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Posted by wagardner - 28/02/08 at 06:02:41 amWhatever you may be sure of, be sure of this, that you are dreadfully like other people. - James Russell Lowell
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Posted by wagardner - 26/02/08 at 07:02:34 amYou can be disloyal & slander someone through silence and facial expressions. Ed Young
Go read Ron Maggard’s post
Posted by wagardner - 23/02/08 at 10:02:29 pmRon Maggard is tremendous man of God. He has done a great job raising a son that loves God. Just a few minutes ago his blog came through. It was tremendous. It challenges us to make much of God! I loved it. Thank you Dr. Maggard. You are a blessing. Will you click here and go read his post!
Advice for real estate agents (quit now!)
Posted by wagardner - 22/02/08 at 06:02:28 am
The following comes from Seth Godin. He is a business consultant but as I read it I thought of how true it is. We either ought to get out of what we are doing or we should strive to become the best at doing it. This was for Real Estate Agents but I tried to think of how it applied to me and what I am doing. Give it a read and think about how you fit in! I had the good fortune to speak to a large gathering of real estate agents last week. Here’s my best advice (everyone knows an agent or two, so feel free to forward this along). Plan A: You should quit selling real estate. I’m serious. Quit being an agent. Get a job doing something else. Some of you have been waiting to hear that. My pleasure. … Now, if you’re still with me, you’ll be glad to know that the competition for attention just got smaller. The agents who built their business on low interest rates, easy money and speculation (the order takers) have left the building. If we are looking for an easy way to build a church or get the ministry done we should probably just quit. It is the work of God. It can not be done right in a carnal or secular mode. We need the power of God. We often become complacent. I want to be the man that God wants me to be and no I am not leaving the room. AG. The ones that are left, that’s you, can consider Plan B: If you’re not going to be able to make a living by taking orders, by selling houses the way everyone else does, by using the never-ending rise in real estate prices to make sales, then what are you going to do? Whining is not an option. Whoa that is for me! How often when it isn’t going like I think that it should do I whine! In fact, I think this is an extraordinary opportunity for you. Without a frenzy, without short-term competition, you can actually build assets that will pay off for the long run. I have two in mind: The first is to become the expert in what you do. Which means micro-specialization. Who is the single-best agent for condos in your zip code? Or for single family homes for large families? Who is the one and the only best person to turn to if you’re looking for investment property in this part of town? Can I become a better preacher and expert in the word of God. Can I really seek out how to help people and see them get saved? As I wrote in The Dip, you’re either the best in the world (where ‘world’ can be a tiny slice of the environment) or you’re invisible. This means being Draconian in your choices. No, you can’t also do a little of this or a little of that. Best in your world means burning your other bridges and obsessing. The kids at Squidoo just built a promotional tool that lets you get started.Mayor of your zip code is a way to start a discussion group/info page about what’s happening in your slice of the world. You become the source of information, the watercooler, the person to turn to. Of course, if you spend ten minutes on it and then move on, it’ll fail. But, if you spent 30% of your time working on your page (building it, curating it, promoting it), what do you think would show up in Google searches? What sort of interactions would you start having with people thinking about your little part of the world? Even better, what if you built a blog about your town, as good as any local paper, with high school sports and tax controversies and everything… don’t you think the right people would read it? “I have no time!” Never an excuse! Of course you have that time available. Remember nine months ago when you were three times as busy with incoming calls as you are now? Invest that time in building up your expertise and becoming the person people who don’t even like you turn to for insight. Or, consider this: Take half your office (the half made vacant by the people following Plan A) and turn it over to local groups. Let the active (and nascent) clubs and organizations meet in your office. Not once in a while. Regularly. All the time. Become the hub. Because, after all, you’re the mayor. The second asset to build is permission. It turns out (according to the NAR) that 91% of all Realtors never contact the buyer or the seller of a home after the closing. Not once. Wow. Someone just spent a million dollars with you and you don’t bother to call or write? The opportunity during the current pause (and yes, it’s a pause) is to find, one by one, the people who would benefit from hearing from you and then earn the right to talk to them. Earn the right to send them a newsletter or a regular update or a subscription to your blog. NOT to talk about what matters to you, but to give them information (real information, not just data) that matters tothem. Visit dailycandy.com to see an example of what people like to hear. The opportunity is to reinvent the way you interact with citizens, with prospects, with the mildly interested and with your past clients. The opportunity, in other words, is to stop waiting around for the phone to ring and instead figure out how to do what you do best… connect buyers and sellers in a way that makes them both confident. Some of you will stick with the standard business card with the standard photo, the standard office and the standard ad strategy and the standard approach to making the phone ring. It’s going to be a long haul if that’s your route. I’m betting, though, that the best of you will end up with a business model that will survive, thrive and prosper. Best time to start is right now. It is my plan to work at some of the things mentioned in this article. I want to be the best servant of God that I can be. I do not need to quit or get out. I need to get more in and get better. I want Vision to be all that God intends for it to be. I do not want to hinder what God wants to do.
