I've Learned

I was looking at a book That Dr Curtis Hutson wrote, Some Things I've Learned and thought I would list some things I've Learned
1. I've learned-that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.
2. I've learned-that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.
3. I've learned-that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
4. I've learned-that it's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.
5. I've learned-that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do.
6. I've learned-that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
7. I've learned-that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
8. I've learned-that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
9. I've learned-that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
10. I've learned-that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
11. I've learned-that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
12. I've learned-that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
13. I've learned-that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
14. I've learned-that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.
15. I've learned-that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
16. I've learned-that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
17. I've learned-that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
18. I've learned-that your family won't always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren't biological.
19. I've learned-that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
20. I've learned-that it isn't enough to be forgiven by others. You must learn to forgive yourself.
21. I've learned-that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
22. I've learned-that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
23. I've learned-that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.
24. I've learned-that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
25. I've learned- that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
26. I've learned- that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.
27. I've learned-that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
28. I've learned-that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
29. I've learned-that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
30. I've learned-that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.


INTRO: Our little faith is the fuse to set fire to "the faith of the Son of God". It’s like the water poured in a primer pump to start the flow of water. God is not interested in what we can do for Him. He want to know what we will allow Him to do through us. Likewise, He is interested in our faith, tapping into His faith and setting Him into motion. Notice some Bible examples.
1. THE LAD WITH FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISH THAT FED 5,000 PEOPLE. (John 6:9-14)
2. THE RAISING OF LAZARUS IN SPITE OF THE WEAK FAITH OF MARTHA. (John 11:21-27)
3. THE DEMON POSSESSED BOY THAT THE DECIPLES COULDN’T HELP.
( Mark 9:14-24)
4. PETER GOT OUT OF JAIL AND SURPRISED THOSE WHO PRAYED.
(Acts 12:5-16)
5. ELISHA TAPPED ELIJAH’S FAITH TO PART THE WATERS.
(2Kings 2:6-9; 12-14)

MY BROTHER'S KEEPER

Eph 4:25 " for we are members one of another
INTRO: Christians have a special RELATIONSHIP with each other.
We have a unique relationship with CHRIST
We have a unique relationship with our mate.
We have a unique relationship with parents, children, employer, employee, fellow workers, neighbors, fellow believers.

SOMEONE called it a " One Another" Relationship.

1. LOVE ONE ANOTHER - Philaeo - brotherly love; God's love; Brotherly love; Family love; Man & Wife love; Hollywood love - Love one, & Another
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Johb 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
John 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

2. FORBEAR ONE ANOTHER. (Endure or Put Up With)
Eph 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

3. FORGIVE ON ANOTHER.
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

4. ADMONISH ON ANOTHER.
Rom 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

5. EXHORTING ONE ANOTHER.
Heb 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Heb 10:24-25 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

6.TEACH ONE ANOTHER.
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

7. FELLOWSHIP ONE WITH ANOTHER.
1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8. SERVE ONE ANOTHER.
Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

9. COMFORT ONE ANOTHER.
1Thess 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1Thess 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

10. PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER.
Jam 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

11. SHOW HOSPITALITY TO ONE ANOTHER.
1 PET 4:9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

CONC: John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Launch Out

Lu 5:4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
I wonder sometimes, could I do bigger and better things for the Lord? Most of us probably believe we are doing about all we can for the cause of Christ. If we just had more time or more talent or more money, we could and certainly would do more to further the cause of Christ. Maybe we could learn from the weight lifter. He does not wait for more strength to lift more weight, he lifts more weight to get more strength. The weight lifter lifts weight beyond his capacity and then develops muscle power that he did not have before.
We don’t wait to get more strength for praying, we pray more then we get more strength. We don’t get more effective in witnessing by waiting or hoping , we witness and become more efficient as we do it. We do our giving by faith and the Lord increases our faith to do more giving next time. We give even that which we do not have and that brings God’s blessings upon us. We end up getting more in order to give more. When I plant a grain of corn, I get an ear of corn. Sitting around waiting for an ear of corn will not bring me corn. The miracles from God come when I give Him occasion. Why not launch into something over your head then look up to God for some supernatural intervention. As Jesus said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught.” (Luke 5:4)

