The Cornerstone

June 29, 2021.Significant amounts of the scriptural narrative captures the heart of church people, but doesn't have the same affect on the secular population that fill our towns. Many Christians want to talk about things of faith that stirs them, but when they try their neighbors eyes glaze over. However, to assume they are disinterested in Christianity is incorrect; we just need to get re-inspired about the scriptural content that breathes life into their world.#JesusStories: There is an intriguing interaction found in Matt 21 when Jesus was addressing the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They were upset that Jesus had tipped over the tables in the temple the day before, and demanded to know the authority by which he did this. The conversation went back and forth a couple times until Jesus said this: "You surely know that the Scriptures say, 'The stone that the builders tossed aside is now the most important stone of all. This is something the Lord has done, and it is amazing to us.' Anyone who stumbles over this stone will be crushed." At this point the religious rulers realized that Jesus was implying that He was being elevated by God, and that those religious leaders were stumbling over Jesus and would be crushed. This did not set well with those leaders, and they walked away plotting how to get Jesus arrested. I am intrigued by the 'Jesus the Cornerstone' image. I propose it would do us well to meditate upon these words for ourselves. It is so easy for Christian leaders to be in the 'church business' and the 'Bible business' and forget to be in the 'Jesus business'. Do you need to stop and remember that the only cornerstone in the Christian faith is Jesus Himself? To remember and recover the 'Jesus-Center-Of-All-Things' message does something to our ministries - a new strength and anointing is released upon our words and efforts. Oh Jesus, lead us back to where we talk more about you and your stories than everything else combined.#DinnerChurchQuotes:*Speaking of a respected mentor: "I'd talk about my fears, and he would talk about Jesus." (Michael Slaughter).*The gospel is the core of the Bible, and the gospel is the story of Jesus. Every time we talk about Jesus, we are gospeling. (Scot McNight)  #PracticalStuff: A few weeks ago our Bible project entitled Jesus Stories was released. This occurred as the result of a partnership with American Bible Society, and we are so thankful for their investment into this project. So, we started passing them out to everyone attending all of our Dinner Churches, and soon people on the sidewalks who didn't even attend our DCs started asking for them. What was initially imagined as a great gift for our people and something for our pastors to preach from, caught a new gear. Now, we are viewing these Jesus Stores as a very meaningful gift for first-time friendships as well. The title, subtitle, and the cover promises to deliver the stories that flowed from the life of Jesus. And as it turns out, many more people are intrigued about that story than most Christians realize. You can order this Bible from this website/books. And due to some very generous donors, the cost is only $3.99/each. What do you think about ordering a case and enable your team to have something compelling in their hands to give away, inside and outside of your DC rooms?Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

A Working Church

June 8, 2021.I saw a bumpersticker some years ago that said, "Jesus is Coming Back...Look Busy"! I have laughed over that statement many times since. But in truth, this is no laughing matter. A church that is not busy advancing the Kingdom of Heaven into the darkened places of this world are in 'mission drift'. And that is not good for anyone.#JesusStories: Jesus told a parable in Matt 20 about a vineyard owner who went out to the marketplace early in the morning and hired people to go work his fields. Then he went back at nine o clock and noticed others with nothing to do, so he sent them to his fields too. Then he went back at noon and again at three in the afternoon and saw still others 'loafing around' (CEV), and he sent them to his fields. Finally he went back at five and found still more who had been standing around all day because nobody had hired them, so he sent them out to join the other workers for the remaining hour. This story is a potent image - it reveals that our Lord is like the vineyard owner who is going back again and again looking for people to put to work in his harvest. This story also reveals the state of many churches who are standing around and not making themselves available to be hired and sent to the fields. This is sobering stuff. Somehow, the American Church has adopted an identity as 'A Listening Church'. We go to church each week to listen to someone sing and listen to someone else do a scriptural teaching, then we go home until next Sunday. And yet Hebrews 10: 24 makes it clear that the purpose of gathering as a church is so that we will 'provoke one another unto love and good works' (KJV). Notice with me that this text isn't asking for mere 'works', but rather 'good works'. There is a Kingdom-centric version of works being requested here. Helping each other is great, practicing random acts of kindness is popular, but Christ-followers are ask to engage in His good works of advancing the inbreaking kingdom into the darkened places of earth. What many Christians need now is for Jesus himself to walk up to them and ask, "Why are you standing around? Let me hire you and send you to one of my harvest fields in this town!" Oh Lord, please talk to us and our people that way.#DinnerChurchQuotes: North American churches today largely focus on attraction strategies, when what they actually need is to develop infiltration strategies. (Chuck Lawless)#PracticalStuff: This year the Dinner Churches in Seattle are feeling stirred to engage in an initiative we are calling TAKE BACK THE SIDEWALKS. Practically, it means that every time we host a Dinner Church, we have a prayer team walking and praying around the six blocks that surround each of our sites. We feel Jesus hasn't only given us rooms full of people to lift, but their entire neighborhoods too. Would you consider adding a prayer-walking team to your weekly Dinner Church? This is big stuff. When we do prayer walks we are dispelling darkness and walking in the very presence of Jesus step-by-step and week-by-week. We should expect this to affect the atmosphere of our neighborhood, breathe increased blessing into homes and families, reduce crime, and literally watch the works of darkness fade while the inbreaking Kingdom swells. Would you be willing to talk this over with your team?Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Rewarded

June 3, 2021.Anything that doesn't match Jesus' words isn't genuine Christianity, no matter how spiritual it sounds. There are numerous examples of this: false humility, using scripture to control others, offering pious prayers in public for personal validation, just to name a few. That said, there is another popular Christian sentiment today that doesn't square with Jesus' words either.#JesusStories: Matt 19 records a story where a rich young ruler came to Jesus asking about eternal life. Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor and come join his disciples. When that proved too large of an 'ask' the young man went away sad. But somehow, that interchange prompted Peter to ask, "Remember, we have left everything to be your followers! What will we get?" (vs. 27). Now you would think this would be the perfect time for Jesus to rebuke Peter like he had done before, but no. Jesus simply told the disciples that for all of their sacrifices, they would be given a hundred times as much in this life, and in the eternal life to come. We need to stop and think about this for moment. There is a false spirituality today that promotes the idea that real servants of the cross should not expect anything in return. And while that sounds like a perfect 'humble servant' attitude, it is different than what Jesus actually offered to his disciples. Jay Richards points out that in Jesus' parables servants were rewarded for investing the resources entrusted to them. Similarly, Proverbs 19:17 says that if you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord - and he will repay you! Today however, such blunt expectation of repayment is uncomfortable for most people. Why are Christians less comfortable with the idea of being rewarded for their kingdom sacrifices than Jesus is? That is something to think about.#DinnerChurchQuotes: What gets measured gets done; what gets measured and fed-back gets done well; what gets rewarded gets repeated. (John Jones) This is a truth about human nature that Jesus fully understands.#PracticalStuff: If we are going to ask people to come to there frontlines of the gospel and work at our Jesus tables, we must boldly tell them they will be rewarded and fulfilled in ways that are beyond what they have experienced; they should expect more fulfillment, more healing, more empowerment for ministry, and more boldness flowing into them as they work at a Jesus Table. Would you consider calling a meeting with your DC ministry team and have a honest conversation about the rewards they should expect from Jesus? You might even do some scripture searches together on Jesus' actual attitude about rewarding the sacrifices of those who work on the frontlines to advance the kingdom of God.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Stubborn

