Welcome to Nolan's World

Conversations WORTH Having

As promised from yesterday's post, here is a list of questions and conversations that we SHOULD be having in our church discussions:

• Are we actively aware of attendees repenting of sin and receiving Christ regularly as a result of the ministry of our church?  
• Do we see tangible physical evidence that our attendees know how to live in the world as the followers of Christ? (give vivid and specific examples)
• Is our church building a bigger help or hindrance to us doing effective ministry locally and globally?  Would we ever consider selling our property/building to free up resources to DO more ministry?
• What physical evidence can we point to that affirms that we are a Kingdom-minded church?
• Can you clearly explain the disciple-making process in our church?
• If our church stopped offering programming directly aimed at your personal needs so that it could meet the needs of the hopeless and hurting, would you still continue to come?
• What does it mean to go to the "ends of the earth"?  How is your church accomplishing this mandate?
• Why does it seem like most churches have a passive approach to active sin in their congregations?  (OUCH)
• Is there any evidence that God is forcefully advancing His Kingdom through the work of our ministry?

Just a few thoughts to ponder...

USELESS Conversations

I am tired of useless conversations!!!  Anybody with me???  

Here are a few topics that are burning up too much time and accomplishing absolutely very little within church conversations:

• Your position/defense of/against Calvinism/Pre-Destination/Reformed Theology
• Your preferred church music style and why it's best for everyone els
• Your upcoming sermon series that will make your church more famous
• How many people sat in seats at your church (or watched you on the internet) last Sunday
• Whether small groups or Sunday School are more effective at making disciples

What issues made you bristle when I mentioned them?  

What issues would you add to the my list?

I promise I am not trying to being a "hater" or a basher!

The problem with useless conversations is that they take time way from really important topics.

What are some things worth talking about?  

I'll give my take next time!

Post Vacation Blues

Wow, after a week at Disney World, it's really difficult re-adjusting to living in the real world again!

Vacation was an absolute ball!!!  All three of us were together 24-7 and loved this trip.  Pictures will trickle in once they are uploaded...you know the drill.

Maddie is a thrill-junkie just like Mom and Dad.  She loved the big rides, especially The Rockin Rollercoaster and Expedition Everest and Tower of Terror!  

Lines and waits were very minimal.  It was some kind of HOT and HUMID, but we only experienced about 20 minutes of rain the entire week!

Now, we are getting back in the swing of things.  My half-marathon training plan officially starts this week (the race is 10 weeks away) and I will be getting back in the swing of some ministry projects as well.  Alison just started a long-term sub assignment that will keep her working through at least mid-November.  Maddie is playing soccer this fall and has her first game tonight.

I'd say it feels good to be back, but I try to keep my lying to a minimum!  :) 

Hope to have lots of regular blogging coming in the next few weeks!

Disney World or Bust!!!

The big vacation will officially start tomorrow morning when we catch a flight to Orlando and spend the next week at the happiest place on earth, Walt Disney World!  The netbook is staying home so there will be no blogging until we get back!  Hope you have a fantastic week...I am pretty sure I will!  :)

You Were Born for This

Personal Note: I fully intended to have finished this book and write an in-depth review before leaving for vacation.  I have read the first three chapters of the book and have really enjoyed it so far.  It would be worth checking out for many of you!

You can find the book on Amazon here.

You can check out a video link of Bruce introducing the book here. 

Summary

His New York Times phenomenon The Prayer of Jabez changed how millions pray. Now Bruce Wilkinson wants to change what they do next.

Anyone can do a good deed, but some good works can only happen by a direct intervention from God. Around the world these acts are called miracles—not that even religious people expect to see one any time soon. But what would happen if millions of ordinary people walked out each morning expecting God to deliver a miracle through them to a person in need? You Were Born for This starts with the dramatic premise that everyone at all times is in need of a miracle, and that God is ready to meet those needs supernaturally through ordinary people who are willing to learn the “protocol of heaven.”

In the straightforward, story-driven, highly motivating style for which he is known, Wilkinson describes how anyone can be a “Delivery Guy” from heaven in such universally significant arenas of life as finances, practical help, relationships, purpose, and spiritual growth.

You Were Born for This will change how readers see their world, and what they expect God can do through them to meet real needs. They will master seven simple tools of service, and come to say with confidence, “I want to deliver a supernatural gift from God to someone in need today—and I expect to!”

