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