It IS Who You Know

For years, cynics have said, "It's not what you know, it's WHO you know," meaning that qualified people are passed over by people who know the right people to get promoted/noticed/advanced. And, the cynics are right. Just not in the way they think they are.

WHO you know really does matter. Who you follow, who you lead, who you trust, who you doubt--these things matter so much more than your expertise or technical know-how. I don't mean for a second that expertise or skill is insignificant. It's critically important. If you have no skill or offer no value, it'll be pretty hard to gain and hold people's attention.

But, the #1 aptitude/ability/requirement of leadership is DISCERNMENT. You must discern people's abilities, agendas, non-verbal responses, and the like if you're going to accurately evaluate whether or not their talents are congruent with the task at hand.

The best way to develop discernment: Follow, lead, trust, and doubt the right people at the right times. Spur Leadership Test: Identify ONE person in your sphere of influence right now you are following...leading...trusting...doubting. Are they the RIGHT ones? If not, what can you do this week to get the right ones around you?

Politics & God Don't Mix?

All truth is God’s truth. And, every day, we witness and live out some clear, biblical laws of leadership in the political arena. These are laws that just are, no matter what your definition of is is.

Some truly godly and gifted men and women have chosen public service over personal gain, and we are blessed by their choices. Others…not so much. Personally, I love politics. It may be the grandest stage with the brightest lights where authentic leadership—or the lack thereof—plays out. And, as a pastor, my calling and responsibility transcend political affiliation/endorsement. I do not believe God rides an elephant or a donkey. Desiring to offend no one, and to do so equally, here is a brief list of the Leadership Laws we see manifest in the political realm:

1. Communication helps (or not). Policy and motives aside, the eloquence of Presidents Reagan and Obama significantly increase(d) their leadership capital.
2. Public Opinion matters. Democrats’ victories in Congress and Presidential races give them the opportunity to set policy, seat judges, and lead. They were given this opportunity because the public lost confidence in Republicans who had been given the opportunity and squandered it.
3. Popularity is not leadership. President Obama’s approval ratings neither make him a leader nor ensure good decisions, while President Bush’s decision to implement the “Surge” strategy was spot-on despite his dismal poll numbers. Popularity comes and goes with the winds of public opinion. Leadership lasts.
4. Crisis clarifies. 9/11, Katrina, Economic Meltdown. All these crises reveal character, strength of leadership, effective management, and compassion. Or, the lack thereof. Either way, it’s suddenly very clear.
5. Performance matters. Had Republicans performed better, led more, and spent less during their seasons of majority, they would have a greater voice in the handling of the economic crisis. They didn’t, so they don’t.

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Less Is More

Michael Hyatt is the CEO of Thomas Nelson publishers and he posted a great, brief post about the value add of LESS. Check it out here. Great word for leaders in any arena.

Sermon Preparation, 3

One of the greatest things pastors do to preach with God-honoring excellence is...NOT preach. Strategically, intentionally choosing when and where NOT to preach has resulted in some of the greatest seasons of creativity, passion, and effectiveness that I've ever experienced as a communicator. But you have to be really wise about it. There are some keys to remember when taking time off:

1. Schedule it only after a new ministry season is underway and running on its own steam. For example, the Sunday after Easter is an opportunity to reconnect with those folks who came Easter and decided to come back and see what it's really like. Good time for the primary teacher to be in the saddle.
2. Do the upfront work of developing and anointing other teachers. For your time out of the pulpit/off the stage to be truly time off, you have to know that the responsibility of God-honoring preaching/leading has just been handed off well and not fumbled. The lead pastor/teacher/preacher is still accountable for what happens in the preaching even though he/she isn't there. (And, the ultimate test of leadership always happens in the leader's absence.)
3. It strengthens your family. They need to experience the tangible evidence that they matter more to you than your job. Nothing communicates that more effectively than time. It is a great object lesson that needs no words that helps them appreciate, enjoy, and respect their spouses'/parents' calling rather than resent it.
4. Some issues are best left only to the senior pastor. The delivery of new vision/direction for the whole church, sermons about money, strong calls to repentance...these and other "big-picture" leadership issues are best delivered by, and received from, the senior pastor. It's a responsibility thang.

Preaching is one of the things that I LOVE about what God allows me to do. But, the reality is that Sunday is relentless. No matter what else happens, what leadership issues arise, what pastoral or personal crises need attention, Sunday is ALWAYS coming. And, to pray, prepare to preach demands big blocks of time. There is no short cut, no matter how long you've been doing it. Over a 2-3 month window, that takes a toll emotionally, physically, intellectually, and spiritually.

Time off and away from the weekly grind and blessing of sermon preparation refuels, recharges, and refreshes. And it's MANDATORY that a church not become dependent upon one voice to be the only reliable deliverer of God's word and leading. And, in this case, if it helps the pastor, it helps the church.

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Hands & Feet This Weekend at LHC

We work and pray diligently for every worship experience to be an opportunity to introduce people to the extravagant love of God. However, this weekend I'm beginning a sermon series that is PERFECT to invite people for that reason. THROUGH OUR HANDS will be something you don't want to miss and a great excuse to bring someone with you to see what the Jesus thing is really all about.


Through Our Hands/Community Fair Invite from Lake Hills Church on Vimeo.

Sermon Preparation, 2

Very early in my ministry, Dr. Mike Hamlet (First Baptist Church, N. Spartanburg, SC) told me, "Preaching is 85% sweat." One of the things I've always appreciated about Mike is his candor (often seasoned with God-honoring sarcasm--no, really, it IS possible!) and the fact that he's typically dead right.

In his recent book Killing Cockroaches, Tony Morgan quotes David Foster, pastor of The Gathering in Franklin, TN:
"I operate on one key principle--great speaking comes from the overflow of preparation."

Preparation takes many different forms and comes in often unexpected ways. But there are a few non-negotiables:
1. PRAYER. Obviously, someone can get up in front of people and talk without praying, but that is not preaching. God-honoring, anointed, life-changing preaching begins, bathes, and ends with prayer. You have to invoke the power, presence, and prompting of the God you ostensibly serve by preaching.
2. STUDY. Scripture, Bible commentaries, topical books, alternative viewpoints, secular perspectives (contrary to, and consistent with, Scripture). If preaching is a spiritual/social exercise--and it is--then study is the diet that fuels the exercise.
3. EXPERIENCE. The most evocative, powerful illustrations are those that are born out of our life experiences. The audience automatically connects their personal stories to the ones shared in making a point. Almost every preacher I know is subconsciously trained to find illustrations in almost every experience. (Craig Groeschel posted some KEY thoughts about illustrations back in Feb. at swerve.lifechurch.tv)
4. FLOW. Prayer, Study, & Experience only help you find the ingredients. Creating a flow is what makes everything fit together in a cohesive, coherent way that people can and will follow you on the journey of a sermon. Flow is achieved through one thing: TRANSITIONS. It may be a word, a sentence, a pause, a phrase or a paragraph. But, transitions matter as much as almost any mechanical part of the message.
5. INFORMATION/APPLICATION. Bill Hybels says, "Tell them what they need to know. Then, tell them what to do." But long before Hybels ascended to a pulpit, that's how Jesus taught. Whether on the mountainside or in the synagogue, Jesus was much more deliberate about "how you should then live" than he was about the Hebrew root word chosen by Isaiah. Information feeds. Application leads.
5. PRAYER. Get it? Good.

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Social(pathic) Networking

Let's say that you're applying for a job. Except, it's more than just a j-o-b. It's a calling, a vocation, that you truly want to invest your blood, sweat, and tears in and make a difference in the world while also earning a fair--OK, great--wage.

Now, let's say that in addition to your resume and references you are required to submit the last two months of posts you've made to Facebook, MySpace, and/or Twitter. Would you still be a candidate for the calling and vocation you long to fulfill? Would anyone screening applicants who are expected to make a difference in the world let you through the filter of discernment, emotional maturity, and good decision-making ability?

If not, why should your current employer entrust you with anything more than mid- to lower-level responsibilities? Why should they keep you at all?

It's one thing for students to post their "finding-themselves" moments and pictures of those moments on social networking sites. But, if I am chronologically expected to be an adult, my posts, tweets, and blogs should reflect it.