Monday, January 28, 2013

The Unit: The Second Quality Of Championship Teams

Championship Teams Are Respected By Their Peers - Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick was forced to admit, “They’re just better than us. They’re better than everybody.”

The respect meter goes of the chart when we work together as a team! For a true team member (not someone that is just on the field) it is all about the team, not about the individual glory. I was reminded of this on Saturday, my son plays basketball for the Fort Lauderdale sharks. I phone him on Saturday night and asked about the game. He responded, "We lost." My natural question next, "How did you do?" To my surprise, he resonded, "Dad I had, 22 points, 4 rebound and 4 assists, but it don't matter dad, we lost!"

I think that there are far too many Christian that miss this truth. We gage out life by the individual anoting, rather that the colletive impact. We rather see one another do bad, than to work as a team for the greater good! As a result, we have no "street cred." No one respects us.

Talent doesn't make a team! Commitment to the mission at all cost, is the stuff that makes championship teams...It's individuals working as a "The Unit" God has brougth them together to be. This kind of team are respected by their peers in every walk of life.


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The Unit




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Sunday, January 27, 2013

Qualities Of Championship Teams

As next Sunday approaches and it being Superbowl Sunday; as well as the beginning of my new series entitled The Unit, I thought I would give you some qualities of Championship Teams. I will give one each day throughout the series. Here's the first:

Championship Teams Have Special Character - Head Coach Nick Saban gives us incredible insight into what is necessary to compete at the highest level. He says, “To repeat, it takes a special will because you’re always fighting against yourself. It’s human nature to be satisfied with what you did last year. It takes a special group, with special character, to overcome that. And this team did.”




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Should Pastors Know Who Gives?

by Larry Osborne

One subject that’s always good for a little controversy is a discussion of whether or not a pastor should have access to congregational giving records.

Years ago I was a proud, card-carrying member of the “I-don’t-know-who-gives-what” tribe.

But I changed my mind after being challenged and realizing that ...

I had a hard time explaining why a pastor is any different from other ministry leaders

Think missionaries, parachurch ministries, Christian media, seminaries and the like.

I had a hard time explaining why capital campaigns are different.

No one seems to object to the pastor knowing about large commitments and gifts to a building project. So how is this different than gifts to the general fund?

I found nothing in the Scriptures supporting my viewpoint.

Frankly, all the verses I used to support staying in the dark could just as well be applied to missionaries or anyone leading any ministry—even the church treasurer—something that no one I know of advocates. The idea that a local church pastor is somehow different is simply not biblical.

Even though I took pride in not knowing, I still made subconscious assumptions.

I couldn’t help it. It’s human nature. But once I had the facts in hand, I was amazed at how inaccurate most of my assumptions were.

A while back, I was discussing this with a group of pastors at a gathering I was hosting. The very next day I had an experience that showed once again why having the facts is always better than making assumptions—and how having the facts radically changes (and should change) the way we deal with individuals.

Our church was being picketed by the carpenters’ union. Their huge “Labor Dispute—SHAME ON NORTH COAST CHURCH” sign showed up during the week and during our worship services in an attempt to “motivate” us into firing a non-union subcontractor we’d hired to work on our new campus construction.

After the first weekend of picketing, we received an email from a concerned parishioner.

He informed us that after prayer and reflection, his family would no longer be giving their “first fruits” to our ministry. He said he would still give the Lord what was His, but it just wouldn’t be to North Coast—at least not until the issue with the union was resolved.

He then went on to say that though he didn’t particularly care for the methods the union was using, he felt our church had a moral obligation to support companies that provide a living wage in order to show the community we care about people and not just the bottom line. He concluded by thanking us for the way our ministry and teaching had blessed his family and promised his entire family would continue to pray for us as we worked to resolve the issue.

If you were in my shoes, how would you respond?

Not just what would you say or write, but how would you feel?

Based on content and tone, it’s clear the writer is a union member, but he’s also a strong Christian, fully committed to the church, praying for it regularly and supporting it with his “first fruits.”

