Christlike Character and the Church Planter

       Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

When Village Church Planting leaders tell church presidents and bishops about

VCP, we often say, “VCP is a practical training program for church planters.”

And that is true. In the New VCP program, students learn to apply the Four

Fields Model as they work to start and multiply churches. They learn to look for

and find persons of peace. They become experts in using the Four Seed Sowing

Tools to communicate the Gospel and make disciples. VCP students learn to

teach others to obey the Seven Basic Commands of Christ by telling Bible

stories and asking open questions. And, of course, church planters learn to

equip church members to make disciples and start new cell groups and

churches. All of these practical skills are essential for Christians who long to

fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission to make disciples of all peoples. It’s good to

describe VCP as “practical training for church planters.”

But if you look carefully, you’ll notice that VCP is far more than just a course

on practical skills needed to form new churches. The New VCP program is also

a practical course in Christ-like living. From the very beginning, VCP students

learn to depend upon God in prayer. You pray for persons of peace. You pray

for God to use your testimony and help you share the 3 circles. You pray for

your disciples. Many, many VCP lessons end with focused prayer. We just can’t

make disciples and start healthy churches in our own strength. Instead, we

learn to depend on the goodness of God in every circumstance.

Early on, in the lessons on the Seven Basic Commands of Christ, you were

challenged to overcome ethnocentric ways in order to show respect for all

persons regardless of tribe or country of origin. As you prepared to teach your

disciples to love God and neighbor, you were challenged to personally show

respect to both men and women, adults and children, to people who speak

your language and to people who do not. Yes, even to respect people who do

not share your faith in Christ. Even as late as Term Seven, you considered how

to respect fellow church leaders whose spiritual gifts differed from yours.

A Christ-like character is so important for VCP students that you spent a whole

term, Term 5, learning to access the power of the Holy Spirit to live a holy life.

Of course, we all know that we cannot live a righteous life or a truly good life

in our own strength. But it’s not always easy to receive the Spirit’s

empowerment to turn away from selfishness and put on love. The good news is

that the Holy Spirit delights to produce his fruit of love, joy, peace, and

patience in our lives.

So, my beloved VCP students, my word of encouragement to you today is to

always remember the unconditional love of Jesus. Thank him for his grace at

work in your life. Trust Him to produce his character in you so that your words

and deeds will be filled with his love. In this way, the churches you plant will

be far more than human groups and gatherings; the churches you plant will

truly be communities of the Kingdom of God where love is the law and

goodness is the norm.

I’m Dean Davis, asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Christ-likeCharacter

Work Produced By Faith - 1 Thessalonians Series

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Paul and Silas started the church in Thessalonica. But their work was not easy.

You can read about their experience in that Macedonian city in Acts 17. People

became so angry about what Paul and Silas said about Jesus the Messiah, they

formed a mob to accuse the apostles of rebellion against Caesar. Paul and Silas

had to leave Thessalonica at night so they wouldn’t be carried away by the

mob. Their church planting work in Thessalonica was not easy.

But in spite of all that this church planting team suffered in Thessalonica, they

certainly loved the Thessalonian believers. They admired the character

qualities that these new Christians demonstrated. Paul writes in 1

Thessalonians, chapter 1, verses 2 and 3, “We always thank God for all of

you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God

and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your

endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Why do you think Paul and his team were so pleased by the behavior of the new

Thessalonian believers? What was it about their way of living that caused the

church planters to rejoice and give thanks? These new Christ-followers’ lives

had been changed. They were new people in Christ and that new life was easy

to observe. The faith of the Thessalonians was real. Their faith didn’t just

change their thinking. Their faith changed the way they lived. Their faith

resulted in good works. Their faith led to action. Their love for Christ caused

them to labor for the Lord and they didn’t quit. They kept going. The

Thessalonian believers demonstrated endurance. All of this — the work

produced by faith, the labor prompted by love, and the endurance inspired by

hope in our Lord Jesus Christ — all of this was proof to Paul that God had truly

transformed the lives of the new believers in Thessalonica. Nothing could

make him happier! Paul’s joy spilled over into thanksgiving to God. All the

suffering, all the persecution, all the trouble that Paul and his team had gone

through to start the church in Thessalonica was worth it. Why? Because God

was at work and the result was clear for all to see.

