10 Simple Things We All Should Say

 Saw this posted by Justin Taylor. May our hearts be postured with such humility and character.
rgh

1. Please forgive me.

Better than "I'm sorry," which can often be followed with an "if" or a "but," these words indicate a humble heart. Bad pastors hide their faults behind the cloak of their authority, practice self-defense against all charges, and basically pretend. Good pastors know they're sinners and admit it.

2. You're right.

Good pastors know they're not always (not usually?) the smartest, most "spiritual" person in the room. They are zealous to give credit and acknowledge achievement and intelligence, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it encourages and empowers others.


3. You're wrong.

Bad pastors chicken out when it comes to calling people on sin or biblical ignorance. Good pastors brave potential conflict and hurt feelings and say "You're wrong" in gentle but firm ways when necessary.


4. Jesus loves you.

Why did we stop saying this? I think because it became cliche. I'd love to see a recovery of the art of "Jesus loves you." Strategically said at times of others' admissions of failure, sin, or trouble, "Jesus loves you" is a fantastic way to speak the gospel into people's lives.


5. I love you.

I think one reason we stopped saying "Jesus loves you" to people is because we don't really love them ourselves. Might as well save the hypocrisy, eh? But good pastors lay their lives down for the sheep. Telling people you love them is a reminder to them and to you that sacrificial love is your calling.


6. Me too.


Next to "Grace is true" (see below), these might be the most important words in pastoral counseling. Bad pastors trade regularly in "Not me." In the pulpit and in the office, bad pastors set themselves apart from their congregations with tales of adventure, spirituality, and personal holiness. In the pulpit and in the office, good pastors talk of sin and trials and utter ineptitude and say, "Me too." I have seen entire countenances change when I've said some variation of "Me too."


7. Any time.

Of course you don't mean it literally. But you kinda do. Good pastors are available.


8. Thank you.

Bad pastors think they're owed. Good pastors know everything is a gift.


9. Grace is true.

I think deep down we all want to hear "You're approved" (see below), which is why we find "Grace is true" such a radical statement. You probably won't use the words, of course. But good pastors take the opportunity to glorify God by "talking up" his amazing grace every chance they get. Just 30 minutes ago, my writing of this post got interrupted by a visitor who wanted to talk about works and grace. I relished the chance to confirm his suspicion that grace is true. Bad pastors may say grace is true but the context of their teaching and the expectations in their leadership say "Your works must be this high to ride this ride." I know some of my friends hate it when "gospel" is used as a verb, but I just have to say it: Good pastors gospel their people. :-)


10. You're approved.

Everyone wants to believe they have what it takes, which is why it's such a bummer to hear the first half of the gospel and learn we really don't. Don't leave your people hanging. Be a good news pastor. Bad pastors beat their people up with their failures. Bad pastors are always disappointed. Good pastors know grace is true and Jesus is Lord, so they are ready to challenge every self-despairing soul with the wonderful truth that in Christ we are approved by God. Good pastors tell people they do have what it takes when they have Jesus' righteousness. Do you trust Jesus? You're all set, then.


http://gospeldrivenchurch.blogspot.com/2011/05/10-simple-things-good-pastors-say.html

Five Myths About Forgiveness!

These Five Myths about Forgiveness are written by Dr. Sam Storms.You will
 find his writings promoted on John Pipers Desiring God, Monergism, Driscoll's
 Acts 29, and AdrianWarnocks site.

I mention all of this so that you can sense the weight of this brothers influence
in the Kingdom and why each of you brothers should prioritize reading the entire
article.


You will discover that the article supports the doctrinal position advocated
during our Redeemed Community days together and which is consistently the
same today. Note that it certainly applies to a relatively recent attack upon
 our doctrinal position via a public venue.
.
Be encouraged, we are not alone my friends. There continues to be a broad
and deep remnant of kingdom oriented citizens.

rgh


1. Contrary to what many have been led to believe, forgiveness is not forgetting.


2. Forgiving someone does not mean you no longer feel the pain of their offense


3. Forgiving someone who has sinned against you doesn’t mean you cease longing for justice.


4. Forgiveness does not mean you are to make it easy for the offender to hurt you again.


5. Forgiveness is rarely a one-time, climactic event.



http://www.acts29network.org/article/forgiveness-what-it-is-what-it-isnt/

http://www.monergism.com/directory/link_category/MP3-Audio--Multimedia/All-Speakers-Lectures-and-Sermons/Samuel-Storms/

Laughter Commensurate To Humility: "A Tribute To Joe Sacco"

When I received the videos of my recent visit to Teen Challenge, the first
response was to watch the introductional part where I attempted allow the
 students to enjoy laughter at the expense of Joe Sacco.

