This is the second and final lesson I did for the UK, Ireland and Nordic staff.  I talk about Jesus’ master plan to win the world and how you can follow that plan.  I also talk about what I’ve started doing to imitate Jesus and Paul by building my “Magnificent 7”

Today is the 100th episode of the Rob Skinner Podcast!  It’s been a little over a year since I started my podcast and I’m so grateful for you taking the time to listen.  Your support has meant so much to me.  I want to do something special to thank you for your support.

I’m going to give a free book to the first 100 people who contact me in June of 2021. 

1. Go to RobSkinner.com and go to the Contact tab.
2. Send me an email with “Make This Life Count” in the subject line
3. Type in your name and mailing address
4. Let me know which book you’d like:
   1. "How to plant and grow a church" or
   2. "Courage:  How to make this life count."
5. Let me know two things:
   1. What you’d like to hear in the next 100 episodes
   2. Who you’d like me to interview in the next 100 episodes
6. I will mail them out in August.

For those outside of the US, I won’t be able to send you a book, but if you email me with the same information in the month of June, 2021, I’ll give you a shout out in coming episodes.

 

Introduction:  To get what you want, you will have to change who you are

 

I have a lot of goals and dreams: 

1. 10 churches planted
2. 10 evangelists and womens ministry leaders appointed
3. 10 people converted
4. 10 books written
   1. 100 sold out disciples on campus
   2. Church and plantings over 1,000 solid disciples

• 10,000 person gathering

1. See the Kingdom grow from 100,000 to 1,000,000

But the more I pray about it, the more I realize that won’t happen unless I change as a person.

I will need to think and act differently, I will need to think and act like Paul.

He said:  “Imitate me as I imitate Christ”

In fact, my top affirmation is “I imitate Paul and multiply disciples, leaders and churches.”

This is my top goal and aspiration:  If I can change to think and act like Paul, have his faith and peace of mind, I have a chance to see miracles happen

It’s been a dream of mine since conversion and has led to the following decisions:

• Overseas missionary work
• Planting churches
• Self-supporting and professional ministry work
• Writing books
• Helping other leaders
• Appointing evangelists

I realize that if I want to plant 10 churches I will need to train a lot of people

That led me to the question:  “How did Jesus and Paul do it?”

Jesus’ Method and Process

Mark 3:13-15

13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 

Jesus had a method or “Master Plan of Evangelism”

Men were his method

He had a process and trusted that if he followed that, the job would get done

It’s hard to trust that process:  It’s not glitzy and not fast

It’s easier to look for the latest ministry technique, digital tool etc.

 

“Concentrate on what will produce results rather than on the results, focus on the process not the prize.”  Bill Walsh, SF 49’rs American Football Coach

 

I want to be come a process-driven leader.

But to be honest, being with people is hard.

• People take time
• People are messy
• People get mad at times
• People let you down

I’d prefer to give direction, operating people by “remote control.”

I decided that I will need to start doing what is hard, not what is expedient.

What did Jesus do?

• Chose young men
• Spent time with them
• Gave them feedback
• Helped them to recover from failure
• Built a friendship with them
• Gave them a vision for their lives
• Built a crew of friends around them

 

That is the genesis of what I now call “The Magnificent 7”

• I committed to sharing freely what I had learned in planting and leading small churches
• I wrote a book
• I started a podcast
• I looked around and tried to spend time with people
• A year ago our singles ministry was in shambles
• Now we have a group of 7 strong young men who are with me and my purpose is to send them out for missionary work and to plant and lead churches.

I’ll be having some of these men share as well as a couple of men I’ve trained in the past.

Here is what has helped:

• Choose young men and women
  • My group is between 24 and 33
  • They are free, available and ready for adventure
    • Picture of Magnificent 7
  • Pray with people
    • Dom: Hour of prayer for four months straight
    • Here’s David Molina: He helped me plant Tucson and then got hired by LA and now leads there
  • Give people the pulpit
    • Chris preached every other week when I was working full time
  • Give people feedback
    • Brian: Immediate preaching feedback
    • Here’s Brian
  • Build a united friend group
    • I’m friends with them, but they are friends with each other
      • Young men and women are looking for connection and training
    • Saturday pancake breakfast
    • Sharing
  • Schedule a men’s retreat
    • Men need concentrated time
    • More can be done in one weekend than you can imagine
    • Honor the culture of men
      • Games
      • Prayer
      • Preaching
      • Food
      • Laughter
    • Take your disciples away on retreats
      • Jesus walked and took them up to the mountain to be with him
      • That made memories
      • I schedule a retreat at least once a quarter for bonding and prayer
      • Sharing
    • Make your time spiritual
      • Devotionals led by each person
      • Introductions
      • Prayer together
      • Theme word
      • Sharing
    • Share your passion with your disciples
      • Surfing
      • Diving
      • Riding motorcycles
      • Backpacking and camping
        • We’ve gone surfing and baptizing
        • Camping
        • Hiking
      • Look for the heart of a good disciple
        • Available
        • Fun
        • Serving
        • Encouraging
        • Charming and delightful
        • Transparent
        • Recognize the path to mastery: Must go through apprenticeship
        • Willing to imitate: Chris

 

• Give them a team challenge
  • 60 studies in 60 days
  • Daily check in
  • Group chats

 

• Train them
  • What do they need to know?
  • Give them a reading list
  • Give them feedback
  • Good point, growth point
  • People want practicals

 

• Work with what you have
  • Sometimes you don’t have a lot to choose from
  • Jesus used “fall aways” to change the world. “You will all fall away…”
  • Do the best with what you have

 

It comes down to a question:

“Do you trust Jesus’ method or not?”

 

You are a great person, a skilled person.

What if there were two of you in your same ministry?

Wouldn’t that make a difference?

Share:  Chris Schwartzenberger

Look around for a motivated and focused young man

Pull them into your life and be with them and then send them out to preach

 

Thanks for listening to and supporting the Rob Skinner Podcast!

 

I want to invite you the 2021 Small Church Leadership Conference:  The Theme is “Climb”

• When: December 2-5, 2021
• Where: Dallas, Texas
• Hotel Accommodations: Marriot Las Colinas: $109/night
• Address: 223 Las Colinas, Irving, Texas 75039
• *Early Registration: May 15th - June 30th: $125
• *Registration: July 1st - August 31st: $150
• *Late Registration: September 1st - December 2nd: $175

Please register today at RobSkinner.Com and look for the Climb Conference Tab

www.robskinner.com/climb-conference