Psalm 90 and Brevity

I am currently doing a study on how to use your time effectively. One of the scriptures that was referenced in the study is Psalm 90:10a&12 it reads like this, 

"The length of our days is seventy years— or eighty, if we have the strength; Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." 

Moses wrote those words, probably near the end of his life. They are really convicting to me. It is funny how we avoid thinking about the brevity of life. Yet, when you stop to think about the fact that you are going to die you cannot help but evaluate the way you are currently living. After just a short evaluation here are a few things that I plan on changing about the way I am living:

1. I am going to watch less TV

2. I am going to go to bed earlier so I can get up earlier... I work better in the mornings

3. I am going to journal more about what I spent my time on each day (Socrates said, "The unevaluated life is not worth living" I hope this will allow me to evaluate better)

4. I am going to spend more time having face to face conversations with life group leaders (I have been convicted lately that I need to do ministry in a more relational way)

Have you evaluated your life lately? Ask yourself this question... if I died today what would people remember me for? What do I want to be remembered for?

What is God's will for your life?

I have been reading Henry Blackaby's bible study Experiencing God with my accountability partners for the last month and a half. One of my big takeaways has been the reminder that God is always at work around us and that we simply need to join Him in His work. That has got me asking, "What are you doing God? What are you up to around me?" Good questions to ask. Blackaby gives the example of Moses. God had already decided to set the Israelites free. He invited Moses to be a part of what He was already going to do. It was up to Moses to decide whether or not he was going to join him or not. 

What is God up to around you? What is He inviting you to be a part of? Are you willing to step out and join Him?

Ever thought the bible was hard to read?

Have you ever thought the bible was hard to read? I have talked with quite a few people over the past few weeks who have expressed frustration with reading the bible. Most of them say that they don't know where to start and even if they did they are pretty sure that they wont understand what it says anyway. 

I will be the first to admit I have felt that way myself from time to time. The bible is a big book to tackle. It is a combination of 66 books and letter. It employs almost every literary structure. It is full of prophecies and poetry. It can be very intimidating. However, as christians there is nothing more crucial to us knowing God than reading what He has to say to us. So how do we do it? I have been reading a book by a guy named Howard Hendrick called Living by the Book that does a great job of explaining a method for reading the bible that allows you to get a ton out of it every time you pick it up.  Let me suggest that you pick this book up and read it. It will definitely help you in your journey. 

More to come on this subject in the future!

The New logo...

Here is a little sneak peak for those of you who weren't able to make it to sundays meeting...

Don't forget if you have any ideas to get this "N" everywhere there is a $15 Starbucks card to the person who comes up with the most creative idea! 

Black Ops Team

In the next month NL is going to unveil our new website and logo to the public! FINALLY! I am stoked about this if you couldn't tell! If you are at church this weekend you will get a sneak peak of the logo. Along side of this we are going to be doing a marketing campaign to get the "N" everywhere... In the next month we want thousands of people in NOVA to ask, "What the heck is that "N" I keep seeing everywhere?"

We are looking for people to own this campaign. We need ideas for how to get the "N" everywhere. Post any ideas you have as comments. A panel of the staff will select the best idea and the winner will get a $15 Starbucks card! So be sure to leave your name with your idea...

We also need a team of people to help put these ideas into action! If you would like to be a part of this team that we are calling the black ops team shoot me an email. joshb@newlife4me.com

Get in your comfort zone, in order to get out of it...

The other day I was reading a book on preaching... wait don't quit reading just yet. I will concede that a book on preaching is only interesting to a few people in this world. But I was reading this book and the author made the challenge for preachers to get out from behind the pulpit (something NL has never had) and preach from a different setting. He asked the question, "where are you most comfortable?" and then contended that you should preach from where you are most comfortable. 

As I was reading that I started thinking about telling people about Jesus... what is preaching... it is simply telling people about Jesus. This thought occurred to me: for most people telling someone about Jesus is out of their comfort zone. Most of us feel like we should do this we just don't know how to make it happen practically... it is so hard. Then I started thinking about the environments that I had told people about Jesus in... places like Starbucks, my couch, restaurants, places that I feel really comfortable.  It occurred to me, maybe we should challenge people to get into their comfort zone, in order to get out of them and tell people about Jesus.

