LifeChange

9 Ways To Be Productive

A few weeks ago one friend asked me what I would tell him if he wanted to learn how to be productive with his time.  He went on to inform me that there's a general perception that I tend to get a lot done in a lot of different areas.  While that is probably the case I feel I have a long ways to go in how I work, not only being more efficient but being more effective.  Here is the list I put together to share with him.  I don't take credit for any of these ideas, they are all ones I've borrowed from others.

1. Downtime - learn to utilize downtime.  This means I almost always have a book with me or my iPhone which I can use to respond to emails or interact with people.   Long waits at the doctor's office or waiting for a late meeting has actually become a time I value now.
2. Learn How To Handle Interruptions - we live in a society where information flows quickly and people expect prompt responses (no more waiting 24 hrs for you to respond to a phone call or letter someone wrote you.)  Getting Things Done has revolutionized how I manage this.
3. Schedule Regular Times For The Strategic - my strength is I'm good at the tactical.  However, I sometimes get caught in the trees and forget to step back and look at the forrest.  I've got to schedule regular times where I look at the big picture.
4. Create Systems - a system is a methodology or way of consistently getting something done.  Paying bills, managing finances, following-up on actions, maintaining relationships, communication are all things that you can systematize.  Automate as much as you can.
5. Say "No" More Often - most of us say "yes" way too much.  We end up doing a lot of good things and fulfilling other's expectations for our life but end up so full and busy that we miss out on the great, God opportunities.  Learning to say "no" is essential.
6. You're a Lego - each of us are a lego with only so many relational 'pegs' that we can use to connect to others.  Recognize that to maintain and invest in relationships it takes effort, time and energy.  Realizing this will allow you to determine and recognize which relationships in your life really matter and allow you to pursue them fully.
7. Eternal Perspective - this goes along with #3, but it's easy for all of us to get caught up in the near and now.  We forget about the future and the eternal perspective of what we're doing.  Prayer, worship and God's word helps me stay grounded.  A frequent prayer of mine is "God, let me see this situation as You see it."
8. Milestones & Checkpoints - this is just good goal setting, but find ways to measure your progress. We all get discouraged and lost if we don't realize and see progress being made.  Schedule regular times to review these.
9. Two Questions - I try and ask these regularly: 1) What am I doing that I should stop doing?  2) What am I not doing that I should?

A Leader That Prays

Some notes from my discussion this morning on prayer with some of our leaders:

What role does prayer play in your life?

 Why do we struggle having prayer be a regular part of our life?

· View prayer as passive, leaders like to act

· Too busy

· Too much noise in our life (audio, visual, relational)

· Don’t believe it works, or don’t see it as being essential

 Why must prayer be an essential part of our lives?

1) To learn God’s will/agenda: see Jesus’ example Mark 1:30-39

2) To accomplish God’s will:  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” - John 15:5

3) To have God active in our life: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:13

4) To have access to God’s wisdom “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” - Jeremiah 33:3

5) To give your stress and worries to God “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” - 1 Peter 5:7

 Application - A Leader That Prays

1) Do you have faith that prayer makes a difference?  If the answer is no then all the other steps below just become religions exercises.  Ask God to increase your faith and spend time in God’s word to see a God who responds to prayer.

2) How is the noise level in your life?  We often want God to speak more loudly and clearly to us.  Car radio example - God can either speak louder or we can turn down the noise in our life.  What are ways you can do this?

3) Is prayer a part of your relationships with others?  Ask, how can I pray for your right now?  And do it.  Marriage, kids, friends, co-workers… prayer can be a key element to these relationships.  Relationships based on God and prayer are much deeper.

4) Is prayer a once or twice-a-day event or is it a regular interaction with God? “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

 

 

Spiritual Leaders - The Leader's Vision & Character (Ch. 4 & 5)

Continuing our journey through a book called Spiritual Leadership by Henry & Richard Blackaby.  Going through it with a few guys. Previous weeks:  Week 1, Week 2.

Where does vision for our personal life and organization come from?

Some wrong places:

1) Because it’s there—if there’s a mountain to climb we should climb it

2) Duplicating success—it’s worked in the past

3) Vanity—what will bring me as the leader the most personal success or praise

4) Need—if there’s a need we should meet it

5) Available resources—if resources are available to us we should use them

6) Leader-driven—leader generated—leader’s best thinking

Proper place:

7)     God’s revelation—what has God revealed and promised about the future?  Our role is to seek the Father’s will and adjust our lives to Him.  God reveals his plans in His way, on His time schedule and to whom He wills.  The leader’s job is to communicate God’s promise to the people, not to create the vision and then strive to enlist people to buy in to it.

 Where have you received vision for your life in the past?

—————————————————————————————

 Moses—He was not naturally gifted as a leader.  However, his accomplishments as a spiritual leader came from the depth of his relationship with God.

 There is a significant difference between a personal determination to try harder and a complete abandonment of one’s self to God’s purposes.

 One of the biggest challenges young leaders face is garnering respect among their followers when they do not yet have previous successes to their credit.  … young leaders need to first have small accomplishments before moving on to bigger ones.  The first place to demonstrate small triumphs is in the leader’s self-mastery. 

 In your own life how is your spiritual walk?  Handling of finances?  Health habits?  Relationships with your family?  Attitude?  Discipline?

 Proverbs 18:16 “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.” 

At Life Church we have been slow to hire new people.  Our desire is to raise people up from the inside, or if they come from the outside to build relationship with them first.  This avoids the 'hireling' syndrome... we want people that are passionate and excited about what God's doing at Life Church, not just people that want a job.

Spiritual Leaders - The Leader's Preparation (Ch. 3)

Continuing our journey through a book called Spiritual Leadership by Henry & Richard Blackaby.  Going through it with a few guys.  Week 1 is here. 

“The key to growing an organization is to grow its leaders… Leadership development is synonymous with personal development.  As leaders grow personally, they increase their capacity to lead...  The best thing leaders can do for their organization is to grow personally.”

 Our past has a great affect on us today:  failures, crises, personal struggles, hardships.  “The key to leadership development lies not in the experiences, but in peoples responses to those experiences.” 

 Failure is a powerful tool that God can use to build certain qualities deep within one’s character that could not be fully developed any other way.  However, many people have a fear of failure.  This leads to:

· Stress

· Perfectionism / obsession

· “play it safe” attitude / avoid risk / stick to what’s known

· A culture where other’s are on edge / no innovation happens

“God seldom intervenes when people are about to make mistakes, rather, He allows them to fail, but stands ready to redeem them.”

 Abraham is a great example of how God develops a leader:

· Abraham was an ordinary person

· Abraham built on his heritage

· Abraham grew through failure

· Abraham built spiritual landmarks

· Abraham experienced God’s redemption

· Abraham learned by experience

· Abraham was not allowed to take shortcuts

· Abraham demonstrated his faith

· Abraham obeyed God and became a friend of God

 Two Key Ideas - Leaders develop as God matures people in their character as well  as in their relationship with Him.

1) Character includes wisdom, integrity, honesty and moral purity.  Character flaws left unchecked can reappear in subsequent generations.  God’s assignments are based on character.  The greater the character, the greater the assignment. (Luke 16:10)

2) Relationship with God involves trust in God, obedience to Him and love for Him.  The length required to develop as a leader for an assignment is based on our trust in God and obedience to God.

 

Spiritual Leadership - The Leader's Challenge (Ch. 1 & 2)

I'm taking a few guys through a book called Spiritual Leadership by Henry & Richard Blackaby.  It's an outstanding leadership book that all Christians should read, regardless of if you're in ministry or business.  I will share some highlights and lessons from the book as we work through it this summer.  Here are some key points from the first two chapters.

What motivates people? 
“Except for the financially desperate, people do not work for money alone.  What also fuels their passion for work is a larger sense of purpose or passion.  Given the opportunity, people gravitate to what gives them meaning, to what engages to the fullest their commitment, talent, energy and skill.”  Connect people to God’s purposes accomplishes this.

Leadership:  Human Strategies vs. God’s Strategy

1 Samuel 8:10-22—Israel insists on having a king

· Israelites assumed spiritual concerns like righteous living and obedience to God belonged in the religious realm while practical issues of governance, battle and the economy were secular matters.

· The human strategy at the time was for each nation to have a king.

· God’s strategy was for the people to follow Him directly.

· “Israelites didn’t realize that God was just as active on the battlefield as he was in the worship service.”  “The world needs people in business who know how to apply their faith in the boardroom as well as in the Bible study room.”

· “One’s calling as a Christian not only takes precedence over his or her career; it actually gives direction to that career.”

Spiritual Leader’s Task…

1) Move people from where they are to where God wants them to be.

2) Depend on the Holy Spirit.

3) Are accountable to God.

4) Can influence all people, not just God’s people.

5) Work from God’s agenda.

Some Temptations Christian Leaders Face

Jesus’ Temptations in the Desert (Matthew 4; Luke 4:1-13)

1) Instead of God’s way there’s an easier way with lower personal cost.

2) God’s way is not the only option in achieving the desired goals.

3) God needs me to accomplish His purposes, so I should develop my own plan to get the jog done.

—> Jesus established the model for Christian leadership:  Absolute obedience to God’s will.

If Christians around the world were to suddenly renounce their personal agendas, their life goals and their aspirations, and begin responding in radical obedience to everything God showed them, the world would be turned upside down.

 

 

How God Chooses Leaders

We live in a culture that celebrates and recognizes experience over youth.  Typically those with the most years working, with the highest level of education, or with the most prominent relational networks are chosen for positions of leadership and influence.

However, in God’s Kingdom we often see Him choose those younger and with less experience to accomplish His purposes.  A few examples:

+ David (1 Samuel 16:1-13) - youngest of his brothers, least ‘impressive’

+ Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:1-8) - only a child, no experience

+ Joseph (Genesis 37:1-11) - seventeen

+ Moses (Exodus 3:1-4:14) - not young, but inexperienced, not polished, no confidence and in a low position

+ Timothy - probably late 20s to mid 30s

Paul’s guidance to Timothy:  “Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.“  1 Timothy 4:12

What qualifies someone to lead in God’s Kingdom?  What does God look for?  Why would He chose someone young over someone with more experience?

Faithful - God is looking for those that live a life of faith.  (Hebrews 11) David was described as a “man after God’s own heart”  (1 Samuel 13:14)

Available - Not everyone God calls will answer. (Rich Young Ruler: Matthew 19:16-30)  Sometimes people leave no space in their life to hear from God or to see His opportunities.

Servant-hearted - Jesus modeled how to live life and lead others.  Do we have a heart to serve?  Are we OK with not being first? (John 13:1-17)

Teachable - God calls us to live and learn in relationship with others.  Are we open to allow others to speak in to our life? (David-Jonathan, Moses-Aaron, Timothy-Paul)