Leadership

Four Ways to Keep Your Emotional Tank Filled

Leadership
February 19, 2024 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 1053

People today are having struggles just to keep their automobile gas tanks full…and it is important that those tanks are filled to go to work, school, or just in case of an emergency. I am sure you know it is even more important to keep your emotional tank full, too. Due to the unique circumstances of the past two years, many Christian leaders have faced or are facing burnout. If that’s you today, there is hope. Just like your car, we each have an emotional “energy tank.” We constantly go from draining that tank to filling it up. And no one likes to run out of gas. It can be dangerous, particularly when we run out of gas on a major highway. The same is true in our ministries. Burnout can be dangerous. To fight against it, we need to keep our emotional energy tanks full. Jesus says it like this in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (NKJV). Jesus’ words give us four steps we can take to keep our emotional tank filled up.
  1. Get fed up (with the current state of your life).

If you want to have a full tank, you must first admit that you are dissatisfied with one or more areas of your life. We often don’t change when we see the light. We change when we feel the heat. Like one person said, it’s when we feel the heat, we’ll move our feet!”

Psalm 23:2 says of God, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still waters” (NKJV). Sometimes, just as shepherds make sheep lie down, God uses painful seasons to make us rest.

If you’re willing to live stressed out and tired lives, nothing will change. It’s no coincidence that Jesus begins by saying, “…you who labor and are [weary] heavy laden…” That’s where you must start.

If have seen leaders make horrible and unwise decisions when they were “emotionally tired and weary” and so have you. Some even publicly admit it, but it is too late to undo their poor decision. The sad part is that they could have made wise decisions if they did not let their emotional tank get empty.

You can intellectually agree with everything in this edition of Leadership Helps and still end up unchanged—and be just as tired and burned out in six months. Nothing will happen until you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired.

  1. Come to Jesus.

Notice that in Matthew 11:28, Jesus doesn’t say to come to church. He doesn’t say come to rituals or rules. Jesus says, “Come to me.” The antidote to the pain you’re feeling is Jesus—and nothing else.

Jesus doesn’t care why you come to Him; He just cares that you come. You can come to Him and say, “I’m tired, worn out, stressed, and depressed.” None of this surprises Jesus. He won’t say, “Hey, you’re a Christian leader, pastor, or Christian businessperson. You shouldn’t feel like that.”

Jesus knows everything about you, including your past, present, and future. Nothing changes this fact: He will never reject you.

Jesus’ teachings are the opposite advice that you’ll get from the surrounding culture. Our culture tells us to go and do more. Climb every ladder. But Jesus says: “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Or as it says in a paraphrase version called The Message, “Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace” (Matthew 6:6).

When you come to Jesus, He will give you the rest you’re longing for. Jesus said, “I will give you rest for your souls.” That’s the deepest kind of rest you can have. Your problem isn’t tired muscles or even a tired mind. Your problem is a tired soul. Jesus will give your soul rest.

  1. Give up control.

Jesus says in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you.” You may already know that the purpose of the yoke Jesus is describing in this agricultural illustration is two-fold. It symbolizes partnership and control. When we’re yoked with Jesus, we move together in the same direction and at the same pace. But we must give up control for that to happen.

Too many times we try to run the parade, and we get out of step with God’s pace. That’s why we’re tired. We need God to be our pacesetter, telling us when to speed up and slowdown in life.

The problem is that most of us, particularly those of us in ministry, have too many yokes around us. We’re trying to please too many people. Jesus tells us to take His yoke. It’s the easy one. If we go at His pace, He’ll give us the energy to fulfill what He’s called us to do.

  1. Learn to trust.

Jesus modeled how to live with purpose and peace. That’s why, as He’s describing how to have more peace in Matthew 11:28-29, He tells us to watch Him and learn. For us, that means we need to be hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, meditating, and applying His Word.

Learning from Jesus takes time, though. You didn’t get overbooked overnight. You won’t learn from the rhythms of Jesus overnight, either. But the good news is that Jesus is a gentle teacher. His gentle approach is one of the best antidotes to overload.

Sometimes our overload is caused by aggression, arrogance, and even pride. We overcommit because we don’t wait, pause, or consider. That’s aggression. We arrogantly want to control everything and everyone. We think we know what’s best for ourselves and others.

Jesus says the answer is humility. He wants us to remember that we’re not the savior of our world. He is.

It’ll take a lifetime to learn from Jesus’ example, but as we do, He will fill up our tank.

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Leadership

4 Questions to Ask Yourself in Every Season of Life

Leadership
February 12, 2024 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 956

God has wired me in such a way that I like to watch things grow. I receive much enjoyment out of the plants I have. And every gardener knows that if you don’t have changes in seasons, your plants will not make it. You need seasonal changes for plants to grow.  

The same is true in your life. You need to experience various seasons to mature and grow.  

In fact, you’ll go through many seasons in your life. You’ll experience joyous seasons, like a new marriage, a new ministry, or a new child. And you’ll experience tough ones, too, like when you are grieving, experience a job loss, or struggle with a new family dynamic.

But here’s the good news: God wants to use every one of the seasons you’re in for your good. 

From my personal experience, the following four questions will help you make the most of every season:

1. What can I learn during this season of my life?

We can only learn certain things through experience. Deuteronomy 11:2 tells us, “Remember today what you have learned about the Lord through your experiences with him” (Deuteronomy 11:2 GNT).

To understand the seasons of life, you must start with this one basic truth under your belt: Life is a test. Life prepares you for eternity. You’ll live on earth 60, 70, or 80 years. Then, if you’re a Christian, you’ll spend the rest of eternity with God.

But God wants you to learn a bunch of things before you get to heaven. Of course, He wants you to know that He died for you, rose and conquered death for you, and wants a relationship with you. Then He wants you to learn certain character qualities because the kind of person you are as a Christian will be what you’ll take with you into eternity.

There are important lessons to learn in every season of life. Here are two of those lessons:

  • If you flunk a test in the school of life, you can retake it. If you’re not learning to be patient, God will put more irritations in your life. He wants you to grow. Without tests, you can’t grow. 
  • Then, when you think you’ve graduated, you’ll discover even more classes to take…and more tests you will need to take. As long as you’re on Earth, you won’t stop learning. You’ll always have something to learn about the Lord, yourself, other people, and about the world. The Lord wants you to grow up. 

He will give you the kinds of experiences you will need in each season to help you grow in the ways He wants you to grow.

