Friday, January 28, 2022

 

Leadership Thought: The Day I Had Breakfast with A Prisoner, Who Has Become a Prisoner of Christ.

Dear Friend,

This week I sat across the table from a released prisoner who had just spent 30 years of a 50-year prison sentence for robbery and murder.  Released late this past summer for good behavior, Phil was no longer a prisoner of sin, but he was now a prisoner for Christ.

We first met a few years ago when I was involved in a prison ministry at Calvary Chapel, Old Bridge, N.J. I was a part of a team from the church that was leading services at Rahway State, a maximum-security prison for those committing the most serious of crimes.

With a wife who had left him, a family that had turned their back on him, his only friends were those in prison garb. His past had finally caught up with him, and he had little to look forward to but serving the remainder of his life behind prison bars.

But shortly after entering prison, Phil came to know Jesus through the witness of another inmate, and his life was radically transformed. From drinking to drugs, to robbery and then murder, Phil had led a very violent past, but it all changed the day when he met a fellow inmate, and he turned his life over to Jesus.

Following his acceptance of Christ, Phil had become the prison gardener, as well as one of the volunteer prison chaplains. Following my first visit to the prison, I met him several more times, and I was always impressed with the reality of his faith and his witness for Christ.

During our breakfast, Phil gave me a printed copy of his testimony. When I got home, I learned more of the specifics of his conversion.

Phil writes, “Tony told me of a new life in Christ, of hope and forgiveness of sins. I'm on the knees of my heart for the first time with my ear to the air vent. For the first time I hear what God's word says, I repented, God opened my eyes, gave me a new heart, and put his Holy Spirit in me (Ezekiel 30: 25-27). Immediately I experienced forgiveness and peace…the backpack of sin and guilt is gone. I have no more need of ‘fig leaves’ to cover my sin. The blood of Jesus did it all.”

“An hour later they led me out of the hole, and I got a burning desire to read God’s Word. I see Tony and I find out it was a mistake for him to be in the hole and he fought it all the way. But God was in control, and He knew his child Phillip was ‘gonna’ die if He didn't get Tony there quick. He knew I was finally broken. Are you broken yet? What more will it take in your life? God simply wants you to see your helplessness without him.”

I can identify with Phil. Oh, my life had never spiraled out of control like his, and my sinfulness was mild in comparison, but sin has no degrees, and like Phil I too had an empty hole in my heart that could only be filled with God’s love.

If you have that same emptiness, Jesus can fill it. If you have a broken heart, God can heal it. If you want a changed life, you can do as Phil did and as I did when I knelt beside my bunk in 1962 at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Conference in Lake Geneva, Wisc.

Paul writes. “If anyone be in Christ, he becomes a new creature. The old has passed away, and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

If you want to experience a newness of life, a radical change from the inside out, I encourage you to do as I did in following the ABC’s of conversion. Acknowledge you are a sinner, Believe Jesus died for you sins, and Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life. If you do, it will be the greatest decision you will ever make.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

 

Leadership Thought: A Talk with John Maxwell About My Future I Will Never Forget.

Dear Friends,

I am a great believer in ‘growing while you’re going, ‘learning while you’re listening.’ The apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5:16 that we are to “redeem” or make the most of our time, and one way I can do that is by continually filling my mind with the wisdom of others.

This is why on my afternoon walks with my dog Maggie, I am almost always accompanied by another walking friend, and yesterday it was the well-known leadership expert John Maxwell. I figure anyone who has written over 100 books must have something of value to say, and he did

Our conversation was private, just me, Maggie and John talking and teaching me through my I phone.

I learned a lot on yesterday’s walk, and because I didn’t want to forget any of John’s wisdom, so I re listened to him while typing some of the valuable lessons I learned during our conversation, and I thought I would share some of these lessons with you today.

John’s message dealt with the importance of focusing on the future, and not the past. As he spoke, I was reminded of what the apostle Paul had to say about this subject. He said, “We are to forget about the past and look forward to the future as we press on to the upward call of Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

John reminded me that “the future is drained by looking back to what might have been” and that we reveal our potential by where we focus. He reminded me that, “If what I did yesterday seems big, I haven’t done anything today.” One remark he made that I will never forget is that “a doubled minded focus depletes energy.”

He quoted the wisdom he had learned from a couple of his friends, one of whom had said, “The most tiring exercise in the world is carrying yesterday on your back.” He quoted Mark McCormack, a sports representative and author who taught him that, “You can’t think clearly about your future if you’re obsessed with the past.”

John stressed to me that “unless I believed in myself, I would never believe in my future.”

During our walk, I learned I must be careful not to “yearn for the past and get stuck in it, but to learn from the past and then let go of it.”

And probably the most important lessons I learned yesterday was a lesson in ‘home improvement.’  He said, “It is better to construct the future than to varnish the past.” I thought to myself how easy it is for me to live in the past, to varnish up past accomplishments and achievements. But such a backward focus will only obscure even greater growth opportunities and accomplishments that might still lie ahead. Wow, that really struck me as important to keep in mind.

John told me he gets tired of talking to people who are always dreaming about the future, but who are doing nothing today that will help them accomplish what they want in their future. “I don’t have time for such people,” he said, “for such people are only involved in wishful thinking and not purposeful planning.”

John reminded me that If I am not doing something today to help me achieve tomorrow’s dream, I am wasting my time. He said, “if I would do today what I want to do tomorrow, and if I will do it well enough, tomorrow will arrive,” and I might add, so will my dream.

And as I arrived back home, John concluded our time together by leaving with me with this parting thought: “The future is that time when you’ll wish you had done what you aren’t doing now.”

Is there someone you would like to get to know better? It’s easy. Just charge up your phone, put on your ear buds, and take a listen. I promise you that you’ll be amazed at the things you can learn about living for the future.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

 

Leadership Thought: The Best Way to Grow Your Church.

Dear Friends,

How is your church growing? That is the question every member should be asking. There are three ways a church grows A church grows biologically. Your parents went to church, and as children you grew up attending that church and today you are still a part of that church. You are there because that is the only church you have ever known. In our rapidly migrating culture, not many of those biological members are left today.

A second from of growth is transfer growth. People, for whatever reason, have decided to leave their church and join another, and they show up on your doorstep looking for a new place to settle.

And the third form of church growth is conversion growth. People unite with your church as new believers. That is the way the early church grew and that is the way today healthy church should be growing.

The real measure of a church’s health is not biological growth or transfer growth but conversion growth. Church leaders should always be asking how many of your members are new believers who have been recently won to Christ, and not just biological or transfer members.

Today in rapidly growing suburbs, many churches are experiencing significant growth, but their growth is misleading, for much of it is simply the result of members moving into a growing area and transferring their membership from one church to another.

If you really want to know whether your church is healthy, leaders must ask themselves who are the new people filling your seats? Are they biological members, transfer members, or members by conversion?

The early church grew because everywhere believers went, they gossiped the gospel. Non-believers watched the way believers lived and they were curious to know what made them so different.

I often remind our church that “every member is a minister.” Every member should be an AOC member: “Always on Call.” Every Sunday member should be praying for opportunities to meet and serve others, but especially those who are visiting your church and who may not know the Lord.

For such visitors, you may become their ‘Welcome Table,’ or ‘Guest Service’ provider.

I often remind our members that they should come to church with an outreach mindset in anticipation of meeting and making new friends. They should be on the lookout for ways to build relational bridges with those visitors who may be non-believers.

Too often members focus on fellowshipping with their friends on Sunday, while ignoring those who are visitors. What a difference it would make if every member would be outreach oriented, determined to make friends with new people and focused on discovering ways to love and serve them.  “How can I help you,” should be in the back of every member’s mind as he/she meets new people.

As believers we are called to ‘find a need and fill it,’ and the only way we can find that need and fill it is by taking the time to be good listeners, to hear the hurting heart and offer help and encouragement.

If we want to see our church grow in the most important way-through the conversion of non-believers-we must focus on our visitors, build bridges of friendship with them by loving and serving them, while always looking for opportunities to share with them the glorious, good news of the gospel. That’s the best way to grow our church.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Leadership Thought: Jesus, Country Music, and the Spiritual Classics.

Dear Friends,

What am I going to write about? Each morning I wake up early with the goal of writing something worth reading, something that will encourage you, challenge you, and hopefully point you to Jesus. Sometimes words come easy, and I know right off what I want to say. Sometimes, however, I struggle, and I am not sure what to write or where to begin.

This morning was one of those days. I lay in bed wondering what to share and the thought of music came to mind. Not just any music, but country music and specifically the spiritual side of country music.

Those who know me, are aware that I am passionate enthusiast of classic country music. I’ve attended concerts of Reba McEntire, Don Williams, Randy Travis, Merle Haggard, Travis Tritt, Brooks and Dunn, and my favorite concert of all, George Strait’s Farewell Tour. There is something about country music that speaks to me. I suspect it’s the stories in the music that moves my heart.

I have been rewatching Ken Burns 8-part documentary on Country Music, and if you haven’t seen it, it is a must watch. I promise you that whether you enjoy country music or not, watching this documentary will give you a new appreciation for this music genre. I bet by the time you finish watching it, some of you will be up and dancing to Boot ‘Scootin’ Boogie by Brooks and Dunn.

But as I lay awake this morning, I started reflecting on country songs that carry a spiritual message, ones that have drawn people closer to Jesus. I scrolled through a number of songs, listened to a few of them- and while I knew most of them, there were a few that were new to me. Having done so, I came up with “Crenshaw’s Country Spiritual Classics,” songs that I thought you would enjoy, but more importantly that would point you to Jesus.

They include Carrie Underwood’s, “Jesus Take the Wheel,” recently voted the 4th best country song of the decade and the song that kicked off her career as a country music super star.  Also, on the list is one of my favorites, “Three Wooden Crosses” by Randy Travis whose music career was sadly cut short by a stroke. Included on my list is Brooks and Dunn’s, powerful rendition of “Believe,” and Alabama’s “Angels Among Us.” On that list is Steve Wariner’s “Holes in the Floor of Heaven,” one of my all-time favorites. And who could forget the gospel classics, “The Old Rugged Cross” and “The Family Bible” by two of country’s greatest singers, the late Johnny Cash and George Jones?  

I can guarantee listening to Vince Gill sing “Go Rest High on That Mountain” will bring tears to your eyes. It was written for the funeral of the late Keith Whitely who died far too young, and it was sung at the funeral of George Jones by Vince and Patty Loveless (bring the tissues). Josh Turner, a strong believer, has two of my favorites on the list, “The Long Black Train” and “Me and God.” George Strait has a powerful rendition of “I Saw God Today,” and included on my list is “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts

I listened to a few songs that I had never heard before that are worth listening to: Brad Paisley’s “When I Get Where I’m Going,” John Michael Montgomery’s “The Little Girl,” “New Again” by Sara Evans and Brad Paisely, “Thy Will” by Hillary Scott and  the Scott family, “Something in the Water by Carrie Underwood and one I especially loved, “When I Get Where I am Going,” by Brad Paisely and Dolly Parton.

And when you have listened to all of  them,  I suggest the following: Garth Brooks, “Unanswered Prayer,” Merle Haggard, “Pray”, Tammy Wynette, “Precious Memories,” Willie Nelson, “Uncloudy Days,” The Carter Family, “Can the Circle be Unbroken,” Dolly Parton, “He’s Alive,”   Kris Kristofferson, “Why Me Lord,” Hank Williams, “I Saw the Light,” and the all-time country classic, “The Great Speckled Bird” by Roy Acuff.

That’s enough to get your day started with a little “singspiration.” Let me know what you think about my choices and be sure and include your all-time spiritual country classics.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom


 

Leadership Thought: The Day We Were Thrown Out of the Mall for Witnessing.

Dear Friends

Seconds after we had left the table in the Menlo Park Mall, one of our team members was sharing with his first prospect. You see John was a part of an evangelism class at our church, and a few of us in the class had decided to put feet to our faith and share Jesus in the mall’s food court.

Now while I have been a part of such ’cold calling’ evangelistic ventures in the past, I always feel a degree of anxiety about going up to a stranger and witnessing. I know the chances are high, that I may face ridicule and rejection, and most people I know don’t enjoy these kinds of conversational outcomes.

Now when it comes to sharing my faith, I am much more relationally oriented. I prefer building a relationship with someone before sharing my faith with them, but I know that we are called to share our faith in season and out of season, and we are commanded to go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel, and a crowded food court seems as much a part of the world as any. And so, after prayer, and armed with gospel tracts, we set out on our mission to share our faith.

I would be the first one to agree that this kind of witnessing is not as effective in today’s church culture as other forms of evangelism, but if it was good enough for the believers in the early church, I presume it ought to be good enough for believers today. If we are told to go into all the world and share the gospel, I guess a food court is as much a part of the world as any, so off we went.

Those early disciples were told that they no longer could preach the gospel in the streets and in public places, but that didn’t deter them, for we find them preaching Christ everywhere they went, even on the steps of the Jewish temple which would be a plenty dangerous place to preach.

After being arrested for witnessing and healing a lame man and being told to cease their witnessing Peter and John said,” Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge. For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).

As American Christians, we have enjoyed relative freedom when it comes to sharing our faith, but things are now changing. Today, among all religions, Christianity is the most persecuted religion of any and the persecution is becoming more and more intense. Those who rule are continually discovering ways to muzzle our message.  In fact, only a few minutes after we began witnessing, we were confronted by security who told us we must cease as we did not have official permission to witness in the mall.

However, despite the growing resistance to those seeking to proclaim our faith, the good news is that it is during times of persecution that the church has always grown the most.

Sometimes like Peter and the Apostles, we must stiffen our spiritual backbones and go for it. Sometimes we have to say, “Enough is enough” and with Peter simply proclaim, “We must obey God and not man” (Acts 5:29).

Billy Graham once said. “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened” (The Right to Lead, John Maxwell, p. 23).

I closed with an example of that kind of courage we should all possess. A 19th century circuit- riding preacher named Peter Cartwright was prepared to deliver a sermon on Sunday when he was warned that President Andrew Jackson would be in attendance. Cartwright was asked to keep his remarks inoffensive. During that message, Cartwright included this statement: “I have been told that Andrew Jackson is in this congregation. And I have been asked to guard my remarks. What I must say is that Andrew Jackson will go to hell if he doesn't repent of his sin.”

After the sermon, Jackson strode up to Cartwright. “Sir,” the President said, “if I had a regiment of men like you, I could whip the world.”

It is true that courage, as someone has said, can be defined by a three-letter word and the word is "YES."

May there be more and more “Yeses” in our spiritual vocabulary when it comes to sharing our faith

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Thursday, January 20, 2022

Leadership Thought: Why You Need to Love Your Enemy in Our Politically Charged World.

Dear Friends,

I was intrigued by the Message translation of John 3:16-18, one of the Bible’s best-known passages.

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. “God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him (John 3:16-18). 

