Thursday, December 23, 2021

Leadership Thought: It's What You Learn After You Know It All that Counts.

Dear Friends,

"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant." These wise words came from Max DePree, the former chairman and CEO of Herman Miller, Inc, the furniture maker that was once named one of Fortune magazine's 10 best managed and most innovative companies.

Today I still member De Pree's book The Art of Leadership which I read over two decades ago while on a cruise with my wife and family. Few books on leadership have impacted me more than this one. The fact that I still remember the time I read it after so many years is a testimony to the impact it had on me.

One of the key aspects of De Pree's leadership involved a principle he learned from his father. It was called 'the rule of abandoning oneself to the strengths of others'. His father was always open to the ideas and suggestions of others. He cultivated the kind of relationships with his employees that made them feel that their input was not only welcome but encouraged. He knew that he could learn from the experts, but he was far more interested in learning from the rank and file. They were the ones who knew the company best, and who were in the best position to recommend the kind of suggestions that would strengthen the company. He introduced the Scanlon Plan, a plan by which workers made suggestions to management for ways to improve such things as customer service, quality, and productivity. In 1987-88 Herman Miller employees made suggestions that led to cost savings of some $12 million dollars.

Regardless of your position, I believe this principle of 'abandoning oneself to the strengths of others' has significant implications for those in any form of leadership. The best leaders, administrators, coaches, teachers, pastors, and yes, even parents, are generally the ones that are open to the possibility that they might learn something from the suggestions of others. They are not so arrogant to think that they have all the answers and can never learn from those with whom they work.

Some of the most valuable lessons I have learned as a parent, coach, teacher and pastor have come from those times when I was willing to 'abandon myself to the strengths of others.' Such learning can provide a valuable dimension to one's growth. If we think we know it all, and that those we work with can't teach us anything, we are indeed foolish.

The legendary basketball coach John Wooden was fond of saying, "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."

A number of years ago R. C. Sproul, who at the time was the resident scholar at Pittsburgh Seminary, and one of the most creative and intellectual scholars of our time, was giving a heavy lecture to a group of his students. One of them raised his hand and asked a very complicated question. Dr. Sproul smiled and said, "The answer to that is very simple, I don't know." 

Those who are willing to confess that they don't know it all, are the ones who are most teachable. God is not looking for those who profess to know it all. He is looking for those who are willing to be quiet and ready to listen and learn from others. 

And oh yes, don't forget, "The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces." (Proverbs 10:6, The Living Bible).

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Leadership Thought: Do You Use Your Knowledge as a Weapon or a Tool?

Dear Friends,

"Choose being kind over being right and you will be right every time." Yesterday I memorized this quote by Richard Carlson because I believe it is an important principle to keep in mind when witnessing to others. When I first read this quote, I thought of Paul's words to the Corinthians: "Knowledge puffs up but love builds up. (1 Corinthians 8:1). How important it is is to keep a balance between knowledge (truth) and love. 

It is so true that "Knowledge can become a weapon to hurt people or a tool to build them up."  Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary, Warren Wiersbe, p 749.

How often I have seen people try to argue others into the Kingdom with biblical truth rather than loving them into the Kingdom through a biblical life. It is certainly far easier and more convenient to speak the truth than to live the truth, but we must do both if we are to be successful witnesses for Christ. Truth is important when sharing your faith, but we must always be careful to wrap the truth in love. Howard Newton reminds us that "Truth is the art of making a point without making an enemy," and all Christians need to learn this principle. We can be right, but we can never be unloving for as Paul writes we must always "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15).

When the newly formed church in Antioch needed some doctrinal grounding, the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to visit Antioch. Why Barnabas? I think it was because he was a loving truth teller, and because, while grounded in doctrine, the church knew he wouldn't use his knowledge as a club. They knew that he would be as interested in loving them as changing them. Barnabas was loving, accepting and flexible, and no doubt he developed a real ministry among that church where believers were first called Christians. It was the church at Antioch that sent the first missionaries into Europe.

Fortunately, Barnabas new that truth always needs to be balanced with love, a love that is able to tolerate those who may think differently, act differently, worship differently, and even believe differently.

Christians must learn to disagree without becoming disagreeable. We can witness to people by the way we 'disagree' with them.

