Your Journey Blog

Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders-Patience

PATIENCE!That word gnaws at the core of every driven leader. Leaders are doers! Leaders are achievers! Leaders are conquerors! But spiritual leaders are restful. Spiritual leaders are confident in God's sovereign power! Spiritual leaders are conquered by the Conqueror! Today let Fenelon's thoughts feed your impatient soul and quiet your restless heart.

Fenelon's Thoughts on Patience:

"The soul deserts its very nature when it becomes impatient. When it submits without complaint, it takes possession of itself in peace and comes into possession of God. To become impatient is to want what we do not have, and not to want what we do have. In so doing, the soul is handed over to its passions, and neither reasoning nor faith can hold it back, so troubled is it. Such weakness! Such swerving away from the right path!"

 

"Peace on this earth consists in accepting the things that are contrary to our desires, not in being exempted from suffering them, nor in being delivered from all temptations."

God's Word on Patience

"The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride."   

"Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools."  Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 NIV

Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders-Prayer

Prayer! That word to a driven leader evokes feelings of frustration and guilt. Frustration with our ability to slow down and commune with God, without one hundred ideas, to do's and leadership issues racing through our minds. Guilt from the sheer lack of prayer in our lives. Every driven leader says, "I know I ought to pray more" and yet struggles with making it a priority. Today, let Fenelon's thoughts on prayer refresh your prayer life and move you from being a driven leader to a drawn leader.

Fenelon's Thoughts on Prayer:

"What a blessing it is to speak to him in trust, to open our hearts to him, and by means of prayer to be united with him as much as it is possible to be in this life!"

"The treasures of God's grace are the only true riches-yet they are the only riches we balk at asking for and expecting. However, we must never stop knocking! The promises of Jesus Christ are always faithful-it is we who are unfaithful in asking for them."

Jesus' Words on Prayer:

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:9-13 NIV

Developing a Sowing Mentality-Part 2

Last month was Part 1 of "Sowing Mentality."  Below is a recap of that introduction, followed by Part 2.

Why is it that some missional leaders see growth in their church every year?  Why is it that some can crash through growth barrier after growth barrier?  There are multiple issues around this subject but one thing rings true in every leader I know who hasn’t settled on a plateau.  Each of these leaders possesses what I like to call a “sowing mentality.”  They are constantly and liberally sowing seeds to uncover receptive hearts to the gospel.  It may often come about through increasing their ability to get into more spiritual conversations, loving their community with incarnational service, engaging people through random acts of kindness or saturating their community with captivating marketing images.  These leaders do whatever it takes to discover those who possess that “good soil” Jesus spoke about which will produce a yield a hundred fold.

King Solomon offers some wisdom on the subject of sowing and reaping in the book of Ecclesiastes, "Sow your seed in the morning and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well." (Ecclesiastes 11:6)  This verse speaks volumes to those who are serious about making connections with those who are disconnected from your people and know nothing about your church.

SOWING MENTALITY

Part 2

3. Those with a “sowing mentality” embrace the mysterious work of God, “…for you do not know which will succeed…”

There is a sense of mystery to the work of God. In the parable of the sower, you get the idea from Jesus that the sower was really concerned with scattering the seed and not so much as to where the seed landed. He trusted God for the fruit.  His job was to get the seed out and to get it out liberally no matter what it cost.  I remember our first Easter Service in our church plant. We had $1050.00 in the bank and spent $1000.00 of it on an Easter Mailer of 5000 post cards.  The result of this mailer was we had our highest attendance, cultivated very receptive contacts who became converts along with attracting some significant families who became ministry partners.  I remember thinking that that $1000.00 would not have made any difference if I just kept it in the bank.

Sowing seeds in faith and prayerfully trusting God to work miraculously through your efforts is essential.  Scattering seed without watering with faith, fertilizing with prayer and cultivating it with hard work will be like casting seed to the wind…fruitless.

4. Those with a “sowing mentality” are not particular about methods, “…whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well…”

In my experience too many church leaders get stuck or inebriated with a particular style of evangelism. Yet leaders with a sowing mentality understand it is never an “either/or” proposition but more of a “both/and” conviction. Equipping your people through a highly relational and incarnational style of evangelism is the first place to start but it does not rule out doing a systematic visitation or follow up process that is built on the connections with your public worship service. Equipping your people to be includers and inviters does not nullify the use of social networking, various types of marketing and branding your vision and image throughout your city. The old revivalist Leonard Ravenhill said, "Any method of evangelism will work if God is in it." 

