How Should We Read the Bible?

One of the ways God has gifted me is to be a resource person. I love to pull together resources to help people grow in their walk with Christ, as well as other things that I am drawn to in life. One of my greatest joys is to see people digging into the scripture and learning to know and love God better.

When I was in seminary, one of the resources that was recommended to me is the works of Gordon Fee. I own three of his books and all are very helpful and very good. They are written in language that is not for theologians only. They are written so that you and I can understand God’s Word. Here are the ones that I have in my resource library and I am sure these would serve anyone well.

What I have found about Gordon Fee is that he teaches us how to read and understand scripture while remaining true to scripture and not a denominational slant. This is so important.

Ronnie

I for one believe the best days of the Church are ahead of us and not behind us…

I know there is a lot of talk in the church world today about the glory days behind us and the fear that the church is dying. I don’t believe it is dying, I believe it is in constant change and change is good. We have great opportunities ahead of us and right before us, don’t miss the opportunities that are staring us in the face for the sake fo what is known and comfortable..

Ronnie

Bishop Will Willimon on Guaranteed Appointments

I am an advocate of doing away with guaranteed appointments for Elders in the UMC. Here is an interview Shane Raynor recently did with Bishop Will Willimon at the 2012 General Conference of the UMC on this topic.

Ronnie

Consumed – Two Week Series May 6th & 13th OOTBWC

What you consume will eventually consume you. Every person worships something or someone because we are made to worship. May 6th and 13th we will dive into the topic of Worship. Is Sunday morning about worship? Do we all worship alike? (Not) Do we even understand worship?

I hope you will come and invite your friends.

May 6th and 13th

Out of the Box Worship Center

516 Main Street in Hillsville

9am & 1030am

Exponential 2012 in Orlando

I had the joy and a great learning experience of being at Exponential this past week. It is typical of conferences, brain overload. However, the one thing that is awesome about this conference is the running theme and this year it was “Sifted”.

Luke 22:31-32 NIV

³¹ “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. ³² But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

We heard stories of just about everything you can imagine when it comes to being sifted. We heard of health tragedies, marriage failures, church failures, you name it, we heard about it. Satan really is sifting God’s people, But Jesus has prayed for us that our faith may not fail. By the way, this means that our faith can fail.

I found a lot of encouragement and a lot of reminders that “I want to finish this race well”. There were more than 100 church leaders there as presenters and the one who made the greatest impression on me for the week was Rick Warren. I have a new respect for Rick and I will sit at his feet (podcasts) and learn everything that I can from him. There is great wisdom in his teaching. He was the most well known person there and yet he was the most personable person there. I watched him take the time to greet people, talk with them, hug them, pray for them, and just be present with them. That goes a long way in my book.

Soon the podcasts of all of the breakouts as well as the main sessions will be available and I would encourage you to listen to them if you are in ministry. I will post links to them here on the blog when they are available.

Ronnie

 

Giving Birth (to a new church) Post #2

I was listening to a podcast on one of my training runs this past week and the guy was talking about being nervous and things we say that just come out wrong. A State Patrol Officer pulled a man over for speeding and this is what he said, “Officer, I was in a hurry because my wife is going to get pregnant today and I wanted to be there.”

Of course we all know what he meant, we have all been nervous and said the wrong thing. When it comes to giving birth, nerves are in short order, if you know what I mean.

There are so many questions when it comes to giving birth (planting a new church). Like the following…

What will happen with the current site, will we continue to grow?

How many people will leave the birthing site to serve and worship at the new site?

How will we afford this?

Most families that I know ask these kinds of questions when it comes to growing their families. We will have to buy diapers, formula, etc… Our lives will change, it’s no longer just the two of us, now we have to consider a child. We won’t be able to do some of the things we did before, we will need a bigger vehicle, we are going to need child safety seats, child safety locks on the cabinets, etc.

But the fact remains, with all of the questions and the nervousness we have, it is God’s will that we be fruitful and multiply. As a church it is our mission in life to grow the Kingdom of God. So, it is not a matter of if we grow, but how do we do this best.

