Learning Leadership

Blogging Fast

In order to enjoy my Christmas and New Year's with family I will be enjoying a blogging fast over the next two weeks.

New fresh leadership content will be posted for you again starting January 3, 2012. 

Enjoy your Holiday Season and see you in 2012!

Guest Post: UNDER THE INFLUENCE by Greg Wright

Today I have a guest blog post for you from Greg Wright. Greg's bio is below. Enjoy the article!

UNDER THE INFLUENCE: How Losing Control, Actually Makes Room for Us to Courageously Lead

by Greg Wright

“Is this the right thing?

I’m not sure that this is the right thing…

This can’t be the right thing….

Is it?”

I hate vacillating. Yet, as I get older, I’m finding that I do more and more of it. It seems like the right thing to do and the wrong thing to do used to present itself much more clearly. But now, the right thing to do hides behind the hard thing to do, and the wrong thing to do hides behind the easy thing to do. One way that I can always figure out if I’m making the “right” decision is based on the level of difficulty. The easy thing appeals to the lazy side of me. The hard thing to do pushes up against the lazy side of me, and says, “Don’t worry about doing the right thing. Let someone else do it.”

There are two sides of us, constantly at odds: Our emotional side and our responsible side. Emotional people wait until they feel good about something, and then do it. Responsible people just do something, and then feel good about it. But, the doing something takes more than responsibility, it takes courage.

If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that I control nothing (there are times when I can’t even control myself). But, I do have influence over a lot of things. The question is, “Am I influencing positively or negatively?”

My advice to other men and Dad’s like me–let go of what you can’t control, and embrace what you can. What is in our control is how we influence the people around us. One of the most important things we can do to become a better man and father is to focus on becoming a good model for our sphere of influence. For this, a good recipe is to mix one part courage with one part influence.

To courageously influence, simply means affecting someone’s thinking or actions by showing the ability to face difficulty or uncertainty without being overcome by fear. Furthermore, in order to courageously influence others, it’s essential that we’re fully involved with and dedicated to whatever task has been set before us.

Let me share the story of Roger Bannister as an example:

In 1903, British Olympic coach Harry Andrews made the statement, “The mile record is four minutes, 12.75 seconds. This record will never be broken.”

A fierce intellectual debate took place over several decades about whether the human body had reached its full potential. Medical evidence was even offered based on bones, muscles and joints that proved a human being simply could not run any faster than four minutes, 12.75 seconds.

On May 6, 1954, in 15 mph crosswinds and 25 mph gusts, British runner Roger Bannister broke the record of the four-minute mile. His mile came in at three minutes, 59.4 seconds. Needless to say it was an impressive feat.

What was even more impressive? Later that year, two other men ran a four-minute mile, and in the next year, 236 people also did the “impossible.”

As the gusty day proved, Roger couldn’t control anything around him. The only thing he could control was his own performance. Through that controlled tour-de-force, Roger Bannister courageously influenced the decisions and the performance of others.

The take away? In order to succeed in our lives at home, at work, and in life, we need to be active members of our families, our communities and our team of coworkers at work. We need to be fully engaged in all steps of the process of raising a family, succeeding at work, and becoming a better man. Don’t just stand on the wayside and wait for things to happen, or wait for validation that you’re doing the right thing. Take charge, step up to the plate, and don’t be afraid to courageously influence those around you.

If you’re not feeling completely confident yet, don’t worry.  Start with small steps, by laying out what goals you want to accomplish for yourself, both at work and at home. Then, think about what you can do better in both of these areas, what extra effort you can put forth to help you accomplish your goals. Most importantly, take each challenge in your life head on, & treat it as an opportunity to step up to the plate and courageously influence those around you.

The truth is Roger Bannister didn’t just wake up one day and decide to break the four-minute mile. It was only through goal setting, training and perseverance – factors in his control – which positioned him to break the record and go on to become Sir Roger Bannister.