Developing a sowing mentality is a life or death proposition for any church.  For a new church, if you are not sowing evangelistic seeds in your community, you will die a quick death filled with indefensible excuses.  For an older church, it will be a slow and painful death, built on harmful rationalizations. Both are equally tragic and embarrassing to the Lord of the Harvest.  Are you reaping what you have sown? 

Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders - Success

Success is the drug of the driven leader. We all want to be successful in every area of life. We all push ourselves and those around us to succeed. And yet, when success becomes success for success' sake, it has more to do with self than with God. Today, let Fenelon's thoughts challenge what motivates you to succeed.

Fenelon's Thoughts on Success:

"I resolve not to become keenly excited about anything, because it is dangerous to want to appropriate God's work to ourselves. If we do that, then we do God's work in our own strength; we turn good into bad and we allow pride to take over. And then we become flushed with the pursuit of success. We conceal our illusion by using the pretext of seeking God's glory."

"O God, give me the grace to be faithful in my actions, but indifferent to success. The only thing I ought to be concerned with is to desire your will and to quietly meditate on you-even in the midst of busy times. It is up to you to crown my feeble actions with such fruit as is pleasing to you-and none at all, if that is what you find best for me."

Jesus' Words on Success:

"...Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" Matthew 25:23  NIV 

Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders-Devotion

Quieting my heart, my mind and my soul takes so much effort sometimes that it is wearying. But devotion is more than devotions...it is an all encompassing endeavor. Let Fenelon's thoughts mentor you this week.

Fenelon's Thoughts on Devotion to God:

The devotion that makes us holy and devotes us entirely to God consists in doing all that God wants, and in accomplishing everything he desires from us, in every place and in every circumstance he places us.

Perfect devotion requires us not only to do the will of God, but to do it with love. God loves for us to give to Him joyfully. In everything he tells us to do, he always asks for our heart. Such a Master is worthy of our joyful service.

Our devotion to God must never stop. We must put it into practice everywhere-in things we do not like, in things that disturb us, in things that go against our point of view, our inclinations, our plans. True devotion holds us ready to give God everything-our well-being, our fortune, our time, our freedom, our life, and our reputation. To be willing to give of ourselves in this way, and to accept the consequences, is to be truly devout.

But since the will of God is often hidden from us, there is still one more step of renunciation and of death to self to be taken. It consists in accomplishing God's will through obedience-yes, blind obedience, but wise in its blindness. This is a condition that is required of every person. The most enlightened man or woman, the person who is the most gifted in calling others to God and the most capable of leading others to him must also be led.

Jesus' Words on Devotion:

"If any of you wants to be my follower," he told them, "you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?" Mark 8:34-37 (New Living Translation)

Ed Young Jr & Church Pirates

Alot of buzz is being generated through this video post.  Tell me what you think and I will share my thoughts next week.
 

Developing a Sowing Mentality-Part 1

Why is it that some missional leaders see growth in their church every year?  Why is it that some can crash through growth barrier after growth barrier?  There are multiple issues around this subject but one thing rings true in every leader I know who hasn’t settled on a plateau.  Each of these leaders possesses what I like to call a “sowing mentality.”  They are constantly and liberally sowing seeds to uncover receptive hearts to the gospel.  It may often come about through increasing their ability to get into more spiritual conversations, loving their community with incarnational service, engaging people through random acts of kindness or saturating their community with captivating marketing images.  These leaders do whatever it takes to discover those who possess that “good soil” Jesus spoke about which will produce a yield a hundred fold.

King Solomon offers some wisdom on the subject of sowing in the book of Ecclesiastes, "Sow your seed in the morning and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well." (Ecclesiastes 11:6)  This verse speaks volumes to those who are serious about making connections with those who are disconnected from your people and know nothing about your church.

1. Those with a “sowing mentality” know it is a 24 hour job. "Sow your seed in the morning and at evening let not your hands be idle...”

Sowing is a “morning and evening” job.  Missional leaders understand the God’s redemptive flow is never turned off.  As one leader put it, “leaders understand that the opportunity monitor is never off.” Missional leaders realize that opportunities abound all around them all the time and frequently when it isn’t convenient. I have become a fan of the television show “24” in recent days.  I am always amazed what Jack Bauer can accomplish in a twenty-four hour period! 

Can you think of a DAY that changed the life of your church? The day for me was July 17, 1991. It happened after 2 ½ years of sowing seeds into the community and we had planned and prepared for a Friend’s Day in the middle of the summer.  At the being of the summer we were averaging 65 people…by the fall we averaged 165!  We saw more people cross the line of faith that year than in the previous 2 years. A year later we broke the 200 hundred barrier!  We reaped a harvest though constantly and creatively sowing seeds into our community.

