Today was the first day of my stay at Saddleback Church in Lake Forrest, California. As many have asked me to, I am going to update you on some of the key insights that I've gained from the unique opportunity that I've received in not only attending this conference but also getting to meet with Saddleback's Student Ministry Staff one on one.
That being said, here is a list of some of my favorite quotes from the day. These quotes came from Session presentations by Rick Warren and a meeting with Doug Fields in which we discussed my ministry and its impact on my family and marriage.
"In ministry, I get knocked down often, but because of Jesus I never get knocked out. Always remember that...down is not out."
"It takes more than prayer to grow a church. It takes skill as well."
"Sometimes I think that most churches are deacon possessed."
"God often puts the greatest gifts in the weakest vessels."
"If you have no friends who are unbelievers and disreputable, then you are not Christ-like."
"Humility is about being honest about both your strengths and your weaknesses."
"Most pastors are like bad photographs; they are over-exposed and under-developed."
"It's always too soon to quit."
"Pastors should learn to enjoy the grace of God more. The Pastor of a church often lives under the task of living up to a standard of perfection, but reality shows that the Pastor would better serve the Kingdom by working from his failures. After all, the Pastor is the church's biggest trophy of grace."
"Grace is the fact that God knew every stupid thing that I would ever do in ministry, yet He called me anyway."
"Being faithful to your calling has very little to do with what you "do"...It's more about to whom you belong. You don't belong to a church. You don't belong to Student Ministry. You don't belong to any other ministry either. You belong to Jesus."
"If God loves you unconditionally, what more do you need?"
"Gaze into the eyes of Jesus and know that He is fond of you."
"Never confuse prominence with significance. Your contribution to the Kingdom may not be prominent...who cares...it's incredibly significant."
"It's so easy to learn 'how to' and forget 'why'."
"A lot of disciples start off in their ministry as servants, and then they turn into celebrities. That's wrong."
"My church and the rest of the world can go to hell if it means that I can't be a Godly daddy and husband."
"You don't have to be perfect to be used by God, but you do have to be authentic."
"Run every idea through your wife. I've learned that my wife is uncanny in speaking into my discernment processes."
"Your children shouldn't be treated any differently than any other child in the church. They are babies in the Kingdom. Who cares what their dad does for the church?"
"You should give quality time to Jesus, but you better make sure to have quantity time left over for your wife."
"Most Pastors to Students make their exit from a church, or Student Ministry in general, because they reach the understanding that they are not able to use their primary gift set on the highest level in that environment."
"You have to be 'you' in ministry. If you don't be 'you', then 'you' will never make 'your' contribution."
"You can measure a Pastor's greatness by how much it takes to discourage him."
"A Pastor's greatest nemesis is not criticism. It's his fear of criticism."
"I don't worry about motivating others. I focus instead on increasing my own passion for what I'm doing. My passion, at its highest, is incredibly contagious. So is yours."
That's enough for day one. There's so much more that I'd love to share with you...maybe later. Grace and Peace to you.
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