Sunday, October 19, 2014

A Powerful-Simple Sermon Outline


By Artie Davis
SermonsIn the process of wrestling with God over Mission, Vision and Direction, I “fell into” a new sermon outline that has proved to be extremely helpful to me. And I love its simplicity. It goes like this…
  1. Story-Opened
    • Open with a story that has enough weight to carry the entire sermon. It can be the context of Scripture you are preaching, but doesn’t have to be. But the story must be “heavy” enough to thread through the entire sermon.
  2. Head
    • This is what some are thinking  now. The wrong frame of thinking in their heads that is producing the wrong beliefs and wrong actions.
  3. Heart
    • This is that God says we should be thinking and believing. The real Truth that will bring transformation to those who receive it.
  4. Hand
    • This is what we should do with this new revelation of Truth
    • Many times I will break this up
    • A challenge to those Outside
    • A challenge to this Inside the Kingdom
  5. Story-Closed
    • I like to go back and tie a knot in the thread of the story that has been woven through out the sermon. And end it in a way that adds an urgency to the previous challenge.
I’ve been using this for several months now, and our other campus pastors and teachers have found it be very valuable to them. It really helps when studying, and delivering, it’s really easy to keep in your head, and helps to add content in the right places.
I pray it will be a tool that  you can use to impart real Truth and challenge to those you lead and pour into.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Duhdawtnak Timi cu?


1 Cor 13:13; 10:31
Thuhmaihruai

Thlarau lam ah ziangtin ka tthangso le tthangso lo kan tah aw ding? Korea ah rawl suan an zuam aw. Pahnih teih suanmi kha a thaw tuk lawmlam. Zo deuh first kan pe ding ti an thei lo. Curuangah, ziangtin an suang timi thu kan sut ding ih an phi daan in first kan pe ding tiah an ti. Mi pakhat cun a rawl suan daan step by step in a sim. Pakhat cun, ka duhdawt bikmi ka fala nu hrangah ka suang ti in a let. First an pekmi pa cu duhdawtnak taktak thawn rawl a suangtu pa kha an pek. A netabik ih an tahfung cu duhdawtnak ih tuahmi a si maw timi a si.

Bible in teh ziangti in thlaraumi a si le si lo hi in tah?
1.     Lei tlumi pawl ih tah daan ahcun, thlaraumi pawl cu a khawm ringring, hlu pe thei ringring, hriat lo tong ih tong thei, thlarau sia tla dawi thei, mino khal dam ter thei maw ti pawl hi a si. 
2.     Bible cun, duhdawtnak a nei maw timi hi a tahfung a si. X le Y timi in kan simfiang ding ih. X cu kan nei/si nan Y kan neih lo ahcun zianghman ka si lo ti in simsehla. X ah na duhmimi re aw. Cule Y ah duhdawtnak kha re aw. X  ka nei/si nan duhdawtnak ka neih lo ahcun, zianghman thathnemnak a um lo tinak a si.
a.     X: ka lian zet
b.     Y: duhdawtnak ka nei lo.
c.     Result: Zianghman ka si lo.


Duhdawtnak ih a Hrampi cu Zumnak (The Root of Love is Faith)

Duhdawtnak timi nei thei dingah minung lam in kan nei thei theu lo. Duhdawtnak neih thei daan phun thum:

1.     Zumnak: Pathian in I duhdawt ih, ka sualnak tampi tla I ngaithiam timi a zumtu pawl, ka sinak vek in I duhdawt ti a zumtu pawl an si.
2.     Ruahsannak: Cupawl lawng in lei tlunah zovek ih in duhdawt lo khal le duhdawttu Pathian ka nei lai ti an ruahsan ngam. Pathian ka lam ah a ttang ringring ti an thei.
3.     Duhdawtnak: cu pawl cun Pathian in anmah a duhdawt daan in midang an va duhdawt thei ve.


Duhdawtnak timi cu:

1.     A thin a sau ih zaangfahnak thawn a khat (v. 4)
2.     Thudik hman in thil a feh tikah a lungawi (v. 6)
3.     A zumnak a hlo dah lo.
4.     Ruahsannak thawn a khat
5.     Tuar theinak thawn a khat.

Duhdawtnak a si lomi pawl cu: (v. 4-
1.     Mi a iksik lo.
2.     Tluang akhawng lo (porh aw)
3.     A puarthau fawn lo.
4.     Nun hel-hlong in a nung lo (rude)
5.     Amai zawn lawng a ruat lo
6.     A thin a tawi lo.
7.     Thincin a nei lo.
8.     Thiltha lo (injustices) parah a lungawi lo.
9.     A beidong dah lo (v. 7f)

Thunetnak

Thlaraulam ah kan tthangso maw timi tahnak cu thil dang in a si lo, duhdawtnak thawn kan tuahmi a si maw timi lawng hi a si. Duhdawtnak timi cu Pathian hmin in/Pathian mithmai zoh in midang parih thiltha va tuah khi a si.  



San No Thuan
July 11, 2014
Pu Sui Luai, Frederick, Maryland te inn ih ka simmi a si.

Vanram Cu Ka Ta Kan Ti Theilonak



Thuhmaihruai:

Billy Graham in, “Satan in na nunnak kha Jesuh Khrih zum lo ding in in tuah thei lo a si ahcun, rundammi na si lo tiah a lo ti ringring ding ih, rinhmainak nei ko a lo tuah ding.”[1]

Rundamnak ka ngah maw ngah lo, ka thih tikah vanram ah ka thleng ding maw thleng lo ding ti theifiang lo ih kan umnak thu pathum in lo sim ka duh.

1. Sualnak hi rinhmainak a suah ter.

Zumtu in sualnak kan tuah thotho tikah, Pathian in kan sualnak in hmu ih in hnong ding tiah an ruat. Curuangah, sualnak in rinhmainak a suah ter. Mihrek in ka thin a tawi thotho lai, ka nun ka thin thei cuang lo, tvp curuangah vanram cu ka co ding ka zum lo tiah an ti.

Hiti ih kan ruahnak cu Pathian cu sual hawltu palik vek ah kan ruah ruangah a si. Asinan, Bible in Pathian cu palik vek tiah in sim lo. Saam 145:8 sungah, “Bawipa cu mi duhdawttu le mi zaangfahtu a si; a thinhen a har ih a hmunmi duhdawtnak in a khat.”

Mihrek in computer laksawng in a lo pek. Asinan a lo timi cu, “Computer na nei dah lo ti ka thei asinan na tham tikah na palhnak a um pang ahcun ka la sal ding. Na cangan le computer tham daan ah na palh thei lo” lo ti sehla cupa cu ziangtin na ruat ding? “A cang thei lo, computer hman ka tham dah lo pi, ka palh pang thei si” tiah kan ti cio ding ka zum.

Asinan, minung tampi in Pathian cu cuvek minung dingah kan ruat. Kumkhua nunnak in pek ih, asinan, sualnak kan tuah pang ahcun lasal dingah kan ruat. Asinan, Pathian cu cuvek in kumkhua nunnak in pe lo. Kumkhua daih in fa sinak in pe a si. John 10:28 “An hnen ah kumkhua nunnak ka pek ih ziangtik hmanah an thi nawn lo ding. Zohman in in long thei fawn lo ding.” Khrih ih kut sung ihsin zohman in in la thei nawn lo ding.

2. Phurnak le rinhmainak

Zumtu tampi in rundamnak ngahtu an sinak kha an phurnak le taksa ih theihnak ah an bunawk ruangah a si. Camping le crusade ah an phur le an mitthli a tla, an tapi. Cutikah, ka piangthar rori tiah an ruat aw. Caan a rei deuh tikah cu pawl kha an hlo vingvo ih piangthar, kumkhua nunnak neitu ah an zum aw nawn lo. Ziangah cutin an cang tile an phurnak le lungawi riahsiatnak parah rundam an si le si lo kha an bun awk ruangah a si.
Minung ih phurnak cu a tum a kai thei ringringmi a si. Cumi parih na zumnak na bun ahcun, rundam na si le si lo na fiang dah lo ding.