Author Bios:

One of the world’s foremost Christian teacher, Bruce Wilkinson is best known as the author of the New York Times #1 bestseller The Prayer of Jabez. He is also the author of numerous other bestsellers, including A Life God Rewards, Secrets of the Vine, and The Dream Giver. Over the past three decades, Wilkinson has founded several global initiatives, including organizations that recruited and trained thousands of Americans to address hunger, AIDS, and poverty in Africa. Bruce and his wife, Darlene, have three children and six grandchildren. They live outside Atlanta.

David Kopp has collaborated with Bruce Wilkinson on over a dozen bestselling books, including The Prayer of Jabez. He is an editor and writer living in Colorado.

Beauty of Space Travel

I can get a little nerdy about quite a few things, but I have always been intrigued by astronomy and space travel.  When I saw this picture of Saturday's space shuttle launch (thanks for sharing @louiegiglio via Twitter), I was just struck by the beauty of the heavens and our ability to catapult ourselves into their glory.  Hope you enjoy:

Book Review: Fearless by Max Lucado

Three things usually happen to me when I take the time to read a Max Lucado book: I am greatly encouraged, I learn something new, and I am left craving a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

After reading Max's newest offering Fearless, I once again experienced all three of these things.

Fearless invites you to seek out a life where fear is put in its proper place--a fleeting thought at the back of your mind as you push forward to victory.  Unfortunately, most of us don't know what that kind of life looks like because there is at least one area where fear paralyzes our forward progress.

This book has a genuine simplicity that was both refreshing and comforting.  That's not to say that Fearless is not challenging; I found myself exposed to areas of my heart where I have allowed fear to rule and reign in me for far too long.

It's been a few years since I have read a Max Lucado book and through reading Fearless, I was reaquainted with his seemingly effortless ability to craft powerful statements that leave you wanting more.  Here is one of my favorite thoughts in the book: "Jesus once and for all displayed his authority over savagery.  Evil may have her moments, but they will be brief.  Satan unleashed his meanest demon's on God's Son.  He tortured every nerve ending and inflicted every misery.  Yet the master of death could not destroy the Lord of life.  Heaven's best took hell's worst and turned it into hope."  

Fearless is a book that struck a chord in my heart.  It's definitely worth reading and passing on to someone who needs to develop a little more courage by staring down fear (you know anyone like that?).

Can a "Small" Church Change the World???

It seems to me like there are two kinds of churches in America these days:

1.  Mega-churches  and   2.  Smaller churches that want to become mega-churches.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against mega-churches or large churches.  In fact, I think many of them are doing an amazing job of building God's Kingdom here on earth.

My frustration has been more with the small church.  Rather than constantly wishing you were bigger, why don't you focus on becoming better?  And I don't mean doing church services better.  Instead of trying to be something that you are not, radically embrace who you are, and seriously commit to forcefully advance the Kingdom of God in the process!!!

Most churches don't have a "service" problem; they have a "serving" problem.  Better sermons may grow your church, but engaged servants will transform the planet.

Which one interests you more?

I believe with all my heart that ANY church can change the world regardless of its size so long as "glorifying God BY changing the world" becomes its ONLY focus.

Over the last couple of months, my family and I have been hanging out at a church started by a really good friend of mine about 20 months ago.  In its brief existence, this church has done more than some churches do in 10 years to meet the needs of the world.  It's not a perfect church but last year they gave over $100,000 to global and local mission and ministry efforts (approximately 60% of contributions to the church went out into the field).  I think their highest attendance on a Sunday we have been there has been around 60.  

I have never seen a church with a more intentional heartbeat.  

Duke and Nations don't view their success or failure based solely on how many folks showed up for church.  Their "saving" capacity is much more important than their "seating" capacity.

The vast majority of churches in America have less than 100 people attending each Sunday.  

What if 1000 of those small churches committed to "flip the script" and change their plans heading into 2010???  What if this army of 1000 did an "extreme makeover" on their budget and ministry priorities moving forward???  What if that army of 1000 would commit to reach the unreached and help the helpless in their own neighborhoods and across the world?

Perhaps The Church United could stop world hunger, eradicate poverty, and share Christ's love in the darkest places!!!

Just a thought...