May 27, 2021.The interaction between our personalities and our spiritual leadership is undeniable. Some aspects of our personality gifts allow us to know what God is up to with great clarity, while other innate instincts blinds us to the divine plans. In short, our inward impulses can both help and hinder our leadership. This requires some deep introspection.#JesusStories: In Matt 17, we see a story of a man who brought his son to the disciples to be healed from a severe case of epilepsy, but they failed to heal the boy. When Jesus got there, and saw how his disciples were unable to bring the needed healing he said, "You people are too stubborn to have any faith" (Vs. 17:17). That is an interesting assessment, and I'm sure it caught the disciples off-guard. After all, they had given up their careers and time with their families to walk with Jesus on his missionary endeavors. This 'stubborn' indictment seems ill-fit to them. It obviously bothered them too because once they were alone they asked for a deeper explanation as to why they could not heal the boy. Jesus explained that they simply did not have enough faith. Wow, that must have stung even more deeply than the 'stubborn' statement, and only a few verses later we find the disciples arguing about which of them would be the greatest in the kingdom. How typical. Failure brings comparison with others failures, and comparison brings arguments and posturing. Jesus responded to their 'who's the failure and who's the greatest' convo by pointing at a nearby child and saying that if they didn't change and become like a child, they would never flow well with the inbreaking kingdom of God (Vs. 18:3). And then a chapter later he compounded that same point when the disciples tried to push some children away from bothering Jesus, to which he reacted, "Let the children come to me, because people who are like these children belong to God's kingdom" (Vs. 19:14). Can we hear the leadership lesson Jesus is offering? Most of us do not see ourselves as stubborn. And consequently we do not see how our faith and leadership is being diluted. But when Jesus told us to become like a child, he was pointed us to the simple dependency a child has upon their parent for absolutely everything. We must learn dependency upon the divine. We adults are forever trying to work out partnerships with Jesus while He is trying to teach us to become dependent upon the Fathers strength for ministry that is flowing out of heaven for us every minute of every day. Once we learn to 'depend' and 'rely' upon our Lord, we find a new 'place' and a new 'effectiveness' in the kingdom. Childlike dependency is easy to understand, but so very hard to actually do day after day after day. Lord help us.#DinnerChurchQuotes: "The average child asks 100 questions a day. As middle-age adults, it's down to a handful of questions a day. As we grow older, we lose our inquiring sense of awe and wonder. We forget how to be childlike." -Michael Slaughter #PracticalStuff: Consider taking your team on a prayer walk through your neighborhood. But this time look at it through childlike eyes. Rather than praying what you know to pray about your neighborhood, use childlike eyes to form a dozen new questions about your neighborhood to pray about and discuss in your team meetings. Social scientists say that the process of inculturalization begins only six weeks after a person moves into a new town. In other words, we start becoming blind to the sociological realities around us in only a matter of weeks, and the longer we live there the "blind-er" we get. Following Jesus' cue and embracing childlike wonder can give us new compassion and new vision about God's plans for our neighborhoods.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Something to Obsess About

May 20, 2021.There are many scriptural things to focus upon. Each week when we develop our teachings from the Bible, we find a new insight that captures our attention for those days. And that is good. It is a wonderful thing that the scriptures have the ability to grab our attention over and over again. However, there is one portion that is simply greater than the rest...#JesusStories: The story of the transfiguration creates so many questions: Why did that need to happen? Did Jesus need that glorious experience for his strengthening? And why were James, John and Peter invited to join? It obviously was an enigma to them as it was occurring: the two son of thunder were seemingly struck dumb as the glorious figures gathered, and Peter went into 'ramble mode'. He immediately suggested (Matt 17: 4) that they should build three shelters - one for Jesus, another for Elijah, and still another for Moses. Hmmm. Why is it that we humans are so prone to build stuff when we encounter the presence of the divine? We build buildings, programs, ministries, organizations...all of which are good, but I'm not sure that is God's immediate goal for pulling back the veil and allowing us to see His glory. Because just as Peter was warping into 'build mode' God interrupted him; the presence of God settled upon them in a glorious cloud and out of the cloud spoke, "This is my own dear Son, Listen to what he says!" In other words, stop building stuff to memorialize this moment, and just listen to the words of Jesus. We have a real problem today; we talk about Jesus more than we listen to his actual words. Yet, Jesus' actual words are what we are supposed to build our lives and leadership upon. Not the idea of Jesus, not the gospel as is told by the Romans Road or the Four Spiritual Laws, or any other modernist reduction of the gospel, but Jesus' actual words. Maybe we all need to somehow experience a transfiguration of our own, so we will hear the Father remind us to become enthralled by the words of his Son. Now that is something to obsess about.#DinnerChurchQuotes: "The Rule of Benedict (the founder of the first monastery) – the stranger is to be received as Christ, welcomed warmly, and invited into prayer, the reading of the scripture, and a shared meal." -Christine Pohl#PracticalStuff: Many of our Dinner Churches across the country are still meeting on the sidewalks for Covid reasons, including us. Given that this might continue through the Summer, how are you delivering the Jesus Story? Here are a few thoughts: 1)give them a Jesus Stories bible and talk about the centrality of the Jesus Stories in our lives (order them from DinnerChurch.Com @ $3.95/each), 2)if offering an up-front speaking moment isn't practical, then walk around the 'eating circles' and tell the Jesus-Story-of-the-Day and pray over that circle before moving to the next, 3)type out a Jesus Story on paper and walk around the 'eating circles' handing them out, and give the cliff-notes of the story. However you can, keep the Jesus Stories central in your gatherings...even on the sidewalks.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon 

