PERSONAL BALANCE
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE
02/09/12 12
What's the Difference?
Rev. David Bennett
Director of Mission & Development
February 2012
Recently, I was asked, “I know this economy is bad and giving is down for many churches, including mine. But there have to be churches who are flourishing in this down turn. What are they doing? How are they increasing their income? Is what they are doing unique to them and could our church implement the same tactics?”
As I thought about that question, I wondered what churches were “flourishing” economically in the amount of money they were receiving and instantly I thought about how Pastor Steve Bentley and The Bridge in Flint, Michigan, city that went from 70,000 General Motors workers to 8,000, received $400,000 from 2 atheists who didn’t attend the church. I also thought of Paul Taylor in Cincinnati, Ohio who even though the church is only 4 years old, raised nearly $2 million for a building project. In addition, Paul Mints at The Community at Lakeridge purchased property for his 5 year old church in a time when banks aren’t typically lending to churches. Brian Burman at Rock Harbor in Portland increased church giving by 20% in 2011.
As I thought about those churches and a flood of others I questioned, even though these churches are in different parts of the nation, in different cultures, and having been affected differently by the economy, is there a common denominator, other than their dedication to Jesus Christ, that has effected their success? Is there a common thread that leads to the results they are experiencing? The answer is yes. Five words explain it all.
They had a financial coach. Many pastors have coaches, but few have a financial coach. The ones that do are very pleased with their results. They get help approaching members who give nothing to the church (Barna says this is 39% of people who attend church), those who are very significant contributors, members who are tithing and who aren’t, how to raise money from outside the church, receive large estate donations, take up the offering in a motivating way, negotiate raises for pastor and staff, communicate the budget and church finances, find what financially needs to be in place in the church, etc.
In GHC, the financial coaching process starts with finding the tangible goals which need money and planning to achieve or put another way, finding what would need to be in place 1 year, 2 years and 5 years from now in order for the pastor to feel that the church has made significant progress. Next, we write a step-by step plan of action leading the church to accomplish its goals. This plan includes strategies which fit that particular church in its context, not a “cookie cutter” off the shelf plan. Finally, we provide 1 or 2 (depending on the situation) 30 minute coaching calls each month to make sure progress is being made or to make mid-course corrections as necessary. We have found that people need to be clear on what they want, have a plan, and be held accountable to follow through on what they said they would do. Consider financial coaching. Everyone needs to consider obtaining a financial coach.
GHC provides financial coaching and we would enjoy scheduling a 1 hour, free, private, confidential call to introduce pastors to this process and determine whether or not financial coaching makes sense for your church. Most find this first call to be beneficial whether or not they engage in the formal financial coaching process. To schedule a call, e-mail Michele Prater at michelelprater@aol.com.
As I thought about that question, I wondered what churches were “flourishing” economically in the amount of money they were receiving and instantly I thought about how Pastor Steve Bentley and The Bridge in Flint, Michigan, city that went from 70,000 General Motors workers to 8,000, received $400,000 from 2 atheists who didn’t attend the church. I also thought of Paul Taylor in Cincinnati, Ohio who even though the church is only 4 years old, raised nearly $2 million for a building project. In addition, Paul Mints at The Community at Lakeridge purchased property for his 5 year old church in a time when banks aren’t typically lending to churches. Brian Burman at Rock Harbor in Portland increased church giving by 20% in 2011.
As I thought about those churches and a flood of others I questioned, even though these churches are in different parts of the nation, in different cultures, and having been affected differently by the economy, is there a common denominator, other than their dedication to Jesus Christ, that has effected their success? Is there a common thread that leads to the results they are experiencing? The answer is yes. Five words explain it all.
They had a financial coach. Many pastors have coaches, but few have a financial coach. The ones that do are very pleased with their results. They get help approaching members who give nothing to the church (Barna says this is 39% of people who attend church), those who are very significant contributors, members who are tithing and who aren’t, how to raise money from outside the church, receive large estate donations, take up the offering in a motivating way, negotiate raises for pastor and staff, communicate the budget and church finances, find what financially needs to be in place in the church, etc.
In GHC, the financial coaching process starts with finding the tangible goals which need money and planning to achieve or put another way, finding what would need to be in place 1 year, 2 years and 5 years from now in order for the pastor to feel that the church has made significant progress. Next, we write a step-by step plan of action leading the church to accomplish its goals. This plan includes strategies which fit that particular church in its context, not a “cookie cutter” off the shelf plan. Finally, we provide 1 or 2 (depending on the situation) 30 minute coaching calls each month to make sure progress is being made or to make mid-course corrections as necessary. We have found that people need to be clear on what they want, have a plan, and be held accountable to follow through on what they said they would do. Consider financial coaching. Everyone needs to consider obtaining a financial coach.
GHC provides financial coaching and we would enjoy scheduling a 1 hour, free, private, confidential call to introduce pastors to this process and determine whether or not financial coaching makes sense for your church. Most find this first call to be beneficial whether or not they engage in the formal financial coaching process. To schedule a call, e-mail Michele Prater at michelelprater@aol.com.
CAN’T DO EVERYTHING
02/09/12 12
At one of our Growing Healthy Churches Network Church Planter Clusters this past Fall, Karl Roth—one of our top planters—shared this verse:
“I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”—1 Corinthians 1:14-17 (NIV)
Karl made the point that we can’t do everything. And his verse became my verse. (Thanks Karl!)
I was in the middle of what I was calling my “Autumn from Purgatory.” The original phrase, “Fall from Hell” didn’t stick because it isn’t theologically congruent. Anyway, I had a season that was way too much for me.
We held a Discovery Center for Church Planters and leaders—a productive but draining week. That was followed by my Dad’s death and funeral. Then a quick trip to Los Angeles to drop off our son Jake’s stuff for his second year at UCLA. Then we drove back home and got on an airplane for a special birthday celebration with our daughter, Tricia, who is a missionary in China. Then back home, a trip to Dallas for a Colossal cluster, followed by a trip to Alabama for a conference that we were supposed to do in April but a tornado hit and we had to reschedule. There was another trip to the east—to Detroit for a cluster. That trip home included a stop in Florida for some meetings and time in Fresno, Tulare and Visalia for the GHC Celebration. I did two funerals, then my son Scott’s wedding. There was another trip to Dallas, and a Discovery Center week in Alabama. I took another east coast jaunt to North Carolina, then had a cluster in San Jose and another in Seattle.
I survived Autumn! But the entire time I realized that surviving isn’t the goal. I wanted to enjoy my son’s wedding, not simply survive it. I admit that I don’t get to schedule tornados, funerals, birthdays or even weddings, but I knew I needed to take some time to figure out what I really should be doing.
So when Karl read this verse, it confirmed what God had been saying to me, “You can’t do everything.”
I’ve been ruminating on that verse ever since and here are some thoughts from Karl and me:
1. We Can’t Do Everything
When a parent dies the truth that life is short hits home. The bucket list may never be fulfilled. I can’t do everything I want to or am able to do—there simply isn’t enough time. I can’t do all the good things that are possible to do. Paul said he didn’t do baptisms. Baptisms are great things! It is okay to say, “I don’t do that.”
So I’m putting together my “Non-Bucket List” now of things I don’t do—counseling, weddings, funerals…
2. We Can Do Something
The natural response to doing too much is to stop doing everything. But we are here for a purpose. There are some things that I need to do. There are some things that I am uniquely gifted to do.
Jesus promised a full life (John 10:10) and I need to be available to let him lead.
3. We Can Discover That Thing
Paul discovered that he was supposed to preach. That was his thing. What is your thing?
One of the best ways to discover what we’re supposed to do is to try a lot of things that we’re not supposed to do.
My first job in ministry was as a worship leader. About the same time I was chosen to be a regular worship leader for seminary chapel services.
These would have been great gigs if not for these facts:
Sometimes God allows us to have seasons in “Purgatory” just to eliminate the things we shouldn’t be doing.
4. We Can Do That Thing God’s Way
Paul said God called him to preach, but not with wisdom and eloquence. He wasn’t supposed to copy how other preachers did it. He was supposed to do it God’s way.
I suspect most of us spend way too much time trying to do things Andy Stanley’s way, or Mark Driscoll’s way, or Perry Noble’s way, or Karl Roth’s way, that we even miss God’s way.
5. We Can Discover God’s Power
When we stop trying to do everything, discover what we were meant to do, and do it God’s way, there is incredible power.