God will Bless Our Faithfulness

ECCLESIASTES 3:1-11
There are 31 references to time in this section. First, Solomon declares, "To everything there is a season." A season refers to an appropriate period. You don’t plant vegetables in the winter. It’s inappropriate. Birds don’t build their nests and lay their eggs when the snow is falling. It’s the wrong season. This world in which we live works according to a plan. A farmer knows that he must cooperate with nature if he wants to be successful. In the same way, our churches must adhere to God’s principles if we want them to prosper and grow.
Additionally, Solomon declares that to everything there is a time. Not only is there an appropriate period, but there is also an appointed moment. "There is a time to be born…" When it is time for birth to commence, you can’t slow it down or put it off. The appointed moment has arrived. That, too, is according to God’s design. In the normal course of events, babies are not born too soon, or too late. Crops mature and ripen according to God’s schedule. Everything in the life of the church is governed by time.
Solomon observed that there is a time for sowing, and a time for reaping. (Verse 2) We always reap later than we sow. This is what is sometimes so deceptive about life. If we do not see the immediate results of our actions, we may become discouraged and give up a good activity, such as soulwinning. Having sown, we will reap – but in a different season.

WHAT CHRIST DOES FOR HIS PEOPLE

Only a few things, of the many, that Christ does for us. I thought you might be able to put some meat on these bones. Thereby giving life to this outline. I will be working on it myself.

1. He Quickens Them (John 5:25) - As The Life Giver
2. He Saves Them (Matt. 1:21) - As The Savior
3. He Seals Them (Eph. 1:13) - As The Owner
4. He Leads Them (John 10:27) - As The Shepherd
5. He Succors Them (Heb. 2) - As The Priest
6. He Restores Them (1 John 2:1) - As The Advocate
7. He Comes For Them (John 14:3) - As The Bridegroom

Effective Church Leaders

Eph 4:11-12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The needs of the local church demand the right kind of leaders as it fulfills its mission on Christ's behalf in a broken world. We must be Christ-centered & Spirit-empowered, leaders who stand ready to take our places according to God's call. We are able to influence others toward God's purposes. What are the characteristics we need to be this kind of leaders?
Convictions. Effective ministry leaders are the result of theological formation. They've put deep roots down into the soil of the Word of God. Because of this, they know what they believe and why they believe it.
Commitment. Spiritual formation shapes leaders to be committed to the lordship of Chris! over all of life. These leaders are committed to Christ's cause in the Great Commission and the local church as the center of God's program on Earth,
Character. Leaders must earn the trust and respect of those they influence. That comes from being conformed to Christ as the fruit of the Spirit is developed on the vine of character. Who we are inside determines what we do in ministry.
Competency. Effective ministry leaders develop leadership, specif­ic ministry, and personal competency to be effective. The Book of Nehemiah gives an outstanding example of leadership competency. Nehemiah was unwilling to accept the status quo of the broken-down wall. He inspired a shared vision, mobilized people to learn up, encouraged the people, and set the example. We seek to help our students understand the best practices of effective leaders.
Capacities. No two servants of Christ are the same. As we follow Christ, He shapes us individually to become effective leaders. That comes from knowing yourself as you discover the way God has designed you for ministry with your gifts, personality, and experience, It also comes from growing through lifelong learning and mentoring.

WHEN DO WE NEED REVIVAL

I have had the opportunity to see God send a taste of revival when I pastored in Central City Kentucky we had 13 in church on Easter morning. Then we started a revival meeting that following Monday and it lasted until Friday. On Friday night I got right with God. Then for the next 16 weeks my son-in-law, and later many others, went out every day and knocked doors when we got off work till dark and all day on Saturdays. In that 4 month period we had 111 saved and I baptised 72 people. We had 13 in April and the last Sunday in August we had 148 in our church service. I don't pretend to know a lot about revival. I do know how I was when I needed revival in my life and these were the things that were true with me.

PSALMS 85:6 “ Wilt Thou Not Revive Us Again “?

1. When We Lose Our Glimpse of Calvary .
2. When the Bible Ceases to Excite Us.
3. When We No Longer Have A Prayer Time.
4. When Church Attendance Is Not Important.
5. When We Become Critical of Thing & People Around Us.
6. When We Stop Giving Tithes & Time & Talents to the Lord.
7. When We Lose Our Burden For Lost Souls.

