Volume 8 Post/Email 5 – Servant Leadership
by brian
The temptation of power is a matter any leader can face - political power, military power, economic power, or moral and spiritual power. What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible?
Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems easier to be God than to love God and easier to control people than to love people.
Jesus asks, "Do you love me?" We ask, "Can we sit at your right hand and your left hand in your kindgom?"
Ever since the snake said, "The day you eat of this tree your eyes will be open and you will be like God, knowing good from evil" (Gen. 3:5), we have been tempted to replace love with power.
We learn from Jesus (both his teaching and example) that true spiritual leadership is servant leadership.
Reflection Question: Do I love people or try to control people?
Remember that love (agape) is action. To love others is to help and serve them, not to use and dominate them.
-Brian
Volume 6 Post/Email 6 – The Good News
by brian
(While this message is being typed before the Superbowl, it will not be posted and read until afterward.)
This year a 30 second Superbowl commercial costs $3 million. It is difficult to fathom every second of communicating a message costing a company $100,000! Yet, these companies are willing to spend that enormous amount of money to advertise and potentially affect successful sales.
What about Christians? What about churches? How much are we willing to sacrifice to communicate our hope and message of salvation in Jesus Christ?
There will not be a marketed product in those commercials that people need! On the other hand, every person needs Jesus!
Ministering to others through conversations and service always have the potential of making an impression and positive difference in another's life, faith and eternal destiny.
The church in Acts was willing to sacrifice their money, time, freedom and even their wellbeing to witness to the world about the good news.
Acts 5:41-42 reads, "The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ."
We should not underestimate the time spent influencing others. Whether it's 30 seconds or 30 minutes, 30 days or 30 years, we all have opportunities to witness to, teach, encourage, and impact people in ways that glorify Christ.
-Brian
Volume 3 Post/Email 6 – Proverbs 11:24-25
by brian
One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
I really like these 2 verses and thought they would be good ones to share here on elguy.
These proverbs encourage us to extend a helping hand to our fellow man.
Another translation ends with "he who waters others will himself be watered."
When we only live for ourselves and self preservation, we actually miss out on personal blessings.
However, when we look to bless others, a byproduct of a generous heart and generous acts is personal gain!
By faith, we believe and trust in the supernatural realm and providence of God.
Thus, we live with the awareness of the truth that we actually gain when we give!
We actually end up refreshed, or watered, when we refresh or water others.
Are we giving freely? 
-Brian
“Pastoral ‘Free Agency’ Hurts Churches” – Rick Warren
by brian
Below is the latest Rick Warren article from his internet ministry, dated 7-08-2010. I am including it as an email and also as an ongoing accessible article on our "Ministry Articles" page. What he writes is consistent with church growth research. I have read approximately 40-50 books, plus other sources, on the matter. Furthermore, observing churches, such as the one I grew up in, for which my dad has ministered since 1984, is a good example that confirms Warren's conclusions. A graduate course I took at Lipscomb, for which 3 books were assigned, also taught what Warren says. The point is that this is more than one man's opinion. It is consistent with churches of all sizes across America.
I know there are readers of this site from various congregations, and hope this article will encourage each church represented to pursue church health, including the end of any "patterns" of changing preachers every few years.
Furthermore, while his article is intended to specifically encourage preachers, I would hope to influence all readers by his final statement. "Want to see your church grow? Don't leave."
Every church needs dedicated members! Every church needs members who will positively and persistently be there to worship and work and build up the body, even and especially in times of frustration or discouragement.
Here is the article:
You don’t need to be a fan of professional basketball to have heard talk this week about free agents. Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, among others, are all contemplating changing teams in a quest for championship rings (and dollars).
Building short-term dream teams to win championships may be an effective strategy for winning championships in the NBA, but churches rarely become more effective when pastors keep changing, moving in and out like free agents of the church.
The truth is pastoral longevity is one of the untold secrets of church health. My experience is this –
A long pastorate does not guarantee a church will grow, but changing pastors every few years guarantees a church won’t grow.
Can you imagine what the kids would be like in a family where they got a new daddy every two or three years? They would most likely have serious emotional problems. In the same way, the longevity of the leadership is a critical factor for the health and growth of a church family. Long pastorates make deep, trusting, and caring relationships possible. Without those kinds of relationships, a pastor won’t accomplish much of lasting value.
Churches that rotate pastors every few years will never experience consistent growth. Few people want to follow a leader who they think won’t be around a year from now. The pastor may want to start all sorts of new projects, but the members will be reticent because they will be the ones having to live with the consequences long after the pastor has been moved to another church.
Knowing the importance of longevity in growing a healthy church I prayed at the beginning of my ministry, “Father, I’m willing to go anyplace in the world you want to send me. But I ask for the privilege of investing my entire life in just one location. I don’t care where you put me but I’d like to stay wherever it is for the rest of my life.”