Over the next days and weeks I will continue to post and talk about the struggles that we have been through in planting a church but here are some great books that everyone should read, if you are planning to birth a new church. They do not offer all of the answers but there is a lot of great information from some people have been there and done that.

Launch by Nelson Searcy

10 Most Common Mistakes Made By Church Starts by Jim Griffith

Church Planting Landmines by Tom Nebel

Viral Churches by Ed Stetzer

Exponential by Dave Ferguson

The Multi-Sire Church Revolution by Geoff Surratt

Multi Site Churches by McConnell

Parent Church Landmines by Tom Nebel

These are some of the best ones that I have read and we still don’t have all of the answers. I hope someday to add one more to this list that we will be able to write from our own experiences at Out of the Box Worship Center.

Psalm 127:3 The Message

 ^3-5 Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior’s fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don’t stand a chance against you; you’ll sweep them right off your doorstep.

God Olympics 2 Week Series

Sermon Week One: Being Your Best In The Game Of Life 119888865

Sermon Week Two: Running Your Race 119894416

Ronnie

My Marathon Goal has Changed for 2012

In December 2011 I came to the conclusion that I would just never be able to run a 26.2 Mile Marathon in under 4 hours, no matter how hard I have tried in the past 9 years and 8 Marathons I just couldn’t do it.

Here is the history.

1st Marathin @ Kiawah Island SC in 2002 Ronnie Collins     Cana VA 4:15:46

2nd Marathon VA. Creeper Trail 2003 Ronnie Collins         Cana VA    4:34:25

3rd Marathon Nashville TN 2003 Ronnie Collins Cana VA 4:40:16

4th Marathon Goody KY 2003 Ronnie Collins 5:01:33

5th Marathon Phoenix AZ Ronnie Collins 5:39:54

6th Marathon Myrtle Beach SC Ronnie Collins 

7th Marathon Myrtle Beach SC Ronnie Collins 5:03:51

8th Marathon Atlanta GA Ronnie Collins 2009 4:19:39

I ran 13.1 miles in a training run this morning and I ran it in 1:57. I am running more miles than I ever have, I just believe that I will break 4 hours if I don’t experience any major physical issues over the next few months. I am planning to run my next Marathon in October 2012, wish me luck.

My goal for the October 2012 Marathon is 3:55 which will be my best clock time ever with trimming 20 minutes off the time, almost 1 minute per mile.

Ronnie

Ronnie @ about Mile 11 in the Mistletoe 2009

Post Office Can’t Mail a Package

First of all, let me make it clear that I am not criticizing the employee’s of the Post Office. I think these men and women do an outstanding job of getting our mail to us.

I went to the post office this morning to mail a package and there was a sign on the counter that read “Sorry Our Computers Are Down.”

There was no on in sight so I rang the bell assuming they would just weigh the package the old-fashioned way and put postage on it with the old peel and stick stamps. When the clerk came and I asked to mail the package I was informed that it wasn’t possible. Now, the power wasn’t off, the workers were on duty, the mail cars were running and making deliveries, but I was told, “we cannot mail any packages while the computers are down.” Wow

Does this mean when the computers are down at the bank for an extended period of time that we cannot get our money? Does this mean when the computers are down at the grocery store that we cannot buy groceries? Does this mean when the computers are down at the gas station that we cannot pump gas?

There is a message in all of this, it’s not a message about computers being bad. I love what computer technology allows us to accomplish but I don’t like that we have become totally dependent upon them.

Those who have ears, let them hear and understand that hard times are coming and it will catch most people off guard.

Ronnie

I wonder how bad Sodom and Gomorrah really were???

Warning – that’s all I know to say about this…

This is a commercial for Liquid Plumber.

What do you think?

I think it is disgusting and it is a sad mark on where this World places its values.

This is Church…

I think it is time we stop doing things like we have always done them, especially if they are not working. It is time that we stop going to church and start being the church.