This is what all church planters dream of: changed lives. Just getting a large

group of people together to listen as we preach does not satisfy us. Simply

hearing people say they like the Bible or they love the story of Jesus is not

enough. We long to see transformed lives. We want to see people taking

action based on their faith. Faith without works is dead. Faith that results in

good works is full of life.

The church planter who wants to see transformed lives, the church planter who

wants to see works produced by faith and labor prompted by love will not

demand work from his church members. No. Instead, the church planter who

wants to see works produced by faith will lift up the example of Christ. He will

tell the story of Jesus in order to build up faith. Strong faith results in good

work. Great love for Christ results in great labors for Christ. Hope in the Lord

Jesus Christ is what keeps disciples of Jesus working even when the work is

hard and the rewards are not immediately obvious.

So keep lifting up Jesus as our supreme example. Preach and teach and tell

Bible stories which inspire faith in Christ. Testify about Jesus’ power and grace

at work in your life. God will use your words and your example to inspire faith

in your church members. That faith will result in good work that will

strengthen God’s people. If you want to see transformed lives, lift up Jesus so

your people will trust him more and more.

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #LiftUpJesus #FaithAndWorks

What Is A Church?

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement to Village Church Planters.

I grew up in a city that had many churches. There were Baptist churches, Methodist churches, Lutheran churches, Catholic churches and many other churches.  A common questions I heard when I was a kid was, “What church do you go to?”  Sometimes people would answer and say the name of their church, “I go to Calvary Baptist Church,” or “I go to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church.”  But they would often say, “I go to that church on the corner of Washington Street and Second Avenue” or “We go to a church out on New Paris Rd.”  When we asked about churches, we were thinking about church buildings.

But of course, when the Bible talks about churches, it is definitely not taking about church buildings; it is not talking about temples. It is talking about groups of people who follow Jesus together.  Groups of Christ followers did not own buildings used for worship until about 300 years after Jesus rose from the dead.  For the first 300 years of church history, groups of Christians met together to worship Jesus in schools, houses, caves, and under trees. 

But one thing about churches has never changed over the past 2000 years.  The people are always more important than the place they meet. Maybe your church is working hard to save money to buy building materials to construct a place of worship.  That’s great. But never forget, “The people are always more important than the place they meet.” 

The Bible describes the very first church, the church started by Peter and the other Apostles on the day of Pentecost. You can read in Acts 2:37 – 47 that this first church proclaimed the Good News of Jesus, baptized believers, had fellowship in homes, worshipped and prayed, broke bread in remembrance of Jesus’ death and resurrection, taught and obeyed God’s word, and gave generously.  The apostles coordinated all of this activity.

So what is a church?  A church is not a building; a church is a group of people who follow Jesus together.  Churches today do what the very first church, the church in Jerusalem did. Churches proclaim the Good News of Jesus, baptize believers, have fellowship together, worship and pray, celebrate the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Jesus’ death and resurrection; churches teach and obey God’s word, and churches give generously.

If you know what a church is and you know what a church does, the Spirit of God can empower you to be an effective church planter.  You can lead your churches to do the right thing in the right way at the right time.  Sadly, many church leaders don’t compare the activities of their church to the activities of the church in Jerusalem described in Acts 2:37 – 47.  They compare their church’s activities to the activities of existing, nearby churches. When leaders do this, they tend to lead churches that lack balance.  They may worship well, but they don’t evangelize well.  They may teach God’s word well, but they don’t give generously.  When we follow the traditions of men, we will soon grow out of balance.  But when we follow the Spirit-directed patterns of the first church, we will lead churches that grow and develop in a balanced way.

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

E3-05   #EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters  #Acts2

The Students Pledge

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement to Village Church Planters.

One of the wonderful aspects of being a Village Church Planter is that you have a trainer.  Maybe you go to a VCP training center each week with 14 other student church planters to participate in three lessons your trainer facilitates. Of maybe you meet regularly with a first generation church planter who is helping you plant a second generation church and he or she trains you day by day, month by month.  It is a good thing to have a trainer.  I wish I had a trainer when I was first planting churches.

When VCP church planters start in the training center, they sign the Student’s pledge.  This pledge can be found on page 24-32 in the Train and Multiply booklet called “Pastoral Worker Training and You.”  It has 12 points and is designed to help a prospective church planter decide if he is faithful, available and teachable.

You have heard me say many times on this podcast, “It’s not easy to plant churches.” And you know that because you are a church planter. But three are some steps we can take that will set us up for success.  There are some steps that will make church planting just a little bit easier, if we will only take them.

