Tag: Church

Patient

Does it surprise anyone when we pray for patience and then experience challenges? The problem is we want patience, but we want it now and without trials! Hmmm!

Too often, we expect growth and maturity to occur as though we were ordering a meal at a drive-thru window. We place our order on one side and expect to have it waiting for us when we reach the other. No patience required, right?

Church growth requires leaders to be patient. Being patient is a powerful lesson for all spiritual leaders.

In time, the demonstration of such patience and gentle guidance will yield fruit to the glory of our God.

A Time to Stand

In pursuit of greater numbers truth often gets compromised. Challenge and controversy are avoided to gain popularity and profit.

To overcome the problems of immorality and indecency, we must make a stand.

To help the church mature as God designed, we must make a stand.

To help those without Christ find the hope of salvation, we must make a stand.

The task is not easy. Conflict and controversy will arise. Trying to avoid it, sweep it under the rug, deny it exists, or hope it just goes away and resolves itself, will not work.

The world and the church needs those ready to stand and lead.

A Beginning

Plato is credited with saying, “The beginning is the most important part of the work.”

The way leaders begin the work has a far greater impact on reaching the overall goal(s) than we might care to admit.

It applies to how we begin a family.

It applies to how we begin each day.

It applies to how we begin a conversation with someone about studying the Bible.

It applies to how we begin a class, sermon or an article / post.

How important was the beginning when God created?

How important was the beginning when Christ came to this earth?

How important was the beginning of the church?

Balanced or Imbalanced

Our lives fall into three major categories: home, world, and church. Amazingly, when we are out of balance in one, the other two are affected.

Leaders have a tremendous responsibility to cautiously approach the work consumption syndrome and not lose sight of the focus needed in the church and home. When we are imbalanced, everything suffers, even our work.

Ultimately, when the spiritual element of our life is not prioritized, nothing else works.

Our task begins with establishing the right priorities and leading from that position.

Joy

Joy is an important and unique quality needed in leaders.

Paul could sing praises at midnight while imprisoned for Christ. He wrote from prison to the church at Philippi, “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I will say, rejoice.”

The letter to the Philippians also helps us see what happens when someone robs the church of that joy (Euodia and Syntyche).

Paul’s joy was based on his relationship with God, not his external situation, but he did not want anyone taking joy away from the church. Therefore, he instructed them to “live in harmony in the Lord.”

One of our tasks as leaders today is to have and instill joy in the church.

Sacrifice

To lead is to sacrifice. Sacrifice is found at every level of leadership. When will the sacrifice need to be made? How large of a sacrifice will be necessary?

Perhaps above all, are we willing to make the sacrifice?

If we go below the surface and examine Paul’s leadership, we will find a leader who made great sacrifice. His level of sacrifice is exemplified throughout his writings. He speaks of sacrifices made in the past, present, and future. Whatever it took, he was willing to do.

We could spend weeks considering all the sacrifices required of leaders today. Regardless of what may come to mind, let us arise and make the sacrifices necessary to lead.

God demands it and the church depends on it.

Why Wait?

Do we know what should be done? Why are we waiting to do it? Do we have the ability and resources to make it happen? Why are we waiting?

Souls are waiting. The church is waiting. Our God is waiting.

God has given us the ability and resources to make it happen.

Why are we waiting?

With so much at stake, will our waiting be worth it if we wait too long?

Application generally applies to anyone who delays obedience to the gospel. The same is true for leading.

We need to challenge our excuses. We cannot wait any longer. Paul’s words to the church at Corinth should be remembered, “Act like men.” Leadership will not wait!

Reputation

If the church where you and I attend were to disappear tomorrow, would anyone in the community know? Would anyone care?

Those two questions are chilling and convicting for me. I fear the answers and it directly relates to the impact we have in the world where we live.

Have we become so inward-focused that we no longer recognize the influence the church must have in the community?

Something may just be missing in our leadership and we need to consider what can be done, what must be done to lead God’s people in rebuilding the reputation of the church in our communities.

Next Generation Leaders

Tim Elmore wrote a book, Habitudes, using images, relatable stories, and experiences that are designed to help the next generation of leaders form the right habits and attitudes.

A couple of questions need to be considered within the realm of spiritual leadership.

What are we doing to make a difference in relationship to the future of the church?

How are we preparing the next generation to lead?

We need more than a conviction of the situation. We need to take legitimate steps to change the crisis we face in the current generation.

Let us lead with that in mind.

Find a Remedy

In the sports’ world, we find more than a few “arm-chair” quarterbacks, coaches, and officials. We often believe we have a better understanding and view of how the game should be played in the comfort of our home.

The church often follows a similar pattern. We can easily find more faults with the church than can ever be solved. However, recognizing areas of concern or fault does not change anything.

Henry Ford once said, “Don’t find fault; find a remedy.” Perhaps it is time we stand up and present a solution.

We might even modify the thought by saying, “Don’t find fault, unless you plan to present a remedy.”