Top Lessons from 2011- Be Faithful in Little

My next several posts will be lessons I learned or re-learned (the hard way) in 2011. All of them were learned through experience not books or in theory. Hopefully, I can save you the pain of learning them through difficult, so learn from my brokenness.

BE FAITHFUL IN LITTLE BEFORE BEING ENTRUSTED WITH MUCH

I started out 2011, leading Lifehouse with a vision to plant one new church this Fall and start 2 multi-sites, one on Saturday evening and the other as a 2nd campus on Sunday mornings. To be frank, I even shared with our team and thought privately that it was very ambitious and seemed impossible. I suggested that it's not really how churches function, even a thriving, healthy church like Lifehouse.

Then, I figured, "our vision for the Church should be overwhelming and seem impossible."

We planted Lifehouse- Hedgesville and it publicly launched in Sept. 2011! We're very excited about what God has done and is doing through Pastor JD and LHC-H.

BUT the lesson: we didn't start 2 multi-sites in 2011. We are still working on getting a multi-site service up and going and have it in the works for 2012. We very much plan on making this happen with God's help. However, we did learn a hard lesson: Be Faithful in Little BEFORE being entrusted with much!

God entrusts us with little so we can prove faithful and fruitful. Once, we've learned the necessary skills, lived the experiences, and developed the character needed to thrive in much, God will entrusts us with MORE. Then, MUCH!

We had not proven that we could launch ONE multi-site or plant ONE new church! So, it was not only ambitious to plan to launch 3 in one year, it was unrealistic. Not because God is unable, but because Kingdom- wisdom requires us to learn, be faithful in little THEN be entrusted with more.

We are planning on launching a multi-site this year. We hope to learn all the necessary lessons and gain all the necessary experience so that we can launch another.

What lessons do you need to learn in your area of "little" so that God can entrust you with "more"?


How can you prepare yourself rigorously for the dreams God has put in your heart?

How the Enemy Attacks- Plot 2

When you are obedient to God and His purposes, then you are also in opposition to God's enemies and those that the enemy uses to strategizes against God's Kingdom. Great! It's assured by Jesus in the Bible that Christian will face persecution, hardship, and attack. Satan will oppose us when we pursuing God and build His Kingdom. The principles of how the enemy attacks and the antidote to those plots are found in Ezra and Nehemiah, which Lifehouse studied in January.

The enemies first attack - friendship and flattery.

His second line of attack is just the opposite - insults and ridicule.

When friendliness and flattery don't work to slow you down or stop God's work in your life, then expect mocking and insults.

Here's some humor to illustrate this second plot of the enemy.



Now, for a less sacrilegious example straight from the Bible,


When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”
3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!” Nehemiah 4:1-3, NIV.

Do you notice the patter when you read? Sanballat and Tobiah were angry, so they ridiculed the people, mocked Nehemiah, and made fun of their "great efforts" and belittled them.

Plot 2 - what does the enemy hope to accomplish through insult and ridicule?

• to discourage us,
• to make us feel like failures,
• to make us doubt God and His power in us,
• so that we'll give up and stop working for God's Kingdom.

Nehemiah's response and our principle to overcome the enemy's strategies?

Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Nehemiah 4:4, NIV.

The antidote to Plot 2?

• in face of discouragement, prayer and worship!
• when feeling like failure, depend on God's strength rather than our own!
• in face of doubt, endure by faith! 
• in face of temptation to quit, NEVER GIVE UP! If it's God's work, then it's worth all sacrifice and any price. Endure hardship until the end!

Prayer is the antidote to worry and fear. Trust God, depend on God. Hand the situation over to Him. Read Psalm 36-37 to hear King David's response when he faced this attack of the enemy.

Why does the enemy attack in this way?

There is pride, selfishness, and genuine evil in the world. Someone people genuinely don't like it when others are about God's Work and care about His Church and His people. Nehemiah explains why his enemies opposed him.

When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites. Nehemiah 2:10, NIV.

