new hope oc1 paddling ministry

Financial Contentment

You might ask if financial contentment has anything to do with time management. You better believe it does. If you get over extended on your consumer credit cards, watch how much time it will steal from you. If you don't understand simplicity of life and how to just be content driving a used car, and having a simpler house in order for you to put your major eggs in the basket of ministry, it can destroy you. If you are okay with living a more modest lifestyle, you will add years to your life. If you don't have financial contentment you're going to say, "Man I've got to work more hours because I've got to pay off these bills." You've got to get your house in order.

In Hilo we were running around 1,500 people but because it was a smaller, somewhat poor community, we weren't paid that much. Anna and I were okay with having a little house and we drove used cars. With my pick-up truck, just to save money, I took my own rubbish to the dump. The little truck that I'd bought for $500 had holes in the floorboard. It was kind of cool 'cause I could see the road passing by through the floorboard. The door fell off because the hinge rusted out when you opened it, but I tied it with a rope and it was fine. My wife hated to drive it but we were content. That's a rather extreme example but it's a true one and we were okay with it.

In Phil 4:11 & 12 Paul talks about being content with abundance or scarcity. So when I travel, if those hosting me give me a really nice suite in a hotel I'm really happy. I love it. But if we get a little teeny one, were still happy and we still love it. Contentment is the key.

Does that mean you'll always be impoverished? No! But if you have to live in a cardboard box for a season be content.

There's a very successful, multi-millionaire, grand restaurateur who was asked in an interview, "When did you become successful?" I will never forget his answer. He said, "I was successful when I didn't have a penny in my pocket. I just needed time to get it all together, but I was successful when I didn't have a dime." Isn't that good. It's within us. I don't have a dime, but I'm fine: I'm very fruitful, I'm successful, I can still do a bunch of things. The potential is within us. Do you understand? It gives us a bright future.

Wayne Cordeiro

Latest Readings

One man said, "We are poorer for the opportunities we have missed." There are so many opportunities to grow and expand your knowledge and gain new insights and wisdom. So how do we do that?

If you are going to be a leader, you must be a reader. Whether it is in the raw or on a Kindle electronic reader, be sure you are reading! I subscribe to a magazine, "The Economist" to find out what is happening in the world, but I also read books to help me in ministry. Here is a current list of the books I have just read or am reading:

1. Andy Andrews, The Noticer. This is a Christian story of a simple man who notices things about people and is full of nuggets of truth that hit home.


2. Steven Katz, Lion Taming. This book will walk you through how to work successfully with difficult people.


3. Chris Anderson, Free: The Future of a Radical Price. Freebies and how this business model is now the foundation of entire industries.


4. Don Tapscott, Wikinomics. Exploring how mass collaboration changes everything.


5. Gary McIntosh, What Got you Here Won't Get You There, taking your church to the next level. This is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it if you are pastoring a church. In fact, I ordered a copy for all the campus pastors at New Hope, as well as my Directional Team.


6. Ori Brafman, "The Spider and the Starfish." This is an interesting metaphor about decentralizing and the reason it might be beneficial, and the unstoppable power of leaderless organizations.

OK... there's six that I have read, but never forget the 66 ... the Bible. Keep up on your daily devotions. That is what's most eternal.

Wayne Cordeiro

Leadership Q&A - Ready to Lead

Question:

How do you know when someone is ready to lead?

Answer:

One of the most conspicuous ways to know if someone is ready to lead others is by how well he is able to lead himself. I watch their personal disciplines in their daily devotions. I observe their punctuality, their words and attitudes. Can they manage their own time well? If they are not able to in their own life, they will mismanage time in other people's lives as well. Can they steward their finances? If not, they will not be able to manage greater riches such as influence and authority. Luke 16:11 reminds us of this: "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?"

The other key is to watch the Hand of God on their life and ministry. Is there an anointing in such a fashion that others notice it too? In other words, simply observe whether or not people are drawn to this person. Do they seek counsel or advice from him or her? Do they confide in them or does anyone ever share who he or she has helped them?

Watch the hand of God. If there is evidence of God's choosing, then we can simply ratify that and affirm the fact that if they are good to go with God, they are good to go with me!

Of course this does not signify that they are above mentoring and supervision. Much will be learned along the way. But if they are teachable, if they use wisdom, if they have foundational principles by which they live, and if there is evidence of God's hand on their life, then leadership will naturally follow.

Wayne Cordeiro

The Four Levels of Leadership

Leadership comes in various shapes and sizes. Sometimes you'll cycle through one level of leadership on your way to the next, but be careful not to get stuck in a substratum of leadership along the way!