My bet is you’d wonder if other families like his were thinking the same thing—and, if they were, what they might do in response.

Here’s how I responded.

I asked my assistant to get me some facts. Who was this gentleman? What was his attendance pattern, involvement in our small group ministry AND his giving record?

Here’s what I found out.

He’d attended our church for a couple of years. He’d never been involved in a small group. His “first fruits” giving the previous year was all of $500. Year-to-date, it was zero.

Now, come on. Let’s admit it. That changes things a bit, doesn’t it?

Frankly, for me, the facts changed everything.

Rather than crafting a response appropriate for a strong Christian, highly committed to our church, I needed to put together a response designed for a big hat, no cattle Christian making an empty threat about cutting back his non-existent financial support. It needed to be addressed to someone who talked a good game, but whose deepest loyalty ran far more with the union movement than his local church.

Once I had the facts in hand, I realized the best way to respond would read something like this:

Dear _________

Thank you for sharing your concerns about resolving the issue with the protestors. I fully understand in light of your union loyalties why you might be hesitant to give God’s “first fruits” to a church that hires non-union workers.

Perhaps that’s a sign we are not the best church for you or your family at this time; especially since we’re likely to continue to use our donated funds to hire the lowest qualified bidder on this and other projects in the future.

In light of your concerns, I have asked our finance department to return to you all the “first fruits” gifts you have given to our church so far this year so you can forward them on to a ministry you can fully support. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a record of any such gifts.

Rest assured, if we find any, we will send them to you posthaste. In the meantime, may God guide you and your family as you search for a church worthy of your full support.

http://www.churchleaders.com/mobile/pastors/pastor-articles/164802-larry-osborne-should-pastors-know-who-gives.html?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=clnewsletter&utm_content=CL+Daily+20130127



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Build Me a Son General Douglas A. MacArthur

I prayed this prayer while my wife was carrying our son. It continues to be a blessing. I hope it blesses you.

Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face him self when he is afraid;
one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat,
and humble and gentle in victory.

Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will know Thee- and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.

Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here, let him learn to stand up in the storm; here, let him team compassion for those who fall.

Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goals will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

And after all these things are his,
add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously.

Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.

Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, "I have not lived in vain."



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Traits of a good soldier

The following is a shortened quotation from the Soldier's Handbook of the Finnish Defence Forces from 2004.

(And there's a reason why I categorized this entry to the trading section of my blog, so pay attention.)

The Finnish Reserve Officers' Union did a research in 1998 on leadership in combat situations. The target demography of the survey were Finnish World War II veterans. According to their experiences, certain common traits could be distinguished in the way of action of soldiers who were highly apprechiated by their brothers in arms. Some of these traits are listed below.
Ability to get the job done
Not leaving a man behind
Exceeding oneself
Overcoming one's fear
Uniform behaviour (safety, predictability)
Discipline (following orders and sticking to the plan)
Consistency in bringing one's A-game to every combat situation

Courage
Fearlessness
Peacefulness
Skill and proficiency
Reliability




Some of the traits which good soldiers specifically do not have included the following.
Cowardice
Foolhardiness
Recklessness
Laziness and sloppiness


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Friday, January 25, 2013

5 Reasons Why People Aren't Giving in Your Church

by Casey Graham

I want to challenge you to take this list and allow your ministry team to go through these items together. This could create a massive revolution of giving in your church!

We have found 5 key reasons people aren’t giving as faithfully or consistently as we want them to.

1. People don’t feel needed.

At one time, I remember church funding being all about need! The “weekly need” was published in the bulletin, and the goal was to meet the weekly need. I believe we have swung the pendulum too far away from this.

We don’t want to be “that” church, so we try to make our churches look like everything is professional and “done.” People park the cars in the parking lot, we have nice signs and great children’s workers.

We are trained to create a culture where everything feels “done” and people feel welcomed more than needed.