Guard Against This

May 13, 2021.We live in a physical world, but there are spiritual influences affecting this world. In the last couple years I have witnessed a spirit of hate and division roll into our nation that has separated people in heightened ways on the basis of political party, class, and ethnicity. Further, during this pandemic I have seen the spirit of fear roll into our world that has paralyzed and isolated vast multitudes of our populations. Where is our faith in all of this? A part of spiritual maturity is to be on our guard against spiritual influences that rise up within us, and separate them out from the voice of wisdom. There are a couple other voices that have risen and re-risen throughout human history that we need to address...#JesusStories: Matt. 16:6 says, "Jesus then warned them, 'Watch out! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." He was talking to his disciples, his young leaders in training, when he said this. The Pharisees had a religious spirit about them; they were judgmental of everyone who were not as devoted to keeping the 613 laws of righteousness like the Pharisees were. In view of this, Jesus warned his disciples to not allow an arrogant and judgmental spirit to come upon them. Then there were the Sadducees: they did not believe in the resurrection, or healing, or anything that could not be explained in logical human terms. They might have been good moralists, but they were not people of faith. In view of them, Jesus warned his disciples against reducing down the mystery and miracles of God to only what was explainable. Much would be lost if the expectation of a powerful God longing to intervene upon the earth were to be dismissed. Both of these errant voices have plagued the faith of mankind since the beginning of time, and they are here in full force in the Church today. Judgmental Christians abound and have offended and frustrated people trying to take first steps toward Jesus. Also, gnostic Christians abound too, and have explained away the mysteries, and miracles, and healings, and interventions of our Lord until prayer is powerless and Christianity is just a belief system. Both of these attitudes are caustic to our faith. Even in small yeast-like doses these influences will rise and rise until they dominate our soul and destroy the Christian adventure Jesus has planned for us. Guard against them, Christian Leader!#DinnerChurchQuotes: "Moses spent his first 40 yrs thinking he was a somebody, his next 40 yrs learning he was a nobody, and his last 40 yrs seeing what God can do with a nobody." -Dwight Moody#PracticalStuff: During a leaders prayer gathering this past week, I felt inspired to ask everyone to lift up their hands and look at them. We then asked Jesus to pour his healing into our hands - the very ones we were looking at. We reminded ourselves that Jesus wants to pour out grace, favor, healing, and blessings upon people - He just needs us to be his hands extended. Might you lead such a prayer exercise with your Dinner Church team?Blessings and Boldness,Verlon

Distinctly Different

May 6, 2021.We have a difficult time recognizing season changes in our lives, spiritual lives, and leadership chapters. At least I do. The momentum of the status quo causes us to wake up each morning with the expectations and assumptions of yesterday. But there comes a time when Summer absolutely gives way to Fall, and Fall is distinctly overcome by Winter. The liturgical calendar assumes a certainly seasonality in our spiritual formation. Similarly, a respected pastor in my life spoke of his church going through seasonal changes on a regular basis, similar to the four-seasons of earth. He taught about how he had to adjust his leadership according to the spiritual season his people were in. However, there is one BIG seasonal shift that has affected absolutely everything about our lives. And no I am not talking about Covid.#JesusStories: The Beloved Apostle offered a small but potent insight in John 1:17, "The Law was given by Moses, BUT Jesus Christ brought us undeserved kindness and truth." This verse is worthy of meditation, especially regarding the season change it suggests. Previous to Jesus' coming, the world was in the season of the Law, which focused on the 'right and wrong' of all things. And then there is a "BUT", do you see it? It is here that something different happens - Jesus comes and shifts the spiritual season right before our eyes. We go from a spiritual world governed by the 'right and wrong' of all things to a spiritual world governed by 'grace and truth'. This is interesting on so many levels. The problem with the season of 'right and wrong' was that it left people focusing on their past failures and present struggles. This then gave an opportunity to the accuser and condemner of our souls to constantly undercut our spiritual confidence. Conversely, the birth of the season of 'grace and truth' placed our eyes on Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith. So spiritual confidence can now abound. If we had been present two millennia ago when that season shifted, the radical difference would have marked us. However, some 2000 year later I wonder if we adequately appreciate that difference. Beyond that, during this Reformation Era when the written scriptures was made available to everyone, we have found ourselves broad-brushing all things scripture across all of our lives in such a way that Old Testament verses have commingled with New Testament verses indiscriminately and blurred that critical moment when the world shifted from a 'right and wrong' covenant to a 'grace and truth' covenant. Have you meditated upon that distinct seasonal shift lately? This is the day of grace and truth and underserved kindness. This is the day when truth is a person (Jesus) rather than a list of dictates. This is a day when chapters of grace gives way to even more chapters of grace (most translations use the phrase, "grace to grace"). This is a spiritual season Paul called "The day of Salvation." Are we living and leading in the right season? Because this season is distinctly different than anything the world has ever seen before.#DinnerChurchQuotes: "Romans 14 reveals a dispute in the congregation about the meat 'being served at their Agape dinners' (my clarification). It had been bought at a local butcher shop where ceremonial offerings were prepared for pagan idols. Some Corinthian followers of Jesus were offended by this; still others had become enamored with Paul's message of salvation and the conviction that this grace was so abundantly and freely given that it was not dependent on their personal behavior." -John Shelby Spong#PracticalStuff: The Jesus Stories bibles are NOW HERE! This is a stories-centric bible containing the Four Gospels and Acts, and is designed for secular readers. It is our goal for each of our Dinner Church leaders get a copy of this Jesus Stories bible into the hands of every person in their faith communities. These are nice bibles with water-proof covers that will make for an impressive gift to your people. We have received some grants so we can offer them for only $3.99/each to make them affordable for larger groups. Order them from the www.DinnerChurch.Com store.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Jesus' Actual Words