So, let me wrap up by asking you a question: What’s your four-minute mile?

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Greg Wright is the president of The Wright Track, www.thewrighttrack.com, a biz dev and sales growth consultancy based in Austin, TX. The father to four teen girls, Greg shares with other dads his secret to pursuing an intentional relationship with your daughter in “Daddy Dates: A Road Map for Any Dad to Raise a Strong and Confident Daughter.” (Thomas Nelson; $16.99; available where all books are sold; www.daddydatesthebook.com)

My Theology of Pastoral Ministry (part 6)

Today is the final part of a series of six blog posts where I am sharing my Theology of Pastoral Ministry. (You can read yesterday's post here.) By sharing this theology of pastoral ministry I hope to encourage you to develop your own theology of pastoral ministry (or philisophy of work).

One challenge with my theology of pastoral ministry is that it is broad.

“Being a leading servant who spreads God’s love around the world” is broad and does not give specific tasks or activities that I can do. However, that also gives me a strength because God is the one who has authority over me. Because God has authority over me, I follow His direction and what He wants me to do.

If God wants me to be a leading servant by doing one thing, then at a later time He wants me to be a leading servant by doing something completely different, that is ok because my theology of pastoral ministry has room for that. Because my statement is broad it allows God to be the leader and I can follow the change that He directs me to make. I recently heard Beth Moore teach on this same topic. She realized early in her life that she should surrender to God and commit to following Him, not to surrender and commit to a specific ministry.[1]

Another strength of my theology of pastoral ministry is that I am pretty good at envisioning and thinking. Because I am good at thinking and envisioning about a specific topic I can often dream and see things bigger than others. However, because I can think through my theology of pastoral ministry and see possible ways to serve others, that opens up the possibility that I might see something and pursue a vision that is not God’s vision for my life and ministry. Thus, I need to stay in communication with God and stay committed to Him and His vision for my life.

My theology of pastoral ministry is to be a leading servant who spreads God’s love around the world. This helps to direct me while here on earth. It helps me to follow God’s direction of shepherding those I work with and those who read my writing.

Question: What is your theology of pastoral ministry or philosophy of work?

BIBLIOGRAPHY (for the entire 6 part blog series)

Comfort Ph.D., Philip W and Walter A. Elwell. Tyndale Bible Dictionary: A comprehensive guide to the people, places, and important words of the Bible. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001.

Graham, Billy. Billy Graham Talks to Teen-agers, Wheaton: Miracle Books, 1958.

Graham, Billy. The Journey: Living by Faith in an Uncertain World Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, 2006.

Moore, Beth. “So Long Insecurity.” Lecture, Catalyst Conference at Gwinnett Arena, Duluth, GA, October 7, 2010.

Roberts-Lewis, Amelia and Tonya D. Armstrong. “Moving the Church to Social Action.” Social Work and Christianity 37, no. 2 (2010): 115-127.

Smith, A. Iona. “A Little Child Shall Lead Them” in “Emerging as Ministers” in Congregations 32, no. 4 (2006): 26-40.

Stace Vega, April. Afterword of More Ready Than You Realize: The Power of Everyday Conversations, by Brian McLaren. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006.

Stanley, Andy. “When Less is More.” Lecture, Catalyst West Conference at Mariners Church, Orange County, CA, April 23, 2010.

Swanson, James A. and Keith Williams, “Dictionary and Index for Hebrew and Greek Word Studies.” in New Living Translation Study Bible, 2225. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008.

Thompson, James W. Pastoral Ministry According to Paul: A Biblical Vision Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006.

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[1] Beth Moore, “So Long Insecurity” (lecture, Catalyst Conference at Gwinnett Arena, Duluth, GA, October 7, 2010).

My Theology of Pastoral Ministry (part 5)

Today is part five of a series of six blog posts where I am sharing my Theology of Pastoral Ministry. (You can read yesterday's post here.) By sharing this theology of pastoral ministry I hope to encourage you to develop your own theology of pastoral ministry (or philisophy of work).

