1. As a pastor are you listening to, benefiting from—or ignoring your critics?

2. Are you emotionally-secure enough to realize that your critics are sometimes right?

3. Do you know the most frequent or significant criticism made of you?

4. Do you regard your opponents as being “unspiritual” and unworthy of consideration?

5. Do you justify the departure of members from your congregation as simply being “God’s ‘pruning'” and/or their refusal to accept your “new wine skin”?

6. Did you learn from wrong choices you made in the past?

7. Do you ever listen to—print copies of your own sermons—critique them, and hear your preaching as others hear it? Do you study the content and eliminate superfluous talk?

8. If you were asked to preach a 3-point, quality sermon in 15 minutes could you do it?

9. Are you prepared to preach “in season, out of season”?

10. Do you blame your lack of preparation, indecisiveness, or procrastination, on your supposedly allowing “freedom” for the Holy Spirit?

11. Are you willing to preach more sermons to more people by being considerate of their time or do you insist on longer sermons and fewer people?

12. What percent of your congregation arrives late to avoid the length of the service? Have you ever considered that possibility?

13. As a pastor, do you pray as ardently about your administrative responsibilities as you do your preaching responsibilities?

14. Do members see such consistent growth in your preaching, your administration, that they are eager to hear your next message and be part of your next action?

15. Do visitors observe such maturity and reliability in your whole church-experience that they want to transfer its pattern into their home and personal life?

16. Do visitors eagerly return to your service or are most one-timers only?

17. If you were a first-time visitor in your own congregation what would be your honest opinion?

Image: Dan Gold

18. Are you providing your congregation with the example of a loving, disciplined, well-structured life?

19. Apart from your preaching-ministry, does the congregation witness the power of the Holy Spirit in you privately? Are you a “carrier” of the anointing?

20. Have you ever canvassed your congregation to ask for their honest opinions about improving the Church’s total ministry? If not, why not?

21. Is there consistent, viable presence of the Holy Spirit displayed through your laying on-hands and personal ministry?

22. When laying-hands on people do you push them down? If so, Do you possibly mistake your emotion and pumped-up zeal with the genuine activity of the Holy Spirit?

23. Are your prayers so long that people quit participating?

24. Theologically, are you a Kingdom-man or a Church-man?

25. Theologically, are you a “closed door” or do you listen to new, godly ideas?

26. Do you give opportunity for prophetic messages, tongues, interpretation, signs, wonders, etc, in every worship service?

27. Do you do all the talking, praying, announcement making, letting the congregation hear your voice alone? Are you a “one-man” show?

Making your church a modern-day Addullam: Reach, Teach, Release.

As you finish your prayer, you realize that the weeping man at the altar has come to Christ. The leather, tattoos and body piercings clearly no longer agree with the transformation you know has changed his soul. As you praise God for this new soul, a realization hits you. I have to help make a strong saint of this man.

Churching, or re-Churching men is a key task in developing a dynamic and growing body of believers. The differences in background, appearance and even style of your new brothers can seem intimidating. God’s Power and your heart are more than equal to the task. You can become a modern day “Captain of 400″ in a 21^st century Adullam.

Adullam Assembly

David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men (1 Samuel 22:1-2 KJV).

David, hunted and hated by his own father-in-lay, has hidden himself in a wilderness cave. Penniless and burdened with his unjustly persecuted family, David needs help and assistance. God faithfully guides men to his loyal servant.

Cave entrance near the ancient ruins of Adullam.
Image: Davidbena / Wikimedia Commons.

Deadbeats, troublemakers and whiners arrive at Adullam. With Saul and all of Israel’s armies looking for him, only the losers arrive at David’s side. However it looks to David, this is God’s Plan.

Whatever they were before, these men change when they stay with David. A rag-tag group of malcontents become an elite force of warriors. Losers and castoffs are transformed into courageous champions.

The Church is made up of men and their families. Souls progress from converts to new disciples, to growing disciples and then disciple makers. This is the intended pattern for God’s Church.

Your church or ministry can become a modern day Adullam. A place where men can become transformed in God’s Spirit and Power. All it takes is a heart, and heard, for working with the men that God calls from the darkness. If it ever seems too much, ask for more of His Grace.

Nothing can remain the same in the presence of God’s Grace. Not the situation. Not the men. Not even the leader.

Transformation Assembly

The military and law enforcement know how Christian leaders feel. They take in men who know little or nothing of war or law, then transform them. In too few weeks, they make seasoned professionals of inexperienced boys. Then they send them into the streets and battlefields to accomplish a difficult mission against incredible opposition.