20 Aug Ministry Milestones Part 2
Last week I began imparting to you all that I imparted to our guest ministers at our recent Joy MinisterialExchange. . I believe that wisdom will assist you in a dramatic way! Let’s review before we jump in…
- Great leaders don’t do more. Great leaders do more of what matters most.
I’ve studied biblical leadership for decades and I’ve watched leaders when they reach a “ceiling” in their lives or ministry. Their normal reaction is to simply do more. However, over 35 years of ministry, I’ve discovered when you chase two rabbits they both get away (see James 1:6-8). Please don’t ever confuse activity with productivity, or busy for fruitful! Great leaders don’t just do more. They do more of what matters most!
2. Limitations breed innovations.
So many times in life we encounter what seems like limitations. However we serve an unlimited God! Why not turn limitations into innovations?
The Bible tells us in Proverbs 16:26 (Amp), “The appetite of the laborer works for him, for the need of his mouth urges him on.” Let your “hunger” drive you to finding innovations!
Let’s continue this week with…
3. Pastors like crowds, but sometimes they forget to love people.
As a pastor I can tell you, I love Easter. We had approximately 3,800 in attendance over Easter! Pastors love crowds! However I always encourage pastors that crowds consist of people. From time to time, we must never forget about the little woman with the issue of blood (see Mark 5) that comes across our path in the midst of a big crowd!
I think of a little 20 something year old girl in our congregation who had been out of church for years. She came on Sunday all by herself. You could tell she was quiet, shy and a little nervous. She was sure hoping she would not be judged in this big church. Anne and I truly reached out to her and loved on her in the midst of a big crowd. Since that time she has given her life to Jesus, she was baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit. She has brought guests to church and she just returned from our mission trip in which she led others to Jesus!
4. There are two kinds of people in life:
1.) Those who let their environment influence their enthusiasm
2.) Those who let their enthusiasm influence their environment
May I personally challenge you to be the latter? I tell my son on a regular basis, “You can change the world, but the world can’t change you!”
5. It’s not happy people who are thankful…it’s thankful people who are happy!
I’m certainly not the perfect pastor, but I am certainly one of the most thankful pastors you are ever going to meet! The Bible tells us, “Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven” (Prov. 23:4-5). “Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied” (Prov. 27:20).
With those powerful proverbs in mind, please let me share with you “Four Thermometers to think Thankfully”:
- Focus on what you do have, not what you don’t
- Focus on how far you’ve come, not how far you need to go
- Focus on the fact that while you haven’t arrived, at least you’ve left!
- You’re not where you want to be, but thank God you are not where you used to be!
Join us next week as we continue to share Ministry Milestones…