Saddleback, the conference continues

OK, OK, OK… for those of you who watched the video… Wahoo’s wasn’t that bad. In fact, it was pretty good, because I had the Banzai Burrito and onion rings. But, I stand my ground on the fish taco thing.

Nasty with a capital N.

You know, I believe there are some things in life we are allowed to dislike without trying… like sushi and fish tacos.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. But, onto the conference!

The conference is truly the definition of drinking from the fire hose.  I have never before had the experience of sitting in chair for several hours, only to stand up at the end of the day and be winded.

Either there is some amazing stuff being taught here, or I am more out of shape than any human being in history. Actually, that could be a possibility… hmmm.

Regardless, here’s today’s list of prominent quotes, thoughts and ideas to see if any connect with you (Now, where is that donut?) :

• Jesus always expected people to do something when He preached. We need to become churches of application. Knowledge without application produces pride, and knowledge without application brings judgment. We can’t just teach our people, they have to change.
• All behavior is based on a belief, no matter what someone is doing, it’s because of something they really believe.
• Behind every sin is a lie. You find that lie and you and start to take care of the sin.
• What you think you own is really on loan… someone else is gonna have it someday real soon.
• A lot of people are leaving our churches today informed, but nor transformed.
• The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.
• We should get good at worship, it’s the only thing we’re going to do for all eternity that we are doing while we are still here.
• All innovation born in the church was not the product of genius, but despair. We had to come up with something!
• FROM A PASTOR TELLING A PERRSONAL  STORY:  “A woman stopped me at the grocery store and said she was glad she found me and that she asked God to meet with me. I said great, what can I do for you. She said I need your forgiveness and then began to tell me all the things that were wrong with me, my ministry and my church. Then she said she really felt better to get all that off her chest. Finally, she let me know that her family would be leaving the church because they just weren’t getting fed there anymore and asked if there was anyway she could pray for me. The only thing I could think of was… Well, I do have an anger issue and I want to give you a hand gesture right now…”
• Later that same pastor was asked about his spiritual disciplines and he said “I am not disciplined at all, and I am pretty sure that’s how God intended us to be.” (he was hilarious)
• The family is the most important small group in the church.
• If you want real discipleship in the church you need to blur the generational lines. Keeping people in their age designations has kept us from the discipleship that God intended. If we didn’t have these separations then discipleship would be natural.
• Forty percent of the people in church today say they would be involved in ministry but don’t know how to get involved, or have never been asked.

Obviously, it was another good day. Please keep us in your prayers as we have half a day of conference left and a full day of travel. Yep, that means we have a full day and a half today.

Good thing I am not in charge of the math for the church, eh?

Once again, let me know which of these quotes strikes you most, and please, pass this blog along to some friends… we have well over a hundred readers a day, but we are just a few subscriptions away from the century mark and that would be cool!