tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72610366399144570132023-11-16T01:11:38.444-06:00RevolutionMatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.comBlogger224125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-31851412343532243202012-09-10T09:15:00.000-05:002012-09-10T09:15:03.161-05:00A Movement vs. A Location<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you as a ministry leader, whether paid or volunteer, are equipping people to carry out God's plan only through the local church, you are not equipping them properly. Instead, we should focus on equipping them to fulfill God's plan through their lives which are connected & invested in the local church but not limited to use only <strong>inside</strong> the church. The local church is God's plan, but as leaders we cannot afford to equip believers to only leverage their gifts & influence <strong>only</strong> within the church setting. We have to equip people, model for people, & challenge people to take the mission of God outside the walls of the local church's gathering place. </span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">"The Church Is A Movement Of God's People Not The Location Of A Building."</span></em></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The church was not designed to gather together in a building, sing their songs, listen to their messages, do their programs, & then go home. Instead, it was designed & called to go outside & reach those who are "far off" to borrow Peter's terminology in Acts 2. The only reason you & I are now "insiders" in the church is because somebody decided to do something to reach out to you with the Gospel. When we forget that, we begin to forget our mission too. We can't afford to do that, & the world can't either.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">How are you equipping those you lead to accomplish God's plan with their lives rather than just through the local church & it's programs? How are you modelling this priority in your leadership? Where are you investing in advancing God's Kingdom in a setting that is outside the walls of your building?</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-27734474749432275822012-09-05T09:00:00.000-05:002012-09-05T09:00:09.406-05:00Preach Better Sermons Live Takeaways<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Preach Better Sermons Live event produced by the good people at <a href="http://therocketcompany.com/"><strong>The Rocket Company</strong></a>. This one day conference brought together both ministry leaders & business leaders to help them sharpen their communication skills in order to best communicate their messages. My personal conviction is that since the church has been entrusted with the best message in history we should do the best job possible communicating it. With that in mind, here are some of my biggest takeaways:</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">1) "Connection Not Information Is The Difference Between A Message That Soars & A Message That Falls Flat." -<a href="https://twitter.com/JeffHenderson">Jeff Henderson</a></span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">2) "Great Preaching Over A Consistent Period Of Time Requires Me To Be A Follower Of Jesus First & A Preacher Of Jesus Second." -<a href="https://twitter.com/JeffHenderson">Jeff Henderson</a></span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">3) The Wrong Approach With The Right Idea Undermines Your Message." -<a href="https://twitter.com/AndyStanley">Andy Stanley</a></span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">4) Andy Stanley's Five Guidelines To Preaching To The Unchurched</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">You'll have to buy Andy's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Wide-Creating-Churches-Unchurched/dp/0310494842/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346780278&sr=8-1&keywords=deep+and+wide+andy+stanley"><strong>new book</strong></a> to get those.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">5) "This Generation Wants To Follow Jesus, Serve, & Change The World, Now If Possible. They Just Need Someone To Lead Them With Authenticity & Vision." -<a href="https://twitter.com/louiegiglio">Louie Giglio</a></span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There's way more I could share, but I won't. If you missed the event in Atlanta, The Rocket Company will be bringing this event to different venues around the U.S. So check out the Preach Better Sermons Live <a href="http://preachbettersermons.com/"><strong>website</strong></a> for details. A huge thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/CaseyGraham"><strong>Casey Graham</strong></a>, the speakers, & the staff & volunteers who made this conference happen.</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-32181354662748734282012-08-10T09:00:00.000-05:002012-08-10T09:00:04.910-05:00Theology & Leadership<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfyUv7ne3c1MaVHDca8mwpD4eo_Eopj1_7WjsS-NkZTYADyb2JlZzNHiz_SZOovEJrhDL4TIbQaS_rihaJihU2GiwFnbizpogaEQJ1dqVHxkWQ2_LF4Ks_m58CLs43iOdNRH4ICCCu9A/s1600/DSC04997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfyUv7ne3c1MaVHDca8mwpD4eo_Eopj1_7WjsS-NkZTYADyb2JlZzNHiz_SZOovEJrhDL4TIbQaS_rihaJihU2GiwFnbizpogaEQJ1dqVHxkWQ2_LF4Ks_m58CLs43iOdNRH4ICCCu9A/s320/DSC04997.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Leadership Track At Camp In Spain</strong></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This summer while I was in Spain I was meeting with a group of young men & women in their late teens & 20's. The potential in that room was undeniable. They have a huge desire to be used by God & to be a part of a fresh movement in the church & through the church. However, they are running into obstacles. Many of them come from churches that don't have a lot in the way resources, but the most troubling obstacle many of them face is connected to the theological grid in many of their churches. When we were talking about the concept of godly leadership in ministry they shared a common sentiment found in their churches:<em>"We don't need leadership, God does miracles."</em></span><br /><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">While I understand that we don't want to exercise leadership in the same way or with the same values that we often see in the business world, we also don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water. Just because leadership isn't exercised in some arenas in a way that honors God doesn't mean that God's people should abandon it hoping that God will just magically accomplish His plan while we sit around & sing songs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So I shared with this group of young potential leaders example after example of God using leaders to accomplish His purposes. I pointed them to people like Noah, Abraham, Gideon, Nehemiah, David, & Jesus' disciples as clear pictures of God using godly men & women to partner with Him in advancing His Kingdom & expanding His glory. Then to answer the whole question of why do we need leadership when God does miracles, I shared with them this important truth about the connection between the power of God & the leadership of God's people:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>"The Bible Is Packed With God Using Leaders To Advance His Kingdom. </em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>I</em></strong></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>n Fact, That's Part Of The Miracle"</em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The miraculous power of God & the leadership skills of His people aren't mutually exclusive concepts. Throughout history God has been reaching out to us seeking to have a relationship with us. It's a relationship that saves us, but it's also a relationship that invites us into a partnership with God. As we follow God, He invites us to advance the Gospel & to expand His Kingdom to the ends of the earth. However, He doesn't just snap His fingers & make it happen. Instead, He empowers His people to be witnesses. He invites us to demonstrate the power of the Gospel through our lives & to share the Gospel with others when we have the opportunity. It's only by the miraculous power of God that such a diverse, dysfunctional group as the church could continue to be a force in the world. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Our theology must have a place for godly leadership. A theological system that leaves no room for God to use us not only isn't founded upon Scripture, it's just lazy.</span></div>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-88021623305303406952012-08-01T11:05:00.001-05:002012-08-01T11:05:46.014-05:00Resources=Responsibility<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNr4rdKNuspj73Zru_h9caNj1kFoV0aQT6qcd2YcdSRtudWGl7AGyCmq9fCHcxluSaIqZudXTz3dO7F_5CUknT0pnKExunTu_WA3lk__pUsLcahmGQhsQ5IiHTzjadWEaOlF67plhM3s/s1600/DSC04950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNr4rdKNuspj73Zru_h9caNj1kFoV0aQT6qcd2YcdSRtudWGl7AGyCmq9fCHcxluSaIqZudXTz3dO7F_5CUknT0pnKExunTu_WA3lk__pUsLcahmGQhsQ5IiHTzjadWEaOlF67plhM3s/s320/DSC04950.