A discouraging word? Speak hope.
By · CommentsI had the great opportunity to preach last night from Deuteronomy 20:8, which speaks to the power of our spirit and words on others. As these men faced battle, those whose hearts were faint should go home so that they “might not make his brothers’ hearts melt like his heart.” (NAS)
I really do have the opportunity today to honestly encourage or discourage others in the daily battle. Do I really trust in a Sovereign Lord? Do I act like I trust Him? Do I let others know that I trust this great God?
As I shared this with a friend yesterday, he pointed me to a word of valor for those fighting with King Henry in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Notice King Henry’s words of valor and encouragement. The St. Crispen’s Day Speech.
New York City trip tips
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Harbor Cruise
Well, it was past time to take a romantic get-away with my wife. So, my wife and I recently took an anniversary trip to New York, NY. This was a fabulous trip and we loved it.
Here are some of the things that made this trip so enjoyable:
1. VRBO, Vacation Rental By Owner. This service allowed us to stay in a great NYC apartment with a bedroom, living room, full kitchen, and full bath for equal or less than a hotel room. The location we found was awesome, and the staff in person and by phone was great. We felt like we experienced the city in a very unique way.
2. Flex your schedule. We used the City Pass. This allowed us to plan broadly for what we wanted to do, then flex our schedule while there. For instance it rained a bit while we were there, so since we weren’t tied in to seeing things at specific times, we could see things in the best conditions (Empire on a clear night, harbor cruise on a clear morning). The City Pass also was so easy to use; just print off a page at home to use at the first spot you visit to be exchanged for your pass book.
Highlights of City Pass:
Harbor Cruise on the Circle Line
Empire State Building
3. Continental Airlines direct to Newark Airport. For our city, Continental had a direct flight, which translates to a 7am takeoff and a landing around 11:30am. How cool is that! No full day in the air and airports. The other benefit is Newark (EWR) has rail service that connects directly to Penn Station in NYC. So that means a 27 minute (NJ transit) train ride directly to the heart of Manhattan with connection to the subway system (MTA).
4. Broadway tickets at the TKTS booth Times Square. We used this service twice and it is great. Easy! We purchased Phantom tickets 20 minutes before showtime. Again flexibility, the weather was bad, we knew we wanted to see Phantom, get in line, purchase, done.
5. Great Freebies! My wife and I had a great experience at the Today Show (NBC) and even got free Letterman tickets from a page looking for attendees in Times Square. The key again was flexibility. Other freebies of note: Central Park, SoHo, Wall Street, and a particularly moving experience at the World Trade Center’s St. Paul’s Chapel. There are so many things to see and do that simply cost $0, Chinatown, Tiffany’s, Macy’s, and more!
We loved the trip and I would highly recommend it to anyone. If you’ve been to NYC, what are some of your insights?
The Teacher
By · CommentsI have been impacted by many teachers and leaders at this point in my journey. Some figure prominently on the horizon, folks like Coach Rake-physics, Charlie Bartrug-percussion, Dr. Scott Floyd-the human condition, Dr. Boo Heflin-Old Testament, Dr. Endel Lee-pastoring, this list could go on and on. I realized yesterday though that in the leadership landscape, the giant is Dr. Bob Agee.
Here’s why Dr. Agee is on my best leaders list:
1. He is passionate about and committed to his call. When you are with Dr. Agee you have no doubt about his commitment to the power transformative education for all ages. He leaves no doubt in his call to lead others to the knowledge of the Truth in Christ and in the world He has created. Do people really know what you are called to do?
2. He is passionately committed to people, which is inspiring. Dr. Agee possesses a genuine warmth with and for people. He is for you. He remembers you. Dr. Agee is driven, but not in a way that drives over people. You want to hop on the bus with him. You want to go for it and do all you can. A friend and I joked (much truth in jest!) yesterday after we heard Dr. Agee speak that we are certain we should be doing more. He inspires others to go for it.
3. He passionately and easily communicates his mission, vision, and values. Dr. Agee is clearly committed to an education that is one of Academic Excellence, and Unapologetically Christian. I was reminded yesterday of his unwavering method in communicating this message of his mission. This is a reminder to find your mission, vision and value, lock it in, and say it often.
4. He is the master of assembling and coaching the best from teams. Dr. Agee has the knack of finding the best people to serve on teams, turning them lose to do what they do best, inspiring them to work harder on themselves, and then catapulting them ahead to new and greater leadership and opportunity. The campus at Oklahoma Baptist University was filled with people who have been launched to great things in life because of this man.