What really caught my attention in this passage was “God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was.”

God didn’t point his finger at us, and neither should we point our finger at one another. Today we are on the verge of culture collapse as we watch our politicians playing the finger pointing game.  

No wonder nothing is getting done in Congress where contention is the rule of the day and where collaboration and compromise are forgotten things of the past. Government is at a political standstill, and things will remain this way as long as our leaders continue to despise and detest those who disagree with them. The time is right for our leaders to adopt a new strategy and instead of finger pointing, I suggest they might try some hand extending.

What’s happening in our political world is also happening in our relational world where many of us are guilty of also playing the finger pointing game. Political differences are dividing us. Friends are lost and relationships are shattered, as we argue over masks, vaccination policy, and political points of view, and the result is that our relationships are disintegrating right before our eyes.

As believers we must learn to disagree without allowing our disagreement to destroy our friendships.  We must learn to value and love others in ways that transcend our differences, no matter how significant those differences may seem.  Those who disagree with us are not our enemies. We are the real enemy if we choose to harbor hatred and espouse enmity toward one another because they don’t think like us.

If we don’t learn to love and value people who are different from us-politically, socially, relationally- we will destroy the relational bridges we need to cross to win them for Christ. If we only respect the people who share our same values and beliefs, how will we ever relate to and reach those whose views and values are different from ours?  Unless we a build bridges of friendships with them, the walls of our differences will grow and become more pronounced.

Jesus tells us to love our enemies, and as believers we have no choice. Love is not an option; it is a command that must never be forgotten. “A new commandment I give to you that you should love one another as I have loved you.”

Unless and until we stop finger pointing, we will never extend our hands and hearts to them, so they might catch a glimpse of Jesus.

How I view things is how I do things, and if I view people as my enemy I will treat them as my enemy, but if I view them as Jesus viewed them, as friends, I will treat them as friends and the Gospel doorway will be open.

Charles Spurgeon was right when he said, “Our love ought to follow the love of God in one point, namely, in always seeking to produce reconciliation. It was to this end that God sent His Son.”

You and I have no choice but to do as Jesus did. You may not like your brother or sister, but you are still called to love him/her for the sake of Christ, so stop pointing and start praying, stop blaming and start blessing, stop grumbling and start growing your grace filled life, for anything else is not an option.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Leadership Thought: Two Letters from Readers I Will Never Forget.

Dear Friends,

One of my greatest joys and one of the reasons I look forward to getting up early each morning is to be able to communicate some thought or idea that I hope might be a source of encouragement to you. You see I was born to be an encourager. Throughout my life I have been blessed to have had many friends whose encouragement has made a significant difference in my life. The people’s name on that list are far too many to name, but their love, support and encouragement have blessed my life in ways beyond my ability to measure.

Whether it was my mom, or coaches, or teachers, or pastors and church members, or ministry associates, or friends like you on my Leadership Thought e-mail list, you have been a refuge of encouragement, and I want to say thanks. It is largely because of encouragers like you that I harbor such a deep longing to encourage others and why I write a daily Leadership Thought.

I have never personally met some of you receiving this e-mail.  We became friends because someone passed along one of my Leadership Thoughts to you, and you took the time to express your thanks, and you asked if I would add you to my mailing list. Some of you I have known for a long time. You may have been a member of one of the seven churches I have served.  You may have been a high school or college friend I’ve known since the 60’s. But whoever you are, I thank you for taking the time to not only read these messages, but to respond with some form of thanks or encouragement. I often say to people like you, “If you keep reading, I’ll keep writing.”

I carry with me some of your kind words in response these daily Leadership Thoughts. Some of them are tucked away in the front of my bible where I can readily access them on those days when I need heavy doses of encouragement.

Just last week I received the following e-mail from a former church member who was responding to a recent message I shared on the power of the encouraging hug.

She writes, "In 1988, late November, or most likely December, it was one Sunday morning after our worship service. You had just come down from the pulpit, and I was enveloped in a strong hug while crying through the trauma of the trial. Oh, how much that hug meant to me. No one in my life was hugging me at that time. It was like I was a leper. You were Jesus’ Surrogate in that moment. It meant so much to me.”

Who would have ever thought that a hug would be remembered from the late 80’s?

Just last week I received an e-mail from a member of another church I pastored who was responding to my challenge to get outside our comfort zones and do some Kingdom service.

Thank you, Tom, for a reminder to call people.  We are snowed in today so will spend the day calling folks we haven't contacted in a while.”

And a few days later I received a follow up message indicating they had spent the afternoon contacting 8 senior saints who were on the church shut in list.

These are the kind of responses that keep me writing and keep me ever grateful for knowing that in some small way I am making a difference in people’s lives, and for that I continue to be thankful.

I’d love to hear from you, and if I do, I promise I will always try to respond in a timely fashion.

Thanks for your friendship,

Tom

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

 

Leadership Thought: A Lesson About Friendship from Casey Stengel I Will Never Forget.

Dear Friends,

How does one become wise? The answer is simple. He walks with wise people.  The Bible reminds us that, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm" (Proverbs 13:20).