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Capitol Building of Catalonia in Barcelona</strong></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This summer I had the opportunity to spend 2 weeks in Spain doing ministry. During that time our team worked with small churches in Barcelona, Zaragoza, & Madrid. In most cases, these churches represent the last stand of the church in Spain. While Spain is littered with beautiful old churches & majestic cathedrals, they are mostly empty, & those that aren't are not preaching the Gospel or being the church. The truth is that these small churches are the last line of defense, or maybe more appropriately, the last line of offense against Spain becoming 100% lost in a secular worldview or in the emptiness of religious tradition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here's the bad news: While these churches love God & want to be used to impact their cities, they are too often under-resourced & have little if any leadership. It's not their fault; it's just reality. In addition to that, they struggle with many of the same petty issues that plague the church in America, but with no leadership to guide them, the issues fester & could become the churches' undoing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now for the good news: There is a generation that is ready to take their neighborhoods, their cities, & yes, their nation for the Kingdom of God. While I was there, I was blown away by the group of young men & women in their 20s. They are sincere in their faith. They are passionate about God's glory & Kingdom. However, they haven't been equipped. As we left, we left with hope as we heard from church leaders reaching & utilizing this generation would become a priority. With proper training, these young disciples will quickly become important leaders in their local congregations. Another positive thing we encountered was the fact that many people we spoke with outside the church were actually very open & receptive to talking about the Gospel. If that hunger for truth can be combined with churches who are strategically reaching their communities, who knows what God might do?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So what were my takeaways from 2 weeks of ministry in Spain? Well, there are more than you or I have time for here, & truthfully, I'm still processing much of it. However, one thing bubbled to the top quickly for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>"When You Have Greater Resources & Greater Opportunities, </em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>You Also Have A Greater Responsibility To Take Advantage Of It."</em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The church in America is better resourced than the church in any other part of the world. Tiny churches in the backwoods of nowhere are able to accomplish things that these churches in major world cities can only dream of. Yet too often in our ministries, we squander opportunities & resources & settle for mediocrity. We don't set out to waste time, money, materials, energy, & everything else, but too often we don't set out to take full advantage of everything we have. The result: the same old same old mediocre ministry that reflects mediocre faith & mediocre stewardship of God's blessings on our ministries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The fact that churches in other parts of the world would die to have our mediocre ministries is no excuse. In fact, it's the point. If our brothers & sisters around the world would love to have what we have (but don't), shouldn't we make sure we fully leverage it for the sake of the Gospel, God's glory, & His Kingdom?</span></div>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-88405853644114215092012-07-30T09:05:00.001-05:002012-07-30T09:05:50.665-05:00Be Present<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_9KauD-MkdsgdFJU8YTtMTyZLPoMv7AWkcW_-Iivjo14C0pje7sydi60DZkY5ImyImJg5Wnv1PQ8pKMZAzcXLWbO7kkfieZSYh-zI24-xY_k3w0rTWJ0usNlA0tOXqLa-usgjGSUwAU/s1600/Catalyst-2011-Be-Present.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="82" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_9KauD-MkdsgdFJU8YTtMTyZLPoMv7AWkcW_-Iivjo14C0pje7sydi60DZkY5ImyImJg5Wnv1PQ8pKMZAzcXLWbO7kkfieZSYh-zI24-xY_k3w0rTWJ0usNlA0tOXqLa-usgjGSUwAU/s320/Catalyst-2011-Be-Present.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the last year or so, the leadership organization/movement known as <a href="http://www.catalystspace.com/"><strong>Catalyst</strong></a> has been exploring the theme of "Be Present". It's been all about making sure that as leaders we have one foot firmly planted in the "here & now" instead of being consumed solely with "what could be." After all, if you don't know where you are, you can't really get a vision for where you can go.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">One way I've seen this tension at work in ministry leadership is the constant temptation for ministry leaders to focus primarily on what they can't do or aren't allowed to do in their current structure or tradition. I'm sure this is a tension in every area of leadership, ministry or otherwise, but the area of ministry leadership is what I know & live in everyday. There's not a leader in ministry, volunteer or paid, who hasn't struggled with this tension. In addition to that, there's the fact that church culture is a little more resistant to change than the culture in many businesses or other organizations. It's no wonder there's a little frustration on the part of leaders.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">However, leaders' responsibility is to lead. That means progress has to be made, & if it can't be made in one area, there's a good chance there's another area where it can. The only problem is that if we as leaders are only focused on what restricts us, we'll miss out on the areas where we have freedom & flexibility to influence change or growth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here's a simple truth that we as leaders often miss: <strong><em>"To Be Present, Focus On What You Can Do Instead Of What You Can't."</em></strong> You can't "be present" as a leader while you're missing out on opportunities around you. Don't waste chances to lead in areas where you can make progress because you're angry or frustrated about the areas where you can't. After all, leading in the areas where you currently have the freedom to move may very well lead you to have future freedom in the places where you wish you did. Being present now in the things you can do may open the door to taking action in the things that you can't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It's a tension we all have to manage. Just because you can't currently move in an area where you think you need to doesn't mean you shouldn't push a little. However, you cannot allow a roadblock in one area to distract you & consume you to the point that you miss out on the opportunities that do exist around you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">What areas in your leadership currently frustrate you because you don't feel you have the freedom to lead? On the other hand, what are the areas where you do have freedom? What are the opportunities in those areas that need your focus in order to see progress? How could seizing opportunities where you currently have freedom open the door to the areas where you don't?</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-22674461366446802072012-04-03T08:11:00.001-05:002012-04-03T08:11:51.504-05:00The Difference Between Opinion & Perspective<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had an interesting conversation the other day about the varying opinions that anyone in leadership inevitably faces. Sometimes, literally every position on an issue or idea is represented in a group, & sometimes positions you didn't think existed are represented! So how do you know which opinions are more worthy of your time & recognition? After all, a leader can't act on every opinion that is expressed, much less the ones that are never voiced. One of the most effective ideas I've stumbled across (and believe me I stumbled onto it) is to draw a distinction between people who have an opinion & people who have perspective. It may sound like I'm splitting hairs, but there's something to this.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Think about it. Everybody has opinions. Even if it's a topic that we haven't given a lot of thought to, if someone asks what we think, we'll give our opinion on it. There's nothing necessarily wrong with it. It's just how we are. However, perspective requires something more than just talking about what we think.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">Perspective Requires Investment.</span></em></strong><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">People with opinions "think". People with perspective "know". People with perspective have invested themselves into something enough that their opinion is actually based on experience. You don't have to have that in order to form an opinion. There's nothing wrong with having an opinion & sometimes there's nothing wrong with voicing it, but the best opinions are really built on having a realistic perspective of the situation. Investment leads to perspective which leads to discernment. </span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">So the next time you're confronted with a bunch of "opinions", try to figure out which opinion is really perspective, & that's easy. Simply ask, "Is this person invested?" Are they invested in you? Are they invested in the ministry? Are they invested in the business? Whatever the issue is, are they really invested? Not merely emotionally invested, but have they put in some sweat equity & time equity? Have they invested themselves into it? </span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-9338454196822815252012-03-27T11:16:00.001-05:002012-03-27T11:16:33.218-05:00Change Is What Matters<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ministry can be really busy. It's really easy to get caught up in the everyday, often mundane, details. That's why it's so important to pull away every once in awhile & looking at what is actually being produced by all that work by you & the people you serve with every week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Are lives being changed? Are people discovering their gifting? Are they discovering ways they can leverage those gifts to advance God's Kingdom & the name of Jesus? Life change is what it's all about. Here's a recent story of how God, His Word, & His people impacted one young lady's life. </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/39007925?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe></div>