I missed church on Sunday. Actually I went to two churches, but only caught one song in one of them. I showed up early at one church to reconnect with a church planter I had worked with years ago. I tried to encourage him and invite him into our network. He was surprised, appreciative and excited about being invited to connect. He said, “I really need this, thanks!” Then I raced over to another new church (3 weeks in) just to touch base with the planter. I tracked him down fifteen minutes before service, introduced myself and said, “I’m here to let you know we believe in you and are praying for you.” He was really appreciative, and amazed that someone would show up just to say, “We’re rooting for you!”
As I was heading back to a family gathering I was struck that my thing that day wasn’t to baptize or even preach, but there was a sense of God’s power.
I’m still trying to sharpen my focus—I suspect it will be a lifetime task. But there is great freedom in knowing that I don’t have to so everything, I just have to discover what God wants, do that his way, and let his power rule.
WINNING? WINNING?
05/03/11 11
A blonde went to Las Vegas. She had been in the casino for about an hour, and realized she was thirsty. So she went to the soda machine in the hall. She put $2.00 in an a Pepsi came out, she put another $2.00 in and another Pepsi came out, she put one last $2.00 in and another Pepsi came out. A man saw her, and he said: "What are you doing?" And the blonde said: "Duh!!
Winning!!!"
There’s been a lot of talk about, “Winning!” lately with Charlie Sheen all over the news and now he’s even trying to copyright the phrase, “Duh. Winning!”
“Charlie Sheen is still a big story because, honestly, none of us know where Libya is.”
-- Jimmy Kimmel
Charlie Sheen this, Charlie Sheen that! I'm sick of hearing about Charlie Sheen!! Hmmm... maybe I'll change channels and watch this "Two and a Half Men" show.
But Charlie has raised a pretty good question: How Can I be a Winner?
Charlie’s ordeal, as sad as it seems, as crazy as it seems, also encourages us to look at what winning really is? And amazingly, Jesus addressed this “winning” issue:
Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Luke 12:13-21 (NLT)
Jesus is interrupted by a man who felt he was being cheated by his brother. The man asks Jesus to set his brother straight, but Jesus has a different lesson in mind. Jesus tells a story with a clear message:
CLARIFY THE WIN
Jesus reminds all of us to clarify the win. Sometimes we think we are winning, when we aren’t really winning at all.
John Wooden said, “Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.”
And later on Jesus added: “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.’”—Luke 16:13-15
Patrick Lencioni in his classic book, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team:” says that “Inattention to results” is one of those dysfunctions--not understanding a win.
We need to clarify the win.
At age 3.... winning is....not wetting your pants.
At age 10... winning is…making your own meals At age 12... winning is....having friends. At age 16... winning is....having a drivers license. At age 20... winning is....having a husband/wife At age 35... winning is....having money. At age 55... winning is....having money. At age 70... winning is....having a husband/wife At age 75... winning is....having a drivers license. At age 80... winning is....having friends. At age 90... winning is…making your own meals At age 100... winning is....not wetting your pants.
Every year a famous bicycle race is held in India, and the goal of this race is to come in last. Cyclists, who are not allowed to touch the ground with their hands or feet, go as slowly as possible. A visitor who doesn’t know what winning is might pedal fast, reach the finish line and declare victory only to find they weren’t successful at all.
Unfortunately that type of thing happens all the time in our culture. Employees are fired and they confess, “I thought I was doing a great job.” Or an employee quits and moves to a competitor and the boss says, “I thought that person would stay here until she retired. I was shocked when she up and left.” It happens in marriages as well. “I thought we were happily married until she served me with divorce papers, announced she didn’t love me and confessed that maybe she never loved me.” “I thought everything was great in our marriage until he admitted he’d been having an affair and he wants to move out of the house.”
We can easily get caught up in the wrong definitions of success. We can think that we’re winning when we’re losing. We can reach the end of our rainbow and find no pot of gold. We can climb our ladders of success only to find its leaning against the wrong wall; we can gain our castle in Spain, only to find it has no plumbing.
Even as ministers we get caught up thinking winning is all about finances and fame when perhaps that really isn’t winning at all.
So here’s the question:
How Can I Clarify the Win?
Jesus offers several ideas on how to clarify the win.
1. Watch out
Then he said to them, “Watch out!--Luke 12:15 (NIV)
A doctor saw his 92-year-old patient out one day with a very, very attractive, very much younger woman on his arm. And the old man said to his doctor, “Hey, doc, thanks for the great advice.” And the doctor said, “What advice was that?” And the old man said, “You told me to get a hot mama and be cheerful.” Doctor said, “No, I said you have a heart murmur; be careful.”
We need to be very careful not to just slide into our society’s definition of winning. Jesus warned this man that winning might not simply be getting a fair shake from his brother. Maybe winning was allowing his brother to keep the inheritance while maintaining a good relationship with him and the rest of the family.
If we’re not careful we can fall into the typical view of winning. Charlie Sheen has:
“For now, I'm just going to hang out with these two smoking hotties and fly privately around the world. It might be lonely up here, but I sure like the view.”--Charlie Sheen
Society says winning is sex and drugs and money and fame and…If you buy into that Charlie Sheen really is winning.
But Jesus says, “Watch out!” The standard societal definition of winning is dangerous.
2. Watch out for greed
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed…--Luke 12:15 (NIV)
There is something about money that pushes itself to the top of just about every definition of winning. Perhaps that’s why Jesus said:
You cannot serve both God and money.”--Luke 16:13 (NIV)
P.J. O’Rourke quipped: “If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for greed.”
Let’s be careful not to let money be the standard for winning.
3. Watch out for stuff
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. --Luke 12:15 (NIV)
A man was very much in love with a beautiful girl. One day she told him that the next day was her birthday. He told her he would send her a bouquet of roses... one for each year of her life.
That evening he called the local florist and ordered twenty-one roses with instructions that they be delivered first thing the next morning. As the florist was preparing the order, he decided that since the young man was such a good customer, he would put an extra dozen roses in the bouquet. The fellow never did find out what made the young girl so angry with him.
More stuff isn’t always better,
For years the America Dream was represented by owning your own home. That was the dream, until 2007 when it became more of a nightmare. The real estate market crashed, the foreclosure became a viable option and home ownership became, in many cases, an albatross.
4. Watch out for comfort
And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool!” --Luke 12:19 (NIV)
For years the American Dream--winning--was defined as home ownership. Times have changed, and we have a new definition: a fully funded retirement account. Winning is achieving that number your financial consultant gave you--the amount of savings we need in order to retire--to eat, drink and be merry.
Now, I’m all for savings and listening to the financial consultants. But is retiring to do nothing really the goal?
Paul said: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”--Colossians 3:23
"Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing. It's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it.” ~Margaret Thatcher
A mother was explaining to her neighbor, “My son stays awake nights trying to figure out how to be successful. Now if only he’s stay awake days!” It seems that winning and working go hand in hand.
5. Get a rich relationship with God.
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Luke 12:21 (NLT)
Jesus defines winning not as fame or money or accumulation or leisure, but as living closely with God.
Later on in this chapter Jesus concluded:
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
--Luke 12:31 (NLT)
Jesus concludes his talk on clarifying the win by, well, clarifying the win: winning is putting God first. Winning is putting God’s kingdom first. If we do that, God will give us all the societal perks, all the money, all the stuff and all the comfort we need.
I hope you are “Winning!”
Winning!!!"
There’s been a lot of talk about, “Winning!” lately with Charlie Sheen all over the news and now he’s even trying to copyright the phrase, “Duh. Winning!”
“Charlie Sheen is still a big story because, honestly, none of us know where Libya is.”
-- Jimmy Kimmel
Charlie Sheen this, Charlie Sheen that! I'm sick of hearing about Charlie Sheen!! Hmmm... maybe I'll change channels and watch this "Two and a Half Men" show.
But Charlie has raised a pretty good question: How Can I be a Winner?
Charlie’s ordeal, as sad as it seems, as crazy as it seems, also encourages us to look at what winning really is? And amazingly, Jesus addressed this “winning” issue:
Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Luke 12:13-21 (NLT)
Jesus is interrupted by a man who felt he was being cheated by his brother. The man asks Jesus to set his brother straight, but Jesus has a different lesson in mind. Jesus tells a story with a clear message:
CLARIFY THE WIN
Jesus reminds all of us to clarify the win. Sometimes we think we are winning, when we aren’t really winning at all.
John Wooden said, “Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.”
And later on Jesus added: “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.’”—Luke 16:13-15
Patrick Lencioni in his classic book, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team:” says that “Inattention to results” is one of those dysfunctions--not understanding a win.
We need to clarify the win.
At age 3.... winning is....not wetting your pants.
