SEPTEMBER 7–DETAILS… KNOW THE AUDIENCE

 If you don’t speak words your audience can easily understand, how are they to know? You’ll be talking to yourself. There are so many kinds of languages. Each one is important. (1 Corinthians 14:9-10)

                   People everywhere understand and enjoy stories. Stories communicate life. They relate deep truths in a comfortable way. But, stories must relate to the everyday experience of the listener or they do not communicate. Do you know your people? Do you understand how they view the world and their lives in that world? If not, how will you tell your story in a way they will understand? Visions, values, interpretations; all of these are important. They communicate truth. But, the stories you tell, and the way you teach these truths must be relevant to everyday life or they will just be words.

                   Paul is talking to people whom he suspects are trying to elevate themselves – become important in their church – by speaking in tongues. He explains to them that they are communicating with no one unless they speak in a way that their audience will understand.

                   Exert the effort. Do the work you must do to know your people. Understand their lives so that you can tell your story in clear and meaningful ways.

SEPTEMBER 6 – DETAILS…. KNOW YOUR STORY

 Now the man (from whom Jesus took away the demons) begged Jesus that he may stay with Him, but Jesus sent him away saying, “Go back to your people and tell them what the Lord God has done for you.” So, the man went and told his whole community all the great things Jesus had done for him. (Luke 8:38-39)

                   Have you considered what the Lord has done for you? If you are going to introduce other people to Jesus should you not have a clear, compelling reason to do that? What has Jesus done for you that you could not do for yourself? What change did that make in your life? How did it happen? The Bible is one long story that continues into our present day. Your experience with Jesus is another chapter of that Jesus story.

                   This passage relates a common desire you may have. When Jesus acts in your life, you may wish to stay with Him; to simply enjoy being healed by him. But, Jesus explains to this man that he must now take responsibility for the new life he has been given. He must begin immediately to live the mission. His job now is to live as evidence of Christ’s work in this world.

                   That is your work as well. Know your story! Be ready to share that story as a part of God’s work in His world when He sends others to you.

SEPTEMBER 5 – REMEMBERING TO MAINTAIN

 If your life is going to be fundamentally this way, you must live in constant relationship with the Lord’s Holy Spirit. If not, you may become conceited; even be competitive and envious about your spirituality. We’re in this together. Spend your time caring for your brother or sister who may be tempted, while guarding your own relationship with Christ Jesus. (Galatians 5:25-6:1)

                  People can lose their way at any time; even when you least expect it. Often, success that leads to power or position can insulate you and your leaders from the critical voices that remind you of your human frailty. Each person needs the connection with others that comes from community. Do you have people around you who insure that you maintain your focus on God? Have you established accountability for other leaders to be challenged regularly?

                  Here, Paul gives a principle, a warning, and a prescription for health. You will do well for your people to hear his words. First, Paul explains that there is ongoing work required if you wish to maintain a healthy organization. People must continually be directed to attend to their relationship with God. Then, he explains what happens if you don’t do that work. Finally, he gives a very practical, general process for how to be sure that you do the work to continue moving forward God’s way.

                  You know your people and their context. Let the Holy Spirit lead you to specific ways to live this counsel from Paul.

SEPTEMBER 4 – LOCATING THE LEADERS

 What naturally appears in the lives of those who are led by God’s Spirit is an uncommon love, joy, and peace. These people are very patient, kind, good, and faithful in their relationships with others. They have a gentle self-controlled manner that you can’t will yourself to have. It comes only to people who have allowed Jesus to change their desires (Galatians 5:22-23)

                  Another reason to carefully observe the behavior of your people is that you need leaders. Those who help you lead must be led of God’s Spirit to work in unity toward His plan for your people. Do you base your selection of leaders on these character traits? Do your subordinate leaders and managers share your vision and values? Are they leading your people where God wants them to go?

