Humility by Director Jason Sanchez

One Piece of Advice | Jason Sanchez

Jason Sanchez, Director of House of Blessing, Bachiniva, Mexico, shares his advice to stay humble. “Humility is crucial for leaders and pastors because it is our human nature, especially in a position of leadership and power where people look up to you…to naturally, in our flesh, let that puff us up.” We end up thinking we’re something we’re not and somehow we reach a status where we’re not so reliant on the Lord. James 4:10 instructs us: Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. This is the great lesson the Lord taught Jason when he and his wife moved from Washington to Mexico to start an orphanage. The move put him in an unfamiliar position of receiving praise and applause not only from believers but especially from unbelievers in the local communities. “Directing an orphanage, working with orphans, draws the attention and admiration of everyone—the affirmation from unbelievers put me in a scary spot. That’s when the Lord brought it to my attention, to stay humble.” Jason talks about how you can do that.  “Put checks and balances in your life where you can humble yourself. Sweep a floor. Take the trash out. Keep it in the forefront of your mind.” You can follow Jason at thehouseofblessing.org

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“Humility is crucial for leaders and pastors because it is our human nature, especially in a position of leadership and power where people look up to you…to naturally, in our flesh, let that puff us up.” -Jason Sanchez

“Directing an orphanage, working with orphans, draws the attention and admiration of everyone—the affirmation from unbelievers put me in a scary spot. That’s when the Lord brought it to my attention, to stay humble.” -Jason Sanchez

“Put checks and balances in your life where you can humble yourself. Sweep a floor. Take the trash out. Keep it in the forefront of your mind.”  -Jason Sanchez

Trust In The Lord With All Your Heart by Pastor Julius Sanna

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Julius Sanna

Pastor Julius Sanna, Joy Church, Delray Beach, FL shares his insight into the wisdom of Proverbs 3:5 to trust in the Lord with all of your heart. The limits of our own understanding of situations as leaders forces us to sometimes stop or take a pause to ask God what’s next. “God is always available for us to approach. When you lean on God, God is able to direct your path.” During times of adversity and challenges, we need to remember this. Adding fasting to your prayer life can clarify God’s leading. “When I’m calling on God..and I add fasting…it clears my ears so that I’m not only calling on God, but when He speaks, I can hear Him so clearly.” Make fasting a habit of your prayer life. Like Jesus, we need to separate ourselves from the noise of life and listen to the Father. Prayer gives you the strength to apply what God has instructed you to do. 

A Passion For Prayer by Pastor Glenn Shaffer

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Glenn Shaffer

Pastor Glenn Shaffer, Claremore, OK offers his advice after 40 years in ministry—have a passion for prayer. Jesus said, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:38) “You never reach a place in your  spiritual life where your flesh is not weak.” Prayer is the one thing that is absolutely required for ministry. “It is the foundation of us being Spirit-led leaders. Because without that, we’re just giving information.” Begin to develop time in prayer. “Your people will pray because you pray.” Find out more about Pastor Glenn’s ministry, Apostolic Teams International at apostolicteams.com. 

The Message Is In The Text by Pastor David Guzik

One Piece of Advice | Pastor David Guzik

Pastor David Guzik, Santa Barbara, California, shares his advice which is specifically in the area of biblical preaching and teaching. “Come to the Bible with the mentality that the message is in the biblical text. You don’t have to create a message.” Your job as a preacher and teacher is to unlock and reveal and explain the message. The idea of having to create a message each time is an unnecessary burden to bear. “Reorient your thinking. Say, ‘The message is there—I just need to let it be exposed, to bring the biblical message.’” Then you can apply all your skills in making that message known. It will make you a more effective church leader. You can find David Guzik online at enduringword.com.

Have A Mentor by Pastor Andrew Lundy

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Andrew Lundy

Pastor Andrew Lundy, Boca Raton, Florida shares the value of having a coach or a mentor, someone who has walked what you have walked through and is able to walk with you through the challenges and defeats—and the victories, too. Someone to be be a good friend, to remind you of the good news of Jesus. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:15, “For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” No one can replace the value of a spiritual father. “I can learn the strategies, read the books, and know the methods but still be a lonely leader, alone in the journey.” We are taught in Proverbs 11:25 that “he who waters, himself will be watered.” As pastors we are in desperate need of the same ministry that we’re giving to others. So make sure you find that friend, that mentor, someone to remind you that your truest identity is that you are a son of God.

Invest in Others by Pastor Trip Kimball

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Trip Kimball

Pastor Trip Kimball, Jacksonville, Florida, talks about the most important thing he has learned through his many years of ministry: invest in the lives of others. There is a football team whose mantra is “Next Man Up.” This is the idea of having someone always ready to step in and do the job. “You need to be raising someone up behind you, because you don’t know what’s going to happen with you. God may call you to another role or move you on.” Do you have someone you’re raising up? It’s basic discipleship. It’s something that seems to have been lacking in the churches in America. It doesn’t just happen. It’s intentional. It is relational. Jesus set the perfect example for us with His disciples. But it isn’t just a pattern or a program—it’s a responsibility. Look for people who are attentive and responsive to the Holy Spirit, who love the Lord. Take the time and invest in the younger generation.

Seek a Pastor’s Heart by Dr Warren Gage

One Piece of Advice | Dr Warren Gage

Pastor Warren Gage, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, shares the advice he received himself as a young preacher from his own mentor, Dr. W.A. Criswell to seek a pastor’s heart, a shepherd’s heart. “To seek a shepherd’s heart is to share in the heart of Christ himself.” In seeking this heart you will receive insight into the scriptures that very few people have. You will see God’s word through the heart and eyes of Jesus, the Great Shepherd. “Be encouraged. Seek that heart. Study the Savior. Learn His love for His people—the good shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep.”

Keeping Faith by Pastor Joel Turner

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Joel Turner

Pastor Joel Turner, Calgary, Alberta shares his advice on keeping faith, even when you don’t feel like it. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) In other words, faith is the substance of what you know is coming your way, even though it’s not yet seen. It is not wishful thinking. “Whether I see it presently, whether I understand it intellectually or experience it immediately, I know what God says, He’ll do.” In the gospel account of Jesus calming the storm, He told His disciples that they would go to the other side. They didn’t remember it when the storm hit, but Jesus kept His word. We need to trust the one who sits in the boat with us. He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.” (Matthew 8:26) He has promised to get us to the other side. You may not feel it, but you can faith it.

Expectations by Pastor Esteban Valenzuela

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Esteban Valenzuela

Pastor Esteban Valenzuela, church planter in Madrid, Spain, shares his advice about expectations. We all have expectations in ministry, we have a picture of how God’s going to do things, how it’s going to go. Not all expectations are bad, but we need to prepare ourselves for the reality of unmet expectations. Don’t be surprised when things don’t turn out like you planned. “Allow God to work in His time. Have a confidence in your calling, that Jesus has called you, that He is going to do things that you cannot do.” In watching his own son plant seeds and patiently wait for them to grow, even when there was no visible evidence of it, Pastor Esteban was encouraged by God. “No matter what he saw, he was going to keep watering, and he expected fruit to come.” So hang in there. Opposition may come. The Lord allows difficult times to shape you and mold you for His kingdom. Because it’s all about Jesus. We bring our own expectations to the table, but it is God who chooses whether to remove them. He wants to glorify Himself in you and through you. That, you can expect.

Don’t Be Afraid To Take Risks by Pastor Ben Courson

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Ben Courson

Pastor Ben Courson, Medford, Oregon shares his advice based on Proverbs 14:14—Where no oxen are, the trough is clean. But much increase comes by the strength of an ox. Ben describes this as a farmer who is proud of his pristine barn when, in reality, he has no animals. What is the point in having a clean barn if there is no produce? “I would rather have a messy, pig stye, productive life than a pristine, problem-free, pointless life.” Sometimes we think the purpose of our lives is to to keep our lives clean, to never take any risks. But the truth is, every failure and mess you learn from is a step toward the victory. “God turns massive messes into messages for the masses.” Many famously successful people have a long track record of failures: Reggie Jackson, Walt Disney, Dr. Seuss, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln…they didn’t let their failures keep them from pushing headlong into life. “We might fail, but God’s love never fails—that’s what counts. Don’t be afraid to take risks. You might have a messy barn, but at least you’re going to have some produce! It ain’t about how high you climb, it’s about how high you bounce back when you hit bottom.” You can follow Ben and his ministry Hope Generation at bencourson.com

Be Encouraged by Pastor Joe Williams

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Joe Williams

Pastor Joe Williams, Tacoma, Washington shares his encouragement to keep moving forward in ministry—stay the course, stay focused, persevere in the calling. After 37 years in the ministry, Pastor Joe knows something about perseverance. You can feel like quitting, but don’t quit. Sometimes a situation can start out very negative, but it can end up very positive. Consider the lives of Joseph and Job, that all things worked together for their good in the end (Romans 8:28). In his own ministry, Pastor Joe’s church has experienced theft, flooding, financial struggles, difficulties like many of you have experienced. God has been faithful through it all, replacing what was lost with even better things. “Any time you preach the word of God, there is always going to be opposition. You have an adversary. You have an enemy.” Remember that David strengthened himself in the Lord, and that is what we must do. Trust God in every situation. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9). You will see the blessings of the Lord come out of your obedience. “God never calls us to be successful, He calls us to be faithful.” Encouraging words from a true servant of the Lord.

The Hard Work of the Ministry by Pastor Joe Harris

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Joe Harris

Pastor Joe Harris, Tampa, Florida, talks about the hard work it takes to be in ministry. “It was cleaning sludge out of gas tanks that prepared me for ministry in a way that even working on staff at mega-church did not. Accepting a call to pastor a church is signing up for hard work and self-denial of the norms that many other people get to experience. We are servants who get dirty and wash the feet of people like Judas.” Like Nehemiah and the Jews in Jerusalem, pastors are blazing a trail with a sword in one hand and a block in the other. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. (Colossians 1:28-29) It’s hard work and it’s labor, but the blessing of it is getting to see the power of God transform the lives of people.

Having Godly Character by Pastor Eric Souza

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Eric Souza

Pastor Eric Souza, Jacksonville, Florida, talks about the importance of having godly character. Having godly character is crucial, really, for leadership but also for Christian living in general. In   Timothy 3, Paul lists the expectations for bishops and elders and other church leaders. And in 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul says to “imitate me as I imitate Christ.” “This should be our verse as leaders. The people we shepherd need to be able to see Jesus in us. They need to be able to look to us as that positive example.” This is the only way to have an effective and fruitful ministry. “If we expect to lead anybody, we need to show them.” The fact is, godliness needs to be real to you. Christianity needs to be real to you. Godly character is incredibly important because it validates our ministry to people. It makes us authentic because we are living what we are preaching.

Throw in the Towel (Surrender) by Pastor John Panico

One Piece of Advice | Pastor John Panico

Pastor John Panico, Delray Beach, Florida, shares his advice to throw in the towel and surrender to God. “The difference between giving up and surrender is that, in the Christian life, the moment you throw in the towel that’s the moment you’re saying, ‘I surrender.’ And that’s the moment God comes in and floods your life with His power.” Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6) God commences the work, He continues the work, and He completes the work. “Surrender to Him. Throw in the towel and watch what He does.”

Don’t Freak Out by Pastor Adam Parsons

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Adam Parsons

Pastor Adam Parsons, Orlando, shares his advice on not freaking out when you experience what the Bible calls tribulations. “Things going wrong? That’s like my field; that’s what I can talk about!” Jesus has told us not to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34). And in Romans 5:3, Paul encourages us to actually exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance. We are meant to rejoice in our sufferings. “It is just the reality of life. Suffering is not the result of God being angry with us or God pushing us away. Try to think about suffering in another light. “We think of God working through us in ministry. God wants to work in us through ministry. Pastor Adam gives us 4 Ps to help us remember what to do when we’re tempted to freak out in suffering: Pray: Talk to God about what is going on. Preach to yourself: Remind yourself what God has said in His word about suffering. Press forward: Trust in the sovereignty of God. “Anything that has come into my life or your life, God has a unique purpose for.” And finally, Promise: Remember that God has promised to bless us when we are faithful. We can count on Him.

Have a Simple, Reproducible Gospel Tool by Pastor Robby Christmas

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Robby Christmas

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

Good Leaders are Good Learners by Pastor Razz Vazquez

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Razz Vazquez

Pastor Razz Vazquez, Miami, Florida, shares his advice from Acts 6:3: Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. The first point is that leaders were chosen from among you. “To lead, you have to be able to follow. To teach, you have to be able to learn. These men were teachable, they were “appointable.” A good quality of leadership is learn to learn. Learn from those with whom God has raised you up.” From among you refers to this family in which God has placed you. As a pastor yourself, have a pastor or a group of pastors who can speak into your life and hold you accountable. Be faithful to your calling.

Trust In The Lord by Pastor Lewis Williams

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Lewis Williams

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.”

Strategic Framework by Pastor Mitch Thompson

One Piece of Advice | Mitch Thompson

Pastor Mitch Thompson, Delray Beach, Florida, shares his advice on what his church has recently implemented through collaboration with other churches in their area. It is the idea of having a strategic framework based on strengthening areas of weakness or what Mitch calls “pain points” in their church’s ministry. “We realized we had failed in a lot of areas of being strategic as a church and a staff.” Through their willingness to collaborate with other churches they started a process of creating this framework. “We put together a ministry action plan so they all know what they’re doing that aligns with what God has uniquely called out church to do to move forward.” Mitch encourages this type of collaboration—“Get together, think through what is best practices and take advice from other churches who may not look like you but have been doing this longer and found some great ways that doing ministry has impacted their church and congregation.”

Seek Jesus by Pastor Jim Gallagher

One Piece of Advice | Jim Gallagher

Pastor Jim Gallagher, Vero Beach, Florida, shares his advice on seeking Jesus. “Long before you were called to be a pastor, you were called to be a Christian.” While there are many struggles that are unique to pastoral ministry, regardless of which area of ministry you are in leadership over, your relationship with Jesus needs to be the primary thing. Measure yourself based on your being a child of God, not on the abundance or lack of fruit being produced in your ministry at any particular time. Make sure you keep your devotional life healthy. Don’t search the scriptures for a sermon illustration, search for how God might want to speak to you. Besides that, keep your relationship with your local community fresh, so that you’re always meeting people and having an opportunity to share the Lord. “Keep following Jesus, keep loving Him until He comes.”