Fresh Vision for 2025

I've always loved Jonathan Edwards' resolutions:

I will live for God. Even if no one else does, I still will.

Wow, talk about powerful and clear!  It's great to have New Year's resolutions, but it's even better to transform those resolutions into a singular vision for the year.

In Proverbs 29:18, we are told that where there is no vision, the people perish.  Having a vision can be a life or death thing!

I have a personal phrase I've adopted for this New Year that I want to share with you now: Fully Alive in 2025!  I want to be alert, proactive, positive, in the moment (not daydreaming somewhere else), ready to Yes, And in 2025.

I've written down my vision statement inside my trusty Moleskin to help myself stay accountable.  This is biblical; Habakkuk 2:2 says to write down the vision in plain language.

Every good vision requires sacrifice.  

To fulfill my unique vision of the future, I have to make some sacrifices:

• Scripture before Screens

• Meditation before Media

• Prayer before Posts

By painting a picture of who I want to be in 2025, I am setting myself up for success in all areas of my life: personal, professional, etc.

Having a vision of the future is powerful; it's like painting a picture ala Bob Ross, complete with happy little trees and happy little mistakes along the way.

I want you to take some time today if you haven't already to develop a short, simple vision statement for your 2025.  It doesn't have to rhyme or be overly-clever.  But it does have to be written down somewhere that you will see it.

Create your vision statement and then begin re-ordering your daily routines around your vision.  See how God can transform your New Year in new ways!

6 Requirements of a Leader

While it is a great responsibility to be a leader, it is an even greater honor to be a leader in God’s house. What is required of being a Spiritual Leader? What is required of being a Pastor? In 1 Timothy 3, Paul lays out the requirements of being a leader that you can apply to any sphere of your life.

Are you a business leader? A coach? A mom? I believe wherever you are, you are still leading spiritually in your sphere of influence. 

Here are 6 requirements of a leader according to Paul: 

1 A LEADER LIVES ABOVE REPROACH

• Great leaders are marked with integrity and character - there are no asterisks or question marks regarding their integrity.

• They don’t have a sketchy reputation. As time goes on, great leaders are building trust with people.

• The behavior of someone living above reproach is someone who exhibits self-control, righteousness, and uprightness. 

2 A LEADER IS RESPECTED

• Respect is something everyone wants, but we must give respect to receive it. 

• Leaders work hard to build trust and respect.

3 A LEADER IS RESPONSIBLE WITH MONEY

• We can’t be spiritual leaders and not give to God what is His. When you take care of money appropriately, God trusts you with spiritual riches.

• Leaders don’t love money, they steward money.

4 A LEADER IS REALLY GREAT AT HOME

• Nothing reveals your leadership more than your home.

• It’s not easy, but how can we lead God’s house if we can’t lead our own home?

• A strong leader leads a home that bears good fruit. 

5 A LEADER RECOMMENDED BY OTHERS BECAUSE OF PROVEN CHARACTER

• God will always use proven character.

• As leaders, we're after proven character, not perfect character. 

• A good leader has shown others that their character is developed and persistent. 

6 A LEADER IS REPENTANT

• Paul says that a spiritual leader is “...not violent but gentle.” One of the key signs the Holy Spirit is working in your life is gentleness. Gentleness should flow out of your life. You don’t strive or earn that, you receive that. Sometimes, the hardest part of being a spiritual leader is being spiritual. 

• A strong leader allows the Holy Spirit to work in their lives through repentance.

Today as you reflect on the kind of leader that you are, and the kind of leader you want to be, identify which areas you need God to help you with.

PS: You're doing better than you think you are! 

Are You an Energy Vampire?

In life and leadership, we are on a bus and we’re going somewhere. I think back to my elementary and junior high days… where riding the bus was more than just how you got to school. You had to get your spot, with your friends, and you definitely had a plan to cause chaos for the bus driver! 

Maybe you’re a business owner, an athlete, a parent, or you just started a new job…  ask yourself today: what metaphorical bus are you on? Who’s on the bus with you? Where are you going? And what energy are you bringing to it? I want to leave you with this..

5 THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT BEING ON THE ENERGY BUS

#1: BRING GREAT ENERGY TO THE BUS
Are you an energy vampire? You know, the people who kind of just suck the energy right out of you?When you walk into your job or a meeting, what are you bringing? Leaders know WHAT the room needs — and it's your ENERGY!

#2: DON’T CARRY OTHER PEOPLE’S NEGATIVE ENERGY
We are the sum total of our influences and if you’re not careful you’ll get swallowed up in the narrative of negativity. Now, of course you can JOURNEY with someone, but be careful that you do not CARRY their negativity or offense.

