Bott '14

[Abiding Now]

Originally Posted by n david

Have you attended a BOTT conference? It's a great conference for Pastors and leaders. What do you mean by "all the sermons are the same?"

The speakers all use the Bible as their reference point.

[n david]

Originally Posted by Abiding Now

The speakers all use the Bible as their reference point.

If the speakers wore t-shirts and ripped jeans, sat on stools, and gave a vanilla creme cupcake message, BOTT would be more popular with JS.

[Abiding Now]

Originally Posted by n david

If the speakers wore t-shirts and ripped jeans, sat on stools, and gave a vanilla creme cupcake message, BOTT would be more popular with JS.

or...........

[Jack Shephard]

Originally Posted by n david

If the speakers wore t-shirts and ripped jeans, sat on stools, and gave a vanilla creme cupcake message, BOTT would be more popular with JS.

I am not talking about how they dress so much. Although I am sure it is a fashion show there with who wears the best suits and shoes or whatever. Any how... Also, I don't like vanilla creme cupcakes.

[Jack Shephard]

Originally Posted by n david

Have you attended a BOTT conference? It's a great conference for Pastors and leaders. What do you mean by "all the sermons are the same?"

To be fair I've never been to one, but for years I have either wathced online or via DVD every sermon from every service and the panels they have for questions and such for roughly 10 years. Some sermons were good, but they all end up to be a kind of "rally the troops" type of thing.

[n david]

Originally Posted by Jack Shephard

To be fair I've never been to one, but for years I have either wathced online or via DVD every sermon from every service and the panels they have for questions and such for roughly 10 years. Some sermons were good, but they all end up to be a kind of "rally the troops" type of thing.

Fair enough. Consider the audience though. BOTT is for Pastors and other leaders. Men and women who spend their year preaching, teaching, and expending themselves in other ways. This is refreshing for them. It's a few days where they can be encouraged and challenged.

Is "rally the troops" a bad thing? It's a war-time slogan which referred to pep talks given to unite the troops for a common cause.

If ever there is time to "rally the troops," it's now. Pastors are under intense pressure in this day and age. It's a thankless job. Instead of encouragement and support, most Pastors only get criticism and hate. I've read of 2 or 3 Pastors who have committed suicide in the past few months. They need a "rally the troops" message.

[BalancedLife]

Originally Posted by Jack Shephard

BOTT is a bit overrated in my opininon. It seems that all the sermons are the same. Just saying...

I went to BOTT a few years back, and yes it is overrated. It is not practical to the audience attending in my opinion. If you have 2,500 - 3,000 preachers/evangelists/pastors why not gear the conference toward their needs instead of cramming in 2 preachers per service so no one preacher is "offended" that they didn't get asked to preach BOTT?

What about break-out sessions, evangelism tools, classes on church finances? I mean POA is a well-oiled machine and that didn't happen by accident. Why not use and market the model that built POA and instruct those that come and attend on matters like these? Why not have classes available to help reach the homeless, orphaned or widowed in their city so they can fulfill more of a purpose for Christ? Why not have a session for younger ministers who feel that God is calling them to plant churches? Give them instructions on small groups, structuring your non-profit corporation, how to purchase insurance, etc.?

I am fine with good preaching, but make the conference more practical to the church of 2014. But no, it is the same thing over and over. Think I am kidding, if any of you are on Twitter and are somewhat connected to anyone attending the conference, here is a popular quote just to show you instead of really making a difference to the audience, agendas are still being pushed. You all know with this quote what the message was about, no need to divulge:

"My personal holiness is the best gift that I can give to Jesus"

[n david]

Originally Posted by BalancedLife

I went to BOTT a few years back, and yes it is overrated. It is not practical to the audience attending in my opinion. If you have 2,500 - 3,000 preachers/evangelists/pastors why not gear the conference toward their needs instead of cramming in 2 preachers per service so no one preacher is "offended" that they didn't get asked to preach BOTT?

They're not worried about preachers being offended they're not included. Mike Williams and TF Tenney are not preaching this year. They used to have more in the morning/afternoon part. It's actually been reduced this year from previous years when I went in the 90s.

Originally Posted by BalancedLife

What about break-out sessions, evangelism tools, classes on church finances? I mean POA is a well-oiled machine and that didn't happen by accident. Why not use and market the model that built POA and instruct those that come and attend on matters like these? Why not have classes available to help reach the homeless, orphaned or widowed in their city so they can fulfill more of a purpose for Christ? Why not have a session for younger ministers who feel that God is calling them to plant churches? Give them instructions on small groups, structuring your non-profit corporation, how to purchase insurance, etc.?

All good ideas, but it's not geared to be a seminar-style event. That's what General Conference has become.

Originally Posted by BalancedLife

I am fine with good preaching, but make the conference more practical to the church of 2014. But no, it is the same thing over and over.

Yeah, shame on them for preaching the Bible over and over and over....

Originally Posted by BalancedLife

Think I am kidding, if any of you are on Twitter and are somewhat connected to anyone attending the conference, here is a popular quote just to show you instead of really making a difference to the audience, agendas are still being pushed. You all know with this quote what the message was about, no need to divulge:

"My personal holiness is the best gift that I can give to Jesus"

Scandalous!

I'd like to know the context and message in which this quote was given. And yes, it's important to know that information before making any assumptions about its meaning.

[n david]

Originally Posted by BalancedLife

if any of you are on Twitter and are somewhat connected to anyone attending the conference, here is a popular quote just to show you instead of really making a difference to the audience, agendas are still being pushed. You all know with this quote what the message was about, no need to divulge:

"My personal holiness is the best gift that I can give to Jesus"

What do you think the quote is about?

[BalancedLife]

Originally Posted by n david

What do you think the quote is about?

There is no such thing as personal holiness. Holiness (by Greek/Hebrew definition) means piety or separation unto God. Paul gave us what true holiness entails in Ephesians 4:24-32 which says:

24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Holiness means there are things that I do after I receive the Spirit to separate myself unto God. It all has to do with actions, speech and the heart. So with that being said, the term "personal holiness" is not Biblical because we are unholy man and partake or inherit holiness from God at Spirit baptism. Holiness is God's attribute and therefore cannot become "personal" for any of us, because it is the very essence of God. That's why He said, "be ye holy, for I am holy".

But what I glean from the man's quote is this - he is referring to what he feels are a set of standards that are corporate in setting but have become "personal" to him because he received a revelation of holiness (in regard to standards). So, he thinks that this revelation received and the choice to make the set of standards his own, is the most pleasing thing to God that he can do. This goes against the Word, because loving one another (Agape) is the best gift that I can give to Jesus because He said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord God and love your neighbor as yourself.