Leadership Thought: Preachers and Their Five Thousand Dollar Sneakers

Dear Friends,

The other day l received an e-mail article from a good  friend. The headline intrigued me: “Preachers and their $5,000 sneakers: Why one man started an Instagram account showing churches’ wealth.”  

The article by Ben Kirby documents well known pastors whose names many would recognize (I choose not to mention them, but should you be interested, you can go to the link at the end of this message for the article). The story spoke of pastors wearing new designer suits in the $ 2,000’s, sporting $5,000 sneakers,  and $ 2,ooo crocodile belts. 

The writer simply asks, “How much is too much? Is it okay to get rich off of preaching about Jesus? Is it okay to be making twice as much as the medium income of your congregation?  Kirby  highlights a nationwide trend of pastors wearing oversized glasses, tight jeans and pricey kicks, who look  like they belonged at your local craft cocktail watering hole instead of church.”  

As one who does much of his clothes shopping at the Calico Cat and Monarch thrift stores, and who gladly welcomes his family’s hand me downs,  not because I am cheap, but because I never met a bargain that I didn’t like,  I was surprised by the lengths some well-known pastors would go to provide  statements of their status. 

My e-mail friend who sent me the article reminded me of the words of well-known evangelical speaker Tony Campolo who happened to be speaking at a church I was pastoring. I was excited to have him share the pulpit after having heard him at an outdoor Creation Festival in the early 90’s when his message on discipleship profoundly impacted my life. 

I  quickly discovered that inviting Tony to speak was a dangerous proposition; it doesn’t come without risk as  Tony is as unbridled as can be and you take your chances for you can never be sure who he is going to challenge, and yes, even offend. Tony has never been known to mince words when talking about the cost of discipleship.

Midway through the message, Tony asked. “If Jesus had been given $40,000 and was living in Haiti, would he have spent it on the purchase of  a new BMW? It was a penetrating question, designed to make some people extremely uncomfortable, and I am sure it did. I still remember wincing and slinking down behind the pulpit hoping to hide my eyes from the icy stares from some of our more wealthy church members. 

My friend remembered the message and reminded me of it, and the fact that I even invited him back for a second time a few years later.  I e-mailed these words back to him:  “Unfortunately, it is so true that there are well respected pastors who are milking their flocks……. Thanks for sending me the article and the reminder of Tony’s message. Don’t you ever go out and buy a new Beemer or a Mercedes!, that is, unless you want to be the subject in my next Leadership Thought.” 

The writer of Proverbs reminds us “Trust in your money and down you go! Trust in God and flourish as a tree!” No, the Bible is not suggesting it is wrong to have and enjoy wealth, but only that one needs to be careful how you use it, for wrongly used, it will destroy you. 

Pastor Rick Warren  writes in one of his recent  Pastors’ Newsletters, “Money shows what you love most, (and) shows you what your trust most……….. There is a direct connection between maturity and money. There is a direct connection between God’s blessing in your life and what you do with your cash. Don’t miss the connection. How you handle money determines how much God can bless your life.” The bible says, “If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own” (Luke 16 :11-12)? 

I know I may have lost some friends among those of you who own and drive new and expensive cars but having been to Haiti several times on mission trips I don’t apologize for the challenge. It is easy to wear WWJD bracelets on our wrists; it’s another thing to be good stewards of worldly wealth.  

I don’t begrudge any one for the money they make or how they choose to spend it. However, let me provide one last suggestion: “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10). 

Read more at … https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2021/03/22/preachers-sneakers-instagram-wealth/

                                                Adapted from a previous Leadership Thought

Leadership Thought: Are You a Member of the Compliment Club?

Dear Friends,

If encouragement is oxygen to the soul, and we can’t live very long without it, and if the Bible frequently exhorts us to encourage one another, (1 Thess. 5:11 and Hebrews 10: 25), why is it that so few people take the time to offer it?

Encouragement is so easy to give. It takes little effort and only a few seconds to give, and yet a few timely words can make a person's day.

The other day, I was having lunch with a friend, and our waitress was especially helpful and attentive.

As she stopped by for the 3^rd time to ask us how we were doing, I thanked her for her continued attention, and I told her how impressed I was with her service.

I said, “In my book, you are the waitress of the year,” and with those words, her face lit up, and she replied, “Thank you, thank you, you will never know how much those words meant to me.”

Just a few short words, but those words helped make a server’s day.

It was Mother Teresa who said, “Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are endless.”

I still hear those encouragement echoes from my mother, from coaches I’ve had, friends I’ve made, and nurses who recently tended to me while I was in the hospital.

“Great job,” “you can do it,” “I believe in you,” are words everyone longs to hear.

New Testament writer William Barclay states, “One of the highest of human duties is the duty of encouragement. It is easy to laugh at men’s ideals; it is easy to pour cold water on their enthusiasm; It is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage another. Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. Blessed is the man who speaks such a word.” William Barkley, The Letter to the Hebrews.

Today I want to challenge you to be intentional. Be on the lookout for  opportunities to encourage someone.

Give positive feedback, let someone know how they helped you, smile, offer a compliment, send a card or write a letter, listen with not only your ears but your heart, express your care, follow up, hug someone, and notice when people encourage you and thank them.

Join the compliment club and you will not only bless others, but you yourself will be blessed for as we all know. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: Leadership Wisdom from One of the World’s Greatest Leaders

Dear Friends,

During my hip surgery recovery, I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time revisiting several books I had previously read  on the subject of leadership, What I share are some of the notes  I had taken from  The Leader's Greatest Return, by John Maxwell, a book I first read in 2022. I am indebted to John for his leadership wisdom, and most all of what I've written derives  from notes I had taken from the first chapter or John's bestselling book.

My hope is that you will find some nuggets of wisdom that will assist you in becoming a more effective leader.

You may be saying, "Tom, you don't know me. I am not a leader," but nothing could be further from the truth, for everyone is a leader. If leadership could be summed up in one word, and I think it can, it  would be the word influence. You are either a good influence or a bad influence, and the kind of leader you are- a good leader of a bad leader will depend on the kind of influence you exercise. 

“What are the qualities one looks for in searching for a leader?  I suggest you develop your own list. In doing so you might write down words like attitude, relatability, integrity, creativity, personality, intelligence, determination.......Half the battle in finding a good leader is knowing what you are looking for.”

“Recognize that everyone you invite to be a part of your team will do one of two things- make you better or worse, for people decisions cannot be hidden.” 

“Dale Carnegie states ‘Men are developed in the same way gold is mined... Several tons of dirt must be moved to get an ounce of gold, but you don't go into the mine looking for dirt, you go into the mine looking for gold.”

“Great leaders have the ability to make others greater by helping increase the vision they have of themselves.”

“When you believe in your people, they begin to believe in themselves. When people believe in you, they will try harder to please you. Abraham Lincoln said, ‘I'm a  success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down.’" 

“People who believe in you will bring out the best in you”…When you think of high points in your life,  you often will think of some important person's  words of encouragement spoken to you during the course of your life, and those words were life changing. I personally will never forget the words of a former pastor friend Dick Armstrong who told me over the phone, "You are the man for the position," and those words instilled within me the  kind of confidence that assured me that I was capable of leading an inter racial inner city church in Philadelphia church in spite of having no previous experience in urban or inter racial ministry.

“Abraham Lincoln said 'I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me, and I didn't have the heart to let him down.’  It is true that people who believe in you bring out the best in you. Former politician Mark Sanborn said, “great leaders help people have a larger vision of themselves.”

“When hiring someone, there are four questions that are helpful to ask to determine if the person will be a good fit. “

“1. How did the culture at your last company empower or disempower you?

2. What are the character traits of the best boss you ever had?

3. Describe how you handle conflicts with one of your coworkers?

 4. What form of feedback do you expect to receive in this role and how often do you expect to receive it?”

“When you bring someone new onto your team, make sure they have clear expectations. Remind them that they are expected to keep growing, and that they must value other people, always take responsibility for their actions and never avoid tough conversations.”

“A former Delta Air executive, ‘ Says we hire for attitude, but we train for aptitude....... Good leaders want more for their people than they want for themselves. ……….Empathy is critical and combined with integrity, it drives trust and gives followers a sense that their interests are being looked after, and this creates positive energy. Followers who sense that a leader appreciates them are motivated to carry out their duties in a more committed way.’”

“It's important to know whether your workers enjoy work. Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, loves what he does so much that he says, ' I tap dance to work every day,' and Tommy Lasorda, former Los Angeles baseball  manager, when asked about his attitude, 'said the best day of my life is when I manage a winning game. The second-best day of my life is when I manage a losing game.'”

“Character is about managing your life so well that you can lead others well. The formation of your character produces predictability, dependability, and consistency, and these three qualities motivate people to place their confidence in you”. 

I hope some of the above leadership insights can assist you whether you are in formal or informal leadership positions or not.

And again ,I thank John Maxwell for his insights found in The Leaders Greatest Return

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought : An Important Theological Term You Might Not Know

Dear Friends,

One of my favorite pastors and Bible commentators is Jon Courson who has written a set of Old and New Testament commentaries that I find of great use when seeking to illustrate difficult biblical truth.

One such truth is the term propitiation; a word John, the apostle of love, uses to describe what Jesus did for us on the cross. 

In 1 John 2:1-2, John, writes: “My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father- Jesus Christ, the righteous One. He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for our sins, but also for those of the whole world."

In bringing to light the meaning of the theological word propitiation, he shares a wonderful illustration to reveal its significance.

