Interview with Dan Stanley

Best-selling author, speaker and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarland, best-selling author and apologist Dylan Burroughs together bringing you the truth for a new generation. This is TMG radio in Matthew 16 verse 18 Jesus said I will build my church and dates of Hill will not prevail against it with ever so welcome you to TMG radio Alex McFarland here and so excited for the person that I want to introduce you to these Dan Stanley Dr. Dan Stanley, author of the great book transforming growth. God's design for personal and church growth. But when I think of Dan Stanley, I didn't think of that incredible promise makes a promise from the lips of Jesus that he will build the church and while there's carnality and deadness within the body of Christ.

Sometimes there threats from without persecution and that the darkness of the world at times.

The fact is God is on his throne. He is the head of the body, he is the Lord of the church.

He is the risen Savior, and in spite of the trajectory of the world and even the disappointments and failures of those who name the name of Christ.

At times the church triumphant will prevail and Dan Stanley is the senior pastor of rockfish church I've mentioned on the show, then you probably don't know about a number of times of reference rockfish because traveling.

I guess I average 30 states a year. I'm in a lot of churches. I love the church rural urban East Coast West Coast Midwest.

I been there but one of the really exemplary churches in our nation not only in terms of their just their spirit, their outreach, the facilities, but the vision and will you hear from the man who's got that vision and has been leading and in Fayetteville and am really central North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic region has been a distinguished leader for a lot of years. It is Dan Stanley. He is the founder of international growth Institute. He has a PhD in counseling. Christian counseling psychology and church growth is a marriage and family therapist and on and on. I could go. He's also the author of transforming growth about spiritual growth personally and in the church but I'll tell you this. He's a colleague and a friend in somebody, for whom I'm most grateful for being our guest today on TMG radio Dan. It's good to see you again and I welcome back. Thanks for making time for us why really appreciate being here and really thank you for those kind words and sounds. Some kinda bigger than I am and I think one of the pockets.

My heart cries listed. If we do build the church gates of hell will prevail matter what happens to me no matter what happens anyone person. The church should grow on it should go, and it should thrive. Otherwise we didn't build it when you plan or bullet not with the Holy Spirit will bill it was a man's name or something like that so that's kind of my heart. My heart is listless, make the name of Jesus spectacular's bacon and eggs. We can and and it's Jesus who bills the church actually know we might be spectators and to degree participants and we're walking with this the Savior along the journey, but he bills the church. That's the great news anyways and it right yes I think so and I believe that Christian should stand out, and we should be the ones that stand out in the crowd of all the distractions are going on in all the verbiage all the stuff you see we should be standing out. We should be able to crush evil modified Jesus tells us know in the in his kingdom will rule and reign completely and God will soon crush Satan under our feet as a man we should be victorious that you remind me of Genesis 315 where it says and and this is often called the Proto even gallium, the first gospel that the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent and that's a reference to the virgin birth, that you know kids were often called the seed of the man, but that the the child born of Mary would crush the head of the serpent. That's Jesus but you're saying that one day the serpent's head will be crushed under the feet of the believer is what it says and that important thing noting that the Bible says it please God to crush his son to pay the price for us to be adopted into his family that we would be victorious and crush Satan's head under our feet a dozen through the church is the head, but is thus the body to crush the enemy. Denno, I remember as a young believer on 21 I accepted Christ in reading through the Bible and I came to that Isaiah 53 passage mention that it said yet it please the father to bruise him okay Christ was rejected. He was falsely accused. He was arrested, beaten crown of thorns nailed to a cross, the son of God, the precious son of God was subjected to unimaginable pain-and-suffering. Why would that have pleased the father.

I believe the result on the tail inside the. The cost was paid brought about what God's always wanted from the very beginning he didn't need us wanted us the fact that the father wanted children. That's what he's always wanted.

He gave his only begotten that he might receive many sons and daughters in his kingdom through adoption to the process of the gospel to being born again. The blood was paid at the cross. That's the beauty of the gospel and may affect the gospel is the key to everything in life may affect the book that I wrote has to do with this idea that it is the gospel which is the power of God so not information transfer but actually transformation of the human heart is in church, we can transfer a lot of information, but until hearts are transformed our powers not seen clearly in the world is my heart. Speaking of transformation.

