Your Seed Sowing Action Plan

 

Hello my brother; hello my sister, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of

encouragement for village church planters.

In your village church planting training center, you learned the four Seed Sower

Tools. You learned the reason you should make disciples is based on your

identity in Christ. You have been made new and you are an ambassador for

Christ. This is the first tool. The second tool tells you who to share the Good

News with. You create a relationship map showing people you know who are

far from God. Your relationship map helps you remember to pray for these

people for whom Christ died. The third tool reminds you of what to say. Now

you can share your testimony in 15 seconds and you can share the Good News

using three circles.

But what about the fourth tool? This tool can be a little bit intimidating. It is

an action plan. The fourth tool answers the question “When will I make

disciples?” Some people don’t like to make plans. They just take life as it

comes. They say this is a better, less stressful way to live. But people who do

not make plans do not accomplish much. King Solomon, a man filled with

wisdom from God, had some wise words for people who do not make plans. He

said in Provers 6:6-11:

"Go to the ant, you sluggard;

    consider its ways and be wise!

It has no commander,

    no overseer or ruler,

 yet it stores its provisions in summer

    and gathers its food at harvest.

How long will you lie there, you sluggard?

    When will you get up from your sleep?

 A little sleep, a little slumber,

    a little folding of the hands to rest—

 and poverty will come on you like a thief

    and scarcity like an armed man."

If you want to gather a spiritual harvest, you need to follow the example of the

ant. You need to make plans and take action now. We do not know what the

future holds, so we need to make plans to help people be restored to God now.

The Seed Sower Action plans simply asks four questions: When will you pray for

people on your relationship map? When will you share the Gospel? When will

you teach other people to use the Seed Sower Tools? And, when will you teach

other people to obey the Seven Basic Commands of Christ?

As a church planter, if you make plans each week to carry out each of these

four action steps, and then carry out your plan, you will bring in a great

harvest!

Don’t be afraid to make plans. Make plans in faith and trust God to work through you.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

    If you have found this message to be helpful, please forward it to fellow church

planters and disciple makers who may need encouragement. Feel free to share

it on What’s App, Facebook, and other platforms you use to connect with

others.

Be encouraged, God is with us!

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #SeedSowerTools #ActionPlans

www.vcpencouragement.org 

The Three Circles: Restored to God

 

Hello my brother; hello my sister, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of

encouragement for village church planters.

Very shortly after I understood the Good News of Jesus, repented of my sins and put

my trust in Christ, I was challenged to memorize a verse from the Bible. The very

first verse I ever memorized as a new believer were the words of Jesus recorded in

John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may

have life, and have it abundantly.”

Even though I was young, I wanted an abundant life. I wasn’t sure what all Jesus

meant when he offered an abundant life, but I understood him to mean that if we let

him be the King of our life, he would lead us into a life of peace, joy, and purpose.

The Three Circles Gospel Presentation tells us that the world we live in is broken. The

thief, Satan, has killed, stolen and destroyed lives. The second circle tells us that life

in our world hasn’t always been broken. The third circle tells us that if we crown

Jesus as the king of our life, we can be restored to God and live according to his

original design.

But what does it mean to be restored to God? To be restored to God means to live in

peace with God. It means to live as a child of God. To be restored to God means we

know God as a good and kind Father. To be restored to God means we know that He

will never leave us or forsake us. To be restored to God means we can live an

abundant life in this world and live eternally with God in the world to come. To be

restored to God means to walk in his presence from here to eternity. People who are

restored to God walk with him and learn to obey him. As we walk with him, God in his

goodness transforms our way of thinking and our way of living so we reflect his

goodness in a broken world.

As a village church planter you have the glorious privilege of helping people be

restored to God. The word of God is powerful and that power to redeem and restore

people to God is in your hands. You have the wonderful privilege of helping people

stop rebelling against God and start living the abundant life Jesus promised. So as you

go to minister to people who are suffering and without hope, go out full of hope.

Though the world is broken, you know the way to restore people to God.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #John1010 #ThreeCircles

www.vcpencouragement.org

The Character of a Leader - Integrity

 

This is Chuck Rapp with a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Today, I’d like to begin a series of messages regarding the character of a leader.  Or, we might say, the qualities exemplified in the life of a good and godly leader. 

The foundation for godly character is our love for God and our obedience to Him.  The gospel of John is very clear about this.  Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commands.” (14:15).  Acts 5:32 says that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. 

