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My Day with Ray Ortlund

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This past week I had the privilege of sitting at the feet of Ray Ortlund in Nashville. Ray is a hero of mine who oozes love and grace. He dropped wisdom-nuggets all day — it was like drinking out of a fire hose!

For what it’s worth, here are some of my takeaways from our time together:

  • Time doesn’t heal wounds, Jesus does.

  • “Live dangerously and give your heart away.”

  • You will be present with people in their memories.

  • If you want to know the mind of Christ, look at the Old Testament.

  • A broken-hearted man in process can preach Christ crucified with authority.

  • Wallpaper your reality with Scripture (i.e. post verses on your bathroom mirror).

  • You matter to God more than the ministry. You are not just a cog in His wheel.

  • “Christianity is for people who are bad at Christianity!”

  • Christ has welcomed you. He doesn’t just tolerate you.

  • What holds a larger church together is trust.

  • People are attracted to humble leaders.

  • Don’t let anything take the heart out of you!

Acts 29 20 Years Later: Notes from Ed Marcelle

Beware Sermon-tainment

Revolutionaries are so committed to truth that they will do ANYTHING to advance the movement.

There truly is nothing new under the sun.  If you are coming up with new things, you’re probably a heretic!

The real Jesus is complex, frightening, and powerful.  Matthew 16 - can you declare Jesus?

Don’t get bogged down by secondary issues.

The core of Satanic doctrine: worship anything other than God.

Our egos are a weakness to our purity.

You are not called to imitate; you are unique and only you can lead the church God is planting.

Don’t define yourself by something you’re not.

It's My Fault

What does it take to win? I pray every single week that the lakers take a win home. And while you can have some of the best skills and the best players...it sometimes isn't enough.

Ultimately, it's about finding a way to win, even when the odds seem stacked against you. It's about leading with integrity, humility, and an unshakeable commitment to continuous improvement.

how to develop a winning spirit

1. Own your reactions
- How you respond to adversity can determine the ultimate outcome.
- When we encounter difficulties or setbacks, it's natural to point fingers and blame others.
- We as leaders should step back and own our reactions, this will allow us to regain control of the situation

2. Learn from mistakes
- Mistakes are inevitable.
- Instead of dwelling on mistakes see them as opportunities to learn and grow.
- It's not about being perfect; it's about being better.

3. Build resilience
- By embracing responsibility, you'll develop the resilience to face even the most challenging situations. 
- When we embrace responsibility for our outcomes, we develop the resilience and adaptability required to bounce back from setbacks and keep moving forward.  

5 Statements of Humble Leaders

Humble leaders seem to practice these five statements regularly:

1. “I CAN IMAGINE _______.” "I can imagine that was difficult... I can imagine you were stressed... I can imagine the situation was complex..." The heartbeat of this statement is an awareness that other leaders and teammates have experiences that must be thought about and imagined in order to be relevant. A humble leader stretches to think of others and what they go through rather than become self-consumed.

2. “I MIGHT BE/WAS WRONG.” No know-it-all leader is humble… or even correct most of the time. They just think they are right. A hallmark of a humble leader is the ability to apologize and admit shortcomings. It sends a powerful message to the team that mistakes both will happen and are safe to happen… even by those in leadership.

3. “I WOULDN’T KNOW, YOU’D KNOW BETTER.” A humble leader knows both what they know and what they don’t know. They know the limits of their skill and knowledge. They aren’t afraid to step aside and default to someone else. In doing so, they ensure the team is equipped in the most effective and trustworthy way.

4. “I DID THAT WELL.” This seems counterintuitive, but a humble leader actually knows what they do well. Similar to the previous point, they know their limits, but they also know their attributes, gifts, and talents. They know they don’t do all things well, but they unpretentiously qualify themselves into their roles.

5. NOTHING. Humble leaders listen well. They ask great questions, and then they shut up and learn. They don’t automatically fill in answers or strategies, but let the team or rising leaders work out solutions. Often, a humble leader can say more by what they don’t say than a prideful leader who rambles on.

Which of the previous statements do you wish you’d say more often?

8 Qualities of a Great Leader

I’m always looking for common denominators when I get around great leaders. What do they have in common? What habits do they have in their life? Here are 8 qualities that I have observed all great leaders have in common:

1. THEY LIVE A MISSION > ME LIFESTYLE

Great leaders are mission-driven, not me-driven!

They never give their life to a WHAT, they always give their life to a WHY. See how this changes when you define your true motives in life!

Take some time this week with a pen and paper and write down your why. Write down why you exist, why you have your gifting and talents, and why you have a grace for a particular area of your life.

2. FAILURE DOES NOT DEFINE THEM

Great leaders understand that they might have MADE a mistake, but they are not a mistake. They know that they are defined by their relationships, their mission, and by the fact that they can keep on going.

Failure is a part of leadership. We should see failure as an opportunity to learn and improve. The only true failure is not getting back up and trying again.

Choose to be a leader that doesn’t let a season or decision define you. It might have been a bump in the road, but make the choice to move on!

3. THEY ARE LIFELONG LEARNERS

Great leaders don’t flex their muscles, their knowledge, or their success. They are always leaning into others with the mindset, “Teach me something I don’t know.”

We should constantly be evolving and changing because we’re constantly LEARNING. Are you amazed by how little you don’t know? I get excited about the future because I’m so excited to learn!

Be a leader that isn’t living off of past revelation of things you’ve learned, invest in learning NEW things. You can’t apply what you don’t know!

4. EVERYTHING ABOUT THEM IS BIG

When I get around great leaders, I'm amazed at their big spirit, big faith for the future, and big perspective. When you’re around leaders that are not great, you’ll notice the shallowness of their soul, their worldview, and their perspective.

Become secure in your soul so that you can expand who you are!

5. THEY ARE AN EXPERT AT WHAT THEY DO

Great leaders invest into their craft, knowing that they will be an echo before they are a megaphone.

We refer to this as the 10K Hour Rule. Malcolm Gladwell references this in relation to The Beatles. By the time The Beatles became a hit, they had been playing and working and writing together for so long, that they had become masters at their craft.

Put in the work of becoming an expert at what you do. It takes a lot of time, energy, sacrifice, and a lot of no's - but we ought to make the decision to become experts at what we’ve been called to do!

6. THEIR WORK ETHIC IS UNMATCHED

Great leaders work unbelievably hard. They don’t just show up and turn on the gift. They work hard and put in the time, energy, and focus.

Anybody that doesn’t have a great work ethic will not be great.

Choose to outwork everyone else. Work hard, because the gift is not the result - your work is.

7. THEY ARE NOT AFRAID OF CHANGE

Great leaders evolve and can change with the times.

What’s important is that you’re open to change. Always remember to hold things with an open hand.

Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely!

8. THEY KNOW WHY THEY’RE HERE

Great leaders know why they’re here and why they do what they do.

Discover your WHY and the rest will take care of itself.

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