Brothers,
Here is a great excerpt from Pat Williams "Integrity Is King." The entire article should be contemplated by us all as we inspect our lives for that which God expects in our character!
For The Kings Honor!
RGH
"To be a person of integrity, you must stand for truth and righteousness at all times—even when you are under fire, in extreme temptation, in times of loneliness and solitude, and great need, suffering and want. If your integrity is something you can put on and take off like a suit of clothes, it's not integrity at all. It's just a disguise to hide the person you really are."
....The 10 Universal Characteristics of Integrity:
1. You know that little things count.
2. You find the white when others see gray.
3. You mess up, you fess up.
4. You create a culture of trust.
5. You keep your word.
6. You care about the greater good.
7. You're honest but modest.
8. You act like you're being watched.
9. You hire integrity.
10. You stay the course.
http://www.charismanow.com/index.php/charisma-channels/men/25493-integrity-is-king
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
We Will Never....
Pastor Perry Noble shares 20 things he believes we will never do:
#1 – We will NEVER be without a message as long as we are desperate for God’s voice.
#2 – We will NEVER make everyone happy; therefore, pleasing everyone should never be our goal.
#3 – We will NEVER be successful in ministry by immersing ourselves into full blown competition with other churches.
#4 – We will NEVER be content in life if we believe we have something to prove.
#5 – We will NEVER be able to serve Jesus to our maximum capacity if we are not actively obeying His commands to rest and disconnect. (See Isaiah 30:15)
#6 – We will NEVER accomplish what Jesus is calling us to accomplish if we are not willing to take risks.
#7 – We will NEVER do what God has called us to do alone…if He’s called us to accomplish something amazing then He will also surround us with the people to pull it off.
#8 – We will NEVER discover a strategy that has been the “secret” for church growth all along…because each church is different.
#9 – We will NEVER honor God by seeking to build “our brand” rather than building disciples.
#10 – We will NEVER achieve our maximum potential in ministry if our goal is simply to impress our online audience and, while doing so, neglect the people in our own community.
#11 – We will NEVER see people become who God is calling them to be if we make INFORMATION rather than TRANSFORMATION the goal.
#12 – We will NEVER see God’s power unleashed in our churches if we refuse to talk about Jesus and what HE did for us on the cross.
#13 – We will NEVER truly connect with the people we lead if we always pretend that we have it all together…people identify with our failures way more than our success’s.
#14 – We will NEVER be able to teach about self control with integrity if we are obese because we are gluttons.
#15 – We will NEVER be looked at as successful in ministry if we grow a great church, but sacrifice our family to do so.
#16 – We will NEVER see great things happen in our ministry if we believe that every great idea must come from us!
#17 – We will NEVER see staff members achieve their maximum potential if we don’t trust them…and if we don’t hold them accountable.
#18 – We will NEVER have a great staff if we make it their goal to serve us rather than serve Jesus!
#19 – We will NEVER successfully motivate the people we work with through manipulation and/or fear…if your vision isn’t enough motivation then there is a problem. (AND btw…if you take pride in the fact that people “fear you,” then it is obvious that there is no fear of God in you!)
#20 – We will NEVER honor God by compromising the vision He gave us in order to not ask so much of people.
http://www.perrynoble.com/2009/11/24/we-will-never
#1 – We will NEVER be without a message as long as we are desperate for God’s voice.
#2 – We will NEVER make everyone happy; therefore, pleasing everyone should never be our goal.
#3 – We will NEVER be successful in ministry by immersing ourselves into full blown competition with other churches.
#4 – We will NEVER be content in life if we believe we have something to prove.
#5 – We will NEVER be able to serve Jesus to our maximum capacity if we are not actively obeying His commands to rest and disconnect. (See Isaiah 30:15)
#6 – We will NEVER accomplish what Jesus is calling us to accomplish if we are not willing to take risks.
#7 – We will NEVER do what God has called us to do alone…if He’s called us to accomplish something amazing then He will also surround us with the people to pull it off.
#8 – We will NEVER discover a strategy that has been the “secret” for church growth all along…because each church is different.
#9 – We will NEVER honor God by seeking to build “our brand” rather than building disciples.
#10 – We will NEVER achieve our maximum potential in ministry if our goal is simply to impress our online audience and, while doing so, neglect the people in our own community.
#11 – We will NEVER see people become who God is calling them to be if we make INFORMATION rather than TRANSFORMATION the goal.