                  Just as clearly as he gave symptoms of self-centeredness and defiance of God and His rule, Paul has given the “symptoms” of good spiritual health and close relationship with the Holy Spirit. This calm, peaceful, patient demeanor that is marked by loyalty and a gentle, controlled goodness to other people – even when problems arise, is uncommon in the world. It will be easy to see for a person who is looking. These people may not have all the traditional characteristics society associates with leadership, but they have the ones that count in God’s economy.            

   Locate those among your people who are prepared to join you in the work and help you lead. Invest in them to help them learn to grow others.

SEPTEMBER 3 – DIAGNOSING THE DISEASE

 Things people do showing they base life on their own, selfish desires are obvious to everyone. They are sexually immoral, whether private or public, are shameless in lewd behavior. Further, they conform, pursuing idols and other spirits. They show their hatred, combativeness, and jealousies in ways that lead them and others to extreme anger. Dividing people, leading them to part emotionally, and even separate permanently. Those who live with discontent or drunken or uncontrolled behavior will not share in God’s kingdom. (Galatians 5:19-20)

                  As you lead your people, you must carefully observe issues of character if you will lead them well. Often, you may have layers of systems and processes to insure quality, limit risk, and protect resources. What are you doing to identify and address problems of character?

                  Paul knew that God’s prosperity comes only when people pursue life on God’s terms. He observed the behavior of men and women, and over time had come to see patterns. These basic human patterns are still evident today. If you see people who have no shame, who seem to be angry or selfish, and whose lives are spinning out of control, they are not pursuing God’s will for their lives. These actions lead to destruction for them and for the other people around them. They will infect others if left unaddressed. But, if you look, you will see these symptoms.              

   Invest in people. Help them find their way.

SEPTEMBER 2 – IT TAKES TIME

 Friends, do you remember where you were; how you acted, when Jesus first rescued you? It wasn’t your brains, nor your power, nor your social standing, that caused God to choose you. That’s not how He works. He picks the least and makes them into the best.      (1 Corinthians 1:26-28)

                   Do you always focus on the superstars? Have you established a culture where those who are the brightest and best get all your attention? Have you ever considered that you may be overlooking people in whom God intended for you to invest – simply because they didn’t fit your definition of importance?

                  If so, Paul has an important word for you in this counsel. God has a history of late bloomers. It is His habit to take people from where they are, and work in them in a way that is creative and surprising. In the Lord’s kingdom, remember that there is irony. “The last will be first (Matthew 20:16).” Paul speaks of process over time (Philippians 1:6), and David acknowledged the same (Psalm 138:8). That is why you are so dependent each moment on the Spirit’s leadership. You can’t predict which person is the one in whom you should invest. You don’t know what they need, nor how to address that need apart from God’s work in you.

                  Recognize that God works in people’s lives over time. Understand that you will sometimes be part of the early years in the life of a late bloomer.

SEPTEMBER 1 – THE DIFFERENCE

 So, let your Lord God show you the way that is best for them; just as He does for you. And, help your brother and sister to find that best for themselves. This is such a difficult, unusual choice for you to make in this world. Many will start; but they will fail. The way to God ‘s life is hard. (Matthew 7:12-14)

                  There are so many ways to get it wrong as a leader. There are many who will advise you to choose those false paths. Often, they will seem to you to be the right, fair choice. Will you make the only choice that will make all the difference for your people? Only one path will take you and your people to the transformed life that Jesus offers.

                  During this lesson, Jesus explains that often His way will be different from the world’s angry, combative, selfish way of dealing with other people. He gave a couple of very clear examples, pointing His listeners to the all-knowing, loving counsel of the Father as the proper source for each and all a believer’s needs. Many have read this passage as instruction to reason what is best for the other person, and then convince that person to accept their opinion. That’s not the narrow-door path Jesus urges. The narrow way is to recognize that only the Father has the right answer for each of His children. The narrow way is to listen for the Spirit to reveal how to point the other person to Him.

                  Choose the different way. Help your people find their way to God and His very best for them. Don’t try to take God’s place in their lives.