S2.E21 - Serving God While Struggling

Leadership Lesson Podcast: Season 2 Episode 21 -How to Serve When You’re Struggling

Pastor John Panico, Delray Beach, FL, talks about how to serve when you’re struggling. Struggles come in every area of life—financial, physical, emotional, relational, work—you name it. There is nothing in life you can expect to be completely exempt from struggle. But God has promised to  carry us through these times of difficulty. Pastor John gives five key points to help you persevere in trials. You will be encouraged. Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

QUOTES:

“Remember your relationship with the person of God. We have to stay at His feet.” -John Panico

“Respond to the struggle with the promises of God.” -John Panico

“The enemy never attacks you generally; he always attacks you specifically.” -John Panico

“Rely on the power of God.” -John Panico

‘So many things we start in the Spirit, but we try to finish in the flesh.” -John Panico

“Rely on the people of God. You are not the lone ranger.” -John Panico

“Remember to rest in the presence of God.” -John Panico

One Piece of Advice | Enjoy Jesus

Pastor Josiah Graves, The Exchange Church in Deerfield Beach, FL shares his one piece of advice to enjoy Jesus. What gets in the way of our pursuing this? It’s the enemy of comparison, fed by today’s social media. This is a great reminder of the one thing that is essential—knowing Jesus.

“I want to get back to the place where I can just enjoy Jesus. There’s always going to be a task list, there’s always going to be things to do.” -Josiah Graves

“Find your vision in Jesus. Find your contentment in Jesus.” -Josiah Graves

“Comparison steals joy. Turn off your phone. Stop looking at others and what they’re doing.” -Josiah Graves

LINKS: 

Contact Daniel: daniel@eeleaders.com

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

S2.E15 - The Ways of The Cross

Leadership Lesson Season 2 Episode 15 - The Ways of the Cross

Pastor Daniel talks with Josiah Graves, Calvary Chapel, Deerfield Beach, FL about the ways of the cross and how that relates to ministry. How do we share the paradox of the cross, that it is good? And why is it important for us as leaders to continually be looking at the ways of God’s kingdom as we do ministry? Part of it is to make it a daily practice to preach the cross to each other, in the way we live our lives, in our conversations, in the things we do. It is not something we attain, but we are constantly aligning ourselves with God,  What are some practical ways you can do this in your daily life? What are the blessings of the ways of the cross? “When you understand the cross, that Jesus saved me, that I’m the chief among sinners, I’m that fool…it changes how we speak.”

QUOTES: 

“The ways of the cross, the ways of the kingdom, are a paradox. They are different from the ways our flesh would say to go.” - Daniel Williams

“A lot of our job is just trying to keep the cross at the center of everything we do, keep it the focus, the foundation, the goal—everything.” - Josiah Graves

“Our hearts are prone to move from the cross.” - Josiah Graves

“We want to do ministry flowing from the Spirit, and the Spirit bringing us to back Jesus.” - Josiah Graves

“It starts with us. We want to lead out of a place of brokenness and also of power. That goes back to the paradox of the cross.” - Josiah Graves

“Be Spirit-dependent, look to the Word, and let God give the increase.” - Josiah Graves

One Piece of Advice | Don’t Give Up

Cody King, pastor at Redemption Calvary outside Denver, Colorado, shares his advice from Galatians 6:9, And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap a harvest if we do not lose heart. The whole point behind this is just don’t give up. There are seasons of planting and seasons of harvest, and they are not the same season. Lifelong faithfulness is what it’s all about. It’s going to get hard. Trust Jesus and just don’t quit.

“We tend to overestimate what we can do in the short-term and underestimate what we can do in the long-term.” -Cody King

“If you really want to see God use you in the ministry He’s called you to in the context He’s given you…then you need to think long-term, long view.” -Cody King

“There’s a real enemy who hates you. And he wants to get you to quit.” -Cody King

LINKS: 

Contact Daniel: daniel@eeleaders.com

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

S2.E10 - The First Year Of Planting

EE Leaders | Leadership Lessons Season 2 Episode 10 — The First Year of Planting a Church

Andrew Lundy, Solace Church, and Josiah Graves, The Exchange Church, are both pastors of churches planted this past year. They share about what that process has been like and answer a few questions you may have about planting a church. What have been the highlights and the challenges? How do we do conflict well? The difference between expectations of ministry and the realities of ministry. There are lessons worth learning. 

QUOTES: 

“We want to go to those who aren’t coming. We want to see people come into a real life-changing, life-giving relationship with Jesus.”

“When I look back at this year and I see what God’s done, I think a highlight is the way in which  people who were not walking with God have now come back into a relationship with God and are serving in our church.”

“The lesson that I am constantly coming back to is not what I’m doing or how I’m doing it, by why? Why am I doing it? Is this something I’m doing heartily, as unto the Lord?”

“God’s had to rewire how I think. I’m a pastor. I’m feel like I’m doing a lot of paramedic work. We may want to go take the mountain, but our people are all down the hill and they are bruised and injured and hurting. And sometimes before we can do do something, we just need to be and to heal, to preach the gospel to ourselves.”

“It’s not about what we do, it’s about who we are in the process.”

One Piece of Advice | A Willing Vessel

Alex Fuentes, church planter in Tunja, Colombia, shares his one piece of advice: Be a willing vessel, be available for God to use you. We can want a lot of things in ministry, but asking what does God want makes it pretty clear. Listen for and  be led by the Spirit. Ask every day for His guidance, because we are nothing but broken vessels that carry His message.

QUOTES:

“When we place ourselves in His hands and just allow Him to shine through us…allow His Holy Spirit to work through us, that’s what really matters.” -Alex Fuentes

“Allow the Lord to fill you and work through you, to have those spaces for whatever He wants you to do instead of what we want to do.” -Alex Fuentes

“Say OK Lord, where today, what today, ministering in those moments. It allows people to see that this is a work of the Lord.” -Alex Fuentes

Links:

Contact Daniel: daniel@eeleaders.com

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

Solus Church: https://www.soluschurch.com

The Exchange Church: http://theexchangechurch.cc