 First Peter 5:2 reads, "shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness..."
Over the past few months, I've been studying the letters by Peter. Here's a wonderful passage that I would like to take the next few weeks and walk through the passage and explore each word and/or phrase. Here's the outline that will be used as we explore: 1. Word 2. Dig Deeper 3. Application Word
Dig Deeper
Application
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 Where are we heading?
As any growing leader is aware, having a vision (where you believe God is leading the ministry) for your ministry is essential to the growth of the ministry. But simply having a vision isn't going to spark growth. The vision must be communicated to those you are leading. However, once you have communicated the vision to those you lead, the task isn't completed. You must then begin to develop a plan to recast the vision in order to keep the vision in front of those you are leading. Below, are three ways a leader can recast the vision: Email Communication With over 3 billion email users worldwide, email is still an important form of communication in 2017. Take time at least once a month to communicate the vision and the direction you believe God is leading the ministry. Mailchimp is an email service you can utilize to send your monthly vision recast. mailchimp.com/ Social Media Usage Images are dominating social media in 2017. One way to take advantage of the use of images in recasting your vision is with the app 'Over'. With Over, you can place text over an image and then post it to social media. Make sure you don't over communicate on the image. Simply place a few words on the image, then be more descriptive once you post the image to social media. madewithover.com/ Promotional Material Promotional materials to physically distribute and to have available on location is another method to use in communicating the vision. Brochures, magnets, bookmarks, banners and posters are all tools that can communicate the vision and have it before them each week. While there are other companies available, Vistaprint is an online company that can be inexpensive on most products. www.vistaprint.com/ What are the different methods you have used to recast the vision? Links used: www.lifewire.com/how-many-email-users-are-there-1171213
We all have 168 hours that God has blessed us with this week. How will you use these hours? Look at the list below and write in how many hours will be needed this week for the following:
Sleep - ________ Exercise - ________ Family Time - _______ God Time - ______ Work - _______ Friend/Networking - ______ Prayer - ______ Child Sports - ______ Well, that's all, right? Or did I forget: Netflix - ______ Social Media - ______ Video Game - ______ Fantasy Sports - ______ Shopping - ______ I could continue, but I'll stop there. With all of the options we face each day, how do we manage our time? Paul writes to the church at Corinth: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." -- First Corinthians 10:31 Here are a few tips on managing the time God has blessed us with for His Glory.
Isaiah writes in Isaiah 55:8-9, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher then your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." We can rely on God's Wisdom by taking time at the beginning of each week and the beginning of each day asking Him to direct our steps and to grant wisdom to us in using the time He's given.
So, as we seek God's wisdom in how to use time, ask Him to remind us that time is a precious gift from Him.
Google Calendar - www.google.com/calendar Asana - www.asana.com Trello - www.trello.com Wunderlist - https://www.wunderlist.com/ RescueTime - www.rescuetime.com Do you struggle with time management? How are you currently working on managing your 168 hours?  My goal is to learn more about leadership daily. Here are a few of the principles I've learned over the past five years along with a few people I've been learning from recently:
1.. Be a Follower - In order to be a leader, I must first learn how to follow. Here are some people I currently learn from (a distance):
3. Be a Thinker - This is very new to me in the area of leadership. I enjoy thinking, but I often become so focused on 'tasks' that I fail to stop and think. So, I have learned to schedule blocks of time to think. Here are a few areas I am seeking to grow: When I think - I take time to think in the mornings, before anyone else is awake in my home. I spend time reading, in prayer, reflecting on God's Kindness, then I simply think. There's nothing specific I think about, but I just let my thoughts begin and then apply Second Corinthians 10:5 and make sure my thoughts are in obedience to Christ. Think Big - This one is a struggle for me, but I'm trying to learn this principle. In all areas that I lead, whether it's in ministry, home or the community, I am trying to think 'Big' in all things. Again, I am still learning with this principle. Do you have any thoughts on thinking big in leadership? I'd love to hear what you have been learning about leadership. Comment below.  Jesus said in John 5:39, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me."
