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 Starting Points for Revival
By Lorin Bradbury
© 2017 Lorin Bradbury

Cover Design by Laura Merchant

Published by Word Aflame Press, 36 Research Park Court, Weldon Spring, MO 63304. Printed in the United States of America.

All Scripture quotations in this book are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. unless otherwise
identfied Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture verses marked (KJV) are from the King James Version; (NIV) from the 2011 version of the New International Ver-
sion © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ www.zondervan.com; (NKJV) from the New King James Version © 1982 by
Thomas Nelson, Inc.; (NLT) from the New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.;
paraphrases from The Message (MSG) © by Eugene Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 NavPress represented
by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; paraphrases from The Amplified Bible © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation www.lockman.
org. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic system or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Word Aflame
Press. Brief quotations may be used in literary reviews.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lesson 1. Serious Business—I Peter 5:8–9............................................................. 13

Lesson 2. What All Team Players Should Know—Exodus 17:8–13.......................... 20
Lesson 3. Open Your Eyes—John 4:35.................................................................. 25
Lesson 4. A Personal Revival—Acts 9:1–19............................................................ 28
Lesson 5. Kingdom Mindedness—Mark 9:33–37................................................... 32
Lesson 6. Not Relying on the Arm of Flesh—II Chronicles 32:7–8.......................... 36
Lesson 7. Personal Responsibility for Revival—Nehemiah 2:1–9............................. 40
Lesson 8. Keep Casting the Net—Luke 5:1–5........................................................ 45
Lesson 9. A Power Witness—Acts 1:6–8................................................................ 49
Lesson 10. Handle with Care—Matthew 18:1–9.................................................... 53
Lesson 11. Preparing the Nursery—Matthew 28:19–20......................................... 57
Lesson 12. The Missing Emotion—Passion—II Kings 13:14–19, 24–25................... 61
Lesson 13. Respected by Outsiders—I Timothy 3:7................................................ 67
Lesson 14. God Reveals Himself Through His People—II Corinthians 5:16–6:2...... 71
Lesson 15. Life Savers—Jude 22–23..................................................................... 76
Lesson 16. The Paradox of a Christian Life—Isaiah 55:8–9.................................... 81
Lesson 17. The Best Is Yet to Come—Ecclesiastes 7:10.......................................... 86
Lesson 18. The Four-Legged Stool—Acts 2:42–47................................................. 89
Lesson 19. The Parable of the Soulwinner—Isaiah 28:23–29................................. 94
Lesson 20. Shameless Audacity—Luke 11:5–13.................................................... 98
Lesson 21. It Is Time to Break Camp—Deuteronomy 1:6–8................................. 102
Lesson 22. A Touch That Leads to Truth—John 9:1–7, 35–38............................... 106
Lesson 23. Be Fruitful and Increase—Genesis 35:9–12........................................ 110
Lesson 24. God’s Call to New Levels of Leadership—Numbers 27:12–23............ 115
Lesson 25. Living Relationships—I Timothy 5:1–8, 17–20.................................... 120
Lesson 26. The Making of the Man of God—Exodus 2:11–25.............................. 124

