This past week a team from LifePark traveled to a Church Planting workshop sponsored by The Cypress Project.  It was a great opportunity to partner together with other churches to see how we could mobilize transformed people into a lost culture so that every man, woman, and child could have the opportunity to see, hear, and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We discussed what makes for an effective Church Planting movement as well as the barriers that we may encounter.  Our presenter asked the question, “What is the number one reason why leaders fail to develop a movement to reach a city with the Gospel?”  How would you respond to that question?

The number one reason he presented is a lack of self-awareness.  The Scriptures give credence to this assertion:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.  (Psalm 139:23-24)

The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick;
who can understand it?  (Jeremiah 17:9)

Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.  (1 Timothy 4:16)

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  (1 Peter 5:8)

We must realize that it’s only by the grace of God that we can effectively serve Him.  We need a humble reliance upon God and a willingness to listen to the body of Christ.  The truth is all of us have blind spots.  If you don’t believe you have blind spots you may be setting yourself up for failure (see my blog post entitled “Seeing the Unexpected” for a fascinating video that reveals how we can overlook the obvious).  How is your self-awareness?

We must in humility realize that there are areas in our lives that we don’t  know and may we not be like the individual who doesn’t know that he doesn’t know (see my post on “The Bed of Procrustes” for a development of this concept).  We must heed the words of the Apostle Paul,

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.  (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Who is a person that you know who can speak truth into your life?

Associate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark

Professor of Discipleship, Columbia International University

Follow me on twitter:  rickhiggins5