The Jews were trying to kill Jesus because He was breaking their Sabbath laws and also calling God His own Father. Jesus begins to tell them about the many different witnesses to the truth of who He is. The witness of John, the witness of His works, the witness of the Father, and here, the witness of the Scriptures. When talking about the Scriptures, Jesus is talking about the Old Testament. Instead of seeking life in the rules and regulations the Jews had added to the Law of God, Jesus tells them the Law points the people to Himself. True life is found in Jesus Christ and the Scriptures should direct us toward Him. As I read through the Bible, I ask myself these three questions: 1. What does this passage tell me about God? 2. How does this passage show me Jesus? 3. How can I now live for the glory of God because of this passage? If the Scriptures testify about Christ, then I need to read the Scriptures with this in mind. As I grow in knowledge of God and knowing Him through Christ, then this same message must go forth to those God has called me to lead and teach. Do you have a specific Bible reading method you use?  One of my favorite aspects of pastoral ministry is the preparation of the lesson or sermon. Depending on the week, there could be three to four lessons per week that need to be prepared. However, there's always the 'growing' to-do list. Here's a small sample of what my to-do list could look like after a typical Sunday morning:
Not only will I have four lessons to prepare for for the upcoming week, now I have an additional five things (on an easy Sunday). However, I often noticed that my list grows with each day of the week. Action items pile up and the next thing I know, I'm late with the annual review; I failed to call the key volunteer; I didn't make the 25 copies the first grade class needed; we go another Sunday without coffee during our Leadership Team prayer time; and the new Leadership Coach still doesn't have a job description. After a few years of a growing to-do list and items not being completed, one of the ways I've found effective is to actually schedule my to-do list on an online calendar. Here's how it works: 1. Create an online calendar - I personally use Google Calendar. I have downloaded the app on my phone so I can see my calendar on my phone and also on a desktop computer. 2. Action Items - When an action item arises, I immediately find a time to plug it into my calendar. If I'm away from the office, I immediately take my phone, open the Google Calendar app and enter the task. If someone has asked me to do something for them, I ask them to stay with me while I enter the task into my phone/computer. If not, I can easily be tempted to do something else and forget to even enter the requested task on my calendar. 3. Priorities - Because I've already entered in the items that I feel are most important (at the end of the previous week), I am able to make sure that the to-do list doesn't take over my calendar. See www.drakecaudill.com/blogs/leadership-set-your-schedule 4, List - I still have a to-do list. But it's for long term items like long term ministry planning, programs and events. But for items that need immediate action, they are scheduled on my calendar. For this season of life and ministry, this has been effective for me. What are some ways you deal with your to-do lists to make sure each item is completed?  First Peter 5:2 reads, "shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness..." Over the past few months, I've been studying the letters by Peter. Here's a wonderful passage that I would like to take the next few weeks and walk through the passage and explore each word and/or phrase. Here's the outline that will be used as we explore: 1. Word 2. Dig Deeper 3. Application I'll tend to follow the example of John Calvin when writing about Scripture. As Bingham wrote, "When expounding Scripture, Calvin was remarkably straightforward and to the point. He did not launch his message with a captivating story, a compelling quote or a personal anecdote." www.ligonier.org/blog/10-distinguishing-marks-john-calvins-preaching/. Let's jump in. WORD
DIG DEEPER
APPLICATION
Peter continues next by saying who they are shepherding, "The Flock of God". That's the passage we'll take a look at next time. Do you have any thoughts about the shepherd?  God has called me to remind people of their chief end: To glorify God and enjoy Him. But in order to do this effectively, I have found that I need a plan - schedule. Here's how I set my weekly schedule:
1. Look ahead - I end each Thursday by looking ahead to the upcoming week. I look to see what's coming up with my family, personal and ministry calendar. 2. Priorities - If I'm not careful, I'll place my work ahead of my family and myself (sleep less, stress, etc.). So I begin placing what I consider are my most important items on my calendar. I understand that within ministry, emergencies will arise. So I am aware that my schedule can be changed. However, on a typical day/week, here's what I consider most important:
Over the years, taking time at the end of the week to plan the upcoming week actually frees me to do the work of the ministry. Yes, emergencies arise and I adjust for the sake of ministering to others. But it's then that I am blessed to remind others of our chief end. Not weekly agendas or a perfectly planned week, but our chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him. http://www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/5-steps-to-prioritize-your-priorities https://michaelhyatt.com/productive-day.html How do you plan your day/week? |
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