2. What can I enjoy in this season of my life?

Life is short. Too often, we tell ourselves that we’ll enjoy life more in the next season, whether that’s when we graduate school, get married, have kids, find a new job, get the next ministry assignment, or become empty nesters.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed this or not, but when we wait for the next season to enjoy life, it doesn’t happen. We need to enjoy every single season of life now. Life is too short to do anything else. 

Ecclesiastes 11:8 tells us, “When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life…” (NLT). I know that’s not always easy. You’ll have many rough days in your ministry and in your personal life. 

But, as 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us, I’ve found that “in everything [we can] give thanks…” (NKJV). On bad days, good days, hard days, and easy days, we can live with a sense of gratitude because it’s a day that God has given us.

3. What is most important in this season of my life?

Life is about choices. Sometimes, we believe the lie that we can do it all. We simply can’t.

You’ll have to make tough choices about what matters most in the particular season you find yourself in. 

Ephesians 5:15,16 tells us to “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (NKJV).

To make the best use of your time, you will need to say no to certain things. Maybe it’s a ministry you’ll need to pass on to someone else. Maybe you need to restructure your ministry. Maybe it is a job change or location change. Maybe a hobby you love should go to the back burner.

One of the most important considerations when thinking through what matters most in your current season is your family circumstances. Many seasons of marriage and parenting will require additional attention from you. Don’t hesitate to put as much energy as you can into those relationships. You’ll never get those days back. If you leave your church or employment tomorrow, they’ll find someone else. Your family will not.

4. How can I help others in this season of my life?

As a leader, you’re likely spending many seasons of your life helping others. But remember this: You help people best when you use your spiritual gift(s), interests, unique abilities, personality style(s), and life experiences. Make sure you’re leveraging the unique way the Lord has wired you to help others. 

You can also become easily caught up in the responsibilities of ministry—staff meetings, preparing sermons, and maintaining your facilities or in a myriad of business and professional activities—that you don’t spend the time serving other people who need you. But Proverbs 3:27 reminds us: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so.” Whenever you are able, do good to people who need help” (NKJV).

So fellow traveler in this life, what season are you in today? Remember: The Lord wants to use every one of the seasons you’re in for your good. 

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Leadership

How God Turns Around Ministry or Business Failures

Leadership
February 5, 2024 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 658

So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

Luke 5:1 – 11

As a kid growing up in Florida, I was able to do a lot of fishing.  One time, I won a contest for catching the most fish!  Just one time. Most of the other times were kind of fraught with failure.

If you’ve ever been around a fisherman, you know they have great fish stories. The more they tell those stories, the bigger the fish get. 

But there’s no fishing tale I could share quite like the one in Luke 5. This story has a lot to say to those of us in ministry and others in business. It’s all about how to handle discouragement and failure at work—whether you’re a professional fisherman, or a Christian leader, or a pastor, or a businessperson.

Let’s dive right into the story—Peter, Andrew, James, and John owned a fishing business. They had been out fishing all night and caught nothing. You and I can relate to this. We know what it’s like to work day and night trying to fish for people with the Gospel yet come up empty. Or as a salesperson, to work and never make a sale.

These four may have been fishermen at the time, but we know something they didn’t.

Jesus’ intention from the beginning was for them to become fishers of men. By the way, that’s what He wants all of us to become…whether we are pastors, Christian leaders, or people in the business and professional world. 

It is funny how people respond to their own “failures”. Some almost glibly say, “well, we / I made some mistakes and would certainly do it differently next time, but…”  And then the butt everything away from them. All the time, not seeing the level of failure it was and only taking a “politically correct” amount of responsibility.  Often forgetting the tremendous effect on others.

Others blame the failure on such a large group of so-called “acceptable” reasons, but without remembering the Scripture says, “our hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it.”  This can mean they deceived themselves from seeing the failure that it really was.

While others, take all the responsibility and wallow in the failure to the point of not learning from it and moving on.  Most people quit and move on to the next potential failure because they have not learned from the past failure. Let alone taking a deep dive into the real cause(s) for the failure and making sure they do not repeat it. 

This quitting and starting over someplace else can also become a pattern in a person’s life.

Then there are others who will do what John Maxwell in his book, Failing Forward wrote what to do…and that is to fail forward.  Be better and do better from what is learned from the failure.

Now back to the lessons Peter, Andrew, James, and John learned from Jesus at the end of their fishing trip on how God turns around failure in ministry and business.   

We see how Jesus turned struggling fishermen into some of the greatest fishers of men the world has ever seen. 

If we want God to turn around our ministries or businesses, we’ll need to take the same four steps as Peter, Andrew, James, and John:

1. Give Up Control of Our Ministry or Business. 

Luke 5:3 tells us that Jesus got into one of Peter’s boats. If you want God to bless your ministry or business, Jesus must get into your boat, too. 

 At that point, these fishermen were in the same lake, on the same boat, and using the same nets that had caught nothing the night before. The only difference between their empty nets and their overflowing nets is Jesus. 

 That’s a game-changer for you too. Jesus needs full access to your ministry or business.

 You may think that’s obvious because, of course, you need Jesus in your boat. But how many times have you given the steering wheel of your ministry to something else? Whether you’re letting the opinions of others or the world’s definition of success lead the way or just went to the wrong people for advice, it isn’t Jesus.

 Too many of us have prayed, “God, make me a success, and I’ll serve you.” But instead, God wants us to pray, “God, my ministry or business is failing, so I’m giving it all to you. I won’t hold anything back. Do with my ministry or business what you want.”

 If you want God’s blessing on your ministry or business, Jesus must have complete control. 

2. Admit What We’re Doing Isn’t Working.

This seems impossible for some people to do. Can you imagine how tough it was for Peter to tell Jesus in Luke 5:5a, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing…”? Peter was a professional. He had fished his whole life. It’s tough for any professional to admit failure.

It’s tough for pastors and Christian leaders, too. It’s humbling to admit that despite your education and your hard work, your ministry or business is struggling. Sometimes, your best isn’t good enough. 

What keeps us from admitting when something isn’t working? Pride. Stubbornness. Fear. We often want to do ministry the way we’ve always done it. Or we are unwilling to seek godly counsel from experienced people who will explain how to use Biblical principles to trust the Lord while still accepting our responsibility to fix the problem rather than just walk away from it or giving it to someone else to fix.

Pride can also make us afraid God will make us try something new. 