The problem is while we project the idea that everything is OK, the church is struggling to stay afloat financially. People want to be needed. People are attracted to needs.

I’m not going to solve the tension today, so I want you to ask your team this:

How can we help our people feel more needed financially?

2. People don’t understand.

I truly believe if people just had a clear picture of where the church is headed, you could solve most of your funding issues.

People need VISION and CLARITY about the future more than we think they do. People’s giving rarely increases unless you give them something to stretch for.

We find that when a church has three to four objectives they want to accomplish through their operational budget, and they highlight them to the congregation and make a specific ask, people move their giving!

Ask this question:

What are we trying to accomplish over the next 12 months that we could clarify for our congregation to fund?

We assume because we are clear that they are clear. Nothing is further from the truth!

3. People feel like the church wants something from them, not for them.

I have found pastors think they are closer to their people than they really are.

You know who I learn the most from when meeting with staff teams? The spouses.

The spouses who are not on staff give me more insight into the relational credibility of the senior leadership more than the staff team. Here is the deal: Most of the time, we stay quiet about money until we need some. This is why you have to create relational equity with your donors each day, week, month and year.

For instance, having a thriving personal financial ministry is building equity. Sending first-time givers thank-you notes is building equity. An overnight generosity retreat with your top giving and ministry leaders is building equity. A teaching series on money WITHOUT an ask is building equity.

You have to build more equity than you hope to withdraw.

What are your strategic times to build relational equity with your donors this year? What are you going to do FOR them?

4. People aren’t educated.

I have met with more than 1,000 people in a one-on-one financial coaching environment. I never met with one person who was tithing.

Most people would say to me, “We can’t tithe.” About 90 minutes later, they would walk out of the meeting knowing they COULD tithe, but they are choosing not to. In reality, they are choosing five magazine subscriptions over giving to God. That is just reality.

Personal financial education ministry is a must!

You have to train your people on spending, saving, debt and giving! It’s imperative! We are the spiritual leaders, and they are lost sheep in this area!

How can we increase our personal financial education system this year?

5. People don’t know what is expected.

It is so funny that we want to reach all these lost people, but we rarely tell them what the Bible says about giving. It is 100 percent expected of us to give to God and be generous.

How are you helping people understand the theology of giving and all the Bible has to say about it? When people know what is expected, they will oftentimes meet that expectation.

How can we leverage our offering times this year to teach people what the Bible says about giving?

For a lot of people, the reason they are not giving is not their fault. We have to take responsibility and help them get on board NOW!

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11 Questions Church Leaders Should be Asking


by Tony Morgan

A friend in ministry recently asked me what questions church leaders should be asking. I thought about the types of questions I try to help answer when I’m working with them in the church consulting or coaching relationships.

Here are the first questions and some bonus thoughts that came to mind:

1. When was the last time I heard from God?

Am I doing what he called me to do? This is the “Acts 6″ question.

Acts 6 is a great reminder that it’s possible to be doing the ministry of God without doing the ministry God has called us to do.

2. What should our church be known for in this community?

For a moment, ignore anyone who attends your church. What does the rest of the community know about your church?

That’s a better reflection of whether or not you’re really accomplishing your vision.

3. Are we really focusing our time, money, leadership, prayer behind the things that will produce life change and community impact?

If not, there’s a good chance that “fairness” is driving these decisions. Fairness never produces revolution.

4. Is our church growing both spiritually and in numbers?

Churches that are stuck and not bearing fruit hate this question. As I’ve shared before, I don’t believe healthy churches are necessarily big churches, but healthy churches are growing churches.

5. Is there a clear path to help people take steps in their faith with the ultimate goal of becoming fully-devoted followers of Christ?

Having a vibrant Sunday worship experience is only one component of that. I’m amazed at how many churches haven’t really established a discipleship strategy beyond Sunday morning.

6. Have you taken the time to identify what a fully-devoted follower of Christ looks like?

Most churches haven’t done this, so they end up just “doing church” without any intentionality of purpose or process.

