Click through to the Resurgence if you can’t see the video.

How can you know if you’re called to plant a church? Called to preach? Called at all? The Seattle Boot Camp in March 2009 welcomed speakers from all over the world to weigh in on the topic of calling, including PJ Smyth of GodFirst Church Johannesburg. Get all the audio and video at the links below.

Session 1: The Calling of the Planter – Mark Driscoll

• Audio
• Video

Session 2: Great Commision Call to Plant Churches – Scott Thomas

• Audio
• Video

Session 3: The Call to Preach – Matt Chandler

• Audio
• Video

Session 4: The Call to Proclaim the Gospel – PJ Smyth

• Audio
• Video

Session 5: Your Vision is Too Small – Dave Bruskas

• Audio
• Video

Session 6: The Call to Endure – Mark Driscoll

• Audio
• Video

Also from Seattle Boot Camp 2009, check out Seven Seasons of a Church Planter Part 1 and Part 2 with Hunter Beaumont (Lead Pastor of Fellowship Denver and Resurgence contributor), and Russ McKendry (Lead Pastor of L2 Church, Denver).

Rain City Hymnal

A fresh approach to 12 ancient hymns. Listen online and get the album from Re:Sound. Find out more.

Are you building the Kingdom of God or are you building your own Empire?

The Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthian church, saying he had received reports of divisions among them. “What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Cor. 1:12-13)

Followers Want a Hero to Worship

While Paul specifically addresses the factions and quarrels roiling the Corinthian church, implicit in the “I follow Apollos” and “I follow Cephas” charge is the tendency of some people to derive identity, sustenance, and life itself from obeisance to a leader. Following well is what followers should do, and giving honor to one’s teachers is biblical, but what is godly about hero worship?

Leaders can’t help that sin manifests itself through some people putting mere images of God on pedestals. It’s not the sin of good leaders but the sin of the idolatrous followers that pedestalizes mere humans.

That’s all on the demand-side.

Our Empire or Christ’s Kingdom?

The supply-side of the same problem is the temptation that leaders experience to create personal or corporate Empires. The Empire can be the organization or the part of an organization that one leads, or the Empire can literally be a cult of personality that a leader creates and fosters. While the supply-side problem of Empire-building occurs in any arena of human endeavor, this problem looks particularly grotesque when we recognize our imperial labors done in the name of Christ’s Kingdom.

But how could we not pervert the calling of Christ’s Kingdom? We sin. Our hearts are idol factories (Calvin, Institutes, 1.11.8). We pervert everything else we touch, so how would we not, at least in part, turn Christ’s Kingdom into personal Empire? If the telos of our call is to glorify God by building his Kingdom, the means for obeying that call can become, unwittingly, means of disobedience.

Hijacking God’s Gifts for Empire-Building

As Pastor Mark Driscoll taught in his message at the Advance 09 conference, the essence of idolatry is this: take a good thing, make it an ultimate thing, and that’s a bad thing. Our various specific callings within the call to build the Kingdom are good things that require all sorts of specific actions to fulfill the callings. Your special talent and mine? Perverting those good actions, hijacking the means intended for the Kingdom and diverting them into means of Empire.

Repent, Believe, Obey

I spend a lot of time trying to build an Empire, Docent, in the name of the Kingdom of God. My failures in this regard prove that one doesn’t have to have a reputation or lead a large organization. All that is required is a heart that longs for significance found anywhere but in Jesus. So I repent, believe the gospel, and seek by the Spirit’s power to follow Christ again in Kingdom-building. Over and over I repeat this three-fold gospel rhythm of repent, believe, obey.

With renewed recognition of the gospel, knowing that Jesus has already redeemed your sin of Empire-building, and has already made you righteous—knowing that you’re not under condemnation—would you ask yourself this question? Better yet, ask your spouse, your close friends, your colleagues to ask you this question:

Are you doing what you’re doing for your Empire or for the Kingdom of God?

Pastor Dad

Every dad is a pastor. The important thing is that he cares for his flock well. Pastor Mark Driscoll's new eBook offers spiritual insights on fatherhood. Get it here.

Is God's law a delight, or a drag? You would probably say the answer is a little complicated. Many of us who work hard to remain focused on the gospel as our hope before God have an almost visceral reaction to "the law," particularly when it is presented as a means of obtaining or maintaining peace with God. This is good. The law is never our hope. Jesus is.

However, the law is "holy, righteous and good" (Romans 7:12) and  Scripture tells us how "blessed" is the man who "delights" in the law (Psalm 1). The Psalmist says, "Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 19:97). The apostle Paul also says, "I delight in the law of God in my inner being" (Romans 7:22). Why do (should) the people of God love the law? Here are 3 reasons.

1. In the law we have divine direction.

God has not left us alone to figure out what is right and wrong. He has graciously spoken clearly, and we now know the difference between good and evil. In the law we see the character of God and his will to be carried out on earth as it is in heaven. For example, we not only know that God calls us to do good to others in some general sense, but more specifically that we should be hospitable, loving, generous, and patient. He tells us what he desires of us. This is itself grace. We can delight that God has been kind enough to tell us what he requires of us (Micah 6:8).

2. Through the law we uncover our sin.

The law of God not only shows us God's will, but it also acts as a mirror that exposes our sin and falsehood. In the law we see God's standards and commands, but we also see how quickly we break them (Romans 7:7-25). As we have broken the law, it breaks us. The law is used by God to afflict our conscience so that we feel the weight of our guiltiness. And this is a reason to love the law, as it can eventually destroy our pride and any confidence we put in our ability to measure up to God's standards.

3. By the law we are led to the gospel.

In showing us the will of God, and our inability to keep it, the law leads us to see our need for mercy and grace. As many like to say, before we can know and embrace the "good news" of redemption and restoration in Jesus, we must first know and embrace the bad news that we are condemned as law-breakers and under the curse of God. It functions as one of the tools that God uses to prepare us to meet Jesus. So, we love the law as it leads us to see our need for grace and the beauty of the gospel against the backdrop of our guilt and corruption.

But here's the rub: we can only love the law after it has been fulfilled by Christ on our behalf. The law will only be a delight to us after we have found life by the gospel. 

For without the gospel, in the law we only find standards unmet and guilt without relief. We wind up sharing Martin Luther's frustration with the call to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind," and say with him, "Love God? Sometimes I hate him!" Apart from the gospel the law leaves us broken and needy.

It is in the gospel where God's standards are met, his law is fulfilled, sin is forgiven, and we are restored to him. The reality of our justification before God through Christ liberates us from the law's condemning power and produces in us a delight in God's law and a motivation to keep it for God's glory and our good.

Is the law our delight? It really depends on whether the gospel is our hope and boast. If it is, then the law does not condemn us, but guides us. It shows us God's way, reminds us of our need for the gospel, and as we walk in it the law leads toward the good of our neighbors and praise of our God (Matthew 5:16). That is our delight.

Re:Train

The Resurgence Training Center (Re:Train) prepares missional leaders for ministry. View the professors, catalog, and application at retrain.org.

To answer any significant question about where we come from, why we are here, what is right and wrong, who God is, and where we are going when we die requires doctrine. Subsequently, everyone has doctrine. The only question is whether it is truthful, biblical, and helpful.

Admittedly, in the name of being doctrinally vigorous, some people go too far and put secondary issues—those that are unworthy of battling over—in the closed hand of conviction. Conversely, some people do not go far enough and put in the open hand primary issues that are worthy of battling over. In writing Doctrine, my coauthor, Dr. Gerry Breshears, and I sought to follow the storyline of the Bible and focus on the major unifying, liberating, and life-changing doctrines of the Bible.

The timing of this book is incredibly significant. At the very least, evangelical Christians in general, and younger evangelical Christians in particular, seem incredibly confused on doctrine. One study revealing the incredible need for Doctrine is the third wave of the National Study of Youth and Religion (2008) (see note below). It reports the beliefs of the 13.5% of emerging adults (ages 18 to 23) in the United States today who self-identify as Protestant Christian and who attend an evangelical church at least “two to three times a month”:

• 97.2% believe in God.
• 96.6% believe that Jesus was/is the Son of God who was raised from the dead.
• 96.4% believe that God created the world.
• 89% “definitely” believe in angels.
• 76.2% “definitely” believe in demons.
• 82.5% “definitely” believe in any form of afterlife.
• 83.0% believe in astrology “not at all.”
• 83.2% believe in reincarnation “not at all.”
• 94.8% “definitely” believe in miracles.
• 95.0% believe in a coming judgment day, when God will reward some and punish others.
• 91.2% believe that God is a personal being who is still involved in the world today.
• 81.9% believe that only people whose sins are forgiven through faith in Jesus go to Heaven.
  Corollary: 5.3% say that only good people go to Heaven; 2.5% say that all people go to Heaven; 4.9% believe “something else” about Heaven, and 2.2% “don’t really know or care” who goes to Heaven. 3.3% don’t believe in Heaven at all.
• 1.6% tries to include practices from Buddhism, Hinduism, Zen, or other Asian religions.
• 85.5% say that it is “okay for religious people to try to convert other people to their faith.”
• 71.8% say that Christians should only practice one religion.
• 24.6% say that it is okay for Christians to practice other religions as well. (Another 3.6% don’t know.)
• Less than two-thirds (66.2%) say that “only one religion is true.”
• 70.8% say that it is not okay for Christians to “pick and choose their religious beliefs without having to accept the teachings of their religious faith as a whole.”
• More than one-quarter (27.0%) thinks that it is okay to “pick and choose.”
• 89% say that they have “a lot of respect for organized religion in this country.”
• Almost one-quarter (24.3%) agrees with or is still undecided about moral relativism.
• 36.0% “agree” or “strongly agree” that “we should adjust our views of what is morally right and wrong” to reflect changes in our world.
• 52.0% “agree” or “strongly agree” that people should not marry someone of a different religion.

REMEMBER: These statistics are from the 13.5% of emerging adults (ages 18 to 23) in the United States today who self-identify as Protestant Christian and who attend an evangelical church at least “two to three times a month.” In Doctrine we hit all these issues and many more in a readable manner.

Note: The National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) is the most comprehensive and rigorous social scientific research ever conducted on the religious and spiritual lives of American youth. It is based out of the University of North Carolina and the University of Notre Dame. The wave 1 survey was conducted among American youth ages 13 to 17 between July 2002 and April 2003, and produced a total N = 3370. Most recently, a third wave of the survey was conducted from September 24, 2007 through April 21, 2008 with the same respondents—when they were between the ages of 18 and 23 years. (This is during the first half of what developmental psychologists call “emerging adulthood.”) The National Study of Youth and Religion was generously funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and is under the direction of Christian Smith of the Department of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame. For methodological details and related publications, visit: http://www.youthandreligion.org/.

Mars Hill Global

Serving the church and spreading the gospel. Help support this effort by giving to the Global Fund. More info at MarsHillGlobal.com.

with Nate Navarro

1. Know God

• Cultivate a steady devotional and prayer life.
• Participate in gospel-centered accountability, like a Fight Club.
• Serve with the strength God supplies (2 Peter 4:11).

2. Know Your People

• Pastor your Missional Community. Don't just lead discussions.
• Take notice when somebody disappears and make sure they are loved well.

3. Know Your Neighborhood

• Know the culture and relate to it well.
• Know your neighbors and invite them into your community.

4. Don't Go Alone

• Share leadership by appointing leaders for hosting, meals, prayer, and mission.
• Participate in monthly leaders' meetings.
• Participate in monthly coaching meetings.

5. Say Who You Are (And Who You Aren't) Every Week

• Graciously deconstruct the small group/Bible study/social group approach and reconstruct your Missional Community.
• Reaffirm your Missional Community practices each week.

6. Get Out of the Living Room

• Be on mission every month as a community.
• Celebrate life and good culture.

7. Live the Missionally

• Read and apply the 8 ways to be missional.
• Live out loud. Let gospel talk be ordinary talk, not obnoxious but genuine.

8. Eat, Laugh, Pray, and Serve Together

• A healthy group does all four.

9. Share Your Stories

• In the living room.
• On the blog.
• In social media. Use Twitter or Facebook to facilitate community (not replace it).

10. Come to Serve (Not Just Be Served) on Sundays

• Missional community doesn't stop on Sundays.
• Always be the church.

Check out Jonathan Dodson's new site, Creation Project, which includes his writings on Gospel & Culture and Missional Church, at jonathandodson.org.

Gospel-Centered Discipleship

In this book, Jonathan Dodson calls us to fight the good fight of faith in the strength of the gospel. Read a free chapter and get the book here.

Leaders Lead Themselves

Leaders should spend 50% of their time leading themselves. So suggests Dee Hock, author of Birth of the Chaordic Age. When most leaders think of leadership, they think of downwardly leading those for whom they’re responsible. But you really lead upwardly (with those to whom you are responsible), horizontally (with those who are your peers), and, perhaps most importantly, inwardly (you lead yourself). If I am not able to lead myself, how can I lead others? Leadership has a great deal to do with modeling. So what is involved with leading yourself?

When I began to consider self-leadership, my mind raced back to a verse I memorized long ago from Song of Solomon 1:6, which says: “…they made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept!” A modern rendering of that might be: “They made me responsible for taking care of what belongs to others, but I have not taken care of what belongs to me.” I have not done a good job of managing, stewarding, and leading myself, yet I am tasked with trying to lead others.

Self-Management

The two key passages on leadership in the New Testament (1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1) deal primarily with self-management or self-leadership as a prerequisite for leading others. Could it be that the reason so many leaders fail in upward, downward, or horizontal leadership is that they have not done a very good job of inward leading?

A Checklist For Self-Leading

Here are a few areas to consider that are consistent with 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 as you reflect on leading yourself.

1. My gifts. How am I doing at leading myself to know my gifts, stay within my limits, and develop those gifts to their highest, God-pleasing potential?
2. My character. How am I doing at leading myself to be a person of integrity who follows through on promises made and is a person that others can trust?
3. My purity. How am I doing at being careful of what my eyes see, my ears hear, and my mind thinks about? How are my relationships with members of the opposite sex? Do I have guidelines, safeguards, and appropriate and honest accountability?
4. My pride. How am I doing at keeping Christ at the center? Am I the hero of my own stories? Do the words I speak communicate an attitude of arrogance and superiority, or am I characterized by humility and teachability?
5. My pace. How am I doing at leading myself in the use of my time? Is my schedule writing checks my body can’t cash? Am I going at an unbalanced pace that is digging myself, and those whom I lead, an early grave? Do I have a biblical view of work and leisure, or am I a workaholic who gets a sense of self-worth based on my work?
6. My finances. How am I doing at leading myself in the money arena? Do I have healthy protection and checks and balances built-in regarding organizational funds that don’t belong to me? Are there healthy audits over all financial dealing with which I am associated? Do I resist the lusting and grabbing lifestyle of my culture, choosing instead to be content and satisfied with God’s provision? Or is my happiness at the door of the next purchase?
7. My anger. How am I doing at leading myself emotionally? Do I have a reputation for being a hothead and having a short fuse? Do I keep score regarding perceived slights, insults, and put-downs? Do resentment, bitterness, and lack of forgiveness characterize me? One survey I came across revealed that bitterness is the major cause of burnout for men between 38 and 50 years of age.

These are my key areas of “self-leadership.” What areas of self-leadership do you need to focus on?

Pre-order Pastor Dave's new book, Leaders Who Last.

Leaders Who Last

Too many Christian leaders stumble, burn out, or veer off track. Learn how to endure from a seasoned pastor and leadership coach in Leaders Who Last.

Prayer series: Click | View Series

"Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it." John Wesley

What Jesus Said About Fasting

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught a lesson about how and how not to fast:

"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:16-18).

We see that it is important to not brag or boast to others about fasting. The Jews of Jesus' day used fasting and giving to make everyone think that they were more spiritual than others. But Jesus tells us that fasting should be done in secret, so that it can't be used as a way of bringing glory to ourselves. Fasting should make us humble instead of proud. In the end, it is not our works but our hearts that matter to God. God promises to reward openly those who fast and pray in secret.

6 Practical Steps for Fasting

There are several useful steps that you should follow before you begin fasting.

1. Decide which fast is best for you. Due to health reasons, not everyone can do a total fast. Also, sometimes work schedules and other duties may prevent an individual from a certain type of fast. You may want to begin with a partial fast and work your way to a total fast. Ultimately, you should pray and ask God what his will would be for your fast.
2. Decide how long you want to fast. People in the Bible often chose to fast for a certain time period. To prepare their hearts for the seasons, the early church would fast for a number of days before Christmas or Easter. John Wesley chose Friday as a day of the week to fast. This was a day that he set aside for fasting and prayer to the Lord.
3. Consult a physician before you go on an extended fast. If you have any physical problems, then you will certainly want to follow this advice. Fasting can be healthy to the body when it is done right, but it can also be dangerous if you don't exercise wisdom.
4. Make sure that you have time to pray. Although some people fast for health reasons, it will not do you any spiritual good if don't allow yourself time to pray. Be sure to get the most out of your fast and spend plenty of time in prayer. Consider setting aside a few days for a retreat to do so. When was the last time you can remember spending an entire day with the Lord?
5. Slowly introduce soft food when your fast is over. If you have been on an extended fast from solid foods, it is a good idea to slowly reintroduce your system to solid food again. For instance, you may want to eat soup or salad for your first meal. Bananas or other soft fruit are also a great way to break a long fast.
6. Just do it! Many people never fast because they are afraid to or because they have never done it before. Don't let fear or inexperience stop you from experiencing one of God's greatest blessings. Possibly all the great heroes of the faith spent hours fasting and praying to the Lord.

Churches Helping Churches

Who will help local churches in the wake of catastrophes? You can. Learn more here.

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"Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it." John Wesley

Types of Fasting

In the same way that God appointed times and seasons to fast, he also designated several types of fasts. Because of certain medical problems and physical needs, there are different types of fasting. Not everyone can go on an extended 5-7 day fast; similarly, not everyone can totally abstain from food and water.

A person should exercise wisdom and consult their physician if they have any medical concerns before they fast, otherwise it could actually be harmful to your health. However, there are at least three types of individual fasts: absolute fast, solid food fast, and partial fast.

1. Absolute Fast. An absolute fast is conducted by abstaining from all food and water for a certain period of time. This is also known as "total fast." There are several biblical examples for the total fast. Moses and Elijah both abstained from food and water for forty days and forty nights. (Deuteronomy 9:9, 10:10, 18:25-29; 1 Kings 19:8). Although the Bible says they fasted for forty days, many people usually only totally abstain from food and water for three days.
2. Solid Food Fast. A solid food fast is where an individual may drink juice and water, but chooses not to eat solid food. Certain scholars and theologians think that Jesus may have drank water while in the wilderness since the Bible doesn't say that he was thirsty after his forty day fast (see Matthew 4:2). Drinking water while fasting for several days can actually be therapeutic for your body. In any case, you should not fast for more than a week unless you consult a doctor.
3. Partial Fast. A partial fast is where you choose to abstain from certain foods and drinks instead of complete abstinence. The Bible tells us that Daniel abstained from bread, water, and wine for 21 days (Daniel 10:3). Others may choose to fast from television, computer, newspaper, and hobbies. This will help you free up some time to spend in prayer and reflection.

To be continued.

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"Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it." John Wesley

We live in a culture of fast food, instant gratification, and self-centeredness. One of the best ways to get our eyes off of ourselves and back onto the Lord is through fasting. However, fasting has practically been disregarded and forgotten in the comforts of the modern church. Fasting didn't end in biblical times; there have actually been proclaimed fasts in America.

Fasting is nothing new in American history. The pilgrims held three formal periods of fasting before leaving for the New World. During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress proclaimed July 20, 1775 as a national day of fasting and prayer in preparation for the war on independence.

What Is Fasting?

What does it really mean to fast? According to the Oxford Dictionary, fasting means to "abstain from food, especially to eat sparingly or not at all, or abstain from certain foods in observance of a religious duty or a token of grief." Fasting and religious purposes cannot be separated because they are intricately intertwined. The Bible gives us numerous references to individual and corporate fasts. There were even days that were designated each year for fasting and prayer.

Fasting is a gift that God has given to the church in order to help us persevere in prayer. Fasting draws us closer to God and gives power to our prayers, so we will discuss the reasons to fast, different types of fasting, and how to fast.

Reasons for Fasting

People have been fasting since the ancient days of the Bible. The Bible records numerous accounts where people, cities, and nations have turned to God by fasting and praying: Hannah grieved over infertility and "wept and would not eat" (1 Samuel 1:7); and Anna, an elderly widow and prophetess, worshiped at the temple with "fasting and prayer night and day" (Luke 2:37).

Most people fast for religious and spiritual reasons, while others choose to fast for health reasons. There are several specific reasons that the Bible tells us to fast.

1. To be Christ like (Matthew 4:1-17; Luke 4:1-13).
2. To obtain spiritual purity (Isaiah 58:5-7).
3. To repent from sins (See Jonah 3:8; Nehemiah 1:4, 9:1-3; 1 Samuel 14:24).
4. To influence God (2 Samuel 12:16-23).
5. To morn for the dead (1 Samuel 31:13; 2 Samuel 1:12).
6. To request God's help in times of crisis and calamity (Ezra 8:21-23; Nehemiah 1:4-11).
7. To strengthen prayer (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:17-29; Acts 10:30; 1 Corinthians 7:5).

To be continued.

Grow E-Book

Winfield Bevins explains organic discipleship in his free e-book. Get it here.

Prayer series: Click | View Series

If you would endeavor, like men of courage, to stand in the battle, surely we would feel the favorable assistance of God from heaven. For who He giveth us occasion to fight, to the end we may get the victory, is ready succor those that fight manfully, and do trust in His grace.
— Thomas à Kempis

Pray Always

Paul tells us to pray "at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints" (Eph. 6:18). We must develop a lifestyle of prayer. Even when we aren't praying out loud, we can still be in a state of union and intimacy with the Lord.

Be Watchful

Paul goes on to say that we need to be watchful. This means that we must be aware of what is going on around us spiritually. God calls us to be watchmen and watchwomen who will guard against the devil. In the Bible, a watchman would stay awake at night to make sure that the enemy didn't attack while everyone was sleeping. It is our responsibility to be watchful in prayer.

Have Perseverance

Our prayers should be made with all perseverance. God doesn't like weak, powerless prayers; rather he desires for us to persevere in prayer. James tells us, "The prayer of a righteous person has great power" (James 5:16). We need to be fervent and energetic in our prayer life. Don't give up until your prayer is answered!

Pray in the Spirit

The only way that our prayers will ever have power is if they are in the Spirit. The Spirit intercedes for us and reveals the will of God to us (Rom. 8:26). The Holy Spirit gives fire to the incense of our prayer. Jude says that we should build ourselves in the most holy faith by praying in the Spirit (Jude 1:20). The Spirit will build us up, guide us in truth, and give us the strength to pray as we should.

To be continued.

Death By Love

Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears tackle some of the most serious redemptive aspects of Jesus' work in these twelve letters of counsel to individuals. Find out more.