Leadership Lessons from Brett Farve by Mark Batterson
After I got up off the floor from laughing so hard, I was inspired! Check it out
January 20, 2010
January 18, 2010
I was a comic book nerd as a middle schooler and one of my favorite lines was “What If”. Now I’m not sure how it all worked, but I think it was an independent writer who took the characters and made what C.S. Lewis called “Supposals” between comic book worlds. For Example. What if… Kal El (Clark Kent) crashed his space ship in Gotham instead of Smallville. Then according to the author you’d have a Superman type character parading around in a Bat suit with a Batman attitude. I seem to remember it got kind of ugly. (DC’s What if… style comic was actually branded “Elseworlds“, but followed the same premise).
I’ve had this thought on my mind for few weeks now and like all the other post topics I have scheduled, it just hasn’t made it to print until now.
What if …. Jesus was more concerned about the opinion of man than the opinion of God? or
What if …. Jesus did what those around Him thought he should do?
As I’ve read through the N30X Challenge this week, two passages with Jesus addressing the very same idea with one of His disciples in both Matthew and Mark intrigued me.
Here’s a short list since there are possibly thousands of conceivable answers. The possibilities in bold are my favorite. (you know, in the rhetorical sense)
* He… never would have had people who needed redemption in his Genealogy i.e. Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the one who was Uriah’s wife. Matt 1
*Never would have been as helpless as an infant. Matt 1
*Never would have stepped foot in Egypt. Matt 2
*Never would have submitted Himself to earthly authority called parents. Matt 2
*Never would have let an inferior human baptize him. Matt 3
*Would have done everything Satan said he had to do to prove he was “the man”. Matt 4
*Never would have begun His ministry in Galilee. After all they weren’t wealthy enough to support Him. Matt 4
* Would have never called and expected common fishermen to change the world. Matt 4
* Never would have healed anyone, since he was too scared to be like God. Matt 5
* Would Have Never Clarified False Ideas about Church in the Culture promoted by the Supposed Religious Authority. Matt 5-7 ( this one is my favorite!)
*Would have never even gotten close to the Leper. At least not without Germ-X. Matt 8
*Would have never Healed the Centurions servant. Since outsiders aren’t important. Matt 8
*Would have never called Matthew to leadership because of how everyone else would have perceived the move, after all they knew His past. Matt 9
*Would have never sent out the 12 with authority because after all, No one could do it as good as He could. Matt 10
*Would Have never preached strongly about the need for repentance and faith. Matt 10
*Would have glossed over what becoming a Christian would cost. Matt 10
*Would have never made the gifts of the have-nots equal to the have’s
*Would have never stood up boldly against those in authority. Matt 12
*Would have never used stories to bring the teaching of the kingdom down to human level. Matt 13
*Would have never planned for the future by preparing others to be leaders. Matt 16
(BTW: Jesus’ organization exploded, not imploded after He was gone)
* Would not have taught on money because you can lose followers that way Matthew 17.
*Never taught on how to resolve conflict. Since he would have many unspoken resentments himself. Matt 18
*Never would have taught on marriage and sex since those are things you just shouldn’t talk about. Matt 19
*Would have made it easy for the rich to follow Him. Matt 19
*Never would have confronted the stupid, ungodly things going on in the church and certainly not with that tone of voice. Matt 21
*Never would have deferred glory to His Father , or praised Peter since His life is all about Him. Matt 22
* Would have never cried in front of people. Matt 23
*Would have never told His followers that a tribulation like none other in the world was awaiting them. (not good advertising) Matt 24
*Would never admit that he didn’t know something and tell you to ask the proper person. Matt 24
*Would have made the Christian life about holing-up instead of taking risks. Matt 25
*Would never let a woman worship Him lavishly, too undignified! Matt 26
*Would have never implemented a system of Neuro-Associative Conditioning to recreate the moment of rebirth in our hearts and minds. Matt 26
*Would have charbroiled Judas were he stood, with lightening from the sky (OK that’s probably just what I would have done). Matt 26
*Would have let the Cup pass from Him. Matt 26
*Would have called Angels to torch the soldiers and heal His wounds. Matt 27
*Would have performed wonders to prove His personality, rather that purchasing our souls to prove his love. Matt 27
*Would have never let women have a place among the church
*Would have never entrusted the Mission that he was just tortured to start to imperfect people.
Matthew 16:23
23Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
October 15, 2009
Delegate or Details
Posted by jonathanday under Leadership, Ministry, Reference, missionLeave a Comment
Finding your sweet spot and building an organization looks different for
Team
every leader. Sweet spots being those places where everyone can operate at their highest level and knock it out of the park every time. Some things you delegate because you can’t do them and be still effective. Some things you delegate because you just straight up can’t do them. For some folks in leadership positions giving away ministry and empowering others is difficult. They want to see their fingerprint on every aspect of the organization and they can’t sleep at night being out of control. Me on the other hand, I generally have no trouble giving away leadership responsibilities, while coaching and supporting those who are developing. But when have you given away too much? What are those things in your organization that only you can do? What are those things that need to be really involved in and not depend on or wait on someone else to do? My buddy Steven had a great post today examining this thought called Coach Your Special Teams. Very Thought Provoking. Give it a look.
Proverbs 13:20-21
He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. Evil pursues sinners, But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.