Principles for Selecting Congregational Music
Posted by wagardner - 22/02/08 at 06:02:48 amHere is a good article on choosing music for the worship service that I found here.
As worship leaders every week we must choose songs to be sung by our congregation during the main corporate worship service of the week. We want to be thoughtful, pastoral, and sensible about this song selection. What are some guiding principles for choosing music for the worship service?
Biblical Principles for Selecting Worship Songs
1. Scripturally sound - 2 Timothy 2:15, 3:14-17
2. Clear language - intelligible - I Corinthians 14:19
3. Use a variety of songs - Colossians 3:16
4. Sing to the Lord - Colossians 3:16
5. Sing to one another - Colossians 3:16, I Corinthians 14:26
6. Songs should teach and admonish - Colossians 3:16
7. Sing as a response to the objective truths of the Gospel - Colossians 3:16
Practical principles for selecting worship songs
1. Choose songs that are easy to sing as a congregation
2. Choose songs where the text and musical setting go well together
3. Choose songs that balance the objective and subjective side of our faith
4. Choose songs that communicate the Gospel in the language of the people
5. Choose songs that have a purpose in your worship service
6. Balance familiar and unfamiliar songs
Our song selection gives the congregation a picture of Almighty God. It helps us express our gratitude to God for his saving grace through his Son. Our songs teach us about our faith. Probably more people leave the service singing the songs than quoting sermon points. Let’s be thoughtful about our song selection. It can make an eternal difference in the lives of our congregation.
I think that Philip and Kristen have been doing a great job at Vision by the way!
Answers
Posted by wagardner - 21/02/08 at 04:02:42 pmA sort of star to my existence
Posted by wagardner - 20/02/08 at 09:02:39 pm
My eyes rejoice to see your name, and the mention of it brings up emotions of gratitude. In fact, unknown to you, a few words you then spoke have been a sort of star to my existence, and my friends look on them with half the reverence of prophecy. You meant them not perhaps to last so long, but now they are imperishable; they were to this effect, and were heard by more than one: — ‘I think this little man will one day be a preacher of the gospel, and I hope a successful one. I think you will preach in Rowland Hill’s Chapel; and when you do, tell the people this verse, “God moves in a mysterious way,” etc.’ You told me to learn the hymn, and said it seemed perhaps unlikely, but Providence had wrought wonders, and you thought it would be so. This is often mentioned by my grandfather; and somehow, though I am far enough from being superstitious, it holds me fast, and I do confidently, and yet, somehow (and paradoxically), distrustfully, look forward to the time when the whole shall come to pass.
more from Spurgeon’s autobiography
The above comes from a letter that Mr Spurgeon wrote to the preacher that had so affected him for all of his life with his words and kindness!
It gave him a sort of star of existence! How many children are going to serve God because of prayers you have prayed and encouraging words that you have shared with them.