The lesson in the "why"? When you are about what God is about, care about what God cares about, and are passionately engaged in the Work of God, don't take attacks PERSONALLY! Understand that the enemy of God will attack anyone that is doing the Work of God. The attack is against God and His Church not against you specifically.

Resetting Your Default Mode

Maybe it's a bad habit, an attitude, a fear or worry. Maybe it's going back to an old relationship or replaying a bad memory. Maybe you revel in a past regret or that mental recording of what 'someone' once said to you.

We all have a default mode.

In crisis, stress, or discouragement, we often revert back to our default mode. Uncertainty, spiritual dryness, and loneliness can all trigger our default mode.

And it needs to be reset.

Computers and most electronics  have this safety, emergency feature 'reset default' to factory settings. At times, in crisis or ruts, we must reset our default mode. Once we realize that our default patterns are not God-pleasing, we invite God to conform our will and transform our thinking to a default mode of WORSHIP and PRAYER.

Leadership Lessons from 2 Samuel

for The Unquenchable Life daily Bible reading plan, we've been reading through 2 Samuel. Here are a few leadership lessons from the reading over the last few days:

1. How to treat our "enemies".

• Do you rejoice or mourn at the death (or pain) of your enemies? David grieved and mourned when Saul was killed in battle, thus the phrase from his song, "Oh, how the might have fallen!"
• Do we take revenge of evil into our own hands? Do we think that harming our enemy or laughing at their pain is justified? David killed those who killed his enemies and grieved that the evil done to them. Evil is evil regardless of the server or recipient.

2. Fulfilling God's agenda or my agenda.

• Do you trust God to accomplish His purposes through your life or take it into your own hands and build your own kingdom? David didn't try to secure his own throne or rule, but allow God to raise him up. David never saw the throne as "his" but as "given by God". (see 2 Sam 5:10).

3. Facing battles.

• Even though David's army had defeated the Philistines once, they gathered against him again. Does that mean he didn't win the first time? Should he have become discouraged? Should David have said, "I've been here before and faced same battle?" then use same battle plan as before?
• David recognized that even though you may win a battle, the enemy may fight against you again. Don't be discouraged if you're facing a similar battle as in past victories. BUT don't assume that the same strategy is required. 
• v. 23- David inquired of the LORD (again)...

4. Obedience to God is more important than accomplishing the task (even if it's the right thing to do).

• Do we use the patterns of the world to follow God? David copied the Philistines method for handling the ark of God and it caused death and despair, when it should have brought blessing and joy.
• Is it appropriate for us to "fear God" (v.9) if we engage in "irreverent acts" (v.7) toward God? We should fear God and worship Him with a holy, healthy respect.
• v.11- God's blessing rests on those who treat His presence with honor and obedience.

Faith VS Fear

It would make great reality TV, but no one would sign up to have their faith tested. Would you be a contestant on Faith versus Fear? Here are some indicators of how you'd be tested.

You might be controlled by fear if you think:

• Ambition: The journey of a thousand miles sometimes ends very, very badly.
• Despair: It's always darkest just before it goes pitch black.
• Limitations: Until you spread your wings, you'll have no idea how far you can walk.
  
• Mistakes: It could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others.
• Wishes: When you wish upon a falling star, your dreams can come true. Unless it's really a meteorite hurtling to the Earth which will destroy all life. Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for. Unless it's death by meteor.
• Potential: Not everyone gets to be an astronaut when they grow up.
  

The above were taken from www.despair.com. Now, you know I have a dry sense of humor.

