I had a full weekend.
I had the opportunity to attend both The Catalyst Conference in Dallas with some of my team and than a Men’s Conference with some great dudes from our church. I am exhausted, inspired, spent, fired up, sleepy, and wide-awake. Many of you in ministry and leadership know exactly the kind of tension I am feeling right now. These events are often like trying drink from a firehose. With so much information and inspiration coming at you you grab what you can, take some notes, sing loud and proud, and then find some time over the next few days to ruminate on and incorporate what you’ve learned into your real world.
The theme of Catalyst this year was A Community of Change Makers. I attend the Atlanta event back in October and was excited to take a handful of our ministry leaders to the event at Gateway Church here in the metroplex. The major emphasis from every speaker was that to truly lead others effectively, a leader must lead him or herself first.
Here is a fundamental truth that is so important for us to learn and live out:
Who we are as leaders is more important that what we do.
For today, I just want to share a few of my favorite quotes from the weekend – with a couple of Don Miller & Bob Goff quotes from the Men’s Conference. I hope that these thoughts give you some motivation for your week ahead. Be sure to comment on the exit question at the bottom.
Whatever you have to do today, Love. Everybody. Always.
- 2 questions every leader must ask: 1) Who am I? 2) What breaks my heart?
- Great leaders make things better for their people.
- You have no idea what hangs in the balance of your decision to embrace the burden God has put in your heart.
- Many years from now, what would you like people to line up to thank you for?
- External Change requires Internal Shifts.
- The 1st Five – give the first five minutes of your day to the Lord.
- God is good and God is good at being God.
- Your brain is nothing compared to your mind.
- Change you mind and you can change your brain.
- You can listen to God or Google and Gossip. (Non-toxic thoughts vs. Toxic Thoughts)
- God doesn’t want to change the world. He wants to change us.
- Act upon the thing that God puts on your hearts.
- Don’t be more in love with the IDEA of change. Actually Change.
- Don’t quit. Persevere. (Note: Apparently Cho had been ill and traveled from Seattle to Dallas. He had to stop part way through to take a breath and recover.)
- We may be born selfish but we are re-born generous.
- Do not GIVE in order to GET. Wrong motivation.
- Mammon promises us things only God can give. Life. Peace. Joy.
- People don’t need money. They need God.
- Abel gave of his first fruits. Cain gave what he wanted, when he wanted, in the way he wanted.
- We are the most like God when we GIVE.
- When you encounter Jesus you always walk away with more than you expected.
- Fatherhood is the best ‘hood.
- There is a vast difference between knowing Church and knowing Jesus.
- Jesus wasn’t just a good man but a God-Man.
- When someone is lowered through the roof… you should probably shut that sermon down.
- When your EXPERIENCE doesn’t line up with your EXPECTATIONS God is probably giving you a REVELATION. Pay attention to what he is telling you.
Danielle Strickland (The Highlight of Catalyst for me)
- Everyone wants to change the world. Not everyone is willing to get up (early) to do it.
- You know which surfer catches the wave? The one in the water.
- Posture yourself/Posture your life in such a way that when the wave comes, you can catch it.
- God hasn’t called us to hard things. God has called us to do IMPOSSIBLE things.
- Don’t let your past failures or your fear of future failures keep you from following where Jesus is calling you.
- Don’t take a fragment of failure with you to the next place.
- Criticism can get on you but don’t let it get IN YOU.
- You are not defined by your worst day or your greatest success. You are defined by LOVE.
- When we live under the banner of Christ it doesn’t just change some things, it changes EVERYTHING.
- I’m just trying to be the next humblest version of myself.
- Love. Everybody. Always.
- People turn into who others say they are.
- You get the green lights you get.
- God wants us to live right on the edge of YIKES.
- It’s not about MANNING UP. It’s about SHOWING UP!
- Tie your dreams with the dreams of others. Good stories involve other people.
- Think of Joker’s face and Vader’s limbs. They didn’t do the hard work needed to bring about real healing.
- We are in the middle of Act II. It’s difficult. There is no resolution. In the midst of conflict.
- Look at the people God calls into LEADERSHIP. You have not done worse than them.
- Heroes are in it for the sake of others.
Exit Question:
What is the most important leadership lesson you are currently try to live out in your leadership context?