Is it fair to say that a change in outward behavior has to first be precipitated by a change on the inside reason is that I'm counseling the family this week and and they've got an adult son is gotten in trouble with the law for drugs for the umpteenth time enemy we been watching a kid destroy his future by habitual not only destroying himself but breaking the law and his parents are crying out to me. Is there anything that can make our son change. I believe one step further, the Bible teaches us in first Corinthians 13 that unless we do what we do because of the love of Christ, because the love of God. It means absolutely nothing. Even the good stuff.

Not alone. The bad stuff. The power of leading the love of Christ control us internally from the inside out. If the love of Christ could control us then our behavior will show exactly what God wants us to do but just the behavior in and of itself. He said this useless unity prophesy. Even if you speak with all the time to all knowledge, have not love, nothing your noisy gong to even that good stuff not, let alone the bad stuff. The key is always heart transformation transplant is always about being born of the new king. How can people find Dan Stanley and rockfish church very simple rockfish church.com rockfish church is awesome, stating TMG radio with author Pastor leader Dan Stanley after the spring.

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The love of his native and the highest ages.

Lewis will connect his radio Alex McFarlane tier I were in conversation with Dan Stanley. He's the author of transforming God's design for personal and church growth and a Dan before we continue our conversation find this book, you can actually access it from rockfish church.com or go directly to the website international great Institute.com. Also, you can go to Amazon and punching Dan Stanley were in transforming growth and pick another one of one of the areas where God is gifted you is in leadership there still saying it's been attributive to a lot of people. Everything rises or falls on leadership and I think it's everybody can see the effects of an absence of leadership to ask you this.

How did how did God make you a leader wow we're talking about a lot of history here.

Alex and primarily adding Robin church and I came to know Christ was about 19 working in a factory. International Harvester Indianapolis, Indiana but I will say is that home for you. The Midwest Indianapolis correct. I think for me the majority of my Christian maturity happen absolutely after salvation experience because you walk through this thing called Christianity and you kinda get this idea that well I am going to heaven will mature to read my Bible. I do all these things having to work and then you have a disruption in your life and studying cut psychology.

I understand to be a cognitive dissonance type, probably around art sin just in it so I believe that the follower can be following Jesus and try to do the right thing, but as a lesson to be learned that God sometimes has to take you all the way to the bottom and I went to the bottom got him alcohol became alcoholic problems in the pastorate servicing how to deal with those things. And it wasn't until literally had a gun to my head, literally, and I was going and in the Lord's presence Internet ring that day and he said these words so I thought all your here to tell me how horrible I am. What a piece of junk I am because I know better, follower of Christ. Yet here I got a gun in my hand on alcohol and you are contemplating suicide absolutely have 38 revolver to my head and the voice said this so clearly which transformed everything in everything I do.

He said this, I thought you could tell me how bad I am to see in hell just a minute so I hate to sign on.

He said this Dan I love you right where you are talk about something that breaks down all the works in the after performance. Performance of trying to be a Christian. According to the standard whatever and I was in the charismatic movement. So I was kind of big standard in that moment something happened to me. From that moment on I wanted to chase hard after that. Love that love the lobby right where I was, you know what he love enough.gleaming there. That's what I best part of the gospel. I think people miss you lately Mrs. idea that God, God loves you rightly are you forgives all your signature white as snow. But he loves you, absolutely enough not to leave you there somewhere into an inheritance. He causes you to walk into. You can't perform your way in and that you have to be loved and I want to get deep here for minute and folks think about John 10 verse 10 one of the first verses I learned as a new believer. Jesus said, the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. As John 1010. I want you to really take that verse to heart the thief that Satan he comes to steal to kill to destroy and how sad it would be if the story ended there. However, Jesus said on the flip side, I have come. Jesus came to give you life and life abundantly to circle back to that verse, but dimly I see this when somebody has hit bottom. Maybe through decisions they've made circumstances. It is so much of our problem is an amalgam of RN bad decisions, and then other things to do you think we almost want God to be matted and sometimes it is what we don't have a good view of who God is with what God you pray evil anyway.

