April's Equipt Newsletter

Are you leading a driven life or a directed life? Week 2

Are you living a driven life or a directed life?

Each month Christians At Work publishes 3 weekly letters and one monthly EQuipt Newsletter sent in the last week of the month. Each month Christians At Work poses a question to the membership and each week we address that question through education, stories and testimonials. At the end of every weekly letter are three "EQuipment" implementation ideas to equip our members to live their faith everyday.

As I ponder the life of Jesus, I notice that He was never in a rush as He walked among us, often taking time to minister to someone while He was on His way to minister to someone else (read Mark 5:21-43). This is foreign to many of us who attempt time management methodologies instead of utilizing life management principles in which each day centers around a major agenda or category instead of mapping out each minute of the day.

"Time, in human perspective, turns a season from young to old; from seeds strewn in crusty earth to a harvest that yields amid frosty leaves. Time can be measured by asking, "How old are you? When did you move here?"

We should all know the answer, but we don't. We should all find the answer because it has profound implications for our lives and our churches. The question is, "What is worship?"

Understanding how your co-workers think, what persuades them, and what does not.

"When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this (The parable of the Bread of Life), He said to them, "Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more…

As a pastor for over 23 years, I have learned much through the School of Hard Knocks. My goal with this article is to identify some of the most common mistakes made by pastors and leaders so others would not replicate them.