• Leadership is a journey
• Fix your eyes on your current responsibilities
• Finish what your start
• Delayed action creates discouragement and loss of production
• Be a marathon leader and not a sprinter leader
• A leaders attitude will determine the atmosphere
• Win people not arguments
• Your work ethic will speak for itself
• CARE, it does matter
• Your leadership can outlive you and keep on making a difference
• Measuring matters because growth matters
• Get a Way so you can hear from God how to get HIS WAY!
• Character is more important than Charisma but you can have both
• What are you doing to develop yourself?
• Beware of the idolatry of dependency upon others
• Revelation is not a revelation until it is your revelation

Thanks for reading and please share these and return for more Leadership Points to Lead Like Jesus!

The dangerous assumption in today’s culture is that we unknowingly accept that our greatest asset is our own ability.  Please do not misunderstand me,  I believe Philippians 4:13 but the key is through Christ.  Often we are tempted to take credit for our accomplishments but the truth is we cannot accomplish anything of value apart from God.  I have found that God puts me intentionally in situations where I come face to face with my desperate need for him.  According to scripture God actually delights in exalting our inability.  In this process God makes it clear that with man this is impossible so in the end when it is accomplished God makes known the glory of His name.  Herod blew it when he tried to steal God’s glory and the worms came and ate his flesh.  Nobody takes God’s glory and gets by with it! Our greatest asset is the ability of God in us!

Every organization has its negative stress points.  What do you mean by negative stress points? I am so glad you asked.  Negative stress points are matters you consider so important that they are always stressed at any opportunity given!  For example a political party would always take advantage of stressing the negative of their opponent.  Salesmen sometimes use this approach, stress tearing down their competition to promote and sale their product.  Sadly some ministries are only being built on the negative of what they are against and NEVER on what they are FOR. When this approach is used, you are only gathering bitter people whose only common interest is tearing down others.  This is a strategy of Satan to promote an unhealthy competitive spirit that causes ministries to attack one another publicly which in turn gives the lost and unsaved another excuse to reject our message.  If Satan can get you caught up in the great competition of negative mud-slinging then you will never focus on the great commission.  Time is too short and there are too many lost souls in need of the Savior for ministries to be only stressing other ministries faults and differences.  My point is this, the Word of God stresses using our time, talents,energy and resources to reach the lost.  Go into all the world and preach the gospel (good news)!  The gospel(good news) is the power of God unto salvation!  God bless you as you read this blog and let’s work together FOR the great commission.

Have you been ‘burned’ by people?  You are not alone, we all have.  But instead of being consumed by it, God tells you to forgive it and let it go.  Let it go means you do not deny your feelings but you do not let your feelings control you.  You don’t stew over it and relive it and talk about it to everybody you see at Wal Mart.  Hebrews 12:15 NLT says to “Watch out that no (bitter) root…grows up (among) you”.  If you are struggling with bitterness, do these three things:

1. Forgive-forgiveness that is not based on emotion.  Don’t wait until you feel like it, decide today to let that offense go!
2. Pray about it.  The moment that you begin to pray about it, is the moment you begin to overcome the temptation to retaliate.
3. Think scripturally-Look up every possible verse you can find on showing forgiveness and meditate on them.

Having been in church all of my life, I have heard and seen everything when it comes to attitudes about serving (trust me I am not excluding my own attitude from this evaluation)! I know we are all tempted to think of serving as a “Got to”! Be honest, have you ever caught yourself saying “I got to teach the kids” or “I got to drive the van” or “I got to go to church” or “I got to go to choir practice”, etc. You get the idea! If your serving has become a “got to”, it’s time for an AA, attitude adjustment. Change your “got to” to a “get to”! Think and say, “I get to go to church”, “I get to teach kids”, “I get to drive the van”, “I get to give my tithe”! Serving God is always a “get to”! A “get to” says to God that you are thankful for the opportunity and that it is an honor to serve! “Get to” says you are happy to serve and it is with a grateful heart! A “get to” is contagious and motivates others to desire to “get to”! Let’s get our “get to” on and get the job done with an attitude of gratitude that’s says to God and the world watching that we “get to” and not “got to”! I get to serve God, say it and see how it motivates your work for God! Hey, try it on your job and family and other activities and let me know what you think?

Over the past few years we have seen the progression of television picture quality move from black and white to HDTV with 3D.  I want to encourage the church and leadership to move to 3D church.  Let me explain what  I mean by 3D:

• Discipleship Church-Jesus said to go and make disciples of all nations!  Jesus knew that His church would grow through discipleship.  Discipleship is the church multiplying.  Leaders that develop followers add but leaders that develop leaders multiply.
• Doctrinal Church-Sound biblical doctrine is a core value-Biblical principles are taught and given priority.  The word of God is held in the highest regard and scripture and application is practiced and preached!
• Difference making Church-a church that goes beyond convenience and comfort to covenant commitment.  A church that delights in the Lord and determines to be HIS ambassadors and reps in the world!   A salt and light church that is making a difference in the world one life at a time!  A church that is a conscience in its community! A church that God uses to bring conviction of sin and conversion from sin to salvation!

I am so overjoyed to belong to Bethel Church which is striving to be a 3D church so that people can see Jesus clearer and closer than ever.  I encourage every church to commit to becoming a 3D church.

Did you hear the story about the little boy who was selling pencils door to door to raise money to build a thirty million dollar hospital in his community? One woman said to him, “Son, that’s a mighty big goal for just one little boy selling pencils for a dime.”. With a big smile he replied, “Oh, I’m not doing it alone. See that boy across the street? He’s my partner; we’re doing it together.”. Now if he had that kind of faith in his partner who was only an equal, shouldn’t you have confidence in a God whose power is unequaled, and whose partnership guarantees success? The Bible says: “We are laborers together with God.”. When you truly believe those words you’ll begin to live like a “no limit” person.

Watching the storm this past weekend, I have a greater respect for the effects of wind!  Wind unharnessed caused trees to bend and break, power lines to collapse and roofs to blow off,  signs to fall to the ground.  The winds of change.  Wind was a part of the ingredients of change on the day of pentecost.  A mighty rushing wind filled the place where they were sitting and the church was changed.  On the North Carolina coast a new inlet was created because of the winds of Irene.  Wind can be so messy and annoying but winds can produce positive change.  The winds created new inlets for us to minister this past weekend by helping our neighbors and turning strangers into friends.  The winds caused many families to stay at home and have time to bond and build stronger relationships.  The winds have made havoc and unfortunately 15 lives were lost due to Irene but even in death and destruction God remains faithful and eternally strong.  In my back yard I have cypress evergreens that are about 15-20 feet tall.  One of the trees weakened and began to give way at the root but it never fell over because it leaned on the cypress beside of it that was strong and it survived.  God is always there for us to lean on and with Him we will make it through the winds and storms of life.

Former President John F. Kennedy coined this famous phrase of course about our country but I certainly feel that it applies to the church.  Because the church is a place of compassion and empathy for the needs of others, often times people abuse themselves and the church by developing a sense of entitlement!  Jesus only gave a “well done” to the stewards who made it happen.  Jesus rebukes the victim mentality of the unprofitable servant.  Pastors and Churches are doing people an injustice by promoting a keep your hand out attitude.  Don’t take me wrong, people with true disabilities and our elderly are worthy of assistance and support and they are entitled but if we really want to help people, teach them to work and give and not take. If this offends you then maybe you have bought into a victims attitude and you will never reach your potential.  You have the choice to either be a victim or a victor. Stop making excuses and stop burying what God has entrusted to you!  Work and Give! Come on somebody, can I get a witness?

Winning teams have players that make things happen. That is always true-whether sports, business, church, or some other arena.  Those team members who can make things happen are the go-to players.  Leaders are looking for people who can step up and make a difference when it matters.  Become a go-to player.  Everyone admires a go-to player.  They are the ones who find a way to make things happen no matter what.  Criticism does not stop them. Circumstances do not have to be favorable or fair.  Pressure does not hinder them.  They always produce even when the heat is on.  Jesus gathered go-to players around him and they turned the world right side up!  His team knew that it was do or die and they did both for the cause because they were a team determined to win Christ.  It is time we demonstrate consistent competence, responsibility, and dependability and regain our influence as a church that gets it done for the cause of Christ.   The good news is in Christ, WE  WIN!