Apr 29, 2021.There is an angst that shows up in my soul every once in a while. I am such a cerebral person that it is often hard for me to diagnose the reason for this quite turbulence. Am I bothered about something? Somebody? Some impending deadline? Such is the ongoing inner life of Verlon Fosner. Can you relate to this?#JesusStories: Jesus tells a story in Matt 7 about two builders. One of them built their house on the sand, and when the storms came their life collapsed in a heap of ruins. The other one built their house on rock, and when the floods rose their life held steady. Jesus went on to interpret his story by defining the 'sand' as people who build their life on their own ideas, and the 'rock' as people who build their life on Jesus' words. Interesting! Today, there are so many good ideas and resources available right at our fingertips - i.e. our smartphones and google apps. However, this ease of information has subtly undercut a central idea of Christian discipleship - that JESUS' WORDS are the only solid foundational materials available to build our life upon. Can we hear that? Others ideas are helpful, but they are not foundational; the lessons we have learned throughout our life are valuable, but they are not foundational; spiritual writings may be useful, but they are not foundational. The only solid foundational materials available to humans upon this earth are the actual words of Jesus. This understanding will impact our inner lives, our work, our family relationships, and our leadership. Each of the early apostles highlighted the potency of Jesus' Words in their own way.  John reported that he wrote about the life and words of Jesus so that our joy may be full (1 Jn. 1:4). Peter talked about Jesus' words as the cornerstone, and that anyone who places the weight of their life upon it will not be disappointed (1 Pet 2:6). Paul said he was not ashamed of the stories of Christ, for they were the power of God  (Ro 1:16). Now, back to my inner-angst; I have learned in my 62 years of 'doing me' that what I need most in those angsty moments is just to hear Jesus talk. His written stories combined with His inner-stirrings have the ability to restore my soul, renew my courage, and replenish my peace in the most interesting of ways. While I still benefit from other insights, and writings, and counselors, the foundational stability of my life rests solely in the ACTUAL WORDS OF JESUS. Do you need to stop and hear what this story is saying, and reposition your salvation and leadership upon Jesus' Words?#DinnerChurchQuotes: Why were Jesus’ words so powerful? Because they contain the living essence of Jesus’ presence. -Rex Miller#PracticalStuff: Consider having a leadership huddle with your Dinner Church team about the power of Jesus' actual words in their interactions. Once your team has internalized the Jesus Stories for themselves, these stories will start flowing out of them naturally and powerfully. Thus, their effectiveness in evangelism, discipleship, and preaching will spike in noticeable ways. There is an anointing that flows from us when we become fascinated by Jesus' words. Have your team put this to the test: have them read and internalize a Jesus Story every day for a week, and then report back to the group what happens. This is the BIG STUFF of a Jesus Table.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Your Yeast

Apr 22, 2021.Leadership is an interesting thing. There is both knowledge and attitude that must flow from a leader to direct and inspire the group they are serving. But what is that 'secret sauce' a group needs from their leader? That is always the question of the day.#JesusStories: Jesus told a parable in Matt. 13: "The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a woman mixes a little yeast into three big batches of flour. Finally, all the dough rises." While there is drama in waiting for dough to rise, I am most intrigued by the image of the 'yeast' in this story - that small ingredient that must be present for bread to become impressive. For us in the Christian faith, the 'yeast' that makes us rise into a strong people is undoubtedly the presence of Jesus living within us. When we quiet ourselves to pray, the Spirit of the Lord begins to rise within us in yeast-like fashion, and comfort, and courage, and renewal, and wisdom rises too. We are PROFOUNDLY BLESSED because of the active ingredient of Jesus at work in our lives - the author and finisher of our faith. This makes my soul thrill just to talk about it.However, there is another way to look at yeast. Everything our Lord is doing upon the earth needs us, his body, to actually deliver it. His inbreaking kingdom plans needs his church to enact them. Subsequently, this means that Jesus needs his leaders to step up first, and be the yeast that inspires the rest of the family to engage in those plans. Leaders are always the yeast in Jesus' world. Let me offer some yeast-like elements that needs to be flowing out of Dinner Church leaders: 1)your team needs to see you turning strangers into friends over and over again, 2)your people need to hear Jesus Stories coming out of you every time you open your mouth publicly and personally, 3)your team needs to hear you offer bold prayers of healing and miracles whenever someone needs it, 4)and your team needs to see a lion-like desire to pull people free from oppression and a dogged determination to flood the inbreaking kingdom of God into your neighborhood. These things become the yeast of leadership - the repeating behaviors of leadership - the secret sauce of leadership that makes dinner churches thrive. And may the Lord infuse his yeast into you everyday so you can make your team and church rise in something wonderful.#DinnerChurchQuotes: "It remains for us to take up courageously and without hesitation the work He has given us, which is the task of living our own life as Christ would live it in us." -Thomas Merton#Practical Stuff: How long has it been since you have taken your core team through a book together? Team book-reads are a powerful way to keep your group growing in their Christlikeness, in their leadership, and in their teamwork. Have your team read a chapter, underline the highlights, and then get together to discuss your 'underlines'. In this way your group can 'own' a book in a very deep way. If you have already read through the books I've written (available on DinnerChurch.Com), then how about 'Table Talk' by Mike Graves, or 'From Tablet to Table' by Len Sweet. They are both wonderful! Keep your leadership team growing; you have a new congregation to form in the likeness of Christ.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon 

The Kingdom Has Come To You

Apr 15, 2021.Evil is real. Thankfully, so is the Kingdom of God. And we are servants of the latter. But do we have confidence in our authority to dispel darkness when we come up against it? Truthfully, most US Christian leaders are avoiding this topic altogether; they would rather not tangle with the obscurities involved. And besides that, there are many other things we can do inside the organized church: board meetings, staff meetings, visiting people in the hospital, teaching the scriptures, etc. But, will we ever learn to take a stand against the works of evil like our Master did? This question creates much angst in many of us, I know.#JesusStories: In Matt 12, Jesus cast out a demon that was making a man both blind and mute. So remarkable was the miracle that the crowd marveled, and started to ask for the first time if Jesus was perhaps The Messiah. When the Pharisee's heard this, they countered with the idea that Jesus Himself was filled with demons, and that was why he was able to control the demon that was in the blind man. I can just see Jesus shaking his head at the foolishness of that notion. He then told them that any kingdom who is working against itself cannot stand, and if Satan is casting out his own demons, he will be unable to advance his dark strategies. Then Jesus pivoted the conversation and said something quite powerful: "When I force out demons by the power of God's Spirit, it proves that God's kingdom has already come to you." In other words, the ability to exercise authority over evil and drive darkness backwards is proof that the kingdom of God is flowing through us. It is possible to be working in Christian organizations and yet not be working in the kingdom of God. Wow. There is a very real conflict between the 'inbreaking kingdom of God' and the 'uprising kingdom of darkness'. Soberness needs to be felt, choices need to be made, prayers of surrender need to be offered, and Christian leaders need to move beyond their job descriptions and find their place in the advancing kingdom of God. Leadership maturity in such a kingdom is the ability to push back evil, and advance the kingdom into new places. And according to Jesus, the power for such a role is already here...it came with him and never left. Oh Lord, anoint us to be the kind of leaders who can kick in the front door of the strongman, any day of the week and twice on Sunday.#DinnerChurchQuotes: When you stand before God at the end, God won’t ask, “Why weren’t you more like Moses?” It is more likely He will ask, "Why weren’t you more like you? I already had a Moses.” (Tod Bolsinger quoting a Rabbinical Teaching)#PracticalStuff: If you are a student of history, you know there is a big gospel wave coming our way; big revival waves always follow a profound downturn throughout human history. This means that our Christian leadership needs to find a new sense of readiness. Would you be willing to call yourself into a day-long prayer retreat? And ask the Lord what kind of leadership He needs from you as this Gospel Tsunami approaches? These insights are not the result of previous training - they come as 'Spirit calls to Spirit' and 'Deep calls to Deep'.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Provable Wisdom