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 Lesson 27. Fan the Flames—II Timothy 1:3–14................................................... 129
Lesson 28. A Little Maid with a Message—II Kings 5:1–14................................... 134
Lesson 29. A Medley—II Peter 3:18.................................................................... 139
Lesson 30. A Place of Healing and Refreshing—Matthew 5:16............................ 143
Lesson 31. Passion Ministry—Romans 12:9–13.................................................... 147
Lesson 32. The Joy and Privilege of Attending Church—Psalm 84:1–12............... 152
Lesson 33. Assurances from Corinth—Acts 18:1–11............................................ 157
Lesson 34. Be an Example—I Thessalonians 1:2–10............................................ 162
Lesson 35. Faith for a Friend—Mark 2:1–12........................................................ 166
Lesson 36. The Power of One—Romans 5:12, 15................................................ 170
Lesson 37. For Such a Time as This—Esther 4:1–17............................................. 175
Lesson 38. Go Tell It on the Mountains—Luke 2:1–20......................................... 180
Lesson 39. Becoming a Foundational Family—Matthew 7:25.............................. 185
Lesson 40. Don’t Bow down to the Enemy—James 4:1–12.................................. 190
Lesson 41. Offering to God Your Firstfruits—Leviticus 23:9–14............................ 194
Lesson 42. In the World—Mark 16:14–20........................................................... 199
Lesson 43. Missionaries Must Go—Acts 16:6–15................................................. 204
Lesson 44. Faithful Friends—I Samuel 18:1–4..................................................... 209
Lesson 45. Soulwinning Through Bible Study—Luke 15:3–24.............................. 213
Lesson 46. Tearing Down the Wall—Acts 11:1–18............................................... 217
Lesson 47. The Limited Commission—Matthew 10:5–10..................................... 222
Lesson 48. The Last Mile of the Way—I Kings 11:1–10........................................ 227
Lesson 49. The God Factor—Acts 8:1–4; 9:1–6; 22:12–16.................................. 232
Lesson 50. The Miracle on the Mountain—I Kings 18:16–39............................... 236
Lesson 51. Conquering the Spirit of Jezebel—Revelation 2:20............................. 241
Lesson 52. Let No One Despise Your Youth—I Timothy 4:12................................ 246
References......................................................................................................... 252
Topical Index...................................................................................................... 256
Scripture Index................................................................................................... 258

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 PREFACE

Churches grow on purpose. A church grows on purpose because someone, usually the pastor,
casts a vision of growth to the congregation. Vision-casting is more than a one-time event; it is im-
mersion of the congregation in that vision. It is keeping the vision alive over an extended period of
time. It is not only casting a global vision of growth, but it is providing the congregation with steps
to reach that goal. It is always keeping the greater vision before the congregation while working on
small but significant steps that not only will result in a momentary increase in attendance, but in
growth over a sustained period of time.
Unfortunately, too many pastors are looking for greener pastures where they will find a more
opportune place to grow a church. But the basic ingredient for church growth is not the size of a
community, but the presence of people. It is the duty of the prophet to cast a vision before a group
of people and help them attain that vision. You may wonder why there is a large church in a small
town in New Brunswick, or miles away from a town out in the country in southern Mississippi, or
at some crossroads in Louisiana. Is it just that people in those parts of the world are more receptive
to the gospel? No! Somebody went there and cast a vision, possibly to one other family, and kept
casting a realizable vision until the vision was realized.
It is likely you have not heard of Bethel, Alaska. You don’t get to Bethel on a road trip, and you
don’t get to Bethel because you are passing through on your way to somewhere else. You get there
on purpose. Located four hundred miles off the road system in Alaska and seventy miles up the Kus-
kokwim River from the Bering Sea, it is the big city on the west coast of Alaska—a big city of 6,500
people. When my family arrived in 1993, it was a big city of 4,800 people. The only way to get to
Bethel is by air, but it is the perfect place for revival because people live there.
The church has experienced slow but steady growth in those years since 1993. However, in
2012, there was a noticeable decline in Sunday morning attendance. I was still teaching Bible stud-
ies, bringing a steady stream of special speakers in the form of revival meetings, and talking about
growth, but still our attendance decreased. It was out of this decline that these lessons were born.
(You see, greener pastures were not a consideration because my wife and I made a commitment
when we went to Bethel that we were going there for the rest of our lives. We simply had to find a
way to lead the church toward the vision we had cast.) I chose the Sunday evening service to deliver
these messages. The theme of Sunday evening services became “evangelism” rather than evange-
listic. Interestingly, evangelism became evangelistic, and the altars have been nearly always full
at the end of each service. In the past four years, the Sunday morning attendance of Bethel United
Pentecostal Church has grown 48 percent, from an average of 77 to 114.
I present these lessons to you not as a formula for revival, but as an aid. I trust these lessons will
be a blessing to you and your congregation. Make them your own. Fit them to the needs of your
congregation. Use them as a starting point for your own lessons. There is no magical formula for the
order in which they should be taught; however, some flow more naturally ahead of others. I pray for
the revival in the church you pastor and would love to hear from you as that church grows.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my gratefulness to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who called me into
the greatest calling in the world—preaching the gospel. I would like to express appreciation to Pas-
tor J. R. Blackshear, whose ministry positively impacted the early years of my Christian walk and
no doubt shaped the direction my ministry has taken. Further, I would like to express my apprecia-
tion to the congregations in Hoonah, Juneau, and Bethel, Alaska, who allowed me the opportunity
to develop and hone my preaching and teaching skills through the years. Particularly, I would like to
express my gratitude to the congregation of Bethel United Pentecostal who not only listened to these
lessons, but responded to them, leading to spiritual and numerical growth. Last, but not least, I am
very grateful to my wife, Bonnie, who has been my greatest supporter and encourager. Her positive
comments have stayed with me and pushed me to throw myself into yet another sermon or Bible
study, and her critiques have forced me to back up and try again. Thank you to all who have shaped
my life. Truly, there are no self-made men; we all have been shaped by others.

