God of Unlimited Power

God’s power has no equal. However we are not able to fully comprehend what it means when we say God is omnipotent. God has revealed His power to us throughout history, that we can attempt to define and understand within our human limitations God’s nature.

God has demonstrated through His word the nature of His power. Throughout the Old Testament there are revelations like creation and the flood. He demonstrated His power with His provision for the Israelites, through captivity, wandering, conquering the promised land, and back into captivity. The only times Israel was defeated was when they had turned their back on God. He also demonstrated His power through Christ. He showed His power over creation, over demons, and even over death itself. 

The world around us also reveals God’s power to us. He created everything in the world from the blades of grass, to the mighty oceans, and everything in between. Every system and structure in Nature God designed and God maintains.

Ultimately the only limitations that God has are the ones that He has put on Himself. He had the power for Israel to take the promised land when they first entered, however it was the lack of faith in God’s power that drove the Israelites to wander for forty years. Had they been faithful, God proved through Israel’s eventual conquering of the land that He would have delivered it to them. 

Ultimately it is up to each of us whether or not we have the faith to believe in God’s unlimited power. Because sin entered the world, creation became corrupted. However through Christ God demonstrated His power providing everyone with an opportunity for victory over death and sin. 

Do we believe in God’s power enough to trust that He will see us through any obstacle or valley as long as we are focused on His Kingdom in our personal life as well as our churches and ministries?

Where is Our Focus?

When we are talking about church revitalization, it is important to go back to the key verse that the foundation's mission is built on. Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”. Matthew 6 is full of wisdom that is key to being able to reach a lost and hurting world. Throughout the chapter it leaves us with directions of where our focus should be. From when we worship, to when we pray, to where we store up our treasures, to our basic needs, everything points back to God and His Kingdom. However, our focus is constantly being fought over in this world.

Church revitalization is not a twelve step program to bring your church out of debt, or some trade secret to grow your congregation. At its core, church revitalization is the conscious and active decision to reset the focus of our churches and ministries onto God’s Kingdom and the communities that he has placed us in. We often place limits on God’s power because we are focusing on our own human limitations. However, if our focus is on His Kingdom we allow Him to do a work that is far greater than anything that we are capable of. Where is your focus?

What are Your Dreams for Ministry?

If money was no object, what would you want to do in your ministry or church? Oftentimes we get focused on why we can’t do something in ministry, and many times that leads to churches shifting more into a maintenance mode than being on fire for Christ. However, dreaming can be scary at times, and God often moves in ways that it is abundantly clear there was no other way for this to be accomplished outside of the provisions of God. That can leave us in an uncomfortable position if we are not rooted in God’s promise to provide what we need.

Don’t let the devil distract you or take your focus off of God’s Kingdom, if God has given you a mission in your ministry, know that it may not look the way you want it to, but God will bring you through any challenge you may face. When you get to the other side you will be amazed at how he brings all the pieces together. Don’t be afraid to dream in your ministry, God just might be using that dream to bring glory to His Kingdom.

We Serve an Unlimited God

We serve an unlimited God! However, due to our human limitations, how can we begin to accurately describe Him to others? We have to acknowledge our human limitations and vocabulary, and rely on what God has revealed about Himself to the world. 

Dr. Ken Hemphill shared in Unlimited: God’s Love, Atonement, and Mission, that “We can describe God, but we cannot fully define Him”. However, God continually reveals Himself and His nature to the world both through creation, conscience, and the testimony left in Scripture. 

When we remember God’s unlimited power, it should give us both confidence and hope in our churches and ministry. If God has directed your mission then He has promised that He will be faithful to provide what you need. Unfortunately, many times we read that as He will give us what we want, or do it our way. However, when we turn our focus onto His Kingdom and release our problems, roadblocks, and doubts to Him, we allow Him to move our human limitations out of the way where He can receive all the glory. What could your ministry or church accomplish if you met every roadblock and obstacle leaning on the unlimited power of God to get you through.

Taking Time to Reflect on God's call to Generosity.

We all know that God has called us to not only be good stewards with the talents and resources He has given us, but we also know that He has called us to be generous with what He has blessed each of us with. However, generosity has become a difficult topic to discuss in churches.

The National Christian Foundation has developed the Journey of Generosity retreats(or JOGs for short) as a way for believers to step away into a low intensity environment and be able to really discuss what God has said about generosity. Imagine what your church would be able to accomplish for God’s Kingdom if we become just as excited for what we can give back to the Lord as what we have received from Him.

To find out more about JOGs please visit https://www.kingdom-growth.net/national-christian-foundation

Are We Living It?