God Will Use You

What a blessing it is to see that God will use you! We went out door-knocking again last night and 6 of our 8 students from the soul-winning classes went. (the others will go with us on Saturday they are out of town). One of the men had the pleasure of leading a man to the Lord (his first) when we returned to the church excitement filled the air as we gave testimony of our visits.
For all you who say that door to door visitation and soul winning wont work. Don't tell my folks they have already "bought in" that it does. We are just trying to be faithful to do what the Lord commanded, and I have found that the Lord blesses faithfulness.

"Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."--John 3:34,35.

"After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, the harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest."--Luke 10:1,2.

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."--Ps. 126:5,6.

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise."--Prov. 11:30.

Sinners are everywhere. Like ripened fields of standing grain, they wait for someone to come in mercy and bring the harvest in.

{Bring them in, Bring them in,
Bring them in from the fields of sin.
Bring them in, Bring them in.
Bring the wandering ones to Jesus.}

Andrew brought his brother to Christ. Philip helped the eunuch get saved. Peter led Cornelius and his whole family to the Lord. Paul showed Lydia, the Philippian jailer, Timothy and many others what to do. Jesus personally dealt with the Samaritan woman, Nicodemus, Zacchaeus and a multitude of others.
The Bible clearly shows that people are everywhere and the Gospel is their only hope. The great need is for those who have the light to share it with those in darkness.
" . . .And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher [witness]?" (Rom. 10:14).
Thousands of people would like to be saved if Christians would only take time to win them.

Why People Visit Church

Here is something you may find interesting. The institute for American church growth asked over 10,000 people this question: "What was responsible for your coming to this church?"
This is how they replied.
I saw a billboard................................1%
News Paper.......................................1%
Church Sign......................................3%
Phone Book.......................................7%
Tract or Brochure.............................11%
The Pastor invited me.......................13%
Web-Page or Internet.......................17%
A friend or relative invited me..........47%

I have found in my experience that I as the Pastor of a church I can go and knock on doors and invite many people to come to church. Many of them will say that they will come, but very few will ever show up no matter how much I go by. However one of my church members who is a friend of theirs can invite them and they will be there that Sunday or soon after.
Many people expect the Pastor to go out and visit as part of his job. However the Bible tells us that it is every Christians responsibility to go and invite people.
Start with your friends, neighbors, and relatives. After that it will be easier to ask the cashier at the bank or the man at the gas station that you see occasionally.

You Act Like Your Father

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The great 16th verse of this scripture begins with the words "For God". The whole premise and focal point is the action of God. What has the Father done: He has loved and He has given. God is a giver and He motivates and initiates giving. Christians should give because they want to be like their Father.

Illustration: Recently I heard a mother say, "I told my sons, "you are just like your father." And he said, "I know it and I'm glad." I have had people say to me, "You're Charles Noffsinger's son aren't you?" I said, "Yes, but how did you know?" "You walk just like your dad."

Application: We do take on the characteristics of our family. We do look and act like our relatives and those with whom we associate. Doesn't it make sense that a Christian would become God like? Isn't it true that the qualities of Godliness would adorn the Child of God? Christians should give because it is like their Father.

How To Get More Workers

Mt 9:35-38 And Jesus WENT about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he SAW the multitudes, he was moved with COMPASSION on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; PRAY ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he WILL SEND forth labourers into his harvest.
1. Go "Jesus WENT" I go all over the streets of Leavenworth
2. Vision "when he Saw" I see the need everywhere
3. Burden " moved with COMPASSION" I get a burden to reach them and to help them
4. Pray " Then saith he unto his disciples ... Pray" I start praying "Lord we need help"
5. Workers will come "he WILL SEND forth laboures" He will sends workers in His time

I have been teaching soul-winning classes on Thursday night for 12 weeks, we have had 8 in the class. This ended on the Thursday before day light savings time when we moved our clocks forward 1hr and we called it "Spring Forward Sunday". We started door knocking and visitation last week on Thursdays & Saturdays. We had 8 on Thursday and 4 on Saturday. Yesterday we had 12 1st time visitors and a new high day of 50 since I came to the church. The first service we were here we had 10 that was the middle of September. We had 43 on the veteran day Sunday with Thanksgiving dinner. We have now had at least one 1st time visitors for 10 weeks straight.
I do not know what to expect each week. I want to do more this week than I did last week. I keep thinking about Bro Curtis Hutson telling about how he quit his job as a mail carrier and started door-knocking and never had a Sunday without someone down the isle that he had led to Christ and brought to church. I wonder if I can find someone this week like the dear lady that trusted Christ last Thursday night and was there yesterday?
What an encouragement it was to the folks in our church to see how that this "door-knocking thing" really works. We decided that weather we see any results or not we are going to continue door-to-door visitation, because we believe God has commanded us to do it.
All the visitors present a few problems for our church. Like parking we had only two small spaces left and 5 cars parked on the road yesterday (2 families walked). Also our teachers were not all prepared for the extra children in Sunday School. During the teachers meeting last night I addressed the problem and encouraged our teachers to come at least 15 minutes early to greet the visitors.
I know the Lord will send us more labours to help in the ripe field

