Some things I wrote down in my journal and on my heart from the Velocity Conference:

Shawn Lovejoy:

  • Insecurity is a big problem for pastors.  Satan knows that if he can get pastors to doubt themselves, it's a slippery slope.
  • When leaders get insecure we start comparing ourselves, we start copying other leaders and we start condemning other leaders.
  • 1Sam 17:38-40– Don't wear someone elses armor.  
  • Fulfill YOUR ministry. 

Alan Hirsch:

  • There's no such thing as an unsent Christian.
  • 95% of churchs are trying to become what will reach only 40% of the population.  What about the 60%?
  • More of the same is organizational insanity
  • We must develop a Missional Imagination
  • The Church must be missionaries first
  • Plant the Gospel, don't plant churches.

Steven Furtick

  • The most important ability you'll need to insure success is your ability to sense what God wants you to do next along with the courage to do it and the leadership to talk someone into doing it with you.
  • Mark 11:6– Jesus Told Me To!
  • That phrase can get you INTO and OUT OF a lot of trouble.
  • Is Jesus telling you to make a costly personal sacrifice?  a painful relational shift?  repent of a specific sin.
  • It's the thing that no one sees that produces the results that everyone wants (he quoted Craig Groeshel)
  • Jesus is calling you to take a "CS" step of faith (Crack-smokin')– that means when someone looks at what you are attempting for God, they'll ask, "what's he smoking?"

Dave Gibbons:

  • 7 Cultural shifts  
    •  from multicultural to 3rd culture
    • economic shift
    • techology shift
    • shift in how vision is disseminated
    • from being majority to minority by 2042
    • from professionalism to activism
    • from the West to the East.
  • We want numbers, not potency!
  • Move from Building Campaigns to Building People!
  • 7  application points
    • leverage the power of the Holy Spirit
    • Communal living
    • teach adaptability
    • have campaigns to build people, not just buildings.
    • measure the right things… plant seeds and be faithful… it's God's job to bring the increase.
    • look at a new target (redefine your neighbor)– What about the elderly and children?
    • Fathers coming home (by the way– he showed a video about Soldier fathers surprising their kids at school– not a dry eye in the house!)

Jeff Murphy:

Jeff is my good friend and he planted MyChurch in Columbus, Ga.  He has an amazing story of how God led them to shut a church down.  And then go through a process… a very painful process … before God used him to plant MyChurch Columbus.

  • You have to "Get Broke".  You can't break yourself.  God has to do it.  
  • Every Struggle has a purpose– it's for your sanctification
  • God wants to give you a limp.  This will remind you constantly of Him.
  • Be You.  Otherwise you're just spinning your wheels.
  • God loves you PERIOD.

More Tomorrow!