At age 10... winning is…making your own meals At age 12... winning is....having friends. At age 16... winning is....having a drivers license. At age 20... winning is....having a husband/wife At age 35... winning is....having money. At age 55... winning is....having money. At age 70... winning is....having a husband/wife At age 75... winning is....having a drivers license. At age 80... winning is....having friends. At age 90... winning is…making your own meals At age 100... winning is....not wetting your pants.
Every year a famous bicycle race is held in India, and the goal of this race is to come in last. Cyclists, who are not allowed to touch the ground with their hands or feet, go as slowly as possible. A visitor who doesn’t know what winning is might pedal fast, reach the finish line and declare victory only to find they weren’t successful at all.
Unfortunately that type of thing happens all the time in our culture. Employees are fired and they confess, “I thought I was doing a great job.” Or an employee quits and moves to a competitor and the boss says, “I thought that person would stay here until she retired. I was shocked when she up and left.” It happens in marriages as well. “I thought we were happily married until she served me with divorce papers, announced she didn’t love me and confessed that maybe she never loved me.” “I thought everything was great in our marriage until he admitted he’d been having an affair and he wants to move out of the house.”
We can easily get caught up in the wrong definitions of success. We can think that we’re winning when we’re losing. We can reach the end of our rainbow and find no pot of gold. We can climb our ladders of success only to find its leaning against the wrong wall; we can gain our castle in Spain, only to find it has no plumbing.
Even as ministers we get caught up thinking winning is all about finances and fame when perhaps that really isn’t winning at all.
So here’s the question:
How Can I Clarify the Win?
Jesus offers several ideas on how to clarify the win.
1. Watch out
Then he said to them, “Watch out!--Luke 12:15 (NIV)
A doctor saw his 92-year-old patient out one day with a very, very attractive, very much younger woman on his arm. And the old man said to his doctor, “Hey, doc, thanks for the great advice.” And the doctor said, “What advice was that?” And the old man said, “You told me to get a hot mama and be cheerful.” Doctor said, “No, I said you have a heart murmur; be careful.”
We need to be very careful not to just slide into our society’s definition of winning. Jesus warned this man that winning might not simply be getting a fair shake from his brother. Maybe winning was allowing his brother to keep the inheritance while maintaining a good relationship with him and the rest of the family.
If we’re not careful we can fall into the typical view of winning. Charlie Sheen has:
“For now, I'm just going to hang out with these two smoking hotties and fly privately around the world. It might be lonely up here, but I sure like the view.”--Charlie Sheen
Society says winning is sex and drugs and money and fame and…If you buy into that Charlie Sheen really is winning.
But Jesus says, “Watch out!” The standard societal definition of winning is dangerous.
2. Watch out for greed
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed…--Luke 12:15 (NIV)
There is something about money that pushes itself to the top of just about every definition of winning. Perhaps that’s why Jesus said:
You cannot serve both God and money.”--Luke 16:13 (NIV)
P.J. O’Rourke quipped: “If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for greed.”
Let’s be careful not to let money be the standard for winning.
3. Watch out for stuff
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. --Luke 12:15 (NIV)
A man was very much in love with a beautiful girl. One day she told him that the next day was her birthday. He told her he would send her a bouquet of roses... one for each year of her life.
That evening he called the local florist and ordered twenty-one roses with instructions that they be delivered first thing the next morning. As the florist was preparing the order, he decided that since the young man was such a good customer, he would put an extra dozen roses in the bouquet. The fellow never did find out what made the young girl so angry with him.
More stuff isn’t always better,
For years the America Dream was represented by owning your own home. That was the dream, until 2007 when it became more of a nightmare. The real estate market crashed, the foreclosure became a viable option and home ownership became, in many cases, an albatross.
4. Watch out for comfort
And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool!” --Luke 12:19 (NIV)
For years the American Dream--winning--was defined as home ownership. Times have changed, and we have a new definition: a fully funded retirement account. Winning is achieving that number your financial consultant gave you--the amount of savings we need in order to retire--to eat, drink and be merry.
Now, I’m all for savings and listening to the financial consultants. But is retiring to do nothing really the goal?
Paul said: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”--Colossians 3:23
"Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing. It's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it.” ~Margaret Thatcher
A mother was explaining to her neighbor, “My son stays awake nights trying to figure out how to be successful. Now if only he’s stay awake days!” It seems that winning and working go hand in hand.
5. Get a rich relationship with God.
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Luke 12:21 (NLT)
Jesus defines winning not as fame or money or accumulation or leisure, but as living closely with God.
Later on in this chapter Jesus concluded:
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
--Luke 12:31 (NLT)
Jesus concludes his talk on clarifying the win by, well, clarifying the win: winning is putting God first. Winning is putting God’s kingdom first. If we do that, God will give us all the societal perks, all the money, all the stuff and all the comfort we need.
I hope you are “Winning!”
FACING TOUGH CHOICES
07/25/10 10
Two cowboys bought a couple of horses that they used to make some money during the summer. But when winter came, they found it cost too much to board them. So they turned the horses loose in a pasture where there was plenty to eat and made plans to pick them up the next spring. “How will we tell yours from mine when we pick them up?” one guy asked. “Easy,” replied the second. “We’ll cut the mane off mine and the tail off yours.” But by spring, when the men returned, the mane and tail had grown back to normal length. “Now what are we going to do?” asked the first. “I have no idea,” the second guy said, “So I guess I’ll take the black one and you can take the white one.”
We all have choices to make in life, but unfortunately not all of them are as clear as black and white. Many decisions are just plain tough.
Arnold Schwarzenegger recently revealed, “Running for governor was the most difficult decision I've made in my entire life, except the one I made in 1978 when I decided to get a bikini wax.”
In the past year, I faced some extremely hard decisions as Lead Pastor of Discovery Church. Here are some of them:
Hiring a family member as Youth Pastor
Hiring staff, firing staff and seeing some staff resign
Replacing long-term staff members
Letting go of land we’d been in contract on for 3+ years
Buying another piece of land
Remodeling the house on that land
Adopting a multi-site approach
Hiring our first multi-site campus pastor
Moving from a hotel to a theater
Hiring an architect/contractor for our land development
How to finish one and start another giving campaign
As I dealt with those decisions I began to realize that so much of the leadership role is tackling tough decisions. Church planters. Pastors and ministry leaders seemingly always have a hard choice they are facing. So, how do we face the hard choices?
Judge Ralph Currin of Pendleton, Oregon recently came up with a unique way of making tough decisions. For one entire day in his traffic court, Judge Currin listened to officers and defendants present their cases. Then the judge would flip a coin in the air and ask the defendants to call it. Interestingly enough, in all but one case, the defendants called the coin flip correctly and were found not guilty. A stunned review panel now faces the tough choice of what if any action to take against Judge Currin.
When we’re facing tough choices is there a better way to decide than to flip a coin?
Recently I was studying through the book of Proverbs looking for help in decision making. Here are seven strategies from Proverbs on how to face the tough choices in life.
Strategy number one for facing tough choices is Humility.
“When pride comes then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”—Proverbs 11:2
“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”—Proverbs 26:12
“He who walks trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.”--—Proverbs 28:26
Solomon suggests that the really tough decisions have to be met with a humble attitude. Sure, we need God-confidence, but if we think we know-it-all, we’ll be in trouble.
“Money” magazine reported a while back about a group of people who were asked which is longer, the Panama Canal or Suez Canal. Then they were asked how certain they were about their answer. Among those who were 60% certain, 50% got the answer correct, so that group was 10% too certain. But among those who said they were 90% certain, only 65% got the answer right—they were 25% too sure. The report made the point that the more convinced we are of our knowledge, the bigger the gap between what we think we know and what we actually know. The more we think we know, the less wise we may actually be. Wisdom comes through humility.
John Wooden put it this way: “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”
In his book, “Good to Great” Jim Collins uncovered a common denominator on great leaders. He calls is, “extreme personal humility.”
When we face tough choices, adopting a humble spirit helps.
Strategy number two for facing tough choices is Homework.
“The plans of the diligent lead to profit.”—Proverbs 21:5
“The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways.”—Proverbs 14:8
“The wise look ahead to see what is coming, but fools deceive themselves.”—Proverbs 14:8 (NLT)
“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.”—Proverbs 27:12
Solomon encourages us to do our homework before pulling the trigger on a big decision.
An aspiring politician gave the speech his best shot. When he finished the candidate looked out on the crowd and asked, “Are there any questions?” Someone in the back yelled out, “Who else is running?”
Patrick Morley wrote, “When do we make poor decisions? When we don’t have our facts straight…Keep collecting data. Write it down so you don’t forget it. Talk to wise counselors, get other people’s perspective. Talk to experts who have skill.”
We need to do the hard homework as we face big choices.