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/39007925"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hannah Prestwood Baptism Video March 21, 2012</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from </span><a href="http://vimeo.com/user10963213"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FBC Robertsdale Student Ministry</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> on </span><a href="http://vimeo.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vimeo</span></a>.</div>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-34460269243282024352012-03-16T12:00:00.000-05:002012-03-16T12:00:04.409-05:00Preach Better Sermons Takeaways<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday a fairly new ministry, <a href="http://www.preachingrocket.com/"><strong>Preaching Rocket</strong></a>, hosted it's first online conference. If you missed it, you missed out on preaching gold. Some of the most gifted communicators in ministry as well as a giant in the food service industry & one of the world's most successful comedians shared their insights about communication, preparation, & continuing to grow as a communicator. Here are a few of the big takeaways from my notes.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">1) "Cook" Your Messages In A Crock Pot, Not A Microwave.</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This idea was woven into some of the interviews that <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/JeffHenderson"><strong>Jeff Henderson</strong></a> conducted. Jeff wasn't actually one of the guest presenters, but Jeff is an incredible communicator & teacher in his own right. His point is that your message is likely to be better the longer you let it ruminate in your heart & mind. If you're scrambling on Saturday night to get your message together, you may be able to bring some good information, but it probably has not had time to work its way through you.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">2) Your Message Needs A Bottom Line.</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can you sum up your entire 30 to 45 minute message in a sentence? It sounds like an impossible task, but if you'll work on developing that one thing you want people to walk away with & then build everything else around it, your message stands a better chance of sticking & impacting the way people live their lives.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">3) If You're Nervous About Your Sermon, You're Not Ready To Impact People.</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/AndyStanley"><strong>Andy Stanley</strong></a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/InTouchMin"><strong>Charles Stanley</strong></a> both brought this out in their interviews. When you take the platform worried about your performance or how you're going to look at the end of it, you are not really concerned about speaking truth & grace into the lives of the people in the audience. On top of that when you're worried about your performance, it's probably a sign that you're not really that well-prepared anyway.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">4) You Can Only Preach As Well As You Pray.</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">That's straight from <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/InTouchMin"><strong>Dr. Charles Stanley</strong></a>. I don't think it needs any lame explanation from me. All I'll say is I heard as much about Dr. Stanley's prayer room during his interview as I did about preaching tips & tactics. It spoke volumes about him as a preacher.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">5) Don't Leave Out The God Factor In Your Preaching.</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It's very easy for preachers who have been preaching for a long time to simply rely on their exegetical & communication skills when preparing their messages. <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/louiegiglio"><strong>Louie Giglio</strong></a> talked about how easy that is & how easy it is to prepare an incredibly eloquent, persuasive message that is completely devoid of the power of God. Our messages don't change people; God does. If we're not begging Him to invade our words & leverage them for His glory, then we're leaving out a huge part of the preparation process.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">6) Don't Leave Out The Fact That Jesus Was Not Just Fully God But Also Fully Man.</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This came from <a href="http://www.jefffoxworthy.com/"><strong>Jeff Foxworthy</strong></a> of all people. When asked how he thought the 21st century church could reach men more effectively, he gave what was a very theologically deep answer. He said it's easy to paint Jesus as fully God when He's on the cross, but when you bring up the fact that He was fully man & really hammer that idea home, you realize "there's nothing sissy about Jesus." The problem is that most men see Christian masculinity as some soft, sissy thing, but when they realize that Christian manhood reflects the kind of man that Jesus was, it becomes much more appealing.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">7) Preach With The End In Mind</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Almost everyone communicated this concept in one way or another. Whether you do this or not can be seen in whether or not you give your audience something to do with the message. Do you have 1 or 2 action steps? <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/twcpastorvan"><strong>Vanable Moody</strong></a> reminded us that the Word of God is a sword & a sword has 1 point. What is your 1 point? What is the 1 thing you want people to do with God's Word?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I could rattle off a lot of other takeaways, but since 7 is the number of completion, we'll stop there. Go check out <a href="http://www.preachingrocket.com/"><strong>Preaching Rocket's site</strong></a> & see if the resources they offer could be something that really benefits you in your preparation each week.</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-22993143658465394462012-03-09T06:00:00.000-06:002012-03-12T14:41:47.066-05:00Growing As A Communicator-Part 3<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week I've been sharing some of the lessons I've learned over the years that have helped me grow as a communicator. I'm by no means an "expert", but I know I've grown in a lot of ways in the last 17 years when I first began teaching & preaching. Of all the lessons I could pass on to any communicator, no matter what field or what level of experience, I would pass on this one.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">5) Learn From Others</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Newsflash: You are not the best communicator in the world.I don't care how many people love your messages or how many pats on the back you get when you speak, there are communicators out there in all sorts of fields that you & I can learn from. Listen to as many different communicators as you can from all sorts of areas of expertise. Listen to people from your particular field, whether their style is similar to yours or not. Personally, I listen to several messages every week from different pastors. Some of these pastors have similar backgrounds & styles as I do, but some do not. Some have speaking styles that are more conversational & casual while others are much more scholarly in their approach. If you find a book or article from someone about how they communicate, read it. If you have the chance to hear from well respected communicators, take advantage of it, & take A LOT of notes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Fortunately, just such an opportunity is coming up next week. On Thursday, March 15th the folks at <a href="http://preachingrocket.com/"><strong>Preaching Rocket</strong></a> are hosting a FREE online conference where you can learn from some incredible communicators. If you're in ministry, this is a must. Communicators like Charles Stanley, Andy Stanley, Dan Cathy of Chick-fil-A, & Jeff Foxworthy will talk about everything from developing content to engaging your audience. Don't miss the <a href="http://preachbettersermons.com/"><strong>Preach Better Sermons Conference</strong></a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghY8w0fPuSX64cPtMPqJjV4hqAuKS9c4aHBgDOM871qX1XS68LsyZaIi9xrs0G25-cmP1LuIkxqj2v0AzOQmo0bubjdB9T1EROPZfQdhwB1NttXvc0wO8PFmbi83Wqy-EbIiAm-QzoY5I/s1600/preach+better+sermons-banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="50" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghY8w0fPuSX64cPtMPqJjV4hqAuKS9c4aHBgDOM871qX1XS68LsyZaIi9xrs0G25-cmP1LuIkxqj2v0AzOQmo0bubjdB9T1EROPZfQdhwB1NttXvc0wO8PFmbi83Wqy-EbIiAm-QzoY5I/s400/preach+better+sermons-banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-68512517678518826652012-03-07T06:00:00.000-06:002012-03-07T06:00:02.013-06:00Growing As A Communicator-Part 2<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Continuing with this week's topic of growing as communicators, here are a couple of other tips:</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">3) Internalize Your Message</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I totally ripped this phrase off from <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/AndyStanley"><strong>Andy Stanley</strong></a>. It kind of has a double meaning. From a purely practical side, if you're speaking to a group of people about some topic, you don't need to be chained to your notes. If your message isn't important enough for you to learn, internalize, & deliver, then why should your audience? However, when you can deliver a message that's been internalized, the passion comes through. On a deeper level, internalizing the message means it becomes a part of who you are. That's where the passion comes through. You've spent enough time with the message that it has infected you & changed you. Internalize your message & your message will reach a new level of impact with your audience.