Leadership Thought: So, You Think You Are a Servant? Or Things I'm Still Learning from the Late Pastor Chuck Smith.

Dear Friend,

Recently I reread, "Things I Learned from my Pastor," by Larry Taylor. It's a little booklet which presents some of the biblical principles that the author learned while serving alongside Chuck Smith while on staff at Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa, California. For those of you who are not familiar with Calvary Chapel churches, Pastor Chuck was the founder of the first Calvary Chapel church and the leader of the Calvary Chapel movement that has produced hundreds of Calvary Chapel churches throughout the country. Pastor Chuck was responsible for hundreds of men entering the ministry, the author of the booklet being one of them.

Having first met Pastor Chuck at a pastor's retreat in western Pennsylvania over 30 years ago, I knew nothing about the Calvary Chapel family of churches. However, I was immediately impressed with the servant's heart of its founding pastor. So, when I read the author's reflections on Pastor Chuck, I wasn't surprised to hear him extolling his many virtues, one of which was his selfless and servant spirit. Chuck set a high bar for servanthood; he was truly a servant of the Servant.

Taylor writes, "In all my life I have never met anyone who was more of a servant than Chuck Smith. You 'could' find him installing urinals in a new building in the middle of the night, picking up trash at the Conference Center, crawling in an addict to fix a leaky pipe, in the parking lot helping someone jump start their car, or babysitting children. He was always helping and serving others. Why did he have such a capacity to serve others? Because he loved God and loved his people. "Things I Learned from My Pastor," Larry Taylor.

Pastor Chuck wonderfully demonstrated the upside-down leadership org, chart. For him leadership was best exemplified by an inverted pyramid with Christ at the bottom and everyone else on top. He well knew that the way up was down, and the way to succeed was to serve.

The higher one goes on the inverted leadership pyramid, the more people one serves. Such a concept is not normal in today's corporate world where the CEO is perched atop the leadership pyramid with everyone else situated under him and expected to serve him.

As we look at the life of Jesus, we see a man who knew that the greatest principle of leadership could be summed up as follows: "A leader leads by serving and serves by leading."

Jesus said, "A new command I give you. Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34) 

The most effective way to demonstrate that we are his disciples is through our love for others, and one of the clearest ways of communicating that love is through serving others. It is by serving others that we are best able to lead others into the loving arms of Jesus.

Our service may not always seem significant in some people's sight; it can me a lowly, menial action like picking up papers in the hallway, like one of my former principal's, LeRoy Schwab was often seen doing, and which to this day I have never forgotten.

I closed with a reminder: "Servanthood is not motivated by manipulation or self-promotion. It is fueled by love. In the end, the extent of our influence and the quality of our relationships depend on the depth of our concern for others. That's why it is so important for leaders to be willing to serve." Relationships 101, John Maxwell, P. 87

Are you a servant? The best way to find out is to ask yourself, "How do I react when someone treats me like one?

You may not be ready to pick up a towel and basin, but you could begin by just picking up some paper in the hallways. Just a thought!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: A Lesson I'm Still Learning- You Better Slow Down for the Dance.

Dear Friend,

This morning I woke up, stared at my calendar, and realized I had missed an important phone call yesterday. I had spent yesterday morning looking for my phone which I finally found that afternoon.

Just two days prior, I sat in a restaurant waiting for a friend of mine who I had schedule to meet for breakfast, only to discover that I had missed his email informing me that he had rescheduled our breakfast for Friday, a day in which I already had two other breakfast meetings scheduled. Who’s to blame for these oversights? No one but me.

I came home yesterday, lay down on my bed and admitted that I was just too busy and needed to slow down.

I went to my file cabinet to find some help, the “Slow Down” section, and I found an article I had previously saved. It was dated Dec 9, 2005. Although it had been filed away for over 15 ears, I just now found the time to read it again.  I thought it worth sharing with others, who like me, might be struggling with ‘slow down sickness.’

No scripture, but some spiritual truth we all need to hear, for sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is to simply slow down, recalibrate our schedule, and take some time to rest and read, “Slow Dance.”

“Have you ever watched kids on a merry go round?

Or listen to the rain slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight? Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down. Don't dance so fast. Time is short. The music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask how are you? Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next 100 chores running through your head?

You better slow down. Don't dance so fast. Time is short. The music won't last.