Catalyst Podcast – Ed Stetzer

“I believe if we are going to win North America to Christ, it will be done through New Church Starts, but not through them alone.”

Ed Stetzer

Ed goes on to say that established churches play a key role, God is not done with those of us already in existence but we must learn to work together to grow the Kingdom of God.

On my 11 mile run this morning, this is one of the podcasts that I was blessed to listen to. Ed Stetzer is one of the best when it comes to church research and new church starts or church planting. Ed works in research for Lifeway and has written several books on starting new churches.

This is a very real look at what is happening in the Christian church world in 2012. The podcast is actually from 2007 but still very relevant today. Here is the link, listen and share your thoughts. I personally believe that Ed is a prophet in the church today of what God is wanting to do and is doing among us.

“70 to 75% of churches today are either plateaued or declining.” Ed Stetzer

Here is the link to the podcast and very worth your time Ed_Stetzer_::_Episode_35

Ronnie

Giving Birth (to a new church) Post #1

If you have read the Bible, you know that with the fall of Adam and Eve, birth pains entered into the world. It is amazing to me that until that time, a woman could give birth to a child and there were no pains. That was a perfect world and that is the world we will get back to when Jesus returns and makes all things right.

But until that time, there will be pain in childbearing. This is true when a woman has a child and this is also true whenever there is a new birth of any kind. For instance, when an established church decides it is God’s will that they start a new congregation in order to reach a different group of people than they are currently reaching. We all know there are churches on every corner of our Country and basically around the world. But even with all of these churches we are not reaching the world for Christ. Matter of fact, many of these churches, big and small are sitting virtually empty when it comes time to worship.

My hat is off to those worshiping communities who have made changes through the years to meet people where they are share the gospel with them. Now, I don’t mean change the message, I only mean, change the way we present the message. The gospel is unchanging, the way we share it is ever-changing. Many churches have done a great job making those transitions and staying up to date with the cultural needs around them. Many have not and it is obvious.

In today’s world the church, the leaders of the world, and businesses have to swim in the sea of change. Things literally change minute by minute. Technology has changed the way we do most everything in today’s world. In the church, our task is to look at the change, find a way to present the gospel and win people to Christ, grow the church, and do this without leaving behind the people who are already there. This is not an easy task.

Anytime there is change, there is tension. Tension is a fact of life and can serve to catapult us into greater things or it can serve to create bitterness and misunderstanding. It is this tension that we must learn to master in the church world and not let it slow down the growth of Gods Kingdom. Our mission in the church is to grow, it is to win people to Christ. Yes, we are to make disciples but what I have learned is those who become disciples are those who help win others to Christ, it is part of what being a disciple is all about.

I am excited to say that I am part of a church that has given birth. 1st UMC Hillsville along with The Holston Conference of The United Methodist Church planted Out of the Box Worship Center about 16 months ago. OOTBWC was conceived in February of 2010 and birth happened 10 months later. We began by forming a team of people to look at our options. Should we expand the growing congregation we already had by building a larger facility where we were or should we look at a whole new site? Or, should we look at planting (giving birth) to a whole new congregation?

We gave birth…

This is the first of a series of posts that tell the unfolding story of “Planting a New Church.”

Ronnie

Out of the Box Worship Center

1st UMC Hillsville

 

Catalyst Podcast – A Tribute To Jerry Falwell

Jerry Falwell 1933-2007

Jerry Falwell, the fundamentalist preacher who founded the Moral Majority and helped bring the language and passions of religious conservatives into American politics, died Tuesday, May 15, 2007, shortly after he was found unconscious in his office at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. He was 73 years old.

On my run this morning I listened to “A Tribute To Jerry Falwell” you can listen to it here catalyst_podcast_episode_281

I know a lot of people have a hard time believing that I was a fan of Dr. Falwell but the truth is, Dr, Falwell had one of the biggest impacts on my Christian Life of anyone in the Christian world.

