Free Gas for Your Think Tank — Short Reflections, Lasting Encouragement

We must go beyond preaching! Wow! Such power, conformation, and fireworks from a book I found for $1.00 at at Book Warehouse in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It doesn’t look too impressive, but I’m so glad I bought Discovering Who We Are Together (Community), by the Center For Christian Leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary and published by NavPress. Check out the fireworks!

• “Preaching has never been and never will be the only element needed for the transformation of Christians into Christ’s image. . . Therefore, a movement has grown that emphasizes formation of the believer’s inner and outer life and not just transformation of the intellect.”
• “Allow group members to exercise their spiritual gifts. See their development not as a threat to your leadership but as a sign of your success as a leader.”
• “The great force we want working for us is the Holy Spirit through authentic community. Our words lose power, are easily misunderstood, or fall on deaf ears when spoken in a superficial or surface community.”
• “The  basis of effective communication is mutual involvement of sender and receiver. It must be the special concern of the initiator of communication to ensure the involvement of the participants.” –Donald Smith
• “Effective communication that leads to deep comprehension and response occurs only through involvement in each other’s life and interests. Without involvement the most skilled use of media and techniques may be only an imitation of communication.” –Donald Smith
• “Stories can communicate meaning far more powerfully than most people realize. When people begin telling stories from their own life experience, you can sense the emotion in their voice. Often you can observe more excitement or intensity in their words when they tell personal stories. That’s why telling stories about experiences that have most influenced your life is a deeply personal exercise. . . Do you realize that you have a story? Even more important, do you know that your story reflects the authorship of God?”
• “In order to genuinely be a part of a community, you must be able to tell your story. People must be exposed to your happenings and your heart. But in a Christian community, telling personal stories will always include, as a crucial component, your experience of God’s providence, salvation, and sanctification. To tell stories in this manner, you need to learn to observe what God has been doing in your life. The result will be an act of worship as you express and respond to expressions of God’s goodness and love.”
• “Creating a community isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.”
• “To understand our need for transformation, we must understand who we are currently, both as individuals and as members of the body of Christ. . . We cooperate with the Spirit when we reflect on what our values are and how well they line up with our identity in Christ as described in Scripture. One very significant characteristic of our identity in Christ is that we are part of the body of Christ. The Christian life cannot be lived in isolation. So while talking about my place in Christ, I need to pay attention to our place in Christ as a community. Understanding our corporate identity in Christ is crucial.” (To better understand Christian community check out my book Beyond Church.)
• See these ideas in action at The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St., Nashville 37207 on Sundays @ 10:45 am. Check out this interview where I share about the way we meet at Berry Street.