Exponential 2012 - National New Church Conference NNCC
Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 5:47 PM What an incredible privilege to attend Exponential 2012 last week. Thank you STADIA: New Church Strategies for the opportunity. Not only were the relationships sweet and the workshops all about more effectively planting churches... the main sessions were all about Church Leaders. Yes, in other words, it's all about me. :)
The theme was 'sifted.' Taken from Luke 22:31, the sentiment is that satan has asked to sift Peter like wheat... and what is he gonna do about it. But the Lord is praying for his faith not to fail. I don't know about you, but I'm glad the Lord was praying for Peter... and I'm thinking He's praying for me too.
Christians get sifted. Period. It's not about avoiding the sift. It's about knowing that He is God and has the supernatural power through the Holy Spirit to get us through the trial... through the sift. One pastor from Northern California was with me and his comment was something like this, "I went to Exponential to see what it could offer my home church to plant more churches. But what I received in the main sessions was for me."
I'm a different person for having attended. I believe I received two directives from the Lord on this trip. 1) Be more intentional with my family. 2) Start implementing the ideas/goals/plans I have in my head.
I have to admit, I'm scared on both fronts. I fear that I might fail. That is the point of the challenge God put before me. My job is not to succeed or to fail. My job is to be obedient.
One last gigantic challenge from my trip. I have GOT to stop doing things FOR God... and start OBEYING what I am hearing FROM God. I welcome your prayers for me.