We can learn a lot about a person by asking who his friends are. The old saying, “A rotten apple spoils the barrel” is often applied to friendships, and with good reason. Our friends and associates profoundly impact who we are and what we will become.

How important it is that we choose good friends, and that we encourage our children to do the same. They will resemble the friends they make.

Charles “Tremendous” Jones was fond of saying, “What you will become in five years will be determined by what you read and with whom you associate.” Your friendships will determine your future. 

I love the old story told by the late Casey Stengel, who managed the New York Yankees to numerous World Championships. One day, Billy Martin, a former player and manager himself, asked Casey the secret of managing success.

Stengel's response to this rookie manager was classic. He said, “On any team you will have 15 players who love you and who will run through a wall for you. You will also have five players who will hate your guts and fight you every step of the way, and finally you will have five who are undecided about how they feel about you. The secret of success is to keep the five guys who hate your guts away from the five who are undecided. When you make out your rooming list, always room your losers together. Never room a good guy with a loser. Those losers who stay together will always blame the manager for everything, but it won't spread if you keep them isolated.”

What was Stengel saying? Simply this, “Bad company corrupts good character,” or as one pastor friend of mine puts it, “Holy friends hinder bad behavior.”

The Bible teaches, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17) Putting ourselves in touch with wise, stimulating, faith building, positive thinking, moral living, people will help us move ahead in our own Christian life.

Thomas Fuller was right when he said, “it is best to be with those in time we hope to be with in eternity.”

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: How Your Dog Can Tell Who Your Friends Are.

Dear Friends,

Do you know how to tell who your real friends are? Let me tell you. I walk our dog, “Maggie,” most afternoons, and often on the last leg of my walk I will drop by the home of John and Teddie O’Neill, church members and longtime friends.

Last week as I got ready to ascend the small hill on the final leg of my walking journey, I mentioned to Maggie, “We are going to see John and Teddie,” and immediately she got excited and started barking and pulling on the leash as if to say, “Let’s go, for I can’t wait to see my good friends.”

The O’Neill’s love Maggie as much as Maggie loves them, and Maggie knows it and loves to be with them. Just the other day, I stopped by to spend a few minutes with them, and she was so excited to see them that she accidentally dribbled on their carpet. But you know what? They didn’t mind a bit. That's how you know if people are your friends: They don’t care if your dog pees on their rug.

Jean and I are so blessed to have accumulated so many friends like the O’Neill along the years of our ministry. Every time we have left one of the seven churches, we have served, a part of our hearts is left behind. It hurts to leave friends, but they are never far behind, for we carry them in our hearts where they remain as some of our most treasured memories.

One of my favorite sayings is “God has given us memories so we can smell the roses in December,” and how blessed we are to have such a treasure chest of memories. Those memories warm out hearts during those cold winter months when those frigid winds do blow, and when we long for the arrival of those warm Spring breezes. 

My mom used to remind me that the best way to have a friend was to be a friend, and I do hope that the many friendships Jean and I possess are in some small way due to the fact that we have both tried to heed my mom’s advice.

Imagine how the many friends of Paul at Philippi must have felt as they read those opening lines of his letter to them.

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making requests for you all with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from this day forth until now, being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…for God is my witness how greatly I longed for you with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment” (Philippians 1: 3-9).

I am sure those Philippians loved to read those words as much as Paul loved writing them.

In one of my bibles, I keep a stack of letters of love and encouragement that I have received over the years.  Unquestionably, that Bible would be among the first things I would seek to retrieve should a fire ever consume our home.

I will never forget the words of Mother Theresa who said, "Kind words are short and easy to speak but their echoes are endless." Even better than words, however, are personally written letters, for the scent of their message remains permanent long after we have opened the envelope.

“No matter what our position or status in life, we all need friends, especially those who are genuine, loyal, and lasting. If we've 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.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

P.S. "If the world is cold, make it your business to build fires." Horace Traubel

Friday, January 14, 2022

Leadership Thought: Can You Give Me A Yahoo in Worship?

Dear Friends,

I love the story John Maxwell shares about his father, Melvin, who at one time was once the president of a Christian college. He describes his dad as an enthusiastic “ball of fire.” He says his father didn’t know much about music. He was tone deaf and couldn’t sing very well, but whenever he did sing, he sang with great enthusiasm and emotion.

One day at chapel the students had just finished singing the doxology: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow,…Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.” Upon its completion, his 85-year-old dad stood up and said, “Let’s sing the second verse.” Much to his surprise, he discovered there is no second verse to the doxology. “OK" he said, “Well then let’s sing the first verse over again. John says he thought they sang that one verse over and over again-at least five times- until his dad, was satisfied.

His dad died at 95, and on the 4th of July, a fitting date for a man whom John says was a “fireworks kind of guy.”

I love people like that, don’t you? The kind of person who goes hunting for Moby Dick and takes the tartar sauce with him.