He was one of the only television preachers that I could pick up, we had only networks that we could pick up with an antenna and as a matter of fact, in 2012 this is still all that we have. I refuse to spend hundreds of dollars a year to pick up more channels of trash and even the good stuff just serves to fill our already busy days with too much nonsense. I loved to hear him preach and for a kid who wasn’t raised in church and didn’t get the opportunity to go very often, I was touched by his messages. I have one of the faith partner Bibles that he would offer on the “Old Time Gospel Hour.”

At some point I decided to purchase the “Liberty Home Bible Institute”, it was a two year Bible Study Program that probably took me 10 years to complete but it was worth every penny that I spent. When I ordered this program I received a copy of “Strength for the Journey.” It was in this book that I read the story of Thomas Road Baptist Church and the miraculous work that God had done through a small group of people and turned it into thousands  of church members and a Christian University.

I remember reading in the book that Jerry made a commitment when building the church to knock on 100 doors a day in Lynchburg until he had knocked on every one and he did it. One of the statements in the podcast is as follows, “He was out there running and you could either run with him or stay behind.” He wasn’t going to let the naysayers hold him back from accomplishing things for the Lord.

You may not have agreed with Dr. Falwell on very much, I personally loved him and agreed with much of what he did and taught. There were certainly things he did that were controversial and things I would not have went along with but, I believe he was a man who loved God and accomplished so much for the Kingdom of God.

I knew him personally, though not well. Yet what I knew of him was exactly what is communicated in this podcast. I was the recipient of some of those slaps on the back. He was a practical joker and he would just haul off and hit you hard, our oldest son Mike was also on the receiving end of a slap or two. Dr. Falwell came and spoke for me at a fundraising banquet where I served as the director of a Children’s Home. It was mentioned in the podcast that he loved to run up close to people walking in parking lots with his vehicle to scare them, he did this to me the day I graduated from Liberty University in 2004. He was a fun person, a kind person, and someone you would love once you met him. Even Larry Flint, publisher of Hustler Magazine said he was a man who truly cared about everyone.

I learned a lot about passion from Dr. Falwell, I learned a lot about leadership, I learned a lot about God and His love from this passionate preacher. I will never forget the day I heard he had died, my heart was broken and I felt as though I had lost a family member. I still miss him and can’t wait to see him again in Heaven. I pray that God will use me as he used Dr. Jerry Falwell, maybe not in the same way but that I could be as effective at winning people to Christ.

Listen to the podcast and learn a little more about one of the hero’s of the faith in the 20th Century. There is really no way to know the millions of lives Dr. Falwell has and will continue to impact through the work that he did.

Ronnie

New Two Week Series @ Out of the Box Worship Center

I hope you will join us as I will speaking to the church over the next two weeks on “Being your best in the game of life.”

Be sure to invite your family, friends, and neighbors and join us at 9am or 1030am each Sunday.

April 15th and April 22nd

Our Scripture will be 2 Timothy 2: 3-6

³ You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ⁴ No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs ofthis life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. ⁵ And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶ The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.

NKJV

Journey To Hope – The Series

Follow the links to the messages.

Ash Wed Servive – Journey to Hope – The Journey Begins 119841094

Journey to Hope – 1st Sunday in Lent 119841146

Journey to Hope – Remember Who You Are 119851005

Journey to Hope – Humility 119853918

Journey to Hope – Drifting into Temptation 119861421

Journey to Hope – Eternal Life 119867088

Journey to Hope – Suffering 119877659

God’s Intervention – Easter Sunday 119883599

Love Your Neighbor – We’re Doing It…

Mark 12: 28-31 GWT

²⁸One of the scribes went to Jesus during the argument with the Sadducees. He saw how well Jesus answered them, so he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of them all?”

²⁹Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. ³⁰So love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ³¹The second most important commandment is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Jesus, the creator and savior of the world said the first commandment after loving God with everything in you, is to love your neighbor as yourself. Wow

This is what we are doing this Saturday, Out of the Box Worship Center and 1st Hillsville will be going out into our community and simply loving our neighbors. There are no strings attached, there is nothing that we expect in return, except to please the Lord.