#3: IT DOESN’T MATTER WHERE THE BUS IS GOING IT MATTERS WHO’S ON THE BUS
In other words…relationship over productivity!

#4: YOUR ATTITUDE IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY 
Generally bad attitudes are a result of mishandled/ignored conflict and a lack of accountability. Make it right, own it, have a clear conscience, and lead with your best attitude!

#5: SABBATH REST OR YOUR ENERGY IS DRAINED

Fatigue will make a fool out of you! Take the rest you need so that you’re leading FROM rest, not FOR REST.

Wherever you find yourself today, try to add more energy than you take! You got this... LET'S GO!

Dealing with Church Factions That Rise Up

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
He said:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

    for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

    for they will inherit the earth.

It’s hard to be meek when factions rise up within a church.  We get wrapped up in factions.

FACTIONS - When there is a pile-up of disgruntled people who build up a case that becomes a driving fantasy.  Driven by the “What If?”

Factions live their lives on something that has not happened.  It takes great skill to deal with factions, this is why we have Therapists!  Sometimes we can’t get resolution, just accept it.

• Give up the right to be treated right.

Anger is secondary to a Hurt.  Body is so hyped that it FEELS helpless, resentment, fear and anxiety.  This is Paranoia.

When there is trauma, the body becomes hypersensitive – Your body wants OUT of this!  You move from prudence to paranoia.

People will try to FOG you: Fear, Obligation, and Guilt.  You can’t drive forward when your windshield is fogged up!  If I can get you to feel one of these three feelings,  I can control and manipulate you.

Ex: Small children and parents

Students and substitute teachers

Elderly parents and adult children

Politicians and the public

To avoid being manipulated, practice DeFogging – Clarity is kindness.  “Now it’s clear.  Now I’m free.”

Clarity assigns responsibility so you can forgive.

If you can’t forgive, you’re stuck.

The goal is clarity – Learn to accept real expectations.  Live with it.  Sometimes you get validation, sometimes not.

Every feeling has a THOUGHT attached to it: “My right to be treated right is violated.”

This leads to Hostility and Harshness - the Law of the Jungle.

MEEKNESS is the opposite of Harshness.

Gentle and kind is not natural.  But it allows God’s supernatural work into your soul.

Philippians 2

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,

    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7 rather, he made himself nothing

    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,

    being made in human likeness.

8 And being found in appearance as a man,

    he humbled himself

    by becoming obedient to death—

        even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

    and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[c] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Jesus became MEEK rather than HOSTILE.

You have to give up your right to be treated right.

Rights are things you can’t control because you can’t control the other person.

REPLACE your right to be treated right with God’s Promises!

This leads to God’s power in your life – resurrection of good things out of factions.

Don’t fight for your natural rights and watch God bless through His supernatural economy.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

10 WAYS TO SUCCEED WITH ZERO TALENT

1. Be on time.

2. Show up and do the work.

3. Give your best in all you do.

4. Brim with contagious enthusiasm.

5. Don't bring problems; bring solutions.

6. Do everything with passion.

7. Be coachable.

8. Do more than is required.

9. See a need? Fill the need.

10. Be willing to do whatever it takes!

2 QUESTIONS TO ASK IF YOUR CHURCH FEELS STUCK

Churches get stuck all the time.
Too often we can find ourselves doing ministry out of memory.

For what it's worth, here are 2 Important Questions for Fearless Leaders to ask...

1) HAVE WE LOST OUR LOVE FOR LOST PEOPLE?

400 years ago Protestants fled England and came to the New World to set up churches... for themselves.  If your church is insider-focused, it's because of our Pilgrim heritage!

Ignite your passion for what ignites God's heart -- Remind your church that EVERY person matters!

If your church is reaching the lost, you WILL be a target from RELIGIOUS people!
Religious people were ALWAYS walking away and rejecting Jesus throughout His ministry.  If you are not receiving the same rejection as Jesus, then you may not be preaching the same gospel that Jesus preached!

Ask yourself: Am I a fisher of men or a keeper of an aquarium?

2) AM I LEADING WITH A RISING LEVEL OF HOPE?

Nothing great ever happens THROUGH YOU until it happens TO YOU!

Look at every great hero in the Scriptures:

• Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness before ascending into leadership

• David was living in a cave down by the river for a decade

• Peter beat himself up after rejecting Jesus three times

God LOVES using BROKEN people to minister to BROKEN people!

The key is to not wallow in your brokenness.  Minister from the OVERFLOW of what the Lord is doing in your life and in your heart!  You cannot lead people to a place that you are not already at.