The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 . Thomas Nelson: Nashville
October 12, 2009
You work so hard. You pour you life in them. You give your time to them. You earn the right to be heard. You devise crucible situations for them. God overwhelms your heart when they triumph over their fears and inadequacies. But how do you react when God wants to take them and multiply THEIR ministry?
It’s sad to see leaders who are developing talent and other leaders to support their own ministry rather than to support the kingdom of God. This world is so lost and hungry how can I ever have a negative thought about God “taking” one of “my” leaders.
Yet I used to. Sometimes in a subtle way, that the Holy Spirit quickly checks, I still do. However what gives me joy and fulfillment in ministry has evolved over the past six years as I have understood the biblical role of pastors and the model of selfish leadership that Jesus gives us.
If there is any organization in the world called to train, empower and launch leaders into the world its the church. If we hold onto resources that God whats to reallocate to another ministry or another church or another continent, then we are not only being disobedient to God, but very practically speaking we are hindering the work of God as he tries to keep real live people out of a real live Hell.
Good leaders don’t devise systems that are unsustainable after they are gone.
Ephesians 4:11-13 And Christ gave gifts to people—he made some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to go and tell the Good News, and some to have the work of caring for and teaching God’s people. 12 Christ gave those gifts to prepare God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger. 13 This work must continue until we are all joined together in the same faith and in the same knowledge of the Son of God. We must become like a mature person, growing until we become like Christ and have his perfection.
October 9, 2009
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Matthew 21:15-16. 15But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.
16"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him.
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October 7, 2009
Counting The Cost of Sexual Immorality by Randy Alcorn of Eternal Perspective Ministries
One by One by Craig Groeshel of Life Church
Disturb Us Lord by Kevin Campbell of Elevate Church
Prioritize the Presence of Godby Steven Furtick of Elevation Church
Things Leaders Should Never Apologise For by Perry Noble of New Spring Church
The Person God Uses by Clint Freeman of Rock Springs Baptist Church
Difficult vs Simple by Mark Batterson of National Community Church
October 2, 2009
I was privileged to speak at Easley High School FCA this morning.
Very cool to see Coach 
Hunters room overflowing with students.
We received a challenge from scripture to step up and lead a school that is desperately looking to follow someone who is the real deal. God challenged Joshua in this way in Joshua 1:1-9.
Carolina Creme doughnuts are the best in entire universe. I can say that because I’ve been to each doughnut shop in the entire universe.
I hope Clemson can get this thing turned in the right direction. I don’t think we are far off. I didn’t think we were very far off for the last nine years either.
I’m almost done with Tom Sawyer. I probably should have read it a long time ago. Although I’m not finished I highly anticipate it will go on my “Favorite Books of All Time” list. Huck Finn will soon follow.
The First True Love Waits Message went well I thought. I’m always nervous when I preach on Love, Sex and Dating. Not because of the subject matter, but because misuse of a common phrase can cause riotous laughter among teenagers.
I never worry about keeping a teenagers attention during a message on sex. There is seldom eye contact, but you know they hear every word.
Godly leaders invest, empower, and launch people out into the ministries and places to which God has called them. Selfish leaders horde people and resources because they are afraid to lose what they’ve built, instead of trusting God to sustain what He has built.
The student ministry is instituting a “youth worker only” policy for adults during Collide on Wednesday. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s hard to man the 7,000 doors that lead into the High School Worship area.
Parents and other guests will still be welcome on a weekly, call ahead basis.
I love my wife and kids. There are others who can fill my ministry role, but only I can be their Husband and Daddy. I refuse to be the guy who is married to ministry instead of his family.
The second line of the above paragraph came from Terry Carlton. Check out his blog. He’s a pretty smart kid.
I Cor 3:8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will areceive his own 1reward according to his own labor.
September 28, 2009
The advent of twitter and Facebook brings about a new challenge for those of us in ministry. The constant challenge to be real in an on demand public forum. How do you express a real thought or a real feeling without coming under scrutiny from those with different expectations of what you should be or do? At any time you might hear a comment for not giving off the “right” impression. After all people in ministry aren’t allowed to have a day when things just don’t go right, or simply be in a bad mood and if you do, sharing about it is out of the question. Then again if you express your overwhelming confidence and joy about what Jesus has done in your life you may be accused sunshine pumping and those people who ALWAYS have bad days are never happy with people who manage to actually get some fulfillment out of life.
Bottom line is that everyone has their idea of what a minister or pastor or staff person should be and be in public. Some think you should always be positive even if it’s a lie. Some think if you don’t have anything positive to say then just don’t say it. But I’m choosing to be myself. Will I share every cross thought that goes through my mind to the whole world? Certainly not. but I will never lead people while hiding behind the “I never struggle” mantle. In this journey I choose to be an example of how to overcome and most of the time that means being open enough to accept encouragement from others. We are in this faith journey together and I’m asking you to follow me as a fellow struggler pursuing the same goal not as an already glorified saint. The Apostle Paul says it this way…
21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 . Zondervan: Grand Rapids
September 27, 2009
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Matthew 21:15-17 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?”
August 5, 2009
Here they are in no particular order, 5 posts that challenged me, shaped my thinking, or caused me to scream: Preach It Brotha!
1. Mark Batterson: Compliments and Criticism
2.Scott Rodgers: Faith, Risk, and Stupidity
3.Clint Freeman: Do You Worship Your Church
4. John Piper: Hell Never Produced a Single Pleasure
5.Steven Furtyck: Prophets Priests and Kings Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