Apr 8, 2021.Most of us long to be wise in our leadership. In fact, we probably pray for wisdom often in the shadow of James 1:5. And that is good. But, if we'd be honest, there is still a mocking voice within us at every critical turn. And of course, there are questioning people around us at every turn too. Will we ever see wisdom show up in such a way that our inner and outer detractors are silenced? Ah...such is the inner questioning of the Christian leader.#JesusStories: No one has ever been questioned or derided any more than our Lord when he walked this earth. At one point in Matt 11, he spoke to his detractors about their insatiable mocking nature. He pointed out that John the Baptist came without eating and drinking, and the mocking crowd said that he had a demon in him. And now that Jesus spends so much of his time eating and drinking, the mockers say is that he eats with sinners. How dare he. And of course he is able to cast out demons because like John, he has a demon in him too. Can't the voice of criticism ever come up with some new material? Today we hear the same things circling around from church to church: "you're preaching has lost something", "your leadership ideas are ill-thought-through", or "you keep asking too much from us." Christian leadership has always been exercised in the midst of furrow-browed critics from the time of Jesus to the present. But I love the way Jesus ended this particular qripe session, "Yet Wisdom is shown to be right by what it does." In other words, let's just see how things turns out. This is a big truth here: Wisdom is proven by divine results. And while that might seem weighty at first glance, we have been given the repeating behaviors of Christ that creates these divine results: prayer, healing, eating with sinners, time with the poor, talking about the inbreaking kingdom, breathing comfort, etc. Can we be confident that if we start repeating Jesus' behaviors in our leadership, that wisdom and the gospel will flourish around us? We can be.#DinnerChurchQuotes: "A consumer lifestyle can't be overturned by criticism, it can only be outclassed by the Christlike lifestyle." -Graham Cray#PracticalStuff: The Jesus Stories bible is only a week away from distribution. We are asking each DC leadership team to figure out a way to get one of these bibles into the hands of every new congregant Jesus has given them. These bibles are written for people with no Christian history, and focuses on the story rather than the verse. Can you start making plans to acquire these? And then start preaching from this bible in your dinner church gatherings? The cost is under $4 per bible, and they will be available at DinnerChurch.Com very very soon.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Despite Our Failings

Apr 1, 2021.Holy Week is an opportunity for us to re-experience the Lord's last days upon this earth. Some are guided through this time with formal liturgies, others are making extra time for prayer and reflection, and still others are simply reading the Gospel narratives of these final events. Whatever your approach, the heart of Holy Week is that we all experience purgation, which in the words of Robert Mulholland is "a renunciation of all blatant inconsistencies with wholeness in Christ." I'm quite sure we can always benefit from prayers of purgation.#JesusStories: It is Thursday morning as I am writing this piece, and is the approximate time in that first Holy Week when Jesus and the disciples had finished their Passover meal and were now walking toward the garden of Gethsemane for a final prayer time together. As they walked Jesus said, "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith will be strong. And when you have come back to Me, strengthen your brothers." This is such a stirring story, especially for anyone who is willing to let the Lord sift them like wheat. What a picture. Just as wheat needs to be shaken so that its husk is separated from its kernel, so do we need to be shaken so that our self-dependency is separated away from our Christ-dependency. And I notice from Peter's account that Satan was the instrument of the shaking. In point of fact, evil and darkness is often used by the Lord to separate away our self-reliance. Take a moment to remember those historic words, "they meant it for evil, but I have used it for good." When evil brushes against Jesus' people, He uses it to shake away 'self' and reveal an unobstructed 'divine-dependency' in us.Something else about this Peter story that stirs me is when Jesus said, "But I have prayed for you Peter." Take a moment and let that sink in - Jesus praying for Peter. And I'm very sure he prays for you and me too. Have you stopped to consider what a powerful thing it is for the Son of God to actually pray for us? If I am filled with expectation when my family and friends pray over me, I am doubly-filled with expectation to think Jesus is praying over me. And yet, this is the job he took right after his ascension - to sit at the right hand of the Father and make constant intercession for us. This is perhaps the most overlooked victory of the Resurrection, that Jesus is now alive to pray for you and me throughout the whole of our lives. Lift up your head and inflame your courage; the Risen Savior is praying for you and me right now! And just as Jesus knew Peter was going to fail in the heat of his sifting moment, Jesus still believed in Him, prayed for him, and knew he would come back strong to strengthen the Church for the rest of his life. Know this: Jesus is praying for us during our sifting moments too. And despite our failings, He is expecting us to come back stronger than ever, and fully empowered to strengthen the Church the rest of our days.#DinnerChurchQuotes:

• "Our soul is restless until it finds rest in thee O Lord, for thou has made us for thyself." -St Augustine
• "There is one thing that would dramatically change the world we live in and help return us to our rootedness in Christ: Bring back the table!" -Len Sweet

#PracticalStuff: Can you get to a table sometime in the next week, and engage in a soul-deep conversation with someone? In this way you will help sift their soul, and they help sift yours. Never under-estimate the specialness of a Jesus Table to increase our dependency upon our Lord.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon 