Ever told your child we'll do it tomorrow? And in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die, ‘cause’ you never had time to call and say hi?

You better slow down. Don't dance so fast. Time is short. The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere, you miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day, it's like an unopened gift that's thrown away.

Life is not a race. Do take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.”

Enough said.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thoughts: Have You Ever Done Cartwheels for Jesus?

Dear Friends,

I will never forget him. His name was Jonathan Deeb, and he was a student at Calvary Christian School in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Most people never knew his name, but they could never forget his enthusiasm. He was the kind of guy whose picture was found next to the word enthusiasm in the dictionary.

Exhibiting joyful enthusiasm, people would often chuckle as they watched him cartwheeling, jumping up and down, and wildly waving his orange flag, as he directed traffic onto the campus for one of the worship services at Calvary Chapel.

Jonathan was the epitome of enthusiasm because he was excited about the One he served. Some might classify him as being a little ‘far out,’ but you could never criticize him for his lack of enthusiasm. He was enthusiastic in his efforts to serve. He was truly one of God’s great cheerleaders.

How’s our enthusiasm level for Jesus?  Are we excited about our faith?  Do we need a spiritual tune up? Has it been a little too long since we've had a vital quiet time? How's our prayer life?  How is our worship? Do we still feel the same excitement and expectancy we once felt when we first met the Lord and walked into His sanctuary? What about our spiritual fervor? Are we white hot or lukewarm? Do our spirit spiritual batteries need a little recharging?

Enthusiasm comes from the words ‘en’ and ‘theos’ which means “in God." If we are in God, we ought to be enthusiastic. As I thought about this word, I was reminded of Romans 12:11 where Paul gives advice on how to be Christian cheerleaders. He writes, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, (be aglow with the Spirit) serving the Lord.”

Years ago, in a church I served, there was a new member who had come to know Jesus and was on fire for Him. He was emotionally and physically expressive in worship, but at the same time he was sensitive to those who might not possess his same enthusiasm. And so, during the singing of one of the worship songs, he turned to an older member in the church who was sitting next to him and asked, “Do you mind if I raise my hands as I worship?” To which the elder succinctly replied, “Yes, I do.” Unfortunately, my friend’s pew partner could have benefited from a large dose of enthusiasm.

Someone writes enthusiasm “is faith set on fire.” I like that definition because it reminds me of the dangers of spiritual complacency, one of the perils that can be found on our faith journey.

May our faith never become stale because we fail to remember the incredible things that God has done in our lives. Jesus had some harsh words for the lukewarm crowd. He says because you are neither hot nor cold but lukewarm, I will spew (vomit) you out of my mouth. (Rev 3:16)

I close with the words Paul writes to Timothy: “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1: 6-7.

So, if we need to fan the flames of our faith, let's get out the poker and stoke up some of those coals that may be flickering and in danger of going out.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

P.S. Don't ever let "your miracles become monuments."

Leadership Thought: Stuck in a Rut, I've Got Good News.

Dear Friends, 

A man walked into a fortune teller’s tent at a carnival and paid his money to have his palm read. “I see many things,” the fortune teller said. “Like what?” the man asked. “You will be poor and unhappy until you are forty- five,” she stated.  “Oh,” he said dejectedly. Then he had a thought and asked, “What will happen when I am forty-five?”  “You will get used to it,” she said.

There are people like this man who have become used to living without any hope that their life can change. 

Our expectations can play a significant role in shaping our attitude.  Ben Franklin said, “Blessed is he who expects nothing for he shall receive it.” And how true that is. If you don’t expect much from life you won’t be disappointed. If you don’t think change is possible, you probably will never change.

Dead end thinking will never be the solution to change. We need to believe change is possible and that we can become the subjects of that change.

If you happen to be a person who feels you are stuck in a rut, I have good news for you. Your life can change. There’s time to write a postscript to your story. Even if you believe life has dealt you a poor hand, you can walk away a winner.

The good news I have to share comes from the Good News, written by God but penned by a couple of His followers named Jeremiah and Paul. Together their words provide the solution for the change you’re looking for.  Listen with the ears of your heart to the hope they offer: “For I know the thoughts I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil. To give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). 

When we trust God and allow him to grow us to become more like Christ in how we respond and act then we are promised, “That all things will work together for good to those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Romans 8:28).

