Tommy Barnett
Tommy Barnett, pastor of First Assembly in Pheonix, Arizona, was one of the speakers @ the Honor Bound Conference I spoke at up in Baltimore. I couldn't believe he is 69. He looks 50. And I don't know that I've ever listened to someone with more vision or passion.
Here's an observation: the more vision a person has the longer I can listen. I could have listened to Tommy Barnett all day long.
He shared two dream tests:
1) The dream is God's dream if it's bigger than you
He shared the story of the Dream Center in LA now pastored by his son, Matthew Barnett. Total inspiration. One of the things Tommy said is that we seem to be afraid of big dreams in the church. We have no problem with Trump's 70-story skyscraper dreams or Steinbrenner's $3 billion Yankee Stadium dream or Hollywood's $150 million movie dreams. But the church seems to second-guess dreamers. Here's what I think: no one ought to dream bigger dreams than the church.
Tommy also said you can't reach people with more vision than you. That was absolutly fascinating and convicting. Pastors have to have big dreams so they attract people with big dreams!
2) The dream is God's dream if you can't shake it
Most dreams have a five year expiration date. That statement struck me because my writing dream took about 13 years to come to fruition. Our coffeehouse on Capitol Hill took 8 years to become reality.
Habakkuk 2:3 says:
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
A few odds and ends.
"You should never catch up with your dream."
"I'd rather have drug-dealers than dream-killers in my church."
"Fear is a negative vision."
Here's an observation: the more vision a person has the longer I can listen. I could have listened to Tommy Barnett all day long.
He shared two dream tests:
1) The dream is God's dream if it's bigger than you
He shared the story of the Dream Center in LA now pastored by his son, Matthew Barnett. Total inspiration. One of the things Tommy said is that we seem to be afraid of big dreams in the church. We have no problem with Trump's 70-story skyscraper dreams or Steinbrenner's $3 billion Yankee Stadium dream or Hollywood's $150 million movie dreams. But the church seems to second-guess dreamers. Here's what I think: no one ought to dream bigger dreams than the church.
Tommy also said you can't reach people with more vision than you. That was absolutly fascinating and convicting. Pastors have to have big dreams so they attract people with big dreams!
2) The dream is God's dream if you can't shake it
Most dreams have a five year expiration date. That statement struck me because my writing dream took about 13 years to come to fruition. Our coffeehouse on Capitol Hill took 8 years to become reality.
Habakkuk 2:3 says:
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
A few odds and ends.
"You should never catch up with your dream."
"I'd rather have drug-dealers than dream-killers in my church."
"Fear is a negative vision."
2 Comments:
I've been to the DreamCenter in LA, once before. It's a fascinating look at what can be done with very little money, and alot of 'doing' by those involved.
Tommy Barnett is truly an amazing individual. I've been to his Pastor's School in Arizona and it was incredible! Thanks for sharing some of the event highlights.
Post a Comment
<< Home