Jonathan Herron

Running a Rescue Shop Within a Yard of Hell

"Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell

 

I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."  (C. T. Studd)

 

To live within the sound of church or chapel bell was not enough for Charles Thomas (C.T.)

 

Studd, (1860-1931), an English missionary to China, India, and Africa. C. T. Studd was born into privilege and wealth, but God had other plans for his life. His father, Edward, was converted after hearing the famous American evangelist Dwight L. Moody speak. Then subsequently, C. T. and his brothers were also converted.

 

 

But, 6 years after C. T.’s conversion, he realized that his commitment to the Lord was lacking and he decided to give everything up, and seek God’s will. He wisely said, "I know that cricket would not last, and honour would not last, and nothing in this world would last, but it was worthwhile living for the world to come."

 

How many people are content to live within the sound of church or chapel bell, but never step foot inside of a church to hear the Gospel message?

Or, how many are content to live within the sound of church bells and attend, but never take the Gospel to heart or share Jesus Christ with others?

They haven’t counted the cost of discipleship, but C. T. Studd did and he chose a life of hardship and sacrifice, because of His commitment to Jesus Christ.

And when others questioned him about the decisions he was making for the sake of the Gospel, he could only reply with these words:

"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” –C. T. Studd

Although salvation through Jesus Christ is a free gift from God given to us by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), it was not without cost to Him.

To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, one must realize the cost of His sacrifice and respond with a commitment to follow Him wholeheartedly; without reservation and whatever the cost.

Additionally, we should want more than to live within the sound of church bells, and be actively involved in helping to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission.

To do so we have to daily surrender ourselves to Him. As a result, we give up our own way of living and submit to His will and rule in our lives:

• Romans 12:1 says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” 
  
  
• Mark 8:34-37 says, “Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?'” 

Great missionaries like C. T. Studd, Hudson Taylor, Jim Elliot and so many more were not content to merely live within the sound of church bells. They gave their lives, and left their homes and families, to be used by the Lord to spread the Gospel.

We also shouldn’t be content to just live within the sound of church bells. We like them, should be passionate about spreading the Gospel; and endure hardship and danger if necessary, so people would be rescued from going to hell. If we can’t, then we should at least support the work of missionaries prayerfully and financially.

As Christians, we can follow in the steps of these great men of faith, by surrendering our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, seeking His will, and living by faith and trusting in Him.

John 12:24-26 says, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.   Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.” 

This famous quote from the poem, “Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past” by C.T Studd, is a sober reminder of the brevity of life and that only what’s done for Christ has eternal value:

"Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last." – C. T. Studd

No Reserves, No Retreats, No Regrets

 

One of my heroes of the faith is the little-known missionary William Borden.

 

William Borden’s funeral took place at The Moody Church in Chicago.

During my college years, I discovered the beauty of the gospel while attending The Moody Church.

Here's something my team filmed a few years back on location.

 

2 QUESTIONS TO ASK IF YOUR CHURCH FEELS STUCK

Churches get stuck all the time.

Too often we can find ourselves doing ministry out of memory.

 

For what it's worth, here are 2 Important Questions for Fearless Leaders to ask...

 

1) HAVE WE LOST OUR LOVE FOR LOST PEOPLE?

400 years ago Protestants fled England and came to the New World to set up churches... for themselves. If your church is insider-focused, it's because of our Pilgrim heritage!

 

Ignite your passion for what ignites God's heart -- Remind your church that EVERY person matters!

 

If your church is reaching the lost, you WILL be a target from RELIGIOUS people!

 

Religious people were ALWAYS walking away and rejecting Jesus throughout His ministry. If you are not receiving the same rejection as Jesus, then you may not be preaching the same gospel that Jesus preached!

 

Ask yourself: Am I a fisher of men or a keeper of an aquarium?

 

2) AM I LEADING WITH A RISING LEVEL OF HOPE?

Nothing great ever happens THROUGH YOU until it happens TO YOU!

 

Look at every great hero in the Scriptures:

• Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness before ascending into leadership
• David was living in a cave down by the river for a decade
• Peter beat himself up after rejecting Jesus three times

 

God LOVES using BROKEN people to minister to BROKEN people!

 

The key is to not wallow in your brokenness. Minister from the OVERFLOW of what the Lord is doing in your life and in your heart! You cannot lead people to a place that you are not already at.

 

The most important thing I do as a leader: Making sure that I stay encouraged!

 

Ask yourself: 'What things CHARGE MY BATTERIES?'