This reminds me of the story involving Bishop Pike who for many years was a strong defender of biblical truth. However, in later years, he renounced biblical orthodoxy in favor of sciences and other non-biblical revelations. Before his death he was involved in a debate with a well-known Christian scholar who absolutely devastated him intellectually. The man ground him up and spit him out. He made Bishop Pike look like a fool, and the sad thing was that he didn't stop when Pike was down, but instead he kept whipping him and beating on him. Some of those who came to the debate as defenders of orthodox truth began losing their respect for the man who was acting so ungraciously, and before long some of them were even siding with Bishop Pike. As a result of the debate, the embarrassed Pike became even more adamant and convinced of his beliefs. The Christian won the argument, but he lost a soul in the process

Later in the same year Bishop Pike was involved in another debate, but this time it was with Francis Schaeffer from La'bri, the Swiss theologian and churchmen who was not only known for his grace and wisdom, but for his orthodox religious beliefs. Orthodox but loving, Schaeffer debated Bishop Pike's belief system graciously and lovingly. He pointed out the errors and Pikes belief system, but he did it in a charitable and non-dogmatic fashion. He would make his point and then he would back off, always giving Bishop Pike the opportunity to respond.

Do you know where Bishop Pike was headed before he mysteriously died in the desert? He was going to La'bri to sit at the feet and learn from Francis Schaeffer. 

Let us be reminded once again of the words of the 16th century theologian who wrote, "In essentials unity; In non- essentials liberty; In all things, charity.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Monday, December 20, 2021

Leadership Thought: Chuck Colson, A Winner in Life and in Death.                                                                                     

Dear Friends,

Chuck Colson, once known as the hatchet man for President Richard Nixon, has always had a special place in my heart. His book Born Again, has remained one of my all-time favorite books.

Chuck, a "Semper Fi" man, rose quickly through the Marine Corp to become the youngest captain in its history. He enjoyed a successful legal career before entering politics, becoming one of the most influential members of President Richard Nixon’s cabinet.

As a member of the Nixon administration, he had a reputation for being willing to do whatever was needed to support the president, even if it meant ruthless, unethical, and illegal behavior.

But God got a hold of his life and radically transformed it. His coming to Christ and the changes this decision made in his life story are remarkably told in the book, Men and Women and the Secrets of Their Greatness, by Eric Metaxas which I am now reading.

Influenced by Tom Philips, CEO of Raytheon, who came to know Christ at a Billy Graham crusade and reading C.S Lewis’ book Mere Christianity, Colson turned his life over to Christ.  While best known for birthing Prison Fellowship, and Project Angel Tree, a ministry in which Christmas gifts are given to families in the name of those incarcerated, Colson has left behind a legacy of significant ministries that continue today 

What particularly caught my attention in reading Colson's story was his final word regarding his funeral wishes: "I want my funeral services to be joyful. I don't want people to be sad because I believe with every ounce of conviction in my body that death is but a homecoming, and that we'll be in the presence of God. It's the culmination of life. It's a celebration" 

Chuck's funeral was no sad, somber or solemn occasion; it was a celebration, a homecoming. He knew that to be "absent from the body was to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8), and because he did, he left planet earth smiling in the face of death.

One day death will call us home. Those like Chuck, who have confessed Jesus as their Lord and Savior, will enter into eternal life. They will discover that death in not a period but a conjunction, for a believer does not stay dead when he dies, for death can never destroy what is eternal.

Romans 14:8 assures that we are on the right side of victory for "If we live, we live to the Lord; And if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." In Christ, we are winners in life and in death, and I'll take that promise any day.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Thursday, December 16, 2021

 

Leadership Thought Listening to God’s Word Puts Me to Sleep.

Dear Friends,

I seldom have a problem falling asleep. I can get in bed, roll over and I am asleep in a minute. But last night I woke up in the middle of the night, try and I could I wasn’t able to get back to sleep

Unable to sleep, I grabbed my iPhone and began scrolling through my screen. In the process I saw a site that offered the promise of sleep. It was a U tube app with spoken bible verses. I thought to myself I’m sure there have been plenty of people who have fallen asleep listening to my preaching or dozed off during lengthy readings of scripture. I recalled Eutychus in the Bible, (Acts 20:7-12) who drifted off during a long discourse by Paul and fell from a window (talk about embarrassing). But falling asleep in bed while listening to the bible, sounded a lot less hazardous while at the same time it offered the possibility of being much more spiritually enriching.