God, you're probably a bad guy anyway so just go ahead and snuff me out because we know you want to anyway is and is not terrible thinking.

I believe what happens in the human heart is as a whole it so big that just desires to be loved. Won't somebody just let me and we think even the negative terms that if we did something wrong and God would spank us our hits across the head. At least we would get some attention and sometimes I think that negative attention that we want God to do is because we are so so we need to that love of God and men. When he says something like I love you where you are.

You like, you can't. It's not right and he says you're right it's not. I love you because my mercy and I can't take my eyes off of you.

I love you where you are and I want to take you further beyond what you could ever think or imagine. And because of that, I think the human heart needs to hear that resounding call of the gospel that changes the inside of the heart and says I am loved. I am incredibly loved by this passionate God wants me right where I am and wants to take me to a place of what I'm into.

Whether it's a sin or a habit or just negative thinking. He wants to move us on beyond that is why says in Romans 12 there to be transformed by renewing your mind's abundant life comes from not just saying a prayer doesn't cover go to church or just reading your Bible. It is an internal thing where Jesus said the greatest commandment is this loving God with all your heart, your mind, your soul and marks as your strength which is your physicality, your ability God wants all of us not 1/10 of us not 1/7 of us and wants 24 seven of us all the way through everything we are. That's why think he says if you love me. That way you will love your neighbor like you love yourself and that will make a difference. So everything that I think of right now is in terms of how can I be healthy in my mind and my heart and my soul in my body. It all belongs to him on the temple of the Holy Spirit which scares me is like. Think about it everywhere I go I have the indwelling presence of the spirit of the living God is made this old stony heart into a new heart enter new creatures have a new creature in me that is is coming from another world, and that that when you think about is kind of freaky. How important is it that we have an accurate view of God and what what suffers if we have a flawed view of God's always been shown by scientists that if your view of God is this negative gonna beat you up kind of a God that literally the part of your brain that controls empathy for other people shrinks physically shrinks and when you see God is a loving, compassionate father, full of grace and mercy ready to forgive and ready to empower that person. The situs of the actual party your brain that controls empathy grows which your view of God directly affects how you see other people while hate. We got to take a brief break. TMG radio with Dan Stanley, author of transforming growth great book. I highly encourage you to read it. TMG radio is back you know Alex is writing for many years. One of his classic books is still great. Today is a basic introduction to the Christian faith. It's called stamp corkscrews must know for unshakable faith. This book will help you help your teens get off the roller coaster of doubt onto solid ground kill read about the six pillars of biblical Christianity. They are one inspiration of the Bible to the virgin birth. Three. The deity of Christ for atonement. Five.

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John 10 verse 10 Jesus came to give us eternal life, and abundant life here on earth and within a continued talking about that with Dan Stanley and want to remind you we got some exciting things coming up folks so many great things and I do know where you are in America, but if you would go to the website truth for a new generation.com truth FO or truth for a new generation.com.

We've got our camp coming up the youth apologetics camp July 29 to August 2. It's going to be amazing. We got people signed up from Ohio and last year we had teenagers from nine states and will be in Columbus Ohio this fall will be in Salt Lake City will be in Richmond Virginia and will also be here at rockfish church may, three, four and five am so excited that's in Fayetteville so wherever you are, you know book a ticket get a ride hop in the car. We believe God has a great vision for your life, and we believe a big part of that is getting equipped. First of all to know Christ to grow in Christ to know what you believe and why you believe it to know what it is to pray with power to know how God can give you victory over those habits and those those parts of of your life that you just need victory in and said go to transfer Nguyen.com got an app with got a daily devotional but we just want to come alongside to be a resource to encourage you in your walk and witness in the church throughout North America were talking right now with somebody's given his life to do that in his wife Jan are just amazing Christian leaders that I've got such respect for Dan Stanley Pastor of rockfish church and up here during the break. You never talk about the fact that you never graduate from the cross, he never graduate from the gospel and you and I both you and we love good content and information but just the simplicity of of God so loving the world that he sent his only begotten son in a John 316. That's something we would never get over is it I believe we don't and I when God gets over. He said in this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.