Stuck in a Rut? Why not trust in these words but add to them the thoughts of the late Christopher Reeves, the renowned actor who spent the last nine years of his life completely paralyzed, the result of a horse-riding accident. He said, “Once you choose hope, anything is possible.”

Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom 

P.S. Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed." Alexander Pope

Leadership Thought: Be the Wind and Not the Anchor!

Dear Friend,

Hebrews 10: 25 exhorts us, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Chuck Swindoll in his book Growing Deep in the Christian Life talks about a man getting ready to make an around the world voyage in his little homemade boat. Without exception everyone on the pier was vocally pessimistic. Everyone was telling him everything that could possibly go wrong. “The sun will broil you.” “You won’t have enough food.” “That boat of yours won't withstand any storms.” “You'll never make it.”

A man standing nearby heard all these discouraging words and decided instead to offer some words of encouragement. As the little boat began pulling away from shore, he went to the end of the pier and began waving both his arms wildly and shouting, “Bon voyage! You are really something! We're with you! We're proud of you! Good luck, brother!”

This same story has been told over and over again, only in different forms and settings. In a sense all of us have at one time or another been in that little boat. We are on a long journey, not knowing if we're going to make it. And as we push out to sea, there are very few people standing there to give us encouragement. Most are critical or negative.

That's a sad commentary on life, but often it is so very true. For every one encourager there are a multitude of discouragers, always quick and ready to tell us why something could never be done.

One three-year study found that most schoolteachers were 75% negative and critical in dealing with their students. The study also indicated that it takes four positive comments to offset the effect of one negative or critical comment.

I wonder how many people quit too soon because no one ever came along and said, “You can do it.”

Let us be the wind beneath the wings of those who dare to dream, not the anchor in their boat

As you and I go through this week, let’s look for opportunities to lift others up, not push them down.

I leave you with a visual illustration that I hope you won’t forget. When you push someone down physically, you also go down with them. When you lift someone up, you not only lift them up, but you raise yourself up as well. Enough said!

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: For Dad’s Only-Sign Up, Your Wives Will Be Glad You Did.

Dear Friends,

One of the most influential books in my life has been Gordon MacDonald's The Effective Father. It has been the basis of study for a number of Dad’s Classes I have taught over the years, and I have never found a better book for dads than this one. I still hear from dads who remind me of how their lives were impacted by our study of this book. One of those men, now a pastor in our community, used these words to describe how the book impacted his life. He said, the book "changed my life and made me a better father."

Although I haven’t led one of these classes for several years, I was encouraged to do so by a friend in a Thursday morning prayer group. It was not the first time he mentioned it to me, and after hearing him share how much he felt men needed such a class, I finally got the message: Maybe it is time to offer the class again.

It took me a while to find the book on my shelves-it is out of print and every time we studied the book, we have had to order used copies- but I located my copy. I thumbed through it looking for a story that I have never forgotten. I found it, and I share it with you.

“It is said of Boswell, the famous biographer of Samuel Johnson, that he often referred to a special day in his childhood when his father took him fishing. The day was fixed in his adult mind, and he often reflected upon many of the things his father had taught him in the course of their fishing experience together. After having heard of that particular excursion so often, it occurred to someone much later to check the journal that Boswell's father kept and determined what had been said about the fishing trip from the parental perspective.

Turning to the date, the reader found only one sentence entered: “Gone fishing today with my son, a day wasted.”

MacDonald goes on to write. “Few have ever heard of Boswell's father; many have heard of Boswell. But in spite of his relative obscurity, he must have managed to set a pace in his own son's life which lasted for a lifetime and beyond. In one day alone he inlaid along the grain of his son's life ideas that would mark him long into his adulthood. But what he did not only touched a boy’s life, but it set in motion certain benefits that would affect the world of classical literature. Too bad that Boswell's father couldn't appreciate the significance of a fishing trip and the pace setting that was going on even while worms were being squeezed onto hooks. No day is ever wasted in the life of an infected father”

MacDonald goes on to say, “Family life is an extensional classroom; It lasts for about 18 years. Within the classroom are children who are like large lumps of clay. The longer they live, the harder the clay will become unless the potter consciously can sustain the molding process, keeping the clay pliable- ‘shapeable.’ Each day the affected father stamps into the lives of his children: words, attitudes, habits, and responses which one day will become automatic. It would be frightening if a father did not realize this fact. For teach he will - whether he's aware of it or not. Ironically, teaching can be done either through design or neglect. Teaching, conscious or unconscious, will make an indelible impression upon a child's personality and become part of a composite of future character performance. The weaknesses and flaws of the father will be expressed to the children in either case. So, the questions confront us: do we teach to build or teach to cripple?

