Troy H. Jones

I totally understand that sentiment. I hate change. Some change is good. I get it. We will become irrelevant without change. I get it.

I just read some quotes that made me laugh.
In 1442, “I will never get used to a book. It doesn’t feel right. I just love the experience of unrolling a scroll and the beauty of hand-written words.” Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type and the mechanical printing press in 1439.
In 1881, “I will never convert to electric lights. It just isn’t natural. I love the smell of candles and the flickering of the light.” Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb in 1879.
In 1916, “I will never buy an automobile. It’s too dangerous. I just love of the feel of a buggy and the sound of the horse’s hoofs against the road.” Henry Ford began mass producing cars in 1914.

Change can be good or evil. We need wisdom to leverage change in Godly ways.

We are just one click away from every idea in the world.  All you have to do is surf the web, read a blog, or listen to a podcast–and there are unlimited ideas to copy  and put into practice at your church or organization.

We all need to be inspired by leaders. But there is a danger.  The danger is we become parrots, not pastors.

To “cut and paste” another man’s dream in your church is being a parrot not a pastor.  Let that sink in for a moment.  God didn’t call me to copy ideas, he called me to create dreams.

This hurts for sure. I have done this.  This short cut is easy. 

What is the problem?  The problem is we limit our creativity, leadership, and personal growth.  The process of developing the blueprints for your church or organization is more important than the blueprints themselves.  We take the easy road.  Any “parrot” can copy someone. We need to stretch ourselves, get away on a personal retreat and hear from God, pray our guts out and unleash the creativity in your life, church and organziation

Here is another problem—God creates every church different.  Just like human beings have different personalities, strengths, and weaknesses–so every church  God has a specific DNA…God is to creative to  just have you “cut and paste” and think you are being relevant. 

With all this said, we need to learn and grow from leaders.  I am not suggesting that we should reinvent the  wheel on everything.  If an idea resonates with you….great.  No problem. 

There is an old saying, “Give a Man a Fish, Feed Him For a Day. Teach a Man to Fish, Feed Him For a Lifetime”.  We need to learn to learn.  Don’t just take a persons “fish”—learn how he caught  it.  There is a big difference.   Leaders want to know how they caught the fish.  They don’t care how big the fish is–how did you catch it?  What are the timeless principles?

Every time you  listen to another leader, keep these things in mind.

1. Look for insights, not ideas (big difference.  Ideas are good.  But insights are better)
2. Look for principles, not programs (what are core principles to take away?)
3. Adapt, not adopt (when you take an idea…adapt it to your culture and church)
4. Create, don’t copy (Leaders create.  They don’t copy.  Let an idea inspire you to create something for Jesus)
5. Discover what questions they ask, not the answers (Listen carefully to the questions they are asking..not the answer they are giving.)

Are you a parrot or a pastor? 

For what it is worth–after I hear any speaker, visit any church, read a book or listen to any pod cast–I stop and capture on one piece of paper all the nuggets.  What are the take aways? What are the principles?  What are some insights that will help? And, yes, are there one or two ideas that can help me upgrade my leadership and ministry?

So often we set a list of goals and then forget about them.  Why?  I think we start with the wrong question.  Instead of asking–what are my fall goals? or “what are my annual goals”.  We need to start with the question–what is bugging me?  What is driving me crazy about my life, ministry, church or job?  Answer that question.  Once you answer that question you can begin to determine what are your goals. You can start putting them in writing.

God speaks to me by giving a gnawing feeling in my stomach.  Something is broken.  I can’t just put my finger on it.  We have taught ourselves to ignore these uncomfortable  thoughts.  We need to learn to listen. This may be God speaking.  (or just bad pizza….another conversation)

The fall is a great season to set goals.  I set fall and spring goals (instead of annual goals).  I define fall as–Sept through December and Spring as February through June.  I know this isn’t exactly the  correct months but it works for me.  Maybe it is just church life–but it works in my mind.  (btw-summer is an very important time for church…I set goals during this time also—I just treat them differently than fall and spring.)