Once such step is showing your prospective second generation church planter the Student’s Pledge found in the back of the Train and Multiply booklet called “Pastoral Worker Training and You.” If a student church planter abides by these 12 promises, he or she will be fruitful as a church planter.  What are the 12 points?  I’m glad you asked:

The student church planter pledges, with God’s help:

• To love Jesus Christ and give first priority to obey all his commands.

• To teach others to obey all the commands of Jesus.

• To care for his or her own family with sincere love (Ephesians 5:25-33).

• To pray continually for those he or she shepherds, for coworkers, and for those who still need Christ.

• To work hard with others in loving harmony, especially with his or her church, and keep his or her T&M trainer informed of activities (Romans 12:9-11).

• To give of his or her time and money to extend Christ’s kingdom wherever he calls us to go (Matthew 28:18-20).

• To trust in God’s power to enable the church to grow and reproduce (Mark 4).

• To seek to obey the requirements for leaders of the church as described in 1

Timothy 3:1-7.

• To explain the Gospel with zeal, love, and clarity so that people will believe in and obey the Lord (Matthew 28:19-20).  

• To seek to raise up new, healthy churches that will multiply, especially in areas where there are none (Romans 15:20-21)

• To be willing to suffer for Christ (2 Timothy 2:3).

• To follow the advice of the T&M trainer, faithfully fulfilling all assignments in work and study.

Let me speak directly to first generation church planters right now. I have a question for you. Have you spoken about this pledge with your second generation church planters?  If not, when would you like to do so?  If you will show them these twelve points, you can help them take firm steps toward being the kind of church planter God delights to use, one who is faithful, available and teachable.

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters  #TrainandMultiply #PastoralWorkerTrainingAndYou

It Takes Faith To Multiply Churches

 

Hello! This is Multiply a podcast to encourage church planters and Christian leaders. I am Daneille Snowden.

When we plant a church, we have faith that the first generation church will live on as it multiplies, planting even more churches.

It does take faith, as we obey the great commission command to continue to GO and make disciples!

I commend every church planter, you answered the call of God to ‘GO & MAKE DISCIPLES!’ God sees your obedience, He sees your passion to serve Him and love others by leading them to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  

It takes faith; a simple but resilient trust in God’s Call upon your lives to not only begin yet, also to continue on. The road your travel is not glamorous, but it is beautiful! The beauty is when lives are touched and changed by the salvation they experience! You are planting churches that represent souls serving Jesus. That is the fruit of your labor that will continue on as they too lead others to Christ. 

Remember in the last part of Hebrews 11:4 when it referred to Abel? It says: “…And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.”

May that be your joy and encouragement; even though we may not see a whole lot happening now; our work of faith will continue on. 

My mother (Mary Gray), was called to preach at 15 years old. In her day, there were not many woman preachers. Yet, she obeyed and started at 16 years old. Later in her life, she became seriously ill, and was not able to preach her last few years. So, she started to write, and was considered a living epistle. 

Yet, she wondered if she was making any difference simply because of her being home bound because of her illness. Yet, she trusted Jesus and continued to send out 10-20 letters a week to people. 

When she passed away, I received phone calls and letters how God used my mother to encourage them to win others to Christ. Many went into some type of ministry, including myself and my children. 

Yes, dear church planter, it takes faith to multiply churches. Faith is instilled in us from our Maker; just continue on and watch Him multiply!

This has been Multiply, I want to encourage you to please share this podcast with others. Our website is www.encouragement.org; you also can find us on Facebook, YouTube and Podbean. E3-06

Thank you and God bless!

Grow In Obedience

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “A Word of Encouragement for Village Church Planters.”  

Growth is a good thing. We love to see plants grow and animals grow and people grow.  I have been growing a garden. It’s wonderful to watch seeds sprout and show their first leaves. When the true leaves appear, that is another good sign.  When my okra plants grew and formed strong stems and big leaves, I was happy. Then I saw the big yellow flowers. Soon the Okra pods began to appear. In just a few days I cut them and cooked them. Growth is good.

The apostle Peter tell us that as Christians we should grow and develop. He said, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”

One of the most important roles you have a village church planter is the role of cultivating growth in lives of your church members.  When babies grow, they get bigger and stronger and more intelligent. In the same way, followers of Jesus must grow. Your job as a village church planter is to help your church members grow in knowledge and faith and obedience.