Let me explain...

The qualities of leadership are not obvious in its early stages. Many similar characteristics cause leadership evaluators and students of leadership development to miss crucial benchmarks that must be caught early on. In this way, mentors can guide emerging leaders through the beginning stages toward the deeper capacities of influence.

People with a need to be in charge can easily be mistaken as "leaders." The adroit use of verbal skills may be seen as "leadership" when it may simply be refined immaturity or clever self-promotion.

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 1:26-27 of this fact:

• "...there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong."

There are four levels of leadership, and the first three have been given the capacity to hold you in its grasp. Let's look at them all, and then we will view each individually.

• Control Leadership
• Corporate Leadership
• Character-based Leadership
• Christ-like Leadership

Let's take some time to look at each of the four.

1. CONTROL LEADERSHIP

This is the lowest level of leadership is characterized by the need for control. It will be typified by the use of anger, verbal domination, fear, and if necessary, physical threat. These distinctions are more obvious in men, however women are not immune. A competitive drive for value or control will motivate the use fear ("Don't forget who's in charge here!") partiality, ("I got your back!"), moods, or even subtle sexual innuendos marked by preferential treatment and favoritism.

Those caught in this level will refine the art of control. The more they excel in polishing this aptitude, the harder it is to detect. Unless these tendencies are recognized and its flaws corrected, it will cause a dysfunctional team, and what launched the ministry in the beginning will destroy it in the end.

2. CORPORATE LEADERSHIP

This second level of leadership uses a better quality of leadership, but if it is not monitored closely, it can become a poor but permanent substitute for spiritual disciplines, biblical insights, and Spirit led decision-making.

Best business practices, highest and best use, collaboration, trends, bottom line, economic feasibility, and other buzzwords became normal parlance in spiritual circles.

Four decades ago, zealous banner wavers introduced a new style of church leadership. Harvest-minded evangelists and passionate crusaders started off with well-meaning expectations. They skipped the investment of formal education for fear that the Lord's return may come sooner that expected. This urgency fueled a flood of new initiatives without the academic rigor or financial thoroughness. "God led me ..." trumped all fiscal wisdom. "God said" became the highest court and anything that smacked of "business" was seen as unspiritual and worldly.

Two decades later, the Christians had enough of sloppy-agapeand other leftovers from the Jesus movement. Thus the introduction of business acumen was a welcome breath of fresh air. Words like profit, advancement, innovating, moving ahead, cutting edge, increase, excellence, and forward movement became the mantra in conferences and seminars. It helped to stabilize the Church and to bring critical thinkers back to the spiritual tables.

But like ants at a picnic, something else found its way into the Church: Mammon. Mammon can be defined as money that has been laced with the propensity to control.

Compromise for the sake of the bottom line trumped God's wishes, but this level of leadership found its Achilles heel when selfless sacrifice and self-denial were required. The corporate level of leadership cringed at anything that projected an image of weakness or a lack of business acumen. Economy, self sustaining programs, and the profit and loss became the gods of the new century.

3. CHARACTER BASED LEADERSHIP

At the turn of the 21st Century, the fault lines of Corporate Leadership began to surface. It was in the marketplace that this discrepancy was first noticed. Christian businessmen blew the trumpet (or the whistle) and began to herald character and morals in business. John Maxwell, Ken Blanchard, Steven Covey, Jim Collins, Pat Lencioni, and several others became spokespersons for character-based leadership.

Integrity, teamwork, honesty, trust, and marital fidelity were proclaimed as success principles. Christians and non-Christians alike agreed on character-based principles as the only way to sustain success in any endeavor.

Churches were the first to adopt this style of leadership, and thousands bought into Character-Based Leadership without abandoning the corporate. But even that began to lack something. It was moral and upstanding, but the eternal sparkle was noticeable missing. Sold out seminars and conferences became the norm, but still there was an elephant in the room.

Allow me to challenge you further to the greatest level of leadership. You can't stop at any of these first three levels. It will be like the house in Luke 11:25 that was "swept and put in order," yet it wasn't enough to keep the enemy of our sols at bay. It had no eternal power or authority to transform.

4. CHRIST-LIKE LEADERSHIP

The highest and most sustaining level of leadership is Christ like leadership. This is where you see beyond what is seen and you hear beyond what is heard. It is developing inner ears and spiritual eyes to discern motives that lie behind actions. It holds the foresight to discern the results or consequences of current decisions. It is committed to the best not only in oneself, but in the lives and futures of others. It takes into account eternal significances.