Preaching to the Poor

Mar 25, 2021.Some ministry assignments are exciting and esteeming; some are not. When I've been  directed by the Lord toward some tasks, it is amazing how quickly I have found myself wondering how it will look to my peers. We all want to be engaged in honorable and noteworthy ministry. But how do we handle the less-than-honorable assignments that Jesus needs us to do? Are we willing to pursue them despite how it will look to our ministerial cohorts?#JesusStories: Matt 11 tells of an interaction between Jesus and Johns' disciples. John had been in-prisoned by Herod and sent some of his men to inquire if Jesus was really the Messiah? Jesus' reply was eye-opening: "Go tell John...the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is being preached to the poor." Notably, this was the list of salvific activities that Jesus read from Is 61 at the synagogue when he announced his mission at the beginning of his ministry. In other words, he was doing exactly what the prophecy said the Messiah would do - healing folks and preaching to the poor. On the list of ministry tasks, healing is an impressive assignment. Most of us won't refuse that assignment (unless we've been weirded-out by a TV evangelist). But preaching to the poor? That isn't a very impressive ministry engagement. Our clergy friends might say things like, "How's your church service for the homeless going?" Or, "How are you ever going to fund your church by reaching out to those people?" But you will get the point - ministry to the poor isn't impressive to your friends. Now if you were building a multi-million dollar church campus, hiring a multiple staff, and drawing in thousands every week to hear you preach - now that would be impressive. But doing church for the poor? Not so much. And yet, that was exactly how Jesus VALIDATED his ministry. Let me say this plainly: any Christian leader who is preaching to the poor will make a deep impression upon Jesus Himself. And that should mean something.#DinnerChurchQuotes: "Church Leadership in this Post-Christian Era is about disappointing your people over and over again at a rate they can absorb." -Tod Bolsinger#PracticalStuff: A significant percentage of the Gospels reveals Jesus being with the poor. This is supposed to be an ongoing activity of Christian leadership. So when are you going to be with the poor next? Here is a profound cornerstone of discipleship: PUT IT ON THE CALENDAR! I know, I know, that sound too simplistic. But if you never get around to calendarizing your Christ-like-ness, it remains 'all talk'. So, when are you going to be with the poor next? Do you have a Dinner Church? Can you find a nearby Dinner Church to attend? It is most likely that you'll find financially-challenged people at a Jesus Table. A lot of Christian discipleship is about just showing up at the right places with the right folks.

Laughed At

Mar 11, 2021.No one enjoys being laughed at. We all have a basic need to be respected. But that doesn't always happen in this broken world. Sometimes we deserve the ridicule, because we are doing something foolish. Foolishness happens. But sometimes being mocked forces to face an important leadership question: What is my capacity to be ridiculed while pursuing something the people around me do not understand?#JesusStories: Matthew 9 records a story where Jesus entered the home of a young girl who had died. In fact, the mourners had already arrived to grieve with the family. These mourners were like the Hospice professionals of the day; it was their job to pronounce and deal with death. But when Jesus walked in he said, "Get out of here! The little girl isn't dead. She is just asleep." To which these learned and paid professionals laugh at him, because they knew better. We all know the end of the story; Jesus took her by the hand, raised her up, and walked her out the front door to the shock of those who had been wagging their heads only minutes before. It was an interesting day to say the least. But there is a leadership issue that presents itself in this story. How do you feel about working alongside Jesus who is often laughed at? Do you have enough metal in your soul to help usher in divine plans that are going to initially be mocked by society or members of your family? God's ways are always higher than man's ways, so there will always be room for His plans to be misunderstood, ridiculed and mocked. And if you are partnering with him on those plans, you too might be laughed at. Are you good with that?Many Christian leaders have walked away from divine strategies because they did not want to be laughed at. I refer to this as the 'Wilt Chamberlain Syndrome': Wilt was one of the great basketball players from generations ago. Though everyone else shot their free-throws overhand, Wilt shot his free-throws underhand, granny-style. Though it looked awkward, Wilt had a very high percentage of free-throws shooting this way. After years of success, he suddenly refused to do the granny-shot any more, and shifted to shooting overhand. Immediately his free-throw percentage plummeted to a pitiful percentage, but he never went back. The reason? It made him feel stupid. Many leaders are suffering from 'Wilt Chamberlain Syndrome', and cannot partner with Jesus in some of his inbreaking Kingdom plans. While they have the theological insight to know what Jesus is up to, they also know that people in their family, church, and town will initially ridicule them. And they back away from the Lord's best interventions. This is an important leadership discussion, especially in this day when Jesus is moving upon the earth in so many new ways. So I ask again, How do you feel about working alongside Jesus who is often laughed at?#DinnerChurchQuotes: I went to Asbury Seminary and told my dorm-mates I wanted to change the world for Jesus, and they laughed at me. Now 36 years later I am disturbed, not that they laughed but what happened to that boy that thought Jesus could use him in a significant way. I miss him; I want him back. -Jorge Acevedo#PracticalStuff: An important facet of self-leadership is keeping yourself encouraged. My father used to read the biographies of men-of-faith to keep his spiritual leadership potent. Other Christian leaders rely heavily upon their prayer-life for this. All good stuff. But for those on the Dinner Church trail, it can get lonely. Who is another Dinner Church leader that you can hang out with? In-person or virtual? They might need you as much as you need them. But one thing for sure, being with others who are called to the same path you, is strengthening. Can you get with someone this week? And you can always feel free to drop into DC LEADERS PRAYER/CONVO'S on Thursdays at 4:30pm pacific time, which is our weekly half-hour heartbeat. (Zoom Meeting ID: 825 4419 7948).Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Why Are You So Afraid?

March 4, 2021.Each of us deal with fear throughout our days. But sometimes, we need to deal with it as Enemy #1. As a young man in my twenties I realized how pervasive the voice of fear was in my life, and how much it was ruining my relationships and weakening my ministry. It was even beginning to affect my marriage. Thankfully, I had some seasoned men of God that helped me face off with the spirit of fear - like Paul talked about with young Timothy. Looking back, winning the battle over that voice turned out to be one of the greatest spiritual steps I've ever taken. It closed many darkened doors in my future, and opened up many kingdom doors for me, my family and ultimately the churches I served. At some point, most of us need to rise and attack the voice of fear.#JesusStories: Matthew 8 tells of a day the disciples were rowing across Galilee when "a terrible storm suddenly struck the lake." Terrible storms are the perfect metaphor for understanding fear - they both come upon us suddenly and paralyze us. That was surely occurring with the disciples as they panicked and called out for Jesus' help, but he was asleep in the bow of the boat. I love the image of a sleeping Jesus - it is a picture of a man who is not being victimized by fear. Maybe one day we can all be like him and take naps during storms. When Jesus awoke amidst their shouts he said something very unexpected, "Why are you so afraid?" Wow, that is a bigger question than most realize. Forty years ago, I needed that question to be pressed into my soul over and over again until it changed me.Whenever Jesus asks this question, it forces his people to face their humanity. Humanly speaking, terrible storms are the perfect times to be afraid. Sitting in a boat with three foot sides while being slammed by ten foot waves is a rational time to panic. Right? But here is another critical lesson about the nature of fear - it usually stems from an honest concern. In this year of Covid deaths, mounting suicides, spiking drug overdoses, increasing poverty, and decreasing church engagement, these are good reasons for us to fear. And yet, Jesus would still ask his famous question, "Why are you so afraid?" He wants us to understand the why beneath our fear. And we must confront that why before we will have mastery over that voice. The why beneath our fear is always the same - the storm is bigger than our abilities. For the disciples: the ten-foot waves were bigger than their three-foot boat. For us: the contagions, the grief, the poverty, and the losses are bigger than our capacity to respond. When the human-limitation-perspective prevails, the voice of fear becomes overwhelming.We however, have been called to enter into the God-perspective, the faith-perspective, the Jesus-who-can-color-outside-the-lines-perspective. This story ends with Jesus commanding the waves to settle down, and him going back to his nap. The disciples were left in a quiet boat to wrestle with their limitation-perspective that dominated them. They had a choice to make. We have a choice to make.#DinnerChurchQuotes:

• My biggest fear is failure. On second thought, my biggest fear is rejection. On third thought, actually my biggest fear is the shame that comes from rejection after a failure. -JR Briggs
• Leadership is the constant process of conquering fear. -Don Ross

#PracticalStuff: This might be a great time to call your leadership team together for an Acts Prayer Gathering - to make the spiritual journey from fear & weakness to boldness & strength. Start by reading Acts 4:23-31.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Taking Orders

Feb 25, 2021.We live in an egalitarian world. Western civilization is rooted in the same Greek-based social construct that spawned democracy. So, any suggestion to 'take orders' tends to rub us the wrong way. On top of that we have a situational storm brewing; the idea of anyone exercising authority 'over us' is becoming referred to more and more as toxic - especially if it is a man. And truthfully, many have exercised their authority without humility, which has led to this generalized frustration with men and power. And yet, a scriptural understanding of power and authority reveals it as one of the great blessings God has given to the world. Hmmm. But it is scary stuff to talk about in this day, much less endeavor to practice.#JesusStories: Matthew 8 tells of a Roman army officer who comes to Jesus requesting healing for one his servants. Jesus generously offers to go with the pagan officer to his home to heal the man. Interestingly, the officer objected and said, "Lord, you do not need to come to my house. I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. If you will just give the order, my servant will get well." Here was a man who understood power. Perhaps his training in the Roman military had taught it to him, or perhaps he was naturally insightful in the nature of power. Either way, he had the ability to take one look at Jesus and recognized His great authority. Do we recognize the nature of Jesus' authority as simply as this officer? We know that Jesus is the son of God and has been given all authority, that is clearly stated in the great commission. But have we connected the dots like this Roman soldier did? That Jesus' word is all that is needed to change major things on this earth? A right understanding of Jesus' power would undoubtedly change the way we view healing, evangelism, lifting the poor, the mission of the Church, and many other strategic components of the inbreaking Kingdom of God. Could we ever see these things as "orders" rather than theologies. And subsequently, could we expect divine power to accompany these "orders" as we engaged in them? Having a proper view of Jesus' use of authority gives us a proper view of ourselves and how Jesus' power is handed over to us as we carry out His orders and download His divine interventions upon the earth. This is the assumption of our working relationship with Christ. Surprisingly, Jesus credited this cursed Roman officer as having great faith, just because he understood the nature of power. There is some deep substance here for us; the size and scope of our faith is wrapped around our expectation that Jesus' power will flow through us. Anyone under Jesus' orders is able to expect Jesus' power. And that is no small thing in Christian leadership.#DinnerChurchQuotes: "As Christians, we should rarely find ourselves defending the Bibles authority. Rather its authority becomes undeniable when its compelling reality is visible among us." -David Fitch#PracticalStuff: Last week I invited you to a weekly DC LEADERS PRAYER/CONVO on Thursday evenings @ 4:30pm (pacific time). However, the zoom link I posted became corrupted. Here is the new one: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82544197948. Can you join us? Every vision needs a heartbeat. This is ours.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon 

First

Feb 18, 2021.If Covid has done anything, it has increased the digital noise flooding upon each of us. Zoom invites, email advertisements, text advertisements, and message waiting & notice beeps sounding from all of our devices. Something is dinging every couple minutes and calling us to respond. This is our life now. And it is not as though we didn't have enough distractions before 2020. All of this is probably disturbing us more than we realize. I actually had a dream a couple nights ago that I was could not find my office. And later I was a bird that couldn't find a branch to land on. (No wonder I woke up tired). Where might your pandemic displacement be symptomizing?#JesusStories: I am deeply thankful for Mt. 6, where Jesus addressed our human tendency to get all spun up in worries: not enough food, not enough clothes, not enough time, not enough money, etc. The concerns that are avalanching upon us right now are actually rooted in this age-old list of worries. Speaking to this human condition Jesus instructed us to stop trying to solve tomorrow and come back to the provisions of today. "Tomorrow", he said, "will take care of itself." Once we put away the concerns of tomorrow, the restoration of our souls begins. So simple but so true; So basic but so transformative. However, it is vs. 33 that speaks loudest, "More than anything else, put God's work FIRST and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well." (Contemporary English Version). This is big. When we get swallowed up in distractions and a multitude of voices, we really need to know what is FIRST. When we begin to drown in our schedules, it means we lost our FIRST. I know that sounds odd, but the human mind must always know what is FIRST. When we have our FIRST in focus, order is restored. In this verse Jesus reminded us what our FIRST is. And this is it - to engage in God's inbreaking kingdom plans! When we put tomorrow away and engage in the work Jesus has for us today, divine order and unexplainable provision starts flowing into our lives. Those needs we would normally worry over resolve naturally. Here is the truth of it - when we focus on Jesus' work, he focuses on our concerns. Lord, help us direct our time and money FIRST toward your inbreaking kingdom, because we know you are focusing upon us.#DinnerChurchQuotes: It is clear from the NT that the Early Church saw itself as living in 'the time between the times' - the time between Jesus' disarming the powers of darkness and taking his seat at the right hand of God, and the time when his reign shall be unveiled among the nations. -Lesslie Newbigin#PracticalStuff: We all need to meet and talk and ask questions and share stories. To that end, I have began weekly Prayer/Convo for Dinner Church leaders on Thursdays @ 4:30pm (pacific time). These are half hour segments for us to strengthen each other in the Jesus Table vision that has been entrusted to us. I'd love to have you join in each week. The zoom link is:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81244786858Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Sitting In Fertilizer