The most important thing I do as a leader: Making sure that I stay encouraged!
Ask yourself: 'What things CHARGE MY BATTERIES?'
If your internal batteries aren't charged up, you will fall into weariness.

DISCOURAGEMENT precedes DESTRUCTION:
The Enemy RUINS your FUTURE by first RUINING your DAY so that you will run toward destructive habits and choices!

LEVERAGING LAUGHTER TO ECLIPSE LEADERS' FEARS

The late Dr. Martin de Maat had a profound impact on my life (I wrote about that here).  He was not only my professor and mentor, he was a close friend (Martin was even one of my wedding groomsmen!).

Dr. de Maat taught me so much not only about improvisational-comedy, but more importantly about the joy of doing life together:

"What happens... in being with each other in acceptance and Yes And-ing each other, is that you as an individual start to believe in yourself because you begin to see yourself in the others' eyes.

Your ensemble, your group, your team, your committee, is the one that's believing in you and you pull it together to do it for them.

You know, it's simply recognizing you're not alone. It's love and unconditional acceptance.

You put yourself in a place of support, unconditional acceptance and love for who you are, the way you are and your uniqueness, and what you do is grow. You surround yourself with people who are truly interested in you and listen to you, and you will grow.

And it doesn't take much to start advancing you, it doesn't take much of that support, it doesn't take much of that love and that care and you can do it. You can play act with people. You can be in a state of play together."

This is how comedians create new material.
Yes And leads to trust leads to contagious unity leads to childlike creativity.
Its how leaders might lead teams in the 21st Century.

Don't settle for the loneliness of leadership isolation.
Dream of and strive for a team of church leaders who are accepting of one another's uniquenesses.  After all, we each bring different strengths to the table.

I love what Martin would say about the group dynamics of creating comedy through Yes And:

"There's a lot of laughter that goes on. Since we're laughing together, we're true community. It's a very safe place to confront your fears. The minute somebody says, 'Perform!' your fear comes up..."

As we Yes And, may we as leaders embrace contagious unity and laughter. 

By refusing to perform and instead choosing raw, authentic community, we may just lead at a higher, deeper, more spiritually-sensitive level than before...

The Kind of Leader God is Looking For

Great leaders lead with both knowledge and understanding. As a leader, always remember it’s your responsibility to lead and feed. More than ever, people are looking for someone to lead them with wisdom and understanding, and to feed them the things that will elevate their lives and their leadership. 

Here are 4 qualities that describe the type of shepherds God is calling leaders to be:

1) GOD’S LOOKING FOR SHEPHERDS THAT CARRY HIS HEART

• God raises up people who have His heart. His heart is for others! God is all about loving and caring for people. This is the heart good shepherds lead with. 

• How do you receive God’s heart? By surrendering to His presence. 

• GOOD SHEPHERDS spend time in His presence and receive His heart. 

2) GOD’S LOOKING FOR SHEPHERDS THAT ARE FULL SO THEY CAN FEED

• Shepherds are able to lead AND pour into people’s lives. A leader can’t pour into people what they don’t have. 

• You can’t lead on empty; it is impossible to shepherd while all dried up. It is a leader’s responsibility to stay full. 

• Don’t just love the idea of staying full, actually do it! Spend time in His presence and in His Word. So many people love the idea of pursuing Jesus, but staying full is about ACTION. 

• GOOD SHEPHERDS make it a priority to stay full so they can pour into others.

3) GOD’S LOOKING FOR SHEPHERDS THAT KEEP THEIR HEART SHARP

• Jeremiah 10:21 says this: “For the shepherds have become dull-hearted, and have not sought the Lord; therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.”

• If there’s an issue chopping the wood, it mostly comes down to a dull blade. Sometimes, the problem isn’t with the wood - it’s with the blade. 

• This leads me to ask: If the shepherds have become dull-hearted, what is the status of the sheep? People will never surpass the leaders of their organization. 

• GOOD SHEPHERDS don’t let their hearts grow dull. Good shepherds always have something FRESH to say.

4) GOD’S LOOKING FOR SHEPHERDS THAT WILL LOOK AFTER HIS PEOPLE

• Don’t bother worrying about your platform or about how many eyes are watching you. God decides how much influence you will have. Stay focused on the people God has entrusted into your care!  

• Be a shepherd whose main concern is the people they lead. Be a shepherd who is able to genuinely care about each member of the flock and bring value to each of their lives. 

• GOOD SHEPHERDS more concerned about their flock than their personal influence.

Let’s remember these things as we lead people.

You're made to lead, and we need you!