It's the difference between and amateur chess player and one who sees six or seven moves in his head before he makes one of his own.

Jesus understood motivations and future results.

• "And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, "Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?" (Matthew 9:4)
• "And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, 'Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.'" (Matt. 12:25)

This level of leadership must tap into the gifts of the Holy Spirit found in 1 Cor. 12. These gifts are required in order to operate in the fourth level of leadership. Here are a few examples of the nine gifts offered:

• Faith: being able to see what others cannot.
• Word of Knowledge: Knowing the reasons why certain events happen.
• Word of Wisdom: Having the courage to act on this knowledge for the good of others.
• Tongues: Speaking as Jesus would speak.
• Interpretation of Tongues: Understanding the difficult things of God and being able to articulate that to others in a way they can understand.

These gifts are crucial to leadership in the 21st Century church and in the 21st Century family, but it is only available to those who hang around with the Author of Christ like Leadership. It comes only with a non-compromising devotion to God and His Word. It is cultivated through a daily, ongoing time at His feet as Mary did in Luke 10:39-40

• [Martha] had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations...

It is granted to those who love to walk in His presence and posture themselves in such a way that their hearts are consistently awaiting His audience. It includes business sense. It welcomes critical thinkers. His presence congratulates students of impeccable morality, but in and of itself is incomplete.

Acts 4:13 gives it all away:

• Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

Leadership in the 21st Century that gains God's favor will require more than business savvy. It is bestowed on those who will be so unashamed as to walk with a consistent, unfettered relationship with Jesus, meeting with Him dally and talking with Him constantly. It is one of a reckless abandon the cause of Christ rather than to an economic bottom line. It is the willingness to invest and "lose" temporal money in order to gain eternal souls. It is the unabashed love for one's spouse and family. It is learning people skills without learning people pleasing. It is a willingness to lay down ones own life and profit for the eternal benefit of others.

When the world is crying out for leaders, heaven is calling those who want to lead like Christ.

Be one.

Wayne Cordeiro

Leadership Q&A - Unity Obstacles

Question:

What are some common obstacles to unity on a committee or ministry team?

Answer:

Unity needs to be defined at the onset so that it is not confused with conformity. One focuses a collective strength toward a common goal while the other focuses on reducing problems with one another.

I have found that unity, true unity, does not always lend to calm seas. When we are compelled toward a certain calling, we will sharpen one another, encourage and sometimes prod each other, and even when we are made uncomfortable, unity is still in motion.

So one of the main obstacles? It is not identifying what we are to be all about. Without a clear, concise vision that is understood by everyone, unity is compromised. And let me hasten to add: there is one thing worse than a ministry without vision. It is a ministry with too many visions! Then you have the seeds of dissent in the very inception of the ministry.

Always keep the vision of what God has asked you to accomplish before you at all times. Identify it, write it, tell stories about it, and celebrate when you accomplish it. Post it on the walls and in your messages: "This is who we are and this is what we have been assigned by God to accomplish as a team." This is the greatest corrective mechanism that always brings us back to a team that is unified on the same God given assignment. This bring alignment rather than comparison. It brings us back to"what's right" and not necessarily "who's right."

Wayne Cordeiro

Leading From Complaints

Moses had over a million frustrated people complaining in the desert for a new menu, bottled water, and meat! No more Manna bread. He had it the worst, didn't he?

Every leader will face complaints, but not all complaints are necessarily bad. If we develop a rash every time someone complains, we will become jaded to what could have been a turning point in ministry and leadership.

Ecclesiastes 7:21 reminds us: "Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you." Leaders are resilient and sometimes deaf ... intentionally deaf.

But other times, it might do us well to listen.

In Acts 6:1, we find these words: "While the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose ... because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food."One common denominator of growing ministries will be ...problems! But it is not problems that will ruin us. It is how we deal with them that will be the truest test of them all. If we develop an aversion to complaints and problems, we will never lead. We might manage--we might even maintain for a length of time--but we will never lead.

We can deal with problems in several ways. Let me give you two.

The first is this:

The twelve summoned the congregation and dealt with it graciously. They faced the problem, saw that it was a credible concern, and without letting it dilute their roles, they resolved it. In fact, this was a turning point; it was the inaugural stages of developing a multiplicity of leaders.

And one of the first? Stephen.

Look at the response of the twelve:

"Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

For the twelve, the problem and complaint that arose served only to confirm their calling to prayer and the ministry of the Word. Don't let problems cause you to cave in. I have in the past, and it only served to fry my jets.

But here is a second way.

Later on in verse 9, we find a boisterous group called the Freedmen.