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">4) Prioritize Your Preparation</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This is a little different from <a href="http://epiccalling.blogspot.com/2012/03/growing-as-communicator.html"><strong>Planning Ahead</strong></a>. This has more to do with your regular, weekly preparation. As a pastor, I speak every week. At the same time, I'm also working on messages that will be delivered in the weeks ahead. If I'm not careful, things can get a little muddy., especially as I'm wrapping up one series & preparing to start a new one. That means my week to week preparation has to take a place of high priority in my schedule. Pastors, never apologize for your message prep. It is your highest priority as you equip the people you lead; make sure that's reflected in your prep. Also, don't apologize for the preparation process that works best for you. Just as your preaching is unique, your preparation to preach will be unique. When you prioritize your weekly prep & plan ahead for your bigger teaching plan, you'll be better prepared to handle the inevitable things that pop up in ministry that from time to time can consume a lot of your attention. Plan ahead & prioritize your preparation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Friday I'll share one other big tip for growing as a communicator.</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-78041773582485997672012-03-05T06:00:00.000-06:002012-03-05T06:00:14.814-06:00Growing As A Communicator<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone has to communicate, & most of us have to communicate verbally. Whether you are a stay at home mom, a pastor, a business owner, or a salesperson in the retail world, communication is a big part of what you do. However, it's also something that terrifies a lot of people, especially the idea of some sort of public communication. This week I want to share a few things that I've learned & that help me to be a better communicator & a communicator that is constantly looking to improve.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">1) Know Your Message</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This sounds like a no-brainer, but it's shocking how many times I've had to listen to someone speak who obviously spent no time actually figuring out what they wanted to say. Recently I sat & listened to someone speak for almost 45 minutes & at the end a bunch of random information had been thrown at me & the audience, but there was no cohesive message. Know what you want to say. Don't talk until you do. Whether you're about to have a discussion with one of your kids or give a presentation at work, you have to know your message. One good rule of thumb I try to abide by is this: Can I distill my message into one memorable statement? If I can do that & then support it & reiterate it throughout a message, there's a better chance that it will be remembered & acted upon.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">2) Plan Ahead</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This isn't always possible, but most of the time it is. As a pastor who speaks pretty much every week, I know that people expect me to have something to say to them, & hopefully it's something worth paying attention to. Again this seems obvious, but if you wait until the last minute, you may not have anything to say or you may not find a way to say it so that it's actually absorbed. If you have a role where you're communicating to a group regularly, plan it out ahead of time. In my role as a pastor, I go into a year with an entire year planned out. For example, right now I know what my plan is for my Christmas teaching series. For those who say that this doesn't allow you room for spontaneity or the Spirit's leading, the reverse is actually true. Planning ahead actually gives you more freedom to adjust on the fly. If you're living week to week as a communicator, you literally do not have time to think about the bigger picture of your communication. Typically I try to stay anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 weeks ahead in actual completed sermons, & I plan a rough teaching plan for an entire year. It gives me a plan to follow, but it also gives me room for flexibility when the plan may need to be altered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Throughout the week I'll share some other things I've picked up & lessons I've learned the hard way over my years in ministry & as a communicator. Feel free to share any insights you may have or tips you have that have helped you grow as a communicator.</span><br />
<br />Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-80036110142394090292012-03-01T13:49:00.000-06:002012-03-01T13:49:35.292-06:00How To Remove The Pain From Message Prep<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT88TOjmL87R2W4C-Mjs3T47Ubf1S9EoPtTfdOgovzQTJ6CQv7ohyX3M3XDzjmLQUSvVS2gDD-hTehadoWtp_WdeTxBG9HxlMEiHM5AXicGdhy0rb1Futd95Ou6Gr5xs8-9CsLEpB_Jak/s1600/preach+better+sermons-andy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT88TOjmL87R2W4C-Mjs3T47Ubf1S9EoPtTfdOgovzQTJ6CQv7ohyX3M3XDzjmLQUSvVS2gDD-hTehadoWtp_WdeTxBG9HxlMEiHM5AXicGdhy0rb1Futd95Ou6Gr5xs8-9CsLEpB_Jak/s1600/preach+better+sermons-andy.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.preachingrocket.com/"><strong>Preaching Rocket</strong></a> is a new organization committed to helping pastors grow as communicators of the most important message in the world. After talking to hundreds of preachers, they’ve found most preachers love preaching, but the grind of preparation can often become a pain. Here are three things they’ve seen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>1. Great Preaching Comes From A Great Preparation System.</strong> Perry Noble doesn’t prepare in a vacuum. He has a team at NewSpring Church that helps him prepare. Perry will talk about how this works at the </span><a href="http://preachbettersermons.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>PreachBetterSermons.com</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FREE online event on March 15th.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>2. A Preparation Day Is Better Than Feeling Like You Have To Prepare All The Time. </strong>Andy Stanley sets aside every Wednesday to prepare messages, and his team helps him keep this time guarded. While Andy is gifted, his commitment to preparation helps make his messages memorable. Andy will talk about the structure of his preparation day on the </span><a href="http://www.preachbettersermons.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Preach Better Sermons online event</strong>.</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>3. Developing A Sermon Planning System Takes The Pain Out Of Preparation</strong>. There are things you can do on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis that will dramatically improve your preparation time and help you deliver better messages. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Helping you put something like this into place will be a part of the free online event.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make a commitment to be a better preacher. Sign up for the free online conference. Here are the details.</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Date: March 15, 2012</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time: 1pm – 4pm EST</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speakers: Andy Stanley, Perry Noble, Louie Giglio, Dr. Charles Stanley, Vanable Moody, Jeff Foxworthy. The event is being hosted by Jeff Henderson.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Registration: Free sign up at </span><a href="http://www.preachbettersermons.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>preachbettersermons.com</strong></span></a></li>
