Dr. Matt Powell

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Gospel Transformation

October 31, 2012 by Matt 46 Comments

Gospel Transformation

I actually enjoy exercise.  To many that makes me psychotic but there you have it…. please understand that just because I enjoy exercise and athletic activity does not mean I’m a skilled athlete.  On the contrary, I’ve always been the jack-of-all-trades and master-of-none sort of guy.  I can tell you that even though I really enjoy going for a run that I also need to know my goal.  If I’m going to go for 2 miles, 5 miles, or 10 miles that’s fine, but I’m not going to leave and run out into the wild blue yonder without a destination in mind.  I believe it is very important, no matter how much you love doing something, that you know to what end you are striving.

Church life isn’t any different… at Crossings Community we have people who really love spending time together.  From mommy playdates to guy’s gun-shooting outings through to our worship gatherings on Sunday – people really enjoy spending time together.  Yet there is a goal to everything we do through these great opportunities.  Our goal is gospel transformation.

Gospel Transformation

Our goal is gospel transformation

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Filed Under: Pastoral Living Tagged With: gospel, homes, purpose, transformation

Learning to Pastor: Help My Unbelief

May 25, 2012 by Matt Leave a Comment

Learning to Pastor: Help My Unbelief

I have been wrestling with these words from Jesus in John 14 –

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.  Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
Last night during our small group gathering we had another great discussion of the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6 and then we made our usual transition to prayer.  Instead of a time where we share our needs and the needs of those around us (which is great), the time really focused on how God had answered our recent prayers.  We heard how God had specifically answered prayers that our group had beenLearning to Pastor: Help My Unbelief praying over in recent days.

 

There were stories of God drawing a young man to himself who we had bathed in prayer… and a story of God’s healing hand on a precious little baby… and a story of God delivering a beautiful little girl out of some recent oppression.  Each of these had been our group’s prayer list and on our groups lips as they interceded for these hearts in need.  It was an undeniable affirmation of God working miracles for His glory in our midst.

 

God has me in a place where I desperately want to grasp the fullness of what he meant with those words in John 14.  As he was preparing his listeners for his departure and for the arrival of the Holy Spirit, he made some really huge statements.  He made promises and extended authority… he spoke of POWER (Acts 1:8)… and here I sit as one who has been given those promises, authority, and power and yet so often I forget that he heals the sick, delivers the oppressed, and redeems those who seem ‘too far’ away from his presence.

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Filed Under: Pastoral Living, Suburbia Tagged With: authenticity, community, prayer, transformation

Learning to Pastor

May 23, 2012 by Matt Leave a Comment

Learning to Pastor

Learning to PastorI find that I am constantly learning what it means to pastor… and what it means to be a pastor.  I find myself in a very familiar place, the more I learn brings me to the realization that I do not know much.  To my fellow pastors out there, be very weary of ever coming to a place where you think you have pastoring figured out.  Further, to you church goers out there, be very weary of the pastor who acts like he has it all figured out.

Here are few of the ways God is growing me right now:
  1. I’m slowly separating my unconscious association of pastoral leadership and business (CEO) leadership. (this is a LONG intricate process)
  2. I’m allowing myself the ability to break away from the compartmentalized pastoral life I once viewed as correct.
  3. I’m learning to walk courageously in the authority Jesus has graciously bestowed upon me.
  4. I’m learning how to grow in the spiritual gifts God has given me.
  5. I’m learning that although many people will say they like to be spiritually fed, they still need to be walked through the difficulty of spiritual growth. (this is true of myself as well)
That is just a fraction of the process in which God is working in me.  However, I have not done one of them justice by the way I’ve described them.  Each one has taken me through brokeness sometimes with tears, anger with a raised voice of despair, and silence out of such a great flood of thoughts that a single word couldn’t be found.
Matt Powell serves as teaching pastor at Crossings Community Church, a body of believers whose mission is to engage, equip, and empower homes for gospel transformation in Katy, TX.