And finally, any statement of theology needs to lay out a view of the church to explore how the theology plays a part within (or outside) of the church.

Often when we think of the word “church” we think of the buildings which we call churches, a group of Christians in a local community, or Christians as a whole community within a pagan nation. I have felt God’s voice in my life saying that my church will not be geographically based and that He wants me to “go and make leaders of everyday men and women.”

There are so many people who are less fortunate and have much worse living situations than you and I. It is on my heart to do something about those terrible living situations many people around the world live in. I, as an American, have an obligation to do and use everything that I can to serve and help others who live around the world rather than someone right next to me. Thus, my church is the people in the whole world.

The truth is, whether we are talking about people who regularly meet inside a church building or people who do not yet know God, the world and churches are “comprised of broken people, people from all walks of life who experience pain and suffering.”[1] It is anyone who has a desire to learn and grow in leadership.

Right now part of the church I minister to is my work environment, but it also includes the thousands of people from around the world who read my writing on this blog. Within the past month, I have had people visit my blog from the United Kingdom (83 people), Canada (66), Philippines (41), Australia (41), China (33), Kenya (18), India (17), and Malaysia (12).[2]  I am sure that my view of the church God has made me responsible to shepherd is only temporary and that it will change over time, but for now shepherding my church is looking after my co-workers and serving those who read my writing and benefit from it.

Question: How do you view the "church" or people you serve through your work?

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[1] Amelia Roberts-Lewis and Tonya D. Armstrong, “Moving the Church to Social Action,” Social Work and Christianity 37, no. 2 (2010): 117.

[2] Stats taken from Google Analytics for ChristopherScottBlog.com from Oct 13, 2011 to Nov 12, 2011.

My Theology of Pastoral Ministry (part 4)

Today is part two of a series of six blog posts where I am sharing my Theology of Pastoral Ministry. (You can read yesterday's post here.) By sharing this theology of pastoral ministry I hope to encourage you to develop your own theology of pastoral ministry (or philisophy of work).

Pastoral ministry is about serving others,[1] which means it is important that I understand that people want to feel valued and worthy of respect.

While reading the book More Ready Than You Realize in an effort to learn more about evangelism, I learned how this great principle positively influences the people we serve. In the book a young woman shares her reflections on a two year evangelism conversation she had with the author, Brian McLaren, via email. While sharing her story and experience of moving from an unbeliever to a Christian, she writes, “I don’t remember much of what he [Brian McLaren] wrote [in his emails to her]. What I do remember is something far deeper and more important: that there was someone who was really listening to me and who was responding to me, not in a formula or in quick clichés, but sincerely and thoughtfully.”[2]

That statement from this young woman gives us great insight into what people are looking for when they are being shepherded by a “pastor.” People are looking for someone to be real with them and show a sincere interest in them.

The people I serve at work probably do not want to feel that I am trying to evangelize them so I can add another Christian to my “convert list.” They do not want to feel they are one of many people whom I have questioned about their faith and tried to lead to Christ. They do not want to hear me give a bunch of well rehearsed questions and answers to their struggles with faith. They are looking for me to be sincerely interested in them, to show them value for who they already are, and to walk and talk with them as their faith evolves.

Question: How do you understand the people you work with and serve?

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[1] Jennifer McLaughlin, interview by author, Norfork, CA, November 12, 2011.

[2] April Stace Vega, afterword of More Ready Than You Realize, by Brian McLaren (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 169.

My Theology of Pastoral Ministry (part 3)

Today is part three of a series of six blog posts where I am sharing my Theology of Pastoral Ministry. (You can read yesterday's post here.) By sharing this theology of pastoral ministry I hope to encourage you to develop your own theology of pastoral ministry (or philisophy of work).

Ministry is the work that we do to serve and help others.