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by Tony Morgan

7. Are you empowering the people of God to do God’s work?

This is the “Ephesians 4:12-13″ question. Declining churches pay people to do all the ministry. Growing churches challenge people to use their gifts.

8. Are you developing leaders?

This includes both spiritual discipleship and leadership mentoring, and I think it’s what’s going to distinguish the churches that last longer than one generation.

9. Is my community any different because of my ministry?

We may need a whole new set of measures to confirm whether or not our churches are really making an impact.

10. Do believers see their ministry happening only at the church?

Or have they become missionaries to their families, their neighborhoods, their workplaces, their schools, etc.?

Honestly, I’m really tired of Christians thinking God saved them to go church on Sunday and then eventually experience Heaven. Our purpose is much bigger than that.

11. Do I have the right leaders around me to accomplish the vision?

Read Exodus 18:18-23. This isn’t some new business leadership principle. This is biblical advice that’s been around for thousands of years and still applies today.

Those are the first questions that popped to my mind.

What are the questions you are asking as a leader in the church?

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Divided Country, Divided Church Tuesday

Yesterday morning before President Obama was sworn in, Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, sent the following tweet: “Praying for our president, who today will place his hand on a Bible he does not believe to take an oath to a God he likely does not know.”

Shaun King, founder and CEO of HopeMob and former pastor of Courageous Church, called out Driscoll on Twitter using some not-so-charitable words, but he later apologized for losing his cool and using inappropriate language. Shaun, however, maintained his conviction that Driscoll was out of line sending the tweet in the first place, as were the 3,200+ people who retweeted the sentiment. Shaun eventually showed
humility, but to my knowledge, Driscoll still hasn’t apologized for what he said.

This morning, Adam Hamilton, pastor of Church of the Resurrection near Kansas City, gave a moving sermon at the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service calling on President Obama to cast a vision that would unify the country. He also cited ways his own congregation had bridged the partisan divide within their own church in order to serve their community. During the sermon, Adam seemed to come across as a voice of reason to the nation, and I even got a real sense that his words were edifying the president.

The question is, how did we get to the point where so many Christians seem to be making politics a test of orthodoxy? What happened to giving people the benefit of the doubt? Why would a prominent pastor publicly question the faith of the President of the United States—and on Twitter of all places? I’m not saying we shouldn’t hold our leaders to a high standard—especially the ones who claim the name of Jesus Christ—but isn’t doing it on a social network under the guise of offering prayer way too cynical?

I’m no fan of some of President Obama’s policies, but his predecessor and I didn’t see eye to eye on everything either. I watched for eight years as George W. Bush’s political opponents, even some of the Christian ones, vilified him mercilessly. President Bush could do nothing right in their eyes, and I heard many Christians question his faith over the course of his presidency. When President Obama was elected four years ago, I had hopes that he might be treated differently. Oh, I knew the Rush Limbaughs and Sean Hannitys of the world wouldn’t show him any mercy, but I expected the average, garden variety conservative evangelical to do better.

I was wrong. It hasn’t happened. There have been some glimmers of hope, like this one, but they’ve been few and far between. Not only does it seem like we’ve become two Americas, we’ve become two churches as well— not because of theology, but because of politics. How sad is that?

But the President is pro-choice, you say.

I hear you. That’s one of the issues where I sharply disagree with him. But think about it—aren’t we more likely to do more to reduce the number of abortions if we work together in those areas where we do agree? What good is defending the purity of our pro-life stance by refusing to associate with anyone who doesn’t see things our way? There’s a lot of talk in church circles these days about numbers and accountability. At the end of the day, do you think God is going to hold us more accountable for the unborn babies we could have saved or for remaining rigid in both our position and our methodology?

So I have a challenge for believers of every political persuasion.
Stop assuming the worst about others. If someone claims Christ as their Savior, extend them the same benefit of the doubt that you’d want extended to you. And when a fellow believer holds a view that you find absolutely abhorrent, instead of grandstanding or taking your ball and going home, address the disagreement together as both friends and brothers or sisters in Christ. And pray for all of your political leaders, including the President—not in a condescending way, but with humility.