</ul>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-55393907700799933532012-02-24T10:18:00.000-06:002012-03-12T14:40:16.827-05:00Leadership Lessons From Moneyball<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwBAbIvDx750c8B9TWwept4Y3YKz1TiA9Qdi8knfdTZQMGZhAQ8mNFJloNP5XX0NuLFvEAYK3DoKL4TRDAlVz5NNmkE6ok53b2mN4L9oTTlMbMZWnGA5JtQ08k6GnQfXKi_vbHhtghSs/s1600/Moneyball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwBAbIvDx750c8B9TWwept4Y3YKz1TiA9Qdi8knfdTZQMGZhAQ8mNFJloNP5XX0NuLFvEAYK3DoKL4TRDAlVz5NNmkE6ok53b2mN4L9oTTlMbMZWnGA5JtQ08k6GnQfXKi_vbHhtghSs/s320/Moneyball.jpg" width="216" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Valerie & I watched Moneyball last night. I was shocked that I got her to watch a baseball movie. A big thanks to the rugged good looks of Jonah Hill & that other guy, I think his name is Pitt, are probably in order for getting her to buy in. After all, it's not just a movie about baseball; it's a movie about the business end of baseball. I'm sure it sounded like a riveting topic to my wife who has never seen the baseball classic, The Natural & maybe not even Field of Dreams.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">First off , it's a great movie. Great writing, great pace, & Jonah Hill actually does deserve the Best Supporting Actor nomination that he received. It probably won't win Best Picture & Brad Pitt probably won't get the Best Actor nod, but I'm just glad a movie with such mainstream success got attention at the Oscars. Usually it's just a bunch of odd ball flicks like The Artist that get all the attention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After processing the movie, I was hit by some huge leadership lessons that jump out of this story of how Billy Beane built a winning baseball team with misfits, cast-offs, & nobodies.</span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">1) What Has Always Worked Might Not Work In Your Current Context.</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A business as usual approach to that Oakland A's team would have resulted in a mess, but turning the baseball world on its ear resulted in a division championship. It also laid a pattern for the Boston Red Sox to follow as they built their World Series team of just a few years later. What has always been done in your field might not work in your particular circumstances, & what you've always done might not be what you need to do in the specific context you might find yourself in.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">2) The Guardians Of The Status Quo Are Ruthless & Powerful.</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Billy Beane paid a pretty high price for what he did. His scouts thought he was insane. His manager was less than supportive, & the baseball world viewed him as a heretic...until they started winning. Then Billy Beane was a genius...until they lost. Then it was back to saying, "See I told you that wouldn't work." If there is something you have to change, be prepared to be wounded. Jonah Hill's character, Peter Brand, told Beane, "The first one through the wall gets the bloodiest." </span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">3) Vision Must Be Cast & Re-Cast.</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Leaders know this, but it's easy to get sidetracked by tasks. The result is that we & those we lead begin to lose focus on the ultimate goal. In the movie, the team doesn't really begin to take shape & fulfill their potential until Beane & Brand are shown meeting with players explaining what they are trying to do & how each player fits into the team.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">4) Know The REAL Problem You're Trying To Solve</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">There is a great scene where Beane is sitting around the table with his scouts looking at the overwhelming task that faced them following the 2001 season. The scouts perceived the problem as one of simply replacing the player(s) they would lose in the off season. It's the same problem scouts & GMs have had to face every year. However, Billy Beane understood it wasn't that simple. They couldn't replace the guys they were losing because they couldn't afford to keep them, so how could they go sign someone to "replace" him. Beane understood that the real problem was that the baseball business system was inherently unfair. Therefore, they had to adapt or die. What is the real problem you & your ministry or organization are trying to solve? Don't spend your time focused on a symptom of the bigger issue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Moneyball is a great movie. It's entertaining, funny, & really insightful. There's a little bit of language in it, but for a PG-13 movie, it's actually light on questionable content. It was really interesting to watch the movie & actually remember the events on which it's based. I'd recommend it to everybody.</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-81513757177946465412012-02-21T08:00:00.000-06:002012-02-21T08:00:10.010-06:00Lessons From Walls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdfCYG-CR8Wq4vFr2Kv_koJ42n3-XcCjJdVcyp2mHIPZcx92wDJ0_C4mBeyMDwNVkfReRFPxxrTshBPzVA2Aau0o3aeLGl-VANHL349B1Jxj1lxBbFdb1OzgXdOVlXt-fX47UTzqOXlU/s1600/walls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdfCYG-CR8Wq4vFr2Kv_koJ42n3-XcCjJdVcyp2mHIPZcx92wDJ0_C4mBeyMDwNVkfReRFPxxrTshBPzVA2Aau0o3aeLGl-VANHL349B1Jxj1lxBbFdb1OzgXdOVlXt-fX47UTzqOXlU/s320/walls.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the last few weeks, our church has been going through the series <strong>"Walls"</strong>, which looks at the story of Nehemiah in the Old Testament. Whenever we do a straightforward book study, I try to also read along on my own in order to not only try to keep up & anticipate where our pastor is headed with the series but to also hear the things from God that He wants me personally to get during the series. Now Nehemiah is easily one of my favorite books in the entire Bible, so narrowing all the good stuff in there down to a handful of nice, concise lessons is really hard for me, but here goes.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">1) You Don't Have To Have A Pedigree To Lead A Great Movement Of God.</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Nehemiah was a cup bearer, not a prophet, not a priest, not a teacher, yet God used Him greatly.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">2) Once God Gives You A Burden, Pray & Plan</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Nehemiah HAD to get back to Jerusalem but it seemed impossible, so he prayed, he planned, & when the opportunity came to present it to the king he was ready & God blessed it.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">3) You Need Others To Accomplish The Mission God's Called You To</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Nehemiah had a burden & a call, but it wasn't one that he could pull off alone. God always calls us to something that requires Him & His people in order to fulfill it.</span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">4) You'll Need Extreme Focus In The Face Of Opposition</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Nehemiah faced almost constant opposition. Whether they were simply degrading Nehemiah & the people or actually plotting to take Nehemiah down, enemies were around. Who your enemies & opponents are will tell others almost as much as who your friends are.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">5) Doing Something That Lasts Must Include A Commitment To God's Word</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Immediately after rebuilding the walls, the people were pointed back to God's word. While they had accomplished a huge project, the real project, the rebuilding of their fellowship with God, was at risk. Even with rebuild walls, the people could have easily fallen back into the sin that led to their exile & the destruction of the city. Real change comes from the transforming power of God's word at work in us. Make sure that your mission is rooted in God's bigger purpose revealed in His word.</span><br />
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</div>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-71685816164144229622012-01-10T10:06:00.001-06:002012-01-10T10:06:56.229-06:00Whine, Whine, Whine<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other day our pastor was preaching from Philippians 2 & the idea of "working out" our salvation & faith in Jesus Christ. The point of the message was that God has done a work in us, but we have a responsibility to work what God has done in us out through our life. As I was looking at this passage, I was struck by the fact that immediately following this instruction to "work out our faith" is the command, "Do everything without complaining or arguing..."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Could it be that our level of complaining & arguing & what we choose to whine & complain about is an indicator of how spiritual growth & maturity? After all, Paul goes on to say that the result of cutting out the whining & complaining is that we become "blameless & pure" & that we "shine like stars in the universe."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So why is this important? How does this really have any impact on our spiritual maturity? Here are a couple of my thoughts:</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">1) Whining, Complaining, & Arguing Is Usually An Indicator Of Selfishness</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sure, there are times when speaking up & pointing out something is not only right, it's necessary. However, my own experience & the experience of some people I recently talked to about this is that we complain about mostly meaningless stuff that our complaining won't change anyway. We just don't like it, so we let everyone know we don't like it. What that communicates is that everything is about what we want, & that's selfish. And I'm pretty sure that selfishness is the antithesis of Christ-likeness. So if we're known as a whiner or complainer, there's a good chance we are not growing in our faith.