Even for an aged old grandfather, those last words resonate within me. Did I teach to build, or did I teach to cripple?

I confess I don't have a lot of expertise when it comes to technology, but I am willing to learn. If you are a dad and would like to be a part of the next 5^th of 6^th Effective Father Class, let me know, and I promise I will figure out how to do a Dad’s Class on zoom, and or in person, so just let me know if you might be interested.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

P.S. “The acid test of a father’s leadership is not in the realm of his social skills, his public relations, his managerial abilities at the office, or how well he handles himself before the public. It is in the home.” Charles Swindoll

Leadership Thought: A Leadership Lesson of an Umpire Learned on the Field of Play.

Dear Friends

“Best crew we have had all year.” Those words still ring in my ears, even though it has been over 20 years since I heard them. I was with two other baseball umpires from the Broward County Umpires Association who had traveled down to Miami to umpire a regional tournament high school championship game between Westminster Christian (where former New York Yankee star Alex Rodriguez made a name for himself) and Florida Christian, a perennial baseball power in South Florida.

To be honest, I really was not looking forward to doing the tournament game. Traveling to Miami in the late afternoon is never fun, and I was still not feeling at full strength after a bout with food poisoning. Doing the game meant not getting home until after 10 pm, so I was less than enthusiastic when I joined my traveling partners for our trip to south Miami.

It was a close game between the two outstanding schools. The game went well, and our umpiring crew functioned flawlessly. Throughout the game, we managed to be in a position to get every call right, or at least it seemed like we did.  And after the game as we prepared to get into the car for our return trip home, the manager of the winning team came up to us and offered some very encouraging words. “Best crew of umpires we've had all year.” Now granted we were probably not the best crew he had seen (it’s easy to be affirming after you have just won a regional championship game), but his words had a ring of sincerity, and we received them with grateful appreciation.

To this day I still remember savoring those words on our trip home. I thought of my reluctant attitude about even doing the game, but those coach’s encouraging words caused me to forget that it would late before I walked through the door of my home. At my age, I am lucky to remember what happened yesterday, and yet after these many years those distant words still linger in my memory. Yes, umpires, like everyone else, are grateful for encouraging words.

Proverbs reminds us that “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. (v. 25) So simple, but so true. For just a few moments in the parking lot, the words of a coach took on a far greater measure of significance than what he could have ever imagined. They breathed new life into my tired spirit and made me thankful for the hours I had just spent umpiring a high school baseball game that I really didn’t want to do.

Encouraging words are like that. They can take on an importance far beyond what the speaker could ever imagine. I wonder how many lives have been touched, maybe even transformed, because of a few simple words that we might have casually spoken at just the time to someone who longed to be loved, or desperately needed to be encouraged.

If something as simple as a few words spoken by a coach in a dark high school parking lot can impact a life the way they did, then I'm going to be on the lookout to speak some small and encouraging words to those who cross my path.  

And while on this temporal side of life we may never know the significant impact of our words, God knows, and eternity may someday reveal just how important those words we uttered might have been.

As Mother Theresa said, “Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are endless.”

Just something to think about!

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: Standing Against a Culture That Seeks to Destroy Our Values. "Enough is Enough"

Dear Friends,

Today, more than ever, the church needs men and women of bold faith. Those who step up, not step back who will stand up, and not shut up.

Our Christian values are under siege, attacked by those championing philosophies and ideologies that run counter to our Christian faith. The world is seeking to undermine our Christian values by promoting abortion rights, critical race theory, sex education in schools, and radical gender ideology.

One by one states are approving the legalization of marijuana, motivated by the hopes of increasing revenue which includes paying for the building of addiction facilities to treat the growing numbers of those addicted!

It’s time for men and women of the church to stand up and speak out and say, “Enough is enough.”

Sometimes, like Peter and the apostles, we must stiffen our spiritual backbones and go for it. When the authorities found Peter and the other apostles teaching about Christ in the temple courts, they had them arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. They were ordered to cease teaching about Jesus. “You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching.” Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29

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

I close with an example of the kind of courage that all of us should pray to possess.