So teach them the stories of the Bible.  Teach them the stories of Jesus.  Help them to know more and more about Jesus.  When we watch a baby, we can tell if it is growing by measuring its length and its weight. But how can you tell if followers of Jesus are growing in knowledge? By listening to the answers they give when you lead a Bible Story Fellowship.  When they give wise answers, you will know that their knowledge is growing.

Followers of Jesus must grow in faith and in their obedience of Jesus. We have said many times that it requires faith to obey Jesus. If we do not trust Him, we will not obey Him. But if we trust Him, we will obey him more and more.  Your job as a village church planter is to help your church members know Jesus better, so that they trust him more and obey Him in greater ways.  Let me say that again: Your job as a village church planter is to help your church members know Jesus better, so that they trust him more and obey Him in greater ways.  

You have already seen growth in their faith and obedience. Rejoice in that growth. You can expect to see more growth.  Keep teaching, keep modeling the way. Keep encouraging more faith and more obedience.  The best is yet to come!

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

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters  #GrowinChrist #GrowinObedience

The Clarion Call For Such A Time As This

 

Hello! This is Daneille Snowden with Multiply a podcast for Village Church Planters and all who are serving our God in the ministry.

I was 12 years old when God called me to the mission field; He melted my heart for souls as His call was quite clear and concise. Do you remember when the Lord spoke to you to ‘GO’ and share His Gospel of Love? Do you remember how you felt? 

Ephesians 1:11 says; we are predestined ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE, Who works all things out according to His Will. Predestined here means chosen!

Remember Queen Esther; when faced by a difficult decision to rescue her people, her uncle Mordecai challenged her by saying she was CHOSEN for Such a time as this! [This is found in Esther 4:14.]

Also remember Moses, who felt quite unworthy to be God’s Voice and Leader to rescue His people; still God set him aside, even as an infant; for such a time as this!

We are living in a challenging time; where all across the globe we all are experiencing and witnessing insurmountable difficulties. Yet, God created each of us to be His witnesses and hope for such a time as this! 

He has given us a ‘Clarion Call’ (that is a clear call) to preach the Gospel, and make disciples. And what a privilege and an honor this is too! May I challenge you today as the Apostle Paul did; in 1 Timothy 6:12 to keep the good fight of faith! And also in 2 Timothy 4:5 “…to do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of your ministry.”

This has been Multiply a podcast for Village Church Planters, Pastors and all who are who are serving God in the ministry. Visit us on our website at vcpencouragement.org, and on Facebook at Encouragement for Village Church Planters (Multiply).

Church Planters Build Up Faith To Produce Holiness

 

Hello my brother, hello my sister, my name is Dean Davis and this is Multiply, a

podcast that provides a word of encouragement for village church planters.

The world we live in is broken. All around us people are giving themselves to

more and more sin. Our countries are filled with terrorism, rebellion and war.

Husband don’t love their wives and wives despise their husbands. Selfishness

and pride are on display almost everywhere we look.

As we observe the world around us, it would be easy to believe that no one can

live a holy life. A holy life is a life devoted to God. A holy life is a life that is

good and kind, a life that reflects the love of God. A holy life is a life lived in

humility trusting in the goodness of God and believing in the power of God.

The apostle Paul lived in a world much like our world today. When he looked

around he saw warfare, abusive governments, and men and women given to all

sorts of sensual perversions. Power was wielded at the tip of a spear or the

blade of a sword. Even so, Paul had the audacity to believe that God could

make people holy. And because he believed that God could change sinful

people and make them good and kind and devoted to God, Paul gave his life to

work with God to see the people of his day transformed.

That’s amazing. I want to have a faith like that. I want to believe that the

goodness of God is greater than the power of sin. I want to believe that we are

not all condemned to live a horrible, destructive, selfish lives. I want to have a

faith like Paul’s. I think you do too. Listen as Paul describes God sanctifying

work, and his, as I read from Colossians 1:21-23:

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because

of your evil behavior.  But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical

body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free

from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do

not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you

heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of

which I, Paul, have become a servant.

What gave church planter Paul the confidence to work so that his people could

truly live holy lives? He believed the death of Christ on the cross paid the

penalty for all sin. He believed the Good News that in his resurrection Jesus

released grace that frees us from the power of sin. Paul believed that there is

sanctifying power in the blood of the Lamb of God. And he believe that we can

all experience that power to live a good and holy life if we will continue to

walk by faith putting our hope in Christ. Because he had experienced this

power from God, he devoted his life to proclaim it and to help people live in

this hope.

You are a church planter. You have devoted yourself to proclaiming the Gospel.

As you plant churches, be sure that you, like Paul, tell the whole story. Jesus

did not die just so our sins could be forgiven. He died and rose again so that

even in an evil world, we can live a life of goodness and kindness, devoted to

God. Paul was a servant of the Gospel message that transforms lives. We can

be as well. In the world in which we live, having a hope like that is amazing!

This is Multiply.

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

planters and disciple-makers who may need encouragement.

Be encouraged, God is with us!

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #Colossians #HolyLives

www.vcpencouragement.org

Church Planters Don't Show Favoritism

 

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

When we first see people we have never met before, almost without thinking we quickly observe what kind of person we are talking to.  Are we talking to a man or a woman, a boy or a girl?  Based on appearances, are we talking to an educated person or a person with little schooling?  Based on appearance, are we talking to a rich man or a poor man?  Are we talking to someone from my country, my tribe, my clan, or are we talking to a person from a different ethnic group?  There is nothing wrong with such observations.  They are perfectly normal.  But if we are not careful, our accurate observations can lead to poor decisions about how we relate to the new person we have recently met.

James, the brother of Jesus warned us about bad decisions based on appearances in chapter 2 of his letter to believers living in many nations. He said,

“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.  Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.  If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”

James’ instruction was very clear. Believers in the Lord Jesus must not show favoritism.

The apostle Paul was a church planter.  He said,

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  On account of these, the wrath of God is coming… Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”

Paul had learned not to show favoritism based on what people look like, where they come from, or what language they speak.  He understood that all people have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. Paul the church planter knew that only Christ could save people and that every person needs to turn from sin and trust Christ.  He said, “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”

When I started planting churches, we had many more men in the church than women.  Why? It seemed that women believed that men were sinners who needed to be saved, but they were good enough already.  Paul says we all need to repent of sin and be sanctified by Christ. Paul understood that Jesus loves people from every ethnic group. And he loves all men, women, boys, and girls.  He loves us so much that he wants to transform us all. So when Paul looked at people, he did not make distinctions based on outward appearances.

What about you?  Who are the people you have met that are different from you, but like you need to be transformed by the power of the Gospel?  Who are the people in your village who are from a different tribe or a different religious background who need Jesus?  How do you see them?  How do you treat them?  Do you by faith see Christ in all of them as Paul did?

Take care my brother, take care my sister how you view people.  Jesus wants to use you to bring transformation to all sorts of people who may not be like you at all.

This has been Multiply, a podcast that provides 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.

And be encouraged, God is with us!

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #Colossians #NoFavoritism

Please follow us on PodBean look for Multiply VCP- https://multiplyvcp.podbean.com/ 

www.vcpoencouragement.org

The Suffering Church Planter

 

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

I have shared with you many times that it is not easy being a church planter.  If you have been working to plant a church for more than 2 or 3 weeks, you know this is true.  In the beginning, it seems like being a church planter will be glorious, and it is.  But after a while that glory gets mixed up with real suffering.  At first when this happens we are surprised.  We ask, “God, if you are with me and if I am doing your will, why am I suffering? 

There are many ways church planters suffer.  The church planter we call the Apostle Paul suffered by being beaten, arrested, and imprisoned. He suffered crossing rivers and at the hands of bandits. Both Jews and Gentile mistreated him. 2 Corinthians 11:26 tells us that pretty much everywhere he went, he was in danger.

I am a church planter, I have not suffered at all what Paul suffered, but I have been mistreated, I have had stones thrown at me. I have been in danger crossing rivers and danger in villages.  I have been insulted. I’ve had people lie about me and the ministry I tried to carry out.  I have been misunderstood when I tried to do good and seen family members suffer illnesses that others did not suffer. And my sufferings have been light in comparison to so many other church planters whose lives I deeply respect.

Church planters suffer.  Paul, the church planter, says to the Colossians in verse 1:24, “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.”

Paul believed that his suffering had a purpose.  Paul willingly suffered for the body of Christ which is the church.  Jesus teaches us to count the cost before we start a new enterprise.  But it is impossible to know how much glory and how much suffering you will experience as a church planter.  It may be little or it may be much.  But this I can assure you.  Church planting is full of both glory and of suffering.  Just like the cross of Christ.  So as church planters, our task is to take up our cross daily, ready to suffer so that others may know Jesus and live in the light as he is in the light.  It is not easy, but Paul has shown us the way.

You may be asking yourself, “I thought this message was supposed to be a word of encouragement.  But Dean has just told me that in spite of all I am sacrificing to start a church in a village where there has been no church, I can expect to suffer. How is that encouraging?”

You have asked a fair question.  Let me try to answer.  Many, many people live selfish lives with very small and insignificant goals.  You have chosen to identify with Jesus Christ. You are a church planter.  Jesus suffered in this world, yet his life was full of glory.  As you identify with him, you too will suffer, but you will experience the glory of God in ways that would not be possible if you were not a church planter.

So go forward in the strength God provides you. The Lord is with you and he will show you the way.

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! EC-03

Please follow us on PodBean look for Multiply VCP- https://multiplyvcp.podbean.com/ 

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #Colossians #Suffering

www.vcpoencouragement.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 was 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

You Are Part of Something Big

Hi there, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of encouragement for village church planters.

Did you ever feel that the world was very large and you were very small?  Maybe you felt that way when you stood outside on a dark, clear night and you looked up to see thousands of stars in the sky from horizon to horizon.  Maybe you felt very small in a big, big world when you first studied geography and realized just how big our Earth is and how many people live on it.  Right now there are more than 7.8 billion people living on Earth. So it’s true, you and I are very small and the world is very big.

When we realize how big the world is and how small we are, we can begin to think, “I could never make a difference in this world, I’m just one person out of billions.” This can be a little bit depressing.  But it gets worse.  When you realize that you come from a small village in a secondary province of a small country, you can feel even more powerless.  You ask yourself, “How could I ever change the world for the better?  I’m so small and powerless.” 

If you have ever felt small and powerless in a big, big world, I have a story to tell you that will encourage you.  God sent his Son, Jesus, to live in a small village (Nazareth) in a secondary province (Galilee) of a small country (Israel).  Jesus gathered around him 12 followers, many of whom also came from small villages. Jesus shared the Good News of God’s love and so can you. Jesus called people to repent and so can you. 

Jesus trained his followers to make disciples and so can you. Jesus taught his 12 disciples that the field where he was working is the whole world and he told them to go and make disciples of all nations. Jesus and the 12 have changed the world through the power of the Gospel and so can you.  Just as Jesus shared his power and his authority with his 12 first disciples, He delights in sharing his power and authority with you.  The reason he wants to empower you is so you can transmit the blessings of God to people around the world.

Jesus told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

But again you say, Dean, the world is so big and I am so small. And that is true.  Even so, you have the ability to make disciples who will make disciples who will make disciples.  Each new generation of disciples will take the Good News to new places and tell new people of the love of God in Jesus Christ. None of the original 12 disciples ever visited your village.  But the message they shared with others did come to your village and your life was changed.  In the same way, God wants to use you. So make disciples who also make disciples. Send them out to make more disciples in new places.  If you do this, if you make disciples who make disciples, you will change the world.

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

E1-10

 

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #GreatCommission

How To Find A Persons Of Peace

 

How To Find A Persons Of Peace

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “A Word of Encouragement for Village Church Planters.”  

 

When Jesus sent his followers out two by two, he expected them to find men and women of peace.  Jesus was confident that his followers would find men and women who were hungry for God and receptive to the message of the Good News. I expect there will be people in your village who are also hungry to know God and who will be receptive to you as you share the Good News of forgiveness and peace with God.  

 

But church planters always ask, “How can I find persons of peace?  How can I find men and women who are hungry for God?” When you enter a village, it is not obvious who is receptive to your message and who is not. As church planters, we wish we could easily see, simply by looking at people, if they were hungry for God or not hungry for God.  But until we speak, we don’t know how people will respond.   

 

How do you find persons of peace? By speaking.  Jesus taught us to bring blessing to the homes of villagers.  He told his followers, “Say ‘Peace to this house.’” We find persons of peace by speaking.  And the message we speak must be a message of blessing and Good News. 

 

  After we greet people with warmth and kindness, we may want to offer to pray for them.  A good way to offer prayer is to ask, “What would you like for God to do for you?”  Listen carefully to the person’s response. Show concern. Tell about the love of God.  Then ask if you can pray with them right there. Keep praying for their request in your home. I have a friend who has identified many persons of peace by this method.  He visits homes. He introduces himself. He offers to pray. He prays for a week for the person’s request: healing, income, restoration of broken relationships, deliverance from addiction.  Then he returns a week later to find out what God has done. At that time he shares God’s plan of salvation. Many people come to Christ and many churches are started. 

 

Another way to find persons of peace is to tell a story.  You may want to tell your story of salvation in Christ using your 15 second testimony. Or you may want to tell a Bible story like The Parable of the Prodigal Son about the younger brother who returned to his father after wasting his inheritance. When we tell stories about the love of God, we find out who is hungry to know more. Telling Bible stories to see how a villager responds is a great way to find persons of peace. Persons of peace are hungry for God.  When they hear your story, they will want to learn more. When you find a person of peace, invest time in him and her.  At the right moment, invite the person of peace to put their trust in Christ. Then help this responsive person, this person of peace, share the Good News with family members, friends and neighbors. 

 

My brother, my sister, there are persons of peace in your village. You will find them as you speak blessing, as you pray and as you share Bible stories that proclaim the Good News of the love of God. 

 

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

 

E1-05_How_to_Find_Persons_of_Peace 

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters  #FindPersonsOfPeace 

#PersonsOfPeace 

 

Z Thinking

 Z Thinking

Hi there, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of encouragement for village church planters.

When I take a trip to the city, there are many ways to go.  I could go on the major highway or on smaller roads.  The closer I get to the city, the more roads I have to choose from.  There are so many ways to get from my house to the city. But sometimes I leave my house and just go the way I went to the city the last time. I leave without thinking.  This can frustrate my wife if she is traveling with me.  Sometimes when I do this, she asks me a very simple question, She says “Where are you going?’ When I tell her where in the city we are going, a place she knows very well, she often asks me, “If you are going there, why did you turn here?

You know, there is no good answer to that question.

But there is an alternative.  When we travel we can begin with the end in mind. When we begin a trip we can think about where we want to end up.  When we think about that place, we can easily create the path in our mind which will best lead us to that place.  Begin with the end in mind.  This is what we call Z thinking or Zed thinking.  Zed is the last letter in the Roman alphabet. Zed thinking is beginning with the end in mind.

You are a village church planter. What is the destination you want to get to?  How can you get there without taking wrong turns? The best way to get to your destination is to begin with the end in mind. The end you are working for as a co-laborer with Christ is that the Gospel of the Kingdom of God will be preached to all nations.  The end you are trying to get to is that the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  As a village church planter, that should be your goal as well.

So as you plant churches, don’t just think about planting one healthy church in one village. Think about filling your district with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.  Envision a healthy church in every village. Pray for a healthy church in every village. Train workers and send disciple makers to every village in the district so that churches can be born. You have an important part to play in fulfilling the VCP vision of a church in every African village by 2050. Begin with the end in mind.  Practice Z thinking.

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

E1-02

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters  #ZThinking #BeginWithTheEndInMind

Why Plant Churches?

 Why Plant Churches?

Hi there, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of encouragement for village church planters.

Jesus loves you with an unconditional love.  He demonstrated his love for you by dying for you on the cross.  Jesus rose from the dead.  He defeated sin and death with his resurrected life. Jesus has all authority in heaven and all authority on earth. 

Your loving Lord, Jesus has given you a commandment which is based on his authority and on his love.  He has commanded you to make disciples.  This means that Jesus has a plan for you.  He plan is that you help other people to know him, love him and follow him. Take a moment now to think about how much Jesus loves you. And think about how Jesus, the King of the Universe wants to involve you in helping others to know him, love him, and follow him.  Feel free to stop the recording for a moment and just ponder these thoughts: Jesus loves you! Jesus invites you to work together with Him to help others experience His love.

[PAUSE]

Think about it, you get to join the King of the Universe to bring his blessing and love to the world.  But how?  How do you make disciples?  How to you help lost and hurting people experience the love of Christ?  How do you help them obey Jesus as King?  For the last 2,000 years, Christians have answered these questions in a variety of ways.  But the ones who were first to hear Jesus’ command to go and make disciples of all nations obeyed in a very specific way.  Those first followers of Jesus were called apostles or sent ones.  The Apostles made disciples by proclaiming the Gospel and starting churches.  That is what happened on the Day of Pentecost.  Peter preached and a church was formed.  That is what happened in Antioch.  The disciples proclaimed the Good News and a church was started.  That is what happened in Philippi.  Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke preached the Gospel and a church was started.  Over and over again we see this pattern described in the book of Acts.