A great definition of Bible-based ministry is written by James Thompson when he asserts, “ministry is participation in God’s work of transforming the community of faith until it is ‘blameless’ at the coming of Christ.”[1] This ministry of helping others to become blameless at Christ’s coming is a gift that is both strenuous and amazing at the same time,[2] and it can happen in any area or context. With my theology of pastoral ministry to be a leading servant who spreads God’s love around the world, I believe that the work I do should be focused.

One of the most successful evangelists in the past century, Billy Graham, who devoted his life to evangelism and winning souls for Christ, stated early in his ministry that “concentration is important. The [person] who has a general interest in everything usually isn’t good at anything.”[3] Another pastor, Andy Stanley, who is considered one of the most influential Christian voices in America, often teaches that we as leaders should “only do what only you can do.”[4] This means that for myself as a pastor and leader I need focus on doing only what I can do.

At United Way of Stanislaus County, I should work hard to share my faith and attempt to nurture the faith of other people around the office. No one else talks about their faith until I bring it up, so I must do what only I can do: shepherd those people at work. If I had not given that Bible to my coworker, I highly doubt anyone else would have. If I had not talked with the lady who sits across the hall from me about why she is an atheist, no one else probably would have (and I do not think anyone has done that since).

In the context of my writing about leadership during nights and weekends, I need to share biblical principles and how they can be lived out in businesses and nonprofits. Not many people are willing to do that for free; thus I must do that as part of what only I can do to serve others.

Question: Do you believe your work is about serving others? Why or why not?

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[1] James W. Thompson, Pastoral Ministry According to Paul: A Biblical Vision (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006), 20.

[2] A. Iona Smith, “A Little Child Shall Lead Them” in “Emerging as Ministers” in Congregations 32, no. 4 (2006): 34.

[3] Billy Graham, Billy Graham Talks to Teen-agers (Wheaton: Miracle Books, 1958), 29-30.

[4] Andy Stanley, “When Less is More” (lecture, Catalyst West Conference at Mariners Church, Orange County, CA, April 23, 2010).

My Theology of Pastoral Ministry (part 2)

Today is part two of a series of six blog posts where I am sharing my Theology of Pastoral Ministry. (You can read yesterday's post here.) By sharing this theology of pastoral ministry I hope to encourage you to develop your own theology of pastoral ministry (or philisophy of work).

 

Understanding who God is is very important in order to have a clear view of my own theology of pastoral ministry.

Evangelist and author, Billy Graham, explains that, “You will never understand who you are until you understand who God is.”[1] As Mr. Graham stated, it is important for us to know who God is before we can legitimately know who we are. In my view, God is all-powerful, ruling over the earth and all things. God is the holy trinity, the one who is the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, and I am under His supreme authority serving others.

I view myself being under God’s authority much like the Roman officer described in this passage of Matthew:

When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.[2]

I am not sure if I completely understand this story theologically, but I do understand that the Roman officer knew Jesus was here on earth under God’s authority. Because Jesus was under God’s authority He was able to do what He was supposed to do—perform miracles.

Similar to Jesus being under God’s authority, I too am under God’s authority. God has a plan that I do not know about and that is at times hard to understand, but I do realize that He has a plan and story for me to fit into. For some of us that story is to be full-time ministers where we shepherd and pastor people for a living. God employs others, such as me, to do pastoral ministry in a semi-formal way where it is not their full-time job but they have received some specific training that allows them to minister to others and serve them.

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[1] Billy Graham, The Journey: Living by Faith in an Uncertain World  (Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, 2006), 13.

[2] Matthew 8:5-10, 13

My Theology of Pastoral Ministry (part 1)

Today is part 1 of a series of six blog posts where I am sharing my Theology of Pastoral Ministry. By sharing this theology of pastoral ministry I hope to encourage you to develop your own theology of pastoral ministry (or philisophy of work).

My personal theology of pastoral ministry directs and orients my life to be a leading servant who spreads God’s love around the world.

