glenwolf communication, discipline, encouragement, leadership, marriage, unity

Team Work: Church Unity

Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

2 Timothy 2:23-26 NLT

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,[a] in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

1 Corinthians 1:10 NIV

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

Psalm 133:1 NIV

Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.

Ecclesiastes 10:20 NIV

The bible gives imagery that the church is like a family, army, and team. None of these function without unity. Unity in the church is something worth striving for because it is something the Devil is fighting against.

Satan is wanting to steal, kill, and destroy the work of God in our local church. The number one way this will happen is through division.  

Below are major areas in which the church must be unified and the ways churches nowadays are divided.

5 major areas in which we must be unified as a church body:

1.  Theological Unity

This means that the leaders and members of the church come in agreement on non-negotiable doctrine. When it comes to minor issues, we can agree to disagree. Lets never major on the minors and minor on the majors. We must always keep the main thing the main thing.

2.  Relational Unity

We must have relational unity where people and leaders in the church love one another and demonstrate it by being cordial, respectful, friendly, and kind in their interpersonal interactions. Especially in areas where they differ.

3.  Philosophical Unity

Our philosophy on how the church should function according to the word of God must be the same. If one believes everyone should wear robes and the other thinks that their should always be an electric guitar, we have problems. While small things might be on opinion, the church must have common agreement on larger things such as: baptism, communion, evangelism, and discipleship. 

4.  Missional Unity

We must be in agreement to the mission God has called our local church body to fulfill.

5.  Organizational Unity

There must be organizational unity on how things are done in the church. This is accomplished by job descriptions, clear vision, assessments, and policies being made.

7 ways churches are divided:

1. Heretics divide churches.

A heretic is a person holding an opinion at odds with what is generally accepted. There are real heretics in our churches. Remember there was a Judas with Jesus. We as a believers will always have people who do not agree with our faith and or practices. The problem is we have people in the church who fight every word or accusation against them and end up getting themselves into sin. On the other side, we have people who won’t fight at all. We must find a balance and listen to the direction and wisdom of the Holy Spirit on when to fight and when to let go.

2.  Pride divides churches.

Pride is an ugly sin that we are all guilty of to varying degrees. Proud people act like leaders whether they are or not. They think God prefers to communicate to His people through them. Proud people only think about themselves and their family choosing not to be a part of the greater community of believers if it does not immediately benefit them. They love to tell others what to do, but when confronted for their own sin and pride, they welcome correction as warmly as a cat does water.

Proud people use emotion and manipulation to keep the attention away from their own sin, and on that of others. Pride invariably leads to division. The only way that a church can get on and stay on Jesus’ mission is to practice Jesus’ humility.

3. Legalism Divides churches.

Legalists, in simple terms, act like God by making rules. Legalists love to make rules about the rules. Legalists love to interpret how the rules are interpreted. When it comes to grace and truth, they will always err on the side of truth. Life is sucked out of churches run by legalists.

4. Traditionalism Divides churches.

Jesus had some pretty mean things to say to those who loved their man-made traditions. I define tradition as anything done in a church three times in a row. Traditionalists will fall in love with a wall color, a program, or a pastor, and have fallen out of love with Jesus. We must always allow Jesus to be Lord over our traditions.

5. Mission-Loss divides churches.

Churches that are not actively involved in the Missio Dei, will always become weird because we were never designed to exist away from the great commission. People that are working in the field do not care about the color of the barn. In other words, people that are not missional will find themselves having issues with things that are not important. Those issues can turn into division.

We must strive to be team players and fight against division at all costs. We are not ignorant of the devils attacks. We must humbly see the divisiveness in ourselves and be willing to turn away from those traps.

Questions to Ponder:

  1. What characteristics in you did you find in this session?
  2. Have you seen churches split before? Have you seen teams divided? What happened? What was the cause?
glenwolf communication, discipline, encouragement, leadership, Uncategorized

Spiritual Authority: Embrace It

“Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.” 

