Bill Hybels took the platform for the final session of this year’s Leadership Summit. And, as is tradition, he opened the talk by addressing the importance of growth as leaders and needing to recommit to attending the Summit again next year.
Hybels then launched into his final talk by raising the importance of clarity. He took a few moments to sound the trumpet for an issue to which he believes the Church needs to hold firm. Hybels said we need to focus on the message of “substitutionary atonement.” This is what makes our faith different from any other in the world. In every other religion, wrongdoers must self-atone. As Christ-followers, someone else has made the atoning payment. “This is a mind-blowing concept.” Under the power of grace, someone else pays for our sins.
Hybels said every human being on the face of the earth deserves a clear explanation of substitutionary atonement. He called on pastors to step it up in getting this message out.
The session concluded with a powerful artistic element. Real people with real stories walked up on the stage. With music in the background (“Thank you for saving me…”), they filed forward holding a poster board. On one side, the poster board showed the challenges they’ve faced in their lives. On the other side, it showed the healing God had provided through his grace. For example, one card said “Low self-esteem.” On the flip side it said “Affirmed by God.” Another said, “40 years of playing church.” The other side said, “10 years of being the church.”
Thanks for including the summaries of each of these sessions. I wasn’t able to attend the conference this year, and appreciated the Readers Digest version.
Rick White at the People’s Church in Nashville did something similar to the way it sounds like the Leadership Summit closed out. What a powerful moment…
Some of the best churches right now are the ones who use the element of “story” effectively. Great stuff.
Excellent post. Thanks for describing the visuals and the message. Really good.
Bless you,
Mark.