A 19th century circuit riding preacher named Peter Cartwright was preparing to deliver a sermon on Sunday when he was warned that President Andrew Jackson was in attendance and was asked to keep his remarks inoffensive. During the message, he included the 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,”

I think that this is the kind of boldness that has often been lacking in both the church and in our individual lives. Too often we are paralyzed by the fear of the consequences of boldly proclaiming the name of Jesus, whether it might be in a public school, our home, school, or in the marketplace. We need to pray that we would be more like the apostles, filled with the holy boldness, and the courage to proclaim Christ wherever and whatever the cost may be.

It is true that courage can be defined by a three-letter word and the word is YES.

May there be more “Yeses” in our vocabulary.

Yours and ministry,

Tom

Leadership Thought: Why is Good Friday Really Good?

Dear Friends

Today is called Good Friday. It is “good” Friday because Jesus’ death on the cross became our complete and final sacrifice for sin. Without "Good Friday, there was no other way we could have erased our sins. Our hands would have been forever stained with every single sin we had ever committed.

To fully understand why the good news was so good, we must realize why the bad news was so bad. Romans 3:23 reminds us, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and Romans 6:23 states “the wages of sin is death,” so if all of us have sinned and sin’s wage is death, then we all deserve to die.

But the “good” news is that God laid upon Jesus the sins of us all

“But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone, to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:5-6

All our sins were laid on Christ and Christ assumed our guilt. As Paul puts it, “Him who knew no sin He made to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

The cross has meaning for a man when he knows that his guilt was imputed to the Son by the Father, and when he knows, further, that the Father laid upon His Son the hell that every sinner deserves.

Peter state “Christ bore our sin in his own body on the tree.” (1 Peter 2:24).

The death of Christ has no meaning for a man until the concept of imputation grasps his soul as it did for Martin Luther. Imputation simply mans the attributing of something to a person so that the thing imputed becomes the ground of reward or punishment.

God the Father laid upon God the Son all the guilt and wrath we deserved, and He bore it in himself perfectly, totally satisfying the wrath of God for us.

And when he cried out the word “Tetelestai” a Greek word which means “it is finished,” it was a cry of triumph. He had assumed our debt; He had paid the penalty for our sin. 

In the far north at the foot of Mount McKinley a skeleton was found seated on the root of a tree. Just above was a finger carved in the bark, pointing downwards to the skeleton. Beside the finger there were these words: “The end of the trail.”

They told the tragic story of one who had set out to climb that lofty mountain, but his strength had failed. He had died with his purpose unrealized.”

But the words from the lips of Jesus, “It is finished,” were not the words of failure but of triumph. Charles Spurgeon writes “Jesus died with the cry of the victor on his lips.”

“He came to pay a debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay.”

This is why “good” Friday, is not just good, but it’s great, for as we know, “It’s Friday but Sunday’s coming.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

 

Leadership Thought: Bring Those Flowers Now While I'm Living-Don't Be Tombstone Encouragers.

Dear Friends,

As most of you know I love country music, the classic kind from the 50’s through the mid 90’s. One of the great singers of that era was Tanya Tucker, (Delta Dawn and A Sparrow in a Hurricane), and at 62 she is still singing, and this past year she recorded one of her most popular songs ever- "Bring My Flowers Now." 

The lyrics made me think of a message I heard a number of years reminding me to never be a “Tombstone Encourager,” the kind of person who never gets to say what he/she would like to say to a friend before they pass from this earth.

In my first church there was a song we used to sing. I still remember the lyrics: “Tell them now before there just a memory. Tell them now before it’s too late. Hold them, love them, laugh and cry with them. Tell then now before they’re just a memory.”

Those lyrics came to mind once again as I listened to Tanya Tucker’s song.  And as I thought about their meaning, I remembered several instances in my life when I waited too long to tell a friend how much I loved and missed them. Sadly, it often takes a tombstone to remind us of unspoken words, or unseen actions we wished we had said or done.                         

                                        "Bring my flowers now, while I’m 'livin’

                                         I won’t need your love when I’m gone

                                         Don’t spend time, tears, or money

                                         On my old breathless body

                                         If your heart is in them flowers, bring ‘em' on."

Just this week, I some time to quietly reflect on the friends Jean and I have stored away in our “Friendship Treasury Bank. I thought of Syracuse, NY, Philadelphia, Pa. Greenville, Pa, Red Bank, N.J, Fort Lauderdale, Fl. Old Bridge, N.J and now Middletown, N.J, stops along the path of my ministry, where friendships were forged that have lasted a lifetime.

A few nights ago, I picked up the phone and was able to talk with one of those “forever friends” I made in Greenville, Pa, the third church I pastored. She and her husband and three children were all Covid positive. Her husband was in a hospital two hours away fighting for his life and one of her sons had just passed away from the same virus. It had been over 30 years since I last talked with the family, but it seemed like it was only yesterday. 

That’s so true of friendship. Time never erases their memory.

In his travels the Apostle Paul made many treasured friends who blessed and touched his life. I took a few minutes to reacquaint myself with them as I read Romans 16: 3-5; Their names may sound a little strange to us today- Priscilla, Aquilla, Epaenetus, Andronicus Junia- but like us, I am sure those friends of Paul were blessed to know that someone like Paul was thinking of them. Paul had a lot of treasured friends as one discovers in reading Corinthians 2:12-13; Philippians 2:25; Colossians 4:7; and 2 Timothy 1:2-4.

And having listened to the words of Tanya and read the words of Paul, I realized I needed to get busy and call some of my old friends and let them know how much they’ve meant to me. And maybe you have a few of them as well, friends whom you haven't talked with in a long time and who would be encouraged to hear your voice and know you’re thinking of them.

Just yesterday I called Carol Escaros, an old friend from another ministry. I hadn't talked with her in five years. It was such a joy catching up and sharing fond remembrances of our ministry time together while serving at Calvary Chapel, Old Bridge, N.J. 

Your friend may not be named Carol, but whatever the name your friend bears, I bet he/she will be excited to hear your voice, so pick up the phone, make that call, and you'll be glad you did.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: When Was the Last Time Someone Called You a Donkey?

Dear Friend,

Last Sunday, we celebrated Palm Sunday, a celebration of Christ’s humble entry into Jerusalem riding on a lowly donkey.

Whenever I think of Palm Sunday, I think of the late great saint Corrie ten Boom who was once asked if he ever found it difficult to remain humble.

She simply replied, “When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the back of a donkey, and everyone was waving palm branches and throwing garments onto the road, and singing praises, do you think that for one moment it ever entered the head of that donkey that any of that was for him?” She continued, “If I can be the donkey on which Jesus Christ rides in his glory, I give him all the praise and all the honor.” (Mark Schaeufele, A Messiah Who Serves.

The king of kings we follow was also a servant of servants, and he calls his followers to display his same spirit of humility and servanthood

One can possess great authority, but if that authority is not combined with humility, he will make a mess of life and his leadership will be a total failure.

It has been said that “The proud man has a mirror in which he sees himself. The humble man has a window through which he sees others.”

When one feels a sense of self-importance, he should remember the following anonymous poem.

“Sometime, when you’re feeling important!

Sometime, when your ego’s in bloom;

Sometime, when you take it for granted

You are the best qualified in the room;

Sometime, when you feel that you’re going

Would leave an unfillable hole,

Just follow these simple instructions,

And see how humbles your soul.

Take a bucket and fill it with water,

Put your hand in it, up to the wrist;

Pull it out, and the hole that’s remaining,

Is a measure of how you'll be missed.

You may splash all you please when you enter,

You can stir up the water galore,

But stop, and you'll find in a minute

That it looks quite the same as before.

The moral of this quaint example,

Is just do the best you can;

And be proud of yourself, but remember

There's no indispensable man.”

If the King of Kings and Lord of Lords could grab a towel and basin and kneel and wash the dirty feet of His disciples, who are we to do otherwise? 

He has given us an example: “Do as I do unto you.”

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

P.S. “Success can feather your nest so comfortably that we can forget how to fly.” Warren Wiersbe

Leadership Thought: For Those Going through a Whirlwind and a Storm.

Dear Friend,

Tucked away in the little book of Nahum is a verse that is easily missed. It’s where Nahum writes. God’s way is in “the whirl wind and the storm.” (Nahum 3:1)

Have you ever wondered why you had to go through some of the things that you have had to face? Have you ever wanted to shake your fist at God, and say, “Why God are you doing this to me?”

Last night I walked away from a church service for a child who was born and lived only a few short weeks before God took her home. Devastated by their loss, I know that in the short span of her life, spent mostly in two hospitals, those parents must have uttered the same cry: “Why, Lord, why?”

