-Resources: Books for Small Groups-

If you're looking for a good resource on what it means to be the spiritual leader of your home, this is solid.  A group of dudes that I meet with weekly just finished it up, and it was a great reminder of the ENORMOUS responsibility that God has given men, husbands, fathers, and businessmen.

Here's what we're going to next.  It's based on Romans 12, which you can read HERE.

-3 Things I Want To Be-

1.  Solver vs Talker

There are problems in the world.  (I'll pause a moment to allow time for gasps to subside and the shock to wear off).

Now let's continue.

People have problems.  Culture has problems.  Families have problems.  We all have problems.

You can talk, cry, complain, be outraged, and post rants on social media all day long.  Eventually, however, if the problem is ever going to be solved you have to move from talking to action.

I want to be a problem solver, not just someone that talks about problems.

2.  Surgeon vs Butcher

Ever seen a butcher cut meat?  It’s forceful.  It’s messy.  Results are “approximate” at best.

Surgery is different.  It's planned and precise.  It's executed with steadiness, skill, and care.

Leaders make decisions and orchestrate organizational changes that affect significant amounts of people.  That has to be approached with tact and reverence.

I want to be a surgical leader, not a bullish leader charging through the china shop of peoples’ lives.

3.  Multi-tool vs Hammer

A hammer views every problem as a nail.  It approaches every task and every person the same way: hit it as hard as you can as many times as you can and hopefully it'll get fixed.

Yet, in leadership there is no one-size-fits-all method.  Yes, some problems are best addressed with force.  For another, a gentle rub with the file is more effective.  Still others simply need to be tightened up with the screwdriver.

I want to be more like a swiss army knife and less like a mallet.  MacGyver over Thor.  Versatile over volatile.  Functionality over force.

What are 3 things you're striving for?

-Grip Those Love Handles-

This Sunday we're starting a new series at REVO called "Love Handles: Get a Grip on Love and Relationships."  Here are a few phrases we're going to unpack the first 2 weeks of the series:

-Guys, what does it mean to be the king of your castle?

-Ladies, does Scripture REALLY tell you to submit to men?

-Are there specific "roles" for men and women?

-Should women pursue men, or is that the guys job?

-Ladies, ever wonder why you attract the wrong type of guy and get stuck dating a loser?

-Guys, wrong wife = hard life!  Right wife = good life!

Fellas, this Sunday I'm going to share some things from Scripture that all great kings do for their kingdoms.  This is going to help you understand what you need to be doing to attract and keep your dream wife.

Ladies, I'm going to share some things from Scripture that you should be looking for in a man.  This is going to save you A LOT of heartache from guys that aren't worth your time!

If you're single or dating, let's get a grip on what Scripture says you should be looking for in a relationship.  If you're married, let's get a grip on what your king/kingdom should look like.

You don't want to miss the kickoff of this series!  Try any of the 3 service times at either REVO location, and get a grip on these love handles.

-The People a Leader Needs to Have-

There are certain types of people that leaders usually don’t need more of in life.

They don’t need more people that want to share their ideas.

They don’t need more critics.

They don’t need more people that demand their time.

They don’t need more people that sap their energy.

They don’t need more people making withdrawals from their life.

Most leaders have plenty of those people.

A really important person that a leader needs on the team is an encourager.

They need a person building them up.

They need a person offering help.

They need a person pouring into their life.

They need a person making valuable deposits in their life.

Those are the people that are invaluable to a leader.

Here are 3 easy ways to encourage a leader in your life this week.

1.  Kind words- Proverbs 16:24- “Pleasant words are… sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

2.  Prayers- 2 Corinthians 1:11- “You help us by your prayers.”

3.  Written Notes- Many books in the New Testament were written to encourage pastors, churches, and leaders in their daily life with Jesus.

-The MVP in the Church-

Every church has an MVP.  This person is the most important piece of the puzzle.  They keep the wheels from falling off and the entire mission from going up in flames.  They have the hardest job in the organization!

Yet, their name isn't on the website and never gets any stage time or recognition.  It's unpaid, hard, demanding, and sometimes completely unfair.

So who is it?  The Pastor?  The Worship Leader? The volunteer that cleans the bathrooms after the service with their bare hands because the church budget got cut and "Cleaning Supplies" was the line item that was easiest to slash?

Nope.  The hardest job in the church is being the pastor's wife.

(CAVAET: I didn't write this so that you'll feel sorry for my wife or any other pastor's wife.  I wrote this to celebrate the heroes in ministry life!)