Strategy number three for facing tough choices is Patience.
“It is not good to have zeal without knowledge or to be hasty and miss the way.”—Proverbs 19:2
“A patient man has great understanding.”—Proverbs 14:29
In my early ministry days I made a few bad choices simply because I had “zeal without knowledge.” I’m starting to realize that slowing down, taking some time, getting away from the decision for a bit, and going slow make for better decisions.
Les Parrot, in his book, “3 Seconds” makes this observation: “If you’ve ever taken a multiple-choice exam like the SAT, you’ve probably been told not to change your first choice, even if, on second thought, you think an alternative answer is probably correct. The common wisdom here is that your initial instincts are the best. But research actually shows this isn’t a good strategy. In fact, thirty-three studies over seventy years suggest that sticking with your first instinct is not a smart approach. Researchers found that when test-takers second-guess and change their answers, it’s most often from incorrect to correct,”
--Les Parrot
A Chinese proverb says, “One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.”
A Dutch proverb added, “A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel full of brains.”
It doesn’t matter if we’re Chinese or Dutch or whatever, if we’re impatient we will tend toward making bad choices. Tough decisions need time, distance and prayer.
Strategy number four for facing tough choices is Stability.
“A wise man keeps himself under control.”—Proverbs 29:11
“A crushed spirit who can bear?”—Proverbs 18:14
Years ago I ran across what is known as the “Peak to Peak Principle.” This principle basically says that we should make the major decisions in life when we’re at an emotional peak, rather than when we’re at an emotional valley.
When we’re depressed, disillusioned, discouraged and down we should avoid making major life-changing decisions. We will probably make a bad decision because of our emotional state. The time to make major decisions is when we’re up, when we’re at a peak—because from that peak we can see the next peak. We will have a better perspective.
I’ve seen too many colleagues make disastrous decisions when they are down. That helped me this past year. I had my share of tough days and weeks. But I wouldn’t allow myself, actually m,y wife wouldn’t allow me to make big decisions when down. Wait until the peak to make the tough choice.
Strategy five for making tough choices is Discernment.
“The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.”—Proverbs 14:6“
A discerning man keeps wisdom in view…”
—Proverbs 17:24
The word “discern” is used fifteen times in the book of Proverbs.
Discernment is clearness of mental sight. It’s the ability to see clearly enough to make tough calls. It’s an inner knowing.
And discernment comes in three different ways. First, discernment is a personality trait. Have you ever taken the Myers/Briggs type indicator? One of the grids that tool uncovers is a discernment grid. Some folks are naturally a bit more discerning, a bit more intuitive than others.
Second, discernment is a spiritual gift. 2 Corinthians 12:10 talks about the “gift of discernment.” Some people supernaturally have discernment.
Third, and this is critical, discernment is a learned skill. Paul prays in the book of Philippians that we would be more discerning. John encourages us to “discern the spirits” in 1 John and Proverbs tells us to grow in discernment. So even if it isn’t natural to us or supernatural to us we can develop it.
How do we develop it? By facing tough choices! Perhaps the real tough decision we’re facing is not this one, but the next one. We simply need to keep growing and growing and as we do, we’ll get better at this.
The sixth strategy for facing tough decisions is Advice.
“Wisdom is found in those who take advice.”—Proverbs 10:8
“The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.”—Proverbs 12:15
“Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise.”—Proverbs 19:20
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”—Proverbs 15:22
Bill Cosby quipped, “A word to the wise ain't necessary, it's the stupid ones who need the advice.”
An C. K. Chesterton admitted: “I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite.”
Taking advice is not easy. An article in The Chicago Tribune, entitled, “Most People Immune to Sound Words of Wisdom” said: “It’s a shame really, that human beings are so lousy at taking advice. There must be some sort of biological nerve ending in our brains that send s off an alarm whenever advice filters into our consciousness and tells us, ‘Reject, blunder on your own.’”
One of the keys to the effectiveness of GHC and the GHC Network is our mentoring and coaching systems. We don’t have to face tough decisions alone. There is someone, or even a group of someones, who have probably already faced a similar choice in their life and ministry. If I can get connected and stay connected to them, I’m going to be much better off when I face the biggies.
One last strategy number for facing tough choices is Prayer.
“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord…for victory rests with the Lord.”—Proverbs 21:30-31
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”—Proverbs 3:5-6
Roberta Hestenes hit it on the head when she said, “When the fear of God is gone, the decisions of daily life are threatened.”
Perhaps God is allowing me to face the tough decisions because he really wants me to turn to Him and rely on Him more. We can’t do it without him.
Its been said that we’re not born winners and we’re not born losers, we’re all born choosers. And if we take Solomon’s suggestions and work on humility, do our homework, have some patience, move toward stability, develop discernment, listen to advice and make sure we’re praying …we’ll chooses wisely—even in the tough choices.
We all have choices to make in life, but unfortunately not all of them are as clear as black and white. Many decisions are just plain tough.
Arnold Schwarzenegger recently revealed, “Running for governor was the most difficult decision I've made in my entire life, except the one I made in 1978 when I decided to get a bikini wax.”
In the past year, I faced some extremely hard decisions as Lead Pastor of Discovery Church. Here are some of them:
Hiring a family member as Youth Pastor
Hiring staff, firing staff and seeing some staff resign
Replacing long-term staff members
Letting go of land we’d been in contract on for 3+ years
Buying another piece of land
Remodeling the house on that land
Adopting a multi-site approach
Hiring our first multi-site campus pastor
Moving from a hotel to a theater
Hiring an architect/contractor for our land development
How to finish one and start another giving campaign
As I dealt with those decisions I began to realize that so much of the leadership role is tackling tough decisions. Church planters. Pastors and ministry leaders seemingly always have a hard choice they are facing. So, how do we face the hard choices?
Judge Ralph Currin of Pendleton, Oregon recently came up with a unique way of making tough decisions. For one entire day in his traffic court, Judge Currin listened to officers and defendants present their cases. Then the judge would flip a coin in the air and ask the defendants to call it. Interestingly enough, in all but one case, the defendants called the coin flip correctly and were found not guilty. A stunned review panel now faces the tough choice of what if any action to take against Judge Currin.
When we’re facing tough choices is there a better way to decide than to flip a coin?
Recently I was studying through the book of Proverbs looking for help in decision making. Here are seven strategies from Proverbs on how to face the tough choices in life.
Strategy number one for facing tough choices is Humility.
“When pride comes then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”—Proverbs 11:2
“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”—Proverbs 26:12
“He who walks trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.”--—Proverbs 28:26
Solomon suggests that the really tough decisions have to be met with a humble attitude. Sure, we need God-confidence, but if we think we know-it-all, we’ll be in trouble.
“Money” magazine reported a while back about a group of people who were asked which is longer, the Panama Canal or Suez Canal. Then they were asked how certain they were about their answer. Among those who were 60% certain, 50% got the answer correct, so that group was 10% too certain. But among those who said they were 90% certain, only 65% got the answer right—they were 25% too sure. The report made the point that the more convinced we are of our knowledge, the bigger the gap between what we think we know and what we actually know. The more we think we know, the less wise we may actually be. Wisdom comes through humility.
John Wooden put it this way: “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”
In his book, “Good to Great” Jim Collins uncovered a common denominator on great leaders. He calls is, “extreme personal humility.”
When we face tough choices, adopting a humble spirit helps.
Strategy number two for facing tough choices is Homework.
“The plans of the diligent lead to profit.”—Proverbs 21:5
“The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways.”—Proverbs 14:8
“The wise look ahead to see what is coming, but fools deceive themselves.”—Proverbs 14:8 (NLT)
“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.”—Proverbs 27:12
Solomon encourages us to do our homework before pulling the trigger on a big decision.
An aspiring politician gave the speech his best shot. When he finished the candidate looked out on the crowd and asked, “Are there any questions?” Someone in the back yelled out, “Who else is running?”
Patrick Morley wrote, “When do we make poor decisions? When we don’t have our facts straight…Keep collecting data. Write it down so you don’t forget it. Talk to wise counselors, get other people’s perspective. Talk to experts who have skill.”
We need to do the hard homework as we face big choices.
Strategy number three for facing tough choices is Patience.
“It is not good to have zeal without knowledge or to be hasty and miss the way.”—Proverbs 19:2
“A patient man has great understanding.”—Proverbs 14:29
In my early ministry days I made a few bad choices simply because I had “zeal without knowledge.” I’m starting to realize that slowing down, taking some time, getting away from the decision for a bit, and going slow make for better decisions.