Upon this foundation of obedience to God, I would suggest that the cornerstone, the chief building block of character, is Integrity.  Here is one dictionary definition of Integrity.  “The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.”  I find it both very interesting and significant that this non-biblical dictionary definition places emphasis upon moral principles and moral uprightness. 

What are some of the key areas where Christian leaders need to demonstrate integrity?  I would like to suggest the following three areas, but there are actually many more.  

Leaders must demonstrate integrity in their handling of finances.  Money is often accompanied by temptation.  There are temptations to misuse ministry funds for personal need.  Temptation to distribute ministry funds in ways that bring the expectation of personal favor in return.  In America, we call that “with strings attached”.  1 Timothy 6:10 warns us that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 

Leaders must also demonstrate integrity in family matters, especially in the area of marital fidelity or faithfulness.  Hebrews 13:4 very clearly states this.  “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”  Paul, writing in 1 Timothy 3:2-5 said “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, …. for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church.”  [emphasis added]

Leaders must demonstrate integrity in their speech.  As Christian leaders, we must have integrity - we must have alignment or consistency - between what we say and what we do.  In the Amplified version of the Bible, Ephesians 4:25 tells us “Therefore, rejecting all falsehood [whether lying, defrauding, telling half-truths, spreading rumors, any such as these], speak truth each one with his neighbor…”

I encourage – and pray for you as Christian leaders - live lives of integrity, especially in these three areas. 

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

vcpencouragement.org

The Three Circles: Nature Reveals the Goodness of God

 

 

Hello my brother; hello my sister, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of encouragement for village church planters.

Psalm 19 says that “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

There is a message in the sky and it’s a message about the glory of God.  Wouldn’t it be wise to help people look at that message and understand it? 

Romans 1 tells us that “since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.”

What we can see and learn about God by looking at his creation is called general revelation.  One of the reasons I really like the Three Circles Gospel presentation is because it is based on both general revelation, the truth revealed about God from nature, and special revelation, the truth revealed about God in the Bible.

The great thing about general revelation, the message about God written in the sky and in all of creation, is that everyone can see it.  That’s why we draw the circle with the heart and say, “But a broken world was not God’s original design. He created our world so that we could experience his love and so that we could love one another. The world he created was good. We can still see glimpses of God’s original design in the beauty of a sunrise or in the smile of a small child. How have you seen a glimpse of God’s original design?”

When we ask this question, we are asking our listeners to remember messages about God that they have received by observing creation… even if they didn’t realize that God was speaking to them through creation!

 When a person who is listening to the Three Circles remembers something beautiful in creation, he or she often feels a sense of peace.  This is a wonderful thing.  God uses that sense of peace to help your listeners open their hearts to the truth about God you will share by drawing the circle with the cross. 

So as you draw the circle with the heart and tell about God’s original design, trust God to bring peace to the heart of your listeners. Listen carefully as they respond to your question, “How have you seen a glimpse of God’s original design?”  If you do, you may hear one more way that the heavens declare the glory of God; one more way that the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

The Three Circles is a beautiful way to tell the Good News of Jesus to those who have never heard.  The more you tell it, the more you appreciate it.  But don’t let this story become so familiar to you that you fail to understand and feel just how glorious it is.

As a Village Church Planter, you have been given a powerful tool.  Use it well!

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #ThreeCircles

The Character of a Leader - Integrity

 

This is Chuck Rapp with a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Today, I’d like to begin a series of messages regarding the character of a leader. Or, we might say, the

qualities exemplified in the life of a good and godly leader.

The foundation for godly character is our love for God and our obedience to Him. The gospel of John is very clear about this. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commands.” (14:15). Acts 5:32 says that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him.

Upon this foundation of obedience to God, I would suggest that the cornerstone, the chief building block of character, is Integrity. Here is one dictionary definition of Integrity. “The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.” I find it both very interesting and significant that this non-biblical dictionary definition places emphasis upon moral principles and moral uprightness.

What are some of the key areas where Christian leaders need to demonstrate integrity? I would like to suggest the following three areas, but there are actually many more.