Yesterday, after reading Mark Driscoll’s tweet and Shaun King’s reaction to it, I tweeted this: “Tired of political division between Christians. Aren't the body & blood of Christ more powerful than allegiance to political parties?”

The answer to that question is yes. And Christians have an opportunity over the next four years to set an example for the nation by coming together to do God’s work. We don’t have to like each other’s politics, but we do have to love and respect each other. It's one of the responsibilities that comes with being part of God's family.

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Anthony

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Monday, January 21, 2013

The Impact Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On My Christian Life

Posted by Brian Dodd

There are times in my life when I am involved in discussions that because of the subject matter, I have nothing of value to add. I am simply in over my head and there are people in the room whose experiences and perspectives are way beyond mine. In those instances, I just remain silent, take notes, and try to learn something. One such subject is race.

As a middle-aged Caucasian man living in the suburbs, I am afraid that any thoughts I may have on the subject will only reveal my ignorance. However, as I attempt to reflect on the impact of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this weekend, there is a very specific thing I am thankful for this year.

I attend Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, GA. We are a predominantly white church who is trying very hard to become more and more multi-cultural. One of the things that makes our church unique is this suburban Atlanta church has an African-American senior pastor, my dear friend Dr. Crawford Loritts. In addition to being a great friend, I am privileged to serve alongside him as an Elder of our church.

Crawford mentioned it in today’s message and I agree with him, without Dr. King changing how our society views race, he is most likely not our pastor. I would even go a step farther. Without Dr. King changing how our society views race, I have serious doubts there would be a movement in our country today for churches to build bridges across racial lines and become multi-cultural.

Dr. King’s message would one day make it possible for a Caucasian family to sit under an African-American pastor in the South. Because of that reality, I have personally received the following blessings from my relationship with Crawford:

My daughter gave her life to Christ under his leadership.
Crawford reminded me that what a leader becomes on the inside is far more important than the public task they are assigned.
No one has invested more in me theologically than he has.
He has modeled what it means to have moral authority.

Crawford has given me insight into how to raise a teenage daughter.

Crawford showed me the value of providing solutions.

Crawford always encouraged me to embrace and press into hard issues rather than avoiding them.
When you hear me use the phrase “Jesus wants to tell His amazing story through your life”, I am actually quoting Crawford.
Crawford taught me that Christians are never without options or resources. He taught me Romans 4:17 which says, “the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.” That verse has sustained me during many dark times.

And finally, I have developed a life-long friend.

When I think of the life of Dr. King this weekend, these are 10 things I will be thankful for. What is one way you have been blessed by the life of Dr. King?

http://briandoddonleadership.com/2013/01/20/the-impact-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-on-my-christian-life/


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Saturday, January 19, 2013




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Eight Reasons We Preach

Another year. Another year of preaching. So why do we do it?
Another year. Another year of preaching. So why do we do it?

There are so many factors involved. I don’t want to ponder issues of pay (many preachers receive less than minimum wage for what they are doing). I don’t want to dwell on inappropriate motivations, even if they are significant for some. I will just mention some of them in passing.

Let’s take stock of some of the good reasons we preach.

1. We preach because God is a God who speaks; therefore we have something to say. Actually there are probably too many who are too confident that they have something worth saying. I don’t think we have much that is worth saying, but the Bible is a revelation of God that is certainly worth proclaiming! That is why Paul could urge Timothy to “preach the Word!” in his final words to him. He wasn’t urging Timothy to chatter and noise and declaration of vain imaginations relating to societal ills and self improvement principles. He wanted him to preach the Word.

Consequently the Bible must never become just a repository of preaching material. It must always remain the very exclusive fuel for the fire of our walk with Christ, through whom we can know the Father. When the Bible starts to feel dry to us, we have a real issue. Not because we need to squeeze a message out of its apparently dusty pages, but because something isn’t right in our relationship with the One whom we represent when we stand to preach.

2. We preach as an act of service to others. Paul views every gift given by the Spirit to the church as a gift given for the building up of others. Consequently any gifts that relate to preaching must be offered to others in faithful service. So it can’t be primarily about our own fulfillment, and certainly shouldn’t be about our own egos. We preach to build up others — to proclaim, to offer, to invite, to comfort, to challenge, to help. Not to control: that would be self-focused. Not to cajole: that would be self-serving. Not to show off: that would be self-glorifying. We preach to serve.

3. We preach because the Gospel is thrillingly good news. The mission of the preacher is not merely to communicate ancient truths relevantly. God has given us a message. And that message is labeled as good news for a reason. The great sweep of redemption history involves the intra-trinitarian mission to rescue fallen creatures and restore them to full glorious fellowship with a loving and giving God.

It is not some sort of heavenly Plan B to make the best of a bad situation and try to restore some semblance of respectability to a God who is on the throne but attacked on every side. When time is wrapped up and we have the benefit of both hindsight and eternal perspective, we will be gasping at the multi-colored and multi-faceted dazzling beauty of what God has done in Christ.

We get to proclaim that now!

4. We preach because people need to hear the Gospel. There are only two types of people in the world. Those who need to hear the gospel and be saved, and those who need to hear the gospel as they are being saved. While we may get beyond simplistic and trite presentations of some scaled down version of the good news to some sort of legal loophole, we never move beyond the gospel in its glorious richness.

What God is like, what He has done for us in Christ, how much we need Him, redeclaration of total dependence — justification, regeneration, reconciliation, adoption, fellowship. Preaching Christ so that people will trust in Him. This is something our people can’t hear enough about. They need the hope, the faith and the love that are only found in the Gospel. We are not called to give tips for successful independent living or to offer life coaching team talks. We are called to preach Christ and Him crucified, that all may trust in Him, know Him, enjoy Him.

Gospel preaching, why wouldn’t we want to do that?

5. We preach to build God’s kingdom. There will always be a tension here. Ever since Genesis 3 we have all been deeply infected with the death-virus of godlikeness. We will default to independence in any way conceivable (including self-driven ministry), and our flesh will always look to build our own kingdom. But we are called to join Christ in His work of building the church. It is not about our pursuit of godlikeness, but about our humble service for the God we desire to honor and please.

There are so many factors to keep in mind in this pursuit. God often works more slowly than we’d prefer. So we need patience. God can transform people and communities in miraculously short order. So we need to expect great things. God can choose to build His work in ways we don’t expect. So we need to trust in His providence. God can choose to bless the work of others, even in our neighborhood (after all, the earth is the Lord’s, including your neighborhood!) So we choose to esteem others. We are not building our own kingdom. We are privileged to participate in building His.

6. We preach to equip others for ministry. No matter how great you may be, you are nowhere near as great as your whole congregation equipped, enthused and launched into ministry. I’m thankful that many churches have grasped that ministry is not wrapped up in a clerical class. God has given gifted people to the church to equip believers for their ministries. I long to see the day when an entire church is so gripped by God, so equipped by God, and so excited by God that they are like an army of effective witnesses, of empowering encouragers, of heartfelt worshippers, spilling out into the rest of the church and the community and the world.

We preach to that end. We don’t preach to look ministerial. We don’t preach to build our own reputation. We preach to serve Him, and we preach to serve them.

7. We preach because we can’t help but speak of Someone so wonderful. This should be the case. Sadly, over time, it can easily cease being the case. We can end up in a role, in a ritual, in a rut. We end up preaching because that is what we do, or that is how we pay bills, or that is how we get respect. We feel we should. We feel it is expected. We know it is needed. And somewhere along the way we fail to notice the fog gathering between our hearts and heaven.

