Revelation Beats Imitation Every Time!

Success stories are a dime a dozen today.  It's not hard to find books and blogs written by people that are doing it right.  Conferences abound with speakers that have seen success in their church or business.  Somebody somewhere tried something, and it worked!  The next step in the process is obviously to share that success story in hopes that it inspires others.

Unfortunately that can lead to cookie cutter ideas.  Leaders will look at these success stories and try to hit the "copy" and "paste" button.  Surely if it works for that guy, then it'll work for me.

There are usually 2 things forgotten in this copy-cat model:

A.  Context.  Their success story came at their church, in their city, with their demographic, in their time frame, with their level of spiritual maturity.  Your context may have absolutely nothing in common with their context, but we often still expect the same results as long as we follow the "3 simple steps."

B. Revelation.  The plan that you see blossoming on the other side of the country (or the other side of the world!) may very well be the result of a leader getting on his face, pleading with God for the plan that He has for that particular church.

They may be famous for the 4-step process, but what you don't know is the hours spent praying, fasting, seeking, and listening to God.

You read their books and blogs, but will probably never see the journals documenting the struggle, the faith, and the desire for obedience and an individual anointing from God.  Everyone wants the success without the story.

Our time calling out to the missions, discipleship, and church growth experts takes place of our time calling out to the Creator of those areas, the one who defines what ministry success really means.


When Moses died at the end of Deuteronomy, Joshua took over.  And what was the first thing he did?

Re-live all of Moses' successes?
Try to pull the old "plagues" trick?
Look for a burning bush?
Split the sea down the middle?
Pick up the stone writing tablets?

No, not any of those.  In Joshua 1, he received from God his specific calling.

God told Joshua what He wanted HIM to do.  Here is the plan I have for YOU, for the people YOU have with you right now, at the location that YOU are in, and for the future that I have for YOU and these people.


God, what would you have for me to do, in the city where I am, for the church that you've entrusted me to lead, with the people that are attending here?  That kind of revelation from God beats imitation every time!