Pr 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

I have been praying about starting a non-profit credit counseling service through our church. I wonder if people would take advantage of it or continue to pretend they don't have a problem. After having taught Personal Finance classes for three different Christian colleges. God has given me a measure of insight about finance issues and I believe He wants me to use it for His glory to help people.

It's hard to believe you're not alone when you feel overwhelmed by debt. But the truth is consumer debt touches almost all American families in some way. Take a look at the figures below.
· In the last decade, the average US household consumer debt (non-mortgage) has increased from approximately $8,500 to $14,500. (Federal Reserve Statistical Releases and U.S. Census Bureau)
· Credit card debt now averages $8,562 per household.
· The average American family is paying about $1,100 a year in interest on credit cards.
· Interest rates on bank credit cards have widened as a result of the eleven rate cuts by the Feds. Card rates, after the introductory periods, now range from 4.75% to 35.00%, the widest spread ever.
· According to an analysis by Sallie Mae, which provides federal and private education loans for undergraduate and graduate students and families, 13% of college students owe between $3,000 and $7,000 on their credit cards.
· 83% of undergraduate college students have credit cards, a 24% increase since 1998.
· The percentage of college students with four or more credit cards has doubled in the last three years to 47% .
· Among the 60% of American cardholders who do not pay off their credit card balance each month, nearly half made just the minimum payment. This means that about one out of four cardholders in the USA now make minimum payments. (Cardweb.com).
· Credit card fees, paid by consumers, represents the fastest-growing source of revenue for bank-card issuers, according to Credit Card Management, a trade publication.
· Late-payment revenues, which have risen from $1.7 billion in 1996 to $7.3 billion, are the third-biggest revenue source for credit card companies, behind interest income and fees paid by merchants who accept credit card payments.
· Many credit card companies charge as much as $35 for a late payment. And the larger your balance, the higher your late fee.
· According to an informal CardWeb poll, six in 10 credit card holders say they've been hit with a late fee over the past year.
· The average American household holds 14.27 credit cards.

20 - 20 Vision

Ac 20:20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,

I call this 20-20 vision "publickly, and from house to house,"

Now I know that there are many that say that door knocking is "old school" and a waist of time but we will continue to go simply because I believe God teaches us to. We will use other means as well but weather it works or not we will not stop going out and knocking on those doors.
When I came to Northwest Baptist Church I was told that the church has never had an organized soul winning and visitation program. So I started started soul winning classes on Thursday nights and last night was our first time out door knocking. We only run about 35-40 on Sunday morning but we had 8 out last night and I know of 4 more that will be going out Saturday morning. I am not sure how many doors were knocked but I know there were many good prospects and one lady trusted Christ.
There are 35,000 people in Leavenworth if we figure 3 people per house that's about 12,000 homes if we can knock on 250 homes week we can cover the town in a year. I get excited to think about what God will do here in Leavenworth as a result of this effort.
The Lord was very good to us last night and we are anxious to see what the results will be for the rest of the week.

The King James Version "Why"

Our Church has decided to stick with the old "KING JAMES VERSION" of the Bible. The alarming number of English Bibles is one of the most important religious phenomena of recent years. It is our view that the production of these new translations has served to undermine the spiritual foundations of our country and weaken the message of her churches. The new versions are not really better than the old one. We are going to keep the King James Bible for several compelling reasons.
THEOLOGICAL REASONS
TEXTUAL REASONS
PHILOSOPHICAL REASONS
CULTURAL REASONS
PRACTICAL REASONS
Many publishers claim that the new translations are easier to understand, misleading people into thinking that they will be able to better understand the Word of God but the derivative copyright law insist that:

"To be copyrightable, a derivative work must be
different enough from the original to be regarded
as a 'new work' or must contain a substantial
amount of new material. Making minor changes
or additions of little substance to a pre-existing
work will not qualify the work as a new version
for copyright purposes."