A while ago I was on the phone talking with a person who was angry over what he felt God had been putting him through, and he was asking that same question: “Why me, God?”

Well, Nahum reminds us that sometimes God puts us in the midst of the storm clouds to teach us valuable lessons that we could only learn through suffering.

George Mueller said about such situations that in “1000 trials, it is not just 500 of them that work for the good of the believer, but 999- plus one.” Streams in the Desert, June 10th.

Moses knew the truth that sometimes God uses “the whirlwind and the storm” to get our attention. In Deuteronomy 4:30, he writes, “When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you... you will return to the Lord your God and listen to his voice.”

I think this is a message we all need to learn in times of trouble. We need to sit at His feet and quietly listen to what He might be teaching us in the midst of our trial. While all things that happen to us may not appear good from a human perspective, even the worst of those things can be used for good if we will listen to His still small voice seeks that seeks to teach us during our perplexity and pain.

We all may experience the whirlwind and the storm in our lives, and we need them, for it is one of God's most effective tools for drawing us closer to Him.

William Cowper, the great poet and hymnwriter, could take the stand in defense of what I've written. He passed through a period of great crisis in his life. Finally, one bleak morning he tried to put an end to his life by taking poison. The attempt at suicide failed. He then hired a coach, was driven to the Thames River, intending to throw himself from the bridge... But was the ‘strangely restrained.’ The next morning, he fell upon a sharp knife- but his blade broke. He later tried to hang himself but was found and taken down unconscious... still alive. Sometime later he took up a Bible, began to read the book of Romans, and was gloriously saved. The God of the ‘whirlwind and the storm’ had pursued him unto the end and won his heart. The Finishing Touch, Chuck Swindoll, pp. 238-39.

Later in his life, Cooper sat down and penned his experience in a hymn that many of us have sung.

                             God moves in a mysterious way

                             His wonders to perform;

                             He plants his footsteps in the sea,

                             and rides upon the storm.”

 When those whirl winds and storms come sweeping into your life, when one adversity after another comes piling up on your doorstep, perhaps it may be God's attention getter, driving you closer to Him. I think that is what my friend on the phone needed to hear, and so often it is what I need to hear.

Have a great day and remember: “If God is not pruning you, you are probably not growing.”

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: From Humble Beginnings Calvary Chapel Christian Academy, Fort Lauderdale Wins the National High School Basketball Championship.

Dear Friend

I was on the baseball field watching my grandson play, when I picked up the phone and I heard the words, “Heh coach, it’s me, Mike. Guess what? We just won the national high school basketball championship.”

The voice on the other end of the line was one of my assistant basketball coaches during the years I was the school’s basketball coach at Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale FL.  Mike was just coming back from Tampa FL where Calvary Christian Academy had just won the national basketball title, and he wanted me to be one of the first to hear the news. The Eagles had defeated a team from the state of Washington to claim the national title, and he could hardly contain his excitement.

Mike wanted to thank me for the small part I played in the success of the basketball program. You see it was back in 2000 when I was 59 years old, that I was hired as the chaplain/ athletic director and basketball coach for Calvary Chapel’s Calvary Christian Academy. The church was starting a school from the ground up, and I had the privilege of being a member of that first faculty team that began the school in 2000.

The school has grown significantly over the last 22 years and is now one of the largest Christian schools in the country. It is exciting to see the success the school has achieved, not only on the athletic field where they have won a number of state championships in basketball, baseball and track and field, but more importantly in the classroom where young men and women are being well trained academically, spiritually and socially.

Attracting quality young people with character and personal faith, the school has grown in many ways beyond just athletics. and its growth has largely been the result of the solid spiritual foundation on which the school was established.

After talking with Mike on the phone, my mind wandered back to those early years when we played our first basketball games on an outdoor court while we were waiting for our first gym to be built. And while we did enjoy some degree of success on the basketball court, I don’t think anyone could have imagined that one day, from such humble beginnings, Calvary Christian Academy would be crowned the best high school basketball team in the country.

It was not a fluke, as this year’s team had four Division One basketball prospects, but more important than that was the fact that the team is comprised of young men who have deep spiritual roots and possess character qualities that set them apart from many other high school teams.

It was always the school’s goal to attract quality young people, and how happy I was to learn that this has still been its ongoing goal since its inception in 2000.