HOWEVER:

• Faith knows that darkness, pain, hurt, and hardship are the pathway to greater revelation of who God is and how He works in and through our lives.
• Faith sees those moments, not as an end BUT as the front end of a miracle.
• Faith sees risk through the eyes of God's power and Spirit, which is limitless and all powerful.
• Faith chooses to believe rather than plunge into fear, worry, and doubt. 
• Faith wrestles with deep emotions of anguish, fear, doubt, frustration, and despair BUT is not overtaken by them. How? Not through self-inspiration, but through TRUST in God. Faith allows God to overcome through us.
• While fear worries, faith prays!
• Faith does not look to God to avoid suffering BUT to discover my joy in Christ goes deeper than suffering, lack, or hurt.
• Faith does not ask for comfort BUT learns that Jesus-followers have a peace that surpasses all discomfort in this lifetime.

Okay, not preaching, just explaining from personal experience. Maybe we've all been entered into the reality show of life called "Faith versus Fear".

What are your faith vs. fear stories?

Yes, I am THAT guy!

As much as I hate to admit it, over the last few weeks, I've become THAT guy.

First, I got in my first car accident the week before Christmas, and so I was THAT guy on the side of the road, staring at my broken car with mess in the street and fire, police, and tow trucks around.

And it was the day we got the inch or 2 of snow, so it was freezing cold. Not whining, just explaining.

Then, yesterday, I wiped on the treadmill at the Y. Yep, I'm THAT guy that falls on the treadmill. I mean, who does that?!

It was pretty embarrassing. How? My ipod fell off when I hit the earphone wire.  I thought I hit the stop button when I got off to pick up my ipod, so when I got back on, I was surprised to step onto the still spinning machine. WIPE OUT! The gym was full, and several people started asking me if I was okay.

Honestly, from an average guys perspective, even if my arm or leg was severed, I still would have said, "of course, I'm fine!" However, that was the end of my run.

Here are some other people that were THAT guy, only way funnier:

You shouldn't have laughed, that almost was me...


What's your experience at being THAT guy? I want some good confessions here.

Lesson #11 from 2010

Less is More. The concept isn't original to me, but I learned this lesson the hard way in 2010.

First my confession: I can be a little bit workaholic and a lot passionate. So, I tend to work really hard in the ministry and want to get and keep my hands in everything. However, I learned early in church planting that I have to spend most my time training and developing leaders then giving them meaningful opportunities to lead. Once they're proven, I don't micro-manage, but trust them to lead and continue to build God's Kingdom.

However, I create more work for myself and our team by dreaming bigger dreams and running after even greater purposes of God. Then, I have to keep giving away major chunks of my job description, so that we can continue to reach more people and impact God's Kingdom. So far so good. But, there are lots of areas that I don't want to give away or not sure if I can trust the leader, so I keep doing it, even when I don't want to.

In 2010, I had a few areas that I thought I was good at, even gifted, only to learn that I'm not that good, and even worse, I was putting my hands into areas where others were better equipped. This zapped my energy, passion, and even caused me to start doubting myself. Since I was drained, I had less energy and focus to lead in the areas where I'm very passionate and feel most gifted. Result- weary, discouraged leader who had to learn to give away more opportunities and responsibility. Less is more!

Want biblical evidence for this lesson: read Romans 12.

The teaching part of this I heard and read from Andy Stanley in his book, Next Generation Leader and his leadership podcast here. I'd recommend all leaders listen and read them.

Here are the keys to what I've heard and now, learned the hard way.

The more I try to do, the less I get done. The more areas I try to work at, the less impact I have in any area. And the more I do, the less others can do.

The less I do the more I accomplish. The less I do, the more opportunity others have and the more they get done.

Hardest part of this lesson for me: to be honest enough and self-aware enough to realize that I am not as good at as many things as I thought I was. And there are others that are much better at most things than me.

My (and your) options:

1. to feel insecure and inadequate, and try to improve in those areas, and keep spreading our selves so thin, and hope that no one notices OR


2. admit my weaknesses in humility and acknowledge my strengths, then focus the bulk of my energy in the areas of my greatest strengths.

Leaders offer the most good to the Church when they leverage their greatest gifts, and maximize their full potential in the specific areas that God has uniquely anointed and gifted them. However, leaders hurt the Church when they focus on strengthening their weaknesses, then use those marginally improved weaknesses in the Church.