It is something that I have thought through, lived out, and participated in for three years now based on my study of scripture, input from mentors, and books that I have read. In this paper I will explain how my theology of pastoral ministry is lived out in my life as a pastor, who God is, ministry, humanity, and the church.

An important element of being a leading servant who spreads God’s love around the world is to live out my role as a pastor.

When thinking through what it means to be a pastor the word “shepherd” comes to mind as a great biblical example of the role of serving as a pastor within any context. The definition of a shepherd is “one who took complete care of a flock or sheep.”[1] The Greek word for shepherd is “poimen” which means “taking care of sheep. They [the various forms of the word poimen] figuratively refer to someone who is in a leadership position, such as over a community or nation; a shepherd has authority, provides protection, and cares for the flock.”[2]

Being a leading servant who spreads God’s love around the world means that I seek to pastor and shepherd people by looking over them and taking care of their spiritual health. A Bible verse that demonstrates this well is Mark 6:34 where we read about Jesus and His disciples attempting to get some quiet time alone to rest. As they were in a boat traveling, some people saw Jesus and His disciples leaving, so they ran ahead of the boat (via shoreline). In the Gospel of Mark we read, “Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”[3]

This is similar to me in my own ministry. A part of me feels called to minister to people through writing about biblical truths to help direct them in their own leadership work and life. The Apostle Paul’s letter to Peter further explains how I see my role as a pastor within my theology of pastoral ministry when he writes, “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly. . . .”[4] This says to me that God has entrusted people to me, and I need to do my very best to guide them along, protect them, and serve them through my spoken and written words.

At this time, God has entrusted me be an unofficial pastor at United Way of Stanislaus County where I can help “shepherd” and watch over the spiritual health of the people there. However, while working at United Way of Stanislaus County I have not always thought of myself as a pastor, I have just tried to share my faith and do the “right thing” when interacting with coworkers. It has not been until thinking about my theology of pastoral ministry that I realized I have been serving as an unofficial pastor at work. I give Bibles to people I know might need one, and I respect the opinions of people who are agnostic and believe Jesus is a “mythical guy that people believe in.”[5]

Recently a woman at work mentioned to me that she and her boyfriend were reading the Bible together out of the King James Version (KJV). For Christmas I purchased a New Living Translation Bible for them to read together which is more understandable than the KJV. Since then she has told me on several occasions that they have enjoyed reading their new Bible together.

Additionally, outside of work I feel that I serve as a pastor when I regularly write and create content which reaches almost 5,000 people on the internet. To be a leading servant means I serve as a shepherding pastor who looks after the spiritual health of my coworkers at United Way of Stanislaus County and those I share my faith through my writing.

However, my view of pastoral ministry is affected by my view of who God is, which is what I will explain in tomorrow's post.

Question: Do you have a theology of pastoral ministry or a philisophy of work? What is it?

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[1] Philip W. Comfort, Ph.D. and Walter A. Elwell, Tyndale Bible Dictionary: A comprehensive guide to the people, places, and important words of the Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), 1192.

[2] James A. Swanson and Keith Williams, “Dictionary and Index for Hebrew and Greek Word Studies.” in New Living Translation Study Bible (,Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008), 2225.

[3] Mark 6:34 (New Living Translation)

[4] 1 Peter 5:2

[5] Estrella Garcia, interview by author, Modesto, CA, June 10, 2011.

 

LEARNING TO TRUST

One of the many things that I am learning as part of my internship with Church Assistance Ministry (CAM) is that I have to trust. 

I am learning to trust that good concepts and messages will come out as I study scripture with the goal of teaching a solid biblical lesson to the people God has entrusted me to serve.

Every Tuesday I meet with a group of men to study the story of David’s early formative years before he became king (1 Samuel 16 – 2 Samuel 5). Working to prepare these lessons has taught me to trust that a good lesson will bubble up. As I have talked about in previous blog posts, I create one-point lessons (taught to me from Andy Stanley in his book, Communicating for a Change). I am learning to trust that through my hours of exegetical study a good Bible-based lesson will emerge that I can teach to these three men. Sometimes that lesson is revealed to me very early in the process of my study, but most of the time I have to be patient and trust that the lesson will open up to me towards the end of my study.

