Initiative is something that all 'natural born' leaders have. Some people refer to this as being a ‘self-starter.’ You have within you something that propels you to do or to start or to accomplish. It’s not motivated by anything else other than your desire to do it. It’s motivation that comes from within.
When my wife and I were first married, we lived in a house that was just over 800 sq. feet. It was pretty tiny. Our kitchen was also our dining room and also our laundry room. It wasn’t much, but it was home and really it was perfect for us. Well, in that house it was obvious when things weren’t clean because you could almost see in every room from every room. I remember having been married a month or so and sitting at the breakfast table. I looked up and in front of me sat one of the biggest piles of laundry I had ever seen. No joke, it was probably about four feet tall and three feet in diameter. That’s a pretty ridiculous amount of clothes for two people. I sat there pretty irritated. I mean, why hadn’t the laundry been done? Sure my wife and I never talked about who would do laundry in our relationship, but it’s a given that surely someone should do it if it needed to be done. The more I thought about it, the madder I got.
After about 2 minutes of needless seething, I realized that the logic I was applying to my wife also applied to me. It was a moment like “Hey moron, if you want clean clothes then do some laundry!” I’m pretty harsh with myself. But, the inner me made a good point, and since that time I have applied this idea of initiative to my own life.
God continually challenges me in this area of leadership. It seems like when I think I have a full plate or when I’m doing a lot, God calls me to start something else. I’m learning though, that it’s a real honor to work for God and when He calls me to do something it’s because he trusts me enough to carry it through. My prayer is that God will continue to call all leaders to new initiatives and to go through life making a difference for Jesus in everything they do – whether that’s laundry or something more important.
IDENTITY THEFT:
ME, BEAUTIFUL?
***Before you begin! Reaffirm the ‘Vegas’ rule with your group – what happens in small groups stays in small groups. This is very important to talk about every week. Encourage everyone that the environment is safe, and that there is no judgment.
***The reason we do small groups is to ‘belong and become’ – Have a safe group of friends to belong to and become more like Jesus every day. This is the vision of small groups – remind your group of this each week.
1. When you think of the ‘perfect woman’ what or who comes to mind? What would this perfect woman look like, what character traits would she have, etc.?
2. Where are common places that women find their identity? What about those places gives them identity?
3. 1 Timothy asks the question “Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God?” In what ways do we feel pressure to please man more than God?
4. Genesis (1:26-27) tells us that we are made in God’s image. Ephesians (2:10) tells us that we are “God’s masterpiece”. How many of us feel like we are really God’s masterpiece? Why or why not? What stumbling blocks do we see in our own lives that keep us from believing that we are indeed God’s masterpiece?
5. Take time to pray for one another that we would truly grasp that we are the masterpieces of God. Pray for those stumbling blocks that people mentioned that they would be removed so we could see ourselves as God does.
As always, end the group with general sharing of prayer requests and prayer. Some groups have found it effective to pray for each request as it’s given, rather than creating the list of requests. Use your discretion as a leader.
ME, BEAUTIFUL?
***Before you begin! Reaffirm the ‘Vegas’ rule with your group – what happens in small groups stays in small groups. This is very important to talk about every week. Encourage everyone that the environment is safe, and that there is no judgment.
***The reason we do small groups is to ‘belong and become’ – Have a safe group of friends to belong to and become more like Jesus every day. This is the vision of small groups – remind your group of this each week.
1. When you think of the ‘perfect woman’ what or who comes to mind? What would this perfect woman look like, what character traits would she have, etc.?
2. Where are common places that women find their identity? What about those places gives them identity?
3. 1 Timothy asks the question “Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God?” In what ways do we feel pressure to please man more than God?
4. Genesis (1:26-27) tells us that we are made in God’s image. Ephesians (2:10) tells us that we are “God’s masterpiece”. How many of us feel like we are really God’s masterpiece? Why or why not? What stumbling blocks do we see in our own lives that keep us from believing that we are indeed God’s masterpiece?
5. Take time to pray for one another that we would truly grasp that we are the masterpieces of God. Pray for those stumbling blocks that people mentioned that they would be removed so we could see ourselves as God does.
As always, end the group with general sharing of prayer requests and prayer. Some groups have found it effective to pray for each request as it’s given, rather than creating the list of requests. Use your discretion as a leader.
Integrity is a word that we often throw around, especially in the church world, but don’t really dialogue much about until someone’s integrity fails. I was at a leadership conference in August and one of the leaders there spent some time dialoguing about integrity. He said integrity means that you are ‘whole;’ meaning that you are the same person everywhere no matter who’s around.
I actually had an integrity challenge this week (not surprising since I seem to have them daily). I had purchased some items for BridgeWay out of my own pocket and needed to be reimbursed for the expenditures. At the time I purchased the items for BridgeWay, I also purchased some items for personal use. I turned in the receipts and highlighted the items for which I needed to be reimbursed. Later that day I received my reimbursement check. I noticed that it was about $15 higher than it should have been. I had been reimbursed for everything that I had purchased, including my personal items.
This was a weird moment, because in all honesty it froze me. It took me a moment to realize what happened. At first I thought I did poor math and was $15 off in my assessment of my purchases for the church. I realized that my original math was right and I needed to give back the check and get the check cut for the proper amount – which I did.
Even as I’m writing this I’m thinking, ‘c’mon Matt, it’s only $15!’ I’m not telling this story to show how saintly I am, but to make a pretty simple point. As leaders, we can’t let something as dumb as $15 stand in the way of our wholeness as a person. There is no way I could have accepted that money and remained whole in front of my peers. Before you can show integrity in the big things in life, you have to show it in the small things. Consider that ‘integrity practice’.
If the cost of my integrity is $15, I’m in the wrong profession anyway.
I actually had an integrity challenge this week (not surprising since I seem to have them daily). I had purchased some items for BridgeWay out of my own pocket and needed to be reimbursed for the expenditures. At the time I purchased the items for BridgeWay, I also purchased some items for personal use. I turned in the receipts and highlighted the items for which I needed to be reimbursed. Later that day I received my reimbursement check. I noticed that it was about $15 higher than it should have been. I had been reimbursed for everything that I had purchased, including my personal items.
This was a weird moment, because in all honesty it froze me. It took me a moment to realize what happened. At first I thought I did poor math and was $15 off in my assessment of my purchases for the church. I realized that my original math was right and I needed to give back the check and get the check cut for the proper amount – which I did.
Even as I’m writing this I’m thinking, ‘c’mon Matt, it’s only $15!’ I’m not telling this story to show how saintly I am, but to make a pretty simple point. As leaders, we can’t let something as dumb as $15 stand in the way of our wholeness as a person. There is no way I could have accepted that money and remained whole in front of my peers. Before you can show integrity in the big things in life, you have to show it in the small things. Consider that ‘integrity practice’.
If the cost of my integrity is $15, I’m in the wrong profession anyway.
HOW TO BE RICH:
HOW TO BE RICH
***Before you begin! Reaffirm the ‘Vegas’ rule with your group – what happens in small groups stays in small groups. This is very important to talk about every week. Encourage everyone that the environment is safe, and that there is no judgment.
***The reason we do small groups is to ‘belong and become’ – Have a safe group of friends to belong to and become more like Jesus every day. This is the vision of small groups – remind your group of this each week.
1. If you received a letter from the IRS informing you that you were getting a refund equal to 10 percent of your annual salary, what would you do with it?
2. Are there “smart rich people” and “dumb rich people”? Give some examples of each. What does it mean to be good at being rich?
3. Read Luke 12:16-21. God calls the rich man a ‘fool’ in this story. Why did God call this man a fool? What about his actions were foolish?
4. Luke 12:34 says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” How does your view of eternity affect your view on wealth?
5. What is the biggest challenge or takeaway you have from the “How to Be Rich” series?
As always, end the group with general sharing of prayer requests and prayer. Some groups have found it effective to pray for each request as it’s given, rather than creating the list of requests. Use your discretion as a leader.
HOW TO BE RICH
***Before you begin! Reaffirm the ‘Vegas’ rule with your group – what happens in small groups stays in small groups. This is very important to talk about every week. Encourage everyone that the environment is safe, and that there is no judgment.
***The reason we do small groups is to ‘belong and become’ – Have a safe group of friends to belong to and become more like Jesus every day. This is the vision of small groups – remind your group of this each week.
1. If you received a letter from the IRS informing you that you were getting a refund equal to 10 percent of your annual salary, what would you do with it?
2. Are there “smart rich people” and “dumb rich people”? Give some examples of each. What does it mean to be good at being rich?
3. Read Luke 12:16-21. God calls the rich man a ‘fool’ in this story. Why did God call this man a fool? What about his actions were foolish?
4. Luke 12:34 says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” How does your view of eternity affect your view on wealth?
5. What is the biggest challenge or takeaway you have from the “How to Be Rich” series?
As always, end the group with general sharing of prayer requests and prayer. Some groups have found it effective to pray for each request as it’s given, rather than creating the list of requests. Use your discretion as a leader.
It has been about a month since the last Friday Leadership Post. Since that time, life is drastically different for me. My wife and I didn’t travel for the holidays for the first time in our relationship due to her due date being so close to holiday time. This is a small thing but pretty huge at the same time, as all couples know. Along with that on January 7, we were blessed to welcome into the world our son Warrick Alan Robinson at 7lbs 15 oz and 19 inches long. It’s only been 9 days, but we already couldn’t imagine our lives without him.
It’s an odd thing when your ‘normal’ changes. Dale and I were talking about this last week that there are moments in life when such a significant moment takes place (good or bad) that your whole world changes. Those moments are odd feeling, ongoing, and whether you like it or not, you have to live with it. Having a baby, getting married, completing a long process of schooling, getting a new job, moving, losing a loved one, losing a job, losing a friend, a painful divorce, etc.
Everyone crosses a bridge like this at some point in his life. In moments like these it is important to realize where you need to put your energy as a leader. Leading is like a pendulum that swings between your leadership obligations in the world and your leadership obligations at home. There are times when you have to put your energies into the work side of things, and other times when you need to focus your energies at home. When your ‘normal’ changes personally, that’s the time to spend at home helping your family adjust to a situation.
I love my son and we are so blessed to have him. I’m also blessed to be able to take time away from my leadership post at BridgeWay to help walk my family through this transition. Leadership starts at home and ends at home. Make sure you’re always leading your best at home first.
It’s an odd thing when your ‘normal’ changes. Dale and I were talking about this last week that there are moments in life when such a significant moment takes place (good or bad) that your whole world changes. Those moments are odd feeling, ongoing, and whether you like it or not, you have to live with it. Having a baby, getting married, completing a long process of schooling, getting a new job, moving, losing a loved one, losing a job, losing a friend, a painful divorce, etc.
Everyone crosses a bridge like this at some point in his life. In moments like these it is important to realize where you need to put your energy as a leader. Leading is like a pendulum that swings between your leadership obligations in the world and your leadership obligations at home. There are times when you have to put your energies into the work side of things, and other times when you need to focus your energies at home. When your ‘normal’ changes personally, that’s the time to spend at home helping your family adjust to a situation.
I love my son and we are so blessed to have him. I’m also blessed to be able to take time away from my leadership post at BridgeWay to help walk my family through this transition. Leadership starts at home and ends at home. Make sure you’re always leading your best at home first.
HOW TO BE RICH:
CREATE MARGIN
***Before you begin! Reaffirm the ‘Vegas’ rule with your group – what happens in small groups stays in small groups. This is very important to talk about every week. Encourage everyone that the environment is safe, and that there is no judgment.
***The reason we do small groups is to ‘belong and become’ – Have a safe group of friends to belong to and become more like Jesus every day. This is the vision of small groups – remind your group of this each week.
1. Who are the most generous people you know? How do they spend their extra time and money?
2. Read 1 Timothy 6:18. When have you had the opportunity to use your extra time to serve others? When have you had the opportunity to use your extra money to share with someone else? What keeps us from being rich in good deeds and willing to share with others?
3. God wants us to be rich in good deeds by creating “time margin.” What is time margin? How do we create it? How often do we evaluate the use of our time? What are areas in our lives that we waste time that we could use to serve others?
4. God wants us to be rich in generosity by creating “financial margin.” What is financial margin? How do we create it? What is your next step in your effort to create financial margin: to stop borrowing money, to create an emergency fund, to sell your stuff to create margin, or to develop a spending plan?
5. Surrendering our time and money to God are often the last areas of our lives that we allow Him to control. Where are you in this process? How can we pray for one another that we would surrender our finances and time completely to God?
As always, end the group with general sharing of prayer requests and prayer. Some groups have found it effective to pray for each request as it’s given, rather than creating the list of requests. Use your discretion as a leader.
CREATE MARGIN
***Before you begin! Reaffirm the ‘Vegas’ rule with your group – what happens in small groups stays in small groups. This is very important to talk about every week. Encourage everyone that the environment is safe, and that there is no judgment.
***The reason we do small groups is to ‘belong and become’ – Have a safe group of friends to belong to and become more like Jesus every day. This is the vision of small groups – remind your group of this each week.
1. Who are the most generous people you know? How do they spend their extra time and money?
2. Read 1 Timothy 6:18. When have you had the opportunity to use your extra time to serve others? When have you had the opportunity to use your extra money to share with someone else? What keeps us from being rich in good deeds and willing to share with others?
3. God wants us to be rich in good deeds by creating “time margin.” What is time margin? How do we create it? How often do we evaluate the use of our time? What are areas in our lives that we waste time that we could use to serve others?
4. God wants us to be rich in generosity by creating “financial margin.” What is financial margin? How do we create it? What is your next step in your effort to create financial margin: to stop borrowing money, to create an emergency fund, to sell your stuff to create margin, or to develop a spending plan?
5. Surrendering our time and money to God are often the last areas of our lives that we allow Him to control. Where are you in this process? How can we pray for one another that we would surrender our finances and time completely to God?
As always, end the group with general sharing of prayer requests and prayer. Some groups have found it effective to pray for each request as it’s given, rather than creating the list of requests. Use your discretion as a leader.
HOW TO BE RICH:
FIRE YOURSELF
***Before you begin! Reaffirm the ‘Vegas’ rule with your group – what happens in small groups stays in small groups. This is very important to talk about every week. Encourage everyone that the environment is safe, and that there is no judgment.
***The reason we do small groups is to ‘belong and become’ – Have a safe group of friends to belong to and become more like Jesus every day. This is the vision of small groups – remind your group of this each week.
1. Read 1 Timothy 6:17. How does money lead people to become arrogant? How have you seen signs of arrogance in your life because of money? (i.e. you think you are smarter or more important than other people)?
2. Read Proverbs 18:11. Why are we tempted to put our hope in wealth? Why is it foolish to put our hope in wealth? When have you seen the uncertainty of wealth?
3. Here are 4 diagnostic questions to help us determine where our trust lies:
Which of these statements creates the most anxiety in you: there is no God, or there is no money in the bank?
Does your lifestyle/debt impede your ability to give?
Does fear of not having enough impede your giving?
Do you have money in the bank, but no peace in your heart?
4. What does it look like to put our hope in God?
5. Do you normally think of God as the one who has richly provided you with everything you need? Or do you think of yourself as the provider? What difference does it make when you acknowledge God as the source of everything that you have?
As always, end the group with general sharing of prayer requests and prayer. Some groups have found it effective to pray for each request as it’s given, rather than creating the list of requests. Use your discretion as a leader.
FIRE YOURSELF
***Before you begin! Reaffirm the ‘Vegas’ rule with your group – what happens in small groups stays in small groups. This is very important to talk about every week. Encourage everyone that the environment is safe, and that there is no judgment.
***The reason we do small groups is to ‘belong and become’ – Have a safe group of friends to belong to and become more like Jesus every day. This is the vision of small groups – remind your group of this each week.
1. Read 1 Timothy 6:17. How does money lead people to become arrogant? How have you seen signs of arrogance in your life because of money? (i.e. you think you are smarter or more important than other people)?
2. Read Proverbs 18:11. Why are we tempted to put our hope in wealth? Why is it foolish to put our hope in wealth? When have you seen the uncertainty of wealth?
3. Here are 4 diagnostic questions to help us determine where our trust lies:
Which of these statements creates the most anxiety in you: there is no God, or there is no money in the bank?
Does your lifestyle/debt impede your ability to give?
Does fear of not having enough impede your giving?
Do you have money in the bank, but no peace in your heart?
4. What does it look like to put our hope in God?
5. Do you normally think of God as the one who has richly provided you with everything you need? Or do you think of yourself as the provider? What difference does it make when you acknowledge God as the source of everything that you have?
As always, end the group with general sharing of prayer requests and prayer. Some groups have found it effective to pray for each request as it’s given, rather than creating the list of requests. Use your discretion as a leader.