When you think of brands or businesses, often you connect them to their spokesperson, mascot, or logo. As Christians, we also are representatives of Christ. Often nonbelievers look to the way Christians live their lives to formulate their opinion on who God is and what it means to be one of His followers.

How exciting it is that God has entrusted us to be His ambassadors to a lost world? We often struggle to find the right opportunity or setting to witness to those we know are lost, but God has given us another opportunity to be a reflection of who He is. We are a witness everyday when we are at the grocery store, picking up our kids from school, dealing with our coworker we don’t get along with, or anywhere else God has placed us. 

Even if it feels like your ministry is not gaining traction or going through a difficult time, be encouraged and energized that the work you're doing both within the church and even more so in the community is providing people with the opportunity to see who God really is. You are a light in your community that has the power to direct people towards the Father.

If there is any way that we can be praying for your church or ministry specifically please let us know at https://www.kingdom-growth.net/contact.

Your Journey is not Done, Keep Pushing Forward!

It is easy to become complacent in our ministry, especially as we find success in reaching the lost and growing our congregations and ministries. When we are first starting out in ministry, we are fired up to serve God, and our focus is on what we believe He can do through our ministry. As we start to grow and get a little more success, we start trying to wrestle the wheel back from God. What started out as His ministry is now our ministry, and if we're not careful, it becomes my ministry.

Ministry requires dedication, and the hours and efforts that pastors and church leaders dedicate are often overlooked or criticized. We will all reach a point where we start wanting to rely on our own will and direction, because usually our direction wants to rely on what has worked and what is comfortable. However, when we realize everything that God has brought us through, regardless of our current point in ministry, we should be encouraged in our faith. If God has been faithful in bringing us to the point we are today, then we can have hope in the assurance that, regardless of how the path may look, He will work out every detail to bring Himself the most glory, as long as we keep our focus on His Kingdom.

Never lose sight of the critical mission God has placed you on, and when we hit those points where we either want to maintain the level of comfort we currently have, or we hit that point where it just doesn't seem like God is moving in a particular ministry, don't quit or let your focus get shifted. Keep your focus on seeking God's will and His Kingdom, and keep pushing on!

If there is any way that we could be praying for your ministry or you personally, please reach out and let us know at https://www.kingdom-growth.net/contact.

Why Does the Local Church Matter?

Jesus came to establish His church. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He established a way for us to have a personal relationship with God, without barriers or the shame of our sin.

God never intended for believers to walk through life alone. The local church is a vital part of our faith journey, providing a community of believers who offer encouragement, discipleship, and accountability. This is where we come together with a shared purpose, to lift up and praise God's name. We recognize the importance of having a strong support system of fellow pastors, churches, and ministries to rely on for prayer, growth, and guidance in ministry.

The Kingdom Growth Foundation is dedicated to seeing God's Kingdom grow on Earth and helping churches focus on God's Kingdom first. That's why we're so excited to welcome Dr. Ken Hemphill to our leadership team as our new Kingdom Growth Strategist.

With over 50 years of experience in ministry and church revitalization, Dr. Hemphill will play a key role in our mission. He will work with the foundation as we partner with local churches to provide the prayer, support, and resources they need.

Providing Hope in the Darkness of Cancer

Cancer is a word that shatters worlds. When someone is diagnosed, their life doesn't just stop; it feels like the foundation crumbles. It is also one of those diseases that you would be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't had friends or family impacted. 

Churches are in a position to surround believers with the love and hope that only God provides. We are called to come alongside our brothers and sisters and help carry the burdens that cancer brings. But how do we equip our congregations to support those within their own church who are going through this journey?

Believers are also called to engage those who are lost where they are. We have an opportunity to step into a local mission field, full of broken and hurting people who are desperately seeking hope. We are positioned not only to introduce them to a hope greater than anything this world has to offer, but also to show them a tangible representation of Christ through our love and support. How do we equip our congregations to engage those going through this journey outside of the church?

Our Journey of Hope Cancer Care Ministry was started for this exact reason. It is a hope ministry that helps equip and train believers on how to engage both fellow believers and non-believers on the cancer journey. God is providing a way to take the church outside of our buildings and into our communities. Would your church be willing to pray and see if this is a ministry opportunity that God might be leading you to?

To learn more about the ministry or how your church can get involved, please visit https://www.kingdom-growth.net/cityofhope.

Make Prayer a Priority

God often works in ways that make it abundantly clear that His hands were on the situation. We know to go to Him when we are having trouble in our lives, but how often do we call upon Him to seek His will for our lives? When we set aside our own desires and plans and submit to God’s plan for our lives, He often brings His plan together in ways we could never have imagined.