If your internal batteries aren't charged up, you will fall into weariness.

 

DISCOURAGEMENT precedes DESTRUCTION:

The Enemy RUINS your FUTURE by first RUINING your DAY so that you will run toward destructive habits and choices!

 

 

 

Want more?

 

Check out the new Church Growth Network!

What It Takes to Build Something Great

Are you ready to climb the mountain again?

Maybe you've set goals for yourself or your business. Maybe you've decided to take a risk.

Whatever it may be, I know this much to be true: with a little hard work and consistency, anyone has the ability to build something good.

But what does it take to build something GREAT?
 
1. A PACE THAT WILL LAST A LONG TIME
I recently heard this quote about money that has stuck with me: “Money is like water, without boundaries, it will go anywhere.” This is true about your finances but also your TIME!

• Can you keep up with the current pace you're living? 
• BUILDING SOMETHING GREAT requires telling your time where to go.
  
  

2. AN OBSESSION WITH IMPROVEMENT
If you are only obsessed with perfection, you are always going to be frustrated and short with people. If you are obsessed with improvement, you will make small improvements that lead to big change.

• Wanting to improve is a sign of wisdom.
• If you correct a fool, they will get defensive. If you correct someone wise, it will be met with gratitude.
• BUILDING SOMETHING GREAT includes welcoming correction that allows us to improve.
  
  

3. A COMMITMENT TO ADDRESS WHAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED
A team that is dysfunctional will avoid conflict at all costs.

• Great teams address things! It is impossible to be great without honesty. 
• This doesn't mean you need to go out and look for conflict --- but you have to have the backbone and emotional maturity to deal with conflict in a productive way. 
• BUILDING SOMETHING GREAT demands having difficult conversations.
  
  

4. A SACRIFICE TODAY FOR WHAT YOU WANT TOMORROW
This means doing things I don’t WANT to now, so that I can do what I want LATER.

• Greatness will require more from you than others. 
• Greatness is on the other side of your decision to sacrifice today. 
• BUILDING SOMETHING GREAT means making calculated sacrifices with the end goal in mind.
  
  

5. A PROTECTION OF WHAT AND WHO YOU VALUE
Protection of your calling and your relationships requires both great discretion and stewardship.

• Loyalty is not proven in your presence, but your absence.
• BUILDING SOMETHING GREAT means protecting the important things.
  
  

6. A LOVE FOR THE JOURNEY
I enjoy what I do because PEOPLE are what excite me!!  It's not about stats or reports (although those are necessary) it's about peoples journey. You can't quantify that. What excites you? What fuels you to be great?

• The journey gets fun when you LOVE what you do.
• BUILDING SOMETHING GREAT includes enjoying the process
  
  

YOU are called to be GREAT. The greatest day to start is today.

Keeping It R.E.A.L.

KEEPING IT R.E.A.L.

I recently learned this acronym from a leader I’ve looked up to for as long as I can remember.  He says that everything he does, he does through the lens of R.E.A.L. It stands for Relationship, Equipping, Attitude, and Leadership. Let’s explore how to lead and live life through this lens.

R - Relationship
VALUE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
All of life flows from relationships. You can’t do life RIGHT if you do people WRONG. Protect your relationships, treat everyone with kindness, and make it easy for others to be your friend.

E - Equipping
LIVE A LIFE OF EQUIPPING OTHERS
Your values must be aligned with your behavior. You can say equipping people is your value, but how are you showing it? Remember, you are equipped to resource people!

A - Attitude
SURRENDER YOUR ATTITUDE TO JESUS
We’ve heard it before, but it’s so true - your attitude determines your altitude. Ask yourself today: am I known for having a great attitude?

L - Leadership
BE A LEADER THAT EMPOWERS OTHERS
Everything rises and falls on leadership. Work to build leaders, not followers. Leaders are built when they are empowered and given authority. Successful leadership says more about the leader when they are gone than when they are present.

Ask yourself: how am I doing in these 4 areas?
I know I have work to do in each one, but I’m making the choice to lead from the lens of R.E.A.L.!

Improvise Adapt Overcome

Marines get stuff done.
They face impossible missions yet always prevail.
 
2 Timothy 2:1-6 tells leaders to think like a Marine.
 
During a recent Leadership Coaching Session, I shared 8 Leadership Lessons from the Marine Corp: Common Sense Principles for Success.

I hope these 8 Leadership Lessons encourage you and your team to fearlessly lead your church to grow!

