Between The Eyes III - Right Questions

As I think out loud about our future (SBC and the future of any Great Commission Church or organization) asking the right questions vs. the wrong questions is critical:

Wrong Question: How do we save our denomination?
Right Question: How do we present a Gospel witness to every man, woman, and child in America?

Wrong Question: How do we harvest more?
Right Question: How can we increase the amount and intensity of harvest praying?

Wrong Question: How do we fix our dead and dying churches or plant new ones?
Right Question: How do we transform our communities for Christ?

Wrong Question: How do we attract people to our churches and increase baptisms?
Right Question: How do we deploy transformed missionaries in every community?

Wrong Question: How do restructure our denomination?
Right Question: How will God reshape our denomination to impact lostness?

Wrong Question: What does God want from our denomination or organization?
Right Question: What does God want? (Source: Neal McGlohon)

May the conversations continue and the environment change. Headed to Rock Hill today for a meeting with Community Life Church, and the North Rock Hill Planting Center. Still amazed at what I see happening in S.C.

Between The Eyes II - How are Things at Home?

We had a great weekend:

• Abby and I went to Charleston for the Hispanic Evangelism Conference.
• David and I Ran
• Great Day at Willow
• Abby scored her own Wii! (After saving since Christmas and a six month search)
• Got to hang out some with that little rock star (Owen, my grandson)

But weekends are not always good (or weekdays). We are a family, a body, a system. What does that mean? When something goes wrong, we all bear responsibility. In my home we all tend to point fingers when something is not right (either in our minds, or out loud). Human nature causes us to be that way (probably never happens at your place).

One of my old illustrations: If I punch you in the nose, should I blame my hand and, thus, excuse myself? Or does my whole person bear responsibility?

I could shoot zingers to SBC leadership for days about current realities. Problem is, I am SBC leadership. The realities have been there for years. The past week's offical word only underscored the obvious. Our Kingdom influence is declining. That is the issue btw. Lostness is winning. I bear responsibility. . . my SBC family, my body, my system. Remember the QBQ?

A Word To The Southern Baptist Convention - Right Between The Eyes

My Aunt Maryann apologized on the way to church yesterday for the old story she was about to tell. Everyone has heard it a million times before. She forgot momentarily that she was 71 years old. I am not a young guy, but I had never heard it.

A man had a particularly brilliant donkey he was showing off. He bragged to another man about just how gifted and well-trained the donkey was.

Do you want me to show you how smart this donkey is? Sure, the man replied. The owner picked up a 2 x 4 and slammed the donkey right between the eyes as hard as he could. The observer was shocked. What did you do that for? I thought the donkey was smart. He is, said the proud donkey owner, but first I have to get his attention.

Did you read Friday's TOL? Check out Stetzer's http://www.edstetzer.com/ Breaking News story about the SBC. We can argue about the relevancy of the news of the SBC's first decline in 50 years. Who done it? The old murder mysteries sets out to discover answers.

All of us had a hand in this. Will the news be that 2 x 4 between the eyes? Or . . . will it be one more thing for us to hate on each other about??? Is it worse than we think? Are we overstating? Does it matter?