Small churches can rebuild America

Servants don't judge.  They have sympathy and compassion. They listen 3 times more than they talk. They don't become angry at failure by others. 

only servants can build strong, healthy churches who impact their community. education, gifts, IQ, finances, are all less important than this trait. the good news is, anyone can do this. 

small churches can't grow or impact anyone for the Lord if their leaders are not godly. we must make this choice by faith.  Our church belongs to Jesus. 

Members of every church must be born again. if someone is not looking for Jesus they have no business in any church. We must be brave enough to do the right thing. 

God created every church.  The New Testament epistles all concern the rebuilding of the health of hurting or sick churches.  God wants to heal your church. 

we have the same God that Joshua and David had as they built their nation. a real church does not depend on statistics, but on miracles.  we don't need to give up any doctrine or biblical practice. 

We need to teach people God's motivations, plans, and reasons for His action or inaction. It is not enough to call Him labels; we must explain God to our people in lessons and sermons. 

we must know what our own church's health ought to look like. we must understand what is and is not health. we must understand the real problems of our own small, sick, or wounded church to make it healthy again. only healthy churches can help America. 

Nehemiah 1:3-4 describes a wounded church. small churches often have great wounds in their past that keep them from health. We must seek health before we try to build, or we will just build a large sick church. 

Tho some churches grow large by eliminating God's rules, we don't want to. All of God's rules are beneficial. Let's not be ashamed of His commands. Let's understand them and teach them. 

what shall a pastor of a small church teach that can compete with larger funner churches? Only the Bible feeds all hearts.  teach it as often as you can. Have your members teach it as often as you can. Interact with God in it.  God works thru His Word. 

Our friend the Holy Spirit will do whatever it takes to help us.  Romans 8 is featured. 

Discouraged pastors and members can remember that God really is passionate about them, and find peace. 

why we needed the first 6 lessons. our society is producing lonely, sad, wandering souls who need to hear that God is good. every church is full of hurting members who also need to know that God is good. 

The Lord's Table encompasses all of the covenants. God offers these basic promises so we can be empowered. 

God does not hold grudges against repentant people or churches. He gave us baptism so we could know we are completely clean in His eyes.  

Baptism is that moment we look back to when we sin, and know we really are forgiven forever. God wants us to feel as forgiven as we are. This is one of our foundations of power. 

Jesus joined us in our sin, but also in the consequences of sin. In our pain, helplessness, hopelessness, etc. He chose to continue in our redemption at every new terrible juncture. 

small churches who are faithful can be discouraged when less faithful churches grow.  Before anything else, each small church must be sure that God loves them, and has called them to their ministry.