Les Parrot, in his book, “3 Seconds” makes this observation: “If you’ve ever taken a multiple-choice exam like the SAT, you’ve probably been told not to change your first choice, even if, on second thought, you think an alternative answer is probably correct. The common wisdom here is that your initial instincts are the best. But research actually shows this isn’t a good strategy. In fact, thirty-three studies over seventy years suggest that sticking with your first instinct is not a smart approach. Researchers found that when test-takers second-guess and change their answers, it’s most often from incorrect to correct,”
--Les Parrot
A Chinese proverb says, “One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.”
A Dutch proverb added, “A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel full of brains.”
It doesn’t matter if we’re Chinese or Dutch or whatever, if we’re impatient we will tend toward making bad choices. Tough decisions need time, distance and prayer.
Strategy number four for facing tough choices is Stability.
“A wise man keeps himself under control.”—Proverbs 29:11
“A crushed spirit who can bear?”—Proverbs 18:14
Years ago I ran across what is known as the “Peak to Peak Principle.” This principle basically says that we should make the major decisions in life when we’re at an emotional peak, rather than when we’re at an emotional valley.
When we’re depressed, disillusioned, discouraged and down we should avoid making major life-changing decisions. We will probably make a bad decision because of our emotional state. The time to make major decisions is when we’re up, when we’re at a peak—because from that peak we can see the next peak. We will have a better perspective.
I’ve seen too many colleagues make disastrous decisions when they are down. That helped me this past year. I had my share of tough days and weeks. But I wouldn’t allow myself, actually m,y wife wouldn’t allow me to make big decisions when down. Wait until the peak to make the tough choice.
Strategy five for making tough choices is Discernment.
“The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.”—Proverbs 14:6“
A discerning man keeps wisdom in view…”
—Proverbs 17:24
The word “discern” is used fifteen times in the book of Proverbs.
Discernment is clearness of mental sight. It’s the ability to see clearly enough to make tough calls. It’s an inner knowing.
And discernment comes in three different ways. First, discernment is a personality trait. Have you ever taken the Myers/Briggs type indicator? One of the grids that tool uncovers is a discernment grid. Some folks are naturally a bit more discerning, a bit more intuitive than others.
Second, discernment is a spiritual gift. 2 Corinthians 12:10 talks about the “gift of discernment.” Some people supernaturally have discernment.
Third, and this is critical, discernment is a learned skill. Paul prays in the book of Philippians that we would be more discerning. John encourages us to “discern the spirits” in 1 John and Proverbs tells us to grow in discernment. So even if it isn’t natural to us or supernatural to us we can develop it.
How do we develop it? By facing tough choices! Perhaps the real tough decision we’re facing is not this one, but the next one. We simply need to keep growing and growing and as we do, we’ll get better at this.
The sixth strategy for facing tough decisions is Advice.
“Wisdom is found in those who take advice.”—Proverbs 10:8
“The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.”—Proverbs 12:15
“Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise.”—Proverbs 19:20
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”—Proverbs 15:22
Bill Cosby quipped, “A word to the wise ain't necessary, it's the stupid ones who need the advice.”
An C. K. Chesterton admitted: “I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite.”
Taking advice is not easy. An article in The Chicago Tribune, entitled, “Most People Immune to Sound Words of Wisdom” said: “It’s a shame really, that human beings are so lousy at taking advice. There must be some sort of biological nerve ending in our brains that send s off an alarm whenever advice filters into our consciousness and tells us, ‘Reject, blunder on your own.’”
One of the keys to the effectiveness of GHC and the GHC Network is our mentoring and coaching systems. We don’t have to face tough decisions alone. There is someone, or even a group of someones, who have probably already faced a similar choice in their life and ministry. If I can get connected and stay connected to them, I’m going to be much better off when I face the biggies.
One last strategy number for facing tough choices is Prayer.
“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord…for victory rests with the Lord.”—Proverbs 21:30-31
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”—Proverbs 3:5-6
Roberta Hestenes hit it on the head when she said, “When the fear of God is gone, the decisions of daily life are threatened.”
Perhaps God is allowing me to face the tough decisions because he really wants me to turn to Him and rely on Him more. We can’t do it without him.
Its been said that we’re not born winners and we’re not born losers, we’re all born choosers. And if we take Solomon’s suggestions and work on humility, do our homework, have some patience, move toward stability, develop discernment, listen to advice and make sure we’re praying …we’ll chooses wisely—even in the tough choices.
RESOLVING DIFFERENCES
07/16/10 10
“These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”--Acts 17:6 (NKJV)
The first century believers turned their world upside down. So how did they do it and how can we do it?
The book of Acts gives several insights into what empowered God’s people to do great things. Clearly they were filled with the Holy Spirit--turning the world upside down was a God-thing. They also were constantly together--they didn’t try to do it alone. There was a spirit of encouragement that kept them moving. And they knew how to handle adversity--even the worst of times. But there was another significant characteristic of the first century followers that spurred them on to turning their world upside down. Acts 15 outlines one key to turning the world upside down:
“While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers: ‘Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently.”--Acts 15:1-2
The first century church was not without its disagreements. Acts 15 describes an issue that caused a major clash: some thought everyone basically had to become Jewish in order to become a Christian. This was a significant, historical issue--and perhaps the first major theological, emotional and intellectual dispute in the church.
Check out the happy ending:
“‘This letter is from the apostles and elders, your brothers in Jerusalem. It is written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings! ‘We understand that some men from here have troubled you and upset you with their teaching, but we did not send them! So we decided, having come to complete agreement, to send you official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are sending Judas and Silas to confirm what we have decided concerning your question. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements: You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell.’ The messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the believers and delivered the letter. And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read this encouraging message.”--Acts 15:23-31 (NLT) Read More...
The first century believers turned their world upside down. So how did they do it and how can we do it?
The book of Acts gives several insights into what empowered God’s people to do great things. Clearly they were filled with the Holy Spirit--turning the world upside down was a God-thing. They also were constantly together--they didn’t try to do it alone. There was a spirit of encouragement that kept them moving. And they knew how to handle adversity--even the worst of times. But there was another significant characteristic of the first century followers that spurred them on to turning their world upside down. Acts 15 outlines one key to turning the world upside down:
“While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers: ‘Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently.”--Acts 15:1-2
The first century church was not without its disagreements. Acts 15 describes an issue that caused a major clash: some thought everyone basically had to become Jewish in order to become a Christian. This was a significant, historical issue--and perhaps the first major theological, emotional and intellectual dispute in the church.
Check out the happy ending:
“‘This letter is from the apostles and elders, your brothers in Jerusalem. It is written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings! ‘We understand that some men from here have troubled you and upset you with their teaching, but we did not send them! So we decided, having come to complete agreement, to send you official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are sending Judas and Silas to confirm what we have decided concerning your question. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements: You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell.’ The messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the believers and delivered the letter. And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read this encouraging message.”--Acts 15:23-31 (NLT) Read More...
THE KEY IS WE
08/25/09 09
A husband and his wife advertised for a live-in maid to cook and do the housework. They hired a young girl, who worked out fine, was a good cook, polite, and kept the house neat. One day, after about six months, she came in and said she would have to quit. "But why?" asked the disappointed wife. She hemmed and hawed and said she didn't want to say, but the wife was persistent, so finally she said, "Well, I met this guy and I'm pregnant." The wife said, "Look, we don't want to lose you. My husband and I don't have children, and we'll adopt your baby if you will stay." She talked to her husband; he agreed, and the maid said she would stay. The baby came, they adopted it, and all went well. After several months though, the maid came in again and said that she would have to quit. The wife questioned her, found out that she was pregnant again, talked to her husband, and offered to adopt the baby if she would stay. She agreed, had the baby, they adopted it, and life went on as usual. In a few months, however, she again said she would have to leave. Same thing. She was pregnant. They made the same offer, she agreed, and they adopted the third baby. She worked for a week or two, but then said, "I am definitely leaving this time." "Don't tell me you're pregnant again?" asked the lady of the house.
"No," she said, "there are just too many kids here to pick up after."
All of us are tempted to quit--especially pastors, church planters and those working in ministry. Some statistics estimate that up to 1500 pastors quit each month. (Source: A Sunscape Ministries of Colorado, which serves clergy in crises, report from all denominations nationwide) And some of us feel like quitting 1500 time per month.
The temptations to quit are strong and they are out there, but how do we keep going? How do we keep from giving up and giving in?
“Here is something pretty unbelievable. The only living World War I veteran, a man named Frank Buckles just turned 109 years old. What’s even more amazing, he just finished his fourth tour in Afghanistan.”--Jay Leno
How do we keep going? There’s one overlooked key to perseverance that we see in the great perseverance chapter, 2 Corinthians 4.
“Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up… We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies... We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. .. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”--2 Corinthians 4 (NLT)
We can sum up this chapter this way: “We never give up…we never give up.”--2 Corinthians 4:1 & 4:16 (NLT)
Why not? What keeps us going?
Paul talks about the pressure.
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed…”--2 Corinthians 4:8 (NIV)
As planters and pastors we face all kinds of pressure: financial pressure, emotional pressure, financial pressure, family pressure, did I mention financial pressure?
We are pressed, but not crushed.
Paul talks about the perplexities.
“We are perplexed, but not driven to despair…”--2 Corinthians 4:8 (NLT)
We are perplexed. Sometime I just can’t figure it out. When the newly hired Executive Pastor at our church had to move to Oregon recently because his wife lost her job due to this economy, everyone on staff asked the same question, “Why is this happening?”
A lot of us face perplexing situations right now. But I like how the message translates this verse:
“We're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do…”--2 Corinthians 4:8 (The Message)
Paul talks about the persecutions.
“We are …persecuted, but not abandoned…”--2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV)
My daughter is home from China, where she serves ministering to students. We hear first hand of persecutions going on there.
I received this text from one of our planters yesterday, yes, yesterday--he is on the edge:
“Thanx. Here's latest on the other events of the day :)
I believe we just missed an attack by Gods grace. …Was guy among us loaded w/357 watching. Make a long story short …helicopter began flying overhead "looking" for us. At that point guys
decided to go… On road out of town just sped past 4 … trucks all loaded with gunmen headed toward vilage where we were. Headed back …. Gunmen on road now too. Big traffic parade we got past, those behind us won't :) tell more details when get back. Keep praying.”
Notice the happy face signs. He’s facing persecution, but pretty excited about the opportunity.
And we all have the opportunity of persecution. Maybe not with a 357 aimed at us, but as leaders our necks are on the line. We are taking shots.
Paul talks about the problems.
“We are … struck down, but not destroyed.”--2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV)
The Amplified Bible says, “we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed.”
We get knocked down,
Headed into this most recent Super Bowl, it looked like history would be made: perhaps two undefeated teams would make it. The New Orleans saints started the season 13-0 before they lost to the Dallas Cowboys. The Indianapolis Colts started 14-0. They had a lead at halftime in game fifteen--their second-to-last-regular season game. But they pulled out their starters and lost.
The Colts took a lot of flak in the aftermath of that loss. A perfect season was in their grasp, but they passed on it. In the midst of the outcry about the loss, their team president Bill Polan had this to say, “Our goal is not an undefeated season. Our goal is to get to the Super Bowl and win.”
A lot of time we quit when we get knocked down. But Paul says our goal is not an undefeated life. Our goal is to keep going, to be standing at the end, to follow God no matter what.
“It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall.”--Mexican Proverb
We face pressure, perplexities, persecutions and problems, so how do we persevere?
Obviously there are several paths to perseverance: perspective, prayer… (Check out Bill Hoyt’s article on this passage in last month’s seedlings for some antidotes to discouragement: (http://www.growinghealthychurches.org/art/art_652.shtml)
…but I want to suggest one primary key:
The Key is We
In this chapter Paul uses the term “we” 29 times and the term “us” five times.
The key to keep going is to not go alone.
Perseverance means teaming up with someone else.
That’s why we have a network! When I’m facing financial pressure, I think about our planter partners in Michigan and realize that if they can make it, so can I. When I am perplexed I reflect on my colleagues who are “undergoing the same kind of sufferings” and I keep going. When I think of persecutions, I realize there are a lot worse persecutions going on with my brothers and my daughter. And when I get knocked down, I recognize that the none of my colleagues is undefeated either.
We can keep going together. The key is “we.”
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble .”-- Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT)
Here’s the application: Go to your cluster--get with the other folks who are going through the same things. Talk to your coach. Serve as a coach. Connect with other planters, leaders and pastors on the phone or through email, texting, Facebook, Twitter, Walkie-Talkie, carrier pigeon…or whatever. Do not neglect meeting together--make it a habit. Encourage one another, and all the more.
We may want to quit at times, but we can keep going, together. The key is “we.”
"No," she said, "there are just too many kids here to pick up after."
All of us are tempted to quit--especially pastors, church planters and those working in ministry. Some statistics estimate that up to 1500 pastors quit each month. (Source: A Sunscape Ministries of Colorado, which serves clergy in crises, report from all denominations nationwide) And some of us feel like quitting 1500 time per month.
The temptations to quit are strong and they are out there, but how do we keep going? How do we keep from giving up and giving in?
“Here is something pretty unbelievable. The only living World War I veteran, a man named Frank Buckles just turned 109 years old. What’s even more amazing, he just finished his fourth tour in Afghanistan.”--Jay Leno
How do we keep going? There’s one overlooked key to perseverance that we see in the great perseverance chapter, 2 Corinthians 4.
“Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up… We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies... We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. .. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”--2 Corinthians 4 (NLT)
We can sum up this chapter this way: “We never give up…we never give up.”--2 Corinthians 4:1 & 4:16 (NLT)
Why not? What keeps us going?
Paul talks about the pressure.
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed…”--2 Corinthians 4:8 (NIV)
As planters and pastors we face all kinds of pressure: financial pressure, emotional pressure, financial pressure, family pressure, did I mention financial pressure?
We are pressed, but not crushed.
Paul talks about the perplexities.
“We are perplexed, but not driven to despair…”--2 Corinthians 4:8 (NLT)
We are perplexed. Sometime I just can’t figure it out. When the newly hired Executive Pastor at our church had to move to Oregon recently because his wife lost her job due to this economy, everyone on staff asked the same question, “Why is this happening?”
A lot of us face perplexing situations right now. But I like how the message translates this verse:
“We're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do…”--2 Corinthians 4:8 (The Message)
Paul talks about the persecutions.
“We are …persecuted, but not abandoned…”--2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV)
My daughter is home from China, where she serves ministering to students. We hear first hand of persecutions going on there.
I received this text from one of our planters yesterday, yes, yesterday--he is on the edge:
“Thanx. Here's latest on the other events of the day :)
I believe we just missed an attack by Gods grace. …Was guy among us loaded w/357 watching. Make a long story short …helicopter began flying overhead "looking" for us. At that point guys
decided to go… On road out of town just sped past 4 … trucks all loaded with gunmen headed toward vilage where we were. Headed back …. Gunmen on road now too. Big traffic parade we got past, those behind us won't :) tell more details when get back. Keep praying.”
Notice the happy face signs. He’s facing persecution, but pretty excited about the opportunity.
And we all have the opportunity of persecution. Maybe not with a 357 aimed at us, but as leaders our necks are on the line. We are taking shots.
Paul talks about the problems.
“We are … struck down, but not destroyed.”--2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV)
The Amplified Bible says, “we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed.”
We get knocked down,
Headed into this most recent Super Bowl, it looked like history would be made: perhaps two undefeated teams would make it. The New Orleans saints started the season 13-0 before they lost to the Dallas Cowboys. The Indianapolis Colts started 14-0. They had a lead at halftime in game fifteen--their second-to-last-regular season game. But they pulled out their starters and lost.
The Colts took a lot of flak in the aftermath of that loss. A perfect season was in their grasp, but they passed on it. In the midst of the outcry about the loss, their team president Bill Polan had this to say, “Our goal is not an undefeated season. Our goal is to get to the Super Bowl and win.”
A lot of time we quit when we get knocked down. But Paul says our goal is not an undefeated life. Our goal is to keep going, to be standing at the end, to follow God no matter what.
“It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall.”--Mexican Proverb
We face pressure, perplexities, persecutions and problems, so how do we persevere?
Obviously there are several paths to perseverance: perspective, prayer… (Check out Bill Hoyt’s article on this passage in last month’s seedlings for some antidotes to discouragement: (http://www.growinghealthychurches.org/art/art_652.shtml)
…but I want to suggest one primary key:
The Key is We
In this chapter Paul uses the term “we” 29 times and the term “us” five times.
The key to keep going is to not go alone.
Perseverance means teaming up with someone else.
That’s why we have a network! When I’m facing financial pressure, I think about our planter partners in Michigan and realize that if they can make it, so can I. When I am perplexed I reflect on my colleagues who are “undergoing the same kind of sufferings” and I keep going. When I think of persecutions, I realize there are a lot worse persecutions going on with my brothers and my daughter. And when I get knocked down, I recognize that the none of my colleagues is undefeated either.
We can keep going together. The key is “we.”