As I began to watch, I was so overcome with hysterical laughed that tears
 were rolling down. What would cause such a reaction? Hearing Joe Sacoo
 laughing louder than everyone else in the room, even though he was the
 strategic target of the humor. This quote decribes why my special friend
 could laugh loudly with 250 other men in the room. 

[rgh]

Terry Lindvall writes in Surprised By Laughter: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis:


"Laughter is a divine gift to the human who is humble. A proud man
cannot laugh because he must watch his dignity; he cannot give himself
over to the rocking and rolling of his belly. But a poor and happy man laughs
heartily because he gives no serious attention to his ego….Only the truly
 humble belong to this kingdom of divine laughter…Humor and humility
 should keep good company.

Self deprecating humor can be a healthy reminder that we are not the center
of the universe, that humility is our proper posture before our fellow humans
as well as before almighty God…"

http://trevinwax.com/2011/05/02/humility-and-humor/

We Are Not- We Do Not!

Brothers,

Please review these "We Are Nots" extracted from the "Acts 29"
doctrine site. While knowing who we are and what we believe is primary,
being able to articulate who we are not and what we do not believe is just
 as essential in today's church culture.

 Full explanation of each statement is explained on the site below.

rgh

•We are not liberals
•We are not fundamentalists
•We are not isolationists
•We are not hyper-Calvinists
•We are not Dispensationalists
•We are not egalitarians
•We are not Open Theists
•We are not religious relativists
•We are not nationalists
•We are not moralists.
•We are not relativists
•We are not Universalists
•We are not naturalists
•We are not rationalists
•We are not evangelical feminists
•We are not embarrassed
•We are not ashamed
•We are not polemicists

http://www.acts29network.org/about/doctrine/

New Identity: Reformata Family of Ministers

While we bless the inauguration of  the Redeemed Community site that solely
 seeks to bridge relational connection of  former friends and members,
we wisely see the potential for confusion since it does so void of the  foundational,
historical, doctrinal,and covenantal identity that was the DNA of  the ministry and
which RFM continues to model today.

That being the concern, we are making a slight but substantive name change so as
to maintain clarity for our ministerial identity while minimizing possible secondary
connectivity through name recognition.

"Reformata" simply means the church reformed and was used as the battle cry during
the Reformational era. Thus, the term intentionally maintains covenantal continuity
with our original "agents of change" ethos while communicating the covenantal,
doctrinal and missional substance of our relational identity as a Family of Ministers.

Therefore, our "Antiochian Identity" is now  Reformata Family of Ministers
and will continue to be abbreviated as "RFM".   Shout!

For The Kings Honor!
richard g. hanner

The Kind Of Leaders We Want Around Us!

Perry Noble points out a strategic truth RFM ministers should embrace,
emulate, and advocate. In other words, "we" must "be" this kind of leader
 to one another.

rgh


Proverbs 16:13
Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value a man who speaks the truth.

Leaders MUST value people that are honest and speak the truth.

However, one of the things I always say is that a leader cannot listen to everybody…but the “somebody’s” that he/she does listen to MUST be willing to speak unfiltered truth in love.

With that in mind here are the qualities I believe a leader should always be looking for…someone who is…

Trustworthy – Can you trust the person who is speaking truth to you? Have they, over time, demonstrated a consistent love for Jesus, for His church and for you? A leader should ALWAYS listen to people they trust–period.

Respectable – I have found that it is nearly impossible to listen to people you do not respect. So, with that in mind take a look at the people you have around you…do you respect their CHARACTER (incredibly important) and their COMPETENCE level? (It is REALLY sad when leaders who purposefully surround themselves with people they feel superior to in regards to competence. If you are always positioning yourself to be the smartest person in the room then you either struggle with pride, insecurity…OR BOTH!) Even if someone doesn’t know me that well…I have always found myself still listening to people whom I respect.

Understanding – A leader should always listen to someone who understands the entire situation. People who take shots at you because they heard a rumor about you or have based their opinion off of a 30 second soundbite that was taken out of context should simply be ignored. However, someone who comes to you in love with a desire for a sincere understanding of something you said or a decision you made is someone that you should definitely listen to.

