Saddleback Day Three

Well I'm back home now and I'm still reflecting over the events of the past few days. I didn't want to leave out day three of the Saddleback conference. It was great! We heard from Leonard Sweet, author of Soul Tsunami and The Gospel According to Starbucks. Steve Gladen interviewed him and I learned quite a bit. Here’s some highlights.

1. Steve asked him about the decorations in his home which were obviously on the antique side and the fact that he connects with culture so well and he said, “you get to choose your furniture not your culture.”
2. He talked about how he has a hard time releasing a book to be published because he is constantly making adjustments and that our lives are a draft (That really doesn’t do what he said justice).
3. He talked about the EPIC challenge of the Church. He said that any successful enterprise is “ EPIC”.

Experiential
Participatory
Image Rich
Connective
4. Steve asked him about the current state of the church and Leonard responded that the church is returning to its original programming which is Missional, Relational, and Incarnational.
5. Starbuck coffee is $40 a gallon. Starbuck is an EPIC enterprise.
6. Worship should be connected to mission.
7. The more high tech we get, the more high touch we need to get.
8. He said that Christianity is about the destination AND the journey.
9. He has a new book coming out that asked the basic question, “who do you have with you.” In it, he says that everyone needs a timothy, a paul, a barnabus, etc…
10. “Jesus had 3 years to build a ministry and what did he do? Did he build a mega church? No, He developed a small group.”
11. Sanctuary is not a safe place from risks but a safe place to take risks.
12. He used this phrase, “mind marinated in the word.”
13. “If I don’t want to talk to someone on a plane I read my bible.” Ouch. Here he was talking about evangelism in our post modern, post Christian society. He said that our chief responsibility is not ‘tell and show” but “shut up and listen”. We are to discern where God is already working in their lives and help them be made aware.
14. “Christians hate cloning but we are the biggest clone makers in the world. As we become more like Christ we should become more unique.”
15. “Jesus didn’t come to make a difference he came to make a different world.”

Nick Vujicic spoke at the end of the conference. He is a powerful speaker with a great testimony of how God uses people for His glory. Here’s a couple of quotes…

“How does a man without arms and legs become the hands and feet of God?”

“If the world says you’re not good enough…get a second opinion!”

“Without arms and legs I can fit through cracks that you cannot.”

“It takes time to see God’s glory.”

He said that we should pray for miracles but continue to serve our circumstances.