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble .”-- Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT)
Here’s the application: Go to your cluster--get with the other folks who are going through the same things. Talk to your coach. Serve as a coach. Connect with other planters, leaders and pastors on the phone or through email, texting, Facebook, Twitter, Walkie-Talkie, carrier pigeon…or whatever. Do not neglect meeting together--make it a habit. Encourage one another, and all the more.
We may want to quit at times, but we can keep going, together. The key is “we.”
SIMPLICITY
11/23/08 08
Top Ten Signs Your Life is Too Complicated
10. Even with a hands-free phone, you have so many gadgets going you still have to drive with your knees.
9. You wife is now on Facebook just to keep in touch with you
8. Ten minutes into it, you realize your "giving a speech naked" dream isn't a dream this time.
7. Because of counseling you in therapy your therapist is now in therapy.
6. Avril Lavigne is now dedicating her songs to you (“Why’d You Have to Go and Make Things So Complicated?”
5. Your work situation makes Brett Favre’s look easy to navigate.
4. Lining up your busy schedules has limited your family summer vacation to Thursday, August 14, from 2-3pm.
3. Your doctor reminds you to get eight hours of sleep every day. You want to know if that includes time spent napping at red lights
2. You’re now on a personal mission to find Osama bin Laden so you can hide out and relax with him.
1. Your face looks like your driver’s license picture.
Life is complicated. My life is complex, sometimes convoluted. So, how can I simplify things?
In their book, “Simple Church,” Thomas Rainer & Eric Geiger begin: “Simple is in.
Complexity is out. Out of style at least…”
Katharine Fullerton Gerould added, “Simplicity is an acquired taste. Mankind, left free, instinctively complicates life.”
Tolstoy put it this way, “There is no greatness where there is no simplicity.”
How can we find greatness, fight the complexity that invades life? How can we simply simplify things?
Recently Ian Usher from Australia got so fed up with the complexity of his life, that he listed his entire life for sale on EBay. The winning bidder would receive all of Usher’s possessions--including his house, car, motorcycle, and jet skis. He even threw in a one-time introduction to all of his friends and a two-week trial run at becoming a permanent employee at the rug store where Usher worked (both his friends and his employer agreed to the terms of the auction).
"On the day it's all sold," he said, "I intend to walk out of my front door with my wallet in one pocket and my passport in the other and nothing else at all." His plans for his new life include a short visit to his mother before heading to the airport to figure out a new place to call home. "I'll see where life takes me from there,” he says.
Usher’s auction ended a couple weeks ago and he ended up with a little less than $400,000. I guess that’s one way to simplify things, but isn’t there a better way?
Instead of following Ian Usher, there’s another person I’d like to emulate. One character from the Bible exemplifies simplicity. Mary, the sister of Martha and brother of Lazarus boiled life down to, as Jesus put it, “only one thing”--Luke 10:42
What did she do? What can we do?
Mary went to Jesus’ feet. The “one thing” Mary did, over and over again, when she popped up in the Bible accounts, was go to Jesus feet.
“Mary …sat at the Lord’s feet.”--Luke 10:39
Whether it was during that classic Mary vs. Martha struggle, or in the midst of the crisis with her brother’s death, or at a party with Jesus’ followers, she was always simplifying things by going to Jesus’ feet.
So, to simplify my life I simply need to go to Jesus’ feet. But what do I do when I’m there?
Let’s follow Mary’s example.
1. Listen.
“Mary …sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he said.”--Luke 10:39
A husband and wife were at a party chatting with some friends when the subject of marriage counseling came up. "Oh, we'll never need that. My husband and I have a great relationship," the wife explained. "He was a communications major in college, and I majored in theater arts.
He communicates really well, and I just act as if I'm listening."
Mary actually listened. Her life was simple because instead of listening to everyone else, she sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to him. Her sister, Martha was worried and distracted by many things--she was trying to listen to everything. Mary simplified things.
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”--Hans Hofmann
Frederick Faber made me think when he wrote, “There is hardly ever a complete silence in our soul. God is whispering to us incessantly. Whenever the sounds of the world die out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear these whisperings of God. He is always whispering to us, only we do not always hear, because of the noise, hurry, and distraction which life causes as it rushes on.”
Simplicity is listening to God first.
2. Pray.
When Lazarus got sick, Mary (and Martha) responded by praying.
“A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, ‘Lord, your dear friend is very sick…’”--John 11:1-3
Mary simplified things during a major crisis by sending a message to Jesus. Then Jesus showed up, and Mary went to his feet:
“When Mary… saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. ‘Where have you put him?’ he asked them. They told him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Then Jesus wept… Then Jesus shouted, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ And the dead man came out.’.”--John 11:32-35, 44
Simplicity is going to Jesus’ feet in prayer. If he handled the death thing for Lazarus’ family, he can handle my stuff.
3. Serve.
“Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.’”--John 12:1-3
Again with the feet thing. There’s a party, so what does Mary do? She goes to Jesus’ feet and serves him. She didn’t get caught up in the preparations, and distractions and commotion--and maybe Martha was upset again. Mary went to Jesus’ feet and served him.
The Mary stories show clear difference in serving styles. We can serve out of selfishness, with our eyes on ourselves--we’ve got our tasks, our preparations, our stuff: “Lord, tell my sister to help ME.”--Luke 10:40 Or we can serve with our eyes on Jesus--serving for him.
We can serve, having been with Jesus, or serve, having not been with Jesus. There are distinct styles. Mary provides a great example, and a great challenge--Am I serving at Jesus’ feet or just trying to get my stuff done?
4. Give
Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, ‘That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.’ Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. Jesus replied, ‘Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.’”--John 12:4-8
Mary was at Jesus’ feet, giving.
Charles Dudley Warner wrote, “Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just enough baggage.”
Simplicity is going to Jesus feet and giving to him. It is disregarding the opposition, it is realizing he deserves the best and our best. And it is giving it to him.
A great way to simplify things is get rid of much of that stuff that is complicating things. Give
5. Influence
Some amazing stuff happened when Mary went to Jesus’ feet--she had a profound effect on others.
“… So Mary immediately went to him… When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. …Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen.”--John 11:29-45
We really want our lives to count. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. When we sit at Jesus’ feet we’re empowered to influence others.
Scott Adams, the “Dilbert” creator, admitted, “You don't have to be a ‘person of influence’ to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they've taught me.”
The biggest difference I can make is not through crazy, sophisticated schemes--its through simply going to Jesus’ feet. Others will be influenced.
Leonardo da Vinci concluded, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication>”
Life is complicated, but it doesn’t have to be too complicated. Let’s simplify things and go to Jesus.
10. Even with a hands-free phone, you have so many gadgets going you still have to drive with your knees.
9. You wife is now on Facebook just to keep in touch with you
8. Ten minutes into it, you realize your "giving a speech naked" dream isn't a dream this time.
7. Because of counseling you in therapy your therapist is now in therapy.
6. Avril Lavigne is now dedicating her songs to you (“Why’d You Have to Go and Make Things So Complicated?”
5. Your work situation makes Brett Favre’s look easy to navigate.
4. Lining up your busy schedules has limited your family summer vacation to Thursday, August 14, from 2-3pm.
3. Your doctor reminds you to get eight hours of sleep every day. You want to know if that includes time spent napping at red lights
2. You’re now on a personal mission to find Osama bin Laden so you can hide out and relax with him.
1. Your face looks like your driver’s license picture.
Life is complicated. My life is complex, sometimes convoluted. So, how can I simplify things?
In their book, “Simple Church,” Thomas Rainer & Eric Geiger begin: “Simple is in.
Complexity is out. Out of style at least…”
Katharine Fullerton Gerould added, “Simplicity is an acquired taste. Mankind, left free, instinctively complicates life.”
Tolstoy put it this way, “There is no greatness where there is no simplicity.”
How can we find greatness, fight the complexity that invades life? How can we simply simplify things?
Recently Ian Usher from Australia got so fed up with the complexity of his life, that he listed his entire life for sale on EBay. The winning bidder would receive all of Usher’s possessions--including his house, car, motorcycle, and jet skis. He even threw in a one-time introduction to all of his friends and a two-week trial run at becoming a permanent employee at the rug store where Usher worked (both his friends and his employer agreed to the terms of the auction).
"On the day it's all sold," he said, "I intend to walk out of my front door with my wallet in one pocket and my passport in the other and nothing else at all." His plans for his new life include a short visit to his mother before heading to the airport to figure out a new place to call home. "I'll see where life takes me from there,” he says.
Usher’s auction ended a couple weeks ago and he ended up with a little less than $400,000. I guess that’s one way to simplify things, but isn’t there a better way?