We are going into one of our local communities and cooking lunch for more than 100 people and we are going to just get to know them and what their needs are. If you are part of our church or the community and you would like to join us, then do.

Ronnie

Easter Sunday @ Out of the Box Worship Center

Wow, God continues to amaze us. We broke records today with 304 people in worship between the 9am and 1030am worship services downtown. The worship was awesome, the people were excited, and the Spirit was moving. Are numbers important? Yes, indeed they are important, they represent the individual lives that God is touching and using and blessing. God is in the numbers.

Just an encouragement to start inviting people to the services this weekend now, yesterday was proof that if we invite people, they will come. This weekend is going to be just as big a celebration as was Easter Sunday. He lives…

Ronnie

Meet Jason Lester – Winner of the Best Male Athlete with a Disability

I just picked up a copy of Jason’s Book “Running On Faith” and I am in the process of devouring it. Take a look at this video. We have a new series starting at Out of the Box Worship Center real soon and you are going to be hearing more about Jason and his Faith.

Ronnie

Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?

That’s My King

I’m Back…It’s Easter and Christ is Risen

I haven’t been posting much in the past couple of weeks but I’m back. It has been extremely busy. Our family is busy with two little boys and two little grandchildren and our church is busy and growing. I haven’t been overwhelmed like I have been in the past, I have let some less important things rest a while so that I could do the things that needed to be done.

Now, I don’t mean to say that the blog is unimportant, it is just that the things I have been doing these past two weeks came first. I have had lots of opportunities to spend time one on one with some people who are hurting. Matter of fact, my heart is burdened today, more than most, for those who are in darkness, those who are living lives going nowhere good, living lives where they have to constantly look over their shoulders to see the trail of rubbage left behind them. The fact is, they don’t even see it, they can’t see the way out, they don’t even understand there is a better life.

This is what Easter is all about. It is about 2000 years ago when God became man, in the form of Jesus, he came to earth, lived, died, and rose again to offer eternal, abundant, life to those who would pick up their cross and follow Him. Do you see it? He never promised if we would just ask Him into our hearts that he would wave a magic wand and make us live the good life. You see, most people come to Christ on the promise from a misguided individual who tells them come to Christ and He will make your life easy. Jesus never made such a promise. Matter of fact, Jesus said life will be difficult and you may even have to die for your faith in Him. He never promised an easy life but He promised an abundant life. Folks, there is a difference.

My life is not easy by any stretch of the imagination but my life is abundant. I have joy in my heart, I have peace in my heart, I know that I have God living inside me, that same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the grave. That same power will one day raise me to eternal life but today it has raised me to abundant life. I want the world to know, Jesus has RISEN!

Ronnie

The Future Is Here – Google Project Glass

Journey To Hope – Suffering

Here is the link, listen to the sermon: 119877659

Why suffering? Consider the source.

Job is the poster child for suffering. Job Chapter 1: 1-12

 

The Purposes of Suffering

1. There is no doubt we sometimes suffer because of our own sins.

There are consequences of our actions. What you sow is what you also reap. You live by the sword, you die by the sword.

2. We suffer because we live in a broken world that has been corrupted by Adam’s sin. Genesis Ch. 3 

3. Suffering restrains us from falling in love with this sin stained world. I John 2: 15-17

4. We suffer because the faith we demonstrate in the midst of suffering brings honor and glory to God. I Peter 1: 6-7

5. We suffer because the enemy of our souls desires to destroy God’s children. I Peter 5:8

We have an enemy, you have a real enemy that wants to destroy you.

6. We suffer for purposes known only to God Himself. Romans 11:34     Illustration Job 38:1-12 & 33-37

7. We suffer because in the suffering we are becoming like Christ. Hebrews 2: 9-10, 18 

8. God allows us to go through times of testing (suffering) because trials refine us. James 1: 2-4 & Malachi 3: 1-3 

 

It Is Finished by Matt Papa

Invitation to Easter Services @ Out of the Box Worship Center

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