A growing spiritual complacency is the proverbial frog in boiling water syndrome for preachers. God can become familiar and distant at the same time. He can become a concept, a set of truths, a source of identity for us, but somehow fade from being the captivating One who so fills our hearts and lives that we can’t help but speak of Him. May we all have a constant stream of newly engaged folks in our churches — constant reminders of the simple reality that a captivated heart can’t help but spill out.

8. We preach because we care about the people to whom we preach. Again, this should be the case. Sadly, over time, our flesh can easily co-opt the other-centeredness of ministry and turn it to a self-serving project. We can become preachers doing so to gain respect, to gain credibility, to gain attention, to gain a following, to gain influence. The gain increases and the give becomes token. Of course we can talk about giving — we can frame the ministry in self-sacrificial and spiritual terms. But really?

Just as spiritual fog can go undetected for too long, so a growing self-absorption is hard to spot in the mirror. Our flesh will always justify a subtle pursuit of godlike status. So we must keep walking with the Lord and ask Him to search us and know us. Ask Him to underline the motivations that drive what may look like a gloriously giving ministry. The true biblical preacher is shaped by the Word they preach, and they join God in giving of themselves as they preach it to others. The blessings are hard to quantify, but they must be the by-product, not the goal.

http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/peter-mead-eight-reasons-we-preach-1471.asp?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=scnewsletter&utm_content=SC+Update+20130117


Anthony

Participate in Children’s Ministry Day, Feb. 16

Thousands of children from churches nationwide will participate in hands-on outreach ministry again this February on the sixth annual Children’s Ministry Day.

Established by the national ministry Woman’s Missionary Union, Children’s Ministry Day gives children opportunities to serve others.

For example, in 2008, children from New Hope Community Church in El Monte, Calif., ministered to residents of crime-ridden Skid Row in Los Angeles. Danielle, 6 at the time, initially was fearful, but that changed when a resident to whom she handed food thanked her and smiled.

After that first outing, Danielle asked repeatedly when the children could go serve there again, says Eva De La Rosa, New Hope’s education director.

“We don’t know if anyone accepted Christ that day, but (a neighborhood) pastor mentioned they were a much calmer crowd than normal,” De La Rosa says.

Children’s Ministry Day has a different theme each year. In 2008, the theme was hunger. This year’s theme is “Helping Hands,” encouraging children to lend a hand to the homeless or people in need in their communities.

Children’s Ministry Day this year is Feb. 16.

A version of this article originally appeared in the January/February 2010 issue of Outreach magazine.


Anthony

Sunday, January 13, 2013

18 Things Leaders Need To Know About Leading Leaders

Brian Dodd On Leadership

It is a great challenge to lead people and take them on a journey to a brighter tomorrow. It is a completely different thing to lead leaders. A much higher level of skill and insight are needed.

On today’s ESPN NFL Countdown, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Denver Broncos Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway were profiled. Both lead men who are arguably the best ever at their positions. Harbaugh coaches middle linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed. Elway leads quarterback Peyton Manning.

I found their comments quite insightful on what is required to effectively lead leaders.

John Harbaugh

Leading Leaders Is A Privilege - “How many times do you get a chance to be part of something like that?” – Harbaugh on coaching Lewis’s final home game in Baltimore.

Leaders Want To Move People To Action – The Ravens front office received multiple letters of spontaneous acts of celebration throughout Baltimore while watching Lewis.

Leaders Want To Do Something Memorable - The letters also told dozens of stories of how the game provided memorable experiences for fathers and sons. The shared experience of watching this particular game together is something that will forever bond them.

Leaders Thrive With Open Communication – The Ravens have created an environment where leaders are given total freedom to express their opinions.

Leaders Hate Mediocrity – After a sub-par practice, the team leaders called another practice to get things right.

Leaders Value Trust – Trust matters. Trust says you can count on me moving forward. After that sub-par practice, the players knew the coaches were going to lose trust in them while watching the practice tape. They proactively earned it back.