Feb 11, 2021Until 100 years ago, the only fertilizer available was animal manure. Farmers across the globe used it generously to increase the yield of their crops. In other words, there was always a moment in the harvest cycle when things got smelly. Have you ever felt like you were stuck in one of those smelly seasons? Have you felt like your church has been sitting in some fertilizer lately? It might not be as bad as it feels.#JesusStories: In Luke 13, Jesus tells a parable about a tree in a garden that was not producing fruit. The owner of the garden became frustrated and asked the gardener to cut it down. But the gardener appealed to the owner: "Sir, let it alone this year until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that, you can cut it down." We don't know the ending to this story precisely because Jesus wanted to focus on the process of turning dormant lives into fruitful lives. He wanted us to know that when we get a shovel full of manure poured all over our lives, it is designed to make us more fruitful. And when our church suddenly find themselves sitting in smelly circumstances, that too is call to prepare for greater fruitfulness.If this Pandemic has done anything, it has dumped a truck load of issues all over our lives. Shutdowns have led to massive business closures, and heated debates about reopening schools have erupted all around there land. The courts have become filled with charges and counter-charges about orders and regulations. Just this past week alone, two supreme courts have struck down governors' orders to continue to shutter churches in their States for reason of constitutional overreach. Yes, our governmental leaders at every level have struggled to find balance: Vaccines, no vaccines, masks, double-masks, indoor distancing, outdoors distancing, no church, no more than 25 people in church, and if you go - no singing in church. Yes, the smelly circumstances continue to press in all around us. AND YET, the Lord is doing something important! Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, is using this particular version of manure to ready his people and his Church for an upcoming season of fruitfulness. If we focus on the fertilizer, we will feel hopeless. But if we focus on the forthcoming harvest, we will find our spirits saying, "Lord, do in me and my church what you need to do. We want to be at our best come harvest time."#DinnerChurchQuotes: The Great San Francisco earthquake, WWI, the communist revolution in Russia, The Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918, and the Great Depression all contributed to the rise of America's Great Awakening that started at Azusa Street. -Daniel Tomberlin #PracticalStuff: This is a great time to prepare for the forthcoming harvest by doing dinner Church training with your team and your church family. Might I recommend my book, "Welcome to Dinner Church", as a training tool. It is a small book that is priced so that a leader can grab one for each of their people, purchase one video companion for the entire group, read one chapter at at time, answer the questions in the back, come together once a week, play a 10-minute segment from the video, and use the remaining 50 minutes for discussion. In this way you can help your people, who were discipled in a traditional church, learn how to become effective at a Jesus Table Church. This is the season to get ready for something great. And if your church has already been delving into training - GET OUT THERE! Even if your State disallows indoor gatherings, set up a canopy tent on the sidewalk and serve up the New Passover from there. Our neighbors are struggling; they need us now.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

The Challenge of Good Works

Feb. 4, 2021.I have noticed that it is rather difficult to engage in meaningful good works. It's far easier to talk about good works, than it is to show up and actually do them. They are not as readily available in society as we'd wish. Occasionally, we can help the proverbial "old lady" cross the street, or help reach something off the top shelf for someone at the grocery store, but those efforts falls short of something that is trying to climb out of our soul - especially as we mature in Christ. How do we engage more deeply in the world of Good Works?#JesusStories: In Matthew 5:14ff, Jesus noted that nobody in their right mind would ever light a lamp and then hide it under a basket. Rather, they would put it on a stand so that it gives light to all who are in the house. Jesus then used that image to reveal how our lives are like those oil lamps, and that the light showing forth from our lives are to be in the form of unusual Good Works.There is much for us to unpack in these three little verses. Initially, the oil within us that causes our lives to shine is not our own - this oil is the presence of the Spirit who lives in us and flows out of us. This is something different than the kind of works we can enable through our strength, our personality, our gifts, and our winsome ways. Neither are these the kinds of works that someone can do by merely practicing random acts of kindness. The kind of works that flow from the Spirit are on the level of what we saw flowing from the life of Christ: healing, prophetic insight, prayer with authority, profound sacrifice, etc. These are the Good Works Jesus was talk about - the kind that causes society to say, "Wow, only God could help them do that!"One of the reasons Rome turned to Christianity in the Fourth Century was because of the contrast between the Christians and the Roman citizens during the back-to-back plagues that besieged their cities. Out of a sense of self-survival the Romans packed up, left their sick family members behind, and headed for the isolated countryside. However, when they returned home after the plagues subsided, they found their homes swept, in order, family members nursed back to health, and those who died were buried with honor. All of this because the Christians refused to leave the sick behind to die alone; the Spirit within them called them to stay where healing and comfort was needed. Such sacrificial Good Works caused the returning Romans to say, "Wow, only God could help them do that!" Christian history is filled with mere people engaging in Works that are simply beyond human capacity. May that heritage of Jesus-sized Good Works continue throughout our lives. Lord help us!#DinnerChurchQuotes: The communal reality of holy living, mutual support, and sacrificial service in the New Testament is called koinonia. -Darrell Guder#PracticalStuff: Jesus Tables are ripe environments for Jesus Works. Setting a table, eating with strangers, praying healing over the broken, sacrificing for new friends, and telling the life-giving stories of Christ naturally enfolds us in the kinds of Good Works spoken of in Matt. 5. So next week at Dinner Church, you go and Work the Works of Him who has sent you!Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Opening Up The Heavens

Jan. 27, 2021.I have noticed something about me - I seldom recognize my self-centeredness when it shows up. Melodee seems to recognize it though...whoa. (Truthfully, it's a good thing I have her). As thoroughly human as self-interest tends to be, it comes at a cost.#JesusStories: Matthew 23 is an interesting chapter because of the way it chronicles how leaders can appear spiritual while actually being self-serving. Seven times throughout this Messianic rant, Jesus said, "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" I guess there was one hypocrisy for each day of the week. :) But what bothers me about this chapter is how these leadership woe's obscure and frustrate the plans of God. Jesus said to the spiritual leaders of his day, "For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men." This is the cost of self-seeking, self-indulgence, and self-aggrandizement in ministry. I am pretty sure that like me, you want no part of a form of leadership that shuts up heaven. Thankfully, Jesus offered a cure to woeful leadership when he said, "But he who is the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." In other words, any Christian leader who desires to become effective and skillful at opening up the heavens, humility is required.#DinnerChurchQuotes: The world doesn’t need religious organizations but communities that demonstrate Christ’s reckless love. -Michael Slaughter#PracticalStuff: We have recognized a weekly need for Dinner Church leaders to gather/talk/pray; a 'meet-you-at-the-drinking-fountain' kind of thing. Accordingly, I am proposing that starting Thursday Feb 11th at 4:30pm (pacific time), we gather via zoom for 1/2 hour for a DC LEADERS PRAYER/CONVO. There will be zoom links coming later, but for now I'd like to hear from you. Would you benefit from a short weekly touch-point like this? Does the suggested time work? Talk to me.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon