Monday, January 31, 2011

LITTLE

I'm not bemoaning my state today - I love what I do and where I do it - I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Just making sure you understand.

But I was talking this week to a guy that I've been asked to mentor by our District - I don't know why they asked me to do that because there are plenty of people way better at that than me. He pastors a small work here in our state.

As we were talking, it struck me that he probably had more to give me than vice versa. It felt that way, at least. Sure, we're in a big church here but this guy at the small church has just as much, if not more, to teach about discipling and shepherding. I could learn from him.

I don't believe small is bad. I don't believe small is good either. Just like I don't believe big is bad - or good. That big is good seems to be the prevailing opinion out there, but I don't really believe that. I also don't believe all megachurch pastors are idolators of ambition. Small church guys can be just as idolatrous.

All I know is -- we shared stuff and this guy had some great things to say. I took them to heart, even though he didn't realize he was the one doing the teaching.

1 - The little guy can teach you about contentment.
While the bigger guy is always looking for the next conquest and quantum ministry leap, the little guy has been learning to be content with what God has provided - and while his ministry might not be bigger by the numbers, his peace and joy probably are.

2 - The little guy knows about pastoring.
As in actually pastoring. REALLY pastoring. The big guy probably knows about managing people, organizing people, inspiring people, but the little guy knows his people. He knows who is struggling with what and he tends to his flock because he has to. After years of doing that, he may not have the latest cutting edge creativity (then again, he might have that too), but he will have learned the art of pastoring.

3 - The little guy is seasoned.
The guy who has grown his church from 4 to 1,000 in a year is successful. And it's a remarkable achievement. But if I wanted to be mentored by a battle-hardened minister, someone who knows what it's like to have much as well as little, a guy who has had his hand to the plow without looking back for the long haul, facing opposition and criticism, who hasn't banked his success on a huge attractional programming but on long-term faithful investing into people, I'd probably go to the guy who has had a church of 125 for fifteen years.

4 - The little guy knows what really matters.
He isn't caught up in homiletical one-upsmanship. He isn't easily impressed by 'big.' Being dismissed or overlooked hardly matters to him, because he knows what matters. He's not a slave to the statistics of church, but measures it by faithfulness to his calling. He doesn't know these things as mere concepts, but deep down in his gut.

My hat is off to 'little.' Thank you for serving.

And be blessed.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

LYNCHPIN

Since the beginning of this year, I have been challenging our congregation to just 'believe what the Bible says and do that' - without rationalizations - without excuses - without good reasons why it won't work for me - just believe it for what it says and do it and see what amazing things God does because you follow it.


Today, as we talked about having an attitude of criticism, which the Bible says is flat-out sin --- there was the discovery that the antidote to that kind of spirit is found in I Corinthians 13.


It says love is PATIENT:

It waits for people to change and it blesses them in the meantime.

It is persistently compassionate even when it is undeserved.


It says love is KIND:

It isn’t just passively accepting people; it is actively accepting them.

It isn’t just standing on the other side of the room saying, 'She drives me batty, so I'm just going to steer clear of her way over here. That way I won't say anything I'll regret and have to apologize for later.' (I hear that approach a lot, by the way.) But that’s not love. Active love is actually walking across the room and finding ways to bless people.


It says love is not JEALOUS - it doesn’t BRAG - it isn’t ARROGANT:

I bless you even when you are more successful than I.

I bless you even when you are more prominent than I.

I bless you even when you are more gifted than I.

I bless you even though you are better looking than I.

I am for you; I have always been for you; I will always be for you.

It says love BEARS all things:

It bears the weight of misunderstanding. 'It's what she said, but it isn't what she meant. I know it sounded like what she meant, but it isn't what she meant.'


It says love BELIEVES all things:

It believes the best rather than assuming the worst about what they did.


It says love HOPES all things:

It sees people - not as they are - but as they will be by God’s grace.


It says love ENDURES all things:

You can retreat if you want to, but I’m never going to back up when it comes to loving you and blessing you.


It says love never FAILS:

This is the lynchpin to this whole thing. Think about the implications of love never failing. If this whole church thing goes south, God, help us to be able to say it wasn’t because we didn’t love each other -- and if we truly love each other, there is no way on earth this church thing can go south.


And be blessed.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

7


Someone asked me a few weeks ago why '7' was God's number. I wasn't sure that was the right way to say that, but certainly - from the seven days of Genesis in the beginning to the seven seals of Revelation at the end, Scripture is saturated with the number seven.

The word 'seven' occurs 287 times in the Bible. 'Seventh' happens 98 times. 'Seven-fold' is written 7 times. Just a bit of trivia - or maybe it's more than that, but those numbers are all factors of the number 7. Kind of weird, like the fact that President Abraham Lincoln's secretary was Mrs. Kennedy and President John Kennedy's secretary was Mrs. Lincoln - like John Wilkes Booth (President Lincoln's assassin) shot the president in a theatre and was caught in a book depository - and Lee Harvey Oswald (President Kennedy's assassin) shot the president from a book depository and was caught in a theatre.

In the Hebrew, seven is 'shevah.' It is from the root 'savah', to be full or satisfied, to have enough of. So on the seventh day God rested from the work of Creation. It was full and complete, good and perfect. Nothing could be added to it or taken from it without marring it. From that comes the word "Shabbath," Sabbath, or day of rest.

Most Biblical scholars, regardless of their stance regarding the meaning of numbers in Scripture, have recognized its significance. It is impossible to miss.

- God rested on the seventh day.

- Noah took every clean beast and bird onto the ark by sevens.

- God blesses Abraham with a seven-fold blessing (Genesis 12).

- Jacob served seven years for Leah and then seven years for Rachel.

- Egypt had seven years of plenty and seven years of famine.

- God makes a seven-fold covenant with Israel (Exodus 6).

- In Leviticus, the priests are told to sprinkle the blood of the offering seven times before the Lord.

- Joshua was told to march the Israelites seven times around the city of Jericho.

- Elisha instructed Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan RIver to be healed of his leprosy.

- David sang: "Seven times a day do I praise You, O God" (Psalm 119).

- In Proverbs, there are seven things detestable to the Lord.

- The New Testament has the miracle of seven loaves and fishes feeding 4,000 men with seven baskets full left over (Matthew 15).

- Jesus says to forgive seventy times seven.

Whatever you might believe, seven certainly gives a sense of persistence. Jesus said: "If someone sins against you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times asking for forgiveness, you should grant it." If Naaman had washed only four times in the Jordan River and then said, "Aw, this isn't working - just forget it," he wouldn't have been healed.

And remember ... 'Though the upright fall seven times, they get up again' (Proverbs 24:16).

And be blessed.

And be blessed.

And be blessed.

And be blessed.

And be blessed.

And be blessed.

And be blessed.

Friday, January 28, 2011

CONFESSION

Let me start this one with a bold confession and apology. If you met me between 1982 and 1998 and I told you, 'I'll pray for you,' chances are real good that was a lie. I probably didn’t. And that’s not cool. I’m not sure why we do this. I think in some ways, saying 'I'll pray for you' is the Christian equivalent of telling a date, 'I'll call you,' when you know you never will. It just seems like the right thing to do. Hopefully I am the only one who has struggled with this, but I have my doubts. I'm way better with this now and odds are that I WILL pray for you. I might not make 100% on that, but I think I'm a good 96% on it now. Very often I try to do it as soon as the person leaves me. But to all of you in my far past who counted on me, I'm very sorry. To all of you who are going to ask me this weekend and beyond, you can count on me.

And be blessed.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

HANDS

There was something very cool about my breakfast at Cracker Barrel this morning. I sat with a friend from our church who has walked thru his own journey of faith - not without pain and frustration - but never with his faith being shaken.

We talked for an hour over eggs (him) and oatmeal (me) and told of the life-bending and miraculous things God was doing in both our lives. The hour flew by.

At the end, he asked if he could pray for us. Usually that's my job, it seems, but I was eager to have it play out this way this time. Yes. Definitely. Please do.

We joined hands there in the restaurant - with tables chattering next to us - and waitresses breezing back and forth - and he began to pray a blessing on our church and on my life.

I opened my eyes halfway thru (sorry, but I did) and glanced at our right hands that were clasped in the center of the table - my white hand, his black hand. I couldn't even close my eyes at that point. I just stared at our hands while the man continued to pray. It was a beautiful sign of what God is doing in our church and one of those moments indelibly imprinted in my heart.

Thanks, friend, for what you did for me this morning. I needed it.

And be blessed.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

MATURITY

I've heard lots of debates about at what level of maturity a disciple is finally 'made.' I think, frankly, the disciples of the early church - yeah, those 12 guys - were probably far less mature than we would want to believe. I'm just saying.

We end up debating processes and methods and how to git-er-done, disciple-wise. We get in little groups, or one on one, or bring our Bibles and write in them, or journal --- I'm just not sure there is any one way. And I'm not sure any one approach works for a lifetime.

We outgrow processes and methods and even disciplers along the way.

What are we calling people to? Jesus said, 'Um ... yeah ... you follow Me and you're gonna die. You OK with that? But don't worry, because life is really eternal.'

I think we try too hard to ease people in. When people ease in, they ease out real easily. He calls us to take up a cross and follow.

And be blessed.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

GRAPE


Occasionally, like today, I get asked to come to someone's house who can't ever get out and serve them communion. It's an honor to be part of that.

On the other hand, moments like that bring out weird thoughts for me. For one ---- grape juice. We non-alcohol-sipping-believers have a pretty strong relationship with grape juice. I love it actually. It's delicious and refreshing and stain-worthy. It's infinitely more tasty than its kissing cousin, prune juice - a drink I've tried more than once and couldn't choke down.

Grape juice is strongly connected to remembering the death of our Lord Jesus. That's a huge responsibility, don't you think? Have you ever really thought about that? I mean - how must the other fruits feel? Acai fruit is hot right now, but it's not connected with Jesus in any way. I'm totally wasted with grape juice and can't do much with it now besides enjoy communion. It just seems wrong to do anything else with it. For instance, I could never cool off with a tall glass of grape juice after mowing the lawn.

Just almost seems sacreligious. Oh well.

And be blessed.

Monday, January 24, 2011

THEM

'Them' always causes problems. It's usually 'thems' fault - 'them' are the reason something happened that shouldn't have - 'them' is why something didn't happen that should have.

How would you finish this sentence in your world?
'I can't do this because of _____ (them).'
'We would be so much further along if it wasn't for _____ (them).'
'(They) ______ ruin everything.'

Now -- how would you complete the sentence if it was written another like this?
'Jesus, we can't do _____ because of _____ (them).'

Satan, the most powerful force for evil on the earth, was not what stood between the disciples and progress. It was always and only them. When they went out to heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out demons, but couldn't, Jesus didn't say: 'It was because of Satan you failed.' He said: 'You of little faith. Don't you know this kind only comes out thru prayer and fasting?'
Jesus taught there is no 'them.'

And be blessed.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

PACKER


Well, today's blog is just predictably inevitable ...


"God must be a Packer fan,
With robes of green and gold.
Watching all the football games,
Where the other teams get wiped away.

God must be a Packer fan,
With cheese heads and jerseys galore.
Keeping the faith of America's Pack,
And leading our team to the Bowl.

God must be a Packer fan,
With Packer shoelaces and socks.
Allowing us touchdowns to win every game,
And field goals to help a little bit more.

God must be a Packer fan,
With posters and pennants galore,
Singing along to the wonderful fact that,

"We are the Champions!"

OK. It might not hold up theologically, but it's still fun. Congrats to "America's Football Team," on their way to the Super Bowl now.

This is one of those days you're proud to live in Wisconsin ... GO GREEN BAY PACKERS!

And be blessed.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

SEUSS

Well, I just couldn't resist posting twice in one day when I watched this a few moments ago. Laugh and enjoy

...



And be blessed.

AUDIT

Every year our church undergoes a vigorous, penetrating internal audit to make sure we have financial and organizational integrity. If we find something awry, we know we can't move forward until that thing is examined and fixed.

Jesus continually reinforced the idea of individuals conducting personal internal audits. For example, in Matthew 23 He accuses the scribes and Pharisees of meticulously cleaning the outside of the cup while leaving the inside full of extortions and lies. He called them white-washed structures housing rotting corpses.

He tells His listeners to conduct internal audits when He says, 'When you bring your gift to the altar, if you have anything against your brother, go make peace with him first, and then bring your gift to God.' In other words, you can't impress God with beautifully wrapped presents when your heart is full of resentment.

The Day of Atonement involved an unblemished goat. The priest would lay his hands on it, not to bless it, but to transfer by proxy all the community's unknown sin. Then they would allow the goat to escape into the wilderness, presumably to be eventually seized by some further-up-the-food-chain predator, and everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief as the animal carried away their sins. Attractive as this approach may have seemed, it did not do the job.

Each of us is held accountable for his/her own thoughts and actions and Jesus was adamant that we do ongoing internal audits.

One of the reasons the Freedom Seeker ministry (see yesterday's blog) is so effective in helping people overcome addictive behaviors is that one of the steps demands that people conduct a rigorous and honest inventory of how they might have harmed others in the past, and however possible, to make amends. The originator of that approach must have known that in order to calm the outward storm of life, the person must look within.

I fully believe that 80% (OK - 75%) of our problems are due to internal, unidentified and unacknowledged sin. Until we get aligned with God, we cannot move forward with Him or with the community of faith in good health.

I wonder what it would look like if each of us conducted regular internal audits. Surely, if we did, more of the peace and prosperity and joy and success we ache for would be found.

And be blessed.

Friday, January 21, 2011

HAT

It was my greatest pleasure and privilege to have dinner out with the leadership team of our Freedom Seekers ministry last evening. They were hosting three graduates of the ministry whose lives have been dramatically and eternally changed by God. We sat around a nice meal and listened to the stories of life change, rescue, chains fallen off, deliverance and journeys that have not yet ended, like the rest of us.

These are the kinds of evenings that make you want to get up the following day and CHARGE! for the Kingdom.

Many congratulations to the three grads as well as prayers for the coming classes who are working thru some major life stuff, as well as to the leaders who love these folks deeply.

My hat is off ...

And be blessed.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

DEVIL

If I was the devil, here are some things I would do ...

I would convince church leaders to dream small.

I would get the church to focus on politics, convincing them that they are doomed unless a certain political party holds office.

I would make sure those who believe in reformed theology and those who don't hated each other.

I would convince church leaders to tell their people that boycotting 'secular' organizations is the most practical and effective way to reach the world.

I would make believers feel prideful in their 'Bible translation of choice.'

I would convince them that man made God rather than the other way around.

What would you do if you were the devil?

And be blessed.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

PASTORS

In a couple of weeks, I have a message coming up on the subject of criticism. As always, I do a lot of self-examination before I speak on a topic. So I've been thinking about the way I handle criticism and how often I respond to negative things and how often I'm just plain negative myself. Pastors are not immune.

One of a pastor's biggest sinkholes is sometimes how we respond to each other as church leaders.

What if pastors determined to pray for each other rather than try to tear each other down - either publicly or behind the curtain? For the past several years, I have met every Wednesday morning with eight other area pastors for connection, accountability, friendship and prayer. It's been a great connecting point and tremendous relationships have been built. We hear what is happening in each other's churches - both victories and struggles - and we pray for each other. Right now we're meeting once a month instead, but it's still a great time with friends.

What if pastors realized God isn't limited to a particular formula of doing church? One of the reasons we pastors sometimes try to tear down other ministries is because we have this thing that rises nearly to the level of 'conviction' that the guy across town is doing it wrong. Not different, but wrong. In my earliest days - you know, 20 or 30 years ago - I probably had that in me. Now I realize there isn't so much a right and wrong way, if we're proclaiming Christ as Savior and Lord - if people are coming to faith - if they are taking their next step in the journey with Christ. I've come to the place where I just want other churches to be successful, period. We've had plenty of people leave our church for other churches - and all kinds end up at our place from somewhere else. I think more people leave churches out of offense, rather than because of God, but I'm leaving that with God. I've come to believe our competition isn't the church down the road - it's the soft cushy pillows and beds that people are sleeping in on the weekends.

What if pastors didn't allow other pastors to criticize ministries in front of them? What if we had the courage and boldness to say: 'Hey bro ... what you are doing right now the Bible actually calls slander ... so cut it out?!'

What if pastors spent more time trying to learn from those who are different from them rather than criticizing other ministries? Whenever I have mentioned certain mega-pastor-types in a message - Rick Warren - Bill Hybels - TD Jakes - Andy Stanley - I typically get an email or five warning me with concerns about their ministries or theology or teaching style. I once did the exact Joel Osteen opening complete with the 'Repeat after me with Bible in hand' mantra he uses before every message - and all hell broke loose. But I have incredible respect for these men, even if I don't line up with everything they say or stand for or believe. Do we only think we can learn from people whose beliefs are exactly like ours? Come on.

I have to be honest. I don't have time to tear down what somebody else is doing. The day I have time for that is the day my ministry becomes fruitless. We won't be held accountable for anybody's ministry but the one God has given us.

And be blessed.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

IF

I was reading P. Noble's suggestions about how you know if your vision is really from God. Great stuff. Here it is, paraphrased ...

If you feel confident you can accomplish it with no problem, then you didn't hear from God.

If you don't have to ask anybody to sacrifice to see it happen, then you didn't hear from God.

If religious people are not steaming at you, blogging about you or leaving you, then you didn't hear from God.

If you have all the money in the bank it takes to do it, then you didn't hear from God.

If every step is perfectly designed and nothing happens to get in the way, then you didn't hear from God.

If someone doesn't try to talk you out of it, then you didn't hear from God.

If you don't stay up nights thinking about it, then you didn't hear from God.

If it is in contradiction to God's Word, then you didn't hear from God.

And be blessed.

Monday, January 17, 2011

khaw-ZONE


CHAZOWN is the Hebrew word for vision. This book by Craig Groeschel about fulfilling God’s personal dream for your life is written in the same style as he speaks - unadorned, clear, slapstick funny, and ingeniously simple. In it, Craig directs us stepwise thru the discovery of our personal values and purpose.


Along the way, he shares transparent stories and draws us in with amazing encouragement to do something most of us thought we could never do: Define our God-purpose and then write it down.


Though you could probably sit down and read the 75 very short chapters in one sitting - it’s that easy to read and that tempting to do - the better alternative is to take them one at a time - read one and spend a few days thinking on it. Rinse and repeat.


To facilitate the bite-sized approach, Craig has sprinkled interactive pages throughout, to help you process your own journey of writing personal values, purposes, goals, gifts and self-inventory. An added bonus is a dedicated website - www.chazown.com - to help you find your own CHAZOWN.

Craig has packed a whole lot into 218 pages. I recommend this book to anyone who is trying to ‘make this one life count.’ As Craig says: “Everyone ends up somewhere. We will end up somewhere on purpose.”


*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.


FEEL FREE TO GO TO http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/view/2208 to rate my review.


And be blessed.

ASKING

I've been asking God for more clear vision lately. I've been doing that by trying to spend more time with Him, just listening. Taking some notes.

I've been asking that with the understanding that vision doesn't come thru a committee meeting. Good ideas come that way. Great discussion happens there ... but not God-vision.

I've been asking God because vision doesn't come thru a conference. I love a good conference, and awesome inspiration comes from them, but not God-vision.

I've been asking God because vision doesn't come thru reading books. I adore a good book. A ton of wisdom comes from books. I'm consistently challenged and stretched by reading ... but I'm not finding God-vision in the pages anywhere.

I'm asking because vision doesn't seem to come from what you did last time.

White-hot, hell-charging, world-changing, people-inspiring vision comes from spending intentional time with God -- in His Word -- seeking Him -- being in connection with the Holy Spirit throughout the day.

So I'm asking God for vision - hoping to meet with Him and get it from Him. I don't plan on moving until He tells me to - but when He does tell me, I'm going until He tells me to stop.

And be blessed.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

SEE

Contrary to popular opinion, pastors struggle with issues of faith, too. I don’t struggle with or wonder about the reliability of the Bible or the realness of Jesus, but I struggle with other issues of faith at times.


It is not my nature to sit quietly by and wait for God to do His thing. I think He moves too slow a lot of the time. I’m not very patient. Anyone who works with me will tell you that.


When I’m falsely accused, i want to lash out and set the record straight. I know I’m that way.


I feel like truth often takes too long to make itself heard.


I have found it hard at times to trust God with my children. I have become anxious about their futures and wanted to protect them from every evil influence - even as they have become adults.


Sometimes I even get disappointed with believers. Sorry, but I’m just being honest.


I don’t fully understand how people can live with such a wide chasm between what they profess to believe and what they actually live out.


I see too many people compartmentalizing the Bible and rationalizing their disobedience, seemingly without an ilk of conscience over it - they think it’s all fine with God just because it somehow ‘works’ for them.


I see too many people harboring personal bitterness and anger when we are clearly commanded to forgive.


I see too many people forever complaining and gossiping with no apparent agenda except selfishness or to hurt others - even though the Bible calls those attitudes and patterns sin.


I see too many people living rebelliously toward the various authorities in their lives when the Bible is clear we're to be in submission to those authorities - in fact, we're to be in submission to one another.


I see too many people living for the here and now rather than for eternity.


I admit it. I wonder about those issues of faith at times.


But here’s the bottom line: I see too many people ... and I need to get my eyes off of you and back on Jesus - and you need to get your eyes off of me and back on Jesus.


And be blessed.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

DOPE

Remember that story in the New Testament where Jesus collects all His disciples and says, "Come follow Me," and they did - and then He said, "I want you to identify with me 1,000%" and they all ended up getting tattoos on their shoulders that said 'FOM,' which stands, of course, for 'Fishers Of Men?'

Rememer that? Yeh, me neither. It would have been DOPE though, don't you think? And you would also think that story was true based on how many people end up getting 'Christian tattoos' on their bodies. The easiest ones seem to be a cross or maybe the fish thing, but there are scores of other tats that prove you're a believer. Dope.


One of the most amazing ones I've read about was a guy who got a tattoo of the conversion of the Apostle Paul down his whole right arm. Now that is kind of cool, if you go for that kind of thing. I guess the guy even ended up telling his story of faith on the show 'L.A. INK' because of it. If I was into it, I might want to depict the story of the Prodigal Son on me somewhere - but I'll settle for just thinking about it since the only way that is going to happen is if my wife is nowhere on the planet.

And be blessed.

Monday, January 10, 2011

FAMILY

I have discovered that being with my family in a relaxed setting is just about the most fulfilling, satisfying, stress-freeing thing around. It isn't because we were perfect parents; I wish (and so do they, probably). But it's even fun to sit around a table with food (always with food) and listen to them discuss our mistakes - and then laugh about it all. I can't think of anything better.

I know every person on the planet doesn't feel that way about their own family and for very good reasons many times -- but I challenge you to start today. Start going forward from where you are. Putting the past behind you is far tougher done than said, but one has to begin somewhere. The generations coming forward need the blessing and benefit of close family ties. Start today.

And be blessed.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

TEMPTATIONS

Top 10 Temptations Lead Pastors face:

1 Selling out God's Vision in exchange for a paycheck.
'God, help me never be guilt of this.' I never want to say something just because somebody wants me to or for fear that it will get me canned.

2 Trying to please everybody.
I've found it can't be done, even though I started out with that goal in the back of my head. No matter what I preach, how I dress, where I live, what I drive, how I talk - someone isn't going to care for it. I'm trying to be faithful to The Father and please Him, not man. I'm kind of hoping men ARE pleased in the process, but it's no guarantee.

3 Thinking that working harder will solve the problem.
The commandment to rest is no suggestion. Sometimes the best - and godliest thing - a pastor can do is walk away for awhile and relax and let God prove how perfectly capable He is of running the world and the church.

4 Sacrificing Family.
Mine is all grown up now, but my wife is still around - thank goodness. She's #2, right behind God. I've seen pastors allow the church to thrust their wives into activities they hate - but the pastors says she has to in order to 'keep the flock happy.' There isn't a church or ministry anywhere worth the price of your family. I'm thankful my daughters have married strong believers - they're both pastors actually - and I'm praying for #3 to find her Godly soulmate at some point.

5 Not delegating their weaknesses.
It's a myth that pastors have to be 'well-rounded.' They have to be great communicators, great shepherds, financial whizzes, Solomon-like counselors, theological masters, etc etc etc. Nobody is good at everything. Spending time in what you do well and delegating the rest will add the most value to your church over the long haul.

6 Avoiding conflict.
I've never been good at this. I don't invite it, but I don't avoid it either. Unresolved conflict is like a cancer. If it's not dealt with, it will grow, spread and kill.

7 Not spending personal time with God.
If I'm not doing it, I shouldn't expect others to do it. We need God ... He doesn't need us. So we need to spend more time seeking Him instead of merely asking Him to bless our plans.

And be blessed.