Leadership (August)
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Growing Pains
Growing Pains
5x5
We’re here to empower others
If we don’t empower others around us
We become the lid of our departments
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Growth requires a clear game plan:
Goals
Written down clear
Playing football in high school
From Freshman year to Senior year you have a playbook
It was drilled in your head
First movements
Down to where you put your foot
Drilled over and over again
1. Growth is not an environment it’s a choice
You can be in the right place
Atmosphere
Meeting
Books but it comes down to making a choice
Just cause you’re not exposed to the right environments doesn’t mean you will grow
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
Successful leaders must own their own development
Fredrick Douglas:
In His autobiography
Had a desire to read and write from a young age
He was sent as a slave from a plantation to a new slave owner in Baltimore
A kind mistress taught him the alphabet
His master found out and forbade his wife to teach Douglas, telling here it was unlawful to teach a slave how to read
The master explained if a slave did learn how to read “it would forever unfit him to be a slave.”
Now that the mistress wasn’t teaching him
He figured out other ways to learn
He would bring bread into the city and ask some of the poorer white kids were happy to teach him in exchange for food
He then wanted to learn how to write
He would go to the shipyard and see marks on ships and on wood
He started learning letters
He would then challenge other kids to writing competitions knowing that he wasn’t going to win but to see more things written down
Douglas figured out a way to learn despite being told the word NO
He was determined to learn and grow, no matter the obstacles or the environment
2. Growth is uncomfortable
I believe more often than not, growth looks like being uncomfortable
Being honest is uncomfortable(especially when its with yourself)
Change is uncomfortable
Being new at something
Being bad at something
Step out into a different position
It’s going to be uncomfortable
If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you
Growth always involves the risk of failure
You have permission to fail here!
I would rather you try something different and fail then continue to be stuck where you’re at
God asked:
Abraham to be a Father without a kid
Moses to speak for millions of people and he stuttered
A young boy named David to face a giant
Gideon to fight 135,000 with 300
Noah to build a boat on land
Jeremiah to preach the gospel for 40 years and never see anyone listen
He asked John the baptist, Jesus and almost all the disciples to give up their lives for the gospel
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
When we step out into the mystery in Faith God meets us
No one gets to hide behind their personalities anymore
We have to break out of the boxes we put ourselves in
Become the people God wants us to be
3. Growth is transformation, not just information
If we want to experience the transformation God envisions for our life, then our growth plan must be three-dimensional
We grow through knowledge, understanding and wisdom
The three correlate with the three dimensions of our life
Spirit, soul and body
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Knowledge is what enables our soul (our mind) to grow
Wisdom involves the habits, which ensure that our body will grow
Understanding ensures our spirit will grow
If we only grow knowledge without wisdom we become out of balance
You have to be educated to be that dumb
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
We start with being filled with knowledge or acquiring it
like reading God’s word
getting facts
learning a new process
Reading God’s word, listening or reading books, listen to a podcast, take classes, ask a mentor to explain things
Knowledge is acquired through discipline (by choice)
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
A worker it requires work
Ministry is spelled W.O.R.K
It takes discipline to acquire knowledge
2. Understanding Comes through Prayer
By far the most I get from reading the word is when I can be secluded and have time in Prayer
God gives me understanding of scripture and that when he gives me ideas
Thats when I’m able to communicate what I’ve read effectively and use it in a timely manner in season and out of season
God will give you ideas or words to communicate through the Holy sprit
When we put the discipline of gaining knowledge and pray God provides the understanding
Problems that we might not have answers to he gives us the understanding
Rightly dividing the word of truth
Lastly, when you apply the knowledge and understanding you have gained, you acquire knowledge
3. Understanding applied is Wisdom
We start to live God’s word
We don’t just know scripture but we understand it and live it
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
Give God substrate to work with
God will meet you where you’re at
He needs you to be a willing vessel
Exercise for studying scripture for understanding and application:
1. Promise
2. Principle
3. Pattern
Let me illustrate Ephesians 1:3
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
What is the promise? I’m blessed
What is the principle? God’s blessing is working in me
What is the pattern? God has blessed me so I can be a blessing
The pattern is how it works through you
Some people only want God’s promise for their life, but choose to ignore the principle and pattern
Questions:
1. What is one area of your personal growth can you take more ownership of?
2. What is your plan to acquire knowledge daily?
3. How has prayer given you a better understanding of God’s word?
4. What is something spiritually you want to have more wisdom about? Have you asked God for clarity about it?
5. What is habit(BIG or small) you can start this week that will get you out of your comfort zone?