S2.E4 - The Beauty of The Church

EE Leaders | Leadership Lessons Season 2 Episode 4 - The Beauty of the Church

Pastor Daniel talks with Pastor Ron Jones, Coastal Chapel, Lake Worth, FL about how he and his wife, Erin, came to plant their church in Florida and what his thoughts are about the church in general. “I don’t think when Jesus first used the word church, he was describing a building. He was looking at people.” What is so important about seeing the church as people? It is not about success; it’s about fruitfulness. The fruit that is produced through relationships with people and for the kingdom of God is the fruit that remains (John 15:16). What is the importance of being connected with a local church, having fellowship with other believers? Every person in the church has been gifted by God and plays an important role in the health of the body of Christ. This is a great discussion about the vital role of the church and how we can reach people saturated with social media and not feeling the need for anyone or anything to give them more input into their lives. What is the beauty of the church?

QUOTES:

“The church has been the church throughout history….We have a great lineage…that great cloud of witnesses.”

“I don’t tell my kids we’re going to church. I tell them we’re the church that goes.”

“If we’re using our gifts, our talents, our skills and our experience, and we’re pouring into people, then we’re building the church—we’re building Jesus’ church. And it’s going to be fruit that remains.”

“We’ve got to find our place in the local body and be connected to God’s house.”

“You can get information online or listen to a message and hear a good word, but you will never get the spiritual dynamic of God’s impartation—what God puts in people and us receiving from the fruit of other people’s lives.”

“Every person has a spiritual gift. Every person in God’s body is a gift to the body, and there is strength in just them being there. There’s a spiritual gift in them, there’s a measure of grace that they have.”

“Our story is the platform that God uses to really minister to people. We inspire people with our strengths, but we connect to people with our weaknesses.”

One Piece of Advice | You Go First

Mike Lawrence, Port Saint Lucie, FL, recently returned with his family from 13 years as a church planting missionary in Costa Rica to start a new work in Florida. This is his advice: You cannot lead people where you have not first allowed God to lead you. You have to be willing to let God work in your own heart and life first. Your personal experience will give you greater authority and compassion to lead others through similar things. “We are surrounded by people who need to know that the gospel is not only for heaven, it’s for today. They need to know how God is working in your life, so that they, too, can find encouragement that God will do the same thing for them.”

QUOTES:

“We see this principle throughout scripture, that when God is going to call someone into leadership, He is going to do a work in them before He does a work through them.”

“We have to be wiling to be vulnerable and transparent about who we are and where we’re at.”

“While there are qualifications for leadership, perfection is not one of them.”

Links: 

Contact Daniel: daniel@eeleaders.com

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

S2.E3 - We Are The Church

EE Leaders | Leadership Lessons Season 2 Episode 3 - We Are The Church

Pastor Glenn Shaffer, Destiny Life Church, Claremore, OK talks about the Church as it is described in the New Testament and how seeing the body of Christ with fresh eyes can help us. What does it mean (Ephesians 4:11-12 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ) to equip the saints for the work of ministry? What is a proper understanding of the role of each member of the body in relation to the leaders? Positional mentality, performance mentality, and personalities are three areas Glenn talks about in this context, as hindering the church’s work of ministry. You’ll want to hear this.

QUOTES:

“There’s something about the New Testament understanding of what the church really is, that transforms you.” -Glenn Shaffer

“Sometimes we don’t realize how valuable Christ’s gifts are in the church and how much we need one another.” -Glenn Shaffer

“Something that is really burning on my heart is that we would emphasize placement in the body, as the scripture does, and not position…Placement is where Christ has set us; position is where man has set us.” -Glenn Shaffer

“We don’t go to church. We are The Church, going.” -Glenn Shaffer

One Piece of Advice | Leading from the Inside

Kevin Saxton, a pastor at Family Church in Downtown West Palm Beach, FL, shares his one piece of advice: Lead from the inside. We need to remember that our role as a pastor is as one of the family, one who is on the inside of the body of Christ. Our role as a leader does not place us above or outside of that. We are a part of the body, just as they are. “This is a people business. People really do matter."