"But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen ... rose up and argued with Stephen... they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God."

When problems occurred, they secretly induced men toward opposition and stirred up the people. It ended in the death of Stephen.

Surely the Freedmen felt there were troubles at hand. They came against what they thought was problematic and their solution was to end it at the cost of lives and relationships.

I have been involved in both ways, and let me assure you that the second is not the pathway of choice. Recently, I had to write over a half dozen letter of repentance for having the heart of the Freedmen rather than the Twelve. I have a habit of fixing things, but sometimes things are not yet ready to be fixed. A leader is patient. A leader may know what to do, but as in music, timing is every bit as important as the notes.

It is easy to become unbalanced and demand the notes are hit without regard to timing. We end up finding that we've become enforcers of scores rather than makers of music.

Both groups wanted to resolve matters, but one preserved relationships and the other did not.

Remember, one of the common denominators of growing ministries will be problems and complaints. Lead well out of the complaints. Moses faltered between methods and it kept him out of the Promised Land.

Don't miss Beulah Land.

The sands will get hot and the way will seem longer than necessary. When you are NOT the leader, you'll need patience with your complaints. And when you ARE the leader, you'll need patience with others'. If not, we may accomplish what we set out to accomplish, but there'll be no one left!

It's no fun coming across alone with only body bags in our wagons. Lead out of complaints well, and we will cross the Jordan one day together ... with everyone in tact.

Wayne Cordeiro

When Leadership is More Than Just Heart

The title might strike you strangely, but stick with me. I think you'll understand.

Leadership does not come with time. It comes with training. Never stop increasing your skills: as a thinker, a problem solver, and as a communicator. Proverbs 22:29 reminds us of this fact: "Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men."

I noticed in 1 Chronicles 15:22 of the Old Testament, there was a man named Chenaniah. He was "the chief of the Levites" and he was "in charge of the singing; he gave instruction in singing because he was skillful."

He was given the role of leadership not just because he was a loving person; it required more than just having a good heart and a fuzzy outlook. Chenaniah was skillful.

Now this does not discount the fact that he must have had a great heart. I believe that! I constantly preach about the need to keep our hearts right and to be motivated only out of love. I won't back off of that reality. However, let me hasten to suggest that although Chenaniah had a good heart, he was also very skillful! That's why he was in charge of the singers and could instruct others.

He could tune up the altos and brighten the tenors. He knew how to position the singers so the"crashing cymbals" didn't deafen them. He insured that the delicate harps and lyres didn't get drowned out by the "sounding trumpets." Chenaniah knew how to deliver the kind of concert that memorable evenings are made of.

David, too, had both, didn't he? Heart and skill, that is. It was said of David that he led the people"according to the integrity of his heart and guided them with his skillful hands." (Psalm 78:72)

There it is again. Skill.

Skill is not just an add-on. It is a high calling.

Here's the balance. We often think that if our hearts are good, it's enough to excuse mediocrity in the skill department. If we have good intentions and pure hearts, then people should overlook our sketchy performances and our lack of leadership acuity.

May it never be!

When we hone our gifts, it honors God. He gives us gifts, but they are often delivered in potential form. We must develop them. When we sharpen our gifts and polish our skills, we honor the Giver. This applies to all gifts: music, leadership, parenting, counseling, the arts, and more!

Martin Luther once said, "A cobbler gives God the highest praise when he makes the finest pair of shoes."

In Ecclesiastes 12, Solomon chimes in on our conversation about honing our skills. "In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher ... pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs ... sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly." He worked at his craft to sharpen every aspect of his calling.

If you are a communicator, listen to tapes of great speakers. Read books. Increase your vocabulary. Take every opportunity to teach. Practice and develop your gifts!

If you are a counselor, study the Word of God in depth. Ask God ... no, beg Him for wisdom and insight. If you are a creative arts director, take the time to attend conferences and collaborate with others. Travel to see presentations: secular as well as religious. Redeem everything you can for the Gospel.

"How was the concert?" a person asked his friend after a church presentation. We have all heard the common reply, "Well ... um ... Let's just say, their hearts were good."

I know it sounds inconsistent, but leadership requires more than just having a good heart. It requires us to have in equal amounts, good skill!

Take a tip from Chenaniah. Hone your skills as a leader. Don't ever use a "good heart" to excuse a lack of skills. We dishonor the value of a heart when we do. Instead, develop them both, and like Solomon, David, and Chenaniah, you'll honor God with your skill, plus ... you'll give it beauty with your heart.

Now ... let the music begin!

Wayne Cordeiro

When You Want to Call it Quits

My friend Gary enjoyed telling me about the time he ran a quarter-mile relay race. It's basically once around the track—with teammates at each quarter-mile waiting for the baton. The entire race usually ends in less than a minute. That's fast!

The relay Gary told me about was a big track-and-field event in a small town, and the grandstands were overflowing with friends and fans. The weather was chilly and the runners were still wearing their warm-up "sweats."

Gary, running anchor, was the last team member to be in the box. When the gun went off, his role was to remove his team's starting block from the track and get to his spot where he would wait for the baton to hit his hand—all within seconds.

Sprinting to the Finish

Bang! The starter's pistol resounded through the stadium, and Gary ran to remove the blocks. Usually he had plenty of time, but the foot pegs fell off the block, leaving him only seconds to grab them and run back to make his start.

Gary suddenly remembered that he still had on his sweats. He saw his teammate flying around the corner, so he whipped off his sweatpants as fast as he could and rushed to his position on the track. He made it just in time to feel the slap of the baton hitting his hand and then started sprinting.

With his heart pounding, straining toward the finish line, he noticed that it felt colder than it should have. Gary glanced down, only to make a startling discovery: In his haste, he had taken off a lot more than just his sweatpants!

At that moment, Gary said he was caught between two bad options: One choice was to continue and the other was to quit.

In a split second, in front of the astonished onlookers, he had to make a decision. As he recalled to me later, "I faced the option to either hightail towards the lockers or make a mad and daring dash to the finish. I chose to cut left to the safe harbor of the lockers."

I rolled with laughter when he told me the story!

Perhaps you, like Gary, have been faced with difficult choices — far more weighty than avoiding embarrassment:

• Should I shade the truth to protect a friendship?
• Should I remain in this job, when I know the boss is involved in unethical business practices?
• Should I blow the whistle about an ineligible player on the team?

Ever feel like you were caught between two bad choices? What do you do when you're ready to call it quits?

It's one of the toughest things we face, yet oddly enough it is also one of the most common. We all go through times when we want to chuck in the towel. But does giving up make the situation any better? Not really. Misery may love company, but have you ever noticed that company sure doesn't love misery!

So what do you do when you're stuck between a rock and a hard place and you just want to call it quits?

Look at some of the "greats":

• Joseph—a cocky upstart abandoned by his family. He became a slave and was then thrown into jail and forgotten in his cell. He learned humility and was finally promoted to Prime Minister over mighty Egypt.

• Moses—an extreme introvert who stuttered. Not only that he was a murderer — a fugitive on the run in the desert. He led God's people out of Egypt and to the Promised Land.

• Ruth—a foreigner and a widow following a depressed, "down-on-her-luck" mother-in-law. She was also a brand-new believer yet she kept her heart humble and became one of Jesus' ancestors.

• The woman at the well—a divorcee who had slept around and was the talk of the town. She became the first evangelist after meeting "the Man."

The Bible's casting call for heroes reads more like a "Least Likely to Succeed" rap sheet. Yet this list of the least likely is the foundation of Hebrews 11—a commemoration of God's most faithful men and women across time—and is most often referred to as "The Hall of Faith."

Don't be surprised—"the last and least" in man's eyes are often "the best and brightest" in God's plans.

By Wayne Cordeiro

Face to Face

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. -1 Cor. 13:12

I am beginning to see that there's just no substitute for face-to-face time.

The other day I found myself instant messaging another staff person who was in the adjacent room to my office! I couldn't believe that I had succumbed to the technology vortex that sucks us all into its cyber-grasp. I guess we get pressured into it by our kids. I called my daughter the other day and with terse tones, she instructed me: "Dad, next time, TEXT me! I could have been in a movie!"

Voice mail, e-mail and blogging may cause us to think that we are connecting with one another, but these tools are illusory. When used as the normative way of communing, they can make us a mile wide and an inch deep.

Recently, I spoke with a friend and asked him for his email address. He was kind enough to give it to me, but then he added, "But could you use it sparingly? I would much rather hear your voice. It is your spirit that has always helped me, and I cannot hear that through an email or from text messages."

Fair enough. Even flattering.

"Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full."

That's found in 2 John 12. The Scriptures of long ago seem to have a current word for us bloggers and e-mailers today. Technology can fool me into thinking I've "connected" with dozens of people without requiring me to spend more than a few seconds at my computer keyboard. Instant Messaging may make me efficient, but it doesn't help anyone to become known more deeply, down where we yearn to be known.

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known." 1 Cor. 13:12

So what's the remedy? It comes packaged in a commodity we hold most precious ... Time.

Transferring our Cyber-philosophy to God

Is it any wonder that in our manic reliance on disembodied communication, we can be fooled into thinking we can somehow know God apart from spending time in His presence? Reading a devotional book is lofty and studying a book on apologetics might be a beneficial pursuit. However, that kind of knowledge will only take me so far if it's not matched by time spent face to face before the One I've been trying to connect with.

I'm becoming more and more convinced that my connection with God demands nothing else but long stretches of time staring at His face. An old poem titled More and More reminds me of this truth:

By and by when I look on His face, Beautiful face, thorn shadowed face. By and by when I look on His face, I'll wish I'd given Him more.

If you do one thing today, do this: sit still and wait expectantly before the Face of the One who never changes, and whose love never diminishes.

And just when you think you've been there plenty long, pause ... and linger just a little while more. That's when you get to know Him and when you do, you'll want to give Him more.

Wayne Cordeiro

True Success or Temporary Success?

But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. Acts 14:19

Paul was a great leader, but there were times when it must have seemed that Paul had lost the race. After the stoning, Paul looked dead!

To any betting person, I am sure they would not have hurried to put their money on this opinionated disciple that lay only bruised by the stones made from the hard soil of Iconium jealousy. This would not be the last time that Paul would be rejected and cast out. He would soon face shipwrecks, vipers, hatred, cynicism, and angry mobs.

The Long Road to Success

In the end, he still said in 2 Timothy, with confidence, "I have fought the good fight, I have won the race!"

It didn't look that way. Not after he was dragged from Iconium anyway. But the story has not been half told. There is more to what Paul will do with his life. He will have ups and downs; he will face opponents and he will receive applause. Success is developed under favorable lighting and following winds. It is not a position you receive nor is it necessarily in a role you are given. If position is your definition of success, it will be short lived and hollow. Success is not a gift.

It is hard earned.

Brian Clay, the recent Olympic Gold medalist did not just win the gold at Beijing in '08. He had to win at every level of competition. In the previous years leading up to Beijing, he had had to prevail time and time again. He triumphed when winds were favorable and when they were not. He performed when he felt at the top of his game and when he was nursing an injury or a strain, a sickness or a cold. And when the clock told him he failed, he had to win over the clock's judgment of him. He had to be resilient and advance. He won on the track and he won in his heart.

Successful families and successful marriages are not made from smooth rides. Successful ministries do not happen by taking Easy Street. Successful businesses don't come by taking the circuitous route of putting others down or brown-nosing those who can give you a short cut to the top.

Only time will tell the true victors and those who truly succeeded ... for true success comes only aftermany continuous successes.

You see, the words "success" and "successive" are closely related. True success comes only after: a successive amount of wins, successive times of resilience, successive defeats, several setbacks ... anda successive amount of championship responses.

Faithful are the Wounds of a Friend

Recently, there have been several moments where I have felt the ache of Iconium stones and I have had the urge to retreat. But while doing my devotions, Paul reprimanded me as only a friend could do. He has been mentoring me for several years now.

My best friends are in the Bible, and so are yours. Like Paul, each of the characters in the Word of God have been assigned to tutor us in areas such as leadership, grace, time management and morality. They await our audience. As a leader, don't skimp on your devotions. Make it one of the most important parts of your day.

Paul summarized with me this leadership essential. In essence, he said:

"You must stay the course and win ... successively ... and when you want to capitulate, you must not. They may stone you and hope that you are finally dead, but get back up. Resilience is the key to success. You're not done yet!"

Each of us, along with Paul, must be able to say in the end, regardless of the set backs...

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness ..." (2 Tm. 4:7,8)

-Wayne Cordeiro

A Culture of Hope

Hanging in a hallway of our church offices is a beautifully framed text, with flourishing calligraphy, which simply says, "Caring relationships are key to the life of every endeavor." This is one of the core values of New Hope Oahu.

Healthy relationships are so important to the Lord that he would rather we didn't have church without them. Jesus said that if while offering a gift on the altar we remember a disjointed relationship, we are to leave the gift and go and make it right and then come back and offer the gift (Matthew 5:23).

Good relationships are what the Lord works through to do his work through his church.Those who suffer with cerebral palsy have the frustrating struggle of a bright mind that knows what it wants the body to do, but their muscles won't respond to the impulses of the brain. 

The body of Christ can suffer from a similar dysfunction when the body does not cooperate with the head, the Lord himself. If we are going to reach the world we first have to heal the body so that we can work together. The church becomes a beautiful expression of Jesus when the relational health of the church is high. 

Jesus sent out His disciples two by two so that others could see the Good News in their relationship. If the Gospel isn't credible in our relationships it will not be valued by others. The most extravagant and expensive gift ever purchased was done through the cross when Jesus died to give us healthy relationships with God and each other. We must be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in our teams to make our message more attractive.

Healthy relationships grow when the climate in our teams is healthy. To change, the church leaders need to change the culture.

Think of it this way; years ago my wife and I stopped in at the Grand Ole Opry for a little taste of bluegrass guitar picking. We wanted the experience of Southern hospitality, so we checked ourselves into the Grand Ole Opry Hotel. 

The Dixie sun brought the outside temperatures just under the broiler zone. But when we opened the grand hotel entrance we were swathed in cooling breezes and a plantation ecosystem of waterfalls, magnolia blossoms and dangling ferns. Because the climate was controlled, sensitive plants could grow. I turned to my wife Anna and said, "This is the church!" 

She said, "Honey you're delirious from heat stroke. This is a hotel." 

I said, "No—this is what the church should be. What would be dying outside is thriving inside of this healthy climate. We need to create an ecosystem to keep hope alive. Then what can't grow in the world will grow in the church because the climate is right." 

In my church, New Hope, I want to create a climate that is exactly what our name says ... New Hope. We need a culture that enables hurting people without hope to find new hope in our church. How can leaders of teams change the culture of their ministry?

First determine the culture you want in your church. Our church's core value statement came from dialoguing with over 300 people on our teams as we asked, "What do we value here at New Hope?"

Secondly, as a leader, decide that you will live out that culture. If you want acceptance, be accepting. If you want excellence, do your best. If you want accountability, be accountable. You will teach what you know but ultimately you will reproduce what you are. 

Thirdly, encourage the culture of caring relationships everywhere you see it growing. Instead of looking for what is wrong, first celebrate what is right. Make heroes out of those who model the culture well.

Finally, continually correct back to the core values. Let the focus of correction not be what you as a leader want, but what your core values call your church to become.

Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest would erect in their communities totem poles carved with animals each symbolizing something their tribe valued. Maybe it was the strength of the bear, the vision of the eagle, the stealth of a fox, etc. The animals were stacked in an order of importance to shape their community. Everyone who walked into the village knew immediately what that community lived for.

What are the totems of your church? What do you value most? Take some time to think through your church's totems together with your team. As you change your culture your church too will change.

Heart and Gifts Together Make Leadership Work

Taking Hold of Your Future

"Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap"

(Eccl. 11:4)

Solomon is teaching us a "life essential." It is a class on taking the initiative to take hold of your future. What is it that needs to be accomplished? What needs to be done this week that you have been procrastinating for the last month? What are those important, future shaping decisions you've been putting off for lack of "time," courage, or knowledge?

The Most Important Five Minutes of your Future

Andrew Carnegie once paid a man the equivalent of $250,000 for something that took the consultant 15 minutes to explain. I will give it to you for free!

He said to make two lists: one containing three things that are IMPORTANT and the other, three things that are urgent. Keep these lists with you every day, and accomplish THREE IMPORTANT THINGS everyday.

Think what would happen to your life if you spent five minutes to do that every day?

We judge the quality of our lives by how we "feel about" what we do, not by "what" we do. Emotion is the driving force for getting things done. These end up as the urgent things.

Time management isn't managing time; it is managing the events and actions that will lead you to accomplishing what is most important in life.

Effective time management is really about organizing your life so you find time for the important things, such as: spending time with people you love, having fun, expressing your creativity, and accomplishing life goals. One person said, "The key is not to prioritize your schedule, but to schedule your priorities!"

Establishing What's Most Important

We are a people of habit and I understand that change comes hard. Nevertheless, if we keep doing what we are doing, we will keep getting what we are getting. We need to change what we do, regardless of how we feel.

Establish what is IMPORTANT to you, your future, your health, and your relationships. Think about them because you tend to become what you think. If you think about what you lack, you will find it. If you tend to dwell on the poor state of your life, you will end up there.

Instead, think of what God has deposited into your heart—dreams of a God-preferred future. What qualities of life will cause you to be fulfilled? Would that include time with your spouse in order to increase the value of your marriage? Connecting time with your kids? And what about your future? What do you need to do to get closer to your dreams? Good things for your health and soul? What are the things that if they were going well would cause you to be happy and fulfilled.

What are these things for me?

• A deep relationship with Christ that is genuine.
• A healthy ministry of resourcing other leaders.
• A genuine marriage and close family.
• A healthy body and a soul that is free to be creative.
• Time to enjoy life with family and friends.

That's it.

These are what matter most. I need to be sure that I'm making strides in these directions. I must do at least three things a day that move me toward fulfilling these five items.

Increasing Your Strength

Can you remember a day when you accomplished an important project by systematically tackling it step by step? At the end of the day, you weren't burnt out. Instead, you actually felt invigorated and fulfilled. You can experience that same sense of motivation through a consistent time of solitude and planning.

It all begins with selecting a quiet place to review and schedule your activities on a weekly and daily basis. Instead of an overwhelming to-do list, you create a WHAT'S IMPORTANT list. That's a limited to-do list that's strategic to what is most important to what you will call "Life."

Every week, ask yourself the following questions: "What are the most important outcomes/results I must produce to make this week successful and fulfilling?" "Why do I want to do this?" "What will be the results/outcomes?" And ... "How will it make me feel?" Then schedule those activities into your week. Using the quiet planning time, first schedule the activities and events that bring you the most joy and satisfaction.

It's in those momentary seconds of decision that our destiny is shaped. Most people live without direction because they major in minors. If you don't decide and affirm your life's dreams, someone else will decide them for you.

One More Thing

The urgent will keep me busy but not accurate, full of activity but not full of life, and profitable but not significant. Urgent things will cause me to inadvertently sacrifice my family on the altar of success as I head aimlessly down the golden road to a nervous breakdown.

Your tombstone may one day read: "Death by Success."

So ... what about the list of urgent things? They need to be accomplished as well, don't they?

They do. But, delegate what you can and do the rest along the way: be punctual and schedule them in, but keep your heart set on higher things. You'll be glad you did.

By: Wayne Cordeiro

Leading From Complaints

Moses had over a million frustrated people complaining in the desert for a new menu, bottled water, and meat! No more Manna bread. He had it the worst, didn't he?

Every leader will face complaints, but not all complaints are necessarily bad. If we develop a rash every time someone complains, we will become jaded to what could have been a turning point in ministry and leadership.

 
Ecclesiastes 7:21 reminds us: "Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you." Leaders are resilient and sometimes deaf ... intentionally deaf.

But other times, it might do us well to listen.

In Acts 6:1, we find these words: "While the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose ... because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food." One common denominator of growing ministries will be ... problems! But it is not problems that will ruin us. It is how we deal with them that will be the truest test of them all. If we develop an aversion to complaints and problems, we will never lead. We might manage--we might even maintain for a length of time--but we will never lead.

We can deal with problems in several ways. Let me give you two.

The first is this:

The twelve summoned the congregation and dealt with it graciously. They faced the problem, saw that it was a credible concern, and without letting it dilute their roles, they resolved it. In fact, this was a turning point; it was the inaugural stages of developing a multiplicity of leaders.

And one of the first? Stephen.

Look at the response of the twelve:

"Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

For the twelve, the problem and complaint that arose served only to confirm their calling to prayer and the ministry of the Word. Don't let problems cause you to cave in. I have in the past, and it only served to fry my jets.

But here is a second way.

Later on in verse 9, we find a boisterous group called the Freedmen.

"But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen ... rose up and argued with Stephen... they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God."

When problems occurred, they secretly induced men toward opposition and stirred up the people. It ended in the death of Stephen.

Surely the Freedmen felt there were troubles at hand. They came against what they thought was problematic and their solution was to end it at the cost of lives and relationships.

 
I have been involved in both ways, and let me assure you that the second is not the pathway of choice. Recently, I had to write over a half dozen letter of repentance for having the heart of the Freedmen rather than the Twelve. I have a habit of fixing things, but sometimes things are not yet ready to be fixed. A leader is patient. A leader may know what to do, but as in music, timing is every bit as important as the notes.

It is easy to become unbalanced and demand the notes are hit without regard to timing. We end up finding that we've become enforcers of scores rather than makers of music.

Both groups wanted to resolve matters, but one preserved relationships and the other did not.

Remember, one of the common denominators of growing ministries will be problems and complaints. Lead well out of the complaints. Moses faltered between methods and it kept him out of the Promised Land.

Don't miss Beulah Land.

The sands will get hot and the way will seem longer than necessary. When you are NOT the leader, you'll need patience with your complaints. And when you ARE the leader, you'll need patience with others'. If not, we may accomplish what we set out to accomplish, but there'll be no one left!

It's no fun coming across alone with only body bags in our wagons. Lead out of complaints well, and we will cross the Jordan one day together ... with everyone in tact.

By Wayne Cordeiro