Leaders must demonstrate integrity in their handling of finances. Money is often accompanied by temptation. There are temptations to misuse ministry funds for personal need. Temptation to distribute ministry funds in ways that bring the expectation of personal favor in return. In America, we call that “with strings attached”. 1 Timothy 6:10 warns us that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Leaders must also demonstrate integrity in family matters, especially in the area of marital fidelity or faithfulness. Hebrews 13:4 very clearly states this. “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” Paul, writing in 1 Timothy 3:2-5 said “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober- minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, …. for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church.” [emphasis added]

Leaders must demonstrate integrity in their speech. As Christian leaders, we must have integrity - we must have alignment or consistency - between what we say and what we do. In the Amplified version of the Bible, Ephesians 4:25 tells us “Therefore, rejecting all falsehood [whether lying, defrauding, telling half-truths, spreading rumors, any such as these], speak truth each one with his neighbor…”

I encourage – and pray for you as Christian leaders - live lives of integrity, especially in these three areas.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

The Three Circles - Crowning Jesus As King

 

Hello my brother; hello my sister, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of encouragement for village church planters.

I wanted to be forgiven.  I really did.  I had heard that Jesus wanted to forgive me and that was good news.  I understood that Jesus had paid the penalty for my sins by his death on the cross.  I had come to believe that Jesus really did rise from the dead.  But I just wasn’t sure that I could trust him with my life.

The people who shared the Good News of Jesus with me said that I should make Jesus the Lord of my life.  When we share the Gospel using the three circles, we ask people to “crown Jesus as the king of their life.”  But regardless of the words people use, making Jesus your Lord or crowning Jesus as king of your life means you have to give up a whole lot of decision making power in your life.  And that is not easy!  At least it wasn’t easy for me.

I think many people wonder if Jesus is really trustworthy.  If I crown him king of my life, will he ask me to do things that I don’t want to do?  Will he make my life hard for me?  If I follow Jesus will people reject me or criticize me?  These are the questions that many people ask themselves when they hear the Good News.

Once we start asking these questions, a battle breaks out in our heart.  The Spirit of God is telling us that Jesus is good and he is God.  He can be trusted.  The world, the flesh and the devil are tempting us to reject Christ so we can maintain “our freedom” or “our dignity in the family and in the village.” 

Praise the Lord! In my life God’s Spirit gave me the victory.  And he gave you the victory as well.  Because the Spirit of God was at work, we were born again.  We did trust Christ and we were forgiven of our sins and given the gift of eternal life. 

You are a village church planter.  I know I have said it before, but let me say it again.  As a village church planter, you are a co-laborer with Christ.  As you share the Gospel using the three circles, the Holy Spirit is at work drawing your listener to Christ.  Your job and my job is to cooperate with the Spirit as our listener, or friend, struggles in his heart and mind with the world, the flesh and the devil. 

How do we cooperate with the Spirit as we invite people to crown Jesus the king of their lives? We certainly pray silently as we listen to our friend’s response.  We may share a brief testimony of how we trusted Christ or a word about how we have found that Jesus is good and trustworthy.  We may just wait patiently and silently while our friend struggles to decide if he or she wants to put their faith in Christ.  But that moment when we invite our friend to make Jesus the Lord of their life is a holy moment.  There is no rush.  There is no hurry.  We know the Spirit is working.  We know there is a spiritual battle underway. But we cannot make the decision for the one who is confronted with a life changing opportunity.  When we share the three circles, we are messengers, not decision makers.  We do our best to communicate the love of Christ and we wait for our friend’s response.  Will he or she crown Jesus the king of their life?

My word of encouragement for you today is to tell the Good News often.  Tell it well. Tell it with patience and love.  We never know who will respond to the Gospel.  I know my friends were surprised that I did.  Maybe your friends were surprised as well.  But what a wonderful surprise it is for us as evangelists and church planters when a friend does say “yes” to Jesus and is born again.  Seeing a life transformed is worth it all.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

 

If you have found this message to be helpful, please forward it to fellow church planters and disciple makers who may need encouragement.  Feel free to share it on What’s App, Facebook, and other platforms you use to connect with others.

Be encouraged, God is with us!

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #CrownJesusKing #ThreeCircles

The Three Circles - Repent

 

Hello my brother; hello my sister, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of encouragement for village church planters.

The Three Circles Gospel presentation is a beautiful expression of the Good News of Jesus Christ.  If you have not yet mastered the art of drawing each circle, one by one while you explain the Good News, I want to encourage you to keep practicing.  Ask a trusted friend or fellow church planter to listen to you and help you express the Gospel clearly.  We have a saying in English, “Practice makes perfect.”  It means that in order to improve, you have to practice. This is certainly true with the three circles.

