How To Last In Ministry

Read a great post on Pastor Dave Fergusons Blog ,reagarding a message he had listened to by Pastor Rick Warren ,in regard to Ministry Burnout.

The thoughts of The Apostle Paul always challenge me.I have run the race,I have fought the good fight ,I have finished the race. God wants all of us to Run Fight and Finish well.

Character

Thoughts on Character

Character is not what a person will be in the future. Character is what a person is at this present time. Pressure reveals the way a person really is.

Character is not how a person acts. Character is also how a person thinks, their motives and attitudes. To change one’s character one must go deeper than actions.

Character does not appear without pressure. A person’s true character surfaces when the heat is on.

Character is not just what people can see. Character is what other people do not see. Works are not always the sign of a good character. Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart.

Character is not limited to having wisdom to comment on the behavior of others. Intellectually knowing how to act, think and feel consistently with Bible principles may be a far cry from actually living in harmony with those principles.

Character is not limited to relationships between Christians. How a person interacts with unbelievers also demonstrates their true character.

Character is not limited to a person’s relationship with their spiritual family. It also shows in how he treats his natural family.

(Thoughts from Frank Damazio’s book 'The Making of a Leader')

Walking on Water

John Ortberg in his book "If you want to walk on the water ,you have to get out of the boat" highlights several principles from Peters experience in matthew 14 ,and uses other examples in scripture to show us that their is a consistent pattern that people go through ,when they step out in faith to experience more of the power and the presence of God

1.There is always a call.

God asks an ordinary person to engage in an act of extraordinary trust, that of getting out of the boat.

2.There is always fear.

God has a habit of asking people to do things that are scary to them.
It may be a fear of inadequacy (“I am slow of speech and slow of tongue,” Moses said
It may be a fear of failure “The land we explored devours those who live in it, cried the spies sent out to the Promised Land”.
It may even be a fear of God (“For I knew you were a hard man, seeking to reap where you did not sow,” claimed the servant in Jesus parable.
But one way or another, their will be fear.

3.There is always reassurance.

God promises his presence (the Lord is with you, Mighty warriour!”An angel assures Gideon who had certainly never been addressed by that title before).God also promises to give whatever gifts are needed to fulfil his assignment (“I will help you to speak, and teach you what to say” he tells stuttering Moses)

4.There is always a decision.

Sometimes, as with Moses and Gideon, people say yes to Gods call .Sometimes, as with the 10 frightened spies, or the rich young ruler who spoke with Jesus, they say no. But always people must decide.

5.There is always a changed life.

Those who say yes to Gods call don’t walk the walk perfectly –not by a long shot .But because they say yes to God ,they learn and grow even from their failures .And they become part of his actions to redeem the world .
Those who say no are changed to .They become a little harder ,a little more resistant to his calling ,a little more likely to say no the next time .What ever the decision it changes a life –and it changes the world that little life touches

3rd "Gut Check Question"

#3 - Am I Understanding How Big God Is?

In the book of Matthew chapter 16 Jesus states he has given the church authority and influence to build and to advance his Kingdom on earth but to what decree that this will be done is wrapped up in the question he asks to Peter “Who do you say I am”

When you think of God, what comes to mind?
A.W. Tozer once said, “We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God.” If our ideas about God are coming from the wrong places, then our God will be too small.

God’s Word, His Son, and creation give us ideas about the Creator. In Romans 1, Paul tells us that creation reveals God’s glory, but men have suppressed this knowledge

I think many Christians live with a “God in a Box.” We put parameters on God that do not really hold true. We create fences rather than gateways. By doing this, we create our own notion of God instead of believe in God as he shows himself to us. We have made a God that is explainable, bound up by the human mind and only as powerful as we will let him be, as a result we limit His ability to work in us and to bless others through our lives.

We will need to let God out of the box of our limited understanding and imagination if we are to become all that He wants us to be. We will need to let God be GOD!

Is God getting bigger as you get to know him more?

2nd "Gut Check Question"

One of my favorite things I do once a year is watch reruns of the Rocky movies not that I am a huge fan of boxing -but I love the thought of the ordinary guy overcoming the odds and becoming a champion .One of my favorite quotes of Rocky 3 is when Mick turns to Rocky and says.

"But then the worst thing happened that could happen to any fighter,you got civilised

I dont believe that Christ has called us to a passive Faith ,where we just sit out our time on earth playing it safe while waiting for Christs return . Faith is spelt RISK ,and it doesnt matter to what degree that is ,as much as to the fact that we are taking them .When I say "them" I mean doing the things that cause our spirit to soar and our stomach to sink

I never want to be one of those leaders who only say , “Well, you know, I am praying about it!” Many Christians can often use prayer as an excuse for inactivity…but because it sounds spiritual then no one can argue. (please hear this in the context of risk)

I laugh when I read I Samuel 17, the story of David and Goliath.
In reading that story it is clear in I Samuel 17:16 that the Israelites were held in bondage for 40 days by the giant.
I am sure they prayed for God to remove the giant…maybe they sang songs to God about what a giant killer He was…or better yet, they began Bible studies on how to kill a giant. BUT–it wasn’t until David walked down into the valley and cut off the big fellas head off ,that people were set free.

