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S6.E16 Work-Life Balance
Pastor Daniel introduces this final episode of Season 6, bringing you a lesson he gave for his monthly cohort meeting of CGN (Calvary Global Network). It’s about the work/life balance and understanding what particular season we are in. After this we will take a break until Season 7 in the new year. Thank you so much for your prayers and support for this ministry.
Read moreBefore we get started in today’s Leadership Lesson, we want to announce the second annual Refresh Conference here in Delray Beach on November 9 & 10, 2018. It’s Friday evening and Saturday of Veteran’s Day weekend. Cost: $50 for the weekend, including lunch on Saturday. We’re planning a time of encouragement for church leaders and their teams which is hosted by Redemption Church. Guest Speakers this year will be Pastor David Guzik, who is a longtime pastor and author. You can find his ministry at enduringword.com. Also speaking will be Jason Sanchez, Director of House of Blessing Orphanage in Bachiniva, Mexico (houseofblessing.org) More information is available on our church website at redemptiondb.com/conference.
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In this week’s Leadership Lessons, Pastor Daniel shares from his own experiences in event planning. An event is any time we gather together as a group. We want these events to be beneficial. “I’ve had my share of epic failures, but I want to learn from my mistakes, to get better, to improve.” Here are 10 principles for event planning. 1)Pray. Ask God for wisdom and vision. (James 1:5). 2)Have a goal/define success. What is the point of this event? (Proverbs 29:18) 3)Get others involved. Let people help. There are great benefits in working as a team. (1 Corinthians 12:21) 4)Listen. Ask for input. Brainstorm. (Ecclesiastes 4:9) 5)Traditions are great, but be creative. Try new things. (1 Corinthians 12:5-6) 6)Make the event worth the time and money. Communicate the why and how it can bring value to their life. 7)Pray for the people coming to the event, that they will be blessed. It’s easy to get so busy planning that you forget this step. 8)Communicate well. Make sure to communicate the details. Tell people what to expect. (Ecclesiastes 12:9-10) 9)Be flexible/adjust. “We want to act calmly when our plan doesn’t go the way we think it should.” Chuck Smith always said, “Blessed are the flexible, for they will not break.” 10)Follow up/evaluate after the event. Ask questions. What could we change to make it better? Do it while your team’s memory is fresh.God gives the grace to have a great event. “It’s a sweet privilege to be used by God in this way, to plan events and to bless people.” So those are the 10 principles of event planning. Now you take them and apply them in your own way in your own ministry, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s been a blessing to share them with you. In today’s One Piece of Advice, my friend, Robby Christmas, is going to talk about how it’s important to have a reproducible tool that you can share and pass on to other people.
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One Piece of Advice | Reproducible Tool
Pastor Robby Christmas, West Palm Beach, Florida, shares his advice for sharing the gospel: Have a simple, reproducible gospel tool that you can use regularly and that you can train others to use. Why is this so important? As leaders, we can make assumptions about what people are able to do and what people are, in fact, doing. “I came to the point in my journey where I learned this the hard way. People weren’t sharing the gospel like I thought they were.” What was missing was this very thing: a simple, reproducible gospel tool. The tool Pastor Robby uses is called 3Circles. It is being used and reproduced around the world. “If you want people under your leadership to be sharing the gospel, you have to model that.” You may have the gift of evangelism or your own personal way of sharing, but it will only reproduce if other people can be taught to share it themselves. Being prepared for a gospel conversation is no different than preparing for any other important assignment. Jesus has called us to be ready to share the gospel. For more information on 3Circles go to: https://www.namb.net/video/3-circles-life-conversation-guide or lifeonmissionbook.com
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Quotes:
“As leaders we want our gatherings to serve a purpose, to align with our mission and vision, but really to bless people. We want those events to be beneficial.” -Daniel Williams
“Don’t be afraid to use someone else’s ideas.” -Daniel Williams
"From time to time you should change up the format. I love being able to bring in guest speakers. It creates a bit of freshness to be creative.” -Daniel Williams
“We need to make sure we’re bringing value to our gatherings by doing the little things. Little things can bring a lot of value.” -Daniel Williams
“God’s sovereignty is much better than our plans.” -Daniel Williams
“We want to be good planners and plan great events, but God wants us to grow and exercise faith.” -Daniel Williams
“If you want people under your leadership to be sharing the gospel, you have to model that.” -Robby Christmas
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Links:
Contact Daniel: daniel@eeleaders.com
Leadership Lessons/One Piece of Advice/Blog/Recommended Books: eeleaders.com
Refresh Conference: www.redemptiondb.com/conference
In this jam-packed episode, Daniel talks about the importance of planning your schedule. Good planning is part of good stewardship, of managing your time wisely. But you can’t do that unless you know what you’re supposed to be doing. That starts with understanding the will of God for your life. Ask God to show you that. Seek it out. Hebrews 12:1 talks about the sins that “easily entangle” us. We need to be vigilant; we don’t want to be held back or tripped up by Satan’s schemes. “If God has told you to go left and you’re going right, that is not a very wise thing.” Then, based on what God has called you to do, what He says is valuable for you to do, plan your schedule. Implementing the plan is essential. Daniel shares a helpful tool for prioritizing your schedule by using four categories: 1)Important; 2)Unimportant; 3)Urgent; 4)Non-urgent. You will hear how he does it and how it can help you with your planning. God repeatedly reminds us in His word to make His priorities ours. Have an eternal perspective. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.(Colossians 3:2) Learn to say NO. This keeps you focused and productive. Go to God daily and set your schedule before Him. Then trust Him when things don’t go according to your plan. Be flexible, but schedule it. “What gets scheduled gets done.” (Michael Hyatt) Daniel walks you through his schedule to get an idea of what this looks like for him, including how to block your time and the invaluable practice of taking a sabbath day. And always remember Who your focus is; Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. (Proverbs 12:21) In this week’s One Piece of Advice, Pastor Lewis Williams reminds us of this very thing.
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One Piece of Advice - Trust in the Lord
Pastor Lewis Williams, Houston, Texas, shares the advice found in Proverbs 3:5-6—Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Everyone prizes having knowledge and being smart, but we always come up short. We think we know, but we don’t. It is the Lord who knows. “Trust means we give Him our full confidence. All our heart means we don’t have room in our heart for anything besides God.” Don’t lean on your own understanding means don’t you do the thinking. Let God tell you. “In everything that we do, God should be somehow recognized—before, during and after, as Christians.” When we go our own way without asking or trusting God, things don’t turn out very well. But when we trust God first, it goes much better. “He knows the direction that you need to go, that is best for your development.”
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Quotes:
“As a leader, as a Christian man, I want to be able to be a good steward and faithful to God and worship God with my time…and so I want to be aware of how I’m spending my time and I want to invest my time wisely." -Daniel Williams
“Just because we’re busy does not mean we’re effective. We need to make sure we understand that. You can be busy but not be fruitful. Are you busy doing the right things and are you busy doing it in God’s strength, through His Spirit? -Daniel Williams
“So we want to schedule our time, we want to plan according to the word of God and what He tells us that we should be valuing, what He tells us is important and unimportant.” -Daniel Williams
“God is a planner. Before the foundations of the earth He planned to come and save us. He is an amazing planner!” -Daniel Williams
“Planning has changed my life dramatically because it’s allowed me to say the simple word: NO. Because when I know the things God has called me to do, I can say yes to those things and no to other things.” -Daniel Williams
“In everything that we do, God should be somehow recognized—before, during and after, as Christians.” -Lewis Williams
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Links:
Contact Daniel: daniel@eeleaders.com
Leadership Lessons/One Piece of Advice/Blog/Recommended Books: eeleaders.com
In this episode, Pastor Daniel begins with a question to ask yourself: Am I doing the things God has called me to do? and offering practical advice on how we can hear and discern God’s calling for our lives. What does calling mean? In his book Leaders Who Last, David Kraft describes calling as “the God of the universe speaking into your life and circumstances, expressing His will.” Your calling is something specific. Ephesians 2:10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. We all want to know what God wants us to do. We want to be fruitful. Knowing your calling helps you to stay focused, to endure hardship and pain when it comes. Jesus said to count the cost (Luke 14:28). The call to leadership will cost you. It is a life of sacrificial service. Knowing your calling starts with seeking God and knowing Him through His word and through prayer. You can’t know your calling without knowing God. Pastor Daniel gives four key areas to pursue this question of calling: 1)Character—Does your daily life and choices testify to your being a godly leader? 2)Competency—Do you have the skills and gifts to do the job? Are you currently using your gifts and skills to glorify God?. 3)Community—What does your community say about your calling? Seek the advice and counsel of your spouse and other godly people in your life. Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. (Proverbs 19:20) Is your community confirming your calling or saying you’re not ready yet? 4)Circumstances—What doors has God opened and shut for you in your life? Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. (Revelation 3:8) God knows His plans and purpose for our lives and He will accomplish that in order to expand His kingdom and bring Himself glory. Are your circumstances confirming your calling or telling you no or not yet? Closed doors may disappoint us, but we need to trust God. This is a long process and there are many layers of calling. But remember: You are the mission of Jesus. He loves you. Stay dependent on Him. Abide in Him. Be yourself. Discouragement can come from comparing yourself with others. In this month’s One Piece of Advice, Pastor Bryan Saylor talks about comparing. You’ll appreciate his encouragement.
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One Piece of Advice | Stop Comparing
Pastor Bryan Saylor, Melbourne, Florida, shares his advice, which is really a warning against falling into the trap of comparing yourself to others. In the world we live in today with its frenzy of social media, it can be easy to see yourself falling short in some area of your life since there is always someone somewhere who is doing life or ministry bigger and better than you are. The enemy can use this trap to make you feel embarrassed or ashamed of your own life. A better church, a cooler idea, a bigger audience…a constant barrage of me vs. others. It can be extremely destructive. “Actively eliminate comparison from your life—be vigilant about that.” Jesus talks about this type of self-discipline in Matthew 5:30: “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.” It is essential that we get rid of the things in ministry that are holding us back. Stand guard against the enemy of comparison and when you recognize it, destroy it.
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Recommended Book of the Month: Leaders Who Last by David Kraft
This book had a great influence on Pastor Daniel. Here’s one quote: “Make it your priority and goal to pour your life into future leaders.” More quotes can be found in the blog section of eeleaders.com. If you’d like to add some quotes of your own, please share them.
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Quotes:
“I believe there is nothing greater than doing what God has called us to do.” -Daniel Williams
“You can go to God’s word and get direction. He will speak to you.” -Daniel Williams
“You will have the good, the bad and the ugly in church leadership. We are imperfect people dealing with imperfect people.” -Daniel Williams
“Actively eliminate comparison from your life—be vigilant about that.” -Bryan Saylor
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Links:
Contact Daniel: daniel@eeleaders.com
Leadership Lessons/One Piece of Advice/Blog/Recommended Books: eeleaders.com
EEleaders | Encouraging & Equipping Church Leaders