Jon writes. “The tactic of our defense attorney is not to manipulate the evidence for us or to make excuses for our Sin. No, our advocate bases his entire case upon the fact that He is the propitiation for our sins. That is, He took upon himself, the righteous indignation of the Father that should have been hurled on us.  

“Think of it this way. While driving 80 miles an hour through downtown Medford, Oregon, I’m pulled over by an officer of the law and taken into a courtroom. But although I walk in with knees knocking and face perspiring, I am greatly relieved to discover that the presiding judge is my dad.

That is why there is a smile on my face even after the evidence against me is presented. After all, the judge is my dad, and he knows boys will be boys.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I hear his voice thunder, “Guilty. The fine is $5000 or five years in jail.”

“How can this be?” I cry. “You’re my dad.”

“Sir,” he answers, “in this courtroom I am your judge. And justice must be done.”

So, I opened my wallet to pay the fine, but all I found was a crumbled dollar bill and some change. And just as a bailiff is about to slap cuffs on my wrist and haul me to jail, the judge stands up, deliberately takes off his robe, and leaves the bench to stand beside me and to pay my fine.

Thus, justice is served because the price for my sin of speeding was paid – not by me, but by my father who paid a debt. I was completely unable to pay.

And that is exactly what happened when Jesus Christ became the propitiation, the payment for my sin.

And now you know the meaning of this significant theological word. God in his infinite love for you chose to appease and satisfy His righteous anger against sin through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross. In doing so, He turns  away His divine wrath and makes reconciliation possible by satisfying His justice while still allowing Him to be just and merciful. Aren’t you glad He did?

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: Faith and Fear, The Tale of Two Wolves

Dear Friends,

Recently I visited a friend who had recently been diagnosed with cancer. The news was a shock for her, and she was concerned about how she would address the fear that comes when one faces a life-threatening situation.

As we talked, I thought of a simple story I heard several years ago.

It’s an old Cherokee tale of two wolves. One evening an old Cherokee Indian told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside all people. He said, “My son, “There is a battle going on inside us between two wolves. One wolf is faith, and the other wolf is fear.”

The grandchild thought about his words for a moment and asked, “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

In this simple but profound little story, there is a wonderful lesson. Each of us has choices in life, and the choices we make will make us. They will shape our experience, for good or for bad.

One can face life’s challenges with faith or fear, and the choice is left to us. The wolves of fear and faith are constantly fighting to control our mind and our thoughts and the one that prevails will be the one which we feed. Feed fear and you will be fearful. Choose faith and you will be hopeful.

Faith and fear cannot exist together. Faith is described in Hebrews 11:1 one as “Being certain of what we do not see.” It is an absolute belief that God is constantly working behind the scenes in every area of our lives, even when there is no tangible evidence to support that fact. On the other hand, fear, simply stated, is unbelief or weak belief. As the “wolf” of unbelief gains the upper hand in our thoughts, fear takes hold of our emotions. But if we feed the wolf of faith, we find that hope and encouragement begin controlling our life.

 We need to understand that faith is not something that we can produce ourselves for faith is a gift produced in our lives by the Holy Spirit. The Christian’s faith is revealed in a confident assurance that the God who loves us, who knows our fears, and who cares about our deepest needs, will continue to provide and protect as we face whatever situation might confront us.

Our faith will continue to grow as we feed the ‘wolf of faith’ and learn of God’s many faith-filled promises as seen in the Bible. The more we learn about God’s faithfulness in trials (Read all of Hebrews 11), the more we will see Him working in our lives and the stronger our faith will become.

My closing comment to the person I was visiting was  to stay in God’s word and memorize it- “hide it in your heart”- and after returning home I sent her the following 10 verses to help feed her “wolf of faith.”

Hebrews 11:1-40, Joshua 1:9, Psalm 23:4, 2 Timothy 1:7, Isaiah 41:10, I Peter 5:7, Psalm 91:1-10, Philippians 4:19, Matthew 6:34-35, Psalm 56:3.

I hope that any of you who might be fighting the faith versus fear battle will cling to these verses and find the hope and victory that God promises you.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: Dealing with the Pain of Loss During the Christmas Season

Dear Friend, 

I am sitting here at my desk this morning reflecting on what I might write for today's Leadership Thought. I confess that Christmas and other holidays are hard for me as these special days are generally a time when I am with my family, and there will always be that empty chair around the dinner table. 

It has been my third Christmas without Jean, and as I write I confess the thought of her not being with us on Christmas morning fills my heart with sadness. 

They say each year gets a little easier, but those who have lost loved ones know that this is not always the case. Sadness is often the uninvited guest who shows up unexpectedly as families gather to celebrate this special day.

One of the best antidotes for addressing the pain of one's sadness is forgetting oneself and serving and caring for others. Knowing this, I decided to spend  time making phone calls to some of my friends who had recently lost loved ones and who would be facing their first Christmas with that dreaded empty chair.