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 LESSON 1

SERIOUS BUSINESS

TEXT: I Peter 5:8–9, KJV

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that
are in the world.

INTRODUCTION
1. A successful business requires constant attention.
2. A successful business requires sacrifice and commitment.
3. A successful businessperson will display his or her wares in a most advantageous and attractive manner.

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless,
the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among
whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:14–15, KJV).

4. A good business serves the general public.

I. THE SERIOUS BUSINESS OF THE MINISTRY

1. No business on this earth is of a more serious nature than the work of God.
2. Everyone who has been called of God has been called to some form of ministry.

A. An Account Must Be Given by the Pastor

1. The Old Testament equivalent of the New Testament pastor was the prophet.

“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word
at my mouth, and give them warning from me” (Ezekiel 3:17, KJV).

2. It is an awesome responsibility that must not be taken lightly.

“When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor
speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall
die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and
he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but
thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness,
and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast
not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall
not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the
righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he
is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul” (Ezekiel 3:18–21, KJV).

3. As can be seen from these verses of Scripture, pastors who fear their congregation more than they fear
God do a disservice to that congregation and commit a crime in the eyes of God.
4. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul charged Timothy with the duty of delivering the Word of God to
his congregation without compromise.

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 STARTING POINTS FOR REVIVAL

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and
the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season;
reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (II Timothy 4:1–2, KJV).

5. It is important for every congregation to understand the awesome responsibility God has placed upon
the pastor.

“Obey them that have the rule over you [pastors], and submit yourselves: for they watch for
your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief:
for that is unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17, KJV).

B. The Pastor’s Responsibility to Feed the Flock

1. It seems the definitions of the words pastor and minister have been distorted.
a. The word pastor means shepherd, not ruler or dictator.
b. The word minister means servant, not one who lives in a big house, drives a fancy car, and makes a lot
of money.
2. The shepherd has a responsibility to feed the flock.
3. Jesus drove that message home to Peter the day He personally called him to a life of servitude.
4. Not only did He test Peter’s love, He placed emphasis on feeding the flock.

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me
more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto
him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest
thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him,
Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter
was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him,
Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my
sheep” (John 21:15–17, KJV).

5. Peter never forgot that lesson, and years later, he taught others the Lord’s command to feed the flock.

“Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint,
but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God’s
heritage, but being ensamples to the flock” (I Peter 5:2–3, KJV).

II. THE SERIOUS BUSINESS OF CHURCH

A. Ten Commandments for Church Members
1. Thou shalt not come to service late, nor for the Amen refuse to wait.
2. Thy noisy tongue shalt thou restrain, when speaks the organ its refrain.
3. But when the hymns are sounded out, thou shalt lift up the voice and shout.
4. The end-most seat thou shalt leave free, for more must share the pew with thee.
5. The offering plate thou shalt not fear, but give thy utmost with cheer.
6. Thou shalt the bulletin peruse and look there for the church’s news.
7. Thou shalt the minister give heed, nor blame him when thou’rt disagreed.
8. Unto thy neighbor thou shalt bend, and if a stranger, make a friend.
9. Thou shalt in every way be kind, compassionate, of tender mind.
10. And so, by all thy Spirit’s grace, thou shalt show God within this place (Author and Source Unknown).

B. Ten Commandments for Church Attendance

1. Thou shalt not allow cell phones and beepers to go off.
2. Thou shalt not chew gum or stick it under the pews.
3. Thou shalt not pretend deafness while your baby hollers and cries.
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 SERIOUS BUSINESS

4. Thou shalt not send text messages during the preaching.

5. Thou shalt not come late or leave early to services.
6. Thou shalt not sing loudly if you sing badly.
7. Thou shalt not listen or watch the ballgame while at services.
8. Thou shalt not come to church in tank tops and short shorts.
9. Thou shalt not tithe money that jingles but only money that folds.
10. Thou shalt not gossip and criticize at Sunday worship (Father Joe, 2007).

C. Attitude of Utmost Importance

1. Our attitude concerning the business of the church is of utmost importance.
2. We come to church for a purpose and we leave with a purpose.
a. “Enter to worship, leave to serve.”
3. We must never forget the ever-present presence of our Lord.

“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3, KJV).

4. The members of Jesus’ hometown missed out on miracles and blessings because they failed to recognize
who was in their presence.

“And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58, KJV).

D. Faithfulness
1. It is always the faithful who were commended by the Lord.

“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful
over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy
lord” (Matthew 25:21, KJV).

2. In fact, only the faithful are going to make it in the Rapture and return with the Lord to rule and reign in
the Millennium.

“They that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14, KJV).

3. Faithfulness in church attendance is a spiritual requirement. Everyone needs a home church, and
everyone needs to be faithful in attendance to that home church.

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. . . . Not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and
so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:23, 25, KJV).

4. Faithfulness in giving stands alongside church attendance as a spiritual requirement.

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together,
and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete
withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38, KJV).

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse” (Malachi 3:10, KJV).

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E. Faithfulness Includes Timeliness

1. It is important to be our best for the Lord.
2. If we are going to be our best for the Lord, it is important that we be on time for church services.
3. Many seem to have no problem arriving at work on time, but struggle to make it to church, even when the
service time is 10:00 or 11:00 in the morning.
4. The Book of Proverbs has much to say about being prompt or diligent in our business.

“Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth” (Proverbs 10:4).

“Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor” (Proverbs 12:24).

“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be
made fat” (Proverbs 13:4, KJV).

5. If we can be prompt or diligent in the affairs of everyday living, we certainly should do the same for
our Lord.

F. Prayer
1. Prayer must always remain a significant part of the serious business of the church.

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your
prayers for all believers everywhere” (Ephesians 6:18, NLT).

III. THE SERIOUS BUSINESS OF BEING A SAINT

1. The word saint means sanctified one or holy one.
2. It should be the desire of every saint of God to be pleasing to the Lord.
3. It is important to regularly ask the Lord to search our hearts and tell us what He finds.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there
be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24, KJV).

4. Being a saint is serious business, and we must be careful of our walk.

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because
the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15–16, KJV).

A. Never Look Back

1. Israel’s greatest problem was constant looking back.

“We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks,
onions and garlic” (Numbers 11:5).

2. Jesus warned us about looking back to the life from which we were delivered.

“No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of
God” (Luke 9:62, KJV).

“Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32, KJV).

3. The opportunity to turn back will always be there, but we must not so much as entertain the thought.
4. We must be like the patriarchs of old:

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 SERIOUS BUSINESS

“And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might
have had opportunity to have returned” (Hebrews 11:15, KJV).

B. Always Ready
1. His coming will be when we least expect it.

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh”
(Matthew 24:44, KJV).

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night” (I
Thessalonians 5:2, KJV).

2. The soon return of the Lord is serious business.

“And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up
from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed”
(Romans 13:11).

3. We must always be watching the eastern horizon.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say
‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly
lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of
our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all
wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is
good” (Titus 2:11–14).

CONCLUSION
1. Consider the seriousness of our callings.
2. We must all be committed to Jesus and to His mission.

“The church is not a gallery for the exhibition of eminent Christians, but a school for the
education of imperfect ones, a nursery for the care of weak ones, a hospital for the healing
of those who need special care” (Henry Ward Beecher, cited in Doan 1968, 88).

“The holiest moment of the church service is the moment when God’s people—strengthened
by preaching and sacrament—go out of the church door into the world to be the Church. We
don’t go to church; we are the Church” (Canon Ernest Southcott, cited in Doan 1968, 87).

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This lesson can be adapted for breakout sessions. The following section takes the above lesson and breaks it into
questions for four groups. Appoint a facilitator and a recorder for each group. Allow the four groups twenty to
thirty minutes to discuss and answer the questions, and then return to the group as a whole. The recorders can then
present what was learned during their small-group discussions. If time permits, this may lead to discussion among
the entire group.

SERIOUS BUSINESS

GROUP 1
THE SERIOUS BUSINESS OF CHURCH
A. Ten Commandments for Church Members
1. Thou shalt not come to service late, nor for the Amen refuse to wait.
2. Thy noisy tongue shalt thou restrain, when speaks the organ its refrain.
3. But when the hymns are sounded out, thou shalt lift up the voice and shout.
4. The end-most seat thou shalt leave free, for more must share the pew with thee.
5. The offering plate thou shalt not fear, but give thy utmost with cheer.
6. Thou shalt the bulletin peruse and look there for the church’s news.
7. Thou shalt the minister give heed, nor blame him when thou’rt disagreed.
8. Unto thy neighbor thou shalt bend, and if a stranger, make a friend.
9. Thou shalt in every way be kind, compassionate, of tender mind.
10. And so, by all thy Spirit’s grace, thou shalt show God within this place (Author and Source Unknown).
• Take a few minutes and discuss each of the Ten Commandments above.

B. Attitude of Utmost Importance

“And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith” (Matthew 13:58).

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of
heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are
trying to” (Matthew 23:13).

• Read the above verses of Scripture and discuss the importance of our attitude when we
come to church.
• How might our attitudes influence the likelihood of guests returning to our church?

GROUP 2
FAITHFULNESS IN CHURCH ATTENDANCE

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. . . . Not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and
so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:23, 25, KJV).

• List reasons explaining why it is important that we faithfully attend church.

• Why is it important to be on time for the service?
• What message does it send to the Lord? What message does it send to the world
around us?

“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who
must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that
would be of no advantage to you” (Hebrews 13:17).

• In light of the above verse of Scripture, why is it important to notify your pastor if you
have to miss a service?

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 SERIOUS BUSINESS

GROUP 3
FAITHFULNESS IN GIVING

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and
running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured
to you” (Luke 6:38).

“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and
offerings” (Malachi 3:8).

• If we do not tithe and bring offerings to God, is it possible that we will be held
accountable for stealing? Discuss.
• What is the difference between tithes and offerings?
• What is the difference between tithing on the gross and tithing on the net?

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (II Corinthians 9:7).

• Can we truly be cheerful givers? What would keep us from being cheerful?

GROUP 4
TURNING BACK (BACKSLIDING)

“Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the
kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:62).

“Remember Lot’s wife!” (Luke 17:32).

• What are some signs that someone might be backsliding?

• If you notice those signs in a brother or sister, what might you do to help that person?

“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not
expect him” (Matthew 24:44).

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every
opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15–16).

• What are some steps you can take to prevent backsliding?

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