I thought of the quote, “Every big castle was once started with a single block. “How true it is that no one should ever despise small beginnings.

Mike’s thanks and appreciation for the small part I played in the winning of that championship was only heightened a few hours later by a message on my computer screen from the administrator who hired me and whose vision played an integral part in the school’s beginning. His kind words of thanks and appreciation for the part I played during those early years brought joy to my heart. During those early years, we diligently sought to build athletic success, while ensuring that we never compromised the spiritual and character development of our students.

Thanks Mike and Mark for taking the time to remember me, and for Your kind words of appreciation for the small contributions I made to the success you are now enjoying, academically, spiritually and athletically.

Henry James has said that the deepest craving of human nature is to be appreciated, and my cup of appreciation is overflowing.

Someone said, “Kind words are like jewels that live in the heart and soul as blessed memories long after they have been spoken.” 

So, thanks Mike, and Mark and yes, thanks to a whole host of faculty and friends whom I will never forget who helped make my 8 years at Calvary Chapel such a memorable and enriching experience.

Paul was right when he penned the following the words, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow; so neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow.”   1 Corinthians 3:6-7.

So, friend, start cultivating, or sowing seeds, or watering, for you never know what God might produce through your small and humble efforts. It may be far more important than a national basketball title; it may be a heart won for Jesus for all eternity, and that might be the greatest accomplishment of your life.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: If God Can Use a Donkey, Just Maybe He Can Use Me and You!

Dear Friend,

Palm Sunday is this Sunday, and this morning I took a moment to read about Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem as recorded in Mark 11: 1-11.

“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethpage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, why are you doing this, ‘Tell him, the Lord needs it, and will send it back here shortly.’” (Mark 11: 1-3).

I have always been struck by those words, “The Lord needs it.” A donkey, the Lord needs a donkey! I don't know about you. but when I think about a donkey, I don't think of greatness. Oh, I know that in those days a donkey was a symbol of humility, gentleness, and peace, but today to be called a donkey, which I’ve sometimes been called, (fess up, you probably have too) has never been what I considered a flattering or a positive expression of endearment. And yet the ‘Lord has need of a donkey.’ If that is the case, then just maybe he can use me, a person with limited gifts and abilities.

All this reminds me of a story I read about a Presbyterian pastor in an inner-city church in New York City. His mission field was a very violent place. He himself had been stabbed twice as he ministered to the people of the community surrounding the church.

Once a Puerto Rican woman became involved in the church and was led to Christ. After her conversion, she came to pastor Wilson and said, “I want to do something to help with the church’s ministry.”

 The pastor asked her what her talents were, and she could think of nothing- she couldn't even speak English- but she did love children.  So, the pastor put her on one of the church’s buses that went into the neighborhoods and transported kids to church. Every week she performed her duties. She would find the worst-looking kid on the bus, put him on her lap and whisper over and over again the only words she had learned in English: “I love you. Jesus loves you.”

After several months, she became attached to one little boy in particular. The boy didn't speak, and he came to Sunday school every week with his sister and sat on the woman’s lap, but he never made a sound. Each week she would repeat to him all the way to Sunday school and all the way home, “I love you and Jesus loves you.”

One day, to her amazement, the little boy turned around and stammered, “I... I... I... love you too,” and then he put his arms around her and gave her a big hug. That was 2:30 on a Sunday afternoon. At 6: 30 that night he was found dead. His mother had beaten him to death and thrown his body in a trash bin.

“I love you and Jesus loves you” were some of the last words the little boy heard in his short life, and they came from the lips of a Puerto Rican woman who could barely speak English.

This woman gave her one talent to God, and because of that, a little boy who never heard the words “I love you” in his own home, experienced and responded to the love of Christ. Story taken from the internet from The Road He Walked-Palm Avenue, by Mark Adams.

What is the colt we have to give?  What is the talent, that in our eyes seem so insignificant, that God can use? In his hands, he can multiply that little gift or talent in the same way he took a small boy’s loaf of bread, and miraculously multiplied it, providing lunch for over 5000 hungry people.

Don't ever underestimate the gift you’ve been given. Use it boldly, and unapologetically, knowing that God's specialty is taking the seemingly insignificant things of life and transforming them into priceless vessels of his glory.

Have a great day and remember, “The real tragedy of life is not in being limited to one talent, but in the failure to use the one talent you have.” Edgar W. Work.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom