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Resources For Living Your Faith Recklessly

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Leadership Challenge…Heading Into the Weekend – High Level Leaders Balance Blessing and Challenge

Leadership Challenge

My observation, through the years, is that the highest-level leaders have a gift of challenging and stretching those they lead, and also blessing them with words of encouragement.  Our words are more powerful than we know and regular challenges with no affirmation are not healthy.

I have worked with many broken staff teams who served under a strong leader, with good intentions, and the gift of exhortation.  These leaders evaluate, critique, challenge, and sometimes dismantle, but sometimes they forget to bless and build up.

If you are in a role of leadership, commit to spend more time encouraging, blessing, and speaking words of affirmation.  Make this a goal.  Develop this skill.  Get really good at it.  Then, see how your staff flourishes and responds.

Organic Outreach Encouragement…For the Middle of the Week

Organic Outreach Encouragement

Names.  They really matter.

To be honest, I am terrible with names.  This is a challenge for me.  But, because I know that remembering names speaks volumes to people, I am working harder at it.  I have met a few new people in the past week and felt convicted to write their name down, pray for them, and remember their face, story, and name.

In particular, when we are interacting with people who are not yet followers of Jesus, remembering their name is very important.  I invite you to tune in to this for the coming month.  Even write names on a card, keep a list in your phone, or find some other way to remember names.  Then, pray for people by name and address them by name next time you see them.

Draw Near to God…Thoughts for a Monday Morning – Reckless Prayers

Draw Near to God

Prayer is not passive.  It might be the most powerful, active, and dangerous thing we do in any given day.  In the book, Reckless Faith, I look at five prayers that can transform and revolutionize your life and faith.  Here are two of them.

The first one is, “Your will be done!”  Jesus prayed this in the garden before He went to the cross.  He taught his followers to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done.”  This prayer of submission and surrender is a declaration that God is real, He has a will for my life, and I will follow His will, if He will show it to me.  Will you dare to lift up this reckless prayer today, and then follow where God’s will leads you.

The second prayer is, “Let my heart feel what you feel.”  Will you ask God to give you a heart like his?  Are you willing to hurt for the broken, care about the lost, and allow God to soften your heart?  If you pray these words, from your heart, God will answer your prayer.  Then, as you notice the marginalized, the lonely, and the broken people around you, invite God to use you to bring His presence and grace.

Draw Near to God…Thoughts for a Monday Morning – Loving the God Who Loves You

Draw Near to God

How much appreciation and love would you have for someone who saved your life?

The small group Sherry and I lead is studying the book, Reckless Faith together. Last night we talked about God’s reckless love for sinful and rebellious children.  We were all amazed that the Father would sacrifice His only beloved son for people like us.  We talked about the greatness of God’s love and the price He paid to save our lives.

In the midst of the discussion, one of the group members talked about how indebted he would feel to someone who saved his life.  How much more should we be devoted to our God, who not only saved our lives, but also took our death, punishment, and judgment!

The apostle Paul wrote, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)  The pure, perfect, eternally sinless Lamb of God not only saved our lives, He bore our sin.  Because of His sacrifice, we can become righteous through faith in Him.  What a gift!  What a Savior!  What hope!