Where are you most comfortable? 

What's your next step?

At New Life we are constantly asking people what their next step with God is. We want to create a culture that encourages people to walk closer and closer to God everyday. We believe that you are as close to God as you want to be (someone very wise said this to me the other day... I thought it was a cool statement). 

Can I offer a possible next step for you? We are coming into a season where we are going to really encourage life group participation. Through prayer we feel like God is leading us to ask everyone in the church to be a part of a small group for 6 weeks. Just give it a try! In order to do this we are going to need small group hosts! Maybe your next step is to say, "I will host one of these groups". It is easy, all you have to do is: 

1. have a place where people can meet 

2. be able to serve coffee or some type of beverage

 3. press play on a DVD player 

4. use a discussion guide to facilitate a discussion. 

No writing your own lesson. You don't have to have the old testament memorized. You don't have to have all of the answers to people's questions. You don't even have to know who Balaam was.

if you are interested shoot me an email joshb@newlife4me.com

Have trouble reading the Bible?

Do you have a hard time reading or understanding the bible? I want to tell you about an idea that we had the other day...

What if we as a church decided to all read the exact same thing everyday... and what if we taught everyone in the church a simple and easy way to study the bible? We could all read the same thing and study it in the same way every day. And what if Brett, Rick, Tim, and myself posted our thoughts from each day's study on a blog? So if you get stuck on a passage you could get on the internet and see what Brett thought about it or Tim or Rick or me. 

Tell me what you think... joshburnett@mac.com

Big Stuff

I have been reading the book of Joshua for two days now. One thing that has struck me is how early in the chapter God prepares Joshua to go into the promise land (see chapter 1:1-9). Joshua is encouraged and then gets everyone together to cross the Jordan and then they go for it. It is strangely familiar to my life in the past few months. (Maybe I am just making the relation because the names are the same in this story as they are in mine...) I have felt for the past few months that God was preparing me for something that was going to have a huge impact for Him and His kingdom. On Monday I found out what that was. New Life is going to launch a third service in Centreville. I have been asked to spear head this initiative. I feel a little like Joshua must have I would bet. Scared about what is to come. I also realize as I am sure that he did as well that I can't do this on my own... We are going to need a big team of people to help make this a success. If you are interested in knowing more about this let me know! joshburnett@mac.com

Reproducing Church

The other day we had Dave Ferguson in the office. Dave is the sr. pastor at Community Christian Church in Naperville, IL. He talked to the staff about being a reproducing church. At the risk of stating the obvious I will state the obvious- a reproducing church is a church that reproduces itself. This might not sound like a big deal but when you consider how far this one principle has taken Community it makes you want to ponder the reproducing model.

The basic premiss is that the church would produce more churches. Something I think most people can buy into especially when your vision is as powerful as New Life's. But the reproducing principle goes deeper than just the church. It really starts at the top with the sr. pastor saying I am going to take one person and help them learn how to do what I do. This trickles down to the staff. Which trickles down to coaches. Which trickles down to small group leaders. Which trickles down to apprentices. 

This reproducing model isn't just for small groups either. It is something that community has said is a value - and even a requirement for every volunteer and staff position in the church. So if you make coffee on sunday morning who are you training to make coffee? Who is going to replace you? 

This is my dream for New Life. That we would become a reproducing church in every way. That our life group leaders would reproduce themselves in apprentices who go out and start new groups. That service leaders would reproduce themselves in others around them and take on greater ownership in the church. 

Reproduction is the essence of church. It is what Jesus did. Check this out - John 20:21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."

Lets be a reproducing church! If you have questions about how to do this just shoot me an email. Joshb@newlife4me.com

blogging is hard...

I have been so busy working on discipleship stuff lately I have neglected to blog about it...

I am working on brainstorming a list of discipleship initiatives for 2008. Basically asking the question what can I do in 08 to get more people connected to Jesus in a more real way? Exciting question to ask. I can't wait to see what we come up with! 

One idea that I have is to have a quarterly meeting where all of our life groups come together at a venue and everyone who is interested in a life group can come and check out all the groups we have / just get plugged into a group near their home.

just one idea... if you have others shoot me an email with them. You never know it might make the list.