Therefore, all new Bible versions must change the simple one or two syllable Anglo-Saxon words of the King James Version into complex, multi-syllable Latinized words.

For all of these reasons, it just makes good sense for conservative, Bible-believing churches to keep the old King James Bible as their standard text. The new versions present to many problems and simply are not fit to replace the English version we have trusted for so long. Lets stick with the King James! The movement to abandon it will move us from clarity to confusion, from authority to anarchy, from faith to doubt. We ought not to make such a move!

Today Matters

Heb 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Ex 32:29 For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD

What you today matters, not just to you but to those that are around you. What you do today will determine what will happen to you tomorrow, It is sad but most people don’t lead their lives - they accept their lives. John Wooden said, “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” “Make each day your masterpiece.”
I want to give you some practical things you can do to help make the most of today because "today matters"

Attitude - Choose and display the right attitudes daily The confident person increases his chances for success. The pessimist invites the negative outcome he expects.

Priorities - Determine and act on important priorities daily We cannot change time, only our priorities. Time management has nothing to do with the clock, but everything to do with organizing and controlling your participation in certain events that coordinate with the clock.
Excellence comes from doing the right things right. People who reach their potential and fulfill their dreams determine and act on their priorities daily. I must prioritize my life and give focus and energy to those things that give the highest return. Ask: (1) What is required of me; (2) What gives me the greatest return; (3) What gives me the greatest reward.

Health - Know and follow healthy guidelines daily Your health impacts you emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

Family - Communicate with and care for my family daily Home ought to have unconditional love; be a safe place to fail; make members feel secure. Success means having those closest to me love and respect me the most.

Thinking - Practice and develop good thinking daily Thought is the original source of all wealth, all success, all material gain, all great discoveries and inventions, and all achievements. Value people with ideas.

Commitment - Make and keep proper commitments daily Commitment gives a person great tenacity.

Finances - Earn and properly manage finances daily Money is a tool to achieve one’s goals. Debt brings unhappiness.

Faith - Deepen and live out my faith daily Faith will carry a person through all of life.

Relationships - Initiate and invest in solid relationships daily If you like people, then no matter where you go, you’ll meet a friend. If you have one true friend in life, you are fortunate. If you have two real friends, it is highly unusual. Love others unconditionally, look for ways to add value, and bring joy to your relationships.

Generosity - Plan for and model generosity daily I will live to give. It comes from the heart.

Values - Embrace and practice good values daily Values are your ‘North Star’; your ‘Anchor’; your ‘Faithful Friend.’ Value to be a man of God; to live up to your potential; to be a spiritual leader.

Growth - Desire and experience improvements daily Overcome stagnation with personal growth. If I grow, the church will grow. Grow in areas that will add value. Improve a little everyday and you will make great progress.

Confidence

Sometimes people question my confidence, they think that I should not exercise so much confidence. I try to make it known that my confidence is in the Lord and not in my own abilities. This is something, I believe that can be developed, if we will learn some principles and apply them to our life.
Here are a few things we can implement in our life to develop confidence in God, and confidence in the fact that God wants to and will use us to accomplish His will.

Job 31:24 ".... Thou art my confidence" Pr 3:26 "For the LORD shall be thy confidence,..." Eph 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Focus on your potential instead of your limitations.
Avoid comparing yourself to others. You are unique. Focus on your uniqueness. Do not put on a mask – be yourself. Do the best you can with what you have.

Accept your imperfections.
You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Aim for personal excellence.
Find your ‘gift(s)’. Work in the area that is your strength. Your strengths and abilities make you unique.

Replace self-criticism with right thinking.
Express statements of hope. Today will be a great day. This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Dare to be different.
It is a danger to try to please others. Be yourself. A true friend is someone who knows all about you and accepts you anyway.

Overcome the fear of failure.
Failure is an event, not a person. A just man falls seven times and rises up again.

Dealing with guilt.
Determine if it is from sin. If so, accept God’s gift of forgiveness. When God forgives, forgive yourself and move on. If guilt is unreasonable, quench each thought of guilt and tell yourself that that guilt is unreasonable and why it is unreasonable.

Fully Persuaded

Ro 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Persuasion comes from Latin ‘Per’ means ‘through’ and ‘suasio’ means 'sweetness'.
Before you can persuade people, you need to know what it is you want to accomplish.