In a church I once served a friend of mine was sitting beside a staid and solemn church elder who never showed much enthusiasm or emotion of any kind, let alone in worship. They were singing a high tempo, hand clapping worship song, and my friend, who was used to expressing his love for Jesus with much emotion and enthusiasm, respectfully turned to this man seated next to him, and asked, “Do you mind if I raise my hands as I worship,” and surprisingly, the man responded, “Yes I do.”

Now I hope this man never sits next to me in worship, for like Melvin Maxwell, I can’t sing very well, but the one thing I can do is get excited and enthusiastic, and yes, I have been known to dance a time or two. So, my warning to you is if you are easily embarrassed, don’t sit by me.

When George Whitfield, the famous Scottish preacher of yesteryear, was getting the people of Edinburgh out of their beds at 5:00 o'clock in the morning to hear his preaching, there was a man on his way to the Tabernacle who met the famous atheistic philosopher, David Hume. The man was surprised to discover that Hume was also on his way to the Tabernacle to hear Whitfield. He turned to Hume and said, “I thought you didn't believe in the gospel.” Hume replied, “I don't, but he does.” That’s what passion and enthusiasm will do

When we are passionate and excited about something, people take notice. They want to know the source of our enthusiasm. There is nothing quite as boring as a pastor in the pulpit who lacks enthusiasm in communicating what he believes. It is just plain hard for me to listen to such a person.

Paul writes to the Roman church warning them, and us as well: “Never be lazy in your work but serve the Lord enthusiastically” (Romans 12: 11, Living Bible translation).

He writes to the Colossians: Whatever you do, (even in worship) work at it with all your heart (Colossians 3:23).

Whether in church, at school, in the office, or on the athletic field, we need to be enthusiastic about what we are doing. As followers of Jesus, we ought to be infected with a contagious kind of enthusiasm that spreads and infects others. And if we are not ‘spreaders’ of such enthusiasm, then maybe it's time to check our spiritual heartbeat and ask why.

Enthusiasm is a choice. Today I challenge you to be enthusiastic, even if you don't feel enthusiastic, for it's easier to act yourself into a new way of feeling, than to feel your way into a new set of actions.

And when you do, don't forget to put a smile on your face, and walk with a lilt, for I remind you that the living Lord Jesus resides in the throne room of your heart.

Yahoo!

Yours enthusiastically,

Tom

P.S. The great UCLA basketball coach John Wooden said, “Your energy and enjoyment, drive and dedication, will stimulate and greatly inspire others.”  It will not only inspire others, but it will inspire you to reach to new heights.

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Leadership Thought: How Low Can We Go?

Dear Friends,

A young seminary graduate came up to the pulpit, very self-confident and immaculately dressed. He began to deliver his first sermon in his first church and the words simply would not come out. Finally, he burst into tears and up leaving the platform obviously humbled.

There were two older ladies sitting in the front row and one remarked to the other, “If he'd come in like he went out, he would have gone out like he came in.”

Humility is a key quality of the one who seeks to be a servant of God. There is always the temptation to exalt ourselves, and to glorify our own accomplishments. To do so can be very dangerous.

In Acts 12 we read the consequences of King Herod’s refusal to give glory to God. “On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on the throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, ‘This is the voice of a God, not of a man.’ Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, and Angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.” Acts 12: 21-23.

The Lord is a jealous God, and he will not share his glory with man. Isaiah writes, “I am the Lord; That is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols” (Isaiah 42:8).

The best way to avoid the consequences of pride is to remember what F. B. Meyer once wrote: “I used to think that God’s gifts were on shelves one above the other and that the taller we grew in Christian character the more easily we could reach then. I now find that God gifts are on shelves one beneath the other and that it is not a question of growing taller but of stooping lower.”

Too bad that poor old Herod hadn’t learned this for at least he had an excuse, but not us. Let's keep stooping, and if we do, who knows the gifts we might discover as we serve the Lord Jesus Christ with humble hearts.

Remember “It’s always a good idea to begin at the bottom in everything except in learning how to swim.” Quoted from Quotations for the Christian World by Edyth Draper, 326.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom 

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

 

Leadership Thought: A Basketball Player Whom I Saw Play Yesterday Who Warmed My Heart.

Dear Friends,

Yesterday Jean and I took in a high school basketball game. As a former basketball coach, I love watching high school games, and I confess how much I miss the excitement that comes from coaching and influencing young men through coaching. One of our church members was playing on one of the teams. Mac Colantino is small in stature, but a wonderfully gifted performer who I enjoyed watching play.  And the quality that most impressed me about him was not his ability as a point guard to play and control the tempo of the game, but the support and encouragement he showed his teamsters when he was on the sidelines. 

I thought to myself I bet he is the most popular player on his team, for any time he was not on the floor, he was standing up and providing encouragement to his teammates. As a substituted player walked off the court, there was Mac, ready to be the first to give his teammate an encouraging handshake or pat on the back. Every coach loves to have a player like Mac on his team, for players who double as players and cheerleaders are doubly valuable.

I predict that young Mac is not only going to be a success on the basketball court, but off the floor as well, for possessing the heart of an encourager, he will never be without a job for every leader wants to add encouragers to his/her team.

