Newspring Leadership Conference 2010 Part 4: Judah Smith

To see the introduction to this ‘series’ click here

Speaker 4: Judah Smith

Judah Smith is the Lead Pastor of The City Church in Seattle, Washington. I had never heard of him before but he was one of the most powerful speakers at the conference. Having only recently taken on senior leadership of The City Church, Judah was extremely honest, humble and he ‘hit home’ for many of the leaders there.

HIGHLIGHTS

“Don’t turn God into a vending machine.”

“It’s impossible to get to the ‘other side’ without God – you need to admit that you’re not there yet!”

“Just stay in the boat. Stay where God has put you and don’t give up.”

“Where He is, that’s where you’re supposed to be.”

Galatians 6v9:  And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Newspring Leadership Conference 2010 Part 3: Jud Wilhite

To see the introduction to this ‘series’ click here

Speaker 3: Jud Wilhite

I had heard of Jud Wilhite only briefly and in passing so I was interested and curious to hear him speak. He is the Senior Pastor of Central Christian Church in the Las Vegas area which is definitely an interesting place to be! Jud encounters extremely broken and desperate people everyday and to hear him talk about them and about his passion for them was fascinating.

HIGHLIGHTS:

“Put your hand to the plough and don’t look back.”

“Reach out to the broken and you will always have an audience.”

“Two questions: Who’s hurting that we can help? Who needs to be reached but isn’t?”

“The ‘up and in’ are just as broken as the ‘down and out’.”

On issues that come up: “Major on the majors and minor on the minors.”

“See restrictions as an opportunity – fight the martyr mentality. Stop focussing on what you don’t have and focus on what you do have (the gospel).”

Acts 3v6: But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”

Newspring Leadership Conference 2010 Part 2: Mark Driscoll

To see the introduction to this ‘series’ click here

Speaker 2: Mark Driscoll

Mark is the founder of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, USA. I have heard Mark on several occasions online and he has visited both my previous ‘home churches’: Church of Christ the King in Brighton, England and Jubilee Community Church in Cape Town, South Africa but I will say that hearing him speak at NLC 2010 was by far the best and most powerful I have heard him.

HIGHLIGHTS:

“If you want God to use you greatly, He must first wound you deeply.”

“We need to learn to suffer well because we have suffered, are suffering and will suffer.”

“You suffer because you do the right thing. It’s not punishment from a God who’s against you, it is correction from a God who loves you.”

“Jesus suffered not so that we wouldn’t suffer but so that when we suffer we can be like Him.”

“Deeper pruning = greater harvest.”

“Your suffering: What is it? Who is it? How will you use it? Suffer well.”

The bulk of what Mark spoke on came from Ephesians 3.