Spiritual Disciplines by Pastor Daniel Williams

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Daniel Williams

Pastor Daniel talks about ways to cultivate our faith through the practice of  spiritual disciplines and why these disciplines are so vital. In his book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald Whitney says, “In my own pastoral and personal Christian experience, I can say that I have never known a man or a woman who came to spiritual maturity except through discipline. Godliness comes through discipline.” In 1 Timothy 4:7-8, Paul instructs Timothy to undertake this training: Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. Spiritual disciplines do not need to be complicated. It is more about seeking to be in the presence of God and using spiritual disciplines as a way to get to know Him and trust Him. Making the word of God your first priority, worshipping God through singing, fasting and praying, practicing a Sabbath day of rest, giving thanks to God, having fellowship/community with other believers, serving others—these are just some examples of spiritual disciplines that will draw you closer to Jesus. How are you seeking God’s presence through spiritual disciplines? What is the next step for you? “From faith to faith. Step by step. There is profit in godliness. The way that we become godly is by being with God.”

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“To have spiritual disciplines cultivates our faith, it takes work, it takes time, it takes effort—but it is definitely worth it.” -Daniel Williams

“So many times in our life, we don’t want to do things that make us uncomfortable, that are hard—even the word discipline, that you practice this effort—but the Bible says if we are going to grow in our faith we need to practice spiritual discipline.” -Daniel Williams

“We want to do things that help our faith grow, to trust in Jesus more. In any good relationship, there’s work.” -Daniel Williams

“We can actually limit God in our lives because we lack faith and trust in Him. We don’t do what He says because we don’t believe what He says.” -Daniel Williams

“The best thing for you as a ministry leader is this—to be in the presence of the Lord. This is how I view spiritual disciplines. We get to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and we get to seek Him. That should be your top priority. And that should be my top priority.” -Daniel Williams

“Knowing the living God—Jesus, the King—changes everything. Out of that intimacy flows ministry.” -Daniel William

From Faith To Faith by Pastor Daniel Williams

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Daniel Williams

Pastor Daniel talks about having faith in different seasons of life and ministry, how important it is for us as church leaders to trust God no matter what is going on at any given time. “It is from faith to faith that we are to live, to walk by faith and not by sight.” This type of faith is cultivated. It grows and changes. What may have taken a huge step of faith in our life three years ago may not be the same today. God grows our faith step by step. What is faith and why is it important for us as ministry leaders? “Faith is trust in someone or something. Our salvation comes by faith. We are saved by grace through faith. We trust that God has the power to do this.” In Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews, we are given great examples of faith and this definition: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) One of the temptations of having the gift of leadership is to begin to trust in our own abilities rather than trusting in God. But we need to constantly remind ourselves, through prayer and intentional reliance upon Him, that God Himself is the source of our plans and any success we may have. Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Galatians 3:3) How can you cultivate your faith today? What is God telling you to do that requires faith? Daniel gives four reasons why faith is important in this and every season of life. You don’t want to miss it.

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“Seasons were given to us by God. They’re for a reason. Without change, without seasons, we can become stagnant and just take for granted the season we are in.” -Daniel Williams

“We need to cultivate our faith. We need to exercise our faith to get stronger like a muscle, and we need to continue to put on more weight and to continue to walk by faith, one step after another.” -Daniel Williams

“As Christians our faith is based on God’s word, based on what He is telling us. He asks us to listen to His voice, to understand who He is, and to base our lives off of who He says He is and the promises that He tells us to walk in.” -Daniel Williams

“We will be blessed when we trust in Jesus and His word.” -Daniel Williams

“You are the mission of Jesus…He puts us in situations to build our faith. He is sovereign. He is good.” -Daniel Williams

The Hard Work of Ministry by Pastor Pilgrim Benham

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Pilgrim Benham

Pastor Pilgrim Benham, Bradenton, Florida, shares about persevering in the hard work of ministry, challenging us to reset our minds and have a different perspective about work, remembering what it is we are called to do. The great story of Ernest Shackleton’s exploration of the Antarctic and how those who went on that expedition knew what they signed up for is worth hearing. The Apostle Paul writes about what he suffered in the hard work of ministry in 2 Corinthians 11, that he was imprisoned, beaten repeatedly, near death, shipwrecked, tortured, stoned, constantly in danger and suffering from a chronic physical ailment. What kept him going? Jesus did. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (Hebrews 12:9) What is overwhelming you in ministry? Call out to Jesus. Paul also wrote about running this race with endurance—which is very hard work. Endurance is “patience where you sit down and accept the thing that is in front of you. And not just sit down, but master it.” Are you not bearing fruit like you thought you would? Don’t look back. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 Ministry is hard work. But stay focused on Jesus and finish well. He is worth it. 
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“The idea is that when I come to serve Jesus in ministry, I’m not here to get anything back. I’m here to give.” -Pilgrim Benham

“Sometimes giving means struggle, it means suffering.” -Pilgrim Benham

“I want to encourage you to run the race that’s marked out for you—with perseverance, with endurance.” -Pilgrim Benham

“That’s what I long for—to know that the ministry that He’s doing in my life is going to result in fruit, which is souls.” -Pilgrim Benham

The Importance of Prayer by Pastor Daniel Williams

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Daniel Williams

Pastor Daniel talks about the overarching importance of prayer in leadership. Prayer comes first. Everything we do must be surrendered to God in prayer. A simple definition of prayer is talking and listening to God. “We need to be men and women of prayer who prioritize talking and walking with God, and relying on His strength, His will, His power.” Jesus taught us that when we pray we ought to be asking for God’s will to be done, not our own. Daniel shares his own story of how he grew in this area of prayer through the experience of church planting In Delray Beach, Florida, and being totally dependent upon God. “We really saw God direct us over and over and over again through prayer.” Asking God for opportunities, not knowing anyone in the city, then going out and sharing the gospel with people wherever they went—and people responded to the power of God’s grace. “We got to see God do His greatest miracle—saving a soul.” All of these things happened as a result of God’s response to prayer. When we ask, He moves. Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. (Colossians 4:2). Jesus modeled this for us in His ministry and taught His disciples to pray. Not if you pray, but when you pray. We need to see prayer as a great privilege and to grasp that it is God’s desire to know us and for us to know Him. Prayer should be an integral part of every area of ministry. Seeing God work through prayer builds confidence and trust in Him so that we know whether He says yes or no or not yet, He knows what we need and when we need it. Ultimately prayer changes us. We were made to worship and just as Moses was changed by being in the presence of God, so, too, as we worship Him we reflect Him to the people. Daniel discusses practical ways to build the habit of prayer in your life. For more information and great resources on prayer go to redemptiondb.com/30for30prayer. 

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“As His servants, serving His church, it is important to be in communion with Him, to listen to our Master. And when we pray, we actually align our hearts up with His will.” -Daniel Williams

“We prayed and asked God, “Would you give us opportunities to just preach Your name, preach your good news that you’re a God that loves, that saves sinners, that we’re saved by grace.” -Daniel Williams

“I think it is so important that we testify of the importance of prayer and how as leaders we see God work.” -Daniel Williams

“God expects His people to pray.” -Daniel Williams

“Jesus wants you to see the blessing in prayer. God wants to have a relationship with you.” -Daniel Williams

The Baptism of The Holy Spirit by Pastor Jim Gallagher

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Jim Gallagher

Pastor Daniel introduces this episode about being filled with the Holy Spirit as we serve Jesus.. We can rely on Him, on His Spirit for our strength. This Leadership Lesson is given by Pastor Jim Gallagher, the lead pastor at Calvary Chapel Vero Beach and also one of the regional directors of Calvary Chapel in South Florida. The phrase “baptism of the Holy Spirit” is used six times in the New Testament, including all four of the gospels. In Matthew 3:11, referring to Jesus, John the Baptist said, He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. “Everything that happens through the believers in the book of Acts is a byproduct of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.” This baptism is something that is promised to all those who believe in Christ. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit being with us, in us, and coming upon us. “Jesus referred to the Spirit in us as being born again. Paul referred to it as the washing of regeneration. The New Testament writers saw the need for the church and the Christian to be continually filled with the Spirit. A few passages with that concept: Romans 15, 2 Corinthians 13; Galatians 3; Ephesians 5; 1 Thessalonians 5. “The work of the Spirit is to lead a person to faith in Christ, to convert that person when they believe on Jesus, to transform a person into the image of Jesus, and to supply continual gifting and empowering as we step out to serve the Lord.” In Luke 11:13 Jesus says that the Father will give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks Him. He is available to all believers. We are not left on our own. What should a person expect when they are filled with the Spirit? 6 things:1)Sanctification; 2)The presence of God more in daily life, teaching and guiding us; 3)Desire to reach the lost; 4)Fruit of the Spirit; 5)Increased effectiveness in prayer 6)Power of the Spirit (Acts 1:8) We in ministry are completely dependent upon the power of the Spirit to do the work of the heart. “Continually seek God for a fresh work of the Spirit.”

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“The work of the Holy Spirit is to baptize believers. The idea is of a person being submerged or filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit.” -Jim Gallagher

“The real mark that a person belongs to Jesus is not something external, it is something internal, and it’s when the Spirit of God enters us.” -Jim Gallagher

“The work of the Spirit is to regenerate us to salvation and then to continually fill and equip us as we seek to follow Christ.” -Jim Gallagher

“A fresh work of the Spirit will show itself in the desire to become more like Jesus.” -Jim Gallagher

“The chief work of the Spirit coming upon someone is a power.” -Jim Gallagher

10 Principles To Plan Great Events by Pastor Daniel Williams

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Daniel Williams

In this week’s Leadership Lesson, 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.

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“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

Meetings by Pastor Steve Wright

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Steve Wright

This week’s Leadership Lesson on meetings comes from Executive Pastor Steve Wright from Family Church, a multi-campus church and movement in South Florida. “We actually have a philosophy of meetings here at our church that is very robust and strong because we believe that that’s how you move vision forward. Meetings for us are the traction of how vision is set.” All of our meetings have five basic elements to them. 1)Start with prayer. It’s not about us or our skill set, it’s all about the Lord and what He is able to do through us. 2)Tell stories. We want to allow people on our teams to share with grateful hearts the things that God is doing so we can all celebrate those successes. 3)Review action items from the previous week, so there is accountability for our teams. Who is trustworthy to do what they’ve said they would do? 5)Look at our calendar for things coming up, this Sunday, next week, next month. We talk things out. “I want to make sure as a leader that I’m setting an environment of collaboration. I want to value the contribution of those that are on my team. I invite all of the people in the meetings to contribute.” 5)Specific people being assigned specific times to get projects done. It’s not nebulous anymore; there’s a very specific action item. That’s the way we run meetings. We are not legalistically bound to these things, but they at least give us a framework, a guide. It’s been helpful for us at Family Church.

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“I want to hold lightly the things of God. Obviously I am a steward, not an owner and because these things are not mine to own, they are God’s, I want to hold them lightly.” -Steve Wright

“We want to make Jesus’ name great. The message I want to send to all of my teams is that we are solely, 100% dependent upon the Lord. I want to establish that in all of my meetings. I want to model that as a leader that this is where we want to start.” -Steve Wright

“One of the things that we want to model for our staff as we are in our meeting times is these stories, that we can with grateful hearts assign thanks to the Lord.” -Steve Wright

“We like to say we have 52 big events every year. They happen every Sunday.”

The Importance of Planning Your Schedule by Pastor Daniel Williams

Leadership Lessons | Pastor Daniel Williams

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) “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

Vision From Jesus by Pastor Andrew Lundy

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Andrew Lundy

In this episode, Pastor Andrew Lundy, Boca Raton, Florida, talks about vision. How does vision even come about? What does it look like? What do ministry leaders mean when they talk about vision? It is this: “Seeing what God sees—a work of God’s grace. To see what I wouldn’t see otherwise.” In this episode, Andrew explains the pathway—the how—of knowing God’s vision. It starts with Jesus, because God sees all things. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch over the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3) Vision starts with seeing things from God’s vantage point. God shares the pain of our suffering; He feels it. Then He does something about it. He searches for people to do His work here on earth. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless[a] toward him. (2 Chronicles 16:9) Then God selects people; He chooses individuals for certain tasks and certain purposes. Jesus chose the 12 disciples. He chooses those who are available for His service. And those He selects, He shows. “He opens our eyes to see what He sees. He gives us a vision of what He sees.” This vision from God planted by God stirs a person’s heart to feel what He feels. He entrusts us with His burdens and develops that stirring into a calling. Then He sends. He takes that burden with a vision and He gives it a mission, a task. This is the thrilling experience of being on that pathway of vision from God through the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit and resulting in praise and glory to God.

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Quotes

“God is looking for people—not perfect people, not capable people—but available people and willing people that He can use as vessels to accomplish His purposes.” -Andrew Lundy

“We see the grace of God in selecting empty vessels of normal-ness and weakness to display His awesomeness and HIs power.” -Andrew Lundy

“I’ve heard it said that having a vision without a task is a visionary. Having a task without a vision is drudgery. But a vision with a task makes a missionary.” -Andrew Lundy

Know Your Calling by Pastor Daniel Williams

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Daniel Williams

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. 

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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