3 Ways to Become an Inspirational Leader

Are you an inspirational leader?
There are three steps you can take right now to become more inspirational: 
 
#1 = Lead with the why
People need to know the purpose behind the work. Particularly over the past few years, team members have determined that they want to give their lives to something that matters.
 
#2 = Celebrate progress
Look back. Make sure everyone on the team knows that you see what they’ve done well. 
It’s easy to point out flaws (and, for certain, we should coach our team and help make everyone better at what they do), but true leadership entails so much more.
 
#3 = Encourage the team
That is, breathe life into them. Be the wind in their sails. 
Remind them that you are for them— both personally and professionally.

I Believe in You

Friend,

Rise up!

You are NOT held back by your past mistakes or present hurts.

Not pressed down by the expectations of others or those you place on yourself.

Make CONFIDENCE your stance -- take COURAGE!

Chase your dreams + give your best to stay authentic, fearless, risky and real.

Fiercely pursue the passions He has placed on your heart.

Choose to live in FAITH, not fear.

Go do it!

Embrace your calling.

You are God-commissioned -- specifically selected for His work.

He CHOSE and created you for such a time as this.

You're empowered to BE who you were created to be!

Cheering you on,

Jonathan

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PS - Let's connect together!

BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO SUCK AT SOMETHING NEW

‘Wisdom comes to the heart that is hungry for God.’ (A.W. Tozer)

Whenever I feel discouraged and want to quit something, I remember the words of my then 3-year-old after she puked carrots all over the living room floor: “I’m gonna need more carrots.”

‘As a leader, you will have to make decisions that those whom you lead and even spectators won’t understand for years.’ (Dr. Eric Mason)

Leaders are targets for the Enemy. If you’re leading out front, then of course you’re going to be on the receiving end of fiery darts. Expect it.

Misunderstandings and miscommunications will happen.

You cannot control other people’s perceptions. You can only control your own actions and reactions.

Be careful with what you hear about someone. You might be hearing it from the problem.

As soon as we step into condemnation instead of conversation, we can no longer see that person clearly.

 

/ / /

 

‘A perverse man sows strife and a whisperer separates the best of friends.’ (Proverbs 16:28)

People don’t own you when they hurt you. They own you when your entire life is defined by that hurt.

If you’ve been burned, heal. If someone has an issue with you and they’re telling everyone except you, they don’t have a real issue with you. They just enjoy the attention they get from talking about you.

 

/ / /

 

‘Love God and He will enable you to love others even when they disappoint you.’ (Francine Rivers)

The only way to handle ‘prodigals’ is to let them go, give them to God, and pray for their return with tears. And when you see them on the horizon with their head hung low, wrap your arms around them and welcome them home.

We are all rough drafts of the person we are becoming.

Don’t be afraid to start over. It’s a chance to build something better this time!

Sure, the winds feel strong and your team is small. Stand firm. If you set your anchor, you won’t drift.

WE SAW PEOPLE LEAVE OUR CHURCH

 

"This past year affected our church in a really significant way.

We saw people leave because they were frustrated that we weren’t meeting soon enough.

We saw people leave because they thought we were trying to meet again too soon.

We saw people leave as we taught the Bible in a way that didn’t align exactly with their political party of choice.

We saw people leave because they thought we didn’t take a strong enough stance on social issues.

We saw people leave because they thought we took too strong of a stance on social issues.

We saw people leave because they thought that the Enneagram was satanic.

We saw people leave because they thought we weren’t doing enough.

We saw people leave because they were relocating for a new job, they wanted to move to a more affordable area, or they were moving to be closer to family and countless other reasons.

But the bottom line is this: We saw a lot of people leave."

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This video was heartbreaking when Amber and I came across it last week.

We could relate.

We've experienced all these things + more in the past 12 months too.

This pandemic took a tremendous toll on our family and ministry.

Nearly every day I felt like a pinata full of bees.

But you know what?

I've discovered there is something beautiful that emerges in the pain.

We can choose to run to the church instead of away from the church.

We are all rough drafts of the person we are becoming.

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If you found yourself in a place far from your church home, may I gently encourage you to go back to your church home and try again?

Perhaps confession and forgiveness is your next step.

Be the bigger person. Apologize. Reach out.

See what God can do through you.

If you found yourself nodding throughout the video as a fellow church leader, may I encourage you?

Don't give up.

Not now.

You have too much potential and too many lives to change.

Every loss is a lesson.

Get better and get moving.

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Don't Give Up!

In Christ, your best days are NOT behind you.

There is another chapter God wants to write through you.

In Christ, the BEST is YET to come!