Working to prepare these Biblical lessons is teaching me to be patient and to wait on God to reveal to me what He wants me to teach to others. It helps me realize that I am under His authority working to teach His word to others. 

Question: How do you trust that something will come when you have been working for it?

THE JOY OF SOLITUDE

Today I am continuing my series of posts while reading a devotional from Thomas Mertonand Ajith Fernando's book, Jesus Driven Ministry.

Merton’s thoughts this week reflect the joy and happiness he found in solitude after faithfully being a monk.

He writes, “what more do I seek than this silence, this simplicity, this ‘living together with wisdom’? For me there is nothing else. It is the pinnacle . . . . solitude really means: when the ropes are cast off and the skiff is no longer tied to land but heads out to sea without any ties, without restraints!” (p. 30). He seems very excited about this “solitude” thing that he has discovered.

After reading about Merton’s joy of solitude and Fernando’s encouragement for leaders to teach their disciples what they need to know before ministry, I have been thinking about how these lessons apply to my own life as a leader. Fernando encourages leaders that they “will also need to equip their children [disciples] to face the dangers in the world” (p. 172). Fernando continues by writing, “If we are to be leaders then, we should make the pursuit of joy an important aspect of our lives” (p. 177).

The learning point for me here is that as disciples and young leaders who are being “spiritually formed” we need to be warned of what can hurt us (by those leaders) and encouraged to do the things that help us find joy (by those same leaders). This brings to mind the feelings Amy has shared about not being taught “self-care” by her teachers while in training to become a nurse. Those teachers should have been teaching her about the practices that would bring her joy in her work and what would allow her to avoid what might hurt her. On the flip side, Merton is encouraging us in the same way that solitude can provide that joy we need in ministry.

The joy we gain through solitude can be exciting and be, as Merton calls it, “the pinnacle” of our faith.

Question: Why do you think solitude brings us joy?

A Tough Fact of Leadership: Things Won't Go Well (all the time)

Today I am continuing my series of posts while reading a devotional from Thomas Merton and Ajith Fernando's book, Jesus Driven Ministry.

Reading Merton’s writing gives me a sense that God shows up when we are in sorrow and anguish.

Merton explains it this way: “I am certain that where the Lord sees the small point of poverty and extenuation and helplessness and the man of tears, then He must come down and be born there in this anguish and make it constantly a point of infinite joy, a seed of peach in the world” (p. 26). Part of the poverty, extenuation, helplessness, and anguish that Merton talks about might come through our discipling of others.

Many leadership authors have stated that leadership is messy. It is messy because things will not go as planned, people who are loyal to you will leave, others you invest in might end up working for your competition, etc. That reality was faced by Jesus when Judas betrayed him, Peter denied Him three times, and the other ten disciples deserted Him during His crucifixion. Fernando explains some of that aguish when he writes that “some of us may see the fruit of our labors only when we get to heaven. We may be called to plough hard ground and make it ready for someone else to reap the harvest [of making disciples]. Therefore, we should not base our evaluation of our ministry purely on the level of success we see” (p. 170). Working with people and making disciples is messy.

However, that is the fact of leadership in ministry of discipling others: it can be painful.

Question: Is your experience that leadership and discipleship is messy? Why or why not?

THE JOY WE ALL HAVE

Today I am continuing my series of posts while reading a devotional from Thomas Merton and Ajith Fernando's book, Jesus Driven Ministry.

Fernando predicts true reality in ministry when he tells us we “will face failure and disappointment in ministry. Projects fail; programs end up as flops; people we invested in at much personal cost betray us; we make silly mistakes; those we serve reject us—the list can go on and on” (p. 239).

Anything else you want to tell us, Fernando?

