a place for us to share ideas, talk about life, and learn together.
Have you ever just wanted your life to be different? If you could just take that away, of if you could just get this thing, or change that part of yourself. . . ? Do you feel trapped, stuck, or overwhelmed? Do you try to fill that empty part of your soul, but nothing has worked?
Listen to this message form Jeremiah chapter 1 where we will draw practical, real life applications for how we are to fulfill our God given reason for living.
Life can be different . . . yeah, it really can.
I went to the doctor last week for my annual health check-up. I put on the paper snuggie, sat on the cold exam table, and waited the perfunctory forty-five minutes. There was the rustle of the clipboard being taken out of the plastic box on the other side of the hollow exam room door, a soft cough, and a knock. The doctor entered complete with white coat, nice tie, and went immediately to the small sink to wash his hands.
He smiled and after a short glance at the file, he said, “ok, let’s get started.” He said he wanted to start with the muscular system, where he then reached through my chest and with a great pull removed all the muscles from my body. Then he gently laid them on the floor beside the table and said, “The muscles look good.” He then went to the skeleton removing it in a big shake and leaned it in the corner.
Now a pile on the floor his hand reached down and separated me, piece by piece. I thought, as my mind rested in a glass jar, “this is different.” System by system, piece by piece was separated and examined. Then with surgical precision he put me back together again.
____________________________
Ok, so why don’t doctors do things this way? The body cannot function if it is separated into autonomous pieces, instead it functions as a whole unit. The systems do not operate independently; they are intricately bound to the other. When one system has disease, the entire body is affected. When a system is healthy it supports the overall health of the entire body. The body does not function if all the systems are not present and doing their intended function.
So in any organization when it is time to evaluate, this principle must be taken into account. If a department is doing well it is because of the support of the other departments (even if the support is not done consciously or intentionally). If a department is doing poorly, it is not standing alone in blame. We must look to the other departments to see how they have added to this decline.
The entire organization must be evaluated if there is “disease” because no department operates completely independently of the others.[1] Often times it is easy to identify a problem (i.e. a broken bone). This is a skeletal problem, but all systems are needed for healing. The bones are needed to act as a structure for the rest of the systems, but the other systems are needed to keep the skeletal structure healthy.
The Systems of the Human Body
If a department is doing well then often times the leader is praised. If a department is doing poorly then the leader may be dismissed. It is much easier and less labor intensive to simply recognize or remove the leader, but the organization as a whole should be evaluated to see how it has led to or participated in the decline.
If the blood supply is not delivering blood to the bones, or if the bones are not getting the needed nutrients from other systems, can you really only blame the skeletal system for being broken? Perhaps the eyes did not function as they should have and led the body to step on a hole. Perhaps the circulatory system did not deliver needed nutrients and the bone became very brittle. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps, . . . to simply blame the bones because they are broken is short sided, a lazy diagnosis, and naive.
To blame a department in an organization for some shortcoming without taking into account the organization as a whole only sets up a system for the same issues to be repeated in the future. You simply don’t know if the true cause was the leader or were there contributing factors that are still present and will continue to cause problems for the replacement leader.
__________________
[1] Click here to see article on “silos” and how they hinder performance in organizations.
Children are naturally inquisitive. When they reach the toddler years they begin to ask the question “why� With four children I have answered thousands of their why questions.
Me, “time to take a bath.â€
Child, “whyâ€
Me, “because you have been outside playing and you are dirty.â€
Child, “why did I get dirty?â€
Me, “because you were digging in the dirt and you made mud pies.â€
Child, “why, why, why, why, etc.
. . . because I said so, now get in the bathtub!
Oftentimes it is aggravating when my children ask why, because I suspect that they are using it as a stall tactic to keep from doing what I asked them to do. But, I suppose that many times there is genuine curiosity and desire to learn why the sky is blue, or why dogs have four legs, or why there aren’t any more dinosaurs, or why that man is homeless, or why we need to wear pants, etc.
___________________
The question of why is asked many times in the Bible. God asks people why:
Genesis 4:6 “The Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?’â€
Matthew 6:28 “And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, . . .â€
Genesis 18:13 “The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’â€
People ask why from curiosity and wonder:
Exodus 3:3 “And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.â€
People ask God why when they don’t understand the circumstances that they find themselves in:
Psalm 22:1 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?â€
Job 3:11 “Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire?â€
People ask the question of why for various reasons. Some are truly seeking answers to things that they do not understand. They want to help their organization grow and they as individuals want to grow.
Some simply say it as a way of expressing their opinions as being right. They are not seeking truth only seeking to prove their opinions to be correct. While an explanation being given they, instead of listening, are forming their next “why†question in their mind.
Some use the power of why to stir up trouble. They are not seeking solutions but seeking only to watch as their organization goes into a brawl. These are instigators and troublemakers. They really don’t care that an answer is reached, instead they are more interested in the chaotic process.
___________________
So before you drop the W bomb, consider the following:
1) Asking why helps to separate tradition and history from doctrinal truth and vision. The two are not always self-contradictory, but many times can be. The leader has the charge of leading the organization into truth and the future while not allowing nostalgia and tradition to derail the vision.
2) Asking why can be a time of growth. Any organization that does not allow its’ members to ask the question is setting itself up for decline. The decline can be found in a member who is truly seeking honest answers as to why things are done a specific way and they are denied an opportunity of growth. The organization, if it allows others to ask why, opens itself up to evaluation. Organizations operate the way they do for a reason, good or bad. Asking why helps to confirm the rationale for its’ methods or exposes their weaknesses.
3) Asking why exposes the leader’s heart. There are many leaders who see those on their team as means to ends. They are not concerned about their personal growth; instead they are seen as a way to advance their agenda. If they ask why, it is seen as rebellion to the leader – these type of leaders want hear, “yes†not “why.†Any leader who sees it’s staff as disposable will leave destruction in their wake.
A good leader has a vision and plan and grows his people as he grows his organization. Loyalty and trust is earned by expressed concern and love. Staff need to know they are cared for and that their own growth as a person is important to the main leader. Everyone on the team needs to understand why we are doing this – even if the answer is obvious or simplistic.
4) Asking why may lead to an answer. Are you really ready for the answer? Before you ask why, you need to consider are you willing to change if the answer comes back as something you didn’t expect. Asking why is an indication of your desire to understand and grow – but don’t ask the question is you really don’t want to know the answer. Otherwise you are just stirring up trouble.
5) Asking why is powerful and evokes a powerful response. When you ask it, you should seek to confirm in others on the team that you are genuine in your desire to help improve the organization. Also, know that there may be strong emotional responses and be prepared to just step back or let things go until another day.
Asking why speaks to m
otive, the heart, or past situations that were “sticky.†So solutions or answers were reached and things were decided that worked for the day. Sometimes it’s better not to drudge all that up again. When you ask why, be ready for a strong answer.
If an answer is not known, then plan to be apart of finding the answer. If you are going to point out something that is wrong, then plan to be apart of the solution if you are able.
But don’t stop asking why. But prayerfully find the right time and check your heart to make sure you are asking for the right reasons.
Empowerment:
verb (used with object)
“I empowered my agent to make the deal for me. The local ordinance empowers the board of health to close unsanitary restaurants.â€
“Wealth empowered him to live a comfortable life.”
In your organization how confident do those who look to you for leadership feel empowered? If one gives responsibility for a task, then they should also be given the authority/power to carry it out (and not have to constantly report to someone to see if forward steps are appropriate).
Assignment + Freedom and Authority = Empowerment
When people are given freedom to take care of an assigned task and then trusted to carry it out then they have been empowered. When a person feels empowered to handle a specific responsibility then several things can happen in an organization:
1) Confidence in decision-making. The person who holds the responsibility and the authority to carry it out will be much more confident in their decision-making. Those that hold a responsibility but lack the authority to execute the task constantly struggle with making a decision. If the leader knows that they are trusted to make the decision, then they can look forward and innovate, instead of looking over their shoulder to see if they are going in the right direction and have approval.
2) Raise questions – those that feel empowered tend to ask questions more readily. They want to make sure they have all the information needed to complete the task. They want to do a good job, so they make sure they have everything they need. Also, those who are empowered who are apart of a larger team, feel more freedom to look at others areas, that are not their own and ask questions.
The more questions that are being asked, the better the organization will be as a whole. Questions like, “why do we do it this way?†or “this seems really expensive, is there a way to keep the quality but do it cheaper?†These questions should be done with respect and professional tact, but when questions are raised it helps the leadership as a whole see things differently (or at least more systematically).
3) See new possibilities – The issue of empowerment typically comes up with new leadership. Organizations that are not empowering new leadership will eventually lack innovation. “Fresh Eyes†have the ability to see all the flaws that the established leadership have either ignored or no longer see the issues as being relevant.
For example, once you know where the bathrooms are you no longer think, “how will our guests know where the bathrooms are located?†But new “eyes†will allow you to address issues that established leadership “knows†(or may not know) but have chosen not to address. These new leaders will ask questions and raise issues that may need to be dealt with (but for whatever reason up to this point have not been dealt with).
Also, when people feel empowered, are making decisions that are moving the organization forward, and when questions are encouraged, new possibilities arise. They may say, “what if we did this instead of this?†or “Why don’t we put up signs so new people can find the bathrooms?†New ideas will come forward and the organization either says, “yes” or “no”– but for a moment it readdresses what is important, a flash of the organizational culture is brought to the forefront, and the new leaders will see “how things are done.”
4) Disagreement – When people do not feel empowered to make decisions then they do not feel the freedom to disagree. When a leader is never challenged, and people do not feel the freedom to ask questions, or suggest new possibilities – then they surely will not disagree with the leader (at least face-to-face).
But disagreement, if discussed, will force the organization to evaluate both sides of the disagreement and reach a solution. Disagreement allows the organization to sift through what is truly important and what is not. It has to decide what parameters it is using to make the decision. It evaluates what both sides of the argument would affect. In the end disagreement will lead to a deeper understanding of why and how things are done a particular way.
Some questions to ask:
1) How empowered do those in my organization feel?
2) Are people given both responsibility and the authority to carry it out? (how much oversight do those in the organization receive) By the way, a lack of oversight can be just as damaging to empowerment as too much oversight.
3) Do people feel a freedom to ask questions? What is your organization’s way of encouraging questions? When was the last time someone asked a really good question that made everyone around the table stop and think?
4) Do people feel free to disagree with the main leader? If so, what is the typical response? Are people “punished” for disagreeing? Is there a organizational culture in place that rewards agreement and discourages evaluation?
Foam and Paint.Â
This past Sunday First Baptist Church Valdosta held it’s annual Fall Festival. Every year we try to share the gospel in a creative way. We have tried carving a pumpkin and sharing as we carve referencing parts of the pumpkin as we went. We have read a story from a book and several other methods. This year we wanted to come up with a unique and new way to share a timeless message.
This past year Valdosta Kids began going through Lifeway’s the Gospel Project. It has five symbols that it uses to share the gospel (a crown, “x,†the cross, gift, and hands).
We put these symbols on our t-shirts for VBS. We would have the kids point to the symbols as we went through the presentation. I wanted to refresh the minds of our kids who attend the gospel project, attended Vacation Bible School, and to introduce the gospel to those children who may be hearing it for the first time at the Fall Festival.
So how do you take these symbols and present them to a large crowd of people who range in age from infants to senior adults and vary in their familiarity with the gospel? At, first I thought just print them out, really big. But this didn’t feel very creative and I doubted that it would hold the younger children’s attention, especially if they already knew what the symbols meant. So with a sketch pad, I started brainstorming. What, I came up with was a way for the pieces to fit together to form a man. It is a man who begins as being broken into pieces and through Christ becomes whole again. Eureka. After two full days of carving foam and painting, I was pleased with the result. I plan to use it many more times in the future.
Why Use Creativity to Share the Gospel?
Holy Lucy Charms? No.Â
I know there are those out there that feel simply reading the Bible and sharing “the Roman Road” is enough. The Word of God is “sharper than any two edged sword” and is what God has given us to save the soul.
We do not need to add anything to the gospel. This is true, but as soon as I would have launched into the first verse I would have lost the young children. So, the foam shapes and symbols are not an attempt to add to the gospel or change the gospel only to explain it from a different angle.
Consider the following when you are planning your next event:
1. People Learn Differently.Â
Everyone has a way that they learn best and it not always the same. Educators call these different ways of learning “learning styles.” Some are kinesthetic learners — these learners do best when they are moving (games, acting out the story, moving around etc.).
Some learn best when they hear the information, these are called auditory learners. And some learn best when they see the information — visionary learners. This is a simplistic way of dividing students into groups but educators have shown that we all have a preferred way of receiving information, so presentations should try to include all three. Ask yourself, “how am I engaging the kinesthetic, auditory, and visionary learners?”
Most ways of teaching focus on the auditory learner — “come sit down and listen to what I say.”
When a child says he wants to “see†an object he really means he desires to hold it and touch it.
Think About It . . .
2. “The More Hooks in the Water the More Chances there are of Catching Fish”
If you say the same thing in your gospel presentation and the person has heard the exact same thing before, then they anticipate what you are going to say and then tune you out. They think to themselves, “I have heard this (exactly word for word) before. Change up the illustration, the graphic, the method). As long as what you are doing is theologically solid then use your God given creativity to share His Word (in new and different ways).
If there brain thinks it is receiving new information it has to work and figure out where to put this new information. The more paths in the brain that lead to the ultimate conclusion (I need Jesus to save me because I am lost), then the brain is able to make deductions and understand information at a deeper level. The more angles you are able to explain something, the better and deeper the student will understand the topic.
Four Angles
 Each person looks at things from his own angle.
Some people are why people.         “Why should I learn this?â€
Some people are what people.        “What are the facts about this?â€
Some people are what if people.    “What would happen if you did this with it?â€
Some people are how people.         “How does it work?â€
When a person learns something, he will usually approach it from one of these four angles.
The point is:
I believe that this a main reason we have so many stories of people and examples of God’s grace. Each point us to Jesus (creation, Cain and Abel, Sampson, David and Goliath, the early church, Paul and church planting, etc.) Â — why so many stories to explain the gospel? Each one shows us God in a different way, and each explains the gospel at a different angle. God is the best teacher.
3. People Appreciate Creativity and Original Thought.Â
I know we don’t ways have time to “whiteboard” ideas and brainstorm specific topics of events. Many times we fall into a default mode where we just don’t have time to be creative; we say, “let’s just do it the way we did it last year.” But people appreciate and recognize the little details that are given attention.
I had three different kids say, “Pastor Drew, the clown costume again . . .really?” Ouch, but it helped me to realize that next year I need to up the game on my costume. You can bet I won’t be a clown next year. Go big or go home baby! Think about your last trip to Disney. What made the trip really special” What makes Disney special? There are tons of (small and big) details that make it awesome. There is no trash anywhere, everything is clean and freshly painted, no one ever breaks character (ever!), the fireworks show is awesome, and on and on I could go. If you want people to hear you when you share the gospel, then be creative — do something that they don’t expect. What’s your hook? How will you engage them with creativity?
I know the Holy Spirit is the one who is guiding the moment — but God chooses to use us in the presentation. He chooses to use all of us (your head knowledge and your heart), and we are each unique. He has made you with a brain, a personality, and life experiences (use them). Before you buy more wordless books, or chik tracts, sit down with some pen and paper, pray, and say “God use me to reach the masses.” Be like Samuel and say, “Here I am Lord, your servant, I am listening.”
You may get really excited to see what He does.
_____________________
[1]Â See Learning Styles by Marlene D. LeFever (David C. Cook).
[2] Based on the research of David Kolb, Experimental Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development (Prenice Hall) and Bernice McCarthy, The 4Mat System: Teaching to Learning Styles with Right/Left Mode Techniques (Excel, Inc.).