Doug Fields (DougFields.com) has been a pastor to teenagers and ministry leader for over 30 years, serving at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA for the last 20 years. Currently Doug is the Executive Director of HomeWord’s Center for Youth & Family at Azusa Pacific University, he’s on the leadership team of Youth Specialties, and he’s the volunteer youth pastor at a start-up church in Southern CA.
"The three sunlamps that burned my vision". Doug shared a story of looking into a sunlamp as a kid and having his vision compromised.
1. The importance of numbers
- the idea that bigger is better
- realizing that week to week you must "feed the beast"
- numbers feeds our insecurity
- It's so easy to speak in statistics
2. The pace of life
- ministry becomes less of a marathon and more of a sprint
- created a longing for isolation
3. The constant comparison
- a pitfall of ministry
- comparison of ministry practices, congregation sizes etc.
- comparing everything you know about yourself to everything you don't know about another
How do we turn off the light and refocus the vision, and clearly live.
John 11 "Unwrap him and let him live"
Three ways to turn off the sunlamps...
1. Bigger isn't better, better is better.
- what if you went on a numbers detox? Maybe find another way to gage effectiveness.
2. Hurry is the enemy of depth
- realizing this about the pace of life.
- finding depth in people, self and Jesus
- you can't rush relationships, discipleship or love
2. Comparison quenches peace
- realizing that God made a masterpiece
- stop comparing and start abiding
- quit being impressed by the business of others
- realize everything and everyone looks better from a distance
If you have been blinded by the ministry machine, please take action. You must find a way to turn off the blinding sunlamp to regain your vision.
Are you excited about the future and condition of your soul?
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