Discovery Church of Ridge Meadows

“6 Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king's work gave willingly… 9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly… 13 Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. 14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand… 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.”~1 Chronicles 29 NIV

This morning as I recover from the events of the weekend I read about the final moments of King David’s life in 1st Kings 2 and in this section of 1st Chronicles 29. David’s life was full of all sorts of memories and moments and in this section in 1st Chronicles before his death he challenges the people and charges his successor…his son Solomon… to engage in the building of the Temple of the Lord.

Now… this was the most massive undertaking that the people of Israel had ever engaged in up to this point in their journey with their God. They were to build a Temple dedicated to the God who needed no temple for His home. Nevertheless… they were to build this Temple to the exact specifications handed down to David by the Spirit of the Lord. Now... David during his reign had accumulated many of the materials needed for this undertaking which is staggering to think about… but there was still more needed and at this final juncture in David’s reign as King he CHALLENGES the leaders around him to do something that is vital to the role of every leader no matter where they serve and that is… to LEAD by EXAMPLE!

In the verses above we see the result…the leaders of Israel listened to David and they all gave GENEROUSLY and WILLINGLY of their TIME… TALENTS… and in the passages above… their TREASURES!

Now… here is what I want to point out…when we read this it might be easy to say that they were simply following orders of the King… BUT the author of this Old Testament letter states that they gave WILLINGLY… and the RESULT was the people REJOICED and followed their lead… and God was GLORIFIED among them! The leaders of the nation of Israel gave WILLINGLY to the cause of building the Temple and to following the leading of God on their lives for that generation… for that time in HIStory of the world.

So… here in lies the lesson for us today… especially for us in leadership and it comes in the form of a question…and that is…

“Are we WILLING to give of our TIME… TALENTS…and TREASURES… so God’s Kingdom can be established on earth as it is in heaven where He has planted us?”

You know… unfortunately far too often I think we often fall short of all that God desires from us both individually and also collectively. I think far too often we’re simply willing more to go through the motions than to SACRIFICE WILLINGLY for the sake of the lives of those around us… for those lost and wandering in the world around us!

The TRUTH is… God is God… and He has said that He will build His church and not even the gates of Hell will prevail against it… BUT God being God… and being TRUE to His nature… He has called us to join Him in the process… in the journey!

So let me ask the tough question again…

“How WILLING are you to do what it takes to advance the Kingdom of God where he has planted you?”

“Is the STATUS QUO simply good enough for you… or does your heart ache for those around you who do not share your knowledge of the LOVE of God and what a difference that can make in a person’s life?”

The leaders in David’s time led the CHARGE… they led by EXAMPLE…they gave WILLINGLY of their TIME… TALENTS… and TREASURES… and in doing so... a great work of God was accomplished here on earth during their lifetime… and the same can happen today… BUT that is up to us… "IF" we're WILLING!

Seeking to BUILD the Kingdom for His glory... and seeking your help...

Rev Trev

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honour.” ~James 4:10 NLT

In life and leadership there are many things that we learn along the way both inside and outside the walls of the church community. However, there is one thing that goes a long way in both of these arenas and that is the issue of HUMILITY!

Now, I know, having walked in non-faith circles for many years of my life that HUMILITY is not necessarily a trait that is often first noticed in many so-called “successful” worldly leaders’ lives! In fact, it might be the last trait that is noticed! But as I have been privileged to walk with many successful people over the last ten years of my life as a pastor, one of the things I have begun to notice and realize is the key role that HUMILITY plays in the lives of these men and women.

You know…our world tells us that when it comes to leadership that we need to be STRONG and TOUGH… that we need to be CONFIDENT and SELF-ASSURED in order to make a mark in the world around us! But the scriptures tell a different story completely! The Bible reminds us in story after story that the one trait that God seeks in leaders in all situations is the characteristic of HUMILITY! From Genesis to Revelation, God does not choose leaders based on their talents or experiences or their vision or organizational skills! In fact, He often chooses the exact opposite! God chooses men and women who are HUMBLE, who are willing to SUBMIT their plans before Him and who are willing to DEPEND on Him rather than themselves or their plans!

Peter, one of the most impulsive of the disciples, and maybe one of the most arrogant or self-assured for that matter, came to understand this reality well along the way as he walked with Jesus. Sometimes Peter would move ahead of Jesus with disastrous results and along the way he learned that it was better to lay his plans at the foot of the Cross and seek God’s direction rather than his own. Listen to what he wrote in the New Testament letter that follows the verse above…

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in His good time, He will honour you!” ~1st Peter 5:6 NLT

The reality is simply this... there is POWER in HUMILITY! The truth according to the WORD of God is this and that is... HUMILITY is vital to a leader’s ability to be successful in God’s kingdom both inside and outside the walls of the church. As we HUMBLY accept God’s call on our lives and seek to fulfill that calling He will use the talents and the treasures that he has placed in each one of us to accomplish what He desires in His timing and according to His purposes!

Humbly seeking to follow Him…

Rev Trev

In his leadership book..."Living at the Next Level" John Maxwell...pastor and founder of INJOY Inc. a San Diego based organization dedicated to helping men and women reach their potential in every aspect of life... writes these words...

"The road to the next level is always uphill!"

You know, I think there is some real wisdom in these simple words that I read today as I continue to live out a commitment to understanding more about leadership and its place and calling on my own life and the lives that I have been privileged to lead. (That's you IF you didn't guess! )

My father always said it this way...

"Anything worthwhile having in life takes effort and hard work!"

Ahhh... the wisdom that comes from the life of a Saskatchewan farm boy from the 20's and 30's!

The reality is... the road to the next levels in almost every area of life are almost always a struggle. And when it comes to the issue of leadership that is especially true.

Well... I imagine that there are many answers to that simple question but the first one that comes to my mind as I ponder this leadership tidbit that has started the journey ahead... I guess it is simply because "IF" it were easy then everyone would do be leading! BUT as I look around the reality is... there are more followers than there are leaders!

You know... my own personal experience has led me to believe that leadership is NOT easy. Leading people is difficult and challenging. Learning to lead has many ups and downs that often cause us to give up! Leading people can cause conflicts and challenges that will strain even some of the best relationships along the way!

However... the benefits of leading well and for the long haul are pretty amazing... and most certainly worth every bit of the challenge. Leading people in life change, in following after God rather than the world is one of the most exhilarating and demanding challenges that anyone can undertake. Seeing people moving forward with their lives individually and collectively is not for the faint of heart!

Jesus speaking to those who would follow after his leadership said...

"In the world you'll have trouble. But cheer up! I have overcome the world."

~John 16:33 God's WORD Translation

As you make your way through the journey of leadership it is good to understand that each step requires TRUST and FAITH in the One who is ultimately leading because there will be struggles and battles!

Every good thing in life is like that....

Rev Trev