As you draw three circles and explain the Good News to a friend, you are telling a story.  It is a sad story about a broken world.  But it is also a story that is full of hope. There is a better world and Jesus has made a way for us to experience that better world. How wonderful!

Do you remember when you first heard this news?  I do.  I really wanted a better life.  I was tired of feeling guilty all the time.  I wanted to be forgiven.  Knowing that there was a way to be forgiven made me feel glad and gave me hope.  But it seemed like there was a condition.  Yes, Jesus loved me. Yes, Jesus paid the penalty for my sins on the cross. Yes, God wanted to make me his son.  “But.”  But I needed to repent, turn away from my selfishness and put my trust in Christ.  That thought scared me.  I was not sure I wanted to repent.  I was not sure I could repent.

As you draw the three circles and tell the Good News of Jesus, your listeners may respond just like I did.  They may be afraid to repent.  They may be afraid to crown Jesus as the king of their life. So, when you draw the person kneeling at the bottom, right side of the diagram, proceed slowly.  Explain clearly what it means to turn away from our rebellion against God and put our trust in Christ.  Say something like this: “When we turn from our selfish, rebellious, broken ways and put our trust in Jesus, God forgives our rebellion against him. He restores us to a relationship with him and makes us a new creation so that we can begin to live a new life according to his original design.”  Say these words slowly and lovingly.  Check to see how you listener is responding.  This is not a time to condemn.  It is a time to give hope.  God will receive your listeners and help them put their trust in him.

I know that you can be an effective evangelist.  Practice telling the story of God’s love as you draw the three circles. Slow down when you come to the part about repentance and crowning Jesus as King.  Don’t condemn.  Give hope to your listeners.  God is with you.  The Holy Spirit is at work.  You are a co-laborer with Christ!

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

If you have found this message to be helpful, please forward it to a fellow church planter or a disciple maker who may need encouragement. Ask them if they would like for you to keep sharing A word of Encouragement for Village Church Planters with them.  Feel free to share this podcast with those who would like to receive it on What’s App, Facebook, and other platforms you use to connect with church planters and disciple makers.

Be encouraged, God is with us!

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #ThreeCircles #Repent

www.vcpencouragement.org

Generosity

 This is Chuck Rapp with a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. 

As I write and record this message, it is less than 2 weeks since we celebrated Christmas.  Though I no longer get excited for presents, my 9 and 6-year old grandsons certainly do!  These days I find enjoyment in watching them open gifts on Christmas Eve when we’re together. 

We’re reminded in John 3:16 that because God loved, He gave).  Further, 2 Peter 1:3a tells us that “His divine power has given us all things toward life and godliness.”  [emphasis added]

As His disciples we want to follow His example and instructions.  Galatians 6:10 reminds us “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” 

John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church from whom many of us, myself included, in OMS, have our spiritual roots, said nearly 300 years ago that we are to “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” 

The Lord wants us not only to be generous in our behavior; He wants us to have a generous spirit. 

On several occasions I’ve observed VCP leaders share money from their own wallet with church planters or coordinators who were in need.  I’m touched, encouraged, and challenged by their generosity.    

Paul wrote to the Philippian church in chapter 4 “Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. (14) ..  for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. (16) I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (18-19)

Note that Paul describes the gifts from the Philippian church as “a fragrant offering and an acceptable sacrifice”.  It is in this context that Paul assures them that “God will meet all their needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” 

As we are generous, our motivation is key.  We are to be generous out of obedience to Christ, not so that we receive some blessing. Having said that, obedient generosity places us in God’s economy where we’re the recipients of His assurance that “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."   (Luke 6:38)

The Lord wants us not only to be generous in our behavior; He wants us to have a generous spirit. 

 

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  

The Three Circles God Intervenes

Hello my brother; hello my sister, my name is Dean Davis and this is a word of encouragement for village church planters.

How has it been going for you as you share the Three Circles Gospel presentation? I can imagine that as you share the three circles you are finding that many people agree with you when you say that the world we live in is broken.  It saddens me to say that the brokenness of our world is more and more apparent every day. As I prepared this episode of the podcast, my country is going through some difficult and embarrassing political turmoil.  All of our country’s wealth and all of our country’s education could not deliver us from the deep divisions we are experiencing.  Yes, the world we live in is broken.  But as we look at the natural world, we understand at least in part that God is good. His goodness is on display throughout creation.