5. As I heard yesterday, Dr. Agee has the unique ability of being a visionary, but also an implementor. I believe few leaders have this unique combo of being able to cast strong unwavering vision, but then lay the bricks one by one to fulfill that vision.
Thank you Dr. Agee for being the teacher I need in the classroom of leadership.
Calvinism? Arminianism? Molinism?
By · CommentsThanks to a heads up from one of my great friends in ministry, he pointed to a good link to some food for thought.
In today’s theological discussion of God’s Sovereignty and man’s free will, simply stop by the Molinist view. God is so big and good and right, and men try so hard to grasp the breadth and width and depth of who He is; this is another attempt to try to understand our great and loving King. Give your brain a workout.
Check it out at Molinism.
Southern Baptists in the Twenty First Century
By · CommentsIf you have not checked out the site baptisttwentyone, make sure you stop by. Many young minds in baptist life have created a great site for discussion on broad issues, and the site offers up some great podcasts, and other resources.
Check out the promo for the meeting of B21 that will be coming up at this years Southern Baptist Convention in Louisville. B21 at SBC.
Thanks Happy Joe!
By · CommentsI am so very grateful to the awesome staff at the newly launched Happy Joe for getting me back online. I appreciate all the wisdom that this team, especially Cory Miller, brings to the table. It is great to now have my home at HJ. So here’s to blogging again!
Check out their great resources at Happy Joe.
Ministers and compensation
By · CommentsRecently I had a question about pay for staff and any standard for that pay. Check out the resources at the site for the National Association of Church Business Administration, and even more uniquely MinistryPay. Generally, state conventions and national conventions also would have resources to help assess standards. But then, there is also the simple method of talking with trusted friends in ministry about what is happening in their church and region in regard to supporting those in the work.
What resources have you found that are useful in working with your personnel team and compensation packages?
Paradigm Shift
By · CommentsCheck out the heart behind a shift in mission for a local Baptist Association in Tulsa. There are some interesting concepts here and it will be interesting to see how this plays out and what the impact is. See a breakdown of the changes at the link to “Why did we change” at:
Tulsa Metro Association of Baptist Churches
Have you made any sizeable changes where you serve that dramatically impact the what and how of your ministry?
From good to great!
By · CommentsIf you have not had the chance to read the additional piece from Jim Collins on Good to Great and the Social Sectors, check it out. As I read through this, he clearly and succinctly lays out the key factors critical to the overall health of the organization, and makes some interesting insights about the business world in connection to the social sector.
Also, there are additional resources, videos, and assessments at www.jimcollins.com that I found to be partiularly helpful.
God’s call on your life.
By · CommentsA while back I wrote the following, but I would add to this one of the most powerful passages that stand out to me in my own call experience and that is Psalm 37:4-5. I would also add the following links to books that could be useful in this journey, Answering the Call, and Called to be God’s Leader.
My prayer is that you experience the Lord’s direction very clearly in your life!
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I recently had the opportunity to speak to a group of Sunday School leaders about one of the most powerful elements of who they are as leaders in the church…their call to service. For us as church leaders, the most critical marker for my service and ministry is my call. The Bible shows us God’s direction in peoples’ lives from Abraham, to Moses, the ups and downs of Saul, David, and the great call of Paul. Why is the call so critical?
1. It is why we do what we do. Really, what is it though? I have experienced two levels of call:
One, General Call, which is static, meaning that time in my life during the summer of 1990 when I clearly understood the Lord wanted my life for His use, whenever, wherever. I surrendered to Him. This call is the touch-stone where I go back to in my mind, kind of marking time and my life to this significant event. He continues to affirm this call on my life.
I have also experienced Specific Call, which has been wildly dynamic, and has offered opportunities for me to listen to Him and His direction in my life to serve in counseling, family work, singles, youth, and education. The most exciting part of this specific call is that He may keep me with my current orders, and then in a heartbeat, He could call to something completely different. I am content either way.
2. It gives direction and purpose to anyone, regardless of where their ministry is. If God calls someone to be a mechanic, or pilot, go, do it. Listen to Him.
3. It gives the ability to weather storms. If I know I am called to a place to serve that is hurting or struggling, or if I find myself in a low spot feeling like I am being pulled in a million different ways and I am ready to pull the parachute and walk away, I lean on the call.
What has He called you to do?