Great Commission Family

Newest book: Keys to Kingdom Expansion FREE! Get yours now!

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:44:00 +0000

Newest book: Keys to Kingdom Expansion FREE! Get yours now!

Kingdom Saints,

The Keys to Kingdom Expansion series of posts has been compiled, tweeked, and edited into a pocket size 4x6 84 page perfect bound book. You can download the ebook immediately or pre-order (avail in 2 weeks) the paperback for FREE--just pay a modest shipping and handling charge (under $2 in continental US). Bundles of 10 are $1 each plus shipping. I have priced it to just barely cover my costs.

FYI: share the ebook with EVERYONE. I left the copyright wide open for mass distribution and translating into other languages. I did not write this to make money--but rather to expand the Kingdom!

Here is the link: http://www.valuesdrivenfamily.com/Keys_to_Kingdom_Expansion.htm

Shalom friends,

Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com

Keys to Kingdom Expansion--Read for more

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:13:00 +0000

For those of you that have appreciated the "Keys to Kingdom Expansion" series, I have discontinued posting the articles on this blog. The remaining several posts are all available at

In coming weeks, all 18 posts will be edited, beefed up, and finalized into a single 80 page 4x6 (pocket-sized) perfect bound book that will be made available in singles for the shipping cost only and in bulk (10 or 12) for about $1 each plus shipping. I will post in this tag when they are available.

Let's take this globe for the Kingdom!

God bless you,

Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com

The Right Spiritual DNA: Freedom we can Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Now the last post was certain to have created some heartburn. Because, most of us have come to believe that struggling with sin is the normal Christian experience, and anyone stating otherwise must be off the deep end. However, I want you to know that we have all been given opportunity for complete and total freedom from sin’s power, yet we fail to accept it. As stated earlier, we cling to the chains, all the while assuming the shackles are still on.

The phenomenon reminds me of how elephants are trained. They are attached to an immovable object for a time—they pull and pull and never break free. So after a while, they never pull again. They can be held with a tent spike from that day forward, because they are convinced their pulling will be futile. I think that is the bondage many believers face. This deceptive training concept also applies to northern pike captive in fish tanks. To prevent the large fish from eating their natural prey within the tank, a plexiglas divider is placed to prevent the pike from reaching the prey. A short time of running into the glass trains the pike to never try again. Even with the protective glass removed, the small fish live in safety, because the pike assumes they can never get the prey.

We oftentimes walk around in bondage as a result of similar training. We have tried for so long to escape some sin patterns, we become convinced we can’t and just stop trying. We have been deceived into thinking that the struggles we face are beyond our ability to overcome. The enemy keeps us clinging to the chains, when all the while, we have been granted freedom.

Now I do not want to belittle the enemy’s influence. In this post, I want to shed light on his methods and the root of his power in our lives. The big picture is this: we are in the center of a custody battle. There is a battle raging on between God and His foe, Satan, for the glory of men. We are in the middle of the battle, but are not the focal point. It’s all about them. As stated earlier, glory that rightfully belongs to God has been directed toward the devil and his works via out sin. God, through Jesus Christ, has restored glory to its rightful recipient by turning our allegiance to Him and transforming our lives. Anything less than full allegiance and radical transformation falls short of glorifying God—He is still mocked.

We see this dynamic in the book of Job. Job apparently gave his allegiance to God: he “signed the blank piece of paper.” God reveled in his glory, even boasting to Satan. Satan tested whether or not Job indeed “signed” by going after one line item on the sheet at a time. In the end, Job proved out that he surrendered full allegiance to God and glory was given to God, not the devil. Job was actually not the center of the story—God and the devil were. Nor are we the center of the epic battle for the glory due God.

Now before we give allegiance to God, all areas of our life are under the authority of the devil. Our sin invites him to operate freely within our lives. Let me illustrate this dynamic. Picture our life as a house. The door is wide open for him to roam freely within the home. Our sinful life grants him full dominion. We have sins in every room: unforgiveness, anger, sexual sins, idolatry in many forms, addiction, worldliness, and much more. These permeate our being and give him permission to have his way with us.

When we surrender to God, our repentance cleans the house through Christ. In fact, the house is outright purchased by God, and we are no longer even the rightful owners. The deed is in His name. In actuality, there is no permission for sin to enter that house. We actually don’t have authority to sin; yes, we still possess the ability to do so, but it is a violation of the house rules.

Now, what happens when we do not fully surrender? If there are items in a closet that we do not give to God, the devil still has our permission to operate in that area. Now legally it is God’s house, and illegally we have granted permission for an intruder to take from what rightly belongs to Him. Let me explain. What if there was lots of jewelry in the back closet in God’s house. Who in all creation has the power and authority to steal from God? That’s right, no one. But we, being tenants in the house can still open the door and let folks in and allow them to take things—even though they are rightfully the property of the owner, and not us the tenant. The closet can indeed be cleaned and the door locked, but we allow the devil entrance. That’s because the door can’t be locked until the house is clean, because Satan is still permitted to access those dark corners. By his so doing, he gets his grubby footprints in every room. That is why light needs to shed in all the dark closets, and those areas must be taken from the devil and given to God.

So what does this look like, practically speaking. A mentor must take a disciple through a spiritual inventory. Through much introspection and prayer, literally write down recurrent sins, past strongholds, areas of victimization, and so on. The disciple must repent to allow cleansing. Then, out loud (Satan can’t read minds), rebuke the enemy—take these from him by exposing light to them, command Satan to get out, and submit these things to God. State plainly that he no longer has permission or authority to operate in these areas. Then ask God for strength and protection—lock the door so Satan can’t get in. Then burn the list.

Now here is a tip. Teach the disciple to live moment to moment, not day to day. If someone struggles with smoking—they may light up and fail—but they can mid-drag rebuke the enemy, remind the devil that he has no authority over that stronghold, and put it out and throw away the pack. There is victory moment by moment. If day by day, we justify our sin saying “I’ll quit when this pack is gone.” Glory goes to Satan rather than God.

Now take the disciple through the same exercise next week. Some rooms really don’t get clean with one pass—carpet stains always come back a few times. The list will get shorter and freedom is the end—total freedom. God will be glorified in that life.

Now I wish I had unlimited space to deal with this subject, because it is so important for freedom from sin’s power. A radically transformed life can only occur when sin’s power is defeated entirely. However, I trust the Holy Spirit to finish where I have left off.

Lord, grant your people freedom from the enemy’s clutch. I rebuke the enemy and command him by the authority of Jesus Christ to stay away from your people. Free them from sin’s power and restore your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com

Freedom from Sin’s Power

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:13:00 +0000

Freedom from Sin’s Power

Freedom from sin’s power is a goal for all of us. However, for many of us it is elusive. I think a lot of that stems from our understanding of the process. We tend to “work” on ourselves for an extended period of time, slowly (and not so surely) improving ourselves. Evangelicals leverage secular philosophies that we try to Christianize (dubbed “Christian psychology.”) Oftentimes spiritual maturity is confused with sanctification. One would have to conclude that the Holy Spirit is insufficient to transform a life by the methods we utilize to restore a person to wholeness. Again, we believe in God’s power for salvation, but not for transformation.

One Christian teacher once shared a great analogy concerning the mystery of sanctification that has always stuck with me. I have always liked it because of its simplicity—not what you would find in all the classic Christian life resources! This little word picture has allowed me to live in and empower others into freedom from sin’s power with great success. The teacher compared our transformation to restoring a car. We work one part of the car at a time: undercarriage, engine compartment, body panels—all the while continuing to use it as a daily driver. Yes, parts are restored. However, continued use results in new dings, new scratches, wear and tear on the drive train, newly discovered rust spots, and so on. So even though we work it one part at a time, with sweat on our brow, we never get it done. The vehicle always has something that needs sanctification (sound like anyone you know).

He indicated the process should look more like this. We surrender to God, He takes the car, puts it in the crusher and makes a 2-foot cube of steel out of it and sends it to the scrap pile. Then Jesus pulls up in a stretched limo, opens the door and says, “hop in, from now on, you’re riding with me.”

Let’s read Romans Chapter 6 in light of this analogy.

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6, NASB)

We are dead to sin, having partaken in Christ’s death and resurrection. We are entirely freed—our old self is DEAD. We now have freedom from sin’s penalty and power over our life. We are no longer slaves to sin, but rather slaves to righteousness. We now walk in newness of life. Our freedom from sin’s power, results in sanctification, that leads to eternal life (verse 22, notice the consistency with my prior messages: no sanctification means no eternal life). Let no one deceive you otherwise. We are free indeed, and must receive that freedom.

