Serving the local church

Serving the local church is definitely a great experience. Doing this shows you what a true servant is. This week I did a lot of interesting things. Even though my passion is counseling and preaching, I can say that I was able to do other things that the church needed, not only because I knew how to do them but also because it is what servants do. Now this week at the church I had to paint 4 tables, clean to cloests, clean 2 booths, rake leaves, and my favorite getting to speak to the youth on Tuesday about Growth and Commitment. Also the other mission students and I helped with a class that Chafik the youth pastor started on Thursday.  This week I put on 20 hours of service at the church. Do these things gave me two observations about this ministry is, 1. In a church your job is not the only job that need to be done, 2. Also in ministry it is important to be flexible and adjustable to the things to come in ministry. Within all this I found myself most beneficial in the position of just being there right for the youth pastor whenever he needs me. There really wasn't nothing that was least benefitting. My favorite aspects about this week was working with my youth pastor and his wife, they are like my mother and father. ( spiritual parents) My least favorite thing was, well I didn't have one. In all this God has really spoke to me this week. He has been telling me that it is time to stay committed and grow. If I truly want all that God has for me then I need to step it up another level, because he has great plans for me and I don't want to miss out.

Ministry

When Jesus came to this world, He didn't to be serve, but to serve. If He can do just that, then why can't we as christians just simply do the same. It's fall season in the month of October and it has really been a great month. I love cooking and feeding people, so early in this month I went to one of my favorite ministries to help out for 4-1/2 hours, Feed My Sheep. As you know it is where we go and cook a hot lunch ,then feed seniors who can't afford to make ends meet each month. Over time I have build a great relationship with the other worker and the seniors eating lunch. The IMPACT that I leave on them is having them know that I care and that I really enjoy spending time with them, even if its just for one friday a month. Also this month the leadership students and I helped Pastor Tim with some spotting, clock runner, and video recording at his son Issac's school foot ball games. We went to the games every friday for about 2 hours each game. It didn't matter if it was rain or shine we were there. even though we were no relation to Issac, we still took time out of our friday's to go and support him and the team. It's not the enjoyment of the game that matters, it's the fact that the kids understand that there is someone at the game cheering you on and care about your success in whatever you do.

 

The Wake-Up

This weekend I saw something great. I saw and went to this Wake up event that the city of baltimoire had down in the city. There were a lot of people, but not just any kind of people. These people were people who had made a decision to take a stand and publicly pray for hours and hours for the city of baltimore and the world. The reason I 'm saying all that is because what I learned that day was something that I will never forget. On that day of the Wake up I learned that when you are really pursuing God and complete Lord and savior over your life than doing radical things for God becomes like second nature. As christians thats the way we should be all the time. Now is this something that just happen in a day no, but as I have also learned in my leadership class here at Mission Baltimore, Leadership is developed daily not in a day. This same thing apply when you are following God and want to do things that seem impossible. Just another thing that I have learned at the Wake up was that it doesn't matter what your denomination is, who your pastor is, how many people attend your church, or mostly what color you are. The way God see it, is the way we as christians should see it also; one God, one body. The thing that sadden's me is that the church is lacking the act of prayer. My buddy Josh said sunday that, God is bigger than your problems. A lot of times we focus so much on the problems that we forget who the solution is. Remember God wants His people be united as one and all serve Him. I really enjoyed the Wake up, but I pray that the people really woke up and have came to a decision to develope a daily prayer life to stay in complete contact with God.

The Power of Prayer

Well this we learned that Prayer is the greater work. Sometimes we spend so much time in our busy lives doing a ton of other things besides praying. As Pastor Tim talks about how we should develop a daily prayer life, I think doing this would even out many lives. Now is this saying that life or everything will be perfect, absolutely not, but it will allow you to allow God to be at His correct place in your life. Pastor Tim said one Sunday that if you can talk, listen, then you can pray. The problem with this generation that I live in is that, it’s not that we can’t talk or listen, it’s that we don’t take time out to do it. We don’t make it a priority in our lives. We would much rather devote our time to facebook, twitter,  and all kinds of other social media networks, then take at least 1 to 2 hours a day in prayer. When we prayer we not only communicate with God, but our relationship with God will continue to grow. Now as a leader I am working toward building a better prayer life, not just because I need it but because as a Christian I should want prayer for my life. No more waiting until church to pray or when a prayer meeting is held, but rather practice privately what can show corporately. Another important piece to prayer is listening. The reason we don’t have effective prayer lives is because we spend most of the time talking instead of just listening and allowing God to speak to us. Remember even the disciple’s ask Jesus how then should we pray, and He told them that they should follow the model prayer. Take time out and read Matthew 6: 9-15

Your Life is a Witness

So this week the school of ministry went to South Hill, Va.,to do a youth revival  at the South Hill Church of God. Many times people go to different events or churches like that and think that they are only there to impact the lives of the people, but through this revival I have come to learned that even at another place besides your own you too can be impacted. The South Hill encounter was really good and God showed up and lives were changed, not because he just did it, but because people made a decision within themselves to drop everything, forget the past and give all they got to follow the one and only true King,, Jesus. Is it easy to make this transition, No, but when you allow God to be in your life the transition becomes how he wants it, not how we want it. Many people want to change a serve God, but they say well Ill change, just let me keep this one thing or that thing, I’ll get rid of my friends that are holding me back, but just let me keep the one friend who sometimes tell me it’s ok to do wrong. For God this doesn’t work, he wants us to get rid of it all to be with Him. Over the course of four nights we have learned about many biblical examples of people who decided to put their past behind them and press toward the prize of God’s plans and purposes for his/her life.

Paul persecuted many Christians, but on the road to Damascus he encountered God.

Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and had just been mistreated by a lot of people, but he decided to understand this, what the enemy meant for evil, God meant for good. Also Joseph could have destroyed them all, but instead he choose to forgive them and move on with the plans that God had for his life.

Peter was one of God’s disciples. Although he denined Christ many time, which after lead him to going back to doing what he was doing before he meet God, God showed Peter grace and allowed him to continue in the plans he had set out for him.

Lastly the challenge is are we going to stand firm and be the impact or are we just going to let it all go to waste. The question is are you willing to radically pursue Christ Jesus, forgetting those things which are behind you and pressing toward those things that are ahead.

 “13. Brethren, I could not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, 14. I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. ---- Philippians 3:13-14

Do you lead or are you a Leader

The Law of Priorities: Leaders understand that activity I not necessarily accomplishment.

What I am learning from this that as leaders we must have our priorities in order. Also I learned that as leaders we must order our live according to the following question: What is required, what gives the greatest return, and what brings the greatest reward. It is also important to allow your strengths that God blessed us with to be priority in our lives.

The Law of Sacrifice: A leader must give up to go up.

I believe that this is a big thing that we as Christians deal with in the now times. It is hard sometimes to sacrifice certain things in our life so that we can grow more in Christ. One of the important things that I am learning about this law is that there may be things in your life that you think is ok to have, but when we step aside and allow God to show us what should be in our lives and what shouldn’t be there, then will we get the full understanding of sacrifice.

John Maxwell said “The longer you wait to pay the price, the higher it becomes.

The Law of Timing: When to lead is as important as what to do and where to go.

This Law is for sure one that is a daily process, because it is how and what you do with your time that will determine your success. Just on a personal note I could use my time a lot better than I am. I believe that through the Law of timing your true priorities that you have set for your life will show.

These three Laws work really well together because It is in timing that our priorities are set and in order to have the important priorities in order, we as leaders must look at our lives and make major sacrifices to see that will happen.

Just remember as the song says: You got to know when to HOLD them, you got to know when to FOLD them, and you got to know when to WALK away.

Leadership is Influence

Hey guys glad to be back with more interesting things about what I have learned this week.

 Law of Magnetism- Who you are is who you attract.

I have learned so far that this law is so true. You see it throughout your everyday life. Just stop and look at the people you hang around or look at who comes around you when you go out somewhere. This is why it is very important to examine your own life because you don’t want to grow up attracting the wrong people or even people that are good ones, but have some bad tendencies.

 

 

Law of Connection- Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.

I have learned that this law isn’t easy to grasp. The reason I say this is because I believe that in order to touch a heart, you as a leader have to get the people to trust you and believe in your motives before you can touch the heart of the people. I have seem on many different occasions where a leader is more concern with asking for a hand rather than touching hearts. The thing is that with this law there’s a little work to do before it come in full affect, so you have many people today who call themselves leaders that are lazy and wants to go the easy route. They end up asking for a hand and realize that it only works for a little while, but when you put in the work and touch a heart as a ,leader those are the people that you will do without waiting for you to ask for a hand.

Well guys that’s all I have here for this week. Remember “Who you are, is who you attract” and not only is it the law, but it is a million time better to touch a heart than it is than to just ask for a hand.

God loves you, I love you. Have a Blessed day and week

See you next week…….