I honestly didn’t think much of anything would enable me to get back to sleep, but I thought I would give it a try, so I clicked on the app and immediately I heard a soft and mellow voice reading one of my favorite memory verses, Philippians 4:6-7. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace or God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Next, I remember hearing a couple of Psalms and then mid-way through the Beatitudes, I was completely out, and when I awoke 3 hours later, I wondered how this had all happened.

It is no surprise that in todays’ anxiety filled world, some struggle to get a good night’s sleep. Sleep can easily evade our restless minds, but what better way to calm the spirit and hasten restfulness than filling our mind and soul with the word of God.

I confess I doubted that listening to this app would put me to sleep so quickly, but it did, and in the interval between clicking on the site and nodding off, I was able to fill my soul with God’s word and what better way to fill a restless heart than that.

Those of you who are much further along spiritually than I am, and who know the benefits of technology far better than I do, are probably laughing, and thinking I have been falling asleep like this for years. For any of you like me who haven’t caught up to the fact that technology can be a blessing, and not always a curse, I encourage you to give it a try.

I know this message is not real profound, and some may wonder why I would take the time to discuss something like sleep, but how quickly we fall asleep could be gauge revealing how deeply we trust in God.  One wise pastor said from his pulpit, “I work two shifts and I give God the third shift.” The point he was trying to make was not that he didn’t trust God during the day, but that God was powerful enough to handle everything while he slept.

The Psalmist reminds us that “in peace I will both lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).  These are good words to remember for those of us who might lay awake in the middle of the night.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

 

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Leadership Thought: Clubhouse Rules We Should Never Forget.

Dear Friends,

Pride can lead to embarrassing ends. A recently promoted colonel had entered his new office for the first time. Filled with a new sense of self-importance, he was admiring his new desk and sofa when a lowly corporeal stuck his head through the door.

"Wait just a minute corporal. I have a very important person on the other end of the line." 

The corporal stood in the doorway and listened to the conversation. "Yes, general, I do know the president of the United States. He and I are good friends, and I can call him up at any time. As soon as we hang up, I will give him a call, and I'll make sure your request is taken care of right away. Any other members of the cabinet you need to speak with? If so, just let me know."

The proud and pompous Colonel put down his phone, and said to the corporal, "Now son, what can I do for you?"  

The corporal responded, "Nothing Sir. I just stopped by to hook up your new phone."

Pride can lead to humiliating circumstances, can't it? Pride, someone remarked is the disease that makes everyone sick except the one who has it. 

I had a friend of mine who was the pastor of a large Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati OH. One Sunday morning as he was entering the pulpit, he found himself thinking to himself, "If only I had a few more minutes to prepare this sermon, it would be dynamite."  As quick as he had thought those words, he heard the Holy Spirit speak to his heart, silently but clearly and convincingly, "Jerry, don't ever forget who is the dynamite." 

Often times we need to be reminded that God is the source of our power, and whatever we might need to be successful comes, not from us, but from Him and Him alone. 

"Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit goes before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud" (Proverbs 16:18-19). 

Let us never forget that God "Saves the humble but brings low those whose eyes are haughty" (Psalm 18:27).

Today's proud peacock is tomorrow's feather duster!

Let me close with one of the best descriptions of humility I've ever heard. It seems that some children were working long and hard in building their little cardboard shack. It was to be a special spot, a clubhouse, where they could meet together, play and have fun with one another. Since a clubhouse should have some rules, they came up with three: "Nobody act big. Nobody act small. Everyone act medium."

Good rules for a playhouse and good rules for those of us who might think more of ourselves than we ought to think.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

 

Leadership Thought: Are You Going to Keep Talking or Start Fishing?

Dear Friends,

Hank was excited about his new method of fishing. He would row out into the middle of his lake, take a stick of dynamite out of his backpack, light it, and then throw it into the water. A big explosion would follow, and immediately fish would rise to the top of the water. Hank then took his large fishnet and began scooping them into his boat. The local game warden had heard about the numbers of fish Hank was catching, so he decided to pay him a visit. He observed Hank's new method of fishing from the shore, and when he saw how Hank was catching his fish, he motored out to pay Hank a visit. 