Now there is one missing caveat. We are only free if we surrender everything. If we are kicking and screaming and clinging onto the old car as Christ tries to take it to the crusher, we will not gain our freedom. If we hold onto our chains even though the shackles have been released, it is a self-imposed bondage. The result, Satan can even convince us the shackles are latched even though it is simply our holding onto the chains (very common). What a grand deception. This robs God of His glory!

This subject of strongholds will be discussed in the next message.

Lord God Almighty, show us our freedom and empower us to lead others to freedom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com

The Big Picture for Kingdom Expansion

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:21:00 +0000

The Big Picture of Kingdom Expansion

Now I have been presenting a pattern for Kingdom expansion—specifically, launching a disciple-making movement. Now here is the big picture. I know that this is not the order I have presented the content in, but for good reason. I am presenting the materials to Christian leaders, not brand new Christians. Under normal circumstances, the pattern below would be followed. I presented the vision and mission first, and now present the content that you will in turn utilize to establish good spiritual DNA with new disciples. I hope this sheds some light on the method for my madness.

1. Catch the vision
2. Know your condition
3. Surrender all to God
4. Repent
5. Receive freedom from strongholds
6. Commit to the mission
7. Empowerment
8. Commune with God
9. Engage on the mission
10. Cast the vision

These methods are only marginally effective with the churched and religious. That is because much unlearning must occur. Our Christian culture has so watered down the vision and mission, and honestly the Gospel truth, re-establishing good spiritual DNA is challenging (but not impossible). However, a thorough teaching on 1 John and related passages really challenges folks towards authentic repentance. The “signing the blank paper” exercise also challenges folks to squarely face up to their true allegiance: the world or the Kingdom. Everyone claims Jesus as Savior, but most realize through that exercise whether or not they make Him Lord. I contend that until they do, they are not actually saved (that exercise is better than a “magic prayer” any day). In future posts, I will provide practical tips on how to identify good discipleship candidates in future posts. So just bear with me as I continue to lay the foundation.

Shalom,

Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com

Establishing the right Spiritual DNA—Freedom (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:57:00 +0000

Establishing the right Spiritual DNA—Freedom (Part 1)

Now these articles are designed to serve two purposes. They are to provide insight to ministry leaders for establishing good practices for launching a disciple-making movement, as well as offer a strong foundation that may slightly deviate from mainstream Christian thought/practices. In other words, these materials don’t just point at you, but rather provide materials you can use with others. So please read them in that light. My ministry focuses on mobilizing folks to action. Yet success hinges upon a strong foundation. Here I am laying that foundation on what many of you would consider elementary matters.

We are indeed saved by grace through faith. For apart from Him, we can do nothing. Salvation is beyond our reach, and so is righteous and holy living. However, this does not mean the standards set forth in 1 John are not entirely true (it is God’s Word).

1 John 5:13 certainly speaks of eternal security; however, it is conditional on freedom from sin (1 John 3:9), freedom from worldliness (1 John 2:15), obeying His commands (1 John 1:4), and walking as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6). Not my words, His. Yet we are powerless to accomplish these things apart from His presence (see John 15:5-6).
Let’s take a look at an event in Scripture to illustrate a point. In John Chapter 8, Jesus has an encounter. A woman caught in adultery stands condemned. The religious folks try to trap Jesus and ask Him what to do, stone her (the justly deserved punishment) or let her go. He stumped them by telling them that he who is without sin is to cast the first stone. They scattered knowing they were sinners also. The following discourse ensured with the adulterous: “Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either Go From now on sin no more."
Now I want to highlight a few things here. First, she never disputed her guilt or justified her actions. She knew she was guilty as charged and fully condemned. She was literally at the verge of a painful death, and had absolutely no recourse. The silence of the text does not remove the image in my mind of a woman with much regret, remorse, and angst facing certain death. She was at her very end, and knew she deserved it.
Jesus did not condemn her, but showed mercy, and by His grace, forgave her for her sin. She was fully condemned, did not deserve it, but He gave it to her anyway. But the discourse does not stop there. It ends with “go from now on sin no more.” Repentance is not just saying you are sorry, but being sorry enough to not do it again. It is turning your life around. It is realizing that you were condemned and deserve death—that is hell. However, we must remember that it comes with the edict to sin no more.
What do you suppose Jesus would do if He was facing the same woman in the court the next day having been caught in the same sin? I know many would say that He would forgive many times and that we can repent many times for the very same act. However, this is not the case. Hebrews 6:4-6 says:
“For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” (Hebrews 6:4-6, NASB).
Note the word “impossible.” Repentance is a one-way street. Therefore, it is by grace that we get a second chance, and likewise by that same grace we receive freedom and empowerment to walk in holiness and righteousness. We all believe we are saved from the penalty of sin, yet few believe (or at least live as if they believe) that we are saved from the power of sin. We all can trust in God for our salvation because it is far out, and in not necessarily evidenced in our life (though I argue that point). Yet we fail to embrace freedom from sin because it oftentimes is not evidenced in our life. This is an unfortunate reality in modern Christendom.
I urge you to get your concordance out and look up the word “repent.” There is too much discourse on the subject to treat it in one short article. But I will leave you with one teaching from Jesus.
“Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. "Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'" (Luke 13:1-9, NASB).

In the next message, I will continue to discuss freedom, with very practical and foundational application. I know it’s not enough to just say “sin no more.”

Lord Almighty, grant freedom to your people—not just from the penalty of sin, but its power in our lives. You are an awesome and holy God, who by grace has given us a chance to truly live—entrance into the Kingdom. Empower us to walk in victory and teach others to do the same. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com

Establishing the right spiritual DNA (Part 1 and 2)--entrance into the Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:45:00 +0000

In order to initiate a healthy organically-reproductive discipleship movement, the right spiritual DNA must be established. Unfortunately, some bad stock has been spreading throughout Christendom for a while now. Let’s really take a good look at what the Scriptures say concerning some foundational matters.

This is the single most important article I have ever written in my life. Life and death, heaven and hell, stand in the balance. Now I am certain to lose some of you now—because I will depart from the mainstream a bit with this teaching. But I urge you to please sincerely evaluate what I share with an open mind and be patient. It will take multiple articles to unwrap. I pray it will come together by the end.

I know we all like to look at classic verses such as John 3:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9 and 13, and many others concerning salvation, because they are so black and white. They allow us to have an understanding that fits with our western thought patterns. We are linear thinkers, and need to wrap our minds around matters to satisfy our flesh. Yet, God and His economy are much more complex and veiled in mystery. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than ours. It is a shame that we have to unlock that mystery with systematic theologies and statements of faith. It forces us to take what He has imparted by the Spirit, and reduce it to human terms. Unfortunately, to clarify what I believe has been a radical departure from the intent of the mystery of the Gospel of the Kingdom, I will do much of the same in this post.

There is simply one book in the Bible that was written to definitively inform believers whether or not they will indeed enter the Kingdom of God. 1 John 5:13 (NASB) says: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” This verse sums up the purpose of the letter. Therefore, we can trust John’s first letter to provide clear insight into these matters. Now I have seen this verse used in popular evangelism methods, with absolutely no reference to the content of the letter itself. This is very irresponsible.

Let’s look at some of the content of the letter:
“And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:3-10, NASB)
“By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (1 John 2:3-6, NASB)
“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15-17, NASB)

John wrote this letter for the very purpose of providing insight to believers so that they could know they have eternal life. As you can see, the standards are much higher than taught today. Yet, John says “let no one deceive you;” otherwise—this is the correct standard to apply. He also says that if you are born again, you will not continue to sin. Not my words, his. He also says if you claim to know Him and do not keep His commands you are a liar. Not my words, his. He also says if you have one ounce of worldliness, you do not know God. Therefore, walking in freedom from sin, obedient to His commands, free from all wordliness is the measure of whether or not you know the father and are indeed born again—receiving eternal life (I didn’t say it, he did).

This should not be surprising to us if we read Jesus’ teachings. He said that our righteousness had to exceed that of the Pharisees. He took the Law, and raised the bar bigtime—not just our actions anymore, we are now condemned for our thoughts as well. Most of us have been taught that if we enter the Gate, we are in. Yet Jesus taught of a path. The Gate is narrow, but the Way is narrower still. We wrongly assume we may live in a constant state of worldliness and this is acceptable. We assume that God will forgive us through His grace, regardless of what we do. Believers scream “don’t judge me.” “God is merciful.” I will not judge, but God’s Word, which all believers claim is inspired, authoritative, and their guide for all matters, will certainly condemn them. Many will discount these words saying “he teaches salvation by works.” Well James 2:24 says: “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Don’t tune out now. I’ll elaborate later (Ephesians 2:8-9 still stands!).

The Bible says: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” (Revelation 19:7-8, NASB)
What? Our fine linens being works? He must have been mistaken when he wrote that! Consider the eternal ramifications of what Jesus is saying in the parable of the wedding feast—a parable of the Kingdom. Might He be saying someone got through the Gate, but didn’t walk in the Way.
Jesus taught:
"But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (Matthew 22:11-13, NASB).
Let’s see what Paul had to say concerning living by the flesh, and the eternal consequences:
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21, NASB).
It is no secret who will be saved and who stands condemned. John made it clear, and Jesus taught plainly that a tree will be known by its fruit. Paul showed us what the fruit of the flesh are. Read further and he discusses the fruit of the Spirit. John the Baptist stated concerning fruitfulness:
"Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father'; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. "The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 3:8-10, NASB).
Jesus said just about the same thing. Check the context: He is speaking to believers here!:
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. (John 15:4-6, NASB).
I think the mystery of salvation is best understood like this. Do not look at any moment in time to determine whether or not one is saved. At the end, the fruit will be evident whether or not someone had AUTHENTIC faith. Many believe and find the Gate, but few persevere unto fruitfulness. (By the way, I have not tossed out Ephesians 2:8-9; you’ll have to keep reading to see how it comes together).

James said: “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” (James 1:22) and also:

“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." (James 2:14-18, NASB). AUTHENTIC faith results in fruitfulness.

With this foundation laid, consider this verse in new light:
“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13, NASB). Now this makes some sense.
"So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:20-21, NASB.)
Here is the entire passage in context from Jesus. Consider it afresh in light of John’s message in 1 John and the theme of this entire article:
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. "So then, you will know them by their fruits. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall." When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; or He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.” (Matthew 7:13-29, NASB).

I apologize for the length of this message. I also know that this subject is both deep and controversial. However, a clear understanding that the authentic Christian faith results in radical transformation is foundational to launching a disciple-making movement. So I urge you to meditate on these passages with an open spirit.

Lord God Almighty, I pray that you will open minds and hearts, and remove anything that hinders your Spirit from reaching the heart, and allow your truth to sink in deep into the soul. I pray for a resolve to chase after your ways and your truth. Prevail in all things for your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Next: repentance and sanctification

Shalom,

Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com

Ps. I have not tossed out salvation by grace through faith. You’ll have to read the following posts to see how it all comes together.

God's math--multiplication and exponents

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:30:00 +0000

We discussed in brief that the mission is to make disciples. All else is secondary, and should only be considered inasmuch as it does not detract from the true mission. You may have also recognized a few foundational elements concerning this mission that are paramount to achieving success in this generation. I have proposed this is not only possible, but probable. One: the front line force is HUGE! All saints. Two: the mission is self-propagating regardless of cultural context, available resources, or giftedness. Let’s unwrap these factors and more.

One of the greatest bottlenecks of achieving the mission is the availability of laborers. We always complain that the problem with the harvest is that the soil is too hard. However, Jesus said: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Luke 10:2, NASB). You see, our bottleneck is not the harvest, but the workers. And it is my contention that we have the laborers; they just are not being mobilized. They may be working, but not on the right mission. They might be serving all sorts of programs and attending numerous meetings, but not engaged in the core mission which is simply making disciples. Likewise, many leaders are often so focused on administrative duties, they are not on the mission either. Many leaders don’t even think the command to personally make disciples even applies to them. They presume they are just here to preach to others to do so, or organize classes. Yet, the mission of making disciples was central to all that Jesus and Paul did. The religious system that diverts our efforts today was totally avoided by the early church. And as I said earlier, the vision and mission are caught, not taught. It must be modeled to be carried o to the next generation of soldiers.

The other challenge is just that: reproduction. One of God’s core intentions was that we would be fruitful and multiply. In the Old Testament, men were repeatedly commanded to “be fruitful and multiply” quite literally. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were told of their numerous descendents. Today, we are told to bear fruit to maturity, reaping a harvest of 30, 60 or 100-fold. In fact, we see implications in the scriptures to bear multi-generational fruit both in the OT and NT. (Deut 6:1-9 Moses, children of Israel, sons, grandsons; 2 Tim 2:2 Paul, Timothy, faithful men, others). However, the reigning ministry models and methods are based on addition, not multiplication.

The western church system centralizes ministry around programs, events, structures, and a few gifted individuals. Therefore, as our numbers increase, we are simply adding because of these inherent limitations. You don’t believe me? What if I said you would add 1,000 people this year. Could you handle it? What about 10,000? OK. What about 1,000,000? If you’re model can’t handle 1,000,000 people in a year, you are thinking too small!

Addition models are limiting because each of the folks being added is not expected to add more in and of themselves. The systems and gifted individuals are expected to “grow” them. And once they are matured (if ever), they in turn may add more folks to the system. This results in a very linear Kingdom growth curve (again the limitation is not the harvest, but rather the labor). There are some other challenges of addition models such as using worldly drivers for attracting folks to church. Since they are often joining for the benefits and not the vision/mission, it results in more reserves, not soldiers.

Let’s contrast that to a discipleship multiplication model. An individual disciples a new believer from his sphere of influence (oikos). He gets buy in on the vision, commitment to the mission, authentic repentance and followed by baptism. The mentor leads him to obedience. Within weeks, the disciple is challenged to seek a disciple of his own. He does the same thing over again while being supported behind the scenes by the original mentor. This continues ad infinitum. The focus is not how/where they assemble corporately (I hate that term), but rather is centrally focused on their accountability and obedience to Christ.

Now I know many of you are now experiencing heartburn. Where is the accountability?—you are thinking. I tell you the truth, there is FAR more accountability is a discipleship paradigm than in a big-church paradigm. Most folks in the pews are mere infants—maybe not in knowledge, but certainly in obedience—that is if they are saved at all. Leaders, for you to be obedient to the mission at hand, and have the greatest impact for the Kingdom you possibly can, you have to start thinking Kingdom, rather than church (ouch!).

Another benefit to a discipleship model is a total removal of resources as a limitation. Disciples don’t need buildings, seminary training (just like Jesus and the Apostles), or funding. The western perception of what the mission entails has set us back hundreds of years. The presumptions that these resources are necessary (with no NT basis), has prevented us from reaping the harvest that Jesus says is plentiful. We must now look back at our NT practices and recognize the enormous reserves we have ready to be mobilized for the mission.

Consider the possibilities by comparing an addition versus multiplication model:

Assume an evangelist wins 1 soul per day as compared to a saint making one disciple per year. At the end of year 1, the score is 365 to 2; year 2, 730 to 4; year 3, 1095 to 8; year 5, 1,825 to 32; year 10, 3,650 to 1024; year 20, 7,300 to 1,048,576. The entire world population would be reached in just 33 years, presuming just one disciple per year. This is the power of exponential growth. A better figure would be 6 disciples per year; the Great Commission would be fulfilled in just 13 years starting from scratch. If we mobilized just a fraction of the reserves we have now, 5 years flat! You with me on this?

It all starts with you. Are you willing to engage on the mission yourself? Are you ready to unleash the flood of laborers? Are you willing to let go, and trust the Holy Spirit to lead His people to fruitfulness? You can be the impetus or the bottleneck, it’s entirely up to you.

Lord, I pray that you stir something up—bold and powerful in the spirit of each man and woman reading these posts. I pray against any strongholds limiting their perspective—religious or otherwise. Mobilize your saints to the harvest. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Next post: establishing the right DNA to launch a disciple-making movement.

Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com

The Mission

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:02:00 +0000

I think we all know what the mission is, don’t we. It is the Great Commission. However, have we ever really taken a good look at what the Great Commission is? Because I think if there was a clearer understanding of what the mission was, we would take the nations in short order by mobilizing the reserves to the battle field. Here it is:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you..." (Matthew 28:19-20a, NASB)
Now let’s unwrap this a bit. Let’s start with the first word, “go.” It does not say “sit and wait,” but rather GO! This is not something meant to be confined to the four walls of a building. It does not say to invite folks for Sunday service so they can hear an altar call. It does not say be a nice person and wait for someone to ask you how to be saved. It says GO!

Next, it says what we are to do: that is make disciples. It does not say to get folks to say a magic prayer (conversion). It does not say to get people to give you intellectual assent or guilt or fear them into saying a prayer with you. It does not say to invite them to church and hope that years of attendance will disciple them. The marching orders are to make disciples.

Next it says where to start: baptizing them. No mention of a baptism class or an ordained minister. No waiting for the next scheduled baptism at the local church. No waiting until the ice thaws (try the bathtub). Go out there and baptize them immediately, which was the New Testament practice.

Implicit with the command of baptism, is repentance. Because water baptism is called a “baptism of repentance.” No repentance, no salvation: period. Do not participate in making false converts—that is, folks who claim the name of Christ, yet deny Him with their lives. This does not glorify God. In fact, make it difficult to be saved. If they are serious, they will sacrifice all for the Pearl of Great Worth. They must count the cost.

Insist on full repentance. Have them renounce the devil and his works, publicly. Also ask them to sign the blank piece of paper, surrendering all to God. You see, everyone says a prayer saying they will make Christ Lord of their life, but fail to understand what that means. Make it very clear for them.

Now, the final marching order: teach them to observe all Christ’s commands. First of all, this presumes that the mentor is obedient him/herself. This task is not relegated to pastors and teachers of a discipleship class (that’s an oxymoron if I have ever seen one). This is for ALL believers. I know that some of you are saying “I’m not an evangelist or pastor, that’s for them” or ‘these commands were addressed to the Apostles only.” Well, most of Christ’s teachings and all the Epistles were addressed to others. They still apply to all of us!

Now the important takeaway here is that the central mission of the Church is the Great Commission—that is to make obedient, repentant, disciples—radically transformed lives. These disciples are in turn responsible for doing the same (since they obey His commands, and His command is to make disciples). All other ministries must be understood in the context of the mission. We serve the poor and minister to needs as part of the mission, not independent of it. We even fellowship to mutually edify one another—to engage on the mission (1 Corinthians 14:26). Gifted leaders are there simply to mobilize the saints for the mission (Ephesians 4:11-12). It’s all about the mission. And the Sunday spectacular is NOT the mission. In fact, everything else is secondary.

Now notice what it says in Ephesians 4:11-12. The mission workers are ALL saints. It is not paid ministers or simply the “gifted.” We are all soldiers on the mission. Now if we break the mission down to its base component, it is simply one radically transformed saint investing their life in an individual such that they impart the vision and mission to another, radically transforming them, one at a time. Then the newly radically transformed disciple does the same. When done correctly, an unstoppable succession of radically transformed people ensues.

Now for you ministry leaders. I know what you are thinking. You know the mission and have taught it, but can’t get the reserves mobilized to active duty. My question for you is: are you on the mission? I am not talking about teaching and preaching. I mean, do you have a disciple, that you personally led to Christ that you are personally discipling into obedience through sharing your life. Transformed lives are not made intellectually. They are imparted by the Spirit through much personal investment. Therefore, you can’t simply teach people to be on the mission; you must show them. You must personally impart the Kingdom vision and model the mission to develop disciples that reproduce.

I have much more to unwrap, but we’ll stop here.

Next post: multiplication versus addition.

Lord, I pray that you will mobilize multitudes to get on the mission. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com

Preparing for the Mission

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:55:00 +0000

Why do so many people join the Reserves? Is it love for country, commitment to defend freedom, chivalry and public service, a sense of duty and sacrifice? Certainly many do join for such noble reasons; however, numerous other young men and women simply join for the benefits, such as college tuition and other signing bonuses. It may not sound very nice to say it, but let’s be honest, if they would serve without the benefits, would the government even offer them? Absolutely not. However, they know to entice a sufficient reserve force, the benefits must be offered.

When those who have signed up for selfish motivation are deployed to the front lines of battle, do you suppose they really want to be there? When they signed the dotted line, we can only ponder if they really counted the cost. I wonder if college tuition is enough to make the ultimate sacrifice. Without a commitment to the vision (freedom) and the mission (defend and protect), no amount of compensation is worth dying for; but with a sense of duty, honor, and sacrifice—no price is too high. In fact, they yearn for the front lines.

We can see a fitting analogy. Numerous believers have joined the kingdom “reserves" based on the benefits. They wanted freedom from the penalty of sin and a free ticket to heaven. They may even believe signing comes with others benefits such as health and wealth. Sometimes they reluctantly sign up, almost as if they are doing their recruiter a favor. However, do they really know what they are signing?

Do they know that they are asked to surrender everything to God for the mission. They are told to end all other allegiances: to the world, sin, wealth, pleasures of life, self, the flesh, family, possessions, and be prepared to even give their very life for the cause. When they sign, they give up all personal rights and privileges. They must obey all orders. In fact, their lack of allegiance to all orders makes them a traitor, and subject to judgment. They not only neglect promoting the cause, they hinder it by serving the enemy’s commander.

Do we as leaders present the truth of counting the cost? Do those in our camps know that when they signed up, we were not at peacetime, but in the throes of battle? We are at war. The enemy has not let up. Why have we. Why are all our troops AWOL? Where are their commanders? Are we AWOL too?

Recognize that we are at war. Millions are dying without salvation. The main reason is that we recruit our reserves, but never give them deployment orders. Even when our literal soldiers sign for selfish purposes, they still receive the same training as those who sign with more noble intent. They learn the art or warfare alongside the visionaries. And when they are deployed, they are ready to fight with valor and precision. They are on the mission.

We must learn from this analogy. I don’t care why or how these soldiers joined our ranks. However, they need to know that we are at war NOW, and receive their training and deployment immediately. They must be shown the vision by our leadership. But, for them to catch the vision and get on mission, WE must recognize we are at war as well and be willing to count the cost.

Let me ask you, or rather answer the Lord. Have you counted the cost? Would you give up your possessions for Christ? Your comfort? Your freedom? Your wealth? Ok, you are still with me. What about your pride? Would you give up your home? What about your family? Now it’s getting tougher. Would you surrender your title? Your fears? Your hurts? What about your very life?

Ok, if you are still with me, you can rest assured God does not want you to sacrifice this list right now. Here is a better picture of what He wants from you. Just get a blank piece of paper. Now sign on the bottom. He will simply fill in what He wants you to give when He needs it of you. Will you sign this document?

Until we are ready to sign this document, we are not fit to serve in His Kingdom. Signing this document will lay the foundation for His service, and qualify us to train the reserves for the mission. The reserves will not follow us into battle until we take the flag and run headlong through the incoming fire. Reflect upon this.

Lord, speak to your people. I beseech the Lord of the harvest to send our laborers.

Amen

Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com

Ps. The mission is next

The Kingdom Vision (Part 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:45:00 +0000

Now for those of you that have the Kingdom vision and are on the mission, this teaching is a cool, refreshing drink of water on a hot day. For others, this is dirt in the eye, an irritation and an offense. However, I hope that irritation to your soul births a pearl, and ultimately the Pearl of Great Worth, that ignites an unquenchable passion for expanding God’s glory. I know that deep down in every believer the capacity to birth that Pearl exists. However, it is quenched by the world, and all her ways. We must get beyond our religious assertions and traditions and embrace the vision, to truly be on mission. It does not matter what your denominational persuasions, or how, where or when you fellowship; It is about your spirit’s yearning to surrender everything for the Pearl of Great Worth. If your allegiance is to a system of thought or practice rather than for God’s glory, you will not catch this vision.

This is your kairos moment. You were created for a time such as this. We are in the second to last scene in history. God is enlisting His army of soldiers to engage in reaping the end-time harvest. We are very near to the end, and the mission is at hand. There are no spectators for this last burst of revival. Can you sense the times? Does not the Spirit within you leap with these words? You know this to be true deep in your soul.

Every one of us can change the world. We have to think bigger than we have been conditioned to think. A single man teaching a few, resulted in the 18% increase of the Christian population in Ethiopia in just years. One failed church planter in Rwanda retooled his methods upon catching the vision and resulted in changing the nation forever—effectively ending prostitution. One former bishop in Nairobi Kenya was kicked out of his role after catching the vision—his reward? He is now the top of a discipleship lineage 25,000 strong. These people are just a handful of the multitude of Kingdom saints impacting the world for God’s glory. Not political activism, not a better structure or doctrine; just a clear vision for the times and their role in it and a strategic and actionable plan for the mission. The rules have changed. God is on the move and enlisting the willing. Who on this loop does not eagerly desire such fruit?

All the while, men are still rushing to hell in hoards. Her fiery fate is consuming millions daily because we do not recognize the times, catch this vision, and engage in the mission. God is mocked by the devil and men. Where is our passion? Do we not care that most of the people we encounter daily are going to suffer God’s wrath forever? Does this not make us die a little each day—where are our tears for them?

The Gate is narrow. However, the Path is narrower still. The Kingdom of God is not simply “walk in and you are in.” It is a path that requires walking. We have to show people that Kingdom life if they are going to walk the path with us. Those we lead to the Gate will never walk the path alone. They need a guide, a mentor, someone to disciple them (see Philippians 3:17 and 1 John 2:6). This is one of the critical missing elements I will commit many keystrokes to unwrap in future posts.

Now to get a bit personal. I do not want to but must. Because I know that the vision is not caught by mere words. Rather my life and the Spirit must bleed into this text for you to catch this. I chase the King with reckless abandon. People call me fanatical, holier than thou, self-righteous, judgmental, among other things. Yet, I am not greater than my Master and they called Him the same. I have been radically transformed. I get questions like “no TV? seven children, you’re done, right? homeschool? meet in homes? Africa? all of you in that little house?”—it doesn’t phase me. I am on the mission moving full speed and not looking back. I have found the Pearl and want to glorify God by telling the world.

With all the idiosyncrasies of my life, the unbelievers are the least offended. Ironically, it is the unrepentent churched that persecute the Kingdom saints the most. Sinners God is working on are eerily attracted to a counter-cultural revolutionary lifestyle of Kingdom saints. They want to be a part of something bigger than themselves—and make a real difference in the world with their life. The average person is not happy with their miserable life. They have no sense of meaning, purpose, or fulfillment. They chase after entertainment, drugs, sex, money, relationships, and even religion to satisfy, but these can’t fill the need for purpose and adventure. They see that most in the church do not live much different than those not—because they lack transformed lives. We shoulder the burden for this; most of the untransformed churched have not been given a clear vision and specific marching orders for the mission. And if they have, they have not been shown by us leaders what it looks like, simply told (ouch!). They also have not been empowered by the Spirit or set free from sin. The multitude of pew-dwellers wallow in worldliness—rendering the church inconsequential. This is what I hope to shed light on with this series.

Now I know that these messages can offend. I know all of us strive to do the best we can and many have captured the vision and possess the Pearl. For you, I hope to offer practical tools that can be applied within your context. Bear with my style—the prophet in me makes no apologies, but the shepherd in me with loving compassion for you my fellow saints desires not to cause you harm. Receive what is from the Lord to mobilize the Kingdom saints, and please overlook the eccentricities of my imperfect delivery.

In the next message, we will discuss the mission…

I pray that the Lord speak to you through these words to challenge and inspire you to greater passion in the Holy Spirit to spread His Glory by mobilizing the saints into the Kingdom harvest. I pray that you will seize this kairos moment.

Amen

Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com

The Kingdom Vision (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:44:00 +0000

Christ ushered in the Kingdom. However, evangelical Christians invite people to heaven, or simply to church, rather than to the Kingdom; we are accustomed to preaching the Gospel of salvation only and simply meeting together, and not presenting and engaging people in the Gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 4:23, 9:35, 24:14, Mark 1:15, Luke 16:16). Jesus focused His teaching on the Kingdom (there are over 100 references to the Kingdom in the Gospels), with far less emphasis on His redemptive work; and even less on how we gather. Interesting, huh?

This may seem like a subtlety; however, it can prove significant in how we minister to folks. Evangelical Christians underemphasize the significance of the Kingdom life and experience, while focusing much more attention on other matters, such as church, programs, doctrine, and to a lesser extent, compassion ministries and evangelism. These are certainly designed and executed with noble intent. However, there is a vital element missing.

Now let’s paint a picture—speaking in generalities and hypotheticals. When someone becomes a church attendee, they are often simply a spectator. They more often than not see the paid ministers as responsible for ministry. And they likewise only visualize ministry in the context of the programs offered at the church. When someone is converted (without transformation), they sometimes fail to embrace the Kingdom lifestyle; they may or may not even adopt a “church” lifestyle. They often do not become transformed for a long time, if they do at all. They do not embrace the vision or engage in the mission. They do not transfer their allegiance from the world to the Kingdom, from death to life, bondage to freedom, spectator to ambassador and soldier, flesh to the spirit—life more abundantly eludes them. We stop short of the true, intended born-again experience.

As a result of the disconnect, the experience of converts and church-goers doesn’t differ much from the world. Where is the freedom, peace, joy—life more abundantly, promised by Christ. Unfortunately, Christianity has become intellectual rather than transformational. We engage with our minds and not our spirits. Not very attractive, is it? Promiscuity, failed marriages, depression, and other ills plague professing followers of Christ at nearly the same proportions as the rest of the world. Why sign up?

I think this disconnect can be traced back hundreds of years. I personally believe the early church had an advantage by NOT having the canon. I know you now think I’m insane! However, think about it. Christianity was a way of life, and not a series of doctrines. They relied on the Spirit and learned through the life-styles of mature believers (discipleship). We have turned it into information and meetings, rather than a walk empowered by the Spirit.

The modern evangelical church gets most of its intellectual-bent doctrine from Paul, underemphasizing the teachings of John, James, and Peter, and all but ignoring the teachings of Christ Himself. Read 1 John, then James, and then the parables while removing the Pauline lens, and you will see divergence from the modern Christian experience. Now Paul’s teachings are certainly God-breathed; however, they are best contextualized while understanding his way of life—the Kingdom life. Pauline doctrine was never meant to be understood simply by reading a series of letters. Paul demonstrated what the Kingdom life looked like and followed up with letters for specific reasons. Paul (and Jesus) showed us how to embrace the Kingdom while overcoming the world—they didn’t simply tell us. They practiced it so they could make disciples. We must do the same.

We demonstrate the reality of Christ by how we live. We can’t confess Him with our mouth and deny Him with our lifestyle. If we do, we will certainly never achieve the vision. A sermon series, discipleship class, or reading books will not adequately present the Kingdom lifestyle to carry it forward to others. A radically transformed life is required to transform lives. And until we embrace this, we will not propagate Kingdom life.

So leaders, I urge you to consider: does your faith walk demonstrate a radical departure from the world—a full commitment to the Kingdom life? Are you transformed--living life more abundantly? How attractive is your life—how attractive do you make Christ? Meditate on these questions.

Lots more on vision to follow….

May the Lord empower you to get beyond where you are to a radically different place, to the glory of God, through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Amen

Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com

Ps. Be patient and keep reading. I will flesh all this out. We have to start with the correct foundation if we are going to build an unstoppable Kingdom growth movement. Vision specifics are next.

The Kingdom Vision (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:52:00 +0000

Most people think that the reason for God’s purpose for humanity was for our redemption. However, our redemption was and is only necessary because of the fall—clearly not God’s original intent for our creation.

You see, we look at God’s plan as us-centric rather than God-centric. We live our life, and design and execute our ministries with people in mind, rather than God. If we were honest and looked at our hearts, we might even find that our ministry ministers to us—at some level we seek ministry success to satisfy a deep need within ourselves to accomplish a lot for God—yet the aim gets misguided towards our insecurities and deep needs, rather than towards God’s glory. Yet our holy and righteous God is somewhat ego-centric, and rightfully so. Everything that was and is and will ever be is for God and His glory. Therefore, our raison d’être in life and ministry is to glorify God, and nothing more.

Now Satan had thwarted God’s plan to glorify Himself through His Creation. Satan mocks God, saying “look, humans you created for your glory follow me—all of them listen to me and sin.” This is a complete affront to God. Therefore, God’s redemptive purposes—bringing our submission and allegiance to our Creator rather than our deceiver— is to restore glory to its intended recipient, God—not simply to give us a get-out-of-hell-free card.

We ministry leaders often assume that reaching and ministering to the lost is the end, rather than a means to the end. As a result, we focus on conversion (saving souls) rather than transformation and meeting needs rather than an invitation to the Kingdom life. However, I say it again; the end is bringing glory to God. God’s redemptive purposes ultimately point back to Him.

Conversion is a poor substitute for the real deal. Conversion without transformation may (arguably—read 1 John) pull some from a fiery end. However, how does that bring God glory? Satan still mocks God saying: “the man you created continues to believe my lies and loves the world and sin even though he knows you suffered and died for that sin.” God is still mocked. Likewise, Satan knows full well that an unfruitful “believer” makes a mockery of the cross, denies the power of the Spirit to transform a life, and makes the faith unattractive to outsiders. Conversion without transformation (if that is possible) clearly does not result in God’s glory.

Now works without a Kingdom invitation likewise brings no glory to God. Do you think government welfare or the wonderful works the oil rich Muslim nations do throughout the world glorify God. No way! In fact, they steal God’s glory, because the Body of Christ should be meeting those needs. However, not simply meeting a physical need, but rather giving freedom by the power of the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ--giving living water to quench the underlying thirst, real food, to satisfy the soul’s appetite, and real freedom--to give peace that multiplies. We were created for good works, and faith without works is dead. Radically transformed people labor for the Kingdom.

Nothing short of a radically transformed life brings God glory. Changing allegiance from Satan to God, death to life, flesh to the spirit, sin to obedience, the world to the Kingdom—that glorifies our Creator! Satan has no comment or recourse. The radical transformation results in a passion for God and men that is unquenchable—leading to works of service in love. And the result, a radical departure from the world and even cultural Christianity, that leaves onlookers strangely curious as to the God that can change a person so substantially. As a result, the Kingdom expands organically.

How does your life reflect upon God’s glory? How does your ministry? What fruit is it bearing for God’s glory? Meditate on such things.

