I’ve heard leaders, in conversation with other leaders, say “I really don’t need worship but maybe once a month.” What does that mean? Do they feel it is a need or feeling that can be satiated one time a month? Have you looked carefully at the pattern of Jesus? To begin with, he was an Israelite. The people of Israel… Read more »
The need to succeed. Do you have that? I do. Embedded in me by my parents I became driven to succeed. One person even commented to me, “you seem to have such a need to succeed.” When the need to succeed becomes the driving force in the life of a leader, compromise is waiting at the door. Relax the standards… Read more »
The statement is often made, “I want to do this for the Kingdom.” Maybe so, but then again, maybe not so much. I find myself often hearing the Spirit processing my motive, “Why do you want that? Why would you like to be that speaker, that leader who does that?” And my heart is split open. Though I want a… Read more »
I was stuck in O’Hare airport. My flight had just been canceled and I was given an overnight stay plus a food voucher. But… I had already rushed dinner before my original wheels up time. So, what to do with the $25 food voucher? Cheesecake? Of course. There before my eyes was a cheesecake stand, “Eli’s”. But $25 worth of cheesecake? How in the… Read more »
Powerful leaders have in their history painful times. The difference is that spiritually powerful leaders have learned that the Lord shows up in those seasons and uses them to catalyze a future that they do not want to miss! Don’t waste your pain! Bring it to the Lord as a sacrifice and allow Him to sanctify it.
Jesus said he came so that we would have abundant life. Really? Do you know many people who would describe their life as abundant? Jam packed? Stressed? Over committed? Yes to all of the above, but abundant? Full of meaning and hope? Not quite. Which begs the question of why? Why is it that what Jesus promised we can’t seem to find? Is… Read more »
Every person chooses their level of impact. Our level of impact is not shaped by our parents, by our opportunities of school, our luck here or there. We choose our level of impact day after day, in the sacrifices we make, the moments we push ourselves a little extra, the times when we give up “what everyone else gets to do” so that we… Read more »
Jesus will always call out our inner world. He did it for the disciples (Mark 9:14-33). Before we can be used mightily, we must be cleansed deeply. He does this inner work by asking the questions that deeply reveal our hearts. “What were you arguing about along the way?” He asked, knowing that the subject of the argument was revealing their inner world. What… Read more »
The work continues! Along the way to significant leadership and our destiny, we have a few tests to pass. One is our willingness to hear the Word of the Lord and to obey, even when it is painful, even when it is humbling, even when it is embarrassing, even when it is a sacrifice and costly. Without passing this test, no leader is ready… Read more »
The inner work of a leader is often elusive. The inner work includes patterns that will feed and fuel the leader’s soul. Learning to be disciplined in reflective prayer, learning to sit with scripture; not to produce a lesson, but to invite the Lord to shape the heart and soul are essential. Years seeded with hours upon hours of alone prayer and reflective reading catalyzes a… Read more »