So God's trigger is the gospel which is part of the reason why I wrote this book because I believe that growing people grow churches and growing churches expand the gospel. That's what God's after what I thought about that. I thought about the tremendous amount of energy it will take to take this gospel to the whole world and availability. I think one of the biggest issues I have discovered as a pastor and the counselor is that people are so trapped up in the worldliness and they're so distracted there entangled.

If you will, in the affairs of everyday life that they are not useful to God to fulfill the great commission or they're not useful or available to God to do kingdom operational work because are so tied up in worldliness and what it says in Revelation 18 it says come out of her my people so this idea of abundant life. I don't think it's just knowing Jesus and going to church. I think it is a holistic approach, body, soul, spirit 24 hours a day seven days a week. How can we back up out of the trap of the world, the lust of the eyes, a lust of flesh part of life kind of thing and become God's goal is to be because this gospel of the kingdom will be preached around the world. What you just said is profound that growing churches are led by growing people now out of the percentages.

Some say 80%, but many many many American churches are plateaued or declining in and I think a plateau is kind of really a misnomer anyway because if you plateau that last about five minutes and then you really begin to go downward so talk to us little bit. For instance, rockfish, and I've of been acquainted with this church. I do know seven or eight years seems like rockfish is been in perpetual revival seems very alive, very vibrant people are getting saved. So how can a church that feels like they've sort of hit a brick wall and you know they're there coasting and out of gas. How can they reverse that and get back to being a vibrant living church that is participating in the fulfillment of Christ's great commission wobbly. We have to go back to the very basics of Christianity and may affect the book a talk about the acronym of growth which is basically everything centers on the gospel God which the gospel is a centerpiece, it has to be your orbit around it. It is the centerpiece of what God calls us to do knowing that we'll get called repentance.

Too often anymore, nor called repentance you will repent and in the vision of what God called us to do his. I called the Omega optics away. We see God like we talked about earlier is is a profound influence on the spiritual health of the church so all of these mechanisms. Not only that structures of churches, how the decisions are made at that local church level will determine the success or failure of that church because politics get involved in our place.

If you don't build it. As I crawled around my call it a theocracy.

I think we should be going on the theocracy which is is a is a big subject, but not only godly. Not only that worship are we worshiping God.

Are we only putting our lives in that in the hands of a God who is bigger than what we can see and are we living a healthy life. A healthy lifestyle because our society, no matter how you cut it, slice it or bake it. We are living on the edge of the major health catastrophe and that will take out followers that cannot take the gospel to where it needs to go. That's a big issue in your book you ties sustainability to repentance. I'm glad you mention repentance now is repentance a one and done kind of thing you know, we turn to Christ, and we we accept Christ and are born again does a believer have things to repent about Dan. I believe there's two things almost like walking two steps, two legs, if you will 2 feet.

Repentance and faith, repentance and faith. The Bible is very clear. Walk the same way you received Christ how to do that repentance and faith is an ongoing thing.

While repentance from even the sins, may we commit repentance from hey look I think this is my body all do with it. What I well when it's the temple of the Holy Spirit is all about stewardship within six we are not are actually so everything in our life is a stewardship operation. What we eat and drink what we spend our money on how we invest our time, our treasure all those things are turning to repentance on a daily basis and I'm so thrilled he say that one of our core values and if you listen to this program.

Much of said view all of life in terms of stewardship gives web settlement on rockfish church.com is a church website and international growth Institute.com is forwarding Alex McFarlane Dr. Dan Stanley TMG radio hey you're looking for that abundant life will find it in Jesus truth for an association with Alex McFarlane evangelistic ministries exists to equip Christians with a local worldview through conferences and camps for information about upcoming events visit for a new generation.com or give us a call at 877 yes God one that's 877 yes, God, and the number one TMG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarlane evangelistic ministries PO Box 102310 NC 27404. That's PO Box 10231, North Carolina 27404.

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