Who are you most attracted to when someone walks into a room? Is it the person who figuratively says, “Here I am," or who says, “There you are?"

Mac will always be the center of attention because he is a “There you are” kind of guy. Everyone loves to be around a person like that. Those kinds of encouragers are like oxygen to the soul, and who doesn’t need that kind of “oxygen?"

As believers we should all be practicing the 101% Principle-finding the 1 percent you can affirm in someone and giving it 100 percent of your effort and attention (From A Leader's Heart, John Maxwell, p. 21).

Proverbs 16:24 reminds us "That pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."

Let's be the wind beneath someone's wings today and not the anchor in their boat."

Coaches, teachers, pastors, parents, employees or employers, let's be like young Mac and participate in a spiritual encouragement scavenger hunt. Let's all look for that someone who might need a little added oxygen for their soul. And if you take me up on the challenge, would you do me a favor and let me know how your hunt turned out?

And remember, " A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver,"(Proverbs 25:11) and who doesn't like gold or silver?

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: The Dangerous Chains of Habit.

Dear Friends,

Several years ago, I made a copy the following quotation because it made such an impression on me.  

“I am the servant of all great men, and alas, of all failures as well. Those who are great, I have made great. Those who are failures, I have made failures. I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a man. You may run me for profit or run me for a ruin- it makes no difference to me. Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me, and I will destroy you. Who am I? I am habit.” Quoted from Thinking for Change, John Maxwell, page 12.

The kind of habits we form in life will play a large part in our success or failure.  There are some habits that I wish I had cultivated earlier in my life and there are some I wish I had avoided.

In a book that is now out of print, titled Counsel to the Young, I clipped the following quote: “We act from habit nine times for every time we act from purposeful deliberation. Little do we comprehend the momentous consequences of our frequently repeated actions, for habits, can add wings or weight to our feet.”

How often we can be brought low by little habits that creep into our lives, and while at first, we don't give much attention to them, little by little they begin to take their toll. Maybe it's a little sin that we think we can get away with. No one will notice the tiny crevice in our character until the crevice becomes a crack that is no longer hidden but is obvious for all to see.

I remember once sharing a personal story on integrity, and I said integrity begins with staplers and stamps. Dishonesty doesn't start with the robbing of a bank, but often the theft of a stapler or some stamps.

Just as the wind can topple a huge tree that outwardly seems healthy but is diseased within, so to those little cracks in our character can grow large enough to destroy us and bring us down. Peter, David, Abraham, were all susceptible to hidden faults that produced much tragedy and heartache in their own lives and in the lives of others.

We must learn from their mistakes, and in so doing we will help ensure that when the winds blow, and the storms come our character will remain forever solid and strong.

One person said it well when he commented that “habits are like a comfortable bed - easy to get into but hard to get out of.”

Is there some little habit that needs to be addressed in our lives? Is there some tiny crack in our character that while still hidden from the eyes of others, can grow and lead to the ultimate collapse of our spiritual character? If so, let us ask God to help us address it today, “For the chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.” Lloyd Corey.

Yours in ministry,

Tom

Monday, January 10, 2022

 

Leadership Thought: How Do You Know Who Your Real Friends Are?

Dear Friends,

How lucky one is to have friends. Over the years of coaching, teaching and ministry I have been blessed to have accumulated many wonderful friends. Some of those friends go all the way back to my high school days in Watertown, N.Y. They were coaches and classmates, and every summer I am fortunate enough to spend time with them as we fish and fellowship together on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Friendship is a wonderful thing. I think of how the paralytic must have felt about his friends who dropped him through the roof, so he could meet Jesus. Resourceful, determined, and willing to defy convention, those friends would not let anything stand in their way of introducing their friend to Jesus. The crowd was so great they couldn’t enter through the doorway, so they did the only thing they knew how to do; they cut a hole in the roof and lowered him down so he could see and meet Him.

Those are the kind of friends I want to have. Those who are unwilling to let any obstacle deter them from helping a friend in need.

It is interesting to note that the paralytic, who was healed, was not healed because of his own faith. He was healed and forgiven because of the faith of his friends. Scripture reads, “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘son, your sins are forgiven’” (Mark 2:5).

We all need those kinds of friends in our lives, the kind who are willing to stand with you when the whole world has turned its back.

When Harry Truman was thrust into the presidency at the death of President Roosevelt, Representative Sam Rayburn gave him some fatherly advice. “Here on out, you're going to have lots of people around you. They'll try to put a wall around you and cut you off from any ideas but theirs. They will tell you what a great man you are, Harry. But you and I both know you ain't.”

Later, when Sam Rayburn discovered that he was quite ill, he announced to the House of Representatives he was going home for medical tests. Some wondered why he didn’t stay in Washington where there were excellent medical facilities. He supplied the answer when he told congressman Jim Wright, “Bonham, Texas (where Rayburn grew up) is a place where people know when you're sick, and where they care for you when you die.” James Garrett, God's Gift, C. S. S. Publishing company, 1991.

Jesus placed tremendous emphasis on friendship. Not only did he minister to them, but at times he found himself being ministered to. That's what friendship is all about. Its mutual in nature.