More to follow…

Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com

Unlocking the box of Kingdom Expansion

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:05:00 +0000

Greetings faithful,

I had started a Great Commission leaders facebook group several months ago not exactly certain what I was to do with it. It began as a resource to connect folks with a common vision/mission, to further the work of the Great Commission. What I have discovered over time is that very few of us ministry leaders have a very clear vision for our specific and actionable role in fulfilling the Great Commission. Most of us see our part as limited to our church, community, region, or audience. However, we have to think bigger!

We are living in the second to last scene of this great adventure. We are just seasons away from fulfilling the Great Commission and you and I have an integral role to play in it. I think most of us have been trained to think too small. We are bound to a church system that keeps us trapped within four walls. However, Satan’s worst nightmare is about to unfold. It’s time to catch the vision, engage on the mission, and expand the Kingdom at rates that most of us never thought possible.

Into the future, I will unwrap a very clear vision, an actionable mission, and clear and concise methods and resources to unlock the black box of Kingdom expansion. I am not talking about secrets to church growth or even church planting, but rather extremely simple and unbelievably effective—absolutely field proven throughout the world—insight and methods of expanding the Kingdom. Yes, churches will both grow and be planted as a result. However, this we leave up to the Lord. For our commission is to make disciples; Christ said He would build His church, so we leave those details in His hands.

So I urge you to tune in by reading and meditating on every post. As quickly as I am able, I will pray over and package the best of breed materials to get you mobilized towards one aim: fulfilling the Great Commission in this generation.

May our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit lead the way in taking the nations for His glory.

Amen.

God bless you,

Marc Carrier
marc.carrier@valuesdrivenfamily.com

We must repent of our methods--i'm convicted, how about you?

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:13:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9idVpM0DbxE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFGEuanTZiU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trR5TtgGaLo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnVr3Cu2tPw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg7UyyQ9p-A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0axndOm-NM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HVfNrUg6Yk

relevance

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:00:00 +0000

I received a great article on relevance and ministry. This was my comment to the article.

We struggle to become culturally relevant with the noble intent to reach more folks for Christ, yet fail to recognize that Christ and the Apostles never made such attempts. Inasmuch as Christ engages gentiles and Paul "was all things to all people" in efforts to engage the people they ministered to, the practices and standards of the Church were never altered. Paul made clear in his epistles that the practices he modeled and taught were applicable to "all the churches."

As a results, our noble efforts have completely backfired. Instead of Christ's Kingdom reshaping our world, the world has reshaped the Church. Look at divorce. When society thought it taboo, the church did too. Now society shifted, we see that divorce rates among professing Christians actually exceed atheists. We also see racism and slavery. The church was re;relative silent on these subjects, lagging behind the world's condemnation of such ills.

In all these things, our western mindset drives us to plan and institutionalize our way to fix the symptoms (social ills), yet Christ NEVER said to engage the culture in this way. His Kingdom is a different kind of kingdom--one of the heart. His solution was simple--"make disciples teaching them to obey ALL His commands." He knew the world would be changed if we followed His simple, yet clear instructions. The Church has become IRRELEVANT at impacting our society because of our basic disobedience. If we would do what He said, and not focus on the myriad of attempts to solve society's problems our own way, we would have the impact we all so desire. Yet in our pride and arrogance (again, with noble intent), we think we know better than our King. I pray we repent and return to the simplicity of the Lord's teachings so that we can become as relevant as the early church was--the few folks without money, buildings, seminary training, and our deep theology, completely turned their world upside down.

Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenlife.com
www.valuesdrivenpublishing.com

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:14:00 +0000

I am just back from Kenya and suffering from jet lag still. The trip was an amazing success. I trained about 100 pastors all over the country on evangelism, leadership, marriage, parenting, church planting, discipleship, and most importantly--kingdom expansion.

What is woefully apparent from getting on the ground and sharing with folks who have a passion to serve, yet fail to see the fruit in their efforts, is how misguided the church has become through the ages when it comes to NT church practice. For example, the Great Commission has changed from "make disciples, baptizing them, teaching them to obey all my commands" to "make converts through a simple prayer or even the raising of a hand." We have replaced "if you love me you will obey my commands" (John 14:15, 14:21) and "No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or knows him" (1 John 3:6) with "love, grace, mercy--and even smooth roads and prosperity. What happened to "carry your cross and follow me" and "counting the cost." There is much tickling of the ears and little depth or substance anymore pouring from the air waves--their image of the American church. We teach our congregations: "if you profess Christ, attend church, and tithe--I demand no more from you." Yet, the Great Commission is to "make disciples" and "teach to obey all His commands." Where have we gone wrong? One local man told me "you are the first white man I have ever seen teach the truth."

What is discipleship anyway? Can we really "disciple" someone by "preaching" to them 30 minutes a week? How did Jesus do it? And even Paul? They walked with those they discipled. Can we really disciple hundreds, if not thousands? Jesus simply took on 12 people, and one still fell away. Why do we suppose we can handle more than Him? Paul likewise invested in a few (2 Tim 2:2). Can a lecture style setup really make disciples? What about 1 Corinthians 14:26--anything but a lecture.

Not all traditions are bad--yet many prove only marginally effective. I have brought teachings of NT practices to Kenya. I opened my teaching with this statement: "if you don't see what I teach in the Word, ignore it." The Word is sufficient. Yes, what I shared looked like new wine--however, it is not. It is simply the NT wine pulled off the shelf and put back into practice.

I am very encouraged by the multitudes of folks God is bringing back to the simplicity of NT practices. Traditions are being shed, and the Kingdom is expanding. You see, mammon and tradition have creeped into the church. Men have created their kingdoms at the expense of "the Kingdom." Many now want to see the Kingdom expand--that is church multiplication and the making of disciples.

Many say the soil is hard in their field--that the harvest just is not ready. Yet Jesus spoke of a different problem. He said the harvest is ready, but the workers are few. Well, God has asked me and my family to labor in the harvest of Kenya. We are, right now, selling everything that doesn't fit in a suitcase and relocating our 6 (soon 7) children to the bush in Kenya. The harvest is indeed ready--but not just Kenya. It's ready wherever you are--for those who are ready to embrace God's Kingdom at the expense of their own. God wants those willing to put Him first in everything (1 John 2:15-17).

Now I have a personal request: please pray for my family and ministry. Also, consider supporting us. Not just sending funds--but rather by purchasing our products. I share in Paul's boast that I have always self-funded my ministry and have never taken a salary. That will prove more difficult in a poverty-stricken environment. So I ask that you consider doing what you can to help--while at the same time blessing yourself and your congregations.

My recently released book is designed to mobilize the saints to fruitfulness (www.valuesdrivenlife.com). I have offered an e-copy for free for a while now. I urge you to purchase one for your library and for those you disciple. Every copy you purchase puts $5 in the coffers for our work in Kenya. We also have other reources such as audio seminars, parenting resources, and even natural health products at www.valuesdrivenfamily.com. Please help us in this way. And spread the word about our materials if they have blessed you and yours.

Also, I welcome the opportunity to speak at your church or group within driving distance of Indianapolis. All I ask for is a modest honorarium/offering and a table to display our products.

God bless you all,

Marc Carrier

FIMMology 101: The Study of the Humorous Sins of Our Mouths!

noreply@blogger.com (JoJo Tabares) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 07:23:00 +0000

There's a new eBook in town and it's so much fun it's almost a sin! This is not like any communication study you have EVER seen before!

FIMMology 101: The FIMMportant, FIMMtastic and FUNbelievable Study of the Humorous Sins of Our Mouths!

FIMMology (fim-ol'-o-gy) noun: 1. the study of Foot in Mouth Disease; 2. the study of the art of the humorous sins of the mouth.

Thirty nine pages and over 30 lessons packed with hilariously, creative Foot in Mouth Man episodes teaching various communication skills! This is NOT your traditional communication study!

Available immediately as a download

Over 30 fun-filled, creative lessons

Adorably illustrated

Links to even more FIMM Fun

PERFECT for shy communicators!

FUN lessons you can share with children of various ages

Can be used as a homeschool study by teaching one lesson per week and using discussion to explore its implications!

Perfect for adults who need a giggle break!

Makes a great gift too!

Foot in Mouth Man or FIMM, as he is known, began on my blog in 2006. The idea was to create a loveable yet bumbling character that sailed through his life oblivious to the trouble he caused by his complete lack of effective communication skills. His misadventures serve to educate through humor. FIMM stumbles and bumbles his way through life sticking his foot in his mouth so often he has Athlete’s Tongue! FIMM’s misadventures allow young and old alike the opportunity for insight.

FIMMology 101 is an eBook, containing the best of Foot in Mouth Man: the most memorable, creative and fun of his weekly misadventures all in one place. It is my prayer that you and your family find “himm” entertaining and fun, but that you also take to heart the communication lessons inside of each episode as you hone your skills for the things the Lord has for you to share!