#12 – We will NEVER see God’s power unleashed in our churches if we refuse to talk about Jesus and what HE did for us on the cross.
#13 – We will NEVER truly connect with the people we lead if we always pretend that we have it all together…people identify with our failures way more than our success’s.
#14 – We will NEVER be able to teach about self control with integrity if we are obese because we are gluttons.
#15 – We will NEVER be looked at as successful in ministry if we grow a great church, but sacrifice our family to do so.
#16 – We will NEVER see great things happen in our ministry if we believe that every great idea must come from us!
#17 – We will NEVER see staff members achieve their maximum potential if we don’t trust them…and if we don’t hold them accountable.
#18 – We will NEVER have a great staff if we make it their goal to serve us rather than serve Jesus!
#19 – We will NEVER successfully motivate the people we work with through manipulation and/or fear…if your vision isn’t enough motivation then there is a problem. (AND btw…if you take pride in the fact that people “fear you,” then it is obvious that there is no fear of God in you!)
#20 – We will NEVER honor God by compromising the vision He gave us in order to not ask so much of people.
http://www.perrynoble.com/2009/11/24/we-will-never
Dumbing Down Membership Standards
Excellent Quote in The Ministry Today Report on how church leaders' low expectations of believers can ruin the kingdom purposes of a congregation:
"In most churches, membership requires little more than a public declaration of faith and a quick trip through the baptistery. After meeting these requirements, members hear vague notions about being involved in stewardship, discipleship and service. … Perhaps we are cheating church members. We assume that most church members won’t evangelize, so we’re happy to stick with the very few who understand the mandate. We assume that most church members will not get involved in a demanding Bible study, so we water down our teaching to appeal to the masses. We assume that many church members will never tithe or give of their time in service to the community for the glory of our King, so we budget accordingly. At best, we hope that people will act on our suggestions. … Perhaps we should stop designing worship services, discipleship programs and youth events for the “average Christian” (aka: the Christian we don’t expect anything out of). Instead, let’s refocus on our church covenants and clearly communicate the expectations for being a disciple in the kingdom of God."
—Trevin Wax, associate pastor of First Baptist Church in Shelbyville, Tenn., [trevinwax.com, 11/10/09]
Read the full article:http://trevinwax.com/2009/11/10/why-low-expectations-cheat-our-church-members
"In most churches, membership requires little more than a public declaration of faith and a quick trip through the baptistery. After meeting these requirements, members hear vague notions about being involved in stewardship, discipleship and service. … Perhaps we are cheating church members. We assume that most church members won’t evangelize, so we’re happy to stick with the very few who understand the mandate. We assume that most church members will not get involved in a demanding Bible study, so we water down our teaching to appeal to the masses. We assume that many church members will never tithe or give of their time in service to the community for the glory of our King, so we budget accordingly. At best, we hope that people will act on our suggestions. … Perhaps we should stop designing worship services, discipleship programs and youth events for the “average Christian” (aka: the Christian we don’t expect anything out of). Instead, let’s refocus on our church covenants and clearly communicate the expectations for being a disciple in the kingdom of God."
—Trevin Wax, associate pastor of First Baptist Church in Shelbyville, Tenn., [trevinwax.com, 11/10/09]
Read the full article:http://trevinwax.com/2009/11/10/why-low-expectations-cheat-our-church-members
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Does Egalitarianism Imperil The Gospel?
Brothers,
Please take a few moments and listen carefully to C. J. Mahaney of Sovereign Grace Ministries. He reminds us that Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is not a secondary issue for Pastors and strongly declares that confusion on the issue threatens the Gospel. I whole heartily concur. [rgh]
Click to listen: http://www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/Mahaney-Potential-Peril-for-the-Gospel
Please take a few moments and listen carefully to C. J. Mahaney of Sovereign Grace Ministries. He reminds us that Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is not a secondary issue for Pastors and strongly declares that confusion on the issue threatens the Gospel. I whole heartily concur. [rgh]
Click to listen: http://www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/Mahaney-Potential-Peril-for-the-Gospel
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Five Questions Leaders Should Ask
Perry Noble has been posting some great leadership principles that are reflective of seasoned experience and accumulated wisdom. May we be wise enough to heed his good counsel. Hopefully, you will recognize a few of these from our Redeemed Community days. [rgh]
One of the things I have learned as a leader over the past few years is that leaders do NOT always have the answer…so…we need to learn how to ask questions. Here are five that have helped me out in my journey so far…
#1 – “What Do You Think?”
Whenever someone brings a problem to my attention and wants to know how to handle it…I always ask them this question before I offer what I may think is a solution. (If you always have to be the one to solve problems…your church is in BIG trouble!).
The reason for asking this question is…I want to see if the person who brought the problem to me is a leader or not. You see, if he/she is a leader….then they have already figured out the solution that needs to be put into place.
If you ask this question to a person often…and they never have an answer for what they think should be done…then most likely you don’t have a leader.
A leader is BEGGING for his/her opinion to be heard…and this question can allow some unbelievable leadership potential to be unleashed in your organization!
#2 – “When Do You Need An Answer?”
Often times leaders will ask for your opinion/advice/permission when it comes to something in their area. Unfortunately, I have made the mistake many times of telling someone I would get back with them and not understanding the urgency of their request for some input.
So…I’ve learned that when someone seeks my advice one of the BEST things I can do is ask them when they need an answer…that tells me whether or not I have time to think about it…or if I need to immediately seek the Holy Spirit’s help and just give them the thought that He brings to mind.
#3 – “How Would BLANK Handle This Situation?”
Often times as leaders we get so emotionally tied to a situation that it clouds our ability to make the right decision. SO…a few years ago whenever I was faced with a very emotional BUT necessary decision I would ask, “If Andy Stanley or Craig Groeschel were staring at this situation and had to make a decision…what would they do?” (Or you could say – WWAD or WWCD!)
Why Andy and Craig…because they are two leaders who I believe God is using to change the world and make a difference. They have both mentored me and I highly respect them both as men of God and as pastors/leaders.
I can honestly say that there have been times that I’ve been stuck and this question has brought clarity to the situation.
SO…pick a leader you know and admire…and put their name in the blank.
#4 – “Who/What Area Will Be The Most Impacted By This Decision?”
The reason for this question is simple…no matter how your leadership process is set up…if someone on your staff (or an entire area) is going to be impacted by the decision that is made…then that someone (or a rep from that area) needs to be included in the decision making process.
If people are more involved in the decision making process…it is WAY easier for them to buy in.
#5 – “How Many Times Have We Dealt With This Issue?”
I saw a sign the other day that said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get different results.”
When a leadership team has to continually wrestle with the same issue…continually makes the same decision…constantly experiences the same frustration and then goes through the cycle again…insanity has began to reign supreme.
If I just described your leadership meetings…then SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE. What? I’m not sure…but I am sure that the way you’ve been trying to handle it isn’t working…so something new needs to be embraced.
http://www.perrynoble.com/2009/11/10/five-questions-that-leaders-should-ask/
One of the things I have learned as a leader over the past few years is that leaders do NOT always have the answer…so…we need to learn how to ask questions. Here are five that have helped me out in my journey so far…
#1 – “What Do You Think?”
Whenever someone brings a problem to my attention and wants to know how to handle it…I always ask them this question before I offer what I may think is a solution. (If you always have to be the one to solve problems…your church is in BIG trouble!).
The reason for asking this question is…I want to see if the person who brought the problem to me is a leader or not. You see, if he/she is a leader….then they have already figured out the solution that needs to be put into place.
If you ask this question to a person often…and they never have an answer for what they think should be done…then most likely you don’t have a leader.
A leader is BEGGING for his/her opinion to be heard…and this question can allow some unbelievable leadership potential to be unleashed in your organization!
#2 – “When Do You Need An Answer?”
Often times leaders will ask for your opinion/advice/permission when it comes to something in their area. Unfortunately, I have made the mistake many times of telling someone I would get back with them and not understanding the urgency of their request for some input.
So…I’ve learned that when someone seeks my advice one of the BEST things I can do is ask them when they need an answer…that tells me whether or not I have time to think about it…or if I need to immediately seek the Holy Spirit’s help and just give them the thought that He brings to mind.
#3 – “How Would BLANK Handle This Situation?”
Often times as leaders we get so emotionally tied to a situation that it clouds our ability to make the right decision. SO…a few years ago whenever I was faced with a very emotional BUT necessary decision I would ask, “If Andy Stanley or Craig Groeschel were staring at this situation and had to make a decision…what would they do?” (Or you could say – WWAD or WWCD!)
Why Andy and Craig…because they are two leaders who I believe God is using to change the world and make a difference. They have both mentored me and I highly respect them both as men of God and as pastors/leaders.
I can honestly say that there have been times that I’ve been stuck and this question has brought clarity to the situation.
SO…pick a leader you know and admire…and put their name in the blank.
#4 – “Who/What Area Will Be The Most Impacted By This Decision?”
The reason for this question is simple…no matter how your leadership process is set up…if someone on your staff (or an entire area) is going to be impacted by the decision that is made…then that someone (or a rep from that area) needs to be included in the decision making process.
If people are more involved in the decision making process…it is WAY easier for them to buy in.
#5 – “How Many Times Have We Dealt With This Issue?”
I saw a sign the other day that said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get different results.”
When a leadership team has to continually wrestle with the same issue…continually makes the same decision…constantly experiences the same frustration and then goes through the cycle again…insanity has began to reign supreme.
If I just described your leadership meetings…then SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE. What? I’m not sure…but I am sure that the way you’ve been trying to handle it isn’t working…so something new needs to be embraced.
http://www.perrynoble.com/2009/11/10/five-questions-that-leaders-should-ask/
Sunday, November 8, 2009
How Does Adultery Happen?
"It begins in a variety of places--at church or at work, with a neighbor or with a friend--but it always starts with walls and windows.
This is what I mean: anytime you are talking with a person of the opposite sex, and you start to veer into inappropriate conversational territory, what happens is that you open up a window with them. And every time you open up a window with someone of the opposite sex, you build a wall between you and your spouse."
Read the full article by Jimmy Evans :
http://www.marriagetoday.org/site/PageServer?pagename=MessageViewer&em_id=11581.0&printer_friendly=1
This is what I mean: anytime you are talking with a person of the opposite sex, and you start to veer into inappropriate conversational territory, what happens is that you open up a window with them. And every time you open up a window with someone of the opposite sex, you build a wall between you and your spouse."
Read the full article by Jimmy Evans :
http://www.marriagetoday.org/site/PageServer?pagename=MessageViewer&em_id=11581.0&printer_friendly=1
Monday, November 2, 2009
Leadership Reality Check!
The Barna study interviewed 1,736 individuals who qualified as leaders. Those individuals were then evaluated in relation to 15 core leadership competencies. The results indicated that the three competencies which leaders struggle with the most all relate to developing the tools needed to succeed.
Specifically, leaders are most likely to have difficulties developing the tangible resources (e.g., funds, personnel, facilities) needed to accomplish plans; developing the skills of other leaders to facilitate more effective organizational performance; and developing the systems required to efficiently complete the tasks at hand. Each of those dimensions encompasses a variety of tasks and efforts.
According to the research, the specific behaviors that leaders do most poorly include:
>Negotiating agreements that maximize benefits at minimal cost.
>Attracting new resources to the organization – especially human and financial capital.
>Developing and implementing individualized developmental plans for emerging leaders.
>Nurturing robust relationships with existing colleagues, demonstrating sufficient care and attention to their needs.
The research also discovered that leaders sometimes perceive themselves to be more effective at specific aspects of leading than their performance suggests.
...Barna noted:
“Many of the master leaders concurred that if you are called by God to lead and you have the quality of character that motivates people to follow you, you can succeed because the competencies required can be learned,” he commented.
“Toward that end, it is invaluable to have one or more proven leaders who take you under their wing and systematically coach you in the kinds of skills you need.”
http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/17-leadership/319-study-of-leaders-identifies-their-weaknesses
Specifically, leaders are most likely to have difficulties developing the tangible resources (e.g., funds, personnel, facilities) needed to accomplish plans; developing the skills of other leaders to facilitate more effective organizational performance; and developing the systems required to efficiently complete the tasks at hand. Each of those dimensions encompasses a variety of tasks and efforts.
According to the research, the specific behaviors that leaders do most poorly include:
>Negotiating agreements that maximize benefits at minimal cost.
>Attracting new resources to the organization – especially human and financial capital.
>Developing and implementing individualized developmental plans for emerging leaders.
>Nurturing robust relationships with existing colleagues, demonstrating sufficient care and attention to their needs.
The research also discovered that leaders sometimes perceive themselves to be more effective at specific aspects of leading than their performance suggests.
...Barna noted:
“Many of the master leaders concurred that if you are called by God to lead and you have the quality of character that motivates people to follow you, you can succeed because the competencies required can be learned,” he commented.
“Toward that end, it is invaluable to have one or more proven leaders who take you under their wing and systematically coach you in the kinds of skills you need.”
http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/17-leadership/319-study-of-leaders-identifies-their-weaknesses
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