It's no secret that we weren't made to live or work in isolation. With the exception of cats, most pets even know that. The beauty of working as a team is that we will be in different emotional states. When one is down, it's likely someone else will be up. When properly assembled, teams complement one another, making us stronger together than we could be individually.
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When we wander too far from the basics, it's easy to get trapped in a never-ending cycle of bigger, better, and faster. Bigger, better, and faster may be nice -- even necessary -- but they can also be draining. Discouragement sets in when we realize we've lost sight of what's really important. Every leader needs to know what the basics are that provide for growth and effectiveness and then return to them periodically. It's also one of the best gifts we can give those we lead.
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We all hit speed bumps in the path of life or business or ministry. An occasional bump is OK; when they come at you in rapid succession, it's easy to get discouraged. One way to remain positive when you find yourself in a season of testing or trial is this: change your focus. It's too easy to focus on the speed bump and forget that there's an entire road ahead. In fact, there's more than just the road ... there's landscape and scenery and other stuff to look at, too.
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Passing along a good article about what makes for a "good" preacher. Enjoy! ********************************* You probably have noticed that preachers come in all shapes and sizes. There are big, gregarious, sweaty-foreheaded preachers. There are short, slim, soft-spoken preachers. There are creative preachers who always have a slick gadget or a clever object of illustration. There are King James preachers who love Thees and the Thous of Thy Holy Word. So what makes for a faithful preacher? Because God has called preachers to be faithful rather than successful, how can we be sure we are staying true to the call? Here are a few biblical criteria to keep us on track: The preacher should give people a bigger picture of God. "For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord" (2 Cor. 4:5). Ultimately, people need to be told repeatedly that the God of Scripture is bigger than all…
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When I first started in ministry, one of the most beneficial things I did was to find a group of like-minded pastors to hang out with. These guys became my sounding board and offered a unique form of group therapy. It's a practice I've continued ever since. When we started our new church in San Diego in 2005, I found a group of church planters who were in various stages of starting their churches. We were an interesting bunch: Assembly of God, Southern Baptist, Acts 29, and me. What we found was this: we had more in common than we thought. Our first children's tent was a gift from the Assemblies of God guy. We shared leads, ideas, and marketing designs. It was a ministry incubator. Too many guys in ministry don't take the time to network outside of their own church. And it's a shame. They lose the perspective…
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