Breakthrough and Change

At a conference this past fall I heard a speaker say, “Not all change leads to breakthroughs, but all breakthroughs require change.”  This principle applies to many areas of our lives.  At the start of a new year when many are resolute about losing weight and getting healthier, it will not happen unless there is a change in patterns of how they live. If they continue to eat snack foods and recline in their sofa, they will not experience a breakthrough.  This principle applies to churches as well.  I know many churches and leaders want different results but fear or fail to make changes that are needed to see breakthroughs happen.  If we are going to see God’s people fully unleashed to carry out the mission we have been entrusted with, it will take some pattern breaking.

As I have said before that the heart of the gospel is change. It is a call to repent, to change direction and focus on faithfully following Christ as Lord.  As Christians, and collectively as churches, we need to always being willing to change if it means being more faithful to follow Jesus.  And when we do, he does a mighty work in us and our congregations.  So, remember, “Not all changes lead to breakthroughs, but all breakthroughs require change.” –

-Dr. Gary Mathes

Read more:

Similar Posts

  • Healthy Targets

    Healthy Foundations – Prayer This week I share the sixth of nine targets for healthy churches – Prayer. The three targets under the category of Healthy Foundations are Gospel, Scripture, and Prayer. From the church’s beginning they devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to prayer (Acts 2:42). As the disciples followed Jesus, they took…

  • Shaping Your Values

    Last week I began to address the definition and purpose of values and why describing the values that shape your church is so important.  Values are the shared convictions a church holds to; they are the common heartbeat of a congregation that inform and drive the motivation for its missional and ministry activities. When describing…

  • New Year

    The New Year is here!  It is always an opportunity to evaluate the previous year and look ahead toward the future.  As I look ahead into 2023 I am excited to be part of a network of churches committed to partnering together for the gospel to reach the northland and the nations.   God did some amazing things through…

  • Thy Kingdom Come

    I recently was at one of our churches and the minister declared, “Thy kingdom come.” and the congregation responded, “Thy will be done.”  It was a good reminder that regardless of the political agendas and in the aftermath of a recent election day, it is God who is sovereign over the affairs of our world,…