So the truth described in the first two circles is pretty obvious to everyone: the world is broken, but brokenness is not part of God’s original design for the world.  The truth described in the third circle is not so well understood, but of the three circles, it is the one that provides the most hope.

The third circle is all about Jesus, how he came into our world, how he led a live of love, how he allowed himself to be crucified as a sacrifice for our sins and how he rose from the dead, victorious over sin, death and brokenness. The third circle tells about God’s intervention.  It tells us about a redeemer who come from outside our brokenness to bring healing and hope.  This story is so wonderful, Jesus himself called it Good News. But the third circle is the part of God’s story that is least understood by hurting people in the world.

As a village church planter, you may be asking yourself, “What can I do to help people understand the third circle so they can put their trust in Christ and be saved from the brokenness that is in the world?

Let me share with you what I find to be most helpful:

Pray.  Pray for yourself to tell the story well.  Pray for your listeners that God will reveal himself to them as they hear the Good News.  Pray that others will not disturb you as you speak and not disturb them as they listen.  Pray that you will be filled with great love for the people you are speaking to. Trust God to fill you with his Holy Spirit.  Pray.

And relax.  You may be very anxious and concerned about saying everything perfectly.  Don’t be anxious. Relax and do your best. God is with you and he is the one that is at work to help your listeners put their trust in him.

Know what you want to say, but don’t hurry.  Stay focused and tell the story of Jesus as you draw the third circle. Don’t get distracted; tell the story, proclaim the Good News. Then leave the results in God’s hands.  Some will repent and believe without delay.  Some will reject you and your message.  Some will want to know more.  Trust God. He is at work.  And remember, as you share the Good News, you are bringing glory to the One who came to save you. And that is always a good thing.  Don’t quit!

 

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

 E1-21

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #ThreeCircles

 

The Three Circles Attempted Escape From A Broken World

 

Hello my brother; hello my sister, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of encouragement for village church planters.

The more I use the Three Circles Gospel Presentation, the more I appreciate the broad truths about God and about people which it communicates.  I hope you are drawing the three circles often to explain the Good News of Jesus.  One of the unique aspects of the Three Circles which is not found in many other Gospel presentations is the circle that represents our broken world and the way people try to escape from brokenness. 

Because there is so much brokenness in our world, people try to escape. Some try to escape by earning a lot of money. Some try to get a great education thinking that their knowledge will allow them to escape the suffering they face in a broken world. Others try to escape by gaining fame. Others try to escape through spiritual practices and religion. Other people try to ease the pain that comes from brokenness with drugs and alcohol.

As you share these observations with people in your village by drawing the three circles, your listeners may identify with one or more of the commonly attempted escape routes.  If they do, take time to dialog with them.  We are not saying that money, or education or fame or even religion is necessarily bad.  What we are saying is that these things do not allow us to escape from the brokenness that is in the world. 

Many people who are working hard to become rich or famous or to be a religious expert know from experience that these things do not satisfy.  If they can express their own dissatisfaction with their own words, it will be good.  If not, you can just keep telling the story.  No matter what circle you are drawing, you want to be attentive to the thoughts, ideas and experiences of your listeners.  The more you understand the people listening to you and the more you feel the pain that they have experienced, the better you will be able to point them to the Savior.

So as you draw, draw slowly.  Speak clearly. Listen from your heart.  You are not the only one speaking.  They Holy Spirit is doing his work, speaking to the hearts of your listeners. Give your listeners the opportunity to listen to Him as well as to you. Slow down, ask questions. You will want to ask, “How have you seen indications of brokenness in our world?” You may want to ask, “How have you seen people trying to escape from the brokenness that is in the world?” Most people will recognize that their efforts to escape brokenness have not been entirely successful. 

Regardless of what they say, you have the great privilege of pointing people to Jesus. Tell his story well.  Tell it with patience.  Tell of Jesus’ great love. Tell about his horrible death on the cross.  Tell about his glorious resurrection.  God will use you and the story you tell by drawing three circles to break through the fears of the people who listen to you.  He will use you to set them free. So tell God’s story and tell it well!

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. E1-17

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #ThreeCircles