The Red Letter Words Of JesusSample

Untapped Potential

There is a massive untapped potential in our churches. While pastors and leadership teams often get the chance to attend conferences, work on their leadership craft, and analyze their gifts, most of the people in their congregations don’t have the same opportunities. Most of the people sitting in the pews or comfy church chairs during weekend services don’t sense they are part of God’s great mission to redeem all things. Most unpaid church leaders don’t believe they have anything to contribute to this needy world.

We have accidentally made our congregations passive. They’ve gotten the message they are not invited into ministry and they should get busy filling sanctuary seats, filling an offering plate, and filling the serving roles we are desperate to fill. But nothing could be further from the truth! Every person is a genius because we have a genius. Every follower of Jesus is invited into ministry. Every person’s gifts and talents can be unleashed in an outward direction for the sake of a needy world.

We need to rediscover a proper theology of creativity. Let’s go back to the beginning. These are three significant soundbites from the creation narrative.

“Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature.—Genesis 1:26 The Message

"God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good!" —Genesis 1:31 The Message

"When God created the human race, he made it godlike, with a nature akin to God." —Genesis 5:1 The Message

We steward creativity; we don’t actually create it. When we think we are the genius, it leads us into fear and anxiety because it all depends on us. When we know God is the genius, the pressure is off of us because it’s His message and we are His scribes. It’s His poem, and we recite it. It’s His song, and we are in the choir. It’s His dance, and we are taking choreography cues. It’s His novel, and we are simply holding the pen. It’s His sermon, and we are just reciting it.

When we believe God generates the creativity in us, this leads us instead to a posture of stewardship. When we realize creativity is inspired by God, He can get the worship. He can handle the pressure. Stewards take care of someone else’s resources. Owners create and generate.