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>2) It's Just A Waste Of Energy</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Think about it, of all the things that you & I have ever whined & complained about, how often did we really end up getting our way? Everybody I've asked that questions to said they couldn't really remember a single instance where incessant complaining got them what they wanted. That tells me one of two things. First, what we put so much time & energy into complaining about was so insignificant that we don't even remember our "victory" when we got what we wanted. Secondly, our whining doesn't really work, & eventually we have to just learn to live with a situation or decision we're not crazy about. Why not put our energy into learning to live with it on the front end? After all, weeks, months, & years from now we won't remember it because it wasn't really that significant, & there's a good chance we're going to have to learn to live with it anyway. Why waste the time & energy? As believers we've been called to an urgent mission to advance the Kingdom. We need to make sure that when we speak up against something that it doesn't end up distracting us from that mission.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So maybe Paul was actually on to something. Maybe our willingness to let things go & a willingness to not always have to have our way is a major mark of growth as a follower of Jesus. And as a result, we are used by God to shine like stars in the middle of the darkest darkness imaginable.</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-6143231919054414412011-11-21T09:00:00.000-06:002011-11-21T09:00:03.604-06:00Does God Care About A Football Game?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Growing up in the south, football, especially college football, is an obsession. Sickness may be the best word to describe. Anyway, it's definitely a disorder. People get their team's logo tattooed onto their bodies, have their cars custom painted to match that atrocious Tennessee orange & name their kids & pets after their favorite players. Some people even go so far as to think God somehow gets caught up in this hysteria. Now personally I've always believed that God has bigger things going on other than making sure Kentucky somehow managed to beat Ole Miss (the fact that either won could be argued as a miracle), but I'm beginning to think I might have been wrong.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thursday night a guy who has been an obsession for a lot of people since he was in high school changed my way of thinking. In the name of full disclosure I must tell you I am one of the fanatics here in the south. I LOVE the Florida Gators, & Tim Tebow is like a national treasure for Florida fans, but even in all his years at Florida, I never thought God really cared who won or lost a football game. Then Thursday night, Tebow led the Denver Broncos to yet another win & to make it better it was against the Jets, a team no one expected them to beat. After the game, not only did they talk about Tebow, but they also talked to Tebow who took every opportunity to share his faith. If that weren't enough, after he left the set, the guys on the NFL Network continued to talk about Tebow's character & faith. With TebowMania hitting a fever pitch in Denver, Jesus actually got most of the spotlight.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So maybe God does care who wins a football game, if it's going to put His Son in the spotlight. If winning something as insignificant as a football game will allow Jesus to somehow get the glory that our world wants to throw at a guy who can run & throw, then maybe God does have a team or a player that He pulls for. After all, the Broncos were an absolute mess a few weeks ago, & they still look ugly for about 95% of the game, but then it's "Tebow Time". Then when the dust settles & the post-game flattery begins, the player in the spotlight deflects it all toward His Savior. So yeah, maybe God does care about a football game, just like He cares about that 3rd grade class you teach, those patients you see, that business you run, or that ministry where you serve. Perhaps leveraging whatever platform you have for the glory & fame of Jesus draws your Heavenly Father's attention & gets Him involved. Just a thought.</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-24191742770784249382011-10-31T09:28:00.002-05:002011-10-31T09:28:56.142-05:00We Need More Builders<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday I was in a meeting with some of my student leaders about some of the things we're looking at implementing in our student ministry in the near future. As the excitement in the room became more & more apparent, one of my seniors said, "We need to do this now so that I get to do this." It was at this point that I said something that had to have been from God because I'm not smart enough to have said this completely off the cuff. This is what I told that student & all the other older students in that room.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">"You May Not Get To Reap All The Benefits From These Plans But You Get To Be A Part Of Actually Building It, & I'd Rather Be A Builder Than Just A Consumer."</span></em></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the thing: Builders make a difference. Builders leave a mark. Builders lay the foundation & build something that others enjoy, & oftentimes, builders are the ones who are remembered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">However, building is more difficult. Building is risky, but being a builder is an absolute necessity. No matter what arena of life we're talking about, if all we have are consumers, things eventually implode. One the other hand, if a generation or group of builders rise up & take the risk to move things forward, they can propel a business, a ministry, or a nation into a new season of growth & transformation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Be a builder. Invest in builders. Challenge the next generation to be builders, not just consumers.</span></div>
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</div>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-63423030900977242982011-10-14T10:20:00.002-05:002011-10-14T10:21:02.789-05:00A Huge Blindspot In Student Ministry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been working with students for over a decade, & in my opinion one of the biggest blind spots & most neglected areas in most student ministries is in the area of teaching & equipping students to be good stewards financially. Thinking back over my own experience as a teenager, the only time I ever heard this brought up was in October which was always "Stewardship Month" in my Baptist church. That of course was likely due to the fact that the new budget would be proposed in November, & leadership wanted to either guilt or motivate everyone to support the upcoming budget. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, I can never remember hearing it taught within the student ministry or hearing why financial stewardship & wise handling of money was so important. Honestly, I could understand why so many people think that the church is after their money. Too often I've heard preachers & teachers discuss money & stewardship divorced from the real spiritual issues involved. When we do that, the message is cold, forced, & too often manipulative. However, when we set financial stewardship in the greater context of the stewardship of one's life, it begins to make more sense. And when we go a step further & connect how that stewardship with our lives & our stuff connects to our mission as God's people, it can actually become compelling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Recently I broke the ice with our students on this issue & much to my surprise it was really well received. In fact, I even had a 7th grader say, "I want to hear more about that." That blew me away, but it also opened my eyes to how big a blind spot this is. Think about it: If we have adults who are poor stewards of their lives & their finances, where do we think those habits were cultivated? Those patterns were developed when they were teenagers & got that first job & just assumed that every penny that they earned was just for their consumption. The result is that years later they are greedy people, no matter what tax bracket they are in. Then we have the difficult task of breaking those habits & attitudes. The real problem isn't financial; it's spiritual. They are serving their stuff & not God. As a result they don't invest in God's Kingdom. So instead of trying to get them to invest in God's Kingdom first, we have to tackle the real spiritual issue: where their devotion lies. Then we can give the prescription to fight greed: GIVING. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This fall our students are going to be challenged in this area through both teaching & in some opportunities to partner with our entire church as we begin a capital campaign that will allow us to continue to pursue God's vision for our church & student ministry. I would encourage all student pastors to figure out how to lead their students down this same path. Who knows, it may pay big dividends in the future as they become adults who have refused to let the pursuit of stuff to dominate their lives.</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-87615277229056162342011-10-12T09:48:00.003-05:002011-10-12T09:48:32.068-05:00Jesus' Weirdest Sermon?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monday I wrote a little about the small group of students I meet with & invest in on a weekly basis. One of the tips I gave about building such a group was to "Focus On Discipleship First & Leadership Naturally Develops". This time around, our group is going through the entire Gospel of John in detail this semester. Each week our students study two chapters of John's Gospel. Then we all come together to discuss it & work on Scripture memory.