Prayer is our direct line to God. We sometimes get so caught up in trying to plan and prepare that we forget we have access to the one who knows everything, past, present, and future. We try to come up with our own plans and ideas, many of which are well-intentioned.

However, God sometimes leads us down paths that we would never have taken on our own and produces blessings we would have never thought possible when we submit. Imagine what He could accomplish through us if we, as the church, turned our focus back not only to prayer, but to prayer seeking His direction for our lives and ministry.

When we lean on prayer we are leaning on the unlimited power of God. The Bible shows us repeatedly God’s character, and can give us confidence in who we serve. However believers sometimes miss or do not understand His true character. If you would like to explore God’s character more with your church or ministry, Unlimited: God's Love, Atonement and Mission is a study that uses scripture to explore God’s love, atonement, mission, resources, and presence. This study empowers Christians to pray and live boldly knowing the God that they serve. Learn More

Empowering Men in Christ

In Galatians 6:1-2, it says, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

God left us a blueprint on how our relationships should look with fellow believers. He has called us to support one another. In these verses, He tells us that we are to hold each other accountable to see our relationship restored and strengthened in Christ. When we develop strong relationships with other Christians, we can both receive and give rebuke in love. We want our focus to be on His Kingdom, but sometimes we allow distractions to take our focus off Him. God often uses the people close to us in our spiritual lives to help guide us back onto the path that He wants us on.

He also calls on us to bear each other’s burdens. To bear something, you have to get involved physically, and you can’t bear it from the side or at a distance. We are directed to step in and help carry the weight of our brothers and sisters’ problems and trials in their lives. God allows all of us to go through difficult times to build and strengthen our faith. Our faith tells us we are not strong enough on our own, and we have faith that we serve a mighty God who is strong enough. When we carry others and allow others to help carry our burdens, we allow our own strength and will to be moved out of the way and make room for God to do His work.

We have had the opportunity to support River Hills Church’s men’s ministry. They are creating a space for men to come together and build those relationships. The men are finding people in their lives to not only help them grow closer to God through the lessons, but to walk beside them and encourage and celebrate God’s victories in their lives. It also gives them a group to lean on when they are going through one of those valleys in life or struggling with sin.

Creating groups and spaces like this is helping to empower the men who come to live out a Kingdom-focused life. Not only are they focusing on God’s direction for their life, but they are also creating bonds to lean on as they strive to be obedient to that call.

We continue to pray for the churches and ministries that God is using to grow His Kingdom. If there is something we can be praying specifically with you about, please reach out to creynolds@kingdom-growth.net.

Seeking Kingdom Focused Generosity

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus leaves us a promise that if we are focused on His Kingdom, that he will provide us with what we need. Society constantly teaches that we need more, and it often sounds like a smart and good message. We want our family to have comfort and security, and their needs taken care of, that is human nature. However God calls us to do something that goes against human nature and what society teaches us. He calls us to put our total faith in him, to seek what his will is for our life and our ministries and trust that He will provide us what we need. What barriers do we face as Christians today that keeps us from maintaining a Kingdom focus through our giving?

Debra Potter had the opportunity to share her thoughts on why modern believers struggle with trusting God with their finances, and ways the Kingdom Growth Foundation could work with the National Christian Foundation and local churches to start having these conversations about generosity.

If you would like more information on the National Christian Foundation, Kingdom Growth Foundation, or how your church can start the conversation on generosity reach out to creynolds@kingdom-growth.net or (318)286-1419.

God Answered Prayers with Kingdom Builders

We were so thankful for all God did to bring our Kingdom Builders event together. He put the pieces together in a way that only He could. We appreciate Debra Potter and the National  Christian Foundation for partnering with us. We want to help turn believers back to the mindset of using the blessings He has provided each and every one of us, as believers, to help further grow His kingdom.

Generosity begins in the heart. Our goal is not for people to give just for the sake of saying they have given, but to help turn people’s hearts and minds to seek what God is asking of them. Our hope is that this will not just be a simple event that was attended, but the start of a movement where we encourage and disciple believers within our local churches and ministries to seek that heart change.

We appreciate all of you that have been praying with us. We ask that you continue praying and specifically meditating on if God is calling you to join with us on this generosity mission. Our goal is to continue helping churches grow, and we believe God is opening the door for revival if we seek His Kingdom first and allow him to work through us!

We would love to be able to sit down further with your church or ministry to discuss how the Kingdom Growth Foundation and the National Christian Foundation can partner with you to help start discussions on generosity. Reach out to creynolds@kingdom-growth.net to set up a time for us to discuss what we learned during Kingdom Builders or to discuss what the next steps are for your church or ministry.