Just wanted to share this brief thought that I can’t seem to escape…

Revelation 12:11

"And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony."

I’ve been examining myself lately…my teaching, preaching, worship, etc. I’ve been wondering what is it that allows me to connect to people. I’m guessing that if I figure that side of me out…then maybe I can better communicate with clarity what I’m trying to teach, preach, disciple, etc. That is my hope anyway. So here is my reoccurring thought...

Transparency…

I need to maintain a level of transparency in my ministry. It’s so important for me to be candid, honest, and just plain real before my people. I need to be open about certain areas of my life so I can relevantly display the gospel “at work”. It’s easy to tell someone else how to be…but it’s important to live it within the viewing of their eyes. I once read that 60% of the brain is used to store the images that are seen through your eyes…the rest is used for the remaining senses. See where I’m going with this?

I was listening this week to Pastor Matt Chandler of The Village Church this past week and he said something that resonated with me…

“When I was a kid in church, it seemed to me, that the church was full of a bunch of old white guys that said, ‘I’d never do that’ or ‘I’ve never done that’…But the great thing about the Bible is that it is full of guys with problems, and they openly admitted it…”

Their power to preach the gospel came from being transparent about how God was actively working in their lives and transforming them more like Christ. I still use a great deal of discernment in what I decide to share…but I always try and let others into my world a little. It’s then that they actually "see" that I am just ordinary. (Which, if we are being honest...ordinary is not want we want to be.)