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This week our reading takes us into what has to be one of Jesus' weirdest sermons. To some people who have been in church for years, it may not seem weird because you have heard bits & pieces of it over & over, but put yourself in the place of a 1st century Jew. It's obvious from the passage that this was a really weird sermon. So what was Jesus' main point? </span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">"Eat My Flesh & Drink My Blood"</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Let's face it, that's weird. This is Jesus' Dawn of the Dead/Twilight sermon! As a result of this sermon, the Bible tells us that many people stopped following Jesus. It was too weird & too hard for the big crowds to handle. And here's the thing, I think Jesus did this on purpose. He preached a hard message & one that was almost impossible to ignore so that people would be forced to make a decision. Two times prior to this message in John 6, John makes sure to point out that the crowd was following Jesus because of the miracles & that they were asking for even more. Jesus wasn't going to let this crowd dictate His ministry to Him, & He didn't want their trust & faith in Him be built on how impressed they would be by His latest trick. The miracles served a purpose, but ultimately, everyone had to place their faith in Jesus, not simply His miracles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">At the end of the day, people aren't just trusting a miracle worker. They are being asked to put their faith in the Son of God. As someone who teaches God's Word regularly this reminds me that even though we do teach people how to live in a way that aligns with God's word, at some point we have to preach the hard message that it's not just about living a "good life"; it's about putting our faith in Jesus & Jesus alone.</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-21273257053050985812011-10-10T09:45:00.001-05:002011-10-10T09:46:00.010-05:00The Best Thing I Do As A Leader<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are a lot of people that think they are leaders, but here's a defining trait that sets true leaders apart: <strong>Leaders Replicate Their Vision In Others.</strong> If you want to be a leader, you have to lead people & not just a big group of people. If a leader wants to truly lead, he or she has to invest himself or herself directly into a small group of people. I believe this is true in any area of leadership whether it be coaching, parenting, business, or ministry. When you're a coach you need to replicate your vision for the team in your assistants & in some key players so that it trickles down to the 3rd string punter & the waterboy. If you're a parent, it should be obvious who you need to be investing yourself in. Parents need to have a clear vision for their families. Then it needs to be communicated & demonstrated to your children so that they will eventually understand & adopt it themselves. In ministry you have to invest in a small group of people who can help you implement & achieve the vision God's given you as the leader.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As a leader, I don't know that there has been anything I've done that has paid off more than investing in a small group of my students & replicating the vision in them. Then I just unleash them to pursue it with their lives. I've been asked a lot how I do it, so here it is, & it's incredibly simple.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">1) Make It Available To Anyone</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">When putting a group together, I always make it available to anyone who wants to explore the opportunity. This does two things. First, it might draw in someone that I may not have recruited myself. Secondly, it defuses any accusation of favoritism because in the end the student decides whether they will be in the group, not me.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">2) Create High Expectations</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Even though I make this small group available to anyone, I know it's not for everyone. I intentionally set the bar high for the group I'll be working with. They know upfront what's expected of them, & some simply won't want to do it or aren't ready. And there's nothing wrong with that. I'd rather someone realize this isn't for them than for them to commit to something that they won't be able to complete. Also, contrary to what some may think, teenagers want to be challenged & rarely are. Challenge your group to go farther than they ever have.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">3) Focus On Discipleship First, & Leadership Naturally Develops</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have said for years that discipleship is leadership. If a person is growing as a follower of Jesus, she will become a leader because she will begin to use whatever influence she has in order to lead people toward Jesus & to bring Him glory. Every follower of Jesus has the potential to lead. They may not lead a church or a ministry, but they can influence & lead those they interact with everyday outside the walls of the church. Yes, I create leadership projects for my group, but the overwhelming content of our time together is focused on growing as a disciple. So utilize the classic spiritual disciplines: Bible study, prayer, Scripture memory, & fellowship among believers.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">4) Don't Give Everyone Everything All At Once</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">One of my mentors told me that the quickest way to kill a ministry is to "give everyone everything all the time." What that means is that if there is no levels to your ministry, a 7th grader & a 12th grader are treated exactly the same & have access to the same things. As a result that 7th grader who has had access to everything from Day 1 will likely drop out around 10th or 11th grade because they've "been there & done that". On top of that, would any of us really argue that you should develop a 7th grader boy the same way that you would 11th grade boy? My small group is open to both middle school & high school students, but the specific leadership track is only available to high school students. In the end the students who have been in the group as middle schoolers will be better prepared to handle the leadership track than they would be if I had let them have it from the beginning.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">5) Turn Them Loose</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">You can't hang on to a group forever. In fact, you probably can't hang on to them until you think they are "ready". You have to unleash them to do ministry. It may be small but you have to turn over responsibilities & appropriate authority to them. A group that stays in training too long usually stagnates & isn't as useful as one who is trained & then released, even if they might be a little rough around the edges. Look at Jesus' disciples. They weren't really "ready", but it was time for them to lead, so Jesus unleashed them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">That's pretty much it. That's what I have done with my student leadership groups over the years, & over & over again, I've seen God use these students to do some amazing stuff. I wish there was a way that I could invest like that in every individual student, but it's not just not realistic. No leader can individually invest in every person under their leadership, but they have to be investing individually in someone.</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-58688169050777260342011-09-27T09:09:00.002-05:002011-09-27T09:09:42.947-05:00Kids Are Full Of It<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I've been reading through Proverbs another common theme has jumped out that might make some folks a little uncomfortable. It can be found throughout the book of Proverbs but is summed up pretty well in Proverbs 22:15.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him."</em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Yep, that's right Scripture basically says there are times where the only thing that will get through to a child is a good ole fashioned butt whooping. It's just the nature of childhood to be foolish & childish, & there are some lessons that can only be learned the hard way. This principle crashes hard into the conventional wisdom of our warm fuzzy, politically correct, the kids are always right world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I'm not saying a time-out, the naughty spot, sitting in the corner & all those other ways of disciplining children aren't effective. What I am saying is that there are lots of ways to administer discipline, & we should make use of all of them. Sometimes sitting a kid down is all they need, but we've all seen that kid that made us think, "Well all he needs is a good whooping!" When you have multiple tools to get the job done, you'd be foolish to think a one size fits all approach works.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Parents, use ALL the options available to us to discipline our kids & to teach our kids the path of wisdom. They're not going to figure it out on their own. They must have your help, & sometimes it's better for them to hurt a little now than be allowed to wander into an area that's going to cause long term, deep hurts that last for years. If you have to tear that little rear end up every now & then do it, because Scripture makes it clear that your kids & my kids are full of it (foolishness), & sometimes the "rod of discipline" is the only thing that will drive it out.