1 Corinthians 4:15 (NIV)

Many Christians today run away from authority and discipline because they simply have not been taught the bible. As a result, we have become misled on why we are on this earth. We are on this earth to glorify God, by being a disciple and by making disciples.

The key word in our purpose is “disciple,” which is where we get the word “discipline.” A disciple is someone who follows the disciplines of God’s word and Jesus. As a result, Jesus has commissioned spiritual leaders to bring authority into a believer’s life so he can be a better disciple.

We need to become people who embrace spiritual authority and don’t just tolerate it because submission to spiritual authority sets the stage for full spiritual maturity.

In the 1976 classic Rocky, Rocky Balboa an amateur boxer is given the chance to fight a heavyweight champion. When he begins training on his own, Mick, the owner of the gym Rocky attends, ends up kicking him out. The lack of discipline and drive Mick notices, would eventually lead Rocky to become a loan shark instead of fulfilling his dream of becoming something better. He calls it “a waste of life,” knowing that in order for Rocky to succeed, he must let Mick impart the wisdom of 50+ years in the boxing industry and teach him to work harder than he has before. If Rocky wants to be a great fighter and multiply himself into other great fighters in the future, then he needs to go find someone more disciplined than him, submit to their authority, and give that person the invitation to discipline him to be better.

The same applies for Christians. If we want our lives to reflect more of Christ, then we must submit to spiritual leaders and give them the invitation to discipline us to be better Christ followers. In fact, this is exactly what Paul said to Timothy in 1 Corinthians when he said, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).  

Once we learn the disciplines from our authority, we do not stop coming under authority, but now we are ready to help someone else become a great christ follower. The goal is discipline. Our generation has a tough time not being the man in charge, but that paradigm never works in the kingdom of God. In other words, you cannot be correctly disciplined without spiritual authority. Paul says we don’t have enough spiritual fathers to bring discipline into people’s life. This means we must not run away from Spiritual authority, but rather embrace it!

How do I find Spiritual Authority?

  1. Pray
  2. Read 1 & 2 Timothy and ask yourself, “Who do I look up to that resembles these qualities?”
  3. Talk to your Pastor

What if I feel like he or she is wrong?

Your spiritual authority are not perfect and will be wrong at times. You must test everything through scripture, bring the issue to them in love and seek reconciliation. (We will look at this further, later in this series).

We are raising people to be disciples and make disciples which is impossible without spiritual authority. The plans that God has for you will require you to submit to authority in one way or another and it’s better to embrace it sooner rather than later.

Questions to Ponder:

  1. How has authority treated you in the past?
  2. Who do you consider to be a disciplined person (spiritually, or unspiritually)? What do you think happened in their life?
  3. Do you have an issue with authority? Are you willing to let go of those issues to pursue spiritual discipline in your life?
glenwolf communication, discipline, encouragement, leadership

Plant Yourself: Understanding Church Membership

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green..”

Psalm 92:12-14 (NIV)

If you have spoken to any man that has been married longer than thirty minutes, you would know that a great marriage is never built on attendance, but on commitment. There is no greater way to state your commitment then through membership in our local church. Membership unifies the body under one vision and provides clear parameters for the local family of God to live and grow. Membership is a clear statement that a person is planted.

If we do not feel a sense of commitment to one another, as in a commitment through membership in a local church, then we will have no reason to resolve issues and submit to authority.

Here are some thoughts about being planted:

1.  When you are planted, you know you are next to “streams of living water.”

“Streams of water” is translated from the Greek as the point where a stream of water flowing underground suddenly breaks through and flows out freely–a spring. This means that when we are planted in the house of God, we are like a springs breaking out from underground in dry places. We are connected to the source of life and are positioned to be a source of life to others!

2.  When you are planted, you will grow.

When a plant has placed its roots into rich soil and life, it will naturally grow. Growth is always the bi-product of health. Those that are not connected to a church have to struggle to find growth because they are not positioned where God wants them to be positioned.

3.  When you are planted, you will produce fruit.

The result of healthy growth is healthy fruit. When you are planted in your local church, you will produce fruit. Your tithe produces fruit, your time produces fruit, your ministry produces fruit- everything you do produces fruit! The bible says you will even yield fruit in old age.

The kingdom of God is never built on attendance, but on commitment. Let’s lead people to be fully planted in the house of God so they can flourish and bear great fruit!

 

Questions to Ponder:

  1. In your own words, why is being planted in a local church important?
  2. Can we do more committed to the same vision then separate? Why?
  3. What holds people back from being planted?
glenwolf communication, discipline, encouragement, leadership, Uncategorized

Introducing How to Handle Church Discipline And Conflict

Starting off in ministry or leadership can be a difficult transition, magnified if those entering into either have not been given the proper tools as guidance. Many things come by trial and error and delicate situations can make or break a ministry if not handled correctly. In the church itself, there is very little teaching about church discipline and managing conflict. This is because of two primary reasons:

  1. Leaders are afraid to challenge their people with too high a commitment level,
  2. A distaste for the rigid structured church in which authoritarianism has been abused.

The problem is that both of these concepts are two extremes of biblical truth. The seeker sensitive mindset–that of fear–will leave our people immature, lacking a healthy biblical view of discipline. On the other hand, the rigid structured church will lack the compassion and heart of God which will result in discipline coming across hierarchal.

If our mission and mandate is to make disciples of Jesus, then we must understand how Jesus disciplines. I am convinced that our people are always caught off guard with church discipline and conflict because they are typically only taught about it after an incident has occurred and not before. Not only do I want our people to be informed, but I want our people to be informed at an early age.

In an upcoming blog series, I want to present a crash course on church discipline that will empower youth volunteers to understand the importance of commitment, spiritual authority, unity, conflict, and church discipline. On the first Monday of every month, I will be posting a different part to the series that will be accompanied by small group questions because people will always learn better when they talk things over.

To stay up to date on the series, subscribe by clicking the (. . .) in the main menu above. 

glenwolf encouragement

Remember The Sabbath

I don’t know about you, but my life has a unique ability to become overwhelmingly busy very fast. In fact, I think it is one of the biggest challenges in American culture today. We have too many things, too many expectations, too many opportunities, and too many distractions. It can leave us feeling pulled in every direction. Let me ask you a question… As you read this blog, what is pulling at you? I want to give you four major “pulls of life”. Can you relate with any of these?

Four Major “Pulls of life”:

1. Marriage – Is your marriage pulling at you? Do you feel the pull to meet your spouses needs? If you’re single, do you feel the pull to position yourself correctly to meet someone else?

2. Kids  – Are your kids pulling at you? Soccer practice. Home work. Drama. Diapers. Bottles. Car seats. Baby sitter schedules. Doctor visits…. you get the point.

3. Job/ career – Is your Job pulling at you? Are you trying to get promoted? Are you feeling the pressure of keeping your job? Do you have a tough time keeping your work separated from your time with your family?

4. Finances – Are you finances pulling at you? Are you nervous about paying your bills? Having enough to retire? Paying off debt? 

Whether you relate with the above “pulls of life” or not, i think we can all agree that life has a unique ability to overwhelm us and pull us in any direction it chooses. This leads to burnout, stress, poor decisions, health issues, and ultimately sin.

Lucky for us, God knew that this would be a challenge for us and He has a lot to say about it. Actually, He commands us to have a sabbath day. If you have never heard the word “Sabbath”, don’t worry, I will explain. Let me show you what God says in Exodus 20:8-11.

8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

What is a sabbath? The sabbath is a 24 hour period where we pause from regular paid work to REST, ENJOY God’s gifts, and RE-CENTER on Christ. The Jews have sabbath from Friday at sundown to Saturday at sundown. Gentile Christians have typically chosen their sabbath to be on Sunday. If you are not sure what day you should start with, I would suggest Sunday. Either way, the day you pick is not as important as the heart you have towards the day.

You may be thinking, “I am not Jewish and I do not live under the old covenant any more. Does the sabbath still apply to me?” Hebrews address this question in Hebrews 4:8-11. It says,  “…There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.”

In other words, we, as Christians, should practice the sabbath and approach it as a COMMANDMENT, PRINCIPLE, and a GIFT. It’s a Commandment to follow, a principle to comprehend, and a gift to receive. I want to give you 3 actions to a healthy sabbath day.

3 Actions To A Healthy Sabbath Day

1. Rest

Six days of your week, you are called to grow and gain ground in your life, but once a week, you  are called to rest. Every other day, you work hard, but on your Sabbath, you unapologetically rest. Do not work on your “to do list”. Don’t write another work email. Don’t make another sales call. Take one day off a week from work and rest. Your job will survive and God will be honored.

2. Enjoy God’s Creation and Gifts.

Did you know that you can enjoy God’s creation and His gifts? God did! In fact, what did God say when He finished creation? He said “It was good!” In other words, he paused for a minute and delighted in His work. Every time we delight on the Sabbath, we are reminding ourselves all that God has done for us and for humanity. He has conquered death and the grave! He has defeated the ultimate power of sin on the cross! We celebrate! We enjoy! We set aside a 24 hour period to unapologetically enjoy God’s goodness. You may be asking, “So…. What can I enjoy and not enjoy?” The answer is simple. You should do whatever refills your physical, emotional, and spiritual tank that doesn’t dishonor God. Play golf, go fishing, take your kids to the park, watch a movie, go for a run! Just make sure to enjoy yourself and refill your tank.

3. Re-Center ourselves on Christ

Did you ever notice where the placement of the Sabbath commandment is within the Ten Commandments? It is located between the first three commandments (relationship with God) and the last six commandments (relationship with man). In other words, the sabbath commandment centers our relationship with God (first 3 commandments) and man (last six commandments). It is a day to center ourselves on Christ. We are not simply taking a day off to take a day off. We want to pause from the “pullings of life” to make Jesus the main thing.  It’s an opportunity to refocus on Him, what He is doing, and what He is calling us to do knowing that true rest for our souls is only found when we rest in Him. Remember the sabbath day is “Holy” and it should be an invitation for us to become more holy.

You may be asking yourself, “Can I still do ministry on my sabbath?” The answer to this question is “yes!”. Jesus explains in Mark 3:1-6. “Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.”

Don’t let the “pullings of life” drag you where God never called you to go. Practice the sabbath and enjoy this wonderful commandment, principle, and gift that God has given you- Rest, enjoy, and re-center on Him. 

glenwolf encouragement

Two Words To Help You Think Through Your New Year

2016 is quickly fading and 2017 is on the horizon. Before you freak out and buy a puppy, let me ask you a question. What goals are you wanting to accomplish in 2017? If you are looking for a game plan on how to set healthy biblical goals for your life, you can  check out a previous blog of mine.

As you think about 2017, I want to give you two words to help you think differently about your future. I want you to “Think Double”. Let me ask you, “What does your world look like if it was doubled? In other words, take a snap shot of your life and simply double it. I am not talking necessarily about material things. I am talking about the things that matter more than materials or possessions. Below are my top 3 questions to help you “Think Double” in what matters most. I have also included some take away questions to help apply this to your life.

1. What would your INFLUENCE look like if it was doubled? In other words, take a snap shot of your current influence in 2016 and double it. If you had twice as much influence, what would change? Are there some relationship that would start/ stop?  Would your calendar change? Eating patterns change? Social media posts change? Does your dress change? Do your sleeping patterns change? The questions could go on and on…

2. What would your GENEROSITY look like if it was doubled? In other words, take a snap shot of your generosity in 2016 and double it. What does doubling your generosity look like in your marriage? In your family? In your local church? In your work place? with your friends?

3. What would your RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD look like if it was doubled? Obviously, God’s part doesn’t change, but your part does! What would it look like if your pursuit for Jesus doubled this year?What things in 2016 hindered or helped your pursuit of Jesus? What actions or habits will you need on your calendar in 2017 to make that happen? Don’t get legalistic with it, but rather make it a heart-felt move to be closer to God. 

I pray that your 2017 is doubled with the things that matter most in your life. If this blog has helped you, please share it with a friend. 

glenwolf marriage

4 Reasons Why You Should Keep Fighting For Your Marriage!

Do you want to give up on your marriage? Are you constantly fighting? This blog is for you! I want to encourage you to stop FIGHTING IN your marriage and start FIGHTING FOR your marriage (I wrote a blog about it!). Below are four reasons why you should keep fighting for your marriage.

4 Reasons why you should FIGHT FOR your marriage: 

Reason #1: Because you made a VOW to God and each other!

You gave your word that you were committed to your spouse until you die! Be a person of your word! Honor your commitment! But, what if your spouse didn’t honor his or her commitment? The bible gives only a couple of circumstances where divorce is an option (Marital unfaithfulness). This blog isn’t a blog to help you figure out that decision or get into the theology of it.

If you have biblical reason for divorce, please know that it still isn’t God’s design and it is always more painful than you think. If you don’t have a biblical reason for divorce, then it isn’t an option! Jesus gets to the heart of the matter in Mark 10:2-9. It says, “Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” “What did Moses command you?” he replied. They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied.  “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’  ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,  and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Reason #2: Because Marriage is SYMBOLIC of our relationship with God

Ephesians 5:21-25 (NIV)

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

Who is the bride of Christ? We are! Who is our groom? Jesus! I don’t know about you, but I am grateful that Jesus (my groom) has not given up on me (the bride) even when I have, at times, turned my back on Him. He has and always will be fighting for my relationship with Him. Here is where your fight is powerful. When you stay together with your husband or wife and fight for your marriage, You are showing the world what Christ does for us and what we are to do for Him. In other words, your marriage is a symbol to the world of our relationship with Him! Keep fighting!

Reason #3: Because your kids are watching!

Divorce doesn’t just affect you, it affects your kids. Heck! It affects my kids. Our kids are watching. They are learning. They want to be like you. They want to do what you do. Your marriage has the potential to create legacy and stability for them. What do you want your story to be written about? What do you want your kids to say about your approach to your marriage and to your family? I pray my kids would say that I fought for my marriage and I fought for them. I pray the same for you.

Reason #4: Because your spouse is worth it.

One day, a man will ask me for my daughter’s hand in marriage (when she is 40!). That man better treat my daughter like the princess she is to me. I feel the same way about my son. His wife better treat him right. Guys, I want to remind you that your wife is someone’s daughter. Ladies, I want to remind you that your husband is someone’s son. Now get this! Galatians 3:26 says, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.” In other words, your spouse is a child of the King. Your spouse is someone that Christ gave his life for! 

If your spouse is worth Christ’s sacrifice then he or she is worth your commitment. Keep fighting!

Are there any reasons why you have kept fighting for your marriage that are not listed above? I would love to hear your feedback!

 

glenwolf marriage

ONE Challenge That Can Change A Sinking Marriage

Are you married? Are you engaged? Let me ask you a few questions. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your marriage relationship? What would your spouse say? Are you guys on fire for each other? If so, that’s awesome! This blog isn’t for you.

This blog is for the couple that feels exhausted, cold, and alone. Maybe life through you a curve ball. For example, you had a baby, lost a job, have a medical condition, or feel yourselves going in two different directions. You never envisioned you would be where you are, but the truth is you are. This leads to constant tension, unclear communication, and lots and lots of fights. The question becomes, “What do I do?”

Here is my challenge to you: Don’t Fight IN Your Marriage. Fight FOR Your Marriage.”

In my next blog, I will share 4 reasons why this is so important, but today, I want you to think through what the above statement means to you and how you can apply it to your life. So Let me ask you, “How would your marriage be different if you stopped Fighting IN it and started fighting FOR it?

How do you practically do this? It’s simple! Next time you feel your self fighting IN your marriage. Stop, Cool down, and ask yourself, “How can I take this moment and Fight FOR my marriage instead of IN my marriage?”

I suggest you read this blog (I made it short on purpose) with your spouse and make a decision together to put this challenge into practice. What do you have to lose? If your spouse wont do it, then do it anyway! Show him or her through your actions that you are fighting FOR your marriage and not just IN it. This one thought will lead to many other healthy conversations that can relieve tension, get you communicating again, and reduce your fights.

glenwolf encouragement

Are You Taking Advantage of God’s Grace?

Are you taking advantage of God’s Grace? The book of Jeremiah reveals a time when God’s people did. They turned their backs on God. The same God that made the sand below their feet. The same God that keeps the ocean in its place. The same God that set them free from slavery and has given them a promised land. They turned their back on God and took advantage of God’s amazing grace. There assumption is that since they are God’s people, God will always spare them, but God addresses this assumption with some strong words through His prophet named Jeremiah.

God says in Jeremiah 5:20-25 (MSG)“Tell the house of Jacob this, put out this bulletin in Judah: Listen to this, you scatterbrains, airheads, With eyes that see but don’t really look, and ears that hear but don’t really listen. Why don’t you honor me? Why aren’t you in awe before me? Yes, me, who made the shorelines to contain the ocean waters. I drew a line in the sand that cannot be crossed. Waves roll in but cannot get through; breakers crash but that’s the end of them. But this people—what a people! Uncontrollable, untameable runaways. It never occurs to them to say, ‘How can we honor our GOD with our lives, The God who gives rain in both spring and autumn and maintains the rhythm of the seasons, Who sets aside time each year for harvest and keeps everything running smoothly for us?’ Of course you don’t! Your bad behavior blinds you to all this. Your sins keep my blessings at a distance.”

The people think they can simply live which ever way they want and that God will spare them because they are his children. But, they failed to remember that God never honors disobedience. He never rewards sin. They eyes of God’s people have lost site of his grace. They have forgotten their purpose on earth, and have believed a lie that sin will fulfill them. Only God will fulfill their soul.

What about you today? Are you taking advantage of God’s grace? Are you figuring out what you can get away with or are you figuring out ways to honor God more? 

Let me be clear… “It’s not OK to take advantage of God’s grace… period. Paul said in Romans 6:1-4 “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

 I don’t know about you, but I never want to take advantage of God’s amazing grace. I want His grace to sweep into every crevice and corner of my mind and heart so that I can honor Him with this new life in Christ that He has given me. Obviously, I am going to sin again, but I don’t want to! Let me say it again. Even though I am going to sin, my motivation is that I never want to sin again. Jesus paid too high of a price for me to pursue sinful acts and selfish desires that ultimately will never fulfill my heart.

How about you? Are you taking advantage of God’s grace? When was the last time you checked? Here are seven questions you can ask yourself: 1) Do you tell yourself, “I will ask for forgiveness later…“? 2) Do you tithe 10% of your income to your local church? 3) Do you cheat on your taxes? 4) Are you cheating on your spouse?  5) Are you hypocritical with people? 6) Are you holding on to un-forgiveness towards people? 7) Are you trying to get God to build your kingdom or are you allowing God to use you to build His kingdom? I am sure there are more questions you can ask yourself. That is between you and God. If you are taking advantage of God’s grace, then Stop it! Stop today!

Will you take a few moments and ask God to reveal to you the areas in your life that are dishonoring to him? Ask God to change the way you think about those areas and give you the strength to change. I promise you that your soul will be refreshed and you will be more at peace in your life!

glenwolf leadership

How Does a Christian Leader Determine A Proper Win?

I previously said in a blog post, “Anyone who aspires to be a leader or manager must take on the responsibility of clarifying the win for themselves and their team.” Here is my follow-up question to that statement. “So… how does a Christian leader determine a proper “win”? 

I determine a win by using three words: 1)What, 2)Why, and 3)How. Before I explain why these three words are so important, let me first explain my context. I do not lead within a corporate organization. I’m a pastor. I lead inside the local church. I believe that the local church is the hope of the world and is the primary vessel in which God is furthering His kingdom throughout the earth. The key word here is “Kingdom”. I am apart of God’s kingdom in which God is the King. I submit to God’s authority which means I do not get to decide what a proper”win” looks like, but rather I get to discover what a proper “win” looks like through God’s word. As I have studied scripture and have learned about the character of God, I have discovered the above three words help determine a win. Whether you are a Pastor, mom, team leader, business owner or simply a christian in the work place, these three words will help you be better at what you do. The three words turn into three questions: 1) The “What” question, 2) the “Why” question, and 3) the “How” question. 

First ask the “What” question:

I often ask leaders, “What are you working on right now?” And sometimes their response is, “I’m growing the kingdom!” As awesome as that sounds, I always follow up by asking the person, “What exactly does that mean?” In other words, “What are you working on right now that is impacting the overall success of your organization/ team?” The key word here is impact. It’s not enough to simply list off a big elaborate to do list that keeps you busy. Any leader or individual can stay busy. A LONG task list doesn’t grow your organization. The RIGHT task list grows your organization.  Answering the “What” question is about doing the right things at the right time. A leader will not be successful if he does not strategically answer the “What” question. It must be measurable and achievable. So let me ask you… “What are you working on right now?” Or let me ask it like this. “What are you doing today that is making impact on your organization tomorrow? Are your tasks measurable? Are they impactful? Are there any tasks you are currently doing that you need to delegate? Are there any tasks you are currently doing that you need to dump?

The second question is the “Why” question.

It doesn’t take long to discover throughout the bible that God isn’t just concerned with “What” you do, but also “Why” you do it. This becomes an issue of the heart. Let me be clear. Jesus is concerned with the attitude of your heart. He addressed a group of Pharisees in Matthew 15:8 when he said, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” In other words, they did the right actions with the wrong heart.

Ask yourself, “Why am I accomplishing this goal?” This question is important for two major reasons. First, It keeps your motivation centered on the Gospel and mission of Jesus. Secondly, it gives you the fuel to pursue what you do with energy and passion. When things get difficult, “What” you do won’t keep you going. “Why” you are doing it will. Even the secular world is starting to understand the importance of “Why”. In fact, Simon Sinek, wrote a book called, “Start with Why” explaining that organizations can not succeed longterm with out clearly defining and communicating the “Why” of their organization. I am not talking about just having a clear mission statement, but more importantly, having the right heart towards what you are accomplishing.  I fear that too many Christian leaders do not work their craft with the right motivation because they simply haven’t learned how to. This is why this question is so important. It forces you to deal with your heart.  I don’t know about you, but I never want to serve the king and lose His heart. So let me ask you, “Why are you accomplishing your goal? Is it for your pride? Your bank account? Your reputation? Are you building your kingdom or are you building God’s Kingdom? 

The third question is the “How” question.

It’s not enough to simply know “What” we want to accomplish and “Why” we want to accomplish it. There’s a third question that God is concerned with and we as Christians leaders must be concerned with as well. That third question is, “How am I accomplishing this goal?” The “Why” question has to do with your heart. The “How” question has to do with your character and attitude in which you accomplish your task. 

Paul said in Philippians 2:5 “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:” He goes on to say in verse 14, “Do everything without grumbling or complaining.” Paul is clearly communicating the importance of “How” in relation to the way you conduct yourself as a Christian. How a person accomplishes a task is sometimes more important than the task itself. This is also true in your leadership. If you ruin a friendship because you were determined to get the job done, did you really win? If you sacrifice apart of your reputation and character because you were determined to get the job done, did you really win? If you get the job done, but your family resents you because you spend way too many hours on your phone or in the office, did you really win? This is why the “How” question is so important. This is where your leadership as a Christian can really stand out above the rest. No one is impressed by a winner that tramples over people, but everyone is impressed by a person of integrity whether he wins or loses. So let me ask you, “Are you keeping your integrity while pushing for your next level within your organization?” Don’t forget to ask yourself, “How am I accomplishing this goal?”

Next time you are determining a win for you or your team, think “What, Why, and How”. When I have implemented these three words, my team has accomplished much with great unity and energy. When I have slacked on these three words, we have suffered for it. Hope this has been helpful!