Be the first one on your block to get a copy and laugh all the way to better communication skills! To read more about this unique eBook, click here!

From JoJo's Purple Crayon
Teaching communication skills the FUN way!

"I will be careful not to be especially Christian in my prayer."

noreply@blogger.com (JoJo Tabares) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 23:06:00 +0000

One of the articles that passed by my desk this week for my Defending the Faith Review was this one about President Elect Barack Obama's decision to ask homosexual Episcopal bishop V. Gene Robinson to pray over an inauguration event this coming week. He had asked Rick Warren, but homosexual activists felt that was a "slap in the face" because of his support of Prop 8.

Rick Warren commented, "President-elect Obama has again demonstrated his genuine commitment to bringing all Americans of goodwill together in search of common ground. I applaud his desire to be the president of every citizen." As odd as that sounds coming from a pastor, the comment that caught my attention was from the bishop himself who stated he would not use the Bible and, "I will be careful not to be especially Christian in my prayer."

Prayer is acceptable as long as it isn't "especially Christian?" In many states prayer is palatable as long as it doesn't invoke the name of Jesus. At public events in California (and other states), you can pray in anyone's name except for Jesus. Many churches are beginning to water down their message and only speak to the "happy parts" of the Bible because some of God's Word doesn't "bring in the masses."

The word 'milquetoast' comes to mind. Actually the Lord calls it being lukewarm. As in Revelation 3:16, "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

Are our convictions only convicting when they aren't so unacceptable? Are we afraid or are we buying into the lie that the Bible is elitist, intolerant, offensive and judgmental? After all times they are a changin' and we need to go with the flow. We can't hang on to archaic myths that tell us there is right and wrong in life.

I can understand the fear, but 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." How do we let go the fear? We start with knowing our Bibles and graduate to learning how to share it in grace with others. We gain confidence through knowledge and experience, study and practice.

Just today my pastor was talking about how many times the Lord tells us not to be afraid of doing the Christian thing, but many ask how. I have noticed that God also talks about communication hundreds of times in the Bible. I submit that's because He knew we would need to know HOW.

If we learn how to speak out in grace, even though It isn't fashionable, we can be effective. But Christian, you cannot do this by "not being especially Christian." If that is your objective, you had better hang it up right now. Many people who aren't especially Christian are already speaking up in the world today. The Lord doesn't ask us to be one more voice in the crowd. He asks us to stand up in boldness and grace and be different than the world and speak the truth.

It's 2009, let's be especially Christian this year.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication, but it's her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer. Her articles appear on Crosswalk.com, Dr. Laura.com and in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula including Say What You Mean: Defending the Faith.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A Story with a Lesson in Leadership

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:28:00 +0000

In preparing for the leadership training I will be doing in Kenya, the Lord gave me a story that has relevance in our body. I shared this with my church. You may wish to do the same. Here it is.

Why are we here and why do we assemble? What is God’s purpose for the church and what is the role of leadership? Well, Jesus taught with stories, and I believe the Lord gave me a word-picture that really spoke to me. It may speak to you as well.

I look outside today and see snow—a stark reminder of the frigid winters in New England where I grew up. Oh, it makes me look forward to Spring all the more as I see the white symbol of coldness covering the landscape.

The snow and accompanying coldness also conjures up images of Narnia under the White Witch’s dominion. The deep freeze holding their world hostage as they awaited Aslan’s coming Kingdom.

The imagery made me think of the role of a shepherd and the response of the church. It made me think of the local body trapped in the wintery storm of this world, under Satan’s dominion. The shepherd eagerly seeks the Kingdom, and leads the church through the snow, carving a path in the frigidness. Yes, he is the one who gets snow in his boots, must expend the most energy, and feels the greatest burden for ensuring that the trajectory is right, the path is safe, and that no one is left behind in the cold. He listens to the vision given him from the Word and the Spirit, and guides with tender care, setting an example where and how to take each step. When he steps on thin ice, his foot gets wet, and he changes the trajectory to keep the others safe. When he approaches a steep incline, he walks around to gentler slopes. He pushes down the snow banks to clear the way ahead of the others.

Yet, a peculiar thing happens along the way. Others become unnerved at the shepherds leading. Some become envious of the presumed glory of walking in front. They fail to count the labor and sacrifice required of it. They assume the role upon themselves, choosing to latch onto the “glory” of position and fail to lead at all. Those who assume the role out of pride, envy or ambition fail to see the Kingdom vision—and lead people in dangerous paths or even in circles—sometimes claiming it is the Spirit’s leading.

Others choose not to walk at all, and build a snow fort, just big enough for the current membership, and with a wall tall enough to keep others that don’t look like them out. Yet others choose to make a snow man and go sledding to just enjoy the coldness of the world, failing to recognize that they are just sojourners in Satan’s wintery dominion. Yet, even others get in a snow ball fight, and decide to leave the path altogether—leaving a wake of disunity and pain.

The shepherd is careful to not carve the path and then double back and push the followers along it, claiming authority from above. Rather, he persuades them—edifying, encouraging, and yes, rebuking—with the Word in love, always putting the vision before them. For there will always be those who want to build a fort, those who want to play, those who leave the path, and aspiring shepherds who have a path of their own. It is an unnecessary burden to blaze the trail along the Lord’s trajectory and look back and see the four camps holding the sojourners on the Kingdom’s path back from the vision, yet, this is the lot of the shepherd.

The moral of the story—the vision—that is the Kingdom, is the destination of His churches. Understand that the church is sojourning together, towards that goal. The Bible admonishes to “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (Hebrews 13:17) This is not mindless submission, but rather being persuaded by their wisdom, by their example, and by the Kingdom vision.

Shalom,
Marc Carrier
http://www.valuesdrivenlife.com/

Ps. All pastors and ministry leaders are invited to get a FREE e-copy of my new discipleship book at http://www.valuesdrivenlife.com. Here are some testimonials.

Make a New Year's Resolution that will fulfill The Great Commission!

noreply@blogger.com (JoJo Tabares) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:31:00 +0000

One of the recent stories that came across my desk for my Defending the Faith Review newsletter was about an Atheist (Penn of Penn and Teller) who asked why Christians wouldn't share their faith with him if they really believed his eternal soul was at risk. It makes perfect sense. If we really believe that Jesus is Lord, that He commands us to share the Good News with others so their eternal soul is not lost in the Lake of Fire...why wouldn't we speak up?

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" 1Peter 3:15

There are several reasons why Christians are afraid to speak up and share their faith. 1) they don't know what to say, 2) they don't know how to say it, and 3) they are afraid of the consequences of speaking up. However, when Christians understand how to approach an unbeliever effectively about the Lord and become comfortable, all of those issues disappear.

When you know what to say and how to say it, practice makes you more comfortable in doing so. Any negative consequences of sharing your faith are drastically reduced and you realize that any negative impact is far outweighed by the magnitude of what you are doing for the Kingdom of God. Further, if you understand the next concept, you will drastically reduce any negative responses and increase your effectiveness 100 fold! Here's why:

There are several popular programs and methods for sharing the faith available today but most of them teach a sort of one-size-fits-all approach. Now that does, indeed, work some of the time. However, most of the time it can cause more damage. Approaching someone about a controversial topic such as salvation and religion the wrong way can result in that person making a sweeping generalization about Jesus, Christianity and all those who share the faith. I have seen it many times up close and personal in my own family. It can build a wall around an unbeliever that will not allow Jesus in or anyone who comes along after they were initially "offended" or "turned off".

God didn’t make cookie-cutter people and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to sharing the faith. Folks have questions and misconceptions that need to be addressed on an individual basis.

Paul knew this and he talks about how important it was for him to approach people a way that would be most effective in allowing him to save as many souls as possible: 1 Corinthians 9:19-27 (KJV)

"For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

One of the reasons why there have been more negative responses to evangelists is that folks were simply approached in the wrong way. This lead to another recent issue: the world is increasingly more secular and intolerant of Jesus! This means that sharing our faith now requires even more communication skill today than in years past!

If you have felt the Lord leading you to become more involved in sharing and defending the faith, I would like to encourage you to take the steps necessary that will lead you more effectively in that direction. One very important step you can take is to get a copy of Say What You Mean: Defending the Faith. This is the most important communication study I have ever written!

These are the lessons I have learned about sharing the faith having grown up in an Atheist home and being the only Christian in my family. These are the lessons I have taught my own children and the lessons we have used successfully with others as we share.

We have received such amazing feedback about this study.