Why plant churches? It is the apostolic way to cooperate with Jesus to fulfill his commandment to make disciples of all nations. Any you my brother, you my sister are a church planter.  What a blessing.  You are on the right track.  Don’t quit!

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

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#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters  #PlantChurches

We Are Blessed To Know the 7 Basic Commands of Christ

 

We Are Blessed To Know the 7 Basic Commands of Christ

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “A Word of Encouragement for

Village Church Planters.”

I think I was either 11 or 12 years old the first time I heard about Jesus’ Great

Commission to go and make disciples of all nations. Fulfilling the Great Commission is

at the very heart of what we do in Village Church Planting. Jesus said, “All authority

in heaven and on earth has been given to me.    Therefore go and make disciples of all

nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy

Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am

with you always, to the very end of the age.”

It seems like for the first ten years of my Christian life, when I heard Jesus’ Great

Commission, I only focused on the words “Go and make disciples.” I didn’t really

think about “all nations.” And I didn’t give much thought to what it meant to teach

them to obey everything that Jesus had commanded.

But when I was 46 years old, I learned about the “Train & Multiply” materials, the

very same “Train & Multiply materials we use in Village Church Planting. Train &

Multiply explains that making disciples is simply a matter of helping people learn to

obey Jesus’ commandments. And to make things even easier, Train & Multiply

identified seven basic commands of Jesus which are central to the teachings of Jesus:

 Repent and believe

 Baptize new believers

 Love God and neighbor

 Partake of the Lord’s supper

 Pray and mediate on God’s word daily

 Give

 Make Disciples

When I work for someone else, I really appreciate clear instructions. I like to know

what is expected of me. The 7 basic commands of Jesus are the clear instructions

every person needs to obey in order to live in fellowship with Christ and do his will.

What a blessing it is to know these seven commands. What a blessing it is to teach

others to obey them. What a blessing to be able to measure my own discipleship by

referring to the seven Basic commands of Jesus.

You have been blessed to bless others. So learn the 7 basic commands, obey those

commands of Jesus and teach others to obey them as well!

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

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #SevenBasicCommandsofJesus

#ObedienceBasedDiscipleship

Give Part 2

 GIVE

Part 2

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “A Word of Encouragement

for Village Church Planters.”

God loves a cheerful giver. He delights when we his children give to him

joyfully and freely. But God does not twist our arm to make us give. He allows

us to make a choice. When we choose to give, we demonstrate love for him.

What father does not enjoy getting a good gift from his son or daughter? Our

heavenly Father rejoice when we honor him by giving to His work. The Bible

says, “ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not

reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Many Christians would like to be a cheerful giver, but they find it difficult to

give. They are fearful that if they give to God, they will not have enough to

take care of themselves. So giving is associated with fear. If they give, they

feel sad, because they know they won’t be able to buy something for

themselves which they wanted or needed. I know about this kind of fear and

this kind of sadness, because when I was first married, my giving to the Lord

was surrounded by fear and sadness.

Friend, this is not what God wants. The Bible is clear, God loves a cheerful

giver. So how can you as a Village Church Planter become a cheerful giver?

How can you teach your people to give cheerfully?

The steps are simple but the journey may be hard. Give by faith. Give because

God commands you to give. As you give, thank God for providing income so that

you can give. After you give, pray and exercise faith for God to meet your

needs. When God meets your needs by providing more income, or more work or

by helping you manage your resources well, don’t forget to thank him. Tell

trusted friends what God has done for you. And keep giving. Give by faith.

Plan your giving. Don’t wait for someone to ask you to give. Give to the Lord’s

work each week. Thank Him for meeting your needs and for providing for your

family. And keep giving. After a while, giving will become a joy and will no

longer be a burden. You will rejoice because you know that you are a co laborer with Christ. You

 will be cheerful because you know that what you have

given will be used by God to bless others.

Let me sum up what I’m trying to say. Give in obedience to Christ’s command.

Give even when it is difficult. Watch how God meets your needs. Thank Him

for his provision. Keep giving by faith. Keep trusting him. Soon you will become

a cheerful giver. Then you can teach others in your church to give by faith.

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

E2-16

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #GiveGenerously #GiveByFaith