But these kinds of responses only lead to one place—back to the same old failures.

3. Do Whenever and Whatever Jesus Tells Us to Do. 

Jesus told Peter exactly what to do. “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4 NLT). Jesus provided a when (now), a where (where it is deeper), and a what (let down your nets). When God gives us a calling, he does the same for us. 

Like it was for Peter, our calling will take us deeper and require us to take risks. Deeper water is often where the fish are, making it more dangerous to catch them. The people who are far from God are in the deep water, too. To reach them, you’ll need to take a risk. 

One reason God allows you to struggle in your ministry or business is because He wants to take you deeper. Obeying Jesus in your ministry or business always involves risk. God loves you too much to let you stay where you are. 

Before starting Make It Clear Ministries over 48 years ago, I was a young Bible College professor. God called me to start this ministry with no money, no staff, no salary, no facilities, and no support. God called me to take a risk. God called me to go into the deep water—and I obeyed.

What is God telling you to do? What is keeping you from obeying?

4. Expect Jesus to Turn Things Around. 

If God calls you to fish, comes along with you, and tells you where to let down your nets—and you obey—you won’t come up empty. Peter understood this. All the fatigue, fear, and frustration from the previous night were behind him. Peter is quivering with expectation. He isn’t afraid of failing anymore. 

The Bible says when the fisherman let down their nets, Jesus blessed them abundantly: “…when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.” (Luke 5:6). 

Then, Jesus changed their perspective. The Bible says they were amazed at what God did. Peter then calls Jesus “Lord.” 

This miracle became the turning point in the lives of those four men. The night of empty nets was followed by a lifetime of serving Jesus and seeing Him do the impossible through them.

Your toughest ministry or business days can also be the turning point for you. As you give Jesus the control of your ministry or business, admit your way hasn’t worked, do whenever and whatever He tells you to do, and expect Him to turn things around. God will do the impossible through your ministry or business too.

 

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Leadership

The Foundations of Freedom

Leadership
January 29, 2024 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 405

In the LORD I put my trust; how can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”? For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The LORD is in His holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The LORD tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.

Psalms 11:1 – 7

Heading into a crucial election year soon has reminded me again why the Foundations of Our Freedom need to be remembered and realized. I would like us to be prepared for decisions we will make as we are given the right and privilege to vote for future candidates and on issues that will affect our lives. That is one of the main reasons I want to preach on The Foundations of Freedom.

Have you ever had someone, or a group of well-intended friends or families try to give you counsel based on their own bias? I have. How did it work out for you?

This is precisely what was happening with David. He states his unshakable trust in the Lord as His refuge during times of challenge. Then it appears his “counselors” respond in panic with advice and support… their lack of faith is revealed in how they responded.

Let’s take a moment and see what is happening in this Psalm of David…Psalm 11:3 – 7.

The pivotal verse may very well be verse 3… “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Perhaps the best translation from the Hebrew and interpretation of this verse is done by Joseph Alexander in the classic three-volume commentary, The Psalms: Translated and Explained, first published in 1850 and printed again by Baker Book House in 1975. On page 53, Alexander wrote…

The year was 1833. The place was the Island of Jamaica, the Crown Colony of the British Empire. The issue was the abolition of slavery. Although the British considered Jamaica an important resource to their empire, their Parliament had voted to set the nation free. A date was set, and the island slaves waited for their freedom with great anticipation.

Finally, the morning came, and as the rays of the sun announced the day, across the Island could be heard the song, “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, free at last.”

Likewise, a song of freedom is at the heart of the American spirit. We are a nation founded upon the idea of Freedom.

Our Constitution declares we were established:

“To secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and those who would follow.”

In his Gettysburg address, Abraham Lincoln declared our nation to have been “conceived in liberty.” Freedom and America are synonymous terms.

But true freedom never comes apart from God. Our Forefathers understood and acknowledged that vital truth. That is why they ensured that America was built on solid foundations from the Word of God when they established this land.

THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FREEDOM.

John 8:32 “And you will know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.”

A clear understanding of the truths of life, morality, honesty, and social order is best found in the Bible. The teachings of no other document more plainly describe the principles upon which nations build a civilized society.

These Biblical principles have come to be known as the Judeo-Christian Ethic. And although they are numerous and found throughout the Bible, we will look at seven of the most basic ones that have undoubtedly served as foundations for our great nation.

Our Country’s founding documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and others, have been given to us by our Founding Fathers. They had to lean upon some common understanding of law, government, social order, and a basic moral code to form such documents. These major areas sprang from a common acceptance of what has come to be known as the Judeo-Christian Ethic.

What is meant by “Judeo-Christian” is “the influence of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the New Testament on one’s system of values, laws, and ethical code.” It is not just a system of theological thought but a culture of values as seen in one’s individual right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Some would debate that a few of our nation’s Founding Fathers were not true Christians, and some were Deists. What matters were their writings, words, and votes, indicating that the vast majority of them embraced the Judeo-Christian Bible as the basis for a civilized society and social order. During these days of rampant pluralism and situation ethics, we pastors, parents, teachers (and our people) must remember these same anchors of faith and values were given to us through the Word of God.

Although there are many biblical principles from which our Judeo-Christian values spring, I have selected seven biblical principles that seem to have the most significant relevance in America’s past and present. These “common sense” values provide moral balance in a seemingly unbalanced world.

Principle #1 – The Dignity and Sanctity of Human Life

Exodus 20:13, “You shall not murder.”


Matt 22:39, “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The Scriptures emphatically teach the significance of valuing and preserving human life. Our Founding Fathers wrote In the Declaration of Independence that every man, woman, and child has the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” We Americans believe this for our citizens and send our courageous men and women in uniforms worldwide to defend the rights of those whose lives are threatened. 

When we believe and understand that every human being has measureless worth, that does away with bigotry, racism, self-centeredness, and all the rest that goes along with it. Suppose people and nations do not grant this respect and protection to the born and unborn. In that case, all other professed mores and values are meaningless and useless because they are no longer undergirded by the most basic human need—the need to exist.  The dignity of human life is not just a standard in the Bible—it is the beginning principle of any civilized society.

Principle #2 – The Preservation of The Traditional Family

Genesis 2:21 – 24, “And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

The Biblical view of marriage and family is the basis of our society and serves as the backbone of a healthy social order. It is the clear plan of God that involves a man and a woman producing children within the institution of marriage. At the beginning of humanity was the joining together of Adam and Eve. Marriage has been defined as a holy union between one man and one woman, and out of that union comes children born into a loving home with a father and a mother to nurture them and teach them how to become healthy, productive, and responsible citizens.

God instituted the traditional family defined as one man and one woman. If this marriage is blessed with children, those children have the right to a godly and secure home with a Dad and Mom.

When God’s definitions of “marriage” and “family” are no longer respected, these institutions become meaningless. World history has repeatedly proven that preserving the traditional family is vital to the future of any great nation.

Principle #3 – Having A National Work Ethic

2 Thessalonians 3:10, “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.”

It means people should work for their livelihood and the welfare of others. We are not to be dependent upon the government for our livelihood. The very fiber within the American spirit is the willingness and desire to do an honest day’s work for an honest day’s wage. This self-determining spirit has no desire to exist on handouts from the government or live off the generous benevolence of others. And it is this independent spirit that has caused America to create the greatest and most robust economy in the history of the world.

Yes, Americans have had their challenges. The Great Depression of the 1930s and the pandemic of the 2020s knocked us to our knees, but they did not beat us. Hand-in-hand and heart-to-heart, Americans helped one another and lifted our nation back to economic might.

The world’s powers may look at our nation and ask from where this spirit of honest and diligent labor has come. So, where did this work ethic originate in the American psyche? It came from the men and women before us who were taught to believe the principles and practice of honest work found throughout the Word of God.

Principle #4 – The Right to A God-Centered Education

Deuteronomy 6:1 – 7, “Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you—“a land flowing with milk and honey.’ “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”

Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” No one can possibly understand the creation without first knowing its Creator.

Our forefathers, without a doubt, understood this. Did you know that most of America’s oldest and most respected universities—such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Dartmouth—were founded by Christian preachers or churches?

Harvard University, founded in 1636, adopted “Rules and Precepts,” which included the following: “Let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life.” The university’s original seal has upon it these words: “Truth for Christ and the Church.”

In addition, the first textbook for school children, The New England Primer, taught the ABCs to children by instructing them to memorize: “A—In Adam’s fall, we sinned all. B—Heaven to find, the Bible mind.”

This does not mean that all schools should be Christian, but it does mean the recognition of the Creator God.

It has been said today’s youth are tomorrow’s future. Our nation’s first president, George Washington, reminded us of the importance of a God-centered education when he wrote, “Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail to the exclusion of religious principle…it is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”

Principle # 5 – Recognizing The Abrahamic Covenant

Genesis 12:1 – 3, “Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your Country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Galatians 3:7 “Therefore, know that only thse who are of faith are sons of Abraham.”

Psalms 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…”

The book of Genesis records the story of God coming to Abraham and making a covenant with him, which means that a Nation under God was a nation that was especially blessed above all the nations of the world.

The foundation of this covenant was that if Abraham followed God in obedience to His laws and commandments, God would bless Abraham with a legacy of children that would outnumber the stars in the heavens (Gen. 15:5). Therefore, Abraham believed God and obeyed His Word, and God rewarded him with a nation of people known as the Jews.

The Abrahamic Covenant states that if a person or a nation obeys God, observing the moral truths found in the Bible, that person or nation will be blessed.  If they disobey, they will bring punishment upon themselves. For most of our nation’s history, Americans have accepted that good deeds produced good results and that God would bless people who were “God-fearing” and respectable in language and lifestyle. This fact has been proven to be accurate time and again. Proverbs writer says plainly, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).

Principle #6 – Being a Nation of Common Decency

Matthew 22:39 “The second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Simply put, decent nations are made up of decent people who would do decent and honest things when faced with a situation. This has been the experience of our national history, for the most part. For example, Americans have given their lives in wars on foreign soil so that others might taste freedom. Americans have worked to feed the world’s poor and hungry, to clothe the naked, and aid the disabled. Americans have opened their arms to many of the world’s oppressed people groups and allowed them safe harbor upon our shores.

Engraved on the pedestal on which stands the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor are these words by Emma Lazarus:

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me; I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

A world-renowned symbol of freedom, this Statue reminds us of all that America has indeed been and continues to be today, a nation of common decency

Principle #7 – Realizing Our Personal Accountability to God

Hebrews 9:27 “…it is appointed for men to die once but after this the judgment.”

Perhaps the most significant restraint for acts of evil against one’s fellow man is the realization that every person and nation will one day give an account for their actions to Almighty God. Indeed, the Bible tells us that we are responsible for our actions and will be held accountable for what we do or don’t do. Also, there is a penalty for doing wrong to our fellow man, and there is a blessing when we do that which is right, noble, and just.

A story is told of Daniel Webster, the great American statesman who was once asked, “What is the most sobering thought that ever entered your mind?” He quickly responded, “My personal accountability to God.” Daniel Webster knew that one day he would stand before God in eternity and give an account for his actions. The same applies to every man, woman, and nation.

The Founding Fathers knew these and other Scripture principles were essential for preserving our national freedom.

America has been blessed as a nation in a precise way. It is not that we are a special people above all other nations—not at all—but there is no doubt God’s blessings have indeed been given to us because, for the greater part of our history, a greater portion of our people have honored and obeyed the Word of God. What is true for us is true for all others who choose it, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD” (Ps. 33:12).

THE GREATEST FREEDOM OF ALL

Upon our coinage is stamped these words: “E PLURIBUS UNUM” It is Latin meaning: “From Many — One” America is a nation of ones. For the “Land” to be free, the people must be free!

That is the message of the Gospel. Jesus told us He had come into the world to set men free. Certainly, Christ is the greatest Freedom Fighter this world has ever known!

Galatians 5:1 (NIV), “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm…”

Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

FREE from SIN… 

Think about it… No longer do sin and the weight of sin control our lives. No longer are we controlled by the World, the Flesh, and Devil. We become free to live our own lives for the very first time.

FREEDOM from ETERNAL DEATH…

Death no longer has control over us, for through Christ, we have conquered Death, Hell, and the Grave. This can only come by placing our faith alone in Jesus Christ!

Are you free today? I’m not talking about political or social freedom but spiritual freedom. Eternal freedom.

Have you been set free by Christ? You can make your eternal proclamation of Freedom today. Place your faith alone in Jesus Christ (The real foundation for freedom), and He will become your Savior. Allow Him to Set You Free!

Even if our Country no longer holds to any or all the seven biblical principles that have the most significant relevance in America’s past and present, we can remain free in Christ!

Thank you to Dr. Richard Lee for the information used to prepare this sermon.

Dr. Richard Lee is the founding pastor of First Redeemer Church in Atlanta. He served as general editor of The American Patriot’s Bible (Thomas Nelson) and has contributed to numerous other publications and books. Pastor Lee holds doctorates in theology, pastoral ministry, literature, and law and continues his postdoctoral studies at the University of Oxford. Dr. Lee’s television broadcast, There’s Hope, has received the prestigious Ministry of the Year award from the National Religious Broadcasters. He has served as President of the Pastor’s Conference of the Southern Baptist Convention. He is a member of the Oxford Roundtable, a Trustee of Liberty University and Liberty School of Law, and a Board member of the National Religious Broadcasters. Find out more about Dr. Lee’s ministries at http://www.thereshope.org

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Leadership

Paul’s Strategy for Time Management

Leadership
January 22, 2024 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 115

I know many church leaders who struggle with time management. But the good news is, it’s something you can learn. 

You might think that some people are just naturally good at managing their time. But that’s not true. 

The Bible tells us that time management can be taught. Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days…” (NKJV).

If you’re struggling to get your time under control, follow these four steps from Paul to help you manage your time and make your life more effective:

1. Evaluate your lifestyle. “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise” (Ephesians 5:15 NASB).

Paul tells us to have an objective and to manage our lives in a way that helps us achieve that goal. He urges us to be purposeful in our lifestyle decisions. 

The starting point to a life of purpose, Paul says, is to “be careful how you walk [live your life].”

To do that, you need to determine where your time is going right now. You can’t save time until you find out where you’re losing it first. Just like a budget tells you where you want your money to go, you need to analyze your time, so you know where it’s going. 

You can start by keeping a time log for at least a couple of days. You’ll be surprised by how you spend your time, and this step will help you spend it better.  Perhaps it’s time to stop doing good things…so you have time to do great things!

2. Emphasize what’s important. “So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:17 NASB).

Now that you know where your time is going, you can prioritize what’s important.

Paul tells us to “understand” the will of God, making it possible to focus on the right things.

This makes sense, because if God put us on earth, he has something for us to do. The good news is that God’s will for your life isn’t a mystery. He tells us what he wants us to do in his Word. 

In fact, God has five purposes for your life. He wants you to love him, love others, become like Christ, serve people, and tell people about him. 

Nothing matters more than these five things. If you get everything done on your calendar at the end of the week, but you don’t fulfill these purposes, you’ve missed the point. 

Understanding these truths will simplify your life. Time management isn’t about how to get more done in less time. Effective time management is knowing what matters most—and doing that, not worrying about the rest. 

We have just enough time to do what God wants us to do.

A motto I have lived by for over 50 years in ministry is this:

Good, better, best
Never let it rest
‘Till your good is better
And your better is best!

3. Economize your energy. “Making the most of your time” (Ephesians 5:16 NASB).

Time management is energy management. Just like you have a limited amount of time in life, you also have a limited amount of energy. You don’t have enough energy to do everything. You need to decide what’s important.

Although you’re free in Christ, Paul reminds us that not everything is beneficial (1 Cor. 10:23). In Romans 12:11, he tells us to “fervent in serving the Lord” (NASB).

That’s the best way we can use our limited energy. 

Don’t waste your limited energy on things that won’t matter in eternity. If you’re too busy to do the five things God, put you on earth to do, you’re too busy. It’s time for a little rearranging. 

If you recognize that you don’t have enough time to do what God wants you to do, something must go. If you’re going to add something, you need to cut something out.

Don’t keep adding on. 

4. Engage the present. “Make the most of your time [opportunities] because the days.” are evil days” (Ephesians 5:16 NASB).

To make the best use of your time, start living in the moment. Most people never learn how to do this because they’re always focused on the past or on the future. 

Too often we put off until tomorrow what we should do today because we’re waiting for perfect conditions. The problem is perfect conditions never come. Quit making excuses and get on with what God wants you to do.

In fact, I want to encourage you to do these five things every day.

  • Use today to worship God. Don’t save worship for Sunday.
  • Use today to fellowship. Call a friend. Have lunch with someone. Spend some time building up your relationships. 
  • Use today to grow spiritually. Be committed to being more spiritually fit today than you were yesterday. Get back into the Word!
  • Use today to serve others. Don’t wait to care for others. You never know if you’ll have another opportunity.
  • Use today to share your faith. Again, you don’t know how many more opportunities you’ll have to tell your neighbor, your friend, or your family member about Jesus. Start that conversation today.

This is what God has created you to do. Make it a regular part of each day you’re on this planet.

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Leadership

When Tempted to Be a People-Pleaser, Keep These Truths in Mind

Leadership
January 15, 2024 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 98

People-pleasing can be a particularly addictive trait, especially for pastors and Christian leaders. You’ll either lead your ministry to please people or to please God. The choice is yours.

If you choose to please people, letting them fit you into their mold, your ministry will never be what God wants it to be. It’ll cause you to miss God’s unique purpose for your life.

Here are six truths to keep in mind next time you’re tempted to please people: 

1. Even God can’t please everybody. 

Only a fool would try to do what God can’t do. Many people in this world will disapprove of you. Accept it. 

Jesus reminds us, “Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you” (Luke 6:26 NIV). If everyone speaks well of you, it’s bad news. It means you stand for nothing and are a chameleon. Pastor, the moment you take a stand, someone will start throwing rocks. 

2. You don’t need anyone’s approval to be happy.

If you believe you must have other people’s approval to be happy, you won’t be happy. Even if you could make everyone happy, it wouldn’t affect your level of happiness. Why? Because happiness is a choice. 

Some of you have spent your whole life trying to please an unpleasable person. Often, it’s you’re wanting to show them they’re wrong about the worst things they’ve said about you. I’m sorry for the pain that person has caused you. But I also believe it’s a self-inflicted prison. If you haven’t received their approval by now, you never will. 

Isaiah 51:12 reminds us that since we have God’s love and approval, we don’t need the approval of others. The Bible says, “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies and of the son of man who is made like grass,” (NASB). Other people will move on from your life. God never will. His approval is all that you really need.

3. What seems important now won’t matter in the long-term. 

Often, we become people-pleasers because we’re more focused on the here and now than on eternity. Most of what you consider important today won’t matter next week or next year—much less for eternity. And that includes the opinion of others.

I read about a pastor who once saw a video taken during the Christmas shopping season. Someone went into a store and switched all the price tags. Stuff that should have cost $500 cost $1, and what should have been $1 was now $500. People were confused and angry. If you think that’s bad, Satan has done worse. He has switched the price tags in life. What the world thinks is important isn’t important. What’s truly important in life, the world treats as unimportant. 

Jesus said it like this: “The things that most people think are important are worthless as far as God is concerned” (Luke 16:15 CEV). That’s why it’s important to stay focused on what will matter for eternity.

4. You only need to please one person. 

You only need to please God. No one else’s opinion of you matters. Paul understood this. He wrote in Galatians 1:10, “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” (NASB).

People-pleasing is a form of idolatry. The first commandment among the Ten Commandments is crystal-clear about God’s perspective on worshiping anyone but him. (Exodus 20:3).

Anything you put before God becomes a god. If the approval of other people in your life is more important than God’s approval, you’ve made the other person a god.

5. One day you’ll give an account of your life. 

Romans 14:12 is the people-pleaser antidote: “…each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” (NASB). When you let that truth sink in, it’ll change who you try to impress. 

One day you’ll give an account for every word you speak. You can choose now to be politically correct and socially acceptable, but one day you’ll give an account of what you’re saying to please others.

I’ve given many interviews in my life—and in some very public places. Often, I’ll get asked some tough questions about hot-button issues. My human nature wants to compromise and cop-out. I could choose to be politically correct and not ruffle any feathers. 

But in those moments, I remember three things:

  • I remember what Jesus did for me on the cross. He didn’t deny me. I won’t deny him.
  • I remember that one day I’ll give an account to God for my answer.
  • I remember Jesus’s words: “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them” (NIV).

Remembering those three truths keeps me from saying something that pleases my listeners but not Jesus.

6. God designed you to be you – not anyone else.

God doesn’t want you to be someone you’re not. When you get to heaven, God isn’t going to ask you, “Why weren’t you more like your dad? Why weren’t you more like your brother?” Instead, God will ask, “Did you become the person I created you to be?”

I love the PHILLIPS translation of Romans 12:2: “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.”

We must remember that God’s plan for us is good. He didn’t put us on this earth to fulfill someone else’s plan. And when we practice God’s plan, we are moving toward maturity.

There’s only one person in the entire universe you need to please. You don’t have to please your congregation. You don’t have to please your neighbors. You don’t have to please your family.

Let that truth free you to be the pastor or Christian leader God created you to be. 

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Leadership

The Five Stages of Church and Ministry Renewal

Leadership
January 8, 2024 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 122

In the Local Church and Ministry

As your church or ministry enters a time of rebuilding, understanding the process of renewal has never been more relevant. Many leaders want to bring about revival by first changing the structure of their church or ministry. However, this can be destructive for you, your leadership, and your church or ministry.

The five renewals and how they will always precede a spiritual awakening within your church or ministry.

I believe God is preparing the church and ministries for another reformation. The first reformation focused on what the church believed; this one will focus on what it does.

For too long we’ve separated the Word of God from the work of God. As the church, we’re called to be the body of Christ—the whole body. We’re not just called to be the mouth of Christ, but the feet and hands as well. Most ministries are the hands and feet while the church is the mouth.  How more Biblical and effective it would be that the Church and ministries would be the mouth, hands, and feet.

Every time a new reformation has come, five renewals have preceded it. The awakening and reformation of the global Church will begin with churches and ministries like yours. The same five renewals will precede this movement in your church and ministry.

PERSONAL RENEWAL

It starts with the heart. If God is going to renew your church or ministry, He’ll begin it with you—and then it will continue with the rest of your church or ministry. You might call it rededicating your life, being filled with the Spirit, or the “deeper life.” It doesn’t much matter what you call it. Just get it! Leader, the bottom line is this—you need to fall in love with Jesus again. Do that, and suddenly, it’s not about religion and rituals; it’s about a relationship with Jesus. You realize that Jesus doesn’t just love you, but He likes you.

RELATIONAL RENEWAL

After you “get right with God”, you’ve got to get right with others. Jesus told us this. He told us to love God with all our heart and then love others as ourselves. When you have relational renewal in your church or ministry, the gossip goes down and the joy goes up.

How do you know when a church or ministry has been through relational renewal? People hang around longer after the service or meeting. They want to spend time together. If people don’t want to hang around after your services and meetings, you have a performance, not a church. The church is more than content; it’s a community…and ministries should be the same.

MISSIONAL RENEWAL

This is when a church or ministry discovers what God wants it to do. We have a kingdom assignment. We’re not here just to bless one another. God wants to bless the world through us. Specifically, God has given us five purposes—worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. Missional renewal happens when we focus our churches and ministries on these purposes. When your church or ministry gets personal, relational, and missional renewal, it can’t help but grow.

CULTURAL RENEWAL

In this stage, God renews the culture of the church and ministry. I’ve known pastors and leaders who have tried to change the culture of the church and ministry without going through the other three renewals. There’s a word for that—martyrdom. You cannot change the culture of your “work”. Only God can. But once the first three renewals have happened in the church and ministry, God will change the culture.

STRUCTURAL RENEWAL

After your church or ministry has been through the first four renewals, it’s going to outgrow your current structure. No doubt about it. The structure that works for a church of 100 won’t work for a church of 250 and so on. The same for a ministry too. There is no perfect structure in Scripture. Why? Every situation is different. We’ve got to structure our churches and ministries differently depending on our circumstances. Healthy churches and ministries change structures just about every year.

You can’t put new wine in old wineskins. As your church and ministry begin to get healthier and healthier, the structure must change.

Let’s look at the Five Stages of Church and Ministry again…

  • Personal renewal… It starts with the heart. 
  • Relational renewal… you’ve got to get right with others.
  • Missional renewal… the church must rediscover its purposes.
  • Cultural renewal… the personality of the church changes.
  • Structural renewal… the church outgrows its current structure.

A great spiritual awakening is on the horizon. Will your church and ministry be a part of it? Be aware of these five stages of renewal. As a pastor for many years and a national ministry leader, I know God has called you to be a catalyst in the renewal of your church and ministry. You can’t do that unless you know where your church or ministry is on its journey.

Here is one more thought:  For churches and ministries to have renewal, doesn’t that include Christians having a personal renewal in their lives…yours and mine?

Exciting days are ahead of us. Truly, the best is yet to come when we live for Jesus, with Jesus, and like Jesus!

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Leadership

Four Characteristics of a Model Church

Leadership
January 1, 2024 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 110

While studying and preaching through the book of 1 Thessalonians on more than one occasion, it quickly became apparent that I was face-to-face with one of the greats. The church at Thessalonica was showered with honor and affirmation by the apostle Paul; the first 3 chapters alone are dedicated to thanksgiving and prayer for them. He praised the Thessalonians effectiveness and positive influence in early Christendom and even highlights their example as a local church body (1 Thess. 1:6). 

What made this church so worthy of being followed as a standard in ministry? What qualified them to be set apart as a timeless model for the people of God as they seek to do the work of God? John Stott provides an answer when he notes that in this letter, Paul is providing a portrait of “how the gospel shapes the church, as the church seeks to live a life that is worthy of the gospel.” 

Finding a model church is often hard because we focus on the wrong things, or maybe lesser things. Our concerns and observations, though well-intentioned, tend to be on the method and function of the organization rather than the foundation and core of the organism. A closer look at the Thessalonian church is thus needful to evaluate one of the greatest models of a local church and hopefully assess our own ministries to be like one of the best. 

This edition of Leadership Helps will be useful if you are 1) in church leadership wanting to assess the health of your church, 2) in a place where you are looking for a church to join that is living a biblical model, 3) if you are leading a Christian ministry and want to include in its DNA these biblical characteristics.

Since churches are to be organisms and not organizations, they are made up of Christian people.  This would mean each of these four characteristics need to be in your life.  If they are and if they are in the lives of others in the faith family, then the church or ministry would be a model like the church at Thessalonica.

Here are 4 distinctive features of a gospel-shaped and gospel-honoring church, as seen in Thessalonica: 

1. An Expressive Church 

The Thessalonians were consistent in living out, expressing the spiritual virtues granted to them in Christ. Paul’s commendation of this church as he remembered them was centered around their “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 1:2-3). 

Every spiritual reality in Christ has a tangible manifestation in the church, and a church expressing this manifestation is a sure sign that their devotion to the Lord is strong. Put even more simply: faith works, love labors on, and hope endures through all. Faith that is demonstrated through a diligent and careful obedience of the truth (not for salvation, but because of salvation (Rom. 16:26). Love that expresses itself in word and not in action is merely flattery, broken promises, selfishness, or cruelty (1 Jn. 3:18).

Love always bears burdens and conveys outwardly what is treasured inwardly. Hope is not wishful thinking or desired outcomes; it is confidence in what one knows is true (Heb. 11:1).

That hope is on display through a life that endures in the face of various trials, temptations, and tribulations (Js. 1:4). 

Faith, love, and hope are virtues that find their expression in the everyday life of the church.

Paul attaches each to the Person and work of Christ; thus, these each find their footing and substance in Him. This is the essence of true worship…doing this for God’s glory.

2. An Empowered Church 

For the church to express itself in step with its virtues, it must acknowledge it cannot do so in its own strength or by its own authority. By the end of this letter to the Thessalonians, Paul prays that they be sanctified completely and kept blameless (1 Thess. 5:23). To seal that prayer in power, Paul doesn’t appeal to the church’s striving or diligence. Diligent as they might be all spiritual growth is guaranteed in the character and integrity of God. The church’s assurance of spiritual life development is because “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thess. 5:24). 

That appeal to God’s character not only assures us that God will grow His church, but that God’s means for producing that growth are necessary and effective. In commending the church in Thessalonica, Paul knew that every spiritual act of faith, love, and hope was rooted in the truth of the gospel (1 Thess. 1:4-6). During opposition and trouble for the sake of Christ (see Acts 17:1-9), the Thessalonian church drew from the only source of strength able to both save and set them apart with a holy purpose: the living Word of God and Holy Spirit, that work in the hearts of all who believe in Christ alone (1 Thess. 2:13; cf. Jn. 17:17). 

3. An Evangelistic Church 

In the first chapter of his letter, Paul notes the excellence of the Thessalonians both in their love for one another (the church) and their devotion to others (the world). “For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere” (1 Thess. 1:8). The admiration Paul had for this church centered around a refreshing simplicity embedded in their ecclesiology (understanding the biblical nature and structure of the church). In Thessalonica, the Word was central, and its transformative power was on display. The depth and vibrancy of Christian living takes place in the church was the organic product of the Spirit at work through the gospel of Christ       (1 Thess. 1:5). 

The church can only ever work out what God works in it (Phil. 2:12-13). By God’s powerful grace, people become Christians with the indwelling Holy Spirit and are made to be renewed by the Word of God and Holy Spirit’s transforming power. Even more so, that same grace enables evangelistic effort that isn’t forced or merely programmatic. Scripture doesn’t record that the church at Thessalonica did or didn’t have an evangelism team or outreach ministry. What Scripture did record was that the Thessalonians had simply their “faith in God.” That faith was evidently so bold, so counter-cultural, so life-changing, so set apart from the world, so rooted in the living and true God

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Leadership

Seven Good Reasons Why I’ve Stayed in Ministry for 50 Years

Leadership
December 25, 2023 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 72

About 50 years ago I was publicly ordained into the gospel ministry…and never regretted moment of it, even during the tough times.

Leadership in local churches and ministries is not easy.

Some people can be quick to complain, criticize, and leave if things don’t go to their liking, even after you love and lead them well. 

There are days when you may want to throw in the towel. Most leaders tell me there have been “many a Monday” when they were done, but thankfully they chose to stay. 

It’s best, however, to focus on all the good, especially the amazing people who lead and serve so well and the lives that are forever changed. 

There are seasons of ministry when you think it’s time to quit, but God always has a better idea.

Not everyone is called to church or vocational ministry for a lifetime. In fact, some believe in many cases, you can do more ministry if you’re not carrying the weight of church leadership. 

Frankly, God can change your career if He wants to. I’m writing just in case maybe God wants you to stay, and you are struggling. Don’t quit. (If you’re a volunteer leader, this is for you too.) 

The following are just seven of the many good reasons I have remained in local church and ministry leadership.

Knowing the reasons to stay in church and ministry leadership can help you keep going in the tough seasons. Have you settled the reasons for you? 

Seven Good Reasons That Work for Me:

1. The miraculous still has me in awe.

The Holy Spirit still ministers, people continue to be transformed, and God’s Word is just as powerful today as when it was first written. This list could, of course, be much longer, but the point is clear. The Church operates in the supernatural realm, it can’t be managed, and the mystery of God is undeniably beautiful. It just doesn’t get old.

We don’t have to be in full-time ministry to be fully amazed and engaged with the miraculous, but I want to be as close to the front lines as possible. 

2. With a clear and strong purpose, problems energize me.

Five churches have captured my heart over these years. 

It began with a group of us planting a small church, Cornerstone Community Church in San Antonio, TX later needing to change its name to Christ Community Church because another church in the city decided to use our name. But that is another story. Then it was Perth Bible Church in beautiful rural upstate, NY.  Next it was Granada Heights Friends Church in La Mirada, CA a suburb of very busy Los Angeles in the shadow of Biola University and Talbot Seminary.  Not long afterwards we had a very encouraging ministry pastoring the dear island people and military families at International Church in Honolulu, HI. Finally, I served as the intentional interim pastor of Circle Community Church in Orlando, FL following the retirement of its pastor of 25 years. Currently I’m serving as President of Florida Bible College and Make It Clear Ministries in family friendly Orlando, FL.  And there were other wonderful ministry opportunities in-between. Wow, what a journey!

I have loved every church and ministry…and still do.

There are three things each church and ministry had in common, in addition to the presence of God; first, a clear and compelling vision, second, an amazing environment filled with great leaders and people, and third, problems to be solved.

Problems are part of the territory in leadership. Leaders solve problems, make progress, and help people! It’s that simple. There are no problem free churches or ministries that continue to take new territory for Jesus! 

3. It’s clear to me that the good a church and ministry do will far outweigh its mistakes. 

Consulting hundreds of churches and ministries, I’ve never found a perfect one. That’s a good thing. If churches and ministries were perfect, wouldn’t need me…or you!

Leaders are human and make mistakes. Decisions must be made, and sometimes, they are flawed. But if you consider the big picture over the long haul, the Church has been and continues to be, a force for good. 

I remember the 9/11 tragedy like it was yesterday. The country was devasted. That Sunday churches across the country were full, and that continued for several weeks.

People still know that the Church is the place of hope in times of great uncertainty. The Church brings light in our darkest hours. And ministries that come alongside the Church are very impactive!

4. I’m still learning and growing. 

One of the requirements to run the distance in ministry is to keep learning. 

Honestly, I think I’m learning, changing, and adapting faster than ever. One reason is that culture is changing more rapidly than ever. Relevance in leadership is directly connected to your ability to adapt and change. 

Cultural relevance does not include compromising the gospel; it means learning to communicate it in a way that people can receive it. 

What are you learning new? How are you adapting? How are you a better leader?

5. The potential for innovation is staggering. 

Innovation is fun, and now more than ever, the sky is the limit. How we do ministry will look very different in the next five to ten years. I don’t have the answers, but together we will. I’m pumped to be in the game and part of the solution to reach people in this new era. 

I get most excited to see the old, old story of the gospel still relate today even when methods change to connect with people. The goal is not to change for the sake of change, or merely making something different. Making ministry better is the goal.

At Make It Clear Ministries and Florida Bible College we’re working on cool innovations in several ministries. Not just adding staff or stuff but going for the best-streamlined approach in a zero-margin society to make an eternal impact in people’s lives for the glory of God.

What are you and the leaders at your church or ministry working on? You don’t need to change everything. In fact, you shouldn’t. But there are likely one to three things you could be improving in a big way right now. 

6. The eternal nature of life-change continues to inspire me.

The spiritual battle is real, and eternity is at stake. I don’t mean to be dramatic; I’m just saying it the way it is. We don’t have to get weird about it, but as for me, I sure don’t want to lose sight of it.

Here’s my practical approach to such a grand idea. 

I can’t focus on the negative, and if I do, I get stuck as a leader. I’d go into a defensive mode, and I need to remain on the offense to make progress. 

To stay the course, I focus on the positive. People are still saying yes to Jesus! People are coming to faith in Christ alone for their salvation. Lives are changing. Marriages are being restored, and addictions broken. People are being healed, and families reunited. I’m in…all in! 

I choose to put my energies into the next person who will come to faith in Jesus Christ, then live a better life here on earth and forever with Jesus. 

7. God has been unwaveringly kind, and my calling remains clear.

In talking with thousands of leaders, I’m very aware that your call to ministry is very personal and that sometimes it’s not clear. That said, I also know that deciding in downtime is not the best move.

God has been kind to me, and my calling, even the specifics have always been clear.

But that doesn’t mean I didn’t have to wrestle some to gain that clarity each time a change was made. 

God may be talking to you about a change. Listen to Him carefully and don’t rush it. Give God all the room He wants to make your calling clear.

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Leadership

The Twelve “Leadership” Days of Christmas – Day 1

Leadership
December 24, 2023 by Stan Ponz No Comments

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The 1st “Leadership” Day of Christmas – The Gift of Goals

Twelve days ago, I started a series of posts I called the 12 “Leadership” Days of Christmas.  In it I said that for each of the next 12 days, in keeping with the song, I would offer you a leadership assignment, designed to be a gift to both you and your team if you completed it and acted on it.  Now we arrived at the last day!

I said you would be able to complete each task itself in 12 minutes or less, which has been true.  While the questions of each task can be nominally answered in just a few minutes, I purposely asked questions that could lead to soul searching and that would, if taken to heart, lead to significant behavioral or procedural change.

Perhaps it goes without saying that the greatest gifts come from the deeper reflection and action taken as a result.

I hope you take the questions in this final piece of the puzzle and treat them with care.  Your specific answers to these questions can change the results you and your team get in the coming year.

Here they are:

  • Have you helped your team members set goals for the coming year that would not contradict godly motives and practices?
  • Do you have plans prepared to assist them in reaching their goals?
  • How will you assist and support them in achieving these goals?
  • What is the single biggest thing you could do support the achievement of these goals?

As a leader our role is to move our organization in the direction of its goals.  The best way to do this is by assisting individuals towards their individual and team goals.

Our answers to these questions matter because this is our job.

When we answer them effectively and take action, when necessary, we are giving the gift of success to our ministries or businesses and all of the members of it.

Give this gift today, next week and next year.

Thank you for reading this, and the other posts in this series – they have been my Christmas gift to you.  You will receive far more gifts by completing each of them.

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