</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-68862135910802448732011-09-23T08:55:00.001-05:002011-09-23T08:55:45.833-05:00Don't Even Try<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I've been reading through Proverbs this month, a theme has been woven throughout the entire book that I want to look at today because it kind of jumps off of what we looked at earlier this week about disputes & arguments. Check out Proverbs 23:9,</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">"Do not speak to fools, for they will scorn your prudent words."</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Wednesday I said we should be willing to drop some disputes before they ever stop because of what's at stake. There's another reason why we should drop it before it ever gets started. According to this verse, a fool isn't going to listen anyway, so don't even try.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Have you ever had someone in your life who consistently asked for your advice & then just as consistently ignored it? Frustrating isn't it? Having worked with students for over a decade I have lots of those stories. A student wants some advice on a situation, but when they get solid, wise, biblical advice, they ignore it. The truth is they didn't want advice; they probably wanted validation. When you or I don't give it to them, they either give to themselves or keep asking until they find someone who gives it to them. They're going to do what they want no matter what. The Bible calls those people fools.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">If there are people in your life who consistently ignore wise counsel, dont' even try to correct them or guide them because it's going to fall on deaf ears. Those people aren't interested in what's right or what's beneficial. They are simply interested in doing what they want, no matter the cost or consequences. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Be careful how you pour out your advice & wisdom. Be sure you're not throwing "pearls to the swine". Instead watch those who claim to want your guidance, & invest in those who demonstrate it by their actions.</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-84846983043451177282011-09-21T08:45:00.001-05:002011-09-21T08:45:49.506-05:00Just Drop It<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today as I continue to share some things that are jumping out to me as I read through Proverbs, I want to jump back to Proverbs 17 & talk about something I read this week that has continued to stick with me. In Proverbs 17:14, we find this nugget of wisdom,</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">"Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out."</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you're like me, you love to be right. I mean you LOVE it. There's nothing like making that decisive point that makes the other party realize how misguided or misinformed they were is there? However, if you're like me you may have also learned that being right can come at a cost. When you or I are driven by being right, we put a relationship in jeopardy. Solomon & the others who contributed to the Proverbs understood this. That's why this verse is there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">An argument can be a devastating thing, so we need to carefully weigh the cost of starting one. We've all gotten into disputes & arguments where somewhere along the way we thought, "Why are we even arguing about this?" or even worse we think, "What were we arguing about again?" It's amazing how are need to be right can drive us into a heated dispute but along the way that issue that we thought was so important somehow gets forgotten in the middle of the argument!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">What if we started to drop it? What if we started to drop the little things that don't really matter & aren't worth the time, energy, & damage that will result from the battle? I know, some of you think that being right is the most important thing in the world, but if you can't correct someone lovingly then you're totally missing the whole "love your neighbor" part of following Jesus. Truth is vitally important but so are people & so are our relationships. I love what <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/jonacuff">Jon Acuff</a> said yesterday, <strong><em>"It's impossible for me to love my neighbor when my need to be right, overwhelms my desire to be righteous." </em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Next time you're tempted to dive in head first into an argument, remember what you might be unleashing, consider how you might be seeking RIGHTNESS over RIGHTEOUSNESS, & whether or not you could just drop it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">How have you seen arguments & disputes in your own life damage relationships? Was someone's desire to be right at the core of it?</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-90140100013603597812011-09-19T09:02:00.002-05:002011-09-19T09:02:47.962-05:00The Dynamic Duo<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I've continued to read through Proverbs this month, I came across this verse today. It's Proverbs 19:2,</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">"It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty & miss the way."</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Did you get that? Zeal, passion, & excitement are great, but if that's all you've got, you're not going to go very far. Zeal & passion have to be complemented by knowledge & wisdom. Without knowledge, information, & wisdom, passion can take us down some weird paths. When we combine these two qualities, great things can happen in us & through our leadership.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">How many of us have ever started talking about something that we were very passionate about, but very soon we revealed just how little we actually knew & understood about the situation? How many times have we gotten all fired up about something & got started only for it to fall apart because we didn't really know what we were doing? In both cases we had a lot of passion & enthusiasm, but it's simply not enough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you're passionate about something, marry that passion to a desire to learn & gain understanding. Passion gives you the drive, but knowledge, wisdom, & understanding give you the direction. So don't run on passion & excitement alone. Seek wisdom, understanding, & knowledge about whatever it is that makes you come alive, & when you complement your passion with real understanding, you will go further faster as a leader.</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7261036639914457013.post-73091492136494626722011-09-16T09:37:00.001-05:002011-09-16T09:38:01.450-05:00Who Checks Your Motives?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you ever sat back & watched someone & wondered, <em>"Why in the world are they doing that?"</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Do you think that someone has ever looked at your life & asked themselves, <em>"What is he/she thinking?"</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We've all done it. We've all seen someone do something or say something, & we think to ourselves, <em>"What?"</em> However, I bet if we actually asked that person what was going through their head & what their motivation was, they would give us a reason that makes complete sense...to them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Proverbs 16:2 says this:</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">"All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord."</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Have you ever noticed that we always seem to have a really compelling argument for why we do what we do? If you're like me, you can talk yourself into just about anything. In fact, some of the things that we now look back on with regret, we at one time thought was a really good idea. You've probably wondered to yourself, <em>"Why did I do that? How did I think that was a good idea?"</em> Well, this explains it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We always think we're in the right, even when we're dead wrong. The only person who can really weigh our motives honestly is God. With that in mind Solomon goes on to tell us, </span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, & your plans will succeed."</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Since we can always talk ourselves into thinking we're right, we need to have some other filter that we can use to gain some insight on ourselves. That filter is God's will revealed through His Word. Proverbs is loaded with the concept that wisdom comes through listening to outside instruction, & there is no better outside instruction than God's Word. God's Word has this really uncomfortable way of pointing out where our lives are out of alignment with His plan for His people, & when we're confronted with that we get to choose whether we want to be a fool or a person of wisdom. If you want to wear the label of fool, then ignore God's Word & do what you wanted anyway, but if you don't really want to be known as a fool, then redirect your life to get into alignment with the path God has laid out in His Word. Then your plans will succeed because your plan is built first & foremost on honoring your Heavenly Father & staying faithful to the path He has for His people.</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160082489793869367noreply@blogger.com0