Instead of following Ian Usher, there’s another person I’d like to emulate. One character from the Bible exemplifies simplicity. Mary, the sister of Martha and brother of Lazarus boiled life down to, as Jesus put it, “only one thing”--Luke 10:42
What did she do? What can we do?
Mary went to Jesus’ feet. The “one thing” Mary did, over and over again, when she popped up in the Bible accounts, was go to Jesus feet.
“Mary …sat at the Lord’s feet.”--Luke 10:39
Whether it was during that classic Mary vs. Martha struggle, or in the midst of the crisis with her brother’s death, or at a party with Jesus’ followers, she was always simplifying things by going to Jesus’ feet.
So, to simplify my life I simply need to go to Jesus’ feet. But what do I do when I’m there?
Let’s follow Mary’s example.
1. Listen.
“Mary …sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he said.”--Luke 10:39
A husband and wife were at a party chatting with some friends when the subject of marriage counseling came up. "Oh, we'll never need that. My husband and I have a great relationship," the wife explained. "He was a communications major in college, and I majored in theater arts.
He communicates really well, and I just act as if I'm listening."
Mary actually listened. Her life was simple because instead of listening to everyone else, she sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to him. Her sister, Martha was worried and distracted by many things--she was trying to listen to everything. Mary simplified things.
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”--Hans Hofmann
Frederick Faber made me think when he wrote, “There is hardly ever a complete silence in our soul. God is whispering to us incessantly. Whenever the sounds of the world die out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear these whisperings of God. He is always whispering to us, only we do not always hear, because of the noise, hurry, and distraction which life causes as it rushes on.”
Simplicity is listening to God first.
2. Pray.
When Lazarus got sick, Mary (and Martha) responded by praying.
“A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, ‘Lord, your dear friend is very sick…’”--John 11:1-3
Mary simplified things during a major crisis by sending a message to Jesus. Then Jesus showed up, and Mary went to his feet:
“When Mary… saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. ‘Where have you put him?’ he asked them. They told him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Then Jesus wept… Then Jesus shouted, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ And the dead man came out.’.”--John 11:32-35, 44
Simplicity is going to Jesus’ feet in prayer. If he handled the death thing for Lazarus’ family, he can handle my stuff.
3. Serve.
“Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.’”--John 12:1-3
Again with the feet thing. There’s a party, so what does Mary do? She goes to Jesus’ feet and serves him. She didn’t get caught up in the preparations, and distractions and commotion--and maybe Martha was upset again. Mary went to Jesus’ feet and served him.
The Mary stories show clear difference in serving styles. We can serve out of selfishness, with our eyes on ourselves--we’ve got our tasks, our preparations, our stuff: “Lord, tell my sister to help ME.”--Luke 10:40 Or we can serve with our eyes on Jesus--serving for him.
We can serve, having been with Jesus, or serve, having not been with Jesus. There are distinct styles. Mary provides a great example, and a great challenge--Am I serving at Jesus’ feet or just trying to get my stuff done?
4. Give
Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, ‘That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.’ Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. Jesus replied, ‘Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.’”--John 12:4-8
Mary was at Jesus’ feet, giving.
Charles Dudley Warner wrote, “Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just enough baggage.”
Simplicity is going to Jesus feet and giving to him. It is disregarding the opposition, it is realizing he deserves the best and our best. And it is giving it to him.
A great way to simplify things is get rid of much of that stuff that is complicating things. Give
5. Influence
Some amazing stuff happened when Mary went to Jesus’ feet--she had a profound effect on others.
“… So Mary immediately went to him… When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. …Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen.”--John 11:29-45
We really want our lives to count. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. When we sit at Jesus’ feet we’re empowered to influence others.
Scott Adams, the “Dilbert” creator, admitted, “You don't have to be a ‘person of influence’ to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they've taught me.”
The biggest difference I can make is not through crazy, sophisticated schemes--its through simply going to Jesus’ feet. Others will be influenced.
Leonardo da Vinci concluded, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication>”
Life is complicated, but it doesn’t have to be too complicated. Let’s simplify things and go to Jesus.
NETWORKING
08/25/07 07
The more time I spend with church planters, the more I see the incredible need planters have for networking. The notion that church planters are independent individualists who prefer to be left alone is more myth than reality. Most church planters, most gifted planters, and certainly the type of planters that we’re assembling in the Growing Healthy Churches Network are leaders who see and need and exhibit a strong desire to connect with like-minded folks.
King Solomon felt the same way:
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”--Ecclesiastes 4:7-12
The need for a network is a Bible principle, and it meets at least four practical needs for planters:
Networking is God’s solution for loneliness
Ministry can be lonely. And front-line ministries such as church planting can lead to isolation. One of the reasons the GHC Network exists is to remind planters that we’re not alone--we’re in this kingdom work together.
I love this Orson Welles quote: “My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people.”
Let’s stop eating alone and ministering alone.
Networking is God’s solution for fatigue
Saint John of the Cross wrote, “The soul that is alone is like the burning coal that is alone. It will grow colder rather than hotter.”
We get tired and cold because we try to do it all, and we try to do it all by ourselves. But God meant for us to serve together. There is something rejuvenating about meeting together with others doing similar work. Sharing ideas (It’s not stealing if you get permission!) can refresh us, it can restore our fire.
Networking is God’s solution for discouragement
Michael Jordan concluded, “Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships.”
To win, we’ve got to work together.
We all have had losses and downright disasters in ministry. Finding someone to weep with us or finding someone further down the road who admits to making a similar mistake can take the edge off that temptation to get down. And when we move from talent alone to teamwork, we see success.
And Networking is God’s solution for fear
Robert Lewis, in his book, “The Church of Irresistible Influence” noted, “Isolation breeds and multiplies fears, propelling the imagination to envision the world as even more threatening than it really is.”
We’re called to be people of faith, to take risks and to chase the opportunities. But it can be scary on our own. Sometimes just seeing what others have done or simply being around other risk-takers gives us the courage to take our next step of faith.
There’s an old story about a professor who heard about an actual dinosaur still alive in the rainforests of South America. So, the professor launched a scientific expedition. After several weeks he stumbled upon a little man wearing a loincloth, standing near a 300 foot long dead dinosaur. The scientist couldn’t believe it. "Did you kill this dinosaur?" he asked. "Yep," replied the rainforest native. But it's so big and you're so small! How did you kill it?” the professor inquired. With my club," the primitive fellow answered. "How big is your club?” asked the scientist? The little man answered, "Well, there are about 100 of us..."
Let’s keep networking and keep adding to our network
King Solomon felt the same way:
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”--Ecclesiastes 4:7-12
The need for a network is a Bible principle, and it meets at least four practical needs for planters:
Networking is God’s solution for loneliness
Ministry can be lonely. And front-line ministries such as church planting can lead to isolation. One of the reasons the GHC Network exists is to remind planters that we’re not alone--we’re in this kingdom work together.
I love this Orson Welles quote: “My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people.”
Let’s stop eating alone and ministering alone.
Networking is God’s solution for fatigue
Saint John of the Cross wrote, “The soul that is alone is like the burning coal that is alone. It will grow colder rather than hotter.”
We get tired and cold because we try to do it all, and we try to do it all by ourselves. But God meant for us to serve together. There is something rejuvenating about meeting together with others doing similar work. Sharing ideas (It’s not stealing if you get permission!) can refresh us, it can restore our fire.
Networking is God’s solution for discouragement
Michael Jordan concluded, “Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships.”
To win, we’ve got to work together.
We all have had losses and downright disasters in ministry. Finding someone to weep with us or finding someone further down the road who admits to making a similar mistake can take the edge off that temptation to get down. And when we move from talent alone to teamwork, we see success.
And Networking is God’s solution for fear
Robert Lewis, in his book, “The Church of Irresistible Influence” noted, “Isolation breeds and multiplies fears, propelling the imagination to envision the world as even more threatening than it really is.”
We’re called to be people of faith, to take risks and to chase the opportunities. But it can be scary on our own. Sometimes just seeing what others have done or simply being around other risk-takers gives us the courage to take our next step of faith.
There’s an old story about a professor who heard about an actual dinosaur still alive in the rainforests of South America. So, the professor launched a scientific expedition. After several weeks he stumbled upon a little man wearing a loincloth, standing near a 300 foot long dead dinosaur. The scientist couldn’t believe it. "Did you kill this dinosaur?" he asked. "Yep," replied the rainforest native. But it's so big and you're so small! How did you kill it?” the professor inquired. With my club," the primitive fellow answered. "How big is your club?” asked the scientist? The little man answered, "Well, there are about 100 of us..."
Let’s keep networking and keep adding to our network