Here are 3 big reasons why it's hard to be the wife of a pastor:

1.  THEY LIVE THEIR LIFE UNDER A MICROSCOPE
Everything that they say or do is critiqued by everyone.  Every social media post, every financial decision, and every parenting choice will be analyzed.  When their kids misbehave or they say or do something out of frustration, it will be scrutinized.

What, you may ask, brought this encouraging and uplifting gift upon them?  Their husband's calling.  "Thanks honey."

So they do their best to deal with the Church version of the NSA and strive hard to ensure that their personal and (not so) private life adds credibility to the message that their husband is preaching as oppose to tearing it down.


2.  THEY CONSTANTLY DEAL WITH PUBLIC CRITICISM
Being a pastor and a leader comes with perks, but also plasters a bullseye on your back.  Criticism can be hard for some pastors, but it's almost always more difficult for their wives.

A pastors wife's DESIRED response to public criticism may be to punch someone in the throat, go out in the parking lot during the service and slash their tires, or throw holy water on them convinced that it will burn their skin because they are a demon disguised as a faithful member.  "The Power of Christ Compels You!"

Yet, what do they end up doing?  Smiling, taking the high road, and asking God to suppress their feelings of violence in order to keep the church off the front page of the newspaper.  After all, deep down they really don't have time to start a women's prison ministry right now.  Especially one from the inside.


3.  THEY ARE ON THE JOB 24/7
"It must be really nice to have that kind of free time since you only work on Sunday."  I love that comment.  Especially when that person calls with an emergency or a family crisis...on Tuesday night.  "Oh sorry, since I only work one day a week I'll have to wait to get back to you...in 5 more days."

But seriously, being a pastor is a 24/7 job.  Emergencies tend to happen in the middle of the night.  A family crisis almost NEVER happens between the hours of 9am-5pm.  Deaths and funerals seem to always pop up in the middle of your annual family vacation.

And who bears the brunt of that?  The pastor's wife.  "When is it going to be my turn?"  She shares her husband with the entire church.  For most pastors there isn't a day that he is not at the very least "on call."  So she is flexible, understanding, and oftentimes puts the needs of others above her own.


The Pastor's wife is BY FAR the most difficult position in the church.  The second hardest position isn't even close.  If you don't think that's true, just ask her (and don't say anything negative unless you want to get punched in the throat).

-I Hope More People Leave Our Church-

A family is leaving our church.  And honestly, I’ll be glad when they’re gone.

In 2 weeks, the Davidson family is leaving REVO church, and I can’t wait for them to go.  Yea, I called them out specifically on the internet.  It’s my blog, what are you going to do about it?  I’ve got 1 word for it:

“Winning.”

In 2 weeks, this family begins a journey to Salerno, Italy, to be a part of a church plant there.  Less than one half of one percent of that country knows Jesus (that’s 0.05% for you number people), and this family is leaving EVERYTHING they have to go there and tell people about Jesus.  I’ve got 2 words for that:

“Live Sent.”

In 2 weeks, a family will put into practice what we have been trying to teach, preach, and challenge people to do for the 3 years our church plant has been worshipping Jesus in this city.   I’ve got 3 words for that:

“Set the Example.”

In 2 weeks, a family will set into motion a strategy that will land them on the other side of the world, speaking a different language, with 2 kids under the age of 5, driven by an overwhelming desire to do whatever it takes to get people far from God into a relationship with Him through Jesus.  I’ve got 48 words for that:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

In 2 weeks, our church has the opportunity to send out a family to the ends of the earth.  We have the opportunity to support them financially, spiritually, emotionally, and strategically.  We get to partner with them in life, ministry, and in the most significant calling that anyone on this earth has ever heeded.  I’ve got 2 words for that:

"Who's Next?”

-2 Big Ways My Faith Gets Tested-

I'm a risk taker.  I'm a leader.  I'm a go-getter.  The average "tests of faith" don't seem to phase type-A personalities such as myself.   Give all of my stuff away?  No problem, I can get more stuff.  Be generous with my finances?  Sure!  I can make more money later.  Bad things happening around me?  I know God is still in control and has a plan for my life.

But these 2 are different.  These 2 make me stop and think.  These 2 test me.

Here are my 2 biggest faith testers:

1.  When I ask God a question, and I don't get an answer.

2.  What I ask God a question, and I don't get the answer that I like.


Sometime I roll with the punches.  Sometimes I respond poorly.  What about you?  What really tests your faith?