I’ve now been at Saddleback for more than 30 years. I’m convinced that’s been a factor in Saddleback’s growth. Want to see your church grow?
Don’t leave.
This can also be found and read at http://www.pastors.com/blogs/ministrytoolbox/archive/2010/07/08/pastoral-free-agency-hurts-churches.aspx
Volume 1 Post/Email 2 – Philippians 2:4
by brian
This week we will continue our focus and thoughts on some spiritual food found in the book of Philippians.
Chapter 2 verse 4 reads, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
This verse definitely presents the tension we all feel of how we live and how we budget our time. For starters, we are definitely to be a people who care about others and invest our lives in others. However, this verse also implies that we take care of our own needs.
We all have self-interests. We have physical, financial, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs. Some days and weeks we might neglect some of our personal needs because of investing extra in helping others. Most weeks are a combination of mutual investments. Occasional days or even weeks we may need to invest mostly in ourselves. Even those times can result in blessing others because we find renewal and are re-energized to exert energy, focus and time on other people. Yes, even Jesus would get away from the multitudes, and even his closest disciples, to be alone with the Father.
You may be someone who goes so much and serves so many that you are neglecting your own spiritual, and even physical needs, such as rest. This is not what God wants or expects.
This week you may have plans to be involved in the lives of others by spending most of your discretionary time with them. Just remember it’s o.k. to also spend time praying and worshipping God privately and relaxing with your family in his presence. This week God may use you primarily within your own family. You may not think of this as something big, but your spouse and/or children might really benefit from some additional time and love, and you could benefit too. What might you do this week to give more attention and support to your family? What might you do this week to also invest in yourself?
Everyday this week, let God bless you with thoughts of his loving presence and peace. As you allow God to fill you and strengthen you, you will be most able to reach out to those around you.
You may be someone who has health issues that keep you from getting out much. You can still be used by God through actions like praying for people you know and calling family and friends. No matter our circumstances, we can all do something of service.
I heard an associate minister of a local church talk in one of our High School chapels a few years ago about a man he went to visit in the hospital, who, when he got there, asked if he could pray for the associate minister. It was a moment where the “associate minister” was actually “ministered to” by the Christian in the hospital bed. How incredible! The man was dying of cancer.
-Brian
(This, and previous ones, can also be accessed at www.elguy.org.)
ELGUY Ministry
by brian
Today is the beginning of a new ministry, of which we are calling ELGUY. The intention is to post a weekly message of faith application and encouragement from Scripture each Monday morning. The purpose is to simply be another method for spiritual meditation, encouragement, growth and spiritual renewal. Currently, people from James Avenue, Nashville Christian, some of my own family, and so forth are signed up. Feel free to send a link to your family or work or church family, etc.
If you would like to automatically receive each week's post by email, simply enter your email address on the right to sign up to automatically receive new posts from ELGUY!
You might be asking, “What is the idea behind the name ELGUY?” ELGUY stands for “Everyday Let God Use You.” Receiving weekly emails should help be a small reminder of the opportunity we all have to be used by God on a daily basis. God can use our words, our hands, our food, our vehicle, our smile, our prayers, etc. to be a blessing to someone else.
For the first few posts, I want to focus our thoughts on some spiritual food found in the book of Philippians.
In chapter 1 verse 6 Paul says he is confident that God had not only begun a good work in them, but that he would continue to work through them until the day of Christ Jesus. What an incredible thought! God has a purpose for us. God not only loves us and saves us, but he wants to use us in the world for good.
This letter was not written just to the elders or deacons at Philippi, but to EVERY CHRISTIAN THERE! 1:1 states, “To all the saints at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons.” If you have ever questioned your value or contribution to the kingdom of God, I hope you will no longer. Every Christian is uniquely made. Every Christian has distinct abilities and influence. Every Christian has the opportunity to be used by God daily to serve in some way, whether big or small. Sometimes the small things to us are big things to others. Even simple acts of thought and kindness can mean a lot to someone. We should never underestimate the value of a thoughtful word or deed.
Didn’t Jesus talk about simple acts of love and compassion in Matthew 25 as a measure for evaluating whether we are kingdom people? Not attendance or whether we delivered a sermon…
I could list numerous names of people I know who would not call themselves a minister but are regularly calling to check on someone, sending a card, making a hospital visit, taking someone food, giving a ride, coaching a team, fixing a car, and other similar deeds. This IS ministry and this IS important! By our “small” acts of love and care we can make a difference in the lives of the people we know: our family, our friends, our neighbors, our co-workers, and our community.
As you walk with Jesus each day this week, be confident that God is at work through you!