We must do what ONLY we can do.

This doesn't mean that we'll have shorter work weeks, just more focused hours while we're working.

This isn't an excuses to NOT strength areas of weak character. We must grow in Christ-like character. I'm writing about areas of limitations in skill, competence, and calling. In character, we must constantly be growing, in the others- less is more.

Thanks, Lifehouse, for your patience as I grow and learn these hard lessons the hard way.

Ask yourself: what are your strengths? What can only you do? how can you do that to the fullest for God's Kingdom? What do you need to stop doing? Make a "don't do" list.

Lesson #12 from 2010

I'll take some time each day to blog lessons I learned (many the hard way) from 2010. Starting with #12:

Transparency trumps failure. When, not if, we mess up, admit it candidly, take responsibility, then move on.

Biblical mandate for this principle: Isaiah 11:2-3, "

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD..." (NKJV)

I've never made any pretense of being perfect or fearless. However, when I mess up or fail, it can still be very disillusioning to those I lead. That fear of leaving people demotivated and disillusioned can keep many pastors and leaders back from being honest about their shortcomings, failures, and poor decisions. But I learned in 2010, regardless of how sizable the failure or painful the unmet expectation, just admit it.

During a particularly difficult season at Lifehouse, I had a choice, as I was preparing for our annual business meeting, where I was going to present that things did not work out like I had vision-casted that they would. Be the leader I was taught to be and act like I had it all figured out and just cast new/ different vision, hoping people won't figure out that we've dramatically changed course OR candidly share my mistakes, what I've learned, what I am certain God is speaking to us, and transparently invite people to follow in spite of my humanness.

To my surprise, Jesus-followers are more gracious with transparent, honest leaders than we give them credit. People are looking for vulnerability among leaders more than stoic, I-have-it-all-together-and-figured-out charades.

Thanks Lifehouse for giving me a deeper faith in God and the Church.

In what area do you need to choose transparency over saving face?

When I'm Wrong...

It happens often enough and most of the time, I realize it too- I make mistakes, mess up, or am flat out wrong. Much of the time, many don't even realize that I am, other times those around me are waiting for me to realize it or wonder if I know. But there is always this critical moment when I realize I was wrong. What do I do now?

The other day I sent an email out citing the example of Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac, but instead of saying Abraham, I called him Moses. Sounds benign, right? But what if, in the middle of my sermon I'm recounting an historical narrative, and make a blatant error in recounting the story. For example, this past Sunday, I was retelling the story of how the Philistines "returned" the Ark of the Covenant by placing it on a new cart, yoked two oxen that had never plowed AND we're still nursing from their mother (where I got this from I have no idea). But that simple statement was wrong. Actually, here's what 1 Samuel 6 says about the oxen,
Now then, get a new cart ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up (1 Sa 6:7).

So, they weren't young calves, but nursing mothers who wouldn't want to leave their calves behind and would be maternally wanting to stay with or return to their babies. Interestingly, I had not intended on telling the full background of that narrative, but once I started preaching, I felt the need to give more context. But since I had not recently read it, that detail was off.

I could overlook that error, hope that no one even noticed OR address it and correct it. So, as publicly as I can, I want to let everyone know that I'm wrong. I'm willing to study and make sure that I'm biblically accurate.

Wish I could say that my only failings have been in simple error or forgotten details. There are other times when I've really done wrong or hurt someone. Then what?

The bigger lesson: When I'm wrong, I'll take full responsibility for it, acknowledge it and let those involved know it, not blame or pass the buck, then correct my mistake, wrong, or sin with clear action. Repent if necessary. Make restitution when needed or warranted. Then, I'll move on and learn from my mistakes and failures. I don't keep looking back at my sins and failures, but accept forgiveness from God, others, and myself, and live looking forward.

Failures are expensive lessons to develop character, growth, and maturity in my life.

What failures or wrongs do you need to acknowledge and make right?