S2.E22 - Pastoral Depression

Leadership Lesson Podcast Season 2 Episode 22 - Pastoral Depression

Ben Courson, founder of Hope Generation, talks about pastoral depression and how we deal with it in leadership positions. Ben speaks from his own experience as someone who suffered for a decade with chronic depression. In the Bible we see that Job, Elijah, Jonah, and David all suffered from depression. It is not uncommon. And it is not a sign of weakness. With compassion and wisdom, Ben explains how depression can be viewed biblically and what good can come from it. It’s a message of—what else?—hope.

“The greatest Bible characters were often depressed.” -Ben Courson

“Depression is not a sign of weakness. Sometimes it is a sign of strength.” -Ben Courson

“The One who invented the phrase broken heart knows how to heal your broken heart.” -Ben Courson

“What the enemy intends for evil, God intends for good. He can take your greatest disadvantages and turn them into advantages.” -Ben Courson

“Give everything but up.” -Ben Courson

One Piece of Advice | Slow Down

Pastor Dave Simiele, Campus Pastor at Christ Fellowship Church in West Palm Beach, FL, shares his advice to stop and take time to focus on spending time alone with Jesus. Slow down. Go to a deserted place to pray, as Jesus did in Mark 1:35. “It’s not about what I’m doing; it’s about who I’m becoming.”

“The Son of God had to stop and get away and be with His Father.” -Dave Simiele

“If we don’t pause in our life and commune with God and stop, then we are not going to hear the direction that He has for us.” Dave Simiele

“You can’t live a hurried life without warping your soul.” -Lance Witt

‘Reject the lies about production and producing and that busyness equals effectiveness because we know that is not true.” -Dave Simiele

LINKS: 

Contact Daniel: daniel@eeleaders.com

Leadership Lessons/One Piece of Advice/Blog/Recommended Books: eeleaders.com

Recommended Book of the Month: Replenish by Lance Witt

S2.E8 - Culture

EE Leaders | Leadership Lessons Season 2 Episode 8 - Culture

Pastor Daniel talks with Dave Simiele, Christ Fellowship, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, about culture, what it is and how it works within the context of a church. Lance Witt, a mentor of Dave Simiele, defines culture as “the collective personality of an organization, composed of assumptions, beliefs, traditions, values and attitudes.” Why is important to know the culture of your church? This is a subject that Dave Simiele knows well. He discusses how Christ Fellowship implements this idea of culture through their mission, vision and values. How and why is it taught? What is the result? “We are expressing culture intentionally in almost everything we do.” It is a collaborative effort. People know what the values of Christ Fellowship are because they are clearly expressed, everywhere, all the time. There is a lot to digest in this discussion. It’s worth your time.

QUOTES: 

“Culture is hard to define and easy to experience.” - Dave Simiele

‘Mission and vision are important to execute culture, but if you don’t have the right culture, you’re not going to be able to execute that vision that God has given you for your church.” - Dave Simiele

“Because we’re so clear about mission, vision and values, that allows us to have what I would say are gates to our culture.” - Dave Simiele

“We want there to be congruence between what we say and what people experience.” - Dave Simiele

“Church is not a building you walk into, but it’s a family that you belong to.” - Dave Simiele

One Piece of Advice | Leading Yourself

Thane Ringler, Los Angeles, CA, shares his one piece of advice: you have to lead yourself well before you can lead others well. Jesus demonstrated this by His example and it is true for us who are leading and shepherding others in the body of Christ. It is a daily practice. It takes self-discipline for these things, making time to develop intimacy with God, to take time to rest. Ultimately it means being faithful. 

QUOTES: 

“What this means is we are taking action and ownership of our lives and we’re never settling for less than what God has called us to.” -Thane Ringler

“It means not trying to be superman. A lot of times we take on and try to be Christ when we need to look to Christ and what He’s accomplished.” -Thane Ringler

“How can we be faithful today?” -Thane Ringler

Links:

Contact Daniel: daniel@eeleaders.com

Leadership Lessons/One Piece of Advice/Blog/Recommended Books: eeleaders.com

Thane’s First Book & His ministry at www.thaneringler.com