Place yourself in the other person’s shoes. We persuade from getting the perspective of others. Ask: What do they know? What do they feel?
A calf wouldn’t return to the barn. A little girl thrust her finger in its mouth. Lured by this maternal gesture, the calf followed the girl into the barn. People are like the calf. Give them a good reason – one of their reasons – a way in which they will benefit, and they will gently follow along. People do things for their reasons – not your reasons.
And those reasons are emotional, aroused by the ways they feel.
Expose problems immediately. Always deal with the problem issues up front. This establishes a base of trust.
Leaders are going somewhere, and they are able to persuade other people to go with them. Effective risk-taking leadership takes place when I sense conviction (the cause is right), and when I sense confidence (I can do it and others will help me do it).
Appeal to a higher vision. Most people are inherently decent and fair and they want to do the right thing. They’re not always sure what fairness and rightness is, and they are often full of anxiety when forced to say yes or no. It is your job, as the persuader, to make them understand the human values represented by your position. They must be able to feel empathy for what you are trying to do so that emotionally they want to give you the response you seek. Appealing to a higher vision is simply helping others become not only what they are capable of becoming but what they really want to become.
Cover your topic with enthusiasm. If the facts are on your side, hammer the facts. If you have the law on your side, hammer the law. If you have neither the facts nor the law, hammer the table.

Class Ends - Work Begins

We completed, last night, a series of about 3 months of classes on Thursday nights on Visitation, Door knocking and Soul-winning. We have had 8 (sometimes 9) people in the class. We ended the series with everyone coming to our house and we practiced knocking on our door and giving different responses at the door and how to deal with each.
The idea way (I believe) to train soul-winners is one-on-one, but we had 8 that wanted the training. So we had a corporate class and just tried to train them all at one time. We set up the classed so that they ended when daylight savings time begins. This will move the clocks forward one hour and we will have more daylight in the evening for door knocking.
I have a plan for covering the entire area. We will start a Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings door knocking time, going door to door covering all of the Northwest part of Leavenworth. Then move to the next part of town. I am excited to see how God will bless this effort. Along with the Church wide visitation times I will be going out with men in the church during the day time three days a week and my wife and two of the ladies are planning a Tuesday morning Ladies soul-winning time,
On Sunday nights we will pass out a slip to be filled out each week an put in the offering plates that records how many tracts were passed out, how many hours were spent door knocking and how many souls were saved. We will keep track of all our results and be encouraging others to get involved. By the summer we should have 6 or 7 ready to start training others as the Lord brings them to our church.
Pray with me that the Lord will send someone to direct the Soul-winning/Visitation program for the church. Someone with a heart for souls and a teachable spirit that I can train how I want the program set up and run. This person will be key to us being successful in the area of soul-winning, visitation, and door knocking.

Thoughts on Teaching

2 Tim 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

Teachers who stop growing today, and you stop teaching tomorrow.
The teacher must be a learner, a student among students.
Good teachers are: faithful, available, and teachable.
The teacher must care. People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.
The true function of the teacher is to create the most favorable conditions for self-learning.
The way your students learn determines how you teach.
The teacher stimulates and motivates; the student investigates and discovers.
. Teach people how to think
. Teach people how to learn
. Teach people how to work
Maximum impact comes from maximum involvement.
Your task as a communicator is not to impress, but to impact; not just convince them, but to change them. There must be involvement that is meaningful.
You pour it in, but you must also draw it out through involvement.
To truly impart information requires the building of bridges.
Build bridges with people to win a hearing (on what you teach).
We communicate by reaching their feelings first.
. Need a good introduction (Audience says Ho Hum as you begin).
. Need good illustrations.
. Need good conclusion.
. Show how this applies to their life.
Teach from the heart to the heart.
The teacher must know the student(s).
The teacher must have:
. Character - produces confidence
. Compassion - produces motivation (to listen and heed)
. Content - produces results (to know what to do and then do it)
Teaching is most effective when the learner is properly motivated.
Motivate them to serve. Get them busy serving.
Mentor them as they learn.
Be prepared for your class
Be creative – not just busy work, but a clear objective in mind
Be thought provoking – lead to more questions – stretch their minds
Be doable – don’t over load

Leadership is Influence

I found this in one of my documents yesterday and thought you might find it as helpful as I have. I don't know where it originated. I got it from a pastor friend.