Filed Under: Pastoral Living Tagged With: pastor, transformation

Redefining Christianity in Suburbia

July 16, 2011 by Matt Leave a Comment

Redefining Christianity in Suburbia

Redefining Christianity in SuburbiaI remember in college, being in my last year of study, and being thrown a huge curve ball.  In all of our music classes everything had revolved around a baseline system.  That system was called “Movable Do.”  It is that aged old system you are at least remotely familiar with – Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do.  I know how you feel… you are suppressing the urge to sing the song from the Sound of Music.  Anyway, we reached a point where they removed that system and altered the foundation that everything else had been based.  This new system was like walking into a class finding a teacher who was suddenly speaking an entirely new language.  Everything we had thought previously… our entire frame of reference was now pulled out from under us completely.  It was a shocking and overwhelming moment.

Many people who grow up around our western church, and maybe most specifically our suburban church, have been raised with a definition of Christianity.  This definition has been imposed and formed by the culture at large.  Often we are raised equating the idea of Christianity with either being a good person or, for those of us who grew up inside the church, we have defined it by a prayer that is repeated in a sacramental fashion.

There is a passage in Matthew’s gospel that is particular hard for me to think about –

“Not everyone who says to me, Lord Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, Lord Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

This means it is very important how we approach this idea of being a Christian.  We have to fight against the cultural definitions and see a journey that begins with putting authentic faith in Jesus.  This authentic faith is authentic because it touches every nook and cranny of who we are as individuals.  This means that where we go to church, how often we attend, or whether our name is on a membership list isn’t the crux of the conversation.  This cannot be overstated because the #1 answer I get during any spiritual conversation with someone in the community is a reference to what denomination they belong to or what church they attend.  Too many times ‘attend’ just refers to walking in the doors of a building once a year, twice a year, or at best once per month.

We are called to follow Jesus, abide in Jesus, and trust in Jesus.  This journey (the ups, downs, struggles, and victories) is what it means to be a Christian.  It is a daily adventure which forever changes the story of our life.  We are individuals who are called to follow, abide, and trust.  Then, the church is called to navigate this journey as an authentic community being transformed by the love and grace of Jesus Christ.  Not only is correctly defining Christianity hugely important to you and me but it radically changes the conversation we have with others.  Have you ever experienced a spiritual conversation that was quickly met by the credentials of someone’s denominational affiliation?  Have you ever heard the, “we go to *name-a-local-church* and we really enjoy it”?  How can you participate in reclaiming the biblical definition of Christianity amidst your everyday conversations?

 

Matt Powell serves as teaching pastor at Crossings Community Church, a body of believers whose mission is to engage, equip, and empower homes for gospel transformation in Katy, TX.

Filed Under: Pastoral Living, Suburbia Tagged With: church, mission, suburbia, transformation

How I Chose My New Bible (2 of 2)

July 14, 2011 by Matt 2 Comments

How I Chose My New Bible (2 of 2)

How I Chose My New Bible (2 of 2)I told you a little about by new Bible purchase over HERE.  After reading that you are probably wondering why I chose the English Standard Version as my primary study and preaching translation.  That’s easy… because  John Piper uses it.  Duh!  Okay, I’m kidding… that probably falls under the category of what my wife calls a ‘seminary joke.’

To answer this question I need to offer some definitions.  One of the most important terms in this discussion is ‘inerrancy.’  I believe very strongly in the inerrancy of the Bible which means that I believe the Bible has no errors.  There is an important detail when defining inerrancy that many do not know.  The definition of inerrancy for conservative evangelicals was solidified by the Chicago Statement of Biblical Inerrancy.  They defined the term by stating that the original manuscripts are without error.  Among other things, this means that all of our different English translations and paraphrases do not fall under this umbrella.

This means that choosing a translation can be very important depending on the intended use for that translation.  I believe that I own a copy of every single mainstream translation.  Aside from the hard copies on my shelves, I use Logos Bible Software and have thousands of volumes filed away on my hard drive.  I use many of them and have experienced the Holy Spirit using most all of them in my own life.

I remember during my seminary days needing to read the Old Testament from start to finish during one semester.  Then during the next semester we were assigned the New Testament from start to finish.  I used Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase called The Message and was blessed by it.  It was a blessing to take in the big picture narratives through Peterson’s great gift for writing.