Spurgeon realized that the man didn’t know and certainly never figured that his words would last so long but they did. The class you teach is listening to you! You can make a difference in their lives.
despise no opportunity of usefulness
Posted by wagardner - 20/02/08 at 09:02:59 pm
Spurgeon’s Autobiography!
To despise no opportunity of usefulness, is a leading rule with those who are wise to win souls. Mr. Knill might very naturally have left the minister’s little grandson on the plea that he had other duties of more importance than praying with children, and yet who shall say that he did not effect as much by that act of humble ministry as by dozens of sermons addressed to crowded audiences? At any rate, to me his tenderness in considering the little one was fraught with everlasting consequences, and I must ever feel that his time was well laid out. May we do good everywhere as we have opportunity, and results will not be wanting!
What a lesson to learn! Despise no opportunity of usefulness! How many times have we thought that this particular ministry is beneath us and we are not satisfied until we have such and such a ministry! Charles Spurgeon never forgot the pastor who took time to talk to him about Jesus and future ministry.
How are you using the ministry that God has given you! Search out what you can do here at Vision!
Your influence with children!
Posted by wagardner - 20/02/08 at 09:02:41 pm
from Spurgeon’s Autobiograpy
“On three successive days he taught me, and prayed with me; and before he had to leave, my grandfather had come back from the place where he had gone to preach, and all the family were gathered to morning prayer. Then, in the presence of them all, Mr. Knill took me on his knee, and said, “This child will one day preach the gospel, and he will preach it to great multitudes. I am persuaded that he will preach in the chapel of Rowland Hill, where (I think he said) I am now the minister.” He spoke very solemnly, and called upon all present to witness what he said.”
This man was very concerned for souls and worked trying to reach children. He told Spurgeon that he know God was going to use him!
There is no telling the amount of influence you might have in the life of some young child if you will take the time to teach them to love God and to desire to know Him and be used by Him.
Take seriously your opportunity to reach children with the gospel.
Challenge them to do great things for God with their lives.
What a privilege those of you at Vision Baptist Church have as you teach children and teens. These people are so ready to hear the gospel and learn.
Evangelism By The Book: Avoid Deadly Shortcuts
Posted by wagardner - 19/02/08 at 08:02:01 pm
rejoiced in the obvious and quantifiable results. However, as time passed it slowly became evident that something was radically wrong. In fact, a small group of investigators who went to where the parachutes were being used found to their horror that of every ten who jumped using the new method, nine tragically fell to their deaths! The horrible sight of so many mangled and rotting bodies strewn all over the ground sickened them. These weren’t just faceless customers. These were husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters — cherished human beings who plunged to a needless and terrifying death. A report was quickly relayed to the fast-folders. Many were heartbroken, and immediately went back to the instruction book and corrected their mistake. With great sobriety and care, they began painstakingly folding each parachute exactly as the book instructed. Their knowledge of the tragedies motivated them to make sure that they did their job with uncompromising conviction. Yet, there was resistance from a few. Even though they knew that so many lives were being lost, they still refused to follow the instruction book. Unbelievably, they ignored the mass of mangled and rotting bodies, for which they were directly responsible. Instead, they pointed to those who had survived their fast-folding method as justification for their technique.
The source
During a great war, there was a man who invented a parachute that was one hundred percent trustworthy. It made no difference whether the user was large or small; it opened every time and got him safely to the ground. The key was in the way it was folded. Every part of the parachute had to be carefully and painstakingly placed in certain positions, following the instructions given by the manufacturer. True, it was somewhat arduous, but it was well worth the effort. It had the effect of ensuring that the life of every precious human being who trusted the parachute would be preserved. Many years after the war began, a group of young men known as “fast-folders” entered the packing room. These men so influenced the workers with their new fast and easy method of folding that soon they all completely ignored the instruction book given by the manufacturer. Production increased greatly and everyone
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