If Leadership is Influence. You develop influence by:

Integrity With People
Integrity is about small things. Influence becomes impossible without integrity. D.L. Moody stated, “If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself.”
Nurtures Other People
Nurture people with encouragement, recognition, security, and hope. At the heart of this is a genuine concern for others. Give love, respect, and recognition to others. Learn to be ‘other-minded.’
Faith In People
When you believe in people, they do the impossible. Emphasize their strengths. Praise them in front of others.
Listens To People
Be impressed and interested, not impressive and interesting. Big people monopolize the listening. Look at the speaker; don’t interrupt; focus on understanding; ask questions for clarity; make listening a priority.
Understands People
Respect unique qualities in people. Learn to appreciate the differences in people.
Everybody wants to be somebody. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Enlarges People
Enlarging others is an investment. Carefully choose persons to enlarge. See their potential; cast a vision for their future; focus on their strengths. Allow them to soar.
Navigates For Other People
Most people need help working through some of life’s difficulties. Show them where they need to go; what they need to know; and how they need to grow.
Connects With People
Find common ground; discover what really matters to them; communicate what really matters to you. Do this from your heart.
Empowers People
Emphasize people, not policies. Empower people by giving them the authority to get a task done. Supply them with feedback. Release them to continue on their own.
Reproduces Other Influencers
Reproducing leaders gives the power of multiplication. Look continually for potential leaders. Commit yourself to developing leaders, not followers.

MILK MORE COWS

Pro 30:33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter,
When I was a boy we milked 4 cows. We did not have a dairy we just had 4 milk cows we used for our own milk. After we took out a gallon or two for us to drink (we kept the good stuff). We poured the rest of the milk into a separator and it would separate the cream from the milk. We used the cream to make butter. And we gave the separated milk to my grandparents and aunts & uncles. The milk we kept out before we separated it we put in the fridge and when ever we wanted a drink we had to stir the milk to mix the cream back up, because the cream always rises to the top.
My little brother tried to make butter once and he churned for the longest time and nothing was happening dad ask him where he got the cream he said out of the fridge in the basement. When we checked and he had gotten the separated milk and not the cream. He was guilty of trying to make butter out of milk not cream. You can never make butter out of the milk that is left after you remove the cream. If you want butter you must get more cream.
If the church is the bucket..
And the separated milk is those who wont do anything..
And the cream is the workers and leaders..
And you want more workers and leaders..
Then go milk more cows (go soul winning)
Our churches are full of separated milk and we complain about how we can't get people to do anything. My advise is to put some fresh milk in the bucket because: You can't make butter out of milk you have to use cream, and the cream rises to the top. We sometimes try to make butter (leaders and workers) out of separated milk (people who wont do anything).

I learned a long time ago there are some folks you just have to build around. They will come along for the ride but they don't help push the cart. Maybe we need to be more like Christ and stop saying "Listen to me" and start saying "Follow me" Then go milk some more cows (go soul winning)

The Spring Push

I was very encouraged to see the good crowd yesterday in spite of the 6 inches of snow. We still have a few out sick and we continue to pray for them. Lord did send us some first time visitors again. This makes 8 week in a row we have had first time visitors. We also have some come for a second and third visit and we are very encouraged by that.
This is our last week of our visitation/soul winning class, something we will do every winter. What a great thing this study has been we are ready to go out with the Lords help and share the gospel with a new found confidence. We will begin next week a three month push for the visitation and door knocking and soul winning. Between now and our Friend Day on the 31 of May we will go out on Thursday nights at 6:30 and Saturday morning at 10:00. We will also have soul winning pairs out on other nights of the week when it is convenient for them according to their work schedules. I will be going 2 or 3 days during the week with different men as their schedule will allow. We will pass out tracts and fliers and fill out commitment cards on the prospects, getting their name address and phone number. About a month away from the big day we will send a letter out to each one that has committed Then when we get two weeks out I will send out a personal letter. On the week before we will call each person we have a card on an remind them about the Friend Day.
I can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do for our church because of this effort. We will be working toward our Friend Day on May 31 and have a goal of 150 for that Sunday, we currently run about 35. We will have commitment cards to fill out on those who tell us they will come. I have found that the majority of people wont do what they say they will do, so in order for us to have 150 in church that Sunday we will need to get about 3 times that many to commit to being there so we will try to get 450 commitments. I am pledging to get 100 of these myself. I believe we should lead by example. This is a high mark and I will need the Lord to help me reach it but I am confident He will help.