Book Review: The Character of Leadership

The Character of Leadership, Nine Qualities that Define Great Leaders, By Jeff Iorg....

Let me say one thing to start things off...WOW!

I was getting ready to preach Sunday morning and my mentor Pastor Neely pressed this book into my hands and said, 'it's a must read'. He has never said that to me before and so I couldn't wait to get home and explore this "must read". I started reading and couldn't stop, until my body shut down...and I woke up this morning and finished it. It is only the second book I can remember in which this happened.

First let me say as a Pastor this is a 'must read'...he speaks clearly and from the heart. This is something I really appreciated…so many leadership books speak downward and I felt this was from the gut level, he was speaking from experience. Also in each chapter he gave particle advice that can be applied…it wasn’t something abstract or a twenty step process…, but reasonable attainable goals and exercises.

Secondly, this would be a good book for a pastor to go through with his leadership teams, deacons…anyone he is developing for future leadership positions. It gave a good picture of what is expected for all church leaders. It also helps those supporting pastors to better understand the pastor position and expectations (realized or not realized) demanded by the nature of the position.

It is an easy read, excellent....I want to recommend this book for several people…Dave, Bob….Cammille, Mike, Don, Dwight and John to name a few.

-ps

Things have been busy..

Ok…I promise to post more this week. I was sick last week and got behind ‘stuff’…I also had finials due this last week…which are done. So all the excuses out of the way…

This morning we had about 60 in attendance and the message was about being thankful. I have been preaching out of Colossians…Col. 3:12-17…the last verse being

“and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”.

What I love about chapter 3, it builds to this point…you see in verse 1-3 our eyes are to be one Christ…our hearts and minds are to be set on things above. We have been raised with Christ (v.1), you have a new life, and you are a ‘new creation’…you get a new start with Christ…so set your eyes above.

“Put to death” v.5…notice it doesn’t say wound it and let live in your life, cowering in the corner…have no mercy on ‘sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed”…but you can only kill these if your heart and minds…your eyes are on Christ. He is the one who enables you to destroy these sins….

After these…’rid yourself’ of anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language…do lie to each other….Paul is working down a list…it starts with Christ…look up…then look in to get rid of those things that keep you from looking up…

Now he is working on the relationships within the church…God representation on earth….’Christ is all, and is in all’ v.11

We are God’s chosen people…holy (set apart, for the glory of God) and dearly loved by the Lord v.12…we are to make every effort (clothe yourself) with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…with in the church (which should naturally carry outside the church)…but we have to work on these very things so we can “bear with one another…and forgive one another v.13. Have you every had to serve with some tough people in church…people in church can and will hurt you…but we have to forgive…because Christ forgave us. We cannot serve God and have hatred in our hearts…the two cannot co-exist with one another…you have to choose which one you want to keep…

But most of all you have put on ‘love’….without love the above will not work…love binds us and unites us…we love because Christ first loved us…and we are to love others…especially our brothers and sisters in Christ.

“let the peace of Christ rule in your heart" v.15…we all seek peace and only Christ can give us peace that surpasses all understanding…only Christ can take away our fears….but we have to submit…or allow him to rule in our lives…it’s like submitting to a umpire at a baseball game…the players submit to the umpires authority…he says who is safe and who is out…but the players have to agree to his authority…look what happens when we do submit…

We have peace and we can be ‘thankful’…then we can accept the word and the teaching of Christ and they will fill your life…your relationship with other believers starts to grow where you can spur one another on…you can teach and admonish one another…singing hymns and psalms will take on a new life…your hearts will be glad…filled with ‘gratitude’ v.16…

Finally you reach “and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”.

So if you read through this and now I have to ask you question…what are you thankful for, is Christ in your life and are you truly thankful….are you thankful for your church family…right now pray a prayer of thanks giving…

Be thankful…

-ps

Sick and the big thought....

I have been sick now for about three days now…I have not enjoyed it at all. But I have started reading another book, “The Spirit of the Disciplines, Understanding How God Changes Lives” By Dallas Willard.

I had heard about this book originally written in 1988. The people I have talked to said this book changed their lives, so I thought I’d read it. I am on page 38 and this big thought has started to emerge. The cross…did you know the symbol of the cross wasn’t really used until much later in church history. Here is the idea…

The cross wasn’t the central theme of the early church…today we focus on the cross because it represents the forgiveness of sins…which of course is important...(the cross became a symbol of choice when the church because responsible for dispersing forgiveness in the middle ages) But was the cross the focus of Christ life or was the resurrection. Was the early church focused on forgiveness and that was it or did they live a changed life, based on the thought of this new life in Christ? Where they fearless because of the forgiveness of their sins or because they knew they would rise again?

See here is where I am really starting to struggle…I read verses like ‘you are dead to sin’, “I come that you might have life more abundant”…I am a new creation the old is gone the new has come….and I think what am I missing? Have I set my sights too low…why do I still struggle with sin like I do…where is the new life Paul talks about.

I know I have talked this way before and I really want to understand and to know Christ more than anything. I read Paul’s writing and I think ‘no way’…but is that because I have taught this is something we will attain later. See I am beginning to think we sell our faith short.

Listen Christ lives in us “Even when we were dead through our trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ, Ephesians 2:5. Did Christ intent for us to just live our faith for a few hours on Sunday morning and maybe Wednesday night…did he intent for us to live in defeat all week spiritually…or did he intend for us to live in victory, a changed person…a light…Christ in us…transformed by the resurrection. We died to the old ways and we walk in the newness of life!

I don’t know about you but I want to experience the life Christ talked about, the life he lived! The life the disciples lived…how do I get there, I’m not sure…But Scripture talks about a new life…being clothed in Christ…over and over we see this picture of new life.

All of this begs the question…should we live focused on the cross where we received forgiveness of sin…and leave it at that? Or should the forgiveness of sin and the resurrection spur us to be changed…to live our lives differently…to put our faith into action? I’ll keep reading…Dallas has my attention….

-ps

Book Review: 3 Seconds by Les Parrott

One of the very cool things that has happen to me since I started blogging is Zondervan has ask me to be a book reviewer. So they send me a book and I get the pleasure of reviewing it. Problem is I have so much to read with school and church.

The first book I am going to review is "3 Seconds" it's about giving your first impulses a second thought, before all your negitive thougts take over. At first glance of this book you really don't see anything new, but Dr. Parrot has packaged this little book with lots of motivation. Many times we sit on things or dismiss ideas out of hand...in 3 seconds he is saying wait and think again. In the first chapter he tackles our initial impulse to: Give up before trying....because we feel helpless, Shun a challenge....because it seems daunting....etc. There are loads of good quotes tucked along the pages with a self assessment at the end of each chapter. This book would be good to go through with a mentor or a friend.

So if your looking for a book that is an easy read, its clear with motivating illustrations....this is a good book for you. Maybe your stuck in life or your job and your looking for something to kick start your 'motivation' again this book is for you.

-ps