"Hank," he said, “you can't fish like that. What you are doing is illegal, and I'm going to have to arrest you." 

Hank paid no attention to the warden's words, but instead reached into his backpack for another stick of dynamite, lit it up, and handing it to the warden, he said. "Sir. are you going to keep talking or start fishing"?

The same question might be addressed to the church: "Are you going to keep talking or start fishing?” Asked another way, one might query, "Are you going to be ‘fishers of men or just keepers of the aquarium?’"

Sharing our faith is more important than ever in a church culture where people are less likely to come to church as frequently as they once did. As a result, we must become more intentional about taking and sharing the gospel outside the confines of the church. Believers must commit to taking the gospel to the streets.

Statistically, less than 5 per cent of all Christians have ever led someone to the Lord. The church has strayed a long way from the days of the early church when the gospel spread like wildfire because everywhere believers went, they told their friends and neighbors the good news about Jesus. They were gossipers of the gospel. 

Today we will spend millions of dollars to support missionaries around the world, but few believers will even cross the street to share the good news with their neighbors.

As pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie reminds us, "God has called us to infiltrate and not isolate. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called," and the called are you and me. There is no impact without contact, and unless we recapture the 'go' of Gospel, and go to our friends, neighbors. work associates, teammates, how will they ever hear the Good News?

The last command of the church was given by Jesus who said, "We are to go into the world and make disciples baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son,  and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have told you, and remembering that I am with you always even to the ends of the age (Matthew 28:18-20). Unfortunately, as someone has sadly said, this last command of the church has often become the 'lost' command of the church.

If you are reluctant to be one of the "goers" because you feel inadequate, unqualified, untrained. or just plain fearful about sharing your faith, let me introduce you to one of the most valuable learning opportunities I know of for doing evangelism. In a five-session video course, Greg Laurie will teach you how to share your faith. Go online to Harvest.org, and click on online courses, and sign up for Tell Someone. It's free, and I promise you, watching his five excellent half hour videos will be some of the best evangelism training you will ever receive.

And once trained, you can go to your friends and neighbors, share your testimony, and some of the principles you have learned and be used by God to lead others to Jesus.

You might ask how do I know this to be true? Because we used the training in our church, and as a result a number of people who had previously been 'silent witnesses' for Jesus have already begun sharing their faith with others.

Don't be one of those 95 percenters who will never lead someone to Christ. Instead, be a part of God's army of witnesses who is looking to win the world for Him, one person at a time.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Monday, December 13, 2021

Leadership Thought: A Little Honey Is Sweet to the Soul and Healing to the Bones.

Dear Friends

A number of years ago when I was serving as the athletic director at Calvary Christian Academy, in Fort Lauderdale, I worked with a physical education teacher named Greg Keller. Greg was a physical education teacher who was absolutely loved by his elementary age students.

When teaching physical education, he always carried a bottle of honey with him, and whenever he witnessed one of his students doing something beyond the ordinary, he would stop the activity and recognize that student in front of his peers.

He would ask the one being recognized to hold out a finger. He then would squeeze a drop of honey on the child's finger. It was simply his way of affirming the student for what he had done. Greg’s students eagerly looked forward to this form of encouragement.

Proverbs reminds us that “Words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones (Proverbs 16:24). Many of Greg’s students had their souls sweetened and their spirits strengthened by this form of encouragement.

Greg’s method of encouragement was a lesson I will never forget. How important it is to be on the lookout for people doing something special, and then taking time on the spot to affirm the action.

People may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel, for encouraging actions are seldom forgotten.

As we walk through life, let’s be on the lookout for opportunities to honor those whom we see making a difference in people’s lives. Take a moment to recognize them, and where possible, do it in public when others can also join in the recognition.

In leadership circles, this kind of intentional effort is known as “Management by Walking Around,” and leaders who practice it are not only appreciated, but they help create a work environment where productivity is elevated.

Most of the high spots in our lives that we will never forget have come from someone’s encouragement.

The apostle Paul knew the value of encouragement, and that is why he wrote to the Thessalonians, exhorting them to “Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Try being more of an encourager and you will make two people happy: yourself and the one you encourage.

Have a great weekend.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

P.S. As I learned early on in coaching, “A pat on the back is only a few vertebrae removed from a kick in the pants, but it is miles ahead in results.”

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Leadership Thought: How to Stay Young When You're Getting Old.

Dear Friends,

I recently read the following perspective on growing old, which is something each of us is doing regardless of our age. It made me laugh when I read, “You know you are getting older when your dreams are reruns; The stewardess offers coffee, tea, or milk of magnesia; You sit in a rocking chair and can't get it started; Everything hurts, and what doesn't hurt doesn't work; A pretty girl prompts your pacemaker to lift the garage door; You sink your teeth into a juicy steak, and they stay there."

All this got me to thinking about Joshua who never found age a deterrent to accepting new challenges. “When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the Lord said to him, you are very old and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over” (Joshua 13:1). Joshua didn’t miss God’s hint.

I thought to myself, but what about retirement. Hadn't Joshua done enough already? Why not simply coast through the rest of life and enjoy your grandchildren? But no, Joshua had things to do and places to go. He wasn't about to retire from Kingdom business.

And then just a chapter later we meet Joshua's buddy, Caleb, who said, “Today I’m 85 years old, and I'm still as strong as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this mountain” (Joshua 14:11). Good ‘ole’ Caleb knew there 'ain't no mountain high enough’ to deter him from his next climbing challenge.

At 85, Caleb is not ready to retire, but he's still looking for a challenging assignment. His cry was not for some easy place of retirement, but rather, “Give me this mountain.”

It is true as someone said that “Youth is not only a time of life, but also a state of mind.” As I move through my later years, I hope that I can remain as vigorous and as youthful as Joshua and Caleb were in their 80’s.

I hope that I can be as productive as George Bernard Shaw, who was 94 when one of his plays was first produced, or Benjamin Franklin who helped frame the constitution at the ripe old age of 81, or my church friend Richard Winters who's 92, and who became a believer in his late 70’s and is quickly making up for lost time when it comes to doing kingdom business.

We are never too young or too old to serve the Lord. Age has little to do with ability. Just remember that the next time you're tempted to use age as an excuse, for age has nothing to do with dreams and determination and vision.

Let me close with Chuck Swindoll’s “5 Tips for Staying Young"

1.  “Your mind is not old, keep developing it.”

2.  “Your humor is not over, keep enjoying it.”

3.  “Your strength is not gone, keep using it.”

4.  “Your opportunities have not vanished, keep pursuing them.”

5.  “God is not dead, keep seeking him". 

(Taken from the Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Charles Swindoll, p.27).

Good advice, hey?

Have a great day.

Your friend in the faith and still gazing at the next mountain,

Tom

P.S. Remember, "Life is like a roll of toilet paper, The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes."

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Leadership Thought: Heading for a Breakfast of Encouragement. Will You Join Me?

Dear Friends,

For many years, I have met with a close friend for breakfast. Every Wednesday morning at 7:00, we check in with one another and learn how each of us is doing.  The meeting has now grown to three, and sometimes even four, but the goal has always remained the same-encourage and lift each other up and strive to make each other better.

It is a wonderful thing when people recognize and commit to a plan of mutual encouragement, with the goal of building each other up.

I have often seen the benefits of this kind of mutual encouragement on the athletic fields, and especially in the weight room. Lifters work in pairs, aiding and supporting one another as each lifts the bar and struggles to achieve a certain weight or a number of repetitions. As one lifts, the other is shouting out words of encouragement- "Yes you can do it," "just one more," "great job". Each individual wants the best for the other, and encouragement is one way to foster the end.

Mutual encouragement can forge unbreakable friendships that produce remarkable blessings and benefits to those involved. 

C.S. Lewis, the author of the Chronicles of Narnia series and J.R.Tolkien who wrote The Hobbit series were both professors at Oxford University. They maintained a close friendship throughout their careers. Every Thursday, they joined with other writers who would meet together to have a drink, talk about their fiction writing endeavors, and read passages of their yet unpublished works. 

It was Tolkien who challenged and encouraged Lewis, an avowed atheist, to explore Christianity, leading to his ultimate conversion. And it was Lewis who encouraged Tolkien to continue writing fiction and to seek publication. Was it not for their friendship and mutual encouragement, the world might not have known some of the finest writing and apologetics in the 20th century or enjoyed the finest fantasy work ever written Both encouraged each other, and in doing so, the world was blessed?

The Apostle Paul reminds us that we are "to encourage one another and build others up, just as you are doing (1 Thess 5:11).  Paul knew that everyone needs encouragement. It is oxygen to the soul. It keeps us alive and growing, and we can't live very long without it. As one person said, it is biodegradable- it has a short shelf life- so we need frequent doses of it.

If you don't have a close mutual friendship with another brother or sister, let me encourage you to work on building one. I promise you that you both will be blessed, and who knows the impact you might have on the world around you.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Leadership Thought: I Am Finally Published-Home Run, Leadership Lessons from the Coach. 

Dear Friends,

 

A number of months ago one of my friends, Dan Brennan who is an elder in the church I serve, and a faithful reader of my daily "Leadership Thoughts," took it upon himself to edit my daily devotional messages, and at an elders meeting, surprised me with a beautiful hard cover copy of a year's worth of "Leadership Thoughts." The book is over 900 pages-a lot longer than War and Peace or A Tale of Two Cities, and while it will never be on the Best Seller list, I have the satisfaction of knowing I have written my first book and at 80 who's counting? 


Fast forward to last night, and once again to another elder's meeting, and once again my friend Dan provided me with another surprise. Prior to our meeting, he announced to me and our team of elders that he had produced an Amazon Kindle edition of the book, The Home Run: Leadership Lessons from the Coach, and it is now available online. With a kind and flattering forward by Dan and containing even a bio of my years of ministry, I now can tell my grandchildren that for the hefty price of 99 cents they can purchase grandpa's book. Now the hard cover is a little pricier due to its size-coffee table edition-and because it requires a weightlifter's arms to hoist it into a reading position, and it will cost you over $ 20.00 but the good news is that shipping is free. 


Now if you are like me, frugal, or as Jean likes to describe me, cheap- I prefer the cheaper version. And besides, who would want to lug a seven-pound book with them while going on vacation?  There are no public appearances scheduled or well publicized book signings on the horizon, (I am a 'homeboy') but if you want a free sneak preview of the first few pages, you can do so by going to Amazon.com and clicking on The Home Run Crenshaw.


Thanks Dan, and thanks to all of you who have taken time to read my musings which began many years ago when I first e-mailed these daily devotionals in 2002 when serving on the staff at Calvary Chapel, Fort Lauderdale. You, the faithful readers of those devotionals, have been the source of my inspiration and encouragement as well as my motivation for getting up before sunrise each morning in an effort to communicate something that would be helpful, and hopefully uplifting and encouraging. 


You are the reason I write, and as I said to another friend and faithful reader -I hear from him almost every day- "Keep reading and I'll keep writing."

 

Yours in faith and friendship

 Tom


https://www.amazon.com/Home-Run-Leadership-Lessons-Devotional-ebook/dp/B09N38V7BW/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=tom+crenshaw&qid=1638899061&sr=8-2

Monday, December 6, 2021

Leadership Thought: The Day I Lied and Got Caught and the Lesson Learned.

Dear Friends,

It has been said that ‘Things come apart so easily apart when they've been held together by lies or deceit.”

I learned that lesson early on in my ministry. I was teaching and coaching at a military prep school in Syracuse, N.Y. that was struggling financially. We were about to be taken over by another school and each member of our faculty was being individually evaluated by several members from that rival school’s staff. Our individual fates would be decided by a 45-minute classroom evaluation by unknown teachers, and as you can imagine our faculty members, some who had been teaching there for over 40 years, were none too happy. Morale at our school was at an all-time low as one by one, our teachers learned their fate.

Each member of our faculty would individually meet with Dr. Barder, the soon to be new headmaster of the merged schools to learn whether they would be dismissed or retained for the next school year. Many of my friends had already lost their positions and my personal interview was only days ahead. Although I had no idea as to what my outcome would be, I was determined to take things into my own hands by deceitfully seeking to manipulate the process.

I wrote a personal letter of resignation, and my plans were to place that letter in the headmaster’s mailbox before I entered his office. If during the interview, I learned I was about to be dismissed, I would simply refer to my letter of resignation that I had placed in his box and walk away with the satisfaction that I had resigned before I could be fired. However, if I learned I would be retained, my intentions were to grab my letter from his box on my way out of his office and no one would ever know it had ever been written.

Unfortunately, my plan of deception backfired, for in the midst of my meeting, the headmaster’s secretary walked into the office and placed my letter of resignation in front of Dr. Barder. He took one look at it, and I'll never forget his words: “Mr. Crenshaw, it looks like you have already decided you no longer wish to be a part of our new faculty. Good luck. I wish you well. Have a great day.” And that was the end of the brief interview

I was stunned. There have only been a few times in my life when I have been left speechless, but this was one of them. I had been caught red handed. My devious efforts to manipulate the process had backfired and done me in.  I walked out of the headmaster’s office embarrassed and wondering how I could have ever done something so stupid, and yes, 

so sinful.

Although I never discovered whether I was to be dismissed or retained as a member of the new school faculty, I did learn a valuable lesson. I learned that as believers we “must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbors’ (Ephesians 4:25).

A lie is a statement of fact that is contrary to the fact and designed to deceive. All deceit is lying, and all lying is sin, and God hates sin.

Whenever we speak the truth, the Spirit of God is a work, but whenever we tell a lie or seek to deceive, Satan goes to work. 

Lying is a dangerous sin. The first sin of judgment in the early church was the sin of lying when Ananias and Sapphira lied to the church about their financial transactions, and those lies cost them their lives. (Acts 5).

So let us put away all lying and deception, always remembering that falsehood stifles unity; truth strengthens it.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

P.S. “Lies are like scars to the soul. They destroy you.”

Leadership Thought: How Salty Are You, or How to Witness to a World Without Christ.

Dear Friends, 

The methods of doing evangelism have greatly changed over the years.  Crusade or proclamation evangelism with people like Billy Graham preaching to thousands in large venues and visitation evangelism, a ministry method our church once used effectively in Philadelphia in the 70’s, are no longer being done to the extent that they once were. Today there are fewer and fewer people using venues like the malls and public gathering places to personally witness, largely to strangers. This is not to say that people are no longer being saved by these methods, for that would be untrue.

We have a church member who weekly gathers with several other friends to personally witness in a local mall, and he reports that they are seeing people come to Christ on a regular basis. But of all the methods of sharing the gospel, the most effective by far has always been what has been called “Relational evangelism.”

You might be surprised to discover that some of the most visible and well-known ways of doing evangelism have never been as effective as one might have thought. For example, a study of how people come to Christ reveals the following:

A special need drew them, 1- 2%

They just walked in, 2 - 3%

A pastor’s witness or influence, 5- 6%

Church visitation, 1- 2%

Sunday school, 4- 5%

Evangelistic crusade or television show, 0.5%

A church program, 2- 3%

A friend/ relative, 75- 90%

Still the most effective way of reaching people for Christ is relational evangelism in which one builds relational bridges with neighbors, associates, and family members.

These figures probably haven’t changed that much over the years of the church’s existence. In spite of the fact that we often overestimate the significance of crusades, and church programs, and the pastor’s influence, the most effective way still remains one on one, or person to person evangelism.

People predominately come to Christ through a personal relationship with someone that is formed and fashioned over time. They see something in a person’s life that they don’t possess, and they wish to know how they can obtain it.

Someone said, “While you can’t make a horse drink water, you can if you give the horse a salt tablet.” Jesus says we are the salt of the world. We are to make others thirsty to know more about the Jesus that has changed our lives.

We can never be effective in reaching others for Christ if our salt remains inside the shaker. There is no impact without contact. As believers we should be about the business of engaging people, forging, and fashioning relationships that provide opportunities to share the difference Christ has made in our lives.

Pastor Greg Laurie has said, “Christians are not called to isolate but to infiltrate.” If we are serious about fulfilling the mandate of sharing our faith, we must first begin by engaging non-Christians, building relationships, and by our actions, winning a right to be heard. If that is not happening, it might be time to check out salt content before shaking any salt outside our shakers. Just saying!

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Statistics above taken from Going Public with Your Faith, William Carr Peel and Walt Larimore, pp. 28-29

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Leadership Thought: Finishing Strong by Being Consistent Like My Friend.

Dear Friend

One of the joys of writing daily Leadership Thoughts is the encouragement I receive from others who are running the spiritual race with me. Yesterday I received the following e-mail from a good friend I knew in a former church I served. Nearly my age, this friend, a former Marine and a 'semper fi' kind of guy to the core, is determined to complete his spiritual race and finish strong. He e-mailed me yesterday in response to my Leadership Thought on avoiding "destination disease"-growing lax in our spiritual disciplines.

"Good timing. I just finished Day One of the Advent Booklet I purchased in our Christian Bookstore, the only one in our area, and gave it to my wife, who is reading through the Bible for the third time.

You remember that little, small-type NIV booklet I was reading for our church's summer reading of the New Testament? I finished it 6 weeks ago and have been concentrating on Revelation ever since, including a study guide. 

Last week I bought a 12-month subscription of the Daily Bread, which has been the source of discussion for our Men’s Group for the last 30 years and was the source of another Men's group I started about 18 years ago.

I plan to read the Daily Bread daily for my 2022 destination. ‘Gotta’ avoid ‘Destination Disease.’”

No stagnation sickness for my friend. He is spiritually ‘truckin’ and showing no signs of slowing down.

My friend has shown consistency throughout his life, He knows the race is not a sprint, but a marathon and that success is never achieved overnight; It takes time. My friend started slow, but he is now on pace to finish strong.

The growth of our spiritual life largely depends upon consistency. Length is not always strength when it comes to our prayer life. More important is consistency. Length will increase as we consistently spend time with God. It is only natural that as you grow in your love for someone, you will want to spend more time with that person. The same is true in our spiritual life. Don't be made to feel guilty when you read about those great saints of yesteryear who spent hours in prayer. It took each of them time to develop that spiritual discipline, and I bet that every one of them started slow-maybe a few minutes at first- but day after day they found themselves spending more and more time with Him.

Yes, if you want to finish strong spiritually, you must cultivate that “slow and steady wins the race” mentality.  It is important to develop consistency and pace yourself spiritually.

Moses, I am sure, knew something about consistency. In Hebrews 11:27 we read two words: “He endured.” Moses had staying power. He was durable. He was in for the long haul, and even at 80 when others had dropped out of the race, Moses was still going strong and still blessing the lives of others. That's what I want for my life, and that's what I hope you want for yours as well.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Leadership Thought: Have You Ever Been Infected with Destination Disease?

Dear Friends,

I hope none of you ever contracts 'destination disease.' It is particularly prevalent among believers. You know you have it when you start coasting through your spiritual life. Your quest for learning and growing slows its pace or worse yet, even stops. Someone describes the symptoms this way: “If you’re green, you’re growing; if you’re ripe, you rot.” Not a good way to end your spiritual life.

William Barkley, in one of his commentaries writes, “We should count it a wasted day when we do not learn something new and when we have not penetrated more deeply into the wisdom and the grace of God.”

Paul recognized the dangers of stagnation sickness that infects us when we miss opportunities for personal growth and development and possess little or no desire to improve and become what we could be.

One writer says when this happens, “We may begin to feel regret, and if we go long enough without growing, we begin to feel like we have had an unused life. And that is not unlike an early death.”

Paul writes these words to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:15-16: “Be diligent in these matters; Give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely, persevere in them because if you do, (you) will save both yourself and your hearers.”

Another translation expresses it this way: “Take pains with these things, be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all."

Believer, do you have a spiritual growth plan designed to keep you growing, and if not, why not? Maybe today would be a good day to do a little spiritual ‘self-care.’  You might begin by assessing your bible study and devotional life and evaluate the condition of your prayer time and your service to others.  If there are some changes needed, why not develop your own spiritual growth plan?

It has been said that there is only one place where a believer must never stay; he must never “stay put."

Thinking we have arrived spiritually, and that all there is left for us to do  is to go through our own religious motions, while waiting for the rapture to take us home, is one sure way to die an early death, for death always begins where growth ends.

Yours in faith,

Tom

P.S. "The great secret of success is to go through life as a man who never gets used up." Albert Schweitzer