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Archive for category Spiritual Insights

It’s not what you say…

Dec 10

Posted by Clayton Bell in Church Planting, Cultural Commentary, Spiritual Insights, Trinity New Life Church | No Comments

…it’s EXACTLY what you say.

Words matter. Greatly.

And while they will never replace the move of the Holy Spirit in someone, they certainly can be used of the Holy Spirit to welcome, disarm, comfort and open people up. Which is why I’ll be stealing a large portion of the welcome below used by Matt Chandler of The Village Church in Texas.

“Good Morning. My name is Matt Chandler I am the Lead Pastor/Teaching Pastor here at The Village. If this is your first time visiting with us I want to welcome you. I am guessing that if this is your first time here you are in one of two lanes. The first lane is that you are a believer with a background in church and you’re new to the area or are just checking out our community. If at some point in the next hour or so your heart and mind are moved and you want to know more about us, you can fill out one of the cards in the seatback in front of you and either drop it in the joy boxes or, and this would be our preference, walk across the parking lot to the white portable buildings and there are some men and women over there that can answer any of the questions you might have about the church. The second lane is that you’re here today and you aren’t a Christian and don’t have a background in Church or not a recent one anyway. I want to welcome you. This is a safe place for you to have some doubts about what we are saying to be skeptical and curious. There are no doors that are closed for you here so explore as much as you want. Go to a home group, check out Recovery, help us mentor local students, hop on a plane to South America or Africa and help us, help others. As a former agnostic myself, I have a great deal of respect for the genuine seeker. If we can help answer any of your questions or serve you in anyway let us know.”

It’s not bowing so far to visitors that it waters anything down, but honors them and recognizes the culture shock that may be taking place when they come to church. As people who swim in this church culture I don’t think we realize how big of a shock it is for many to come to church. Read the whole post here, which includes highlights of how God’s used it to impact visitors.

Do you do something similar in your church? How much do you take visitors into account during worship, announcements, the message, etc?

I hate HELL

Dec 8

Posted by Clayton Bell in Church, Church Planting, Leadership, Spiritual Insights, Trinity New Life Church | 3 Comments

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t real.

If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.- Revelation 20:15

book-of-life

I know too many people who’s names are not currently written in that book.

Too many.

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.- 2 Corinthians 5:20

Am I taking this seriously enough?

Are you?

How to handle suffering

Dec 7

Posted by Clayton Bell in Leadership, Spiritual Insights | 13 Comments

Matt Chandler, one of the best and brightest gospel preachers in the US, recently had a good portion of the right frontal lobe of his brain cut out after doctors found a mass there.

Here is a video of him speaking to his church about it.

If something happens in my life, I pray I suffer so well.

PS- Matt is openly Charismatic, and thousands around the world were praying and fasting for healing, so this wasn’t someone who thought suffering was the only option.

The Sin of Texting

Dec 7

Posted by Clayton Bell in Cultural Commentary, Leadership, Social Media, Spiritual Insights | 9 Comments

texting while driving

This past week my wife and I drove to Jacksonville and back to attend the Every Nation Winter Conference. Nearly everyone we passed on the road was doing something on their cell phone.

In case you’ve never seen this, it’s truly terrifying to watch someone texting at 60+ MPH. I don’t know why people aren’t wrecking all the time. (BTW, I’ve stopped doing this while driving. I promise)

And then you remember all the times you’ve done it. But when you did it, you thought you were in control, that you’d be able to avoid the consequences.

I think it’s very similar when it comes to sin in our lives.

We see others do it, we see how crazy it looks, how terrible it is. When we do it, we rationalize and trust in ourselves to not let it impact others.

But I wonder what it looks like to God?

I believe in ghosts

Nov 17

Posted by Clayton Bell in Church Planting, Leadership, Spiritual Insights, Trinity New Life Church | 3 Comments

church-ghosts

Since I’ve become a church planter I’ve become a believer in ghost.

No, no the Bill Murry-type of ghosts, or the Poltergeist kind. I’m talking about the ones who look human but are, in fact, ghosts.

These specters come out of nowhere, appear to have supernatural talents in an area you need help, and then, just as quickly, disappear. It’s…spooky…

They tell you this will happen when you’re going into church planting. They tell you to get ready for it. And you agree with them, and nod your head. But in your mind, you’re thinking “not me, I’m not gonna be fooled. I’ll learn from their mistakes.”

And then the ghost comes along, and you get your hopes up, and you ignore the trail of ectoplasm they’re leaving behind them. And you start planning with them in mind. And they they get ghostbusted or something. And they’re gone. And you’ve got slime all over your hands. And maybe I’ve taken this metaphor a little farther than I should have.

Look, when you’re a leader, you need to be optimistically cautious when people come around. Perhaps God is providing, so be optimistic first. But be cautious and ask them to demonstrate faithfulness first. Look to their character, not their talent.

Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?

Have you been visited by a ghost lately? Have you been a ghost?! Be honest…

“Oh no!”- Lessons from Caroline

Nov 16

Posted by Clayton Bell in Our Family, Spiritual Insights, Trinity New Life Church | 2 Comments

spilled_milk

Saturday morning, during her breakfast, Caroline began throwing things on the ground. First her cup of milk (covered, thankfully), then the covering on her tray. Her response?