"This is such a needed class and I can see how easily both boys are learning some of the ways to respond (and ways not to respond) to some of the common things people say. I can see how they are understanding their faith in new, deeper ways and making their faith their own. This class has also helped to facilitate discussion in our family around the dinner table. You have a way of presenting things in a straight forward way that is so understandable.Thank you JoJo" -Marcie, Homeschooling mom of two

And...this coming January we are going to begin offering ongoing online classes teaching this study. We will be going through the study one week at a time and then starting over again. You can join the class at any time and take the class over and over as often as you like. We will begin with Say What You Mean: Defending the Faith, but soon we will be adding lessons from our upcoming More Say What You Mean: Defending the Faith and Even More Say What You Mean: Defending the Faith! Because there are so many questions and misconceptions the world has about the Lord and the Christian faith.

This year, let's make a renewed commitment to read God's Word, to listen to His leading for our lives and to share His love and His free gift of salvation with others. Make 2009 the Christian year of action. Let's speak up effectively to share and defend the faith!

From JoJo's Purple Crayon

Tuesday Tips and Grace Talk Soup Year in Review

noreply@blogger.com (JoJo Tabares) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:29:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

I thought it'd be fun to go back and highlight the communication tips and Grace Talk Soup Shows of 2008. First I'd like to run through all the highlights from my Communication FUNdamentals blog Tuesday Tips: From JoJo's Purple Crayon...

In January of 2008 I began a series of series. lol Every so often I felt the Lord leading me to write a series of tips or articles. Some have later turned up in Art of Eloquence studies or have become studies of their own. The first series of 2008 was one I called "How to Avoid an Argument" There were nine tips posted over nine weeks, but here are a few: Not every argument should be "won" and Avoid Attacking the Person; Focus on the Issue.

On April Fool's Day appropriately enough, I posted some statistics that reveal how we often are not communicating well even though we think we are: How Well Do We Communicate?

I also posted some real life miscommunication issues. These were every day situations in which the person didn't communicate well to me which caused frustration in my own life. One such situation was when I was called for Jury Duty!

Another Tuesday Tips Series I posted was called "A Day Without Communication is Like...IMPOSSIBLE!" This series covered the importance of communication in marriage, parenting, witnessing, learning skills, college prep, job interviews, career success, business ownership and friendship.

In July of 2008 I posted a very practical tip that reminded us all to remember that we are Posting to the World! A situation had come up in which I was excited to participate in an online event but I wasn't able to figure out from the post when I should attend. The poster forgot that she was posting to the world and didn't include the time zone. I never did listen in! :(

Another topic I took on was the anger I find so often these days in our emails and online social networking or blog sites. One was back in August that asked "Is it OK to blast someone? It's just an email, isn't it?"

My next 2008 Tuesday Tips Series was called "Words Mean Things" where I went through some of the most misused words. The first few in the series was Natural and New and Literally!

My next series of tips will be turned into a new eBook shortly. It was called "21 Days to More Godly Communication". Here is the first post from Psalm 34:13 which says "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceipt."

I received a lot of feedback on these recent articles both on and offline: "Are we too broke to pay attention?" and "How to say what you mean in 140 characters or less".

I pray these articles and tips have helped you and your family communicate more effectively this year. I look forward to serving you again next year with a whole new series of tips and fun.

Please feel free to post your comments here and tell me what you liked about 2008's Tuesday Tips and what topics of effective communication you would like to see covered in 2009. It has been my distinct pleasure in serving you this year.

And here is The Best of Grace Talk Soup from 2008!

Almost every Thursday you will find me Boldly Serving Up God's Word with a Side Order of Grace and Humor over on Grace Talk Soup. Since CHRISTmas and New Year's fell on a Thursday this year, I decided to take the last two weeks off. You will find me back on Grace Talk Soup each Thursday starting again on January 8th, 2009 with an all new season of show topics and guests.

Each year the Lord gives me a new task or two. Almost two years ago, that task was Grace Talk Soup. I began in March of 2007 with my Premiere Episode which you can listen to by clicking on the orange "listen" button next to that episode down under Past Episodes on that page.

Since this is New Year's Day, I thought I would reflect a little bit on this year's amazing line up of guests and important topics on Grace Talk Soup that my guests and I have shared with my listeners.

On this page, under Past Episodes, you can still listen to 12 Habits of a Wise Woman with TEACH Magazine publisher Lorrie Flem, In the College Prep Trenches with my daughter and Talking to Your Kids About Strangers with Tamara Walker of MomRN.

On this page, under Past Episodes, you can still hear the shows: Communication and Menopause, When the Lord Asks You to Step Down, What if You Pray with Pastor Bob Cushman and The Making of Write Shop Primary!

On this page, under Past Episodes, you can listen in to my most recent shows like: Remembering 911, Staying Close While They're Away, Should Christians Celebrate Halloween, this year's Art of Eloquence Birthday Bash, my Thanksgiving show What Are You Thankful to God For?, my special edition show with author Stephen Kendrick creator of Fireproof and The Love Dare, Making the Bible Come Alive: Isreal and my Merry CHRISTmas Show!

They are available 24/7 on audio so you can listen in at any time. Do mark your calendars for Thursdays at 8am PST/11am EST to join me live so you can participate in the discussions and ask questions of my guests.

It's been my pleasure serving you your Grace Talk Soup this year and I pray that you join me in 2009 as I am Boldly Serving Up God's Word with a Side Order of Grace and Humor!

Please join me this year each day as I blog daily about communication skills in a fun and creative way over on Communication FUNdamentals and each Thursday morning at 8am PST for some Grace Talk Soup as I share more Communication FUN!

JoJo Tabares
Art of Eloquence

Comng soon! My favorite project by far!

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:10:00 +0000

Visit www.valuesdrivenlife.com for more details and developments.

Ask yourself-why me, why now?--another praise

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:25:00 +0000

Yesterday was my last day of employment. What does tomorrow bring? I do not know. Maybe I'll find another job local--or what I have been sensing as a real possibility--the lord might be thrusting me into a greater commitment to evangelism and teaching. Yes, that's where my heart is, but I have 6 (+1) children to feed and clothe. You know, worldly responsibilities. As much as I have a local church. I have never asked anyone for support for my exercising of my gifts, nor will I let anyone steal my sharing in Paul's boast of having never been a burden to anyone.

Yesterday, I was in Atlanta coming home from my final secular training gig for my current company. At the airport, I engaged in several conversations--given the ops because of flight delays. One man was traveling to Indy to see his ailing father for the last time before he passes. He was a faithful man, as was his dad. he was at peace with the knowledge his dad will soon be with he Lord. I prayed for him, overtly--with dozens of people listening in. I know Christ was glorified.

Then we embark the plane. Lo and behold, computer problems. An hour more delay. What a last day of work! inconvenient, yes--God ordained? You betcha!

The woman next to me was Christina. She said something early on showing me she had a Christian worldview. I talked with her as if she was saved, though several things came up giving me pause. I shared the many testimonies of God's grace in my life--miraculous healing of my second son, miraculous provision, the current events in my life, as well as the passion of the subjects of my current writings--a discipleship book challenging folks to get serious about their walk with Christ in turbulent times of these last days.

She shared her beautiful testimony. She had a congenital heart problem that was a turning point in her youth. She was really scared, but then god gave her peace that she would live. That got my attention. Because knowing Christ gives peace whether we live or die.

i shared the Gospel. She said she knew she would g to heaven but then attributed her goodness to why. I went through the entire Gospel and she prayed with me, in earshot of the other passengers, that she would put her trust in Christ and make Him Lord of her life. pray for her protection and God's grace in her life with me.

The moral here is more than a praise report--the salvation of Christina. It's to emphasize that the inconvenient has a reason--and it is His glory. My two delays resulting in the glorification of God. And I also believe my timely unemployment will likewise glorify our Lord.

Please pray for my family: provision, quick sale of our house, and God's guidance on how to use my gifts for His glory.

When you least expect it!

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Carrier) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:31:00 +0000

I was coming back from a Bible study with a friend's house, author and speaker Steve Atkerson. Well, Steve gave me several copies of the new edition of his book, House Church. Another friend gave me a ride back to my hotel room and I proceeded to the elevator with a stack of about a dozen books in my hand. Well, the title got a man from Trinidad's attention (Peter). He kept asking me about it and made the buzzer sound on the elevator because he wouldn't let the door shut. He asked for a copy and I gave him one. I proceeded to my room and dropped off the remaining books. Then I stormed out to catch him. He was outside by the main entrance on the phone with someone. I waited till he hung up and proceeded to determine if he was saved. Nope! I then went through the gospel with him and he received Christ. WOW! Too easy. Thank you Jesus! He already attended a biblical church but it was all new to him (a recent thing). That's why he was so hungry for more and curious about the books. He had a catholic background. He agreed to get baptized right away and we exchanged email addressed. I promised him a gospel script so he could lead his wife to the Lord.