If we wanted to make some very broad and basic generalizations, we could divide all of these editions into two categories, paraphrases and translations.  When I use the term ‘paraphrase’ I am referring to an individual (or group of individuals) who have taken the original languages of the scripture and correlated an idea in Greek with an idea in English – or an idea in Hebrew with an idea in English.  A translation, on the other hand, would take each individual word within the original language and associate that with the best individual word in the English language.

I do believe that paraphrases have a significant purpose.  However, when we want to take an in-depth look at the scriptures for personal study or teaching purposes, we should strive to find the best word-for-word representation of the originally inspired words.  This is what we often refer to as a word-for-word translation.

Early in my Master’s program I chose the degree path called Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages.  I really enjoyed Greek and Hebrew and took every class that was available.  After we went through the basics of vocabulary and grammar, we transitioned to translation and exegesis.  When I began, it was before all of these great software tools were readily available.  I remember sitting at the table with my Hebrew or Greek texts, the appropriate Hebrew or Greek lexicon, and multiple english translations/paraphrases all open in front of me.  I would translate a passage from the original language word-for-word and then reference the various english editions.  This process opened a world of understanding to me in regards to the differences between all of these english editions.

I quickly learned that no single English edition was perfect.  Every one of them was translated by one man or a group of men in the very same way that I was translating in those moments.  There were decisions that had to be made regarding how a word or idea in the original language would be equated to our native language of 21st century English.

Those days of working deep into the intricacies of the languages was when I found my affinity for the English Standard Version.  Please understand that I do not consider myself an expert in these matters, but rather just someone with some experience – maybe just enough to be dangerous.  I consistently found that the most consistent translations adhering to the original languages were the New American Standard Version and the English Standard Version.  This is why I encourage one of these two translations for personal study and teaching.  The reason I chose the ESV over the NASB was primarily because the translation committee who completed the ESV did a great job taking the literary genre into consideration as they were accomplishing this word-for-word translation.  The best examples of this can be found through reading the two translations side-by-side in Old Testaments books such as the poetry of Psalms.

My goal here was to share my journey in the most simple terms that I possibly could.  Remember, none of our English translations are perfect.  They were all translated by men who have inherited a sin nature through Adam as described in Romans 5:12.  Yet that does not lessen the importance that we must place on carefully handling the word of God as THE truth and means of God wrought transformation in our lives today.

Now you know how and why I chose my new Bible.

Matt Powell serves as teaching pastor at Crossings Community Church, a body of believers whose mission is to engage, equip, and empower homes for gospel transformation in Katy, TX.

 

Filed Under: Pastoral Living Tagged With: ministry, transformation

Physical & Spiritual Health – Connected?

July 11, 2011 by Matt 5 Comments

Physical & Spiritual Health – Connected?

Physical & Spiritual Health - Connected?I’ve been going through some health issues recently.  I’ve had several surgical procedures over the past few months with the final one, hopefully, being last week.  I have missed being able to engage in a lot of things over the past few months.  I haven’t been able to run or exercise in months and that has really affected me in numerous ways.  You probably either think I’m nuts or you completely identify with what I am talking about here.

I don’t think I understood how much exercise brought balance to my life.  Exercise helps me immensely in balancing out the ups and downs of a day.  I can’t wait to have that balance back again.  I am confident that there is a connection between spiritual, emotional, and physical health.

There has been much recent interest in environmentalism from some Christian circles.  I think it has been a good discussion in as much as it does not dilute the essence of the gospel.  Much of the discussion seems to revolve around a desire to participate in God’s act of redemption.

Romans 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we await for it with patience.

Why is it that a desire to steward the environment has come out of this text and not also a desire to steward our physical bodies?  There are so many great truths here and to minimize it to an environmental discussion is just sad.  Sure that is part of it, but only ONE part.  The trees, mountains, and lakes are a beautiful act of God’s creation AND so are YOU.