David took a risk. Peter took a risk and because he did he is known as a wet water walker rather than only a dry boat talker

What is the risk that God wants you to take.Take a walk and see what Christ will do

1st "Gut Check Question"

Number 1
#Am I listening to the voice of God?

In Mark 3:14 it says Jesus ordained 12 that they should be with him and that he might send them forth to preach.

Whatever you think your calling is, you are called to be with Jesus.This is your primary calling,your highest ministry. Before Jesus said go into the world he said “Be with me”

The Lord has so many things that he desires to show us, but his real desire is that we know him more .I don’t know about you but I need more of Jesus every day .I need him more today than I did yesterday.

We often assume busyness means godliness but Jesus says in John 15vs 15
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing”.

When you stay “connected,” you bear fruit spontaneously. There’s no striving and straining. It’s just an outgrowth of your intimacy with Him.

I love the story in Mark 1vs 10-11 ,it’s the story of Jesus getting Baptised and coming out of the water and hearing the voice from heaven ‘You are my son whom I love ,with you I am well pleased .
Well pleased with what? The people he had spoken to, the healings he had done, the demons he had cast out, the miracles that were performed?

Not at all, Jesus had not even started any of these things .His father was well pleased, because Jesus consistently placed his devotion over duty, his passion over performance, his friendship over function.

Number 1#Am I listening to the voice of God?

Comments please...

Six Questions I ask

Every now and then ,its easy for people to drift through life ,this is especially true in ministry .
As leaders the greatest danger is remembering the HOW and forgetting the WHY .To keep us balanced between these two from time to time…in any arena of life there is a time for a “gut check.”

I have a conviction that this needs to be done approx every 26 days .This comes from Nehemiah ,the shortest guy in the bible being only Knee high LOL,who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days .

When the wall reached half its hight (26 days) they experienced the greatest opposition ,and presented Nehemiah with potentially a greater challenge "passivity". In my opionion there is nothing more effective in moving people from being passive to being productive ,than by reminding them of the WHY

Here are six questions I often use to do a personal gut check for ministry..

#1 - Am I Listening To The Voice of God?
#2 - Am I Taking Risks?
#3 - Am I Understanding How Big God Is?
#4 - Am I Surrounding Myself With The Right People
#5 -Am I RoleModelling The Right Behaviours
#6 - Am I Giving It My Best?

I will detail the first 3 of these in futher posts
Interested in comments

Understanding People Part 2

John Maxwell wrote these thoughts on the things every person needs to understand about people. See Part 1

Everybody Needs Somebody.

Contrary to popular belief, there are no such things as self-made men and women. Everybody needs somebody to come alongside and help. If you understand that, are willing to give to others and help them, and maintain the right motives, their lives and yours will change.


Everybody Can Be Somebody When Somebody Understands and Believes in Him or Her.

Once you understand people and believe in them, they really can become somebody. And it doesn't take much effort to help other people feel important. Little things, done deliberately at the right time, can make a big difference. When was the last time you went out of your way to make people feel special, as if they were somebody? The investment required on your part is totally overshadowed by the impact it makes on them.


Anybody Who Helps Somebody Influences a Lot of Bodies.

The final thing you need to understand about people is that when you help one person, you're really impacting a lot of other people. What you give to one person overflows into the lives of all the people that person impacts. It even impacts you because when you help others and your motives are good, you always receive more than you can ever give.

Understanding People Part 1

John Maxwell wrote these thoughts on the things every person needs to understand about people.

Knowing what people need and want is the key to understanding them. And if you can understand them, you can influence them and impact their lives in a positive way. Listed are five things about understanding people:

Everybody Wants to Be Somebody.

There isn't a person in the world who doesn't have the desire to be someone, to have significance. Even the least ambitious and unassuming person wants to be regarded highly by others. Once that piece of information becomes a part of your everyday thinking, you'll gain incredible insight into why people do the things they do. And if you treat every person you meet as if he or she was the most important person in the world, you'll communicate that he or she is somebody - to you.


Nobody Cares How Much You Know Until He Knows How Much You Care.

To be an influencer, you have to love people before you try to lead them. The moment that people know that you care for and about them, the way they feel about you changes. If you want to help others and become a person of influence, keep smiling, sharing, giving, and turning the other cheek.