I guess that reality is what we all have to face when going into ministry. On a lighter note, Merton offers us some encouragement by telling us that we can each experience joy no matter what happens. Merton shares about his own joy when he writes, “The mere fact of my manness [or femaleness in current culture] should be an everlasting joy and delight. To take joy in that which I am made to be by my Creator is to open my heart to restoration by my Redeemer” (p. 21). It sure is great to know that we can each experience joy in the fact that we are male or female, created by God and saved by his son, Jesus.

Question: What brings you joy?

TIME AND WHAT WE DO WITH IT

Time is always of the essence as leaders and Christ’s servants.

Thomas Merton shares his view of time when he writes in devotional, Bridges to Contemplative Living that “For this afternoon to be my own in eternity, it must be my own this afternoon, and I must possess myself in it, not be possessed by books, by ideas not my own, by a compulsion to produce what nobody needs. But simply to glorify God by accepting His gift and His work. To work for Him is to work that I myself may live” (p. 17). To echo Merton’s thoughts, time truly is not our own, it is God’s which means we need to be using it to glorify Him and work for Him.

As Christian leaders we will face hardships and struggles as we seek to lead and serve with our time. Over the past couple weeks I have been sharing some quotes from Ajith Fernando's book, Jesus Driven Ministry. I have found his insights and “mentor advice” helpful about what life will be like if we spend time serving God. He gives us some more advice about what to expect in ministry when he tells us, “Joy is one of the rewards of Christian ministry. Despite the many problems, we can feel good about what we do because—whether people accept it or not—we are proclaiming the most important message that people can hear” (p. 116). If we spend our time doing God’s work we should expect to face hardships, but at least we will know it is joyful because it is so important.

Question: How do you decide what to do with your time?

The More I Know, The Less I Know

I’ve heard leadership expert Dr. John C. Maxwell state, “The older I get, the less certain I am about what I think I know.”

Dr. Maxwell is basically saying “The more I learn, the more I realize I have much to learn.” This life principle was apparent to me this week as I began using a new resource to study for the Bible study I teach every week as part of my internship with Church Assistance Ministry (CAM).

This week I received Tyndale’s Cornerstone Biblical Commentary to assist me with my study of the early years in the life of David. I was excited and eager to use my new resource to help form exegetically correct Bible lessons that are relevant and applicable to everyday life. However, as I opened my new resource I found lots of terms, information, and theories that I have had trouble understanding. Even though the book is written in a clear format, however there are many theological terms and abbreviations I struggle to remember (DSS for Dead Sea Scrolls, LXX for Septuagint, etc.).

Just as I have started to feel that I am getting a good feel for the process of digging out solid Bible lessons for the guys in my Bible study, I have realized there is so much more to learn.

Question: What is an area you know a lot about, but can still learn much more?

God Transforms Us, Not Others

As Christians we all know and realize that God is the one who is transforming us. We are reminded of this when Bridges to Contemplative Living tells us that our “quest for our identities in God and for God’s identity in us has no end” (p. 48). Everyday I seek to be who God wants me to be, which changes me regularly.

When thinking about how I change regularly it reminds me of a classmate's comments in that even though God and Scripture do not change, the thing that changes is how it is revealed to us. (Great insight Steve.) However, Ajith Fernando in his book, Jesus Driven Ministry introduces us to a type of transformation we need to be aware of that is not from God.

Fernando shares in chapter 7 that too many ministers allow the opinions and actions of others to negatively affect their ministry. Whether it is anger, jealously, or other ways a minister responds to the harsh opinions and actions of others, Fernando reminds us that God is the one who should be changing us by writing, “I have seen too many good people whose lives are ruined by the actions of bad people. Those bad people should not be allowed to have such a powerful impact on us!” (p. 113). If we allow others to minister to us in a negative way, we are not allowing God to minister to us.

The key for us as Christian leaders is to keep allowing ourselves to be transformed by God. 

Question: How do you allow yourself to be transformed by God?