2. Those with a “sowing mentality” know that it involves hard work, "…let not your hands be idle…”

Missional leadership is not for the faint of heart. It is for those who are willing to roll up their sleeves and push themselves out in the harvest field.  It is for those who resist idleness.  One thing I am grateful for in my childhood is that my father, who was raised on a farm, imparted to me a farmer’s mentality towards work.  Farming is a 24/7 job.  Idleness is not in the vocabulary of a farmer as well as a successful church planters  I heard Darrin Patrick say at a recent church planting conference that many young church planters enter church planting out of a sense of laziness because they are tired of a senior leader holding them accountable for their performance and results. These are the guys the start churches that never grow over 65.

At first I was taken back by the observation but as a coach I see too many young leaders and those new to full-time ministry struggle with the issue of time management and putting in a hard days work!  Time gets wasted and squandered resulting in lost opportunities.  The lack of diligence in planning, preparing and cultivating your community is one of the key factors to an ineffective outreach. The old writer Sam Ewig said it best, “Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.” 

Stay tuned for upcoming "Developing a Sowing Mentality, Part 2"

Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders - ReEngaged

Fours years ago I picked up the book, "Talking with God" by François de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon (to this day I still cannot pronounce his name correctly)!  I affectionately call him the "French Guy."  Since then I have read everything I could find that is still in print.  His mentoring letters have had a profound impact on my life, touching my heart and providing me with perspective.  Three years ago I wrote 50 devotional thoughts and shared them in a weekly e-newsletter.  I still get emails and comments from people of how God used those thoughts to shape their souls and bring encouragement to their hearts.

Over the summer I want to ReEngage this old saint and share with you some of his penetrating words that have caused the driven leader in me to quiet my heart in the presence of Jesus and reflect on all I do and say. Years ago I remember a leader saying God does not want driven leaders, He wants drawn leaders. God does not want leaders who are driven by their own internal need to achieve but leaders drawn into God's work out of a profound sense of God's presence in their life. My prayer for you is that God will draw you into a deeper sense of His presence and power in your life as you carry forth His missional purposes into this broken world.

Fenelon's Thoughts:

"Whosoever, therefore, with a single heart shall direct his attention upwards to God, and purify himself from all inordinate love or dislike of any created thing, shall be the most fit to receive grace, and worthy of the gift of devotion." (Meditations On The Heart Of God)

"When we take time for one simple moment of inner recollection and yielding ourselves to God, we see and hear more than the intellectual reasoning of all humanity put together. When we hush our desires and thoughts and turn our attention away from outward things, we enter into the light. And then it is that we discover God reigning on the throne of his kingdom-inside us." (Meditations On The Heart Of God)

Jesus' Word

"Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Matthew 6:33-34 (The Message)

An Intro Video of Servant Evangelism - Steve Sjogren.

Here is a brief introduction of Servant Evangelism by Steve Sjogren.  I highly recommend all church planters show this video during their launch team formation and as an introduction to their monthly servant evangelism outreaches after their launch.  You can purchase the full presentation for $10.00 - Introduction to Servant Evangelism

Ten Reasons to Embrace Servant Evangelism

Steve Sjogren offers ten practical reasons for using Servant Evangelism in your church: 

1. It opens doors into the heart of your community.
2. It develops a doable ministry in your church.
3. It creates an opportunity for the church to "get involved."
4. It allows a few to touch many.
5. It gives practical tips for public considerations.
6. It is simple, non-aggressive and inexpensive.
7. It doesn't require extensive training.
8. It offers many evangelism and outreach strategies.
9. It nurtures team efforts and team-centeredness.
10. It is a lot of fun!  (HT)

I would add the following:

1. It promotes an incarnational spirit of evangelism. Getting people out of the building and onto the streets. John 20:21
2. It helps to identify the "men and women of peace" in our communities. Luke 10:5-6
3. It reinforces the gospel in the life of the participants.Philemon6
4. It shines a light in a dark world. Matthew 5:14-16
5. It is easily delegated to lay leadership. Professionals are not needed!
6. It promotes the values of kindness, generosity and servanthood.
7. It leverages permission based marketing.
8. It unleashes outreach creativity with the church.  Ideas are limitless.
9. It provide an avenue for "Research & Development" in the local church.
10. It fills peoples buckets through a positive emotional experience.