“Uh Oh!”

My response?

“No ‘Uh Oh’; say ‘Sorry.’”

When you spill the milk, literally or figuratively, and you do it on accident, you say “uh oh.” When you throw the milk down, that’s no accident. That deserves a “sorry,” because “sorry” recognizes you caused the situation, not that you happened into it.

We do the same thing with God. We sin, and we say “Uh Oh!” We choose to do wrong, to speak wrong, to think wrong, and we say “uh oh!” We need to come to God, recognize we chose to sin, and repent/say “sorry.”

Then, and only then,  will we see transformation in our lives.

For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right.

More Tim Keller Awesomeness

Nov 13

Posted by Clayton Bell in Church, Church Planting, Cultural Commentary, Leadership, Resources, Spiritual Insights, Trinity New Life Church | 2 Comments

keller200You know I love me some Tim Keller. Man’s got game. Smarts. Insight. Fruit. Hair.

Well, three of four ain’t bad.

His church in NYC, Redeemer, is currently casting the vision for their next ten years. Here’s how they described the RENEW campaign:

By the end of this next decade the vision is to have three strong congregations serving a total of 9,000-10,000 people, worshipping at 7-9 locations and 12 or more services around the city, drawing many more un-churched people into a relationship with God, and with a reputation for serving and loving those in the city who don’t share our beliefs as well as loving those who do.
Keller’s been preaching a series of messages tying a key theme of the Christian life with hope and showing how it should be lived out in the city. The sermons are available for free HERE during the campaign.
Download them. Listen to them. Listen them again. You’re welcome.

The psychic answer to prayer

Aug 31

Posted by Clayton Bell in Church Planting, Leadership, Spiritual Insights, Trinity New Life Church | 7 Comments

cash

Weeks ago we began talks with a local organization to rent their facilities for Sunday church services. We prayed God would provide a favorable offer, since as a church plant we have a very limited budget. He did, but that’s not the point of this story…

Right after beginning talks with the organization, I felt God stirring me to pray for The Landlord to come along. This landlord wasn’t the person we’d be dealing with in literally renting the facility, but was someone who would offer to pay for our entire first rental contract. I just knew The Landlord was out there, and prayed for him/her to help us launch this great work of God. But since I didn’t know what the rental price was yet, I hadn’t spent too much time praying for him/her yet.

This week we received the final number on the rental contact, and I conveyed my desire to pursue the opportunity with the board of our church plant. The moment I hung up the phone with the board members, I received an IM from The Landlord. This person agreed to pay our entire first rental contract. I’d barely prayed for them, but God knew even before we’d asked Him!

We plant, we water, we pray, we cultivate…but no one is more responsible and more passionate about building the church than God. He’s got bigger plans for Trinity New Life Church than I could even imagine.

I’m just glad He’s let me come along for the ride. How about you?

So you want to plant a church…

Aug 18

Posted by Clayton Bell in Church Planting, Leadership, Spiritual Insights, Trinity New Life Church | 3 Comments

Hey, did you know I’ve been working on planting a church? It’s called Trinity New Life Church, located in the greater Tampa Bay area. I’m three weeks in, and I’m already done with most of the hard stuff.

Planting a church is SUPER easy. It doesn’t take that much time away from your family, doesn’t require much faith, and really doesn’t involve raising any money. There’s lots of people around you who are 110% committed to the vision, everyone who says they want to be involved stays involved, and you’re always 100% sure of what you’re doing.

Planting a church is basically drinking 600-calorie coffee drinks on a daily basis, not gaining any weight, and discussing ideas about how to impact people without talking to any of them. 45% of church planting is wearing jeans and a graphic t-shirt while preaching to a crowd, another 45% is wearing an embroidered long-sleeve button down shirt and jeans while preaching to a crowd. 10% is prayer and effort.

Yeah, so only the first two sentences of this are true. Church planting isn’t like that at all.

I’m going to make a concerted effort to get back on the blogging train, though the focus of the blog may be turning from less cultural commentary to more spiritual insights and church planting reflections. I know that may not apply to some of the readers, but hopefully you’ll still get a kick out of it.

Oh, and if you ever have any questions about church planting, please don’t hesitate to ask. We’re all in this together!

Praying the wrong prayers

Aug 18

Posted by Clayton Bell in Church Planting, Leadership, Spiritual Insights | 5 Comments

The other night I found myself praying for my daughter as I rocked her, trying to calm down and work through the pain of teething. I was praying for God to take all of her pain away, to make everything peaceful and calm for her. Then I realized how wrong I was.

Did I think my daughter was going to live a pain-free life on this side of eternity? Did I really believe she’d never endure a broken nail, a broken bone, or a broken heart? As much as I want that for her, I know it’s not possible in this fallen world to completely avoid pain. Nor do I think it’s a biblical expectation. So what do I pray for her? Do I just leave her be?

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.- James 1:2-4

Then I started praying different prayers. I prayed that Jesus would strengthen her to overcome, strengthen her to endure. I prayed she’d be stronger because of what she’s enduring so that she’ll be able to overcome later on, and help others to do the same. I started praying realistic prayers.

So let me ask you…

Have you been praying the wrong prayers?