QUOTES: 

“There’s no one who is a believer in Jesus who doesn’t belong in the church of Jesus.” -Kevin Saxton

“Being a leader in the church means the you don’t lead from outside the body of Christ, you lead from inside the body of Christ.” -Kevin Saxton

“We actually get to serve in such a way that we are a part of the family.” -Kevin Saxton

Links: 

Contact Daniel: daniel@eeleaders.com

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

S2.E2 - Comparison

EE Leaders | Leadership Lessons 2 Season 2 Episode 2 - Comparison

Bryan Saylor, Young Adults Pastor at Calvary Chapel, Melbourne, FL, talks about the problem of comparison, what happens when you begin to evaluate what God is doing in your ministry by comparing it to what God is doing in someone else’s ministry. This can be a result of insecurity or of pride. Someone else’s ministry looks better, so you feel bad. Or someone else’s ministry looks less than, so you are filled with pride. Either is dangerous because it distracts us from what God has called us to do in ministry. Bryan shares three important questions God asks us, questions that will help us identify the root of comparison and eliminate it from our lives. “When it comes to comparison, my prayer is that we would preach the gospel to ourselves and remind ourselves of the glorious riches that we actually have in Christ.”

QUOTES: 

“Comparison is one of the greatest things that can derail us or distract us from the mission God has given us.” -Bryan Saylor

“Comparison can be insecurity, but it can also be pride. Either way you look at it, it is dangerous.” Bryan Saylor

“These questions are gut punchers—they are difficult to hear. But as we wrestle with them, we discover the true heart of God and the fact that God wants us to move closer into trusting Him.” Bryan Saylor

One Piece of Advice | Who Am I?

AJ Pierre, Lead Pastor at Empower Hope in West Palm Beach, FL shares his one piece of advice: Ask yourself this simple question—who am I? You have to deal with this issue in your life. God has created you for a specific purpose at this exact time. Figure this one thing out and reconnect to what God uniquely created you to do.

QUOTES:

“This is a question I believe we all have to eventually answer in our lives—who am I?” -AJ Pierre

“You have been created by God for this exact time for a specific purpose to accomplish a specific task. For that to happen, you have to be authentic. You have to be exactly who you’ve been called to be.” -AJ Pierre

“There are people out there whose ears are tuned to your voice. The only way to reach them is if you are functioning in who God has truly called you to be.” -AJ Pierre

Links: 

Contact Daniel: daniel@eeleaders.com

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

S2.E1 - The Blessings of Unity

EELeaders | Leadership Lessons Season 2 Episode 1 - The Blessings of Unity

Pastor Daniel talks about the blessings of unity among God’s people. David wrote of this blessing in Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! (Psalm 133:1) Verses two and three of this psalm describe God’s blessing on those who practice unity. We may come from many different backgrounds and tribes like David and the 12 tribes of Israel, but God wants us to walk together in unity as one people—the body of Christ, the Church. Unity is extremely precious and valuable. Seeing the power of God work through the unity of His people is a great witness to the world of who God is. It brings glory to Him. Daniel shares some ways that local churches in Delray Beach. FL are working together in unity. How can we practice this unity that pleases God today?

QUOTES: 

“If you walk in unity with other brothers and sisters in Christ, you’re going to walk in strength.” -Daniel Williams

“Walking in unity helps us walk in God’s ways.” -Daniel Williams 

“When you walk in good works and you’re doing this together, it makes a powerful statement. People see that strength and they glorify God the Father.” -Daniel Williams

“Unity brings life and nutrition to your soul.” -Daniel Williams

“Unity does not mean uniformity. We can have our own unique heritage, but we are one in Christ.” -Daniel Williams

“Be eager to maintain unity in the body of Christ. Let us learn from one another. Let us grow and develop and serve the Lord with other believers.” -Daniel Williams

One Piece of Advice | Stop Judging and Start Loving

Jim Campbell, retired pastor living in Delray Beach, FL, shares his one piece of advice that God recently spoke to his heart: The kingdom of God needs to stop judging and start loving. How can we stop judging? You can do it with the help of the Holy Spirit. 

QUOTES: 

“We judge in so many different ways.” -Jim Campbell

“Can you imagine what it would be like if every human being on the earth stopped judging and started loving?” Jim Campbell

LINKS:

Contact Daniel: daniel@eeleaders.com

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