Noted pastor and author Chuck Swindoll understands the value of serving others. He invites us to be to be daily "gift givers" as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, and he lists some special gifts we can offer to others in an  article  titled "The Gift That Keeps on Giving."

·        Seek out a forgotten friend. ·        Dismiss suspicion. ·        Hug someone tightly and whisper, "I love you." ·        Forgive an enemy. ·        Be gentle and patient with an angry person. ·        Express appreciation. ·        Gladden the heart of a child. ·        Make or bake something for someone else. Anonymously. ·        Listen. ·        Speak kindly to a stranger. ·        Enter another's sorrow. ·        Smile. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more. ·        Lessen your demands on others. ·        Apologize if you were wrong. ·        Talk together with the television off. ·        Do the dishes for the family. ·        Give a soft answer even though you feel strongly. ·        Encourage an older person. ·        Point out one thing you appreciate about someone. ·        Offer to babysit for a weary mother. This is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 Let's make Christmas one long, extended gift of ourselves to others-just like God's great gift of love to us- unselfishly and without announcement, obligation, or reservation, or hesitation. Now that's what I call Merry Christmas! Yours in faith and friendship, Tom

Leadership Thought: Whoever Said Pastors Should Never Become Too Close to Their People?

Dear Friends,

Years ago, I remember reading an article discouraging pastors from getting too close to their members. “Don’t make close friends with some of them or you will be accused of favoritism which will create issues for your ministry.” 

I can tell you after nearly 60 years of ministry I am so glad I ignored that writer's supposed ‘wisdom.’

I know Jean and I would never have survived the ministry if it had not been for those special friends who stood with us during difficult times. I am still involved in ministry today because of many of those wonderful friends that strengthened and encouraged me during those sometimes dark and discouraging days of ministry.

Six months ago, I began recalling some of those special friends who have made a significant difference in me and my family’s life. My list of people has now grown to 25, and it’s still growing. Next to each name, I have written a paragraph or two describing why I am thankful for their love and encouragement, and I plan on sharing my thankfulness with each one of them during the next several months. These people are all notable members in the Crenshaw’s Hall of Fame.

Christmas and other holidays can be rough for those who have lost loved ones.  One of those Hall of Famers must have known I needed love with Christmas just around the corner, and in my e-mail was the following note: “Tom, I have been meaning to reach out to you. Glad to hear you benefitted from your Grief Share group. I pray as you join your family for this third Christmas without Jean there will be great comfort and support around the table as you all continue to grieve. I pray that God’s grace will cover each of your family’s hearts as you continue to adjust to living without her.” 

“May God bless each of you in a very unique and personal way this ‘Christ’mas season.” 

“Love and miss you, ___.”

After reading that letter, I went back to my desk, physically and spiritually fortified by my friend’s kind and loving words.

For the next hour, I took time to recall a number of the blessings of the many wonderful friends whose love has made a difference in me and my family’s lives.  And as I did, how grateful I was that I had ignored that writer's exhortation to avoid getting too close to my congregation.

In 1985 it was the number one chart topper. In fact, it was the number one song of the year. It was sung by Dionne Warwick. and you probably can recite some of those words from “That’s What Friends Are For.”

"Keep smiling. Keep shining. knowing that you can always count on me for sure. That's what friends are for."

My mom used to remind me that, “The best way to have a friend was to be a friend,” and I hope that the many wonderful friendships that Jean and I enjoyed throughout our years of ministry are the result of our efforts to out my mom’s advice.

In one of my Bibles, I keep a stack of a growing number of love letters of encouragement that over the years I have received from dear friends who have been a part of my ministry.

Unquestionably, that Bible would be among one of the first things I would seek to retrieve should a fire ever consume our home. 

When the church at Philippi heard Paul was sick and in prison in Rome, they sent Epaphroditus on a 700-mile trip to visit him.

When it was time for Epaphroditus to return home, Paul was concerned that his friend would have to make the return trip alone.

There were a lot of acquaintances Paul could have asked to accompany Epaphroditus on his dangerous 700-mile desert travel home, but instead of turning to his acquaintances, he turned to his good friend Timothy, and he asked him to join Epaphroditus on his trip home,” but that’s what friends are for.”

I hope you all have those “forever friends”

Pastor and author Charles Stanley writes, “No matter what our position or status in life, we all need friends, especially those who are genuine, loyal, and lasting. If we have found a friend like this, we should be grateful, because he or she is a priceless possession.” (Charles Stanley, Sermon on Strong Friendships, part. 1)

 So, get writing, get calling, get visiting, and if you do, there is no telling how many treasured friends you might make and how. many lives you might bless, “for that’s what friends are for.”

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

P. S. “If the world is cold, make it your business to build fires.” Horace Taubel