This is, in no way, a complete list…but, just wanted to share these three characteristics.

http://www.perrynoble.com/2011/04/13/the-kind-of-leaders-i-wantneed-around-me/

The 26 Qualifications For A Minister

Over the last 38 years, I have read and reread these character qualifications listed by the Apostle Paul.To be honest, I confess that there is most often "pain of conscience" when doing so.The imperative  for such prominent Christlike virtues in a ministers life should awaken a real sense of Godly fear in each of our souls.

My dear brothers, may we "Love One Another" enough to correct or  receieve the same should  these standards become "perceptively" violated in the form of behavioral pattern.

rgh

"....before any man can serve the Lord in church leadership, he must meet a list of 26 requirements in his life. When a man meets all these requirements, he is to be recognized by the sheep as a truly qualified shepherd. The list is found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1; it is stringent and weeds out a lot of men who might like to be church leaders. But this list also motivates men to become more like Christ, the True Shepherd of the flock. It provides a God-given target for men to aim their lives and ministry at. Furthermore, this list is the same for every church in every culture, because every man who grows in Christ-likeness looks more and more like the qualities of this list."

Starting with 1 Timothy 3:1–7, each man to whom Jesus grants leadership has all the following qualities:



1.“aspires to the office of overseer”—one who is internally motivated by deep conviction to do all that Christ may ask of him in the care and feeding of Christians;

2.“is above reproach”—against whom no accusation of sin is justified, but is upright in every area of life;

3.“the husband of one wife”—a man who (if married) is not adulterous, is not flirtatious or sexually impure in any other way, but is completely given to his own wife;

4.“temperate”—one not given to excess in pleasures or habits;

5.“sober-minded”—a man who is not given to foolish or eccentric thinking;

6.“respectable”—a person who elicits trust from others by virtue of godliness and kindness;

7.“hospitable”—one who cares for others with his own resources, especially in the use of his home;

8.“able to teach”—one who directs others into Scripture, providing effective guidance and instruction;

9.“not a drunkard”—one who is not overcome by sensory pleasures such as alcohol;

10.“gentle”—a man who might be slandered and mistreated but will still serve with meekness and unfailing graciousness;

11.“not quarrelsome”—one who makes peace and maintains it by upholding biblical standards and comforting others;

12.“not a lover of money”—one who invests in God’s kingdom, is generous, and refuses to make money in any manner that dishonors the Lord;

13.“manages his own household well”—in humility and strength, he successfully leads all aspects of family life into conformity with the word of God;

14.“with all dignity keeping his children submissive”—whose younger children, if any, display the fruit of their father’s wise and godly hand in their attitudes and characters;

15.“not a recent convert”—one who has been tested by numerous trials and has displayed a stable faith in the midst of failure and success;

16.“well thought of by outsiders”—there are no just reasons even among unbelievers for why this man should not be a leader of the church.

Then from Titus 1:6–9, those not already covered in 1 Timothy 3 are:

1.“his children are believers”—in older children there is evident fruit of sovereign grace, the seal upon the man’s private and intimate conduct in the home;

2.“not be arrogant”—one who is not filled with himself in speech and actions, who prefers others above himself;

3.“not quick-tempered”—one who is not rude with people, or has a low boiling point when he is ignored or doesn’t get his way;

4.“a lover of good”—a man who prizes good works, who loves to see good come to pass, and shuns or reproves all things less than good;

5.“upright”—one whose dealings with all men are correct and true, who does not steal or malign, and who rejoices in integrity, even to his own hurt;

6.“holy”—one who shuns sin in every form, who will reprove it in others professing godliness, and who lives to worship Jesus Christ as his greatest joy and highest priority;

7.“disciplined”—conducts himself with godliness in every situation;

8.“holding fast the faithful word”—one who is knowledgeable of Scripture and is deep in conviction to its tenets, both doctrinally and ethically;

9.“able to exhort in sound doctrine”—one who can comfort the depressed and challenge the lax with a doctrinal approach to God and life;

10.“able to refute those who contradict”—can use Scripture to confront hardened error, and if need be, will follow every Scriptural command out to its full extent, such as in church discipline.

If only all churches today were led by such men! For when a man truly matches up with Christ’s qualifications, then he is worthy to be entrusted by the sheep with leadership over them. Scripture tells us several times to submit to such men (1 Thessalonians 5:12–13; 1 Peter 5:5; Hebrews 13:17). The elders have been granted the same kind of authority in a church as a godly father has in a home (1 Timothy 3:4–5).

http://www.thetitusmandate.org/archives/14