Pastor and leader–what is bugging you as you enter this fall? What is your burden?  I’m not asking–what should be bugging you?  I’m not even asking–what is bugging you  in life?  What is bugging you right now?  This fall?  What is going to get your up and fight against all hell to change?  What will you  fix this fall?  

What is bugging you?  Fix this core problem this fall.

Everything and everyone will try to define your life.  Your church, your family, your problems, your victories–everyone!  Everything! I have discovered we need to be very intentional about who we want to become.

A pastor asked me about a year ago–who are you becoming?  Insightful question.  If I followed you for the next 24 hours, I can tell you what you will become in the next 24 years.  Your attitudes, your discipline and your approach to life. 

Who are you becoming?

For 10 years now I have been working on what I call “life blueprints”.  I have life blueprints on my finances, fitness, spiritual life, emotional life, leadership, speaking, and core values.  These life blueprints define who I am becoming. 

Here are seven core values I have been working on the last 10 years.  I evaluate my life on these seven values often.  These are the things I want people to talk about at my funeral.

1.  Intimacy with God—I love God with all my heart, soul and mind.  This is why I was born.

2. Personal Growth–I am a learner. I love to grow. I love to change.

3. Indisputable Character–Who I am is more important than what I do

4. Family Commitment–My wife and two girls are the centerpiece of my life.

5.  Authentic Relationships–I build authentic relationships by being transparent and intentional

6. Financial Strength–I honor God in every spending decision I make

7. Physical Health–My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.  I take care of God’s house.

As I read my Bible everyday I try to find one Scripture that  I put on a 3 x 5 card and carry with me throughout the day.  I reflect and meditate  on this one Scripture throughout the day. Then I add it to a document that I put on my iphone called  my “go to” Scriptures. 

On Saturday  I read a Scripture that I felt like was my first time reading it.  I have read it hundreds of other times.  But, for some reason this Scripture jumped off the page and made me think and ask myself some gut  wrenching questions.

I love the Scripture.  I  love how practical the Bible is. 

Psalms 78:72

“And David Shepherded them with  integrity of  heart; with  skillful hands he led them”

I  love how simple, concise and profound this Scripture is.  The problem in ministry so many don’t understand we need both–a heart filled with integrity and skillful hands.  If we lack one of these we will hinder our leadership. 

A heart of integrity 

• Do you have a heart filled with integrity? 
• Does your  heart desire to be like Jesus?
• Are there any hints of bitterness in your  heart?
• Do you have any hints of sexual garbage in your heart?
• How is your heart?
• When you miss a day or two with Jesus, does your heart  miss it?
• Do you exaggerate numbers, stories, facts—is your heart filled with integrity?
• How is your prayer  life?
• When is the last time you cried?
• When is the last time you laughed?
• When is the last time you gave?
• Do you care more about position than the mission of God?
• Are you a servant?
• Are you teachable? 

What other questions would be good to add to this list?

Skillful hands

Many people think all we need is God in ministry.  We can’t do ministry without the supernatural.  We also need skillful hands.  God gives us skillful hands.   Here is the deal–I hate flying.  When I fly I would be scared to death if the  pilot said, “I have a good heart–but really don’t know how to fly”.   I don’t care if the pilot is cussing—my question is do you have the skill to fly this plane?   For sure  pastoral leadership is different.  I don’t want the pastor cussing.  But, we have a lot of pastors who don’t cuss but they have pathetic people skills, work ethics, time management, leadership, problem solving, and team building.  This is why people won’t follow  you. 

Why should that  mom in your church follow you when she cares more about her towels than you do your sermons?(just a question)

• What kind of skills do you have?
• What are you doing to grow  your ministry  skills?
• What are you  doing to grow your speaking?  (some of us haven’t  listened to ourselves speak for years.  This is a shame)
• Do you have people giving you input on your skills?
• Do you have a coach?
• How  are your skills limiting you?  What are you going to do about this?

What other  questions would be good to add to this list?

In this  one Scripture we find enough meat to chew on for a long time.  Chew on it.  Think about it.  As we go into 2009 maybe this is all we have to care about…hearts that  love Jesus and filled with intergity  and skillful  hands.