Encouraging and equipping seekers, disciples & servant leaders
“What do you have that you did not receive?” 1 Corinthians 4:7
Perhaps one of the most difficult things in this life is “making” something of our lives.
You and I both desire to make our lives count for something.
We want our lives to have purpose and meaning and so we set out to:
And yet, I wonder if we are really on the wrong track here. Continue reading “Making or Tending”
There are times in our various leadership roles that we will have times of great productivity, effectiveness and performance. These times are wonderful and full of promise and excitement. But there are other times when it seems like instead of the Midas touch turning everything to gold, our leadership or our team keeps missing the mark. So what do you do when the group, team or organization that you are leading is unproductive, ineffective and non-performing? In this post I would like to propose ten basic principles / leadership behaviors that will help you in these dry / difficult times and help you and your team discover your full potential.Continue reading “Leading an underachieving team”
The God that we serve is a God of promise. When He speaks He acts. What He promises, He fulfills. There is so much to be said about this, but I want to simply share with you some of Scriptures and 6 realities about the God of all promise: Continue reading “The God of all Promise”
So what can a “leader” do without a title?
What can a “leader” do without a position?
There are many times in life, work and ministry that we may find ourselves without a formal title or position and yet still feel a call to lead. But who will follow? And who are we leading? And for what purpose? And toward what end result?
All of these are questions we may face when we feel a burning desire within to help others, to see lasting change in lives, organizations and communities and yet don’t have an official “platform” from which we can lead.
So what are some principles of leadership that are applicable regardless of title or position?
What is a happy life? So much of our time and energies seemed to be consumed with pursuing happiness and a good life. I guess it might be important to know what it is we are running after so diligently.
I believe that a happy life is more than merely a lack of frustration or angst and certainly more than the presence of fortuitous events and emotional calm. These may indeed be facets of a happy life but I believe Continue reading “A Happy Life”
God calls us all by His Spirit to relationship, to surrender, to love and to be His vessels of grace and mercy to the world. It is His Spirit at work within us that brings true and eternal life. But we do not receive only to hoard and gather to ourselves. Jesus said: “Freely have you received, freely give”. As such we are called to live in and by His Spirit and we are called to bless and serve others. Together these two things are Spiritual Leadership. We 1) serve, bless, and lead others 2) by His Spirit and for His glory. We each will serve in different contexts (home, church, community, marketplace, etc.) but the calling is the same. 1 Timothy gives us a very thorough explanation of what spiritual leadership is no matter the context:Continue reading “Spiritual Leadership”
So what do you know?
This is both a greeting and question. But what do we know, really?
We know what we see, hear, feel and experience. But we also know what we receive by faith. Faith in the speaker. Faith in the person who is telling us what we are now accepting as truth. So what do you know?
I want to tell you that I know God is love. And I know that His love is beautiful, unconditional, faithful, sacrificing and eternal! How do I know this? I am glad you asked.
I know that God is love because I have been told of it. One of the first places where I heard of the love of God was in His Word. And so yes, “Jesus loves me, this I know, because the Bible tells me so”. But I also know the love of God because the Holy Spirit has told me. In various ways and at various times, through highs and lows in life, there has been a constant speaking “I love you; I created you; I died for you; I know you and want you to walk with me”. The words of the Holy Spirit help me know the love of God. I also know God is love because I have been told of it by other people. Even though God speaks through His Word and personal revelation He also speaks through other people and I have heard others tell of His goodness, mercy, grace and love, and their words have helped me to first entertain the thought and then seize it as my own conviction: God is love!
But I don’t only know that God is love because I have been told, but also because I have seen it at work in others. People in my life not only have spoken of the love of God, but have showed it as well. The meekness, gentleness, compassion, patience, grace and mercy that others have showed to me, clearly demonstrated to me that a good God, full of love and mercy is not only real, but fills people with His love and Himself. What a beautiful thing to see the love of God in action in people’s lives!
Lastly, I know that God is love because I have experienced it! I have felt and received His divine love over and over again. Some of the most powerful experiences of His love have occurred at the altar. When I bowed before Him and called out in faith and desperation, He has always met me there! Not always in the same way or with the same message but always in the context of His amazing love! I have experienced His love in times of great need and frustration and loneliness. I have experienced His love through circumstantial blessings. I have known His love through personal transformation of ideas, thoughts, attitudes, priorities, actions and reactions. I have know that His love was real and transformational because of what I experienced within. I have known the love of God through answered prayers and by His promises and eternal blessings that are even now advancing! I have known and experienced the loving presence of God when I praise!
So what do you know? I hope and pray that you know that God is love and that He loves you! I beg you, receive His love afresh and anew today!
Our Identity and Calling
Our identity is found in Christ. All that He is and all that he offers is who we are called to be. And what God calls us to He provides, equips and empowers for.
And yet we live removed from or below what He offers.
Because of pride.
Because of stubbornness.
Because of selfishness.
Because of pity parties.
Because of guilt.
And shame.
And doubt.
And fear.
But we can be so much more
We can be changed
We can be filled
We can be radiant
Glorious
Transformed
Full of joy
Overflowing
At peace
At rest
In Him
And so yet again I remind you that our identity and calling is to be in and with Christ
We are not defined by what has been
Nor by our likes
Or dislikes
Not our environment
Or the culture around us
Not parents
Not friends
Not enemies
Our circumstances have no say regarding who we are are
The accusations of the enemy have no say
The world has no say
What God says is truth
And it is eternal
And when He says it, it is alive
So what God says about me is reality
And if He says that I am His
And that I will overcome
And that He has chosen me
That I am His beloved
Now
And forever…
That is true!
Believe it
or not…
But if we don’t believe
Then we don’t receive
And somehow, in a great cosmic mystery
We stymie
Thwart
Divert
Alter
God’s plan for us
LET IT NOT BE!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Cor 5:17
The gospel
Good news
The kingdom which is near
The kingdom that is here
The kingdom that is within
The price already paid
In full
By Jesus
Unmerited favor
Grace greater than all our sins
Salvation
Freedom
Healing
Forgiveness
Because of His great love
Abundant Life
Eternal Life
That we may love God and love neighbor
The point of it all…
…is that we learn to love each other
…that we learn to get each other’s back
…that we never leave someone behind
…that we learn devotion, integrity, commitment, sacrifice, service, compassion
…that we become Spirit-filled
…that we live holy lives
We must help
Protect the innocent
Preserve life
Defend the oppressed
Take care of the disenfranchised
Serve the down and out
Offer hope to the hopeless
Help to the helpless
“I set you an example that you must do as I have done for you”
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friend.
Today marks the last in my series on defining characteristics of leadership. I hope that you have enjoyed them and that you have found them beneficial.
The last facet of leadership that I will be discussing is perhaps the hardest and yet the most important.
As leaders we must release the work, the results, the process, the progress and even the direction of the organization into the hands of our team. If we don’t release it to them, they will never have the necessary intrinsic motivators necessary to be fully engaged and successful.
Our releasing actually must begin at the very first discussion about goals and organizational direction. As the leader we may have certain key components that we feel are non-negotiable but we need to keep them few and simple. Leaders must release the work to the team (and they in turn must release the work to those they lead) if we ever want to learn about team-work, collaboration, unity and synergy.
Releasing the work is a humbling process and requires that we as leaders have a trust in the character and ability of our team. Releasing the work is giving people permission to try and permission to fail. Releasing the work is opening wide the possibilities of what might be both for the individual team member but also for the entire organization. If we cannot release the work we will burnout, personally stifle the health and growth of our organization, drastically reduce the trust our team members have for us and perhaps ultimately relegate us to managers of the status quo.
Pastor Michael Johnson