3. Rundammi ka si zo ti ih zum cu hngal a si tiah an ruat.

Mi hrek in “ka thihtikah vanram kan thleng ding tiah ti aw tu pawl cu hngal le puarthau a si” tiah an ti. Asinan cumi a si lo ziangahtile “Pathian in in rundamnak cu kan that le fel ruangah silo; a zaangfahnak liolio ruangah a si.”

Efesa 2:8-9 – “Ziangahtile nannih cu Pathian zaangfahnak zaarah zumnak in rundam nan si. Cuhrangah zohman porhawk ding a si lo.”

Rundammi ka si zo timi cu kan felnak le thatnak ruangah tiah kan ruah ahcun, cucu hngal le puar a si. Asinan, rundammi ka si kan ti awk theinak cu Khrih ruangah a si tiah kan ti ahcun a dikmi a si. Mihrek in, “Kei cu ka thih lawngah vanram ka kai le kai lo ding ka thei aw ding” tiah a ti awtu cu maih felnak le thatnak rinsan awtu pawl an si sawn.


Thunetnak

Rundammi kan si taktak, vanram cu ka ta a si tiah na ti theinak dingah:
1.     Nangmaih felnak le thatnak kha rinsan aw hl ah.
2.     Thinlung phurhnak khal rinsan hlah.
3.     Pathian ih zaangfahnak thuthangtha zumnak thawng in rundam ka ti timi Bible ih simmi lawng  rinsan aw.





[1] Billy Graham, The Journey (Tennessee: W Publishing Group, 2006), 64.


Friday, September 19, 2014

5 Phrases That Will Kill Your Leadership

November 28, 2012


By Scott Couchenour



"I can do it better myself.”

True, to an extent. But you can’t do everything better. And even if you could, where would you find the time? This phrase leads down the path of “I must do it all”. You can’t do it all. You are finite. You are rhythmic. You cannot sustain a fevered pace, going from one task to the next. You will burn out. You must delegate wisely.


I am judged on results.”

No you’re not. You may be employedto produce results. But you’re not judged by God to produce results. That’s His arena. Your task is to remain obedient and faithful. This requires a stellar and growing, dynamic relationship with Christ, Himself. Many of your colleagues have burned out thinking they were being judged by the results, which were not forthcoming in their assignment.


If I work hard, God will provide.”

Nope. Hard work isn’t a trigger for God’s provision. At least, hard work ALONE isn’t. This phrase implies that you can go and go and go, at the expense of other areas of your life (like your physical health, your marriage, your parenting) and somehow God will fill in the gaps. Those who live by this phrase believe resting is evil and lazy. Again, not true. Resting is not only a solid practice, it’s ordained.


I’m called to the ministry.”

No you’re not. If you’re a pastor, you’re called to be a disciple who is cleverly positioned in the pastoral context. If you’re a youth volunteer, you’re called to be a disciple who is cleverly positioned in the youth ministry context. Get the idea? If you believe the “called to ministry” phrase, you run the risk of replacing God with ministry and begin worshipping the ministry itself.
5 phrases that will kill your leadership. Click to Tweet


I need others.”

True and not true. You need others because you are wired for community. Even if you’re an introvert, you cannot survive in ministry leadership without a few, deep relationships. But don’t fall into the trap of believing you need others. What you need is Christ. Co-dependency on others is unhealthy. If you believe you deeply need others, you will hang on every slice of approval and morsel of disapproval. As a result, you’ll ride a rollercoaster of emotions.

Want to remain strong in your ministry leadership? Then you’ll have to come to grips with these 5 phrases. Don’t be deceived by them. They sound good on the surface. But stick to the truth or one day you’ll hit the wall and be totally surprised.


Five Ways Leaders Must Guard Their Minds



By Rick Warren





Leaders are readers. Leaders are learners. And leaders are definitely thinkers. Your mind is a special gift from God. It’s one of the most important tools in a leader’s arsenal. Your mind can potentially store 100 trillion thoughts, yet the average person only uses 3½ million thoughts a year. We only use about ten percent of our mental (or brain) capacity.

While our minds can be the epicenter of creative and influential leadership, our minds are also battlegrounds that must be guarded. All moral failure begins in the mind. 1 Peter 1:13 says, “Prepare your minds for action. Be self-controlled.” Notice that self-control and mental preparation go together. God says that the self-controlled person is the mentally fit person. We can love God with our minds. We’ve often talked about loving God with our hearts but God says we can love Him with our mind. I believe that God wants you to make the most of your mind. As that commercial says, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”

We battle an old sinful nature that often clouds our thinking. We live in a world that bombards us with false and counterfeit philosophies. And we have an enemy who is constantly on the prowl seeking to devour us. So how do we guard our minds well? Control what you allow in.

2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” The Bible is very specific in giving us five threats we are to guard our minds against. Share this list with your staff members and the key leaders of your church.


1. We are to guard our minds against false teaching.
Doctrinal errors, being diverted from the gospel, will run our minds. Scripture talks about “the faith once delivered to the saints.” That means it’s been around. The message of the gospel has never changed. I often say at Saddleback, “If it’s new, it’s not true.” So we’re to guard our minds against false teachings and false religions.

How do we do that? By knowing the truth. If you know the truth, you can instantly spot a lie. Treasury agents are trained to detect counterfeit not by handling counterfeit bills. They give them real bills and study them so well that when a counterfeit dollar bill is put in their hands, they immediately know that it’s false.


2. We are to guard our minds against temptation.

The Bible says in Matthew 26:41 that we are to “Watch and pray to avoid temptation.” Psalm 101:3 says “I will set no wicked thing before my eyes.” That’s a good verse to put on your television, your computer screen, and even your mobile devices. A. W. Tozer said, “America has lost its ability to blush.” If we’re going to guard our mind we have to guard what we watch and look at online because it causes temptation.

The Bible says very clearly that sin starts with a thought. You sow a thought, you reap an action. You sow an action, you reap a habit. You sow a habit, you reap a character. And it destroys you. The mind is a strategic battlefield and if Satan can get your thought life, he’s going to get you. We are to guard our minds against temptation.

When I start to feel tempted, I often say, “Lord, I mentally put on the helmet of salvation that scripture talks about in Ephesians 6:17.” The battle is in the mind. What does a helmet do? It protects your mind. It’s saying, “Lord, I want You to cover my mind with Your blood. I will be guarding my mind from temptation.” 


3. We are to guard our minds against counterfeit spiritual experiences.

The people who don’t do this end up in cults. Galatians 1:6-8 says even if an angel comes and tells you something different than what the word of God says you’re not to believe him. I believe the Holy Spirit works calmly and deliberately. There are a number of Scriptures you can look up that will help you guard against counterfeit spiritual experiences, and remember that Scripture is objective truth, which is always authoritative over our subjective experiences.

4. We are to guard our minds against pride.

Pride is the sin that God judges quicker than any other single sin and it’s the real root of many other kinds of sin in our lives. Pride is the sin that resulted in Satan being kicked out of heaven. As a leader, this is a temptation because people will tell you things that will puff you up. I say praise and criticism are like bubble gum, You chew on them but you don’t swallow them. The right attitude is to have an attitude of humility.

Philippians tells us to “Have the mind of Christ who, even though being like God, took on Himself the form of a servant.” He humbled Himself. So we’re to guard against a prideful mind.

5. We are to guard against an overworked mind.

This is one of the greatest areas of failure, I believe, for pastors. We strain our minds too much. This can cause failure in your life. The constant study, the constant reading, the constant dealing with people overworks your mind and it lowers your ability to make sound judgments. Jesus told His disciples in Mark 6:31 “Come apart with Me for a while,” or you’re going to come apart. We need to guard our minds from an overworked mind.

Epic failure begins in small ways in the mind. Your influence and your impact as a leader is too important to allow poor mental habits or sinful thinking to ruin your ministry. No matter what, guard your mind.

photo credit: FirstMichael