When you stop growing as a leader and start allowing some of the private lapses in judgment to creep in, you are headed towards a destructive personal failure.
Distracted by Serving
When I let the busyness of serving overshadow my relationship with God, it’s clear that my perspective has become distorted.
Consider Their Lives
“As a leader in your church, what you do week after week matters – both now and in eternity.” Fake Smiles are Easy Take a minute to consider the lives of the people in your church. Each week, you see their faces: smiling, talking, listening, serving, studying, and discussing. But think of the reality of their lives. There may be a man… His job is stressful. He works with other guys who constantly try to get him to hit the bars after work or when they are out of town. They send him emails with off-color jokes and pictures.…
Actions and Consequences
“Eventually, you will lose your game of Russian Roulette.” It seems that nearly every week another prominent individual is fired from their position because of something done in secret. Although their positions, stories, and circumstances vary, they share three very important similarities. They did something in private hoping it would never be discovered. They did something that was critically in conflict with what was acceptable in their position. Their actions brought dishonor upon themselves, and the organizations they represented. If you are in any kind of leadership position, these moments should be a wakeup call. Actions have consequences. Any…
When Everything and Everyone Else Seems More Appealing
“…there will always be someone who has it easier, makes it further, has more opportunity, and achieves more success.” “Quit looking around at everyone else.” These were some harsh words Peter had to hear. For just a moment, he compared his assignment with someone else’s. Jesus quickly called him out: “What is that to you? As for you, follow me.1” Let’s face it, if you look around for just a moment, there will always be someone who has it easier, makes it further, has more opportunity, and achieves more success. When you take your eyes off of the task…
Don’t Lose Heart
“Remember the anticipation and reckless abandon when you first stepped up to serve in the church?” To Anyone Who Serves Remember the anticipation and reckless abandon when you first stepped up to serve in the church? Whether it was a volunteer or full-time role, the feeling can be exhilarating. There is an unmistakable joy finding your specific role in the Body of Christ. Fast forward a few years… if you are not careful, that joy can be drained and battered. Busyness erodes the joy. Criticism begins to stick. The spiritual battles leave their scars. Maintaining that first joy and…
Keep Your Wounds From Becoming Walls
[su_quote]Ministry thrives on real relationships; so building walls of protection around yourself keeps you from building strong relationships with others. [/su_quote] A stinging pinch of truth I bet you can remember the first real backstabbing you ever received while serving in ministry. I remember my first, and I also remember some important words spoken to me by a close pastor friend shortly after… “Welcome to ministry.” Initially, I didn’t really understand what he meant. That little statement contained a bit of humor, a touch of sarcasm, and a stinging pinch of truth. Ultimately it was an important adjustment…
Focused, Encouraged, and Moving Forward (3/3)
[su_quote]They would face growing hostility and would need strong encouragement to keep going.[/su_quote] What’s so important about fellowship? I wouldn’t have much interest in church-community (or “fellowship”) if I thought about it the way it is often perceived and/or presented. Let’s be honest, we are all too busy for extra social events; and most are not really into touchy-feely gatherings. BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT TRUE BIBLICAL COMMUNITY IS ABOUT. What is Biblical community (or fellowship)? Wouldn’t it be awesome to be able to peek through a window at one of the gatherings of the early church… to…
Learning to Follow Jesus (2/3)
[su_quote]Spiritual maturity is not an achievement – it is a lifelong pursuit.[/su_quote] Returning to discipleship Over time, the church has mistakenly watered down our understanding of what discipleship means. Even good intentions to streamline and program discipleship has left plenty of misconceptions along the way. Pause for just a minute and think about all the different kinds of things Jesus’ own disciples experienced together. Being a disciple was far more involved that simply studying the scriptures. It involved action, serving together, learning, teaching, and so much more. With this in mind, how does discipleship fit into a small…
A Healthy Small Group Engine (1/3)
[su_quote]Spiritual maturity is not an achievement – it is a lifelong pursuit.[/su_quote] Without rattling off a specific purpose statement, what is the function of a small group? (A small group purpose statement can be a valuable asset, but for just a moment, think in the most basic and simplest of terms.) How do you describe why your small group exists? Small groups are one of the greatest environments for helping people grow spiritually. The goal of a small group leader should be to help participants take practical steps forward, no matter where each person is at on their spiritual…