Bible Study: Family Business

Gang,

We have decided to go ahead and close up the group. Beyond getting better acquainted with love ones and friends, this might be a season of rest and relaxation. Also, I know that a several of you guys are doing ministry/church stuff 5 nights out of the week and that can’t be a good thing.

There is a prophetic word that was given to me but I think it is a good word for all of us: know what you are called to do and stay just in that ministry. Don’t stretch yourself thin trying to do too many things at one time.

Above it all, I might not have been the greatest small groups facilitator and teacher. I keep wanting to dialogue but keep falling back into monologue (i.e. keep doing what I don’t want to do and not doing what I want to do Romans 7:15-20), It is like trying to rock out at a Metallica concert in a phone booth. Either way, the results are not going to be pretty.

So this summer, in preparation for my Men’s Freedom Group coming up in the Fall, I am going to do some personal training in how to teach to group size of less than a thousand I will keep praying and let God keep equipping me as I step into His direction and will.

For now, I will always pray that the Holy Spirit convicts you of righteousness (John 16:10) and that He will give you the passion and desire to press into God, know more about God, worship God, love God and have your heart more like His. Most of all, that you are most satisfied in God alone.

If you guys ever, ever need prayer, do not hesitate to send a prayer request to group@onlythebroken.org. Not only will we will pray over it but I will send it to the Prayer & Intercessors at Gateway.

Also, I am still going to keep on with the Bible Studies. Apparently, we still get about 40 downloads per session (most of them being web clicks) and 20 for notes & handouts.

So my focus will switch to a podcast audience where my intended audience will be those who want more of the word, those who need help in preparing sermons and studies, pastors, teachers, elders and apostles. I don’t know who our audience is but the podcasts will be more person (Hello, my name is Joe…) and start speaking into those who would teach, preach and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and those who raise up disciples.

To subscribe in iTunes [rss link]

Otherwise, you can always check out onlythebroken.org for audio downloads, pdfs with my teaching notes and handouts.

I love you guys.
For God’s glory alone,

Joseph Louthan

Contend and Contextualize by Hunter Beaumont

Quote:

“But in postmodernity, the cultural scorn has shifted. The supernatural is plausible again, but exclusivity and assertiveness are now taboo. The quickest way to ruffle skirts in our pluralist world is to come off rigid or narrow. So the new breed of preachers is tempted to lop off anything that sounds too exclusive—the Bible as universal truth, Jesus as the one mediator between God and man, and God’s judgment, along with its remedy, penal substitutionary atonement. This is where our generation must contend or perish.“

Contend and Contextualize (And, Part 2) by Hunter Beaumont © 2009 TheResurgence.com

Please help make a difference

At OTB,  whenever we hear of a ministry with an awesome cause, we want to help get the news out. So, fellow readers, if you want to make a difference in someone’s life here is your chance.

Sower of Seeds is an organization making a difference in India.

I have two good friends in this organization doing all they can to bring clean water to hurting mothers, fathers, and children in India. They can’t do this alone. They need your help!! They are running a race against time. Every minute that passes by is time slipping away from bringing clean water to entire villiages. Think about this; when you get water at home, or from the store, it’s probably been filtered and purified. It’s crystal clear–mmmmmm tastes great!

But now picture this; brown, dirty, mucky, water.

What if the only water you could find was leftover from a community bath? Or water where animals have probably defecated. Or where garbage has been dumped. Imagine going to this diseased-filled water and then gathering and drinking it everyday. That’s what many people in India face.

So, you ask, “How can i make a difference?” I will tell you. Sower of Seeds has a new program starting. It’s called “$7.77 Can Save a Life.” Here’s how you can help. Below I have taken a quote from Sower of Seeds.:

“Every gift of $7.77 can provide water for 1 child for 30 years. Over the course of the year, this means that 12 people can have access to safe, clean water because of you.”

That’s it!! One gift of $7.77 a month can make a difference. You spend that on food for just one meal–everyday. Please pray about this and check them out on their website to find out more information.

http://www.sowerofseeds.org/777

*All images contained in this post are property of Sower of Seeds. Please do not reproduce these pics*

How Should We Then Work by Jonathan Dobson

I have always preached that we should all do an excellent job in order to honor our employers, the very leaders that God has placed in charged over us, in order to show Him all the glory and be a witness to how good Jesus Christ really is.

I know that many people (including myself) have been called into full time ministry.  At the moment, however, God is still preparing, enabling and teaching us.  Many of us are not in seminaries and bible college but working as salt in the earth (Matthew 5:13) in different jobs.

I know that some of us have a really tough time keeping our “eyes on the prize” (so to speak) and our work in some way is suffering.

If you are transitioning from secular to full time ministry, my plead to you is to finish strong!

I know Paul mentions the following verses as far as finishing in ministry.  I think it does apply to our situation:

2 Timothy 4:5 (ESV) As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Keep a clear mind. (1 Peter 1:13)

Endure suffering. (Hebrews 10:36)

Do the work of an evangelist. (Mark 16:15)

Fulfill the ministry that God has given you at this very moment.

Then you can say:

2 Timothy 4:6-7 (ESV) For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

How Should We Then Work by Jonathan Dobson © 2008 TheResurgence.com

Get Better at Contextualization

Seriously, I had to look this sucker up on the Internet.

con⋅tex⋅tu⋅al⋅ize [kuhn-teks-choo-uh-lahyz] –verb (used with object)

to put (a linguistic element, an action, etc.) in a context, esp. one that is characteristic or appropriate, as for purposes of study.

Okay. That is awesome (not really).  That tells me a little bit.

But this is the quote from the article that hits it home for me:

“Many Christian leaders and Christians would frown on using a Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall for a church building because their conception of church is so narrowly conceived. Since my first day in Austin, I began praying that God would give us the abandoned male strip joint called La Bare for our church.” - Jonathan Dodson

I used to have a real problem with having a wedding in a Catholic church.  (Seriously, do you guys even read the Epistle to the Romans… ever heard of Habakkuk 2:4… but I digress.)  I can’t get over their history and all of the things they have done in the name of my God.

But if the following is true:

Romans 3:23 (ESV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

then are we Evangelicals any better?  Better question, am I any better?  Certainly not.  I venture to say far, far worse.

It would matter where we held worship at?  Mormon ward?  Catholic cathedral? Abandoned slaughterhouse? Old warehouse which is used as a dance club on the weekends? (Cue club music and glow sticks.)

No.  So long as Jesus Christ is glorified, the gospel is preached, we worship the holy name of the Lord Almighty and the presence of God is there, then that is all that matters.

Ezekiel 48:17 (ESV) … And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.

ht: Get Better at Contextualization by Jonathan Dodson © Mars Hill Church Website: TheResurgence

Impacting the World

I have something on my heart: To promote ministries all over the world. From here in the U.S. to across the ocean in Asia, I want to support ministries and ministers who are glorifying the Lord and making a positive difference.

We’ll keep a list of ministries here, and updated it as much as possible. The purpose is to get the word out on what others are doing in our world to help people and advance the Kingdom. It doesn’t matter where you’re at, where you’re from, or what you’re doing (whether you think it’s big or small). We want to know about it! We want to be an avenue that helps missionaries and outreach organizations continue to thrive in their passions.

If you know anyone who’s stepping out of the ordinary to make an impact in the world, please drop us a line and let us know! (Email any of us!)

We love you guys and only want to bring glory to the Kingdom of our Lord.