BILL JOHNSON
Foreword
Values shape culture, whether it’s the culture of a home, business, nation, or church. Simply understanding the concept of culture, and its impact, reveals our potential for bringing a lasting and healthy influence to the world around us. It is an essential part of our service to our Lord Jesus Christ.
One of the most vital assignments we have in life is to discover and implement the values of heaven so that we can see God’s will fully realized in our lives. Thus, we have been given this direction for prayer: on earth as it is in Heaven. Jesus gave this prayer to His disciples, and in it we find the backbone of our earthly assignment. Everything else—from the Great Commission to the Great Commandment—falls under the influence of this prayer’s focused mandate.
Here at Bethel, we have been exploring what heaven’s culture looks like for quite awhile. We’ve realized that, if our discovery is genuine, its impact on us and others can be measured. In other words, the effects of heaven’s culture on individuals, families, ministries, and all other aspects of city life must have outward, discernible significance to prove its authenticity. This is the purpose behind Kingdom Culture.
The author of Kingdom Culture, Dann Farrelly, is one of the greatest men I have ever met. We have worked together for over 20 years. His impact upon me, as well as our church family, is huge. I’m so thankful for him and his family, for his gift of wisdom and insight, and for his service to us. I believe he really is the most qualified of all of us to recognize, define, and write about what we’ve been exploring for all these years. He has done a masterful job in identifying and explaining the things that we have discovered in the Word, and all that we are learning to put into practice within the Bethel Church family. What we have discovered, to our surprise, is that when the culture we live is a true expression of the Kingdom of God, the Lord Himself lifts the veil of influence so that we might impact the world around us positively. He really does desire the Kingdom of God to be established on earth.
I am more excited for the release of this study, because of the subject matter alone, than I have been in a very long time. But, as I look through this manual, I realize that this is much more significant than even I originally thought. Kingdom Culture will be a game changer for many. Within each subject, the process of study has been thought through so intentionally. From the examination of scripture, to the measured impact on our thinking and lifestyles, to the activation of each lesson, this book has the capacity to impact the destinies of entire family lines. I don’t think it’s possible for anyone to go through this study and not be radically changed, inside and out.
This is a gold mine. For the glory of God, start digging!
Bill Johnson
Bethel Church | Redding, CA
Author of When Heaven Invades Earth and God Is Good
KRIS VALLOTTON
Foreword
Dann Farrelly has been one of my dearest friends since 1997, and I can honestly say that he has deeply processed and lived out the truths he presents in Kingdom Culture. He has chewed on these profound principles for years and has fruitfully expressed them in his everyday life, and now in this powerful book. Dann is an anointed teacher whom I trust and look up to. He has a wholehearted love for God’s Word and a grace to help others comprehend and apply the truth of the Bible. Time and time again, I’ve seen him take complex revelation and translate it for our students at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. In this book, he releases a hunger for a deep-seated connection with the Word of God and a grace to understand the culture of God’s Kingdom.
As humans, we are made to create culture. The way we process life, define relationships, communicate with others, treat family, lead, and think are all products of the cultures we come from, or the cultures we have worked to build around us. Culture is the result of lived-out behaviors that are driven through core values. Core values are the manifestation of the way that we view and experience life through our personhood. I can’t think of a more effective way to express the Kingdom than to live out the culture of heaven on earth. One thing I love about this book is the clear way that Dann defines the culture of the Kingdom and unravels the intricacies of truth, never losing the power behind an idea but rather unfolding its potential. He presents core beliefs of our Bethel leadership in a way that you can grasp, hold onto, carry, and then give away to others. So much power lies in the sustainability of understanding God’s Word in the depths of your being, to the point that it changes the lenses through which you see the world. This book is a catalyst for lasting personal transformation if you open yourself to the ways I believe God will speak to you through it.
Kingdom Culture was written in a way that enables you to process what you read and learn. God will meet you in its pages. Everyone who has ever been curious about the culture of Bethel, the truth about God’s Kingdom practically coming to earth, or how to be a revivalist should start with the foundation of this book!
Kris Vallotton
Bethel Church | Redding, CA
Author of Heavy Rain and Spirit Wars