Leaders “Confront Issues and Not The Person.” - Leaders do not confuse silence with compliance. They push back. They challenge boundaries and preconceived notions. They address issues.

Leaders Will Make Hard Decisions - With the offense sputtering during mid-season, Harbaugh made the difficult and unusual decision to switch offensive coordinators during mid-season.

Leaders Are Attracted To Other Great Leaders - Harbaugh then hired former Indianapolis head coach Jim Caldwell as his offensive coordinator.

John Elway

Great Leaders Are Attracted To Big Vision - Upon arriving in Denver two years ago, Elway’s vision was clear, “I want to win a Super Bowl”

Great Leaders Want To Enjoy Their Work - Elway wanted to “get guys to be able to enjoy coming to work again.”

Great Leaders Embrace A Process - It was not until the season’s 6th game that the team began to gel. But as Elway said, “(It was) fun for me to see them become a team.”

Great Leaders Are Deeply Passionate About The Organization - On recruiting Manning to the Broncos, Elway “sold the Denver Broncos. I’ve spent 16 years here. I moved here in 1984. I’m going to show what we had here. I’m proud of that.”

Great Leaders Have Feelings - Great leaders are still human beings. Manning felt a level of disappointment and disillusionment after his time with the Colts had concluded. Elway knew he needed time to process those feelings.

Great Leaders Always Have Something To Prove - Manning’s disillusionment turned into a challenge. Elway rejoiced when saying, “A great player with a chip on his shoulder is always dangerous.”

Great Leaders Want Significance - Great leaders do not desire titles or position. They desire influence and significance. At the press conference announcing Manning’s signing, Elway boldly stated, “My goal is to make Peyton Manning the best quarterback that has ever played the game.”

Great Leaders Produce - John Maxwell teaches that leaders never confuse activity with accomplishment. Elway acknowledges that, “I will have been successful and Peyton will have been successful if we can win a couple of championships.”
Great Leaders Want Opportunities For Greatness - Elway’s hopes for Manning is “to give him a chance to win a world championship.”

After reading this list of 18 items, what is one thing you can do TODAY to more effectively lead leaders?

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Anthony

10 Leadership Lessons From Ray Lewis “No Weapon” Postgame Speech

New post on Brian Dodd On Leadership

There is no leader currently more inspirational that the Baltimore Ravens legendary middle linebacker Ray Lewis. The video above was shot immediately after the Ravens overtime victory against the Denver Broncos.

While it is certainly justifiable to be sucked into the emotion of Lewis, there are 10 very tangible leadership principles that you can take from the video that if applied will make you a better leader.

Great Leaders Lead From A Biblical Foundation – The first words spoken by Lewis were when he quoted the prophet Isaiah “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” (54:17)

Great Leaders Respect Others – Lewis took time to stop his interview to acknowledge Peyton Manning and show him respect.

Great Leaders Have Great Belief In What God Can Do – Lewis reminded us that God can do the impossible.

Great Leaders Are Confident – This confidence flows from preparation and past performance.

Great Leaders Find A Way To Succeed – Great leaders do not make excuses. They simply find a way to get it done.

Great Leaders Bring People Together – Lewis’s passion has simply been the unifying force of the Ravens for over a decade.

Great Leaders Are Well-Prepared – The Ravens defense studied film and found tendencies that resulted in an overtime interception that led the team to victory.

Great Leaders Point Out Issues – The special teams gave up two touchdowns. I am very confident Lewis and others will address that in practice this week.

Great Leaders Never Give Up – Lewis pointed out the team simply kept fighting until the end.

Great Leaders Are Great Encouragers - This principle comes from watching the video below. Lewis reminded quarterback Joe Flacco that they have faced a similar situation before and the team prevailed.

Ray Lewis is simply one of the greatest leaders in the history of sports. What is one thing you learned from these 10 lessons that can improve your leadership TODAY?

http://briandoddonleadership.com/2013/01/13/10-leadership-lessons-from-ray-lewis-no-weapon-postgame-speech/


Anthony