saul?

Saul, along with David, Samuel, and Jonathan are the main characters of the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. After reading through these two books, you might wonder why I chose Saul for a case study on leadership instead of Samuel or David. After all Saul is the inadequate leader the Lord rejects for David, who is the man after His own heart. I chose Saul not for his positive example, but for his negative. In other words, his actions show us how we shouldn’t lead.

Goliath’s Challenge

In 1 Samuel 17, Israel faces off against the Philistines. As they are set for battle, a man from the Philistine camp emerges who is 9 feet tall, decked in armor weighing 121 lbs, carrying a spear that is 15 lbs and as thick as the fat end of a baseball bat. Goliath is his name, and he is calling Israel to send a man to fight him in a winner take all match.

Goliath’s challenge is met with fear, anxiety, and distress. Not a man in Israel is willing to fight Goliath. Knowing the hesitancy of his men, Saul does what any leader would do. He attempts to motivate a man to take up the challenge.

How does he motivate his men?

In 1 Samuel 17:25, Saul promises the man who defeats Goliath great riches, his daughter’s hand in marriage, and freedom from taxes. Essentially, Saul motivates his men with worldly possessions.

Saul’s rewards were extended to all the men in Israel, not just a special group. Everyone in the army knows what Saul is offering, but none are willing to risk their lives against Goliath.

Saul’s motivation shows us what not to do

Saul’s actions show exactly why he was rejected as the king over Israel. He doesn’t trust God, nor does he lead his people to trust God. Instead he attempts to exploit his people’s idolatrous hearts.

Saul’s action are exactly the opposite of what a godly leader should do.

Godly leaders don’t push their people toward idolatry. Godly leaders pull their people away from idolatry toward God.

Why did Saul lead in this way?

He didn’t trust God. He focused on the challenge in front of him instead of remembering the Lord’s promises and His past victories. Not only had God promised them the land, but He had defeated the Ammonites, Amalekites, and Philistines under Saul’s rule already. Instead of reflecting on these things, he allowed his fear to take over.

What we learn

When we don’t trust God and lead out of fear, we start planning and thinking in worldly terms. We leave God out of the picture, and we attempt to lead guided by our own fallen intellect, which is woefully inadequate. Turning within and leading our people by exploiting their idolatrous hearts is not the answer. Instead we must turn ourselves and our people to God.

Question for Reflection

  1. How do you lead? Do you turn your people to God, or to the world?

Pray, Love, and Serve: Moses’ Example

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Leadership, Pastoral3 Comments

Pray Love Serve Cross

How do you react when those in your church, family, circle of friends, or community act contrary to God’s Word? Do you throw up your hands and give up? Do you brow beat them? Or do you lovingly correct, pray for, and serve them?

Last night at Bible Study, we briefly discussed Deuteronomy 9. It is Moses’ reminder to the people why God is giving them the Promised Land. He wants to make it clear it is not because of their righteousness. Rather it is because the Lord wishes to drive the wickedness out of the land and honor His promise to their fathers – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (4-6). To show the stubbornness of the people, Moses recounts the story of the Golden Calf and their failure to take the land.

The Golden Calf

After spending forty days and nights on the mountain with God receiving the Ten Commandments, Moses comes down to find the people worshipping an idol – a Golden Calf. The same people who just witnessed the great power of God in the Exodus. The same people the Lord just redeemed as His own possession. The same people who watched Moses ascend to the top of the mountain to commune with God. In just forty short days and nights, they forgot the Lord and turned to worship an idol.

The Failure to Take the Land

The second story Moses recounts is their failure to trust the Lord to give them the land. If you remember, they sent spies into the land. After gathering the requested items, they returned with a daunting report. Those in the land are giants and too numerous for us to overtake. Again, they forgot the power of their God, even as He was providing for them in the wilderness and telling them He would give them the land.

Moses’ Example

Talk about being frustrated. I am sure Moses was livid, in a righteous way of course. His actions though are surprising and act as an example for us. Yes, Moses corrected the people, but he also interceded for them and continued to serve them.

Why would he do a thing like that? Why intercede for them asking the Lord to preserve them when they were blatantly rebellious?

He did so because he loved and cared for them. Even though they were rebellious, he desired they experience the blessings of the Lord, worship the Lord, and glorify the Lord. For those reasons, Moses twice spent forty days and nights prostrate before the Lord in prayer, continually corrected and served them.

The Challenge

Do you love those in your church, family, circle of friends, or community enough to seek their welfare? Do you desire to reach out to them with the gospel? Do you desire to pray the Lord would not destroy them, but change their hearts and make them His? Do you serve them in a way that shows the love of Jesus? I know those are tough questions, but they are crucial questions.

If we find we do not love those around us in a way that causes us to reach out to them with the gospel, pray for them, and serve them, we need to get on our knees and ask that God would change our hearts.

Moses did not manufacture his love for the people. God changed his heart as he communed with Him. Likewise, as we commune with God through prayer and Bible study, He will change our heart.

So then, if you are having trouble loving, praying for, and serving those in your community, open His Word and seek His face in prayer, asking that He would change your heart.

Question for Reflection

  1. How could you motivate those in your church to reach out to, serve, and pray for those in your community?

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