What a great look at taken you leadership to the next level

You Cannot Go To The Next Level If…

One of the things I always hear in regards to leadership is that we should always desire to “go to the next level!”  However, there are several things that will hold us back from doing this.  Reality is that you and I cannot go to the next level if…

• You absolutely are in love with the way things are
• You are increasingly obsessed with the people who hate and criticize you the most.  (Here are 7 difference between a coach and a critic, PART ONE & PART TWO & PART THREE)
• You are not hungry for wisdom. (Proverbs 4:5-7)
• You are not willing to make uncomfortable decisions. (Galatians 1:10)
• You are a people pleaser. (Proverbs 29:25)
• You are not willing to accept responsibility for where you are right now.  (The person who always has to blame is always lame!)
• You are not willing to speak the truth in love. (Ephesians 4:25)
• You are using people rather than valuing them.
• You are more in love with comfort than carrying your cross. (Luke 9:23)
• You never allow yourself to be exposed to new ideas and methods. (Isaiah 42:9, Isaiah 43:19, Isaiah 48:6)
• You take shortcuts (see Exodus 13:17-18)
• You expect people to read your mind and then hold them accountable for things you never actually said but rather just assumed they knew.  (Great leaders will leave you if you do this.)
• You do not hold people accountable to what they have said they will do.
• You are always looking for a fight instead of a solution. (II timothy 2:23)
• You are not begging God to reveal more of Himself to you.

What a great read about spiritual growth!  

Put Them Out

Usually leadership or spiritual growth books and articles are focused around adding things to your life.

A new principle.
A new practice.
A new person.

Many times that can be good, and sometimes even necessary. But I’m learning more and more that the opposite is just as if not more important…removing things from your life.

As great as it is to add to your life, if there are things in your life that are taking up space or are exerting a negative influence, they will quench whatever good the good things could bring.

Who cares if you learn a new principle if the old ones you’re still living by contradict it?
Who cares if you adopt a new practice if your life is too cluttered to actually practice it?
Who cares if you hire an A+ staffer if the rest are D-?

What if going to the next level in your leadership and your walk with God didn’t look like putting something in, but instead putting something out?

Maybe it’s:

• The insecurities in your life that are keeping you from believing God.
• The excuses that are keeping you from obeying the voice of the Lord when He calls you to greater, higher places.
• The fears that are raging in your mind that try to confront your faith and back you down from believing God that the best days of your life are ahead of you.
• The regrets of your past that are trying to paralyze the potential of your future by keeping the spotlight on who you used to be and keeping the potential of who you might become in the dark.
• The voices of negative people who always have 1,001 reasons why it won’t work, but won’t lift a finger to help you get to the place where God wants you to be.
• The people who are keeping you tethered to your old way of life before you came to God.
• Old paradigms of thinking that are just too small for what God wants to do in and through you.

Whatever it is, one difficult but essential solution is required for each of these if you want to go to the next level: Put them out.

Or they’ll put your chances of going to the next level out.

Resource of the Day: I expand on this idea in a sermon I did a year ago during our Sun Stand Still series, called “Why Bother?” To watch it, click here.

Disciple Now

New Disciple Now Devotional Added
Lesson 1:  One Heart (The Great Commandment)
Lesson 2:  One Passion (The Least of These)
Lesson 3:  One Focus (The Great Commission)
Lesson 4:  One Church (The Big Picture)

This Study Now Includes A 30 Day Devotional That Follows The 4 Lessons.
Why not allow your students to take what they have learned at your event home with them. This devotional is a great way to get the Word of God into your students hands for 30 days.  One of the ways we are using these devotionals is when a student becomes a Christian we are able to give them 30 days of devos to help the start growing in their faith.

Once you buy this study it is yours and you can use it in you ministry however you need too.

Check out all of our studies at ---------> http://www.disciplenowcurriculum.com

P.S. We have a new study coming out at the end of this week in fact this is the study
we are using this year for our DNow. It is called "Called To Greatness"

P.S.S  We are about to relaunch our Youth Ministry Toolbox website!   We are adding a ton of new stuff and of course if you want to jump on the price for $9.95 a month you can do that now!  Youth Ministry Resources

Disciple Now

Check out our new post about Disciple Now at http://www.disciplenowcurriculum.com/2/post/2012/01/disciple-now-how-to-decide-on-a-curriculum-part-1.html

Have a great day!

Some great ideas to start the year off right.

MORE THAN YOUR MISTAKES

The holidays are a time for focusing on others.  We’ve heard it our whole lives, and in our hearts, we’re pretty sure it’s what we’re supposed to do.  Friends, families, and neighbors, co-workers, and even strangers are subject to extra kindness, thoughtfulness, and thankfulness.  It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right?

If that’s true, then why do so many of us start the year actually feeling kind of crummy?  Could it be because, in the midst of showing everyone around you how much  love you have to give, you’re holding yourself back from receiving any in return?

Take a look at that mirror and ask yourself: Was 2011 a year of regret?  Of doubt, fear, guilt, and non-forgiveness?  Has it gone even farther back that that?  If so, then it’s time to look in that mirror again and ask yourself a different question: ”Who would you give a second chance?”

It’s a new year, and with it should come a new start.  Let 2012 be the year you give yourself permission to take that second chance.  Let it be the year you leave behind the hurtful words, the wasted money, the compromised principles, and the bad decisions.  You are so much more than the sum of whatever mistakes you think you’ve made in the past.

You are a person of infinite potential.  You are a person of a fresh start.  You are People of the Second Chance.

Share your thoughts below, and link to your platform using the submissions form!

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Disciple Now - Making The Sell Part 2

Next you need to sell your event to your leaders. You need to cast a vision for what your expectations are for them and for what your goals are for the event. It cannot be guaranteed everything will happen as you hoped but you increase your chances of this happening if you take the time to sell your leaders on what you hope to see happen throughout the weekend.

Finally you need to sell the event to your church. Disciple Now is a big undertaking and you need a lot of help to pull it off. Therefore you need to get your whole church involved. There is an added benefit here though. Most student ministries are isolated from the rest of the church. While this is usually acceptable for everyone it poses a problem. Your students are isolated from people who can be great role models for them. This event gives you a chance to break that trend and build a bridge between the adults in your church and the students in your ministry.

Being a salesman may be unnatural for many of us, and that actually may be a good thing. But there are times where playing this role is necessary and this event is one of those times. If you want your weekend to be all you hoped it would be and all that God intends for it to be than get out there and sell the weekend to everyone who needs to have it sold to. Those few moments of our time will reap incredible benefits in the long run.

 

Need A DNow Study Check Out Our Website http://www.disciplenowcurriculum.com

Disciple Now 2012

Disciple Now
Are you looking for a study for your next event? We have six studies to pick from just download and use tonight in your leaders meeting or event. Buy one copy make as many copies as you need. Check out our website Disciple Now

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