March 15, 2020 How is the Novel Coronavirus affecting the landscape of the church in my community, country, and the world? I’ve noticed a change in the spiritual landscape of the church for several years. I’ve observed and participated in viral movements of Christ's gospel in places where it’s illegal to have gatherings of believers, yet the message of Christ and the church continues to prevail mightily, but its form is very different than what we value and celebrate here in the US. I’ve observed that most people value size and quality programming in American churches. I’m not against large churches and I’m not against quality. I just think it’s far more important to us than it is to Jesus. Here’s what I think Jesus values…the mission of God's kingdom (Matthew 6:33). This means sending capacity over seating capacity. This means significance is not about size. This looks like people receiving Christ and following His example of loving God and others. Here’s the challenge:
'Earn the Ask' by Timothy Moore I read an article today about the decline of the church and its influence in America. Such articles abound. Yet this week, I saw people make the decision to trust the Lord Jesus. I had people, in one of the least churched areas of North America, ASK us to share Christ with them. In fact, I've had close to a thousand people outright ask, and then pray to receive Christ, in the past three years. How? I'm glad you asked! In a moment, I'll share some stories that will answer that question. But first a few affirmations. First, the gospel will ALWAYS be the the very "power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). Second, people are still responding to the gospel. All people are looking for Jesus Christ, they just don't know it yet. He is still the answer. Third, people want to hear the gospel, but they want to hear it from someone they trust, someone they are convinced cares about them. Kids,