As you go forth this day, let me encourage you to take a moment to thank God for some of the friends you possess, and then take a moment to call, write or email them and let them know how much you appreciate them. You'll be glad you did, and I can assure that they will be even gladder.

And how do you know which friend(s) to contact? Just choose the ones who “warm you with their presence, trust you with their secrets, and remember you in their prayers.” (Source of quote unknown).

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: Some Advice for Those Who Might Someday Be Criticized.

Dear Friends,

I hate to be critical but, don't you ever wonder how odd it is for a person to continue to do something that he/she hates so much? 

No time in my life can I remember criticism being so common or so hurtful as it is today in our politically charged world.  Kudos to those school administrators who are doing the best they can do in trying to navigate through the ever-changing mandates regarding masking and virtual vs. in-person schooling, and who daily face the onslaught of criticism regarding whichever policy they pursue. They personally are experiencing the hurtful effects of criticism.

Regardless of our position in life, there will always be times when we face criticism, and how we deal with it is important. There's a fabled story about the famous 19th century preacher, Phillips Brooks, and how he dealt with criticism. One day Brooks received a letter in the mail. Opening it, he found a clean sheet of paper with only one word written on it: "Fool"! 

The next Sunday, Brooks carried a letter into his pulpit in Boston. Holding it up, he announced, "I have received many letters from people who wrote letters but forgot to sign their name. However, this is the first time I received a letter from someone who signed his name and forgot to write his letter.” Now that is one way of dealing with criticism, but I don't recommend it not unless you are very secure in your position, or you are already looking for a new job.

When I think of dealing with criticism, I'm reminded of the words of Jesus who said not, if men revile you, but said, “when they revile you and yes even persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of me, rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10 -12) 

One of the signs that a person is living a high quality of Christian life is the criticism they receive. The more dedicated the person is, the more intense the criticism will often be. 

We must remind ourselves that there has never been a monument erected to critics, and like the poor, they will always be with us, so we had best learn how to deal with them.

Abraham Lincoln might have broken under the strain of the Civil War if he hadn't learned the folly of trying to answer all his critics who were so quick to condemn his handling of the War.  His response to criticism is classic. He said, "If I were to try to read, much less to answer all the attacks made on me, the shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how- the very best I can; And I mean to keep on doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, then what is said against me won't matter. If the end brings me out wrong, then 10 angels swearing I was right would make no difference."

Sometimes it is simply best to remain silent when criticized. Jesus remained silent in the face of the accusations made against him by the chief priest and other Jewish leaders who were demanding answers to their charges (Matthew 27:12-14). 

Like Jesus there are times when the wisest thing we can do is to remain silent in the face of criticism and false accusations. Just keep your mouth closed and listen. Don't speak or try to defend yourself. Don't point the finger of blame in some other direction. Just remain quiet in the face of the one who would criticize you, and in so doing you may become that bright and shining star that this dark world so desperately needs to see.

Yes, I know all that what I am saying is much easier said than done, but keep in mind that you have a force and power within you that enables you to say, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).  Give it to God in prayer and let Him deal with it. He is much better equipped to fight those kinds of battles than we are. 

It was Henry Ironside, a well-known preacher of the last century, who said in facing criticism. "If what they are saying about you is true, mend your ways. If it isn't true, forget it and go on and serve the Lord."

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Thursday, January 6, 2022

Leadership Thought: So, You Think You Have Problems.

Dear Friends,

It is true that problems are never as bad as they might seem, for often they can become opportunities in disguise. When we persevere through a problem, it makes us stronger, wiser, and better able to deal with future problems.

When a problem brings us to our knees, it forces us to look up, where we then can discover the power of God to help us face and persevere through the problem. That's the value of a problem; It has the ability to move us forward in our faith. Problems then become “opportunities for God to demonstrate his faithfulness and power to act on our behalf” (Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2016 taken from the Internet).

The late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale puts problems in perspective when he reminds us that even when facing overwhelming problems, we still have much for which to be thankful. He tells the story of a young man who came to him and told him of his many problems. “You have to help me,” he said, “for I can’t handle all my problems. They're just too much for me.”

Dr. Peale said, “If you'll let go of my lapel, I will show you a place where there are people with no problems. The man said, “If you could do that, I would give anything to go there.” Dr. Peale said, “You may not want to go there once you have seen the place, and it's only a couple of blocks away. They then walked up to the Forest Lawn Cemetery, and Dr. Peale said, “Look, there are 150,000 people in there. I happen to know that none of them has a problem.”

I love what one old saint said, “Christians are like teabags. They are not much good until they've been in the hot water.” I will never forget that statement for how true it is.

It is often the times of adversity that reveal our true nature. 

Whether adversity becomes a steppingstone, or a stumbling block is up to each of us to determine.

May God richly bless you this day and remember what our brother James has encouraged us to do when we face our problems. He says we are to “count it all JOY when you face difficult situations. 

Let me share the complete Living Bible Translation from our brother James. “Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy; For when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don't try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete. James 1: 2-4

May the Lord help each of us to live the truth of this verse.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom