ie:missional teaching. glocalizing. living. serving. repenting. incarnating. loving. repeating.

3:30-Tim Keller

Lack of spiritual vitality is still the main problem in churches today. Any solution cannot be too programmatic, but also not too vague.

Diagnosis and Treatment
“Prodigal” means recklessly extravagant (prodigy, prodigious). Prodigal love for the prodigal son.

He makes the case that the parable is not about the younger brother, but the older. The context is Jesus’ dealing with the Pharisees. The younger brother is like the sinners around Jesus; the elder brother, who stays home with the father, is about the religious people around Jesus. The parable even ends with the older brother.

The main point shows that both older and younger brothers are both alienated from the father’s heart, in both cases both are lost and the father has to go get them, the younger only wants the father’s money (he doesn’t love him). But the elder brother does not love the father either; he’s only concerned about how the estate is being used. Both want the money. The younger brother tries to get it by being very bad; the elder tries to get it by being very good. “I’ve never disobeyed you,” he claimed. The brothers both tried to get the father’s things by their behavior.

For the elder brother, Jesus might be the example or helper, but not his Savior and Lord, because the elder is trying to be his own savior and lord. “Look I stayed home,” he said. Underneath, there is no difference between the two. Both are alienated. The elder brother never comes in to the feast (salvation). The bad boy is saved and the good boy is lost. The good boy is lost, not in spite of his goodness, but because of his goodness.

Religion operates on this principle: I obey, therefore, I am accepted. The gospel is exactly the opposite. Two people, both operating on opposite principles, will sit beside each other in church. Elder brothers are making God a means to an end.

3:42
The source of spiritual deadness: Elder brothers, are trying to get leverage over God because of how they are trying to live; they are judgmental, yet insecure, but their standing with God is based on their performance. As a result, there is no fruit of the Spirit, but, instead, selfishness, pride and backbiting.

Elder brothers get incredibly angry when their lives do not go well. Not just sad, but furious. What does this show? They believe God owes them. They say they believe the gospel, but they really don’t.

When elder brothers face criticism, they either respond with vicious criticism or simply wither. They either meltdown or melt down the criticizer.

Elder brothers pray, but they are petitionary prayers. When things are going bad, there are a lot of prayers. When things are going good, there are few if any.

Elder brothers are often loathing of others. If your self-image is based on having right doctrine (not on what that doctrine is about) you’ll will loath anyone who disagrees with you.

Elder brothers cannot forgive. You cannot stay angry and bitter at somebody unless you feel you are superior to them. “I would never do that.” Holding grudges forever is another symptom of elderbrotherness.

Repentance is being sorry for wrongdoings. When Pharisees broke the law, they repented, but they were still Pharisees. Even their repentance became a means of gaining leverage on God. Repentance is not just about being sorry for sin; it is being sorry for the wrong reasons of our right doing.

Genuine repentance will help us break through to a new level of rejoicing.

What did it cost to bring back the younger son?
Nothing? A ring and some party items?

The father had divided his estate and divided it in half; all of that money was gone. All that was left was that which belonged to the elder brother. The elder brother did not care for his younger brother. He should have gone to find his brother while he was gone from home.

It is true that the father can only bring us home at the expense of our true older brother. The only reason we can put the Father’s robe is because our true older brother was stripped naked on the cross. The only reason we can drink the Father’s festal cup is because our true older brother drank the cup of sin for us. Everything that we receive from the Father is at the expense of our true older brother.

Five Basic Ideas on Deeper Repentance and Renewal

1. The leader must work this into one’s heart.
Spiritual deadness is bound up in “performance.” It is elderbrotherness.

2. If a preacher/teacher, communicate beyond biblical principles to the gospel.
To the degree that you see you have true spiritual riches in Christ, you’ll quit trusting in it and it will just become money. I have to take them to the cross again. Don’t teach or preach anything without bringing it to the gospel.

3. Get a group of leaders together, take them through a book like “The Prodigal God.” Don’t work it like a class. Let them see it through me.

4. Get it through the church.
Use either small groups, or throughout the church.

Missed #5 somehow.

NoonA round table discussion with Hybels, Henry Cloud, Patrick Lencioni, Carly Fiorina, David Ireland.

This was taped for our viewing, partially due to Carly Fiorina having cancer. (She has accepted Christ in the mean time and is growing in Christ.)

Hiring

When hiring, the thing churches tend to focus on is, “Do they love Jesus?” without finding out whether the person is a fit for the church culture, ie, the chemistry.

Whatever the need, we tent to idealize the person who can fill the need and overlook any flaws.

Fiorina- “Trusting your gut is ok, after you’ve obtained the facts.”

When hiring, spend more time than with an interview. Go riding with them in a car, go to a store, get into a place where you can view responses. Take the time to have a substantive conversation.

How will the person be linked into our organization?

Don’t just ask questions and get answers; ask specific questions about their answers. Ask open ended questions: Tell me about yourself.

Look around here (the workplace). This is what it’s like here. If you like this (our culture), then you’ll like it here. If not, then you want. There can be a lot of self-deselection.

The process will do its work if we don’t jettison the process to meet some perceived need. Hybels- “Every time we’ve rushed to get a person in a chair, we’ve failed.”

Boards
Board (pastoral, elder, deacon, secular) must have a set of values that guides their behaviors. Don’t invite an outsider without letting the board know in advance, ie, no outsiders at the family gathering.

Retreats allow people to discuss their weaknesses, goals, problems and strengths. It gets the board ready for the board meeting.

Board meetings are usually ineffective when the wrong people are on the board. Can the person move the ship forward? If not, then the person does not need to be on the board.

There should be “term-limits” for board members.

A board does not have to be large to be effective. Fifteen or more becomes unmanageable. You cannot have a board so large that the “team dynamic” is lost.

A plurality of Godly leaders will more often do better than a single man (or woman) who holds all the cards.

Firing
People consider it compassionate to be dishonest with people. It is not compassionate. What is needed is candor. A firing should not be a surprise.

When you are talking to people consistently, they will either improve or leave. If one of those does not happen then a firing might be necessary, but it will not be a surprise.

First, retrain them. Second, after that, if it is still not working, then reassign. Third, remove. In small organizations, there must be constant reminding: “This just isn’t working.”

Review twice a year-A, B or C. This is where you are (“C” for instance) and this is how you can get to a “B.” It needs to be clear. Even then, though, there must be the tough conversations. The system will never replace conversation. “The kindest form of mangagement is the truth.” Jack Welch

As long as the wi-fi allows.

10:05 AM– Freaking amazing opening video and music sequence.

10:30ish–Bill Hybels, Leading in a New Reality

Part of a captain’s preparation for a trip is checking for projected wave heights. 3 feet is not a problem; nine feet requires a decision about making the trip. Nobody wants to take to the sea when there is the possibility of a “rogue waves,” as high as eighty feet.

Churches have been broadsided by an economic rogue wave which have placed us in a situation where it is difficult to chart a course for the future.

Hybels is not sure if we are going to experience the old “normal” anytime soon, maybe ever.

10:37
Most who have the leadership gift are energized by these uncharted waters. Non-leaders suspect crack-cocaine.

Rough patches force new levels of courage and creativity. Calm seas do not force this type of behavior. A God anointed leader often hears the hint of the Holy Spirit clearly during these times.

Four Lessons Learned

Philosophical
October of 2008, in the middle of a series on “Influence.” Hundreds of Willow folks lost their jobs. Many, many phone calls of people needing help. One member, who regularly gave $200-300k for a Christmas gift, called to say he was not able to give at all and was possibly losing even his home.

The leadership team at Willow decided to change gears and focus on being an Acts 2 church including praying about selling property, stuff, etc to meet each others’ needs.

10:45
Hybles said to those adversely affected:
“Will those of you who have lost your jobs humble yourselves to ask for the help you need? Will you let the church be the church for you?”

He said to those who have not been affected.
“Step up to the plate and provide for those in need.” It resulted in God working greatly in their generosity to each other.

Hybels and the creative team reconfigured the way that services are started and ended. It includes allowing people to stay for as long as needed to allow the praise team to sing over those who are hurting for as long as they will stay.

Financial
Kingdom economics. The math makes no sense from a human perspective. In a downturn, revenue goes down but needs for revenue goes up. Willow is using multiple models for financial forecasting. (Luke 14, stewardship). If you lose track of the finances of ministry, you can ruin a ministry.

It is important to have cash reserves. Healthy cash reserves gives leaders what leaders need in times of crisis: time. Time to make the important decisions. Cash gives time. It is not about money; it’s about time. What percentage of annual revenue should be used for operating cash and what should be held in cash reserves.

Sr. Pastors are very bold when talking to individuals about their personal money management (“Make sure you have 6 months of salary in reserves.”), but churches have no policy of surviving an economic storm.

Questions to ask: What would we quit if revenue dropped 50%? 75%? What would we never, ever quit doing even if we had to work nights to keep it going? This sets our priorities.

Relational
Habakkuk 3:2- God do something in our day!

Are we hiring the best, most passionate, rightly gifted people to serve on our staff? How many actually critically positions (“key seat”) are there in our organization? What percentage of those are filled with the right people? What is our plan for filling those seats with the right people? What is our plan for training and preparing the people who will fill those seats? (So that nothing is lost if someone leaves.)

Personal
All the extra work that we are taking on might actually be the new reality.

Hybels notes that he could not keep that up. Kids expressing concern about his pace. “The pace at which I’m doing the work of God is destroying God’s work in me.” Hybels’ journal entry from 20 years ago.

He recently admitted that he was falling back into a depleted condition. Romans 8:6- Life and peace

Plan negligence strategy. Who do I need to be around because it replenishes me and who do I need to avoid because it drains me?

Doubled the number of miles running, narrowed diet, taken more time off.

The single greatest change involves how he starts his day. Get to the office at 6:30 and begin (“Speed of the leader sets the speed of the team.”) In rogue wave situations, the temptation is to answer every email, stop exercising, have every meeting, stop eating right, etc. Instead of coming to the office early, he’s now working early from home.

He reads the Bible @ home rather than at the office. Absorb it and absorb it slowly. Listen and listen slowly. When we listen slowly, God speaks more clearly. Now heads into the office around 9:00. Not suggesting mimicry of what he’s just reference, but the best thing we bring to the table is a filled bucket and a heart that is right with God and overflowing with optimism and grace everyone around us benefits. Whatever routine has to be shaken to get back to the “full bucket,” we have to pay the price.

What are our followers and colleagues see when they look at us these day?