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Bringing Honor Back....B's Thoughts

Sunday, January 31, 2010 by Brandon Stewart

I'm going to confess...there is a side of my generation that, quite frankly, I can't stand. I love being young. I love the time in history we live in. I love everything about today, but sometimes I feel like an outsider among people my age.

I feel this way because I've seen a lack of honor rise in my generation. I've watched the corrosion of trust in leaders and authority. A deterioration of true submission. I've been personally attacked, and I'm told that I'm old school...brainwashed...and

part of the establishment. In reality...it's not that I don't see the problems, I just choose to honor the people and leaders in my life as part of the solution.

I see many young people today looking for problems like they are going to win an award for finding them. It's trendy to protest. It's socially acceptable to call attention to the problem. And yet, so many of these same people rarely participate in the fix. When it comes to Church, many people point to it's imperfections, but somehow see it beneath them to be part of the solution. So, they simply walk away. Can anyone honestly tell me this is the right response?

A rebellious spirit that thinks it is solving a problem, but in actuality is causing deterioration all around it.

Our generation hides behind the word LOVE. "Love is all you need," the slogan says. Don't ask people to change... just love them how they are. This is what the world says. This is only half of what the Bible says. The reason this is so concerning to me, is that it breeds a lack of submission. It puts correction and hate in the same category (when in fact correction is a sign of love). It gives people an excuse to not listen to the words of authority, or wise counsel. It sets up a standard of right and wrong that is so personal, it is unaccountable to anyone else. And when someone comes along to bring wisdom, it is met with dishonor.

If only my generation could see the lie it is buying into. Living life only loyal to yourself is not the best way. A life outside of the protection of authority is a misguided, destructive life. My generation has a good heart. We want to fix things. But sadly, many are misguided in the way they relate to the world around them. They have listened to a lie. I guess they just need to see the solution in me.

I'm calling on my generation to BRING HONOR BACK. I'm issuing a call to return to a submitted, honoring, loyal life. One that doesn't simply find the problems, but brings solutions. I'm here to bring a voice to the young people in our world who also see this major challenge facing us. We can start a new trend. We can be part of the solution. We can model the incredible change that comes from honoring, submitted, loyal people.

Today....
1. Honor your parents. Build your life on a platform of honor to them. They are the source of your foundation. Even if you don't have a close relationship with them (or even know them), honor them in your heart...even if it is simply for the fact that they brought you into this world.

2. Honor your leaders. Take time today to write an encouraging note. Tell them what they mean to you. When corrected, receive like an adult. Take it in as someone who is hungry for wisdom. You'll find a great place of strength and growth in this attitude.

3. Honor your peers. Constantly build them up. Pull God's purpose out of their life.

4. Honor those you are responsible for the people that support you at work...or the people you lead on your team. Don't allow a "serve me" attitude to live in your team. SERVE THEM! Succeed by seeing them succeed.


Never allow the people around you to not see their own greatness. There is no harm that can come to our world with too much honor. Let's bring it back. Let's issue a new call in our generation. It's time for a new solution...and I'm going to be part of it.

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#ThriveYear Weekly Reading January 25-31

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 by Brandon Stewart

Hello THRIVE YEAR participants!  It's another great week...believing that you are walking in all that God has for you this week.  I don't know about you, but the reading lately has really been stirring me...and showing me greater areas in my life where I can honor people, honor authority and honor God.  It has been reminding me we serve a God who is bigger than time...and certainly bigger than our individual situations.  I encourage you to reach out to God this week, and allow His word to come alive to you.

Monday --- 1 Chronicles 6
Tuesday--- Psalm 81, 88, 92-93
Wednesday--- 1 Chronicles 7-10
Thursday --- Psalm 102-104
Friday --- 2 Samuel 5:1-10, 1 Chronicles 11-12
Saturday--- Psalm 133
Sunday --- Psalm 106-107

This week is the start of Winter Quarter small groups at Church.  Let me know if I can help you get connected.  Have an incredible week.  THRIVE!

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Another Life-Changing Meeting

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 by Brandon Stewart

So, today I had another one of "those days."  The kind that don't come around often, and, when they do, rock your world and your paradigm.  I've come to appreciate these days, and the potential they hold.  

Today, I spent the morning in a staff meeting with Sy Rogers.  Sy is a leading voice around the world on the topic of sexual healing and brokenness.  He has a story of past abuse, abandonment and struggles with sexual sin.  His story is not only an awesome testimony to the redeeming power of God, but also provides a relevant message that pierces to the heart of the issues facing our generation.

"The roots of our humanity go deep in our lives, but God's grace goes deeper."

Today I was again reminded of the fact that we all share a common humanity...a sin nature.  Every single person you have ever met is equally a sinner...and in need of a savior.  As modern issues of sexualtiy have surfaced, the Church, at times, has lost it's voice of love and grace...and has become viewed hostile to people, rather than an advocate for a God who is an advocate for people.  I don't think this happened intentionally...and is not meant to be a broad statement of every Christian or Pastor.  But there is no doubt that, in our generation, the Church is struggling to find it's footing in combating this issue.

At the same time, I see Churches (like ours, and others around the world), who are committed to getting it right in this area.  To find a voice of Grace and Truth to a world that desperately needs both!


As we move forward, we need a daily reminder of the cross and our own humanity as leaders.  We need to walk in the grace of God, and display it to the world.  And we need to listen to the leaders in the Church today who are carrying this message...and follow their lead, so the Church can find it's way to a place of relevance...all for the purpose of bringing broken people back to God.

I say all of this to say....
I hope you are planning to be at Church tonight (if you are in the Seattle/Tacoma area).  Sy is going to bring a message and story that is sure to leave an imprint on your life.  Let me know if I can provide you with details.

Let's keep moving forward Church...our greatest days are ahead of us.  
 

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Will You Lose It? Pt.1

Saturday, September 19, 2009 by Brandon Stewart

In Matthew 10, Jesus was with his disciples.  They were talking ministry.  And Jesus was about to up the ante for them...and send them out into their purpose in ministry.  They were in a crucial moment.  Jesus had been teaching them that the harvest was plentiful, but the workers are few.  He was paving the way for a new day for them in their lives.


When he was teaching them, he delegated to them the authority to drive out evil spirits and heal every disease.  In other words, this was their big ministry opportunity! They had served Jesus...they had been around him.  But now their day had come.  It was time to step out.  But, it came with further instructions...keep reading.


Jesus challenged them: "...Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" 

If we are going to move into the ministry opportunities God has for us,we need to learn greater measures of dying to self, and losing our lives for the cause of Christ.  There are four words in this scripture I believe Jesus was addressing with his disciples.  He was asking them to Lose It!


Word #1: Commitment
Commitment is a great quality.  It is the fabric that holds great families, marriages, friendships and Churches together. We all need commitment!  However, for leaders in God’s Kingdom, Commitment is only the first step.
I'm proposing that we move from Commitment to Surrender.

A personality test I took a few years ago told me that one of my strengths was called "Personal Freedom."  In other words, I enjoy setting my own course, doing my own thing, and breaking through limitations.  I will break boundaries, even if I set them up, simply because they are there.


However, I've found so much of God's purpose for my life  in the moment's where I have surrendered my will for the good of the team.  In fact, this is the primary way I feel God's blessing on my life...I support my Pastor & Church at the highest level when I surrender myself to God's purpose, and God's team.


Commitment implies that I will move my will to be in line with yours.  Surrender, though, is a whole different level.  Surrender is the place of dying to self.  It is a place of sacrifice and humility...but also a place where true heroes are born.

When it comes to surrender, as yourself questions like these:
-What idea am I holding on to that I need to let go for the good of the team?
-What personal opinion am I remaining loyal to, at the cost of damaging team unity?
-What aspect of my Pastor's vision do I have yet to fully embrace, and add value to?
-What team victories are going unrealized at the cost of my personal victories?


Remember what Jesus was saying here... This was all said  on the day where he gave the disciples they authority to their new ministry.  What new doors of ministry opportunity await you and I, if we will simply  move to a greater place of surrender?


We'll talk on three other words in the next few posts.  Until then, have a great weekend in Church, wherever you are.


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Adding Value

Monday, September 7, 2009 by Brandon Stewart

How do you respond to vision that you did not dream up or conceive? This is familiar territory, and a common road that all support leaders and teams will walk. It is a journey that requires our attention, since it is tied closely to team success and unity.

I'm taking a break today from talking about Rebellion to bring you a thought from the legendary John Maxwell today.
If most people will never serve at the top of their organization, Church, etc....then most people will also be in a place to receive and implement vision they did not generate. This is a place of sacrifice, but also a place of greatness. People who are willing to lose themselves for the good of their teams will find their lives in a new way.

John Maxwell describes the common responses to Vision:
1. Attack It –
People who immediately set out against a vision.
2. Ignore It –
These people may not attack the vision, but they don’t support it either.
3. Abandon It –
These people leave the organization because the vision violates their deep down values. They cannot bring support, so they leave.
4. Adapt To It –
These people find a way to align with the vision, although reluctantly.
5. Champion It –
These people make the vision of “WE” the vision of “ME.” They realize that vision is cast by one person, but accomplished by many.
6. Add Value To It – The most positive response to a leader’s vision is to be beyond championing it and to actually add value to it.
The vision moves forward because of their investment and support. It is impossible to distinguish personal and team vision for this person, because they are one in the same.
**NOTE: Not everyone gets the chance to add value to the vision. There is a prerequisite to this – and that is to Champion It first.

As you and your team set out this fall to build God's Kingdom...don't be a long ranger. Don't build in isolation. Make up your mind that your best position is the place of unity...no matter what the cost. Our teams are better when we add to the vision together.

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Rebellion - pt.2

Friday, August 28, 2009 by Brandon Stewart

God takes rebellion seriously because He takes authority seriously.
1 Samuel 15:23 NKJV - “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.”
God takes authority so seriously, that He considers rebellion the same as serving another God, and working against His will. Rebellion towards an authority figure in our lives directly sets our will against God's...and leaves us in a place far from his blessing.

When I think of rebellion, my mind goes first to the story of Korah, and the rebellion he led against Moses in Numbers 16. Korah was the first cousin of Moses. So in their world, Korah was a person of influence and power. The problem: Korah wanted the authority that Moses had...and he recruited 250 men who felt the same way he did. This group of 250 men would prove to be enough to infect the entire nation with grumbling and complaining against Moses.

What you need to understand is that Korah and his men were men of distinction in their nation - they were middle leadership. They were men who wanted the priesthood. They were jealous they had not been picked. They had probably ministered in holy things to some degree, and now they felt that they distinction of the priesthood was best suited for all of them. Little did they know they weren't just picking a fight with Moses on this day...

How often does a support leader have the opportunity to feel like Korah?
Personally, I think it is a regular battle! Support leaders are brought onto a team for their leadership strength...their ability to handle leadership tasks on behalf of their Senior leader. We are strong leaders! We desire to see progress made, and take results very personally. The challenge lies when opinions vary. When opportunity comes, and someone else is picked for the task, it is another proving ground of our internal strength and humility.

I made a decision a long time ago that I would not sacrifice my place in life on the altar of my own opinion. I have learned that the place of peace and agreement in God's Kingdom often comes with sacrificing your own opinion, or personal desires, for the good of the team. You know what happened after I crossed this line? I found this is the place of God's blessing. It's not the place of ME-first...it's TEAM-first.

Unfortunately Korah didn't learn the lesson soon enough. His fate? God cause the ground to open up and swallow he and his rebellious team.

Next time we'll talk about where rebellion starts...and how it grows.
Until then, have a great weekend and lead well. Let's bring honor back!

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Rebellion - pt.1

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 by Brandon Stewart

Most people will never find themselves leading at the top of the organization they serve in (business, Church, community, etc…). The top is reserved for a few whom God places there. Most people in life will spend their lives and careers leading from somewhere in the middle. John Maxwell describes this as the 360 Degree Leader – a person who leads relationships with a Senior leader, peers, and people serving under them on an organizational chart.

For the leader in the middle, a proper approach to authority is a life or death issue. If God places everyone in authority (Romans 13), then the way we relate to the authority in our lives is an important issue. This is the place of greatest protection and blessing by God...and unfortunately, its the place where many support leaders experience their worst enemy: themselves.

The temptation for us, as support leaders, is that we so easily forget this, and can be drawn to a place of self-interest….a place of “ME-first.” The Bible refers to this as … REBELLION.

When we use words like Rebellion, many people would excuse themselves from this word… saying, “This doesn’t apply to my, I’m loyal…I work hard…I always do what I’m asked to do.” But, before you are too quick to turn me off, lets talk about what rebellion looks like (even in it's smallest form):


Have you ever….
1. Shared your perspective with a team member or volunteer that would show your distance from your Pastor and his vision?
• People allow themselves to show how “they would do it differently” in an attempt to win support from distant team members, even if it means showing a distance between themselves and their Pastor
2. Attempted to sabotage another team member
• This can happen even slightly, by showing a lack of support, or speaking out against them. Me-first choices promote your success at the expense of their failure
3. Taken advice or counsel from your Pastor lightly? Or disregarded it as unimportant?
4. Sabotaged or attacked a vision presented from your Senior Leader?
5. Entertained complaints from Church members, volunteers, or other staff members about what the Pastor or leaders should be doing differently?

…if you have, you have seen the face of rebellion. The question is…how did you respond to its momentary presence in your life? Did it become a companion on your journey, or a momentary thought to overcome?


(We'll continue this conversation next time...)

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