Daniel’s girlfriend Olivia, from Lubbock, Texas will be staying with us while she attends Aveda Institute in Birmingham. She is a fine young lady and has been a blessing to my wife and I. You can follow her on Twitter at @oliviaakey.
The Lord worked mightily in our hearts today at Catalyst 2010, day 2. Andy Stanley spoke first, and he laid out the tension in leadership of “selling our birthright for a bowl of stew”. He brought to light our fleshly “appetites” and what we would be willing to sell our birthright for as leaders. Then, Daniel Pink spoke about Leading with Tension. He addressed biological drives, and the carrot and the stick principle, and being a part of something meaningful. He also stated 3 leadership principles that work: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose.
This evening, Beth Moore spoke. She is a fine woman of God wih a great word from the Lord. She brought a highly practical message on the traps leaders face, specifically insecurity. Then Francis Chan spoke, and brought a convicing message on how “normal” Christians reach out to the poor and needy. He asked the question, “do our lives make biblical sense?” In other words, does our lifestyle match our beliefs?
A great, refreshing, renewing, and reviving day. Thank God for His Word and the messengers He has put in my life. I thoroughly enjoyed worshipping with my brothers in pastoral staff.
A phenomenal first day at Catalyst in Atlanta. We started the day with some passionate worship lead by Aaron Keyes. We all attended 3 labs each. The first lab I attended was by Dr. Eric Mason, Lead Pastor of Epiphany Fellowship in Philadelphia. He brought it. He spoke about how we should live our lives in the incarnation of Jesus. It is marked by he understanding and practice of the Christian witness that is rooted in and shaped by the life, ministry, suffering, death and resurrection of Christ. The next lab I attended was by Chris Hodges, Senior Pastor of The Church of the Highlands. He talked about principles that produce momentum structurally, systematically, and spiritually. Very practical and very good. Lastly, Gavin and I heard from Pastor Pete Wilson, Lead and Founding Pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Nashville, TN. He spoke of the commality of leaders being in the “dip”, or being down because of circumstances. He defined being in the dip as “The spot in life where we have a heightened sense of vulnerability and a diminished sense of power.” The truths he brought are far too rich to summarize on one post. God is really moving in our hearts. We are getting fired up!
Many families would summarize their home in 2 words: Bed & Breakfast. It’s just a place to get a hot and a cot. A transitional place that they take a brief break from their real life. Some people have told me that they have gotten married out of “convenience”. Others have said that they tied the knot for a “tax break” or out of “economic necessity”. However, that certainly was not the Lord’s intention. In Genesis 2, God said that “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 2 Things we can notice in those few words: (1) God designed the family. (2) He designed the family for relationships.
The Lord has a plan for your family. Of course, we could see hundreds of purposes for the family throughout Scripture, but I just want to give you 4 that you can hold on to.
First of all, the family is to be a place of SECURITY. Proverbs 14:26 tells us that “He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.” This world is cruel. We have a lot of storms come in to our lives. We are rejected by others, criticized, misunderstood, and hurt. We get turned down for promotion, get an “F” on a test, file bankruptcy, lose our job, and get beat on the field or court. However, there should be a place that our family can come and be safe, secure, and stable: the home. In baseball, when you reach home you are “safe”. Our homes should be a refuge for our family. A place of acceptance and understanding. God’s plan for our homes is to be a place of safety.
Also, the family is a LEARNING CENTER FOR LIFE. We all learned to crawl, walk, eat, and talk in our home. The Bible many time speaks of the family as a garden (Psalm 144). The family is where we learn about relationships, values, and character. Our family learns from us, both good and bad. Isaiah 39 says that we “pass down” from generation to generation the truth about God’s faithfulness. What are we “passing down to our children”?
Additionally, the family is to be a COMMUNITY OF JOY. Ecclesiastes 9:9 says that we are to “rejoice” with the wife of our youth. Psalm 127 tells us that a man that has a “full quiver” should be happy. Some of our homes just need to lighten up and enjoy each other! Many times we are so focused on our goals and dreams that we neglect enjoyment in the journey. Cultivate an environment of joy in your home!
God also planned the family to be a MINISTRY TEAM. 1 Corinthians 16 tells us that “the house of Stephanas devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints”. What a blessing! The whole family engaged in ministry…TOGETHER. There is no greater joy I have as a father than to see my boys engaged in ministry together. They do Regenerate Shows together and present the gospel to many who would never hear. My wife constantly accompanies me in ministry work and is involved in local and parachurch ministries. Praise God for a family that serves the Lord! It is only by His grace.
God has a plan for your family too. Take some time to reflect on these truths, and serve Him with all your heart.
As leaders, we make decisions each day. The is a decision making process that all Christians should pursue is clear. (1) Pray. James 1:5 says that “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (2) Search the Scriptures. The Psalmist said in 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (3) Counsel from other believers. Proverbs 11:4 states ”Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” (4) Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Paul spoke to the church in Rome about ”those who are lead by the Spirit“.
We don’t want to make a poor decision, but it happens. Our sin nature has not been completely eradicated. We still live in this old world and consistently fight against the world, our flesh, and the enemy. So, from time to time, WE FAIL! I’m not ashamed to admit it, and you shouldn’t be either. Some of the greatest people in American history failed before they succeeded: Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell. Even all star baseball players fail 7 out of every 10 times they come up to the plate while superstar basketball players miss 1 out of every 2 shots. Our pride tells us not to admit our mistakes, but remember that the Lord resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.
It is healthy to admit mistakes, poor decisions, and failure. A mark of a good leader is follow-up evaluation once a decision has been made. If it was a poor decision, say “I made a mistake”. Humbly own up to it, give the decision a decent burial, and go forward. The Apostle Paul told the church at Philippi ”one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Fail Forward!
Patty and I kept Brooklyn and Kaedyn last night. What a joy! Patty fed him cereal for the first time. What a precious gift! Made me think of think of what the Psalmist said in 127:4-5, ”Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.”
