Know God Pastor Leaves Leading a church from Anxiety to Anticipation Interim Decision Know Your Church Know Your Community Know the Plan Know God Know the Path New Pastor Assessment Renewal Planning Anxiety Anticipation Transitional Interim Pastor Implementation

Know God 1.Prayer strategy 2.Passion for the lost 3.Loving the church & Denominational loyalty

This Teaching For TIPS Leaders Is From A Required Reading Book… You can purchase the book at NCS on the Web, for $15 + shipping. We encourage TIP churches to use it in a group study. A study guide is available. org

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“You are precious and honored in my sight and I love you...I have loved you with an everlasting love…I have engraved your name on the palm of my hands…” (Isa 43:4; Jer 31:3; Isa 49:16) God’s View Of You!

Seymour, Indiana – 1920 A church plant in Kurtz, Indiana Praying for a lost farmer by name A divine moment in 1936 How The Church Has Impacted Our Family…

“All Scripture is God- breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16) The Purpose of the Bible

“Every Christian should seek to be corrected as often as necessary, by the word of God!” Christian “Correction” “This includes correcting our understanding of the church.”

What a marvelous creation of God! What an incredible design! What a divine strategy! God’s plan to save all of mankind…and get us ready for heaven…through the church! The Eternal Legacy of the Church

“At the center of everything… Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church.” Ephesians 1:22, The Message The Center of Everything

“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known…” Ephesians 3:10

What do the good people in your TIPS congregation believe about the church? Beliefs Affect Behavior… “What we believe about the church will directly affect how we behave in and toward the church!”

“Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word…” Ephesians 5:25-26

“…to present her to himself as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” Ephesians 5:27

“When he really met Jesus, Paul dramatically changed his attitude toward the church.” Paul’s Change of Attitude

“On that day (Stephen’s death) a great persecution broke out against the church...Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.” Acts 8:2-3

“Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples...He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’” Acts 9:1,4

“’Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’” Acts 9:6

Paul’s experience in meeting Jesus led him to this life- changing conclusion: “Any wrong I do to the church, in God’s eyes I do to Jesus.” Jesus & the Church are One

“After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church -- for we are members of his body.” Ephesians 5:29-30

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:31-32

My personal repentance began when I started to realize there was a massive gap between the attitudes that Jesus had toward the church and the attitudes I had. My heart needed a gigantic adjustment! Fixing A Massive Gap

Understanding Our Culture Many are highly skeptical of organized religion. George Gallup says over 40 million Americans have faith without fellowship.

Our Call as Christians… Is to teach our generation it is God’s will that they embrace, fall in love with, and give themselves up for that imperfect group of people Christ gave Himself up for-- the church!

Understanding God’s Solution The solution for this “culture” problem regarding correct beliefs about the church, as for any problem within the church, is correct teaching from the word of God. (Matt 22:29)

“You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” -- Jesus Matthew 22:29

Church Imperfections – No Surprise To God! Both Jesus and God are perfect. The church, the physical expression of Jesus in the world today, is not perfect! It is important that we teach, this is NOT a surprise nor a discouragement to God!

Jesus knew His church would be imperfect when He planted and refocused the very first one in Jerusalem! 1.The treasurer was stealing. (John 12:6) 2.One of them betrayed Him. (Luke 22:47-48) 3.When needed, they all slept. (Matt 26:40) 4.The “board” deserted Him...( Matt 26:55-56) 5.The key leader disowned Him.( Matt 26:75)

The Vision Jesus Has for His Church… Imperfect people gathered into divine groups, all over the world! Jesus did not just die on the cross for individuals. He had your church in mind! He gave Himself up for YOUR TIPs congregation!

Christ gave Himself up for the church because He knew the ONLY WAY that local churches would become healthy worldwide, is by people following His example and giving themselves up for the church.

“When I fall in love with the church, I am falling in love with the institution God has chosen to bring salvation to the world, and the vehicle He is using to prepare me to meet Him!” The Counter-Culture New Testament Teaching About the Church

God’s Plan IS the Church “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known…” (Ephesians 3:10)

The Decision I Must Make... Will I choose always to speak positively about Christ’s Bride? Will I embrace Jesus’ vision and commit to His church as Jesus did? Will I take the next step spiritually that Jesus wants me to take in his church?