I believe the neglect to steward our bodies – God’s creation – may be one of the most neglected sins of the 21st Century Church.  How are you stewarding God’s gift of creativity and creation in which you walk everyday – your body?

Filed Under: Pastoral Living, Suburbia Tagged With: health, transformation

What Are You Pursuing?

July 9, 2011 by Matt Leave a Comment

What Are You Pursuing?

What Are You Pursuing?I do not hide the fact that I have a significant affection for coffee.  There are not many smells that excite me more than walking into an overwhelming aroma of freshly ground and brewed coffee beans.  Although I do have my favorites and when given the opportunity I can fit the definition of a coffee snob, I am a purest.  What I mean is that I truly enjoy the natural flavor of coffee, not the cup of almond toffee flavored cream with a dab of coffee on top.

There have been a few moments in my adult life where I was forced to do without this miracle brew.  I’ll never forget going to the Philippines and asking for coffee only to be met with those little crystals that dissolve in hot water.  Hi, my name is Matt and I am a coffee snob.  I’m sorry to say that those crystals in a jar are no substitute for that little blessed bean.  One of the first things on my mind after hugging my wife and kids upon returning from the trip was finding some coffee.

You might not be as infatuated with coffee, but I’m sure you have your cravings.  I often wonder how our Father feels when he sees all of the things we long to see, do, and experience and He is equated to a task we accomplish on Sundays.  I think that sometimes God wants to take us through things that make us dependent upon him.  Sometimes we have to go through a desert in order to become thirsty.

He wants to be the object of our desires.  He wants to be the one we turn to in times of joy, sadness, frustration, and success.  He wants to be the first one we look to at the break of day.  He wants to guide us, instruct us, and come along side of us.  He desires to know us so deeply that He gave His Son to die – to afford us the ability to have relationships with Him.

We need to take a look at our pursuits in life.  Maybe today God wants you to do some reorganizing of pursuits.  Can you think of one investment of your time which should be placed second in priority to our loving Savior?

Filed Under: Suburbia Tagged With: transformation

Pastoral Inspiration

June 28, 2011 by Matt Leave a Comment

Pastoral Inspiration

Pastoral InspirationBeing called to pastoral ministry is a blessing.  Period.  I am blessed to see God move in so many ways.  Just as with any job/career/calling, there are difficulties.  There are some days that are fantastic and others that can be more difficult.  I’ve been digging around within my own head a bit and asking myself what inspires me to pastor.

There are so many different ways to answer this question.  There are so many things that God can use and does use for inspiration.  As the thoughts have settled in my head, I keep coming back to the same thing.  The most inspiring thing for me as a pastor is to hear God stories… grace stories… transformation stories.  The most inspiring thing for me is when I get to see how an individual or family is being led by the Spirit of God in their home.

Here in suburbia we default to the most comfortable, and often times prosperous, decisions in life.  It seems that we are all compelled to choose comfort.  This isn’t surprising.  When you read back over what happened in the first three chapters of Genesis it all makes sense.  This only magnifies the appreciation for a truly counter-cultural, nature-defying, Jesus-following story.

To hear that someone is hearing the Spirit of God in their life and faithfully moving with that direction of the Spirit is inspiring. I would encourage you to tell your story openly and freely.  I understand that it can feel prideful when we talk about ourselves – but you’re NOT.  You are talking about God and what he is doing in you.  You are not mustering the strength to accomplish great things through your own brilliance and good nature. God is moving on your heart and then by his grace you are following faithfully. That is a story that needs to be told.  Tell it today and tell it often.  Don’t wait on the dramatic ending or hopeful deliverance to come.  Tell of the journey… tell of the story… tell of the struggle… tell your story… TODAY.  You are a tool of the Father in more ways than you can imagine.

What is God doing in your life right now?  What areas of struggle is he taking you through?  How are you hearing him and how are you following him? This is your story and it must be told.  I know I will be inspired by it.

Filed Under: Suburbia Tagged With: suburbia, transformation

About Me

I am a Christ-follower, husband, father, friend, and pastor who loves watching baseball, playing volleyball with my daughters, training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with my son, and spending quantity time with my bride. Read More…

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